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Roose Bolton in TRoC (book spoilers)


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The look on Catelyn's face was one of knowing. Roose knew that she was aware of what was happening and he decided to troll her a bit there. I thought his smug smile was brilliantly evil. Like I said in the nitpick thread, the only thing I did dislike was the drive by killing of Cat. The dude just kind of walks up, slashes her throat, then leaves. It would have been better if she would have fell to her knees, the guy comes up, grabs her hair and puts the knife to her throat. Catelyn continues to look dazed as Walder says "kill her!". He slashes her throat and the camera goes black.

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We all know that Roose is borderline psychopathic. Not sure about the show, but I could tell he was interesting ever since Robb decided to put him in the rear guard, a position of power, but too far away to lead battles, because like his father, I don't think Robb ever really trusted Roose.

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I kind of wish that Roose stabbing Robb in the heart was more clear, in fact now when I recall back to it im not sure he actually stabbed him in the heart or just somewhere in his lower-central rib area... mmm dunno will have to re watch at get back on that one, I know he gave the blade a wicked twist the way he did in the books... hehe *naughty satisfaction*

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Haha. That scene was not out of character.

Except it totally was.

Roose is just a troll. We saw how he trolled Jamie earlier in the season about his sister's fate. And this scene, true to his troll self, he just cannot, CANNOT, help himself from spoiling the Red Wedding for the unsullied viewer (Catelyn). Seriously, 5 seconds before the RW Roose?!?! He deserved to get smacked.

Starting to gloat too early is a trademark of a bad/lame troll, it risks spoiling the game and ruining the lulz. A good/skillful troll does not give up his game early on, and only gloats when the gig is fully up.

TV!Roose is a lame troll who gets slapped and chased away. Book!Roose is the cool troll who calmly sets up his prey and only reveals his true colours with the fatal strike to the heart.

On a more serious note, is Roose really a fighter? I thought he was just a survivor. Isn't that why Robb sent him to fight Tywin? Didn't he spend that part of the war strategically retreating? And doesn't he later hide in a wagon for fear of getting shot with a poison arrow by Reed's people? The fact that he scurried out of the room is not out of character.

Book!Roose is both a fighter and a survivor. He was forced to hide his evil inclinations to survive under Ned Stark, but he was eager to "hunt wolves" when opportunity presented itself, and he chose to personally kill Robb Stark, with his sword, while wearing the traditional Bolton armour. This was far more symbolic and powerful than simply a cowardly backstab from a traitorous vassal: it signified the ages-old enmity between Starks and Boltons, with Roose consciously embracing his family's heritage and bringing it out into the open after centuries of suppression.

Further, Catelyn needs someone to slap the hell out of at that point. The need for her character to do that - to a character the TV audience knows - supercedes the need to make Roose Bolton look like a badass.

That is just LOL. How is there a NEED for Cat to "slap" the evil mastermind behind her son's downfall and death? She cuts the throat of Walder Frey's wife, is that not enough for a "parting gesture"? The slapping only downgrades the intensity of the moment, dragging it down to the level of some kind of slapstick comedy or sloppy drama.

The audience will get to learn more about Roose for a long time to come. That was Cat's final moment.

LOL again. Are we forgetting UnCat all of a sudden?

And in my opinion, Roose is not some macho villain - just a sociopath - cunning, cautious, and therefore dangerous. He has the same sadistic tendancies as his son, but he tries so hard to control his sick desires (leeches sucking away his passions) so as not to loose his position.

You are entitled to your opinion, but in GRRM's opinion Roose does have the qualities which you mislabel as "machism", which are integral parts of his character and image and were unfortunately underrepresented in the TV show.

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I do admit his drive-by stabbing of Robb is arkwardly staged (he kind of saddles up to Robb like in that episode of Seinfeld) but the whole thing worked for me and Roose on this show is pretty awesome, despite what a bastard he is.

He's worse than Ramsay, he just manages to hide it a lot better and not be as stupid about it. Kind of like how Tywin really LOVES whores but makes sure no one knows about it.

I got a kick out of one of the tumblr reactions. It's a picture of Roose stabbing Robb with the tag "Hate the game. Not the flayer." Should be the new motto of House Bolton.

One thing I noticed when Roose ran out of the room, he seemed to grab the arm of one man and dragged him along. Did anyone else notice this or am I just imagining things?

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as far as the tv scene went, the only thing I was disappointed with was the fact that Catelyn didn't claw at her own face.

as for Roose, I think the actor nailed his personality. the impressions I got of Roose from the books wasn't exactly one of sociopathic behavior, but just more of a "gotta do what I gotta do" kind of guy. to me, he's playing the game of thrones well. I don't see him wanting the iron throne per se, he wants to be the warden of the north. from reading the books, I feel Roose betrayed Robb to survive and keep playing the game. There was no way Walder Frey was going to forgive and forget and Roose knew that. So, instead of going down with Robbs ship, he chose the winning side. The look he gave Cat, to me, was one of "what did you expect". I also didn't have a problem with how he delivered the line "...sends their regards". in a real situation where there's carnage everywhere, who has time to slow down and whisper a sentence before stabbing a man in the heart? to me it was a realistic way to deliver that scene.

as for Ramsay's behavior, I seem to remember that Roose wasn't very approving of Ramsay's torture and utter obliteration of Theon. Theon could have been a great pawn for the Boltons. With Balon dead and Theon being his only living male heir, it would have given the Bolton's a leg up in controlling the iron born. But, since Ramsay basically shattered Theon, he's useless as a hostage. Roose doesn't seem to me to be cruel just to be cruel. He does what he's gotta do to keep playing the game. He also seemed to me to be disgusted with Ramsay's behavior, because Ramsay is cruel just to be cruel. I also remember from the books (correct me if I'm wrong), but, didn't Roose say something about Ramsay being the way he is because he was born of rape and not just Roose x100?

those are just my 2 cents.

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Eh, fair enough with the bolting away thing I suppose; I suppose he was aware of the incoming hail of arrows. Something about his portrayal in that scene just bothers me in a way that can't quite be articulated. Then again, Roose's completely nonchalant behaviour in the book's RW unsettled me too, so I guess it's fine. Simply not caring is very Roose.

Is it Roose overlooking the burning Stark tents at the start of the ep 10 trailer? It's a vague shot from behind, but I think it's him. That scenery has some powerful potential.

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Yep, it looks like Roose is going to be enjoying a front seat to the destruction of Robb's remaining forces.

And I agree with what others have said about the mail: he wanted Cat to know. That little smile said it all.

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I've been a HUGE fan of Roose's performances... up until last night.

The smug smile he had on his face when Cat saw his armor was totally off. I never really got the impression that Roose enjoyed his betrayal.

Wasn't it Maege Mormont who said that all of life was just a game to Roose? Of course he enjoyed it.

And he definitely needed to run away. After Cat caught on they had to start firing immediately, so of course had to get out of the way.

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Anyone who thinks that Roose Bolton turned his cloak to survive, and not go down with the sinking ship of Stark has..."NOT BEEN PAYING ATTENTION"

The Boltons and the Starks are the most bitter enemies of any two families in this world. Someone wrote earlier that under Eddard, and later Robb, Roose had to hide his families heritage, its history of cruelty, dominance and political opposition to the Starks of Winterfell. That person was 100% right. Bolton, much earlier than Walder Frey or even Tywin Lannister, was looking for a way to take advantage of young Robb and do what his ancestors have tried to do for 8,000 years: destroy the male line of Stark, forcibly marry their women and claim the North.

That same person also mentioned the symbolic value of "the armor". The armor, worn by both father and son, does indeed represent the full and final revelation of House Bolton: cruel, proud and merciless. It is worn only in moments of utter victory:

1. Ramsay's sack of Winterfell

2. Roose's murder of the "last" male Stark

3. Roose's arrival to the North as the Lord Paramount, triumphant

The Boltons are far, far greater villains than the Freys. They are traitors who have taken advantage of House Stark's unwillingness to exterminate them years ago, waiting for weakness. We know what Roose thinks of young lords and how they doom a house. He saw the same in Robb. He took every chance to undermine the Young Wolf, from Winterfell to the bleeding of loyalist forces, to the retention of his own, to the alliance with House Frey, and even to the sacrifice of the Brave Companions to Ser Gregore.

That having been said, I believe Roose knows, inside, that his line is finished. His bastard will kill any of his trueborn sons, but he lacks the subtlety or guile to hold the North for long after his father's death. Therefore, I would not be shocked if the big twist in Book 6 is that Roose himself kills Ramsay.

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i absolutely admire roose bolton.

the voice of the actor gives me shivers every time. pure gold.

i had hoped he would deliver the lannister line more slowly, but i can see that even the most badass motherfucker wants to get out of the line of fire as fast as possible so im ok with it.

Dat Voice!

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Is it Roose overlooking the burning Stark tents at the start of the ep 10 trailer? It's a vague shot from behind, but I think it's him. That scenery has some powerful potential.

Agreed. Overseeing the destruction he's wrought, drinking it in.

I just don't understand people like Manfryd above, who ignore all of the enormous time given to describing Bolton's caution and near-obsessiveness about his own health in the books, and dismiss it as just "acting like a bitch" when he chooses to get out of the way of arrow fire.

The show kept the important part of Bolton's involvement (stabbing Robb and sending Lannister regards) and also illustrated both his cruel amusements and his safety-first attitude

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The entire Boy plot, refusing to show him just as being Bolton's Bastard, all that effort, was done for one moment, and one moment only (arguably the best-acted body language in television history): Bolton's troll smile to Catelyn.

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