[Book Spoilers] Pre-airing Discussion

[Arkash]

How do you explain him passing by Harrenhal on his way back to King's Landing from Storm's End ?

No, I guess it is more of Jaqen again... him asking his last death !

[SerArthurHeath]

Good point. I'm going to say Bolton arrives at the end of the episode then

[Arkash]

Yup, I hope it will be... end of episode 6, I'd guess... which would leave Arya at the service of Tywin for two episodes.

[NewJeffCT]

If I recall, Tywin was at Harrenhal in the books, but just didn't meet Arya/Arry/Weasal. He left to supposedly go West to fight Robb, but really went South to King's Landing to take Stannis by surprise. He left the Bloody Mummers & Ser Amory Lorch in charge when he left.

Also, episode 10 is entitled "Valar Morghulis" according to HBO

[boojam]

You know what I'm really dreading in this episode? The scene where Rodrik Cassel tells Bran that Torrhen's Square is under attack. It's just too horrible. The Starks were doomed the moment Ned rode south, but to actually see that doom come to Winterfell will be almost too painful to watch. It feels like lead in my stomach.

This is probably the last Peaceful Winterfell episode we're going to see until the very end of the series.

I could never figure out from the books, and George never does much of a job of explaining it, just why did Robb leave Winterfell so vulnerable? Seems from the books there never was enough defense set up or boots on the ground... when , even as a outside threat it was possible for someone to make a raid on the place.

I thought the statement that Robb had taken all the young fighting force away was kind of lame, should have been possible to have recruited enough locals and 'tribal types' to have at least made it harder to take Winterfell.

But that's the way it is in the books, it's a plot hole to me.

[boojam]

Well, if they stay faithful, there shall be more than three deaths!

Weasel soup!

The real zinger in Weasel soup is way Arya tricks Jaqen, I did not see that coming.

The whole sequence is the best action scene at Harrenhal during Arya's stay there.

Episode ten may be a wrap up of Harrenhal, and the Valar Morghulis title may have been picked from the last dialog Jaqen has with Arya.

[boojam]

Anyone who missed-out on the fact that he was seven kinds of awesome with a sword hasn't been watching very closely.

And the sequence in SoS where even cuffed, fighting two handed with a broad sword, he initially gains an advantage over Brienne, and as the fight goes on realizes he has way underestimated her and in the end she essentially bests him.

We, of course , don't know where that would have gone because the Brave Companions show up.

That whole fight changes Jamie's attitude towards Brienne.

(I too hope the Brienne boat sinking does not get left out.)

[Davos55]

It's probably going to be the Tickler followed by Polliver. As much as I too liked the incident in the inn and the revengeful sequence of stabbings by Arya, it isn't a scene important enough to the plot. And there's no reason to worry. The preview of episode 15 pretty much confirmed there are going to be 3 death wishes like the book.

I suppose Tickler and Polliver being there isn't important to the plot, but the scene itself is pretty important! That is where the Hound gets injured, which brings about the great scene between him and Arya after they leave, and it allows Arya to go on her own and leave for Braavos.

Granted, the show could just change how the Hound gets injured, or change how she gets away..but I won't like it!

Who knows..maybe they will have the Hound leave her to go on an adventure with Ros instead.

[SerArthurHeath]

And the sequence in SoS where even cuffed, fighting two handed with a broad sword, he initially gains an advantage over Brienne, and as the fight goes on realizes he has way underestimated her and in the end she essentially bests him.

We, of course , don't know where that would have gone because the Brave Companions show up.

That whole fight changes Jamie's attitude towards Brienne.

(I too hope the Brienne boat sinking does not get left out.)

Yeah but that doesn't work unless you know that he is at a disadvantage- if I hadn't been told otherwise I'd assume that fighting two handed with a broadsword would be an advantage. On film it is just Jaime getting beaten by a woman, unless there is some clumsy dialogue about fighting in chains/how weak he is after being in a cell for months. It would help if the fight vs Ned had shown both as excellent, but as they both looked kind of "meh" and slow, I'm not believing Jaime could beat anyone atm

[boojam]

Yeah but that doesn't work unless you know that he is at a disadvantage- if I hadn't been told otherwise I'd assume that fighting two handed with a broadsword would be an advantage. On film it is just Jaime getting beaten by a woman, unless there is some clumsy dialogue about fighting in chains/how weak he is after being in a cell for months. It would help if the fight vs Ned had shown both as excellent, but as they both looked kind of "meh" and slow, I'm not believing Jaime could beat anyone atm

As far as we can tell from the novels Brienne is likely as good as Jamie, George at least implies that.

[SerArthurHeath]

Yes, (though she remarks that she was surprised how Jaime, having been out of action as long as he was, nearly beat her when she gets PoVs) but in the books that made Brienne look more awesome because Jaime seemed so dangerous, rather than what I'm worried about which is that it will just make Jaime seem less awesome and by extension won't do anything to build Brienne up.

[Lebronn Jaime]

I could never figure out from the books, and George never does much of a job of explaining it, just why did Robb leave Winterfell so vulnerable?

Rodrik musters a force of ~2000 in the course of hunting down "Ramsay", defending Torrhen's square, and returning to Winterfell. If anyone left the castle or the North defenseless it was him, just as Theon planned.

As far as we can tell from the novels Brienne is likely as good as Jamie, George at least implies that.

The novel implies that Jaime was more affected by his imprisonment than he originally thought and that he underestimated Brienne and tired himself out.

[SerArthurHeath]

He's been in a cell for months, he has lost so much weight that he is unrecognisable to Cersei and others when he gets to KL and he clearly hasn't trained for months. If a star sports player tries to go into a game of any sport without any practice for months, what would happen to them, no matter what and talent and physical abilities they possess?

[_Oberyn_]

Anyone remember if Selmy has been mentioned in the show? Various characters repeatedly inquire about him in the book but i dont remember him being mentioned this season. I wonder if he will be on at all or is he been moved to S3?

[SerArthurHeath]

End of Season would be good- they could end Dany's arc with him arriving, with a beard and Belwas, and it will leave an audience-only cliff-hanger with them realising it is Selmy (they can flashback to Selmy in the previously on GOT segment if need be) but Dany and co having no idea

[CrypticWeirwood]

End of Season would be good- they could end Dany's arc with him arriving, with a beard and Belwas, and it will leave an audience-only cliff-hanger with them realising it is Selmy (they can flashback to Selmy in the previously on GOT segment if need be) but Dany and co having no idea

I really don’t know how they’re going to handle the things where so-and-so isn’t recognized. Not just Arstan in Clash and Storm, but also Abel in Dance.

[SerArthurHeath]

It doesn't matter if the audience recognise them- it would be different than in the books, but you could guess who Abel and Barristan were in the books before it was spelled out as well. It approaches from a different dimension, using dramatic irony, where the audience knows what is going to happen but the characters do not

[Tyrionthebest]

I suppose Tickler and Polliver being there isn't important to the plot, but the scene itself is pretty important! That is where the Hound gets injured, which brings about the great scene between him and Arya after they leave, and it allows Arya to go on her own and leave for Braavos.

Granted, the show could just change how the Hound gets injured, or change how she gets away..but I won't like it!

Who knows..maybe they will have the Hound leave her to go on an adventure with Ros instead.

Ok, the Ros jokes are getting lame and not funny anymore . We get it nobody likes her but can we start getting to serious discussions about the show ? Seriously the haters are starting to get more annoying than her which is pretty ironic .

[Myrddin]

Ok, the Ros jokes are getting lame and not funny anymore . We get it nobody likes her but can we start getting to serious discussions about the show ? Seriously the haters are starting to get more annoying than her which is pretty ironic .

So, I guess now is the wrong time to say I think Ros should travel to Essos and steal the dragons from Dany to become the new Mother of Dragons?

[Aegnor]

They definitely won't try to conceal Barristan's identity. He's a secret to the characters in the story, not the viewer of the story. It just wouldn't work the way it does in the book. As far as Abel in ADWD, was that really hidden? I'm pretty sure I knew immediately who he was, as I was looking for some unknown musician that had some women around him to show up.