Not that I want to nitpick, but Stannis choosing Robert over Aerys is in book-canon. It’s there in A Storm of Swords. “Aerys? If you only knew … that was a hard choosing. My blood or my liege. My brother or my king… It still angers me. How could he think I would hurt the boy? I chose Robert, did I not? When that hard day came, I chose blood over honour.”Stannis Baratheon (A Storm of Swords)And this is made all the more heartbreaking by the fact t

Obviously that’s in book canon, but the line about the “deeper, older law” is show-canon.

I think you mentioned it on your podcast about when Belfast-based actress Emma Maguire was cast as “Winterfell worker” in the preseason and you speculated she was might be Fake Arya Stark (you were hardly alone on that theory). Actually I think it was you?! Even though Sophie Turner was put into the Fake Arya Stark storyline, just wondering has Emma Maguire shown up at all yet and I missed her?

Yeah, I was wrong about that, but I wasn’t the only one.

I haven’t noticed her, particularly. She’s way too young to have been the “north remembers” lady.

Why do you think Stannis sided with Robert during the rebellion? He tells Davos that choosing between his brother and his king was hard, but doesn’t explain his rationale. Did he choose Robert out of love? This would make the choice hard, but it seems unlikely that treason > love for Stannis. Did he choose Robert because duty to family > duty to your king? I don’t see it. Did he choose Robert because he felt Robert was innocent and therefore right to rebel? Seen, this way, the choice isn’t hard.

Duty to family. It’s in show rather than book canon, but in a History and Lore on Robert’s Rebellion, Stannis says:

“It was the hardest choice I’d ever had to make. My brother or my king. Blood or honor. Aerys ruled by right of all the lords in Westeros…but there are deeper, older laws. The younger brother bows before the elder.”

To me, this fits Stannis’ character perfectly – he uses legal reasoning to argue that precedent limits the oath of obedience to a king.

Any theories on where Benjen is?

North of the Wall somewhere.

RE: Folks in the know about R+L=J. What about Benjen? All the stuff about how close Lyanna and Benjen were could just be world building, but maybe there is a point to it? That scene in the second episode of the first season where Jon and Ned last see each other and he asks about his mother and there is an immediate shot of Benjen looking at them always seem like it was significant, but unsure of what although I easily could be reading too much into it.

Benjen probably does know. He’s not a bad candidate to be the person who breaks the news to Jon.

Chapter-by-Chapter Analysis: Theon III, ACOK

Hi Sean, first of all congratulations for your podcast, it’s my favourite ASOIAF podcast. I have a question. We all know the R+L=J theory. But who among the characters knows it? Does Jon Connington know? Who do you think will reveal Jon’s true parentage? Thanks!

boiledleather:

No way Connington knows it. Rhaegar was obviously not as close to him as he was to Rhaegar, as it were. Beyond that, let’s see. Howland Reed, Bloodraven, presumably Bran at this point or at some point very soon…I think that’s probably it.

Also, Connington was exiled before Jon was born. He might be aware of R+L, although WOIAF notes that almost no one knew where he had gone, but he couldn’t know about J.

Political Analysis of HBO’s Game of Thrones, Season 5 Episode 9, “Dance of the Dragons”

Another Episode 9 has come and gone, and my essay at Salon.com tries to answer whether any “great thing has ever been accomplished without killing or cruelty.” Check it out!

…. and then Hizdahr zo Loraq was stabbed right in the recidivism. It’s like D&D don’t even read your meta! (Or they’re tying off storylines to keep the cast size manageable.) grumble grumble

Yeah, that was a bit of a shock. It could well be that he had been working with the Sons of the Harpy, who decided that he no longer served his purpose now that the fighting pits had given them an opportunity at regicide.

Love the blog, quick question, why do you think Stannis Iphigenia-s Shireen?

So as I allude to here and here, I believe that Stannis will defeat the Boltons and take Winterfell, just as the Wall falls and the army of the dead comes pouring through.

I believe that the army of the dead will put Winterfell under siege, because Winterfell is an engine for fighting the White Walkers and they want to destroy it before it can be used against them.

I believe that, when all hope seems lost, and the choice comes down to sacrifice vs. the death of humanity, Melisandre will come to Stannis with the choice and Stannis will make it. And that’s why I think Stannis will take the black at the end of the series, becoming the 1000th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch.