Game of Thrones

[Anonymous]

I just really need Bran to get out of the woods. I have anxiety for him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do we know (from books/TV) why the Children were fighting the First Men according to where GoT begins? (I realize that Bran and/or others may have altered history ... and may continue to do so with every visit to the past, so it gets murky.) My recollection of the First Men's relationship with the Children from Old Nan(?) was that the two groups coexisted peacefully. Based on last week, we know they did until they didn't.

This show is beginning to feel like a medieval fantasy child of the Matrix and Lost. I liked both ... but my mind is melting.

Agree. And I don't particularly like that.

[Anonymous]

Who is Blackfish again?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Who is Blackfish again?

Brynden Tully, Catelyn Stark's uncle (her father's brother), so the Stark children's great-uncle. Head of House Tully.

[Anonymous]

So Benjen is Coldhands? And he is dead or alive?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So Benjen is Coldhands? And he is dead or alive?

In the book Coldhands was like a wight- black hands, didn't eat, couldn't pass within Bloodraven's hill or through the Wall, etc- but he helped Bran and co. get to the hill. It was never revealed that he was Benjen, although it most readers think it's very likely. It was never explained how he died, or not, or why he was like a wight but not under the control of the Others. I'm excited to see him finally on the show!!

[Anonymous]

I'm so sad Coldhands/Benjen was not riding an elk like in the books. I know it is a budget thing since we saw Drogon all grown up, but I was looking forward to seeing Bran and Meera escape on elkback.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do we know (from books/TV) why the Children were fighting the First Men according to where GoT begins? (I realize that Bran and/or others may have altered history ... and may continue to do so with every visit to the past, so it gets murky.) My recollection of the First Men's relationship with the Children from Old Nan(?) was that the two groups coexisted peacefully. Based on last week, we know they did until they didn't.

This show is beginning to feel like a medieval fantasy child of the Matrix and Lost. I liked both ... but my mind is melting.

Agree. And I don't particularly like that.

The Children lived throughout Westeros, and the weirwood forests also covered the continent, before the First Men arrived from Essos. The First Men started destroying the forests, and it was basically all out war between the First Men and the Children. Children were few in number compared to the men. The Children tried to stop the First Men several times using magic, breaking/flooding the land bridge between Essos and Westeros (in Dorne), and later flooding the Neck to try and stop the advance of men (the Neck is the boundary to the North, which is swampland in GoT, and there is only one way to pass through, and that is Moat Caitlin - which is why it is such an important castle.)

Apparently (according to the show, since this is not revealed in the books), the Children, out of desperation (since they were losing and men were pushing them further and further North), created the White Walkers using magic. This obviously backfired and they couldn't control them, since it was because of the White Walkers that the First Men and the Children allied themselves, somehow pushed back the army of the dead and built the wall (using Children magic and giants.) The First Men took the Children's religion as their own (the Old Gods.) Many generations later, a new wave of men came over from Essos, called the Andals, and they defeated and conquered the First Men, leaving them only in the North. They brought over their own religion, the Seven, from Essos, which mostly supplanted the Old Gods (except in the far North.)

Super nerdy...but long story short, the Children and men were only allies because of the White Walkers. They were at war before the WW were created.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Didn't like this week's episode at all.

I had the same reaction.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't like this week's episode at all.

I had the same reaction.

It did suck. Worst of the season. There have been some crappy episodes every season so far, so hopefully the season can recover.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm so sad Coldhands/Benjen was not riding an elk like in the books. I know it is a budget thing since we saw Drogon all grown up, but I was looking forward to seeing Bran and Meera escape on elkback.

There is no proof that benjen is coldhands. These are different parts of the story. I think it's likely, but the elk could come later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Didn't like this week's episode at all.

I had the same reaction.

I liked this one, but it definitely fell short after how great episodes 3-5 were. I used to dislike the parts of show in the north, but now those are the best. HBO released the rest of the episode titles--episode 9 is the battle of the bastards so that should be good. Also if Jon is still a bastard in episode 9, that means we won't see the end of the tower of joy until 10.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm so sad Coldhands/Benjen was not riding an elk like in the books. I know it is a budget thing since we saw Drogon all grown up, but I was looking forward to seeing Bran and Meera escape on elkback.

There is no proof that benjen is coldhands. These are different parts of the story. I think it's likely, but the elk could come later.

Not true. Benjen is cold hands. The director said it in the commentary afterwards. I always make sure to watch that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So Benjen is Coldhands? And he is dead or alive?

In the book Coldhands was like a wight- black hands, didn't eat, couldn't pass within Bloodraven's hill or through the Wall, etc- but he helped Bran and co. get to the hill. It was never revealed that he was Benjen, although it most readers think it's very likely. It was never explained how he died, or not, or why he was like a wight but not under the control of the Others. I'm excited to see him finally on the show!!

As someone who's never read the books, it matters to me not one whit. I'm just glad someone knowledgable and experienced was ther to save them when it looked pretty well helpless.

After reading here, I looked for signs that he was not quite dead/not quite alive and I have to say that his coloring and the condition of the skin on his face says more desd than anything else.

I guess what's mysterious to me is what beef the wightwalkers have. Wars of men make sense, but what's the point of making everyone dead and rickety?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm so sad Coldhands/Benjen was not riding an elk like in the books. I know it is a budget thing since we saw Drogon all grown up, but I was looking forward to seeing Bran and Meera escape on elkback.

That scene was very "Neverending Story" to me.