[BOOK SPOILERS] What your non-reader friends/family thought and their predictions

[Ghosteline]

He's also convinced Daenerys' reign is going to go downhill fast. And just realized this episode that she's the Mad King's daughter and actually has a legitimate claim to the throne. Can't say I blame him for missing that, though? All he cares about is Stannis, Arya, Tyrion, and making "handless Jaime" jokes. Plus he's out in the kitchen getting snacks for 25% of each episode and won't let me pause it.

Haahaa :rofl: This made me laugh. getting snacks.

[dielsis]

Yeah, the series has so many plot lines that people just latch onto a couple of characters and that's it. I was real happy when my Unsullied fiancée finally remembered Meryn Trant during this episode. I mean, I had to explain about the Syrio/hitting Sansa/testifying against Tyrion stuff but she at least made the connection when Cersei explained how Ser Meryn was going to accompany Mace to Braavos. "Is that the same as Meryn Trant from Arya's list?" was one of the most relieving things to hear.

I hate that people are so used to hearing that Jon Snow knows nothing that Mel's line got overlooked, though.

[JonSnowed]

Just spoken with an unsullied colleague his thoughts as follows:

- each episode is an improvement on the last

- convinced Dany is going to turn mad but sees her death later in the show

- convinced Jon and Tyrion are the only two characters who are bullet proof

- worked out that Lyanna was Jon's mother but couldn't work out why he would be powerful if she was raped.

- thought they killed off Barristan and Grey Worm so that Jorah and Tyrion can join Dany's small council.

- Thinks Littlefinger's scheme won't pay off and that Sansa is in a whole world of trouble now.

- Can see Tommen dying this season.

[Seneti]

From a group that included two completely Unsullied and one guy who just started AFFC a couple of days ago:

- The Wall: Everyone loved the scene between Stannis and Shireen and they all can't wait for Mel to get away from Jon (they hope she will go to Winterfell with Stannis).

- Winterfell: Everyone is scared to death for Sansa's future. Neither of the two true Unsullied figured out the Lyanna hints, but they did notice that Rhaegar got mentioned an awful lot this episode and they do recognize Baelish as Mr. Exposition, so they asked lots of questions for me and Book Walker 2. We pretended that we knew nothing, because we didn't want to spoil it.

- King's Landing: Everyone is sure that Loras is gonna croak. The jury is still out on whether Cersei or Margaery is gonna kick it, but they all agree that one of them will not make it to season 6.

- Dorne: Everyone loves Bronn. Sandsnakes went over kind of meh.

- Volantis: Everyone thinks Jorah's plan is going to backfire spectacularly, but they did enjoy his snarking session with Tyrion.

- Meereen: They may not remember Greyworm's and Barristan's name, but they were devastated by that last scene nonetheless. One of my Unsullied was born in a country that had been in civil war at the time of her birth. She likes to call Hizdahr "the only sane guy in Khaleesi's city".

[Lovely Lyanna]

My brother loved the episode. He loves Stannis and Davos, so he wants Jon, the wildlings and the Night's Watch to leave with them and march off to slaughter Ramsey Snow, whom he hates.

He likes Littlefinger so he is totally accepting of his storyline and thinks he has some brilliant scheme up his sleeve.

He thinks both Jamie and Cersie are going to die. He keeps saying she is not as smart as she thinks. He knew instantly that it was a bad idea to arm the Faith Militant. He started laughing when they busted all the barrels of ale and wine. He said he had no idea the temperance movement was going to be incorporated into the story and then asked if Nucky Thompson could be far behind if prohibition had arrived.

He wants Dany to make up with Jorah because he thinks her other advisors are idiots. He says Dario, Ser Barriston and Grey Worm know nothing about actually running a country so how can they possible be good advisors. He keeps saying that Varys and Tyrion need to get there to help her. He loved Tyrion and Jorah's scene. He wants Dany to turn the dragons loose.

He is the only person I know that liked the Sand Snake's segment. He was totally open to them trying to start a war to avenge the Red Viper. He hasn't read any of the books so he had no preconceived ideas about what they were like or how many there are.

He liked the ending scene. He was not alarmed about losing Barriston or Grey Worm because he thinks it opens the door for Varys, Tyrion and Jorah.

My bro is great, but he is such a Sweet Summer Child.

It really is fun watching with someone that has not read the books. Sometimes he completely gets what is going on, but other times he completely caught off guard. For instance, I do not think he has ever gotten over the fact that Robert and Drogo are never going to battle it out. On the other hand he totally saw Robb's death coming. He did not know how it would happen, but he kept saying, the story just isn't about Robb, so I know he is going to die. One thing he did grasp immediately was last season when Littlefinger pushed Lysa out the moon door and she revealed that Littlefinger engineered her killing Jon Arryn.

[nitromania]

My unsullied boyfriend:

Completely unsurpised by Jorah taking Tyrion to Dany:

Me: isn't that a funny twist?

Him: what are you talking about we knew that last week?

Me: no... Why didn't you assume he was taking him to Cersei?

Him: cause that's Jorah

(My brain: you know Jorah, but I have to explain Stannis to you every time he comes on screen?!?!?)

My two friends were convinced Jorah mean it Cersei whe he said Queen. I found it so funny since both of them call Jorah: Ser Friendzoned. yet, they thought he was going to Cersei?!?!

One of them was all "About time to make some Rhaegar&Lyanna references" We had to spend like half an hour explaining our other friend who Rhaegar&Lyanna&MadKing&Rhaegar again is and why we believe Ned isn't really ned's son. All my unsullied friends have the hardest of the time keeping up with names!

My friend's girlfriend doesn't even watch the series hahaha but she was mad when Melisandre's (stupid idiotic ugggh) scene with Jon came and her boyfriend was paying Mel all of his attention. I didn't like that scene, I like ASoIaF!Melisandre so much better than GoT!Mel.

[westerosifitness]

My bro marathoned the first four episodes after being away at college and fell asleep multiple times.

He says he feels pretty meh about everything, especially since he is aware that most of the season isn't following the books. He just feels like watching is pointless because its not the real story.

Also, killing Barristan did not help. Big mistake on D&D.

[Lovely Lyanna]

He says he feels pretty meh about everything, especially since he is aware that most of the season isn't following the books. He just feels like watching is pointless because its not the real story.

I'm curious as to why he feels it is pointless and not the real story if he has not read the books. All of the non-readers that I know are very accepting of the story as it is. Basically they seem to not be distracted by the omission of minor plot lines and characters or the condensing of various storylines. They are not aware those stories even existed, so they are obviously not upset that the stories are not in the show.

[Lovely Lyanna]

Plus he's out in the kitchen getting snacks for 25% of each episode and won't let me pause it.

I love this. Just be glad he's getting his own snacks. Mine wants me to leave the show and get snacks. Perhaps our brothers should watch the show together. That way your brother could get the snacks for my brother. Then you and I could watch the show in peace.

[Anarchosaurus Rex]

They all groaned and rolled their eyes at the end.

"Are you kidding me?"

"This show is just good guys dying."

"Keep killing off characters like this, and there won't be any left."

"I don't know why we keep putting up with this abuse."

I honestly feel guilty for introducing the show to them. I had no idea Dumb & Dumber would drain out all of the positivity that keeps it interesting and ramp up - and make up - anything and everything negative.

[Andrés Garcia]

I don't mean for anyone to take offense, but it's very hard to look through these Unsullied threads without cringing. I've read the books three times and participated in discussions about all these characters, so obviously I have a significant advantage over the average follower of the show. Still, some Unsullied seem to have trouble not only keeping track of characters like Lyanna or Rhaegar, but even people like Roose Bolton and Lysa Arryn. It really shouldn't be that much of a challenge. Just pay attention.

[Chinoiserie]

I don't mean for anyone to take offense, but it's very hard to look through these Unsullied threads without cringing. I've read the books three times and participated in discussions about all these characters, so obviously I have a significant advantage over the average follower of the show. Still, some Unsullied seem to have trouble not only keeping track of characters like Lyanna or Rhaegar, but even people like Roose Bolton and Lysa Arryn. It really shouldn't be that much of a challenge. Just pay attention.

I got the Lyanna Rhaegar thing in season 1 (I red the books before this season) but I did not guess it could be romantic and not just rape. And you really have to pay attention and try to figure out backstories and mysteries and I binge watched so I did not forget things form previous episodes. If you do not do that from the start you are not going to understand what is going on in season 5 when they bring it up again. Most people do not want to try to figure things out when they are watching TV for some reason.

But people telling backstories never works well on a visual medium. Tysha thing would have never worked well for example since while I did remember Tyrion had been married and caught all the references to in in later seasons I did not remember the rape part so the full story would have been completely out of nowhere and harder to care than the current Shae plot.

[sj4iy]

I don't mean for anyone to take offense, but it's very hard to look through these Unsullied threads without cringing. I've read the books three times and participated in discussions about all these characters, so obviously I have a significant advantage over the average follower of the show. Still, some Unsullied seem to have trouble not only keeping track of characters like Lyanna or Rhaegar, but even people like Roose Bolton and Lysa Arryn. It really shouldn't be that much of a challenge. Just pay attention.

Do you honestly think that you could read about 5-10 chapters of the book in one hour per week for 10 weeks and then wait for an entire year to start reading the next book in the same fashion...and then remember everything you read? As the poster above said, if you binge watch it, it's easier...but most people don't binge watch. And many people don't rewatch. And backstory is difficult to grasp in a visual medium because there's nothing visual to latch onto...many people remember faces, not names. And when you only hear about Rhaegar Targaryen in backstory, it's difficult to understand who he was, what his position was and what he did.

For most people, this is just an entertaining fantasy show that they watch once a week for a few weeks out of the year for water cooler talk and nothing beyond that. Very few care enough to read the books, and fewer still care enough to remember the history of it. And there's nothing wrong with that, imo.

[A spoon of knife and fork]

I don't mean for anyone to take offense, but it's very hard to look through these Unsullied threads without cringing. I've read the books three times and participated in discussions about all these characters, so obviously I have a significant advantage over the average follower of the show. Still, some Unsullied seem to have trouble not only keeping track of characters like Lyanna or Rhaegar, but even people like Roose Bolton and Lysa Arryn. It really shouldn't be that much of a challenge. Just pay attention.

Instead of thinking about it like a book think about any TV series YOU watch casually. If you don't watch TV, try the thing the last guy said - speed read 10 chapters in an hour, wait a week, do it again, then wait a year after you do it 10 times.

Do you rEALLY know the name of every minor character in a show you just watch while it's on and that's it? Especially consider people like Lysa that you don't see for THREE YEARS and then they reappear? No, you know "the dude with the hat" "the cool black guy" "main blonde chick," etc. Some of these characters names are not said very often - whereas when you read their names are right there in print. But everyone remembered Lysa - she was "crazy lady who nursed her son" - that's all you really need.

Think about it for even two seconds and it is not that difficult to understand. Maybe you can stop "cringing".

[sonsastronk]

He doesn't even remember Arya. I can't really blame him.

The general fanbase, I've found, doesn't really give two shits about Arya. Book readers included.

[Mindwalker]

The forums I visited (being completely unsullied even during season 4) did care for Arya, she was one of the favorites. They generally cared for alle the Stark kids (of course, they can realate much less to Rickon than to the other kids).

[Lovely Lyanna]

I actually enjoy all of my friends and family that are unsullied. At least they are unabashed in their delight in the show. It's refreshing to hear people say they enjoy it. I read all the books, yet I enjoy the show and I admit it freely. I understand that it is an adaptation, so I do not waste my time agonizing over it and simply enjoy it for it what it is. Considering the time and cost of the project, I think it is pretty amazing.