Suddenly, Jon stopped having faith in the greatness of Wall!!

[Wynafryd Manderly]

Remember when the NK touched Bran in his dream and broke the spell that was protecting the cave. Maybe that event also broke the spell protecting the Wall; what if the dragon was just an easy way to melt it, since the spells were already gone?

[Madarjeen]

50 minutes ago, Wynafryd Manderly said:

Remember when the NK touched Bran in his dream and broke the spell that was protecting the cave. Maybe that event also broke the spell protecting the Wall; what if the dragon was just an easy way to melt it, since the spells were already gone?

For a long time I thought it would be that, but I'm surprised the show hasn't addressed it at all. Therefore, I doubt that is the reason why it worked, even though it's a sensible explanation.

[Lucius Lovejoy]

On 8/27/2017 at 5:52 AM, plastic throne said:

IMO, if it was done 'the right way' The Wall defense should've been really different.

* Cut the Haunted Forest down, as much  as possible, burn the rest. Make outposts system with fire pits so you can sygnal forward towards the wall that undead are approaching.

* Man all the castles with not too many watchers, just to make sure each castle is manned enough you can build certain defenses, have the place running and ready, etc.

* Have a big number of people in reserves, ready to come to defenses on every castle when needed. Probably mid way between major castle on the wall.

All this because if you battle the dead, your best chances are winning at the Wall and using the Wall, not some open fields outside KL.

Completely agree with all of this.  Shocked that the plan was just to have the free folk man Eastwatch with no other concentrated defense at the wall.

[Capo Ferro]

On 8/25/2017 at 7:10 PM, Future Null Infinity said:

It is the biggest and strangest plot hole in the show for me : Jon who served in the night's watch, knows everything about the WW and the function of the wall and why it was built, suddenly after seeing the NK and the WW he pursuaded himself that the they are going to attack Westeros very soon (I don't remember him stealing the NK's plans) and stopped having faith in the wall that protected Westeros for 8000 years! and started building armies to fight them

 

What faith is that and where, in show or books has it been demonstrated?  Jon has always been alive to the possibility that the wall is not an impenetrable defense.  He saw some urgency in warning castle black of the wildlings raid from the south, he has continually taken the position that the wall is undermanned and sought more men for the wall.  When Mance Rayder's army was at the foot of the wall, Jon knew that the wall was not sufficiently well manned to be defensible and that the battle would soon be lost so he set out on a suicide mission to kill Mance.  Why would he do such a thing if he had unshakeable faith in the impermeability of the wall?  

He didn't just worry about wildlings, he let those wildlings through at great risk to the north (because many were ungovernable raiders who would no doubt wreak havoc) and to himself through opposition in the watch to this action.  He did this because of fear of the others and a desire to not see their army enlarged.  If he had some kind of faith in the impenetrability of the wall he could have just sat atop it with a folding chair and a hot toddy watching wave after wave futility throw itself against the wall. 

Throughout the books and throughout the story he has treated it as what it is -- a defensive position that can be held only through concerted effort. 

And throughout the books and the show there are repeated signs that am attack is immanent.  Lost ranging patrols (including Jon's uncle) the testimony of the deserter who saw the white walkers whose execution in the first show is witnessed by Jon, the testimony of Mance Rayder and other wildlings with whom Jon lived who were planning an attack on the wall because they wanted its protection from what they believed as the impending attack, the direwolves south of the wall which was taken as a portent.

The whole damn show, like the books, had been laden with warnings that an attack is coming and knowledge that the Night's Watch hasn't the strength to defend the wall.  This is not a plot hole this is a failure to pay attention to what is actually going on.