Melisandre Theories (6x01 Spoilers)

I'll just leave this here in case we decide the costume similarities for the Red Priests and Priestesses has any significance to theories and speculations behind their powers and abilities.

I'd really love to see this have some sort of significance or meaning to the similar pattern. Especially since it was pointed out by boojam that Quaithe isn't a Red Priestess though she was trained the same as Melisandre as a shadowbinder in Asshai. 

Previously, in season 4, we see Mel taking a bath (with her ruby necklace removed). Some, myself included, have said this may be a continuity error. Others, that the power is not directly in the ruby but her changing is more symbolic of a lack of faith.

I only looked at the screenshot of Mel in the bath making the decision it is a continuity error.

I just rewatched the scene, and it seems it could be plausible that Mel was in her true form there; visible to Selyse but not to the audience (as to not give it away).



Selyse does seem... shocked, curious? (I'm not sure if that is the right description of her facial expressions) about Mel in the bath. Sure, it could be her seeing Mel's 'beauty' and feeling sorry for herself, but now it seems to me that Selyse could have seen her true form?

Mel also instructs Selyse to bring her potions, perhaps foreshadowing that potions are involved in her glamour too?



Mel instructs Selyse to bring her a vial with a blue potion in it, and in 6x01, we see some vials on her dresser before the change; none are blue, but we could not have seen them all or the original potion wasn't the glamour potion, but just for foreshadowing.

Though, when Mel removed the ruby necklace it DID glow - this always happens in the show when something is happening regarding Mel's powers (think the poison with Cressen).

Great analysis and callback to that curious bath scene in season 4 Zadeth - it was a topic I wanted to get around to discussing eventually as more people are weighing in on it now in discussions on the internet. It's definitely a valid argument on both sides.

In particular:



I have to suspect Melisandre uses a combination of potions and magic within the ruby as both seem to have been emphasized both in the books and on the show. The potions might actually be what's keeping her alive so long while the ruby's magic is what disguises her looks. Maybe?

As for why they didn't show Mel's true form way back in Season 4, it may have been the simple fact as speculated from that remark by the prosthetics lead guy that they weren't ready to do it yet but had been planning it for awhile. Maybe they felt the timing was wrong then and saving it for a more impactful moment (like now) was the better call.

It would be neat to know if Selyse saw Mel's true form which is why she follows her so devoutly. But now Selyse and everyone else is dead so we'll probably never know.

It does seem to be a pretty big detail to just accidentally overlook, you're right. As much attention to detail as they pay to costumes (such as the photo I linked showing the similarities between the red priests and Quaithe) you would think they'd have made a solid decision about her ruby necklace back in Season 4, so maybe it really is just a discontinuity issue they are glossing over now. Perhaps GRRM or someone in authority pointed it out to them so they made sure to correct it this season with the big reveal?

Without knowing exactly what causes Melisandre to look youthful (or old) we can only speculate about the ruby choker being the main source since it seemed pretty obvious. She took it off, you saw the 'old lady' hand putting it on the dresser before you even saw her image in the mirror - so it was pretty instantaneous and immediately after she removed the necklace. 

This happens in all genres of fiction in my opinion. Viewers expect consistent rules on why or why not something imaginary like magic can work sometimes and not others. But the truth is, it can be explained several ways.

#1- She has powers
#2 -The ruby has powers
#3 - Combination of both

This is my theory.

The Red Ruby is a symbol of her faith. It's her faith that produces the glamour, not the Red Ruby. Her faith was at a super-high with Seylse during the bath scene and didn't need the Ruby.

At the end of season 5, her faith plummeted. But the Ruby was a reminder to her of her Red God and still gave her a little strength.

In 601, when she removed the Red Ruby, she let her faith down and out came her true self.

I consider the 'faces' used in the House of Black and White a type of glamouring too though and they did some great special effects work with that last season and probably will again this season. While the actual faces (skin) is just a prop, it's the magic within it that makes the person become that appearance (and also retain some of the thoughts of the original person if I recall from the books). 

So in a way, we could compare the ruby choker to the faces in the House of Black and White. They are just tools to harness the magic.

In the books, Stannis' Lightbringer is clearly glamoured by the ruby, as was Mance. Maybe they change it up in the show, but honestly, I think it was a simple oversight.
We can all look past the fact that Darth Vader walks through a solid object in Return of the Jedi due to sloppy editing , or the fact you can clearly see a cameraman filming in the mirror in the old Scrooge film. I think we can just chalk this one up to them being sloppy, and the more they try and talk out of this, the more plot holes we'll wind up with.

Or, because this was a pretty throwaway scene, and the director, actors and crew in general didn't know about the spoiler, no one bothered to remember to tell Carice to wear the necklace and the just ran with what they have.

Honestly, I think it is an oversight, and the more we try to justify it, the more confusing things get.

I'd take away Mel's faith since it seems pretty much shattered right now, though that may be why she took it off. The potions are something that may actually play into it, since Melisandre in the books indicates glamouring a person as someone else requires something of that person, so maybe it has something to do with it, since Mel did mention to Selyse they help her seduce men.

I still feel it was an oversight though. In general, I don't think anyone will care, I mean GRRM himself had a characters eyes change colour and a horse change genders.