(Book Spoilers) Jojen and Meera Reid in Season 2

[The Scabbard Of the Morning]

They could easily keep Luwin alive, have him take Rickon to Skagos and have Osha take Bran North. In fact I suspect that's exactly what they'll do.

[Brucolac]

After watching the first episode and seeing Osha asking Bran about his dreams, I am thinking they are definitely going to use her instead of the Reeds if it ever gets that far.

[Jory]

Shireen is apparently officially cut, and apparently she's not going to be in the show at all. Stannis has no children.

So... I wouldn't count on the Reeds showing up, either.

[The Scabbard Of the Morning]

Shireen being cut is a bad decision, if Stannis has no heir then his offer to make Renly his heir is really attractive offer, and makes Renly that much more of an ass for turning him down instead of working together against the Lannisters.

[Melifeather]

sorry, double post.

[Melifeather]

I will be very disappointed if Meera and Jojen are left out of the series, but I guess Osha could be a useful fill-in. But, what to do with Rickon, then? Plus, I'll miss the story that they told to Bran about the Tourney of Harrenhal. It provides some insight into Lyanna and Rhaegar, and it's probably about Howland Reed. I didn't quite figure out the woman that danced with "the quiet wolf". Perhaps HBO felt that this backstory would get forgotten by the time it is relevant?

@The Scabbard of the Morning...I was thinking the Manderleys would somehow get Rickon,

during the sack of Winterfell

since later on in the books, that's who goes looking for him.

[Aegnor]

I definitely think they can do the series without the Reeds. They are great characters in the books, but they are not essential in the adaptation. Osha can fill in a lot for their actions. The one thing that is puzzling of course, is what to do with Rickon, but I am sure they will figure something out. Ramsey I think is fairly critical to the adaptation, so I'm concerned about him being missing. I think he is absolutely critical to Theon's storyline.

[Sasha Steelsong]

Shireen being cut is a bad decision, if Stannis has no heir then his offer to make Renly his heir is really attractive offer, and makes Renly that much more of an ass for turning him down instead of working together against the Lannisters.

Actually it makes them both asses (not that they weren't already). Renly for the reasons you said and Stannis for killing off his only heir. At least with Shereen there are plans if Stannis is killed, but now who would inherit if they both die? Granted I thought the brothers were stupid when they chose to fight against each other to begin with.

[superdeluxe]

Disappointed if they cut out the reeds altogether, at the very least they could merge Jojen and Meera.

[Aegnor]

Any possibility of Reeds/Ramsay appearing depend on part of Bran's story being pushed out to S3. The last scene filmed in S2 was with Bran, Rickon, Osha, and Hodor. That obviously leads towards the final scene in the book, but it might not be that scene. Heck, they just had a scene in the last episode with just Bran, Osha, and Hodor. The scenes aren't shot in chronological order. They could end it shortly after Theon takes over Winterfell. Maybe Ramsay is mentioned this season, but not seen (just shoved into a cell off-screen). Maybe they run into the Reeds after the sack.

[Brucolac]

I will be very disappointed if Meera and Jojen are left out of the series, but I guess Osha could be a useful fill-in. But, what to do with Rickon, then? Plus, I'll miss the story that they told to Bran about the Tourney of Harrenhal. It provides some insight into Lyanna and Rhaegar, and it's probably about Howland Reed. I didn't quite figure out the woman that danced with "the quiet wolf". Perhaps HBO felt that this backstory would get forgotten by the time it is relevant?

They can keep Master Lewen alive who takes Rickon and Osha takes Bran. I really can't imagine why they would have her asking about Bran's dreams if they weren't heading that direction. The show seems to be leaving out the back story of events before Robert's rebellion and concentrating more on the current one. We should have already seen scenes in the first season such as Ned dreaming after his injury if they were going to include Harrenhal.

[GoodGuyA]

I suspect that the end of Season 2 will have them stuck in the predicament and the writers can have the time to mull over the decision of what to do. I highly doubt that Luwin would put Rickon in such danger no matter what the circumstances presented, for he has enough knowledge to know where there are seclusion in the North. Where Rickon ends up is absolutely essential to the mysticism of the resolution both geographically and storywise, though the rest is obviously of muted importance. Sad to know that he won't be on screen for a dreadfully long time though even in the best circumstance.

[J_Crews]

I can see Jojen and Meera (or a single character who is a composite of the two, as someone else said) showing-up after the sack, meeting Bran on the road. Maybe they can even find them hiding in the crypts, having been on their way to Winterfell to do their homage when they saw smoke in the distance and found the destruction. The final scene thing doesn't sway me, because, as somene also said previously, scenes aren't shot in order. In one of the DVD special features, Michelle Fairley mentioned the first scene she filmed as Cat was the hill tribe attack on the eastern road from episode 5.

Maester Luwin could also live and pass on the stuff about Howland Reed, having been a close Stark family advisor for years beyong reckoning (considering his age and the act that he was present to deliver all of Cat's children, Robb being born during Robert's Rebellion, one can assume he served Lord Rickard as well, and was already a trusted retainer by the time Ned became lord). Ned could, conceivably, have confided in him. Not that I favor that at all. I want the Reeds, in one way or another. In fact, I don't see how Luwin could fill the role at all, unless they keep the boys together. They can't keep the actor who plays Luwin or the actress who plays Osha on retainer, while they disappear for multiple seasons.

I have a growing suspicion that they sack is being pushed-off until season 3. That explains no Reeds and no Bastard of Bolton this season. According to the episode summaries I've read...

Theon doesn't sail from Pyke to go reaving on the Stony Shore until episode 5...

... so, there's time to spend on the occupation of Winterfell. I wonder if they'll have killing the miller's sons be Theon's idea instead of Ramsey's and happen in episode 9, with a reveal at the end of the final episode showing Bran and Rickon alive and hiding in the crypts. Ramsey's first appearance may be the sack, with it appearing at first the Bolton men are just there to join Ser Rodrik's host. Hurts his character a little by removing the Reek deception, but not much and may be a necessity in order to cut costs. There will still be plenty of time to show how evil he is, because Theon/new Reek won't be disappearing from the camera and kept on retainer either. We'll see him being broken by Ramsey.

[RickonTheBAMF]

There's a way to untie this knot. The Reeds are pushed back to S3 as follows: They're on foot heading north to Winterfell, staying off the roads and generally in E&E mode, trying to avoid Boltons and roving bands of ironborn on the roads. They don't get to Winterfell until Ramsay goes back to the Dreadfort after sacking and burning it. They clear the wreckage from the entrance to the crypts, find Bran, Rickon, and company, and then split Bran and Rickon off on their separate ways.

PS I haven't posted in a while. What's this 'warning points' statistic under the post total?

[J_Crews]

There's a way to untie this knot. The Reeds are pushed back to S3 as follows: They're on foot heading north to Winterfell, staying off the roads and generally in E&E mode, trying to avoid Boltons and roving bands of ironborn on the roads. They don't get to Winterfell until Ramsay goes back to the Dreadfort after sacking and burning it. They clear the wreckage from the entrance to the crypts, find Bran, Rickon, and company, and then split Bran and Rickon off on their separate ways.

That's very much like what I described above, except I don't think they're going to have Natalia Tena (Osha) going anywhere. It simpy isn't feasible in television to have a character just gone from view forever; they'd have next to no chance of ever getting her back. She'll be with Bran and company, I think, as they go north. Maybe they'll introduce another minor Stark retainer over the next 9 episodes to be the one who goes off with Rickon. Who knows.

If Osha wasn't going to remain an active on-screen character, I can't imagine why they would have changed Asha Greyjoy's name to Yara. The whole reasoning behind that was to avoid people confusing the similar names. Unless they intend to show her travelling with Rickon, which, given the limited time and budget (and considering they're already having to jump through hoops to *not* omit more important stuff from the books), I think that would be a stupendously bad idea.

[spork]

WiC.net has some episode summaries that may shed some light on the sack of Winterfell.

Episode 5:

The end of the Baratheon rivalry drives Catelyn to flee and Littlefinger to act. At King’s Landing, Tyrion’s source alerts him to Joffrey’s flawed defense plan and a mysterious secret weapon. Theon sails to the Stony Shore to prove he’s worthy to be called Ironborn. In Harrenhal, Arya receives a promise from Jaqen H’ghar, one of three prisoners she saved from the Gold Cloaks. The Night’s Watch arrive at the Fist of the First Men, an ancient fortress where they hope to stem the advance of the wildling army.

Then episode 6 has no info about Theon, but we have this for ep. 7:

“A Man Without Honor”: Jaime meets a relative; Theon hunts; Dany receives an invitation

Hunts...what? Bran and Rickon, I propose. This epi probably also shows the "killing" of Bran & Rickon, judging from the title.

Episode 8 states:

“The Prince of Winterfell”: Theon holds down the fort; Arya calls in her debt with Jaqen; Robb is betrayed; Stannis and Davos approach their destination.

Maybe they'll show the assembling of Ser Rodrik's forces here, and the parley (since Theon is "holding down the fort")?

Episode 9 is probably pretty much the battle of the Blackwater, I think.

That leaves the final episode for the sack. I'd say that would wrap up things nicely and leave somewhat of a cliffhanger, especially if the original post about filming the last scene is really the last scene of the series. That would let viewers know the "killing" was fake, but leave them wondering what happens from here. Still not sure how they would then handle the split up of B&R.

[superdeluxe]

I don’t think anyone else asks viewers to process so many storylines and characters. And also one thing to keep in mind is that there are characters in the second book who don’t appear this season, but are coming in later. It’s just about so many new characters introduced in the second season, so we saved some for the next season. They aren’t being omitted, they’re just being delayed.

http://www.westeros.org/GoT/Features/Entry/Interview_with_David_Benioff_and_Dan_Weiss/

Reeds?

[Melifeather]

http://www.westeros...._and_Dan_Weiss/

Reeds?

I read this today as well and that was my hope also.

[J_Crews]

http://www.westeros...._and_Dan_Weiss/

Reeds?

My thoughts exactly.

[darrylzero]

WiC.net has some episode summaries that may shed some light on the sack of Winterfell...

...we have this for ep. 7:

Hunts...what? Bran and Rickon, I propose. This epi probably also shows the "killing" of Bran & Rickon, judging from the title.

This seems strange to me. I feel like it's virtually guaranteed that Reek/Ramsay will be introduced in Season 3. Why not just end Season 2 with Theon in control of the castle and Bran and Rickon still prisoners?