Telltale Games' Game of Thrones: Episode 5

I'm just gonna dive into the meat of the post and not bother with thinking of a fancy introduction.

I finished watching Episode 5 of this series earlier today, and now I've been reading the TTGoT forums... I only have one thing to say about Episode 5:

FUCKING HELL.

[SPOILER WARNING: Please don't continue reading if you plan to play this game. I warned ya.]

A majority of this post is really about that last heart-wrenching decision at the end of the episode. The thing about it is that it is a really big gray area, especially if you feel emotionally attached to both Rodrik and Asher. I started crying hot tears when I realized where the plot was going. This is no black or white decision, because either Rodrik or Asher being the survivor will give you benefits. However, either of them only survives. Fucking hell.

Disclaimer again, I don't play this game myself, but I honestly would have not been able to progress for a good half hour. I think from my previous post about the Game of Thrones, I think I've put it out there not-so-subtly that I really love Asher. So at the moment I was faced with this decision in the Let's Play that I was watching, my choice was to leave Rodrik behind and have Asher survive. Naturally, right?

But the more I thought about the pros and cons of either Rodrik or Asher surviving, the more I started scratching my head...

Decision 1: Leaving Rodrik behind, and Asher survives.

The pros of this scenario are that:

• Asher has control of his army of pit fighters, since the pit fighters did agree to fight for him, not Rodrik. The rest of his army also would have no problem with the switch of leaders, since Asher is also a Forrester.
• Asher can finally redeem himself to House Forrester, be the savior of the House and prove his late father proud after being exiled.
• Asher's assertive, non-hesitant attitude towards fighting and war can prove very advantageous, and he also hasn't been directly in touch with the situation at home, so he'd be a little more callous while fighting. 
• IN ADDITION, Asher's past little love affair between Gwyn Whitehill and him can be put into play. It gives the Forrester situation a slither of hope; imagine the Whitehills and the Forresters uniting! Take that, Ramsay Snow. 
• Rodrik is making the ultimate sacrifice to his House that he had stood so bravely for. It's quite heroic.

The cons of this scenario are that:

• Asher, though skilled at fighting and is assertive, has little idea and feel of what has been happening at home with the Whitehills. He may be lost in all that's happened, and no one wants a lost leader.
• Rodrik, who may or may not (it's determinant) have just "did-the-do" and "frickle frackled" with Elaena Glenmore and proposed marriage, will not be able to ally with the Glenmore house and get his army back (which had been lost along with poor Arthur. RIP Arthur). 
• Elaena Glenmore has to deal with Rodrik's death right after her beloved brother's. I'd worry for her reaction... and her mental state.
• Lady Forrester (and all Forresters, anyway) has to deal with losing Rodrik for a second time.
• Depending on your choices, Talia's last feelings towards Rodrik before he dies may be anger/disappointment, if you decide not to allow Rodrik to kill the traitor. That's not very good for Talia, emotionally.
• MOST NOTABLY, that little fourth-born fricker Gryff has the satisfaction of killing Rodrik. Even saying it gives me a sick feeling to the stomach.

This was my first decision, which satisfies my Asher-loving heart, but along with the other cons, I absolutely hated the fact that Gryff has the satisfaction of killing Rodrik. That bastard Gryff doesn't deserve to do that.

Decision 2: Leaving Asher behind, and Rodrik survives.

I'd have to admit that this decision is more practical in my rational mind.

The pros of this scenario are that:

• Asher, albeit he does not go to war, can redeem himself to House Forrester and his family by making the ultimate sacrifice. I'm sure his mother, though extremely pained, would be content that her ex-exiled(?) son made the sacrifice. 
• Rodrik also may get the Glenmore army (but determinant, I think). 
• Rodrik DOES NOT fall in the hands of fourth-born Gryff Whitehill. This scenario retains some of Rodrik's integrity and dignity.
• Rodrik also knows very well what has been happening, so he wouldn't be as lost about the war as Asher would've been if Asher became the new leader all of a sudden.
• Gwyn Whitehill will most likely be stricken with guilt that her love was killed by the hands of her own family. That may have an effect on the plot.

The cons of this scenario are that:

• Beskha loses Asher, the only "family" she had. (The goodbye scene was rather heartbreaking; a lot of people agree with this.)
• Rodrik also has no control of a good half of his army, since Asher's pit fighters only really respected Asher and agreed to fight for him and him only.
• The Forresters will have never seen Asher again since his exile, and will only live with the memory of his sacrifice. 
• Likewise, Asher will have never seen his family again, except for Rodrik, whom he had only seen for like, literally, 2 minutes.

In my opinion, this scenario, while may be more practical, is heavily emotional and highly unsettling. Asher's efforts to gather an army ends with him dying immediately after he arrives home. He never sees his family again, except for Rodrik with whom he had exchanged a few words.

In summary, I couldn't bear the thought of Rodrik falling in the hands of Gryff... but I couldn't bear the thought of Asher falling before he reaches the top. Rodrik deserves the glory of bringing his House to victory, but though Asher is quite rebellious, he has a good heart, and definitely doesn't deserve to die in the situation he was in.

I see in the forums that many people feel that it makes sense that Asher should sacrifice himself for the sake of Rodrik, since this gesture would have been very heroic in the eyes of the Forresters, and that it'd be just as heroic as if he actually went to war with his family.

I guess I agree, but I personally don't feel content with this idea. I like the idea of Asher rising up to be the new Lord of the House. He fell to exile, and was like literally "ashes" for 2(?) years... this is his chance to prove to his family that he has grown and learned from the past. He is obviously skilled and capable of war. And heck, he has a great sense of humor. Asher has great potential to be a powerful Lord, very well because of his naturally aggressive, gung-ho attitude. If Asher learns to control when to be aggressive and when to be tactful, he can arguably be an even more powerful Lord than Rodrik. Rodrik's sacrifice would be a sacrifice as an older brother for his younger brother's rise as this powerful Lord. I think that's pretty darn bittersweet.

Iron from Ice, my loves.

Then again, back to my starting point, I don't feel completely settled with either scenarios at all. I love both Asher and Rodrik---Rodrik is my second favorite protagonist under Asher. (When I saw both of their death scenes, I cried so damn hard.) I want Gwyn to feel the guilt from Asher's death, but I also want Asher to live to reach his full potential... and at the same time, I really (really) don't want Rodrik to die in the hands of Gryff. That's just straight up gross and sickening.

I give props to Telltale, yet again, for making this decision painfully heart-wrenching for me. And I say "for me," because there are naturally some people who have disliked Rodrik or Asher from the start, so the decision was quite easy for them. But for people like me who have liked both characters, this decision was a nightmare come true. I was dreading that either Rodrik or Asher would die... and it happened. Nothing is worse than seeing your favorite character's status on the Wiki page change from "Alive" to "Determinant" or "Deceased." It ruins my day.

A part of me is like, "OH WHATEVER, just create two save files with either decision!" Well, of course anyone can do that since this is just a mere game, but this is sort of like a catharsis-like moment. Yes, this is a game, but... what if? What if you and your sibling or a relative were placed in a similar situation? It's not like you can create two life files when that happens. It really gets you thinkin'.

Well, now that I've got all this out of my system, about other matters, I have to briefly mention how the whole traitor aspect of the plot was pretty poorly executed, I'm not gonna lie. Duncan/Ser Royland became so out of character that it was a little strange... It was basically like, "You didn't choose me as Sentinel, so I was salty and became a traitor!" Besides, I don't understand how telling the enemy of House Forrester's plans would be any beneficial to the House. Are they demented?

I found this super funny. (via TTGoT forum: here)

Telltale needed a traitor so that the traitor could set Gryff free from the Forrester cellar to trigger this epic decision between Asher and Rodrik... but I'd rather the Maester be the traitor than Duncan or Ser Royland, honestly. Though the Maester being the traitor would be really obvious and groan-worthy, at least it makes sense... there was little character development for him up to this point, so his character is nearly a clean slate! (I do like the Maester, though. He's pretty easy on the eyes, if you know what I mean.)

To end this post, this episode definitely picked up the pace a little bit compared to the last (I dunno, Episode 4 seemed really bland to me). I'm very excited for the last episode... I'm especially glad it comes out at least a month before I start college. Ha.

I still wonder about the North Grove and Mira, and whether or not they have any power over the situation anymore, since everything remotely categorized under "hope" has been destroyed over this single episode... and I'm praying that the surviving brother does not die in war. That'd be so devastating to the Forrester family. I mean, all the males minus little Ryon in the family would be dead and gone :( Also, what would happen to season 2, then? There has to be a season 2, considering the pretty large following of this series.

Until then... I shall cry over Rodrik and Asher...