Winter is Coming (GoT is back)

[Antonio the Sixth]

Come to think of it, it's pretty ironic that new GoT seasons are always aired in April/May, basically the moment of the year when it makes the least sense to say "Winter is coming".

Anyway, I'm only watching this after I finish my Master's Thesis.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Come to think of it, it's pretty ironic that new GoT seasons are always aired in April/May, basically the moment of the year when it makes the least sense to say "Winter is coming".

It makes perfect sense here in the Southern Hemisphere.

But the GoT plot is clearly set in the Northern Hemisphere of whatever planet they're on. For all we know, the inhabitants of Sothoryos might very well be thinking "Summer is coming" at this very moment.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I'm finally getting around to watching season 5! Just watched episode 2. Definitely off to a good start, though I get the feeling that there will be just as much blood and tragic losses as in the previous two...

[Antonio the Sixth]

I'm halfway through the season, and I'd almost be tempted to say "so far, so good". Of course it won't last. Besides, through my Facebook feed I got the clear impression that Stannis was going to fail miserably, which means that Winterfell is probably still in the hands of the degenerate traitors.

At least I still hold out hope that Jon succeeds in convincing the Free Folk. And that Margaery will find some way to get back at Cersei.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I'm halfway through the season, and I'd almost be tempted to say "so far, so good". Of course it won't last. Besides, through my Facebook feed I got the clear impression that Stannis was going to fail miserably, which means that Winterfell is probably still in the hands of the degenerate traitors.

At least I still hold out hope that Jon succeeds in convincing the Free Folk. And that Margaery will find some way to get back at Cersei.

Nah, this has been a great season aside from Dorne.

The fact you think so doesn't give me much comfort.

[Antonio the Sixth]

As usual, I'm a bit late to the party, and couldn't comment on the episodes as they came out (blame it on my Master's Thesis ). Still, if anyone's interested, here's my two cents on this last season.

Despite how disappointed I was with the final two episodes, it was still a solid season - probably stronger than the 4th, on average. It started off really good - the King's Landing plot was really captivating, and even the two traditionally boring storylines (the Wall and Daenerys) were surprisingly quite interesting. In the first case, I can't say no to a good election/campaign story. And seeing Janos Slynt's head chopped off was worth waiting for. Plus, I really enjoyed the Jon/Stannis interactions, there are a few really poignant moments. As for Daenerys, at least there is something actually happening this season. The concept of an underground rebellion of former slaveholders makes sense, even though the Sons of the Harpy are pretty ridiculously overpowered. As for the KL storyline, I really loved how it added a new player to a game which had lost many lately (Joffrey, Tyrion, Tywin...). Having a religious "revival" movement makes a lot of sense in light of the economic and social context. And it's handled with surprising subtlety, with the High Sparrow being depicted as a genuinely humble and soft spoken man who nonetheless proves utterly ruthless.

The two storylines that were annoying from the get-go were the Dorne one and Tyrion-Jorah's tribulations. The first one is a complete Idiot Plot from the very beginning. Seriously, Jaime, you're going to risk getting killed or held hostage (hence singificantly weakening your family's position towards Dorne) in order to rescue your daughter from a danger you only assume exists? "Fortunately", his stupidity is offset by the stupidity of the Dornish themselves. Ellaria and Doran sound like the caricatures of what warmongers and appeasers think each other is. Ellaria, I understand you're sad, but Oberyn's death is Oberyn's fault alone, and killing an innocent child won't make him come back! Doran, you have two friggin' Lannister hostages! How about you use this position of favor to exact concessions from King's Landing, instead of sending both of them back for essentially nothing? Seriously, everybody in this story is a f**king idiot.

But what really saddens me is that even the genuinely good stories go to sh*t in the last two episodes. Take King's Landing: from the point Cersei is captured, we see absolutely nothing of what's actually going on there. We are only told, in vague terms, that Tommen is making a nervous breakdown, Kevan is back in charge and the Sparrows effectively rule the city. Wouldn't it have been nice to actually see some of these things? But nooooo, instead we get scene after scene of what amounts to Cersei torture porn which doesn't advance the story in any way, culminating with that "walk of shame" debacle. I've been willing to cut GoT some slack for its keenness on sex, violence, and sexual violence, but that was unbearable. Besides, it doesn't even make sense story-wise. Does the High Sparrow seriously think Cersei is going to come back to him for the trial after he lets her into the Red Keep, instead of frantically preparing her vengeance? What a dull resolution for a genuinely great concept.

Then, there's Stannis. Look, I could buy that in particularly desperate circumstances, if he was absolutely 100% convinced that they were all going to die unless he did that, he could have accepted to sacrifice Shireen. He is pragmatic and determined, so he can make hard choices for what he believes is the "greater good". But we never see him reaching this level of desperation. Stannis would try everything else before burning Shireen, he would have his soldiers eat their comrades' dead bodies, or try some strategic maneuver before resorting to that. A besides, if R'hllor really wanted Stannis to do that, why did he abandon him right afterwards? Is the implication that Melisandre lied to him? That she suddenly realized she was wrong about the prophecy? Anyway, Stannis was one of my favorite characters, and they treated him like sh*t. Just like Tywin last season, he deserved a more dignified end. Although to be fair, I do like his actual death scene, he comes across as pretty badass, and the way he ends up accepting his fate is pretty damn cool. And obviously, it's poetic justice to have Brienne swing the sword.

I'm not as pissed about Jon's death as I am about the resolution of the Dorne, KL, and Stannis plots. It does make a good deal of sense that the Watch would react like that, even if it's unbelievably stupid in hindsight. Still, a question remains: why would they even open the gates to Jon and the wildlings in the first place? Honestly, I was expecting them not to. It would have made sense for Thorne to just say "screw you", and most people would have sided with him. But when they have opened the gates, the harm is already done, so why change their minds and kill Jon? This is only the last of a series of weird plot holes that marked this season.


OK, so I ended up talking mostly about the negative stuff, but most of it happens in the last two episodes, and the rest of the season is pretty consistently good. The pacing is definitely much improved compared to season 4's, and it keeps me wanting to know what comes next. Hopefully, the new directors will work harder to come up with satisfactory resolutions for their stories, and avoid derailing their characters for plot convenience.

Oh, and BTW, the Arya storyline is good too (though very depressing for an Arya fan ). And I'm really curious to see Littlefinger's next move.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Dorne is terrible in the books and it's terrible in the show.  I agree that Tyrion-Jorah was kinda boring (except the fight with the stone men, which was awesome), but it could have been so much worse.  Tyrion's FeastDance storyline is Dorne-level awful, so I can't complain too much since it didn't feel like that much of a drag.

Glad we agree on Dorne at least.

I'm not really factoring in the books in my judgment, both because I haven't read them (duh!) and because I think the show should stand on its on - especially at this stage when, from what I understand, the show has already clearly taken many liberties from the books. I'm actually considering starting the books now, even though the realization that GRRM will probably never finish them is holding me back.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Why? Because it helps set the context and atmosphere of King's Landing politics. What I love about Game of Thrones is its way of combining complex and unique characters with a deep exploration of the complexity of power struggles and maneuvering that they engage into in order to gain power and/or reach their goals. In this season, I feel that this second element has been lacking in the second half of this show. I was genuinely interested in seeing how Tommen, Kevan and Pycelle would all struggle to keep control of the situation in the increasing instability. For Tommen, I did expect a bit more from him honestly, although I understand why he would melt down after losing the two women of his life. As for Kevan, we've barely ever seen him so far, so I've no idea if he is an interesting character or not. For what little we saw of him, he seemed worth a shot. And anyway, even if they're not going to show anything from inside the Red Keep, they could at least give us a glimpse of the Sparrows basically running the city. We mostly saw them in the early stages, raiding the brothels and stuff, but I was just curious to see what KL looks like now.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I don't object to the scenes per se, I just think they end up taking too much time away from more relevant aspects. I think one scene of Cersei being told to confess and subsequently humiliated - rather than the three successive ones we got - would have been enough. Same for the Walk of Shame: I have nothing against the concept (story-wise, I mean), and it makes perfect sense that the Sparrows would use it as a tool to cement their authority and stir up the masses against Cersei. But the scene drags waaaaay too long, to the point when it becomes genuinely unnerving. I had to look away at the screen a couple times because I was ashamed of watching this (even though there wasn't anybody around me). I distinctly got the feeling that the creators were indulging themselves here. As Madeleine said earlier in this thread, there is a streak of mean-spiritedness in this show. I generally tolerate it when it serves a purpose for the series and is limited to a minimum (hell, even Sansa's "wedding night" didn't really shock me), but the walk of shame scene really seemed to be there for shock value more than for the story.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Well, if the Sparrows allow trial by combat, they make their hand even weaker than it already has when they released Cersei. I get that trial by combat is justified theologically, but surely the High Sparrow realizes that, being the Queen and all, Cersei has access to the best fighters in the city, even excluding Clegane. Who would they actually put up against that? The smallfolk that supports them doesn't have enough training to stand a chance. So, if things go the way you're saying, Cersei has pretty much won. Which is really a shame, because she's currently the second character I most want to see dead (after Ramsay).

You must be logged in to read this quote.

If that's true, then Kevan definitely is a character worth developing.

Also, whatever happened to the Tyrell siblings? Where they offered the possibility to confess as well? If so, did they? Were they released too?

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I never thought of Stannis as a good guy, at least not since he got Renly killed. What fascinates me about him was precisely his complexity, and specifically the fact that he had his own morality and will stick to it no matter what. Even when he does something clearly wrong, he does it because he's absolutely convinced that it's the right thing to do, not out of expediency or personal gain. He doesn't even really look like he actually wants to be the King, he just thinks he has to in order to save all of Westeros. And he always puts his money where his mouth is, being the first to go into battle and the last to retreat. The fact that these genuinely likable traits (along with his genuine love for his daughter) are mixed with religious fanaticism, fratricide, mass-murder and general assholery make for a great character. I think we agree in this regard.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I meant pragmatist in the sense that he's ready to do whatever it takes to reach his desired goal, even if he has to sacrifice something he holds very dear. Of course, in other regards, Stannis is probably anything but pragmatic.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

As I said, I could actually see him coming to that if the situation was truly desperate, and after agonizing at great lengths and exploring all other options. My issue is that it all ends up being too quick and easy. Sure, you're caught in a bad snowstorm, Ramsay burned some of your provisions, and a few sellswords have left, but are you sure there's nothing else you could have tried? I just don't see him giving up his daughter so easily: isn't "never giving up" kind of the point of his character?

And also, the fact that this sacrifice is utterly pointless raises tons of questions about the intentions of Melisandre, and those of R'hllor. What exactly are their goals here? Do they even match? Who fooled who?

[Antonio the Sixth]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

You certainly won't see me come to Tywin's defense. As a Stark loyalist, I obviously wanted his head on a spike alongside those of Joffrey, Cersei, Littlefinger, and the Boltons.

The point is that he was, as Mace would say, "a force to be reckoned with". Or in simpler terms, he was a badass. I mean come on, he's been the central political figure of Westeros for the past 30 years or so, played both sides in Robert's Rebellion to come out on top, and was clearly the only reason a totally dysfunctional family managed to hold onto near-absolute power for several years (as evidenced by how quickly things go to sh*t for the Lannisters as soon as he dies). That's not the kind of character who ends up dying while taking a dump, cut midsentence while begging his detested son to let him finish the task so that they can talk properly. He was a massive figure and his death should have been massive in some way. At least that's how I feel.

For Stannis, admittedly it's not quite as bad. It's just that the "final battle" was totally anticlimactic. I knew Stannis would end up losing, but I was expecting that he'd go out with some fireworks, with a battle at least as epic as the Blackwater one. Instead, he's basically crushed like a bug. Still, as I said, his actual death scene was pretty great. I almost liked him again as a character when I saw his facial expression when realizing who Brienne was. It was exactly the reaction I'd expect from Stannis in such situation.

Here's my solution: Don't have Alliser Thorne participate in et tu Olly  He was a much more interesting and complex character before that.

Very true. I never actually got to like Thorne, but I always thought he was the kind of character who could have been developed in a more sympathetic direction. There's a huge missed opportunity here. He could be the sort of guy who personally despises Jon, but still obeys him because he has a deep-seated respect for the laws of the Watch. The other Watchmen could have carried out their mutiny without him, and he could have reacted with sheer outrage and behead the traitors, and still end up as the new Lord Commander and presumably screw the wildlings over. You'll agree with me it's a pretty big mistake in the story.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I think you're the first person I hear who thinks that. Almost everyone I've heard on this topic considered season 4 at least somewhat below the previous three. It's still fine, mind you. Personally, my favorite is actually season 1, because it perfectly captured the sense of tension and dread that marks the escalation toward war - the few crucial moments when everything could still happen, but when the pieces slowly set into place for the perfect storm. No season was as rich in building an atmosphere and immersing us into the realm's politics. I also loved seasons 2 and 3, but they had their weak moments.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Oh yes, Meryn's death was a glorious thing. I've been waiting for so long to see Arya finally start kicking some ass!

Isn't she still going to become "no one" though, now that she put on the mask? The episode's ending made me fear that she'll slowly end up losing her face and identity... I really hope that's not the case!

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I do hate the guy too, obviously. What he did to Ned Stark was unforgivable and he deserves a slow, painful death. And it was also very unsettling to see him creeping on Sansa (though Sansa has bigger issues now).

Still, you've got to admit that he's been a positive force in the most recent developments: he killed Joffrey and Lysa, and it's strongly hinted that he's behind Lancel's confessions that led to Cersei's imprisonment. I still don't get why he led Sansa to Winterfell instead of keeping her safe in the Vale. Does he plan on befriending the Boltons? If so, why then tell Cersei he's going to raise the Vale's army against them? I know Littlefinger likes chaos, but even for him this plan makes no sense.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Littlefinger is the kind of guy who plays his cards in all areas -- on the off chance that the Boltons manage to squash Stannis (well at the time it seemed like an off-chance), Littlefinger can play trojan horse. I think Ramsay might just be a miscalculation on his part -- he expected Sansa to remain in Winterfell and she would then become treacherous upon Baelish's invasion, but I don't think Littlefinger expected Ramsay to abuse her to the point she was or for Theon to come back. I mean, either way it doesn't matter -- even if the Boltons squashed the remainder of Stannis's army, its still weakened. The armies of the Vale should still be able to mount a successful siege, if not a full-blown victory.

Yeah, I can imagine LF didn't factor in Ramsay in his calculations.... But even then, if his plan is to use the armies of the Vale to wrestle Winterfell away from the Boltons, isn't it counterproductive to give them the Stark heiress (who also happens to be the person he cares most about) as a hostage? Especially since, if the Vale lays a siege, I could easily see Roose threatening to kill Sansa in order to force them to step back.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I still don't get why he led Sansa to Winterfell instead of keeping her safe in the Vale. Does he plan on befriending the Boltons? If so, why then tell Cersei he's going to raise the Vale's army against them? I know Littlefinger likes chaos, but even for him this plan makes no sense.

I think things are actually set up perfectly for Baelish to seize the North. Think about it: John (probably) gets resurrected and takes command of the Wildlings and summons some minor Northern Houses to march on Winterfell to get revenge against House Bolton. As the Wildling/Northern forces approach Winterfell, Baelish moves in with the Knights of the Vale into Winterfell to "support" the Boltons.

Once inside, the Vale Knights stage a back-stab as John assaults the city, House Bolton is crushed and Petyr enters an alliance with John re-establish House Stark in Winterfell. Petyr, now much stronger and having taken little causalities in his own army due to the ambush nature of his attack, marches South with the North supporting him.

House Tyrell now has major incentive to side with Baelish and doom the Lannisters once and for all.

That actually would be an excellent outcome. Only problem is, knowing this show, it's far too good to be true.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I still don't get why he led Sansa to Winterfell instead of keeping her safe in the Vale. Does he plan on befriending the Boltons? If so, why then tell Cersei he's going to raise the Vale's army against them? I know Littlefinger likes chaos, but even for him this plan makes no sense.

I think things are actually set up perfectly for Baelish to seize the North. Think about it: John (probably) gets resurrected and takes command of the Wildlings and summons some minor Northern Houses to march on Winterfell to get revenge against House Bolton. As the Wildling/Northern forces approach Winterfell, Baelish moves in with the Knights of the Vale into Winterfell to "support" the Boltons.

Once inside, the Vale Knights stage a back-stab as John assaults the city, House Bolton is crushed and Petyr enters an alliance with John re-establish House Stark in Winterfell. Petyr, now much stronger and having taken little causalities in his own army due to the ambush nature of his attack, marches South with the North supporting him.

House Tyrell now has major incentive to side with Baelish and doom the Lannisters once and for all.

That actually would be an excellent outcome. Only problem is, knowing this show, it's far too good to be true.

Littlefinger on the Iron Throne? Are you sure that's really that good of an outcome?

I'll take it if he has Jon, the wildlings, Sansa, the Northern loyalists, the Vale Knights and the Tyrells on his side. It's not like he can do much damage without alienating one of these.

As for Daenerys, it will probably take ages for her to actually come to Westeros. Especially with the bullsh*t ending they gave to her storyline (seriously, did anyone miss the Dothraki? ).

[Antonio the Sixth]

Yeah, having Daenerys winning in the end would be wrong on many different levels.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Bran is clearly very important to the story. I think we'll eventually be rewarded for enduring his boring storylines with something really awesome.

[Antonio the Sixth]

OK, I finally saw the season finale two days ago.

F**k this show, f**k the screenwriters, and f**k Martin if he had anything to do with that cynical, lazy, faux-edgy SHOCKING development. F**k whoever thought it was a good idea to kill off one of the most fascinating and original characters in the show. F**k whoever thought the viewers wanted more torture porn after the obscenity of season 5, and f**k the viewers who did indeed want more of it.

You know what pisses me off the most? It's not how exploitive, self-indulgent and immature-while-pretending-to-be-mature the show can be. There are plenty of sh*tty shows that are like that. What I hate about this show is that, despite all these flaws, it still manages to be an excellent show in other ways. Still makes me care about all the characters in it, want to see the good prevail and the evil be destroyed. I wish I wasn't so invested in Arya, Sansa, Jon, Bran, Meera, Olenna, Tyrion, Varys and Asha. I wish I wasn't so invested in seeing Cersei and Littlefinger get their comeuppance. But I am, and that means I'll keep watching this f**king show and have to keep put up with all the filth it throws at us.

Yes, I realize that I'm just whining here.

[Antonio the Sixth]

A) It might make sense for her character (although for someone who's supposedly all about her children, she didn't give much thought how Tommen might react to losing Margaery... but fair enough, I get it, she's a spiteful and deluded). That doesn't make it a good narrative choice. Maybe I was the only one who found the King's Landing plot interesting, but even if you didn't there's something awfully lazy about wrapping up a storyline by suddenly killing all the participants but one in a way that turns all that preceded into a shaggy dog story. Oh, and the utter pretentiousness of showing the sparrow desperately trying to extinguish the candle when it's obvious he's gonna fail... It's a detail but it's frankly an insult to the viewer.

B) She was never going to win, why? Because she's not popular enough as a character? I love how everybody fawns over Tyrion's charisma and intelligence (nothing wrong about Tyrion per se, he's a good character, but the hype gets annoying after a while) yet completely overlooks Margaery who proved just as apt at maneuvering through a variety of political situation and has if anything more noble purposes than Tyrion. She was unique because, even in a show like GoT that plays around with gender tropes more than most Western shows, she had a rare twist on the "strong female character^TM" routine. She actually drew her strength from stereotypically "feminine" qualities (seduction, emotional intelligence, even temper, etc.) yet wasn't portrayed negatively for doing so as women in fiction almost always are. She could be devious, scheming and manipulative, and at the same time kind, true to herself, and actually trying to make the world a better place. A morally complex drama about politics in a pseudo-medieval context should have made good use of a character like this, not squandered it in a way that made it completely superfluous to the story.

And yeah, the High Sparrow and the general idea of a theocracy taking hold of King's Landing was also a very interesting concept that deserved to be sent off in a more ceremonious way that that.

C) Whether it's shown directly or implied, it's still torture porn. It's not necessary to the story in any way, it's just there to SHOCK viewers (and possibly titillate some). For the record, I feel the same about Ramsay's death scene (Sansa is supposed to be better than this, for f**k's sake).

[Antonio the Sixth]

Well, she still was the only one who figured it out. And at least Olenna is alive thanks to her.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Margaery wasn't always in control, but I got the feeling that more than any other character she always did the best she could do in any situation she found herself in. She might not have been as witty as Tyrion or Olenna, but I for one really enjoyed her "soft power" approach to King's Landing politics. Having her prevail (not necessary in full but to some extent) would have said something important and interesting about diplomacy winning over the naked selfish brutality represented by Cersei and the fanaticism represented by the High Sparrow.

And Antonio, if you thought that this story was going to have a happy ending, then you haven't been paying attention.

You know what's funny? It's actually starting to look like there will be a happy ending, with Dany taking the Iron Throne and Jon vanquishing the White Walkers. Of course I could be wrong and the White Walkers might end up killing everybody and bring about an eternal night, but somehow I doubt it.

Anyway, what I want isn't a happy ending. I just want an ending that's meaningful, and one that doesn't rely on cheap shock value. The first three seasons had that, so it's not too much to ask.

[Antonio the Sixth]

You know what's funny? It's actually starting to look like there will be a happy ending, with Dany taking the Iron Throne and Jon vanquishing the White Walkers. Of course I could be wrong and the White Walkers might end up killing everybody and bring about an eternal night, but somehow I doubt it.

I would actually be really surprised if Dany is Queen of Westeros at the end of the story.  She's been on an upward trajectory since Season 1, and she's the Targaryen heir (as far as we know).  Having her win in the end isn't a sufficiently interesting story, IMHO.  My hunch is that she'll either die or (less likely) go off and live somewhere else (presumably in Essos), doing something else with the rest of her life.

I agree it would be a pretty boring ending, and besides I never liked Dany that much as a character. If her plotline takes a surprising turn (without turning it into a massive shaggy dog story like the season 5-6 KL plot turned out to be), kudos to the writers. I'm not sure if they really want to take this risk through, considering not one but two fan favorites depend on this plotline.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Margaery was certainly not as upright as Ned and Robb (which was part of what made her such a great character, the fact that she was good but not GOOD) and infinitely more competent than all three you mention (who really brought their demises onto themselves). Can you cite any mistake she actually made - as in, something that she could have realistically been expected to do differently? The truth is, the way she was killed off had no bearing and said nothing about her character, she was just unceremoniously swept under the rug so the writers could focus on other stories and characters. That's just lazy writing and it shows that the writers had no idea what to do with her despite all the potential she had.

And yeah, thank the Old Gods and the New that they at least didn't decide to turn her death into vile exploitation material. I admit I'd have been even more pissed off if they did it to Margaery, but this remains wrong and despicable even if the character they pick for the job is a second-tier one (or even if it's an utterly despised and despicable one like Ramsay in the episode before, or Cersei last season).

[Antonio the Sixth]

Also, I would like to see the "wheel" of aristocratic male domination broken, and don't think Daenerys as ruler or even Jon as ruler would be a good ending - I think they should make their world more modern and egalitarian like the NW, and both maybe not die, but finish out the story as emotionally wounded characters.

In all modesty, I'm the one who brought constitutional federalism to Westeros.

Proclaim of the Allied Kings

We, the rightful sovereigns of Westeros, in Order to establish lasting Peace throughout the continent, restore Law and Justice, provide for the common defence, and promote the General Welfare of our Realms, do hereby agree to join our forces and wisdom in a Commonwealth of the Free Kingdoms, whose setting principles shall be laid out in the following Charter.

Section I - Scope and Extent of the Commonwealth

Article 1 The Commonwealth shall be formed by the North, Riverlands, Vale, Dorne, Westerlands, Stormlands, Dragonlands (formerly known as Crownlands), and all other realms of Westeros which shall wish to join it at any time.

Article 2 The Purpose of this Commonwealth shall be to organize and maintain stable and peaceful relations between separate realms, or to deal with matters involving the common safety of all. This document shall in no way be construed to deny each of the aforementioned realms their absolute freedom and independence in resolving internal matters.

Article 3 Each realm must provide one twentieth (1/20) of their soldiers to form a Commonwealth Army. Said Army may only be used to fight a foreign force, and may not, under any circumstance, be directed against a member of the Commonwealth.

Article 5 The Commonwealth shall negotiate with foreign entities in the name of all its members on military and commercial matters that involve the interests of several realms. Single realms may still conduct separate negotiations with foreign entities, as long as those do not contradict the entanglements contracted by the Commonwealth as a whole.

Article 6 The Commonwealth shall settle any disputes arising between two or more realms in matters of trade or justice, which could not be resolved through direct negotiations. If petitioned by one of its members to act as a mediator in such dispute, the Commonwealth shall have the power to set appropriate trade barriers, and to order a realm to return an individual which is facing trial in another realm.

Article 7 A common currency shall be minted in all member realms. The individual realms shall remain responsible for its minting. However, if disputes shall arise between realms regarding the amount of coins produced by each, the Commonwealth may be petitioned under Article 6 to set reasonable minting limits.

Article 8 In the case that one member of the Commonwealth failed to honor the obligations subscribed under this document, the Commonwealth may call upon other realms to ensure, though military means if necessary, that the agreement is respected.

Section II - Structure of the Commonwealth

Article 9 All power recognized to the Commonwealth under this document shall be vested into a Lord Protector of the Commonwealth and into a High Council. The Lord Protector shall initiate all decisions, which may then be ratified or rejected by the High Council.

Article 10 The office of Lord Protector of the Commonwealth shall befall upon Daemon Blackfyre, and to his rightful heirs as identified under the common laws of succession. The Lord Protector shall rule as King of the Dragonlands.

Article 11 The High Council shall be formed by one member appointed by each of the rightful sovereigns of the realms that form the Commonwealth (including the Dragonlands). A High Councilor may at any time be removed from office by the sovereign who appointed them, and replaced by another.

Article 12 The High Council shall deliberate and vote on any Commonwealth action taken by the Lord Protector, with the exception specified under Article 13. A Commonwealth action shall become effective if and only if more than half of the High Councillors vote to ratify it. High Councilors must keep their deliberations secret to anyone aside from the respective sovereign who appointed them, to whom they must provide a complete and truthful account of their actions.

Article 13 If, upon request of the Lord Protector, at least two thirds of the High Councilors vote to acknowledge a state of war against a foreign entity, the Lord Protector shall assume full command of the Commonwealth Army in its struggle against said force. The High Council may, at any time, by a vote of two thirds of its members, revoke a declaration of war.

Article 14 The terms of this Charter may at any time be subject to revision if, upon request of the Lord Protector, more than three quarters of the High Councilors shall consent to the revision.

Appendix - Financial organization

The Seven Kingdoms being hereby dissolved, the now independent realms that once composed it shall assume full faith and credit for debts contracted by its Crown. Each of the formerly united Kingdom shall take up a share of this burden, to be determined in due course after the war's end, which shall be proportional to a realm's wealth and economic resources.

The Commonwealth Administration hereby established shall not contract any debt, nor levy any amount of money from its constituent realms, whether directly or indirectly. Each realm shall be responsible to provide for the expenses of its respective High Councillor, and the Dragonlands shall be responsible to provide for all additional expenses.


X Robb of the House Stark, First of his Name, King in the North

[Antonio the Sixth]

Also, I would like to see the "wheel" of aristocratic male domination broken, and don't think Daenerys as ruler or even Jon as ruler would be a good ending - I think they should make their world more modern and egalitarian like the NW, and both maybe not die, but finish out the story as emotionally wounded characters.

In all modesty, I'm the one who brought constitutional federalism to Westeros.

Over my dead body

I really need to make that Clash of Kings remake as soon as time allows, xD

Haha, I'd love to be an external observer and watch as the new Robb tries to replicate my success.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Personally, I think it's too early to assume that Tommen actually died.  He went off screen, supposedly to remove the crown and then when "he" comes back to the window, we only see him from the back.  I think it's entirely possible he faked his death so he could escape his mother's clutches.  Certainly whatever is left of the Sparrows would be willing to help him do that and provide the "volunteer" to be his body double.

Uh, Cersei is seen looking at the body later on. Pretty sure she'd be able to recognize if it wasn't her son.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Also, I would like to see the "wheel" of aristocratic male domination broken, and don't think Daenerys as ruler or even Jon as ruler would be a good ending - I think they should make their world more modern and egalitarian like the NW, and both maybe not die, but finish out the story as emotionally wounded characters.

In all modesty, I'm the one who brought constitutional federalism to Westeros.

Over my dead body

I really need to make that Clash of Kings remake as soon as time allows, xD

Haha, I'd love to be an external observer and watch as the new Robb tries to replicate my success.

Or you could always play as someone else

I'm a scholar now, I have no time for these children's games.

Seriously though, I'd love to but I most definitely won't have time this summer.