A Song of Dan and Josh: Bran V

Every week on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. CST, FanSided editor Josh Hill and I take to Facebook Live to talk through chapters of A Song of Ice and Fire, one by one. Josh has seen the show but never read the books, and I’ve ready the novels multiple times. It’s a recipe for breathless excitement and also clear-headed analysis.

The podcast version ofTake the Black Live is now on iTunes! Please subscribe and download from there if you can. Also, you can help us out by giving us a five-star rating and leaving a friendly comment! We’re also on Blog Talk Radio.

This week, we dive into Bran V from Game of Thrones. At first blush, not a lot happens in this chapter — we meet Osha, we spend more times with Theon — but we find some interesting currents running underneath the surface.

Topics include:

• The fight between Robb, the wildlings and the Night’s Watch deserters is the best-written action scene Martin has written yet.
• We discuss early Theon — impetuous, arrogant, and kind of violent. Oh, Theon, you have such an interesting future.
• Robb Stark is an important character, but we never get a chapter told from his perspective. Should we have?
• I go off an impromptu rant about the value of narrative diversions in A Song of Ice and Fire, but it devolves into a creaky metaphor about Cajun food.
• The Starks are underdogs, but they’re also members of Westeros’ nobility. Should the novels have included more perspectives from the points of view of the peasants?
• We say hello to Osha the wildling.

We’ll be back tomorrow, Wednesday, at 4:00 p.m. CST to talk through more of Tyrion’s adventures and a key Ned chapter. Hope to see you on our Facebook page!

Next: Game of Thrones wins at Location Managers Guide Awards

To stay up to date on everything Game of Thrones, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels