Game of Thrones

So I'm watching Game of Thrones on HBO.

And it's a decent show.  I read the books, so I know what's going on, and I know the writer's working on the show as well, so it's pretty close to the books.  I am watching the second to last episode of this season, and I find that The Onion Knight seems to be the most honorable person in the entire series.

Let's review the story so far.  Fair King Robert Baratheon is dead, causing a power struggle amongst the various lords of the 7 kingdoms.  There's a king in the north, Rob Stark, son of the slain Hand of the King, who was Robert's good friend, Ned Stark.  Ned WAS the most honorable man in the kingdom, but honor didn't help him much.  He was honor bound to report Robert's queen's betrayal of Robert, but before he could report it, Robert was killed and Ned met his end at the headsman's blade.  This caused a power struggle amongst the remaining 7 kingdoms.

Rob Stark wants vengeance for his father's death, but his claim to be King of the North is not honorable.  He knows Stannis Baratheon, Robert's brother, has the most valid claim on the throne, but nobody likes Stannis, so Rob's gathered an army and is trying to free the North and take the throne in vengeance.  He's good-hearted, but not entirely honorable.

Stannis Baratheon, while he has the most valid claim on the throne, has allied himself with an evil force known as the Red Witch.  He had no compunctions about using that power to cut down his younger brother, who challenged his claim to the throne with a superior force of knights.  So while his claim may be honorable, the man himself is not.

Now the Onion Knight, formerly a smuggler, is now Stannis's right-hand man.  The Onion Knight supports Stannis because Stannis has the most valid claim to the throne, so that's honorable.  He's formerly a smuggler, but he forsook his smuggler's ways to help Stannis in time of need, and Stannis pardoned him.  So despite being a former smuggler, he's still served Stannis honorably since the time of his pardon.  Also, though he serves a dishonorable man, the Onion Knight (so called because he brought onions to a starving populace and staved off their deaths) has not joined in worship of the Red god, and suspects (rightly) the red witch of the darkest deeds.  So despite supporting a man who he knows is not honorable, the Onion Knight is doing his best to honor both his liege's rightful claim to the throne, and his friendship with Stannis.

But, I think the Onion Knight just died in the siege against the capital city.  So who does that leave?

No idea.  I like Tyrion best, though.  He's not honorable, but he's good-hearted and is doing his best to survive both his birth amongst the greedy and evil-hearted Lannisters, and the fact that not only his own clan dislikes him, but just about every other king or clan in the 7 kingdoms hates him.  He's also a dwarf, but a smart one, and trying to survive a war for the crown.  I hope he makes it!

In other news, the family picnic was fun, although the pine trees in the area were dropping so much pollen that my entire car was coated in yellow.  I can't imagine how much landed on my food or ended up in my lungs, but I had to clean my glasses several times just to get the tinge of yellow off of everything.  My brother, of course, did not show up, but told his wife the picnic was cancelled, which of course, wasn't true.  But then, I hardly expected him to suddenly be honest with her and say "Sorry hon, we WERE going to the picnic, but I fucked up, disowned my brother for no reason and told my whole family to go fuck themselves in a violent display of temper because I have no self control and can't stand being caught in a lie."

Ah well.  Supposedly the whole world is going to end in 6 months anyway, or was that today?  I don't really recall how that whole end of the world theory works, but I think it's a truckload of rubbish.  There's no reason whatsoever to think the world isn't going to keep on being just as fucked up as it is now, for a good long time yet.  So don't go maxing out your credit cards just yet!

Now, I have to go take some tylenol just to ease the pain enough to sleep tonight.  Too much work on a neck injury does it little good, not to mention the sudden leg injury i got yesterday.  Getting old sucks!  I don't recommend it.  One star out of ten, just for the wisdom you get as you grow older, assuming you don't lose your brains to alzheimers.  I would not get old again if I could help it.

And no, it's nothing serious.  A few days of rest and I'll be good as new.  Happy Memorial Day!