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Name Change
Oct 9, 2005


the posted:

So with a trial by combat, could someone basically be the most vile and evil person ever but always get away with it because they're a proficient fighter?

If anything's for certain in the GoT universe, it's that justice is a sad joke, so probably.

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BubbleGoose
Oct 15, 2007

There are so many amendments in the constitution of the United States of America--I can only choose one!

the posted:

So with a trial by combat, could someone basically be the most vile and evil person ever but always get away with it because they're a proficient fighter?

Well sure, if you're case goes to trail. But if you're condemned right then and there, you don't get the option. Ned Stark never got a trail.

some bust on that guy
Jan 21, 2006

This avatar was paid for by the Silent Majority.

BubbleGoose posted:

Well sure, if you're case goes to trail. But if you're condemned right then and there, you don't get the option. Ned Stark never got a trail.

Neither did Ned give one to the Mountain when he sentenced him to die that time Robert was out hunting.

Baldbeard
Mar 26, 2011

the posted:

So with a trial by combat, could someone basically be the most vile and evil person ever but always get away with it because they're a proficient fighter?

I think it is assumed that it is only valid if someone is standing accused before a court or has not yet been deemed guilty by a governing ruler. In other words, the king can still simply place a bounty on an outlaw, or sentence them guilty and strip them of land and titles right then and there.

Also Lysa demands that the trial by combat take place on the same day when Tyrion is accused. So there's definitely room for those in power to just do whatever. The main 2 rules being whoever's side wins is innocent, and people who cannot fight may choose champions.

Baldbeard fucked around with this message at 21:08 on May 20, 2014

IncendiaC
Sep 25, 2011

the posted:

So with a trial by combat, could someone basically be the most vile and evil person ever but always get away with it because they're a proficient fighter?

No, they get away with it because they're the King, and the King can do as he likes :v:

marktheando
Nov 4, 2006

the posted:

So with a trial by combat, could someone basically be the most vile and evil person ever but always get away with it because they're a proficient fighter?

I don't know about in Game of Thrones, but in real medieval times they would handicap the better fighter to make it a fair fight. As seen in this picture of a man having to stand in a hole to fight a woman-

Bobo the Red
Aug 14, 2004
Lay off the marmot
You probably can only get a trial if you're noble enough that executing you outright is awkward (and as we saw with Ned, a crazy enough king/lord can probably skip it if he wants). Although it's possible Ned would have gotten a trial if he hadn't agreed to confess.

The Insect Court posted:

The Cat hate from goony GoT fans is almost as bad as the Skyler hate was with Breaking Bad. At least Catelyn had a good reason for releasing Jaime, and her plan made sense given the Lannister obsession for paying their debts. There's nothing unrealistic about a prisoner exchange in GoT, the objection to it seemed based mainly on the desire for revenge on the part of some of Robb's men. Robb, on the other hand, throws away a vital alliance and helps to precipitate the Red Wedding by ditching his arranged marriage with the Freys for no better reason than wanting some Braavosi strange.

There isn't anything wrong with prisoner exchange. But there is a problem when you're exchanging a prisoner that isn't yours for people you don't even know are alive. She undermined her son at a time where they really could not afford it, and ultimately gave the Lannisters their golden boy back for nothing. She didn't know if either of her daughters were even alive (or in Lannister hands) when she released him.

Robb's actions were certainly worse, and are what actually got him and his mother killed (well, that, and the Freys violating the most sacred rule in Westeros). His stupidity is far more obvious, and so it doesn't get brought up as much.

Those actions aren't all that defining to me. Lots of characters have done stupid things and are still likable. Ned, Tyrion, Davos are all characters I like that have acted in stupid ways because they were acting emotionally. I don't like Cat because her dying act was to murder an innocent woman. Sorry if that's "goony".

MrBims
Sep 25, 2007

by Ralp

The Insect Court posted:

The Cat hate from goony GoT fans is almost as bad as the Skyler hate was with Breaking Bad. At least Catelyn had a good reason for releasing Jaime, and her plan made sense given the Lannister obsession for paying their debts. There's nothing unrealistic about a prisoner exchange in GoT, the objection to it seemed based mainly on the desire for revenge on the part of some of Robb's men. Robb, on the other hand, throws away a vital alliance and helps to precipitate the Red Wedding by ditching his arranged marriage with the Freys for no better reason than wanting some Braavosi strange.

Oh my god don't start this. You aren't even loving right and you're starting this.

the kawaiiest
Dec 22, 2010

Uguuuu ~
It's gonna be a looooooong two weeks. :allears:

Hand of the King
May 11, 2012

BubbleGoose posted:

Joke or not, I groan every time someone insists the pyramids were built by slave labor.

Huh...?

Edit:

:downs: http://news.discovery.com/history/ancient-egypt/pyramids-tombs-giza-egypt.htm

D'oh.

tonesville
Apr 25, 2010

I wanna try some of that beer.

Doubtful Guest
Jun 23, 2008

Meanwhile, Conradin made himself another piece of toazzzzzzt.

marktheando posted:

I don't know about in Game of Thrones, but in real medieval times they would handicap the better fighter to make it a fair fight. As seen in this picture of a man having to stand in a hole to fight a woman-



Caustic Soda did a whole podcast on duels and the weird variants:

Woman with sack and rock = man with stick in hole.
Two men enter a moving carriage, one man leaves.
Dwarf on horseback vs brother with one hand = no score draw

Listen or download it here

Did Melisandre say where she (and Stannis's mercenary army?) was going?

Away all Goats
Jul 5, 2005

Goose's rebellion

Doubtful Guest posted:

Did Melisandre say where she (and Stannis's mercenary army?) was going?

Melisandre said last season that the 'true battle' was in the North, which could either mean Night's watch vs Mance's army or humanity vs white walkers.

midnightclimax
Dec 3, 2011

by XyloJW
Are the white walkers explained in the books (origins etc), or are they just "generic undead monsters"?

Azzents
Oct 19, 2010

"Quoting, like smoking, is a dirty habit to which I am devoted."

Away all Goats posted:

Melisandre said last season that the 'true battle' was in the North, which could either mean Night's watch vs Mance's army or humanity vs white walkers.

I would wager that she means the White Walkers considering that the lord of light is like their polar opposite; warm and light vs cold and darkness.

Fight Club Sandwich
Apr 29, 2006

you want a piece of me???

Away all Goats posted:

Melisandre said last season that the 'true battle' was in the North, which could either mean Night's watch vs Mance's army or humanity vs white walkers.

Theon vs. Reek

Bobo the Red
Aug 14, 2004
Lay off the marmot
Jojen Reed vs his impending death. Kid's so sickly, and they are going to some harsh places.

Away all Goats posted:

Melisandre said last season that the 'true battle' was in the North, which could either mean Night's watch vs Mance's army or humanity vs white walkers.

I think she said that more in a "we gotta get this war of 5 kings bullshit done so we can deal with the real trouble". I would be confused (and pleasantly surprised) if they just circumvented King's Landing and went to the Wall. That would make the upcoming princess sacrifice a little bit more of a grey area....(and would offer an alternate survival scenario in case the wildlings actually do arrive)

Bobo the Red fucked around with this message at 22:18 on May 20, 2014

CSM
Jan 29, 2014

56th Motorized Infantry 'Mariupol' Brigade
Seh' die Welt in Trummern liegen

the posted:

So with a trial by combat, could someone basically be the most vile and evil person ever but always get away with it because they're a proficient fighter?
If you're a privileged rich kid like Tyrion? Sure.

zoux
Apr 28, 2006

I had no idea Pedro Pascal was raised in America.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvjR7IVIUig

echoplex
Mar 5, 2008

Stainless Style
New Mountain cannot act and look at him tryin' to scowl so gosh darn hard with his podgy face.

precision
May 7, 2006

by VideoGames

echoplex posted:

New Mountain cannot act and look at him tryin' to scowl so gosh darn hard with his podgy face.

He looks like a member of Bear Force One.

Brick Card
Oct 12, 2008

Better by far you should forget and smile than that you should remember and be sad.

echoplex posted:

New Mountain cannot act and look at him tryin' to scowl so gosh darn hard with his podgy face.

I get sad thinking about how perfect the first mountain was

BubbleGoose
Oct 15, 2007

There are so many amendments in the constitution of the United States of America--I can only choose one!

precision posted:

He looks like a member of Bear Force One.

I know. I want to be intimidated but he just looks so drat snuggly. :(

kiimo
Jul 24, 2003

precision posted:

He looks like a member of Bear Force One.

Well bears are pretty vicious...









Nevermind.

Drifter
Oct 22, 2000

Belated Bear Witness
Soiled Meat
^^^ haha, yeah, 'What are Other bears' is the answer to that Jeopardy question there.

They should have spent some time dirtying him up. I don't understand why he's got zero 'environmental' makeup when he's supposed to be this evil, dirty motherfucker.

I really liked the look of the first Gregor. He just oozed skeeze and rage and evilness.

a pipe smoking dog
Jan 25, 2010

"haha, dogs can't smoke!"

Brick Card posted:

I get sad thinking about how perfect the first mountain was

What happened to that guy?

Name Change
Oct 9, 2005


a pipe smoking dog posted:

What happened to that guy?

He went to work as Bolg in The Hobbit, but his part was cut in favor of an all-CG Bolg. There is also apparently some sort of friction between him and HBO, according to one poster.

Xealot
Nov 25, 2002

Showdown in the Galaxy Era.

Drifter posted:

They should have spent some time dirtying him up. I don't understand why he's got zero 'environmental' makeup when he's supposed to be this evil, dirty motherfucker.

I really liked the look of the first Gregor. He just oozed skeeze and rage and evilness.

Yeah, could they really not do more, make-up-wise, to make him scarier and grungier? He was very clean in this scene, and it didn't do much to offset how obviously young the actor is.

If he had more scarring and wrinkles and other make-up effects added, it'd do a lot to make him older and more menacing. I definitely share the opinion that, despite obviously huge, this guy looks super jovial and nice. Like, in some alternate universe, he could almost play Hodor.

Tree Dude
May 26, 2012

AND MY SONG IS...
I thought Gregor1 was stiff and weird looking but I kinda like this new guy. I bet when you put him in his armor he'll look better to most of you guys who aren't feeling him yet. I also think maybe we saw that picture of him and Lena Headey too much so when we see him we subconsciously think of him as a friendly giant.

kiimo
Jul 24, 2003

Timett posted:

I thought Gregor1 was stiff and weird looking but I kinda like this new guy. I bet when you put him in his armor he'll look better to most of you guys who aren't feeling him yet. I also think maybe we saw that picture of him and Lena Headey too much so when we see him we subconsciously think of him as a friendly giant.

I have this feeling that they thought his immense size would go a long way but to be honest that's harder to recognize on television. They didn't need a guy who is 7 feet tall, being like 6'5 and evil as gently caress would have been just fine for television.



I'm still on the fence though. One thing is for sure however, he's far better than that season 2 pussy.

Name Change
Oct 9, 2005


I think the season two guy was there for like two seconds of non-speaking part?

Tree Dude
May 26, 2012

AND MY SONG IS...
Gregor2 looked like a wavy arm inflatable tube man

^he tortured people at Harrenhall and maybe had a scene with Tywin that season. Definitely didn't say much.

TK-42-1
Oct 30, 2013

looks like we have a bad transmitter



I think him not looking like a stereotypical baddie makes him more intimidating. He's just this huge guy who happens to be a utter psychopath. He could have done with some scarring so it looks like he's actually been in battle against something other than idiot peasants waiting to be executed.

Ersatz
Sep 17, 2005

The Insect Court posted:

Robb, on the other hand, throws away a vital alliance and helps to precipitate the Red Wedding by ditching his arranged marriage with the Freys for no better reason than wanting some Braavosi strange.
To be fair, Robb had a very strong chivalry/courtly love vibe, and he was crazy in love with his wife (she wasn't just Braavosi strange to him). The issue is simply that being chivalrous and/or putting love above duty tends to get you killed in Westeros, as I imagine it did in actual medieval times.

Ersatz fucked around with this message at 00:32 on May 21, 2014

marktheando
Nov 4, 2006

OneThousandMonkeys posted:

He went to work as Bolg in The Hobbit, but his part was cut in favor of an all-CG Bolg. There is also apparently some sort of friction between him and HBO, according to one poster.

The story I heard is that he took the part in The Hobbit, and told HBO to schedule his GoT scenes around his Hobbit work. HBO told him to gently caress off.

Futuresight
Oct 11, 2012

IT'S ALL TURNED TO SHIT!

BubbleGoose posted:

I agree. But Emilia Clarke is just awful. She's so boring to watch.

She's playing the character perfectly then.

Lycus
Aug 5, 2008

Half the posters in this forum have been made up. This website is a goddamn ghost town.

OneThousandMonkeys posted:

He went to work as Bolg in The Hobbit, but his part was cut in favor of an all-CG Bolg. There is also apparently some sort of friction between him and HBO, according to one poster.
He said on his website during S2 that he wanted to come back but HBO didn't ask for him back. People have interpreted that in certain ways, but that's what we know.

Speleothing
May 6, 2008

Spare batteries are pretty key.

midnightclimax posted:

Are the white walkers explained in the books (origins etc), or are they just "generic undead monsters"?

They're not explained (the show has revealed more than the books) but they're also not undead! Just because they lead an army of reanimated corpses doesn't make them undead.

Supposedly they're loosely based off tuatha, sidhe, and fae stuff like that. Though that's just spotty internet reporting of a thing GRRM said once. They're presented more like cruel, implacable ice demons, though we also can't really have their point of view.

Speleothing fucked around with this message at 03:44 on May 21, 2014

agarjogger
May 16, 2011
Wait, so per Melissandre's scene browsing her bullshit-potions, how fake is magic? There was nothing fake about the smoke demon who got Renly, I suppose. And Beric definitely took a broadsword to the shoulder. If not for the existence of the Wall, I'd forget that magic was ever a big deal in Westeros.

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Drifter
Oct 22, 2000

Belated Bear Witness
Soiled Meat

agarjogger posted:

Wait, so per Melissandre's scene browsing her bullshit-potions, how fake is magic? There was nothing fake about the smoke demon who got Renly, I suppose. And Beric definitely took a broadsword to the shoulder. If not for the existence of the Wall, I'd forget that magic was ever a big deal in Westeros.

She wasn't saying magic is fake, merely some of the things used to convince people.

Magic is a dangerous tool used in service, not as a thing to bring a crowd. She was saying how even lies can be used as servants for truth.

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