Winter is Coming...

[Rhapsody]

I'm almost positive Gendry and Arya are a future pairing. Which would mean he asked his future wife to take her cock out. :)

[jouzinka]

Hehe, that just might be, although it would be a really far-fetched future, probably...

I really liked what they did with Brienne and how she's being played. Exactly the almost curt and to-the-point, don't talk much outsider. I really liked Margery Tyrell.

Besides that, they're really hurrying a lot. :-\

[Remiel]

If they're trying to cram books 2 and 3 into a single season, I would imagine that they'd have to.  :-\

[jouzinka]

Which is creating a lot of "just because it's so" points in the storyline.

For example:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

How is Arya to forge her friendship with Hot Pie when they are spared all the journey alone and are being taken all the way to Harrenhal already?

I really like Jaqen H'ghar. Too bad that with this tempo he'll have like 30 seconds screen time. :-\

[Iniquitous]

Not correct on who had the bastard babes killed, though - in the books it -is- Cersei. :P They're just leaving out a lot of stuff (like Jacelyn Bywater, like, seriously... Bronn (???!!!) of all the people, commanding the City Watch?!), so I suppose they needed to show Joffrey evil enough, so they made him send the Goldcloaks after the bastards in the series.

HUGE SPOILER

She isn't innocent at all. After all her family kills Joffrey on their wedding day and she herself knows it, if she isn't actively participating...

Also, her virginity gets breached during the examination of it for the trial that Cersei orchestrates.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

The third betrayal is supposed to be for love, but that doesn't seem to be on sight yet.

Also, I read a theory that Daenerys and Viserys might actually have different fathers.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

She might be Rhaegar's through an incestuous relationship with his mother. If that is the case and Jon Snow is also Rhaegar's, they likely have another sibling alive, since there are three dragons to ride and, well, the Dragon has three heads.

It would explain how Jorah often observes (at least early on) that Daenerys is a lot like her brother Rhaegar and not much like Aerys or Viserys.

There was three that survived Robert usurping the throne....

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Daenerys, Viserys and Aegon. Not too mention, the old and nearly blind Maester up at the Wall was of the blood as well though he isn't exactly one to count since he's decrepit.  Anyway, it isn't till Dance with Dragons that you find out about Aegon.

[Rhapsody]

HUGE SPOILER

She isn't innocent at all. After all her family kills Joffrey on their wedding day and she herself knows it, if she isn't actively participating...

Also, her virginity gets breached during the examination of it for the trial that Cersei orchestrates.

I am so very looking forward to seeing the Queen of Thorns. Most of their casting has been dead-on perfect thus far. Hers better be too! She has some of the best lines of ASoS.

Also:

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Margaery was depicted in the books as being fond of hawking and riding. It's a fact that horseback riding can break a girl's hymen without them having been penetrated, which is what I had assumed happened to it.

[Rhapsody]

There was three that survived Robert usurping the throne....

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Daenerys, Viserys and Aegon. Not too mention, the old and nearly blind Maester up at the Wall was of the blood as well though he isn't exactly one to count since he's decrepit.  Anyway, it isn't till Dance with Dragons that you find out about Aegon.

Nitpick: Aemon was completely blind, not just nearly. :) He also had sworn the oaths of the Maesters and the Night's Watch, thus removing him forever from any lordship or land-holding. Or wife-taking, or child-fathering, etc, etc, etc.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

I don't care what Stannis thinks he can do for with his royal writs. Jon Snow is a much niftier character than Jon Stark would be.

[Iniquitous]

Not correct on who had the bastard babes killed, though - in the books it -is- Cersei. :P They're just leaving out a lot of stuff (like Jacelyn Bywater, like, seriously... Bronn (???!!!) of all the people, commanding the City Watch?!), so I suppose they needed to show Joffrey evil enough, so they made him send the Goldcloaks after the bastards in the series.

HUGE SPOILER

She isn't innocent at all. After all her family kills Joffrey on their wedding day and she herself knows it, if she isn't actively participating...

Also, her virginity gets breached during the examination of it for the trial that Cersei orchestrates.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

The third betrayal is supposed to be for love, but that doesn't seem to be on sight yet.

Also, I read a theory that Daenerys and Viserys might actually have different fathers.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

She might be Rhaegar's through an incestuous relationship with his mother. If that is the case and Jon Snow is also Rhaegar's, they likely have another sibling alive, since there are three dragons to ride and, well, the Dragon has three heads.

It would explain how Jorah often observes (at least early on) that Daenerys is a lot like her brother Rhaegar and not much like Aerys or Viserys.

Addressing the last spoiler there .... and huge, MAJOR spoiler for anyone who hasn't read Dance with Dragons yet.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Jon Snow doesn't appear to make it according to Dance with Dragons. He was the bastard son of Eddard Stark (and I had thought he would come to more *sob*) but the three children of House Targaryen were/are Daenerys, Viserys and Aegon. Viserys is dead, Daenerys still alive but 'lost' and Aegon in the Seven Kingdoms seeking to claim the throne at the end of Dance with Dragons.

Now to await the three (or more) years for Winds of Winter to be finished and published.

[Remiel]

Yeah, that's what I thought.

DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ A DANCE WITH DRAGONS

Then Bowen Marsh stood there before him, tears running down his cheeks. "For the Watch."  He punched Jon in the belly. When he pulled his hand away, the dagger stayed where he had buried it.

Jon fell to his knees. He found the dagger's hilt and wrenched it free.  In the cold night air the wound was smoking.  "Ghost," he whispered. Pain washed over him. Stick them with the pointy end. When the third dagger took him between the shoulder blades, he gave a grunt and fell face-first into the snow.  He never felt the fourth knife. Only the cold...

So that looks like it's the end for poor Jon Snow, barring a miracle or Deus Ex Machina.  However, given GRRM's track record of killing off his characters, I'm not holding out much hope.

[Iniquitous]

Yeah, that's what I thought.

DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ A DANCE WITH DRAGONS

So that looks like it's the end for poor Jon Snow, barring a miracle or Deus Ex Machina.  However, given GRRM's track record of killing off his characters, I'm not holding out much hope.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

I was so upset when I got to that part of the book. I wanted to throw the book. GRRM has a nasty habit of taking my favorite characters away from me. I had a sad after reading that and had to put the book down for a little while.

[jouzinka]

According to the Citadel, who seems to have access to GRRM himself at points, Rhaegar believed that _his_ children will bear the Prince that was Promised and fulfill the prophecy.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Which is why I tend to believe that Daenerys and Jon are his.

SPOILERS IN BOTH THE ARTICLES
http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/FAQ/Entry/Who_is_the_Prince_that_was_Promised_Azor_Ahai_reborn/
http://www.westeros.org/Citadel/Prophecies/Entry/II_511_512_The_Dragon_Has_Three_Heads/

[Rhapsody]

Yeah, that's what I thought.

DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T READ A DANCE WITH DRAGONS

So that looks like it's the end for poor Jon Snow, barring a miracle or Deus Ex Machina.  However, given GRRM's track record of killing off his characters, I'm not holding out much hope.

Except that

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

he didn't receive an immediately fatal wound, his friends and Ghost were already fighting their way to him, and even if he dies, what of it? Martin's already set precedent with Thoros of Myr and Beric Dondarrion. Melisandre is at the Wall within reach. She can Lazarus him right back up again.

[Remiel]

I admit that it's possible, albeit extremely unlikely.  After all, GRRM did hoodwink us, leading us to believe that

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Bran and Rickon

were dead when they were actually not.

[jouzinka]

I admit that it's possible, albeit extremely unlikely.  After all, GRRM did hoodwink us, leading us to believe that

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

Bran and Rickon

were dead when they were actually not.

Come on, seriously? I didn't think for a second that they were dead. When they didn't find them, I knew that they escaped, although I didn't realize that

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

they were in the crypts. That was totally genius!

Just as I knew

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide

that the Tyrells were going to kill Joffrey as soon as Sansa spilled what kind of a monster he was.

[JDrew Spider]

Well I guess the next step for me to  take then is to read the books like suggested. *put's it on to do list*

[Avis habilis]

I suppose it was inevitable: the Game of Thrones drinking game. The site's in Italian but the game text is in English.

[Iniquitous]

Have to say this....

I'd be piss drunk by the end of one episode and an alcoholic by the end of the season if I played that game.

[Rhapsody]

Have to say this....

I'd be piss drunk by the end of one episode and an alcoholic by the end of the season if I played that game.

Please. You wouldn't be an alcoholic by the end of the season.

You'd be dead of alcohol poisoning.

[Shjade]

*looks at list*

Cripes. You'd have to be a hardcore drinker just to keep awake through a full episode.

[jouzinka]

Oh, wow, so I have to ally myself to the Lion, just because I hate beer and Jagermeister. >.<

But come on... dead of alcoholic poisoning? That would largely depend whether it's wine strengthened with whiskey or whiskey diluted with wine. hehehe

* jouzinka is highly amused of the use of a LotR font on it...

[Iniquitous]

Please. You wouldn't be an alcoholic by the end of the season.

You'd be dead of alcohol poisoning.

Considering one show a week - show is not quite an hour long - naw, wouldn't be dead of alcohol poisoning after one season. Still voting I'd be an alcoholic though.

[Iniquitous]

Ok.

First season they followed the book fairly closely. This season? I am seeing more and more stuff added in. Tyrion giving whores to Joffrey who in turns have one beat the other? I suppose that is to help drive home how twisted and sick Joffrey is. Little finger bringing Ned’s bones to Cat? That most certainly did not happen in the book. Wth?!

Must say, Melisandre giving birth to the shadow was… interesting at least.

[Elias]

As someone whose not read the books tell me would reading them explain the crazy religious cult thing going on with the fire lady because its one of the few areas I feel to be lacking a necessary explanation, back story in that instance would be appreciated, since however brief I understood the Starks for instance.

[Iniquitous]

I recommend reading the books just because they are awesome - but there is not a lot in the books that explains Melisandre’s religion. Just that R’hllor is the god of light and life.

As usual, the books gives more details to what is going on, explains more of the situation between everyone - but it is a complicated series. GRRM chooses which characters will have points of view (chapters) for each book - so you might find yourself wanting to know more of what will happen to, say, Jaime Lannister, and find yourself having to wait a whole book before he gets back to that character.

[jouzinka]

Hi, Elias, welcome to Elliquiy. :-)

I second what IO said. I'm of the opinion that the books are about ten times better than the series, in all sincerity, so I would definitely recommend reading them, even if it's only for the kicks of getting to read a great story. That said, I'm afraid that there isn't much more to know about Melissandre, although she does get to be a POV character in the later books (I'm not there yet ;D), but you can learn a bit more about the Lord of Light and his workings through Thoros of Myr, a minor character, and the Brotherhood without Banners that Arya accompanies for a while.

And... there's a cult for Melissandre? o.O Curious, really. She does have a certain presence in the books, but to be honest, I'm a bit disappointed with her portrayal in the series. She _looks_ good, but to be honest, when someone says "Priestess," I tend to envision a lot more sensuality, or at least a certain enigmatic quality. When she recited a spell at the beginning of season 2, she said it as if she were going through a shopping list. :-\