[Book Spoilers] Will Robb name the Heir to Winterfell?

[DemiNymph]

They are not going to confuse the audience by putting this sub-plot in. It will be kinda irrelevant when Jon Snow becomes the Lord Commander. Might as well not mention it and move on with the story.

[Gendels Children]

I don't hate her, but yeah, I knew I was grasping at straws.

I'm just trying to find a meaning for Catelyn's story about Jon Snow. There is no point to it, and it doesn't even set up any characterization since we knew she hated him in Season 1, and they're not ever going to meet again. So, why now, in season 3, does she tell this story to the audience? They haven't seen eachother in (RL time) 2 years, and it was very specific in what Catelyn wanted to do: e.g.- make Jon a Stark, which coincides with the whole Will thingy.

Why did the audience need to be reminded of their relationship when it would never be brought up again?

It was such a huge let down for that scene not to have any significance, ya know?

I gotta say im really clinging to this point as well. im a fan of the great northern conspiracy (at least the over all idea of it) and the thought of Robbs will simply being a brushed aside red herring hurts me in my soul :( but I like the idea that others have already mentioned about there being northmen trying to carry out Robbs will and us not knowing what exactly was written in it

[Versiroth]

Since Robb and Cat doesn't know whether Bran and Rickon are alive or not (for the show, it's just said that they're missing), there is no need for Robb to name an heir.

[teemo]

Oh, if necessary they'll have a scene of someone finding it. I don't think they added it in as to not make people "suspicious" or to confuse them. It's pretty contrived to add it in later, but it's definitely still a possibility that he named an heir.

[Cas Stark]

Oh, if necessary they'll have a scene of someone finding it. I don't think they added it in as to not make people "suspicious" or to confuse them. It's pretty contrived to add it in later, but it's definitely still a possibility that he named an heir.

I really don't think this is going to be in the show, but then I never thought it was going to be a big plot point in the books either, because Jon Snow is not going to take over Winterfell while any of his brothers are alive matter what...and then there is the issue of whether he's even a Stark, LOL.

[Northbound]

so no will.

so much for those people obsessed with Jon Stark. King in the North.

Yes there was no will, in the episode. That doesn't mean Robb, didnt write one and that it will be brought up later in the show. He did in the books and it is talked about a good bit. Robb named Jon heir to Winterfell and possible King in the North. Jon will be named heir. Jon is half Targ. Jon is still alive. Those who refuse to acknowledge this, are just fools and clearly have an axe to grind with Jon. Jon will most likely take the Stark name, as Robb wanted. He will accept Robb's last wishes and become Lord of Winterfell and maybe King in the North, UNTIL Rickkon comes of age. Then Jon will step aside. Again, for those that think Jon would not do this.....clearly have not been reading/watching the same series.

FYI: I am a Jon fan. I don't want him on a Throne, especially the Iron Throne. In the end, I think Jon will die, in the battle against the Others.

[Tyrion_is_Omar]

Since Robb and Cat doesn't know whether Bran and Rickon are alive or not (for the show, it's just said that they're missing), there is no need for Robb to name an heir.

In the first scene of this episode, Robb said to Cat: Bran and Rickon are gone.

Cat believed that they were dead since the news of Winterfell, she told her to the Blackfish. They agree not to tell Robb what they believed. But, obviously, Robb believed the same.

That doesn mean that Robb wrote the will because there was the baby, but I do find interesting that they showed some episodes ago that Robb believed that Bran and Rickon were alive, and in his last episode he believed that they were dead.

[lostinwesteros]

Yeah, now that episode 9 has aired, it's a moot point. But, since I fully expect we'll find Jon is TPTWP ( :P ), that'll also make it a moot point.

[nothatso]

Presumably in the show Robb doesn't feel the need to name an heir as his wife is pregnant so the succession should be obvious.

Not the same case as in the books at all.

That's not really true. Talisa could still die before giving birth, or all of them could die (Robb, Talisa, the child yet to be born). It was a precautionary measure in the books and it would be the same in the show if included, the pregnancy wouldn't necessarily change that.

[shk12344]

Will isn't really necessary for the show. Producers could simply make it so that......

1) Jon could decide at some point in the future to marshal the Stark loyalists and make himself the King in the North.

or

2) Stark loyalists could take matter into their own hands and declare Jon as King in the North. All they have to do is convince Jon to take the throne.

Either way end game will be the same as it is in the book, which would be to pry Jon away from the Wall and have him become one of the players in ongoing war.

Personally, I think Blackfish will end up in the Wall and will be the one convincing Jon to march south.

[Darryk]

It's true there's a number of other ways they could do it. It's just that without the will, they just lose the poignancy of Robb entrusting Jon, his last surviving brother (so he thinks), with his legacy. I think of the Will as more important for character-related reasons then plot-related reasons.

[Stark King in the North]

Beware Possible spoiler

After thinking about it the tv show probably didnt want to show the will yet so it doesnt confuse(as they think names will) the tv viewers when stannis offers him to become jon stark lord of winterfell. After that happens they will unveil the will.

[aedalia]

I look at it this way, D&D were told the end so they could cut stuff that wouldn't matter to streamline the show. GRRM may have had plans for the Will when he wrote the book, but clearly they're not going to factor into the end now and that subplot be dead.

[Greiffenstein]

Ugh - she doesn't despise Jon, she just doesn't want some other woman's offspring usurping the rights of her own. And he hatred that animates Lady Stoneheart is not for Jon Snow, it's for Walder Frey, as evinced by her masterminding the systematic slaughtering of any Frey she comes across.

Way to miss the point of the character.

It seem you completely misunderstood my post.

All I'm saying is that at one point in the future Lady Stoneheart will have to sacrifice her own life to bring back Jon Snow who obviously dies at the end of ADWD. That would be a perfect twist because she hated him for like 15 years for only one reason: being the one he is (or seems to be). And hatred is all that's left of her. Hatred towards the Lannisters, towards the Freys, towards the Boltons and also towards Jon Snow.

What other purpose could the talk between Catelyn and Talisa have had? Why else would the writers have Melisandre informed about Thoros being able to bring back Beric?

When Jon Snow dies, Melisandre will bring his body into an ice cell for she knows he is somehow important for the Azor Ahai prophecy and she is not able to bring him back to life herself. Sometime later (maybe in ADOS) it's definitly gonna be LS's task to revive him.

[silentwanderer]

They are not going to confuse the audience by putting this sub-plot in. It will be kinda irrelevant when Jon Snow becomes the Lord Commander. Might as well not mention it and move on with the story.

Considering Jon hasn't yet warned the Night's Watch that the wildlings are coming - Not to mention, Sam hasn't told anyone Lord Commander Mormont is dead - I'd say we'll be lucky if we see Mance Rayder's army attack the Wall by the season finale,

[David Selig]

What other purpose could the talk between Catelyn and Talisa have had?

Showing Catelyn's mental state at the moment. Adding to the backstory of the characters. Making Catelyn more likeable (that's what people say at least, it had the opposite effect on me). Showing off Michelle Fairley's amazing acting skills.

[Senor Drogo]

In the show, Catelyn never found out about Sansa" marriage to tyrion right? The only reason Robb went on to write that will was that if anything happened to him, winterfell wouldn't become tyrions.

That kinda bugged me, Why didnt they show Robb and Catelyn finding out about sansa marrying tyrion.

[Envie]

In the show, Catelyn never found out about Sansa" marriage to tyrion right? The only reason Robb went on to write that will was that if anything happened to him, winterfell wouldn't become tyrions.

That kinda bugged me, Why didnt they show Robb and Catelyn finding out about sansa marrying tyrion.

Yes, this bugged me too. Part of Robb's entire motivation for naming Jon Snow his heir was because they found out about Tyrion marrying Sansa and they did not want the North to go to the Lannisters at any cost. They have no idea where Arya is, and assume Bran and Rickon to be dead so that leaves Sansa and Tyrion to take over Winterfell if they don't name another heir. ALL of that has been excluded from the show, apparently. It's a pretty big plot to be dumped. :(

[lyanna_maria]

I don't think Robb's will will have any importance in the books, actually; at least, not a major one. I would have liked to see the scene between Catelyn and his son discussing Jon Snow, but I understand that they excluded it. If the will turned up to be relevant in upcoming books, they can just make someone find it, they can say Robb sent it to Howland Reed before he died, or whatever. They can even say Catelyn and Robb did know about Sansa's marriage, even if there was no scene of them discussing it in the show.

[Wunhopkuendo]

I think a big reason to not show the will is to not have anything diminish the impact of the RW. No matter how horrific it was, if in the back of the viewers' minds there is this "that sucks, but Jon was just named heir so everything will be ok", thought then the impact wouldn't be as great. The will can be added at any time or not at all. And for all we really know, Jon may well be forever dead, thus a moot point.