[book spoilers]What your non-reader friends/family thought and their predictions.

[Janicia]

My friend was unhappy that all of the adult Starks are gone now. He wanted an adult Stark to start vengencing. Then he wondered if maybe that would be Arya.

He also has no interest in Rickon, Bran, or Sam.

[teemo]

My friend (Unsullied) was convinced Talisa was a spy all the way until the end. lol. And she STILL doesn't trust her.

[mitzi's hiss]

Watched with my unsullied bf.

I had told him I was very excited to watch this episode. I'd told him it was a scene that made the show people originally want to adapt the books to tv. So he started guessing, "Is it the dragons? It's the dragons, isn't it? I bet there's a big battle scene with the dragons!"

With about 20 minutes left to go, he said, "Is anything going to happen in this episode? I thought you said this episode was a big deal."

Then the big door closed and Catelyn looked up to the musicians on the balcony.

Bf says "Uh oh. Why are they playing the Lannister song?"

Then, "It's a hit! It's a mob hit!!!"

Then, "Who is that dog?" (Meaning Grey Wind, not Sandor)

And when Catelyn held the knife to Mrs Frey's throat, "Oh, he doesn't care about his wife!"

And he actually leaned in towards the TV during the entire scene. I think at the very end he said, "Oh. Brutal." Which is a huge reaction for him, because he rarely gets emotional about television shows. I think he also said, "So that's it? The Starks are pretty much wiped out?" He also wanted to know if Edmure was killed. And he wanted to know if there are going to be more scenes with Arya and Sandor because, "those two are really funny together."

Of course after credits rolled, it was hard for him to get a word in, because I was too busy shrieking, "Do you have ANY IDEA how hard it was for me not to give any spoilers for THREE YEARS?!!!!"

[Buddhy]

Watched with my unsullied bf.

I had told him I was very excited to watch this episode. I'd told him it was a scene that made the show people originally want to adapt the books to tv. So he started guessing, "Is it the dragons? It's the dragons, isn't it? I bet there's a big battle scene with the dragons!"

With about 20 minutes left to go, he said, "Is anything going to happen in this episode? I thought you said this episode was a big deal."

Then the big door closed and Catelyn looked up to the musicians on the balcony.

Bf says "Uh oh. Why are they playing the Lannister song?"

Then, "It's a hit! It's a mob hit!!!"

Then, "Who is that dog?" (Meaning Grey Wind, not Sandor)

And when Catelyn held the knife to Mrs Frey's throat, "Oh, he doesn't care about his wife!"

And he actually leaned in towards the TV during the entire scene. I think at the very end he said, "Oh. Brutal." Which is a huge reaction for him, because he rarely gets emotional about television shows. I think he also said, "So that's it? The Starks are pretty much wiped out?" He also wanted to know if Edmure was killed. And he wanted to know if there are going to be more scenes with Arya and Sandor because, "those two are really funny together."

Of course after credits rolled, it was hard for him to get a word in, because I was too busy shrieking, "Do you have ANY IDEA how hard it was for me not to give any spoilers for THREE YEARS?!!!!"

I would've been so proud if my girl/boyfriend recognised the Rains of Castamere as "the Lannister song".

[aedalia]

My colleague was shocked. He didn't see it coming at all and said he felt sad after watching.

Reading everyone's comments about their unsullied actually makes me kinda happy. I know it's weird, but Robb and Cat had so little screen time, part of me was convinced it wouldn't have the same impact on them that it did on readers.

[DarkAndFullOfTurnips]

So much for all of the "They've butchered Robb and Cat no one is even going to care about the RW" crap that went on here for several weeks.

[Bastard Walder]

So much for all of the "They've butchered Robb and Cat no one is even going to care about the RW" crap that went on here for several weeks.

Haha, I remember that completely.

"the sad thing is i doubt anyone will care when robb and cat (who is that? she doesn't even get any lines!!!!) are killed because they completely BUTCHERED the storyline and there werent enough minor characters. god my prediction of what will happen just goes to show how little D&D understand the source material :bang: :bang: :bang: "

[bobbybuilderton]

Well in all fairness, there are many people who said they didn't care about them but were really upset that it happened. They were upset on principle, because they were the main good guys. Or they were mad at the disgusting way it was done. But I think people had good reason to think people wouldn't care. It doesn't really make sense that they do. They just laid it on really thick last episode

"I wanna name him Eddard."

"Perhaps I've made a terrible mistake"

etc

[teemo]

I have told my boyfriend like a bazillion times about the RW in detail and he never remembers. I even told him multiple times I was excited about Rains of Castamere and why a whole week up until it it aired and FINALLY, when Cat sees the chainmail, he says, "oh this is the wedding massacare one?" :lol: He didn't really say anything except, "god, that's brutal" when Talisa kept getting stabbed in the stomach. He was surprised to hear she was pregnant because he fell asleep during that scene when she announced it. He didn't remember anyone's name at the wedding. Well, except Edmure is "Brutus," of course. Lame. I wish he liked this show. Will he ever get past Ned and Robert dying, damnit!??! I swear, it seems like he has hated GoT with a passion ever since Ned got the ax.

[mitzi's hiss]

I would've been so proud if my girl/boyfriend recognised the Rains of Castamere as "the Lannister song".

Yes, I was impressed.

I also find it fascinating to see what he can follow on the show or what things need explaining.

i.e. He wasn't entirely too sure who Edmure was, and he wasn't really too clear on who Roose Bolton was.

[DarkAndFullOfTurnips]

Well in all fairness, there are many people who said they didn't care about them but were really upset that it happened. They were upset on principle, because they were the main good guys. Or they were mad at the disgusting way it was done. But I think people had good reason to think people wouldn't care. It doesn't really make sense that they do. They just laid it on really thick last episode

"I wanna name him Eddard."

"Perhaps I've made a terrible mistake"

etc

Please keep telling us how the ridiculous outpouring of Stark love and RW hate all over the Internet makes no sense and only exists because of emotion baiting.

[bobbybuilderton]

Please keep telling us how the ridiculous outpouring of Stark love and RW hate all over the Internet makes no sense and only exists because of emotion baiting.

It doesn't. Why else would these people who said they were weary of the story and didn't care about the characters suddenly care about the characters? And I didn't say it was entirely because of emotion baiting. I was referring to the people who said they didn't care about them. It was reasonable to think that they wouldn't be affected by it, because they'd already stated "ugh boring storyline, don't care." It was NOT reasonable to expect them to swear off the show and stomp their feet and rant on the car ride to work.

Again, I am only referring to the people who said they were indifferent but then flipped a shit.

[Lucky]

Epic day in TV for me.. a watcher that never knew to read it. Fuggin awesome!

[DarkAndFullOfTurnips]

It doesn't. Why else would these people who said they were weary of the story and didn't care about the characters suddenly care about the characters? And I didn't say it was entirely because of emotion baiting. I was referring to the people who said they didn't care about them. It was reasonable to think that they wouldn't be affected by it, because they'd already stated "ugh boring storyline, don't care." It was NOT reasonable to expect them to swear off the show and stomp their feet and rant on the car ride to work.

Again, I am only referring to the people who said they were indifferent but then flipped a shit.

Oh, we'll I'm not. I'm saying the eternal pessimists here proclaimed that the story sucked so much that no one will care about the RW. I think it's safe to say that the average viewer didn't share those sentiments.

If you didn't care about Robb and Cat before the RW on the show I don't see how that's different to readers who didn't care too much about them before the RW, of which there are many in the book forums.

[bobbybuilderton]

Ah, I see. Well there were a few who were just being needlessly pessimistic, but for some people it was based off of their friends and family saying they weren't interested in what happened to Robb and Cat, and didn't care what happens in that story. I think they only didn't care because they took it for granted how that story would end. You know, the hero would suffer setbacks but come out on top, eventually. When something is shaping up to be like what you're used to, it's hard for it to stand next to unique things like Jaime losing his hand, political intrigue and backstabbing, and still be engaging

[DarkAndFullOfTurnips]

Yeah, but that shows sort of the fickle nature of us humans. A lot of people proclaimed they didn't care but once they saw the end, all of a sudden everything in hindsight was much more interesting. I actually felt that way while reading Jon Snow. He can be so brutally boring sometimes but come aDwD I felt I needed a Jon reread after I finished the book.

However I still think that the whole "My friends hate Robb they butchered it" is terrible reasoning since everyone I know that's unsullied have either Cat or Robb as one of their favorites, more so Robb though. It's just anecdotal and we were never really going to know the extent of the general viewerships feelings toward the RW until it aired, and I think we can quite comfortably say that they cared a lot.

[teemo]

Finally got ahold of my sister for his opinion. "I was surprised but not as shocked as when Ned died. And I really hated Robb." Gah.

[DarkAndFullOfTurnips]

Finally got ahold of my sister for his opinion. "I was surprised but not as shocked as when Ned died. And I really hated Robb." Gah.

That's good IMO though :) The fact that many people liked him and many people didn't means they at least captured the idea that no characters are really heroes and people will interpret them in different ways. They've also managed to do this quite well with Jaime since for the most part he's basically just like book Jaime if a little less arrogant after his maiming (on the show).

[teemo]

That's good IMO though :) The fact that many people liked him and many people didn't means they at least captured the idea that no characters are really heroes and people will interpret them in different ways. They've also managed to do this quite well with Jaime since for the most part he's basically just like book Jaime if a little less arrogant after his maiming (on the show).

She doesn't really mean it in a "I hate Joffrey" kind of way. She hates him because she thinks he's an overall badly written character and thinks the romance with him and Talisa is extremely cheesy and stupid. Did like Cat a lot though. Mostly saddened by Grey Wind, of course. lol.

[DarkAndFullOfTurnips]

Ah. My own sister dislikes Robb because she says he's really not that great of a guy, he thinks he's like his father but he's not. She loves Cat though and says she's the only person around there that speaks sense.