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Game of Thrones

Started by stromboli, June 03, 2013, 11:22:51 AM

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Blackleaf

There's one thing I've been wondering for a while, and the series never gave a direct answer to it, most likely on purpose to leave some room for discussion. What is the nature of the gods? While most gods are silent, and may not exist, there are two gods we can confirm exist due to their influence. First is the God of Death, and the second is the Lord of Light. Appropriate, since the two seem to have opposite spheres and goals. Or do they?

One thing I wonder is if these two gods are in reality the same being. Think about what is associated with the Lord of Light. Sure, the god has the power to resurrect the dead, but it also demands human sacrifices. Seems a little odd that a god of life would demand death in exchange for its favors. The Red Lady, who is this god's representative, also uses magic to cast curses and summon dark shadowy monsters to assassinate enemies. This god chooses a man, says he's destined to become king, then lets him die in battle. Then that same god resurrects a second man, says he is destined to become king, and he gets banished. Is there really only the one god, playing both sides of the board, just fucking with everyone?
"Oh, wearisome condition of humanity,
Born under one law, to another bound;
Vainly begot, and yet forbidden vanity,
Created sick, commanded to be sound."
--Fulke Greville--

Hydra009

I dunno about the show, but for the book series, GRRM says that we'll never really get concrete answers on the gods or the truths of the religions.

While things certainly seem supernatural, they may not be in reality.  Arya's face changing is likely a glamor (a sort of illusion that a perceptive person can see through), Mel's magic is at least partially illusion, skinchanging/greensight is real but it's not necessarily linked to a god, and finally, there's blood magic.  Very little is definitively known about this.  We know little about Rhllor and virtually nothing about The Great Other.

A running theme in GRRM's books is for nonhumans with powerful abilities to pose as Gods and trick humans into fighting for them against other humans.

Fans have speculated for years that the children of the forest - rather than being benevolent mentors of humanity like most nature races are depicted - are actually trying to wipe out humanity and are trying to control Bran in order to use him to control other humans.

Hydra009

[spoiler]

The maid (maiden) of Tarth is a virgin?  Who could have guessed![/spoiler]

Baruch

Quote from: Hydra009 on May 23, 2019, 10:40:35 AM
[spoiler]

The maid (maiden) of Tarth is a virgin?  Who could have guessed![/spoiler]

Being ascetic on food, drink and sex, lets a person build up their "tamas" or vedic power.  If you want the closest modern analogy with a polytheist GoT ... you have to go with Hinduism.
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Hydra009

#650
Fan script doctor for s8e3:

[spoiler]

I wanted Brienne to live but this would be such a huge gutpunch that GoT fans would lose their shit (in a good way) like they used to.[/spoiler]

Edit - bigger version of the same image for better readability:

[spoiler][/spoiler]

Hydra009

#651
The Game of Thrones fandom wiki has some real gems in their notes about each episode:

(s8e6 spoiler)

[spoiler]When Brienne is updating Jaime Lannister's entry in the White Book, she writes that he fought in the "Battle of the Goldroad" - a name invented by Game of Thrones Wiki itself.

In behind the scenes videos from Season 7, the showrunners didn't bother to give it a formal, in-universe name, and just referred to it as "the Loot Train Attack" (capitalized) in production materials. Various review sites also pointed out it would be silly to consider this an in-universe name. After several rounds of discussion, the Game of Thrones Wiki Administrators invented on their own the in-universe name "Battle of the Goldroad" - on the logic that they were stated to be crossing the Blackwater River, but were not within sight of King's Landing, and the only other crossing is father upstream from the city, where the Goldroad crosses over it.

This could indicate that the TV writers have read this very wiki itself to copy the name the Administrative staff invented, because they never came up with their own in-universe name for it.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Sansa correctly states that the North was once an independent kingdom and that the Northmen fought to regain that independence. Left unsaid is that all the other regions of the Seven Kingdoms were also once independent kingdoms, save for the Riverlands and the Crownlands, which were carved out of other kingdoms. Three of those other regions had also fought for independence from the Iron Throne in recent memory: The Iron Islands fought for independence in the War of the Five Kings and the Greyjoy Rebellion, the Riverlands had attempted to join with the North under Robb Stark, and the Vale had joined with the North under Jon Snow. Thus, it's a bit curious that only the North demands independence.

(*coughUnbowedUnbentUnbroken*)[/spoiler]

Shiranu

Quote from: Hydra009 on May 23, 2019, 06:02:44 PM
Fan script doctor for s8e3:

[spoiler]

I wanted Brienne to live but this would be such a huge gutpunch that GoT fans would lose their shit (in a good way) like they used to.[/spoiler]

Bruuuuuuh
"A little science distances you from God, but a lot of science brings you nearer to Him." - Louis Pasteur

Hydra009

Quote from: Shiranu on May 23, 2019, 09:04:11 PM
Bruuuuuuh
I know, right?  And there a dozens and dozens more just like that.

And I would give my 3rd kidney to for any one of these fan scripts to be on screen.  Hell, I have literally come up better writing for this show off the top of my head while watching this show.  And unless D&D and the many, many people who worked with them on GoT are running their operation out of their basement, they definitely have the advantage.

This stuff is so maddeningly frustrating.  It's like baking a masterful tiered wedding cake and nailing the first 4 layers and then sloppily shoving the next two on it and then chucking a bowling ball on top.  It's such a colossal waste of talent and effort.

Mr.Obvious

So.  Gf anD I finally got to 'got season 8'
Watched the first to ep. Not sure where the hate is coming from. Top tier got? Nah, but perfectly serviceable so far.
IMHO.
"If we have to go down, we go down together!"
- Your mum, last night, requesting 69.

Atheist Mantis does not pray.

Hydra009

Quote from: Mr.Obvious on May 25, 2019, 04:04:17 PM
So.  Gf anD I finally got to 'got season 8'
Watched the first to ep. Not sure where the hate is coming from. Top tier got? Nah, but perfectly serviceable so far.
IMHO.
Ep1 is okay.  Ep2 is excellent.  It's in episode 3 and after that it starts falling apart.

Mr.Obvious

Quote from: Hydra009 on May 25, 2019, 05:27:20 PM
Ep1 is okay.  Ep2 is excellent.  It's in episode 3 and after that it starts falling apart.

Just finished ep 3 with the gf

[spoiler]Arya Azor Ahai-ing the place up was a bit strange, but I can get behind it.[/spoiler]

Other than that, we enjoyed it quite a lot.

And I've heard cleganebowl is still on the horizon, so. There's that.
"If we have to go down, we go down together!"
- Your mum, last night, requesting 69.

Atheist Mantis does not pray.

Hydra009

Quote from: Mr.Obvious on May 25, 2019, 05:29:53 PM
And I've heard cleganebowl is still on the horizon, so. There's that.
GET HYPE

Blackleaf

Season 8 is definitely one of those things that seems fine on first viewing, but starts showing its cracks as soon as you stop to think about what's happening.
"Oh, wearisome condition of humanity,
Born under one law, to another bound;
Vainly begot, and yet forbidden vanity,
Created sick, commanded to be sound."
--Fulke Greville--

Baruch

Quote from: Blackleaf on May 25, 2019, 11:30:06 PM
Season 8 is definitely one of those things that seems fine on first viewing, but starts showing its cracks as soon as you stop to think about what's happening.

Why would you want to see it more than once? ;-)
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.