A Song of Ice and Fire | Random Thoughts

30 Day Blogging Challenge: GoT Day Thirty

Posted on July 25, 2017 by joshlobdell

Finally I have new Game of Thrones episodes to watch…still waiting for the new A Song of Ice and Fire installments to read. In little over a month we all will get the seventh season of the hit HBO show. I am betting we will not get the last two books until the show has completed its run in 2018. I hope I am wrong about that but more and more it feels like that is what is going to happen. That means for now the show will be the officially unofficial canon of Westeros will be the show. As a writer I am not super happy about that but as a fan I just need my GoT fix already. To help satisfy that need I embark upon a 30 day blogging challenge about Thrones. I am going to try to answer each prompt once for the TV show and once for the books since a great many things differ. With that being said…

Day Thirty-Who do I want to win the Game of Thrones

Given that the two narratives are in very different places…I think I will have two different answers.

In the books I still want Daenerys Targaryen to win. Not only is she the rightful Queen of Westeros but her arc has taught her the things she needs to know to be a wise and just ruler. Granted how she goes about doing just that could drastically change my opinion of her. As of the end of book five I am a firm Danny supporter and hope she will win the Game of Thrones.

In the show…I am not so sure. I think for now I want Jon Snow to win. I think given his life and the way he was raised and now what he has seen as a young adult he has the best mix of skills to be a kind, just ruler. However he may be a better fit asKing of the North and there are a lot of theories out there that the Seven Kingdoms will not survive the war to come. There is a possibility that the realm will be ruled more directly by the Lords Paramount and not from a overseeing King of Queen.

Read the rest of my 30 day GoT Blogging Challenge here

30 Day Blogging Challenge: GoT Day Twenty Nine

Posted on July 23, 2017 by joshlobdell

Day Twenty Nine-Best Player of the Game of Thrones

I am going to have two different answers because the two stories are in very different places. If not for one huge miscue I think we could all agree on one but in the show’s narrative that character has made a gigantic mistake that will most likely lead to his ultimate demise.

Let us start with the books. While I want to say Littlefinger here I cannot. Mostly because Varys has a plan to restore the Targaryen dynasty to the throne and at the end of book five that plan is taking root in Westeros. We do not know everything but he has been working behind the scenes for a very long time to execute this plan and I am not so sure anyone has an answer for it.

varys

In the show I want to say Littlefinger but he made one serious miscue. By giving Sansa Stark to Ramsey Bolton Littlefinger has made his first real error and it will likely mean his end. On top of that Cersei Lannister has blown up all of his remaining supporters and co-conspirators so he is left with no real base of support. His plan seems to have come off the rails and he is being forced to the sidelines as they real power players make the final moves on the board.

danny

For the show I think we have to say Daenerys. Even though she has struggled early and often she is in a real power position as the game moves to its end steps. She has learned a lot through her mistakes and let us not forget she has a fresh army, three dragons, a beachhead in Westeros, and the support of some of the wisest advisers. She is a force and the rest of the players must deal with her.

Read More of my 30 day GoT Blogging Challenge here

30 Day Blogging Challenge: GoT Day Twenty Eight

Posted on July 23, 2017 by joshlobdell

Day Twenty Eight-Saddest Death

I think there is only one answer for both mediums.

While watching season one it is the death of Eddard Stark that got me hooked on this show, and ultimately got me to read the books. I read books one and two before season two started and Game of Thrones became a huge part of my life. Yes I do have a GoT tattoo and both my kitties have GoT inspired nerd names.

neddies

I think in the end most of the deaths in Thrones and the A Song of Ice and Fire book series feel deserved. They are karmic payback for some unspeakable act. That is not the case with Ned. Sure he is a dumb Stark and he has no idea how to play the game everyone else is playing but that paying for that with your life (with your own sword) and the obliteration of your house seems to be a very steep price. Granted I think in both mediums House Stark rises from the ashes.

Read More of my 30 Day GoT blogging Challenge here

30 Day Blogging Challenge: GoT Day Twenty Seven

Posted on July 20, 2017 by joshlobdell

Day Twenty Seven-Favorite Death

This might be the easiest one to answer of the thirty. COme on…there truly can be only one in the show and in the books. Is there any other answer? Of course there isn’t.

Favorite death is without a doubt Joffrey Baratheon.

joffdeath

Who didn’t cheer when this little cunt finally got what he so had coming? Who didn’t wish for his death through three seasons, or two books? It is one of the best scenes in the show, and in the books. The fact that we all rooted for he murder of a this little bastard proves my point. Even his own father felt his fate well deserved.

Read more of my 30 day GoT blogging challenge here

30 Day Blogging Challenge: GoT Day Twenty Six

Posted on July 19, 2017 by joshlobdell

Day Twenty Six-Best Strategist

This is a tough one. If the word being used here was schemer I think we would have one answer…Littlefinger. I am not so sure strategist fits but it might. In the show he messes up pretty significantly when he gives Sansa Stark to Ramsey Bolton.

Many will want to say Stannis Baratheon and that may be true in the universe but what we see in the show and books is Stannis being defeated quite often and taking advice from the wrong sources.

tyrion

In the end without wasting time on any other candidates I think we can agree that Tyrion Lannister is the best strategist. In organizes the defense of King’s Landing. Granted his Father comes to wipe it out but it was Tyrion’s plan that delayed Stannis long enough for that to occur. We also see him work the political side of things all through season two.

There doesn’t seem to be a better answer so let’s go with Tyrion.

Read more of my 30 Day GoT blogging challenge here

30 Day Blogging Challenge: GoT Day Twenty Five

Posted on July 18, 2017 by joshlobdell

Day Twenty Five-Best Warrior

There can be only one.

Let us take a quick look at the contenders. Bronn, Jamie Lannister, Brienne of Tarth, The Hound, Jon Snow, Oberyn Martell and maybe Stannis Baratheon.

Now Stannis is widely known as the best commander in Westeros. We see him fight three different times but only one of those fights ended in victory. I think for our purposes here that rules him out.

snow

Bronn is a bad ass without question. Jamie is very good but he does get himself captured, he does loose a hand, so I don’t think he can get very serious consideration. Brienne has done some whooping both on the show and in the books. She is a strong candidate. We have seen The Hound fight a number of folks and win. Oberyn is pretty awesome but his head did get squished.

In the end the answer has to be Jon Snow. He fights a lot. Especially in the show. He has also been highly successful in fighting and winning. I think by any metric that makes him the best.

Read More of my 30 Day GoT blogging challenge here

30 Day Blogging Challenge: GoT Day Twenty Four

Posted on July 17, 2017 by joshlobdell

Finally I have new Game of Thrones episodes to watch…still waiting for the new A Song of Ice and Fire installment to read. In little over a month we all will get the seventh season of the hit HBO show. I am betting we will not get the last two books until the show has completed its run in 2018. I hope I am wrong about that but more and more it feels like that is what is going to happen. That means for now the show will be the officially unofficial canon of Westeros will be the show. As a writer I am not super happy about that but as a fan I just need my GoT fix already. To help satisfy that need I embark upon a 30 day blogging challenge about Thrones. I am going to try to answer each prompt once for the TV show and once for the books since a great many things differ. With that being said…

Day Twenty Four-Favorite Place

Is it to morbid to say Walder Frey’s hall? Exactly how many people have died there? Arya is a OG…and let’s be honest the Twins is a strong answer. Two castles a big ass bridge and well the opportunity to collect some tolls. If it wasn’t for the creepy old man stink, the fact that Edmure Tully was imprisoned there, and ya know the many acts of wholesale murder I could see chilling there to be pretty all right.

Dorne seems like it’s too hot and there are all those bad pussies running around there…so in a lot of ways its like where I live now and who wants that. Highgarden could be the choice but we don’t learn a lot about it in the show or books proper. Winterfell isn’t the place for me, and I’m not going to Essos because well because its Essos…its like the K-Mart brand Game of Thrones there…is that still a thing? Does K-Mart still exist? No? Okay then moving on…

theeyrie

For me my favorite place will always be The Eyrie. Not only does this castle come with a fun donkey ride (and no that isn’t any dirty…damn internet perves) butit features a moon door for which you can throw your exes out of. That’s just awesome…I would love to lean into my ex girl and whisper the best thing about you is how you fill out a t-shirt and then push her bitch ass out the moon door and watch her go splat on the ground thousands of feet below…ya I got problems.

Read more of my 30 day GoT blogging challenge here

30 Day Blogging Challenge: GoT Day Twenty Three

Posted on July 13, 2017 by joshlobdell

It feels like forever since I have had any new Game of Thrones to watch…or any new A Song of Ice and Fire to read. In little over a month we all will get the seventh season of the hit HBO show. I am betting we will not get the last two books until the show has completed its run in 2018. I hope I am wrong about that but more and more it feels like that is what is going to happen. That means for now the show will be the officially unofficial canon of Westeros will be the show. As a writer I am not super happy about that but as a fan I just need my GoT fix already. To help satisfy that need I embark upon a 30 day blogging challenge about Thrones. I am going to try to answer each prompt once for the TV show and once for the books since a great many things differ. With that being said…

Day Twenty Three-Dragons or Wolves

Let’s see here…Do I want some big hairy dogs, or some even bigger hungrier giant fucking lizards? By the way I am a cat person…and my cats are quite content at the moment making friends with the bunnies hat populate my backyard. I am not sure I would know what to do with a creature that is more aggressive.

Oh wait ya I do, unleash them on my enemies.

The real question becomes feeding said horrifying monsters. For most people feeding dragons is cost prohibitive. I am not so sure how much direwolves eat but I could start by feeding them the cat loving bunnies that live in my backyard. Unlike most people I happen to live next to a pizza shop. I am not so sure they could keep three dragons fed but they do serve a giant 24 inch round pizza that could probably keep at least one dragon from eating all the neighborhood children.

Another fact about me I have never owned a dog of my own. One of my four moms bred Rottweilers, and I use to live in a house with roommates who had dogs. I am not afraid of dogs to any extent just have never had one of my own and since dragons are fucking awesome and I think I could keep one from starving and rampaging through the streets for small children or goats I am going to have to say Dragons.

Read more of my 30 day GoT blogging challenge here

30 Day Blogging Challenge: GoT Day Twenty Two

Posted on July 12, 2017 by joshlobdell

Day Twenty Two-A character I’d kill

Can I just lure all the characters I don’t like to one place and then blow them up with wildfire? Oh ya that’s already been done.

The great things about Game of Thrones is hat most of the fucks that really, truly deserve to die do so…often in the cruellest, funniest ways possible. Fuck you Joffrey. Of course there are those that are still alive and kicking but I feel pretty safe is saying they are gonna have to pay the karma train before the show or books end.

cersei

Who would I dispose of? Littlefinger has to be way up there because he is a threat. More so in the show, but in the books as well. Taking out the greatest player of the Game of Thrones is a solid move. However, I think in the end I would do in Cersei Lannister just because she deserves it. Especially the TV version of her. I am a little more tolerant of her in the books because there she is a complete idiot. We haven’t seen a lot of that in the show were she is portrayed as much more ruthless. In the books she is vengeful to the point of stupidity and does several highly questionable things that a more nuanced character would avoid like the plaque.

littlefinger

In the books Littlefinger or Varys are the two likeliest targets. Mostly because we are not exactly sure of their endgame. Varys more than likely is helping Jon Connington put another Targaryen on the throne but I really think that entire plot point is a red herring. Littlefinger is up to…something and I am not quite sure what that is and that makes him dangerous.

Read more of my 30 day GoT blogging challenge here

30 Day Blogging Challenge: GoT Day Twenty One

Posted on July 11, 2017 by joshlobdell

Day Twenty One-A character I would bring back to life

There are so many to choose from.

What one character would I bring back? I think I would want someone who would come back and make a difference. I think it would be someone I liked and wanted to win a war or a battle.

There are so many to choose from.

This is one where I think my answer will be the same in both mediums. Jeor Mormont seems like a good candidate. He was a relatively wise leader done in by the evil in his mostly evil recruits.

There are so many to choose from.

With all the options open to me and while my heart says I should bring back Ned Stark…there is that thing about old dogs learning new tricks. Ned was as unwavering in his convictions as Stannis Baratheon was and for me that makes the two of them not likely candidates to bring back.

There are so many to choose from.

robbstark

However, bringing back Robb Stark could be the way to go. From very early on in the books and the show I wanted Robb to win the war and maybe not sit the Iron Throne but take up his place either in the North or as a respected member of the Small Council.

Read more of my 30 day GoT blogging challenge here