Game of Thrones (HBO series)

**Syzygys** · 09-21-11, 10:32 AM

Possible spoliers....

I am just finishing the series. Man, this Lord Stark is one of the biggest idiots on middle Earth! He clearly never read The Art of War, and has no idea how to rule or avoid intrigue. He knew the blonde prince is coming with soldiers, nevertheless he stays defenseless. Smart move!

Otherwise very good series, I like it much better than the LoR....

**nietzschefan** · 09-21-11, 10:40 AM

Well all I can say is, read the books. There are some subtleties missing. Stark is a man who will not give up his honour currency(one you trade a little - you trade it all in). Obviously that is difficult in the situation he was FORCED into.

**Syzygys** · 09-21-11, 10:55 AM

Sorry dude, on Ignore, next time try to be nicer....

P.S.: I am referring to another thread here....

**nietzschefan** · 09-21-11, 10:57 AM

lol pussy.

**Ghost_007** · 09-21-11, 11:19 AM

Love the show. Stark is just really frustrating, we all know he is pretty bad-ass deep down but his decision making is so off, and others are just walking all over him....

Have you seen the last episode?

**Rav** · 09-21-11, 05:07 PM

Great show. Wouldn't expect anything less from HBO though, anyway.

**Syzygys** · 09-22-11, 04:59 AM

Yeah, I have finished it last night. Now with the little dragons being born, we reached the realm of LOTR. I liked it better when it was more realistic though... I mean there were zombies earlier, but a little zombie here or there can be explained by the cold...

**Telemachus Rex** · 09-22-11, 02:06 PM

I don't think the series is set in Middle Earth, and wherever it is set, I doubt The Art of War as such existed for Stark to read...since he's not on Earth. It's clear that he's a man who lived (and died) by a code of honor, and that code led to his having an aversion to political intrigue and a refusal to "play the game" in the way you wanted him too.

For my money, there are enough characters who play that game in the series, so they needed one to remain above that fray, for contrast. Besides, his death was the last clear chance to avert civil war, and essentially goaded the Starks and the North generally into committing irretrievably to that course, which seems to be poised to affect the entire remainder of the series.

Sometimes being honorable means dying in order to preserve that honor. That's not idiotic, that's life. Would the series have been improved if Ned were less honorable?

As for the dragons, they've been telegraphing that development since episode 1, though I personally look forward to a little more high fantasy being injected into the series.

**Syzygys** · 09-22-11, 02:34 PM

Being honorable is one thing, being stupid is another. He made at least 2 huge blunders, militarily speaking, not to mention not believing his daughter. If he doesn't want to be the Hand and deal with royal intrigues and such, just go retire in the countryside and be far away from the court. Other Lords were able to do that...

**Telemachus Rex** · 09-23-11, 01:45 AM

Originally Posted by Syzygys

Being honorable is one thing, being stupid is another. He made at least 2 huge blunders, militarily speaking, not to mention not believing his daughter. If he doesn't want to be the Hand and deal with royal intrigues and such, just go retire in the countryside and be far away from the court. Other Lords were able to do that...

Yes, and he tried, but his honor included a measure of loyalty to his king, and upon his death that obligation was not discharged. Many people (understandably) feel that honor that you forsake when needed for practical reasons isn't worthy of being called "honor." He was mistaken in that he was too trusting of Littlefinger, in particular, and I think he actually believed that other people would be more honorable than they actually were.

It seemed to me that if he had run and escaped (with his two daughters in tow) after the death of the king, the Lannisters would have forced him to go to war (as a "traitor"). If the Lannisters killed him, it would force his sons to go to war (although they went there before his death, with his execution merely making all efforts at peace impossible). Given that killing him was a major blunder on their part (even the Queen noted how hard it would be to wage a war in the North), he may well have thought they'd keep him (and his daughters) alive.

In any event, no one ever claimed he was a military genius, or a shrewd manipulator. He was a young warrior who wasn't even the most prominent among his own siblings. Next thing he knew, his brother was dead and he was in line to take charge of Winterfell.

Luckily, HBO has no power to force you to watch, nor the author to force you to read, so you have an easy out.

Up next: Jon Snow really should have learned more about the Knight's Watch before signing his life away to them.

**Syzygys** · 09-23-11, 06:24 AM

>HBO has no power to force you to watch

That's why I torrent the episodes.

I also apologize for daring to criticize the series instead of just the obligatory ah and ohs and mental masturbation....

The point was, that just like in real life, the stupid died and the smart ones took the power....

**nietzschefan** · 09-23-11, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by Telemachus Rex

Up next: Jon Snow really should have learned more about the Knight's Watch before signing his life away to them.

Yes Very true...isn't it the Night's Watch? Been a long time since I read one of the books.

**domesticated om** · 09-23-11, 09:36 AM

<DMHat> Game of Thrones has nothing to do with Middle Earth />

**Telemachus Rex** · 09-23-11, 07:52 PM

Originally Posted by nietzschefan

Yes Very true...isn't it the Night's Watch? Been a long time since I read one of the books.

You are likely right, as I've never read the books.

**Telemachus Rex** · 09-23-11, 07:55 PM

Originally Posted by Syzygys

>HBO has no power to force you to watch

That's why I torrent the episodes.

I'm sure you mean that you pay to access HBOGo and watch them in your free time. Because IP theft makes baby Jesus cry.

**nietzschefan** · 09-23-11, 09:22 PM

Originally Posted by Telemachus Rex

I'm sure you mean that you pay to access HBOGo and watch them in your free time. Because IP theft makes baby Jesus cry.

He's admitted to stealing all kinds of intellectual property but people continue to offer him free advice daily to fix his virus infested computer.

**madanthonywayne** · 05-15-12, 12:35 AM

Regarding the most recent episode, did Theon actually kill the 2 Stark boys? Killing 2 children , one a cripple, is not a great way to show how tough you are or to accomplish much of anything other than ensuring that there will never be peace between the Starks and The Greyjoys.

**WillNever** · 05-15-12, 08:55 AM

Nay.

**Syzygys** · 05-15-12, 10:59 AM

Originally Posted by madanthonywayne

Regarding the most recent episode,

...a spoiler alert would have been nice.

**madanthonywayne** · 05-15-12, 11:15 AM

Sorry.

HERE COMES ANOTHER SPOILER.....

If it's any consolation, the bodies were so mutilated that you really couldn't tell who they were. Although the implication was that it was the boys.