[Book/Show Spoilers] Synopsis, Promo, Recap and Speculation

[The Taxman]

Stannis mother fucking Baratheon.

[acacia]

Isn't it strange how us book readers already know what's going to happen yet were all looking forward to seeing it as if it's all a surprise. The year long wait following next weeks episode is going to be awful.

[Rhaquentis]

Just 24 hours left :commie:

One more day for us here :(

[The Onion Sleight]

One more day for us here :(

For me, too :(

But I'm looking forward to the reactions of the Americans and other people with HBO (And I'm glad for them :) Even I envy these guys).

"Few of the birds that Maester Aemon had sent off had returned as of yet. One found Stannis, though. One found Dragonstone, and a king who still cared." - Samwell Tarly

^ I will spread this around / show this every Unsullied I know, after this episode :D

Oh, and this:

"The series title reminds us constantly that the real issue lies in the North beyond the Wall. Stannis becomes one of the few characters fully to understand that, which is why in spite of everything he is a righteous man" -George R. R. Martin

[ToTheWolves]

Title: The Watchers on the Wall

Runtime: 51 minutes

Written by: David Benioff and Dan Weiss

Directed by: Neil Marshall

TVMA: Adult Content, Adult Language, Graphic Content

Official Synopsis: Jon Snow and the Night's Watch face a big challenge.

Official Promo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo9AmIbob1c,

Official Recap:

NOTES: I will update this post throughout the week as I learn new information. The following is my own personal speculation based on what I've seen from the trailers and promos, what I have heard from other sources and read from the source material.

---

This will go a little different than the usual speculation threads, since only one storyline is featured in this episode. Yes, the entire hour is centered around the events at the Wall. No Tyrion awaiting his execution, no Arya or Dany or Brienne - just Jon Snow, Sam, Ygritte, Gilly, Mance Rayder and Stannis fucking Baratheon entangled in one huge spectacle.

The battle will be comprised of three smaller battles, according to director Neil Marshall. I assume they are: 1) Tormund's group and the Thenns assaulting Castle Black from the south, 2) Mance's army besieging the Wall from the North, and 3) Stannis' forces charging down and routing the wildling host.

The first two parts will apparently take place entirely over one night (and the third part the following morning), though in the book they occurred over several nights and days. I get it: the darkness is easy on the budget (that's why they had the Battle of Blackwater take place at night as well), but I would really like to see a daytime battle at SOME point in the series' run. Anyway...

Pre-fight: We'll get some scenes of the various parties preparing for the battle. Definitely one with Ygritte and company at a camp fire, in which the Thenn warg uses his owl to witness Mance's signal and lets the group know that "it's time." Apparently, a scene between Jon and Sam on top of the Wall while they're on patrol. A scene where a Night's Watchman blows the horn for wildlings. Another one with Ser Alliser Thorne giving a grand speech to rouse the Night's Watch. Hopefully, we'll get something with Mance.

Attack from the South: During the night, Tormund, Ygritte, Styr and the Thenns will raid Castle Black. There's shots in the trailers of them running down a trail towards the gates while taking arrow fire, shots of them climbing over the front gate, and several shots of them fighting the Night's Watchmen throughout the castle, in the yard and on the catwalks, including a fight between Jon and Styr. It looks like there will also be some fighting on the elevator platform. In the books, Ygritte dies while storming the castle, so naturally I'm going to assume she meets a similar fate on screen. It's pretty likely that the orphan boy Olly will be the one to kill her. Apparently, Pyp will get an arrow through the neck himself (and probably die from it), and apparently it comes from Ygritte. A new addition (not from the books) is a battle between Tormund and Alliser. I say Tormund will win, because I can't believe he was upgraded to regular status only to be quickly killed off, but I wonder if Alliser survives (I doubt it; his leadership during the battle would make it really hard for Jon to win the following election fairly). At some point, there will be a scene in the tunnel under the Wall, in which some black brothers fight off a giant who is trying to break down the inner gate. I expect Grenn will take over Donal Noye's role in the novel by slaying, and being slayed by, the mighty giant.

Attack from the North: In the book, this part follows the failed attack from the south, but I believe the two battles will take place simultaneously on the show, and will be intercut. This would mean Jon won't be up on top of the Wall to lead the men, unfortunately. Jon IS up on top at some point, though (and in that shot, there is a scarecrow behind him - it looks like those are in!). He sees Mance's signal (the Haunted Forest on fire, or a sea of torches?) from the parapets, but I assume he eventually goes down to fight in the yard after giving some orders. There are several shots in the trailers of wildlings and even a mammoth marching through the trees and grouping up for a mass battle cry in front of the Haunted Forest. We haven't seen a lot of footage from the actual attack in the promotional videos, though. A few shots of archers loosing arrows down at the approaching horde, some leaning too far out and some falling, while the battlements around them explode into splinters. Down below, we see some wildlings running towards the Wall and the ones reaching it being thrown back by a blast, apparently from barrels thrown down from up above. Also, some sort of explosion near the gate causing the mammoth to turn around and start trampling some wildlings (I knew Neil couldn't resist!).

Stannis! Stannis! STANNIS!: I'm guessing Janos sends Jon to treat with Mance. There is a trailer shot of a distressed Mance running around his camp and many of Stannis' cavalry running down the confused and disorganized wildlings. There are shots in the trailers of Jon riding inside the ice tunnel of the Wall; this could be him going to see Mance, but it could just as easily be something else cut from earlier in the season. There is an extra shot of Jon in the tunnel, with Sam holding a torch and looking morose. This could be Sam accompanying Jon on his way to Mance, briefly looking at the remains of Grenn and the giant, or it could be them welcoming Stannis to Castle Black, although I think that will happen in episode ten.

Loose Ends: Will we see Stannis during his charge? I hope so. I want a brave, heroic Stannis moment. Will we see Davos during the battle or not until the finale? Melisandre lighting Orell's eagle on fire? I assume the eagle will come back into play during the battle (why else have it get away alive last season?). What does Sam do during the battle? He WILL reunite with Gilly, but I'm not sure if this happens in episode nine or ten. We see him in the promo running around with a crossbow. Maybe he kills somebody? According to an interview, one of the major deaths this season was filmed to be in slow-motion. It wasn't Lysa or Oberyn, and I hope it isn't Tywin, so I'm going to assume it will be Ygritte or Pyp. In the trailers, there are several more shots I didn't discuss above. There was a scene in the Foreshadowing video of Sam and Jon discussing Ygritte; this could be a scene from the pre-battle section of this episode, or it could have been cut from an earlier episode or be from the season finale. Finally, there is a shot of a bunch of burning men around a burning man getting dragged through the snow by a rope. If it wasn't for the snow, I would think this was the dragons getting chained up. It still could be, if their intention was to replace the snow with sand in post-production. If not, what could it be? Some sort of trap or the mammoth dragging them?

---

In summation: should be awesome... very, very awesome. Ygritte's death, Alliser v. Tormund, giants and mammoths and STANNIS!

What do you guys think? Anything to add?

Anything on ghost?

[igrewupinKL]

i think Tormund will go to treat with Jon with Mance. If he lives, how else will he get on the other side of the wall?

[sati]

For me, too :(

But I'm looking forward to the reactions of the Americans and other people with HBO (And I'm glad for them :) Even I envy these guys).

If you'll be curious about Stannis moment just get on my twitter in 12,5h - there will be meltdown there and if it's happy it means they did a good job with his big moment :)

[~No One~]

If you'll be curious about Stannis moment just get on my twitter in 12,5h - there will be meltdown there and if it's happy it means they did a good job with his big moment :)

I truly think he will have his moment in S5...I'm not sure TV viewers care enough about the Wall (warning: huge generalization), so I'm not sure I anticipate unsullied liking him right away. Heck, I didn't even like him right away... it took ADWD exploits to fully convince me, and of course GRRM saying Stannis was the closest thing to a hero remaining in the books :D

[sati]

I truly think he will have his moment in S5...I'm not sure TV viewers care enough about the Wall (warning: huge generalization), so I'm not sure I anticipate unsullied liking him right away. Heck, I didn't even like him right away... it took ADWD exploits to fully convince me, and of course GRRM saying Stannis was the closest thing to a hero remaining in the books :D

Well this is his first huge fuck yeah moment in the show so the Unsullied I know will see. They will finally see ;P

[~No One~]

Well this is his first huge fuck yeah moment in the show so the Unsullied I know will see. They will finally see ;P

Here's hoping, my friend! :cheers: D&D started Sansa down a different path, and Tyrion too, so there's hope for the Mannis!

[sj4iy]

iv been hoping to see Slynt die since he betrayed Ned in the Throne room :frown5:

i didnt think about that...but you might be right....just seemed suspicious to me

Next season for sure. There's just too much left at the Wall this season to work that in, but it will be a great 'first test' after Jon becomes LC next season.

[Rashtibram]

If you'll be curious about Stannis moment just get on my twitter in 12,5h - there will be meltdown there and if it's happy it means they did a good job with his big moment :)

I'll also be manically checking the "Episode discussion" thread as I can't watch it until tomorrow.

[sj4iy]

I wish this episode was longer. The past 3 episodes have been so awesome, but have ended so quickly. And now this too...

Well, those episodes jumped around. This will be full on Wall with nobody else...so I'm not disappointed.

Although I would always gladly take more GoT over less ^^

[SoManyVows]

Anything on ghost?

In the French promo for the episode, there is a very brief, blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot of Ghost leaping across the screen and killing a wildling (I'm not sure if the link will work, but if it does, it's around 0:40 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h01fkqQTf0). I think it's safe to say that he'll be let out of his cage for battle.

[Tom son of Tom]

In the French promo for the episode, there is a very brief, blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot of Ghost leaping across the screen and killing a wildling (I'm not sure if the link will work, but if it does, it's around 0:40 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h01fkqQTf0). I think it's safe to say that he'll be let out of his cage for battle.

Holy hell, there is a good shot of the mammoths too. And was that Pyp that got shot with an arrow?

[sati]

Holy hell, there is a good shot of the mammoths too. And was that Pyp that got shot with an arrow?

Yep :)

[MoIaF]

In the French promo for the episode, there is a very brief, blink-and-you'll-miss-it shot of Ghost leaping across the screen and killing a wildling (I'm not sure if the link will work, but if it does, it's around 0:40 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3h01fkqQTf0). I think it's safe to say that he'll be let out of his cage for battle.

Thanks for sharing. The music they were playing sounded like it's the same they used in the Dracarys episode last season.

[Neumond]

It looks amazing. Like a trailer of a whole movie... I can´t wait.

After the last episode my Unsullied where discussing whether Tyrion will die now. I did nothing to appease them. Actually they now think he will die for sure. And it is telling that I even didn´t have to say anything for them being convinced of his death. But I (with some of the board discussions in mind) tried to get them thinking about the wall-storyline. They just said: How can you think of this now? That is totally boring! Aside from the Zombies nothing interesting ever happened there.

I am so eager to see their reaction to the episode!

And to Tyrions survival in the next one :).

[Eddard the Builder]

Now that I think about it this episode may be pretty devastating to the Unsullied lol. First Oberyn, then the lovely couple get split up in a tragic way. Kind of reminds me of how in Season 1 Ned Stark lost his head in King's Landing, then we lost Drogo.

[Cold Feet]

Personally I wouldn't be that bent out of shape if they cut the chant as he's riding in. As long as him & his army come out of nowhere & you can clearly tell it's Stannis, I'd be happy as hell. Most people aren't going to expect to see Stannis & an army in an episode that's 100% on the wall. It will be incredible with or without the chanting.