It’s made very clear that bastards are not in the line of succession. Jon Snow is a good example - he was never in line for Lord of Winterfell, no matter if any of the 5 natural Stark children would live or die. Of course, the Baratheons feeling insecure and murdering Robert’s bastards is in conflict with that.
I think it was made clear that Joffrey did that for no good reason. If I recall correctly, Tyron was outraged that they had been killed when they posed no threat to the throne.
I think “we” respond just fine to well-reasoned criticism of the show. The poster to whom you were responding was simply pointing out that it’s a common complaint that the early episodes in each season are a little slow compared to later ones.
But go on tilting at windmills.
I don’t think the show runners feel any compulsion to make each episode riveting. They’re crafting a season as a whole, not 10 one hour stories.
Yes, true, but it’s been shown that with the tech of the day, the Colossus of Rhodes could not have straddled the harbor.
I loved the scene with Gilly and Sam.
“I know…S.”
I wonder if Jon will try to get redbeard wildling… Sumthing sumething Giantsbane? to take on Mance’s role as leader.
My take was that he killed them to avoid other people reaching the same conclusion as Ned: Baratheon = Dark hair.
~sniff~ I miss Tywin.
That would have been a sensible, if evil, reason. But given that he himself didn’t seem to believe the incest rumors, and also seemed incapable of that level of self-reflection and political sensitivity, it seems more likely that he just hated the idea of bastard half-siblings…
Early in the series, we saw Ned looking in the record books, and noting that every Baratheon child was dark-haired and concluding or confirming in his mind that Cersei’s children were not Robert’s. But I can’t remember; did other characters whisper about that? Were there whispers about Joffrey and the others being the product of incest?
That’s why John Arryn was killed.
Yeah, that whole “the blood is strong” thing. That was how Ned got pointed in the direction of the book in the first place.
Actually, the whispers needn’t have been about incest. Isn’t a queen’s cheating on the king generally considered treason? And the kid’s NOT being the king’s get is the most important point.
I seem to remember Stannis sending ravenmail all over Westeros proclaiming that Cersei’s kids were the products of incest. However, I don’t know that the hair-color clue was mentioned. I think Joffrey had them killed perhaps out of fear or perhaps because he didn’t like bastards or perhaps because he was a crazy MF. Or a combination of those reasons.
Going by Earth History, I don’t think random offspring of tavern-maids would* ever* be considered in the line of succession. Perhaps someone raised in a noble household from birth & trained in the gentlemanly arts might be legitimized–by applying to whomever was passing as king–by Westeros Rules. Earthly example: Henry FitzRoy, whose last name meant King’s Son–the only bastard that Henry VIII ever recognized. The sonless king made Young Henry a duke but the boy died young…
So, Jon Snow could have become Jon Stark–but he’s now Commander of the Night’s Watch…
I mostly enjoyed the episode & don’t mind that it was a bit slow moving. There are a lot of characters to coordinate.
I’m not sure whether Stannis’s decree would have been well-received or widely accepted. The one big rule about the Night’s Watch is that it’s for life.
Well current Stannis is being told to go pound sand by a ten year old girl ruler of bear island, so that doesn’t bode well for any of his decrees. If he won and became the actual King though there wouldn’t be much anyone could do about it.
Wasn’t it Varys who said that power lies where people believe it to lie? Who is the rightful king, once military might and presumed lineage come into play, would seem to depend on who is considered legitimate by enough of the nobility.
No she’s from elsewhere, maybe (Cersei says). Talisa Maegyr, Rob 's wife is from there.
No, that part is explicitly said.
Re: bastards, didn’t Maggy give a specific number? Guess joffrey could’ve heard from mom.
While Brienne is definitely an admirable character (if not exactly one for lighthearted fun) and Littlefinger is a “Boo! Hiss!” villain, and there are some asterisks about her former charges, you have to admit that he makes a good point about how those who engage the Brienne Security Service don’t tend to wind up that great.
Renly- dead.
Catalyn- dead.
Jaime- let’s give the boy a hand.
Sansa’s probably right not to switch Littlefinger and a dozen men for Lady Kiss-of-Death.
I see now – you just didn’t get the wordplay on “Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters,” which is the institution created by Professor Charles Xavier to train young mutants to develop and control their powers in the “X-Men,” series; “Xavier School for Gifted Murders” parodies that concept.