Well. Where to begin?
I guess you could say the last few episodes of Game of Thrones have been eventful, to put it mildly. And since I have started my new job (not to mention my part-time academy class), I have not done a lot of writing here on our blog. So it’s time to do some catching up.
For some time, as I have previously mentioned, I have been a fan of Stannis Baratheon, despite his brusque personality and his brutal religion. I have not been a fan of Melisandre at all. In fact, one of the reasons I liked Stannis is that he was capable of disregarding her, like when he did not bring her to the Battle of the Blackwater or when he refused to countenance the sacrifice of his daughter Shireen to the Red God, the “Lord of Light”.
So you can imagine my disappointment… nay, horror and disgust, at what Stannis allowed to be done to Shireen. Now this is one of the reasons I really don’t like Melisandre, and I cannot help but contrast the difference between the way Thoros of Myr chooses to practice his faith and the way Melisandre does. Remember, they worship the same god. Melisandre uses her faith as a justification for burning people alive, and in turn she is driven by her visions in the flames, even though she doesn’t even interpret the visions correctly. And yet her faith, and her confidence in her own righteousness, never wavers in the slightest. Thoros, on the other hand, is filled with doubt, and yet he still finds the power to not only light swords up with fire (something he had previously faked with wildfire), but also sees visions in the flames. And most spectacularly, he unwittingly gains the ability to bring Lord Beric Dondarrion back from the dead multiple times. Phenomenal stuff, really. And through it all Thoros rediscovers his faith, and stays humble. Melisandre… well, we’ll see what happens to her faith and her pride if my theories on Azor Ahai turn out to be correct.
Anyway, the sad irony is that duty-driven Stannis is being pushed into doing something he clearly did not want to do by his own misunderstanding (based on Melisandre’s misunderstanding) of his destiny. And Queen Selyse, much more of a religious fanatic than Stannis, at least in the books, turns out to be the one who cracks and tries to save her daughter. Stannis just stands there and watches her burn.
Much more to come later when time permits.
-Geoff
The Books are Taking Over... 
That was very rough. As a member of Team Stannis (I’m now Team Davos…) I was bummed. I don’t think it was inconsistent for Stannis to do what he did, based on the hole he’d sunk into, spiritually and otherwise, but I had hoped that he wouldn’t become such a tragic figure.
Now he has to make it count and crush the Boltons. Then I’ll be happy if he serves out his time on the Wall or something.
He might still make a fine king. But he’ll be a haunted, unhappy king.
I think you are right, now that I think about it. Stannis will almost certainly end as a tragic figure. I can’t imagine what his own reaction will be like if and when he realizes Melisandre was wrong about him being Azor Ahai. But it won’t be pretty.
Looks like the battle against the Boltons will be in episode 10. I can hardly wait.
-Geoff