[quote]OBoile wrote:
[quote]FightinIrish26 wrote:
[quote]IFlashBack wrote:
I never actually thought about it from the counterpart perspective, interesting thought.
After a second read, I feel the Starks were never the good people. They simply followed the Westerosi Northern “protocol” to the letter, called it honor and felt good about it.
You dessert the nights watch? Beheaded, no questions asked.
Fatass best friend tells you to leave your home and take up a job you hate? Damn, gotta go.
Find about Jaime and Cersei? Tell her exactly what your plan is.
The Starks are no different, they simply have “honor” on their side, so its all good. Deviate from this tradition, like Jaime did, and get called a Kingslayer.
Take even Robert’s Rebellion for example. Why did Robert of all people become King? He had the most Targaryen Blood in him. Why overthrow a King only to replace him with the closest match?
My underlying point is that the Lannisters fail to follow a code that Skarks abide by religiously. After some examination, I find that does not make one or the other any better.
[/quote]
This one I disagree on.
As Omar said, “A man got to have a code.” The Starks have that, and it does not involve incest, or straight up murder, or conspiring against and killing one’s own family members. The Starks are indeed the good guys, but they’re in such a fucked up world that a group so pure cannot actually live.
The Stark “code” is really one of honesty to a fault, justice to the extreme, and never shirking one’s duties. Honestly, the Starks in America in 2013 are probably that one douchebag “supercop” that pulls you over, follows the letter of the law exactly, and gives you six tickets on your birthday for every single thing you did wrong.
The Lannisters are the opposite of that - the absence of ALL morals. There’s nothing off limits to them - not treason, not regicide, not patricide, not incest not murdering children - pretty much the embodiment of Hobbes philosophy of “bellum omnium contra omnes” to a T.
So maybe you don’t really like the Starks all that much, but make no mistake that they are the fair, just, and “light” side of this equation. The Lannisters, who are dark but for flashes of light here and there, are absolutely the insidious, cunning, “dark” side.[/quote]
You’re wrong about the Lannisters IMO. They all have a certain level of morals. Tyrion is basically a nice guy while Jamie becomes much more moral over the course of the story. Even Cersei loves her children.[/quote]
I’m becoming more and more impressed with Martin’s ability to make me care about characters I had previously hated. Sam Tarly is another good example. I’ve always been cool with Tyrion, but am becoming a fan of Jaime and even lord Tyrion.
I used to hate Joffrey, but the kid who plays him is doing an awesome job, and I appreciate his performance.
