Hello again to all ye great and unwavering readers of the Ice and Rock, and thank you for once again joining us at the pixelated version of the mighty Wall.
A man’s name is Oz, and off-season Looking Forward continues on as a man attempts to curb your rabid fanatical appetite while we await even less revealing teasers for the upcoming 6th Season.
Let’s do this proper:
Asshekh kisha jeriki ma som silikes Mirini, ma khaleesies ma tawaka ma n’avvirsaya ishish ma vo khalasaroon, ma vishaferakes akkimiya zhavvorsi, ma, ki Dothraki, Khaleesi Vosi.
Translation to follow, along with a special “thank you” to a certain well-known Game of Thrones linguist.
Unhitch the dragon saddles kiddos… Dany isn’t going anywhere.
First off, thank you David J. Peterson for surprisingly agreeing to translate my opening banter to Dothraki. You are truly a professional and I am very grateful that you would take the time to humor an unworthy human such as myself.
Take a few minutes and make sure to check out David’s new book and his website here. He also runs a Tumblr, and be sure to follow him in the twittersphere as well.
Thank you again, David!
Now, time for the translation:
Today we tackle the absent caretaker of Meereen, the disputable unburnable, the Khaleesi with no Khalasar, the attempted tamer of dragons, and according to the Dothraki… the Queen of Nothing.
Disclaimer for all of you “Wallabies” (term voted on by your fellow readers referring to anyone new to the this lovely site): You have entered the realm of the Unsullied; where show fact and written fiction are separated by a man with only a television and a pricey, yet worthy, subscription to Home Box Office. My oath states that no books may be read until the conclusion of the show, and a man is nothing if he is not an oathkeeper.
As Unsullied, we must dine on what is served by buffet curators David and Dan only.
Disclaimer #2: Sue of the House Fury and the powers that be do NOT allow a man to read any spoilery content produced, written and reported on WotW. This includes filming news and casting leaks. Such a measure sucks a hierarchal big one, yet remains justified.
In essence, a man could be likened to Arya… in the dark and screaming blind, but older, considerably less attractive, and male.
In this chapter of the non-peer reviewed Looking Forward series, we’re talking Dany T. and the Disciples. We could easily delve into the unknown and attempt to speculate on exactly what will transpire with her captors, but as most of you are aware (and as I have been spoilerishly informed), the Dothraki will likely play a major role in the upcoming 10 episodes. The teaser backs this up…
“Queen of nothing.” #GoTSeason6 premieres 4.24.16 #GameofThroneshttps://t.co/TeSFwowwTy
— Game Of Thrones (@GameOfThrones) January 22, 2016
As does this pic…
This of course means that in all likelihood, our bleach blonde bomber is hanging in Essos for at least one more season while trying to escape the clutches of the neighborhood Khals (‘cause they don’t give two shits about who your ex-husband was).
But it begs the question… will this continuing Essos story arc translate into compelling television?
Last year, a man pissed off a few (or more) people when I suggested that by the end, many of the Unsullied, non-book readers may end up hating Dany. And I stand by that potential conclusion. The truth is, none of us know what kind of demeanor she will possess and what other favorable characters she may tick off when she presumably reaches the other side.
Will it be your favorite?
Disclaimer #3: I’m not a Dany hater.
I’m just throwing this out there: the assumption of her Westerosi arrival itself is where the question of compelling TV enters the equation in the meantime.
The show (and I assume the books) have always painted the picture that Dany will indeed cross the narrow sea at some point and at least attempt to reclaim what is supposedly hers.
But if the vast majority of viewers assume that Dany will eventually cross and stake her claim, how do you initiate meaningful depictions in the meantime? When an outcome is assumed, by human nature alone, the interim can appear inconsequential. And Dany’s story seems to sometimes suffer from it. Well, that and the resulting predictability factor.
Seriously… a virtual show of hands… who honestly believes that Dany T. won’t ever make it across the great salt sea?
Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.Predictability Factor
Sample 1
Throughout the arc of the Dany T., the story at times has been painfully foreseeable as far back as the overtaking of the first slave city (and arguably predating it).
The taking of Astapor, Yunkai, and Meereen never gave the impression that the feat would not be attained. Honestly, there was never reason for concern (at least in my distorted mind).
Yes, there would be resistance. And that resistance resulted in some memorable confrontations…
But was there ever really any doubt that Dany would ultimately succeed?
Sample 2
The Great Dragon Escape (S5E9)
It should have been one of the more memorable scenes in the entire series when the liberated dragon returned to help momma, combined with the inaugural mount and ride.
The issue again was the predictability of the situation, only this time it was even more calculable thanks to this pre-episode pic along with the glimpse of the scene in the S5 trailer…
The options here were pretty clear: either the Unsullied were going to magically appear at the exit ramps, or Jorah would shoot grayscale from his eyeballs encompassing the Harpy in stone, or Varys would fly in on one of his little birds, or Daario would relieve himself creating a mud slick in the middle of the arena, or Drogon would come swooping in to save the day. Luckily, and predictably, the latter served as the conclusion.
To add to the possibility of that foregone conclusion, we were looking for the inevitable big ending of the traditional climactic episode… the continuation of the “Epic 9’s.”
But once again, it suffered. Regardless of the situation, I never held any fear that Dany was in clear and present danger, even in the circle of doom that surrounded her. My mind kept telling me… “Oh, she’ll get out. She has to get out. She’s going to Westeros.”
It’s also a fair point to include the fact that this event happened on the heels of “Hardhome”, which most certainly took away from the “wow” factor.
This is where I think Dany’s story has trouble overcoming the knowledge of her eventual final destination. Her arrival in Westeros is only a matter of time to the vast majority of viewers. In Vegas, it would be considered a lock. In numbers, it would be considered a mathematical certainty.
So if we all stand on that assumption, the most compelling uncertainty becomes who will survive the current quandary (because you know, somebody gonna die).
Which brings us to another installment of…
Unsullied Death Odds: The Season 6 Dany Disciple Version
All conflict comes with a price. And at least one of the following will not live to see Season 7. Feel free to disagree… you always do.
Sometimes I prefer Vegas style odds (2:1, 5:2, etc.), but today I’m in a weathercentric mood. So let’s go with percentages (likelihood of death percentages, that is).
Tyrion
Death Percentage: 20%
Unsullied Logic: The Westerosi Gringo is just getting settled in to his new dibs (and fresh 
career path) in Meereen while the cowboys go out to save the homecoming queen from the rival school bandits (Dany could only escape on her own with the help of a dragon or if she was actually Rapunzel, and she ain’t in this show). While the death of Tyrion would add immense shock value to S6, this year should not be his demise. Tyrion seems destined to one day arrive back in Westeros, much to the surprise of the commoners (and whatever is left of his family).
Jorah
Death Percentage: 40%
Unsullied Logic: Ol’ Blue Eyes seems to have finally worked himself out of Momma Dragon’s dog house. Yet, Jorah still finds himself between a rock and a hard place with the greyscale setting in and the fact that he has kept it a secret from his fellow dragoneers. The death odds could be more on Mormont given his ailment, but the truth is that no one (that I know of) knows exactly how fast the pebble pox spreads. Plus, we know that there is a cure. Jorah has been through a hell of a lot to climb his way, brick by brick, back into the good graces of her Grace. I think he survives season 6, even if he is half-statue.
Grey Worm
Death Percentage: 80%
Unsullied Logic: Somebody gonna die, and time may be running out for the wormless Worm. If S6 picks up right where S5 left off, it means that Grey still isn’t back to full strength. And as far as I know, the Harpy still loom. Add that to the ongoing romance of Worm and Missandei, and the future doesn’t look bright for Grey. What… you thought there would be a happy ending to this baffling budding courtship? No. This relationship was born in order to tug at the heart strings when one of them dies. My money is on Worm.
Missandei
Death Percentage: 30%
Unsullied Logic: See “Grey Worm”.
Daario
Death Percentage: 60%
Unsullied Logic: The dashing Daario v.2 has shown his ass and pissed his way into the hearts of many, including Dany T. Thus far, there has really been no reason to suggest Daario won’t continue on in his role as lover/fighter of the jedi. But Dany hasn’t had much luck in the area of finding and keeping a love interest/partner (see Drogo and Hizdahr). The death of another person this close to Dany could put her over the edge and potentially encourage her to move forward in her quest for the throne, regardless of the state of the Slave Cities.
Varys
Death Percentage: 10%
Unsullied Logic: Not likely. Varys just arrived in town, immediately following and conveniently avoiding the conflict at Harpy Stadium. The Bird Whisperer has a way of staying out of harms way and will likely continue the trend. A wise man indeed. And I still expect there to be a at least one more face to face meeting between he and Littlefinger, which means Varys will eventually get his ticket on the all-inclusive Essos Cruise Line to Westeros.
One of the Dragons
Death Percentage: 50% (on one of the three)
Unsullied Logic: Don’t ask me how it happens, as this is merely a hunch. Maybe Drogon gets the business from the thousands of Dothraki that hold Dany. Or even more likely, maybe Tyrion unleashes the other two because of trouble in Meereen and Dany returns to find one of them deceased. A dragon death seems probable this season if for no other reason than the show-runners needing to exhibit that dragons are certainly not an indestructible force. We’ve already seen Drogon suffer injury. And if it can bleed, it can die.
Conclusion: There is opportunity here to create a compelling story arc even with the knowledge of Dany’s crossing virtually in lock. The question is, will it be? Many “casual” viewers that talk to me about the show ask, “is Dany ever going to get to Westeros?” The fact is that we don’t know for certain. But the foregone conclusion remains, and a lot of folks seem to have “meandering Dany” fatigue. We could use a Warlock return.
My guess is that the last scene in Season 6 will be our blonde bomber on the beach, boarding the cruise ship, and setting sail into the sunset (devoid a sidekick or two).
This is also the primary reason I believe we got an 8th season. One season in Westeros wasn’t going to be enough for Dany.
Or us.
That’s it for the Oz today, Ladies and Sers. A man appreciates your capacity for a bumbling Unsullied and hopes you enjoyed this edition of Looking Forward to Game of Thrones, Season 6.
Dany T. and the Disciples and Dany and the Dragoneers are trademarked but are available for purchase should you resolve to start a band. Send me a raven.
Comment away, and may there always be peace in your realm.
-Oz
“Unbowed. Unbent. Unsullied.”
**SPOILER NOTE: The Management of this fine site would like to remind you that spoilers (book or leaks) are not allowed in Unsullied posts. This includes spoilers covered by code or otherwise. No spoilers at all! Personally, I appreciate feedback from Sullied and Unsullied alike, so long as they do not include any type of hinting or conversation related to the written verse or filming leaks. However, spoiler coded comments do tend to lead to further Sullied conversation and for that reason, we ask that you please refrain from posting any SPOILERY content whatsoever in Unsullied posts. Thank you for the co-op. -Oz
The post Looking Forward, Game of Thrones Season 6 Part 2: The Queen of Nothing appeared first on Watchers on the Wall.
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