Game of Thrones begins....

[Josquius]

Yeah. Big redemption of Jaime setup. He seems more anti Tyrion here than in the  books

[grumbler]

Oh, and another piece of evidence that Varys is working against Dani:  Hot Pie knows that Jon Snow is king of the North, but Dani does not.  Varys, the all-knowing Spider, doesn't know what Hot Pie knows?  Yeah.   Had Dani known about Jon, she would presumably have seen him immediately as a potential ally, since he also opposed the Lannisters, and would have treated with him first thing.  Having Jon as an ally might have emboldened Dani to seek a more rapid resolution against the Lannisters, and Varys doesn't seem to want that.

[grumbler]

More Varys speculation:  AFAICR, we know of only one major character that also shaved his head in the Martin books, Egg, who did so in order to hide his Targaryn heritage, revealed by his hair.  Is it possible that Varys is related to the Targaryns, maybe as a Blackfyre?  That would explain why he was used by the wizard who castrated him (he would have had "the blood of kings") and provides him with a motive to ensure that Dani isn't too strong when she takes the throne.  He would be (as far as he knows) her heir, were he the last Blackfyre.

[Zanza]

The Blackfyres are likely not part of the TV series' canon. They also dropped that Targaryen (pretender?) that was introduced in the last books as part of some mercenary band that invaded Westeros (can't remember the name, Golden something and the Targaryen is supposedly Aegon V).

Aemon is dead, so Dany and Jon are the only Targaryens left in the TV series.

[HVC]

I hope Varys isn't a double agent for Cersei. it would seem to go against his character.

[grumbler]

The Blackfyres are likely not part of the TV series' canon. They also dropped that Targaryen (pretender?) that was introduced in the last books as part of some mercenary band that invaded Westeros (can't remember the name, Golden something and the Targaryen is supposedly Aegon V).

Aemon is dead, so Dany and Jon are the only Targaryens left in the TV series.

There is no evidence that the Blackfyres are not part of the series canon - Selmy Barriston gained his fame by killing the last of the Blackfyre pretenders.  The Aegon V bit was dropped, as it was an added complication (in the books, he is almost certainly a Blackfyre himself, descended from the female line), but there could still be a Varys - Blackfyre connection. 

[grumbler]

I hope Varys isn't a double agent for Cersei. it would seem to go against his character.

He wouldn't be pro-Cersei so much as pro-chaos.  Remember when Oberyn Martell and Varys are alone i the throne room, and Oberyn questions Varys's claim that he is glad to be spared passions?  Oberyn says that everyone is passionate about something, so what is Varys passionate about?  Varys doesn't answer, but looks meaningfully at the empty throne.

Varys could be scheming towards the throne himself.  And the only other possibilities for the traitor are Missande and Tyrion, and neither of them have shown even a possible motive as yet.

[viper37]

Varys doesn't answer, but looks meaningfully at the empty throne.

I don't think he wants the throne for himself.  Well, he may want it, but he's smart enough to realize he couldn't hold it, having no support at all.

What he may be inclined for, is a form of anarchy, or proto-democracy with power to the small people instead of nobles living in their castles, removed from the common folk, like his orphan little birds.

[viper37]

Varys could be scheming towards the throne himself.  And the only other possibilities for the traitor are Missande and Tyrion, and neither of them have shown even a possible motive as yet.

Well, there are other possibilities.

The leak could be unintentional.  With the Tyrell and the Dornish aware of the plans, maybe someone on their side has been relaying information to Cersei.  It wouldn't be the first time someone opposed to the Lannister has switched camp. 

Or she really has a keen sense of strategy we haven't seen in her yet, able to guess Tyrion's move before he makes it.

[grumbler]

Well, there are other possibilities.

The leak could be unintentional.  With the Tyrell and the Dornish aware of the plans, maybe someone on their side has been relaying information to Cersei.  It wouldn't be the first time someone opposed to the Lannister has switched camp. 

Or she really has a keen sense of strategy we haven't seen in her yet, able to guess Tyrion's move before he makes it.

One leak is possibly explicable to loose lips or some small-time traitor.  Two, though?  Coincidence can only stretch so far.

Not to mention Varys's repeated failures to keep Dani abreast of events like the evacuation of Casterly Rock (even if after the Unsullied had sortied), Jon's coronation, and even the rumors, a year old by now, that he was raised from the dead. 

[HVC]

I don't think Varys has the network he used to. Quiburn took his little birds.

I always saw him as the order to little fingers chaos. Little finger uses chaos to climb the ladder as he mentions.  Varys served to keep the realm stable. Robert was a crappy king, but a good ruler since he delegated and kept peace for 17 year (except for the iron born rebelian) so Varys strived to keep him in power, going so far as to trying to assassinate dani to keep the peace. Once he was gone Varys switched to dani because for the most part whee she conquered she brought peace stability and order. I don't see him helping cersei, who is definitely not a stabilizing force.

[HVC]

Also, for some reason I think dani is going to turn bad. She's shown some sign of the targyrian madness and blood lust. We have one sane dragon in John, so the crazy coin might have landed for dani.

[grumbler]

I don't think Varys has the network he used to. Quiburn took his little birds.

I always saw him as the order to little fingers chaos. Little finger uses chaos to climb the ladder as he mentions.  Varys served to keep the realm stable. Robert was a crappy king, but a good ruler since he delegated and kept peace for 17 year (except for the iron born rebelian) so Varys strived to keep him in power, going so far as to trying to assassinate dani to keep the peace. Once he was gone Varys switched to dani because for the most part whee she conquered she brought peace stability and order. I don't see him helping cersei, who is definitely not a stabilizing force.

Varys undermined the Mad King, Raegar, and Robert.  He sent the assassin for Dani, but also sent Barriston Selmy to save her (because she hadn't married Kal Dorgo yet).  He only "switched to" Dani's side when Viserys, his first choice to lead the Dothraki against Westeros, was killed.

I don't think he wants a stabilizing force.  Viserys would not have been a stabilizing force.  Quite the opposite.

Qyburn has a handful of the "little birds," but couldn't possibly have them all.  How could he?  He wouldn't know who they were.  Varys let him have enough to keep the chaos going in King's Landing (death of Pycell, destruction of the Great Sept).

[grumbler]

Also, for some reason I think dani is going to turn bad. She's shown some sign of the targyrian madness and blood lust. We have one sane dragon in John, so the crazy coin might have landed for dani.

To some extent, for sure.  But, then, there is also a great deal of frustration on her part. 

I dunno why she wantonly destroyed the supplies she said in the earlier scene she needed.  She was passing down the Lannister line, and, instead of roasting the soldiers, burned the line of wagons.  Huh?

That first bit of the battle, where the dragon burns a whole in the Lannister line so the Dothraki could break the shield wall, was awesome.  One of the best scenes in the entire series. 

[Josephus]

Sometimes i think the show/story would be better without dragons, though.  Sometimes, like today, I got so wrapped up in the whole battle with the Dotharki, and then the dragons came and I'm like....meh...almost deus ex machina.