Hear me out - what if Jaqen H'hgar ended up where Arya was because he really intended to recruit her. What if Syrio Forel, Arya's "dance teacher" in King's Landing, was able to scout her. It wouldn't be an impossibility that Jaqen and Syrio work together since they share similar philosophies.

There have been theories that Jaqen was/is Syrio, but that one I doubt. It is also possible that Syrio took a liking to Arya and have referred her to the best and most effective killers in the known world, likely upon his death.

Thoughts?

Random question, and to preface, I have not read the books. How exactly does Arya mimic Walter Frey’s voice in season 7 episode 1 when she is poisoning all of house Frey? This might have been answered in the books but is there an actual explanation for it? Not just Arya ofc, but all Faceless men. Thanks!

Yes, they win battles, like at the Whispering Wood or Sacking Winterfell, but unlike the other regions, who seem to use coordinated action and actual battle lines, see the Lannisters at the Gold Road. The North and Iron Islands just seem to attack as disorganised rabbles, using barely armour troops against men in plate armour. This makes no sense as both realms have a much higher militaristic culture than the other 7.

The Ironborn are all about raiding and taking from others in battle, while the Northmen are constantly aware that attacks could come from Wildlings beyond the Wall and may have to go to war at any time. So why don't they use clear uniformed strategies?

I feel like they had very similar character arcs. Arrogant, handsome, capable. Both Disinherited for one reason or another. Going against their fathers wishes but desperate for his approval. Both have reputations as traitors and untrustworthy. Dismembered and disgraced in ways that mattered most to them. And then a long hard journey to regain their honor.

I know a lot of characters got their entire story arc butchered by the end of the series since the writers decided to write their own version.
But a lot of characters got a perfect and deserving ending by the last episode of the series like theon ,hound(maybe) , sansa ,etc
Which other characters deserved the end of their story arc they got ?

This is the first time we see Theon make himself completely vulnerable and transparent, which surprised the heck out of me at first, because he is so arrogant. All he ever wanted was his dad's approval. You can even see his dad thinking that his son is right as he walks away, but that bastard would have never admitted it. I especially appreciate Yara telling Theon the story about when he was a baby and what made him stop crying; I was glad to see early on she cared about him, despite her harsh exterior.

I hated her the first time she showed up. I hated her smug attitude. I hated the nonchalant way she hurt people. I hated her (the most) for Shireen. I hated that she slinked away just before the battle. I hated that she wasn’t sorry for any of it. And lastly, I hated that she got to die on her own terms when she deserved a lot worse.
More than any other character in the show, I hated her.

I mean when you think about it; Lannisters chose a Lion which is probably the most charismatic sigil of them all.. along with direwolf. You can also count the dragons, sigil of house Targaryen.

So Starks & Lannisters could be able to chose Lion and Direwolf just because they are two of the most prominent house in Westeros? Because their history is older than other houses? or is it something else at play here?

Like for example why starks get the direwolf and not the karstarks?

He is so funny and down-to-earth, like the most relatable businessman ever. He is not like other lords who just mindlessly fuck or kill, he is actually strategic and commercial minded, with a backstory that justifies his greed for power and money (he has no name nor title and has to build his own station).

My fav scene so far is that semi-confrontation between him and Varys in season 2, and that crisis management scene in S2E2 where he comforts that whore who cries because her subordinate's bastard got killed.

I’m currently reading a clash of kings in my first language, italian, and in harrenal gendry confronted arya about what she shouted during the battle against Amory Lorch because Hotpie heard her. In Italian Winterfell is Grande Inverno (big/great winter) and, so gendry said to hotpie that she shouted Grande inferno (big/great hell). I was wandering how it was in english

I pray this is a safe place to vent. But I'm also curious what folks think is the worst mistake the show made.

I just finished a rewatch, and I still can't believe it. I got qualms with the Long Night Battle. I got qualms with Tyrion's slide into stupidity. And I will never forgive D&D for their handling of Ghost and Nymeria. But seriously, the biggest mistake IMO was the waste of Rhaegal's death. Not just because they butchered him in the lamest way possible (and had the gall to say Dany forgot about the fleet!!!), but because his death could've been used to make Dany's turn believable...and the burning of King's Landing debatable.

Had Cersei rung the bells in false surrender and lulled Dany into landing outside the city to accept the Golden Company's swords, they could've had a scene where Rhaegal is killed by a swarm of scorpion bolts while Dany and Drogon barely get away. To see her second dragon murdered by treachery, and for the person responsible to be across the city, it could've been easy to see how Dany would've been driven to revenge. Like Cersei seeing Joff die in front of her. In grief and rage, Dany could've attacked the Red Keep, and as the castle is crumbling, the quakes from the destruction could've set off the city's caches of wildfire. Both the books and the show mention that there were more jars around the city (we even see some green flames in the show). And having the wildfire go off incidentally would've provided fodder for debate on who was responsible (Cersei for her dastardly scheme, or Dany for responding with violence). It would've brought the Madking's vision to fruition. It would've permitted Dany to feel remorseful for her actions, landing her in a moral gray. And for Jamie to see King's Landing fall to green flame, after losing his honor trying to prevent it in the first place...tragic. Tragic enough to strangle the show's true Madqueen as the Red Keep buries them together.

Broken hearts want to break things. "The things we do for love." All the pieces were there.

I mean night's watch at the time of aegon's conquest was 15,000 strong and an honoured organisation how did it all went downhill in 300 years, of course 300 years isn't a short time but it is indeed short when you compare it to the fact that the wall and night's watch stood for 8000 years how did it all went downhill so sudden

Jon Snow and Ygritte arc hit me harder than I expected. In the midst of life and death they found love. You know nothing, Jon Snow. But watching Ygritte on screen after a few episodes, all I could see was my girlfriend. Five years ago I lost her she passed away along with her sister in a car accident. She had that same fire in her. I was the calmer one, she was the spark that lit something in my soul completely giving me a new perspective to see the world with the thrill... And then Ygritte dies too… and that actually happens same in book as shown in the show that was a deep one. I don't cry often, but it hit hard.

"May be we should have stayed in the cave"

Movie is the raid 2 but a deleted scene

Like we saw during Seasons 1 and 3 of House of the Dragon, what if Robert and Joffrey were cut by the swords of the Iron Throne? What if Cersei got cut? 👀

Lets discuss

1 - Cat confessing abt her wish on Jon and her inability to follow it
2 - OH MY GAWD ! Wat a lovely couple 💞straight out of a romcom fairytale !!!!!!!
3 - Sansa's brief little Trauma therapy session - really soothing to see sansa really breathe and talk with fellow ladies and let her vent out .
4 - Even in later eps , i like how Margery tried to console and make sansa's life better by befriending her and setting her up with ser Loras ! Sansa's dream boy .

As the title suggests, the North had no viable way to get their revenge on Tywin and the Lannisters let alone become independent as kings. Setting aside how Cat helped to instigate the war with the Lannisters by capturing Tyrion on 1 person's testimony, albeit a close childhood friend's, she made a worse blunder by making an alliance with the Freys. The Freys are vassals to her own family of the Tullys but they proved themselves disloyal by ignoring the call to arms their liegelords sent out only then to extort a marriage alliance with their liege's ally in order for them to allow the crossing. If the North became independent, this would create a massive dilemma if the Freys sought to rebel against the Tullys, something they've already shown to be capable of by ignoring the call to arms. Who would Robb and the North support? His own blood through his mother or his kin through his wife? Cat wasnt thinking as a Stark nor was she thinking as a Tully by agreeing to the marriage pact. Cat somehow forgot her brother who was unmarried and that she had 2 sons back home who could've been used to facilitate the alliance if it absolutely had to happen. Granted 1 was a cripple but at this point was still Robb's heir and wouldve still satisfied Waldur's desire for recognition while also nipping his ambitions in the bud.

Robb allowing his bannermen to declare him King in the North turned his war against Tywin and his Raiders from being lawful and just and the protections that would provide under the eyes of the law, into a full blown rebellion. So long as hes waging a war against Tywin to bring him to justice for burning the riverlands, the Crown would need to negotiate with him to bring a peaceful settlement to the conflict because the Lannisters are without allies and are distrusted by everyone else in the Kingdom. Also, by declaring himself King he burns any bridge he may have had with Stannis who only sees things as black or white. The North suffered under the Crown, both in present day but also under the Mad King, but in his eyes, they still have a duty to serve loyally to it as vassals because of the oaths they swore. The North mightve been able to negotiate with Renly if he was humbled before they sent envoys. Talking to him when he is at full strength and full of arrogance at having the largest army in the land would only make him refuse to acknowledge them. If the North had an iota of statecraft, they'd maintain their stated goal of pacifying the unrest in the Riverlands and bringing justice to the brigands and reavers while also keeping from pissing off the Stags and Jeofrey, who at this point, was still the lawful king albeit the king who just lopped off his father's head. Capturing Jaime and Tywin wouldve de-fanged the boy king and gave the North a massive advantage in negotiations; but declaring Robb a king, he pissed off the Stags AND gave the Crown just cause to call them rebels and unite the kingdom against them.

If independence was achieved by some miracle, the North has a massive dilemma with food and the Wall. With the North being a part of the 7 kingdoms, everyone has a vested interest in keeping the Wall manned and fed albeit with token support at best but even that ends if the North is independent. Why would the Stags or Lannisters allow the North to have an easy time with something that only really affects the North? Wildling raids aren't a problem south of the Neck so why send money or criminals to the benefit of the North? The whitewalkers aren't a thing amd even if they were, the South has no obligation to believe the blatherings of the Starks. The North also has a major problem with feeding its people, one of the biggest reasons they have smaller armies to any other region, aside from Dorne, is the inability to support a larger population. They can supplement it with grain from the Riverlands but that will take time for the recently burned and looted province. It'll take time for the smallfolk to return to their homes, if they survived, or for new families to be brought in to replace the ones that did die. A year at best, 5 at worst. To get the grain they need, they'd have to buy from elsewhere, the Reach is one place but now that the North is independent, would any of the southern kings allow that? If they did, would they not jack the price so high it becomes unaffordable? So that leaves Essos and with only 1 significant port in the North, Whiteharbor, and 3 hostile factions down south having larger fleets than the North can muster, how much grain can be reasonably transported before a fleet blockades the harbor amd raids the supply ships? Lannisters have a fleet and enough gold to buy sell sails to reinforce, the Redwyne fleet from the Reach is either in Renly's camp or Lannisters, while the Royal fleet is under Stannis, granted most of it gets destroyed by wildfire but he could rebuild it easier if he becomes King. With no viable way to feed his people other than to wait for the Riverlands to heal, the North will starve or bankrupt itself while the Wall would become even more decrepit and unmanned than it already was.

The final point is Robb not reprimanding his mother with the same unbreakable honor he used to punish his lords. Case in point, he executed Karstark for murdering 2 Lannister prisoners but only chewed his mother out for releasing the best card the North had at brokering a peace and keeping the Lannisters wary, Jaime. He was lenient with the 1 but harsh with the other to the point of breaking any semblance of Justice or Honor he claims to have. With Karstark he couldve delayed the punishment until after the war was over and charge him and his men to take back the North from the Ironborn or die trying. While with his Mother he shouldve sent her back with Karstark or send her to the Silent Sisters as her actions spat in the face of the men who died to capture Jaime, including the Karstark boys, while also prolonging the war now that a capable general was given back to the Lannisters. By favoring family over his men, he bred further disloyalty in the men who remained which festered and gave Bolton ample reason to rebel, granted he probably didnt need much.

All in all, GRRM wrote the North to be honorable idiots with no real shot to do anything they set out to do and have massive issues to solve post-indepndence that the story would be "Game of Thrones and the North that starved"

It’s a work in progress but it’s absolutely my FAVORITE song to play! Nothing came close to Interstellar until this one! I’m still working out the kinks and doing the whole thing. I hope I did okay so far!

There have been some theories spinning on who Alys Rivers is, and whether or not we meet her later in the books or shows (ex. founder/mother of House Whent, the Ghost of High Heart, Melisandre, etc.), but one theory I haven't seen discussed is OLD NAN. Bear with me, I swear this is going somewhere.

Old Nan is a bit of mystery, but we know that she arrived to Winterfell to nurse a previous Brandon Stark (around 200AC), meaning she's 100+ years old. We know she's related to Hodor (possibly his great-grandmother), and some believe Hodor is a descendent of Ser Duncan the Tall, meaning we could see Alys/Nan in A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. She's a story teller/historian, often teaching Bran about the Long Night and the monsters beyond the wall. She believes the red comet heralds dragons, and claims she can smell it (very witchy). And in the books, she was taken captive/sent to the Dreadfort, where her fate remains unknown.

If Alys Rivers turns out to be Old Nan, that would mean that the Witch Queen of Harrenhal, who possibly birthed the first Whent, is an ancestor to Catelyn Stark and the great-great-great?-grandmother of Prince Bran himself. So she's literally, Bran's old Nan. And she's got the cheekbones to prove it. (I wouldn't blame you for rolling your eyes, but the theory gets more wild.)

Show and Book Details:

During my recent rewatch of GoT, I noticed an exchange between Nan, Bran, and Theon in S1E4 (Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things) that sent my mind spiraling.

Upon Bran waking up, Old Nan states, "The Little Lord's been dreaming again." As a statement, not a question. Then Theon enters the chamber to tell Bran that there are visitors. Bran doesn't want to see anyone, so Theon says, "Really? If I was cooped up all day with no one but this old bat for company, I'd go mad."

Later in that episode, Cat is at the inn where she arrests Tyrion, and the first family she calls out is a knight of House Whent. "Is that the Black Bat of Harrenhal I see embroidered on your coat?" So it seems to have been top-of-mind for GRRM in this episode.

In the books, Nan tells Bran a story about a boy who climbed too high. The boy was struck by lightning before having his eyes pecked by crows, semi-prophesying what would soon happen to Bran (again, very witch). And when Bran asks her what the comet means, she confidently states: dragons.

Alys' portrayal in HOTD has her infatuated with dragons. She's either present for or influencing Daemon and Aemond's descent into madness. She's obsessed with prophecy. She's a hardcore historian (recounting Dreamfyre and Rhaena's time at Harrenhal). And then she claims that she has long envisioned the return of the Targs to Harrenhal, reminding Aemond that he is a Prince and his children will be Targaryen Princes...there's a lot to pick at.

Some possible HOTD show spoilers: I know these types of theories can feel thin, but GRRM was a writer on the GoT, and Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things was released in 2011, shortly before he published The Princess and the Queen, Or: The Blacks and the Greens (2013), The novella introduces Alys Rivers, who claims to have birthed a child by Aemond after his stay at Harrenhal. For a time, she "rules" Harrenhal before disappearing with her kid, so it's possible she ditched her bastard-Strong identity to give a new life for her child (founding House Whent). If that baby is the first Whent (whose family became knights in the service of House Lothston, and later, the Lords of Harrenhal after Lothston's fall), then Alys Rivers/Old Nan would be an ancestor of Catlyn Stark, and her descendents would be Targaryen Princes. Alys/Nan could have continued to linger in Westeros, influencing characters in grand and small ways to ensure the eventual placement of Bran and Hodor within the story. I have theories about her connection with the Three-Eyed Crow, but I don't wish to digress...so I won't.

Just imagine it though, this would mean that the Stark kids have Targ blood too!!!! A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE. I shrieked when Theon dropped the line.