The Hidden Blade Assassin's Creed in Depth

Love: Tyrion, Jaime, and Tywin Lannister; Margaery Tyrell and her grandmother, Lady Olenna; Arya Stark; Littlefinger (Petyr Baelish); Robert Baratheon (R.I.P.); HODOR!

Hate: Cersei Lannister; Melisandre; Stannis Baratheon; Sansa Stark (mostly because she's totally out of her element in the backstabbing world, I pity her) and Catelyn Stark (freeing Jaime Lannister, what the hell?)

Storyline that doesn't interest me that much: Bran's quest with the Reeds

Hate: Melisandre. All of the raping and the crudity toward women; I get it already, you don't need to keep rubbing my nose in it. There's too much explicit sex in the DVDs that is gratuitous as well. There was only one sex scene that was really necessary, the rest could have just been suggested.

Otherwise, I'm loving it. I really enjoy how your own impressions have to change over the course of the story. For instance, when Jaime revealed why he killed the Mad King. I realized that it had never even occurred to me to wonder why he did it. I had just made assumptions about it and didn't even realize that I had.

Definitely needs more Arya Stark. I could watch/read an entire series just about her.

And what's going to happen with my favorite character, Littlefinger? He's a little weasel for sure, but he's cunning and seems to be the master of moving pieces around to fit his need (although Varys might be pulling strings against him). I know that GRRM had a Sansa chapter written already in Book 6 as of a year or so ago, so Littlefinger will be front and center.

Lastly, MORE Arya Stark? How can we have more when she is no longer Arya Stark?

like: Jorah Mormont, Littlefinger, Robert Baratheon, Samwell, Bronn, Varys, Jon Snow, Tyrion Lannister, Khal Drogo, Maester Luwin, Syrio (Dikembe Mutombo has the same tagline... Not Today!), Ned (was at least honorable in this world of backstabbing so he gets a like), Gendry (as in, I'm liking him and hoping he has important storylines in season 2... certainly left it that way)

ambivalent toward: Joffrey (leaning toward dislike), Theon Greyjoy + Robb Stark (same person, right?), Arya (meh, blasphemy, I know), Jaime, Catelyn, Bran, (okay, most of the Starks and Lannisters fall here)

dislike: Sansa (greatly... OPEN YOUR EYES), Lysa Arryn and by extension her son, Cersei (what, she's fucking Lancel now that Jaime's out at war for their son?)

hate: only one - Viserys Targaryen. I was glad when he finally got the golden shower he deserved.

character I didn't like at the beginning but started to like in the middle of the season then trended briefly toward not liking but now like again to the point of being probably my favorite character at the conclusion of season 1: Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Mother of Dragons, etc etc etc

What did Ned's "honor" accomplish for him?

Compare him to Daenerys Targaryen. Her sense of honor is rooted in the concrete. Protection of her people, respect for their existence. Transformation of her callously-arranged mercenary marriage into a bond of genuine love and respect. That was the reason why their son was to be the stallion who mounts the world, rather than just another Dothraki.

That's how to live with honor.

Once he figured out what was going to happen, he didn't run... he didn't have time to. What he did have time to do was get word to his people at King's Landing (including his family) to GTFO. He kept his daughters close to him for safety anyway... but by doing so only put them in more danger.

From everything in the TV series (remember, I haven't read the books), even though he wasn't one, he believed strongly with the House Tully words, Family, Duty, Honor. However, for him it was more like Honor, Duty, Family. He lived his life as honorably as possible, and passed on those core values to his kids. He did his duty to the king he swore to serve, as all the other lords did.

He did what he thought was right at the time. He doesn't have foresight, and in hindsight I think he realized he was a fool for doing it. I don't think he would have done anything differently given the chance though.

Compare him to Daenerys Targaryen. Her sense of honor is rooted in the concrete. Protection of her people, respect for their existence.
uhhmmm... unless I'm missing something, DT has no people. She gains people later, yes. But she is, literally (to the knowledge of the audience at the end of season 1 anyway) the last of her people. She backstabs the one true member of her people - her brother that raised her from birth and taught her everything, mind you. In that light, she was very dishonorbale. /devil's advocate

Because of the way she conducts herself, she gradually gains the respect of (some of) the Dothraki. To gain respect, you have to give respect... and that's what she does, immersing herself into the customs and cultures, etc.

Ned did the same thing to the Lannisters/Baratheons... respected them. It's not his fault they are horrible people and didn't return the favor.

uhhmmm... unless I'm missing something, DT has no people.
The Dothraki are who I meant. Those are her people once she becomes the khaleesi. I should have been more precise!

----uhhmmm... unless I'm missing something, DT has no people.
--The Dothraki are who I meant. Those are her people once she becomes the khaleesi. I should have been more precise!
i knew what you meant

He expects to be respected at Pyke, and when he isn't, he throws a tantrum.

When he overtakes Winterfell, he doesn't do it because it's a well thought out plan, he does it because he wants to impress daddy and thinks this will work (it probably doesn't, haven't watched the rest of the season yet).

When he kills Rodrik, it's not out of loyalty to Greyjoy. It's because he doesn't want to look like a fool (again, because of his poorly thought out plan).

Basically, he is manipulated by too many people and doesn't do what he thinks he should do, but instead does things reluctantly based on how he'll look to others.

Want to attack Winterfell? Fucking attack Winterfell! Go big (kill people with AUTHORITY) or go home. Kill the Maester for putting his hands on you and treating you like a boy. Kill Rodrik with authority. Kill others who are mocking... be.. be more like Joffrey.

He has a conscious, and I understand he's struggling through who he is... but if that's the case, basically, don't attack Winterfell until you KNOW it's what you want to do.

Just a dumbass, really.

These two go hand-in-hand. First, the Lannisters didn't murder Jon Arryn, Lysa Tully did it for Littlefinger. It's fair to say that Ned didn't know that at the time, but this goes with the second point, which is that Cersei, Queen Regent at the time, told Ned to stop his digging, then had all but assured both he and Sansa that he'd be allowed to take the black if he admitted to being a traitor (I believe this scene also plays out in the godswood and revolves around the discussion of protecting children, which is the one topic where Cersei is notably human, so we know she likely isn't lying here). The decision to behead him was 100% Joffrey's and totally unforeseen by the elder Lannisters, likely because they knew the potential fallout of a rebellion by the North.

big enough for you, Lisa? Are you not entertained‽‽‽

and i can never quite figure out if i should feel hatred or pity on Theon Greyjoy

I'm also not convinced he wasn't planning on dying anyway, based on knowledge not clear in the show yet, so I'll stop there.

- Olly is the one whose dad was killed right next to him early this season and was told to run and warn Castle Black that the Wildlings were coming from the south.

- Tormund, Ygritte, and the Thenns are attacking from the south (and just decimated Mole's Town last episode).

- Mance is leading an army pushing 100K from the north.