Is the space between life and death a hard thin line or a wide gray area? What are the limitations and realities of the physical body? What’s rolling around inside there, anyway? Is it possible to be honest with ourselves about what that is? Do real leaders ruminate on such things?
While we consider these questions, how much gratuitous sex, violence, and crudity will we have to endure along the way?
Within the confines of a workaday Season 6 opener, “The Red Woman” tackled some of the show’s bigger ideas, serving in many ways as the second half of last season’s finale. Melisandre’s startling final scene ties many of the themes together.
Feel free to confess your thoughts with three fans with different perspectives. We welcome with a warm embrace – it’s not poisoned, promise – our newest comrade, Rosalyn Claret, who has read the books yet “forgets” how many times; she joins Laura Fletcher, a casual fan of the television and book series, and Cheryl Collins, who does not read. Maester Corrin Bennet-Kill is on hiatus.
Please join the discussion in comments!
Cheryl
OK, who cheered when they saw Kit Harington’s name in the credits at the beginning?
Laura
I definitely cheered. A name in the credits seems to promise … more? I sure hope so, and frankly assume so.
Rosalyn
I think I loaded up sufficiently on Reddit conspiracy theories to have some ideas about what they would do with his character.
I interpreted the episode name — and the early appearance of Melisandre — as sort of a tease to conspiracy-theorizing fans.
Especially with the show outpacing the books, I don’t trust the showrunners not to be purposefully toying with us and throwing out winks.
Cheryl
La la la, I’m not listening, I’m not listening! I am not reading no pre-show nothing.
For me the kicker was the story “leaked” last year that one of the showrunners told President Obama that Jon is really dead. That was too cute by half; the showrunners doth protest too much.
So let’s start at the beginning shall we? Far north: a wolf howls. Davos and a small group of loyal friends pull Jon’s body onto a table.
No one yet is talking of burning him, though they know they have to. It’s like they can’t yet admit he is dead.
Rosalyn
Just like the viewers!
Laura
We got to see Davos and Jon’s comrades, and even Melisandre, discover Jon’s death. This seems like one moment where the show realizes it needs to step back and really mourn a death, after his gruesome murder. Not just lingering on a dying face, as the show has repeatedly done (Joffrey comes to mind), but showing the immediate aftermath.
Rosalyn
For Melisandre, I think she’s having a real continuation of her “ohhhhh shiiiiiiiiiit” moment: realizing that she was all wrong about Stannis and bailing. What was the Lord of Light really showing her? She has to reinterpret all of her visions.
She’s seen Jon in the flames, she said. Now what does it mean that he’s dead? That’s what I read on her face.
Cheryl
Do they turn to Melisandre, whom Davos reviles, and her blood magic? One hilarious moment came when Davos said “we need all the help we can get,” and then — cue the knock on the door from Melisandre! “Even her” was his thought bubble.
Laura
This was the first time we saw Davos really considering using Melisandre’s “evil” (in his eyes) magic, right?
Cheryl
As you say Rosalyn, she is not exactly feeling on top of the world and sure of her strengths and powers at the moment.
This recap could be called “strange bedfellows,” because there are a few of those in this episode.
Rosalyn
But Davos is nothing if not practical. You know, he is not really the most exciting character (in the book or the show) but he’s consistently insightful and finds a way. I thought the episode was true to that characterization even while departing from the book’s Davos story lines.
Not to get all business-speak, but he’s excellent at, er, “leading from the second chair” or “managing up.” It’s an interesting version of leadership versus all the warlords and commanders. “How To Lose Fingers and Influence People.”
Cheryl
Yeah, we trust Davos to try to do the right thing.
One note before we leave Castle Black: A major theme of the last episode of last season was confession.
There was of course Cersei’s long martyrdom in the walk of shame after she is forced to confess. But the episode opens first with Stannis confessing to Brienne that he had Renley killed, and then she kills him: he pays the price for his crime. Jaime confesses to Myrcella that he’s her real dad, and perhaps one can say that he pays the price with her death. Now Thorne confesses to the Night’s Watch that he killed Jon, but says they are all guilty.
Rosalyn
So weasely! He “never disobeyed orders!”
Laura
Of course I immediately think of Margaery now.
Cheryl
A little father south: let’s talk Winterfell.
Rosalyn
I enjoyed the contrast of the two Ramsay scenes: being epically repulsed by him and his bad badness, as usual, and then immediately seeing him being thrown totally off-center again by his father Roose (who does this expertly and intentionally).
Laura
Again, a scene where we re-establish the Bastard of Bolton as a sick fuck. He grieves Myranda, even eulogizes her, then says she’s good meat.
This show can make me sympathize, maybe even empathize, with Cersei, but never Ramsay. I refuse.
Rosalyn
However, their interaction really underscores Roose’s character. He is coooooold. And opportunistic.
It’s yet another version of leadership. You can lead through sheer terror (as Ramsay does), but it has consequences, as Roose points out: Whoops! No heir! No North!
Roose is pretty frickin’ evil himself, as has been well established, but smart.
Laura
As Roose said, Ramsay played his “games” and as a result lost Sansa and Theon.
Cheryl
Roose is strategic, Ramsay not so much.
But …. Theon is back! Reek seems to be in retreat. I admit I cheered. I love this character and Alfie Allen’s portrayal of him. Theon even remembers how to handle a sword when needed.
Sansa now has her proto-court: Brienne, Pod (who has obviously learned a thing or two from Brienne), and Theon, whom she actually looks to for advice.
Can it be Theon will serve as her counselor? The man who tried to kill her younger brother, took over and defiled her ancestral home of Winterfell, and betrayed her older brother?
Rosalyn
Theon with a sword back in his hand! He’s not swinging it wildly. Remember, he was fostered along with established sword-wielding heroes Jon Snow and Robb Stark.
Cheryl
It’s muscle memory from his old life.
Rosalyn
It’s taken me a long time to get around to having sympathy for Theon in the show (I found it much earlier in the books), but I got there with this episode. It’s clear he remembers growing up with Sansa as a sister, and finally takes action on those feelings.
Cheryl
To expiate sin, per the Sparrow, one must confess. Theon has not really confessed yet (except to admit he did not kill Bran). But he seems to be seeking redemption. He was willing to sacrifice himself so that Sansa could live.
Rosalyn
I thought the embrace between Sansa and Theon was a key emotional beat for the show. Harking all the way back to the first season and their shared history at Winterfell.
Laura
Can we talk about the formal vow that Sansa and Brienne recited? It wasn’t so much the words of the oath that struck me, just the formality of it. Even though Pod had to remind Sansa of some it, she took up the mantle of her mother here.
(Pod is so the Samwell Tarly of this group: dare to underestimate him.)
Rosalyn
She must have seen and heard it done by her father countless times, and is half-remembering that life.
Laura
It’s that Stark honor and tradition coming back, and it was a fist-pump moment for me.
Rosalyn
I am sure some part of Sansa remembers the importance of ceremony.
Laura
Good point about men versus women, and the fact that both Brienne and she are in “wrong” positions for their gender.
Cheryl
Queens happen. I really think this is the beginning of her path to becoming queen.
Both Sansa and Theon are beginning to remember who they really are, after their degradations at the hands of Ramsay and everything else. Their time at Winterfell with the Boltons was like some twisted nightmare version of their earlier lives, and now they are finding their way back to who they once were.
Rosalyn
Sansa is taking up Catelyn’s mantle and is basically the only “Stark in Winterfell,” even with all that’s happened to her. It’s a huge moment for Brienne, almost ecstatic, the closing of her quest.
Cheryl
Yes, finally! This small group is Sansa’s proto-court. It’s like Dany’s journey at the beginning.
Rosalyn
Littlefinger and even the Boltons kept telling Sansa she had to be queen, using her position to manipulate her. Queen in the North … ish.
I’d say this is the first time it felt like she understood and accepted that role and was taking it by choice.
Laura
Back to “strange bedfellows,” we have a woman knight and a woman liege lord, plus Theon and Pod: very ragtag.
Cheryl
Sansa is not “queen” so that others will gain power via her name, but she will be a power unto herself.
And for all those who whined about Sansa’s “lack of agency” last season (and I’m looking at you, the Mary Sue): ha ha.
(Simple reminder: imprisonment = lack of agency.)
Rosalyn
Where will they go now? It made me think of the younger Stark kids and Hodor escaping the Winterfell catacombs into the wintry woods and going … where?
More roaming through the woods. Soooo much roaming through the woods.
OK, farther south to the Red Keep and King’s Landing.
Jaime returns … with the dead body of Myrcella.
Laura
Lena Headey’s first scene was the first moment in the season premiere that I stopped and really gulped, and stared. So good.
Cheryl
One question I had while Cersei fiddled with her newly shorn locks: I thought that Cersei suddenly without her beautiful long hair was a mirror of Jamie returning to King’s Landing without his hand, as though much of her identity and power were wrapped up in that hair. Was that something that was hinted at in the books?
Laura
The way she felt the nape of her neck made me actually say “ooh” out loud.
It’s both a loss of her beauty and a constant reminder to herself and the court about the walk of shame.
Rosalyn
It’s a loss of power.
Cheryl
Her identity has changed and she will never be what she was.
Rosalyn
We even hear that reflected in the conversation between the twins. She essentially says she was wrong, to Jaime, for criticizing him. It’s somewhat tempered (as apologies go) by her supernatural/fatalistic/visions of doom, but for Cersei … it’s kind of a big deal.
Cheryl
She gets him now.
Laura
She does get him, doesn’t she? And probably pragmatically realizes he’s her last ally.
For now I’m the lone mama in this group, and oh my stars, how my heart broke when Cersei rushed to the boat to greet Myrcella.
Cheryl
The smile fading from her face as the boat draws closer: great and heartbreaking.
Rosalyn
That was crushing.
Myrcella’s return was the one legitimate point of happiness for Cersei in … how many years?
Cheryl
And she was right: Myrcella was not safe in Dorne. It has been a tough stretch for Cersei.
Rosalyn
I have to say I liked the “Fuck everyone who’s not us!” moment. Classic Lannister twins. They have been out of sync for most of the past several seasons, as you say, ever since Jaime returned from captivity without his hand. They’re sort of back true to form in that moment, though chastened.
Cheryl
You and me against the world …
Rosalyn
So should we talk about Dorne?
Cheryl
Sigh, yes.
Laura
DORRRRNE.
Cheryl
Revenge motivated that whole crew of Sand Snakes, and they got what they wanted.
Rosalyn
Why doesn’t Dorne work? We have beautiful sets, actors, and costumes. I have a pretty low bar. That’s mostly what I like in my entertainment. But it’s such a silly mess.
I guess it’s because they’re reinventing it whole cloth, trying to tie up random ideas from the books.
Also, I have a soft spot for Prince Doran. Maybe it’s because I, too, would rather watch children play in a water garden paradise than go to war.
Cheryl
Prince Doran was a such a mensch — and he allowed Ellaria to live last season, and she betrayed him.
Rosalyn
With Doran dead, does that also spell the end of all the (considerable!) storylines that either start or end with him on the sending/receiving end of a secret message decades in the making? All of those power plays? His carefully laid plans?
Laura
Cheryl, there was a lot more in the books with the Martells. Some of it may still be spoiler-y, depending on what the show decides to include.
Rosalyn
This is my rant about this scene and this way of killing off the Dorne-related power plays for the sake of the show: it is such a discredit to the character of Doran. And without him balancing Oberyn, Ellaria, the Sand Snakes, etc., Dorne makes no frickin’ sense, and neither do they.
We have all these hot-blooded, impulsive, supposed-to-be-likeable characters.
In the books, though, it’s clear how short-sighted they are, and how long and deep Doran’s game is, how far his vision.
Laura
What a waste of Alexander Siddig, is my biggest beef.
Rosalyn
He did fabulously with a shittily underwritten part.
Cheryl
Maybe he’s not dead. wink
Laura
LOL. Now I’m thinking of the Monty Python dead parrot sketch. HE’S RESTING.
Rosalyn
His rule depended on Oberyn being his counterpart. I guess we see the importance of winning hearts in leadership.
Cheryl
Is he “the good ruler who is not loved or respected by his people” example?
Rosalyn
I’m sure this beef of mine has something to do with why the Sand Snakes/Ellaria girl power thing is just not working for me. In the books we saw how that all had to be tempered with wisdom and cunning. Plus, Doran has been through war and is trying to avoid it! Have they not? Are they all too young?
Cheryl
They just want to kill.
Laura
And fuck.
Cheryl
Just like Ramsay. Hmmm …
Rosalyn
Poor Prince Doran. In that opening scene I was thinking, “Gee, he is finally happy. His plans have all been laid and taken flight, he thinks he’s got that sorted.” And … whoops, no.
I do like their costumes, though … all the Dorne costumes …
Cheryl
Deep breaths, Rosalyn.
I just hated hated hated the scene in which one snake kills Trystane and the other replied “greedy bitch.” I found the writing of that scene awful.
Laura
More underwhelming writing/characterization.
On to beleaguered Arya.
Cheryl
Arya is now blind and she is being made to atone for her “sin.”
Laura
Arya’s scene was just scene-setting.
Rosalyn
Right. We’ll see what comes next for Arya. Cue training montage!
I want Arya to succeed obviously, but the audience (book/show) will have a hard time coping with her losing all the things that make her Arya. And that seems key. I wonder how it will be handled!
Cheryl
The last shot of her was with that big statue dude of Braavos behind her: her fate seems tied into Braavos.
Forward to Mereen.
Laura
I didn’t find the Tyrion and Varys scene too thrilling, though obviously it’s important that Meereen is now burning!
And that the Lord of Light is creeping in.
Rosalyn
Yeah, as a Tour of Downtrodden Mereen, it was meh exposition. Still, Tyrion seems to be back in action for the first time since killing his father.
And the Lord of Light is everywhere, spanning countries.
Cheryl
In this season and the last (maybe the whole six seasons!), so many of the characters are in cells or cell-like rooms: the first episode of last season started from Tyrion’s POV as he was carted around in a crate, with a single hole.
So many of the scenes that come after seem to suggest that same crimped vantage point: Jon is his cell-like room with a single window with no view, Cersei in her cell and now Jamie and Cersei in their keep, to Margaery, to Melisandre later, and on.
Tyrion and Varys now have an expansive view below them. They are now free, really free, after captivity last season, with that huge expansive view.
They know who they are, they know they have to do bad things sometimes do keep everything moving forward, and they are OK with it.
On to Dany and her predicament.
Rosalyn
With the threat of the Dosh Kaleen/Vaes Dothrak — which I have understood as a kind of exile/imprisonment, without knowing much about it — now hanging over her in a very real way.
Laura
Vaes Dothrak is the one Dohtraki city there is. That stupid banter about the “best things in life” mentioned that it’s where khals bring their spoils of war.
Rosalyn
This all harks back to the earliest scenes of Dany among the Dothraki. Vaes Dothrak is the place with all the stolen idols and … vast numbers of widows just hanging out.
Laura
There’s a quasi-nunnery for all the khals’ widows, who are revered and respected on one hand, but also prevented from doing a damn thing other than dosh-ing or whatnot.
Rosalyn
It’s a little frustrating to be back there. Dany starting all over in a way.
Cheryl
How many times do we have to hear Dany being disrespected by someone in a language she really understands?
Laura
Back when she got all the Unsullied, it went very differently. But this time around, she’s dragon-less. And isn’t around anyone who’s seen her “miracles.”
Cheryl
She kept looking to the skies.
We know where Dany is, the exposition called for it. But I so disliked those scenes, which I thought were poorly written, directed, and acted — and far too long.
It felt like they could have cut half or more of that terrible dialogue. It was pure scene padding, imho.
Now, what about that crucial final scene with Melisandre?
For me, the themes of the final episode of last season were confession and repentance — and paying for one’s sins. Another is resurrection.
In this episode, I was struck how much of the discussion was about what happens to the body after death.
We start with Jon, who lies “dead” on the table. As mentioned, nobody has talked of burning him yet. We wonder if he can be resurrected, somehow, like Beric Dondarrion (the lord who led the Brotherhood without Banners).
Next we see Ramsay tenderly — or as tenderly as he can — reminiscing about Myranda, then declaring her body would be fine kennel kibble.
Next it’s Cersei, truly haunted by the prospect of the decay of her daughter’s body after death, and who daily ruminates on the transformation of her own mother after death: vainglorious Cersei can only focus on the external shell of the body.
Then we end of course with the revelation of Melisandre’s reality, which is a very old and withered woman.
The state of the body in any given moment is an illusion, GoT seems to be suggesting.
[Editor’s note: when the recently departed Prince was asked how it was that he seemed to stay so youthful looking, he said, “I don’t believe in time. I don’t count. When you count, it ages you.”]
Laura
When she took the necklace off and showed herself to be old, I thought she might die then and there. I would guess even if she can go back and forth, she doesn’t do it often.
The parallel Cheryl pointed out of Cersei worrying about decay and Melisandre showing herself to be very old, possibly ancient, made me think of it.
Cheryl
Transformation, transmutation, transcendence of the limitations of the physical body, the thin line between life and death — which Arya and the Faceless Men remind us of too — and RESURRECTION, this is where the show is going, I think. We got a hint of that in the last episode with the reanimation of Mountain-stein with Qybrun’s crazy-ass alchemy. Plus whatever happens to Bran.
Rosalyn
One thing the show has mentioned is Melisandre not seeming to sleep. And here she gets into bed, to rest, so wearily. She is realizing she needs a reset button.
Cheryl
A re-boot. They really lingered on her getting into bed. “This is my mortal coil and I am damned tired” she seemed to be saying.
Rosalyn
That’s what I thought of. She’s letting go, giving up, resting. Is it all too much for her? Is she admitting defeat?
Cheryl
Or will she have to summon up all of her blood magic goodies to bring Jon back?
That last scene with Melisandre is the flip side of Cersei’s walk of shame: this was her forced confession — and shame. She faced herself in the mirror and confessed that she is indeed human, fallible, and was foiled by her own ego.
The graying image in the mirror plays exactly the same role as the crone Unella intoning “shame” behind Cersei during that walk — and they both appear very similar, swaddled in gray.
Melisandre revealed to herself — and us— her humanity. She looked unsparingly in the mirror at who she really is. The look on her face was filled shame, I’d say, and remorse.
Now she can expiate her sins — against Stannis, Shireen, his army, et al. — and I suspect she will do that by resurrecting Jon Snow. Perhaps she will sacrifice some part of herself to do that.
Rosalyn
I guess realizing you’d probably fucked up at being an instrument of your Lord’s eternal plan for the ultimate battle of the universe would, y’know, suck.
Cheryl
Other random thoughts?
Revenge seems to be what will be driving everyone going forward this season … but what else is new?
Rosalyn
We did get some gratuitous boobies again, although I grudgingly admit I suppose there was a purpose to it this time.
Cheryl
Limited gratuitous boobage and no gratuitous sex, and in exchange we get poor writing: you drive a hard bargain, GoT!
Rosalyn
My last thought is that for me, as always, this episode was another reflection on leadership — the combination of leadership and luck that leads to success or failure.
GoT is great at flamboyantly killing off examples of failed leadership strategies.
This is me still being hung up on Dorne and Doran, from which my big takeaway is: “Diplomacy is unmanly!”
And the importance of winning hearts as well as minds; we’ve seen a number of leaders fail to do this (Jon Snow, Stannis, now Doran).
Cheryl
No “leading from behind” on GoT.
Rosalyn
Tyrion is essentially also a diplomat, if on the sneaky/cunning side rather than the honor-bound/peace-seeking side, as is Varys. And boy, is the show hammering home their “unmanliness,” too.
Cheryl
In a general way, I found the writing and directing very middling. It laid out where the characters were, but there was not much excitement or energy.
When it’s so much “fuck,” “pussy,” “cock,” that to me is a sure sign of lazy, lazy writing. A little bit goes a long way.
There was not as much endless talking for expositional purposes as in previous openers, but the dialogue that was there was often just poor. Did I say how bad I found much of the dialogue?
Rosalyn
This is true, and yet I remain astounded at how many of the actors are able to do so much with that.
Laura
Considering how tight this show has to be, to fit in all the locales and storylines, it felt overly sloppy and slow.
Yet of course we will be here next week. Please comment! But no spoilers, please!
Hi guys, missed you.
I really like how characters that I considered marginal have taken a big part on the show. I never had interest in Stannis, yet the Red Woman has become very important (well, not her really, but what she brings). Same with Theon, who was nobody, yet now is Samsa’s advisor (she and him have a bond of shame like Bruce Willis and Marcellus Wallace in Pulp Fiction). In a way, Jon was a marginal character at first, too – at least until Robb died. So that’s a nice dramatic surprise.
I like what you said about Cersei’s hair. It does humanize her. Suffering brings her closer to Jamie, and to Tyrion. Now they’re all “freaks”. I sympathize with her too, but I’m still disssapointed that there aren’t any real smart women on the story. They’re all victims to circumstance.
About Dany, she is in the same spot as before but now she has many more tools at her disposal. She speaks the language, she has status, two hunks are looking for her, and two strategists are planning what to do when she returns. So it’s all promise in that front. In fact I’d guess Dorne is just getting right for Dany to come liberate.
Hi, we missed you too!
I loved your comparison of Sansa and Theon to the two characters in Pulp Fiction — yes, they are bound my shame, aren’t they? Plus your notion that all three Lannisters are freaks in a way now (though shorn hair is hardly “freakish” but perhps for Cersei’s purposes it is). Interesting that no one wonders what’s up with Tyrion.
And yes, you have to wonder about that plot line with Dany and the oppressed people of color … the showrunners aren’t stupid obviously and must know what a paper thin line they are negotiating. Yet, it’s “in the books.” What to do? They’ve handled it about as well as could be, but it just looks awful. You expect someone to spout “bwana” at any moment. There must be a reason that GRRM has the super-white Dany learning her lessons on governance out among the swarthy people beyond her ancestral homeland, but sheesh! Kind of like Jon beyond the Wall, now that I come to think of it.
As for smart women … maybe Yara will end up as appealing on that score. We’ll see.
Btw, did I say how condescendingly racist I find that Dany liberates all the brown people (who are mostly sexy violent beasts), while everyone else enjoys free-agency?
…aaand we’re back! Hello miladies! *doffs cap and quaffs from mine bejeweled goblet. Also buckles some swash.*
It was nice to see an episode with almost all of the characters. I’d rather have shorter scenes with all of them than biweekly longueurs of half of the cast.
I’m so tired of Dany and her awful story line. Her raison d’etre seems to be sullenly moping at guffawing, disrespectful brown people until she is saved by plot armor and/or draco ex machina. I guess her dragons will be a key in an epic future white walker battle, but so far she’s been completely unnecessary to the other plot lines.
“GoT is great at flamboyantly killing off examples of failed leadership strategies.” Except for the failiest leader of all time, Dany Dragonmom!
When the savage Khal Whatever made his ten minute commencement speech about how glorious it is to gaze upon the gazongas of the vanquished, I groaned out loud. Everyone knows Emilia Clarke has had a no-boobage clause in her contract for the last couple of seasons (which is understandable), so what was the point of all this? Khal talked about tits for a fortnight, had his hands on the neckline of her dress and was juuuuust about to tear it off when she dropped the bomb on him. Hah, no boobs for you, sir!
Seriously, the scene was set up like a wild west hanging scene (you know, “will the other outlaws make it to town in time before the hangman pulls the lever?”), but with bosom-bareing replacing death as the exciting climax. So, if we compare this to the myriad brothel scenes of past seasons, where the mammaries are just background décor, I’d say that this scene managed to be more childishly boob-centric without having any boobs in the shot! Good job GoT, you never disappoint!
I loathe Dorne. I look forward to seeing their useless kingdom at a negotiating table, as they’ve now killed everyone whose opening gambit isn’t “you vant da baad poozy?” Send Varys to negotiate with them, he’s immune to their vaginal machinations! OR POD! Oh, he’s the antidote to their feminine wiles! His magical Marty-Stu nerdpenis will turn them into Stepford wives in no time!
I’ll defend Ramsay here, just because someone has to. I found his canine catering reasonable. She was the houndskeeper’s daughter, after all, so feeding her to the dogs would be fitting. Also, why should you waste good meat? That’s all she is now. Also, he’s a psychopath, so there’s that.
“Mountain-stein”? We’ve been over this, IT IS THE HOUNDTAIN, gods (both old and new) damnit! I refuse to accept that Meester Mengele over there didn’t stitch them together. Would it take an entire season for the Mountain to heal from a wound? No! But it would be very time-consuming to create the ultimate warrior, THE HOUNDTAIN. Bonus points for additional arms.
I like Arya’s comeuppance, and look forward to seeing her get hit in the head every day by her superiors. She’s been more of a spoiled princess than Sansa for the last few seasons. I wonder if her blindness will be cured or worked around Daredevil-style. I also wonder if her blindness will cause some merry murderous mix-up? Like, she’s ordered to kill the person in room such-and-such, does so, and lo and behold, you just killed Sansa! Stop whining, you wanted to be faceless, you have no relatives!
Three cheers for Sansa, Bri, Theon and Pod! Nice to see main characters not only on the same continent, but in the same frame!
I really hope this all ends with Sansa and Tyrion as a royal couple, Varys as their spymaster, Bri-bri the captain of the guard, Pod running a toy store or whatever he wants to do, and everyone else in a mass grave.
Welcome back! I did not know that about Emilia Clark’s contract. Is that for real? There has been no gratuitous boobage or sex this season. Two whole episodes! Wow.
Yes, four characters in the same place at the same time is … unprecedented.
“Marty-Stu nerdpenis”? Holy mackeral, I am afraid of asking what that cultural reference is to!
Yes, I believe she added that as soon as she became indispensable. They can’t exactly recast her mid-series just to get another actress who’s willing to show her boobs. This is quite understandable as the nudity in GoT is so gratuitous and unnecessary.
Marty-Stu is the male Mary-Sue, of course, the overpowered self-insertion wish-fulfillment character common in fan fiction. Like the new girl at Hogwarts who everyone falls in love with and is also a vampire and can fly and is like the bestest at magic and is super pretty and cool but also misunderstood by the popular girls who are like totally dumb. (The seminal Mary-Sue, although she’s so bad she might be a hoax: http://www.vulture.com/2015/03/bizarre-unsolved-mystery-of-my-immortal.html)
I can’t remember the details, but when Star Trek TNG accepted spec scripts, they got a bunch of them from one author who always inserted a B-story about a hitherto unknown ensign who always ended up in bed with one of the female main characters. The ensign coincidentally had same name as the author.
Pod and Samwell are pretty toned-down Marty-Stus, and not necessarily self-inserts, but nevertheless I consider them Marty-Stuish. Remember how Podrick was a virgin, and was given a brothel visit by Tyrion? All the whores fell in love with him and didn’t even want to get paid because he was totally the bestest at doing the sex and his penis was somehow magical. Hence “Marty-Stu Nerdpenis”.
Samwell is literally a fat neckbearded nice guy who rescues the pretty damsel (who’s totally whiny for no reason at all even though he’s such a nice guy) and despite being a fat clumsy coward kills a white walker.
GRRM’s strength as an author lies in his ability to not overpower his Marty-Stus, and give them character growth and story arcs. No fan would openly identify with Pod or Samwell, but I’m pretty sure both characters appeal to the male audience precisely because they have that “hey, that could be me” factor.
I guess Emilia Clark ‘suspended” her no boobage clause!
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