Game Of Thrones: 5 Winners & 5 Losers In 'First Of His Name'
4. Karl Tanner
Having been ranked amongst the winners last week, Karl Tanner throws away a huge win and looses in the biggest way within the space of one episode. Its not just the fact that he ends up dead and a pretty gruesome death at that but also the fact that he was in such a strong position at the beginning of the episode and somehow managed to gain nothing from what he had. Karl Tanner has three highborn hostages to his name and couldve used them to bargain with the Nights Watch. Instead, he sends no ravens, and makes no attempt to call a cease to the fighting while he still has the upper hand. The hostages are taken from him in the end, but he is never aware of this, and not once does he try to stay Jons hand by offering a trade. Perhaps Tanner doesnt offer to make terms with the Nights Watch because there isnt much they can willingly give him. Even if he gives up the hostages, theyre hardly going to let him go free; the best he can hope for is a swift execution. A wiser move would have therefore been to send a raven to Mance Rayder, who has no quarrel with Tanner, and could definitely make effective use of three highborn hostages against the Nights Watch when they attack the Wall. Tanner never does this, however, and the opportunity slips him by when Locke frees Bran and Tanner gets to run a sword through the back of his head.
