Episode 286 – Mother’s Mercy
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From a kitchen in a village of Chicago your hosts convene for one final occasion, following a new episode of this fifth Game of Thrones season.
Discussion Topics
Reeling
Is this the end?
Traitors
Bad news
Cliffhangers
Stannis and Theon
Cersei’s season
We’ve made it here
Owns of the Episode
Parting of the ways
Thank you for an incredible fifth season. To the on-season and a nice long wait!
Stannis :’-(
Jammy Hagar is my new favorite hair metal band. He plays all the instruments in the five-piece band.
And you guys have to forgive Stannis, he thought it was bake your daughter to work day. That’s why it’s important to get your grammar, syntax and enunciation correct with Stannis.
Seriously though, I can have empathy for Stannis without feeling sympathy. He got duped by Mel, I have empathy for that. But he made solidly evil choices, for which I have no sympathy.
Did you guys catch that half of Stannis’ army was running the other way, back towards the trees?
Little girls are killed by religious fanatics in OUR day and age. There is nothing new under the sun.
The motivation for the Night’s Watch killing Jon in the show didn’t feel as “justified” compared to the books, I agree. Not only was there tension because of the Wildling situation but he also relinquished command to ride south to Winterfell to save who he thought was Arya. Thus breaking his vows and giving even some Jon sympathizers in the Watch justification for killing him. They were even crying while they were doing it making it seem they were really doing it “for the Watch” and not just because they were former murders and criminals.
As aghast as I was at the revelation that Jon/Kit is gone from the show, I found myself in a search for anything that was done recently to show that good deeds get some redemption – came up with one, sort of.
I call it Renley’s Revenge. Think about it. Renley was gracious to a good woman, Brienne, with no thought of anything but saving her from being hurt and shamed. Stannis had his darling, innocent daughter, and all he could do was allow her to be used, abused and destroyed. He meets an inglorious end at the hand of the woman who was treated well. Poetic, I think.
It’s not much, but I had to find something.
To the GOO crew, and especially Zack: thanks for that fair analysis of Stannis.
Thronetender,
This is simply not true. Besides Davos, Stannis was the only one who treated Shireen decently throughout her life. This was very clear in season 4. It’s very very clear that the sacrifice of Shireen was the greatest sacrifice he could make, and he only just went through with it because he thought it was his duty towards humanity (also, remember the story of Lightbringer having to be tempered in the blood of Nissa Nissa). Stannis wasn’t evil, he wasn’t amoral. He knew very well he had committed many immoral acts, you may even call them crimes. But he was misguided by Melisandre into believing in prophecy, in part because he felt that rule should now go over to him. He believed that these crimes were necessary for the greater good of his kingdom and humanity. Had he become king, he would have been good in ruling (just as Tywin was).
It didn’t show Stannis die. What if he really is Azor Ahai, but not meant to be king. That would be funny to me.
I didn’t want this to end, I love that there’s a positive side to the GoT community
Good job, as usual.
Quick question: are you planning on having Cogman on the podcast again ? I would love to ear some pertinent questions about Dorne thrown his way, and to have his taughts on the arc in general.