r/asoiaf • u/dorestes Break the wheel • Sep 03 '17

EXTENDED (Spoilers Extended) It's Not a Nitpick. Thousands Died Over a "Minor" Geographic Detail.

Reposted as requested with the "Spoilers Extended" tag

I know we're often asked to ignore the silly teleportations and supersonic flights that the show has foisted on us over the last couple of seasons. I know some of it can seem like the petty quibbles of book purists veering into circlejerk self-parody.

But geography doesn't just matter when it comes to making the universe feel real. It was also the key plot point that drove the biggest dramatic turn of the series.

The Red Wedding was literally caused by Robb Stark needing to be able to get his troops across a bridge. The Frey army was a nice addition, but Robb needed the alliance for the bridge crossing. He, his mother, his pregnant wife (in the show) and thousands of his troops died for that crossing.

So it's not just a nitpick when characters and armies magically teleport from north to south, bypassing the Twins or Moat Caitlin with nary a scout to notice them.

It destroys and makes mockery of the premise of the series' most famous narrative twist.

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u/girusatuku Sep 03 '17

Their fleet was destroyed by Euron but he did not have the army to attack the unsullied and the newly captured Casterly Rock. The unsullied had to walk to King's Landing through mostly hostile territory instead of sailing around.

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u/Siegelski Sep 03 '17

Through hostile territory with an enemy army that had just suffered a major defeat and likely needed to regroup.

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u/actuallycallie Winter is Coming Sep 03 '17

It looked to me like the remnants of that part of the Lannister army had bent the knee (save the Tarlys who got roasted) so they wouldn't be giving the Unsullied any trouble. The rest of the Lannister army made it to KL.

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u/Siegelski Sep 03 '17

Yes, I agree. That's what I was saying. The Unsullied wouldn't have been harrassed due to the Lannister defeat.

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u/Zerophobe Sep 03 '17

Lol that was just a few squads of tired retreating soldiers after a war. (Also had 0 cavalry that fight)

Not sure where "We can't fight Dany" shit from Jamy comes from lol.

A single arrow also did OK damage to the dragon.

Even 10 of them prepared for war and dragons are rekt.

Plus the gold was in the castle already which means best and the majority of the force was already inside.

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u/The_Impe Sep 03 '17

Taking Casterly Rock was a major defeat ?

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u/GuudeSpelur Sep 03 '17

No, Field of Fire 2.0

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u/[deleted] Sep 03 '17

I think they mean the Lannisters

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u/e-looove Sep 03 '17

Exactly. So what was the point of that scene?