Looking Forward, Game of Thrones Season 4, Part 10: All Posts Must Die

“Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”

Let it be known throughout the realm of WiC that a man set out on a journey to create an unsullied yet viable look forward into the future of one of the greatest shows of our time, and has completed said journey.

Do not shed for me, dear friends of WiC Nation, for this is not the end but the mark of a new beginning; the dawn of a new day; and the conclusion of a wait.

At the same time, don’t rejoice that it’s over.  I mean, you can be thankful it is, but don’t be an ass about it.  It takes time to write this shit.

So here we are… a couple of short weeks away from the season premier.  And unless you are one of the lucky 7,000 or so that was treated to an early entrée, you are likely getting antsy and your stomach is growling. Hold steady, for it is almost time to break out the fine china.

For the unlucky ones like myself, we shall remain stuck in the holding pattern and avoiding Episode 401 spoilers like the plague.  I shall uphold my stated oath even as it pertains to early viewings of episodes and will wait to experience the premier with the masses.  It is known.

And the final chapter of the off-season journey shall be written here.  It shall contain Unsullied, unspoiled truths about the hopes and dreams of Season 4. Many of the primary story lines have thus been covered on earlier posts throughout the drought (see list below).  This chapter will cover a portion of what remains, may unintentionally review what has already been said, and will most likely make the Sullied spew their coffee.

Disclaimer (because I love them):  This post will be filled with randomness and will almost certainly lack in structure as well as general rules typically introduced in English Comp 101.

This is, for lack of a better term, the miscellaneous portion of the off-season version of Looking Forward.  And even better, it was requested by the readers which is the reason I do what I do in the first place.  So without further hesitation, here goes…

Characters Who Have Not Been Introduced Onscreen

Please remember that myself and the associated army are Unsullied, meaning that we have not read the books.  I am aware there are many characters in the books that have not and likely will not be introduced onscreen.  But these are a few names I have heard that I am looking forward to meeting, hopefully in Season 4.

The Red Viper:  If you’ve seen the trailers, you know this guy is in for sure.  And with a name like Red Viper, I totally expect him to be a badass.  Anything less could be a huge letdown.

Mace Tyrell: The “Lord Oaf of Highgarden” was spoken of in Season 3 on multiple occasions by Margeary and Olenna.  The trailers preview the wedding between Joff and Marg, and you have to believe that daddy will be there (edit: just watched the featurette on the royal wedding, and the “Oaf” is defnitely in attendance).

Randyll Tarly:  I remember this name being repeated on a few occasions during Season 1 and actually thought he would have already shown up.  Will this be the season?  I know the rule regarding assumptions when it comes to GoT, but I have to guess that this guy is Sam’s father (considering the conversation between he and Gilly regarding the baby name) and will eventually come into the story.

The Umbers:  We know Rickon, Osha, and Shaggy Dog were en route to see the “great warriors” when S3 ended.  The viewers briefly met Jon Umber in S1, although I’m not sure how many viewers will remember him (I only realized who he was on a recent rewatch).  I don’t know if we will meet any more of the Umbers, but I at least want to know that Stark, Wildling, and Wolf arrive safely and are in good hands.

The Iron Bank:  Tyrion mentions this bank of Braavos in a conversation about loans with Bronn (unless I’m mistaken; please feel free to correct if this not factually sound).  Or maybe it was with Baelish.  Regardless, the realm apparently owes them a lot of coin and I am curious to see if their version of a loan officer shows up and tries to repo the throne.

Unseen Locations

There are few locations that have been mentioned that I would like to actually see onscreen sooner than later.  Remember, I know very little about these locales as I have not read the written verse.  Be patient with the Unsullied… we’re watching TV.

Here are a few off the top of my head:

Braavos: Mentioned on numerous occasions with quite a  few characters that hail from there, Braavos remains a mysterious place for viewers.  The Iron Bank is there (or at least a branch).  Maybe Jaqen too.

Casterly Rock:  The seat of the Lannisters.

Highgarden:  Sounds like a beautiful place, and who doesn’t like flowers (other than sufferers of allergies)?

Dorne:  The importance of it has been documented here.  Although I did not read it for fear of spoilers, I do know where it is per my handy Westeros map and hope to see it soon.

The Last Hearth: The seat of House Umber mentioned by Bran before Osha and Rickon left the tower.

Characters That Disappeared and Must Return

The Blackfish: Last seen heading out to piss on a tree (with impeccably good timing).  Let’s hope he comes back.

Edmure:  In a Frey dungeon presumably without his lovely new wife.

Jaqen:  Last seen trading faces with one rough looking dude.  It is time for a man to reappear.

Syrio:  If he happens to still be alive, dancing masters are always welcome.

A Giant:  The viewers (and Jon Snow) were introduced to a giant in Ep. 301 and never saw another one.  I’m ready.  I want to see what happens when one of them pounds a man into the ground.

The Missing Baratheons/Lannisters: Myrcella, Tommen.  Considering Joff is about to take the plunge, I am hoping for the reemergence of the kids.  We will need a flower girl and cloak bearer (and an indigo T-shirt).

Kevan: The missing brother of Tywin has long since been removed from the show.  But royal weddings have a tendency to bring in the long-lost relatives if for nothing more than the party and hors d’oeuvres.

Lancel: Because you can’t make a Lancel sandwich without him.

The Warlocks: When Pyat Pree was barbecued at the end of S2 and the little girl with the blue popsicle fetish appeared in the first Episode of S3, I thought that the warlocks would be on normal rotation throughout the series.  It seemed there was an attraction between their kind and Dany and that D&D were attempting to establish a pattern.  But the lack of them for the final nine episodes has me wondering.  Will we see a return in S4?

Locke:  The good readers of WiC who put up with my endless obsession with this show know that I am a huge Noah Taylor fan.  Yes, he cut off the son of the Hand’s hand, but so what?  The guy can play Charlie’s dad and is still capable of pulling off a character like Locke.  There is a concern that further punishment for the slap-chop on Jaime is coming.  I just hope it does not mean the end of the bear-keeper.  TECH SUPPPORTTT.

Benjen:  Ned’s brother rode off beyond the wall in S1 and has not been seen since.  You’ve got to think that with the last name Stark and his role in Season 1 that we will see him again.  The question is, will he be alive or part of the white-walking dead?

Mance:  The wildling leader was last seen walking away and promising the biggest fire the North has ever seen.  I have been concerned that maybe Ciaran Hands was not reprising his role since he has been noticeably absent from the trailers.  But then, Lightbringer saw him in this and my worries were put to bed.

Beric, Thoros, and Anguy:  These three members, as well as the rest of the BwB, were last seen scurrying off to catch some Lannister bannermen about the same time Arya got caught by the Hound.  I have no idea how they will fit into the current storyline, but I surely hope they are present at some point.

Gendry:  Thanks to Davos, Gendry was able to escape and ended up back in King’s Landing.  I have no clue where his story is going.     

Salladhor Saan:  Potentially the coolest pirate ever, Salladhor was last seen saving Davos and against his better judgment, taking him to reunite with Stannis and Red Velvet.  And then, he was gone.  Maybe Stannis has Davos send a raven to his old friend for help heading North.  Then again, maybe Salladhor shows up in KL trying to fulfill his fantasy with the Queen.  Every show near a sea needs a pirate.

And last but not least…

Robin Arryn:  Initially covered in Part 1 with Lysa, the chance of seeing breast boy as well as The Vale again are reason enough for me to watch the show.  Robin was last seen in S1 wanting to see Tyrion fly.  The safe assumption is that Robin has grown up a bit since then.  But considering he is in line to take over The Vale, how will the arranged marriage of Lysa and Littlefinger sit with him?  And will he have been weaned off of the boob for formula or maybe even milk in a sippy cup?

Only time will tell…

Beautiful ladies and fine gents of WiC, this concludes our off-season journey of the Unsullied look at Season 4.  I sincerely hope you have enjoyed the ride as much as I have enjoyed bringing it to you.  My quest was to help us pass the time as we all patiently waited for the premiere and I hope that in some small way, this series has helped.  But all things must come to an end.  All posts must die.  Valar Postaeris.

A man shall return soon with our in-season Looking Forward posts beginning most likely next Friday for Looking Forward Episode 31 (or 401 depending on how we number this year) and of course for the Newbie Recaps.

Cheers to all of you and once again I thank you for the great hospitality of the readers of this great site.

REMEMBER, this is an Unsullied post… NO SPOILERS PLEASE!  If your comment pertains to the books or answers some of my fan-obsessed questions listed above, then please refrain from posting them here (this includes any and all hints).   But feel free to say hello!  I always like to hear from you guys.  Thank you in advance!

Until next week (premiere week!), may you all be healthy while building up a tolerance to ale for the duration of the Season, if that is even possible.

Be nice to each other, and may there always be peace in your realm.  -Oz

“Unbent. Unbowed. Unsullied.”

The Series

Looking Forward Season 4, Part 1: Lysafinger

Looking Forward Season 4, Part 2: Stannis

Looking Forward Season 4, Part 3: The North Remembers

Looking Forward Season 4, Part 4: Bolton

Looking Forward Season 4, Part 5: Daenerys

Looking Forward Season 4, Part 6: The Stark and The Hound

Looking Forward Season 4, Part 7: Lord Varys

Looking Forward Season 4, Part 8: The Wall

Looking Forward Season 4, Part 9: The Lannisters and the Future of Joffrey

• Published on 03/25/2014 at 6:04 PM CDT
• Last updated on 10/21/2016 at 12:43 PM CDT