Keep in mind this is a little past the middle of book 3. 6 hasn't been published and 7 is barely in the works. There are three distinct storylines going; Westoros(internal fighting), North of the Wall (white walkers) and the Free Cities (Daenarys). All of this will certainly play a part in the overall story. It seems like it will be a battle between the mortals, dragons and the undying. The Starks are a small piece of the overall picture of this epic adventure.
agreed. and it's not like robb even pretended to hide his marriage. At least keep that stuff on the dl. I did not read the books.... ... but am surprised so many are "shaken" by the episode. It's been a relatively slow season. It was episode 9. People were going to die. Is it shocking as to who and in what fashion? Sure.. a little. But if you think about it the "good guys"/side-stories have somewhat outnumbered the bad. Or the good/indifferent guys. While I fully expect at least one Lannister to die at some point, there were just too many storylines involving starks and associated, whereas all the Lannisters, except for Jaime, are in one spot. Stark story lines included Sansa, Arya, Robb, Jon Snow, Bran & co... all of which were happening independently. You figure Danerys isn't going anywhere... her storyline is just taking off. And it isn't clear if she is a good guy or bad guy anyway. Theon's been MIA, and even when involved during the season, it's barely a noticeable story. You figure Jamie wasn't going to die, because he already had his hand cut off and has become a more interesting character this season anyway. Finally, throw in the shock element. Last year wasn't a huge shock, but you know it's part of the series, starting with Ned in year 1. So you were left with the following imo - deaths of Tywin, Robb, Tyrion or Joffrey. Cersei's kind of a fairly impotent character these days. Tyrion would probably have been an even bigger shock, though I suspect he might be the most valuable character to the show (as in actual $ value... people just like that character). Anyway... I think this is a great plot twist. I was frankly tiring of Robb's "nobility", romance scenes with his wife (not that I mind nudity), and bickering with his mom, which was basically what had become of him and his army this year... a lot of sitting around and not doing much.
Just a little clarification. The White Walkers are not undead. They can raise the dead to fight for them, but the Others themselves are something else entirely (according to GRRM interviews). They are like a separate humanoid race with mega cold powers.
Some of it might also have to do with the fact that she's a different character from the books. In the books, Robb was wounded in a battle at the Crag. Jeyne Westerling tended to his wounds. At the same time, Robb found out about the "deaths" of Bran and Rickon. Jeyne comforted him and they slept together. Robb married her the next day to "protect her honor". She never becomes pregnant. She never goes with Robb back to the Twins. She is pardoned by the Iron Throne and is still alive in the books, though now an irrelevant character that not much is said about after the Red Wedding. Some readers speculated that she could have been pregnant with Robb's child, but if they killed of Robb's pregnant wife in the show, that leaves little possibility for Jeyne to be pregnant in the book universe because that would seriously throw off the TV show and I don't think GRRM would've let them go through with it. So Talisa is a change from the books. And the speculation was that if they changed Jeyne Westerling into a foreign nurse named Talisa, that they might have made other changes, such as her being a spy. Speculation grew when Talisa went with Robb to the Twins and was seen writing letters in a language unknown to Robb. I guess the possibility still exists. That she was indeed a spy and was killed to prevent the birth of Robb's heir which would supersede Sansa/Tyrion's claim on the North.
I know it was in a previous episode but you should not mention it or at least spoiler it for those that have not put 2 and 2 together yet.
When I saw Rob and his men take some bread and wine when they first entered the Twins with Walder Frey I think the TV producers should have explained it a little. Catelyn told Rob to request the bread and wine with Walder Frey when they entered to castle so that the rules of hospitality would apply. Theoretically it would keep Rob safe. That was the whole point to that scene but it was never mentioned. Also Cat first realized something was up when they started playing the Rains of Castemere. Regardless it was a crazy ass ending. One of the scenes I liked the most from that episode was when Arya knocked out the guy at the wagon to save his life and the look she got from the Hound was priceless.
For the most part, a characters demise is already written and his fan popularity will not save his fate. If its Tyrions turn, then he will surely die. There is no amount of revenue dollars that will save anyones fate. Doing so would completely change the dynamic of the story. However, fan influence has kept certain characters around and swayed GRRM not to kill them off. It is said that Mrs GRRM has asked that Arya and Tyrion not to be killed off. Maybe we will find out in a decade. What I found odd was that Richard Madden (Robb Stark) didn't know his demise until much later on in the show. Im not sure how he could have missed such a big plot in the book. I would think if you were to audition for the show, you would know the series in and out. But then again, he wasn't the greatest actor in the show.
Her mother lived across the ocean. Tywin's spies were the Boltons, as revealed when Roose Bolton killed Robb. She didn't seduce Robb at first. Robb saw her on the battlefield and lusted after her. Once they were married she enjoyed having sex with her husband. The idea that she was a plant is silly. Tywin just happened to get a foreign girl to be on the battlefield that day KNOWING that Robb would lust so hard after he that he'd throw away his oath and bed her? All so he could get a spy in the camp when he already had the Boltons?
Yeah she is seriously scarred now having been there for her father, mother, and brother's killing. Hopefully winter will come for Arya and the remaining Starks.
Book readers or people who read all of his interviews, STOP SPOILING THINGS. Saying something like "so and so has been asked not be killed off" is a spoiler because it tells us they aren't dead in the books yet. Just stop it.
I have a friend who loves to spoil the show and he kept telling me a different theory that she's going to rule the North with her baby and stuff. I think this episode with the brutal stabbing of the womb was almost a "shut up with your theories" to book readers.
