Game of Thrones Discussion: Uncut! (Spoilers welcome)

Did some of the flashbacks this season show Benjen & Eddard as boys?

 

I think from episode 3 through 5 of this season:
Benjen appears in a vision experienced by Bran Stark. Benjen is shown training with Ned under a young Rodrik Cassel in the courtyard of Winterfell, though his skills are far inferior to Ned's. Lyanna appears and playfully teases Benjen about not having a sparring partner after Ned goes to the Eyrie, and suggests that Hodor, then known as Wylis, take up swordplay. Benjen almost has a match with Hodor, who is led away by Old Nan.

Benjen is seen later in another of Bran's visions saying goodbye to Ned shortly before the latter heads off to the Vale

 

Yes.

 

The thing about Benjen though is he's in the Night's Watch so he can't do too much to help take back Winterfell. I'm sure he'll have a part to play with the fight between the Others once they attack the Wall I'd suppose.

 

In ep. 2 of this season Ramsey mentions the Manderlys as being potentially allied with the Bolton's and Umbers, to his father just before he kills him. Lord Karstark seems to be OK with Ramsey's actions.
In ep. 5 Davos mentions that The Manderlys have not declared an allegiance, but it is well known that they are fiercely loyal to the Starks and that Wendel Manderly was also killed at the red wedding. From GOT Wiki: They control White Harbor, a seaport and the North's only city. House Manderly were once a powerful noble house in the Reach. Centuries ago they were driven out of the Reach and were given sanctuary and lands by House Stark in exchange for their promise of loyalty. The Manderlys still keep many traditions from the South. They are the richest House in the North through fish, grain and trade.
So maybe Jon knows that their loyalty is a given, so maybe this being discussed was just pushed out of the scene because it is obvious.
Call me crazy but if they are that big in the scheme of things, then getting them on their side should have been mentioned by Davos and Jon -instead they are focusing on the recent success of Blackfish in re-taking Riverrun from house Fray. Davos says Blackfish is a legend.
The Blackfyre rebellion or war of the Ninepenny Kings (Brynden is a respected knight and formidable battle commander in this conflict) occurred almost 25 years before Robert's Rebellion. This war occurred in the final years of the reign of King Asgon Targaryen. So he goes a ways back.
Lord Baelish, Petyr Baelish's father, was also noted for his heroism and befriended Hoster Tully lord of Riverrun, leading to Petyr being fostered by Lord Hoster at Riverrun.

Truly not being able to guess at all how this all will turn out is what the writers have certainly achieved here.

Little Finger either lied to Sansa or told a truth, the Fray family is involved as well, apparently, Walder Fray is pretty much in the Ramsey hall of likeability and I suppose all that just thickens the soup here.
The fact that the alliance of house Manderly was not really even discussed in that ep.5 scene just tells me that the writers want us to focus on the Tullys, Riverrun and what Little figers intentions are by what he told Sansa.

 

That last scene where they are all leaving castle Black is a bit muddy with Brienne and Tormund on horses at the same time as everyone else is saddling up to leave.
Sansa told Brienne to got to Riverrun to speak to her uncle (her grand uncle Blackfish though), so it is not just a reconnaissance mission, although she lied about her source for the info so that may be her actual concern here.
It seems like good strategy to avoid word getting out, so she tells Brienne that anyway.
Given how the writers have shown to change this story and that the Lady Stoneheart character would send things back to a grim and morbid path, and what Ian McShane said about his entry into this show, I am going out on a limb and speculating that Brienne will encounter the Hound either before, during or after her visit to Riverrun -if she gets there...
I'll call it a sure bet!

 

It's hard to see where Walder Frey's allegiance would go. He's no friend of the Starks, but Ramsay has just killed Frey's daughter and grandson.

 

So Gendry is officially the last male Baratheon -where has he been since Davos set him free?

 

Wasn't he headed back for King's Landing in a rowboat? I suppose he could be anywhere between Dragonstone and King's Landing.

 

So I came aceoss some interesting theorys out there:
Ar some point the HS holds a public trial for Cersei, this trial would be a wonderful cathartic juxtaposition to the play that Arya (and the audience) witnessed in Episode 5, which represents history as written by the Lannister victors. Recall that Cersei is accused of incest and high treason (including in the death of King Robert). There’s no shortage of evidence of her guilt. The HS could bring witnesses who saw Cersei publicly destroy the letter from Robert on his deathbead appointing Ned Stark Regent and Lord Protector of the Realm. Remember that Ser Barristan attested that the letter was written in Robert's own hand and bore his unbroken seal (maybe the HS even has the letter?) The HS could then offer evidence of Tommen's illegitimacy—including possibly the genealogy studies that led Ned to conclude that Joffrey was a bastard. Maybe he's obtained one of the hundreds of letters the famously-earnest Stannis sent to lords throughout the 7K? Possibly he produces witnesses or a paper trail of Cersei/Joffrey's order to kill Robert's bastards? To cap it off, for maximum dramatic effect, maybe he then produces Gendry—the lone survivor of that massacre. At the end of the trial, Cersei is found guilty based on this mountain of evidence, and is condemned to death. The HS further condemns Cersei of sacrilege for profaning Baelor's Sept with Ned's innocent blood to cover her own capital crimes against the Realm.

Gendry would be sold as someone who came from and would rule in the best interests of the smallfolk, but who is still of Robert Baratheon's blood. This might be acceptable to the lords as a compromise less radical than a complete abolition of the monarchy and nobility—which the HS may be in a position to credibly threaten. The HS' revolution and "overthrow [of the] empire" would be basically complete.

Having lost everything she holds dear, Cersei then incinerates (or attempts to incinerate) King's Landing with wildfire. But in the process, she's strangled by Tommen (whether living or undead) or by Jaime, and realizes she's fulfilled the prophesy.

 

^^ Well done sir. You know your stuff.

 

Great job tonight for Samwell, Daenerys, and Arya

 

Was it my imagination or did NO ONE die in tonight's episode, not even a background extra?

Undead, excepted.

 

That does seem crazy.

 

Except it looks like he was merged as Coldhands in the show. I'm assuming Coldhands in the books is not Benjen since GRRM said before he's not, but maybe that changed?

 

I think Martin must have been lying about that. Like I said before, who else could he be?

 

There may be more than one human rescued from zomby-hood by the children. Benjen may be one, Coldhands another in the books. Someday we'll know.

L.

 

Maybe... but I mean... Jon's uncle goes missing north of the Wall.... a mysterious, sort of dead stranger who hides his face appears to help Bran... there's math to be done.

 

No question that the expectation has been set up. It's just that Martin may not have it in mind to fulfill this one, and I don't see why he'd lie about it rather than just keeping mum.

L.

 

I think it was just intended misdirection. Coldhands had to be Benjen.

 

I've watched each season at least five times. Presently on season 2, sixth time around. Just some damn fine television witch pushes all boundries. (And witches ripe for revisiting in light of this season's shocking developments.)

S6-E6 was great, far from a sleeper after the Hodor outrage. Great to see the return of characters from seasons: 1, 2, and 3: Benji, Lord Frey, The Blackfish. And wild to see a Wildling in a dress all made up "pretty."

BUT, Shear T that there are only 4 more to go. WTF???

I'll have to reread the five books out so far for the third time starting in July to get me through the 42 weeks till season 7!!! Here's hoping they go to 2020!

But I might reread The Lord of the Rings first, just due to proper respect to the original.

 

Nice touch from the SFX team. When Drogon roared, there were two (extra) orafices, clearly for dragonfire.

 

Cersei said 'F@@K all that... I'll go with trial by combat and put up The Mountain'... well, maybe not in those words, but she didn't look worried in the least.

 

I've been planning on doing my (next) re-read of the saga as soon as a release date for The Winds of Winter is finally confirmed. But at least there are the Dunk & Egg novellas (now collected), The Princess & The Queen and The Rogue Prince short stories, and The World of Ice And Fire to tide us over. That ain't nothing.

 

If the Head Sparrow can change his mind about doing the 'walk of shame', what makes her think he won't change his mind, and say, "NO trial by combat!"?