It sounds like you really aren't enjoying the show at all. I'm a book reader and I'm enjoying it a lot. I think burning Shireen, while detestable and evil, makes perfect since and fits the story line. Stannis is dead set on attacking Winterfell at all costs. His back is in a corner and its die or win at Winterfell. He knows what the power of Kings blood can do because he has seen it. He thinks he has no other choice. Who Stannis was has been slowly eroded away by the Red Witch.
Also, as much as he would hate it, Daavos likely thought that burning Shireen was the only choice too. Things were desperate and without a miracle, everyone was going to die.....it would explain why he sort of made peace with the fact that it was going to happen and didn't take extreme measures like he did with Gendry.
Dude if this show is so poorly written, and so blasphemous to the books why do you keep watching? It reminds me of the Walking Dead. People b**** and moan about how bad it is, and yet they keep watching.
They were showing some of the soldiers while it was happening, and to me it seemed like they were on board. They were starving, cold, and desperate. Seemed liked they accepted that this needed to happen to save them.
Well, him curbstomping winterfell is his only fortune at this point. Before that, what are his victories? Remember this is a king that was begging at the Iron Bank and is mostly joked about as a contender to the throne for the entire series.
I wouldn't go that far. Daavos has seen Melisandre's power, but still isn't a follower of the Lord of Light like Stannis and Selyse are.
Curbstomping wildlings I should say, which isn't very impressive considering their lack of armor and good weapons. Point is, Stannis at this point is a pretty desperate man. His only options then were to march back with another major defeat (First one, the one of blackwater) or to sacrifice his daughter. I'm not saying this justifies his actions as only a crazed man would do so and the series always throws at us the importance of the princes and princesses (they are the future of the house) but the show has been painting Stannis as a loser pretty much. A respectable loser but a guy who just doesn't have enough to get the support he needs to sit on the throne he feels is his.
Daavos gave a gift to the girl before he left - wooden deer . then on the way to the burning place, it was shown on purpose that she was carrying it. any thoughts? i was thinking it would save her somehow.
The ending to this episode was so wonderfully cheese. I was half expecting Daenerys to shout "Falkor" with Limahl kicking in as the background music. People probably got the idea from the gift giving scene but that's easily explained from Davos harping on about getting stuck in a castle or fort if winter suddenly falls. I don't think he knew of Stannis's plan. Otherwise it doesn't make sense for Davos to save Gendry but not Shireen.
Stannis from the very beginning has been burning people alive, all in the name of his fanaticism. Don't forget he murdered his own brother and his brother in law. You get this glimpse at the Wall of a more analytical, down-to-Earth family-first Stannis but it is really just a setup for what he's about to do to remind you that he's still a religious zealot.
I agree with this, and as others have mentioned about Greek mythos, and then the story from the Bible, the king sacrificing, or nearly sacrificing their own children is a major story-line for troubled kings of lure & religion that they follow. Its classic storytelling, but the only thing is in this story... the tragic heroes almost always make bad decisions that hurt themselves. You can really only blame the show for being Nihilistic, and Sadist... but then again... we still don't know the ending of the story and wont for another couple years. I was hoping for a triumphant moment from Stannis of course, but I totally get what D&D said in their "Inside the Episode"... we've seen this from the first time we met him. We weren't disturbed enough by it then, and we see now that even though he is a complex character, He's not a good guy, and puts his selfish ambition ahead of everyone else... ESPECIALLY those he loves. Its a classic tragic Greek hero story at the end of the day. So yeah, I think people are really struggling to like this season, but if you look back at the series (rape of Dany in episode 1 in comparison to Sansa's wedding rape, and Stannis' religious fanaticism sacrifices in season 2, ep. 1 vs. Shireen sacrifice) we shouldn't really be THAT shocked that they are going there with these characters. There are things about this season that have bugged me (trying too much to weave in book adaptation, and make odd pieces fit, and Dorne), but overall this season is still very much Game of Thrones.
Symbolism for the fall of the House Baratheon is how I took it. His house is represented by a Stag and she is the only heir to Stannis. When she burns, so does the future of House Baratheon.
Yeah. Even if they're not followers of R'hllor, they know they're in a bad position and willing to buy in and sacrifice a little girl to a god if there's any chance it could mean their victory and survival. Regarding Stannis' motives for being in the North. 1) He did feel a sense of obligation to help the Night's Watch. Jon sent ravens to every "King". Believing he is the rightful King, Stannis thought it was his Kingly duty to help. 2) Yes, he might want to rally the Northern lords, but Winterfell is the last major settlement before you get to the wall. I don't think there are any real Lords between the two. I think Stannis' plan to win the Northern lords is to take back Winterfell and return it to the Starks (why he wanted Jon to go with him). THEN, with the Boltons defeated and the Starks returned, the North would then support Stannis in his claim.
Didn't Stannis also burn his father in law as well? Pretty sure that was the first scene he was in when he was burning the people on the beach for not giving up on the 7 (I might be totally wrong just trying to piece together whatever is left of my memory).
The real unrealistic aspect of the show to me is how Littlefinger can continue to pull everyone's strings and no matter how bad his reputation is, they still fall for it.
It is the symbol of House Baratheon but as I mentioned earlier, it is also a parallel to Greek Mythology in which a deer was (possibly) sacrificed in place of the King's daughter.
