BobbyWhioux

True King, you say?

Been so long since Renly's death people forget Stannis starts out all but literally making the Faustian Bargain and selling his soul for power. Also, in the prologue to A Clash Of Kings Stannis cuts his debut promo and it's declaring war on Joffrey. And Joffrey's such an effective heel coming off the end of A Game Of Thrones that Stannis gets a de facto face rub from targeting him. And even after throwing in with Melisandre (who at this early point comes across as full on satanic priestess [albeit this is through Davos' eyes]), and using black magic to assassinate his brother, and using it AGAIN to kill his [bastard] nephew's legal guardian so he can abduct said nephew (and eventually plan to sacrifice him)... ...Stannis is STILL the de facto babyface in the Battle of Blackwater because he's going up against Joffrey. Stannis also bails out Jon/The Night's Watch and then marches on Papi Bolton & Boltoncito to keep that de facto face vibe going. And Melisandre turns out to not necessarily be quite the Mephisto she initially appears to be. But yeah, Stannis starts out selling his soul for power/murdering his brother and that's Pure Heel.

Houses Umber and Karstark are actually both divided into two factions in the books, and their Stark/Bolton support is split. Obviously the show can't convey this when each family is streamlined to one on-screen representative. Not that I'm complaining. Character bloat should be reined in and you can achieve the same effect by having the Northern Lords divided on a macro level. I would, however, like to point out that they kept an inferior Umber name "Smalljon" instead of going with the book's pro-Bolton Umber, whose epithet is "Whoresbane"

Ramsay is a midcarder/shock and cheap pop gimmick. Benoiff and Weiss, however, are convinced he's a main event heel and have thus overexposed him, judging by the fatigued reaction I'm reading here and elsewhere (and even feeling myself, a little).

I was holding out hope that Ghost would eat that little jerk, but Jon hanging him is sufficient.

Fuck the DH Forever. Godspeed, Bartolo

Roose seems, in the show, to to have believed he could exert some measure of control over Ramsay by withholding (and selectively granting) paternal approval, the one thing Ramsay shows signs of craving that isn't indulging his own sadistic impulses. And to be fair, through the previous 2 seasons, he was able to do this. He seems to have fatally underestimated how much protection this afforded him once another heir was born, though. In the show he came across more as "good cop" by default, exasperated with his son's excesses. In the books, it's a different matter (EVA's post is spot on).

Ramsay's screen time is far more significant than his page time, yes.

Bronn is chilling with Sallador Saan, Gendry, Hotpie, The Blackfish, Thoros, Beric Dondarrion, and Robin "Still Breastfeeding at 10" Arryn in the 8th Kingdom, known as Creativehasnothingforyou.

Expansion of Qyburncare is more important, I think.

It is unclear, and possibly a bit of both. GRRM has supposedly hinted/confessed that the exaggerated summers and winters of his world have a supernatural basis and that we'll eventually get the answer to that "why?" as well. As far as the show, remember that during last season's Hardhome episode, the WW that Jon eventually killed walked into that burning house where Jon and the Thenn were looking for the Dragonglass, and as the Walker advanced towards them, the flames peeled back and went out. So yes, the Dornish might need to invest in wool caps, scarves, and thick overcoats soon, after all.

Now THERE'S a statement you don't read every day.

"Lets Go WALK-ERS!" *clap, clap, clap-clap-clap* "Lets Go WALK-ERS!" *clap, clap, clap-clap-clap*

Davos' wife has never been seen and not been referenced since Season 3 Episode 1, when he is trying to get his old buddy Sallador Saan to take him back to Stannis and Melisandre (instead of said wife). Saan expects Davos will get executed by Stannis and/or Mel and morbidly promises to take the rest of Davos' bones back to his wife (referencing the bag of bones from his cut-off fingers that he wore like an amulet until they were lost at sea during that battle at the end of Season 2). She (and Saan, for that matter) will probably not be mentioned/seen again.

Ghost Eats Ollie Or We Riot CANE DEWEY EAT OLLIE

Sometimes you just gotta recognize an angle is going nowhere and just feed everyone involved to the meat grinder to salvage something out of it. Kill off everyone in Dorne and just pretend it didn't happen. It's the North and beyond that matters most, anyway.

Reddick has been rotating through wrestler themes throughout his time in Oakland. Austin, the Wolfpack, and Roddy Piper turn up most often. [That's him with the WWE belt a few years back as my avatar.]

thought this would be in here by now:

Wouldn't that make it WAY to easy to fix a game/shave points too? Why do you think he's proposing it?

I will never be upset about a wrestling making their money and getting out with their health. None of them owe me a broken body or brain (or both). In that sense I'm happy to see Bryan go out. But...Bryan's a guy who is going to make me feel a little more conflicted about that than most. Gonna miss having him around and for the last couple years, already have, even though I don't really watch regularly/at all anymore. He was the one guy who -- hearing you guys talk about him and what was starting to go on with him and his World Championship chase -- almost got me back into watching more regularly again. He has/had that appeal.

The problem is no matter what he ended up actually doing or not doing, it would fit right into the narrative that certain Hot Takers want it to fit in. He even could have been perfectly graceful and humble and everything they say they want from him and they'd come back and say "oh he was being sarcastic." The problem is the Hot Taker cottage industry and the market for it.

# I'm retiring, it's mine!

# Held on one season too long!

Von Miller and Luke Kuechley have been treats to watch if you like good Outside or Inside Linebacker (respectively) Play. Strong play from the front 7 of both defenses, in fact. There was a new SB record for longest punt return set (still not a TD though), as well. Everything else though? Not so much.