The Manderlys?

[thegreenmanalishi83]

It's made pretty clear in at least two episodes that The Manderlys are one of the most powerful houses in the north and that they have not yet sided with the Boltons. Jon,instead of trying to sound them out,seems content to try all the smaller houses first(which strikes me as pretty odd).

Do we think The Manderly#s will play a significant role in the show? Will Davos get sent to treat with them?

[JonisHenryTudor]

Well in the show they did say "start small". So the objective is to gather the smaller houses first than go big. It's not that they are content with the smaller houses, instead they are looking to them first. 

[Pile-O-Starks]

Just now, JonisHenryTudor said:

Well in the show they did say "start small". So the objective is to gather the smaller houses first than go big. It's not that they are content with the smaller houses, instead they are looking to them first. 

This is a pretty dumb strategy though, right? You'd much rather have the Manderleys so that you can go to small houses and say "we have the Manderleys." Maybe they just want to practice their pitch a few times

[JonisHenryTudor]

Well considering it is Jon, Sansa, the NW men, and some wildlings.... 

 

1. Jon is a bastard to many in the north

2. Sansa is legally married to the Boltons.

3. NW are mostly rogues and probably a few men these houses sent to the wall for numerous reasons

 

4. Wildings - need I say more.

 

No starting small builds confidence. If this ragtag group arrived at WH, Manderly may not be convinced. Gathering a few small houses, the Vale knights, and perhaps the Blackfish will undoubtedly help. Besides, they are not exactly staying small. The Tully's and Arryns are not exactly "small" houses. Think about presenting a grant proposal for whatever. Do you appear before a major investor with an idea? Or do you compile money for tests, etc and then appear before the big guy?

[Shireen Purratheon]

The Manderys are a huge Chekov's gun that needs to go off by the end of this season. They've been explicitly mentioned as the only powerful house in the North that's not Bolton, Umber, or Karstark. Why go though the trouble of mentioning them if they're just going to say, meh, we don't need them 'cause of our Vale knights. That's not to say that I'm not psyched to see Brynden Blackfish back at it. But now that they've set it up, I've just gotta see Wyman Manderly do something important.

[Pile-O-Starks]

26 minutes ago, JonisHenryTudor said:

Well considering it is Jon, Sansa, the NW men, and some wildlings.... 

 

1. Jon is a bastard to many in the north

2. Sansa is legally married to the Boltons.

3. NW are mostly rogues and probably a few men these houses sent to the wall for numerous reasons

 

4. Wildings - need I say more.

 

No starting small builds confidence. If this ragtag group arrived at WH, Manderly may not be convinced. Gathering a few small houses, the Vale knights, and perhaps the Blackfish will undoubtedly help. Besides, they are not exactly staying small. The Tully's and Arryns are not exactly "small" houses. Think about presenting a grant proposal for whatever. Do you appear before a major investor with an idea? Or do you compile money for tests, etc and then appear before the big guy?

Well, Sansa told LF she doesn't want his help, and the Vale Knights were not mentioned in the second scene where they're planning their strategy.

The only knowledge we have of the Blackfish comes from Littlefinger. I strongly doubt that the Blackfish actually took back (or even has reappeared at) Riverrun. This seems like a ruse. Plus, in the trailer, it looks like we see Jaime in the Riverlands. Not much need for him to go there if Riverrun is securely held by the Tullys. I don't buy it at all. So let's call their support unlikely.

I guess my point is this: the Manderleys would know that if they declared against the Boltons, they would bring several houses with them. They don't need to see that Jon got those houses to begin with. It's like saying "we need the Tyrells on our side. Let's go convince the Tarlys first!" It won't matter. It's just unrealistic.

[thegreenmanalishi83]

1 minute ago, Shireen Purratheon said:

The Manderys are a huge Chekov's gun that needs to go off by the end of this season. They've been explicitly mentioned as the only powerful house in the North that's not Bolton, Umber, or Karstark. Why go though the trouble of mentioning them if they're just going to say, meh, we don't need them 'cause of our Vale knights. That's not to say that I'm not psyched to see Brynden Blackfish back at it. But now that they've set it up, I've just gotta see Wyman Manderly do something important.

You've made me feel better. 

[JonisHenryTudor]

1 minute ago, Pile-O-Starks said:

Well, Sansa told LF she doesn't want his help, and the Vale Knights were not mentioned in the second scene where they're planning their strategy.

The only knowledge we have of the Blackfish comes from Littlefinger. I strongly doubt that the Blackfish actually took back (or even has reappeared at) Riverrun. This seems like a ruse. Plus, in the trailer, it looks like we see Jaime in the Riverlands. Not much need for him to go there if Riverrun is securely held by the Tullys. I don't buy it at all. So let's call their support unlikely.

I guess my point is this: the Manderleys would know that if they declared against the Boltons, they would bring several houses with them. They don't need to see that Jon got those houses to begin with. It's like saying "we need the Tyrells on our side. Let's go convince the Tarlys first!" It won't matter. It's just unrealistic.

I do not recall, but I am unsure of how the north feels about the Manderly's. You do recall that the Manderlys were not a northern family originally, but were welcomed by the Starks to resettle. Whereas the Starks loved them, that doesn't necessarily mean the rest of the north does. 

At the same time Stannis just attacked Winterfell and was decimated. There is no guarantee that anyone is going to jump ship to aid Manderly to aid Sansa. Again, legally Sansa is married to Ramsay. This may create a dilemma for some. The approach seems to start local and pan out. 

 

Manderly will eventually come into play, they are just making their rounds. There might be a practical reason to the decision as well. WH is quite a distance from the CB, and Bear island is nearby. At the very least, it makes sense to seek support from those nearby in the event that Ramsay tries to preemptively turn the minor houses against Jon. It also helps that Jon was Jeor's protege at CB, and currently holds their ancestral sword. 

 

I agree with the bold, and if anything I can see him taking part in the Frey plot.

[Pile-O-Starks]

17 minutes ago, JonisHenryTudor said:

I do not recall, but I am unsure of how the north feels about the Manderly's. You do recall that the Manderlys were not a northern family originally, but were welcomed by the Starks to resettle. Whereas the Starks loved them, that doesn't necessarily mean the rest of the north does. 

At the same time Stannis just attacked Winterfell and was decimated. There is no guarantee that anyone is going to jump ship to aid Manderly to aid Sansa. Again, legally Sansa is married to Ramsay. This may create a dilemma for some. The approach seems to start local and pan out. 

 

Manderly will eventually come into play, they are just making their rounds. There might be a practical reason to the decision as well. WH is quite a distance from the CB, and Bear island is nearby. At the very least, it makes sense to seek support from those nearby in the event that Ramsay tries to preemptively turn the minor houses against Jon. It also helps that Jon was Jeor's protege at CB, and currently holds their ancestral sword. 

 

I agree with the bold, and if anything I can see him taking part in the Frey plot.

In the books, it's clearly uncertain. In the show, they basically laid it out: they're powerful, and they're Northern. That's all we're going to get as far as backstory goes, I'm sure.

The rest: all good points.

[jbob]

4 hours ago, Pile-O-Starks said:

This is a pretty dumb strategy though, right? You'd much rather have the Manderleys so that you can go to small houses and say "we have the Manderleys." Maybe they just want to practice their pitch a few times

I don't really agree. Go to Manderly first and they may turn them down for having nothing to show for it. But go round up the smaller, Houses who may want to prove themselves and possibly become a much larger House as they could get the Umber's and Karstarks lands. Manderly could be impressed while also afraid of having their lands taken away from them if the lose.

[GeorgeIAF]

They will surely make an appearance, Houses aren't mentioned in the show without reason. We'll see them. Cue in the Fletcher cast description.

[Andros Sotherton]

- Smaller houses and the Manderlys:
I do not really believe that smaller houses would be greedy to rise against Umber/Bolton/Karstark for lands or titles. That is not how D&D have depicted them or the books IMO. And the strategy that Jon and Sansa should gather smaller houses first, nah. What if the Boltons approach Manderly's first and make their threats, then they have to join in (Frey pies coming?). But as Sansa said about the Karstarks (what an idiot thing to say) the Manderlys haven't had another alternative to the Boltons yet. If the CB crew doesn't go for them first off they might have a tougher time helping out the Starks (notice the plural). And on the note of House Manderly's appearence... Nah, I don't believe that just because D&D mention them that they have to appear. Could be just a shout out to fans of the books, wouldn't surprise me. 

- Blackfish and Knight's of the Vale
I see no other reason for Jaime to go to Riverrun other than to rid himself (the Crown) of an enemy while LF takes care of them up north (as he has promised). And as seen in the trailer, Brienne and Pod are standing in front of the Tully banners. What other reason for that if not being inside of Riverrun with the Blackfish. The Knight's of the Vale though, I believe they will help out no matter what in the Battle of the Snows. No matter if his feelings towards Sansa, the promise to Cersei or the fact that he already got the army up to the north and Robin behind him. He has to go. I foreshadow that Blackfish won't make it, being caught up with Jaime (read the synopsis for Ep. 7) and that while the battle goes Ramsey's way the Knight's of the Vale comes to the rescue a la Tywin by the Blackwater. 

[Guerì]

They might want to gather support to show up at WH not as desperate in need of help but as a force of their own.You have your own army and you go to lord Manderly to remember him of his duty to the daughter (and for how things are playing out with Rickon) and heir of his liege lord...The boltons striped house Stark of what was theirs,and I think the reaction of the Small Jon to Ramsay's version of Roose's demise speaks volumes of what the North thinks of the Boltons...Manderly might feel the same,as in the books,and might be more willing to help if Sansa and Jon present themselves with an army at their back..No one wants to fight a battle that is already lost...Well,maybe no one but Stannis...

[Andros Sotherton]

It depends to be seen! If they even are to join the series which IMO is:

Not likely ---------------------------x------------------------------------------------ Very likely

[Guerì]

Agree,but I think that both a Manderly army and those fabled knights from the Vale might be of use to up the numbers for a huge battle...someting like the Lord of the rings...

[No One of Importance]

I was also thinking that Jamie going to Riverrun has to be to because the info about he Blackfish is true and Jamie needs to take the castle back for the crown.

I'm not 100%, but I'm pretty sure there was a casting call this season for someone very Manderly-like.

 

[Philpenn]

Seeing as how in the show Manderly was the only other House besides Stark at the Red Wedding, taking sides with the Boltons shouldn't even be an option.

[mbuehner]

I think geography is the problem. White Harbor isnt easy to reach from CB, literally every house sworn to the Boltons are between the two. They could send somebody by ship, and perhaps the will (Davos?) but thats dangerous as well.

Seems to me that they may be reenacting Stannis's strategy from the books.

[Aegon_Blackfyre]

19 minutes ago, mbuehner said:

I think geography is the problem. White Harbor isnt easy to reach from CB, literally every house sworn to the Boltons are between the two. They could send somebody by ship, and perhaps the will (Davos?) but thats dangerous as well.

Seems to me that they may be reenacting Stannis's strategy from the books.

It does appear characters in the show are now undergoing plots that where previously missed out the show, such as the Blackfish holding Riverrun against the crown which like in the books will reunite Jaime and Brienne in the Riverlands. So Davos could very well end up at White Harbour trying to convince the Manderlys to come over to Jon and Sansa's side.

However like you previously mentioned White Harbour is quite a distance away from CB. And what i recall from the leaked pictures for season 6, there was a Stark army however there where only Hornwood, Mormont and some other banner that definitely isn't a Manderly banner present in that image. So there's a good chance the Manderly's might just remain neutral for the whole fight.

But i could be wrong as the Manderly's appear to be mentioned almost every episode.

[AryaNymeriaVisenya]

Weird how the Mountain clans haven't been mentioned. I guess they've not set it up but if your great granny was a Flint, you go to your cousins the Flints.