From Sam’s romance with Gilly to his role as Grand Maester, some Game of Thrones fans have been discussing their unpopular opinions on Reddit.
In House of the Dragon, as in Game of Thrones, knowledge is power. It is what allows a character like Larys Strong to get ahead, even though he is a relatively unimportant character to begin with. In Game of Thrones, Samwell Tarly is one of those characters who knows how to use knowledge for the betterment of all.
For this reason, he is often regarded as one of the series’ best characters. However, the users of Reddit haven’t been shy about sharing some of their very unpopular opinions about this particular character, showing the extent to which Thrones is still capable of exciting commentary from its fandom.
It Would Have Been Better If He Was A Combination Of Book And Show Versions
For some Redditors, Sam would have been a better character if he’d combined the way that he appears in the novels and the series. Brainwheeze explains: “Book Sam is a lot more consistent and comes across as more intelligent, but is often far too self-deprecating in a way that’s annoying. Show Sam started off well, and John Bradley was charismatic, but then he became a little too arrogant and stupid.”
It is a bit of a stretch to say that Sam became arrogant and stupid as the series progresses. It is more accurate to say that he became more confident, standing up for what he believed was right and refusing to back down despite several people’s attempts to intimidate him into doing so. Unfortunately, this is something that many Redditors, for whatever reason, simply cannot accept about this particular development.
He’s Just The Worst
Although, for some, Sam is one of the best characters in Game of Thrones, others simply don’t like him. Rivers_Ford is quite blunt in their assessment: “He just so horrendously bad.”
While everyone is, of course, entitled to their opinions about the characters on television shows, it’s hard to square this one with the Sam that appears in Game of Thrones. Aside from everything else, he is arguably one of the few genuinely good people to appear in the series, someone who cares about his friends and about the realm as a whole. For this reason alone, he emerges as a great character.
He’s Inferior To The Book Version
Given that there are many changes that need to be made from the book to the script, it makes sense that some viewers wouldn’t like the adaptations of characters. This is particularly true for Sam, and Not_a_cat_I_Promise writes: “Show Samwell is just flat and oddly cheery when book Samwell is incredibly pessimistic and full of self-doubt.”
However, it’s easily disprovable that the series’ version of the character is flat. The show goes out of its way to show the viewer that Sam has his own crises, whether it’s his relationship with Gilly or deciding whether or not to tell Jon the secret of his parentage. He is different from his book counterpart, certainly, but that doesn’t mean he’s inferior.
Sam Didn’t Deserve To Be Grand Maester
For some Redditors, it was particularly galling to see Sam rise to the position of Grand Maester at the end of the series. I-Am-The-Peel writes: “Even worse in the show, he gets more characters killed and doesn’t even complete his maester training yet is named Grand Maester, ridiculous.”
However, it’s not as if there haven’t been even more unqualified people serving in the position of Grand Maester (both Pycelle and Qyburn spring to mind). And, of course, there is also the fact that, when it comes down to it, Sam will be a wide advisor on the small council for King Bran.
Sam Was Useless During The Flight From The White Walkers
The White Walkers are some of the most terrifying creatures in Game of Thrones. Thus, it makes sense that Sam, like so many others, would give into the temptation to give up. This rubbed Redditors, such as this Redditor the wrong way as they write: “Everyone is trying to live, they even try to carry him to save him… And he just lies there and gives up. Good lord, act as a living being!!!! That was so irritating.”
From Sam’s position, however, this makes sense. Given his lack of fighting skills and knowledge of the White Walkers, it’s not surprising that Sam felt like it was pointless since death seemed inevitable at that particular point. He also could have been in shock given the intense pressure he was under. There are several reasons why he could have acted the way he did.
Sam’s Father Made The Right Choice Disinheriting Him
Randyll Tarly is, of course, the leader of a notable house in Westeros. Given that their legacy was in his hands, Randyll had all the power to do what he wanted, wjich eventually led to him disheriting Sam with the threat of death. One user explains why “Randyll makes a tough choice, but it’s the right one,” showing how doing so was to the benefit of his house.
The real issue with this argument, however, is in giving Randyll far too much credit. It’s very obvious that his decision to disinherit Sam stems from his investment in the toxic masculine culture of Westeros rather than nuanced political considerations. Instead of loving his son for who he is and seeing his worth, he would rather turn his back on him because he didn’t bring the family any honor or glory.
Sam Is Stupid, Shady, And Selfish
Some Redditors have expressed a great deal of frustration with the way that fans continue to celebrate Sam. JigglesOfJustice scathingly writes that “Sam is introduced as meek yet kind, well-read, and intelligent. These are supposed to be his redeeming qualities, yet he constantly undermines them by going behind the backs of his friends and family and being shady.”
While it is true that Sam has to sometimes resort to somewhat underhanded approaches, to a great extent this is motivated by the simple realities of the moment. Just as importantly, he is also one of those who most perceptively realizes how things get done, and that sometimes this requires going the more circuitous route.
Sam’s Boring
Although Game of Thrones is a great HBO show, this doesn’t mean that viewers will forgive it everything. In fact, Redditors have at times gone so far as to say that Sam is boring, with one user putting it bluntly that “Sam and Brienne are both boring af. I prefer Ned and Davos much much more in terms of “good” characters.”
Sam may not have quite the martial exploits of some of the other characters, but it is a mistake to see him as boring. In fact, his actions are some of the most important in the series. After all, without him, Jon Snow would never have become Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, nor would he have learned about his true parentage.
Sam’s Romance With Gilly Is A Waste Of Time
There are many notable relationships in Game of Thrones, and one of the most important, for some, is that between Sam and Gilly. Some Redditors, however, disagree. Yuiopy78 writes, for example: “I like Sam, but this storyline with Gilly is killing me. They could disappear like Gendry, and I would probably never think about them again.”
This isn’t really fair to either character, however. Given how much each of them has endured–particularly Gilly–it is actually rather nice to see the two of them together. Moreover, in a series where romance is so often tinged with violence, it is gratifying to see two people who genuinely enjoy being together without power coming into play.
Sam Drags Down Jon’s Story
The friendship between Jon Snow and Sam is a major part of both of their characters. However, for Redditors, such as this user, their times together are rather boring. As they put it: “him [Jon] with Sam wasn’t very interesting to me in some respects.”
It is true that their portions of the story are a bit understated. However, this doesn’t mean that they are in any way boring. In fact, they are intended to give both characters someone that they can count on who doesn’t necessarily want something from them.
