Maia

Well, the largest one is. Maybe 2-3, but certainly too big for a stillborn. In fact, only one of them seemed of a size of a newborn baby.

Why on earth did they cast a blonde girl as Shireen and didn't dye her hair? Doesn't it completely undermine the already tenious evidence as to why Cersei's children may be bastards and make Stannis even more of a hypocrite than he is in the books? And those babies in jars were not only seriously gross, but some of them were far too large to be newborns.... More like 3-4 year-olds, what's the deal with that? I really don't understand their choices re: hair color with Baratheons and Lannisters, given that it is such crucial part of the plot. I mean, Robert wasn't that much darker than Jaime and one could certainly imagine that at least Tommen's hair may have darkened to his color in time. Renly and Stannis also weren't dark enough. Tyrion is too dark. Now, Shireen is blonde? Why do they carelessly slaughter one of the more important plot elements in the series?

I am not sure why Ramsay needs to be cast for the 3rd season, when after his Winterfell scenes he only appears and becomes important in book 5? I.e. 5th season at the earliest. And I have to say that how they handled Winterfell worked for me. Who burnt it and why is an intentional cliffhanger. Nor is there any need to keep Alfie as a regular for 2 seasons when there is nothing for him to do. There is no guarantee that the show will even get the 5th season and it is not very clear how important Theon is going to be to the plot in the remaining books. Yes, he was a terrific PoV in book 5, but they don't really need a PoV character to show Ramsey's sadism and nuttiness in the show. Frankly, the one big change that I absolutely can't get behind this season is the timing of the news about Bran's and Rickon's "deaths". Everything else was negotiable and worked... more or less, IMHO. I liked this season a lot, despite yes, not liking all the changes. But then, I didn't like all aspects of season 1 either. I am curious how they are going to introduce the Tullys now, that they have done nothing of importance for 2 seasons. Edmure, even more of a douche and Brynden, robbed of all his glory? Maybe they'll make it so that Riverrun has been under Lannister siege all this time and Robb wins yet another victory freeing it? That would be good enough for introducing Edmure, but for Brynden? I dunno.

We know no such thing. Pyp is presented as something of a prodigy because of this ability, but nobody recognized Arya's northern accent during her interminable travels through the Riverlands - not even the other Northmen! Not even Bolton himself. Ditto with Sansa in the Vale. I always felt that it was a big oversight in the books. They clearly compressed Jeyne's family tree. In the show it is likely her mother and not her grandmother, who was a foreigner and maegi. Talise/Jeyne was probably mimicking her accent and learned the healing skills from her. Also, it seems to me that she was indeed spying for Tywin (again serving as an amalgam of her various relatives in the books), but is going to get a change of heart.

Well, it is not completely out of character. Tyrion did think in ACoK that Jaime was quite likely to kill Lancel if he found out that Cersei was sleeping with her cousin. Nor did Jaime care for or mourn Ser Cleos Frey, whom Alton replaced. And unlike in the books, they didn't actually depict kinslaying as particularly damning in Westerosi culture in the show so far. But it makes zero sense for Jaime to have to actually kill Alton in order to lure the guard in. After those touching reminiscences, no less, to make it even more dastardly. Mere altercation/pretense should have served much better. It is also a pity that we weren't shown Jaime laying about him with the sword and killing lots of people before he was overpowered. Room for demonstrating his supreme skill as a warrior is quickly running out. Re: Tywin and Arya, now that he has figured out that she is highborn, it will be a bit unbelievable for him to leave her behind in Harrenhal. Also, who could he think she was? A young northern noble, somehow caught in the Riverlands when the war broke out? There can't be many possibilities. Re: warlocks of Qarth, didn't they want to use Dany's fiery life-force to fuel their magics/immortality in ACoK? That "be with her babies forever" seems to include the dragons in their scheme and spells their intentions much more clearly. I like it. Dany being used as a pawn by Daxos in his power-play was well-done IMHO.

A great chapter. Interestingly enough, Theon isn't quite as broken as the summaries suggested - he is in survival mode more than anything.

[quote name='Brienne of Tarth' post='1367649' date='May 23 2008, 03.59']So is there really an excerpt online, as Maia said at the top of this page? I am so ready to jump over and read it if it is.[/quote] Sorry for unintentionally misleading you. As far as I know there is no excerpt, only the summaries posted in this thread. It was merely this one sentence about Reek which was quoted on-line in a discussion on rec.arts.as.written and I found it so interesting that I brought it up here.

[quote name='Greycox' post='1349314' date='May 9 2008, 18.19']But, from what we know of the Boltons this might even trend towards normalcy[/quote] Well, Roose himself haven't shown himself to be more cruel than such luminaries of "merciless feudal lordism" as Tywin Lannister or Randyll Tarly, nor did he seem to revel in sadism. Sure, proved himself game for any atrocity if it was necessary to forward his aims, but he didn't appear deranged, as Ramsay did, at least so far. And he also seemed far more calculating, of course. I mean, even Theon in his reduced state in this chapter noticed Ramsay's shortcomings and weaknesses. [quote]Nonetheless, I'd be interested to know what "specific tasks" you believe Roose has/had in mind for his fine young monster. Sounds too [s]good[/s] evil to pass up... ;)[/quote] I thought about something along the lines of a tool capable of anything, ready to do anything in exchange for acceptance, which could be given Bolton authority without irrefutable self-incrimination as no lowly underling could be, but also might be disowned and eliminated with the ease that no legitimate Bolton or another lordling could be and so flawed and twisted that he would be unable to create a reliable following / power base of his own. IMHO, Bolton foresaw an eventual civil war scenario, which isn't so surprising with a new dynasty on the throne and prepared his monster accordingly. Too bad for Roose that his heir had to die so inconveniently, but IMHO he intends to consolidate his power in the North and to reconcile the Houses that Ramsey has hurt by throwing the monstrous bastard to them as a sop, while retaining most of his gains. After Ramsey helps Roose's army to pass into the North, he would have served his intended purpose as Roose would no longer be able to claim his ignorance about his shenanigans. OTOH, sacrificing Ramsey would create a big amount of goodwill among the northern lords who have suffered from him and alleviate their need to avenge themselves on House Bolton.

I saw a very interesting quote from the excerpt on-line today: "Reek has been with me since I was a boy. My lord father gave him to me, as a token of his love." So, given that Reek used to be a necrophile and stuff, does this mean that Roose purposefully shaped Ramsey into a monster? If so, then Ramsey's chances of bumping off dear old dad, surviving for much longer and/or of inheriting are minimal. It appears that he was a tool created for specific task and that Roose ought to be very much aware of all of his flaws and limitations.

[quote name='Bronn Stone' post='1330935' date='Apr 26 2008, 22.19']Not a chance, IMO. Theon will be Asha's ticket to contest her nuncles He still has a part to play on the Iron Islands.[/quote] I was never a fan of this theory and now I think that it is highly unlikely. If the Ironborn weren't impressed with Theon as he was, they won't be ready to accept him now that he is a broken wreck. He can't even provide an acceptable facade anymore. And it is past time for GRRM to kill a few more POVs, or he'll need to split the next volume also. If Asha survives ADwD and gets another chance at the Iron Islands, then she'll have to look for a suitable husband and make their combined clout count.

[quote name='grinachu' post='1328282' date='Apr 24 2008, 13.44']I doubt Bolton took much interest in his bastard until his bastard proved himself useful.[/quote] Yet Ramsey has the training that allows him to play a lord when it is required. He must have been raised by some low-level nobles or gentry. [quote]Were things ever fairytalish in ASOIAF?[/quote] Certain aspects were - i.e. family members being totally loyal to the ruling lord and never contesting his power, for instance. The very strong kinslaying taboo explains much lower levels of bloodbaths within the noble families (than in RL), but not this single-mindness of the earlier books. [quote]Are you sure Bolton has Harrion? I thought Harrion's present whereabouts were unknown.[/quote] Folks rightly pointed out that Harrion is currently a prisoner of the Lannisters. However, as Bolton is himself in league with the Lannisters, I think that he could obtain and use Harrion against Arnulf if the latter really went over to Stannis. On the flip-side, he could ensure that Harrion never returns to the North. And of course Stannis's dubious new religion, being a southener and his alliance with the wildlings would all speak against him where many northern lords are concerned.

[quote name='The Fat Man' post='1328159' date='Apr 24 2008, 12.24']Cybroleach: I don't think we've seen anybody called Lord because they married the current Lady of a noble house before.[/quote] But didn't Ramsey already laid claim to the Hornwood Lordship? Formally, that's where his title could derive from. And of course he may be planning to bum off Roose, but I just don't see Roose as any easy mark. IMHO, he is more intelligent than his son and not deranged. And Reek was Ramsey's childhood companion? Ugh... where did Bolton have him raised again? About Karstarks not liking Boltons and Arnulf throwing them for Stannis... I am not sure. Clearly, the things aren't so fairy-tale-ish anymore and it seems to me that while Arnulf may not go as far as kinslaying, he'd be pleased with anybody who clears his way to lordship(s). And Bolton has Harrion, who is the rightful Lord Karstark and if Arnulf throws in with Stannis, then Harrion could be played against him. OTOH, siding with the Boltons could result in quiet removal of Harrion. Winterfell is all very nice, but it is a burnt-out ruin and trying to claim the North will be difficult. A bird in hand and all that.

[quote name='Ran' post='1294435' date='Mar 31 2008, 07.59']Appointing Slynt isn't something that I think should necessarily detract from Jon Arryn as Hand. Same with appointing Littlefinger. These seem to have been men who were clearly capable of doing the jobs handed to them ,and presumably at the time Janos did not seem to be notably corrupt.[/quote] Well, LF is clearly a very able man and Robert was in constant need of money, so it isn't so surprising that he rose so far so fast. Also, he was a childhood friend of Lady Arryn. But Slynt? He didn't make an impression of competency on me, nor did we hear of any great service performed by him for any of the allies during the Rebellion. His behavior in this chapter shows again and for the last time that he wasn't very clever. I dunno, IMHO it was a very odd appointment. KL City Watch may be "only" a police force, but it is the greatest permanent body of armed men in Westeros and also responsible for the security of the Red Keep, i.e. the royal family itself. And Slynt was low-born, he didn't particularly distinguish himself in anything as far as we heard and had no reason to be particularly loyal to Robert's regime either. I am sure that a lot of landless knights who fought for Robert would have been happy to get that position and a capable man could have been picked from among them. In fact, sprinkling Robert's partisans among the City Watch after the war would have been a great idea, both as a reward for their service and for insuring loyalty.

Great chapter! I like how Jon develops in a different direction from either Ned or Robb and becomes more practical and devious than either. Robb died a boy - not just because of his age, but also because of his stubborn adherence to simplified view of reality. And while Ned was very serious and solemn, I don't see him acting in the ways that Jon did here either. My opinion of Jon Arryn as the Hand reaches new low here - a nice example of the sympathetic POVs subjectivity ;). I am more certain than ever now that the tunnel to Chataya's was built for him. Very interesting glimpse of Aemon - Egg relationship, too. It looks that Egg was quite reluctant to accept the Crown. Also, it seems very likely that Aemon should have known the salient details of the Summerhall events - it is so frustrating that he died without sharing them with the reader!