-Game of Thrones-HBO-

[Davidson Deac II]

40 minutes ago, d-dave said:

 

I had a friend who started on the show, but couldn't really get into the books due to their complexity and wordiness.  They weren't a big reader, sadly.

 

I have to admit I am somewhat like your friend in that regard.  I don't read the books unless I have a long time with nothing to do.  Recently took a flight to Rome, with a lot of train travel in between the flights there and back, and I was able to finish A Feast for Crows.   But if I try to read it at home, I get a few pages into it and get distracted or fall asleep. 

 

Maybe I am just getting old. 

[TbTeRRoR]

16 hours ago, SOJA said:

people expect a major death or battle every episode now, it's ridiculous 

Agree totally. My  coworker drives me nuts about this stuff   "This season is slow"  "its boring"  "wheres' all the good stuff" ...........like the story and preamble is what makes it great when things do go down STFU dude and watch lol

[Bronn]

This week's show:

I liked it, but it was a down episode... No Jon... No Tyrion... That'll happen...

It looks like Bronn makes an appearance next week, though, so things are bound to pick up. Notice that Jaime trusted me and a bag of gold for some sellswords more than he did the Kingsguard and Tyrell army to handle business. Swag.

I'm not sure what to think of the Benjen thing. Coldhands he is not. In fact, I am pretty sure GRRM stated as much in a past interview. Maybe the show just thought it would be cool to bring him back in that role? I dunno, but it is really convoluted as to how all of that is working. Did Bran contact him and just not know it? Did the previous 3EC do it before he was slaughtered? If so, how in the hell did Benjen just happen to show up at the right moment? I'm not sure how I feel about his magic weapon, nor this whole enchanted obsidian through the heart magic that supposedly took place. Hopefully we get some more clarity on that front, but Bran's stuff is becoming annoyingly poorly written tbqh.

I liked the whole standoff thing on the steps of the sept. Tommen is annoying as hell though and I can't wait for him to die.

I'm still annoyed with show Jaime still having a thing for Cersei. Book Jaime was more detached.

The Frey stuff was okay. I wonder if Walder is indeed hearing laughter at night, and I wonder if it is Bran messing with him. They sure pulled Edmure out of their butts though, and we'll see the Blackfish again next week.

Dany is getting annoying with her epic moments and speeches. At this point I am really hoping they are building her up to have her die and have another WTF moment.

TBQH the pacing of this season has been super fast, and I think this episode suffered from it. We got a little filler and it makes it look bad. Still though, S6 is up there with the best, if not the best, seasons so far.

I think Arya kills the waif and heads back to Westeros. I think she'll touch base with the acting troupe before she leaves, and the actress she saved will give her news (albeit dated) about what's going on back in Westeros...

I think there is going to be a coming-together of Valyrian blades, by chance, but also by necessity, before winter comes. Jon's got Longclaw. Sam has Heart'sbane. Brienne's got Oathkeeper. Widow's Wail is somewhere since Joffrey's death I suppose. IIRC Littlefinger's dagger (that he lost to Robert in a bet and that Joffrey gave the assassin that tried to kill Bran) is back in Littlefinger's possession. There are others out there as well.

As far as the books:

I'm pretty sure GRRM has explicit instructions in his will that the series will go unfinished if he dies. Sure, someone could likely sue over it, but it may be a difficult thing to do.

I think he'll finish the series, eventually. I am holding out hope that he's basically working on both books now, and will just end up dividing the manuscript and POVs up enough to have the last two books. He HAS to be close to TWOW, as some rumors have had it still out by the end of this year... But even if it is two years from now (highly doubt it) I think he can get the last one (if there is only one more) out by 2022.

We'll see, I guess.

[Still Brooklyn]

I feel this show is headed toward Bran being responsible for everything, and the awesome epic we've all loved will turn into drivel-filled, fantasy nonsense.

[SOJA]

13 minutes ago, Still Brooklyn said:

I feel this show is headed toward Bran being responsible for everything, and the awesome epic we've all loved will turn into drivel-filled, fantasy nonsense.

I hope not- it's silly of the deus ex machina to everything is: it was bran 

[The Link]

27 minutes ago, Bronn said:

I'm not sure what to think of the Benjen thing. Coldhands he is not. In fact, I am pretty sure GRRM stated as much in a past interview. Maybe the show just thought it would be cool to bring him back in that role? I dunno, but it is really convoluted as to how all of that is working. Did Bran contact him and just not know it? Did the previous 3EC do it before he was slaughtered? If so, how in the hell did Benjen just happen to show up at the right moment? I'm not sure how I feel about his magic weapon, nor this whole enchanted obsidian through the heart magic that supposedly took place. Hopefully we get some more clarity on that front, but Bran's stuff is becoming annoyingly poorly written tbqh.
 

You really think GRRM would ever confirm the identity of Coldhands in an interview before his reveal in the books? I'm fairly sure Benjen's hands were black from the congealed blood in the episode. If, for some reason, he has a different identity in the book, then Benjen is serving as the shows version of him.  

[Zaximus]

Benjen knew to be there, because Bran told him I think..... Bran from the far future.  I also think Bran IS the 3-eyed old guy and uploaded all his knowledge into him FROM the future, to the past, so he himself (Bran) would have that information sooner in his life, maybe to prevent the end of the world from happening?

 

[Zaximus]

2 minutes ago, The Link said:

You really think GRRM would ever confirm the identity of Coldhands in an interview before his reveal in the books? I'm fairly sure Benjen's hands were black from the congealed blood in the episode. If, for some reason, he has a different identity in the book, then Benjen is serving as the shows version of him.  

Pretty sure the shows writers or w/e confirmed that Benjen IS Cold Hands, for sure.

[CRA]

31 minutes ago, Bronn said:

I'm not sure what to think of the Benjen thing. Coldhands he is not. In fact, I am pretty sure GRRM stated as much in a past interview. Maybe the show just thought it would be cool to bring him back in that role? I dunno, but it is really convoluted as to how all of that is working. Did Bran contact him and just not know it? Did the previous 3EC do it before he was slaughtered? If so, how in the hell did Benjen just happen to show up at the right moment? I'm not sure how I feel about his magic weapon, nor this whole enchanted obsidian through the heart magic that supposedly took place. Hopefully we get some more clarity on that front, but Bran's stuff is becoming annoyingly poorly written tbqh.

 

On Inside the episode, Weiss called him Coldhands.   So...Benjen is the Coldhands in the HBO story despite GRRM telling guessers he wasn't and might not be in his story.

[Bronn]

here you go

http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2015/01/10/george-rr-martin-accidentally-spoils-the-truth-about-coldhands-in-a-song-of

 

pretty definitive NO from GRRM.

However, I think I have a new theory.

What if Benjen/Coldhands is a PLANT from the Night's King, and Bran just doesn't know it yet?

Benjen, on the show, claims that the 3EC sent for him. He gives Bran rabbit's blood to drink (blood magic anyone?) and appears that he is going to help Bran get to the Wall.

It is assumed that the Night's King is a warg, or at least has some powers similar to Bran's or the COTF's. What if the Night's King is using Benjen/Coldhands to actually get Bran back to the Wall so that his mark and blood magic will allow TNK to somehow break the wards that protect the Wall?

IIRC, and I will have to look into it... In the books, Coldhands can't get into the 3EC's cave because of the wards keeping TNK out, so he just basically gets them to the gate. Maybe Coldhands in the book started setting the dominos up earlier than the show has? Getting Bran to the cave to ultimately know that TNK would be able to break the wards on the cave, and then Coldhands stepping in as a trusted rescuer that will also lead them to the wall and give Bran this blood magic stuff? lol

I know it is far fetched, but I just don't see the purpose in it being Benjen on the show unless they want people to accept that Bran would trust him.

[Bronn]

HOWEVER...

GRRM is a damn sick writer...

When Bran found out that Benjen went missing in A Game of Thrones, he already knew the Children would help him...

A Game of Thrones, Chapter 24

Quote

     "What is it?" Bran asked.
      Yoren wiped his fingers on his vest. "There's hard news, m'lords, and a cruel way to pay you for your meat and mead, but the man as asks the question must bear the answer. Stark's gone."
       One of the other men said, "The Old Bear sent him out to look for Waymar Royce, and he's late returning, my lord."
      "Too long," Yoren said. "Most like he's dead."
      "My uncle is not dead," Robb Stark said loudly, anger in his tones. He rose from the bench and laid his hand on the hilt of his sword. "Do you hear me? My uncle is not dead!" His voice rang against the stone walls, and Bran was suddenly afraid.
       Old sour-smelling Yoren looked up at Robb, unimpressed. "Whatever you say, m'lord," he said. He sucked at a piece of meat between his teeth.
The youngest of the black brothers shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "There's not a man on the Wall knows the haunted forest better than Benjen Stark. He'll find his way back."
       "Well," said Yoren, "maybe he will and maybe he won't. Good men have gone into those woods before, and never come out."
       All Bran could think of was Old Nan's story of the Others and the last hero, hounded through the white woods by dead men and spiders big as hounds. He was afraid for a moment, until he remembered how that story ended. "The children will help him," he blurted, "the children of the forest!"

 

[The Link]

He could have been answering no to the second part of that question, and not the first. We just don't know at this point, but one thing is for sure, he IS Coldhands on the show.

I do think that Bran is going to be the key to TNK getting past the wall.

[CRA]

4 minutes ago, Bronn said:

here you go

http://birthmoviesdeath.com/2015/01/10/george-rr-martin-accidentally-spoils-the-truth-about-coldhands-in-a-song-of

 

pretty definitive NO from GRRM.

However, I think I have a new theory.

What if Benjen/Coldhands is a PLANT from the Night's King, and Bran just doesn't know it yet?

Benjen, on the show, claims that the 3EC sent for him. He gives Bran rabbit's blood to drink (blood magic anyone?) and appears that he is going to help Bran get to the Wall.

It is assumed that the Night's King is a warg, or at least has some powers similar to Bran's or the COTF's. What if the Night's King is using Benjen/Coldhands to actually get Bran back to the Wall so that his mark and blood magic will allow TNK to somehow break the wards that protect the Wall?

IIRC, and I will have to look into it... In the books, Coldhands can't get into the 3EC's cave because of the wards keeping TNK out, so he just basically gets them to the gate. Maybe Coldhands in the book started setting the dominos up earlier than the show has? Getting Bran to the cave to ultimately know that TNK would be able to break the wards on the cave, and then Coldhands stepping in as a trusted rescuer that will also lead them to the wall and give Bran this blood magic stuff? lol

I know it is far fetched, but I just don't see the purpose in it being Benjen on the show unless they want people to accept that Bran would trust him.

It definitely was a no from GRRM for his story.  But the show execs literally just said in there story we just met "Coldhands Benjen".   From what I know, the show has no issues fiddling and altering GRRM's design.

I haven't read the books, from what I have read didn't Benjen always make sense to be Coldhands?  Which is why GRRM had to address it?

 

 

 

[Bronn]

2 minutes ago, CRA said:

It definitely was a no from GRRM for his story.  But the show execs literally just said in there story we just met "Coldhands Benjen".   From what I know, the show has no issues fiddling and altering GRRM's design.

I haven't read the books, from what I have read didn't Benjen always make sense to be Coldhands?  Which is why GRRM had to address it?

 

 

 

like a lot of things in the books, some things could make him Benjen, but there wasn't anything definitive so people just had to guess... The editor thought they put two and two together too, and asked GRRM, to which the "No" was thought to have been applied.

there's also things like this that make Euron and Daario Naharis the same person... I've even heard one theory that Benjen = Euron = Daario... lol...

I mean, I can see how the show would do it and GRRM still wouldn't, so I guess it is cool.