In the third episode, there was a shot from the top of the Wall looking north. It just looked like a cold, snowy mountainous area to me. Is that about right?
Yes, near the Wall. But you can see in this map that FlyingDragonFan posted, it’s a BIG cold, snowy, mountainous area, and it eventually become tundra and arctic landscape.
Pretty much. The picture didn’t really give a good indicator that they were looking down on those woods from about 700 feet up.
Also, I rewatched last night and think I figured out the scene between Jaime and Cersei. Cersei is bitching at him for what he did, and I think what she’s doing is bitching at him for sending the assassin. Meanwhile, Jamie knows nothing about the attempted assassination, and thinks she’s complaining about his pushing Bran out the window.
Thats how it looked to me, anyway.
-Joe
OK, I haven’t read the books, but that wall is really big. Presumably there’s something or someone north of it that they want to keep out? (No spoilers, please.)
And by the way, the language being used by the Dothraki sounded almost like Arabic or Hindi, although I suspect that it’s deliberately not close to any real language.
Mexicans?
The Wikipedia article does mention that it sounds like Arabic or Arabic crossed with Spanish to non-Arabic-speakers, but probably doesn’t sound at all like Arabic to actual Arabic-speakers.
No spoilers necessary. The first scene of the first show showed that there were very sinister things north of the Wall. And the story Nan was telling Bran in his sickbed gave some more hints.
Tyrion’s comments about the Night Watch’s duties describe monsters beyond the Wall - that he doesn’t believe in, but in the context that SOMEONE believes in them. (Then what’s his face assures him that there ARE monsters on the other side. ‘The Wildlings aren’t what gives me nightmares.’)
Ah, there we go. That makes the most sense to me, too.
There are essentially two elements beyond the Wall:
The first are the Wildlings, human tribes that - as Tyrion indicated - are more or less ethnically identical to the people on the “civilized” side of the Wall. Think Highland vs. Lowland Scots. It’s no spoiler to say that most of the the Night Watch’s work involves dealing with the Wildlings and preventing them from entering the Seven Kingdoms.
The second are the dark, inhuman forces indicated in the first scene of the first episode. These are supposedly much more dangerous than the Wildlings, but no-one has seen any sign of them for a long, long time, and most people south of the Wall no longer believe they exist.
Yoren?
Who was the grey-haired man who was overseeing the recruits’ sparring in the courtyard? I recognize the actor from Torchwood but don’t know his name (otherwise I’d look him up)…
Who was he on Torchwood?
Anyway, the main person that talked about the scary stuff to the north was Benjen Stark. The ones asking for Tyrion to use his influence were Lord Commander Mormomt and Maester Aemon.
-Joe
No, the other one, the one who’d been talking to Jon before he came in and got pissed at Tyrion’s badmouthing the Watch (in conversation with Yoren).
I’m pretty sure the Benjen mentioned by Merijeek is the one I’m thinking of. The name sounds right, and the description is definitely right. (And he’s a Stark? Was that mentioned? I seem to have missed it if so. What’s his relation to Ned and his brood?)
He’s Ned’s younger brother. Note that by joining the Watch, he permanently removed himself from the line of succession - he is a Stark by name and by blood, but no longer has any legal standing other than that of a member of the Night Watch.
So do we know why Benjen joined the Watch? Yes, it could have been just because at least the Starksstill think it is honorable, but surely it was mentioned somewhere?
-Joe
If I could remember his reason in any later book it would be a spoiler. But, as far as I know, we never heard Benjen’s specific reason for joining.
So it* could* be a later plot point. That’s one of the things with GRRM’s series: we don’t only want to know What Happens Next, we also have questions about What Actually Happened Years Ago. Or Why.
Yes, good thing you were thinking on spoilers
Anyways, I’m going to guess its kind of like the medieval ’ second son joining the priesthood because its not like is going to inherit anything’.
-Joe
Remember that Benjen was probably a THIRD son when he joined the NW. Brandon was the eldest brother.
ETA: I’m wrong…according to the ASOIAF wiki, Benjen went to the Wall shortly after Robert’s Rebellion, so Brandon was already dead.
No it’s revealed early on(I think Jon asks Benjen why back when he was still in Winterfell, not 100% sure on that though) and it’s not really any spoiler. He joined basically because there’s not much else for a 3rd male Stark in a single generation to do and the Starks still see honour and value in the Watch. It’s implied, or at least I inferred, that it is not uncommon for there to be a Stark or two on the Watch at any given time.
Thanks. I guess I didn’t remember because those were the most logical reasons. No Dark Secrets Lurking…