Dumb Things In Game Of Thrones No One Talks About

Season five of Game of Thrones is done and dusted and season six in the early stages of production. So it's time to reflect on what we've learned from 50 episodes of the epic fantasy television series—and just how dumb some of the action has been. Even if you're an ardent Game of Thrones fan, you have to admit that a few of the production decisions have been somewhat questionable. Here are a few that had us scratching our heads the hardest. Beware: spoilers for the first five seasons!

A modern audience understands why Robb Stark chooses love over duty when it comes to taking a wife, but this is a man in charge of a family dynasty, not a nobody from the outskirts of Winterfell. Not only does he reject an important ally in the process, it's an ally with an angry psychopath as its leader—and we all know how that works out. It all makes more sense in the books, by the way.

He lies to everyone, pushes spouses to their deaths, double-crosses the people he pretends to be closest to, and still no one can lay a finger on Littlefinger. It's almost as if Petyr Baelish is actually scripting Game of Thrones himself, so unlikely are the deceptions he maintains and the webs of lies he spins. Do none of his 'friends' ever communicate with each other? Perhaps his comeuppance is imminent?

Was there anyone else who found the sudden rise of the High Sparrow and his followers not at all plausible? To be able to throw the Queen and the mother of the King in jail for a prolonged period of time requires some serious military muscle, not a handful of religious fanatics who stand on the steps of a temple looking moody. At least there are signs that their house of cards will come crashing down in season six.

Maybe Robb Stark's foolishness comes from his father, who works his way through an unbelievably dumb series of errors before meeting an untimely end. He asks the wrong questions, puts his trust in the wrong people, and sleepwalks his way into danger. His clueless actions put his whole family at risk—and, of course, put the central plots of Game of Thrones into motion.

When it first hit the screen, unexpected deaths were once the proud signature move of Game of Thrones. It was what helped it stand out as a piece of entertainment that wasn't afraid to shock viewers and eschew a happy ending for something a lot more realistic. But after five long seasons, the motif has been, pardon the pun, done to death, and turned into self-parody. Is anyone going to make it to the end? And do we care anymore?

For such a sprawling fantasy universe, characters cross each other's paths with surprising regularity: Catelyn bumps into Tyrion, Jaqen H'ghar teaches Arya, Brienne conveniently comes across Sansa, and so on and so on. And the times when you're actually desperate for something serendipitous to happen, the plot veers frustratingly away.

Another card-carrying member of "Leaders Who Should Know Better," Stannis' actions require quite a substantial suspension of belief. One minute he's hanging off Melisandre's every word, and sacrificing his children along the way, the next minute he's leaving her behind and making up his own mind. Surely every viewer shouted at the screen in frustration during season five because of Stannis' scattergun approach to decision making.

To give the Game of Thrones showrunners a break, the series is still ongoing, but there are so many loose ends it's going to need a masterful weaving effort to pull them all together again. Are those White Walkers ever going to reach the wall? Has the Brotherhood Without Banners disbanded? Is Bran hibernating? Next year, we'll hopefully get some more answers.