I said much the same thing. Maisie Williams with short hair and Isaac Hempstead-Wright with longer hair look so similar it's very hard to believe they're not related somehow. Which is not 100% by the books; only Arya and Jon looked like Ned Stark. Robb, Sansa and Rickon took more after Catelyn's red/auburn-haired Tully looks.
Though I'm convinced Jon was actually Ned's nephew, not his bastard.
True that. Honestly, TV Show Jon looks most like a Baratheon bastard.

But they all _do_ look like they are related, although I think that Theon Greyjoy should have been cast different. Alie is great, but he looks a _lot_ like Robb. Or maybe we'll get to learn something much later...
Nice theory that Jon is not actually Ned's, it would explain the silence, but whom do you think? Brandon's? He was betrothed to Cat (not that it would stop him

). Benjen's? Come to think of it, he could be their
brother, in theory. Rickard died 282, Jon was born some time 283... He and Benjen looked enough alike...
I hated Jaime until he became a POV character.
Agreed. He comes second after Gregor Clegane for me, though.
This is what I meant when I said "hinted at in the books", but honestly, we don't know exactly who or what caused that. It's mostly just assumptions and rumors on the part of nobles and commoners alike.
Totally. He couldn't unbend enough to spare Davos his poor fingers. He's certainly not going to unbend enough for that.
Yeah, all rumors. There are many that are true and then there are many that are untrue, but really... the man banished brothels on Dragonstone, cut his most loyal man's fingers because that man
used to be a smuggler, has a wife that all deem ugly (but hey, they all deem Brienne ugly too, fools), but is known not to have mistresses... But maybe they're just using it to point out that Melissandre
does wield some mean magic to be able to do
that.

Stannis just acts like such an old man, and is written as an older man (bald, greying beard, anal-retentive nature, etc), I just assumed he was the eldest. :)
But yes. He is Robert's true heir, since Robert didn't have any trueborn children. Gendry's the eldest, and Robert didn't even acknowledge him (though apparently he arranged for an excellent trade apprenticeship, or Jon Arryn did on his behalf). Joffrey's rampage ended most of their claims, and of the surviving bastards:
Edric Storm is under Stannis' protection, Mya Stone is under Lysa Arryn's (and by extension Littlefinger's), and Gendry is with the Night's Watch at least until they get to Harrenhal
I agree on all accounts about Stannis. He does seem older in the books, but he is more likely a sharp contrast to Robert and even Renly, who himself paled in comparison to Robert's passion. I mean... the exchange in Highgarden:
- "Do you have a daughter?"
- "I do, Your Grace."
- "Then thank the Gods I am not Robert."
LOL

I'm actually pretty surprised that they all don't consider Edric Storm's claim. Sure, Gendry and the rest of the bastards do have a claim, but since Edric had also a noble mother, he is the only bastard that Robert acknowledged. Sure, Ned (and half the Vale) knew that Mya was Robert's and how he loved the child long after he'd lost interest in her mother, but she wasn't acknowledged. I imagine bastards do have some claim, more so acknowledged ones, otherwise Cersei's rampage of killing all Robert's doesn't make any sense...