# Game of Thrones 3.04 "And Now His Watch is Ended" 4/21/13 No Book Spoilers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2013, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-3-04-and-now-his-watch-is-ended-4-21-13-no-book-spoilers/656340 "2013-04-21T22:12:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-3-04-and-now-his-watch-is-ended-4-21-13-no-book-spoilers/656340/241 "2013-05-01T12:52:58Z")
Credibility means believability. Credulity means the tendency to believe. A story can have or lack credibility. The person hearing it can either have or lack credulity. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-3-04-and-now-his-watch-is-ended-4-21-13-no-book-spoilers/656340/242 "2013-05-01T12:56:33Z")
“It stretches credibility” and “It stretches credulity” would both work in **Clairobscure** ’s post, and in fact they’d mean similar things in that context. But there’s no reason to think “credibility” was wrong there while “credulity” would be right. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-3-04-and-now-his-watch-is-ended-4-21-13-no-book-spoilers/656340/243 "2013-05-01T13:03:15Z")
It would stretch “credibility” if Martin was purporting to report factual events. When you know that you’re reading a work of fiction, there’s no question of credibility. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-3-04-and-now-his-watch-is-ended-4-21-13-no-book-spoilers/656340/244 "2013-05-01T13:51:22Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > It would stretch “credibility” if Martin was purporting to report factual events. When you know that you’re reading a work of fiction, there’s no question of credibility. It would strain the narrative’s verisimilitude. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-3-04-and-now-his-watch-is-ended-4-21-13-no-book-spoilers/656340/245 "2013-05-01T14:07:15Z")
I’ll take that. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-3-04-and-now-his-watch-is-ended-4-21-13-no-book-spoilers/656340/246 "2013-05-01T14:14:03Z")
It stretches my credulity that there’s this much debate over a single word choice. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-3-04-and-now-his-watch-is-ended-4-21-13-no-book-spoilers/656340/247 "2013-05-01T14:15:43Z")
Fortunately you have no credibility here. ---
**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-3-04-and-now-his-watch-is-ended-4-21-13-no-book-spoilers/656340/248 "2013-05-01T14:48:47Z")
> [@gonzoron](#): > > It stretches my credulity that there’s this much debate over a single word choice. It stretches credulity that someone who has been part of the SDMB for so many years could say such a thing. ---
**Author:** ![carlb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carlb/32/5930_2.png) [@carlb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carlb)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-3-04-and-now-his-watch-is-ended-4-21-13-no-book-spoilers/656340/249 "2013-05-01T15:51:50Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > I’m starting to wonder, what’s going to happen with Gendry? The fact that he was Robert’s son was a big plot point up to the beginning of the second season. It hasn’t really come up since Arya claimed that the dead kid was Gendry. Is his lineage ever going to come up again? I think pretty much everyone who knew who he was is dead. > [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > \ > But the difference is no one is presenting Gendry’s case, or even seems to know who he is. So is there a point to his story? Is there going to be a “King Gendry” storyline in a future season? > [@Just\_Ed](#): > > Nitpick: Joffrey is _not_ the eldest legitimate son of Robert Baratheon; he is the illegitimate offspring of Cersei and her brother Jaime, a vicious “rumor” which most of the realm at this point seems to accept as truth. Yes, he holds the throne due to the _appearance_ of legitimacy, but his illegitimacy is the basis for Stannis’ claim to the title. Stannis is the eldest brother of King Robert, and claims the throne because Robert did not have a legitimate heir. Renly, meanwhile, is the younger brother of Stannis and Robert, and claimed the throne, well, just _because_. (He felt he would be a better king, and have more popular support, than the stern and humorless Stannis.) I think it’s worthwhile to note Stannis would probably not have challenged Joffrey had he not known Joffrey was illegitimate – he’s very similar to Ned Stark in that he would uphold the proper order no matter how much he wanted otherwise. > > \ > > Regarding Robert’s bastards, remember that Jon Arryn had been investigating them prior to Ned Stark’s arrival, and Ned followed in his footsteps. The availability of prostitutes and willing mistresses in King’s Landing and the tacit approval of the king’s indulgences (indeed _any_ nobleman’s indulgences, apparently) would make it easy to track his offspring; it’s not like the mothers were secretive about their progeny. Barring some really convoluted political machinations and even more death and mayhem than is usual for this series, I don’t see a King Gendry ever happening; he’s a bastard and would need a king to legitimize his parentage. I don’t see any of the current or potential future kings doing that; it just wouldn’t be in their interests. Besides, remember that the whole point of Jon Arryn’s and Ned’s investigations into Robert’s bastards was not to find a potential heir and ruler; it was to establish that Joffrey was _not_ Robert’s son, and therefore not the legitimate heir to Robert’s throne. Since there are no DNA tests available in Westeros, the next best thing is a whole bunch of examples of what Robert’s offspring look like; they all look like him, regardless of who the mother is. Joffrey clearly does not look like Robert, therefore Joffrey is not Robert’s. Gendry still has value to anyone who wants to de-legitimize Joffrey and/or bring shame and disrepute to Cersei and, by extension, the entire Lannister family. ---
**Author:** ![sidhechaos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sidhechaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidhechaos)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2013, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-3-04-and-now-his-watch-is-ended-4-21-13-no-book-spoilers/656340/250 "2013-05-03T01:12:40Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > I’ve a hard time believing that someone like that would raise to such a high level. Joffrey fits perfectly your description, for instance, but he was born to be a king, and he’s surrounded by people who prevent his idiocy from bitting him in the ass. > I think the unsullied exchange really stretches credibility. whose to say this douchenozzle didn’t inherit his position like jeoffery? ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2014, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-3-04-and-now-his-watch-is-ended-4-21-13-no-book-spoilers/656340/251 "2014-02-25T23:05:38Z")
Hope this isn’t considered a zombie (or white walker) thread. Just watched this episode on DVD. Even though I’ve read the books and knew what was going to happen in Astapor, it was still awesome to see 🆒 One question (don’t know if this was covered in the books) In the normal situation of say 200 slaves, do they make more whip things? Or do they just say “you lot - this is your new master”? Brian ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2014, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-3-04-and-now-his-watch-is-ended-4-21-13-no-book-spoilers/656340/252 "2014-02-26T00:52:52Z")
Can’t answer your question but I watched the whole season 3 DVD set this past weekend (in one marathon session!). Then I went back and read all the season 3 threads here that I couldn’t participate in when the threads were started. You must be doing the same? That’s the worst part of having to wait on the DVDs to come out…avoiding spoilers! I did the same the weekend before with The Walking Dead except starting with season one. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2014, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-3-04-and-now-his-watch-is-ended-4-21-13-no-book-spoilers/656340/253 "2014-02-26T01:37:04Z")
As I said, I have read the books (though it has been a while) I was so pumped about this episode I did a search. Trying NOT to watch the whole season in one sitting… Brian [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-3-04-and-now-his-watch-is-ended-4-21-13-no-book-spoilers/656340.md?page=12)