Posted on 06/03/2013 4:09:32 PM PDT by Perdogg
Spoiler alert: Content in this post has information about Sunday night's episode of "Game of Thrones."
Fans of George R.R. Martin's epic series "A Song of Ice and Fire" knew there would be blood.
(Excerpt) Read more at social.entertainment.msn.com ...
The two emissaries to Robb Stark struck me as Elbonians from Dilbert.
Another fan favorite will die next week.
I didn’t say “nice guys” either. I also said “good guy”.
Breaking an oath does not make one a bad guy. It makes one an oath breaker. Joffrey is a bad guy.
Sansa Stark is stupid and naïve, but she is also a good guy, seeing as how she has not taken an bad guy actions or engaged in any bad guy activites.
Varys is a good guy. What Varys does he does for the good of the realm. Just because one has a web of spies does not mean one is a bad guy.
And I didn’t say Jamie was a good guy, I said he is moving into the light, much as Sandor Clegane is.
But the bottom line is that there ARE good guys in the story.
Also, just want to point out again-
Samwell Tarly is a good guy.
Brienne of Tarth is a good, ah, gal.
Davos Seaworth is a good guy.
Barristan Selmy is a good guy.
These are all good guys.
Ah, yes....The Red Priests.
It certainly isn't a "good guy" quality. What will Jon Snow do next (assuming he survives) in his quest for revenge?
Sansa Stark is stupid and naïve, but she is also a good guy, seeing as how she has not taken an bad guy actions or engaged in any bad guy activites.
Letting Littlefinger get away with murdering her aunt without even a word of reproach - and yes, she should know better - doesn't qualify as "bad guy actions"?
Varys is a good guy. What Varys does he does for the good of the realm. Just because one has a web of spies does not mean one is a bad guy.
He's also an assassin. And lots of people do what they do for their idea of "the good of the realm" - many of those are patently "bad guys".
Brienne of Tarth is a good, ah, gal
She's loyal, I'll grant you. But we haven't seen the end of that road yet, so given the fates of the other characters, don't count on it.. Ditto for Davos.
Samwell Tarly is a good guy... Barristan Selmy is a good guy.
These two may be the exceptions that prove the rule. Barristan represents the old honor and morality that is being phased out. (Any claim Dany will have on being the "good guy" rests in restoring this, but her efforts to date in this regard have all failed despite her best intentions.) Sam... he may be the only other surviving character that truly wants nothing for himself.
Nor does it make one a bad guy. It simply is what it is. And regarding his quest for revenge, are you sure that it is his quest for revenge? Are you sure that he is where we think he is? One is not a bad guy until one does something to become a bad guy. Speculation of one might do is but speculation.
Letting Littlefinger get away with murdering her aunt without even a word of reproach - and yes, she should know better - doesn't qualify as "bad guy actions"?
Lysa was trying to hurl Sansa out the Moon Door, was he not?
He's also an assassin. And lots of people do what they do for their idea of "the good of the realm" - many of those are patently "bad guys".
I'm not sure I recall Varys assassinating anyone. But I will concede that Varys is less than virtuous, but I would not call him a bad guy.
She's loyal, I'll grant you. But we haven't seen the end of that road yet, so given the fates of the other characters, don't count on it.. Ditto for Davos.
Speculation of what one might do in the future but has not yet done is no basis for assailing their character. They are both good guys.
These two may be the exceptions that prove the rule. Barristan represents the old honor and morality that is being phased out. (Any claim Dany will have on being the "good guy" rests in restoring this, but her efforts to date in this regard have all failed despite her best intentions.) Sam... he may be the only other surviving character that truly wants nothing for himself.
I think they do prove that there are good guys. they may be rare, but they are there, just like in reality.
Before I go further... have you read the books or are you just watching the series? (Or, as some have done, read only as far as the series has gone?)
No I have read books 1-5 and then book 1-3.1 or so on a second read through now.
Do you know this for certain? Who could it be? It's been a while since I read the book; but, it seems to me that the two weddings were close together and I don't remember a "fan favorite" dying in between Robb and Cathelyn and Joffrey. Can you elaborate?
I thought that Dondarion brings back Cathlyn. He basically gives up his life so that she can live. She then becomes the leader of the Brothers without Banners. (If I am remembering this correctly.)
Why doesn’t George RR Martin use twitter?
Because he killed all 140 characters.
It’s Thoros of Myr.
Ok then, the final scene in book #5 has Varys assassinating the regent left behind to “help” (read: take over for) Cersei. (Hope I’m spelling these right.) For the good of the Seven Kingdoms, of course.
But anyway, the point still exists that simply not being a bad guy doesn’t make one a good guy. And the whole “there are no good guys” is a bit tongue in cheek in the first place — it’s more to the point to say that all sides in the conflicts are flawed, and even those we are meant to sympathize with aren’t necessarily following a straight and narrow path. With so much infighting, personal ambition, self-righteousness, backstabbing, survival, etc., going on, it’s hard to find major characters who aren’t seriously flawed — to the point where I consider all to be guilty (i.e., bad guys) until proven otherwise; appearance of being a good guy isn’t a valid defense because most of those we’ve seen so far give cause for doubt in their goodness.
But that’s ok. If anything, it’s a conservative view on mankind that says that we are flawed as individuals, and that concentrating power in the hands of flawed people leads to bad consequences.
I love Terry Pratchett’s “Diskworld” series! I listen to the books on audible at night when I go to bed. I got my husband hooked by having him listen to “Good Omens” first and then he had to listen to other stories from Pratchett.
Pratchett’s sense of humor and imagination are unmatched. He’s the greatest.
You can also find “Going Postal”, “The Hogfather” and “The Color of Magic” on Netflix. They were done very well for a television broadcast.
Ah yep I had forgotten about that scene. Alright I cannot argue that Varys is a good guy considering that, so I concede on that point.
I’m also a little biased on the subject of assassination, I suppose. I say that because Arya is my favorite character. I cannot argue that she is virtuous, but an awesome character nonetheless.
I think that if I came from such a place so surrounded by scoundrels and weasels, I may become of the mind that some of them would be dealt with harshly.
And after about a second of further thought, I realize that I do come from exactly such a place :S
But still, there do seem to be some characters that can be called good, even though they are a bit far in between.
Just a warning: there is some gay sex on Game of Thrones. It was hinted at in the books, but it’s a bit more in your face on HBO.
I keep having to remind myself that she was only 13yo when she left Winterfell with her Father. That makes her 14 years old this season. Of course she's stupid and naïve.
Justifiably stupid and naive, yes, but stupid and naive nonetheless. And an accessory to murder a couple of times over.
Most likely this guy:
Thoros of Myr is a Red Priest of R'hllor (like Stannis' Red Priestess Melisandre), and he's the one who has brought Beric Dondarrion (founder of the group called the Brotherhood Without Banners) back from the dead multiple times.
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