There were even more returns on Sunday's Game of Thrones, but this time not from the dead. Still, it doesn't hurt to refresh a bit on their history. Why is Brynden Tully called The Blackfish on Game of Thrones ? Cat's uncle has an interesting backstory.
The story behind the nickname is actually pretty simple — he's the black sheep or goat of the family, but House Tully's sigil is a silver trout. Get it? Brynden actually gave himself the nickname, joking that it would be more appropriate to consider himself a member of a school of fish. What's interesting is that he is considered the Blackfish partially because he refused to enter into a marriage of alliance. Who else made that choice? Robb Stark. He chose love (just like Robb's aunt Lyanna Stark, if you subscribe to the R+L=J theory) over politics. It must run in the family.
Truly though, the fact that he has such an ominous name for a pretty chill thing is impressive. It's a good example of the lesson that Tyrion tried to impress upon Jon Snow in Game of Thrones Season 1. Own your weaknesses and let them define you in a positive way. Therefore, nobody can use it against you. The Riverlands have, all of a sudden, become the heart of a lot of action on Game of Thrones. I like the Blackfish a lot, even more now that I know where his name comes from, and I'm interested in where all this is going.
Image: courtesy of HBO
