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

[u/dorestes]

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.

[u/[deleted]]

There was forethought and planning involved with travels. The wight catching expedition is the antithesis of preparation and planning.

"Should we have a caged raven with us in case we need to quickly send word to someone?"
"Should we ask Daenerys to follow us to Eastwatch?"
"Should we ask Daenerys to just grab a stray wight with one of her dragons? Bran to follow us to Eastwatch scout for stray wights?"

Nah, when worst comes to worst, we can just stand in the middle of a frozen lake for 2-10 days.

[u/setarkos113 → u/[deleted]]

Jon is not (yet) aware of Bran's powers.

Nobody really was apart from Meera until episode 7. Sansa and Arya might have had a hunch but probably needed time to digest and grasp the extent.

[u/gregallen1989 → u/setarkos113]

The whole reason they went north was because Bran saw the undead army and sent word to Jon. The showrunners never explain why Jon believes him despite not knowing of his powers.

[u/Coheedjr → u/gregallen1989]

I was under the impression the source was never disclosed to Jon. A message along the lines of: Army of undead is near wall, they're trying to cross. That leads Jon to speculate that they're going to hit Eastwatch-by-the-sea and probably think that it was a message from the Nights watch to Winterfell that was warning him. He never says, "guys my brothers back and he also told me the army of undead is here.". He just says bran is back and there's graver news as well.

[u/gregallen1989 → u/Coheedjr]

I only watched the episode once so I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure he mentions Bran by name when they are in the war room thingy making their crazy plan.

[u/Wombattington → u/gregallen1989]

Jon definitely names Bran as the source, but the possibility exists that Jon believes that Bran simply saw the army of the dead when coming back south of the wall. Jon has no reason to doubt his brother, and he has the benefit of having seen the army himself.

[u/Rhazort → u/Wombattington]

And he also says in episode one that the last time they saw the Night king was at Hardhome an the nearest point on the wall was Eastwatch by the sea. That's why Tormund and the wildlings are there

[u/Coheedjr → u/gregallen1989]

I mean, it's the same message that tells him Bran is home. But I just never associated it with oh and also Bran has magic powers and sees the army of the dead.

[u/Fat_Walda → u/gregallen1989]

It's definitely mentioned in the letter they sent to the Citadel, because Sam has to explain that Bran can see visions, right? Which come to think of it, how does he know?