A Game of Thrones - TV Show Discussion Thread

[Lord Avalon]

He could have fled back to the Wall, but he was found south of it. So, yes, he was "trying to escape his own people."

The book does have more detail on the initial event beyond the Wall. Also, the guy was a poacher before he took the black.

[Berzerker]

He could have fled back to the Wall, but he was found south of it. So, yes, he was "trying to escape his own people."

The book does have more detail on the initial event beyond the Wall. Also, the guy was a poacher before he took the black.

sounds like a technicality, kinda like taking the head of a "traitor" after he confesses

[Lord Avalon]

"Technicality," my ass. Lord Stark & co left Winterfell at daybreak to ride to the "holdfast in the hills," outside of which the deserter had been taken. The book doesn't explicitly say, but it seems they made it back to Winterfell the same day. So if that's only half a day's ride, then the deserter was well south of the Wall, and desertion = death.

As far a the poaching, he was a previous criminal whose sentence was commuted to life in the Night's Watch. As Ned says of a deserter:

No man is more dangerous. The deserter knows his life is forfeit if he is taken, so he will not flinch from any crime, no matter how vile. (p.16)

Hence, the execution, which was just.

Ned's execution was a stupid boy king disregarding the wisdom of his elders and pandering to the masses.

[-Jrabbit]

I hated Joffrey before; he is now irredeemable in my eyes.
And the queen mum just found out she's got her hands full.

Also, it was nice to see at least one Stark think things through before doing something stupid. Nice change of pace.

[OzzyKP]

The next question is who all knows the full details of Joffrey's rather checkered lineage? Did Ned confide in any of the other Starks? I forget if the dead king's dead brother go the full story or not. The pimp and the eunich seem to know, but that doesn't really matter.

I figure it would be an important distinction if Robb's war is to save the realm from a bastard king with no claim to the throne vs. a war to get revenge for mistreating his dad.

In an earlier episode it said that one of the Lannister armies was laying siege to some kingdom, and the other one was... I forget. What was the other army doing and which did Robb destroy?

[Cort Haus]

Yeah, and throw in the horse-fetishists and the ice-zombies all on the march and it quite clearly is not going to be resolved in the last hour.

Let's face it, we're all going to have to read the books rather than waiting another five years for the TV series to get made.

[OzzyKP]

Only one episode left?!? Crap.

[ColdWizard]

Yeah, and throw in the horse-fetishists and the ice-zombies all on the march and it quite clearly is not going to be resolved in the last hour.

Let's face it, we're all going to have to read the books rather than waiting another five years for the TV series to get made.

4 years for the books that already (allegedly) exist. Then if he doesn't finish book 6 in timely manner, there could be an even longer wait.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

Five. The plan is to split book three in twain.

[ColdWizard]

More time for book 6 then.

[Berzerker]

"Technicality," my ass. Lord Stark & co left Winterfell at daybreak to ride to the "holdfast in the hills," outside of which the deserter had been taken. The book doesn't explicitly say, but it seems they made it back to Winterfell the same day. So if that's only half a day's ride, then the deserter was well south of the Wall, and desertion = death.

As far a the poaching, he was a previous criminal whose sentence was commuted to life in the Night's Watch. As Ned says of a deserter:

Hence, the execution, which was just.

Ned's execution was a stupid boy king disregarding the wisdom of his elders and pandering to the masses.

so the guy killed an animal belonging to some "Lord" and is sentenced to serve - the "oath" was coerced and therefore morally non-binding - and yet he's beheaded by Ned for suffering from shock while running away from an attack by the bogeymen. The dude's "crime" was bogus and so was the sentence, that aint "just". And I doubt it's a coincidence Ned took his head and then lost his own...

oh yeah, the night's watch at the wall are not his own people if he was sentenced to be there.

[Kuciwalker]

CW: have you always had that avatar? I momentarily thought UR had returned...

[ColdWizard]

CW: have you always had that avatar? I momentarily thought UR had returned...

I had an Infogreed avatar for civ3. Otherwise mostly this one.

[Lord Avalon]

so the guy killed an animal belonging to some "Lord" and is sentenced to serve - the "oath" was coerced and therefore morally non-binding - and yet he's beheaded by Ned for suffering from shock while running away from an attack by the bogeymen. The dude's "crime" was bogus and so was the sentence, that aint "just". And I doubt it's a coincidence Ned took his head and then lost his own...

oh yeah, the night's watch at the wall are not his own people if he was sentenced to be there.

He didn't have to take the black - he could have taken the punishment for poaching. And they don't take the oath right away, only after training. If he didn't want to swear, I suppose he could still opt for the original punishment. And once he is a sworn brother of the Night's Watch, who have no families, I'd say they are his people. His life there was probably better than what he had before.

As far as "suffering from shock," initially yes, and if he had just run away to the Wall, he would have not been a deserter. But he kept running, well away from the Wall, so the initial shock must have worn off. Given the medieval setting of the story, do you think they were going to give him a pat on the back and a cookie?

And as for "... 'oath' was coerced ... morally non-binding ... 'crime' was bogus ... that ain't 'just' ... ", come and see the violence inherent in the system! I laugh in your general direction. It's a story FFS.

[Berzerker]

Given the medieval setting of the story, do you think they were going to give him a pat on the back and a cookie?

I dont expect anyone today arguing he should have been beheaded