Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2017

It’s an Edgar Allan Poe Dameron Cosplay, Complete with a BB-8 Raven

To quoth the Raven, costumes based in puns are utterly fantastic. I may be paraphrasing. Still, I think the Raven would appreciate maker Beth Grimes’ Edgar Allan Poe Dameron costume. Grimes debuted the poet and Star Wars mash-up at CONvergence and got attention from attendees and then the internet at large with this photo by Madeleine Vasaly:

My Edgar Allen Poe Dameron cosplay #cvg2017 pic.twitter.com/aqPQocdMzM

— Beth Grimes (@victrolavixen) July 10, 2017

Grimes has been into costumes and makeup since grade school and has been cosplaying at conventions since 2009. She told Nerdist about her interest in puns and how they infiltrate her life. For example, her cat’s name is Catsian Andor. Yep. Grimes serves on the board of directors for the International Clown Hall of Fame and Research Center and said she and her friends are always thinking of visual gags to use in shows. She’s put her pun costume skills to the test before with a Garth Vader cosplay, a mash-up of Wayne’s World‘s Garth and Darth Vader, and Purple Rey, a combination of Prince’s Purple Rain and The Force Awakens’ Rey.

Purple Rey

She came up with the Edgar Allan Poe Dameron concept shortly after wearing Purple Rey, but she didn’t start construction until the day before the convention. Grimes started with found items. “I was frantically going to thrift stores and army surplus to find pieces. I found a Poe-worthy black wig, a black flight suit, some vintage military boots, and several men’s webbed belts to use for the leg harness. I found a plastic electronics case and a vacuum hose to use for the chest box and covered with with foam core and spray painted it. I attached white suspenders to it for straps,” she said.

Her creativity didn’t stop there. She found a puffy red winter vest at the surplus store and envisioned Poe’s vest. She applied multiple layers of white spray paint and added padded belt panels. For the final touch, she added a BB-8 raven to the ensemble. Grimes explained, “I cut the head off of a BB-8 cat toy we had and made the raven a little hat. I also gave it an orange bow tie. I was still hot gluing and spray painting Saturday morning. I debuted the costume that afternoon.”

Oh, and this was ALSO her first time applying greyscale makeup.

Visit the gallery below to see more of the making of Poe and to get a look at Garth Vader. Keep up with Beth’s future puns by following her on Twitter.

Do you cosplay or take photographs of cosplayers? Then I want to see your work so we can talk about highlighting your creations in a future Cosplay Friday gallery. If you’re a photographer, maybe we could focus on your images from a single convention. If you’re interested, please get in touch with me at alratcliffe@yahoo.com and send photos you’d like me to feature–the more high-res the photos, the better. Be sure to provide credits for the cosplayers or photographers for each image because giving credit is good manners–bonus points if you include links to relevant Facebook pages or websites. Though I wish I knew all the nerdy franchises, I don’t, so please let me know who or what is being cosplayed.

Featured Image: Madeleine Vasaly

GAME OF THRONES Re-Throned: “Battle of the Bastards” (S6, E9)

Winter is coming, but not soon enough. So to help pass the time until season seven of Game of Thrones, we’re doing a weekly re-watch of the series, episode-by-episode, with the knowledge of what’s to come and—therefore—more information about the unrevealed rich history of events that took place long before the story began. Be warned, though: that means this series is full of spoilers for every season, even beyond the episode itself. So if you haven’t watched all of the show yet immediately get on that and then come back and join us for Game of Thrones Re-Throned.

Because the next best thing to watching new episodes is re-watching old ones.

——

Season 6, Episode 9: “Battle of the Bastards”

Original Air Date: June 19th, 2016

Director: Miguel Sapochnik

Written by: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss

Through 59 episodes of this re-watch, this will probably be my most unpopular opinion: “Battle of the Bastards” isn’t that good of an episode.

It’s not terrible. It is visually stunning and I’m genuinely amazed a TV show could pull this off. There are some powerful moments throughout, like how Jon bravely faced imminent death, and how even on a second viewing him getting trapped under a crush of bodies and struggling to breath made me physically ill. But there are just too many stupid, un-Game of Thrones like moments for it to be special. There are too many times where people do really dumb things, or when a show that prides itself on upending fantasy tropes and being rooted in a gritty realism feels like a fairy tale full of convenient, logic-bending plot points.

(How do none of the attackers into Winterfell see that Ramsay has knocked an arrow and pointed it in Jon’s direction? And why does Ramsay shoot Wun Wun instead? Also, how did Ramsay’s starving hounds know exactly to leave their open cages only after Sansa threatened him? The show is always better than this.)

The episode pales in comparison to the emotional weight of previous big battle episodes. “Blackwater” doesn’t look as good, but the story is far superior, “The Watchers on the Wall” carries more emotional punch while still being a visual marvel, and the terrifying “Hardhome” is maybe my favorite episode of the series because of how stunning the entire sequence is in every way, from the characters, to the story, and to the attack itself.

But I’m not here to merely complain about why this falls short for me, because a lot of the issues I have with it also point towards which ruler we might want to put our faith in if we hope to see the White Walkers defeated. That’s because while Jon Snow is busy screwing up and falling into an undeserved win at the Battle of Winterfell, Daenerys Targaryen shows masterful leadership achieving victory at the Battle of Meereen.

The entire plan to defeat Ramsay’s larger army revolves around waiting for him to come to their fortified position (they dug trenches so Ramsay’s cavalry couldn’t out flank them). Davos lays it out, saying, “It’s crucial that we let them charge at us. They’ve got the numbers, we need the patience. If we let him buckle our center, he’ll pursue. Then we’ll have him surrounded on three sides.”

After Davos and Tormund leave, Jon is warned by Sansa about who and what Ramsay is. She tells him neither him nor his advisers know what they are up against the way she does. That’s why she knows Ramsay won’t fall into Jon’s trap, but instead will make Jon do what he wants him to do. “He plays with people. He’s far better at it than you. He’s been doing it all his life,” she says, before adding there is no way to save Rickon because a true born son of Ned Stark is too great a danger to Ramsay’s rule.

So what does Jon–a man who was mentored by Maester Aemon about how “love is the death of duty,” and who was just told by his sister about what to expect–immediately do? He instantly falls for Ramsay’s trap (masterfully, Ramsay knew that Rickon didn’t understand the advanced running tactic of “zigging,” another groan-inducing moment). Jon charges without thinking, doesn’t save Rickon, but then rather than retreating like a wise commander with a plan would, he moves forward. It causes his forces to charge, and they play right into Ramsay’s hands.

It’s the dumbest thing Jon Snow has ever done, as though he had never learned any lessons about leadership, or warfare, or common sense. Sansa’s arrival with Baelish and the Knights of the Vale is the only thing that bails him out. (Great job Sansa! Maybe though don’t let thousands of your allies die because you couldn’t suggest waiting 30 minutes to start?)

Meanwhile, over in Meereen, Daenerys listens to her adviser Tyrion’s advice, and ignores her own desire for vengeance. She wanted to burn every ship, kill every master, and then destroy their cities, something few would have faulted her for doing. However, she recognizes that what she personally wants won’t serve her or her people, so instead she strategically attacks one ship with her dragons, showing off her awesome force. She also leaves one master to return alive to tell everyone what happened.

Not only does she finally beat the slavers once and for all, she takes possession of all the ships she didn’t burn, and proves to the world that while she is merciful, she is not to be messed with. That’s a ruler you can both get behind and also stay out of the way of.

When faced with his love of family and his desire for vengeance, Jon ignored good counsel and completely abandoned his duty. Meanwhile, Daenerys was able to look past her anger and do what was best. That’s why while “The Battle of the Bastards” might have had the outcome we desired, the way Jon fought it doesn’t instill confidence going forward.

But the Mother of Dragons victory at the Battle of Meereen does.

Which one would you bet on going forward?

And what do you think of this episode? What about the two leaders who emerged victorious? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

Images: HBO

how many dragons would it take to melt the wall?

French Army Marching Band Performs Daft Punk Medley for Bastille Day

You don’t need to travel around the world to know that France’s Bastille Day is a time to celebrate (we’re sorry). Anyway, a highlight of the day included the French army marching band’s tribute to fellow French musicians Daft Punk with surprisingly modern medley of the robotic duo’s songs.

A recent post on Pitchfork brought this delightfully horn-heavy marching band medley to our attention and we have to admit that it kind of makes us want entire Daft Punk albums performed in this manner. The French army band’s performance consisted of the Daft Punk hits “One More Time,” “Get Lucky,” and “Harder Better Faster Stronger.” In attendance for the final medley was French president Emmanuel Macron, various dignitaries and a visiting president Donald Trump who seemed a bit surprised by the music he potentially recognized.

It’s somewhat fitting the music of Daft Punk would close out the Bastille Day celebration. The holiday commemorates a turning point of the French Revolution so what better way to celebrate than with revolutionary music. There’s no denying that the French duo are icons, so what better way to pay tribute to French history then with four-on-the-floor beats from the country’s coolest band.

What other Daft Punk songs would you want to see in marching band form? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

Image: Guardian Wires

The Latest from Disney and Pixar Animation at D23 Expo (Live Blog)

The first big panel of D23 Expo 2017 is the Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios: The Upcoming Films, hosted by John Lasseter. We’re about to get a look at the upcoming animated slate, likely including such films as The Incredibles 2, Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2, Coco, and much more. Keep your eyes on this post because we’ll be sharing the biggest news from the panel as it happens. What are you most looking forward to seeing?

2:53p.m.

Chief Creative Officer John Lasseter kicks things off. He says about the panel, “We’re going to show you things no one has seen outside the walls of our studio. We’re going to make some announcements for new stuff you haven’t heard.”

2:55p.m.

The footage is starting with a look at a project by Disney Toon Studios, with a working title Space (they joked they haven’t come up with a title yet). It will be out April 12, 2019. It’s focused on vehicles a la Planes and is all about the wonder of aviation.

3:00p.m.

Kristen Bell takes the stage to discuss Olaf’s Frozen Adventure. The 21-minute short will air with Pixar’s Coco this November. The entire original cast will be back in the short that takes place during the first winter since Anna and Elsa have reopened the castle. They want to celebrate the holidays together, but they realize they didn’t grow up with any holiday traditions. Olaf decides to help by going door to door around Arendelle and asking villagers about their traditions so he and Sven can present all kinds of traditions to Anna and Elsa. We’ll get four new songs.

3:01p.m.

They’re showing a screen from the film teasing one of the new songs, and Josh Gad joins the stage to perform it live against the footage. It’s a catchy jingle with Olaf asking about the traditions with a refrain of “thank you for sharing what you do at that time of year.”

3:10p.m.

Now, it’s time to talk Frozen 2. Lasseter said they don’t really like that title either, so he thought they’d look up what “2” is in Norwegian and it’s “To.” So, they didn’t go with that option or Thawed or Chilled to the Throne or… they’re going to keep calling it in Frozen 2 for now.

Directors Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, and producer Peter Del Vecho went on an extensive research trip to Norway and Iceland for Frozen 2. They’re sharing vlog style footage from the crew’s travels with stills from volcanoes, fall in the country, waterfalls, fjords—you know, your basic stunning scenery.

3:20p.m.

A trailer for Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 time! Vanellope and Ralph get sucked into the internet. Directors Rich Moore and Phil Johnston come to the stage and say the sequel is about going somewhere big, hence the internet. It’s a whole new universe to them.

Sarah Silverman, voice of Vanellope von Schweetz, is here to tell us about Vanellope’s arc. Her game, Sugar Rush, breaks so Vanellope and Ralph travel to the internet to find a replace part. She says it’s a vast, unexplored world—they show an animation test with a look at the internet. Ralph and Vanellope will meet a character named Yesss who is an expert.

Yesss is an algorithm of a trend-making site called Buzzaholic. She can constantly shift look of hair and clothes because she knows all the trend. Her clothes are made of fiber optics. She’ll be voiced by Taraji P. Henson.

3:25p.m.

Let’s look at an exclusive clip from Wreck-It Ralph 2: Yesss takes Ralph and Vanellope on a VIP tour of the web that ends up at OhMyDisney.com. The meta tour of the website includes nods to Star Wars, Marvel, with a Marvel Yourself booth and a Stan Lee cartoon cameo. There’s animated appearances by Buzz Lightyear and Tinker Bell and nods to popular Disney merchandise like Tsum Tsum plush toys, or as Vanellope calls them, “little furry sausages with faces.”

Then, a stormtrooper is seen escorting Disney Princesses. Vanellope really wants to mess with the Disney princesses. She goes into their dressing room and encounters Moana, Pocahontas, Merida, Cinderella, Elsa, Anna, Jasmine, Snow White, Tiana, Rapunzel, Aurora, Ariel (with legs), and Belle. They end up becoming friends with the princesses questioning Vanellope about her princess qualifications. They determine she meets the requirements with this question: “Do people assume all your problems got solved because a big, strong man showed up in your life?”

Cut to all the princesses hanging out with Vanellope, slumber party style. Vanellope points out the princesses aren’t flawed and it makes them kinda cool. The princesses start confessing to their flaws, and no one can understand Merida, saying, “She’s from the other studio.”

All the actresses who originally voiced the princesses (and are still living) reprised their roles.

C-3PO comes to give princesses a five minute call time to show. They call him R2-D2 and then BB-8. Threepio exclaims, “You’re good with princesses they said, you’ll love this job. How I long for the days of Captain Solo.”

3:45p.m.

Edna Mode is always a la mode. One of the world's most visionary designers is back in #Incredibles2.

The 6 GAME OF THRONES Theories You Need for Season 7!

The new season of Game of Thrones is almost upon us, which means that winter is here! And before the cold weather and White Walkers hit Westeros, it’s time to prepare for the show’s endgame. With only seven episodes this season and six episodes for the final season, the clock is winding down to resolve the remaining mysteries of George R.R. Martin’s fantasy epic. Today’s Nerdist News is taking a look at the six Game of Thrones theories you need to know for the seventh season. Valar Morghulis!

Join host and distant Stark relation, Jessica Chobot, as she runs down some of the potential outcomes and their larger implications. Perhaps the most pressing issue deals with the prophecies around Azor Ahai and “the prince that was promised.” The smart money is on Jon Snow, the man who returned from the dead and rose to become the new King in the North. But Jon has a tendency to get himself into some tight spots, so he’s not the only candidate for the role.

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The second theory is also among the most intriguing: who gets to kill Cersei Lannister? While it would be a great twist for the Mad Queen to retain her throne, her death has been prophesied in the novels. Cersei seems destined to die at the hands of her younger brother, and we don’t mean Tyrion! Remember, Jaime is technically a few minutes younger than his twin, plus he’s already got experience with regicide.

Last season established that Bran Stark’s visions can actually affect the past, which has led to the idea that he may actually be Bran the Builder, the legendary creator the Wall. Within that world, there’s apparently some debate as to whether Bran the Builder was only a myth or legend, but we think that there’s a good chance that the Bran of the present may fulfill the destiny of  the past.

Two of the remaining theories would change the game forever. Can you picture weaponized Greyscale and dragons under the control of someone other than Daenerys? There is also some talk of Lord Varys being a merman, but we blame Dan Casey for that!

Which theories fire up your dragon blood? Let us know in the comment section below!

This Fidget Spinner Anime Parody is Spot On and Hilarious

Although the dancing Snapchat hot dog is threatening to unseat fidget spinners as the current king of the internet, it’s still too early to say that the speedily rotating toy’s reign at the top is over yet. Kids and adults the world over are still going nuts over them, and while this parody from YouTube channel Corridor might be a bit over the top, their reinterpretation of fidget spinners as an overly intense anime still feels right on point.

The live-action clip has a pretty standard anime premise by design: An underdog needs to win a fidget spinner duel against an established and seemingly undefeatable frontrunner, so after some dramatic flashbacks to explain his journey, he surmounts his opposition and emerges on top. What really makes this video worth watching, though, is how its creators got the anime stylistic details so right, especially since the video itself isn’t animated.

You start to realize that these guys really know their anime when you see the first cheering crowd shot, which is just a still photo of a few audience members, panning slowly from left to right with some action lines thrown in. Our hero’s flashback scenes are similarly effective and spot on: In those, the lighting changes and the scene goes black and white as he begins to reminisce, before cutting to a slideshow of hazy photos with over-exposed backgrounds

The details are a real treat for regular anime viewers, so check out the video above and let us know in the comments if you’re as impressed with it as we are.

Featured image: Corridor/YouTube

Jon Stewart Gets Jealous of a Jimmy Kimmel for Being a Bar-Mitzvah Boy’s Idol

You hear a lot about superfans going all out in honor of their favorite media properties, and then there’s Will Rubin, who had his bar mitzvah on June 24th and decided to have it be Jimmy Kimmel Live! themed. He really went all out, too: There was a custom logo, a Kimmel-inspired set, and an intro video.

He invited Kimmel to attend, but as the host put it, “there’s no way in hell I was going to Media, Pennsylvania.” In lieu of his actual presence, though, he recorded a video to be played at the party, in which Kimmel congratulated Rubin for becoming “a man with no body hair” and demanded half of the money his parents gave him to settle a potential copyright infringement dispute. He also sent a Guillermo-shaped ice sculpture to round out the Kimmel experience.

Kimmel did a video chat with Rubin on the show, and during their conversation, they got interrupted by a salty Jon Stewart. He was probably happy for the kid deep down, but was more offended that Rubin didn’t choose to idolize a Jewish talk show host (such as himself).

“He’s not rabbinical,” he said. “He’s just unhealthy. Will, wouldn’t you rather idolize a talk-show host who is also circumcised? Wouldn’t you rather? He’s not! Will, I don’t know how to put this. I don’t know how the kids say it: He’s still wearing his hoodie. Do you see what I’m saying?”

Fake anger aside, Rubin got to chat with two of the most famous talk show hosts of the past couple decades, so good for that boy… or rather, that young man.

Featured image: Jimmy Kimmel Live!

The World of WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT Comes to Life in This Tremendous LEGO Set

It was one of the biggest box office hits of the 1980s–and a bona fide work of genius–yet you rarely see Who Framed Roger Rabbit merchandise of any sort these days. Perhaps Disney (who released the movie and owns the rights) is hesitant to cash in on the nostalgia because the film makes too many references to animated characters owned by other studios. Or maybe they underestimate the affection a generation of fans has for Roger and Jessica Rabbit, along with the rest of the cast. Regardless, it’s difficult to find much in the way of official Roger Rabbit merch these days.

As a way of making up for that oversight, we’ve learned (via Slashfilm) that the custom LEGO set-making group known as KC Bricklab recreated some of the scenes and settings from the film in intricately detailed and massive vignette set. Among the locations from the film featured in the collection are the cartoon borough of Toon Town, Maroon Cartoon Studios (where Roger’s cartoons are shot), the Ink n’ Paint nightclub, the ACME warehouse where the movie’s finale takes place, and the talking cartoon car Benny the cab, complete with minifigures of Roger Rabbit and Eddie Valiant. On top of all that, there’s the movie’s title logo and the prop cartoon gun with talking cowboy bullets as well.

You can check out some images down below in our gallery, but to see the entire set, be sure to go to Bricklab member Stuart Kahler’s Flickr page.

How badly do these images make you wish there were a real Roger Rabbit LEGO set? Be sure to let us know down below in the comments.

Images: Disney / Stuart Kahler

It’s National French Fry Day!

Friday is finally here which means it’s time to—wait a second, it’s Thursday? Then why is it National Fry Day?! Why didn’t they think about this?! (Missed opportunity, just saying.) Either way, it’s a day to celebrate the best thing France has ever contributed to the world. Joining Host Jessica Chobot today on Nerdist News Talks Back is Managing Editor Alicia Lutes, Supervising Creative Producer Andrew Bowser, and Nerdist Pup Vicki! In addition to french fries, the discussion included The Batman script, Scarface, The Emmys, and some behind-the-scenes drama on The Walking Dead.

Let’s begin with The Batman. According to The Vulture, director Matt Reeves has scrapped Ben Affleck‘s script and will start over from page one. This could spell trouble for the film, especially with rumors a few months ago that Affleck did not want to continue as the Dark Knight. That being said, we trust Matt Reeves to direct a great film because of his pedigree with War for the Planet of the Apes and Cloverfield.

Speaking of DCEU directors, Suicide Squad‘s David Ayer has left the Scarface reboot because his script was “too dark,” as reported by The Hollywood Reporter. If it was too dark for Scarface I do not want to know what was in the script. Could this lead to a PG-13, or at least watered down, Scarface reboot? Hopefully not.

Moving on to TV, The Emmy’s are right around the corner, which means people will be upset about their favorite shows not receiving nominations. Shanon Purser a.k.a. Barb from Stranger Things was nominated for Outstanding Guest Actress, despite receiving very little screen time. Even if it’s just for the memes, huge congratulations go out to Purser on her first nomination. You can find a list of nominations here.

But things are not all happy in TV-land. Back in 2011 and 2012, The Walking Dead was not the powerhouse it is now. It was still a popular show, but there were some bad blood between the show’s creator Frank Darabont and AMC, as reported by IO9. Well, some emails have leaked, and they’re a doozy. To quote Darabont, “YOU NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE MOTHERFUCKING SCRIPT! I EVEN CHOSE MY GODDAMN COMMAS FOR A REASON!” And there’s a whole lot more, which you can listen to Jessica Chobot dramatically read in the above video.

And now for the reason we’re all here. FRENCH FRIES. Every day should be National French Fry Day, but there’s debate about what the best fry is. Sorry everyone, curly fries are the best, don’t care what you say.

You can watch and interact live with Nerdist News Talks Back every weekday at 1:00pm PST on YouTube and Alpha, and catch up with the archives just after the show!

Image: McDonald’s, Arby’s, Universal, AMC, Netflix

GAME OF THRONES Re-Throned: “No One” (S6, E8)

Winter is coming, but not soon enough. So to help pass the time until season seven of Game of Thrones, we’re doing a weekly re-watch of the series, episode-by-episode, with the knowledge of what’s to come and—therefore—more information about the unrevealed rich history of events that took place long before the story began. Be warned, though: that means this series is full of spoilers for every season, even beyond the episode itself. So if you haven’t watched all of the show yet immediately get on that and then come back and join us for Game of Thrones Re-Throned.

Because the next best thing to watching new episodes is re-watching old ones.

——

Season 6, Episode 8: “No One”

Original Air Date: June 12th, 2016

Director: Mark Mylod

Written by: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss

“Look around. The city has come back to life.”

“You made a pact with fanatics.”

“I did. And it worked.”

About that…

As Tyrion finds out in this episode—when the masters of Astapor, Yunkai, and Volantis attack Meereen and break the peace he had brokered with them—it’s best not to put your faith in fanatics. But while the return of Daenerys and Drogon will soon turn Slaver’s Bay into the Bay of Dragons, they weren’t the only fanatics Tyrion made a deal with in her absence, and that group is much more dangerous.

The start of this scene, which sees Tyrion and Varys walking around a reinvigorated Meereen, starts with them passing by a red priestess who is preaching to the masses about how Daenerys is their savior.

(In Valyrian) “From the fire she was reborn to remake the world. Daenerys is a gift from the Lord of Light to her children. If we are steadfast in our love for the Queen and her faithful advisors, no man will ever lock us in chains again.”

This is what the priestess Kinvara promised them would happen a few episodes ago, during a very creepy meeting where she knew far more than she had any right knowing. On its own this sermon doesn’t sound all that bad or ominous, but it’s right after this when Varys warns Tyrion about the danger fanatics pose, even to their allies.

“If you shaved your beard with a straight razor, you’d say the razor worked. That doesn’t mean it won’t cut your throat.” He is proven right almost immediately when Meereen is besieged by devotees of slavery.

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The entire exchange continues a running theme of the show, one we have noted on multiple occasions during this year-long re-watch: the Lord of Light’s followers are a danger to the living, maybe just as much as the White Walkers. Like all fanatics they are uncompromising in their convictions and what they will do because of them. They burn innocent people alive in service to their Lord, including little girls, and have said Daenerys will bathe the unbelievers in dragon flame.

At least with the White Walkers you get to do some sightseeing.

These are the people Tyrion turned to for help, people he doesn’t really understand. That razor might have given him a clean shave today, but what happens if Daenerys, who doesn’t seem to follow any religion, disappoints them? Or what if upon taking the Iron Throne she swears to the Seven (like Aegon the Conqueror did) and not the Lord of Light? How about if they decide someone else is actually the chosen one? It took Melisandre no time to say, “Oh, no, it wasn’t Stannis who was the Prince That Was Promised, it was Jon Snow. My bad.” How quickly will that razor become a weapon then?

He wouldn’t even be the first Lannister to have made this mistake.

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This guy. We’re not usually pro “blow up hundreds of people with wildfire,” but this guy had it coming.

Cersei didn’t understand the High Sparrow or the Faith Militant and the consequences of that mistake were unimaginable. He manipulated the king into being his puppet, bested the great houses of Westeros at every turn, and built an army of fanatics while doing it. To defeat him Cersei turned to a plan that led Jaime to kill the Mad King, and that decision not only led to her son’s death but it could lead to her’s as well.

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And all the High Sparrow had were some young men with axes and chains. The Lord of Light has priests and priestesses who can raise the dead, live for hundreds of years, birth killer shadow babies, and use dark magic to know things they shouldn’t. Plus they have a fondness for burning people alive.

Melisandre might have been banished by Jon Snow, but her role in this story is far from over. And season six made it clear her fellow fanatics are only growing in importance too.

It might be best if Tyrion doesn’t shave his beard anytime soon.

What do you think? Do the Lord of Light’s followers scare you, or are they the best soldiers the living have in the Great War? Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Images: HBO