Game of Thrones begins....

[Martinus]

I love the fact that CC's "realistic behaviour" would amount to Barristan's virtual character assassination.

I bet he is also mad Ned did not do the smart thing and supported Joffrey. 

[Martinus]

So, havent seen the episode yet (HBO GO does not work on Spanish hotel shitty wifi) but I hear Winterfell is quickly becoming the most interesting location...

[Zanza]

Not that much happened in this episode. A lot of story lines were set up though, so let's see how this season continues.

[crazy canuck]

He was in danger only because he deliberately sought it out.

Yes that is the point.  His duty, as he saw it, was to protect and advise the Queen.  It made no sense for him to choose to enter a fight he would likely lose just to protect unsullied.  Much more likely for him to return to the Queen to ensure she was not being threatened by the attack.  His actions join a long list of characters doing things that are inconsistent with the books and their motivations in the show.

In last night's episode we see why the writer's decided to depart from the books.  It was a short cut the writer's used to show the motivation the Queen had to deal harshly with the Masters.  I think there were other ways of doing that without departing from the books in such a significant way.

This is a really outrageous reasoning - Barristan running away from danger so "he can live longer and serve his queen" would be really out of character for him.

It would be outrageous if someone was reasoning that way.  Barristan hearing the sounds of battle and hurrying back to his Queen to ensure she is safe would really be in character.

[Berkut]

He was in danger only because he deliberately sought it out.

Yes that is the point.  His duty, as he saw it, was to protect and advise the Queen.  It made no sense for him to choose to enter a fight he would likely lose just to protect unsullied.  Much more likely for him to return to the Queen to ensure she was not being threatened by the attack.  His actions join a long list of characters doing things that are inconsistent with the books and their motivations in the show.

In last night's episode we see why the writer's decided to depart from the books.  It was a short cut the writer's used to show the motivation the Queen had to deal harshly with the Masters.  I think there were other ways of doing that without departing from the books in such a significant way.

This is a really outrageous reasoning - Barristan running away from danger so "he can live longer and serve his queen" would be really out of character for him.

It would be outrageous if someone was reasoning that way.  Barristan hearing the sounds of battle and hurrying back to his Queen to ensure she is safe would really be in character.

Indeed - I think either response is perfectly fine from a character standpoint.

My objection is more about him wandering about alone to begin with - I agree that he would certainly have an escort with him.

Him wandering about alone would be like Dick Cheney wandering around Baghdad alone a few months after the US takeover. Even if Cheney was a bad ass ex-Navy Seal.


Barristan would certainly have an escort. However, that would not really change the outcome of the story, so it is mostly a nit.

[The Minsky Moment]

I mean, his nickname is Barristan the Bold, not Barristan the Prudent.

[MP] "When danger reared its ugly head . . ." [/MP]

[The Larch]

I guess that now...[spoiler]Jorah Mormont will also take over parts of Jon Connington's role, because of the greyscale?[/spoiler].

Also, it seems that things are gearing up to a big showdown in Winterfell.

While I commend HBO for gay sex and nudity on the show, they turned one gay character (Loras) into a joke and now seem to be cutting out Connington for Jorah. 

What does one thing have to do with the other?

[grumbler]

I don't think we ever saw, or read about, a Kingsguard with an escort.  There were three of the at the Tower of Joy, during a war, and none of them had escorts.  Barriston was a Kingsguard for 38 years.  I doubt he even considered changing that practice.

Now, I think it is fair to ask why Ser Barriston had no squires (one of whom would presumably be with him in the streets of Mereen), but I think that the answer that the show skipped them for the sake of time (they are in the book) is perfectly satisfactory.  As Berkut notes, they wouldn't have saved him anyway, so this is a nit.

[grumbler]

BTW, Iwan Rheon as Ramsey Bolton really out-did himself this episode.  I found his character kinda meh (though it had lots of potential in the creepy department, he seemed to be over-doing it) in previous episodes, but the actor out-did himself in episode 5.  I felt no impulse to fast-forward through his scenes to get to Roose in ep 5.

[crazy canuck]

I suppose the gratuitous nudity used to spice up his scene worked for some viewers.   

[grumbler]

Yeah, that gratuitous nudity bit was a new concept, for some viewers who haven't been paying any attention to the series until now.

[crazy canuck]

I am not sure why it would be a new concept. They have been attempting to make his character interesting for a while now.  It finally worked for you.  Glad to hear it.

[grumbler]

Sorry, but you can't have my argument.

[Martinus]

Yeah, the actor really inhabits that role and I like the fact that the writers made Ramsay more complex than in the books, without making him likeable.

Btw, the actor also has a recurring role in a quaint BBC sitcom opposite Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi.

[garbon]

Btw, the actor also has a recurring role in a quaint BBC sitcom opposite Ian McKellen and Derek Jacobi.