Game of Thrones Season 3 (Spoilers)

[Imperial Overlord]

Remember the purely viewing audience doesn't really know the Boltons until know. They just know that Lord Bolton is more rutheless than Rob, not that he's an sociopathic, sadistic asshole. By the third book we knew that the Boltons were bad people. Now the viewing audience is learning, by way of how they're treating Theon and what they'll do to Brienne and Jamie. This is necessary groundwork for the Red Wedding, so the Bolton betrayal doesn't come out of the blue.

[Ralin]

This is necessary groundwork for the Red Wedding, so the Bolton betrayal doesn't come out of the blue.

I sort of have this theory that show Roose Bolton didn't decide to betray Robb until he dismissed Bolton to talk to what's her name not-Jayne Westerling and Bolton realized that it was going to end badly for all concerned and decided to jump ship. More opportunism than something he had planned from the start.

A friend of mine pointed out that this doesn't really fit with the book version of events, what with the army Bolton sent to get chewed up at Duskendale and all, but it seems to fit with that look that show Bolton gives them as he's leaving the tent.

[streetad]

They can't really outright reveal that Theon is being held at the Dreadfort without also revealing that the Bolton's were responsible for burning down Winterfell and tipping the viewer off too much about their betrayal. I did suspect the line of questioning i.e. 'why did you attack Winterfell' was an attempt to make it seem that Theon was being held by the Ironborn. (although there was a nice visual clue if you compare the shape of the torture device Theon is strapped to with the image on the Bolton banner).

[Thanas]

This is necessary groundwork for the Red Wedding, so the Bolton betrayal doesn't come out of the blue.

I sort of have this theory that show Roose Bolton didn't decide to betray Robb until he dismissed Bolton to talk to what's her name not-Jayne Westerling and Bolton realized that it was going to end badly for all concerned and decided to jump ship. More opportunism than something he had planned from the start.

I thought this was actually the most accepted theory? Fits in perfectly with Jaimie talking to him at Harrenhall and all.

[Ralin]

I thought this was actually the most accepted theory? Fits in perfectly with Jaimie talking to him at Harrenhall and all.

Don't know, I really don't have much to do with the series' fan community. My friend and I hadn't read the books recently at the time, so she may have been hazy on the sequence of events when she pointed this out, and I had actually forgotten about Duskendale.

Though the "It's wolves that I mean to hunt" line in book two certainly makes it sound like Bolton's betrayal was planned well in advance.

[Imperial Overlord]

The books establish that the Boltons have flayed Starks in the past and they aren't the most beloved of the Stark bannermen. Thus the Boltons jumping ship when it starts to look bad, or waiting for an opportunity to turn on them and Rob handing it on a platter, made sense.

[Ralin]

The books establish that the Boltons have flayed Starks in the past and they aren't the most beloved of the Stark bannermen. Thus the Boltons jumping ship when it starts to look bad, or waiting for an opportunity to turn on them and Rob handing it on a platter, made sense.

Pretty sure that was fairly ancient history by Game of Thrones?

Also I think I remembered my own theory wrong; it was more that I got the feeling that show Bolton turning on Robb was motivated as much by self-preservation than anything else. i.e., he saw the chemistry between Robb and not-Jayne and decided to get off the Stark train before the wreck.

Anyway, I know it has problems and it's mainly just from reading a lot into the look Bolton gives Robb.

[Vympel]

Yeah, House Bolton bent the knee to the Kings in the North 1,000 years before the events of the books, then rebelled around 300 years later. So they'd been loyal for 700 years.

[Imperial Overlord]

Yeah, House Bolton bent the knee to the Kings in the North 1,000 years before the events of the books, then rebelled around 300 years later. So they'd been loyal for 700 years.

I took it as foreshadowing when I read it and was not surprised at all when they turned. Again, the book gave lots of clues for the readers to pick up on and the series hasn't (and really hasn't had the time to do so). With the Red Wedding approaching, the ground needs to be laid so we have Boltons lying about what happened at Winterfell (we saw Theon's men turn on him last season and they didn't burn Winterfell), torturing defenseless people, and about to be really nasty to Jaime and Brienne.

[Vympel]

I took it as foreshadowing when I read it and was not surprised at all when they turned. Again, the book gave lots of clues for the readers to pick up on and the series hasn't (and really hasn't had the time to do so). With the Red Wedding approaching, the ground needs to be laid so we have Boltons lying about what happened at Winterfell (we saw Theon's men turn on him last season and they didn't burn Winterfell), torturing defenseless people, and about to be really nasty to Jaime and Brienne.

I think the most obvious lie about Winterfell in the show is Roose's claim that when his bastard arrived the Ironborn had already sacked it.

[CaptHawkeye]

I'm wondering if the Starks wouldn't had just been better off absolutely crushing the Boltons years ago and razing the Dreadfort. Would you want one of the most impressive fortresses in the North under the command of a family with such a notorious reputation?

[Scrib]

It's simply not how things generally work in Westeros. Well, it happens but really rarely.

The Boltons fought a long war with the Starks and held their own, the Starks couldn't just raze their lands. And after they swore fealty we have no indication that they were anything other than normal vassals until Bolton. Butchering someone who has accepted your rule would probably strike the Westerosi as dishonorable, assuming that the Boltons ever put themselves in Stark hands before they fully assimilated.

Butchering someone for having a terrible sigil is also not happening.

[Mr Bean]

Not to mention like all hereditary concerns there is Bolton blood in the Stark lines. We have no idea if the Boltons that flayed Stark's are related at all to the Boltons of today's Westeros. Heck Lord Bolton might be a direct descendent of a 700 year old Stark 2nd or 3rd son who took the name and married a widow to claim the Bolton lands and bring loyalty to the King in the North.

[Flagg]

Ladies and Gentlemen, let's all give Sir Jaime a hand...

[Mr Bean]

Ladies and Gentlemen, let's all give Sir Jaime a hand...

How about a hi-five instead? Oh..... Okay what about a fist bump instead? Oh... hmm A hearty handshake and a... you know what never mind.

[Elfdart]

I haven't read the books but I knew Jamie was fucked when that guy pulled out the Bowie Knife.

[CaptHawkeye]

Ladies and Gentlemen, let's all give Sir Jaime a hand...

How about a hi-five instead? Oh..... Okay what about a fist bump instead? Oh... hmm A hearty handshake and a... you know what never mind.

[Peter Griffin]You...you have no hand sir.[/Peter Griffin]

[Mr Bean]

Can I say the crowning moment of this episode was not the end but Pod's payment and then return. The lead up was excellent then we get a little bit about how Littlefinger was such a good master of coin and then... Pod walks in and hands back the money... the entire conversation there was glorious.

It's like season 1 Tyrion story about bringing a jackass and a honeycomb into a brothel... you don't need to tell the story just the fade out as Pod starts giving details is brilliant.

[Elfdart]

Usually the scenes with Danerys are my cue to get up and get drinks, go to the bathroom or whatever because they bore me. Not this season! Three guesses why...




Which led to this awkward conversation:

Me: <double take> Whoa.

Her: She has serious boobs!

Me: Uh, what was the question?

After Jamie gets his hand cut off:

Her: Awwww, poor thing!

Me: Huh? You hate Jamie...

Her: No, I mean you.

Me: Why?

Her: Because you're just dying to see that translator girl naked and now you have to wait at least another week!

Me: You're mean.

[Scrib]

Can I say the crowning moment of this episode was not the end but Pod's payment and then return. The lead up was excellent then we get a little bit about how Littlefinger was such a good master of coin and then... Pod walks in and hands back the money... the entire conversation there was glorious.

Yeah, that was hilarious. It seems clear that he didn't sleep with them, which I liked

Also, fuck the song at the end. Fuck it.

[Elfdart]

Definitely a WTF? moment.

[Haruko]

Ladies and Gentlemen, let's all give Sir Jaime a hand...

How about a hi-five instead? Oh..... Okay what about a fist bump instead? Oh... hmm A hearty handshake and a... you know what never mind.

[Peter Griffin]You...you have no hand sir.[/Peter Griffin]

It's really Jaime's fault for being a handful.

[Vaporous]

Also, fuck the song at the end. Fuck it.

Na,h that was brilliant. It fit the schizophrenic tone of the episode perfectly.

[Darth Quorthon]

I'm assuming that the guy calling Theon's "rescuer" a bastard is a hint that it's Ramsay Snow.

[The Yosemite Bear]

of course mind rape to go along with the previous sadism, so the boltons are just fucking sadistic to 11.