The Night’s Watch is one of the most important organizations in Game of Thrones. Charged with manning the gargantuan wall in the north of Westeros and ensuring that hordes of wildlings (and other things) don’t breach it, they should deserve respect. Several of the series’ most important and best-loved characters are members of the Watch, including most notably Jon Snow and Samwell Tarly.
As fascinating and important as they are, however, there are quite a few things about the Night’s Watch that don’t quite make sense and that defy the logic of both the series itself and just plain common sense.
Why No One Believes In The Reason For Its Creation Anymore, Considering The Scope Of The Wall And Its Former Size
A recurring theme of the series is how no one south of the Wall-or at least further south than Winterfell-believes that there are truly things north of it that are dangerous. This seems like a very strange attitude to take, especially considering the Wall is one of the most formidable structures in Westeros. Even taking into account the way that history dulls collective memories, one still has to wonder how the southern people of Westeros could be so willfully ignorant.
What Will The Wall Do Now That The White Walkers Are Vanquished?
The question of what will happen to the Wall now that the White Walkers have been completely defeated is one of the big unknowns left at the end of the series. While the final episode does its best to tidy up all of the loose plot-threads, the viewer isn’t really given any indication of what they’re going to do with it, especially considering the fact that it now has a huge hole in it (courtesy of a zombie Viserion). Perhaps Bran, with his powers of foresight, will think of something useful to do with it.
Why The Starks And The North Didn’t Do More To Keep The Force Up, Since They Still Believed At Least Somewhat
Unlike their counterparts in the south of Westeros, the Starks of Winterfell have long memories. They, like so many other people of the North, hold to old beliefs and ancestral memories. However, even they seem to have fallen down on the job a bit when it came to sending people to the Wall to keep it well-manned.
This seems like a curious oversight from a family that was so conspicuously concerned with the past and with the Wall in particular.
Why Lord Commander Mormont Didn’t Do More To Control The Bullies
Lord Commander is one of the most sympathetic characters of the entire series, and he’s one of the few that doesn’t seem terribly morally compromised. Even he, however, does things that seem to make no sense. He had to have known, for example, that there were all sorts of bullies lurking in the midst of the Night’s Watch. Given how competent he is in almost all other ways, it’s more than a bit surprising that he didn’t do more to ensure discipline in his own ranks.
Why Alliser Thorne Is Just So Awful
Alliser Thorne is one of the most unpleasant characters in the entire Night’s Watch. He takes an immediate dislike to both Jon Snow and Sam Tarly, and he does everything in his power to make their lives miserable. While some of this can be attributed to his seemingly sincere desire to make the Night’s Watch into the best fighting force it can be, the intensity of his antipathy toward both Jon and Sam seems a bit misplaced and out of proportion (not to mention counterproductive).
Why Alliser Thorne Allied With Janos Slynt
Though for the most part Alliser is a seemingly honorable man, there have been a few times when he’s done things that don’t really make sense. At one point, for example, he even goes so far as to ally himself with Janos Slynt, one of the most unpleasant (and deeply dishonorable) people to have ever taken up a place in the Night’s Watch. Once again, it’s hard to see someone like Thorne, who seems to genuinely care about the Night’s Watch, would take up with someone so obviously corrupt.
How They Supported Themselves On The Gift When There Were More Men, If They Can’t Now
Throughout the series, it’s made clear that the Night’s Watch struggles with a lot of things, and one of those things is a lack of resources. It’s also suggested that they were once able to sustain themselves on the Gift.
This, however, makes no sense in some ways. After all, if the Watch can’t really maintain itself on the Gift as it stands now, how was it ever able to do so in the past, when there were so many more of them that needed sustaining?
Why Jon Thought Maester Aemon Wouldn’t Die On His Voyage South
After Jon ascends to the position of Lord Commander, he makes the questionable decision to send Maester Aemon south with both Sam and Gilly. This has always been something of a head-scratcher, especially given that even at the beginning of the series he was ancient. Why would Jon think that this very feeble old man could possibly survive a trip south, even if they were fortunate enough not to confront any of the numerous dangers that often plague a journey by sea?
Why Southern Lords Still Let Criminals Go To The Wall Instead Of Other Punishment If They Thought It Was All A Hoax Or Pointless
In Westeros, it’s very common for criminals to be sent to the Wall as a substitute for other, worse punishments (Ned Stark is almost sent there before Joffrey capriciously changes his mind and has him executed). However, this makes one wonder why they would bother to make this a punishment at all, given that so many of them seem to also believe that either the dangers beyond the Wall are hoaxes and that the Watch itself is pointless.
Why Olly Is Also Awful
Though Alliser Thorne probably takes the cake for being the worst person on the Wall, Olly comes in a close second. The series clearly wants the viewer to have at least some measure of compassion for him, given that his family are slaughtered by the wildlings. However, this doesn’t really help explain all of his subsequent actions, many of which are, even by the standards set by this show, pretty sublimely awful. It’s another character who just isn’t given enough development to make sense.
