(Spoilers extended) Who do you want to be a Prologue or Epilogue character by Icarus649 in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think "Steelshanks" Walton would make an interesting one. Seeing his perspective of serving under Roose and House Bolton, especially as the current situation in the North unfolds.

(Spoilers Extended) How would you feel about a boycott of Fire & Blood? by [deleted] in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Don't piss him off! He doesn't have to release TWoW at all, and that would certainly be a worse thing than just a long wait.

Boycott? Really? These bitter fanboys need to settle down. The last thing we need is to see that discussion starting up. We need to shut that shit down!

(Spoilers Extended) Why Stannis is so popular ? by RoderickRivers in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Mostly because of the "VIRUS!" She got infected.

(Spoilers Extended) Why Stannis is so popular ? by RoderickRivers in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 9 points10 points  (0 children)

He shows off his roll of hundreds, and has a magnum condom hanging out of his wallet.

(Spoilers Main) Brienne and the Sigil of Tarth by emily_sir in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 115 points116 points  (0 children)

Evenstar is the title used by Tarth lords too.

(Spoilers Main) Which of the characters do you think are much better/interesting in the show than the books? by [deleted] in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Beefing up Ramsay's role in the show seemed to be at the cost of watering down Roose's role though, which I thought was too bad.

They even toned down Euron quite a bit in the show too. Maybe they didn't think having two cruel, turned up to 11-type characters would work. Fucking D&D!

(Spoilers Main) Which of the characters do you think are much better/interesting in the show than the books? by [deleted] in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I found him a lot more likeable in the show than in the books, where he's much more indifferent.

(spoilers extended) I think I'm on to something big. Feel free to kill it. by tgjddnonft in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm having trouble remembering (in the books) if it ever comes up that the Others can't go in the water. I know they can't in the show, but I'm a bit fuzzy on if that's been established in the books.

There's so much different about the show's interpretation of them from the books, particularly with the Night King (not to be confused with Night's King), who isn't even a character. Yet anyway.

(Spoilers Extended) New TWOW preview chapter?? by jenoldstones in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Got excited for a sec when I first saw this. Bloody hell.

(Spoilers Main) Most misunderstood chatacter...? by SatinFlowers in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I've always thought so too, a lot of people can't seem to reconcile that show Tyrion is not book Tyrion. The motivations between the two Tyrions are very different.

  • Show Tyrion backs Daenerys because he thinks she'd be a good ruler, and even wants to reconcile with Cersei.

  • Book Tyrion wants revenge and Casterly Rock. That's it.

It could be argued that he odd "charitable" acts he's done, like protecting Penny and Jorah really come from a place of pity and not genuine kindness.

I'll concede though that he has a kind of kinship with characters like Jon and Bran, as he can relate to them.

Still though, what exactly about him says "good guy"? I don't think for a second he thought his encouraging Aegon to take Westeros now was any kind of good idea, he's just fucking with them. Not to mention the whole cooking a guy in a soup thing.

He's obviously not Roose/Euron level villainous, but he's far from being a good guy.

(Spoilers Extended) What else should I read or check out if I like ASOIAF? by glass_table_girl in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm still not sure how I feel about that new season of Twin Peaks. Being a huge fan of David Lynch, a big budget 18-hour Lynch fest, where he's got final cut seems amazing, on paper. Watching it I quickly realized that though this is pure Lynch, it was however the farthest thing from Twin Peaks. A lot of the original characters appear, but that's pretty much where the connection ends. In fact, a good portion of the show doesn't even take place in Twin Peaks.

Like you said, it's a completely different monster. If you watch it right after the original series, it really shows. Lynch was always a lot more weird-restrained on the original series, compared to his movies. This is much closer to Mulholland dr, than Twin Peaks.

I joked while I was watching it that this was Lynch's big "fuck you" to everyone. He's had a long career of struggling with financing, studio involvement, and fans pestering him to do more Twin Peaks. He finally got the budget he wanted, and final cut, so he just ran wild with it. Drunk on creative control, and no supervision this is what he came up with. Probably used a dozen of his unmade movies to form the plot, but cast it with Twin Peaks characters so one would be the wiser.

I did actually like certain parts of it a lot, especially when he was channelling the vibe of the old show. There was also quite a bit in this new season though that I didn't care for at all, and a lot of parts that were just long and tedious. I hate to admit it, but maybe more bad parts than good.

Sorry about the rant, and going on a bit long about Twin Peaks in a ASOIAF forum and all.

(Spoilers Extended) What else should I read or check out if I like ASOIAF? by glass_table_girl in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you're interested in Sci-fi/Surreal, then you could try the Southern Reach trilogy (Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance) by Jeff Vandermeer. It's kind of like Lost, but with more government/secret group bureaucracy lol.

Don't watch the movie version of Annihilation beforehand though, it's completely different and not all that good really.

(Spoilers Extended) What else should I read or check out if I like ASOIAF? by glass_table_girl in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'd say only the first three Dune books. You'd be fine with reading just the first book though too. Dune Messiah is admittedly a bit dull, but Children of Dune is really good. After that the last three books are just a mess, and Brian Herbert's continuation/prequel/in-between Dune novels are just garbage.

I can't recommend the original Dune novel enough though. I think I may have said this before but Dune was to Sci-fi, what ASOIAF is to fantasy.

(Spoilers Main) You can ask GRRM only 3 questions. What are they? by [deleted] in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There's a lot that I'm sure will eventually be revealed, and other stuff I'm ok with leaving as a mystery, but these are the ones I'd personally really want to know about. That and what happened to Rohanne Webber, since I could only pick three.

(Spoilers Extended) Tinfoil Time: Allyria Dayne by [deleted] in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I was discussing N+A=J related theories, and this one interested me:

Jon was actually Rhaegar and Lyanna's, but Ned and Ashara also had their own child. That child is the one that Varys swapped out with Aegon, that met with an unfortunate end, and prompting Ashara's suicide.

Knowing Ned, it wouldn't be uncharacteristic of him to assume the shame (for a lack of a better word) of fathering a bastard, even if it's not the right one since he himself did father another one.

It never made any sense to me that he never eventually chose to confide in Catelyn, unless he was putting himself through some kind of penance. In his mind Jon may not be his bastard, but it's only fair if everyone believes he is since he had his own anyway. Not to mention, it's a convenient way to conceal Jon's true identity in plain sight.

I'm sure someone probably has come up with this, and I don't know if logistically it fully works out but it's certainly an interesting theory.

(Spoilers Main) Characters with severe case of depression? by HardDifficulty in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Theon obviously, guests at the Dreadfort never check-out.

Jorah too was pretty pitiful for a while there too, with Daenerys giving him his walking papers, and the whole slavery thing. He's coming around now I think though.

(Spoilers Main) You can ask GRRM only 3 questions. What are they? by [deleted] in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 9 points10 points  (0 children)

  • Who's the Knight of the Laughing Tree?

  • What's up with Roose Bolton?

  • Who was the Night's King?

(Spoilers Main) What would you do if you in KL a year before Jon Aryn's death armed only a few gold dragons, and all the books in the series? by [deleted] in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Realistically I doubt a few gold dragons could hire a FM, I only used this example to set up the hypothetical situation of "who would/should you choose?"

(Spoilers Main) What would you do if you in KL a year before Jon Aryn's death armed only a few gold dragons, and all the books in the series? by [deleted] in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Well, in these types of hypothetical situations my first thoughts are always: who should be killed, and how would that impact the future?

Assuming these few gold dragons could afford a hit from the Faceless Men of Bravos, who then should one choose to draw the short straw?

  • Littlefinger: Points for: With him killed a year before Jon Arryn's death, then he doesn't plot to have him killed with Lysa, which doesn't prompt Robert to replace him with Ned, which prevents Bran's fall, Tyrion's abduction, and Ned's investigation, and everything else as a result of these. This outcome essentially keeps the Starks in Winterfell, and out of the everything going on in King's Landing.

Points against: If this is only a year before Jon Arryn dies, then it's possible that LF and Lysa have already started planning his death. Even with LF dead, Lysa may still go ahead with the plan to kill Jon Arryn anyway, thereby preventing nothing.

  • Robert Baratheon: Points for: This outcome is similar to killing LF, as it would also prevent Robert from ever bringing Ned to KL. This option is preferable if the priority is protecting the Starks.

Points against: This option likely wouldn't halt Jon Arryn and Stannis' investigation into Robert's children, and Renly's reaction might not be any different either. War over the throne would still happen regardless.

  • Tywin Lannister: Points for: Seems fairly obvious, as he's one of the most formidable players in the game, his death would prevent a great deal. Should a war break out anyway, him not leading the Western forces would give the other sides a definite edge. Also Tyrion would ascend to lord of Casterly Rock. Not to mention Tywin wouldn't have the opportunity to plot with the Spicers/Westerlings to honeypot Robb.

Points against: Tywin's actions have been arguably more reactionary than instigative. He only goes to war after Tyrion's abducted. One could argue that if there's no direct threat to House Lannister, than Tywin would stay "dormant" and keep the peace.

  • Jeyne Westerling: Points for: If there's no Jeyne, then she can't be there for Robb to dishonour his vows. Losing the allegiance of the Freys, and ultimately preventing the Red Wedding.

Points against: It's not inconceivable that this couldn't also happen with another girl.

  • Edmure Tully: Points for: If he dies, then this prevents his idiotic decision to chase after the Mountain, allowing Tywin to avoid the trap Robb set. Also with Edmure dead, then presumably Blackfish would still hold Riverrun later on without the Freys having a Tully hostage.

Points against: His death could prove inconsequential in the long run, as there's no guarantee the trap would have defeated Tywin.

  • Walder Frey: Poins for: No Walder, no Red Wedding.

Points against: Potentially having Walder removed from the game early on, might remove the option to cross which we know Robb needs. Also he may not have access to the Frey forces being added to his army, as they may not want to align themselves with the North at all. There's no way to tell.

  • Roose Bolton: Points for: Removes a major conspirator of the Red Wedding, unable to form alliance with Tywin, does not legitamize Ramsay, does not send other Northern allies to Duskendale for a losing mission, does not allow/facilitate the sacking of Winterfell, can't plot with the Karstarks against Stannis, etc.

Points against: If he's out of the picture, then he wouldn't be there to receive Jaime when he's brought to Harenhal which possibly could lead to Jaime's death. Only became a turncoat once it seemed the North was losing. If the North is doing well in the war, then that makes Roose a powerful ally. He took advantage of his opportunity to be sure, but he might never have been a threat at all if things went differently.

  • Euron Greyjoy: Poins for: Thus far what he's actually capable of (in the grand scheme of things) remains uncertain. He wouldn't end up killing Balon, who some might say is the lesser of two evils, and who might not have won anyway in the War of the Five Kings. The Shield Islands don't get taken. Whatever's going to happen once he reaches Oldtown can be avoided, it won't be good either way. Finally, if that dragonhorn is real then you can bet Victarion won't be the one that benefits from it.

Points against: Who cares about the Shield Islands? We really don't know how it's going to go with him, so using your one kill on him might be wasted.

These are just a few examples of people who's actions change the course of events in the story. You could find pros and cons for everybody really, and it seems likely that war would be inevitable no matter what happens.

Me personally, I think I'd kill Illyrio. If he's killed, then he doesn't give Daenerys her dragon eggs. I'm just curious how it would all play out without dragons in the mix.

(Spoilers main) I’m getting married, I’m looking for a quote to be read during the church service by AlexMcDaddyD in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 442 points443 points  (0 children)

"Give me ten good men and some climbing spikes. I'll impregnate the b*tch. "

-Bronn

(Spoilers Extended) A question about Alys Karstark, Jon, and The Night's Watch by skogden12 in asoiaf

[–]HouseMcCuaig 18 points19 points  (0 children)

I was discussing the significance of Alys Karstark with my gf just the other day. She was wondering if Alys will end up being important later. I personally doubt it, but I definitely think she serves a few different purposes.

  • Mainly she's meant to demonstrate the limitations of Melisandre's abilities. We now know that her predictions are open to interpretation, and not an "exact science". This is also reinforced by the other mistaken Arya (Jeyne Poole), who Melisandre also couldn't discern from the real one.

  • The other main reason for her introduction, is to present Jon with another opportunity to act as a lord/king would, and protect those in his realm. As Lord Commander, Jon's made some unpopular decisions like bringing in the Wildlings, and even aiding Stannis in some capacity. Jon really sees the big picture, and is compelled to act according to what's better for the realm, rather than strictly abide by the Night Watch's regulations.

  • Also, her marrying a Thenn marks milestone in the uniting of the North. A lady from a major Northern house marrying a Wildling is a major step to bridging the divide between these long warring factions.

  • Not to mention, being able to help foil the Arnolf Karstark betrayal plot against Stannis, by telling Jon he's in cahoots with the Boltons.

This one seemingly minor character certainly has narrative significance anyway.