Girls Gone Canon Cast - ASOIAF Episode 165 — AGOT Bran I & INTRO

Episode Date: September 2, 2022

It's the year 1991 and the very first ASOIAF chapter ever written. Here it is: the chapter that started it all. A boy, a beheading, and baby wolves in the snow. Everything is still ahead of us.   ----   Eliana's twitter: https://twitter.com/arhythmetric Eliana's reddit account: https://www.reddit.com/user/glass_table_girl Eliana's blog: https://themanyfacedblog.wordpress.com/ Chloe's twitter: https://twitter.com/liesandarbor Chloe's blog: www.liesandarborgold.com   Intro by Anton Langhage

Hello and welcome to Girls Gone Canon, read A Song of Ice and and fire episode 165 a game of thrones bran introduction and first chapter i am one of your hosts chloe and i am another one of your hosts eliana yeah do i sound excited i mean just a little you do you do i mean i know that you're very excited you've been looking forward to this pov for a long time before this this episode, you straight up said to me, you're like, I don't know, I did my notes, they're done. And in my head, I'm like, well, I like this chapter. So I'm going to take eight hours, Eliotta. See you tomorrow. I also like this chapter. I'm just, I'm also just, you know, very tired because a lot of exciting things have been going on, right, in the fandom lately. For example, when we record this

it's the same week that the second episode of house of the dragon dropped yeah we've spent what like 10 to 12 hours recording together in the last nine days yeah i'm really tired but yeah i'm tired i'm sick of you but i'm not sick of brand one and I'm not sick of hot D. I'm just kidding. I'm not sick of you. It's okay. You can be. It's okay. I'm not yet. I give it two more weeks. No. Brand one is like, I mean, this is an exciting chapter, but hot D1 and hot D2 was also exciting as a new chapter in our lives it was it was and i mean like some of it are chapters that we've uh read and visited before and so we we actually revisited those again with fire and blood right can we our we we did what we did the dance of the dragons in like

80 episodes i'm just kidding but it was like six to eight episodes overall including you know a couple tertiary episodes like mushroom or yeah that's the valerians right i mean our patreon bonus episodes i think it counts that's all about that's right that's true that's true mushroom madness mushroom madness but like all of our dance episodes we already did the dance in an extended length in the patreon special episodes so if you're over at patreon.com and you're in the stranger tier or above patreon.com slash girls gone canon you will get bonus episodes every month and not only are we doing house of the dragon weekly tuesday. You get that episode in your feed. Everybody does.

Patrons get it Monday night. But not only that, but we also then did another Dance of the Dragons, almost, not really, a Fire and Blood episode the other day for patrons, right? Exactly. Exactly. We. We're dragging it out. We actually, honestly, not yet. We are dragging this out, if you will.

Oh my god. Oh my god. Fired. Fired. Fired. Fired and blood. Fired and blood. It's my time. Fired and blood. It's my time. And this time around for this month, and by this month

I mean for August's Fire and Blood episode, we covered Mothers of the Dragon or Milfs's fire and blood episode we covered mothers of the dragon or milfs of the dragon depending on which version of the title that you would like to consider canon just like fire and blood there are a couple canons going on yeah i really enjoyed it something that i love i mean house of the dragon is giving us a ton of lore so far and peppering it in really well. And I think it's really fun to watch how they do it. But I love the stuff that comes before the dance. I love, I mean, we'll give you a teaser here, patrons and friends.

We love Reyna Targaryen. Oh, yeah. We would kill for her. She would never ask us to because we're too pretty but we'd kill for her I don't think she she would ask us to she might do it herself so she'd kill for us do it herself yeah absolutely reina targaryen would kill for us we talk about reina we talk about elissa we talk about rainies and visenya because turns out we wanted to go a little more in depth and so in typical also girls gone canon fashion just like we did with the dance episodes we're like

what if we did this as a part one so i mean they deserve it they deserve to have a multi-part episode about them the mothers the milfs of the dragon i don't know i i really enjoy that george took the time to flesh them out and i think we i mean i've never thought as much about visenya and rainies as we got to kind of flesh out it was very fun i really enjoy this episode i hope you all do too if you go check it out at our patreon yes indeed indeed and some other things that you can access through our Patreon are, of course, our Patreon Discord, which is available to members in the Thunder Tour and above, $10 and above, where once a month we do our brunch slash happy hour on a weekend. You know, we do games, giveaways, get to know yous, fun stuff,

but we're doing a couple other gatherings during this joyous season. we're doing a couple other gatherings during this joyous season yeah we'll definitely let you know probably next episode on the next brunch slash happy hour but we are doing weekly house of the dragon episode discussions every friday hosted by our friend maddie is a discussion at 2 p.m eliana time et in our discord where you can chat with other folks about the episode of the week and speculate towards the next episode. And it's so funny because I know by Friday, I mean, we're back in the vicious throne cycle, right? You get your episode Sunday, all the takes float around Sunday, Monday, Tuesday. Wednesday, you finish most of your episodes and different things of the week, and you're starting to crave some stuff from HBO. Thursday, they drop some media and they're like, here's some promotional photos. Here's a scene or two. And then Friday, you're hyped again. The hype cycle has already started again. It's amazing. It's like, I mean, we already perfected this once, but here we are again, doing it again. So it's not like it's still refreshing by friday

it's been pretty crazy maddie's doing an awesome job absolutely so be sure to tune into those and i mean we might have to do all of this all over again later this year who knows who knows whenever his dark materials the television show drops but for now if you want to refresh before the final season of historic materials comes out you can because all of our historic materials episodes are out oh my god that's so weird to hear out loud we finished the amber spyglass and a lot of you at home are saying wait a second that was that one week where they posted the weird thing to our feed every month that wasn't A Song of Ice and Fire. Yes, it's a great series by Philip Pullman, and I really enjoyed it. It was my first couple times through it. Eliana had read it when she was younger. If you're looking for another series in between books, etc., check it out.

Check it out with us. We did 28 episodes on the first three books. It was a fun ride. And now I mean, we have a couple ideas moving forward for our last week of the month. But I think for the time being, you're just going to hear House of the Dragon and A Song of Ice and Fire during that week. And once we kind of decide and put it out there, I guess you'll find out. And again, we make no commitments that might not be until you know 2023 just because of by virtue of when we're anticipating the historic materials final season to air and yeah please let us rest let mom's rest we are tired yeah but not too tired for brand i'm i'm hyped hyped to get into brand i am i am i mean like you know a few months ago because things got in the way we started the

prologue journey and said we should start back and we were like we should just keep starting back so it's all right to do Bran right after the prologues. And it's probably a little cheesy, but every prologue works to kind of feed into this idea of Bran. And, you know, it's so obvious it's right under your nose that this was next, in my opinion. But we did mislead some of our friends, as we mentioned in our previous prologue episode with Zach from the Brotherhood Without Manners. And it feels obvious to me. You have the great start of the story with Will and Bran I, and Bran I being such an iconic chapter and, you know, just so memorable of the entire story. And then Bran I, you look at the very end of the prologues, you have Varamyr, which is

you look at the very end of the prologues, you have Varamyr, which is another, you know, pretty iconic, dark kind of version of where Bran could go with this plot. Even Georgia said so. Yeah, I mean, a lot of it ties in, right? Like, even Sam, right? Sam ends up intersecting and Sam's POVs tie in with the fourth one. It just makes makes sense it's a nice way to start back and from the first prologue to the last one not the final one hopefully one day we still get that one day there will be at least one more prologue and i look forward to that day i agree i agree i can't wait to see the the final two prologues yeah Yeah. Maybe the epilogues. Ooh. I wonder. I do wonder. Because, you know, that one's not always, like, a given, right?

That there's going to be an epilogue. So what if no Tiwau epilogue? Though, like, I do think maybe the Tiwau epilogue could be a wall falling, maybe. But no Tiwau epilogue, but then an epilogue in Adas. But what about the last book? Just kidding. That's an epilogue. The whole book is an epilogue, but then an epilogue in Adas. But what about the last book? Just kidding. That's the epilogue. The whole book is an epilogue. I mean, I think he's really trying to get it wrapped up in two books, which is good, right? I think that's what he needs to do. But yeah, you're right. I would not be surprised if we had an epilogue for Wins. And then it does

really just make sense to have an epilogue for your final book. People do it all the time. It makes sense. Gotta have something. And speaking of how books end, how the story ends, my understanding is that there is a hint at like the final word or final sentence or something of the books that George is planning within this chapter. I've never really dived into that. I know a lot of people have. But I'm, I don't know, it's interesting to think about. I think we're gonna talk about some of that today, for sure. For certain. Well, Chloe dived into that.

Well, oh my god. Well, I want to talk about what we're going to do for our lightning round eliana because i don't know if you've been around for the prologues lately you might have noticed that we were being a little loose you know with our our lightning rounds for these prologues we were getting a little crazy and for the intro to brand lightning round i too would like to get crazy because technically this is our first chapter beyond prologue, right? Obviously prologue's your first chapter, but this is our first real chapter chapter of the story. So I thought it'd be fun to maybe go through not just one Brandon, but all of our Brandons for our brand intro and talk about all of the Brandons that have been.

Yeah, Chloe was like the past is prologue and here we are. the brandons that have been yeah chloe was like the past is prologue and here we are there's themes there's themes going on there are and so to start off we have brandon stark better known as brandon the builder first king of winter and builder of winterfell and the wall the next brandon stark is a son of brandoner, and there are rumors that he designed the high tower of Old Town. Let me have King Brandon Stark. Brandon the Breaker, King of Winter, who defeated the Night's King. Oof, so many kings in this sunset. In an alliance with King Beyond the Wall Joramun.

That's a lot of kings. A clash of kings. Yeah, there's a lot of kings going on in the North. A lot. Wow. A different time. Different era. King Brandon Stark, the Shipwright, a king in the North who ended up lost sailing the Sunset Sea.

King Brandon Stark, Brandon the Burner, the son of Brandon the Shipwright, a king in the north who burned the northern ships following his father's death. He has trauma. Yeah, absolutely. I'm like, this is great because it's honestly just like Nymeria. The last two are just Nymeria. King Brandon Stark, known as Brandon

Ice Eyes, a king in the north who recaptured the wolf's den from slavers originating from the stepstones. You have King Brandon Stark, Brandon the Bad, a king in the north. Brandon the Bad, a new show. Like Breaking Bad.

King Brandon Stark the Ninth, a king in the north who stops Gagosi raids on the Bay of Seals. Then, we have a sudden switch i wonder why to lord brandon stark brandon the daughterless a lord of winterfell and the legend of bail the bard give them the royal privilege back lord brandon stark also called brandon the boisterous the second Lord of Winterfell post-conquest. Then we have Lord Brandon Stark, Brandon the Boastful, the father of Lords Walton and Alaric Stark, a Lord of Winterfell.

Uh, yeah, that's the one we get in Fire and Blood. Brandon Stark, the second Ben of Benard Stark and Margaret Carr Stark. Then we have another Lord Brandon Stark, fourth son of Cregan Stark, and his third wife, Lenara Stark, a Lord of Winterfell. Interesting. Right? Next, and we kind of start losing the Lord stylings, right? Now we just got some Brandons. Brandon Stark, the only son of Willem Stark and Leanne Glover, who was nursed by Old Nan following his mother's death and childbirth. Then we have Brandon Stark, eldest son of Ardo Stark and Lizara Karstark. How'd they sneak into here?

You may remember this Brandon Stark, I would guess, the eldest son of lord ricard and lady liara stark he died from aries the second targaryen if you recall through a pretty pretty brutal death before robert's rebellion and finally we have brandon stark aka bran second son of Lord Eddard Stark and Lady Catelyn Tully. Also known as Baby Boy. Baby Boy Bran. Raisin Bran. Raisin Bran. And it is interesting that like, you know, after a while, after they stopped being kings, people were like, I want to name my kids other things now and and oh the first son's interesting yeah the first son stopped being bran or brandon as much and maybe it's an idea of like them losing history but also i think they're like i love other people now there are other people i want

to name my kids after an honor right other devotions yeah there's something interesting too like i read an interview where george had said he had kind of clarified yeah there's something interesting too like i read an interview where george had said he had kind of clarified that there's the big joke with all the brands right and that brand built storm's end and he built the high tower and he built this wonder and that wonder uh it's funny because it's he related it to being more like when you see something really beautiful in architecture and you think it might be that person that built it or you think the quality because it's he related it to being more like when you see something really beautiful in architecture and you think it might be that person that built it or you think the quality is so good that it's like ah that's like if brandon the builder built it and that's more over how it's

gotten lost through time which i think is great because this this chapter is like all about legends yeah that makes sense i like that yeah and i mean a lot of the story is kind of about that general idea but also i mean i think and granted they were doing that naming convention for a long time but they i mean also names go through cycles right like when they're in and they're not just in general well let's talk about what we missed what happened you know what happened in this lightning round i feel like there's a lot please remind me i think there was literally one chapter aliana one chapter yeah and that was the prologue in a game of thrones which is a horror story and sadly its main pov will does not survive it oh oh snap well we get to see some of the survivors in here

but i mean chloe that's not the only thing right that we miss that's not the only thing that comes before this brand chapter can you tell me tell me a little bit about our overview. Yeah. I'm going to quote a man. A myth. A monomyth, even. A legend. It was the summer of 1991. I was still involved in Hollywood.

My agent was trying to get me meetings to pitch my ideas, but I didn't have anything to do in May and June. It had been years since I wrote a novel. I had an idea for a science fiction novel called Avalon. I started to work on it, and it was going pretty good when suddenly it just came to me. This scene from what would ultimately be the first chapter of A Game of Thrones. It's from Bran's viewpoint. They see a man beheaded, and they find some direwolf pups in the snow it just came to me so strongly and vividly that i knew i had to write it i sat down to write and in like three days it just came right out of me almost in the form that you've read george rr martin 2014 in rolling stone nice welcome to the brand chapters you guys this is it folks this is it this is

this started a song of ice and fire it actually really did i mean this is these were some of the first words that were ever penned in the story and the part where he says avalon actually should not be reassuring to anyone as one of my friends from the rswaff subreddit slash meester monthly sam he's still he's still sad and mad that that story's not finished but ouch ouch sorry sorry about brain stark doesn't bode well for i don't know anyways i'll take out that doesn't move well but here we are start of a new story and it opens with the morning had dawned clear and cold with a crispness that hinted at the end of summer literally from the start it's canon that it's i mean they do take 20 good men all right that's just how the fucking books work like that the show again did not make that up 20

good men rode north to see a man beheaded and we got so much exposition in here it's very impressive brandon stark he's seven years old he's among them it's a ninth year of summer by the way his brother rob had thought that the man that they found was a wildling and brand thinks of old nan's tales about the free folk they're cruel they're slavers they're thieves consorting with giants and ghouls and they steal girl children in the dead of night drinking blood from polished horns and we have uh this line of and their women lay with the others in the long night siring terrible half-human children and and it's like you said right about those stories getting lost and people attributing

these fantastical works the not fantastical i mean because they're real right like these huge monuments and being like oh that must be built by X, like, insert a legend, right? And these stories about the free folk and legends, these horrors, throughout these books, we see that get chipped away at as either half-truths or straight-up lies, right? Like, they do steal. They steal women. We also see that, like, some are cruel, some some are slavers some are stolen and stolen as slaves some are maybe thieves but they're also stolen from and where what else are they gonna eat some of them do hang out with giants but the giants are like super cool they're very chill way chiller than a lot of people and they just drink normal stuff from polished horns but they do drink out of horns uh so

you know there's there's a lot there right from the beginning and that makes sense right it's giving you at the top some of those themes of this is a story a song of ice and fire that is very concerned about that meta conversation of stories and narratives and how those become perverted and how these stories slash narratives are used to tell us who we are, tell us our role in the world and maintain status quos and power, which is something that George has examined even early on in his writing career. Like I think Dying of the Light is very much about that. career like i think dying of the light is very much about that yeah that's a great point i uh the legend of it all and the fact that it's like the fact that it's just a guy like rob is like it must be a wild thing but then he's like oh no he's just a dude and it turns out there's not much of a difference between free folk and north

men besides the wall right uh it's conveyed so easily between these outrageous tales of what the free folk do and also the actual actions of the chapter he's just a dirty guy who's been on the run and seen some shit and where i don't know where it's really interesting is a lot of these things are actually true of people south of the wall too right cruel absolutely slavers thieves do not consort with giants but that's their loss well they will in a book in a couple books you know i hope so get us to storm through dance the giants are very fun uh yeah so the man they intend to bring the king's justice to is a scrawny young man his ears and finger are lost frostbite dressed in the blacks of the night's watch dirty greasy his lord father has the man dragged before them and his brother and

half-brother robin john sit on their horses bran on his pony it's cute that they kind of think he's uh i guess youngish i don't know it's garrett he's pretty old um right and we get that connection right we know who he is right and we see how like these these fantasies are falling apart because we know that this quote-unquote wildling is actually a man of the night's watch right and it's wildling is actually a man of the night's watch right and it's as you said right a lot of these things are the same as people south of the wall and that the lines between those sides free folk westerosi night's watch are blurrier than we think which are like oh hi john you're here in this chapter that That's his plot. Also, none of it matters when you're being chased by ice zombies.

Very true. Very true. The wind blows through a direwolf banner at the gate and Bran's father is solemn. He's looking grim and unlike himself. He had on his lord's face, not the face of their father, which speaks to a lot of

what we discuss a lot in this series about performance and identity. Yes, this is the first mention of the Lord's face this early. And to an extent, right, that dichotomy between duty and love, but we'll get into that more as we get into these chapters. Questions and answers are given between the man and his father and two of the guardsmen drag the man to a black ironwood stump then his father removes his valyrian steel sword which we get is named ice it's spellforged and dark as smoke and super big just like oh i don't know i was gonna make a dick joke but i don't really want to make a dick joke about ned

um why not he wants everyone to see it. That's why he stands in front of windows naked. Wow. Here we are, back at a Game of Thrones. Back at it again. Damn, Daniel. Back at it again with the white bands. You know, it's a great first view at Valyrian steel,

right off the bat. It's mystical. There's something important about it, and it tells the reader, you know, keep your eyes peeled for more valyrian bits of culture and we actually get our first three valyrian references in brand danny and tyrian one danny wears a collar that has the glyphs in it in the courting drogo sequence and tyrian reads valyrian scrolls in winterfell and i just want you to know that i was thinking about this and i was like typing this down i was like oh that's interesting that's right tyrian reads valyrian scrolls in winterfell and i just want you to know that i was thinking about this and i was like typing this down i was like oh that's interesting that's right tyrian reads valyrian scrolls and then i was like wait a second there are valyrian scrolls in winterfell

that is interesting i literally did not i had to go reread the chapter and go huh uh he says to chael to septon chael be gentle with the valyrian scrolls the parchment's very dry ermidon's engines of war is quite rare and yours is the only complete copy i've ever seen uh does that feel a little important i feel like that's gonna come back someday maybe it won't do you think it's burnt? Oh, fuck. God damn it. Sorry.

Well, I don't know. Hopefully not. I mean, I don't know. I feel like that's an important book just to mention. And honestly, okay, Engines of War, it just makes me think of like War and Peace, right? Maybe it's Third Generation's War and Peace. But no, I mean, I think it really has to be some sort of dragon book and the only complete copy tyrian's ever seen huh i think we're gonna come back to that one i really do yeah like the dragons are engines just like what we're gonna see in pokemon Scarlet and Violet. And Hati, but much less, you know, Hati.

I'm just saying, in Violet, you know, it looks like he's also a bike. Yes, yes it does. So we have the beheading, where Ned took hold of ice with both hands and said, In the name of Robert of House Baratheon, the first of his name, where Ned took hold of ice with both hands and said, In the name of Robert of House Baratheon, the first of his name, king of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, lord of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the realm, by the word of Eddard of the House Stark,

lord of Winterfell and warden of the North, I do sentence you to die. He lifted the great sword high above his head. Bran's bastard brother, Jon Snow, moved closer. Keep the pony well in hand, and don't look away, for the will know if you do. Bran kept his pony well in hand and did not look away. His father took off the man's head with a single sure stroke blood sprayed out across the snow red as summer wine you're welcome thank you we're back do you feel good i i do we can even say dad no a few times

you know i haven't had i haven't had an occasion yet to say it everything is still like all right dad you do that it's coming though it is it is we get a little bit of brand's reactions interestingly in this but not right away we just have him kind of like staring and like okay that scene happened right he processes what happens during the padding later on through uh this discussion with his father but here i think brand steals himself he he tries not to i think really feel it desensitizes himself a little um because john reminds him to and i he does end up showing weakness later right when it comes to the puppies which i mean understandable bran is my soft baby boy we've

already discovered covered to discuss that it's been years bran's my child he's my son um but there is something so soft about him and it's interesting that John moves to protect him so much, right? And like tells him, he basically tells him, this is what you need to do. Don't look away. Keep your pony in hand. You know, this is what we've all had to do. This is a step of growing up in this family. And John, I mean, most of all, right?

John, most of all, has had to learn this and had to be able to navigate this. And I mean, I'll say it later too, because there's so much of it. But as much as this is a Bran chapter, it's also a John chapter. True. There's so much about John in this. Like you get more of John's true nature than you do of Rob's true nature in this. You get a little bit of Rob in it. Right. But you I mean, full stop.

You get so much of John in this to understand not just Bran, but also Jon and even Eddard a little bit, I'd argue. And Theon. You got quite a, I mean, he does a great job of establishing Theon's character with just like a few things. You're like, that guy's kind of dick. We're about to find that out in just a second. Yeah. But Theon's a huge part of the story. Is this a metaphor also? Like the blood, red as summer wine, you know, feels like a metaphor also like the blood red is summer wine you know feels like a metaphor george feels like does this mean anything i was thinking that yeah it does feel that way it does it does i mean the whole chapter does but true bran can't keep his eyes off that blood you

know that that little summer wine. And the snows around the stump drank it eagerly, reddening as he watched. That's silly. Trees can't drink. Trees can't do anything. Don't be silly, Bran. Not until they're 21.

Yeah, and that's just a stump. It's a beheaded tree. Anyway. The head rolls near Theon Greyjoy's feet, who, again, he finds everything amusing, he kicks it away, and Jon mutters, ass. And then his bastard brother turns to tell Bran that he did well. Again, like, Bran's not really showing much emotion yet here, because, you know, he's turned it off a little, and we start to get, think a bit of that discussion and insight into masculinity right what's expected of men in west rose we discussed that with the prologue and how the story starts

established that right from that first chapter but we get that continuation here with bran right and the erasure of emotions that violence should not elicit reaction other than like, this is what's expected to you, this is your lot, which I believe our friend Noah really does a great job of breaking down in, I don't remember the name of their essay, but do check it out on their blog, The Shield Hall. blog the shield hall yeah it's it's that you know put it in word um just absolutely like what the whole idea for tommy of go away inside you know it's similar to that it's the same kind of concept and absorbing that and what it transforms to within yourself and in most scenarios i feel like it doesn't always transform into something that can be used for good. Sometimes it transforms into violence, sometimes depression.

But for Bran, he's able, thanks to mystical powers and almost dying, to channel some of that, I feel like. And I don't know, it'll be interesting because emotions obviously are a big part of the story. Yeah, absolutely. And intention. Emotions and intention. I know they're antagonistic with one another in a Game of Thrones, but goddamn did I forget how much George establishes that Jon hates Theon's bitch ass. Like, completely hates him.

He despises the guy in this chapter. Every other thing is just like him mut bitch ass. Like, completely hates him. He despises the guy in this chapter. Every other thing is just like him muttering ass. Which is a big mood. I mean, I also despise my other son, Theon. He's kind of a dick. I love Theon. I love him so much. That's my boy.

Later that day, I don't care for Theon. There's something in this chapter interesting about john being framed as the smartest quietest knowing one and that by being a bastard he has to listen more and use his brain to navigate this world a bit more and i think this shows too that that john doesn't trust theon right rob trusts him him. Theon's around. Everyone's like, yeah, yeah, yeah, Theon. Jon didn't trust that guy. Interesting. He did not. I really do think it'll be interesting. I'm sure that these two will cross paths again. I hope so. That'd be juicy. It will be. It'll be so dramatic. And that's what we want. We want drama.

and that's what we want. We want drama. We're gonna get it. Because Bran rides back with his brothers ahead of the maiden party where his pony struggles to keep up. Oh, interesting. Rob, who has his mother's tully coloring, says that the deserter died bravely. He had courage,

at least. But Jon argues he was dead of fear. And where Rob is light john is dark his hair his gray eyes he is slender quick graceful while rob is strong and fast but rob doesn't really like john's answer he says the others take his eyes he died well they then choose to race to the bridge they're having fun ah youth rob is laughing Rob is laughing. John is silent. And off they go, kicking up snow. Bran doesn't even attempt to keep up, right? He was still thinking on the ragged man's eyes anyways, and grows deep in thought, so deep he doesn't notice dad moving up to ask him if he's

okay. I love how much George contrasts Rob and John here, not only just for initially showing you what different characters they are, but also showing kind of their looks and their heritage and their type. Rob is strong and fast, right? But John is slender, quick, and graceful. That sounds like a little bit of those Targaryen plus Stark genes together, you know? It really does. I mean, the Blackfish and Hoster were described as more warrior types, right? Oh, that's true. That's true.

So their seeds are strong in different ways, it kind of seems. Yeah, through the build. Through the build, and I guess, you know, through the whole dragon thing, but whatever. We'll get there. Wrapped in his furs and leathers mounted on his great war horse his lord father loomed over him like a giant rob says the man died bravely but john says he was afraid what do you think his father asked bran thought about it can a man still be brave if he's afraid that is the only time a man can be brave his father told him

do you understand why i did it he was a wildling they carry off women and sell them to the others his lord father smiled old nan has been telling you stories again. In truth, the man was an oathbreaker, a deserter from the Night's Watch. No man is more dangerous. The deserter knows his life is forfeit if he is taken, so he will not flinch from any crime, no matter how vile. But you mistake me. The question was not why the man had to die, but why I must do it. Bran had no answer for that. King Robert has a headsman,

he said, uncertainly. He does, his father admitted, as did the Targaryen kings before him. Yet, our way is the older way. The blood of the First Men still flows in the veins of the Starks, and we hold to the belief that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look him in the eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die. One day, Bran, you will be Robb's batterman, holding a keep of your own for your brother and your king, and justice will fall to you. When that day comes, you must take no pleasure in the task, but neither must you look away. A ruler who hides behind paid executioners executioner soon forgets what death is. Hmm. Very interesting.

We get a little bit of a... A. I mean, I'm just happy to have Dad here. But B. We get a little bit of this broken man shit, right? With all this idea of, you know, why the deserter was dangerous. I mean, I think looking into the eyes of another, that would break me. I'd be peeing myself, right, as we've established through a lot of the Sam chapters. They all pee. They all pee.

I mean, I bet Garrett, he peed himself. Absolutely. Peed everywhere. For sure. You know, it's not on the snows like red summer wine it's it's yellow snow and you know the the idea of not flinching from any crime no matter how vile right that they're willing to do anything because their their codes are broken they're broken but also we've discussed we start getting it even in this first chapter, mercy and justice and killing, right? The idea of the king's

justice. They do use that term. It feels very specific in my opinion. Yeah. And that idea of being removed from it, which is kind of interesting because, I don't know, Robert's interesting. And I mean, Bran will be in a position a position right whether that's as a lord or even as a second son with a smaller keep or if he's going to be a knight as he hopes to be right where he must be doing the killing or the execution and he must be the one who is willing to hear a man's final words and more than that to truly understand the why of their decision but brand is also in a position where he can really, really, really do that because of his specific special magical power.

And I imagine that, you know, being able to do that is, maybe it's kind of like, oh, I don't know, going through someone's POV chapters. Oh my God. To understand their motivations and why they do what they do and maybe why you shouldn't have to kill them maybe i mean like that that's the question right like could you pass judgment so easily on on the reasons and faults of people

if you saw that closely the circumstances of their life felt the things that they feel understood the people who affected them who hurt them and each wrong that was done to them and that led them to do those wrongs would you be able to understand what led to those wrongs knowing that maybe you would fail as easily as them if you were put in the same position and and if not does that mean maybe you should withhold it, right? Which is, I think, very much how the story and all of its grays, right, teaches us to feel beyond ourselves. That's, I think, the themes beyond the cool magical power of being a skin changer. No, you're totally onto it because there's something like, not only is it, you know, if you knew their entire life, etc., but it's also humanity, right? Yes. etc in the east like looking at all these ideas of like these people that no one actually knows them and they're just condemned to this life uh with no choice no personal choice in the matter and there's also this point that ned says the king's justice he's bringing the king's justice

but then brand says robert has an executioner. So it's two different concepts, right? That Ned is doing what he considers is the king's justice because he's always done justice for Robert because Robert will not, right? Think of the Targaryen children, bloody, just wrapped up in those fucking scarlet cloaks to hide it robert didn't look them in the eye before executing them ned has been in a way always robert's executioner um and you know it's interesting because ned almost recuses himself like his big secret is the targaryen child that's gotten away right and he he almost uses hiding john as his kind of one cover as he uh supports this acidic king sitting the throne doing nothing who used to be a quote-unquote warrior but now can't even be

bothered to like kill someone himself yeah i just find it such an interesting contrast the phrasing that he's the king's justice but but Robert has his own executioner. So why are you fighting his battles, dad? Because he always has and he'll die fighting his battles. That's why. Yeah, it's a duty, right? And love. And we're going to actually see that again in someone else's chapter.

And I mean, it's both together. He has a duty to Robert and he loves Robert. I mean, love is the death of duty. Yeah. I'm sorry. I mean, it is, it is, and it isn't. You know, that's what the story explores. Duty is the death of love.

Death is the love of duty. Did I do all of that? Duty is the death of love. I mean, it works all ways. Duty is the death of the food. it works always the death of the food are you just gonna keep saying duty no that's the only reason that's actually literally all i'm doing i'm just like when will she understand i'm saying duty i realized it like at the third duty that you were just talking about poop uh yeah girls gone canon welcome um i i love again that brands the first thing he says is he was a wildling they carry off women and sell them to the others brand you're so close you're so close

oh yeah old man you're so close it's boys not women but it's right there there's your answer i do wonder like if the show missed like do they also carry off women right especially with the knights queen stuff and i don't know some rights would be nice yeah i want the right to be turned into an other i'm interested what's gonna happen because i was listening to you you know um the castle black podcast uh uh reactions to susan eight episode six and they were like what was with those generals why did that guy why did the Night's King have all these generals they didn't do anything they just stood there and stared at you

so I mean there must be a purpose and I think that clearly obviously the generals the others won't just do nothing I can't believe that you are forgetting the other canon that they're all boyfriends that's i mean they absolutely could be but then why didn't we see them be a little more loving with one another because game of thrones wasn't about the romance aliana it was about the action it's not tv it's

hbo uh you can't tell me that a lot of hbo is not about romance i've watched i've watched succession i've watched i've watched so john appears at that moment telling them that they need to come quickly and see what rob has found jory's there we love jory jory rides up and they head over the river bank north of the bridge where rob is standing in snow john is still mounted beside him theon and jory reach them first and theon's laughing and joking but bran hears the breath go out of him and he suddenly shuts the fuck up which has never happened in theon's life before ever that's how you know it's a big moment gods he exclaims and jory warns them to get the fuck away from whatever it is and rob grins holding a bundle in his arms and he says she's dead she can't hurt you oh my gosh i mean you see right he's they're brave they're willing

to like go out there and do do stuff take risks but also that she's dead she can't hurt you i'm like very interesting since you're just talking about the others and why it's because she don't speak but she does remember oh those mother that dies yep yep though i think yep i do think you know catelyn is the father judgment judge no no no seriously judging yeah yeah judgment death machine absolutely and ned with the mother's mercy so i mean you know the stag horn leading to the death of Ned. Absolutely. Absolutely. It was right there the whole time.

And I mean, at the same time. I've literally written about that before, but. Yeah. At the same time, I think we're going to see, too, it kind of encompasses Liana a little bit as well. Interesting. Bran is burning with curiosity and he's forced to dismount at the bridge and approach by foot, so as soon as he gets off his pony, he runs, adorable. Rob says, it's a wolf.

Bran's heart is thumping in his chest as he pushes through to see a wolf, blood red in the snow, dead, ice in its fur, maggots crawling out of its teeth. But it's no ordinary wolf, it it's huge it's a dire wolf dion calls it a freak saying there hasn't been a dire wolf south of the wall in 200 years but john says i see one now oh my god boys boys stop fighting stop fighting this is a perfect setup for fan fiction and i know that those exist for them yeah i know too i do know those exist on ao3 fanfic.net i've heard of them i've heard of all of them uh the i mean i think the theon rob ones are more common though but that's called throb actually i'd like to educate

everyone listening it's called throb so rob holds one of the pups which is gray black and eyes closed murmuring and searching for milk and rob's others awe rob lets bran touch him and bran turns as john puts a wolf in his arms i'm pretty sure this is you oh sorry there are five of them bran sat down in the snow and hugged the wolf pup to his face its fur was soft and warm against his cheek holland the master of horse and jory think it's a sign but ned says it's only a dead animal don't be so fucking serious this is a serious story ned maybe if you had taken this a little more seriously, you wouldn't fucking die this book. Right? Catelyn Stark took this seriously.

And she only made it to book three. Fuck. Right? Well. Well. Anyways. They ask what killed her, and it's like, oh, the phrase. No, I'm joking.

They ask what killed the dire wolf. The dire wolf mother and Rob points at something lodged under the jaw. Ned yanks it out. It's a foot, a shattered antler. Tines snapped off, wet with blood, and a silence comes over the party. Even Ned can sense the fear, but he doesn't understand why. Oh my god, Ned, learn to read. Ned tosses the antler and we get this back and forth. I'm surprised she lived long enough to whelp he said his voice broke the spell maybe she didn't jory said i've heard tales maybe the bitch was already dead when the pups came

born with the dead another man put in worse luck i don't know why he was like some sort of plucky englishman but he was i'm sorry he'sucky Englishman, but he was, I'm sorry. He's just another man. That's what another man sounds like, right? But yeah, yeah. You know, they're all like, oh, maybe she was dead or like, you know, and, you know, bad luck, the whole dying during childbirth. I'm like, oh, interesting dying and childbirth, of which there is a lot of in this story.

Again, this chapter is totally about Bran. Like, I'll concede to you all that this is about Bran. But also, I mean, it's incredibly about Jon. Like, promise me, promise me, the wolf mother died savage because of a, you know, antler. Mm-hmm. Robert's rebellion. Lyanna Stark. Oh. Dying in childbirth yes i mean this chapter is littered with john

littered with john stuff a pup littered with john uh but yes i mean absolutely regarding liana but i didn't think about it in the context right of robert's robert's rebellion robert's antler holen tells them that these wolves will die soon anyway, and Bran gives a wordless cry of dismay. I know I'm so upset, too. I would be upset. I'd be like, you shut the fuck up. Shut the fuck up. I mean, and Bran doesn't have, like, a sword sword on him.

And Theon is like, yeah, yeah, the sooner the better. He draws his sword and makes to take Bran's wolf, who squirms like he understands, which, A, total foreshadowing. I love that all of the wolves are, you know, very already, they're bonding to their person already immediately. And later we learn Jon's wolf had his eyes open completely where, you know, Rob and Bran's don't. Which it makes me think you know rob was a little more closed off to his wolf at first in the warging side and bran obviously had his big fall before he really warged but summer knew summer knew he had a connection and it also feels like foreshadowing that theon like trying to kill bran and his wolf and rob later. Later. Yeah. Yeah, that too. Yeah.

And that Rob's the first one to find them, right? Did he sense it from afar? Was he like, wait, what's that over there too also? Did he hear something? I mean, I think as we've discussed, right, in a couple of places, but also

including in our episode about a Rob POV and what that might entail over on patreon i think we talked about would rob be he'd probably i think be a very very strong morgan skin changer right more in tune and more conscious of it than john is in the story and maybe almost as good as brand like but brand has like more i think range yeah as for rob it's very much only gray wind but still i think a very very strong and conscious bond yeah and i love again like john's has its eyes open first which is kind of interesting because you kind of think of Bran as the most in touch.

Yeah, and he hears them. Even the way that the line comes when it's like, don't you hear that? Like, do you hear that? It's funny because it's like spooky. They always say the Weirwoods are whispering to one another, right? And you can hear them. So that's what I immediately thought of because they're kind of in a grove so far north that it you know it's way different than winterfell i mean winterfell is like the city that's out on the town you know that's like

everyone goes there that's north and all but it's not north north yeah yeah they're north north well good thing they got these horses but for now we've we've still got to deal with this bran you know refuses as he should saying that that, no, it's his. It's my dog now. And Rob tells him to put his sword away, that they will keep these pups sounding as commanding as their father. And everyone's being fucking haters, right? You got, you cannot do that, boy, said Harwin, who is Holland's son. It'd be a mercy to kill them, Holland said,

and Bran looked to his lord father for rescue, but got only a frown and a furrowed brow. Holland speaks truly, son. Better a swift death than a hard one from cold and starvation. No! He could feel tears welling in his eyes, and he looked away. He did not want to cry in front of his father. Oh, Brion, you can cry.

Your dad could use a good cry, honestly. Yeah, I would be crying. I'd be like, fuck this. No, we cannot kill the dogs. You can't just give me a dog and then kill it. No, yeah. What am I, Sansa? Jesus.

Christ. Well. It would be so unfair if your dad killed your dog in front of you. Well, you weren't there at least, Sansa. At least it wasn't in front. There's that. Yeah, that would have been worse, nightmarish. I mean, it is a little worse, right?

Because she's already bonded with this dog, this one. Like, he's literally just met these puppies. God. You know, knowing the bond of Dragonrider and Dragon and, like, knowing the bond of dragon rider and dragon and like knowing the bond of wargs and knowing that they're all wargs that sucks yeah it just sucks sucks so bad we have it's interesting that they say it'd be a mercy to kill them so we've got mercy coming up so early in bran's story and with the storks And again, right, that question of, I mean, could you kill

them, knowing that they are innocent? And especially with these wolves, right, and the wolves or anyone in general, knowing the beauty and joy and softness that they bring to the world and their wolves here, but, you know, what about everything else, as you were saying, right, the bonds that people experience? And for Bran,

especially, how much does he feel someone else's death like anyone else's especially if he sentences them to die like could you do it and say that's a mercy yeah that line better a swift death than a hard one from cold and starvation especially i mean knowing what bran's story becomes we follow him and they come close to starvation and dying from the cold right a couple times yeah uh and yeah yeah he's but he's better for it question mark he'll be better for it right he'll know more from having this experience and be able to relate it to the world and maybe help the world and not only that but there's something

about the wolf being dead and the babies being alive that like that mother wolf sacrificed died so that her babies had a chance to live in the winter and live through the winter not unlike cadeline right who literally does that for bran when the attacker comes yeah to me that that and that's a blood sacrifice which brings magic right and i mean and ned right ned sacrifices himself he takes that uh hit on his honor and also becomes vulnerable and you know literally also dies in that moment i mean that's repaid ladies blood debt yeah you know yeah yeah but it's definitely feels like blood sacrifice for familial protection uh killing them now would be like you know it's wasting that sacrifice that she made yeah that's true maybe everyone deserves for the coin to flip you know

Yeah, that's true. Maybe everyone deserves for the coin to flip, you know? Mm-hmm. Rob argues that, okay, well, you know what? It'll be fine. One of the dogs just gave birth. That dog can nurse them. And the men argue that the dog would fucking rip them apart. And finally, John interrupts the argument, right?

He says, John interrupts the argument, right? He says, Lord Stark. Which is very formal and surprises Bran. And he points out- Surprised me too. There's a lot of math going on here, but also quite a bit

of world building. Now we understand what the Stark family looks like. There are five pups. Three male, two female like the true born children of house stark world building exposition he says that the direwolf is the stark house sigil and that the children were meant to have them and brand watches these men's faces change understanding what john had just done i have to say before we launch into this because i really love this passage god this whole chapter is beautiful it tears me up i love that george calls out and though brand was seven he understood

what his bastard brother had done like that he understands john's sacrifice for their five immediately and i i do love the passage the count had come right only because john had omitted himself he had included the girls included even rickon the baby but not the bastard who bore the surname snow the name that custom decreed be given to all those in the North unlucky enough to be born with no name of their own. Their father understood as well. You want no pup for yourself, John? He asked softly.

The dial of grace is the barners of House Stork, John pointed out. I am no Stork, father. Their lord father regarded john thoughtfully ned sweating bullets does he know snow nets no but you know i mean we know what that means now right like speaking of which like the end that is again that slipperiness of identity um whether that's the lord's face or father here we have john going between being a stark being a bastard son of

winterfell and and erasing that identity of himself and of course that's a big part of, again, Bran's story in which he will have an identity entering other animals, but also maybe potentially people as we see later on. But I mean, what you said, right, about sacrifice and how that comes up so early, and it comes up here with Jon making that sacrifice. And it's important that Jon does it himself, right? As we are always emphasizing, he's giving up his identity, right? And he's sacrificing and taking less. We see that's a trait that he has when it comes to duty and love, right? In this moment, and so that others may have more, so that others can experience joy and live so that the wolves might live. Yeah.

The sacrifice because, you know, the pack survives. The lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. Indeed. Good thing he finds that lone wolf. Yeah. He's the lone wolf, but he's not gonna die he's gonna live forever and he's gonna get a spinoff on hbo apparently apparently that's the real way you live forever you know get a sequel series but uh that's the epilogue i guess and yeah he he's gonna i mean what will he have to give up and sacrifice right forms of himself not the other parts of sacrifice yeah i don't know we'll see we'll see there will

be more one day i mean literally life life happy on the menu yeah a lot i mean yeah he does die family he does die and yeah just like that other series john dies at the end indeed just like that um yeah stripping yourself of your identity like that in a place where i mean that's the thing he already has nothing right without the stark name and him being able to put himself lower than that john what a boy and you know there were some interviews with daniel abraham the guy that did the graphic novel for a song of ice and fire that have kind of they've stirred up fun in the fandom before right and i'll give you two quotes one is from from 2011 in an article where Abraham plays a Game of Thrones. Have you collaborated at all with George R.R. Martin in the process of adapting the novel to comics? If so, what's the creative process there? Daniel says, I've spoken to George a lot in the

process. The biggest issues we have are continuity questions there are things about this story that only he knows and they aren't all obvious there was one scene i had to rework because there's a particular line of dialogue and you wouldn't know to look at it that's important in the last scene of a dream of spring for that kind of issue there's no substitute for just talking to the man himself okay interesting interesting and like he said you wouldn't know it unless you looked at it and i know a lot of people have kind of speculated about this and maybe some people have chosen what i think it could be and it might not be at all that's the other fun thing about this is like i can make whatever i want up you're all listening right now i don't know i'm just guessing just speculating but there was another interview done by James

Kelly over at Ranking Thrones. I was actually on there a little bit ago for a Rhaenyra episode where they tore me to shreds because I really loved Rhaenyra. And then I left the episode and I was like, yeah, I give her a four as a queen. They humbled my bitch ass. I was like, yeah, you're right. You're right. It wasn't good for me. But they interviewed him and he said, I know details about Dream of Spring because of the conversations we had about A Game of Thrones. There were things he was setting up in early chapters of A Game of Thrones that are references to the end of the series. He had a very clear view of what those were negotiable and what weren't negotiable and he had something he was aiming for at the end it's very interesting those are very interesting things right i actually have these graphic novels i should pull them do you really i think i had the first yeah i have a lot of the first few issues and um from i think a game of thrones and also from a clash of kings because i was getting them from my uh local comic book shop slash a bunch of them were on sale so i just bought a bunch of them once

so well i should find them you should you should drag them out i i only have like i think a handful of the first issues and they're beautiful i really do like them i mean it's kind of just a nice it's nice to watch it in a different format you know i like that all i remember is they gave selise a mustache respect so one of the parts of the beginning of that first issue with bran one and again i really don't think that it might not be the phrase but there was a phrase that stuck out to me here right the count had come right only because john had omitted himself so that is the exact phrase in that great passage we read up there in the novel bran understood what his brother had done. The count had come right only because Jon had omitted himself, Eddard's bastard son.

So that's very condensed. So in this passage, we had him naming the girls, even Rickon, but not Jon, right? That Jon removes that from him. So I don't know. It's condensed in the novel novel but it's also changed a little in the novel so it gives me this possible idea you know we've had the theories about a possible council of sorts coming to pass at the end of the story and season eight played with that but what if that's it the count had only come right because john omitted himself. I don't know. Interesting.

I mean, that's something that I think will happen, you know? Bastard. Motherless. Damned. Yeah, I think it's around the idea of John omitting himself once you've called this all out. I don't know if it'll be like the line of like, I am no Stark or whatever, but regardless, the idea of John omitting himself and erasing himself, erasing his claim, his identity, and giving up his life, but in a very different way. Yeah.

And brand knowing, you know. Or it could be, I don't know. I'll have to check the graphic novel. It very much could be the word ass. I'll have to check the graphic novel. It very much could be the word ass. That could be what plays a big role in the end. I know a lot of people have theorized on that. About the word ass?

Yeah. Yes, yes, yes, yes. No, just like that there's so many different little phrases. Yeah, that too. Oh my god, that it could be. I don't know, that's my vote yeah i like it i think it's i think it's got a lot of strength i like it thank you thank you mine's ass but um so as opposed to what's being said right we have them rushing into the silence he left rob promises to nurse the dog with a towel soaked in milk and brian's like oh yeah me too me too

that's what I'm gonna do and Ned tells them that he will not have them wasting the servant's time with all this they will feed the dogs themselves train them themselves you're gonna take them on walks and you're gonna teach them to sit and all those things and you know if you neglect them or brutalize them or train them badly then gods help you because direwolves actually are not dogs all right I know I'm using the word dogs because I mean let's be real they're dogs but also they're not dogs they might die also no matter what you do and the kids they promise that they won't let them die fuck it's unfair i mean i think that's's another theme, right, going on through this book, of no matter all you do, it could still all be for naught.

Everything could all fall apart. People could still die. Like Quentin's story, that's one. No chance and no choice. Yeah, I mean, it could all be for nothing. Oh. Oh? I mean, I don't know, whatever. know whatever these wolves are gonna live forever first of all there's never gonna be a single death first of all second of all man summer's death is gonna suck because that has to happen there's no way what the fuck i think so because we're breaking up i'm no don't don't dump me i love you what oh my god i

just got really scared and upset for a minute wow separation anxiety what are you coming over again um back to summer dying so what the fuck i'm sorry but it makes a lot of sense because you have to kill that last connection to like rise above it all like I mean also summer is summer it's the end there's no summer when winter comes again summer has to die to save everyone leave me alone

you know it's true look inside yourself you know it to be true I've never confronted this before and I refuse to I refuse to internalize this. Welcome to the Bran chapters. I've confronted it already because it's going to suck. It's going to be horrible. It's going to break our hearts.

It's like, Summer, Hodor. I've come to other, like, realizations of people and characters dying, and it took me, you know, I figured those out. It took me a while to deal with that, and I'm not sure i'm ready for this right now all right i'm not emotionally ready for this ned's also not emotionally ready for a lot of things but i guess he keeps going anyway and for example right now like ned gives in he lets the kids keep the dogs they're about to leave when john suddenly stops and asks can't you hear it and

we're like no no what the hell and the wind moves in the trees the horses hooves clatter but john hears something else and he follows us out and comes back smiling he must have crawled away from the others john said or been driven away father said, looking at the sixth pup. Meta. His fur was white where the rest of the litter was gray. His eyes were as red as the blood of the ragged man who had died that morning. Bran thought it curious this pup alone would have opened his eyes while the others were still blind. An albino, Theon Greyjoy said, with wry amusement. blind an albino theon grayjoy said with wry amusement this one will die even faster than the others john snow gave his father's ward a long chilling look i think not grayjoy this one belongs to me this one belongs to me well if they're metaphors if you ignore rob right like but even still like

in the larger scheme of like all six of them john does die faster than the others yeah i mean he does actually die first lucky that means he gets to live at the end oh well rob yeah yeah yeah exactly but like then the others right if you ignore yeah the other ones but yeah john does die damn second john is second i guess everyone has to die a little in this story damn yeah and apparently you think summer's gonna die which i'm like what the fuck initially my my line here was just dogs and now i don't know my i'm fucking i'm messed up i'm messed up i fucked this whole entire podcast up i'm so sorry i'm sorry to our listeners because they're probably also going what the fuck chloe i think you guys we just covered this like i think about death all the time

um yeah it is a bummer i just do think it's gonna happen i'm sorry it's a yeah it is a bummer. I just do think it's going to happen. I'm sorry. It's a bummer for all. Okay. It's a bummer for summer. More like. Leave me alone. Okay. I get tears in my eyes just from reading that passage, though. Right?

This one belongs to me. Ah, good for you, John, for taking that wolf. You are a wolf. You still are a wolf, even if you're the weird one. You know, people always like to call him the white wolf, i'm like no he's the weird wolf weirdo i love him i mean he's also going to be the white wolf right w-i-g-h-t but yeah true i mean he's weird weird without weird you know like weird oh oh yeah no actually for real though for real but uh yeah i mean nothing's weirder than i guess being undead it's pretty weird john very strange very uncommon kind of a hit at parties

though believe it or not yeah so bran thought it curious this pup alone would have opened his eyes while the others were still blind. We talked about it a little earlier in kind of a warg conversational context. But I also think there's something more than just the seeing as a warg. There's something about this chapter pushing that Jon sees more than everyone else around him. And it also was kind of apparent with it was not courage this one was dead of fear you could see it in his eyes stark i love that john is being set up as just being i mean even this compared to later obviously he kind of acts a fool in his chapter at the feast you know he gets a little drunk gets a little embarrassed but this this against Mance, right? You can see why when he meets Mance,

John is so ready to take it on lying to him. I mean, he doesn't even stutter. Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's a trait of his that does really get honed throughout the story. Absolutely. And I mean, it's how he was able to kind of non-verbally understand what corn half hand meant right when he's like kill me now john but he didn't say it like with his words he said it with his heart and that was a subtext yeah yeah the only time that john's like i think really unable to understand and, like, see, but he's taught to see after a while is in a few chapters, right? Like, when he first arrives at Castle Black and he's like, why does everyone hate me? And it's like, because you're being an asshole.

You're being the Theon Greyjoy of the bunch. It's kind of funny yeah because john becomes exactly what he hates and i love the when he sees ned later praying for john and rob and he's actually like you were saying you know you're watching a cctv of everybody right and then i don't know i'm so excited for these visions god him uh seeing john at the wall and i mean going from denarius in the dothrak you see too that's going to be so exciting to read ah oh my god i just remembered all that happens oh man visions bro i just realized also what you're saying about john right and him being able to see he'll be able to see Daenerys for who she is, right? She's just doing her best, right? Everyone sees this, like, mad girl, like, or whatever, like,

she's Aerys's daughter, and she's come with all these, like, scary dragons, and everyone has all these narratives of who she is. And Tyrion gets close, right? There's a lot of aspects of Tyrion's narrative about her that he tells Aegon that ring true to some extent. But there's also that other part of her that we see in her POV and Jon's going to see that. He's going to be like, I know how that feels. Yeah. And then I'm un-stabbed me. You know, this is just the beginning at this point this is just the start

the stark oh my god the stark start i guess my first or my last thing to say here right the last thing i want to say is there was an interview with vanity fair god what is this like 2014 where george said when i was writing the first chapter i really didn't know what it was is this a short story is this a chapter is it all gonna be about this kid bran bran is the first of the major characters you meet after the prologue so you think oh okay this is bran's story bran's gonna be a hero here, whoops, what just happened to Bran there? He's talked about Bran as a King Arthur figure. He's made Bran just such an important part of this.

And I'm very happy to be covering Bran with you. Yeah, I mean, I was until you were like, Summer's going to die. And now I'm like like i don't know anymore you're being a real baby you know that's life i am that's why it's just the brand voices being a real baby about it yeah it's your giant baby i am i am and yeah the great call out on how he talks about brand as a king arthur figure and i know other people picked up on that before, too, but really, I mean, he just said it. Like, George told us, literally,

the story. Literally. Literally. Yeah. Well, I look forward to continuing to read the best POVs with you, Eliana. You know, which are Bran Stark's. And, I mean, as always, right, like, we

we've got a couple of guests lined up that I'm super excited to have on as they come. Yeah. Yes, yes. I'm super excited. Yeah. Unfortunately, some of them won't be for a while. We'll start announcing them soon. Yeah, just because of the nature of, you know, the books and how many chapters there are and how time works.

Linearly, unfortunately. Unless you're listening to these much later in your own order which congrats that's true but linearly mostly mostly speaking but i mean like tell us what you think as always you can find us on social media at girls gone canon um on twitter that's twitter.com slash girl gone canon c-a-n-o-n tell us uh your thoughts about brand about the episode um how chloe hurt you today and you can also tell us via email at girls gone canon at gmail.com yes yes and if i hurt you so badly you have to subscribe to us on a podcast platform here are a handful that you can subscribe to us on you can check us out

over at apple podcasts google play on google podcasts stitcher acast spotify god i think amazon podcast pandora you name it we're around check us out indeed indeed and of course you can always find us on patreon where patrons in the five dollar tier and above get bonus episodes every single month but that's not all no we have so much happening on our discord right we have a discord server it's private it's for the thunder to your patrons and up though i will hint at you if you're a thunder to your patron on our discord server, you have a lifetime Discord server license with us. Don't worry. But we have Discord brunches every single month, brunch slash happy hour, where we all just hang out for a couple hours, bullshit, chitchat, sometimes play some games, catch up. And then we have something even,

I think, more exciting happening right now because it's happening every week which is house of the dragon discussions every friday maddie our friend is hosting a discussion on hot d it'll be at 2 p.m eliana time eastern time in our discord and we would love to have you join us a discord shun i really thought that was gonna come out pretty good when i said it aloud didn't it's okay eliana i liked it i did laugh a little so i was just saying that because i'm mad at you i'm sorry i said that summer anyways as always i have been one of your hosts who loves bran stark so much with every fiber of her being chloe and i have been another one of your hosts who loves Bran Stark so much with every fiber of her being, Chloe. And I have been another one of your hosts, Eliana.

Eliana the brokenhearted. Oh my god. Thanks so much for listening. I'm sorry for hurting your feelings, Eliana. It's okay, I guess. All right. Goodbye, everyone. See y'all next time.

See you next time for Marley and Me. Oh my God, leave me alone. Bye.