Yup, that is a spoiler.

Its like talking about what will happen end game with character X,Y,Z. We are spoiling the fact that they are indeed End game characters, and do not perish before then.

Question about the knife in the spine, isn't that considered a 'clean' death? IE he got to keep his head.

Maybe it has something to do with a "warrior's death"? Remember the scene from the beginning of Gladiator where Crowe requested a warrior's death and they prepared to execute him the exact same way?

Yeah that was what I was going back to..Maxmius asked for a Warrior's death, Sword through the spine. Nice touch by the writer.

It's a quick and fast method of killing. The sword breaks the stem or just below in the spine, all sensation is lost, and then proceeds down into the heart and lungs. No suffering, no gory running through over and over, hacking up, etc.

It was done in the old world as a type of respect of a sort. Unlike in the movies or TV, you can stay alive for many hours or days from even severe wounds to the torso or body, that though in fact mortal, leaves one to suffer in agony until death. Gladiators executed each other in such a way after 'with pressed thumb'.

Just watched this and man it was excellent. 'The Queen must not know'...

I'm guessing

Ryan and Ryan talk about Game of thrones with special Guest Alyssa Rosenberg:

http://web.me.com/mcgeeryan/The_Pod_...d_Ryan/rss.xml

Also a section on Mad Men and 'Girls'

Have you not been paying attention to the world GRRM has created? No good deed gets rewarded.

To address some points from a page ago--I've said before that they're going to have a very tough, if not impossible, time finishing this series. First it's possible it well be ten years or more before Martin finishes the series. Also he's obese and like Jordan's Wheel of Time, he may die before he finishes it. Second how long do you think you can keep a cast together? Remember:


And children are growing up, adults may have accidents, other projects or just aren't available to film two or three episodes of a 10 episode series.

I think this series is on fire and I'm loving every minute--including Dany! But I'm will to take a bet that without creating an artificial ending around season 4 or so, they will never finish this.

I don't think the fact that books 4 and 5 are split geographically and not chronologically has any bearing on the series. They're done so they can easily place the scenes in order to keep the cast together.

Man, you guys are tough. If you have lots of pictures taken of you don't be surprised if some not so flattering images show up.

Also not everybody has to be Scarlett Johannson material. Natalie is a very good actress--see The Tudors--with a natural, sexy body. In fact the non-pneumatic breasts, in most of the actresses who are showing their bodies, is quite refreshing.

I think I remember reading or hearing somewhere that Martin has told the show's producers how he plans the story to end in case something were to happen to him, they could still finish it out.

But is he in ill health? I see people saying this all the time yet every picture I see of the guy in the last 10 years he looks the same.

I don't know if you were replying to me, but remember there was a 5 year gap between book 3 and 4. And almost a 6 year gap between books 4 and 5. Also at the end of book 4 Martins says, "This one was a real bitch" or something to that effect. Now, due to the series, the pressures really on and ASOF&I isn't the only thing he wants to write.

He may look the same, but you can't exactly call it a picture of health.

Of course I was referring to you because you said in your spoiler that some characters disappear for an entire book, but that doesn't mean they left the world. Their story was just told in a different book.

Yes, but what about the cast question? I forgot to mention another thing that causes producers problems--money and renewed contract talks. Many of the actors are near impossible to replace--and can you image someone taking over for Dinklage?

So the guy is fat, that's not an instant death sentence. Everybody talks like the guy is at death's door all the time. And they have been for the last 10+ years.

Ah pinata, I don't think it's good to spoil my spoiler-protected comment. You might want to fix that.

He should only be fat, but he's obese. And certainly it contributes to earlier death and strokes.

Since this is all conjecture anyway,

Your comment is about the book medium and means nothing about the show. It's not a spoiler. No more than Joffrey not appearing in episodes 2 or 3 this season. That doesn't mean he's off the show.

Sorry I kind of derailed this thread, but I was responding to posts made earlier in it. I also think it's better to be overly cautious with potential spoilers for both book reader and series watchers.

You're preaching to the choir there, I'm the stingiest of stingy when it comes to spoilers. I whine and cry with the best of them.

All I'm saying is that it's not a spoiler and I expect books 4 and 5 to be merged for the series anyway.

She wouldn't be so weird looking if she didn't keep doing that smirk. Or at least tone it down a notch.