Game of Thrones

[Vibranium]

Most Ironborn are assholes, that won't change.

pretty much

Well, for one thing, he IS the rightful king. That's reason enough to follow him, I suppose. He's also the most meritocratic of the candidates: he doesn't care if you're low born or royalty, just that you do your job well.

He's also arguably the best military leader in the series, though the show hasn't done a good job to explain his role in Robert's Rebellion and the Greyjoy Rebellion yet.

And Davos was a low-born smuggler that became a landed knight serving Stannis, he has every reason to follow him. Specially considering that none of the other major lords (or kings) would treat him with respect and ignore his low-born origin to make him a top advisor.

he's next in line IMO...but not the "rightful" heir....I put his claim and Daenrys claim on equal footing at this point

[Alex]

he's next in line IMO...but not the "rightful" heir....I put his claim and Daenrys claim on equal footing at this point

Blah blah spoilers blah blah.

[Vibranium]

Blah blah spoilers blah blah.

there are no spoilers in that post...based on this past episode, that is where things sit

but ive read the books and am being careful to not say something spoilery

[Alex]

there are no spoilers in that post...based on this past episode, that is where things sit

but ive read the books and am being careful to not say something spoilery

No, i was responding with spoilers but im tired of doing spoiler tags.

[Vibranium]

oh ok....but this was a boob-less eposde....it's bound to happen

I don't expect to see boobs once we hit the Blackwater episode or episodes depending on the budget

[the_coldest_sun]

Stannis is just a blind douchebag. I'm still trying to figure out how he'd command any sort of loyalty apart from the 'if we side with him and he wins, we will be rich' angle. His leadership qualities seem rather limited and the character seems to have almost no charisma.

That's the Stannis I love. That's part of his character. He's a humorless, strict hardass with zero charisma. Remember last year everyone telling Ned Stark how bad Stannis would be as king, and you can see they were somewhat justified in their actions to prevent Stannis from claiming the Iron Throne (sadly, at the cost of Ned's head). Renly himself told Ned, Stannis inspires no love or loyalty. However, law is law and Stannis technically IS the rightful heir to the throne... (not counting Daenarys because her father and brother were usurped so she still has to conquer and win it back), which makes it kind of messed up. Stannis should be king, by law, but he's not the best choice--depending on who you ask.

FYI, strangely he's my favorite character from A Song of Ice & Fire series.

He has no charisma. But he is a capable military leader. And he's known to be a fair man. Harsh, but fair. If not for Stannis, Davos would still be a low-born smuggler. Stannis made him a lord (or just a knight, I forget) and has sons have a better future because of it.

Ah, thank you. "Harsh but fair." Right on the money, I forgot to mention that Stannis does have some positive qualities. My previous statement above makes more sense now in that context.

Most factions seem to work well within the story except for the iron islands lot. They're just not doing it for me for some reason - possibly because their king looks like a Rocky Horror Picture Show reject or that both he and his daughter have no redeeming qualities at all... or that the son is a traitorous bastard who has all the backbone of wet cardboard.

I think your reaction to this storyline is appropriate. Many who read the books felt this way as well. I don't think at this point there are any "good" Greyjoys or at least not any one of them in particular you're suppose to 'root for'. They're not good, they're way of life is all raping and pillaging. They're basically pirates and vikings. Unless you like that type, you're not going to like the Greyjoys. spoilers:

I will say however one of Theon's uncles is particularly amusing in his own way at least to me, but that's much later.

end of spoilers

[Omega Alpha]

pretty much


he's next in line IMO...but not the "rightful" heir....I put his claim and Daenrys claim on equal footing at this point

Robert won the throne by conquest, and because Aerys was a mad man, and Rhaegar couldn't be bothered to oppose his father spoilers:

in public, anyway

end of spoilers.

Or putting in another way, Stannis is Robert's rightful heir. Whether you think Robert was the rightful king or not is something else.

[Eliseu Gouveia]

I think your reaction to this storyline is appropriate. Many who read the books felt this way as well. I don't think at this point there are any "good" Greyjoys or at least not any one of them in particular you're suppose to 'root for'. They're not good, they're way of life is all raping and pillaging. They're basically pirates and vikings. Unless you like that type, you're not going to like the Greyjoys.

I gotta confess I have a bit of a trouble believing that Greyjoy´s sister would condone rapes, being that she´s a woman and all...

[Alex]

oh ok....but this was a boob-less eposde....it's bound to happen

I don't expect to see boobs once we hit the Blackwater episode or episodes depending on the budget

Boat filled with naked women.
Book it.

[Hi-Fi]

Well, for one thing, he IS the rightful king. That's reason enough to follow him, I suppose. He's also the most meritocratic of the candidates: he doesn't care if you're low born or royalty, just that you do your job well.

If we're going to get technical, Daenerys is the rightful queen, not Stannis.

EDIT: ops, already adressed and discussed.

[Alex]

If the greyjoy way is raping and pillaging, why does asha or...whatever her name is, have any standing?
Much harder for a woman to rape.

[Forseti]

Their way is to rape and pillage particular people, not people in general.

It's a matter of perception. To the Ironborn, other people are lesser beings. Why should an Ironborn woman object to mistreatment of salt women any more than any Ironborn should object to taking any random person as a slave?

It would be a horrible double standard if she opposed the rape of salt wives. If you accept that you can plunder them, burn their property, kill them, torture them, steal their children and take them as slaves, why the hell would you think it's wrong to rape them?

They're just plain nasty people, even their women.

[Vibranium]

If the greyjoy way is raping and pillaging, why does asha or...whatever her name is, have any standing?
Much harder for a woman to rape.

she doubles up on the pillaging, and is better with an ax than most dudes...Balon basically raised her as a boy

[Mac Danny]

I gotta confess I have a bit of a trouble believing that Greyjoy´s sister would condone rapes, being that she´s a woman and all...

The impression I get from her, right or wrong, is that there are the strong and the victims. For her, victims are victims. Raping is part of the spoils. She clearly uses her sex to her advantage.

When you grow up Ironborn, raping is a part of conquest just as much as death.

[jediracer]

I gotta confess I have a bit of a trouble believing that Greyjoy´s sister would condone rapes, being that she´s a woman and all...

She is not Dany, that much is for sure.