Why do important things keep getting revealed to SAM?

[erolyn]

Just read the chapter in Braavos where Sam runs into Arya, and I gotta say, GRRM is driving me insane with this.

First, the Old Bear dies in Sam's arms, and tells him to tell Jorah he forgives him. Really? How the hell is Sam going to find Jorah all the way across the friggin' world? It's SAM. He's at least in Essos now, but there's just no way this is going to happen. So upsetting.

Then Sam meets Bran. And I thought, "Oh, good, he'll bring him to Jon." NOPE. He refuses to even tell Jon that the kid is alive. I know he promised and all, but ARGH.

And now he runs into Arya. Who just happens to be his pal Jon's favorite sibling. I was surprised Arya didn't say something like, "Oh, you're from the Night's Watch? My bastard brother is in the Night's Watch! Do you know him?" But she didn't. So now Jon's not going to know she's alive, either.

We can't even have one little moment of "Hey, your sibling is alive" or "Hey, your dad died but at least he forgave you so maybe that's something", because all these things keep getting told/revealed to Sam, one of the most incompetent characters in the series (though I do like him, and I'll admit he's getting better).

Stop toying with my emotions, GRRM. Just...you just stop it.

[Crown]

I feel you. I want the Stark children to reunite too! I think Sam is going to play an important role in getting the Stark children back together, don't ask me how.

[Lan the Clever]

I feel you. I want the Stark children to reunite too! I think Sam is going to play an important role in getting the Stark children back together, don't ask me how.

Isn't it obvious? After having knowledge of the whereabouts of the whole Stark clan, he will just send crows to different specific locations with the following message:

I have information regarding the whereabouts of your family. Meet me at the place whose name the crow will provide.

A friend.

[Crown]

Isn't it obvious? After having knowledge of the whereabouts of the whole Stark clan, he will just send crows to different specific locations with the following message: I have information regarding the whereabouts of your family. Meet me at the place whose name the crow will provide. A friend.

Haha, sounds good.

On a more serious note: he only knows the whereabouts of Jon. He knows Bran is somewhere beyond the Wall, he didn't know it was Arya in Braavos and he has totally no clue where Rickon and Sansa are.

[TyrionFan82]

Haha, sounds good.

On a more serious note: he only knows the whereabouts of Jon. He knows Bran is somewhere beyond the Wall, he didn't know it was Arya in Braavos and he has totally no clue where Rickon and Sansa are.

Yet lol. I think it's obvious.....GRRM is setting up Sam to be the one who sits the Iron Throne at the end haha.

Also he knows about Dany from Maester Aemon, don't forget that. Man he knows a lot. It makes you wonder what GRRM has planned for him.

[ckal]

Haha, yeah, it is kind of annoying. Just like when Brienne had opportunities to tell Gendry who his father was but of course something happens and she never ends up telling him.

Sam also has information revealed to him about Dany, AND the Citadel. Lmao, now that I look at it...this is a ton of stuff. What is going to happen with Sam? I bet he dies and all his secrets and info are lost forever haha.

[Lady Snowcat]

With all that knowledge, Sam is definitely going to be a pivotal character.

I also think, as a storytelling tool, he plays several roll:

1) Comedic relief

2) A repository for all these separate pieces of information that give the background that we, the reader, need in order to to piece together the plot for ourselves. He's like the Sherlock Holmes of Westeros and we get to be Dr. Watson

3) My personal favorite - the ultimate geek revenge - all these dashing, virile, witty characters jaunting about but the one character who has been witness to and or participated in some of the most pivotal events in the story is a bumbling, self-admitted craven fool. Eat your heart out jocks & cheerleaders!

4) He's the Forrest Gump of Westeros :laugh: Ha! Ha!

What drives me nuts about him is his constant self-deprecation. Get over it dude. Everone's got their insecurities, we don't need to hear about yours at every turn (of the page.) As Jon imparts to him, "I can't command you to be brave, but I can command you to hide your fears." Please, save us from banging our heads with this weighty tome and do what Jon says.

[Flibaboua]

Warning: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Why would GRRM introduce a POV character if they weren't important to the endgame of the series? That's my main question. Obviously Sam is a character that will play a major role in the upcoming novels; now that he's at the Citadel, in the closing chapters of AFFC, he's going to be in the thick of things. The maesters of the Citadel are known for their wisdom and knowledge, and from what I understand they are privy to a lot of information. Plus, it's only a matter of time (in my opinion) before Sam gets back to the Wall, and during his time at the Citadel I have the feeling that he's going to use some of the information he's gleaned, especially what he knows about the Others, to do a lot of good.

[Nymeria's]

I don't appreciate Sam being called incompetent. He helped Jon become Lord Commander.

Ok, he's not the sharpest tool in the shed but he is fiercely loyal and faithful. He knows how to keep a secret. He's a kind, gentle person with talents worthy of a Maester and not the Night's watch (obviously). He has merits; let's judge him on that. I say he's the equivalent of Neville in Harry Potter.

[Gabriel Gubert]

actually, he's pretty intelligent i think, well-read just like Tyrion and would be a badass maester someday.

and I do think that he's going to have the chance to find Ser Jorah, he's not that far, and for what we've seen in the end of the book, his storyline is going to mix with Dany's.

[SummerGhostofNymeria]

Haha, yeah, it is kind of annoying. Just like when Brienne had opportunities to tell Gendry who his father was but of course something happens and she never ends up telling him.

Sam also has information revealed to him about Dany, AND the Citadel. Lmao, now that I look at it...this is a ton of stuff. What is going to happen with Sam? I bet he dies and all his secrets and info are lost forever haha.

Oh my goodness, don't even joke about that. If all those secrets just get lost, I'm going to pitch the hugest fit ever seen.

actually, he's pretty intelligent i think, well-read just like Tyrion and would be a badass maester someday.

and I do think that he's going to have the chance to find Ser Jorah, he's not that far, and for what we've seen in the end of the book, his storyline is going to mix with Dany's.

Yes but in terms of Sam....

Don't forget that Ser Jorah has already left Dany because she cast him out. Even if Sam's storyline mixes with Dany's there's no guarantee it will mix with Jorah. However, Jorah could be making his way back to Westeros, and in some way run into Sam. We will just have to wait and see.

Now, in regards to Arya, he might not have known initially who she was... but Sam's smart, and Jon was his closest friend at the Wall... so if it came down to it I think he'd be able to figure it out at some point. Also, I wouldn't be surprised if Sam would accidentally encounter Rickon, or hear news of Sansa at some point.

[twilight]

I don't appreciate Sam being called incompetent.

I agree. But I go a bit further, since I believe that Sam IS a very sharp tool, just not yet. The thing about this world is that you are only a man when you can ride without having blisters, if you are able to kill 2 warriors at the same time and rape half a dozen girls without getting tired. SUCH a tool is Sam certainly not ;)

But the magic is returning. And there is sooo much knowledge to gain. The black Citadel for example has lots of old books, I'm sure Old Town's Citadel has even more and Sam loves reading. There are so many thing the people there forgot. Sam already found some interesting details, about obsidian and the daggers of the CotF, he has that funny little horn, he is beginning to be a Maester and let's not forget, there is a single chain, made of valerian steel, that represents learning the "higher mysteries", or "magic". That never meant anything to any Maester, so told Winterfells Maester, but that could have changed, since magic is returning.

I'm not sure if that was in the books, but in the tv show there was a moment. Try to remember it: Jon just learned that he will be a steward, what the heck, he should be a ranger, he is better than everyone. And Sam tells him that Mormont wants him at his side, "he is grooming you for command, Jon!" Jon replies that he always wanted to be a ranger. And Sam said:

"I always wanted to be a wizzard."

Both laugh about that. But actually, I think that is a pretty likely path for good old Sam. Oh, Im very sure he will be a very very sharp tool one day. If he survives, that is. ;)

[Gabriel Gubert]

i totally agree with you, i felt the same while reading it.

about him surviving, i'm sorry, but he's a self-proclaimed craven that has survived the wights and white walkers, if he was going to die, it would've been to easy for George. I saw an interview with him that said that the character that he relates the most is Sam, and I do think he mirrors some of HIS personality and past fears into the character (i may be full of shit, of course haha), but I think that Sam is one of the characters who will grow the most. I hope so, I mean.

[twilight]

but I think that Sam is one of the characters who will grow the most. I hope so, I mean.

I'd love to see him as a wise maester, controlling at least some lowlevel magic. When we think about him, he has a lot of problems, but none unsolvable. He is concerned about his father/family and how they see him. As a maester of the wall he would be absolutely a person of respect, not to mention of him having maybe the horn of winter with possible links to Dany and dragons. He was also very unsecure about women, but now he is not a maid anymore. He encountered the Others and did not even survive, but killed one. And from all the knowledge he will certainly gain he will draw alot selfesteem.

All in all, he already grew more than many others. Now he just needs to understand that, but that will come intime.

I am not really worried about his death. It may come, but if, then certainly in the endgame, when he fullfilled his role. And that would not be a bad thing. A warrior must die to become a hero ;)

[SamwellTarlyIsMyHero]

Plain and simple--Sam rocks!!! :cool4:

[lorastyrell-]

He has merits; let's judge him on that. I say he's the equivalent of Neville in Harry Potter.

yes! he reminds me of neville so much. both were constantly putting themselves down and thinking themselves cowards. at the end, neville was one of the most important characters in the entire series. I think Sam has big things in his future as well.

[Valyarian rose]

I was about to punch a wall when I read the part Sam UNKNOWINGLY encounters Arya. I was like, ARGHHHH she could've gone with him or something!

I know it was kind of impossible since it seems like she already gave up on finding her family after coming to Braavos ... :(

[TenFootElk]

That had to be hard for Sam to not tell Jon that is brothers were alive. I would have told him.

[SpareBoot]

i totally agree with you, i felt the same while reading it.

about him surviving, i'm sorry, but he's a self-proclaimed craven that has survived the wights and white walkers, if he was going to die, it would've been to easy for George. I saw an interview with him that said that the character that he relates the most is Sam, and I do think he mirrors some of HIS personality and past fears into the character (i may be full of shit, of course haha), but I think that Sam is one of the characters who will grow the most. I hope so, I mean.

Sam is the hero of this song. He may not be a head of a dragon, but he will be the polar opposite to everything Tywin was. Sam is the true Hand to Lord, no, King Jon Snow(Stargeyan), the man who wins the Iron Throne. But Sam will have to sit upon that uncomfortable mess.

[Christopher]

Sam will grow up. He's highly intelligent, just needs to get over that whole cowardice thing.