New behind-the-scenes video and Thrones writers tease biggest battle yet

The official Game of Thrones YouTube channel posted a new behind-the-scenes video focusing on the prosthetics. Lots of behind-the-scenes footage of White Walkers, wights, and others in makeup chairs. But they sneak in some footage of the Hardhome battle as well.

Speaking of battles, James Hibberd of Entertainment Weekly has posted some new quotes from Thrones writers on how season 6 will have their biggest battle yet.

“We wondered, ‘Why don’t you see more fully fleshed-out battles in movies and TV?’” said Dan Weiss, is a showrunner on the series along with David Benioff. “Then you get into the nitty-gritty of what it takes to actually shoot these things in a way that isn’t just helter-skelter chaos but actually gives you a sense of battle geography and the ebb and flow, and you realize why.”

The sequence is in an episode directed by Miguel Sapochnik, who won widespread praise last season for staging “Hardhome.” Shooting the battle took about a month of principal photography. “Miguel did such a fantastic job with ‘Hardhome’ we thought we should bring him back – this time with horses,” Benioff said. “Horses are not easy, at all. And certainly in terms of numbers – number of extras, number of stuntmen, number of shooting days – it’s the biggest we’ve done.”

WinterPhil: Interesting stuff. Looks like a lot of the footage from the vid may actually be from season 5. Certainly all of the Hardhome stuff at the end is from last season. But what about the Night’s King wielding an ice sword at the 1:20 mark? That didn’t appear to be from Hardhome as I don’t think he had a weapon in any of those shots. It looks like it could be the White Walkers and their zombie horde advancing towards some unknown foes in preparation for a battle. Notice Hibberd writes that the “big battle” will contain a host of humans on one side but goes out of his way to avoid calling the other side human. Hmm…

351 Comments

  1. Is that the NK? He hasn’t wielded a weapon in any season yet. We’ve yet to see him fight…

  2. Night’s King at 1.20 is behind the scenes footage for Hardhome. They’re just mucking about.

    Funnily enough he does wield a similiar weapon in the season 6 trailer.

  3. Hundreds of human soldiers on one side of a field, another army on the other side, and then there is a clash that is highly tactical, yet character-driven, and shown from start to finish – a “proper battle,” as Cogman put it.

    Yes it’s pretty interesting he says hundreds of humans on one side and another army on the other. I wonder if it’s after the Winterfell battle that these other guys (that are not specified as human soldiers) show up.

  4. I thought the big Season 6 battle took 17 days to shoot? So it ended up taking a month?

  5. Honestly, I’m tired of all this teasing. the wait for season 6 is agonizing.

    hahaha. JK

    well, not really! Come on!

  6. Valaquen:
    Night’s King at 1.20 is behind the scenes footage for Hardhome. They’re just mucking about.

    Funnily enough he does wield a similiar weapon in the season 6 trailer.

    The Hardhome set had 360º of greenscreen-free camera freedom. That set has an enormous greenscreen in the background. I don’t think it’s Hardhome.

  7. Deesensfan:
    Jack Bauer 24,

    hes a lazy one haha

    Lol yeah he is. I think this season we’ll see the WW advancing to the Wall (with ice spiders to boot) and then have them breach it in the finale. I think this will be the final shot of the season. I don’t know if we’ll see them in any battle action though.

  8. it’s nice to hear that they’re not after shooting a battle scene like in the movies. they’re aiming for better than tv or movies.

  9. Hmmmm…i wonder if they will have some present day fight scenes this season, or it’ll be Bran flashbacks?

  10. Valaquen:
    Night’s King at 1.20 is behind the scenes footage for Hardhome. They’re just mucking about.

    Funnily enough he does wield a similiar weapon in the season 6 trailer.

    No it’s not. That is definately new footage
    Just watch closely the gif WinterPhill just posted, he has a sword and also his armor looks different. In the previous armor you could see part of his arms right under the shoulders, Now it’s completly covered.

  11. Jack Bauer 24,

    Yeah my prediction after hearing we have 8 seasons, is that the WW don’t cross over until after season 6… and I cant see why anyone would go north of the wall after hardhome! So I don’t expect a WW battle this season.

  12. H.Stark:
    I think minutes 0:53, 1:20 and 2:34 are scenes from season 6.

    0:53 to 0:57 (wight), 1:21 to 1:24 (Night’s King, White Walkers and wights) and 2:33 to 2:37 (White Walker and wight). The unfamiliar sets are what give it away —As far as I can see, none of the three are from previous seasons.

  13. The most spoilery stuff in there seems to indicate that the White Walkers and the wights manage to enter the three-eyed raven cave (lots of roots crawling down the walls where they are at).

  14. Connor:
    Is that the 3 Eyed Crows cave the White Walkers are in?? @ 2:34

    That seem to be weirwood roots, so you could be right. Also, in the background of 2:35 to 2:37 you can see what looks like a Child of the Forest.

  15. Luka Nieto: 0:53 to 0:57 (wight), 1:21 to 1:24 (Night’s King, White Walkers and wights) and 2:33 to 2:37 (White Walker and wight). The unfamiliar sets are what give it away —As far as I can see, none of the three are from previous seasons.

    Looks that way, we never seen the Night King with a sword before and his armor is complete at his arms and it looks like they’re marching toward something. It looks like the Wights and White Walkers are in the 3 Eyed Crows cave, just telling by the roots, especially the Wight breaking in through the roots

  16. Luka Nieto,

    Yeah, the part with the White Walkers and Wights marching is obviously from Season 6. What are they marching toward? Is it part of the Bran vision from the trailer??

  17. Looks amazing, hopefully the next videos are props/weapon designs for season 6 or maybe costumes, can’t wait for the next inside the episode.
    D&D called this the best season yet, plus we have the epic battle for the north towards the end of the season I’ve been looking forward to. So pumped, but all the information, hyping, and GOT 50 have been keeping me busy during the waiting period.
    Winter is Coming 4/24/2016

  18. Connor:
    Luka Nieto,

    Yeah, the part with the White Walkers and Wights marching is obviously from Season 6. What are they marching toward? Is it part of the Bran vision from the trailer??

    Think they are marching to the Wall.

  19. Jack Bauer 24,

    To me, he looks like the same actor with a slightly different prosthetic. More like his Season 4 appearance. And I’m sure the CGI to make him look more like ice will make a difference.

  20. Jack Bauer 24: Lol yeah he is. I think this season we’ll see the WW advancing to the Wall (with ice spiders to boot) and then have them breach it in the finale. I think this will be the final shot of the season. I don’t know if we’ll see them in any battle action though.

    That would be an excellent cliffhanger.

  21. More and more evidence that, as I thought, the cave may be being invaded and Bran will have to leave.

    So excited.

  22. I think the Night’s King we see at 1:20 is from season 6. He looks more like the guy from the trailer than the one from Hardhome.

    And there’s a soldier/wight over his left shoulder (our right) that reminds me of someone from a Southern army (Stannis’s perhaps?).

    Deesensfan:
    Honestly, I’m tired of all this teasing. the wait for season 6 is agonizing.

    hahaha. JK

    well, not really! Come on!

    Now that we’re sooo close to the premiere, I can appreciate these behind-the-scenes videos. Back in Dec/Jan when the wait seemed unbearable, these teases would’ve driven me crazy. But now I like ’em and enjoy looking for any hidden season 6 footage. But I also understand your impatience; in some of my weaker moments I get frustrated with the still month-long wait.

  23. I would love to get into that field of artistry. Making the facial prosthetics looks like a lot of fun. I’m always fascinated by these behind the scenes videos!

  24. I wonder if

    one of the cliffhangers in the finale is the WW entering the cave where Bran & co is. We’d have to wait until the next season to see who from Bran’s storyline escaped and who didn’t. Praying for Hodor. If that happens, I wonder how they undo the magic that protects the cave.
  25. I’m pretty sure the big battle mentioned does NOT include WW,

    there were numerous reports that the battle was Jon (Wildlings + some Northern Armies) against Boltons and other allies, the good guys need to win this one so the story moves on

    . I’m really excited though to see some fight scene involving the Night King , maybe he rans into a group of other wildlings left North of the Wall OR even better WW vs Children of the Forest..

  26. Ok this is a total guess as I’m not a book reader and could be as wide of the mark as it’s possible to be but

    does the cave’s anti-WW magic work if there’s no-one there? ie if for some reason Bran and co leave the cave before the WW arrive, would they (WWs) be able to enter it as they would anywhere else? If they were close by in big numbers would it be more sensible for Bran and anyone he’s with to flee in advance rather than be trapped? Or does it not work like that?
  27. “Notice Hibberd writes that the “big battle” will contain a host of humans on one side but goes out of his way to avoid calling the other side human. Hmm…”
    Honestly, I would not read much into that. He specifies that it’s a human army, because he was talking about an undead army before. Also, I’m pretty sure, he’s talking about the Battle for Winterfell and IIRC

    Sue confirmed that there weren’t any White walkers at the battle.

    Luka Nieto: in the background of 2:35 to 2:37 you can see what looks like a Child of the Forest.

    Oh my! You could be right! I’m wondering if that fresh looking wight in the foreground is an actual character, maybe even the mysterious rider in black from the trailer?

    This Bran story is getting more and more mysterious and I have to say, together with the Northern storyline south of the Wall, this is what I’m looking forward to the most!

  28. Luka Nieto: That seem to be weirwood roots, so you could be right. Also, in the background of 2:35 to 2:37 you can see what looks like a Child of the Forest.

    Damn, ser, I bow to you! I totally missed the Child of the Forest standing there.

    Selina,

    It certainly is looking more and more likely that that’ll be the case.

    I wonder what changes that allows them to invade the cave? Leaf said that the magic that moves them had no power in the cave. Hmmm.
  29. The She Bear,

    Presumably snowbowl takes place somewhere in the vicinity of Winterfell which, judging by their really rather slow progress so far, is too far south of the Wall for the WWs to get there by ep9, even if the Wall came down quite early in the series. The latter seems fairly unlikely as I imagine it’ll be a major event in itself and more of an end of series “woah!” moment.
  30. Wylie: Oh my! You could be right! I’m wondering if that fresh looking wight in the foreground is an actual character, maybe even the mysterious rider in black from the trailer?

    He does look rather… distinct, doesn’t he? Not like an average wight. He looks… well, like a character!

  31. Wonder what the NK is slashing at with his army marching forward in the background? WotW didn’t report on any WW battle scenes during filming I don’t believe.

  32. Jack Bauer 24: Wonder what the NK is slashing at with his army marching forward in the background?

    He’s slashing at the camera, jokingly. That’s not an actual shot from the show.

  33. Luka Nieto: He’s slashing at the camera, jokingly. That’s not an actual shot from the show.

    Ahh I see. Luke, do you think we’ll see ice spiders this season?

  34. I still believe the season 6 big WW scene will be the Wall’s falling and their army will starting to march south. This will be the cliffhanger. There was a post before what confirmed that they filming some WW scene for episode 10.
  35. Jack Bauer 24: Luke, do you think we’ll see ice spiders this season?

    Well, Old Nan did mention them in season one, and her stories have proven to be surprisingly accurate! That said, zombified horses may be all we ever get. Are big, CGI spiders really worth it? Because I’m not so sure. Also, the concept may be a bit too out there. Ancient humanoid creatures who create zombies —that’s one thing; together they create a sort of cohesive whole. Ice spiders seem like another thing entirely that has little to do with the essence of the White Walkers as it has been presented. They may as well team up with aliens, you know what I mean? I don’t know if it would look “right” in the show.

  36. cosca,

    Says who?! SAYS WHO?!

    Wait a bit and lemme rewatch season 4! You know, the one where they had battles at the Wall back to back… I won’t discard the possibility that once the battle of the “5 Bastards & a really Bad Pussy” or whatever they call it these days is done, the survivors will all turn and watch a non human army gathering on the other side of a really big ass field.

    It’s possible.

    Oh and so is the book coming out this year. (making sure I got that in is of paramount importance when dealing with such as you)

  37. TormundsWoman,

    Ah, but we already probably have the battle of Meereen set for Episode 10! No time for your foolish notions, least of all that TWOW will be released before 2019

  38. Yeah, I’m nitpicking, but why did they have to give the NK a nose job? He looks more like a goblin now. Hmph.

  39. Jack Bauer 24,

    It does look like a re-cast. This guy’s eyes seem closer together or something. Seems to be someone other than Richard Brake. Slightly different outfit, too.

  40. Luka Nieto: Well, Old Nan did mention them in season one, and her stories have proven to be surprisingly accurate! That said, zombified horses may be all we ever get. Are big, CGI spiders really worth it? Because I’m not so sure. Also, the concept may be a bit too out there. Ancient humanoid creatures who create zombies —that’s one thing; together they create a sort of cohesive whole. Ice spiders seem like another thing entirely that has little to do with the essence of the White Walkers as it has been presented. They may as well team up with aliens, you know what I mean? I don’t know if it would look “right” in the show.

    Well, they are mentioned AGAIN by the Wildlings in Hardhome, so they might put in an appearance before the end of the series…

  41. cosca: but we already probably have the battle of Meereen set for Episode 10!

    Do we know that the battle of Meereen is in Episode 10?

    I am wondering when the Night’s King stuff seen in this video takes place? After the big battle in the North in Episode 9 for control of Winterfell, do we see (with delish irony) that the NK with his zombie army is amassing just north of the Wall in Episode 10? That is, Winterfell – whichever humans control it by the end of Season 6 – is in grave danger of being wiped out early in Season 7? I assume that the Wall will not fall in Season 6.

  42. cosca,

    Hah! “Foolish notions”, my right buttcheek! I remember a time when a guy that goes by the nick of Cosca was pissing in my cup of coffee about battle of Meereen not being in at all. I’m shaking my head now.

    And btw, I’m not sure what that Meereen thingy will be and how big will it be. I wasn’t around for many of the Dothraki/ Meereen news this off season and I just caught bits and pieces but it was not looking like a proper siege or battle.

  43. Kay: Do we know that the battle of Meereen is in Episode 10?

    Technically we don’t even know for a fact there’ll be a battle of Meereen… Personally, I’d guess either episode 8 or 10, or maybe a bit in each of them.

  44. Nate,

    I still think it’s odd. You see, even the CGI will still portray a “human” army if that’s the case. Why make that distinction by underlining the first army on the left side ( let’s say left randomly) is human and the other is not (implied by omission and juxtaposition).

    I don’t like Nate much right now. He’s trying to kill my hype.

  45. Yeah as others have said this is new WW /NK footage as the NK hasn’t been seen with that blade yet, and his arms are now completely covered in the clip (guessing it’s WW: Winter Wardrobe!).

    I’m calling it guys- S6 Finale is the fall of the Wall mirrored by Cersei burning Kings Landing! ?

  46. Apollo: I’m calling it guys- S6 Finale is the fall of the Wall mirrored by Cersei burning Kings Landing!

    If they make those two events line up, that’d be neat.

  47. Luka Nieto,
    I believe I saw one picture of Dothraki charging on horses, so it could be to breakdown the siege in Meereen. There were early reports of a big Dothraki gathering in Ireland too, which would point to some sort of battle involving Dothraki. I can’t imagine that it would be in Ep. 10; that would drag it out waaay too long. Ep. 8 sounds about right.

    Apollo: ’m calling it guys- S6 Finale is the fall of the Wall mirrored by Cersei burning Kings Landing!

    That would be so, so, SO awesome! Wow! Please let it happen!

  48. TormundsWoman: Yes it’s pretty interesting he says hundreds of humans on one side and another army on the other. I wonder if it’s after the Winterfell battle that these other guys (that are not specified as human soldiers) show up.

    I really think “human” here just means “as opposed to CGI.”

  49. Brandon:
    George,

    Well, Spiders can climb up walls…

    Also, I thought that the big VFX scene they scrapped the past couple of seasons but were finally able to do for Season 6 was alluding to ice spiders.

  50. Luka Nieto: If they make those two events line up, that’d be neat.

    Agreed-I like the idea of an ice and fire themed finale. We can but hope 🙂

  51. TormundsWoman: Yes it’s pretty interesting he says hundreds of humans on one side and another army on the other.

    I’ve got a theory – it could be bunnies.

  52. Agro:
    I have serious doubts whether this is legit stuff but this guy on reddit said he worked as an extra for the big northern battle and he’s litteraly blowing spoilers away RIGHT NOW, he even got a dragon unit’s jacket for having worked in those days

    https://www.reddit.com/r/gameofthrones/comments/4biuef/season_6_my_got_season_6_jacket_from_extra_work/#g

    Can someone confirm if it’s true or bullshit?

    May be legit, but he says that the Umbers and Karstarks are loyal to the Boltons, which i call bullshit on. IF true, then it will be really dumb.

  53. Kay,

    Agreed, season 6 still seems a little early for the wall to fall…maybe season 7? Would be an epic season finale shot; wall falling and white walkers moving through.

  54. Connor,

    It’s confirmed that the

    Umbers are with the Boltons. You can also see their flags in the trailer in the scenes with the Bolton archers. It’s dumb, I know. Unless the Umbers turn on them.
  55. Flayed Potatoes,

    Oddly, the context in which she posted that quote suggests that she’ll meet Mel again in the Hall of Faces. Mel’s visage appears perhaps?

    Or it probably means nothing.

  56. Connor: I hope they turn on them, if not then I’ll be really disappointed…

    Yes, I’m hoping it’s them taking on the Manderly role. We still don’t know where the Greatjon is exactly (they could mention he is a Bolton/Frey prisoner and use that as an excuse to stick with the Boltons until the last minute). I’d be disappointed if they side with the Boltons till the very end. Karstarks…I understand why they would. But Umbers…that would be ridiculous. They also have Rickon with them at the Last Hearth on the show.
  57. Flayed Potatoes,

    It’s not dumb. They are fighting against the bastard and NW’s deserter who is bringing thousands of wildlings with him.

    It would make no sense for them to side with Jon.

  58. kit_hepburn,

    In my mind I’ve always seen Arya as the one to hunt down Mel on the show because she took Gendry. Mel would probably fail to see the danger in the flames because Arya would use some of her many faces (thus Mel wouldn’t see where the danger comes from).

    Or maybe Mel just hangs out with Jon and Arya meets them in season 7 or 8 lol

    *takes off tinfoil hat*

  59. mau,

    Umbers have always been Stark supporters. Since Jon is fighting to take down the Boltons, Umbers would normally join. There are also other Northern houses on Jon and the Wildlings’ side in the battle (Mormonts, Hornwoods etc.), who would normally be against Wildlings as well. But they’re not. So it’s natural to assume the Umbers are taking on the Manderly role.
  60. Cumsprite,

    Bunnies are lovers not fighters, Mr. Sprite!
    #TheoryDenied

    Sullied by Knight,

    Good question. For the crates a while back the Dragon Unit had the Targ sigil, no? That being said I’m surprised he chose NOW to go full spoiler. He could have done it months ago.

  61. Flayed Potatoes,

    But Jon is invading the North with thousands of wildlings. And Umbers always had problems with them. I know that some of the Northern lords will side with Jon, I think Sansa will play a role in that, but not all of them.

    For the Umbers Jon is also traitor of the North and oathbreaker, just like the Boltons.

    And if everybody turn on Ramsay, the victory for the Starks would be too easy. They need to struggle

  62. mau,

    The Umbers also have Rickon (since the end of season 3). Do you genuinely think they’ll hand him over to Ramsay because Jon and Sansa are coming with an army for Northerners and Wildlings? Sure, they can use the Wildlings and Jon’s oath as an excuse to side with the Boltons, but staying with them till the end doesn’t really make sense.

    Of course they’ll struggle. Umbers will wait till the 11th hour.

  63. Flayed Potatoes,

    I think that Rickon is not with the Umbers. He was sent there, true, but I don’t think he is there.

    And the actor who plays Grey Worm implied that we might see unicorns this season, so I think that Rickon is at Skagos, just like in the books.

  64. Jack Bauer 24,

    She probably saw some footage, just like Lena. But something I don’t understand: why would the Bolton army following Ramsey if he kills Roose, their leader? I just don’t see it.

  65. Luka Nieto,

    Bunch of horseshit. If giant spiders made of ice have no place in a fantasy setting I don’t know where else you would put them. Also they have been “set up” in the show by Old Nan. Pretentious posturing by people like you really grinds my gears.

  66. Flayed Potatoes,

    This could be true, but you’re still criticizing this idea based on Book canon. To all the show watchers, the Umbers are just some house, not die hard Stark loyalists.

  67. The alleged extra is hinting that the flayed bodies are characters who Ramsey kills in season 6, which is false. We already know one of them is a character who got killed in season 5. So looks like it’s another troll fishing for attention.

  68. TormundsWoman,
    *highfive back* Hey it’s fantasy, they can fly if the story requires it. Gonna need a LOT of wing action though, I envision them being about 15ft tall and weighing around half a ton.

    When I was at school people said that scientists couldn’t work out how bumble bees can fly due to their apparently fragile wings compared to body size (this was pre-internet, something like that could be argued about for years on end without ever finding out if it was true or not). I think for the GKPs it might be something similar – it works but you can’t explain how 😀

  69. mau,

    The unicorns would look so corny on the TV show. To me it makes sense for Rickon to be close because of time management. There is so much going on this season, it seems. I guess we’ll have to see.

  70. mau,

    True, but if the Boltons are also fighting against Sansa and Rickon Stark and other allied Northern houses, then it might be a bit more complicated.

  71. cosca:
    Flayed Potatoes,

    This could be true, but you’re still criticizing this idea based on Book canon. To all the show watchers, the Umbers are just some house, not die hard Stark loyalists.

    Not really. Greatjon declared Robb KITN on the show and Bran himself sent Rickon and Osha to Last Hearth in late season 3 because the Umbers “are our bannermen, they’ll protect you” (actual line from the episode).

  72. harlequeen,

    I hope you are right. I don’t recall the post that said that, but that would mean less worry about one of my favorite characters being killed off.

  73. the guy on Reddit just posted the whole thing – not sure if I want to click or not….OK, I decided, I’m not clicking – enough has been spoiled, and only 4 weeks to go. But if you want to know, search Reddit for this post (I won’t post the link) –

    title is: Behold every detail about Season 6’s big battle. Don’t enter if you want a surprise from the episode. I was an extra on set.

  74. cosca:
    Bob Warren,

    Fuck that guy, troll or no. Guess it’s time to avoid this place till Sue says it’s fake, or the episode airs.

    I really hope Sue can confirm if this guy is legit or not. I will not be reading his spoilers though.

  75. Flayed Potatoes: Not really. Greatjon declared Robb KITN on the show and Bran himself sent Rickon and Osha to Last Hearth in late season 3 because the Umbers “are our bannermen, they’ll protect you” (actual line from the episode).

    The Greatjon is a single man, not his whole House. And that single line there doesn’t say anything close to “they’re our biggest fans”

  76. Bob Warren:
    the guy on Reddit just posted the whole thing – not sure if I want to click or not….OK, I decided, I’m not clicking – enough has been spoiled, and only 4 weeks to go. But if you want to know, search Reddit for this post (I won’t post the link) –

    title is: Behold every detail about Season 6’s big battle. Don’t enter if you want a surprise from the episode. I was an extra on set.

    I’m so tempted, but I’m leaning towards this guy being legit, and I know I’ll enjoy the episode more if I don’t know every detail. I wish he had not spoilt it, it seems like a bit of an ass move…

  77. cosca: The Greatjon is a single man, not his whole House. And that single line there doesn’t say anything close to “they’re our biggest fans”

    The Greatjon is the head of the House Umber. Unless there would be a revolt any soldier fighting under the Umber banner answers to him.

  78. mau,

    it seems that another extra in the comments didn’t approve it and kind of threatened him to never work as an extra again in NI hahaha

  79. Oh good, it’s been deleted already.

    Newbietothegame,

    Yes, but the Smalljon is in charge of Last Hearth now, and we don’t know how he feels about the Starks.

    mau,

    That’s an odd assumption to make mate.

  80. I know for a fact one of things he is saying is totally false. But unlike this clown I won’t say anything more than that. I have no reddit account and don’t feel like making one just for this. So, someone please do me a personal favor. Someone ask him what kind of shirt he got. They ALL got shirts. Better yet ask him to post a picture of that too. I won’t say what’s on them until he answers.

  81. Gah, I’m seriously considering not coming here til the season ends. Not that I think anyone will miss me, but I like coming to this site, reading a few spoilers that will get me hyped, reading people’s opinions and airing some of my GoT excitement. I’ve already read one not very well spoilered comment on a different thread and I don’t think I want to risk reading more. 🙁

  82. cosca:
    Oh good, it’s been deleted already.

    Newbietothegame,

    Yes, but the Smalljon is in charge of Last Hearth now, and we don’t know how he feels about the Starks.

    True, being a Stark fan I hope they will support the remaining Starks. Of course there will be a twist thrown in there, it is GoT. And as Roose Bolton proofed, oaths can be broken. The suspense is killing me.

  83. Bob Warren:
    the guy on Reddit just posted the whole thing – not sure if I want to click or not….OK, I decided, I’m not clicking – enough has been spoiled, and only 4 weeks to go. But if you want to know, search Reddit for this post (I won’t post the link) –

    title is: Behold every detail about Season 6’s big battle. Don’t enter if you want a surprise from the episode. I was an extra on set.

    Dammit! Totally would have read it – I love spoilers, real or fake. 🙂 Ah well, someone will have screenshot it.

  84. I honestly don’t think that WW are going to be involved in major northern battle that we know of, it just doesn’t seem plausible. Or maybe i just really want that winterfell/northern conflict to be over (mostly at least) and dealt with before we get to major endgame stuff.

  85. Bob Warren,

    I’ll pass, this guys seems like a bloody prick, more so if he really is an extra giving out spoilers. Thanks but I’ll wait for the episode, never thought I’d turn down a spoiler. they said they worked really hard on the episode, so I’ll let the show runners surprise me.

  86. lol @ that bit about a

    wall of bodies. Like how would that form naturally? Illogical. The dude used the existing spoilers about the battle, Littlefinger, Sansa, Rickon being there and Wun Wun going into WF, someone being a hostage, and he made up a story around it.
  87. This happens every year. Trolls coming out of the woodwork claiming to have inside info. I remember the spoiler craziness surrounding Breaking Bad’s final 8 episodes. None of them turned out true.

  88. Flayed Potatoes: The unicorns would look so corny on the TV show.

    Maybe not, if they look nothing like what we are used to expecting unicorns to look like! Not beautiful or cute, but sort of monstrous might work.

    I agree with you on the point about geography, though.

  89. tkk,

    That it’s obviously made by a no life troll ? It wouldn’t be the first time,and after Hardhome i doubt D&D would make such a lackluckster battle like this imbecile is suggesting,probably a book purist in disguise trying to stir shit up .

  90. harlequeen,

    I know that that doesn’t seem to make much sense, but I remember similar reactions to leak from Hadhome about wights jumping off the cliff.

  91. Matthew The Dragon knight:
    Bob Warren,

    I’ll pass, this guys seems like a bloody prick, more so if he really is an extra giving out spoilers. Thanks but I’ll wait for the episode, never thought I’d turn down a spoiler. they said they worked really hard on the episode, so I’ll let the show runners surprise me.

    Same. I read every single possible spoiler for Seasons 4 and 5, but this time around I’m not going to.

  92. Those WW/Others definitely look like they’ve invaded the Weirnet Central cave – but it might be a scene that Bloodraven is showing Bran from the history of the Long Night, rather than something that’s about to happen in the near future. If it’s something that happened long ago, that would explain why the Night’s King looks different: He could be an earlier Night’s King, presuming that WWs don’t live forever.

  93. But…what about Shaggydog? 🙁 The Boltons will kill Rickon’s direwolf as well?(if it’s true)
  94. Name *:
    Gah, I’m seriously considering not coming here til the season ends. Not that I think anyone will miss me, but I like coming to this site, reading a few spoilers that will get me hyped, reading people’s opinions and airing some of my GoT excitement. I’ve already read one not very well spoilered comment on a different thread and I don’t think I want to risk reading more.

    Don’t leave. The more the merrier. May I ask what device you use to read WotW? The spoiler codes for some reason do not work on my phone, meaning even though folks used the correct code to cover them up, I can still see what was posted. Works great on my laptop though.

  95. No idea if the Reddit spoilers are true or not, but overall, it seems to be a gigantic mess of a battle, with many gone at the end of it. I may not have caught all of it, what with deletions and all. For example, did he actually STATE (not just imply) who the bodies on the crosses were?

    Some have been bothered by the “wall of bodies” part. It was mentioned that the Stark forces were on lower ground, because Rickon was running DOWN a hill. So if Boltons were killing men on the downward slopes, then the bodies would pile up and prevent the Stark forces from advancing UP the hill.
  96. Flayed Potatoes:
    Firannion,

    See, whenever I head unicorns I just think of the ones from My Little Pony lol.

    I can no longer get that Squatty Potty commercial out of my head, with the unicorn that poops rainbow swirly soft ice cream!

    But a unicorn that’s fierce and scary, like the one in the Terry Pratchett book ‘Lord and Ladies’ – maybe even ugly – that would be a nice way to undermine the conventional fantasy trope, I think.

  97. This is awesome. I can’t wait to see the NK fighting with that sword of his. And the hype I feel for the upcoming battle has reached new levels; I’m glad they are doing a battle “tactically” and more realistic, instead of what normally happens in films and TV shows. God season 6 cannot come fast enough!!

  98. I do recall a set pic of the northern battle on this site of what appeared to be an albeit small “wall” of bodies and dead horses…

  99. A few things that bother me

    IIRC Sue confirmed that LF, Sansa, Jon and Ramsay are inside Winterfell and THEN Wun Wun breaks in, not the other way around.
    Secondly, I can’t get my head around the fact that Sansa and LF arrive together with the Vale army. While we suspect that the Knights of the Vale will indeed decide the outcome, how and why would Sansa go all the way back to the Vale and then back to the north again?
    Also piercing a giants head with one arrow?
    Hmmm. I’m doubting it…
  100. Newbietothegame: Don’t leave. The more the merrier. May I ask what device you use to read WotW? The spoiler codes for some reason do not work on my phone, meaning even though folks used the correct code to cover them up, I can still see what was posted. Works great on my laptop though.

    The spoiler codes work just fine on both my laptop and my phone, it’s just that I imagine some people won’t spoiler code the information and I will come across it. I remember that there was a bit fiasco last year when the first four episodes leaked with people not spoiler coding details from them.

  101. Jack Bauer 24,

    True. In one post he said that he couldn’t tell if they used direwolf CGI, but now all of a sudden he can see all the CGI and Wun Wun. And wouldn’t they CGI a giant mountain of bodies (if that is true)?

    I’m also hoping

    Rickon makes it because if he’s gone that’s the end of the Stark line lol. Is Bran going to magically carry on the line? Is Jon getting legitimized? If Rickon is running towards Jon’s army and he gets shot down right before the cavalry marches, does he then get trampled by the horses? That’s sad but hilarious in a weird way.

    Also, how good is Jon’s new plot armor if he makes it through all of that and a shower of arrows or whatever that person mentioned? Has Littlefinger turned into the Eagles of Gondor? Sansa waited for her brother to die before swooping in with the army?

    I don’t know what to think lmao.

  102. Wylie,

    Maybe Sansa will somehow be rescued by LF and join him and the Vale army on their way to the invasion of Winterfel.
  103. Selina,

    Can’t really see why LF would know anything about her escape or how he could find her in the woods, unless Brienne escorts her back to LF, which I’m doubting because, based on the arc Sophie teased, I thought she would emancipate herself from him this season and do something on her own, that is play a role in the politics of the North. Getting the Vale army to the north would have a bitter aftertaste for me because that’s what LF wanted all along. But who knows, I’m only speculating…
  104. Flayed Potatoes,

    You do realize LF and the Vale were set up last season to come into the North and help decide the coming battle, right? I am not saying that guy was telling the truth, but that part shouldn’t be a surprise. And if you consider LF and the Vale the eagles of gondor, then you should also complain about Tywin at Blackwater or Stannis at the Wall and probably Dany and the Dothraki at Meereen.
  105. FreeParking,

    I’m more amused about it actually.

    I fully expect him to turn up at the end (he told Cersei as much). I just wonder about Sansa’s role in all of this. Is she going to let herself be led by him and let her brothers possibly die (Rickon at least) before she comes with the army? Does Littlefinger find her in the woods outside Winterfell? Last time we saw him he wasn’t near her, but he could magically appear. Does Brienne actually take her to him? I’m trying to figure out the movements of the characters and the timelines.
  106. harlequeen:
    Tippery,

    Looks like a place they stored the props, not the actual set.

    It does. Hope that idiot on reddit was lying and made up a completely fake description of the battle.

  107. FreeParking,

    I don’t mind the Vale army joining the battle but to be the ones to save the day at 11th hour because the Boltons are just too strong for the Northern armies is a cop-out. They already defeated Stannis’s army, now they’re going to do the same with the Starks and their allies, until finally they get beaten by the Vale? blergh
  108. harlequeen,

    I see where you’re coming from. Also, how many soldiers do the Boltons have left? I want the Starks and by extension Jon (I don’t know what he’ll call himself in episode 9) to finally have a big triumphant moment. We’ve waited for so long. And I’m also desperately hoping Sansa doesn’t go to Littlefinger in season 6 after she escapes. I am, however, going to prepare myself for Littlefinger to swoop in last minute like the Eagles of Gondor….or the SHIELD plane in the Marvel movies.
  109. Wylie:
    A few things that bother me

    I would echo those as well, Wylie. I feel as though there are

    some believable parts in the battle description (and yes, I can definitely even see Ramsay with Rickon), but in all honesty, it ties up far too neatly. I mean, a huge amount of fans would LOVE a Sansa/Jon reunion and Ramsay dead (myself excluded about the Ramsay dead thing), but that is a bit too…..nice.

    And Sansa and LF leading the Vale army? LF in charge of maybe, but hardly comin’round the mountain on the front line. First of all, Sansa is not going to just suddenly recover and become a warrior queen yelling ‘Charge!’. I mean, I suppose she could, but that seems a little quick for a personality disorder to kick in. LF is unlikely to put either himself or Sansa right in the mix of things in the courtyard either. That stray arrow could’ve Pypd either of them easily in that case.

    Of course there’s far too many questions than answers in any case. (Osha? Mel? Edd? Ghost? One-handed Davos in the thick of it?)

  110. harlequeen,

    The Vale (and thus LF) saving the day is something I have been expecting. We rarely get purely what we want out of this story. The Starks regaining Winterfell and the North but having to work with LF afterwards makes sense to me.
  111. Haven’t read the purported spoilers, but for those that have are you happy with what you read?

  112. FreeParking,

    Sansa and Littlefinger could be in the vicinity of the battle. The army would have scouts to report on what is happening and decide when to intervene. This is included in some of the issues I have with figuring out timelines and such.
  113. Jack Bauer 24:
    Haven’t read the purported spoilers, but for those that have are you happy with what you read?

    I’m not, it sounds too disappointing to me, i doubt it’s real though.

  114. Jack Bauer 24:
    Haven’t read the purported spoilers, but for those that have are you happy with what you read?

    I’m confused and conflicted with disappointment sprinkled on top lmao.

  115. Yikes. Is it because of who dies or who wins or because it doesn’t sound like the biggest battle in tv history as reported to be? The guy said it is a 40 minute battle so it must be massive.

  116. Pigeon,

    The end is not honeyed, no way.

    Many loved ones will die, including their little brother. Winterfell will likely be destroyed after the battle. The battle also will certainly have many political effects on the North, Jon and Sansa will not be happy forever: he is a bastard, she’s just a woman in a place where women do not mean anything.
  117. Apollo: I’m calling it guys-S6 Finale is the fall of the Wall mirrored by Cersei burning Kings Landing!

    Personally, there are three shots that I kinda want to coincide:
    – 1. Cersei burning Kings Landing, ridding Westeros of the IT-conflict.
    – 2. The Wall falling and the WW stepping “into” Westeros.
    – 3. Dany’s ships seeing the Westerosi coastline, ready to take it.

  118. Jack Bauer 24,

    In my eyes,

    a combination of both and what seems to be a glaring lack of battle tactics and an addition of 20 good men nonsense. I mean, just because it’s massive doesn’t mean it’s good (if that guy’s report turns out to be true). I’m sure it will have high production value.
  119. Jack Bauer 24,

    They are consistent with some other reports that I read:

    Rickon will be a hostage of Ramsay and will get injured (probably die, according to most of the extras), Wun wun will die, Ramsay will be killed by Jon, Sansa and LF will arrive together in the battle with the army of the Vale
  120. FreeParking,

    I too have been expecting Sansa to arrive in the North with LF late into the battle, and helping whichever side win. I never bought into Sansa going to the Wall, or to some Northern house. So that part sounds quite believable to me. It’s the rest that I am unsure about.

    Pigeon,

    Do you think the end is honeyed? Yes, a villain is dead, but WF would be left under the control of LF through Sansa.
  121. I’m not saying that what the guy said is true, but tell me what seems so absurd. I did not see anything absurd.

  122. ‘Hundreds of human soldiers on one side of a field, another army on the other side, and then there is a clash that is highly tactical, yet character-driven, and shown from start to finish – a “proper battle”-‘

    On top of the redditor’s spoilers clashing with at least two of the established ones, this comment negates his claims. A few sentences won’t realistically give us the general picture of the battle that’s going to run for almost if not the entire episode, but still the poster sounds really fishy in parts, especially the one about how

    Wun Wun dies

    .

  123. Martin:
    Pigeon,

    I have
    here it is if you want to read it
    http://postimg.org/image/y385keu9n/

    Thanks so much!!

    Eh, I don’t think the guy gives any info we didn’t already know or extrapolate from what we know. Until it airs we won’t know if the deaths are real or BS. Having said that, I’m always game for reading ‘spoilers’.

    The part that’s a knife to my heart is Rickon running towards Jon and getting shot down. Ugh. If that happens, I’ll be a mess for the rest of the episode. One of the things that is consistent in the rumors/foilers is that Rickon dies. At this point I’m about 95% sure he will. Sigh.

    The battle sounds devastating for Jon and his allies. Not that I’m surprised, but reading about how they’re destroyed makes me dread the battle a bit.

    What really chaps my hide is LF literally riding to the rescue. I don’t want Jon indebted to him. And with Rickon dead, LF can install Sansa as Warden of the North and play Gepetto.

    Another thing that bothers me is that it would seem Sansa ends up back under LF’s thumb. We don’t have much info on Sansa between her escape from WF and her appearance at the battle. I’m starting to believe she does run back to LF and all the speculating of her rallying the Northern lords is all just wishful thinking.

    And how the hell does Ramsay take down Wun Wun with an arrow, when we saw it took a ginormous arrow to kill the giant at the battle of Castle Black??

    Oh well, at least Jon gets to kill Ramsay in the end.

  124. Regarding those spoilers…To be honest, it mostly sounds good to me, in terms of the outcome and such. My only problem is the battle being so one-sided until the Vale armies show up.
  125. There’s almost nothing about the battle “spoilers” that sound unrealistic to me either.

    I’ve always thought that Sansa would return to Littlefinger’s company. I’ve always thought that Rickon would be used as some kind of pawn and die. Etc.

    The only part that sounds “off” to me is the final part within the walls of Winterfell with the death of the giant and Ramsay. That reads as odd and uncreative.

  126. BunBunStark,

    This is what my thoughts are as well. We’re going to have to sit through all this crap just to

    see Jon kill Ramsay at the end, only to be in Littlefinger’s debt. Can’t he (and his family) have one single big moment? Also, Boltons winning over another army is so repetitive. Weren’t there other Northern houses at the battle (besides those on Ramsay’s side)? And did the Umbers seriously give Rickon to the Boltons?
  127. Selina:
    Pigeon,

    The end is not honeyed, no way.

    Glad you feel that way. 🙂

    Kay:
    FreeParking,

    Pigeon,

    I do. But keep in mind that this is merely an impression of a paragraph that a questionable someone wrote summing up almost an entire episode. Who can’t spell

    Ramsay’s name correctly. So…block of salt. My comment was the whole ‘Jon kills Ramsay in a rage, and he and Sansa are reunited.’ Of course it could happen, but it’s like bait hung at the end, really. Bad guy dead, good people united, somehow unscathed as those around them fall. It seems a little cheesy to end. Not to be trusted.

    They didn’t say Rickon was dead. He could still be mostly alive.

    😉

  128. Firannion: Those WW/Others definitely look like they’ve invaded the Weirnet Central cave – but it might be a scene that Bloodraven is showing Bran from the history of the Long Night, rather than something that’s about to happen in the near future.

    Yeah, good call. Moreover, it could be that it will be both present and past: after all, it might be that given what is required, filming both is little more expensive and/or time consuming than just filming one. (Of course, that might not be the case, too: CGI still is time and money consuming at a frame-by-frame level.)

    At this point, I would not bet heavily either way. I suppose that I would lean a little bit more towards it being the past because I think that at some time, they have to show us what happened. But call it a 52:48 lean at this point!

  129. BunBunStark: Thanks so much!!

    Eh, I don’t think the guy gives any info we didn’t already know or extrapolate from what we know. Until it airs we won’t know if the deaths are real or BS. Having said that, I’m always game for reading ‘spoilers’.

    Hmmm. That sounds to me like informed speculation by someone intimately familiar with all the currently available spoilers…

    What I don’t get is why the Umbers are supposedly going to do what they are supposedly going to do. I just don’t get it; and I hope the show provides a modicum of explanation for it…

    Davos sounds like a Boss, though. I love it! (If true.)

  130. In fact, I likely wouldn’t put much stock in the majority of it, if it weren’t for the fact that

    Sue has declined to refute it. Something something by omission.
  131. If Rickon died before the battle and Jon simply pursued Ramsay into WF and beat him into a bloody pulp, then what’s with the meeting in Winterfell between Jon and Ramsay, Sansa and Littlefinger? There’s going to be great tension in the scene. It sounds like Ramsay has an alive hostage there, otherwise Jon would not listen to anything Ramsay would say and simply hack off his head like Aragorn did to Uruk-hai in LOTR. And Wun Wun is not breaking into Winterfell before Jon and co arrive there, but during the ‘meeting’. The redditor is a fraud.

  132. Anyone here predicted clear Stark victory? Come on. Since Vale is marching to North it was understandable to expect that LF will wait to see and then turns on Boltons as he always intended too. Starks and Jon are weak. Also Rickon’s death creates vacuum in the North. Spoilers might or might not be legit. Who knows really but ww marching on the wall to end the season and Dany setting her eyes on Wesreros should make for great finale. Dany on the other hand will win comfortably and Tywin’s style. Dothraki, Ironborn with Yara, Unsullid and Second Sons seems everything is going her way. Count on Dorne too. Our queen should easily win the throne, ww different matter.
  133. Geralt of Rivia,

    She’s had no serious obstacle throughout the whole series. I bet everyone wishes they had her plot armor. I should start rooting for her and Tyrion to take the throne at this point. They’re obviously end game. #SansaWho

  134. phantomstrife:
    then what’s with the meeting in Winterfell between Jon and Ramsay, Sansa and Littlefinger?

    Well, to be fair, the exact nature of the “meeting” was never specified.

    Even if the poster is later revealed as a fraud, I expect a lot of this will come to pass? The poster is clearly familiar with all the spoiler posts on the Battle from a few months ago.

    People will always complain about this, that or the other…what did people expect? A clear and unambiguous resounding victory ala Henry V? That’s not the way D&D write, or George, for that matter…

    That said, I want an explanation about the Umbers…It’s really my only issue with this. LOL.

  135. harlequeen:
    The alleged extra is hinting that the flayed bodies are characters who Ramsey kills in season 6, which is false. We already know one of them is a character who got killed in season 5. So looks like it’s another troll fishing for attention.

    We do?? I’m not being sarcastic, really, I just don’t remember that particular bit of info.

    Pigeon,

    I just read the exchange between Sue and Mau in the other thread…yeah, that is definitely interesting. Not the usual response I was expecting.

    Whatevs, really, at least we have to something to speculate on while we wait for April 24.

  136. Jack Bauer 24: Lol yeah he is. I think this season we’ll see the WW advancing to the Wall (with ice spiders to boot) and then have them breach it in the finale. I think this will be the final shot of the season. I don’t know if we’ll see them in any battle action though.

    Agree

    Think they’ll wipe out what is left of the Night’s Watch, at Castle Black at least – Alliser Thorne and the other traitors etc – not sure what will happen with NW at Eastwatch and Shadow Tower

  137. Pigeon,

    Yeah, that caught my attention too.

    phantomstrife,

    I have always taken the six army thing just them saying that their battle is bigger and better than The Hobbit’s, not that there are necessarily six separate armies.

  138. FreeParking:
    Pigeon,

    Yeah, that caught my attention too.

    phantomstrife,

    I have always taken the six army thing just them saying that their battle is bigger and better than The Hobbit’s, not that there are necessarily six separate armies.

    Actually, he lists the six armies on top of his post.

  139. Selina,

    heh, well, they might have to side with one bastard or another! That written, everything we’ve been given on the show and in the books indicates that the Umbers will fight against Wildlings.

  140. Luka Nieto: That seem to be weirwood roots, so you could be right. Also, in the background of 2:35 to 2:37 you can see what looks like a Child of the Forest.

    Yeah I think there is an inferred to be some kind of CoTF vs WW’s battle if I remember a CoTF casting call correctly asking for a really short woman able to do battle scenes

    This does seem to suggest WW’s going through the Cave system

    Tbh when reading ADwD, in Mels vision when she mentions the caves with the lights going out I actually thought it meant Brans cave and the WW’s killing the remaining CoTF in it, but later on people were talking about it like it was Hardhome but now I am wondering again

    Am starting to wonder if as part of Brans arc in the show there is a CoTF vs WW battle but the season then ends with them breaching the Wall and killing Thorne and co in E10, setting up their invasion of Westeros arc in season 7

  141. Ghosts Lunch: Agree

    Think they’ll wipe out what is left of the Night’s Watch, at Castle Black at least – Alliser Thorne and the other traitors etc – not sure what will happen with NW at Eastwatch and Shadow Tower

    Don’t you think Thorne and the traitors will be dead by then? Looks like Davos and Jon loyalists will take them out.

  142. Selina,

    Jon is dead and WW can just enter Bloodraven’s cave or that it was always possibility? Wights tried to enter it but couldn’t. I wonder if WW are different but Wights are resurrected by their powers so should able to enter it aswell or not?
  143. Actually for me is fake. I see fake. No because is not believable, but because he used every time what we already know to create another thing . And for he as a extra know things that i doubt a extra would know. And i Never saw a extra spoiler any batlle. This acttualy dont happens.

    1- he dont answer who is the 2 bodies burning in the cross.

    2- he writed too little and to vague to what is to second him at leats 40 min battle.

    3- how could he know what we see inside winterffel with wun wun and that jon kills ramsay? Ohh he is such a important extra to be alive all the war and get to see this? Haha bite me.

    Im just waitin sue to confirm fake.

  144. Jack Bauer 24: Looks like Davos and Jon loyalists will take them out.

    Does it? It looks just as much as they might simply bust out with Jon (dead or alive) and scarper. The fact that Jon is wearing northern armor rather than Night Watch garb suggests that he is still on the “outs” with the Watch: and thus that the Nationalists are still in control, or at the very had still been in control until recently. There are other possibilities: there might be a Salmon Postcard that results in the Watch (including the Nationalists) getting eradicated by Ramsay, for example; that would set up the possibility of the Walkers getting through the Wall as a side-effect of the War of 5 Kings!

    At any rate, I would not look for Jon to reclaim his title until the end of the season.

    Geralt of Rivia,

    The Walkers and the Wights cannot pass the Wall. And something keeps the Wights out of the Cave. Good old Occam’s Razor says, assume that it’s the same magic.

  145. Aguero,

    I saw an extra spoiling the bit about Hardhome last season.

    1. When you’re an extra, you don’t take part in all the scenes. There are several discrepancies about who are the bodies. Perhaps the bodies appear already burned on the scene.

    2. Same answer.

    3. Since he said that he was one of the Stark army, it is possible that his character has survived and he was in Winterfell at the end. And if he has the jacket, he probably wasn’t a common extra, maybe a glorified extra.
  146. Ok, haven’t read the Redditor’s spoilers, but have read the commentary here.

    RE: The Umbers
    They may be motivated to hand over Rickon and join the Boltons in battle as a prisoner exchange thing. Perhaps (yay, speculation!) they have been promised the release of the GreatJon (who is actually dead since the actor could not come back) once the Boltons have Rickon and Winterfell is secure. Perhaps (yay, even more speculation!) the Umbers find out mid-battle that the GreatJon has expired and switch sides like the Manderlys did in the books.

    And

    RE: Littlefinger getting back together with Sansa
    In the trailer, we see both bedraggled Sansa and cleaned up Sansa, so perhaps (oodles of speculation!) Sansa has a way to contact him (raven at the sympathetic House where she took a bath?) and arranges a meeting in the woods outside of Winterfell to command his help in the coming battle, at which point he pulls his LF shit and says that he’ll join the winning side at the correct moment and not before, thus shooting down Sansa’s fledgling warrior-queen transformation. The trailer did have that image of smarmy LF in the snowy woods facing down someone…

    Back OT: I’m very excited that the video shows

    the wights breaking into the Cave.

    It helps explain the fearful-Meera-in-the-woods shot from the trailer.

    Just 4 weeks…just 4 weeks…move away from the spoiler…just 4 weeks…

  147. Ashara D,

    But why would the Umbers even tell the Boltons about their guests? Unless things change somehow in Series 6, then the Boltons won’t know about this: remember, they think that the persons of interest are North of the Wall.

    At any rate, the Umbers can join with the Boltons against the Wildlings without anybody thinking twice about it: we are told both in the books and on the show that the Northerners always unite against the Wildlings. And if the Umbers have some things at the Hearth about which they’d rather the Boltons not know, well, they probably have some things there about which they’d rather the Starks, Dustins, Manderlys, etc., all not know, too! A Wildling invasion would put Northern hostilities on hold: but only until the Wildlings are defeated.

  148. Aguero:

    Im just waitin sue to confirm fake.

    Sue already chimed in in another thread that she is “staying out of it”. So no confirmation or refutation is coming. Make of that what you will.

  149. BunBunStark: Sue already chimed in in another thread that she is “staying out of it”. So no confirmation or refutation is coming. Make of that what you will.

    Besides the fact that it probably is irritating to debunk every wrong rumor that is raised, Sue and others probably feel that if they debunk everything, then that is almost tacitly giving away some spoilers. If nothing else, it seems that there are contrary rumors that Sue has not debunked: and thus she’s letting some stuff pass. (And, really, she should!)

  150. Wimsey,

    What confuses me is that Jon would know that if he leads an army of wildlings against the Boltons, then the north will put its hostilities on hold and unite against him. He would have no way of knowing about Cersei and Baelish’s little talk, so couldn’t count on the Vale riding to the rescue. Jon is not suicidal, so why would he attack the Boltons? He has to have some northern allies other than the wildlings. If he has those allies, of course, it wouldn’t be north vs the wildlings.

  151. Maria:
    Wimsey,

    What confuses me is that Jon would know that if he leads an army of wildlings against the Boltons, then the north will put its hostilities on hold and unite against him. He would have no way of knowing about Cersei and Baelish’s little talk, so couldn’t count on the Vale riding to the rescue. Jon is not suicidal, so why would he attack the Boltons? He has to have some northern allies other than the wildlings. If he has those allies, of course, it wouldn’t be north vs the wildlings.

    Yeah, it’s pretty much confirmed that

    Jon does have northern allies in the Mormonts, Hornwoods, and 1 other unknown house. The leaked photo of the battle showed those houses’ banners and soldiers among the Stark soldiers. So it’s not Jon/Wildlings against the whole of the North. Clearly, he’s able to sway some houses to his cause. And they even give him snazzy new Stark armor.
  152. I’m starting to think the Three-eyed raven dies or is killed this season. Maybe his magic is what keeps the wights out of his cave and from crossing the Wall. Isn’t he the one the Night’s Watch say the vow to in order to open the gate? Maybe he & Bran have visions of those events happening which is why Bran & co. leave the cave.

    Re: Sansa & Littlefinger, Sophie said Sansa gets respect & runs with it. Aidan said Littlefinger might get an opportunity to redeem himself.

  153. Selina,

    I thought the same thing. I think there were a loot of tree roots in the new footage there, as far as I could tell.

  154. This is good news for my tinfoil hat theory!

    I wondered a while back… what if Jon takes Winterfell, with Ramsay still alive. According to some leaks, there’s supposed to be a scene where Jon, Ramsay, Littlefinger, and Sansa are in Winterfell together. I have two options: 1. Ramsay kills Roose as a peace offering and invites Jon in, but he doesn’t know Jon has Sansa, and inside she reveals herself.
    2. Jon is about to behead Ramsay after winning the battle.

    Both would to lead to this:
    White Walkers suddenly appear outside Winterfell, forcing Jon and Ramsay to team up with both their armies to fight them. After this video, I’m kind of thinking this may actually not need tinfoil anymore…

  155. Flayed Potatoes,

    Man the umbers hate the wildlings , more than anyone in the north, in the books mors umbers daughter was kidnapped by the wildlings , they have always fought vs wildlings , got and asoiaf are not a fanfic bout good guys against bad guys , but true storytellings full of treachery , betrayals and slaughter , the umbers hate the wildlings , its established both in the books and in the show.

  156. Jack Bauer 24:
    Yeah looks like NK was recast.

    I keep hearing that but it makes no sense to go with a totally different look (or actor) on a character that doesn’t speak and who’s whole look is literally molded and painted on an actor’s face. That’s got to be a flashback with a previous night’s king.

  157. Giulio,

    So they retaliate by handing over Rickon to Ramsay? Do they hate the Starks too?

    The other Northern houses (with the exception of Karstarks) joined Jon. Aren’t they supposed to hate the Wildlings to some extent too?

    I get Umbers might hate the Wildlings and might want to take them out before they switch sides. But handing over Rickon because of that is stupid.

  158. ~~Van Houten says there is a “surprise” coming for her character “in episode one” of the new season. How tantalising. But she’s not giving any more away.
    “Yes, there’s a surprise. Not what you think it is, it’s something else!” she says coyly.
    “I knew it was coming at some point. People had talked about it before to me, but I wasn’t sure when it was going to happen. Urgh, this is really vague. As it should be.”~~

  159. Anyone remember the rumor what told us that there will be a

    Stark death in the battle

    ? (Just sayin…it can be true)

  160. Eternal:
    Luka Nieto,

    Bunch of horseshit. If giant spiders made of ice have no place in a fantasy setting I don’t know where else you would put them. Also they have been “set up” in the show by Old Nan. Pretentious posturing by people like you really grinds my gears.

    Why do you have to be su rude? I just have an opinion. How was it pretentious? Why did it grind your gears, exactly? I didn’t say Ice Spiders don’t have a place in a fantasy setting. I said the ancient ice creatures controlling undead humans make up a sort cohesive whole, and the ice spiders are a kind of third wheel —Unless they’re also the White Walkers’ thralls. Why would that opinion offend you so much?

  161. lp:
    Jack Bauer 24,

    Absolutely awful to be honest. Mind numblingly bad in my opinion. So here’s hoping the guy is full of crap.

    This shit happens every damn time there’s detailed spoilers. It’s all out of context and written poorly, and so the show is trashed in advance. Not that I’ve read these spoilers.

  162. I remember Old Nan talking about ice spiders – I suppose they could be done via CGI though it’s probably easier to sit the actors on horses. It’s interesting how they convert ordinary [if tall] human beings into White Walkers.

  163. Lulus Mum,

    OT and hoping you might help me, Penguin-Donkey Mistress! *waving and puppy eyes*
    I’d like to take part in the Photoshop Challenge, I began to play with combing some photos, but I don’t know where and how to post them. I know that one is supposed to post a link to the site where your photos are, but what site? Any suggestions, please?

  164. phantomstrife:

    “Yes, there’s a surprise. Not what you think it is, it’s something else!” she says coyly.

    “Not what you think ” (so its NOT her/R’hollor resurrecting Jon?)
    “something else” — no clue!

  165. Rygritte:

    Aidan said Littlefinger might get an opportunity to redeem himself.

    “Littlefinger” and “redemption” do not go together. I don’t think that will happen with this guy. That’s not who he is. He’ll destroy everything, as long as he comes out on top.

  166. Shy Lady Dragon,
    Hi honey *ear waves and awwwwwing at the puppy eyes*. The site I use is imgur, although I don’t seem to be able to get into it at the moment. You just set up an account and upload whatever images you want to share. I tend to set the access to “hidden” so that people can only see what you’ve added if you give them the URL, rather than the standard viewable by all setting, but obviously that’s up to you 😀

  167. The reddit poster’s post kind of makes sense to me. Especially the thing about

    Rickon. I thought, for a long time, that he might end up being the last Stark to be able to rule Winterfell, with Jon being a Targ and Bran being a tree. I figure Arya will die eventually, and what is the significance of Sansa if Rickon is brought back to take over Winterfell? Dramatically, it would make more sense for Rickon to really be the last – a reminder that the Starks almost didn’t make it. With Sansa gaining importance, it is looking more likely that she will inherit Winterfell in the end, and for that, Rickon has to die. The way he dies here makes a lot of sense too, given it’s through one of Ramsay’s preferred methods of execution.

    I also totally get the thing about the

    Umbers. The casting call described the Smalljon as … well, not like the Greatjon, as far as I recall. I’m not saying anything about the book Umbers, but even if it’s different in the books, this is the show and they have deviated from the book quite a bit. And honestly, if I was an arrogant, power-hungry, not-too-bright and violence prone lord, I would totally choose the winning side – especially if it meant taking out invading Wildlings – and to hell with that snotty kid who would otherwise become my liege lord.

    As for the cave: oh dear, where will our heroes go?

  168. Deesensfan: “Not what you think ” (so its NOT her/R’hollor resurrecting Jon?)
    “something else” — no clue!

    Or maybe, it’s not her doing it the way we expect it to happen. I’m thinking her exposing her chest in the trailer is not about sexytimes, but her offering herself in a Nissa Nissa kind of way. Blood magic, with Davos using Jon’s sword to do the deed (thus making the sword lightbringer). The only thing that has me doubt my own theory is the fact that Mel saw herself walking the battlements of Winterfell. Which she can’t do if she’s dead. (Unless her life essence is now part of Jon/Longclaw, but that sounds like a cop-out to me.)

  169. dee,

    The whole significance of the Nissa Nissa story is that she was the thing Azor Ahai cared about most. I don’t really see how Mel could ever fulfill a role like that in relation to Jon. And Mel would know that; that’s why she viewed Stannis sacrificing Shireen, the only person he really cared out, as the equivalent in his case.
  170. cosca,

    Exactly. I would not be surprised if LF found/made/manipulated another opportunity to screw over the Starks, trying to get Winterfell for himself in S6.

  171. Deesensfan,

    Some guy told details about a future battle, but it seems to be fake.
    Carice might be lying, she said once that, the books being dealt with, she was able to tell anything, because people didn’t have information any longer.

  172. dee,

    Agree to what you said about the Umbers, although it makes me sad.
    About Sansa, she might be the beginning of a new line, but those won’t be Starks. And to start a line she needs a husband. (I know there are Mormont girls with children and no husbands, but they are not the head of their house.) Sansa has got two by now, but I can’t imagine her having children with any of them. Well, I strongly hope not! Sansa already pregnant is something I don’t think to happen and isn’t desirable anyway. To reunite her with Tyrion sounds like a fairy-tale, no chance to go there.

  173. Sean C.,

    The Nissa Nissa legend is books-only, and I think it’s far too late for the show to be introducing it. Even Azor Ahai has never been mentioned in the show – Show!Mel simply refers to him as the Lord’s Chosen. I think that all the fans arguing over who will be the show’s Nissa Nissa are barking up the wrong weirwood.

  174. Lulus Mum,

    Thank you so much, you’re always such a dear! (Not a deer, I don’t picture you as a Baratheon supporter.)
    I’m expecting your photo(s) with giant penguins and surrealist staff.

  175. Rygritte,

    I’m quite sure Max Von Sydow is an one season character. Also, it was said he is going to have little screen time.

    So I assume Bloodraven that will be killed and Bran will run away. I’m just curious to know where he is going.

  176. cosca
    : This shit happens every damn time there’s detailed spoilers. It’s all out of context and written poorly, and so the show is trashed in advance. Not that I’ve read these spoilers.

    This is perhaps what annoys me most about the leak – assuming, purely for the sake of argument, that it’s accurate. Someone allegedly took what is likely to be a 40-minute sequence that was planned and storyboarded for months, and which took an incredible skilled and dedicated crew several more months to film. They took it completely out of context, free from whatever emotional and logical buildup that would lead to the battle having the natural emotional consequences that it’s intended to have.

    They took all that, and then summarized it in a single, poorly-written paragraph – allegedly. Then people on the Internet read that summary, and a few say that it sounds underwhelming.

    What did people expect? We’re talking about a visual medium, and few types of scenes are more reliant on direction, cinematography, and choreography to bring them to life than action sequences. I have yet to read a text-based summary of any major battle that accurately conveyed the experience of what I witnessed on screen. As for specifics, I never expected a clean Stark victory. It will be bittersweet for sure.

    I’m looking at the Wikipedia page for “Hardhome” right now. Trust me, it doesn’t come close to capturing the majesty of the episode itself. And that’s written by a person who watched the final cut, not someone who allegedly participated in the scene and pieced together whatever fragments they could.

    When we got the one legit Reddit leak about Hardhome last year, it was only a few sentences long. People keyed in on the phrase ‘wights go over a cliff and are resurrected by the Night’s King’. There was a cadre of fans whose basic reaction amounted to: “That sounds meh and dumb.” What we got was … well, Hardhome. The wights going over the cliff and the Night’s King raising the dead became iconic moments that were almost universally lauded.

    It may not be the worst thing in the world that expectations for this ‘battle to end all battles’ wind up being artificially deflated, for whatever reason. No matter how much money, time, blood, and sweat the crew poured into this battle to deliver it to our screens, it’s unlikely to match the sheer scale and perfect desired outcome of the battle in our minds … because right now, that battle can be whatever the hell we want it to be.

    But personally, I have absolutely no concerns about how epic and cinematic the battle will be. When it comes to battles, Game of Thrones’ track record is pure gold.

  177. dee,

    The Rickon part is what I found the most disappointing. Without him the Stark line dies. What was the purpose of introducing the character in the first place? Sansa might have kids, but they won’t be Starks. And I’ve always seen her ruling the Vale and acting as Rickon’s regent until then. Jon is a bastard now and later a Targ, so I don’t see him getting legitimized. I see Arya dying as well in the end, and Bran as a tree/future Bloodraven. The only thing that might save this is Bran coming back and being a second Bran the Builder (restoring Winterfell and the Wall), but can he even have kids? Is Bran leaving the cave and heading south? Or is he going further north?

    Idk if I were Smalljon I’d much rather have a little lord I’ve raised in my house and molded him into what I want him to be/do, rather than join a known psychopath who could easily double cross and flay me. I could always take down the Wildlings after the battle, when they are weakened.

  178. Speaking of barking up the wrong weirwood, I wonder if Mel’s ‘surprise’ might be hearing the Old Gods (alias Bran and/or Bloodraven) trying to send her a message. That would add an interesting dimension to her current crisis of faith.

  179. Flayed Potatoes,

    i call it realpolitik, i Dont like that too much imo, but its crude , coldbloody. The umbers are The most closer to The wall and The wildlings in The north , and i hope it will be explained through some greatjon exchange agreement.

  180. Flayed Potatoes,

    we dont know yet, if Rickon dies, but regarding the stark line’s end , in the war of the roses , a lot of great bloodlines ended, changing the nobility forever. Westeros is going to change, and just like the Baratheons, some other houses have to be doomed.

  181. Flayed Potatoes,

    About Rickon: the books, I think his purpose is to follow the same story of Shaggy dog, ie finishing pointless punchline. In the show, when Rickon was introduced, D&D did not know about the fate of the character. But after talking with GRRM and knowing which characters are important and which can be cut, they are eliminating everything they seem not important to the end, even if they still live in the books (Stannis, Jojen, Myrcella, Shireen). Regarding Bran: I’m pretty sure he will not be in the cave forever. He will return to the south and will be able to continue Stark line.
  182. Giulio,

    It’s going to be so weird if this happens and Umbers side with Starks during the battle. Like “we were pro-Stark all this time and only pretending; sorry we killed your heir even though we raised him lol”. They’re going to look like fools lmao.

  183. Firannion,

    Tinfoil time!

    its revealed that Mel is 400 years old and using a glamour 🙂 . I have actually seen a you tube video of an interview with the actor who played Maester Cressen in S2, who claimed this. If this really was additional info which was given to the actors by the show writers, it might happen in the next season
  184. Flayed Potatoes,

    If Sansa were to be the head of House Stark, her children would be Starks. It is far from uncommon in Westeros for female heads of houses to pass the name on to their children, e.g., Lady Waynwood and her sons, Lady Oakheart and her sons, Lady Flint and her sons.

    Selina,

    Bran can’t have children, at least per Luwin in AGOT. Maybe Luwin was wrong, but that’s what we were told.

    Firannion,

    The show has largely avoided giving much information about the backstory of the Long Night. That will be brought in at some point, one imagines, closer to whatever relevance it has (as is their style). But my point about Nissa Nissa was simply that if the show is at all following whatever the books do to bring about the resurrection, it doesn’t make any sense for Mel to be in that role in the books.

  185. Selina,

    I hope so. I really do. I know the ending will be bitter, but I just want the Stark line to continue (“there must always be a Stark in Winterfell” and all that). That would be the one sweet part I guess. 😛 I get the elimination of the other characters you mentioned and agree with it.

    Rickon living would have also meant ruining Littlefinger’s plans a bit, and I admit I would have loved to see him squirm as he tries to get rid of him to make room for Sansa and himself.

    giulio,

    I know. The Baratheons are certainly doomed (I’ve always felt it was coming based on the killing of the Targaryen children), but unlike them the Starks are the central family (they’re the ones we’ve been following from the beginning) and I expect a bit more.

  186. hello i’m new here so i’m sorry if i don’t use the spoilers code correctly

    i just wanted to say regarding rickon sansa and the stark line that it’s not the first time the stark line has been continued through the female line.Years ago the a king beyond the wall took the daughter of the lord of winterfell and left behind only a blue rose she had a child and came back
    considering the lord of winterfell didn’t have any male children the son became lord so i think sansa could continue the line for example marry a small northern lord but give the children her surname
  187. Flayed Potatoes,

    If she was the independent head of House Stark in this instance, it would be her decision.

    If she was somebody’s hostage (as she was with the Lannisters and the Boltons), that would be their decision.

    Selina,

    Or his sisters could do it, as I said. While Luwin could be wrong, it would seem like GRRM had a reason for including that line. It’s not like Ned otherwise lacked reasons to mourn.
  188. Shy Lady Dragon:
    dee,

    Agree to what you said about the Umbers, although it makes me sad.
    About Sansa, she might be the beginning of a new line, but those won’t be Starks. And to start a line she needs a husband. (I know there are Mormont girls with children and no husbands, but they are not the head of their house.)Sansa has got two by now, but I can’t imagine her having children with any of them. Well, I strongly hope not! Sansa already pregnant is something I don’t think to happen and isn’t desirable anyway. To reunite her with Tyrion sounds like a fairy-tale, no chance to go there.

    Well, the real War of the Roses ended with a marriage between the opposing Houses Lancaster and York, so I don’t necessarily think that a Stark-Lannister alliance would be fairytale-like.

    As for Sansa and the Stark line, well, houses in Westeros have continued through the female line before, including the Starks themselves, so that’s really essentially a non-issue, at least bookwise.

  189. phantomstrife:
    ~~Van Houten says there is a “surprise” coming for her character “in episode one” of the new season. How tantalising. But she’s not giving any more away.
    “Yes, there’s a surprise. Not what you think it is, it’s something else!” she says coyly.
    “I knew it was coming at some point. People had talked about it before to me, but I wasn’t sure when it was going to happen. Urgh, this is really vague. As it should be.”~~

    Mel will glamor herself to be Jon Snow while his actual body is stashed away in some ice cell? 😀 Tinfoil hat on!

  190. George,

    Yes, I know. But I see that Bran may well return to Winterfell and take his place back. If there is no physical impediment, he could have children.

  191. Dame of Mercia:
    I remember Old Nan talking about ice spiders – I suppose they could be done via CGI though it’s probably easier to sit the actors on horses.It’s interesting how they convert ordinary [if tall] human beings into White Walkers.

    I think the Ice Spiders are happening, people. After all, D&D took the time to mentioning them AGAIN in Hardhome…

  192. phantomstrife:
    ~~Van Houten says there is a “surprise” coming for her character “in episode one” of the new season. How tantalising. But she’s not giving any more away.
    “Yes, there’s a surprise. Not what you think it is, it’s something else!” she says coyly.
    “I knew it was coming at some point. People had talked about it before to me, but I wasn’t sure when it was going to happen. Urgh, this is really vague. As it should be.”~~

    Where did she say that?

  193. I’ve been a lurker here, for a very long time, but this issue has lured me out of the shadows. I actually was an extra on the battle scene for Season VI (and I won’t tell you any more about it than that!) Some of the things in the Reddit post are true, but several are definitely not, so I think you would all be wise to just ignore it.

    Although he was able to post a picture of a jacket, that doesn’t mean that it’s his. Plenty of people in NI have them now, & there are photos of them floating about on the ‘net. I didn’t see the photo, but it sounds like a Stark jacket, which has a direwolf sigil on the back. The jackets are very cool (I have one!), but HBO only permit them to be made for groups of extras who have worked on very long shoots. The Night’s Watch have been getting them for years, &, last year, the Wildlings who took part in the Hardhome shoot were also allowed to get them. For Season VI, several groups have been given permission.

    The battle scene is long, & complex. I don’t think that any extra was present for all of it, as it was shot in lots of sections. We were shown a pre-vis video (cartoon) of the whole story, on the first day, but even that, didn’t have all the details.

    Real extras are a band of brothers. For a scene like this, with so many people involved, the days are very long & hard, so we become very committed & loyal to each other & the production. We also know how important secrecy is, & that HBO will pursue anyone who even thinks of breaking the NDA. If this idiot was a real extra, the other extras would hunt him down!

  194. George,

    Thanks for reminding me! I certainly wish Sansa were able to continue the Stark line if none of her brothers survived (a dark and full of terrors prospect).
    I don’t think GRRM would end the story following the historical model but, if this happened, I wouldn’t be sorry.

  195. ghost of winterfell,

    That would not surprise me much, and it seems like the beginning of this season would be the right time for that reveal, via Ghost’s PoV. I have long thought that magic done for the benefit of people’s perceptions wouldn’t necessarily work the same on animals.

  196. the staff the NK has in that video is the same one he has on his back in the Bran/NK video from the S6 trailer. Hes not wielding it, but its on his back.

  197. Shy Lady Dragon,

    Women cannot carry the family name, thats why they adopt their husbands last name when they marry. It will die with Sansa as the targaryen name will die with danny if young griff is a fraud and jon is not a targaryen. Only male heirs can carry the name onward. If a woman does, the family branch would have 2 names. Like Sansa of House Stark-Bolton and the main branch(House Stark) would go extinct(just like it did with the real life House of Bourbon when its last male heir died and its split into different branches due to women being heirs.) The only way the Starks can continue their existence is a Male cousin or a Karstark marrys Sansa. If Harald Karstark marries Sansa, he would becomes Harald Stark of Winterfell because the Kar is just an addition because they are just starks of karhold. If Rickon were to die, and Jon is really a stark bastard and gets legitimized by Robbs will, he would inherit Winterfell and not Sansa.

    I dont think all stark males will die, because this battle wouldn’t make any sense, nor other houses supporting a dead house. They would fight to marry sansa and inherit winterfell for their own.

    Besides why would Ramsay Bolton or whoever marries Sansa give up his house name to adopt stark…it would be humiliation for his own house and a lie to the line of inheritance.

  198. Stark Loyalist:
    Shy Lady Dragon,

    Women cannot carry the family name

    That’s not true in the case of Oakheart, Flint and Waynwood. And in the distant past the name Stark also passed on through the female line as well, so that assertion is simply incorrect.

  199. George,

    When one mixes Middle Ages with contemporary feminism you get what you get: family names passed via maternal lines, Dornish sandsnakes etc. That would not be working for a real world but is good for the story of “tits and dragons”.

  200. Meh my least favorite thing about GoT is the White Walkers. With so much interesting going on in the show between the humans, I just couldn’t care less about a bunch of brain dead monsters. I’m hoping the White Walkers are taken care of well in advance of the end, and that the last remaining big villain is:

    Euron Greyjoy
  201. Lulus Mum,

    You don’t even need an account, you can just upload your image/s. Obviously don’t lose the URL/s or you will have a very hard time finding your stuff again.

  202. LatrineDiggerBrian:
    Meh my least favorite thing about GoT is the White Walkers. With so much interesting going on in the show between the humans, I just couldn’t care less about a bunch of brain dead monsters. I’m hoping the White Walkers are taken care of well in advance of the end, and that the last remaining big villain is:

    LOL. You’re out of luck there…Expect season 8 to be all about the WW and the Long Night.

  203. George: LOL. You’re out of luck there…Expect season 8 to be all about the WW and the Long Night.

    How are you so certain?

  204. dee: I’m thinking her exposing her chest in the trailer is not about sexytimes, but her offering herself in a Nissa Nissa kind of way.

    It could be as simple as undressing for a bath before bed when she hears angry, sad howling that cuts her to her bones.

    HBO released an official picture of her looking smug af before galloping out of Castle Black. It’s too early for Nissa.

  205. Firannion: I have long thought that magic done for the benefit of people’s perceptions wouldn’t necessarily work the same on animals.

    Just because Mel is very old (and I seem to recall that there are some reasons to suspect this), it does not follow that she looks old. If you are able to live to be 400, then we do not expect you to look any particular age: clearly you are not aging normally (or you’d be long dead), so it’s just as probable that you look 20 as it is you look 100 on that score. Moreover, given that finding some way to not age would be a good first step to such methusalism (is that even a word?), being physically young might be more probable than being old.

    At any rate, Ghost is a canine. He’d recognize Mel by her scent. So, unless HBO comes up with a way to blast “old person smell” out of our televisions, his ability to smell through the magic would not amount to much!

    LatrineDiggerBrian: How are you so certain?

    Basic story structure, for one thing. The Walkers have been the big “Gun” on the Wall since the opening chapter and scene of the series. Moreover, stories typically work with parallelisms and hierarchy: the War of 5 Kings is going to be a microcosm for the War of the Gods, and some commonality or commonalities between what Daeny, Jon, Tyrion, etc., learn from the War of 5 Kings and the situation presented as they are betwixt and betwen the Walkers, the Old Gods, R’hllor and who knows what else (the Tits and Wine god, I suppose) is going to be crucial at the climax. Moreover, even if we had not figured out what type of story GRRM likes to tell from his books, he’s been pretty open about it elsewhere: he tells stories in which people feel that all of their choices are “wrong” for same reasons that they are “right.” When we learn the truth about the Walkers, the Old Gods, R’hllor, Wine & Tits, etc., we should have an “oh, eff: I wouldn’t want to be the one with the finger on the button here!” sensation. And the War of 5 Kings should feel like a video game in comparison.

  206. Wimsey:

    Basic story structure, for one thing.The Walkers have been the big “Gun” on the Wall since the opening chapter and scene of the series.Moreover, stories typically work with parallelisms and hierarchy: the War of 5 Kings is going to be a microcosm for the War of the Gods, and some commonality or commonalities between what Daeny, Jon, Tyrion, etc., learn from the War of 5 Kings and the situation presented as they are betwixt and betwen the Walkers, the Old Gods, R’hllor and who knows what else (the Tits and Wine god, I suppose) is going to be crucial at the climax.Moreover, even if we had not figured out what type of story GRRM likes to tell from his books, he’s been pretty open about it elsewhere: he tells stories in which people feel that all of their choices are “wrong” for same reasons that they are “right.”When we learn the truth about the Walkers, the Old Gods, R’hllor, Wine & Tits, etc., we should have an “oh, eff: I wouldn’t want to be the one with the finger on the button here!” sensation.And the War of 5 Kings should feel like a video game in comparison.

    My god Wimsey, you are a bit much. At least you didn’t bring any Chekhov references into this post.

    Yes I get the fact that the impending WW invasion has been very slowly and gradually worked into the story from episode 1. And yes I agree they will play a big role at the very end. I think ultimately though in the final episodes, it will be the conflict amongst the humans that is center stage. At least that’s what I hope since the zombies have zero depth and aren’t the least bit interesting.

  207. Abyss:
    Lulus Mum,

    You don’t even need an account, you can just upload your image/s. Obviously don’t lose the URL/s or you will have a very hard time finding your stuff again.

    Thanks for this, oh Lord of Gifs. Maybe I misread the instructions in my eagerness to inflict my Photoshop…er…‘skills’ on the world. There you go, Shy Lady Dragon, even easier than I thought. I did contemplate getting some antlers ’cos they look really useful for hanging things on but reckon they would get in the way of my donkey rotor blade ears, so shall stick to being a ponkey (penguin/donkey cross) for the time being. More than two species at once seems a bit greedy 😀

  208. Lulus Mum,

    Thank you, dear ponkey!
    I invite you to go the Photoshop thread and find the links to see my photos on Imgur. It’s my first time with combining photos, so don’t expect to find an extremely accurate work! *blushes*

  209. I repeat myself again, because we live in the age of feminism everything has to be politically correct and people tend to forget how it was in the past when royal houses actually mattered. These modern ones are a sham of what the original ones were, because the females line created branches after branches after branches . Take a look at House of Bourbon or the french royal houses of the past.

    As for the show that is based on medieval times or something like that and only male heirs can pass on the family name, thats why in marriage women adopt the husbands last name. If there was a sole women stark heir left she either married a cousin Stark and the name lived on. So if Smalljon Umber were to marry Sansa Stark you think he would give up his family name and traditions to become Smalljon Stark? It doesnt work like that. Their heir would be a Umber of Winterfell and House Umber of Wintefell would take over once the last stark is gone.

    George: That’s not true in the case of Oakheart, Flint and Waynwood. And in the distant past the name Stark also passed on through the female line as well, so that assertion is simply incorrect.

  210. Wimsey: Just because Mel is very old (and I seem to recall that there are some reasons to suspect this), it does not follow that she looks old. If you are able to live to be 400, then we do not expect you to look any particular age: clearly you are not aging normally (or you’d be long dead), so it’s just as probable that you look 20 as it is you look 100 on that score. Moreover, given that finding some way to not age would be a good first step to such methusalism (is that even a word?), being physically young might be more probable than being old.

    Maybe you’re right. Maybe there is a magic fountain of turbocharged wrinkle cream somewhere in Assha’i by the Shadow. But I prefer to approach this question in a literary way, rather than a mechanistic one.

    I’m rather fond of the medieval trope of the Loathly Lady, with its roots possibly going back to Bronze Age kingship tests, in which the incumbent supposedly had to prove his continued virility at certain intervals to a High Priestess (who might no longer be a spring chicken) or else be sacrificed and replaced with a younger model. With his interest in the Middle Ages, I’m sure that GRRM is familiar with this archetypal figure, if only from ‘The Wife of Bath’s Tale’; but she shows up in plenty of ballads and verse as well.

    Melisandre’s obsessive quest to couple with manly men with kings’ blood strikes me as suggestive that GRRM is having a little fun with this trope, and possibly planning to invert it by having the Fairest Maid that Ever Was Seen turn into the Loathly Lady after the proof of manhood/chivalry is delivered, rather than the other way ’round as usual. I’ve been hoping that resurrected Jon won’t succumb to Mel’s attempts at seduction; but if he does, I hope at least that he insists that she take her ruby off first! That would be the appropriate point for her true deglamourized self to be revealed. Then we’d get to see what state-of-the-art CGI can do in the way of shriveling someone.

    What one wants from GoT and what one is likely to get are two different things, of course.

  211. Flayed Potatoes,

    im not so confident for rickon’ future , for the same reason ure claiming , it would ruin a bit littlefinger’s plans, i dont see that happening , its the bittersweet ending , martin has always been looking for.

  212. Mon,

    Anybody else notice Loras Tyrells head sculpt as one of those masks in the behind the scenes vid. Why would they need his head now. Its definitely Finn too look at those lips and that jaw.

  213. Dribly,

    I’ve just read a comment on another site that pointed this out as well. And I must say after comparing the mask with photos of Finn, I totally agree!

    This thread seems to be dead, so maybe you should post this as an OT on the active thread. It’s definitely very interesting! Maybe Loras gets some serious face injuries or loses his head all together. Why else would they need a rubber head?

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