For a show as massive as Game of Thrones, it's impressive that there aren't many mysteries in need of explanation that fans don't reasonably expect to be unraveled later on. However, any show that follows such a large ensemble of complex characters and spans an entire fictional empire will have some, and Game of Thrones plot holes do exist. While there are many simple flaws in the TV series to point out — like for instance, how did Bran get to be so old after only being missing for one season? — those don't necessarily constitute as plot holes, which are defined as being contradictory to the rules previously established in a TV show, play, book, or movie.
Look, you have to have a pretty willing suspension of disbelief to watch Game of Thrones with the dragons, magic, and White Walkers, but that doesn't mean you should accept blatant inconsistencies in the TV version of the universe that George R. R. Martin has created. While there may be many criticisms of the show (like its violent portrayal of women and sex), deviations from the plot are typically not included, as they're usually explained well by character motives. Even mysteries like the potential resurrection of Jon Snow aren't really considered plot holes worth obsessing over, because showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss will find a way to explain them later in the series.
Still, no show is perfect — not even Game of Thrones — so here are six important plot holes that have occurred throughout the series' five seasons.
The Bran Thrown-Out-Of-The-Window Situation
Maybe it makes sense that no one is concerned about what happened to Bran Stark back in the series premiere, but considering Bran being pushed out of a tower window by Jaime Lannister was the impetus for much of the show's action, it shouldn't be completely forgotten by all of the characters. Yes, both of his parents are dead and most people think that Bran is also dead (thanks to Theon Greyjoy), but there are a couple notable flaws with the whole incident, including, as Moviepilot points out, how the hell Bran even scaled that tower in the first place. Another issue with this situation deals with the brother of Jaime, specifically:
Tyrion Didn't Exact Revenge On Littlefinger
Littlefinger told Catelyn and Ned Stark that the dagger used to attempt to murder Bran after his fall belonged to Tyrion Lannister. Catelyn then captured Tyrion to the Eyrie where he was held in a sky cell. Tyrion survived the moon door only because Bronn represented him in a trial by combat. Between Seasons 2 and 4, Tyrion could have made strategic moves to take down Littlefinger, but at this point in the series, Littlefinger will just have to be ruined for a different one of his lies.
Tywin Didn't Recognize Arya
Back in Season 2, Arya Stark was on the run disguised as a boy (as Yoren said, "You want to live, boy?") and she ended up becoming Tywin Lannister's cupbearer at Harrenhal. Tywin was no dummy, so he recognized immediately that she was actually a girl. He also figured out that she was an educated, noble-born girl from the North in hiding — but not specifically Arya Stark. Uh, who other than that did you think she was, Tywin? At times I thought Tywin had figured out who Arya was, but if he had, he surely wouldn't have left her at Harrenhal. Yet it seems so unbelievable that Tywin, the mastermind, wouldn't have figured out her true identity.
The Shadow Baby
Melisandre birthing a smoke monster is truly one of the most bizarre things to occur on Game of Thrones. As a priestess of the Lord of the Light, she was able to have sex with Stannis Baratheon and birth a shadow assassin who killed his brother Renly Baratheon. But ever since Season 2, there has been no more shadow baby. Yes, it was discussed why Melisandre stopped using this form of magic with Stannis in Season 3, when she explained that Stannis might die if they produced another one together. But now that Stannis is dead and I expect Melisandre to have a hand in resurrecting Jon Snow, I wouldn't mind getting more info on this mysterious shadow murderer.
How Quickly Characters Travel
Perhaps the biggest plot hole comes from the geography of the continents of Westeros and Essos. While Daenerys Targaryen has had the benefit of dragon flight for her travels, she's the only one with that kind of support. Tech Insider created a map in Oct. 2015 that shows the insane distances that Dany, Littlefinger, Yara Greyjoy, and Tyrion have unrealistically traveled over the course of the show. But I'm not complaining, since the sped-up journeys mean more action on the show in the long run.
The Gold Crown
The most nitpicky claim of a plot hole goes back to Season 1 when Khal Drogo poured melted gold all over Viserys Targaryen's head. The moment was so awesome that it was easy to ignore the fact that the gold melted almost instantaneously over the fire. Multiple sources, including an article on What Culture, have called out Game of Thrones for this oversight, and a thread on the Science Fiction & Fantasy Stack Exchange highlights how the gold melting that quickly is impossible.
But when that's your biggest complaint about a show, I'd say Game of Thrones is doing a mighty fine job. Guess Daenerys should have had those dragons sooner so she could use their help to melt the gold — maybe then Game of Thrones fans would have believed it.
Images: Helen Sloan/HBO; Giphy (6); pandaemonial/Tumblr
