Game of Thrones Season 5 (TV ONLY)

[Thanas]

And if they want to plunder, there are plenty of discontented little lords in the North Bolton wants wiped out.

[Ralin]

Sellswords that aren't working for Roose Bolton are a direct threat to his authority, and one best dealt with while they're tired and drunk and surrounded by his troops.

That's a great way to never get mercenaries to work for you again. It's not necessary either. Pay them and they'll go looking for work elsewhere.

In this scenario they aren't mercenaries Bolton hired as far as anyone knows. They're mercenaries Stannis hired to fight Roose whom Roose massacred same as the rest of Stannis's troops.

There are only so many people in the North in the market for sellswords right now, and most of them really fucking hate the Boltons.

[Block]

Sellswords that aren't working for Roose Bolton are a direct threat to his authority, and one best dealt with while they're tired and drunk and surrounded by his troops.

That's a great way to never get mercenaries to work for you again. It's not necessary either. Pay them and they'll go looking for work elsewhere.

In this scenario they aren't mercenaries Bolton hired as far as anyone knows. They're mercenaries Stannis hired to fight Roose whom Roose massacred same as the rest of Stannis's troops.

There are only so many people in the North in the market for sellswords right now, and most of them really fucking hate the Boltons.

You're assuming they want to remain in the North.

[GuppyShark]

With Stannis dead and heirless, the Stormlands will be up for grabs - plenty of employment opportunities down south.

[Ralin]

The North is a big place and winter has come. There are any number of ways heading south could be problematic enough to make them say "Fuck it" and look for things to do locally.

I mean hell, look at how they got snowed in on the way to Winterfell

[Simon_Jester]

Sellswords that aren't working for Roose Bolton are a direct threat to his authority, and one best dealt with while they're tired and drunk and surrounded by his troops.

It is, historically, pretty rare for people that hire mercenaries and assassins to immediately turn on them like that. Not unheard of, but rare.

Because the soldiers and assassins fight back, they can take a big bite out of your own loyal troops you used to kill them.

Because even your own loyal troops will wonder, "gee, what if he sends US to do some dirty work and WE become a liability." People will start deserting your service a lot more often.

Because, as noted, no one in their right mind will ever work for you again.

Because, ultimately, it's totally unnecessary. Once you stop paying mercenaries, they generally leave. Indeed, the hard part is usually keeping them from deserting too quickly before the war's over. And if you live in a rough, unpleasant countryside like the North of Westeros as winter's setting in... you are NOT going to have to worry about those mercenaries overstaying their welcome.

They're not a liability. They're not a threat. They're contractors who have far more interest in going home than they do in hanging around to give you a hard time.

The North is a big place and winter has come. There are any number of ways heading south could be problematic enough to make them say "Fuck it" and look for things to do locally.

I mean hell, look at how they got snowed in on the way to Winterfell

By the same token, the odds are that very little campaigning can even happen now that winter's come. Even if the mercenaries do form an army under some northern leader and try something, they're likely to get crushed under a blizzard the same way Stannis almost did.

[Irbis]

Because, ultimately, it's totally unnecessary. Once you stop paying mercenaries, they generally leave. Indeed, the hard part is usually keeping them from deserting too quickly before the war's over. And if you live in a rough, unpleasant countryside like the North of Westeros as winter's setting in... you are NOT going to have to worry about those mercenaries overstaying their welcome.

They have no tabor, no food, no nothing. North is also not known to posses any cities, big inns or stores where you could buy enough food for march south. Real life mercenaries in similar campaigns (like Thirty Years War) tended to just squeeze the food from population as needed, by murdering and pillaging if necessary (and often even if totally unnecessary, just for some extra gold). Indeed, some were so famous of doing so rulers tried to keep them as far away as possible.

What is Roose going to do, give them lots of food he doesn't really have to march South, pay them with money he doesn't have either, or let them pillage and make North hate him (plus get his Warden of the North title into question)? Though, yes, you do have a point killing them doesn't work for him that well too so convincing them to turn might be pyrrhic victory after all, and Stannis might have last laugh in the end.

[Thanas]

or let them pillage and make North hate him (plus get his Warden of the North title into question)?

That is exactly what I expect him to do, nobody gives a damn about the small folk and the little Lords hate him anyway.

[Ralin]

or let them pillage and make North hate him (plus get his Warden of the North title into question)?

That is exactly what I expect him to do, nobody gives a damn about the small folk and the little Lords hate him anyway.

Doesn't exactly leave him much to rule over. Roose is evil and calculating, not the dark lord Sauron

[Thanas]

Why doesn't it? The North is very large and the people hate him anyway. Might just as well reduce their power if it costs him nothing.

[Ralin]

Because they are theoretically his vassals and letting (Southern) sellswords rampage across their lands means that can't send him taxes and troops and pushes them towards open rebellion against him? Which far as I can remember they yet doing.

[Irbis]

That is exactly what I expect him to do, nobody gives a damn about the small folk and the little Lords hate him anyway.

Doesn't feudal contract explicitly say you get to be top dog if you happen to act in interests of people beneath you? Including protection? And if you don't, the very same people will quickly elect someone else to be top dog, who then proceeds to voice his disapproval to old one with business end of the sword? See both Baron Wars in England for one, not to mention dozens of other civil conflicts through medieval era.

The North might reluctantly accepted Boltons as Starks are presumed dead and they were second most powerful house, one recognized by king at that, but they were treading on thin ice as it was, without their mercenaries rampaging unchecked.

[Thanas]

That is exactly what I expect him to do, nobody gives a damn about the small folk and the little Lords hate him anyway.

Doesn't feudal contract explicitly say you get to be top dog if you happen to act in interests of people beneath you? Including protection? And if you don't, the very same people will quickly elect someone else to be top dog, who then proceeds to voice his disapproval to old one with business end of the sword? See both Baron Wars in England for one, not to mention dozens of other civil conflicts through medieval era.

The North might reluctantly accepted Boltons as Starks are presumed dead and they were second most powerful house, one recognized by king at that, but they were treading on thin ice as it was, without their mercenaries rampaging unchecked.

The vassals are not strong enough to challenge the Boltons, who are already in violation of the vassal contract and the most important religious law anyway.

[Ralin]

What evidence is there that the Boltons are so much more powerful then the rest of the North that they don't have to worry about their new vassals? Roose is a monster, but he's a monster smart enough to not want to fight rebellions when he doesn't have to. He knows that if he gives them nothing but the stick he's ensuring the general revolt that has not yet happened.

By religious law do you mean the Red Wedding? Because I don't think Roose killing Robb Stark counts as violating guest right after his host opened fire on the Starks

[Thanas]

What evidence is there that the Boltons are so much more powerful then the rest of the North that they don't have to worry about their new vassals? Roose is a monster, but he's a monster smart enough to not want to fight rebellions when he doesn't have to. He knows that if he gives them nothing but the stick he's ensuring the general revolt that has not yet happened.

Indeed, but letting the mercenaries run rampant is quite common for the times anyway and keep in mind there are territories in open rebellion already he might steer them towards anyway.

By religious law do you mean the Red Wedding? Because I don't think Roose killing Robb Stark counts as violating guest right after his host opened fire on the Starks

I think it does, and even if it did not he killed his sworn overlord after swearing loyalty to him. Sure, royal pardon and traitor and all that.

[Raesene]

Maybe I missed it being posted, but that's Coldplay's special for Red Nose day:

Game of Thrones, The Musical

regarding Jon Snow: Spoiler

Kit Harington still had his Jon Snow-haircut

[Raesene]

Amazon.de has 'Winds of Winter' available as of July, 14th, 2016

[The Grim Squeaker]

Aaaargh. I thought it'd be out this year

[Ralin]

Amazon.de has 'Winds of Winter' available as of July, 14th, 2016

Sweet summer child.

[Pelranius]

Ian McShane is appearing in Season 6, role undisclosed (probably Randyll Tarly if you ask me, he seems a little too old for any one of the Greyjoy brothers). Or he's Aerys in some sort of flashback.

Ian McShane, best known for his terrifying turn as the foul-mouthed anti-hero of Deadwood, will be returning to HBO, by way of Westeros. According to Entertainment Weekly, McShane and his unsettling eyes have been cast in an undisclosed role for season six of Game of Thrones. McShane, who once had a career as a sexy crooner before trying his hand at playing sociopaths, will have “a relatively small amount of screen-time during the season, yet his character is of key importance.” The 72-year-old actor plays scary men of authority, and homocidal Santa Clauses, better than anyone else. We can't wait to see what he does, and who he kills.

http://www.vulture.com/2015/08/ian-mcsh ... son-6.html

And looks like we might have eight seasons of GoT, though given what they've cut out from Season 4 and 5, they might have to invent some new padding to stretch things out to Season 8. http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/30/ga ... ht-seasons

[SCRawl]

Aerys seems unlikely for McShane. I know that this is the TV thread, but Aerys died short of his 40th birthday in that continuity; even with the age inflation in the show that would be a stretch.

[RogueIce]

Given GRRM hasn't even finished writing the series yet, I don't see any issues with going to eight seasons (or beyond?), given so much is still up in the air - at least so far as the audience knows.

[Mr Bean]

Given GRRM hasn't even finished writing the series yet, I don't see any issues with going to eight seasons (or beyond?), given so much is still up in the air - at least so far as the audience knows.

The show runners have the outline, RR Martin has talked with them on where plots are going. The problem is going eight seasons will involve some serious deviation from book material and they have demonstrated before in the past.... their fanfic writing skills are terrible.

[Elfdart]

I hope he doesn't ham it up like he did in Pillars of the Earth.

[RogueIce]

Given GRRM hasn't even finished writing the series yet, I don't see any issues with going to eight seasons (or beyond?), given so much is still up in the air - at least so far as the audience knows.

The show runners have the outline, RR Martin has talked with them on where plots are going. The problem is going eight seasons will involve some serious deviation from book material and they have demonstrated before in the past.... their fanfic writing skills are terrible.

Outlines and preliminary idea can change? I mean if HBO wants it to keep going, who's to say GRRM himself wouldn't think of ways to expand the plot? It's not like the story of ASoIF was engraved on stone tablets or anything, and I'm betting GRRM likes money as much as the next person, so...if he can get away with more books that'll no doubt be bestsellers - especially if the show keeps on being the hot property is now - who can say he won't do so?

That's putting aside of course subjective opinions on whether or not various story elements between the show and books worked or didn't work. This is the 'no books' thread so it's not like the entire audience is going to give a shit about when, where or why it deviates, so long as they think the show itself is still good.

Such as myself.