Why Benjen had to die?

[hallam]

Benjen Stark is the only living person who knew Jon's real parentage after Ned died. So the show runners kill him off just before the big reveal. 

I still think that the book and the show have taken different paths over Jon's mother. Rheagar is the father, no doubt. The books will definitely have a lot more about the cause of Roberts rebellion. Which we are obviously not getting. At this rate we are not even getting Rheagar's prophecy.

Either way, next week, either the wall falls or we find out who Jon is.

Or Euron kills Danny at the meet up. Which would make Tyrion's comments on succession planning make sense. It would also mean that having bent the knee, Jon inherits Danny's army and maybe her dragons.

[Katleesi]

Can we say Benjen is really "alive" tho'?  Also, Bran knows and so does Meera's father- assuming he is alive. 

[Lurid Jester]

7 hours ago, hallam said:

Benjen Stark is the only living person who knew Jon's real parentage after Ned died.

What makes you think that?

Also, different paths in regards to Jon's mother?  

[Grey_Ghost]

7 hours ago, hallam said:

Benjen Stark is the only living person who knew Jon's real parentage after Ned died. So the show runners kill him off just before the big reveal. 

Did Benjen really know about Jon?  

I'm not sure, but was this assumption made based on Benjen telling Jon they would have a talk when he returned in S3? 

[Theon_is_Azor]

There is exactly zero chance Dany dies in the next episode.

[falcotron]

8 hours ago, hallam said:

Benjen Stark is the only living person who knew Jon's real parentage after Ned died. So the show runners kill him off just before the big reveal. 

Benjen Stark may have known, but the only thing that even hints that he did is that he wanted to have a big talk with Jon about something.

Howland Reed definitely knows. He was there at the Tower of Joy. The show went out of its way to give us a flashback late last season showing that he and Ned were the only survivors of the fight. And then, early this season, they had his daughter saying she's going off to meet her dad.

Bran Stark knows. And not just in the sense that he knows everything now but doesn't know what to look for in his infinite memories; we saw him explicitly experiencing the ToJ scenes earlier in his training. The only question is whether there's anything important enough about R+L=J for him to think it's worth telling anyone.

Gilly and Sam sort of know, and they may also be the only ones who know about the annulment and marriage that makes him Jon (or Aegon) Targaryen instead of Sand. Of course they don't realize what they know, but they've still got the book, and once Sam gets another piece of the puzzle, he'll probably fit it all together.

So, Benjen is hardly the only living person who knew it, if he even knew it at all. Killing him probably has no effect on the R+L=J story. He died in 706 because it brings Jon's Watch story full-circle: the uncle who brought him into the Watch dies saving him during his last Ranging.

[xjlxking]

He shouldn't have been alive in the first place. Both GRRM and directors should have used him once before killing off

[Stryder the Blackheart]

While some might think less of Benjen since out of the Stark family he's had far less (or fewer if Stannis is watching) screen time than Rickon lol. Still given his status in the story and his relationship with Jon although briefly shown, his farewell could have been more impactful. I thought it was handled poorly by D&D, there were many other ways they could have handle Benjen's time this episode and manner of his death.

1.) During the bear attack. He could have came to the rescue when Sandor froze, and joined them escorting them to the Arrowhead mountain. the guy has been North of the Wall for 7 seasons I mean come on, by now he should know the territory better than Google maps.

2.) During the capture of the wight. Jon could have gotten overpowered by the White Walker and Benjen (sent by Bran) comes to aid him. By making Jon fight and beat a White Walker with relative ease cheapens the fear and mystique follow them. Yes he beat one at Hardhome, but to looking back at it, When Longclaw didn't shatter, one can argue the White Walker was caught off guard. While the rest probably including this one, were on top of a cliff watching the fight.

3.) Last but definitely not least, why didn't he just ride off with him on the horse. You mean to tell me you can outrun wights with 2 people, Bran and Meera on this horse, but not 1 Jon and you had a head start  lol come on.

List some other ways they could gave Benjen a worthy send off.

[hallam]

24 minutes ago, falcotron said:

Benjen Stark may have known, but the only thing that even hints that he did is that he wanted to have a big talk with Jon about something.

Howland Reed definitely knows. He was there at the Tower of Joy. The show went out of its way to give us a flashback late last season showing that he and Ned were the only survivors of the fight. And then, early this season, they had his daughter saying she's going off to meet her dad.

Bran Stark knows. And not just in the sense that he knows everything now but doesn't know what to look for in his infinite memories; we saw him explicitly experiencing the ToJ scenes earlier in his training. The only question is whether there's anything important enough about R+L=J for him to think it's worth telling anyone.

Gilly and Sam sort of know, and they may also be the only ones who know about the annulment and marriage that makes him Jon (or Aegon) Targaryen instead of Sand. Of course they don't realize what they know, but they've still got the book, and once Sam gets another piece of the puzzle, he'll probably fit it all together.

So, Benjen is hardly the only living person who knew it, if he even knew it at all. Killing him probably has no effect on the R+L=J story. He died in 706 because it brings Jon's Watch story full-circle: the uncle who brought him into the Watch dies saving him during his last Ranging.

I forgot Howland Reed. But we don't see him go inside the ToJ. He does not necessarily know the whole story. Everyone else has discovered what they know since Ned died. 

It is not clear if the Sam/Gilly information will be part of the reveal to Jon. It might just be a shout out to viewers.

Bran might well be part of the reveal. Particularly if he stops Arya from offing Sansa or vice versa as part of it.

[Lucius Lovejoy]

17 minutes ago, xjlxking said:

He shouldn't have been alive in the first place. Both GRRM and directors should have used him once before killing off

Lol agreed, I was trying to wonder why he had to come back in the first place.  The dying made sense to me lol.

[Lurid Jester]

13 minutes ago, hallam said:

I forgot Howland Reed. But we don't see him go inside the ToJ. He does not necessarily know the whole story. 

He wouldn't have to go inside to know what happened.  There's no way Howland is going to buy the story that Jon is Ned's bastard.  

"Hey Ned.  Who's baby?"

"Mine." 

"Lolwhut?  No seriously.  That Lyanna's kid?  He looks just like her."

"Nope.  My kid.  Totally my kid.  One of those wet nurses gave birth to him.... after we... had relations."

"you mean one of those wet nurses that clearly haven't given birth in the last five minutes?"

"yes."

[Tadco26]

He died to cut down the cast and tie up the "loose end" of what happened to Benjen in the laziest way possible.

[SerJeremiahLouistark]

9 hours ago, hallam said:

Benjen Stark is the only living person who knew Jon's real parentage after Ned died. So the show runners kill him off just before the big reveal. 

I still think that the book and the show have taken different paths over Jon's mother. Rheagar is the father, no doubt. The books will definitely have a lot more about the cause of Roberts rebellion. Which we are obviously not getting. At this rate we are not even getting Rheagar's prophecy.

Either way, next week, either the wall falls or we find out who Jon is.

Or Euron kills Danny at the meet up. Which would make Tyrion's comments on succession planning make sense. It would also mean that having bent the knee, Jon inherits Danny's army and maybe her dragons.

He saved 2 of his nephew's lives.  Dude is a rockstar.  

[Squirrel_Wight]

38 minutes ago, Stryder the Blackheart said:

1.) During the bear attack. He could have came to the rescue when Sandor froze, and joined them escorting them to the Arrowhead mountain. the guy has been North of the Wall for 7 seasons I mean come on, by now he should know the territory better than Google maps.

2.) During the capture of the wight. Jon could have gotten overpowered by the White Walker and Benjen (sent by Bran) comes to aid him. By making Jon fight and beat a White Walker with relative ease cheapens the fear and mystique follow them. Yes he beat one at Hardhome, but to looking back at it, When Longclaw didn't shatter, one can argue the White Walker was caught off guard. While the rest probably including this one, were on top of a cliff watching the fight.

3.) Last but definitely not least, why didn't he just ride off with him on the horse. You mean to tell me you can outrun wights with 2 people, Bran and Meera on this horse, but not 1 Jon and you had a head start  lol come on.

totally agree, my thinking! 2.) is a great idea, i hate how they devaluate their enemies and how jon just runs up to a white walker so sure he can beat him, they made it look so perfectly like a lucky punch in the hardhome episode, and thats what it should have been

[Squirrel_Wight]

also if you really have to have benjin to appear so extremely ex-machina like, prepare it somehow, make a scene where we see him getting ready to come to help, or riding like hell to reach the party, just something that its not as clunky and silly as gandalfs eagles

[Styl7]

7 hours ago, Squirrel_Wight said:

also if you really have to have benjin to appear so extremely ex-machina like, prepare it somehow, make a scene where we see him getting ready to come to help, or riding like hell to reach the party, just something that its not as clunky and silly as gandalfs eagles

They like the last sec rescues in this season...

[Gala]

9 hours ago, hallam said:

I forgot Howland Reed. But we don't see him go inside the ToJ. He does not necessarily know the whole story. Everyone else has discovered what they know since Ned died. 

It is not clear if the Sam/Gilly information will be part of the reveal to Jon. It might just be a shout out to viewers.

Bran might well be part of the reveal. Particularly if he stops Arya from offing Sansa or vice versa as part of it.

It surely wasn't established in the show, but in the books Howland was and is a dear and most loyal friend of Ned and Lyanna - I even suspect that he had a crash on Lyanna. In the books he certainly knows the whole story. Plus, there were midwives or famous Wylla - Jon and Edric Dayne's wetnurse from Starfall and who is one of the possible official candidates to be Jon's mother (well, Wylla, Ashara and some fisherwoman-those are most popular official candidates).

[Hodor's Aunt]

18 hours ago, hallam said:

Benjen Stark is the only living person who knew Jon's real parentage after Ned died.

No, Lord Howland Reed is the only person living and knowing Jon's secret. He was the dude to stab Arther Dayne in the back in that flashback of Bran + 3ER beneth the tower of joy.

Benjen Stark shares the secret of Jon himself: He knows nothing.

[Mikkel]

Maybe Marvel or whoever owns the copyright to Ghost Rider sued Benjen and he was sentenced to death

[DarkBastard]

I could be wrong, but I thought GRRM said that "Coldhands" in the books is not Benjen Stark.  If that's correct, then Benjen's presence is a "show only" thing and shouldn't have much significance to the end story.  I doubt he even knew about the lineage, but no way to know for sure anyway.