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Ima disagree with you there. I just watched the first scene of Episode 1, Season 1 and those wights are scary as heck. Everywhere, hard to spot, and extremely deadly.

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Those were White Walkers. The wights are what they create from the dead. WW or Others are created from the living.

And it appears that wights rot like any other dead body. This is noted many times in the books that the wights are in all forms of decay. My presumption is that the White Walkers placed those wights around the weirwood a long time ago to hide in wait for Bran or whomever, and had simply decomposed down to skeletons by the time Bran and Co arrived.

Um... old nan says the army consist of skeleton warriors, giant spiders and undead horses.

I have a feeling they will use Bran to explain histories and prophesies. Him being tapped into the weirwoods will give the audience a chance to see much more than a current character describing an event.

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cool chart of what's been covered to date

http://i.imgur.com/lceExOP.jpg

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I feel like I need to buy about 15 billboards and paint that image on them to be able to understand it.

interesting comments from the director on the finale:

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After being asked if the show even shot a Lady Stoneheart scene — since so many book-reading fans assumed she would appear at the episode’s end – Graves replied, “It’s a great question, because it’s all I asked about last year when I was doing [the episode with Brotherhood Without Banners leader] Beric Dondarrion — who ultimately is the person who finds Catelyn and turns her into Lady Stoneheart. But no, they didn’t do it. It was never on the docket to do this season — ever.”
Graves continued: “They [showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss] have such a challenge adapting the books into a really focused television experience. It’s very hard, it’s very complicated, it’s much harder then they’ve been given credit for, I think — and they do a brilliant job. But to bring back Michelle Fairley, one of the greatest actresses around, to be a zombie for a little while — and just kill people? It is really sort of, what are we doing with that? How does it play into the whole story in a way that we’re really going to like? It just didn’t end up being a part of what was going to happen this season. And finally one [more] reason: In case you didn’t notice, a lot happens this season … To add that in is something they opted out of. But what’s funny is that it was never going to be in the season, yet it took off on the Internet like it was going to happen.”
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We then asked Graves if there’s any chance of the Lady appearing next season. “As somebody who’s worked deep inside the show, begged to have an answer and wants more than anybody, I have no idea,” he said. “They won’t tell me. They’re very good at being secretive.”
Graves also suggested that The Hound will not be coming back after Arya left him to die on that hillside. “As far as The Hound, as I told the story … he’s gone. How is he going to survive that? The real point of it was that she walks away, it wasn’t that it’s left open ended.”

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http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/06/16/game-of-thrones-why-no-lady-stoneheart/

TLDR: No LSH planned nor filmed; Hound likely dead.

538 tries to predict Winds of Winter release date...and why you can't



[This message has been edited by MSCAg (edited 6/16/2014 1:23p).]

I don't like Lady Stoneheart in the books. I feel it cheapens the Red Wedding, and makes me feel like anybody could come back to life. And what's her story arc? In the book she captures Podrick and Brienne, and it appears she uses Brienne to set a trap for Jaime Lannister, but unless she is going to kill Jaime, does she have a point?

There are so many fascinating characters on their own character arcs, but the fact of the matter is, there's no way they're all coming together in some Battle of 5 Armies at the end. So the ones that don't have a lot of point to them are going to have to be cut out.

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Dorne
- Introduction of Aero Hotah, Prince Doran, and Arianne. My guess is they leave the Sand Snakes mostly out. I actually think they will greatly limit the role of Dorne and mostly just make the point of the anger towards the Lannisters and all of the strength of Dorne ready to link themselves to a pro-Targaryan movement.

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Actually, if you've read the casting info for next season, they are casting most everybody from the Dorne storyline in AFFC, so I think we will be seeing a lot of those characters next year. Also, apparently Jaime will be making a visit to Dorne and will participate in a fight that is not in the books.

http://winteriscoming.net/2014/05/23/characters-confirmed-game-thrones-season-5-new-details/

Don't care what the director says hounds not dead. To me there was a big hint when he said unless there is maestor behind that rock he is going to die and in the book basically a traveling priest pops around the rock and saves him when arya leaves.

Director can think whatever he wants about the hound, but I doubt very much he is just dead without us being shown. Unless it's like one of the non spoiler posters said and it's supposed to be similar to how Arya left Syrio.

BJM - no mention of Arianne Martell? I shall quit watching in protest.

Anyone else think they were a little ubclear about where Arya is going? I feel like most show watchers are going to assume she is going to the wall, then be like WTF when she shows up in Bravos.

actually she asked the captain to take her to the wall and he said he was going to Braavos.

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As far as Bran material he can be used to write in some background stuff by having him watch events through the trees.

From what i recall from the books jojen wasn't dead yet but very close to dying. Don't see his death as a big change. never bought into the paste theory and glad to see that dispelled.

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How does this dispell it? My first thought was it confirmed it. There's a good chance the writers looked at that material in the book and said "no way we can make that work on the tv show" and just killed Jojen off now rather than mess with it later. It would be VERY difficult to rehabilitate the COTF in the tv show if they killed Jojen and made Bran eat him. It wouldn't be the first thing thay've changed to make a character more likeable.

nm

[This message has been edited by bendover (edited 6/16/2014 2:33p).]

Maybe stage one of Jojen paste is to char the outside to sear in the flavor. That's how I cook ribs.

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I have a feeling they will use Bran to explain histories and prophesies.

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Tower of Joy?

I think that's a great idea.

EDIT: about the Tower of Joy. Barbecued Jojen, probably good idea, too.

[This message has been edited by bendover (edited 6/16/2014 2:52p).]

I thought bran can only do his past/future thing with a weirwood tree?

Tower of Joy is in Dorne right? No weirwood trees there.

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Also, apparently Jaime will be making a visit to Dorne and will participate in a fight that is not in the books.

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Interesting. So you're assuming that Jaime delivers the "head" of Gregor to Dorne? I don't hate the idea, but it either eliminates or delays his little adventure in the Riverlands. Also, I wonder if he'll take the place of Aerys in some plot points (minus the whole dying thing).

The show doesn't have to abide by any of those rules, I would assume.

I winner if we'll lose Arys Oakheart entirely. I enjoyed his time in the books but his whole journey didn't amount to much.

We need to make three threads: spoilers, no spoilers, and people who just want to complain and ***** about how much better the books were.

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and people who just want to complain and ***** about how much better the books were.

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Who is doing this in this thread? I see very little of that happening

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Interesting. So you're assuming that Jaime delivers the "head" of Gregor to Dorne? I don't hate the idea, but it either eliminates or delays his little adventure in the Riverlands. Also, I wonder if he'll take the place of Aerys in some plot points (minus the whole dying thing).

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Considering the liberties taken to altering the story this year, it makes sense that several story lines and characters will be combined or condensed. Just like the Bolton captain that assumed the role of Hoat for taking off Jamie's hand and later went to Craster's as a spy.

Arianne Martell was not mentioned in that article posted on confirmed new characters, but the Sand Snakes, Doran, and Aero are. Jamie being sent to Dorne could eliminate a good portion of the happenings in Dorne in ADWD. And maybe his entire romp through the Riverlands is being written out anyway. Brienne's path has been greatly skewed now that she knows Aria is alive. Further, Stoneheart may not ever appear in the tv series at all. I would not at all be surprised if HBO completely writes out the plot to seat Myrcella on the Iron Throne, which would be just as confusing as hell for non-book readers.

Basically, and it's just my perspective, the story-line in Dorne is compelling and interesting but not enough has really transpired to be of merit to overall story, yet. They want to kill Lannisters. Doran is playing it slow and safe. Quentin dead. The Viper is dead. IMO, at this point HBO just has to put the Dornish in a position to ally with a Targ invasion, whether that is Aegon/Connington, Dany, or all of the above.

I really hope there's no quentyn in the show. That character ending was the most annoyed I've ever been at Martin.

What's up Elliot? Are you trying to tell me that you found some level of annoyance in the fact that GRRM filled so many pages of ADWD with the tale of a nerdy Dornish prince who traveled to Mereen to ask for the hand of the stunning and powerful Daenerys Stormborn of House Targ, Mother of Dragons, the Unburnt, etc, etc, who was engaged to the most powerful man in Mereen and gets plowed by her hunk sellsword paramour everyday, and that after turning him down, she gave him a seat in court doing exactly nothing for her, he schemes to pay some really dumb mercenaries to help him steal a dragon with some chains and a wheelbarrow and ends up crispy fried in the process?

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I really hope there's no quentyn in the show. That character ending was the most annoyed I've ever been at Martin.

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Really? Didn't register at all on the richter scale for me.

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I thought bran can only do his past/future thing with a weirwood tree?

Tower of Joy is in Dorne right? No weirwood trees there.

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They have already shown this doesn't matter. Of the scenes that Bran saw touching the weirwood most of them happened away from them (Dragon over KL, Ned in his cell, etc.) It would be a smart plot device to use and if they don't I don't know where they go with Bran's storyline.

Honestly, I never once, for a second, thought Quentyn was going to be successful with Dany. Saw his death coming a mile away, too.

[This message has been edited by redline248 (edited 6/16/2014 4:14p).]

RE: wights vs. white walkers... thanks. I'd forgotten why I hated calling them white walkers to begin with - the distinction is even more vague than it is with the book names!

RE: Arianne... I always imagined her as being incredibly hot. So hopefully she gets cast. And is incredibly hot.

Jaime as the envoy to Dorne makes perfect sense. It's easy to forget that Myrcella is his daughter/niece. If they go through with the attempted rebellion, it'd make things extra tense when Jaime arrives and his daughter has a jacked-up face.

That said... any theory on direction of the show that involves a lot of set up, like the rebellion would (X number of scenes introducing Doran, Arianne, maybe Aerys, Darkstar, etc.) is probably too much to expect. Especially given that the Kingsmoot (if we get that, which we should) would require an equal number of new characters cast.

I want more Martells and more Greyjoys. I imagine we'll get more Arya and more Theon/Ramsay instead.

And if we get any flashbacks/prophecy, I think it'd make perfect sense to get it from Bran.

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Honestly, I never once, for a second, thought Quentyn was going to be successful with Dany. Saw his death coming a mile away, too.

[This message has been edited by redline248 (edited 6/16/2014 4:14p).]

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At least every other death served the plot in some way. Quentyn contributed absolutely nothing.

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Honestly, I never once, for a second, thought Quentyn was going to be successful with Dany. Saw his death coming a mile away, too.

[This message has been edited by redline248 (edited 6/16/2014 4:14p).]

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At least every other death served the plot in some way. Quentyn contributed absolutely nothing.

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False. It forces dorne to make alliances with its daughters instead of sons. This means their only chance to be with a targaryen would be with varys' aegon.

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I have a feeling they will use Bran to explain histories and prophesies.

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Tower of Joy?

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That is one thing. Also some histories of the first undead war, as well as recent histories of targaryens and Roberts rebellion.


There is one thing that worries me, we have heard melisandre talk about Azor ahai or w/e, but we don't get the language of that prophesy or TPTWP, or any of it.

answered above... n/m

[This message has been edited by ja86 (edited 6/16/2014 6:37p).]