Give Bran More Lines

Published May 22, 2019 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hello Dick and Gene,

I have to say that I am super bummed that I only came along your podcast this season during Game of Thrones. Once I found you guys I anxiously awaited for your takes on the episodes and I have thoroughly enjoyed listening. I was excited to find out that you had other podcasts on shows and movies as well so I will be giving those a listen as well!

I have never wrote into a podcast before, but I feel inclined to do so. I would consider myself a “super fan” even though I am not an avid reader of the books. My husband has read all of the books is a “super fan” and I tried to read the first one a long time ago, but it just wasn’t for me. So I thought it was comical that years ago he convinced me to sit down to watch Game of Thrones. As someone who went into watching with a kind of “whatever” attitude about it, within three episodes I had been converted. I REALLY love this show. I think I am a bigger fan than my husband. I have tried to devour all and any information I could on it before the current season and I may even consider giving the books a try again.

Having said all that, at the beginning of this season, I did understand what everyone was talking about…the feeling of rushed timelines and just moving from point A to point B, but I believe it was Dick who mentioned at one point that he was just trying to sit back and enjoy it, because how many more Sunday evenings did we have to look forward to with a new Game of Thrones? I agreed and tried to take that spin on it.

Going into the finale, I thought what a lot of people did, which was that Dany would go “mad queen, evil queen,” whatever terminology you want to use for it. I do agree that either a little more setup or bad actions beforehand, or bad actions after would have helped sell the plot more, but I understand the cruel irony (or sad, depending on how you look at it) of Dany touching the throne but never being able to sit on it. I liked that part of the plot, but I do wish we just could have had a little bit more to work with. Jon could have stayed close to her just to make sure and could really be sure what kind of queen she could have been and would never question “what if”?

While I also did not love Bran being picked for king, when you start eliminating all other possibilities it seems like who we have left. Sansa would seem like the only other possibility and she would be ruling the North.

I have one varying different opinion that I haven’t heard a lot from other people though regarding Bran. I know a lot of people have expressed that he has known what is going to happen for a long time now and that may be true. I do wish he would have been given better lines. I cannot speak to the books but everyone expresses that Bran is really the bad guy doesn’t make a lot of sense to me because that has never been hinted at ever. Even Dany’s downward spiral was foreshadowed. Is he creepy at times? For sure. But as far as warning everyone about what is to come, it makes me wonder if he is not supposed to mess with future events. When he warged into Hodor that was in the past I believe and we all know that had negative ramifications. Maybe there is some three-eyed Raven understanding that if you attempt to change the future as you see it, worse consequences would occur? Even if did tell someone about the events to come…would it have changed Dany’s actions? Would they have tried to stop her more? Would have Jon continued to claim, “But she is my Queen?”. I am not a huge Bran fan by any means at all…I feel he was way underused…but I think people may need to consider the possibility that even if he shared what he saw in visions of the future either people would have still behaved the same way or made different decisions that could have led to worse events. I know he did share that the Night King was specifically targeting him…but the Night King was coming for him and everyone anyways. He would have killed Bran and everyone else. I hope that makes a little bit of sense what I am saying. Basically that I am thinking if we mess with the future (or past) we could end up with worse results. And people will always find a way to make their own choices to become who they are. Sure, I would have loved to see this come out in the story if this is the actual case…but it was just my thinking on it.

I have so much more to say, but a lot of my thoughts have been echoed by both of you in the podcast and if I keep writing this email would never be finished. To wrap up, I just want to say that I feel an overall sadness that Game of Thrones has ended. I cannot remember the last time a TV show was able to pull me in and make me care so much about the characters, make me want to read continuously about it, listen to podcasts about it, and constantly talk to my friends about it. I know this last season had its flaws, but I just like to think that something that can make THIS many people talk about it HAS to be amazing, on so many different levels. I will miss it, but of course, I can always rewatch!

Thank you so much for doing such a great job! I look forward to listening to your other podcasts!

Rachel, from South Lyon Michigan

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