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*+Preston Jacobs* Suggestion: lower the original volume if you insist on talking over yourself. For some people (especially non-native speakers with hearing problems), it may be exceedingly hard to follow. Also I really like this idea! Hope It'll become a series. Especially if tWoW keeps getting postponed and the content dries up.
So, in the future, if you could always stop the video when you're speaking, I'd appreciate it. When there are two voices at the same time I can't focus on either one...
Heeey there Preston! I still can't shake the feeling that your voice is some sort of unimbodied entity that shouldn't have a face but it's a nice idea!
Lol. If you go through his videos, there are two that I remember off the top of my head where you can see Preston irl. He put up his wedding vows (or at least a clip from his wedding) and you can see a picture of him when he met GRRM (from the video "When Preston Met George"). I think there is also a picture of him holding his kid in the short update video where he announced the birth.
Preston be like "and we're back revisiting this subject for the 6th time." Never stop tho. We're the only ones keeping this fandom alive until the fat man gives us what we need.
Preston, i remember when i discovered your channel by accident way back when your only video was this very Pink Letter Mystery video, i think you had about 300 subscribers (i might be wrong). After i finished the video i said "wow this makes no sense, but it was entertaining, I'll subscribe, maybe he makes another video." And i've been watching the channel ever since. I'm sure that i'm not alone when i say you've given me hours of entertainment over the years. Keep up the good work! :)
Thanks for putting out this video. I would say that I prefer the "Deeper Dorne" style videos when revisiting your older stuff. Just a scripted video where you put out your updated theories, with a brief mention of where you have updated your thoughts.
Constructive video critique: I really want to hear what you’re saying when you speak. Whether it is your new insight or the older content you’re addressing, it is distracting/difficult to track both audio streams comfortably. (Lower more, or fully stop, the audio on the subordinate track? You stop the original video often, but not consistently as you continue along. Are you making an update, or are you (ack, please no!) making a reaction video?) You might want to check out how Alton Brown has been doing his “Good Eats Reloaded” series to avoid this issue. Like your old videos, old GE episodes hold up, but I also enjoy his take on doing things now he has a greater understanding of his craft & intentions. It’s a nitpick, perhaps. However, it is clear you’re always trying new things to make these wonderful video essays on the GRRM “Allstory” we LOVE... & your efforts are certainly appreciated enough for comment. I’m always happy to see you post new videos. You’re a talented guy with a shiny intellect & a wonderfully dry wit you generously share with your fellow fandom enthusiasts. Thank you for bringing some happy distraction to my Sunday house maintenance. The dishes aren’t going to wash themselves.
I'm shook. I can't unsee Preston now, because forever I kept associating him in my head with Sweet Robin. I know there was no way he could've actually looked like that, but... the illusion has been shattered and my life will never be the same.
"It's the default for iMovie. I now use Final Cut Pro." When you're out here spending $600 for a copy of a magazine from the mid-90's to make a theory video for UA-cam, you damn well better be using the top of the line software.
The letter is not exactly enconded, but it has double meaning. He starts the letter with a direct lie, possibly focusing the lie so Melisandre can get what it means: 'Smashed into seven days of battle.' means the first phrases are encripted. When he says 'Mance Rayder', it means he's starting to speak the truth(or at least what he believes). The letter is more informative than anything. Mance may have used Squirrel to put the letter in the ravenry and do the worst type of encryption. He talks of the walls of winterfell because it's probably talking of the Umbers, and he talks of 'come and get him' because he thinks Mance needs help. Or at least is what I think it is. He then talks of the wildling babe because Jon is in debt to Mance, reminding him to rescue him. Or at least is what I think.
Love your stuff Preston! I'm actually looking forward to TWOW mostly for the theory videos from Preston that will surely follow! Please keep up the good work!
as someone following your stuff for a while.... the central appeal has always been your way of thinking about the story... it's, as they say, "outside the box"... what I mean by that is, it's outside of the usual fantasy, literature, pop culture tropes... which is the perfect approach for the author we're discussing.... what developed over time, as you say yourself, is your ability in film-/videomaking... the structure, editing etc... but as is true for most crafts, that comes kinda naturally by doing it... and you're indeed very funny... it's just a very dry sort of humor that reveals itself by thinking about it... so pretty much like stannis...
@@defrary5569 yeah, that's a huge draw for me too.... and it's kind of what makes prestons thinking out if the box in comparism to other interpretations... they interpret ASOIF in the context of "normal" works in the fantasy genre... but when you interpret it in the context of GRRMs other works (which of course is the way to go) you end up in a very different place...
I started watching your channel around Christmas 2014, the pink letter video was the first I watched, then I proceeded to binge everything else you had posted! Since then I watched the OG pink letter video probably 20 times, so I gotta say I’m excited for the update!!
Mentioning spearwives is probably just another thing to rile Jon up, he of course had his relationship with Ygritte, which means the writer likely knew about it. This still points to Mance of course, or Stannis, since Melisandre seem to know about the relationship and would probably tell Stannis.
You are the only channel I let raid shadow legends ads go for not closing the video immediately. I don't blame creator's for needing a sponsor, I just can't not hate it
Literally the time i saw this uploaded...meaning the time Ive sent this comment...is 12:23 AM here in Nairobi, Kenya. I was done with youtube for the day then Preston Jacobs happened. Anyways, bless me tonight with wisdom as deep as weirwood roots, daddy Preston .
I remember when I first stumbled upon this video, years ago, and I was definitely one of those “casual fans” who didn’t think too much of the letter. I had only read the books one time, and when you read them quickly, you miss a lot (obviously). I watched this video and was impressed by your ability to cause me to “rethink Ice and Fire”-like your channel banner. I have since reread the books a few times, and after having watched so many of your theory videos, it has really changed the way I read the books.
I was so happy to see a new video from you. I hate live streams thank you so much for doing a regular video and keeping us informed on different views of our favorite book series
Great idea doing a revisiting series. It’s awesome to finally see the face behind the voice. I know exactly what you’re talking about with Ken Burns and Imovies. That’s what I use for making videos. Maybe one day I’ll look back and notice little things like that as well. I’ve say your early videos hold up well (I did notice and always wondered what the clicking noise was) but I’ve noticed a great improvement in quality and smoothness in the videos over time. After watch all your videos, when The Winds of Winter comes out, i’m definitely going to look deeper into anything we’re shown and take nothing at face value.
Preston you are the only person who can pull another 40 minutes or material from the pink letter. I love you man seriously, you keep me thinking about Westeros all day every day.
Great video. You should make a theory video just about Val. There are so many different theories around that center around her be great to know what you think about her
So I don't know if you or anyone else will see/read this, but I am rereading the letter and I have a personal theory about whether it has a code/how it is implemented and how it is specifically written by Mance to impact the person reading it. (AN: This could just be complete hindsight talking, given we know what happens when the letter is read and who specifically reads the letter, but there can’t not be some secrecy involved) The letter is broken into two specific sections: The "Your False King" sections and the "My Bride" sections. If you read it as Jon, the first thing you will see is the beginning of the letter because that is where your stake in the matter is. Whether or not Stannis Baratheon lives and dies determines the fate of the Night’s Watch. If the “false king” is dead, Ramsay and Roose will inevitably take revenge on them for helping him and their only access to outside food via the Iron Bank is gone. If you read it as Tormund, you would focus on the third and fourth paragraphs as they pertain to the Wildlings the most. Mance is named. Val is mentioned. The spear wives are mentioned. Everything in these paragraphs pertain to the fate of the Wildlings. If Mance is either imprisoned or dead, Tormund is now the highest ranking leader among the Wildlings, save The Weeper and arguably Styr, the Magnar of Thenn. And if Stannis is dead, it’s up the Wildlings to defend themselves if and when the Bolton army comes for them. Now consider who is writing it. Mance is a smart man who was raised in the south and knows what it will take to get someone like Jon Snow, an honor-obsessed idiot, to be pissed off and irrational. Nothing new to discuss here. Stannis is dead, Mance is in jail, the women are dead, etc. SOMEHOW, Ramsay knows about the ceremony at the Wall. You could say that he tortured Mance and the women, but what value is it to say that he knows they lied. Does anyone south of the Wall know that “Mance Rayder" was burned and they covered it up? Does anyone care? Even if he was dead, Tormund would be considered the next “king” by southron standards because of his bloodline and his standing within Mance’s inner circle. That part specifically hints to Mance being the writer because it is intended to be a “gotcha!” moment for Jon where he is supposed to believe Ramsay wrote it because he knows their secret. But does it matter? But given that the Wildlings and the Night’s Watch are working “together” (a very liberal term, I know) and you consider that Mance would know that Tormund would be at Jon’s side when the letter is delivered (I’ll discuss this later) then it stands to reason that they have a “Mance Rayder Master Plan” in the works and this is the signal fire to get the ball rolling. He knows Jon would either consult him on the letter or he would be in the room and Jon would share it because it pertains to both of them. Tormund would have read through it carefully for any codewords or specific phrasings for advice on what to do next. I believe I have decoded what the plan is after checking the way the letter is formatted entirely on what “Ramsay” WANTS, what “Ramsay” DEMANDS, and what “Ramsay” OFFERS. “I WANT my bride back.” “I WANT the false king’s queen.” “I WANT his daughter and his red witch” “I WANT my Reek.” “I WILL have my bride back” “If YOU WANT Mance Rayder back, come and get him.” “Ramsay" is both goading Jon into riding south AND listing demands for Jon in the event that he gives up and surrenders, something Jon Snow would never do. “Ramsay” knows that Jon would die fighting than betray the Baratheon men, who are protected by guest right on top of being the people who saved the Wall. This is where we need to consider Tormund in the whole thing. Tormund and Mance have been close as brothers for years. He is Mance’s most trusted lieutenant. He does so much as the second in command of the Wildling forces, it’s impossible for a “Mance Rayder Master Plan” to not have him as the most important piece. This letter, as said before, is the key to this plan. Whether or not Tormund knows what he wants is unknown, but we do know what he is supposed to do based on Mance’s shopping list. The Mance Rayder Master Plan 1. Fake his death and have a letter delivered to the Wall so both Jon and Tormund read it. 2. Goad Jon Snow into rallying the might of the Wall and/or the Wildlings OR into traveling south to get his sister *Mance cannot know whether Jon will march with an army or go alone so this is a wildcard* 3. Tormund will more than likely be dispatched to gather any missing Wildlings so the Wall will have more reinforcements, a Val has done before which established precedent in Jon trusting Wildlings to go out and find Wildlings *Mance has to assume that Jon would want the Wildlings to help him since they have stake in Mance being a captive. If Jon marches with a Wildling host, there would need to be more Wildlings in Castle Black lest they be betrayed by the Brothers.* 4. The third paragraph is how Mance can rally the Wildlings behind Jon to march south. If they believe he is alive and then provide “proof” via an outside party who could never know unless he extracted the information from the man himself. The Wildlings love Mance and would die for him. If there was ever a way to rally them, it would be to make Jon admit he is alive. 5. Mance’s Shopping List is there for everyone to see if you pay attention: He wants Val. He wants Selyse. He wants Shireen and Melisandre. He wants Theon. Tormund and the Wildlings are tasked with retrieving all of these key pieces to Mance’s plan. Surprisingly, they would have a very easy go of it if they wanted to. Val and Mel are in Castle Black, a castle that Mance has to know will erupt into chaos if their Lord Commander says he intends to march south. Shireen and Selyse are in Eastwatch, an undermanned castle that just lost Cotter Pyke and eleven ships AND currently have a column of mammoths and giants marching toward them since the gate at Castle Black is too small for them to go through. And Theon is a crippled man who can’t exactly run if the Wildlings were to ambush the party he was traveling with. Also don't forget The Weeper has a massive army just lurking around that could strike and overrun a Night's Watch castle at any moment. If Tormund were to escape the incoming chaos at the Wall, I'd assume that is the first place he would go to continue the fight. If Mance wanted to break free of Stannis and the Night’s Watch’s influence over his people, this would be how to do it. Send the Watch into disarray by having Jon either forsake his vows alone or attempt to raise a Wildling army. Gather all of Stannis’ most valuable assets and hold them hostage until their demands are met. And hold Theon, the key to the Iron Islands, hostage. A core theme of A Song of Ice and Fire is that some battles can’t be fought on the battlefield. If Mance knows he is doomed if the Night’s Watch has the Wall and Stannis defending them, why not undermine them by infiltrating their ranks, sow discontent, and then attack when they are too busy bickering with themselves to notice how badly they’ve been played? It also greatly parallels the situation in Winterfell. Multiple plots are being enacted by multiple parties and utter chaos is happening, which ends up undermining every plot in the process. At the Wall, the Night’s Watch is in the middle of a coup that may result in all of the Wildling leaders dying and crippling their leadership while at the same time Mance is attempting to rally them and defeat their enemies. I just thought of this in a half hour after hearing Preston saying he spent so long trying to decode some secret message. I read it and it seems clear as day to me. A bitter man has been defeated and has a plan to get revenge and make his people stronger than ever. Any thoughts if you made it this far?
I like it. And george likes to show how carefully laid plans blow up in our faces. This fits. I've always thought that it made the most semse for it to be from Mance because he is the only one who would want those specific people. Also there is a 2 hr off page meeting between Jon Tormund & Mel AFTER the arrival of the letter. I think that meeting was huge.
Still believe that Mance is Arthur Dayne and Tormund is Gerald Hightower. The Halfhand was Oswald Whent. Mance and Arthur are Friends and former Kingsguard brothers. If a Tormund was a true Wildling he wouldn’t be able to read, but he grew up near Oldtown. He uses those Hars and jokes to try to disguise himself. Even Ygritte doesn’t believe Mance to be a Wildling. Tormund can definitely read and write! They are brothers to the end! Mance was sad when he learned Jon had killed the Halfhand, and he wasn’t referring to the Nightswatch when he says “He was my brother once”.
Thank you for doing this Preston. I was just talking about the Pink Letter a few days ago. I’m so glad you went back after all this time and did this again after all the stuff you know now, things that have happened, etc... thank you
Hey Preston.. I've been a faithful follower of your videos since the beginning. Those first ones, the Pink Letter, Tower of Joy, Dany's childhood mysteries... those have a special place in my heart. Because watching them made me fall in love with the series more than reading the actual books. I like this new format where we revisit them. Keep up the good work.
A Storm of Swords: "Vanished, aye," said Mance Rayder. "And not just the free folk. Who told you where we were, Jon Snow?" Tormund snorted. "It were Craster, or I'm a blushing maid. I told you, Mance, that creature needs to be shorter by a head." The king gave the older man an irritated look. "Tormund, some day try thinking before you speak. I know it was Craster. I asked Jon to see if he would tell it true." A Dance with Dragons: "Might be all a skin o' lies." Tormund scratched under his beard.
I was a young man. It was 1998 and I had just finished my stint in the Army. I went to the bookstore, new big paperback GOT was released 1 week before ACOK was released. ASOS came out 3 years later. I am now 45. This will never end. In my naïve youth I thought a wheel of time was taking a long time between books...
For the Pink Letter mystery to be unravelled, simply re-read all the segments featuring glamoured Rattleshirt/Lord of Bones a.k.a Mance Rayder in disguise - & compare his language, vocabulary, insults etc. to the Pink Letter. You will be left in no doubt that Mance wrote the Pink Letter. The why of it is also not that difficult - Jon's reaction is the purpose of the Pink Letter, to get Jon Snow away from Castle Black. Why? Because House Bolton are in on a conspiracy to assassinate Jon which was originally ordered by Cersei. The naming of the other personalities in the letter is clearly indicating who else is in danger, Mance has been able to get info/intel on plans to kill Melisandre, Val, Shereen etc. & the Pink Letter is warning them as well.
You were the first person I heard call it “the pink letter” I didn’t know there was a name. The first time I read the book I assumed Ramsay wrote the letter.
Preston: "It's interesting to go back and watch someones first videos and compare them to now to see how they've evolved" Me: *Goes to "The Dragon Demands" Channel* I'll give one thing to the man, he's consistent.
In my mind Preston still looks like sweet robin. On a serious note it’s brilliant to see how far your channels grown from the first video. Keep up the good work and I very much look forward to your future work
I'm in New job orientation but secretly listening to this..its awesome because there's a really old woman up there talking but Preston's voice is coming out.
Would love to see this review with Alliances of Iron and Minds of Wolves and Robins. After going through your entire library a few times, it feels like you really started to come into your own in AoI and hit your stride in MoWaR. (Obviously you peaked with your Red Dwarf references during Season 6 reviews)
I regularly revisit your old videos and I am amazed at how early you had pointed out connections that you eventually evolved but had the core early on! Some of those early Daenarys videos, I loved the Genetics of Dragons series, and for me the breakdown of the Riverlands and Ironborn were just eye openers. All I can say is I hope we get new material and that you will indeed turn out to be right about “half of this” AT MINIMUM🤞 Just here to say I am very grateful for your content, keep bringing it on!
I've been wanting to re listen to all your Waiting for Winds series.. But you have so many of them! This format is great, and easier to keep track of what I wanted to relisten to. Keep up the great work. You should bring Carmine in as well, have both of y'all theorizing over your original theories
And I was here for that video & still rewatch frequently, all to be exact. Love your videos and the constant "improvements" over the years. Hands down my favorite channel! Edit: Please never take those "classic Preston" videos down 🤗
Hey Preston, been a subscriber since 2015 and I’ve gotta thank you for the hours upon hours of entertainment you’ve given me. I for one welcome these retrospectives on a lot of your work. Since the thousand worlds book club finished, I think you developed a greater understanding of GRRM and helped you interpret ASOIAF. So the older content could do with the tinfoil treatment. I might be on my own here but I’d appreciate any deeper analysis upon GRRM’s other works that you might not have covered yet.
Hello Preston. Now Can finally see your face. I'm really appreciate your passion to analyze future stories, fan theories, and secret schemes of ASOIAF.
I've always thought it was Stannis or Melisandre who wrote it to get John to come help and take his place in Winterfell. But Mance makes sense because he would know the info that it contains that Stannis or Melisandre wouldn't necessarily know. Can't wait to find out the truth
Hey Preston! Love your videos. I've been rereading "Fire and Blood", and there's some fascinating back stories in there. I know you did some podcasts on the book, but I would love to hear your take on individual reigns, the wyrms of Valyria and whatever else from the book you think may be important to the main story.
As a fan of these videos, I want to say I appreciate their content more than their movie-effects. Being 16 minutes in, what I understand is that the original video holds us. I already knew that, for once!
I think the letter was co-authored by Mance & Stannis with input from Theon. The letters main function, for Stannis, is to get Jon to break his vows, so he's no longer bound to the wall. Enabling him to become the head of Winterfell & freely help Stannis. Though I think it was Mance's idea. I need to double check the timing but I believe Mance was still at the wall when Mel first had the vision of the gray girl on a dying horse coming to the wall. I think he used that information, along with his keen ability to read people, to come up with a plan to entice Jon into breaking his vows, just like Stannis wants For Mance's it's a way to better ingratiate himself to Stannis, and to signal to Tormund & the other wildlings, that he is still alive, and to get them to come to him. And based off of what Mel said to Jon about looking to the skies, I believe she was waiting for a letter, possibly because of some predetermined plan with Stannis and/or Mance, with instructions indicating what they should do next.(plus, remember what Stannis told Justin Massey, he's clearly got something up his sleeve, seemingly involving the faking of his death) Which would make sense of the laundry list of people the author wants to come to Winterfell. The seven days could be related to this, as well Val could've been tipped off by Mance too, so the seven days might be some message for her and/or Tormund, though, not necessarily
A face reveal?! And a 30+ min video?! Christmas came early thank you Preston. Love to see it, and love to see your face! You gotta voice for the radio and a face for TV, you should be on all your videos! 🖤🖤
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhh!!!! loving everything you do for us, you sexy hulking redwood of a man. hoping all the other comments are better than this one. Thanks for always making Game of thrones fun and insightful. No one does it quite like you, Mr. Jacobs
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*+Preston Jacobs* Suggestion: lower the original volume if you insist on talking over yourself. For some people (especially non-native speakers with hearing problems), it may be exceedingly hard to follow.
Also I really like this idea! Hope It'll become a series. Especially if tWoW keeps getting postponed and the content dries up.
PJ I love you but man you look tired. Baby Jacobs keeping you up at night?
Any chance you can do some theorycrafting as to why GRRM is dragging his heels on TWoW?
So, in the future, if you could always stop the video when you're speaking, I'd appreciate it. When there are two voices at the same time I can't focus on either one...
But, generally, I liked the idea.
Mans in so deep he's gonna start making theory videos on himself
Fourth wall theory!!
I always knew the Night King was a Jacobs
Preston wrote the pink letter confirmed
Preston planned it all?🤪
@@Halbared yep, he pulls a bran and goes back in time to become GRRM
I mean... we all know Preston is a faceless man so that guy in the video could literally be anyone...
Preston did a face reveal a few years back though.
The big question is will Carmine go on cam now? Hahaha
@@Jeffari1 Who gives a crap? Carmesine Boy has nothing insightful to offer.
A face cut from pure soy
He peeled off some poor lads face to wear
@@MeSoTrashed Just like GRRM.
Heeey there Preston! I still can't shake the feeling that your voice is some sort of unimbodied entity that shouldn't have a face but it's a nice idea!
Preston is a Faceless Man?
I always envisioned him as a strange sickly boy, but maybe it’s just me.
@@Banquet42 he is either a faceless man or a hive minded consciousness messing with the world's events and sending people visions
same! lol
Exactly my feelings !
I feel like an idiot. After all this time my brain just assumed you looked like Sweet Robin.
Me too, friend. Me too.
Lol. If you go through his videos, there are two that I remember off the top of my head where you can see Preston irl. He put up his wedding vows (or at least a clip from his wedding) and you can see a picture of him when he met GRRM (from the video "When Preston Met George"). I think there is also a picture of him holding his kid in the short update video where he announced the birth.
Preston the Mannis
Yes, a cartoonish version of SR. Seeing him live and move as he speaks is ruining the effect.
I thought I was the only one
Preston be like "and we're back revisiting this subject for the 6th time."
Never stop tho. We're the only ones keeping this fandom alive until the fat man gives us what we need.
That's optimistic of you, I've given up hope
@@alphasierra. same
Preach!
Amen!!
I have no idea why, but I read this in Prestons Voice !!! Lol..
PRESTON SHOULD HAVE KEPT THE CAMERA ON DURING THE AD. I WANT TO SEE THE EXCITEMENT FOR RAID SHADOW LEGENDS
Or rather, lack of excitement :)
@@stefanilic0421 it's funny, he apparently actually got hooked on raid and spent money on it to unlock everything.
@@jonttopiathat is hilarious
I once called it the "Bastard letter" but I was drunk and people rightfully beat me up for it.
What? You poor thing
I think George R R Martin himself wrote the Pink Letter.
Hahahah there's no way.... Unless?
Nah you can clearly tell it was Tuf
I've been telling people this for YEARS and they don't believe me. It's pretty obvious GRRM wrote the Pink Letter, all the clues are there.
@Lionheart Lucas then stop wasting letters on YT comments and go back to toil on WoW.
Please.
Holy shit this changes everything.
Omg George, we're doing revisits now. Hurry !!!!
What will come first: Winds of Winter or "The Pink Letter Revisited:Revisited"?
@@akrybionnot yet.
Preston, i remember when i discovered your channel by accident way back when your only video was this very Pink Letter Mystery video, i think you had about 300 subscribers (i might be wrong). After i finished the video i said "wow this makes no sense, but it was entertaining, I'll subscribe, maybe he makes another video." And i've been watching the channel ever since. I'm sure that i'm not alone when i say you've given me hours of entertainment over the years. Keep up the good work! :)
I concur
Same.
In order to go forward, we must go back.
Has Prestoros come full circle?
If I look back, i am lost
Oh no Preston is Tenet! We're breaking the 4th 5th and 6th wall up in here!
Next series: preparing for preparing for winter
@@GabrielRodrigues-ro1ep And the main theme of that series is should we prep for winter knowing that it will probably never arrive 🤣
Can this get even more amazing? Pink lettter, Preston on webcam and 38 minutes long video?
So many likes
@@sermetheu8147 absolutely
Preston, on cam, reading tWoW, in several installments, with images on the background, and Preson's unique voices for each pov-chapter.
and the Bears won!
This is too unusual) Preston should be the Mystery voice)
I literally just watched the original pink letter videos an hour ago. Well, guess its time to watch it again.
Thanks for putting out this video. I would say that I prefer the "Deeper Dorne" style videos when revisiting your older stuff. Just a scripted video where you put out your updated theories, with a brief mention of where you have updated your thoughts.
Pretty cool you finally hired a model to be your faceover, really making these videos more professional.
Constructive video critique:
I really want to hear what you’re saying when you speak. Whether it is your new insight or the older content you’re addressing, it is distracting/difficult to track both audio streams comfortably. (Lower more, or fully stop, the audio on the subordinate track? You stop the original video often, but not consistently as you continue along. Are you making an update, or are you (ack, please no!) making a reaction video?)
You might want to check out how Alton Brown has been doing his “Good Eats Reloaded” series to avoid this issue. Like your old videos, old GE episodes hold up, but I also enjoy his take on doing things now he has a greater understanding of his craft & intentions.
It’s a nitpick, perhaps. However, it is clear you’re always trying new things to make these wonderful video essays on the GRRM “Allstory” we LOVE... & your efforts are certainly appreciated enough for comment.
I’m always happy to see you post new videos. You’re a talented guy with a shiny intellect & a wonderfully dry wit you generously share with your fellow fandom enthusiasts.
Thank you for bringing some happy distraction to my Sunday house maintenance.
The dishes aren’t going to wash themselves.
Very well said completely agree
I got into Game of thrones through the tv show, and it was actually your videos that got me to read the books
"Oh man, look at how old this video is..." Then I realize that this is after ADwD and we still haven't gotten TWoW...depressing
Next year will be the tenth anniversary of ADwD and ASoS will be old enough to legally drink in America.
So depressing…
I'm shook. I can't unsee Preston now, because forever I kept associating him in my head with Sweet Robin.
I know there was no way he could've actually looked like that, but... the illusion has been shattered and my life will never be the same.
Carmine still looks like a pokemon though don't worry
I feel your pain lol
Damn dude, preston is a looker. Who would`ve figured
Handsome Jacobs
He's tall as well, a full 2 meters... maybe more.
@@originalsamshu1 yeah, since I don't know the conversion, he's said he's 6'6"
Lol. Great name.
New channel:
❌ Preston REACTS to PRESTON Videos! CRAZY REACTIONS! OMG! 😱💯❌
🔥🔥🔥🤣🤣🤣🤣🔥🔥😜😜😋🤣🤣🤣❣️❣️🔥🔥🔥❣️🔥😋🔥🔥😋😋😜🔥❣️🤣❣️
"It's the default for iMovie. I now use Final Cut Pro."
When you're out here spending $600 for a copy of a magazine from the mid-90's to make a theory video for UA-cam, you damn well better be using the top of the line software.
Lol that little side eye at “Fake Aya”. Like, “Im just gonna ignore that one ..”
The letter is not exactly enconded, but it has double meaning.
He starts the letter with a direct lie, possibly focusing the lie so Melisandre can get what it means: 'Smashed into seven days of battle.' means the first phrases are encripted. When he says 'Mance Rayder', it means he's starting to speak the truth(or at least what he believes).
The letter is more informative than anything. Mance may have used Squirrel to put the letter in the ravenry and do the worst type of encryption. He talks of the walls of winterfell because it's probably talking of the Umbers, and he talks of 'come and get him' because he thinks Mance needs help. Or at least is what I think it is.
He then talks of the wildling babe because Jon is in debt to Mance, reminding him to rescue him. Or at least is what I think.
Love your stuff Preston! I'm actually looking forward to TWOW mostly for the theory videos from Preston that will surely follow!
Please keep up the good work!
George, drop TWOW so Preston can get a million subs. And a TV deal.
Preston face cam? Wtf! Nice dude
as someone following your stuff for a while....
the central appeal has always been your way of thinking about the story... it's, as they say, "outside the box"... what I mean by that is, it's outside of the usual fantasy, literature, pop culture tropes... which is the perfect approach for the author we're discussing....
what developed over time, as you say yourself, is your ability in film-/videomaking... the structure, editing etc... but as is true for most crafts, that comes kinda naturally by doing it...
and you're indeed very funny... it's just a very dry sort of humor that reveals itself by thinking about it... so pretty much like stannis...
I like that he compares Asoiaf with the other works of Grrm... Its not outside the box but ive seen no one doing this befor
@@defrary5569 yeah, that's a huge draw for me too.... and it's kind of what makes prestons thinking out if the box in comparism to other interpretations...
they interpret ASOIF in the context of "normal" works in the fantasy genre... but when you interpret it in the context of GRRMs other works (which of course is the way to go) you end up in a very different place...
"Part two" he says. "Soon" he says. Waiting on you, buddy.
I started watching your channel around Christmas 2014, the pink letter video was the first I watched, then I proceeded to binge everything else you had posted! Since then I watched the OG pink letter video probably 20 times, so I gotta say I’m excited for the update!!
Finally, theory videos with director's commentary
Stannis the Mannis has had the same voice since 2014. Preston’s continuity is excellent.
This is great! For some reason I always imagined Preston was like 22 years old.
Mentioning spearwives is probably just another thing to rile Jon up, he of course had his relationship with Ygritte, which means the writer likely knew about it. This still points to Mance of course, or Stannis, since Melisandre seem to know about the relationship and would probably tell Stannis.
You are the only channel I let raid shadow legends ads go for not closing the video immediately.
I don't blame creator's for needing a sponsor, I just can't not hate it
i think preston was blunter and cruder in his older videos and it was bad ass
Lol, okay Sir Chad
Literally the time i saw this uploaded...meaning the time Ive sent this comment...is 12:23 AM here in Nairobi, Kenya.
I was done with youtube for the day
then Preston Jacobs happened.
Anyways, bless me tonight with wisdom as deep as weirwood roots, daddy Preston .
Preston haezi tukosea. A pillar of the ever so insightful part of UA-cam.
Dedication!
@@keldiano Walai tena.
Omg thats how the great king of westeros looks like? Extraordinary
I remember when I first stumbled upon this video, years ago, and I was definitely one of those “casual fans” who didn’t think too much of the letter. I had only read the books one time, and when you read them quickly, you miss a lot (obviously). I watched this video and was impressed by your ability to cause me to “rethink Ice and Fire”-like your channel banner. I have since reread the books a few times, and after having watched so many of your theory videos, it has really changed the way I read the books.
I just rewatched the original pink letter videos the other day and wondered what you think about the letter today and here it is! Made my day Preston!
I really liked this. How come no part 2?
I love this. Please do more, Preston!!
I was so happy to see a new video from you. I hate live streams thank you so much for doing a regular video and keeping us informed on different views of our favorite book series
You really should follow up more on your old vids - love to see how thoughts and insights have evolved!
Great idea doing a revisiting series. It’s awesome to finally see the face behind the voice. I know exactly what you’re talking about with Ken Burns and Imovies. That’s what I use for making videos. Maybe one day I’ll look back and notice little things like that as well. I’ve say your early videos hold up well (I did notice and always wondered what the clicking noise was) but I’ve noticed a great improvement in quality and smoothness in the videos over time. After watch all your videos, when The Winds of Winter comes out, i’m definitely going to look deeper into anything we’re shown and take nothing at face value.
Preston you are the only person who can pull another 40 minutes or material from the pink letter. I love you man seriously, you keep me thinking about Westeros all day every day.
"behold his glory!"
[insert dick joke]
Still one of the best things from any Preston video.
WHOA MAN! You can't just do an un-announced face reveal like that. That almost shattered my brain.
I forgot about this. I hope your still going to do a part two.
Preston looks a bit more stoned than I expected not gonaa lie.
Lmao I RAN to the comments to see if anyone thought the same thing
He's stoned while making this video and i'm stoned as I watch it.
@@bobthepervyuncle ganggang
Great video. You should make a theory video just about Val. There are so many different theories around that center around her be great to know what you think about her
So I don't know if you or anyone else will see/read this, but I am rereading the letter and I have a personal theory about whether it has a code/how it is implemented and how it is specifically written by Mance to impact the person reading it.
(AN: This could just be complete hindsight talking, given we know what happens when the letter is read and who specifically reads the letter, but there can’t not be some secrecy involved)
The letter is broken into two specific sections: The "Your False King" sections and the "My Bride" sections.
If you read it as Jon, the first thing you will see is the beginning of the letter because that is where your stake in the matter is. Whether or not Stannis Baratheon lives and dies determines the fate of the Night’s Watch. If the “false king” is dead, Ramsay and Roose will inevitably take revenge on them for helping him and their only access to outside food via the Iron Bank is gone.
If you read it as Tormund, you would focus on the third and fourth paragraphs as they pertain to the Wildlings the most. Mance is named. Val is mentioned. The spear wives are mentioned. Everything in these paragraphs pertain to the fate of the Wildlings. If Mance is either imprisoned or dead, Tormund is now the highest ranking leader among the Wildlings, save The Weeper and arguably Styr, the Magnar of Thenn. And if Stannis is dead, it’s up the Wildlings to defend themselves if and when the Bolton army comes for them.
Now consider who is writing it. Mance is a smart man who was raised in the south and knows what it will take to get someone like Jon Snow, an honor-obsessed idiot, to be pissed off and irrational. Nothing new to discuss here. Stannis is dead, Mance is in jail, the women are dead, etc.
SOMEHOW, Ramsay knows about the ceremony at the Wall. You could say that he tortured Mance and the women, but what value is it to say that he knows they lied. Does anyone south of the Wall know that “Mance Rayder" was burned and they covered it up? Does anyone care? Even if he was dead, Tormund would be considered the next “king” by southron standards because of his bloodline and his standing within Mance’s inner circle.
That part specifically hints to Mance being the writer because it is intended to be a “gotcha!” moment for Jon where he is supposed to believe Ramsay wrote it because he knows their secret.
But does it matter?
But given that the Wildlings and the Night’s Watch are working “together” (a very liberal term, I know) and you consider that Mance would know that Tormund would be at Jon’s side when the letter is delivered (I’ll discuss this later) then it stands to reason that they have a “Mance Rayder Master Plan” in the works and this is the signal fire to get the ball rolling. He knows Jon would either consult him on the letter or he would be in the room and Jon would share it because it pertains to both of them.
Tormund would have read through it carefully for any codewords or specific phrasings for advice on what to do next. I believe I have decoded what the plan is after checking the way the letter is formatted entirely on what “Ramsay” WANTS, what “Ramsay” DEMANDS, and what “Ramsay” OFFERS.
“I WANT my bride back.”
“I WANT the false king’s queen.”
“I WANT his daughter and his red witch”
“I WANT my Reek.”
“I WILL have my bride back”
“If YOU WANT Mance Rayder back, come and get him.”
“Ramsay" is both goading Jon into riding south AND listing demands for Jon in the event that he gives up and surrenders, something Jon Snow would never do. “Ramsay” knows that Jon would die fighting than betray the Baratheon men, who are protected by guest right on top of being the people who saved the Wall.
This is where we need to consider Tormund in the whole thing.
Tormund and Mance have been close as brothers for years. He is Mance’s most trusted lieutenant. He does so much as the second in command of the Wildling forces, it’s impossible for a “Mance Rayder Master Plan” to not have him as the most important piece. This letter, as said before, is the key to this plan. Whether or not Tormund knows what he wants is unknown, but we do know what he is supposed to do based on Mance’s shopping list.
The Mance Rayder Master Plan
1. Fake his death and have a letter delivered to the Wall so both Jon and Tormund read it.
2. Goad Jon Snow into rallying the might of the Wall and/or the Wildlings OR into traveling south to get his sister
*Mance cannot know whether Jon will march with an army or go alone so this is a wildcard*
3. Tormund will more than likely be dispatched to gather any missing Wildlings so the Wall will have more reinforcements, a Val has done before which established precedent in Jon trusting Wildlings to go out and find Wildlings
*Mance has to assume that Jon would want the Wildlings to help him since they have stake in Mance being a captive. If Jon marches with a Wildling host, there would need to be more Wildlings in Castle Black lest they be betrayed by the Brothers.*
4. The third paragraph is how Mance can rally the Wildlings behind Jon to march south. If they believe he is alive and then provide “proof” via an outside party who could never know unless he extracted the information from the man himself. The Wildlings love Mance and would die for him. If there was ever a way to rally them, it would be to make Jon admit he is alive.
5. Mance’s Shopping List is there for everyone to see if you pay attention:
He wants Val.
He wants Selyse.
He wants Shireen and Melisandre.
He wants Theon.
Tormund and the Wildlings are tasked with retrieving all of these key pieces to Mance’s plan. Surprisingly, they would have a very easy go of it if they wanted to.
Val and Mel are in Castle Black, a castle that Mance has to know will erupt into chaos if their Lord Commander says he intends to march south.
Shireen and Selyse are in Eastwatch, an undermanned castle that just lost Cotter Pyke and eleven ships AND currently have a column of mammoths and giants marching toward them since the gate at Castle Black is too small for them to go through.
And Theon is a crippled man who can’t exactly run if the Wildlings were to ambush the party he was traveling with.
Also don't forget The Weeper has a massive army just lurking around that could strike and overrun a Night's Watch castle at any moment. If Tormund were to escape the incoming chaos at the Wall, I'd assume that is the first place he would go to continue the fight.
If Mance wanted to break free of Stannis and the Night’s Watch’s influence over his people, this would be how to do it. Send the Watch into disarray by having Jon either forsake his vows alone or attempt to raise a Wildling army. Gather all of Stannis’ most valuable assets and hold them hostage until their demands are met. And hold Theon, the key to the Iron Islands, hostage.
A core theme of A Song of Ice and Fire is that some battles can’t be fought on the battlefield. If Mance knows he is doomed if the Night’s Watch has the Wall and Stannis defending them, why not undermine them by infiltrating their ranks, sow discontent, and then attack when they are too busy bickering with themselves to notice how badly they’ve been played?
It also greatly parallels the situation in Winterfell. Multiple plots are being enacted by multiple parties and utter chaos is happening, which ends up undermining every plot in the process. At the Wall, the Night’s Watch is in the middle of a coup that may result in all of the Wildling leaders dying and crippling their leadership while at the same time Mance is attempting to rally them and defeat their enemies.
I just thought of this in a half hour after hearing Preston saying he spent so long trying to decode some secret message. I read it and it seems clear as day to me. A bitter man has been defeated and has a plan to get revenge and make his people stronger than ever.
Any thoughts if you made it this far?
I like it. And george likes to show how carefully laid plans blow up in our faces. This fits. I've always thought that it made the most semse for it to be from Mance because he is the only one who would want those specific people.
Also there is a 2 hr off page meeting between Jon Tormund & Mel AFTER the arrival of the letter. I think that meeting was huge.
Still believe that Mance is Arthur Dayne and Tormund is Gerald Hightower. The Halfhand was Oswald Whent. Mance and Arthur are Friends and former Kingsguard brothers. If a Tormund was a true Wildling he wouldn’t be able to read, but he grew up near Oldtown. He uses those Hars and jokes to try to disguise himself. Even Ygritte doesn’t believe Mance to be a Wildling. Tormund can definitely read and write! They are brothers to the end! Mance was sad when he learned Jon had killed the Halfhand, and he wasn’t referring to the Nightswatch when he says “He was my brother once”.
This makes sense to me, it‘s not so much „coded“ if you know what to look for, which tormund would
Thank you for doing this Preston. I was just talking about the Pink Letter a few days ago. I’m so glad you went back after all this time and did this again after all the stuff you know now, things that have happened, etc... thank you
Hey Preston.. I've been a faithful follower of your videos since the beginning. Those first ones, the Pink Letter, Tower of Joy, Dany's childhood mysteries... those have a special place in my heart. Because watching them made me fall in love with the series more than reading the actual books.
I like this new format where we revisit them. Keep up the good work.
A Storm of Swords:
"Vanished, aye," said Mance Rayder. "And not just the free folk. Who told you where we were, Jon Snow?"
Tormund snorted. "It were Craster, or I'm a blushing maid. I told you, Mance, that creature needs to be shorter by a head."
The king gave the older man an irritated look. "Tormund, some day try thinking before you speak. I know it was Craster. I asked Jon to see if he would tell it true."
A Dance with Dragons:
"Might be all a skin o' lies." Tormund scratched under his beard.
Everyone in the comments saying they thought Preston looked like Sweetrobin, but I thought he was just a disembodied consciousnesss
I was a young man. It was 1998 and I had just finished my stint in the Army. I went to the bookstore, new big paperback GOT was released 1 week before ACOK was released. ASOS came out 3 years later. I am now 45. This will never end. In my naïve youth I thought a wheel of time was taking a long time between books...
In 6 years we'll see a Preston reacting to Preston reacting to Preston video. We'll still be waiting for WoW.
I remember watching this video not long after you first posted it. It makes me happy you are still here. Please stick around.
For the Pink Letter mystery to be unravelled, simply re-read all the segments featuring glamoured Rattleshirt/Lord of Bones a.k.a Mance Rayder in disguise - & compare his language, vocabulary, insults etc. to the Pink Letter. You will be left in no doubt that Mance wrote the Pink Letter. The why of it is also not that difficult - Jon's reaction is the purpose of the Pink Letter, to get Jon Snow away from Castle Black. Why? Because House Bolton are in on a conspiracy to assassinate Jon which was originally ordered by Cersei. The naming of the other personalities in the letter is clearly indicating who else is in danger, Mance has been able to get info/intel on plans to kill Melisandre, Val, Shereen etc. & the Pink Letter is warning them as well.
You were the first person I heard call it “the pink letter” I didn’t know there was a name. The first time I read the book I assumed Ramsay wrote the letter.
Preston: "It's interesting to go back and watch someones first videos and compare them to now to see how they've evolved"
Me: *Goes to "The Dragon Demands" Channel*
I'll give one thing to the man, he's consistent.
If not persistent.
Consistent and monotonous. If you've seen one video of his, you've seen them all. His thesis never changes, ever.
"we reconcieved the role to make it worthy of the actors talent"
He's the Alex Jones of the fandom
@@lovablesnowman "Rhaenyra has an army"
Been so long without a book we gotta start with the begging all over again!
In my mind Preston still looks like sweet robin. On a serious note it’s brilliant to see how far your channels grown from the first video. Keep up the good work and I very much look forward to your future work
I'm in New job orientation but secretly listening to this..its awesome because there's a really old woman up there talking but Preston's voice is coming out.
I appreciate that you're willing to reflect on earlier videos/theories like this one and the Dornish Master Plan videos!!
Would love to see this review with Alliances of Iron and Minds of Wolves and Robins. After going through your entire library a few times, it feels like you really started to come into your own in AoI and hit your stride in MoWaR. (Obviously you peaked with your Red Dwarf references during Season 6 reviews)
I love all his videos but I think wolves and robbins and then the prepping series is the best. I really feel like the politics of it feel true.
I think your one of the very first channels ove ever subbed to and dude i will never stop watching. Keep up the great stuff Preston
I regularly revisit your old videos and I am amazed at how early you had pointed out connections that you eventually evolved but had the core early on! Some of those early Daenarys videos, I loved the Genetics of Dragons series, and for me the breakdown of the Riverlands and Ironborn were just eye openers. All I can say is I hope we get new material and that you will indeed turn out to be right about “half of this” AT MINIMUM🤞
Just here to say I am very grateful for your content, keep bringing it on!
Really fun revisiting this. The Pink Letter and Dorne got me really hooked on your theories
I don’t know what I expected him to look like, but it wasn’t this.
In the best way possible.
this is great! you should do this for all the littlefinger videos and dorne!
Preston with a face cam? 2020 truly is a strange year.
I've been wanting to re listen to all your Waiting for Winds series..
But you have so many of them! This format is great, and easier to keep track of what I wanted to relisten to.
Keep up the great work.
You should bring Carmine in as well, have both of y'all theorizing over your original theories
And I was here for that video & still rewatch frequently, all to be exact. Love your videos and the constant "improvements" over the years. Hands down my favorite channel!
Edit: Please never take those "classic Preston" videos down 🤗
I’ve been following you for years. Your channel has been a beautiful answer to my insomnia. I don’t want to know how the sausage is made.
Christmas came earlier. Thank you Preston!
You keep this fandom alive Preston!
Hey Preston, been a subscriber since 2015 and I’ve gotta thank you for the hours upon hours of entertainment you’ve given me. I for one welcome these retrospectives on a lot of your work.
Since the thousand worlds book club finished, I think you developed a greater understanding of GRRM and helped you interpret ASOIAF. So the older content could do with the tinfoil treatment.
I might be on my own here but I’d appreciate any deeper analysis upon GRRM’s other works that you might not have covered yet.
This was my door down the rabbit hole. Thanks PJ
Mah gawd, Preston with a face cam coming full circle. This is a treat for die-hard fans I'm telling you. Unexpected, but very welcome :)
Thanks Preston! It always makes my day when I see a new video of yours!
Yo that green screen action! Can't wait to see P's Westworld s04 videos with THAT development.
Calling it now, we'll have to go through a "Pink Letter Re:Re:Re:Visited" before the next (legitimate) GRRM update about TWOW
I hope not, but most likely 🤣💀
I remember your wedding video.. ive been here that long! Love your channel Preston 🙌
Preston’s face! Love all your videos man , have viewed and reviewed all of them ! Thanks
I love your videos more than the books themselves and obviously more than the show! I love just rewatching your old videos.
Goddamn look at that jaw, who would've guessed that Preston has the face do imagined for Sir Chad Summerchild.
Hello Preston. Now Can finally see your face. I'm really appreciate your passion to analyze future stories, fan theories, and secret schemes of ASOIAF.
I've always thought it was Stannis or Melisandre who wrote it to get John to come help and take his place in Winterfell. But Mance makes sense because he would know the info that it contains that Stannis or Melisandre wouldn't necessarily know. Can't wait to find out the truth
Hey Preston! Love your videos. I've been rereading "Fire and Blood", and there's some fascinating back stories in there. I know you did some podcasts on the book, but I would love to hear your take on individual reigns, the wyrms of Valyria and whatever else from the book you think may be important to the main story.
As a fan of these videos, I want to say I appreciate their content more than their movie-effects.
Being 16 minutes in, what I understand is that the original video holds us. I already knew that, for once!
I think the letter was co-authored by Mance & Stannis with input from Theon.
The letters main function, for Stannis, is to get Jon to break his vows, so he's no longer bound to the wall. Enabling him to become the head of Winterfell & freely help Stannis.
Though I think it was Mance's idea. I need to double check the timing but I believe Mance was still at the wall when Mel first had the vision of the gray girl on a dying horse coming to the wall. I think he used that information, along with his keen ability to read people, to come up with a plan to entice Jon into breaking his vows, just like Stannis wants
For Mance's it's a way to better ingratiate himself to Stannis, and to signal to Tormund & the other wildlings, that he is still alive, and to get them to come to him.
And based off of what Mel said to Jon about looking to the skies, I believe she was waiting for a letter, possibly because of some predetermined plan with Stannis and/or Mance, with instructions indicating what they should do next.(plus, remember what Stannis told Justin Massey, he's clearly got something up his sleeve, seemingly involving the faking of his death)
Which would make sense of the laundry list of people the author wants to come to Winterfell. The seven days could be related to this, as well
Val could've been tipped off by Mance too, so the seven days might be some message for her and/or Tormund, though, not necessarily
I am hypted to rewatch all of Preston's videos after the serie is finished one day to see which of his predictions were were right.
We'll never know at this rate
I hope we all live that long
Wow i just watched your entire northern/pink letter series this morning!
This is the best xmas gift ever!
Preston saved 4 years of NYC subway rides for me. So weird seeing his face. Guy is just wonderful. 🐐
A face reveal?! And a 30+ min video?! Christmas came early thank you Preston. Love to see it, and love to see your face! You gotta voice for the radio and a face for TV, you should be on all your videos! 🖤🖤
AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhh!!!! loving everything you do for us, you sexy hulking redwood of a man. hoping all the other comments are better than this one.
Thanks for always making Game of thrones fun and insightful. No one does it quite like you, Mr. Jacobs