5. Ned Stark-Dead or Alive?
Yes, yes, I know, I know. It's clearly Sean Bean on screen so how can Ned Stark possibly be alive? Great, a challenge. I do love a good enigma. I would think quicker but Sansa's... endearing facial expression is a little distracting. Anyway, I digress. So, here we see Ilyn Payne executing Ned Stark with his own sword-Ice. Or is it? I mean, "Or is it" in the sense is it Ned Stark, not is it his sword. Well, the book has the scene play out completely differently. Arya, watching pre-execution, barely recognises her father (in the book). Ned's appearance was emaciated which would make him hard to recognise, but the distance between Ned and Arya is not substantial. What's more, Sansa says that Ned's head looks nothing like her father's head, after Joffrey tries to torment her by forcing her to look at his head on the pike. Catelyn also remarks that his bones are much too small to be Ned's, and so, it is feasible. Now you ask "Who would've freed him?" Well, Lord Varys, is a master of disguise, and a sneaky and enigmatic character. His motives are unknown, claiming to serve the realm, but as Littlefinger remarks, "You choose your allies well, The Imp, Ned Stark." Varys could've broken Ned out of his cell, replacing him with another look-a-like. However, what Varys would do after freeing Ned is a big flaw in the theory. As much as I would love this theory to be true and how I revere Ned Stark as a character, this would leave a substantial plot hole. And since George told the producers the major plot points of the remaining books, it is very unlikely he is alive, as they wouldn't have clearly presented Eddard as the one being decapitated.