If they do a Shireen burning, will you have the heart to watch it?

[zJordan]

I've always predicted from the books that Selyse would go behind Stannis's back and what is going on now in the show makes it more likely that this will happen in my opinion.... Selyse was more than happy to burn her Father/whoever that Florent was and burning her daughter wouldn't be much of an ask for her. Stannis would never do it I would imagine but Melisandre seems ruthless, much like Tywin so she'd do it behind his back.

[Shpati]

I don't think Stannis or Davos would allow Shireen to be injured.

They won't, but they might not be there when it happens. Say if they [stannis & Davos) are battling at/near Winterfell, and they are losing the battle. Mel is at camp with Shireen. Who's to stop her?

[rocksniffer]

/buttered popcorn and a six pack

fixed that for ya ;)

I agree with posters who've said that the show will absolutely not allow the viewer to see or [possibly worse] hear Shireen being burned. It'd be one of the worst things ever shown on TV.

this must be a joke right...they would show her face a moment or two then a stunt man in a fire costume not all that upsetting...sorry

I guess I'll not continue watching this stuff if they kill Shireen.

Not sure if this is going to happen, anyway. Davos is there, Stannis is not particularly eager to go through with it, and

going to march somewhere

in the last episode. If Stannis was to sacrifice his own daughter, then surely something magically would happen to prevent his army from facing the Boltons in battle, no? Since that's not very likely I imagine that Stannis does not sacrifice Shireen - instead he may command Davos to return Shireen and Selyse to the Wall, where they receive word/the letter that Stannis died in battle. That could be why Selyse broke down in that trailer - she really loves and adores Stannis. Perhaps he'll send Mel back, too, although I'd not bet on that.

Considering the other hints we received I also imagine Samwell and Gilly will leave for Oldtown shortly before Jon's assassination, and an interesting twist for TV Shireen the book nerd would be if Sam and Gilly took her with them to protect her from Melisandre instead of Mance's son who doesn't exist in the show. Surely Samwell would not survive Jon's assassination for long.

The Rickon plot is clearly not in the show. Davos is not going to search for him - he is with the Umbers in the show, not on Skagos.

i can easily see this happening.

[Richard Hoffman]

Not sure if this was mentioned as I typically don't read past the 2nd page, but if you look closely in the season 5 trailer #2 you can see Selyse in a scene lying stomach down on the snowy ground with a look that says she just lost the most important thing in the world. Whether it's Mel, Stannis or Shireen I don't know, but it hasn't happened as of yet this season.

[A_Prince_of_Dorne]

Not sure if this was mentioned as I typically don't read past the 2nd page, but if you look closely in the season 5 trailer #2 you can see Selyse in a scene lying stomach down on the snowy ground with a look that says she just lost the most important thing in the world. Whether it's Mel, Stannis or Shireen I don't know, but it hasn't happened as of yet this season.

True. Selyse doesn't care enough about Shireen for her to be crying over her sacrifice to the Lord of Light. Perhaps she's upset over Stannis's anger and rejection for betraying him? I don't know. They've planted the seeds for Shireen's burning since season 4 (arguably since Gendry in season 3), so it's probably going to happen. I'll watch, but It will be the saddest death for me since Shireen is one of my favorite characters on the show =(

[Benjaario Starkharis]

I don't understand why people think D&D won't go there. Of course they could. They stabbed a pregnant woman in the belly. They showed the rape of one of the most sensitive innocent characters. It's not just that they are unsentimental when it comes to this stuff. They also love to go for the shockiest of shocks. So of course they could burn Shireen.

And, honestly, it wouldn't be the worst thing ever shown on cable or HBO. We just care because we love Shireen and think Stannis would never do such a thing.

I'm 50/50 on whether they will do it. It seems like now that Mel actually said it aloud that it is less likely when before it was just hinted at. But not totally sure of that.

ETA: to answer the OP, yes I will watch it. I watched Oberyn's head be smashed in through my fingers fanned in front of my face. I imagine I will do the same. Depending on how it is done I may never watch it again. I don't fast-forward through Theon's torture or through Oberyn's head-smash but I do now fast-forward through Sansa's rape. It's the only thing on the show that I do.

They didn't show Sansa's rape. We barely even hear it because the music was pretty loud. I believe that if they do burn Shireen they will do it in the same manner, if not completely off screen.

[BalerionTheCat]

I'm not 100% sure they will do it. I don't believe GRRM will do it. Burning is a bad way to go, said Mance, and there will not be Jon with an arrow. If they do it, they do it on screen, the bastards. So that everyone understand what they did.

[ambi76]

Still not bying the Shireen burning book canon wise myself. I mean, yo, girl is "destined" to die, but "eaten by a dragon" does not go with a Red God burning IMHO. No idea what the show will be doing.

[stannisismyking]

I'd be bawling if it was to happen (and still fervently hoping it does happen) even if I don't think they'd actually SHOW it, like the Sansa scene. I found the Sansa scene traumatic enough. And I left the room for the Theon castration scene.

Not appreciating of any of the potential scenarios I'm reading (Stannis killing Mel, Stannis killing Selyse, Mel killing Stannis, Davos killing Mel and Selyse, Ramsay flaying Mel etc) because I love everyone in the Team Dragonstone bar. A bar that only sells lemon water obviously

[HodoringHodor]

True. Selyse doesn't care enough about Shireen for her to be crying over her sacrifice to the Lord of Light. Perhaps she's upset over Stannis's anger and rejection for betraying him? I don't know. They've planted the seeds for Shireen's burning since season 4 (arguably since Gendry in season 3), so it's probably going to happen. I'll watch, but It will be the saddest death for me since Shireen is one of my favorite characters on the show =(

To me the short clip of Selyse on the ground seems more like she's been pushed to the ground which is consistent with the soldiers standing around her facing her.

[A Bastard Snow]

You shouldn't mention burning and hearts around Mel

[stannisismyking]

I'm operating under the assumption that D&D control what goes into the trailers here, and that short shot of Selyse has to be the most talked about shot of all!

[mafro987daboss]

I'm just praying the show doesn't kill off Mel (aka the best character in the book and show)- her vision about standing on the battlements of Winterfell seems very ambiguous.

[Grey Daughter]

I don't think it will pain me more than Theon's scenes did. Shireen won't feel the pain of the healing process, won't be afraid when it will happen again. What bothered me the most about Ramsay is the psychological terror he inflicted on Theon.

This is how I can see the burning happening:

Stannis and Mel, discussing the war. Through the window, there is the faint light of a fire. Stannis mentions the howls, but Mel dismisses them as the wind. She briefly mentions the burning of Shireen again.

"That will never happen."

Mel smiles sadly. "It already is."

The camera angle focuses on the fire that showed in the background. Music stops for a moment, both for impact and for Shireen's screams to take place. They might even include a Lord of Light speech. The final scene shows Stannis hugging a pile of black bones, as his wife watches him with a trembling smile.

[K-B-K]

I think if things became desperate enough, Stannis would reluctantly agree to it, but I also believe that if he did do it, his men would end up turning on him. Sounds strange, but if a King is willing to sacrifice his only living child for the Throne, I can't see many following him after that.

[Lady of Dragonstone]

Yes, I will be able to watch it as I've watched and read all things in this show - knowing they're fiction. If Shireen burns, I'll have no choice but to reject Stannis as my favorite Westerosi lord... and I'll have to wonder, what do D&D really think of Stannis, then? We won't know for a long time whether or not this will be canon.

[Curled Finger]

There was time I would agree BOOK Stannis might agree to torch Shireen, but there is no way SHOW Stannis will allow this. His relationship with Shireen has been built up too much. I assumed Selyse is bummed about Mel being banished or torched herself. Never once occurred to me the scene could be her grief over either Stannis or Shireen, definitely not Shireen. Selyse is a weird chick in the book, but this show Selyse is downright scary. As appalling as it is to admit I will watch and hate myself afterward. I hope not, I like Shireen.

[Stag_legion]

Stannis would at no point in the series agree to burn shireen because she is his sole heir, if he had a son as well then maybe, but still very unlikely.

The only reason stannis ever considered edric storm/gendry was because melisandre seemed to get so much right with all three leeches and he though this might end the war. Stannis is a utilitarian, the life of many out weighs the life of a single child and that's why stannis considered it.

You also have to understand that in a world where magic is real, you can't easily dismiss something as superstition anymore, No one really knows if melisandre speaks the truth or not, but with everything she has done its hard to bet against her when put in that situation.

[Graven]

I will be extremely pissed, c'mon she is chilling in castle black back in the books, why the heck kill her specially like that, i really really hope it's bait and switch, that can't happen.

[queenmarg]

I think if it happens, it will happen offscreen. Isn't there some sort of stigma against having children killed onscreen, especially in such a gruesome way?