Episode 69: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

“She never fooled you. You’ve always known what she was. And you loved her anyway.”

Major Plot Points: Jon acts weird around his aunt.  Sansa and Dany have girl time.  Davos serves lunch.  Sam slays.  Arya and Gendry make up for lost time.  Jaime is a good guy now.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Jaime did not stab Aerys in the back.  Figuratively he did, but he literally stabbed him through the front.  I feel like there is a big difference.
2. The Golden Company always had exactly 10,000 men, no more no less.  As soon as one was killed, one more joined.  Here they have 20,000 men. 
3. Daenerys telling Tyrion that she will find another Hand, is extremely reminiscent of her late father Aerys.  Aerys went through 5 different Hands during Robert’s Rebellion alone.  First Tywin, then Owen Merryweather, then Jon Connington, then Qarlton Chelsted, and finally a crazy pyromancer.  He actually burned Qarlton alive when he protested Aerys’ plan to burn down the capital.
4. Brienne was constantly tormented as a child, and as an adult.  Her father tried finding her a husband when she was younger, but they all jeered and rejected her.  She never outgrew this pain, and legitimately could not fathom Jaime being kind to her.
5. Tormund tells other ridiculous stories to Jon.  He claims to have at one time wrestled a she-bear, and mated with her.  It has to be true.
6. Brienne is a descendant of Ser Duncan the Tall, a legendary Commander of the Kingsguard who was the main protagonist of the “Dunk and Egg” series of novellas.  The name of this episode A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a reference to both Brienne, and Dunk.  The name of the Dunk and Egg anthology is A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.
7. Jeor Mormont’s dying wish to Sam, was for Jorah to come home and take the black.  We did not get to see this in the show.  When Jorah takes Heartsbane from Sam, he says he will guard the realms of men.  A nice callback to the old crow. 
8. Podrick sings the song of Jenny of Oldstones.  This song is about a woman who fell in love with a Targaryen heir, and he abdicated the throne to be with her.  They both tragically died in a fire that killed almost all of the remaining Targaryens in their keep of Summerhall.  It was in this fire that Rhaegar Targaryen, Jon’s father, was born.  Seems oddly prophetic that the scene after this was where Jon tells Dany about his real dad.

Other Points to Notice

1. Daenerys is rightfully angry with Tyrion.  If you count season 6, he has now been wrong about: the slave masters, taking Casterly Rock, and negotiating with Cersei.
2. When did Arya learn how to throw daggers? I guess she learned a lot of things off screen in Braavos.
3. There may be a little of Bran Stark left inside the Three Eyed Raven, he seemed a bit personally invested with Jaime. It is possible him asking Jaime, “How do you know there will be an afterwards” foreshadows Jaime dying.
4. It seems like Cersei is really pregnant, or at least Jaime believes so. I highly doubt the child will live past birth though.
5. “At least Cersei won’t murder me.”  Tyrion may be surprised when Bronn arrives.
6. We had a great scene between Sansa and Dany.  These 2 characters have had similarly dark paths, and really should like each other.  But at the end, Sansa sticks to her guns and asks Dany questions that she is not ready to answer.  This plot is not over yet.
7. Theon has finally found the home and acceptance he’s always looked for.  He’s back in Winterfell, fighting with his real family.  Sansa embraces him, and in that moment we know his real struggle is over.  Of course, this is an absolute death sentence for him, and now he can die honorably in peace next week. 
8. The little girl with the facial scar is a clear callback to Shireen.  Davos almost cries just talking to her.  Of course, Davos wasn’t the only one to have loved Shireen, Gilly was also taught by her how to read.  She also notices the connection and shows kindness to her.  All the while, Shireen’s theme music plays over the scene. 
9. There is a chance that the Night King is not with his army marching on Winterfell.  We know that there are over one million people in King’s Landing.  That’s ten times the size of his current army.  He could be flying there alone, to get more recruits.
10. Tyrion hears Bran’s story about becoming the Three Eyed Raven.  We also hear many times this episode how his intelligence is still his greatest asset.  My personal theory is that before this all ends, Tyrion will have one last stroke of genius that allows Dany/Jon to defeat Cersei and/or the Night King. 
11. Sure it’s a bit weird to see Arya knocking boots with Gendry, but her character is 18 so it’s kosher.  Plus no one seemed to care when 14 year old Tommen banged Margaery. 
12. Brienne tells the group that she never wanted to be a knight.  Obviously she is lying, due to her constant fear of being belittled.  She doesn’t even believe Jaime when he first offers her knighthood.  It shows how much she respects Podrick, because she looks to him for advice. 
13. Jaime is a completely different character in this episode than we have seen before.  No jokes, no mask of arrogance, and most importantly no Cersei.  He is pretty much guaranteed to die at some point in a final redemptive act of sacrifice, but whether this will be during the battle at Winterfell, or while taking down his sister, remains to be seen. 
14. Dany’s first response to Jon telling her about his true parentage; is to get angry that he may be trying to steal her throne.  Jon clearly does not want the throne,  he was more concerned about their relationship.  He seems hurt by Dany’s reaction. 

Stray Observations:

1. Jaime’s face when Bran tells him “The things we do for love.” is hilarious.
2. I think Sansa is wearing armor in this episode.
3. Jaime losing the blonde color in his hair could be a way for the writers to symbolize him losing his ties to the Lannister house, and Cersei.
4. If Jorah lives,  he could be the one to help Daenerys see reason in the end before she totally loses it and burns everyone alive.
5. It’s wild to me that Davos is the lunch lady of Winterfell.  What a guy.
6. Tormund really stole that hug from Dolores Edd.
7. Grey Worm gives the classic “when this is all over” speech that almost certainly means he is going to die.
8. GHOST SIGHTING!  The fact that none of the characters mention him makes me think that the directors really just expected us to believe he was always in the background.
9. Tyrion’s whore abstinence is due to Shae’s death still weighing on him.
10. “I fought for you, didn’t I?”
11. First time we see someone being knighted in the television series.
12. Unfortunately, the trailer ruined the fact that Jorah receives Heartsbane.  It’s still a cool moment to see Sam giving the sword to Jorah.
13. Podrick singing right before a battle is eerily similar to Pippin singing to Denethor before the Battle of Pelennor Fields in Return of the King.
14. The crypts were mentioned 4 times as being safe this episode.  I counted.  Seems foolish to keep women and children by corpses that could be re-animated.

RIP: Probably 80% of the main cast next week.

Episode 68: Winterfell

“You gave up your crown to save your people, would she do the same?”

Major Plot Points: Daenerys arrives in Winterfell.  Sansa lets everyone know how dumb they are.  Arya rekindles an old flame.  Jon finds out he has even more dad issues than he thought. Jaime meets an old friend.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. For the first time in the show, we see the town outside of Winterfell, aptly known as Winter town.  It’s hard to tell in the show, but most people in the area actually live in the farms and fields outside of Winterfell, since the actual keep could not hold a large population.  During summer, the town is mostly empty, then when winter comes, the people all move back to Winter town and set up camps and houses.
2. When Sansa left Tyrion, it was clearly established that they were still legally married.  It was never officially annulled, and this was brought up a handful of times by both of them in POV chapters.  The show never really brought it up, and Sansa was married to Ramsey without a second thought.  When her and Tyrion meet up here, it is still technically as husband and wife.
3. Harry Strickland, the leader of the Golden Company, is the great-grandson of an unnamed general who died in a Blackfyre Rebellion.  He is recruited by Jon Connington on behalf of Aegon Targaryen (not Jon Snow, Rhaegar’s other son who may be a fake) and invades the Stormlands in Westeros late in the series.  He is reluctant to fight and appears quite cowardly.  Either way, he doesn’t fight for Cersei.
4. A dragon will only take one rider in its lifetime, unless that rider dies. When Jon rides Rhaegal, that means no one else will ever ride him.  Also, it is said only someone with Targaryen blood can tame and ride a dragon.  These points are hugely significant but neither Jon nor Daenerys seem to know them.  It is very fitting that Jon rides the dragon named after his true father. 
5. If Jon has his heritage revealed in a similar way, it would be very hard to prove this claim.  Why would anyone believe Sam’s reading or Bran’s visions?

Other Points to Notice

1. Right off the bat we are treated to a new opening theme.  We see a more intimate look into both Winterfell, and King’s Landing. We also see on the ring different depictions of scenes from the show.  They are hard to make out, but I believe one shows a flayed man holding a wolf head, which of course describes the Red Wedding.
2. The first scene mirrors one of the first scenes of the show’s pilot.  We see a queen and her army entering Winterfell, as a young boy climbs up high to get a closer look.  Robert Baratheon’s theme music even plays.
3. Tyrion calls Dany’s army “the greatest army the North has ever seen.” This is very similar to when the late Mance Rayder once claimed to light “the greatest fire the North has ever seen.”  Hopefully it works out better for this crew.
4. Arya does the same running hug to Jon that she did back in Season 1.  This is the most real emotion we have seen from her since Robb died.  It’s pretty sad to think about how she has to lie to Jon about how many people she’s killed. 
5. I wonder what Cersei’s motive for sleeping with Euron is.  Maybe to make it seem like her new pregnancy is not from her brother?
6. We hear the whores Bronn is with talk about a ginger Lannister soldier named Eddie who had his eyelids melted off.  Ed Sheeran’s character was a ginger soldier named Eddie.  This is the showrunners apologizing to us.
7. If it wasn’t obvious, the crossbow given to Bronn by Qyburn is the same one Tyrion used to kill Tywin in Season 4.
8. If you are wondering why it was so easy for Theon and company to rescue Yara, remember one key fact about Euron Greyjoy.  His entire crew is composed of mutes.  This strategy has some serious downfalls.
9. Such a heart warming moment between the Hound and Arya. He even calls her an icy little bitch. Love those two.  Also the weapon Gendry makes her is going to be sick.  My guess is a quarterstaff with dragonglass on one end, the valyrian steel dagger on the other.  And it can come apart into 2 separate weapons.
10. I absolutely hate the scene with Jorah, Dany, and Sam.  It’s a great scene, but fuck does Daenerys come off psychopathic.  Sam is justifiably distraught about finding out his father died, and Dany just stands there.  Sam is the one that has to ask for privacy, and Daenerys tells him about his brother so coldly.  I feel more and more strongly that she will end up being the villain.  For those wondering why Sam was so upset about his awful dad dying, John Bradley, the actor who plays him, said he based his performance on studies that children grieve even harder for parents they had bad relationships with.  This is because they die and you feel like so much was unresolved and unsaid.
11. Another incredible Sam scene when he tells Jon about his real father.  First, you notice Jon by Ned’s statue, then when he finds out, he walks right in front of Lyanna’s statue, his real mother.  Sam also brings up an incredible point about Daenerys that Jon needed to hear.  Unfortunately, I doubt she would ever give up her crown, since to her it’s become all she really cares about at this point. 
12. When Tormund is standing in front of Ned Umber’s corpse, you can see the eyes turn blue before he screams.  I found that even better than the jump scare.
13. Jaime’s entrance into Winterfell could not have gone worse.  Looking forward to his conversation with Bran.

Stray Observations:

1. What does Bran mean when he says he is almost a man?
2. Hilarious that lil Lord Umber was hiding behind a large man.
3. We never really see the agreement Tyrion and Cersei came to last season.  Sansa finds it obvious that Cersei isn’t coming to help them, and it is weird Tyrion isn’t suspicious.  Maybe he knows something.
4. Good to see Yara isn’t a mute.  Euron is growing soft.
5. No way Bronn kills Jaime or Tyrion right?
6. Man, they are foreshadowing Daenerys running to Pyke.  I expect a devastating loss against the Night King this season.
7. There is a strong possibility that Tyrion is in love with Daenerys, which explains his upset look when he sees them about to bang in season 7.  This, coupled with his weird decisions around Cersei, and the face he makes when he sees Jon riding Rhaegal, give fuel to the theories about Tyrion betraying Jon.
8. Lol at Bran “waiting for an old friend.”  Poor Jaime.
9. In the end, I hope Jon understands why Ned kept his real father a secret.  In a way, it actually was the most noble thing Ned ever did.
10. Every single point Sansa made this episode was correct. The dragon’s food consumption, Cersei’s betrayal, and Jon’s true motives for siding with Dany. People should probably listen to her.
11. Guys. Where the fuck is Ghost? Remember him?

RIP: Lord Ned Umber.  Poor lil guy.

Episode 61: Dragonstone

“Tell them, winter came for House Frey”

Major Plot Points: Jon and Sansa argue over kingly affairs. Cersei and Jaime meet their new ally. The Hound sees a vision in flames. Sam enjoys Maester life. Daenerys Stormborn finally arrives in Westeros.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. “Dolores” Edd Tollet was the best comedic relief character in the series.  At some points he would outwardly remark how unfortunate he was to still be alive. 
2. The Umbers were still loyal to the Starks.  They pledged to the Boltons but it was clear they were plotting with the Manderlys to take down Roose and Ramsey.  However, the Karstarks sided against Stannis for the Boltons, mostly because they were still mad that Robb killed their leader. 
3. Cersei was completely unraveling after her walk of atonement.  GRRM made a point to show how unstable her mental state was.  I highly doubt she ends up queen, and instead I think Aegon Targaryen will be the southern enemy for Daenerys and Jon. 
4. Euron was very different.  Quiet and menacing, he rarely had to raise his voice to get people to do what he told them.  Tales of the horrible things he did on his journeys caused most to fear him to the point of submission. 
5. The song Ed Sheeran sings (ridiculous), was actually written by a bard in King’s Landing.  He threatened Tyrion that he would sing it in public if he was not paid handsomely.  The song was about Tyrion and Shae sleeping together, and Tyrion had the bard killed and thrown into a stew pot before it could get out.

Other Points to Notice

1. Arya plays the part of Walder Frey well.  When she prompts all of the men to a toast, she says “We stand together” which are their house words.  However, it doesn’t completely make this scene believable.  It seems a bit of a stretch that Arya was able to orchestrate this mass killing.
2. Almost immediately we see Jon and Sansa publicly fight over affairs of the North. 
3. It annoys me a greatly that Jaime still sides with Cersei.  He killed the Mad King because of his plans to burn down the city, and yet seems totally fine with Cersei doing it.  At this point in the books he had already given up on her, and it is hard to believe that he is still on her side
4. Euron is a completely different person this season.  Pilou Asbæk decided to change his persona when he found out that Euron would be a major character in seasons 7 and 8. 
5. The Hound visits the same house he once stole from.  At the time, he justified his theft by telling Arya they would die either way.  This gives him no comfort when he actually sees it, and when he buries them it is a major turning point for his character.
6. It is hard to tell if we should support the Red God.  I hope that in Season 8 we finally learn a bit more about it.  Miracles and atrocities have happened in its name throughout the series, but it is clear that this god actually exists. 
7. We haven’t seen Dragonstone since early season 4, when Stannis still held it.  We even see Dany tear down his banner.  It is fitting that Daenerys begins her conquest there, as her descendant Aegon Targaryen once did.

Stray Observations:

1. Giant Zombies.  Pretty cool.
2. This is the first season Sophie Turner wears a wig.  It is ridiculously obvious. 
3. I hate to admit this, but I prefer Beric being alive over Lady Stoneheart. 
4. The Maester Sam works under, is played by the same actor that portrayed Horace Slughorn in the Harry Potter films.
5. Damn. Poor Jorah.

RIP: House Frey. They were shitbags but hey they were on top for a while.

Episode 62: Stormborn

“You are a dragon, be a dragon.”

Major Plot Points: Daenerys and her new allies plan her conquest.  Jaime recruits Randyll Tarly.  Sam helps Jorah with his skin condition.  Missandei bangs Grey Worm. Jon heads south.  Euron attacks.  Reek returns.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Daenerys is called Stormborn, due to the fact that she was literally born during a crazy thunderstorm at Dragonstone.  Not really sure why she can use this for bragging rights.
2. Missandei speaking about how the prophecy refers to either a prince or princess, confirms an old book theory.  For years book fans claimed that it would eventually be revealed that the prophecy was mistranslated, and that Dany would be the savior.  I still think the prophecy refers to Jon.
3. Jaime was correct, Randyll Tarly was the only man to ever beat Robert in battle.  He broke Robert’s host and forced him to retreat and head north a different way.  This victory allowed the Tyrell army into the south, where they laid siege to Storm’s End, held by Stannis at the time. 
4. I do not believe there were ever cases recorded of greyscale being reversed.  Only in children was it documented that the spread could be stopped, but even then it could begin again in adulthood. Sam being one of 2 people to cure it while reading out of a surgery 101 textbook, will almost certainly not happen. 
5. Euron’s crew were all mutes.  He had all of their tongues taken out, and named his black ship Silence.

Other Points to Notice

1. While it makes sense that Daenerys does not want to be “queen of the ashes”, it does almost feel like D&D made this line as a way to nerf Dany.  Can’t have it being too easy
2. Tyrion assures Dany that they wont be in Dragonstone long, and yet now they must wait for Jon to get there, which would be months.  At this point of season 7, time spent traveling is basically thrown to the side.
3. Cersei breaking the skull of Balerion seems so wrong to me.  That skull was an incredible piece of history, and it is now irreparably damaged just to show how a crossbow works. 
4. Many years ago (about 2-3), there was another young ruler that planned to take over Casterly Rock.  He died before he could accomplish it.
5. When Daenerys tells her councilors that she will not be queen of the ashes, you can see Tyrion glance at her, proud that she is listening to him and even using his phrase.  Of course this advice is later contradicted by Olenna, who basically encourages Dany to ignore Tyrion and take over as violently as she needs to.  Dany ends up going both ways a bit. 
6. Finally, after years of waiting, years of praying, and years of fan fiction, we get to see the most important romance in the series reach its climax.  Grey Worm, and Missandei get it on, and it’s the best 45 minute sex scene in tv history.
7. Why did they give Jorah greyscale, just to have it cured?  He immediately reunites with Dany, and the plot line accomplishes nothing.  If he died beyond the Wall, even that would make a better story, since it would be hilariously tragic. 
8. Jon is completely motivated by his fear of the Night King.  Nothing else really gets through to him or affects his decisions.  This is probably why he has 0 patience for Littlefinger.  When he chokes him, it mirrors Ned choking him in Season 1 when he was outside his brothel. 
9. We see another season 1 reference.  Arya smiles as Nymeria runs from her, and remarks “It’s not you.” She told her father “No, its not me.” when he spoke of how she would eventually marry a lord.

Stray Observations:

1. Varys doesn’t break down under Daenerys’ questioning, and it is refreshing to see. 
2. Arya and Bran went from seemingly normal, to completely monotone and psychopathic in season 7.  But Arya’s makes more sense to me.  She has killed so many people.
3. Euron killing Obara  and Nymeria Sand made him an instant fan favorite. 

RIP: Obara and Nymeria Sand.  Not too mad about this one.

Episode 63: The Queen’s Justice

“Tell Cersei. I want her to know it was me.”

Major Plot Points: Jon tells a crazy story to Daenerys.  Cersei gives Tyene the kiss of death. Bran returns to Winterfell. Littlefinger monologues to Sansa. The Unsullied take Casterly Rock. Jaime takes Highgarden.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. The idea of Jon and Daenerys meeting up is one of the main reasons I need book 6 to come out.  I imagine their meeting goes similar to how it does on the tv show.
2. Dragonstone was briefly mentioned as having obsidian underneath the castle.  Many have theorized that this stockpile will be used in the fight against the White Walkers, and it seems this season validates that theory.
3. The Iron Bank most likely does not invest in the slave trade.  This is because the Iron Bank is based in Braavos, the most anti-slavery state in Essos.  Any mention of slavery there is enough to have a man killed. 
4. I hope that we get to see Olenna go out in a similar fashion. She wasnt in the books nearly as often, but she did carry the same power in every scene.

Other Points to Notice

1. Melisandre remarks that she brought ice and fire together.  This further bolsters the idea that the series name “A Song of Ice and Fire” was really about Jon and Dany the entire time.  She then tells Varys that both of them will die in Westeros.  Based on what she once told Arya, we know they will meet again, and it seems likely Arya will take her down.
2. Daenerys asks Jon if his father was aware that his best friend sent assasins to kill a child.  Jon doesn’t know this, but Ned actually was aware of this.  It made him so upset that he quit being Hand in protest.  Even during the rebellion, when Ned saw Rhaegar’s children presented to Robert, he was so angry that he stopped speaking to Robert for almost a decade.
3. Yara doesn’t speak to Euron while she is marched through the streets of King’s Landing.  This could indicate that she had her tongue taken out, since Euron is known to do this.
4. Cersei gives perhaps the most evil monologue in the entirety of the show.  I understand where she was coming from, but making a mother watch her daughter slowly die while being chained up is insanely extreme.  Who thinks of this shit??
5. Killing a young woman, and making her mother watch, apparently got Cersei horny. This mirrors stories we hear from Jaime in the book about the Mad King. He became obsessed with killing people who spoke against him with wildfire, and the act would get him aroused enough to force himself into his wife’s bed.
6. Littlefinger gives a quote to Sansa that is surprisingly poignant.  That every possible series of events is happening at once.  This is an interesting insight into his character, and also reminds us that for Bran, these events are all happening at once.  Fittingly, Bran appears right after this speech.
7. If Bran wants Sansa to believe him, he literally could have used any other example than reminding Sansa of the night she was brutally raped. 
8. How does Jaime still not see how horrible Cersei is?

Stray Observations:

1. Davos trying to be friendly with Missandei was hilarious, but not as hilarious as his introduction of Jon to Daenerys and her court. 
2. I wonder if Varys purposely waited to tell Daenerys about Euron’s fleet.  He expertly diffused the tension in the room.
3. The finger in the bum comment was a bit jarring.  Kinda funny though.
4. I wonder if Cersei managed to clean all the poison off her lips before kissing Jaime.
5. Daenerys calling Tyrion out for quoting himself was hilarious. 

RIP: Tyene Sand.  This one was dark.

Episode 64: The Spoils of War

“Men shit themselves when they die. They didn’t teach you that at fancy lad school?”

Major Plot Points: Bran scares Littlefinger.  Arya returns home.  Jon shows Daenerys some cool paintings.  Jaime tries to end the war.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Since Randyll Tarly remained loyal to the Targaryens until the bitter end during Robert’s Rebellion, it remains to be seen who he sides with in the final war.  So far, the only major house aligning against the crown are the Martells who are trying to help Aegon or Daenerys.
2. The Golden Company were known as the world’s greatest mercenaries.  More a private army than sellswords, they were formed by Aegor Rivers, a Targaryen bastard who fought with the Blackfyres in the Blackfyre Rebellion.  They were famous for never breaking a contract, and costing extreme amounts of money.
3. Littlefinger originally brought up to Robert the idea of using Faceless Men to kill Daenerys.  Due to this, people speculate that when Arya tells Brienne that “no one” taught her, he knows exactly who she is talking about.
4. Tales of Balerion in battle say that he alone was worth more than 10,000 men.  Seeing it on screen, I finally see why this was always written.

Other Points to Notice

1. Littlefinger tells Bran the dagger started the War of the Five Kings.  This is partly true, but in actuality it was just Littlefinger who started the war.  Bran obviously knows this, and unnerves Littlefinger when he tells him “Chaos is a Ladder.” 
2. After all they’ve gone through, all their adventures and losses, it is heartbreaking to see Bran toss Meera to the side.  I hope we see her again in Season 8, because her character needs a real send-off. 
3. Arya outsmarting the 2 castle guards, is yet another throwback to season 1.  She did the same thing to the Goldcloaks after returning to the Red Keep from the dungeons. 
4. Sansa has had a pretty crazy ride, but seems way more human than Arya or Bran.  Their reunion is hardly heartwarming, but they never were close as children.
5. The cave paintings are hilarious.  They literally look like a 7 year old drew them.  I’m surprised Dany didn’t accuse Jon of drawing them.  Also why would the Children of the Forest draw these instead of writing stuff down? And why in this cave?  But it is interesting to see the symbols that they drew are the same symbols we see the White Walkers arrange corpses in. 
6. I get that Arya is super cool now, but it was insane to see her beat Brienne, one of the best fighters in the series.  When did she get this good? Every time we saw her fight in Braavos she was garbage.  Plus needle would break in half against Oathkeeper. 
7. It is rare in a show or movie to be rooting for people on both sides of a battle.  It really helps to raise the stakes and actually make you feel tension.
8. An amazing battle was semi ruined by the Jaime death fake out.  We knew he would survive, why did it have to be such a fake cliff hanger?  If he were captured, that would be a great storyline.   It also bothers me that Tyrion saw him there, and didn’t inform Daenerys to look for him after the battle.

Stray Observations:

1. Arya now has Chekov’s dagger.  I’m sure she will kill a white walker with it eventually.
2. Missandei implies to Dany that she and Grey Worm got it on.  I am certain Dany has just as many questions as the audience does.
3. I’m not the biggest battle guy but holy fuck does this one do it for me.  Drogon steals the show in every single way, and we finally see Dothraki vs Westerosi soldiers after literally 10 years of waiting.

RIP: The Lannister guard that was played by Noah Syndergaard.  Dude can throw a spear that’s for damn sure.

Episode 65: Eastwatch

“But that’s alright, isn’t it? We can all become slavering, murderous imbeciles in thrall to evil incarnate as long as we can have access to the full records of High Septon Maynard’s 15,782 shits!”

Major Plot Points: Daenerys roasts the Tarlys. Jaime meets with Tyrion.  Jon plans to head back to the Wall. Davos returns to Flea Bottom. Sam leaves the Citadel.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. There have been a few moments in the series that make it seem like Daenerys has too much of her father in her.  Notably, when she crucified all of the Masters from Meereen.  Burning the Tarlys alive is definitely something I could see her doing. 
2. Cersei claimed to have loved her children equally, but she clearly favored Joffrey over Myrcella and Tommen.  She almost looked at those two as possessions, or symbols of how great a mother she was. She was a complete narcissist.  Show Cersei definitely cared about them more.
3. During Arya’s POV chapters, we know that she does truly love and miss Sansa.  However when they meet again, there will almost certainly be friction between the two, just because of how different they are.  But man I hope it won’t be as forced as it is this season. 
4. If you think Jaime was angry at Tyrion in the show, just wait till they meet again in the books, where Tyrion is also mad at Jaime.  Since Tyrion’s escape, neither has gotten over their last confrontation. 
5. Gendry is still working as a smith for the Inn at the Crossroads.  The last time we saw him, he saved Brienne’s life as she was getting attacked by Biter, the man Arya once freed from a burning jail cart.  Not sure if he will end up being a player again like he is in the show. 
6. Gilly, of all people, stumbles upon a secret in a book that readers have been fixated on for 20 years.  That Rhaegar had his first marriage with Elia annulled.  From there it was easy to imagine he and Lyanna were actually married, and that Jon was an actual heir to the throne.  The one thing I need more information on is how Rhaegar could have a marriage that produced 2 children annulled. 

Other Points to Notice

1. How did Bronn pull a man in full plate armor from the bottom of that gigantic lake, and emerge a mile away from Drogon?  Why not at least make a point of showing Jaime taking his armor off so it makes sense.  And again, why does Tyrion not tell Daenerys to look for him?  Capturing him would essentially end the war, since Cersei has no commanders left
2. Randyll Tarly was a despicable father, and not a great guy, but him and his son go out like total fucking bosses. 
3. It was said that only Targaryens could tame dragons.  Jon petting Drogon was a big step to proving this theory.  But it does make Tyrion taming Rhaegal and Viserion seem odd, unless of course the theory about him being a secret Targ is true.
4. Dany really wont let the “knife in the heart” thing go.  The only weird part about this is that no one else seems to have found it bizarre.
5. We finally get to the most nonsensical plotline of all time.  Capturing a wight, to bring to Cersei, to convince her that they are real.  Because Cersei will totally be chill after this.  From the beginning, this plotline really seemed like a harebrained plot to get Jon and company north of the Wall to fight the Night King again this season.  And to give the Night King a dragon. 
6. Gendry tells Jon that their fathers trusted each other, and that they should too.  What a nice moment between bastards.  Of course, in reality Gendry’s father killed Jon’s father, and allowed the murder of Jon’s 2 half siblings. They then get to Eastwatch in about 5 minutes, a trip that would normally take several weeks.

Stray Observations:

1. Jaime gets to King’s Landing in record time.
2. Daenerys looked extremely surprised at the way Drogon completely melted for old Jonny boy.
3. Tyrion and Davos get to King’s Landing and back in record time.  And Jon gets to Eastwatch in record time.  For real have like 4 months passed in this episode?
4. Of course Gendry uses a hammer, just like his old man.  But it is weird to me he is motivated by his father’s death, when he only found out late in life who his father was.
5. Not sure why we needed the fermented crab scene.
6. What did Littlefinger whisper to Alys Karstark?  Also why would that letter he tricked Arya into finding be so important?  It was obvious to everyone at the time it was written that Sansa was forced into writing it.  This shit’s dumb.
7. I guess the gold made it to King’s Landing ahead of the other cavalry and army? This is never explained again.

RIP: Randyll and Dickon Tarly.

Episode 66: Beyond the Wall

“Death is the enemy. The first enemy and the last. The enemy always wins and we still need to fight him.”

Major Plot Points: Jon, Tormund, Gendry, Beric, Thoros, Jorah, and Sandor go beyond the Wall to capture a zombie.  Arya and Sansa get in a sister fight.  Tyrion has a fun conversation with Daenerys. 

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. The Westeros 7 will never march beyond the Wall together.  This is mostly because Beric is already dead, the Hound is presumed dead, Thoros serves Lady Stoneheart, Jorah is still a slave, Gendry is in the middle of the country, and Jon is also dead. D&D admitted that the “wight hunt” is a show only invention.
2. It is definitely possible that the White Walkers will get an undead dragon, since it seems unlikely D&D would do something as dramatic as killing off a dragon without knowing it would happen in the books.  But I think before that happens we will get to see all 3 dragons have riders.  It has been talked about in the books more than the show, but the saying goes “the dragon has 3 heads.”  In the House of the Undying Dany has a vision of her brother Rhaegar repeating this obsessively. It could even be the reason he left his wife for Lyanna, since his wife was only able to give him 2 children and couldn’t have any more.
3. I’ve brought this up before, but it annoys me how Daenerys tells people in the show she cant have kids, when it was the show that omitted this part of Mirri Maz Duur’s prophecy.  Obviously she thinks this in the books too, but at least there we know why.
4. Stannis also fought with a flaming sword, which was not in the show, with the exception of his introductory scene back in Season 2.  In the books, he showed it at Castle Black.  Maester Aemon did not believe he was Azor Ahai reborn, because the sword was on fire but gave off no heat. 

Other Points to Notice

1. It’s interesting how we hear from Tormund of all people, the same thing we heard from Dany, about how pride can cause innocent people to die.  This does help explain Jon’s eventual decision to bend the knee, since he looked up to Mance for never kneeling.
2. We get some fun character moments while the Westeros 7 march north.  Jon offering Longclaw back to Jorah was touching, but of course he gave it back.  It’s more Jon’s than Jeor’s at this point.
3. I hate this forced sibling rivalry plotline.  Very clear they had no idea what to do with these 2 while waiting for Jon to return, and that they also needed to get rid of Littlefinger because they had no idea what to do with him either. 
4. I wish that Beric and Jon talked a bit more about how they lost part of themselves when they returned from the dead.  Jon was dead longer than Beric ever was, and we still have yet to hear him talk about it making him feel different. 
5. Daenerys was a bit harsh with Tyrion in my opinion.  She asks for his advice then sometimes gets mad about it. 
6. I think I would like this episode a bit more if another character or 2 died.  For a show that prided itself on being able to kill anyone, they liberally used unnamed wildling extras as cannon fodder.
7. The Night King seems to have abilities similar to Bran.  He knew the dragons would arrive to save everyone, which is probably the reason he trapped the Westeros 7 by the chains, and didn’t use his sick spear tossing skills to execute them one by one.
8. Arya tells Sansa about how she was taught to take a face in Braavos.  This sounds nice, but it makes no sense.  She was never taught how to do this, Jaqen specifically told her she was not ready.  She basically just figured it out on her own I guess?  I feel like we never saw her learn it, because D&D themselves don’t understand how it works.
9. People that were rooting for Jon and Dany to hook up must have been really excited by their final scene here together. 

Stray Observations:

1. Tormund is incredible.  I can’t believe when I first saw season 3 that I didn’t like the casting.  I was very wrong.
2. I’m surprised Tyrion didn’t approach Dany with the idea of a marriage proposal between her and Jon.  It would solve many of their issues, and it was pretty obvious at this point that Dany had a lil crush on him. 
3. The zombie bear was pretty cool I guess.
4. You can see the chain in a few quick scenes throughout the confrontation with the Night King
5. Is Gendry really the fastest? Everyone seemed to agree with this immediately.
6. So if Gendry got back to Eastwatch later that night, then sent a raven, and Dany left immediately, that still means Jon and crew had to have been on that island for a few days at least.  If you assume a dragon is faster than a raven, I could buy this process maybe taking 3 days minimum. The raven network is supposed to be slow, and the speed of dragons is not really established. Of course the writers claimed we shouldn’t care about minutia like raven speed in a show with dragons, but that is a ridiculous stance to take. You’re allowed to have fantasy elements in a show/book, but when you set up rules for them, they should be followed. By this logic, why didn’t Olenna send a raven to Dany when the Lannister army was approaching her?

RIP: Thoros of Myr, the drunken Red Priest of R’Hollor. Benjen Stark, for real this time.

Episode 67: The Dragon and the Wolf

“Maybe it really is all cocks in the end.”

Major Plot Points: Tyrion tries to convince Cersei to have a truce. Arya and Sansa execute Littlefinger.  Theon kills Reek.  The Night King melts the Wall.  Jon and Daenerys bang.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. The Dothraki generally raped and pillaged where/when they pleased.  Even under Drogo’s command, some resisted the no rape rule.  It would be quite the feat if Daenerys is able to use them as foot-soldiers.
2. Some believe that Aegon Targaryen (the potentially fake targ in Essos) will hold King’s Landing in the end, not Cersei.  This is due to the fact that it seems unlikely book-Cersei could ever hold onto power, as she is a completely druken lunatic near the end of book 5.
3. One of the main reasons that readers believe the Hound is still alive, is due to them having an unshakeable belief that he and the Mountain must fight to the death before the series ends.  We call it the Cleganebowl.  This episode just fueled the fire.  Get Hype.
4. We finally find out that Rhaegar and Lyanna actually had a legit marriage.  This of course means Jon is no bastard at all.  However, him being named Aegon could be a show only addition, since Rhaegar already had a son named Aegon.
5. Alliser Thorne was at one point sent to King’s Landing with the still alive hand of a wight.  The hand decomposed before it could get south.  I guess they kept this one on ice.
6. Cersei is not pregnant in the books, that we know of.  If she is, it could be Jaime’s or one of the other people she’s banged in his absence.  There were way more in the books, male and female.
7. We don’t know if Littlefinger was behind the knife, and the attempted assassination of Bran.  Best guess currently is that it was Joffrey’s and he wanted to kill Bran in a misguided attempt to impress his father, who he once heard say that it would be a mercy for Bran to die, instead of living as a cripple. 

Other Points to Notice

1. The name of this episode follows a common naming convention that has been used throughout the show, in which symbols of 2 houses are listed to indicate a significant interaction between 2 major characters.  Season 4’s “The Lion and the Rose” had Joffrey and Margaery’s wedding and Joffrey’s death.  Season 4 also had “The Mountain and the Viper” and we all know who died in that episode.
2. The Hound and Brienne were surprisingly cordial.  When Brienne tells him how Arya can now protect herself, it may be the first time we ever see old Sandor smile
3. The Tyrion, Bronn, and Podrick crew finally meet each other again.  I was really hoping Bronn would rejoin him.
4. I still can’t believe Tyrion thought Cersei would be convinced.  Also how annoying would it be if the wight was no longer alive when they tried showing it off. 
5. Jon mentions that the whole world is in danger.  I guess now that they have a dragon, they could cross the Narrow Sea.   He also gives a great speech and shows that even though he is a Targaryen, he is Ned’s son. 
6. Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey put on an absolute acting clinic.  Perfect representations of their characters. 
7. Again, we never heard Mirri Maz Duur tell Dany that she couldn’t have kids.  But I guess it is still canon.
8. There is a major internet theory going on that Littlefinger is still alive.  We saw him consulting with someone a few episodes ago, and through subtitles we hear “Your time has come.”  The theory is that the real Littlefinger paid a Faceless Man to pretend to be him, and die in his place.  Definitely a bit far fetched, but he is a smart guy and it would make more sense. 
9. I really wish we got a scene with Arya, Sansa, or Bran that showed them working together to unveil Littlefinger’s treachery.  Especially since Sansa charges Littlefinger with things that only Bran would know.
10. Jon was extremely kind to Theon, and I don’t think anyone would have blamed him for not forgiving him.  But Jon is too honorable for that petty shit.  Side note, Theon gets kicked where his balls used to be, and shows no signs of pain.  I feel like getting hit in the mangled remnants of your genitalia would still hurt. It is worth it for the scene of him being reborn in the ocean.  I think Reek is finally dead.
11. Jaime FINALLY leaves Cersei.  He should have done it years ago, but this is basically the culmination of his redemption arc.  Very interested to see him and Jon on the same team, Jaime is by far the better commander. 
12. I am worried at Tyrion’s disapproving glance when he sees Jon and Dany banging.  Hopefully he is just worried that this will effect their goals, and he isn’t secretly in love with Dany or some dumb shit like that.
13. I do not believe Beric and Tormund were killed when the Wall came down. I expect them to arrive in Winterfell in early Season 8.

Stray Observations:

1. The Unsullied traveled quite fast from Casterly Rock.
2. Man I really think that Tyrion’s wight plan is going to work!
3. Damn, Dany does dragon displays dramatically.  (intended)
4. I love how interested Qyburn was in the undead zombie.  He really is a sick fuck.
5. You could see Daenerys completely fall for Jon when he stands up for her.  I’m a huge Jonerys fan.
6. Fuck Cersei, she killed Tommen, and she let the High Sparrow destroy her plans.
7. Littlefinger is actually 100% correct about Jon and Dany.
8. Ayyy I know the real reason Dany and Jon are so eager to sail together.
9. Wow, I can’t believe Cersei actually is not going to help Daenerys!
10. It’s hilarious to me that Sam is able to instantly have a rapport with emotionless Bran.  He even gets Bran to make a little joke.  Fuck it, idk how but I’m a huge Sam fan after this series re-watch.

RIP: Lord Petyr Baelish.  From a scrawny boy with a scrawny family, to one of the most powerful Lords in Westeros.  Undone by his weird obsession with Catelyn Stark. 

Daenerys Boob Counter: 1

Overall Count: 4.5

Season 7 was an extremely unbalanced season.  Tyrion’s entire “wight-capture” plan was a huge waste of time, and served no purpose other than giving the Night King Viserion.  Plus the double dose of deus-ex-machina, with Dany and then Benjen saving Jon, felt decidedly un-thrones like.  But there were incredible moments as well, and major plot reveals.  And even a weird unbalanced season of Game of Thrones, is still Game of fucking Thrones. I can’t believe that the rewatch is now over. I didn’t think I was actually going to finish it, but it ended up making me relearn all of the things i had forgotten since last season. It’s bittersweet though, because once this show is over, I don’t really see anything taking its place. Maybe the new Lord of the Rings show won’t suck though, who knows.

Things I Liked: Olenna Tyrell has the best exit in television since Hank Schrader was killed in Breaking Bad.  She downed that poison and immediately started poisoning Jaime’s brain.  And the loot train battle was perfect in every way.  We finally saw what 1 dragon can do, along with a horde of Dothraki.  There were many great character interactions as well, from Tyrion/Cersei, to Jon and Dany finally getting it on.  The anticipation for the last season could not be higher

Things I Did Not Like: I have said it so many times, so I won’t get into it again, but Tyrion’s plan, Gendry sending an instant raven to Dany, and the wildly fast travel were the worst parts of the season for me.  Also, the forced Arya and Sansa conflict that felt like it was written because those characters had nothing left to do.

Episode 55: The Door

“Hold the Door”

Major Plot Points: Arya goes to a play.  Euron wins the Salt Throne.  Sansa confronts an old friend.  Daenerys heads home.  Jon leaves Castle Black.  Hodor holds the door.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Sansa doesn’t really trust Littlefinger, but doesn’t have any reason to be angry with him like she is in the tv show.
2. Lady Crane does not exist, but it is possible Arya will be sent to assassinate someone similar.  There has to be a reason for her to leave the Faceless Men.
3. We know that the Children of the Forest used to be at war with the First Men, and that they had to join forces during the Long Night.  However the origins of the White Walkers are still unknown.
4. The Kingsmoot occurred in book 4.  First Victarion Greyjoy made his claim, then Yara.  Yara was very close to winning but her other Uncle, Euron, showed up and used the power of theatrics to win.  One of his mute crew members began playing an ancient sounding horn which killed him when he was done.  Euron then explained to the ironborn the horn was an ancient treasure from Valyria that could control dragons, and with dragons the world was theirs.  The ironborn all immediately joined him. 
5. Euron was a militant atheist, and would never be baptized again.  For this reason, his priest brother Aeron refused to declare him king.  “A godless man can not sit upon the Seastone Chair” were his exact words.

Other Points to Notice

1. It’s nice to see Littlefinger grovel a little bit. He recovers quickly though, and begins manipulating Sansa again.  In this first meeting he already begins trying to drive a wedge between Sansa and Jon.
2. We saw Arya beat the Waif last season while blind.  Now she can’t even land a hit.  Furthermore, aren’t the Faceless Men supposed to be “no-one”? Because the waif clearly is a defined person, who has actual feelings (albeit mean ones) towards Arya. 
3. Arya showing emotion during the play was another indicator of how terrible she is at being “no-one”.
4. I hope that the White Walkers have a different origin in the books.  Here, they are essentially just undead foot soldiers with no real motive other than being evil.
5. After his epic first scene with Balon, Euron falls a little flat in the Kingsmoot.  Most book fans were hoping for the quieter, more sinister book version of Euron, rather than the loud, crude, pirate persona D&D invented. 
6. The Night King seeing, and marking, Bran caused many people to begin speculating that somehow Bran would one day go back in time to warg into the Night King.
7. Sansa begins lying to Jon already.  Her relationship with Littlefinger is a serious problem, and I am not sure why she wouldn’t tell Jon about her intel source.
8. Edd does in fact let the Wall get knocked down while Jon is gone. 
9. GRRM confirmed that Hodor would meet the same fate in the books.  And that his name does mean ‘hold the door’. So fucked up

Stray Observations:

1. The play was a bit much for me.  Seemed weirdly meta.
2. Euron looks different in Season 7.  He gets a haircut and an all-leather wardrobe. 
3. Jorah and Dany have a nice farewell, and meet again early next season.  Still not sure what the point of the greyscale plot was. 
4. I like Melisandre 2 but I really need to know what was said to Varys in the flames. 
5. I’m a big Tormund-Brienne fan.
6. Not sure if the Children of the Forest in the cave were the last of their race.  Hopefully not.
7. Hodor led a very sad life.  His whole purpose was just to die for Bran. 

RIP: Hodor, he died doing what he was meant to do.

Episode 56: Blood of My Blood

“I thought the Night’s Watch might make a man of you – something resembling a man at least. You managed to stay soft and fat, your nose buried in books, spending your life reading about the achievements of better men. I’ll wager you still can’t sit a horse or wield a sword….”

Major Plot Points: Sam meets with his father again.  Margaery meets with her husband again.  Arya goes to a play again. Bran meets with his Uncle again. Daenerys gives a long speech again.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Coldhands saved Bran and Meera while they were on their way to the Three Eyed Raven.  GRRM basically confirmed that he is not Benjen Stark, but it makes sense why they did it on the show. 
2. The last time we see Margaery, she is a few days away from her walk of atonement.  This punishment makes more sense since she was accused of sleeping around, it is kind of ridiculous Margaery has to do one on the show just for lying to save her brother’s life. 
3. Randyll Tarly fought on the side of Aerys Targaryen against Robert Baratheon.  He was actually one of the best generals on the side of the late king, and caused the war to last much longer.
4. I don’t foresee 8 year old Tommen becoming a puppet of the Faith Militant.  It would be wild though. 

Other Points to Notice

1. It looks like Gilly has her hair dyed before arriving at Horn Hill.  I am really confused by this, since who would ever be looking for her that would know her identity.
2. Margaery is now manipulating Tommen to be further manipulated by the High Sparrow.  I believe her angle in all of this is to get the High Sparrow on her side so she can use the faith militant against Cersei. 
3. It’s interesting to me that Sam turned out the way he did when his father is this large of a dick.  He makes Tywin Lannister look loving and kind.  Also, the actor who plays Dickon changes in between this season and the next. 
4. Arya was probably the worst assassin of all time.  She did not kill even one person she was supposed to.  Although I think seeing Lady Crane’s performance as Cersei reminded her of her own mother.  That, along with the kindness she displayed towards her, were enough for Arya to realize she did not want to be someone that killed for others.  She wanted to remain Arya Stark and kill the people she wanted to kill.
5.  Jaime is still fiercely loyal to Cersei.  It seems like his character development was put on hold since the show had to add so much filler to his story arc. 
6. After Bran woke up as the Three Eyed Raven, he still seemed like Bran.  But all of a sudden next season he is completely emotionless and detached. 
7. We were absolutely due for a Daenerys speech.  At least now she does cool shit to earn these speeches. 

Stray Observations:

1. Sam’s mom is kinda hot.
2. Poor Gilly.  She doesn’t quite understand southern politics yet. 
3. Sam stealing his dad’s sword is such a great moment.
4. Let’s go! Walder Frey sighting!!!
5. Meera is the only person acting normally about how fucked their situation is. 

RIP: Benjen Stark. He doesn’t die in this episode, but he does tell us in this episode that he basically died already. It counts.

Episode 57: The Broken Man

“Oh, there’s plenty of pious sons of bitches who think they know the word of god, or gods. I don’t. I don’t know their real names.”

Major Plot Points: The Hound is alive again.  Jon and Sansa attempt to rally the north.  Yara and Theon head for Meereen. Jaime speaks with the Blackfish. Margaery speaks with her grandmother.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Ian McShane’s character, Septon Ray, did not exist.  However he was based off a combination of 2 characters from book 4, Septon Meribald and the elder brother.  Meribald  and the elder brother led a monastery on an island, at which they took care of war survivors and people with no place to go.  Brienne visited there while searching for Sansa.  Meribald gave a pretty epic speech on the horrors of war.
2. The Hound is believed dead, but some theorize he still lives, and is under the employ of Septon Meribald.  While on his island, Brienne observed a large hooded man digging a grave, and many believe that was the Hound.  Brienne even asks Meribald if the Hound was alive, and Meribald said no, the Hound was dead and no longer suffering.  The theory goes that he was referring to the Hound as the vicious and hateful part of Sandor Clegane’s persona.
3. Lyanna Mormont is only the acting leader of House Mormont, as her mother and siblings are still presumed alive, but their whereabouts are unknown. 
4. Jaime always revered the Blackfish, since stories of his prowess in battle were things he grew up with.  It hurt him greatly when Brynden essentially disregarded him as scum without any thought. 
5. Lem Lemoncloak was a member of the Brotherhood Without Banners.  He did not outright murder civilians, but it is certainly possible he did sketchy things while working with Beric and Lady Stoneheart. 

Other Points to Notice

1. Septon Ray offers an interesting contrast to the High Sparrow.  Both claim to help the smallfolk, but Ray is actually out in the country feeding and supporting those without means.  He also is more understanding and does not personally punish those he believes to be sinners. 
2. The High Sparrow basically tells Margaery that she should let her husband have sex with her whenever he wants, and that it is not her choice.  This seems pretty archaic, even for Westeros.
3. The rose that Margaery gave Olenna was the sigil of the Tyrell house.  It was the only way she could tell her grandmother she was still operating on her own accord, and wasn’t on the side of the high Sparrow. 
4. Cersei was actually trying to recruit Olenna to her cause.  Olenna would surely regret insulting her one last time, since it resulted in the death of her entire family. 
5. Robett Glover brings up many good points as to why he will not join Jon and Sansa.  His home, Deepwood Motte, was completely controlled by Yara Greyjoy and her men for a long time, and the Glovers as a whole are nowhere near what they used to be. 
6. It greatly annoys me that Sansa recruits Littlefinger without telling Jon.  He has no reason to disagree with this.  I feel like they did it just so the Battle of the Bastards could have a Gandalf-saves-the-day moment. 
7. This episode starts a series of bad and weird decisions by Arya.  Why would she allow herself to get stabbed like that.  She had to have known the Faceless Men were coming for her.  Also she has a gut wound and jumps in dirty water with no repercussions. 

Stray Observations:

1. The High Sparrow really wants Tommen to have an heir…
2. Lyanna is a much better child ruler than Bran was. 
3. “I’m gonna go fuck the tits off this one.”  Come on guys.
4. The Hound must have the world’s worst hearing. 

RIP: Septon Ray.  We hardly knew you.

Episode 58: No One

“I haven’t had a proper sword fight in years. I expect I’ll make a damn fool of myself.”

Major Plot Points: Brienne and Jaime meet again.  Edmure Tully reclaims his home.  Daenerys returns to Meereen.  Arya goes for a run.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. The High Sparrow did tell Cersei she could remain in the Red Keep until her trial.  I can’t imagine him sending his foot-soldiers into the castle after Cersei, since they would probably be killed immediately. 
2. Jaime meets Brienne again in the Riverlands.  However Brienne meets him on behalf of undead Catelyn Stark,  Lady Stoneheart.  She brings Jaime to see her, and probably to his own death.  His fate remains unknown until book 6 comes out in 50 years from now. 
3. Trial by combat is still legal.  It is unlikely Tommen outlaws it, since he is not in the High Sparrow’s pocket.
4. Jaime threatened Edmure in a similar fashion.  He offered him an ultimatum, enter the castle, lift the siege, and surrender.  Or enter the castle, and have his wife and son’s heads thrown over the wall.  He then had a bard that Edmure always hated play the Rains of Castamere for him all night. 
5. The Blackfish did not die when Jaime took over Riverrun.  Instead he escaped the exact same way he escaped the Red Wedding.  Edmure opened up the river gates to give him room to escape via swimming.  Unreal. 
6. Beric is dead, his life given to resurrect Catelyn Stark.  Thoros now serves her but seems extremely depressed.  Overall the entire Brotherhood is doing poorly, and are pretty much just criminals at this point.  It’s nice that in the show they still have a unified goal, and will now play a part in the fight agains the white walkers.

Other Points to Notice

1. We see Lady Crane take Arya’s advice about portraying Cersei as angry and vengeful.  It apparently was good advice since the audience responded extremely positively.
2. It always annoyed me that Arya did not stress to Crane just how precarious of a situation she was in.  You’d think she would warn her that if she left the house or left windows open, they would both be killed. 
3. The way Jaime tells Brienne to keep Oathkeeper, and their conversation afterwards, is one of the key moments for him in his redemption arc. The writers of course ruin it later in the episode with his speech to Edmure about Cersei.
4. Tommen is a very poor king.  When Tywin told him that a good king listens to his advisors, he apparently took this to heart.  The problem is he allows everyone around him to completely manipulate him.
5. The rumor Qyburn is speaking about, is of course the fact that there are thousands of containers of wildfire set up in the city still.
6. Remember Tyrion’s honeycomb and jackass joke from season 1? He still can’t finish it here.  I bet the last scene of the series is him explaining the ending finally. 
7. So the infamous chase scene.  First of all how can Arya run anywhere with a surely infected gut wound?  Also did they have to make the waif run like she was a robot?  And the ending is weird too, why would Arya be trained in fighting in the dark but the waif isn’t?  I know we see her beat the waif once while blind, but she loses the next episode while she can see.  Does she fight better blind?  And why does the waif not use a different face?
8. The fact that Jaqen smiles at Arya when she says she is going home really gets to me.  What is his motive? Is he proud of her? Did he want her to admit this all along?  I really hope we get resolution next season.  

Stray Observations:

1. Arya ended up killing Lady Crane afterall, albeit indirectly. 
2. I didn’t realize how much I missed Pod and Bronn together.
3. Edmure really fucking killed his one on one time with Jaime.  I think he got to him.  He definitely ended up being a huge bitch in the end though, especially with how he treated his uncle.
4. The Tully guard was such an asshole.  Why would he not listen to the Blackfish. 
5. Oranges are used in cinema to portray mortal danger for a character.  It started in the Godfather, and was even used in Breaking Bad. 

RIP: Brynden “Blackfish” Tully.  Damn cool character. 

Episode 59: The Battle of the Bastards

“If I fall, don’t bring me back.”

Major Plot Points: Daenerys conquers.  The two bastards of the North duke it out.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. It seems unlikely Daenerys would be able to destroy the invader armies that easily.  Mostly because Victarion Greyjoy was there with his brother Euron’s dragon horn.  Of course if the horn ends up not working it just may be that simple.
2. If Stannis dies, and Jon ends up marching on Winterfell, he better hope that Roose is not still alive.  Unlike Ramsey, Roose was actually a proven commander and would never meet Jon in open combat.  He would likely garrison the castle and let winter kill Jon and his men. 
3. Even though Rickon is still alive, I highly doubt he ever becomes plot relevant again.  If he mattered in the endgame, I assume the show would keep him alive. 
4. Yara and Theon are still in the North while Daenerys is in Essos, so it seems unlikely they team up.  The only way I could see this happening is if they pledge to her cause after she already lands in Westeros.
5. There is clearly a conspiracy among the northern lords to rebel against the Boltons. This never comes to fruition in the show, but it is almost a complete certainty it will occur in the novels

Other Points to Notice

1. More foreshadowing about using wildfire to blow up the sept of Baelor from Tyrion.  We have gotten a lot of mentions from characters this season about Aerys and his plans to burn the city.
2. If I were the masters, I would immediately order my soldiers to kill the Unsullied and hold Tyrion/Missandei hostage.  This plan wouldn’t work but at least it would do something.
3. At this point of the story,  I honestly believe Jon may be the best living swordsman in Westeros.  Just from experience alone, I don’t think any could take him in a 1 vs. 1 scenario.  Ramsey was uncharacteristically wise by refusing his offer.
4. Every aspect of the strategy Jon and Davos come up with is immediately abandoned by both men during the battle. 
5. Sansa brings up good points about Rickon, Ramsey, and needing more men, but then stupidly refuses to tell Jon about the knights of the Vale who are on their way. 
6. Davos and Tormund both discuss their past mistakes of following men who called themself king. They then talk about how Jon is not a king.  Not only would he be crowned shortly after the battle, he also is the direct heir to the throne.  So jokes on them
7. Some fans hate how the giant pile of bodies appears so suddenly.  Some fans need to learn that the battle is just a vehicle for telling a larger story and not a historical re-enactment.
8. The spear tactic the Bolton army uses is incredible.  Also even though he was on the wrong side, Smalljon Umber fights like a total badass.
9. I brought it up once before, but Jon surfacing from beneath the mass of people symbolized his true rebirth. He came back to life already, but it wasn’t until this point that he seizes the opportunity and decides to actually live again.

Stray Observations:

1. Why would the masters mention how the other man was a lowborn?  Obviously Dany’s advisors would choose to keep him alive.
2. Ramsey really enjoyed calling Jon a bastard. 
3. Could Rickon have ran in a straighter line? 
4. I’m glad Davos found Shireen’s stag toy.  Melisandre needs to be called out for her crimes.
5. Holy shit, there were some serious sexual vibes between Daenerys and Yara.  I’m here for it. 

RIP:  Ramsey Bolton.  The craziest, most sadistic, and ridiculous villain in the entire series.  But more importantly, RIP Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun, the last of the giants.

Episode 60: The Winds of Winter

This title is a cruel reference to the name of book 6 in the series.  It is never coming out.

“You have to protect him. Promise me Ned.”

Major Plot Points: Jaime dines with the Freys.  Davos accuses Melisandre. Tyrion is named Hand, again.  Jon becomes King.  Cersei becomes Queen.  Daenerys heads home. 

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Cersei will most likely be able to use the zombie version of the Mountain to win her trial by combat against the Faith Militant.  But at some point, I expect the wildfire to go off in King’s Landing, it has been hinted at for the entire series. 
2. Pycelle was lying dead in the Tower of the Hand when Kevan Lannister walked inside.  It was there that Varys killed Kevan with a bolt to the heart.
3. Tommen is obviously still alive, but he is almost guaranteed to die soon.  I doubt an 8 year old boy will commit suicide though, so his death could come from anything.
4. Jaime finds the Freys disgusting and cowardly.  Even though he murdered the Mad King, I guess he finds the idea of murdering a man at a wedding to be the line.
5. When Sam arrives at Oldtown, he meets a maester in training that we saw die in the prologue of the book.  This indicated that the Citadel was infiltrated by the Faceless Men, although we have no idea why.  The Maesters in general are pretty sketchy, and some believe they were the reason the Targaryen dragons grew weaker with each generation.
6. The Tyrells and the Martells would never form an alliance, as they were ancient rivals. 
7. Bran’s vision finally gave fans the answer they had waited 20 years to hear.  Jon is the son of Lyanna Stark.  While we do not explicitly learn Rhaegar is the father, it is stupidly obvious at this point

Other Points to Notice

1. From start to finish, this is the best beginning to a season finale Game of Thrones has ever done. 
2. The High Sparrow can barely hide his excitement when Loras admits to his crimes.  For a man that grabbed power by pretending to be a humble servant, it is fitting he dies due to his arrogant belief that Cersei wouldn’t dare defy him.  He should have listened to Margaery, who does an incredible job at making the audience feel the tension of the moment.
3. Every time we have seen Walder Frey since the Red Wedding, he is talking about the Red Wedding.  It is his crowning achievement. 
4. Cersei seems strangely fine with Tommen being dead.  Especially compared to how she reacted when her last 2 children died.  The reason for her demeanor is…that her other 2 children died already.  In her mind that proved the witch’s prophecy to her, and Tommen was already dead.
5. This is the 2^nd white raven we see in the series.  The first to symbolize the end of summer, and this one to indicate the beginning of winter. 
6. Davos takes the role of the audience and we finally get to see Melisandre have to answer for her atrocities.  Liam Cunningham fucking kills it.  
7. Arya chopping up Walder Frey’s 2 sons, and putting them in a pie, seems like quite the stretch.  But it’s actually a plot lifted from the books.  While in Winterfell “serving” the Boltons, it is heavily implied that Lord Wyman Manderly killed the 2 Freys and cooked them into a pie, just like Arya did.
8. We see Varys riding on the ships with Daenerys’ army, along with the sigils of House Martell, and Tyrell on some sails.  Pretty successful mission. 

Stray Observations:

1. I wish that Margaery survived, just so we could see what her revenge plan would be against the High Sparrow and Cersei.
2. Septa Unella was awful, but this is a bit extreme. Sheesh
3. If Tommen didn’t kill himself, I really wonder what his first order would be.
4. “I suppose that life is irregular.”  Fucking Sam.
5. Olenna insulting the Sand Snakes almost made up for them being a thing still. 
6. A motherless bastard born in the south.  Sick burn Petyr.
7. The look Littlefinger gives to Sansa makes the whole King in the North scene way less fun.  Especially when you remember how the last King in the North plot ended. 

RIP: Grand Maester Pycelle,  Lancel Lannister,  Kevan Lannister,  the High Sparrow, Mace Tyrell, Ser Loras Tyrell, Queen Margaery Tyrell, King Tommen Baratheon, and Walder Frey.  Literally half the cast.

I can’t believe I have been doing this shit for 60 episodes now.  That blows my mind.  Season 6 was a huge step up from Season 5, but it was not without its flaws.  At times, it struggled from pacing, as well as a few minor plot holes.  But it was worth it overall I think.  Season 7 is even more hit or miss

Things I Liked:  Everything that happened in the season finale.  From Cersei’s plan, to Dany finally heading home.  On my first viewing, Jon being named King in the North was something that I did not see coming, and it was still pretty damn cool this time around.  Have to mention the incredible scene in the Battle of the Bastards that seemed to be 1 take.  We saw Jon fight 6 guys in a row without a single cut. 

Things I Did Not Like:  Arya’s conclusion to being a Faceless Man seemed rushed and disorganized.  The chase scene was ridiculous, and so was the fact that she fell into a disgusting shit river with a belly wound and was fine after.  It bothers me greatly that she comes back to Westeros and knows how to use faces.  One of the other issues I had with this slate of episodes, was the way Sansa kept her plans secret from Jon FOR NO REASON AT ALL.  It seemed like a nonsensical decision that was thrown in to add drama.  It would have been so much better if Jon was saved by other northmen, finally deciding to stand against Ramsey. 

Episode 49: The Dance of Dragons

“I am the Princess Shireen of House Baratheon. And I am your daughter.”

Major Plot Points: Stannis tries one last trick to win the throne.  Jon brings his new wildling friends to Castle Black.  Arya sells oysters, clams, and cockles.  Daenerys has to deal with an assassination attempt. 

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. The Dance of Dragons was the name given to a Targaryen civil war between Aegon II and his half sister Rhaenyra over their father’s throne.  By the end both were dead, along with their dragons. Shireen is shown reading a book about it before her death.
2. As stated before, Davos was never in the North, he was recruiting more lords to Stannis’ cause.  At this point Melisandre and Shireen were also still at Castle Black, and Stannis’ state in the north was unknown.  However there is still a lot of evidence that what Stannis did in the show will still happen.
3. Doran sent Nymeria Sand to take Oberyn’s place on the small council. She wasn’t nearly as annoying and respected his plan to overthrow Cersei.
4. Hizdahr Zo Loraq was not killed in the fighting pits, and tried to take control of the city after Daenerys left.  No one really listened to him though, and Barristan believed he tried to poison Dany before her escape.  This is because he offered her a bowl of honeyed locusts that she refused.  Her giant guard, Strong Belwas, ate them and immediately became sick and almost died in the days after.
5. Daenerys’ hair burned off, and she did suffer some burns from Drogon.  This shows that in the books, she was not fireproof like she is depicted on the show multiple times.

Other Points to Notice

1. Somehow 20 men were enough to destroy all of Stannis’ siege equipment, and food stores.  This seems like a convenient plot device to me, as those would probably be the heaviest guarded tents that Stannis had.  It did give us a badass Stannis line though, when he told Davos to have the dead horses butchered for their meat.
2. The toy Davos gives Shireen comes back in season 6, and is all the evidence Davos needs to accuse Melisandre of her murder.
3. Mace wasn’t the sharpest in the books, but in the show he is an outright clown.  It seems amazing to me that he has been able to survive as long as he has, probably all due to his mother.
4. Meryn Trant’s affinity for beating young girls puts a dark light on the times he hit Sansa for Joffrey.
5. Selyse, who always openly talked down about Shireen, ended up being the only one to try to stop her death.  It seems that deep down she did love the child.
6. Hizdahr being killed by the Sons of the Harpy really was solid proof that he was not their leader.
7. Jorah offers his hand to Daenerys and she takes it. Greyscale is spread via touch. This seems like a bad oversight on both the writers and Jorah.

Stray Observations:

1. Ellaria is really unbearable.  But it does bother me more that Doran refuses to have a plan to overthrow Tommen.
2. What Stannis did was unforgivable.  But in his mind, he was the rightful king and the only one in the world that could save the world from the Long Night.  This was of course due to the constant indoctrination from Melisandre.  He had to choose between his daughter and the lives of everyone in Westeros.  Of course it did not matter in the end, making both his fall, and Shireen’s death, even more tragic.
3. Shireen’s death has to be the darkest moment in the series. Fuck it’s still so hard to watch.  I hope it doesn’t happen in the books.

RIP: Shireen Baratheon. First of her name. And a truly good person.

Episode 50: Mother’s Mercy

“Go on, do your duty.”

Major Plot Points: Stannis marches one last time.  Arya breaks loses sight of her assassin goals.  Tyrion, Daario, and Jorah miss Dany.  Dany enjoys life in the wild. Cersei goes on a shameful walk. Jon is murdered by his own men.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Stannis is still entrenched in the snows outside of Winterfell.  We know this because there is a chapter from book 6 with him interrogating the newly escaped Theon.  Theon’s sister is also with Stannis at this point. 
2. It was Jon’s idea, not Sam’s, for him to become a Maester.  Sam actually refused to do it at first, due to childhood trauma.  He once told his father he wanted to be a Maester and his father tormented and shamed him about it.
3. Reek and Jeyne Poole escaped in the same way, by jumping into a snow bank.
4. As I stated once before,  Arya killed Daeron, a deserter from the Night’s Watch, not Meryn Trant.  I don’t have a problem with this deviation though, as it gave us a familiar face for Arya to murder. 
5. Myrcella is still alive.  She’s definitely going to die, as will Tommen, but not at the hands of Ellaria Sand.  Ridiculous that they made her the villain here.
6. Varys was still in King’s Landing. In the epilogue of A Dance with Dragons, he appears in the Tower of the Hand and murders Kevan Lannister.  Varys said that Kevan was doing too much to fix Cersei’s mistakes, and he needed unrest in order to put Aegon Targaryen on the throne.
7. The Mountain was a zombie, but Qyburn and everyone else hilariously called him Ser Gregor Strong, even though it was obvious who he really was.
8. Before Jon was killed, he received a letter from Ramsey.  This letter (known to fans as the pink letter due to the sealing wax color) taunted Jon, and told him that Stannis was dead, and that Mance (who was still alive and sent there undercover) was captured as well.  The letter then demanded Jon send Reek, his wife, and Val the wildling, to him, or he would march to the Wall and kill Jon.  At this point Jon does not know Ramsey is married to a fake Arya. The letter enrages Jon and he then decides to rally the wildling army and march on Winterfell.  He sends Tormund to Hardhome instead of going himself.  This was the last straw for the mutineers, and they killed him before he left.  Many fans have different theories on if Ramsey actually sent the letter, and how much of it was true.
9. Jon’s last words before dying were “Ghost”.  Not “Olly”.

Other Points to Notice

1. Melisandre was right about the Bolton banners burning, but she was very wrong about Stannis being the one to do it.  Also, she was technically right about the snow melting when Shireen was sacrificed.
2. Stannis’ battle at Winterfell leaves much to be desired.  It almost feels like we were robbed.  Hopefully in the books it is more epic and fleshed out.  But he did get a proper sendoff.  He did not deny that he killed his brother, and accepted his death gracefully.
3. How did Arya already learn how to use fake faces? We never saw her trained in this, and it bothers me that we still gain no idea of how the Faceless Men really work.  Also since she clearly knows the secrets of face-swapping, you’d think she would be less scared when Jaqen uses the trick on her.
4. Lena Headey did not want to film herself naked in front of that many people, and she listed good reasons for it.  So her walk of shame scene is done entirely with a body double.

Stray Observations:

1. Sam is still an unrepentant horn dog.
2. Renly was cool and all but in no world was he the rightful heir as Brienne proclaims.
3. When Sam leaves, Jon is standing from the same bannister we used to always see Jeor Mormont stand.
4. Because we didn’t explicitly see Stannis die, there were many annoying theories that he still lived.  As if Brienne would just not kill him. 
5. The bad pussy line has to be the worst line in tv history. Why?

RIP:  Stannis Baratheon, rightful heir to the Iron Throne.  Also Jon Snow, the 998^th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch.  And now his watch is ended.  Until next season. Did anyone think he actually stayed dead?

Episode 51: The Red Woman

“Buried, burned, she’s good meat. Feed her to the hounds.”

Major Plot Points: Davos watches Thorne seize power.  Jon is still dead.  Sansa and Reek find Brienne.  Cersei mourns the loss of her only daughter.  Margaery is getting tired of captivity.  Tyrion and Varys learn about their new home.  Daenerys is a slave of the Dothraki once again.  Arya is blind.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Ghost was not locked up when Jon died, and his reaction to his master’s death will be very interesting.  Most fans are expecting a chapter of Jon warged inside Ghost’s body.
2. Roose constantly humiliates and belittles Ramsey in public.  This is one of his only methods to control him.  On the show it is usually more private, which seems more dangerous, as it gives Ramsey ample opportunity to strike back.
3. Alexander Siddig (Doran Martell) was very upset that his character was killed off for what he thought was pure shock value.  When he played Doran in Season 5, he assumed the whole time that Doran had a plan to overthrow the Lannisters, and played the character as such.  But it seems that D&D enjoyed Ellaria as a villain and killed Doran off, dooming us to more Sand Snakes.  It is one of my biggest problems with the show.  Especially how they kill his son Trystane, who was completely innocent.  Also can you imagine how upset Oberyn would be by all of this? Plus why would the common people of Dorne accept Ellaria’s rule?
4. Theon’s Uncle Victarion was very close to Meereen at this point.  Euron Greyjoy sent him there to capture Daenerys to be his new bride.  By now Euron was already King of the Iron Islands, and had shown an ancient horn which was said to control dragons at the Kingsmoot.  Victarion was basically a pirate stereotype, and was removed from the show, but it does seem like show-Euron has some of his tendencies. 
5. Khal Jhaqo captures Daenerys, and since he once was a bloodrider to Drogo, recognized Dany immediately. 

Other Points to Notice

1. This is the only time we see Melisandre act like a human, and not some beautiful demon with no emotions.  Seeing Jon die is really the last straw for her faith in herself. 
2. We have now seen 2 Lord Commanders in a row murdered by the men they commanded.  Not a good sign for Jon’s successor. 
3. As soon as Brienne appears, the dogs stop barking and immediately disappear.  A bit of a weird oversight by the director, since we know Ramsey trains his hounds to attack his enemies.
4. Sansa repeats the same words to Brienne that her mother once did.
5. Daenerys mentions that she will never have children again, a point she reiterates in Season 7. In the books it is made more clear why she believes this, as Mirri Maz Duur tells her that she will never carry children again when she last speaks to her. For some reason the show skipped that part of Mirri’s prophecy.

Stray Observations:

1. Holy shit I really hate Olly. Look at him standing there all cocky.
2. Brienne finally keeps an oath.  She really needed this. It’s weird to me that Roose is never worried about Ramsey murdering him.
3. Melisandre being insanely old is a long held book theory finally proven true.

RIP:  Ramsey’s best hunters.

Episode 52: Home

“I am the storm, brother. The first storm and the last.”

Major Plot Points: Bran returns to the show and does some flashbacks.  Jaime threatens the High Sparrow. Tyrion meets Rhaegal and Viserion.  Roose Bolton was poisoned by his enemies.  Arya is still blind.  Davos begs Melisandre to make Jon stop being dead.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Jojen was alive, or so we were led to believe.  While Bran was in the cave, he repeatedly ate a weird paste given to him by the children of the forest.  This was supposed to enhance his abilities, and some fans speculate that the paste was made…out of Jojen.  Jojen was shown to be weak and dying by this point, so it is possible. 
2. Tommen did not lock Cersei in the Red Keep when she left the captivity of the Sept.  He was too busy eating sweets and stamping things for fun.  He was not a very bright child.
3. Probably the second largest theory in the ASOIAF fandom is that Tyrion is secretly the child of Joanna Lannister and Aerys Targaryen.   It was repeatedly stated in the books that the Mad King lusted after Joanna, even to Tywin’s face.  Tyrion was also described as having almost white blonde hair, and we hear Tywin once say something along the lines of “Because I can not prove that you are not my son.”  The theory goes on to state that Tyrion and Jon, the 2 secret Targaryens, will ride Dany’s other 2 dragons.  This episode adds slight fuel to the fire, when Tyrion is able to tame the dragons in captivity, a feat that we hear in the books usually only works for those with Targaryen ancestry.  Personally, I do not like this theory, and I think it cheapens Tyrion’s character and growth, especially his confrontation with Tywin. 
4. Theon is a captive of Stannis, but even if he is freed it is higly doubtful he goes back to Pyke.  Euron was already in command after the Kingsmoot and would kill him immediately.  We also do not see Euron kill Balon, but it seems fairly obvious he was responsible. 
5. Euron wore an eye patch, and had a “black eye shining with malice underneath it.”  This earned him the nickname “Crow’s-Eye”. 

Other Points to Notice

1. After years of speculating over Jon’s parentage, even seeing the teen version of Lyanna seemed like a huge deal. 
2. I hate Olly as much as the next guy, but he does have a good reason to hate Tormund, he literally watched this dude murder his entire family. 
3. The eye stones that the High Sparrow mentions, are a show-only invention.  They were added in the pilot episode, mostly because they looked cool. It is possible they are a homage to Ancient Greece, where coins were placed on the eyes of the deceased. 
4. Arya’s plotline comes to a screeching halt.  How many times do we have to watch her fight ineffectively while blind?  Two seems too many. 
5. Roose was an incredibly smart man, and probably should have known better than to get close to Ramsey.  It did give us the hilarious “poisoned by his enemies” line though. 
6. Now it makes sense as to why Melisandre was written to see Thoros bring Beric back from the dead.  Although since she never saw him in the books…does this mean Jon is staying dead?? Probably not. 

Stray Observations:

1. We see young Rodrick Cassel, and apparently he always had the epic mutton chops.
2. The smirk that the High Sparrow gives Jaime as he leaves the sept, is all the proof I need that he is secretly enjoying his new power. 
3. Fat Walda (that was her book nick name) seemed like a nice person, and I could have done without having to see her and her baby killed so brutally.
4. The ironborn throne was called the Seastone Chair, not the Salt Throne.

RIP:  King Balon Greyjoy.  Somehow the last surviving leader from the War of the Five Kings

Episode 53: Oathbreaker

“Wear it. Burn it. You have Castle Black. My watch is ended.”

Major Plot Points:   Sam, Gilly, and Sam head for Horn Hill.  Bran’s visions fuel book reader’s long held theories.  Daenerys joins the Dosh Khaleen.  Tommen learns about religion.  Cersei plots for her trial.  Arya trains blindly.  Jon is free from his vows.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Some theorize that Beric, and Jon if he comes back, are the opposite of the wights that the White Walkers command.  They are fire wights in a way, and hopefully more will be explored on the implications of this.
2. Sam and Gilly went straight to Oldtown after booking passage on a merchant ship in Braavos.  When we last saw Gilly, she was in Oldtown waiting for Sam to send her to Horn Hill.  It remains to be seen if she actually does go there.
3. We do not see Ned fight Arthur Dayne at the Tower of Joy.  In the first book, we do see the situation through a fever dream of Ned’s.  However the details are cloudy and jump from the confrontation directly to Lyanna making Ned promise her something. Also, it was 3 vs 7, as Ser Oswell Whent was also there with Dayne and Hightower.
4. Arthur Dayne was widely regarded as the greatest swordsman to ever live. 
5. Smalljon Umber died at the Red Wedding.  Before this, the Umbers were among the most loyal Stark bannerman.  It is very unlikely they would ever align with the Boltons, especially since Roose was the reason most of the Umber leaders were dead.  Seeing Rickon and Osha again also seems unlikely, as most believe they left Westeros for the island of Skagos.  However the Karstarks did join the Boltons and once pledged to join Stannis with the intention of betraying him. 

Other Points to Notice

1. When Beric Dondarrion came back from the dead, he told Arya that each time he lost a little more of himself.  In the books he talked about how he couldn’t even remember what his home looked like.  We never really get that sense from Jon, and after he comes back it almost has no plot relevance, other than him being proof of the Red God’s power.  I wonder if from his POV in the books we will see him change.
2. The first man we see in Bran’s vision, is Ser Gerold Hightower.  A formidable duelist in his own right, he was the Commander of the Kingsguard for Aerys.  The fact that both he and Arthur Dayne were outside the tower protecting Lyanna was all the proof fans needed to create the R + L = J theory.
3. It bothers me that Bran says he has heard the story a thousand times about how Ned beat Dayne.  It seems unlikely Ned would ever talk about this fight, especially given the tragic ending to both Dayne and Lyanna.
4. The whore Varys interrogates is the same one that we saw slit an Unsullied soldier’s throat, and direct Barristan to his death. 
5. Qyburn immediately uses the same child spies that Varys once employed.
6. The High Sparrow manipulates Tommen just as easily as Margaery or Cersei ever did.  He somehow makes him his puppet in just one conversation.
7. Interestingly enough, we see Arya able to best the Waif in a fight while blind.  It does make her eventual victory seem more likely I guess.

Stray Observations:

1. Jon is rightfully disturbed at being alive again.
2. Dany really doesn’t understand that other Dothraki do not care about her titles.
3. Tyrion trying to get Grey Worm and Missandei to play a game with him was extremely sad.
4. Technically, Jon did serve the Night’s Watch till death.

RIP: Ser Alliser Thorne, for a short time First Ranger, and for an even shorter time the Lord Commander, of the Night’s Watch. And now his watch is ended. Fuck Olly

Episode 54: Book of the Stranger

“I fought, and I lost.”

Major Plot Points: Jon meets the family member he cares the least about.  Daenerys meets her old friends in an old place.  Tyrion tries to run a new city.  Margaery reunites with Loras.  Cersei finally begins to take action.  Osha dies. 

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. If Jon does come back to life, I am certain he will use the same loophole he uses on the show to get out of his vows.  Jon is clearly the main character of the series and there isn’t much he can do plot-wise from the Wall.
2. Astapor, Yunkai, and Volantis did not send envoys to negotiate with Daenerys in Meereen.  They all joined forces and sent massive armies to besiege the city.  Outside of Meereen was a no mans land of slavers, armies, war ships, and disease. 
3. Daenerys’ plan to escape Vaes Dothrak would never work.  This is due to the fact that she does not have a superpower where she is immune to fire.  The only time she was fireproof was when she also burned Mirri Maz Duur, so it may have been some type of blood magic.
4. Lancel was not a member of the faith militant.  He was super depressed though. 
5. We get our show version of the Pink Letter. Doesn’t have the same impact when we know Ramsey isn’t lying.

Other Points to Notice

1. It’s interesting to imagine how much differently things would have ended up if Jon left Castle Black before Sansa arrived.  Hard to picture him going to Dorne and enjoying a life on the beach.
2. It was refreshing to hear Davos question Mel about Stannis, since to this point she has not had to atone for her decisions.  I have a strong feeling she will be killed by Arya in Season 8.
3. This is where it gets hard to understand Littlefinger’s motives.  Did he always plan to give Sansa to the Boltons, only to then march on the Boltons? The only way this makes sense is when you remember he currently has Cersei’s blessing to overthrow them.  Except Cersei will be furious when she finds out he didn’t kill Sansa.  Idk the whole thing is super confusing. 
4. Both Tyrion and Missandei are correct in their actions.  Tyrion is doing the right thing and trying to peacefully stop the masters from attacking them, and Missandei is right in not believing the masters can be placated.  The result is infuriating.
5. Not sure why Margaery is still captive.  All she was accused of was lying while in a sept.  In the books Cersei framed her for sleeping with several different knights. 

Stray Observations:

1. The first Stark reunion we see is definitely the best Stark reunion.
2. Remember the wise master from Astapor?  Same guy that Dany once took gold from and threatened to unleash Drogon on. 
3. The High Sparrow’s monologue was weirdly awesome.  I know we are supposed to hate him but how can you hate someone that good at acting??
4. Theon’s second boat ride to Pyke is much different than his first, when he came in super cocky.
   
5. I feel like Osha did not get the send off she deserved.  No one in the world believed her plan to seduce Ramsey would work.  They may as well have killed her offscreen and saved her dignity. 

RIP:  Osha the Wildling.  Also some Dothraki.

Daenerys Boob Counter: 1

Overall: 4.5

Season 6 was immediately better than Season 5.  Hard to explain why, but it felt more like Game of Thrones again.  It’s going to get harder and harder to write book facts moving forward since we are about at the point in the show where every plotline has gone beyond the source material.  Only 2 full weeks left before season 8.

Things I Liked: The Tyrion and Varys reunion in Meereen was a nice addition.  It helped us remember the glory days of Season 2, where the show reveled in constant political maneuvering.  I also am a big fan of the way Jon came back and immediately was pissed about it.  Seems like the best reaction possible.  Stannis had a pretty cool final scene as well.  However by far the most powerful moment of this group of episodes, was the murder of Shireen.  It was horrifying, and completely fucked up, but it was supposed to be and I’m glad they gave the moment the gravity it needed.  Still super fucked though.

Things I Did Not Like: Ellaria Sand murdering Myrcella, Doran, and Trystane, then somehow taking control of an entire kingdom is the worst part of Game of Thrones.  First off, she is literally a bastard.  Second of all, she was not even married to Oberyn Martell.  Third, and most importantly, she commands 0 armies and has no lords loyal to her.  Literally any highborn in Dorne has a stronger claim than her to the kingdom and she would immediately be overthrown, along with the fucking Sand Snakes.  Doran was such a waste of a character.  Also, the “battle” between Stannis and Ramsey was a pathetic joke.  

Episode 43: High Sparrow

“Olly, bring me my sword”

Major Plot Points: Tommen enjoys the married life.  Arya is forced to serve.  Sansa learns about her new betrothed.  Jon refuses a King.  Tyrion goes to a brothel.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Tommen was a young child,  about 9, therefore he and Margaery never consummated their relationship.  Weirdly enough they still got married.
2. Littlefinger does plan on marrying Sansa off, but not to someone as repulsive as Ramsey.  There is a lord in the Vale nicknamed Harry the Heir, and if something were to happen to poor little Sweetrobin, he would be in line as the next Lord of the Vale. 
3. Brienne’s father Selywn, is known as Selywn Tarth, Tarth being the name of the island he presides over.  For some reason, Brienne is known as Brienne of Tarth, not Brienne Tarth.  Not sure why but it does sound cooler.
4. Olly did not exist.  It was awesome.
5. Jon sent Ser Alliser away to command the castle Janos died refusing.  It did not prevent a mutiny, the mutiny was just organized by other people. 
6. Fans of the books were furious when Jon didn’t say “Edd fetch me a block”, before beheading Janos.  “Olly bring me my sword” does not have the same ring to it. 
7. At this point of the books, we were on our second High Septon.  The first was killed in the riot that nearly killed Sansa.  The second was murdered under Cersei’s command due to her paranoia that Lancel confessed to him about their incestuous affair.  The High Sparrow was then given power by Cersei.

Other Points to Notice

1. Jaqen tells Arya, “There is only one God.”  This echoes what Syrio Forel told her back in Season 1.  This is either a normal Braavosi thing to say, or the theory that Syrio was Jaqen in disguise has serious legs.
2. Lets pretend Jon takes Stannis’ offer.  He would then break his vows to follow Stannis to Winterfell.  If this happened, he would almost certainly have died fighting with Stannis.  Then the wildling army north of the Wall would all die to the White Walkers, and return as an undead army.  In other words, it would have been catastrophic for the entire world if Jon broke his vows and accepted.
3. I can’t rationalize Sansa agreeing to marry Ramsey.  Roose literally (and figuratively?) stabbed her brother through the heart.  It does not make sense to me narrative-wise.  Did D&D really have no other ideas for how to keep Sansa occupied for a season? Why not spend the time showing her learning the game and trying to marry someone in the Vale? She could then rile the troops to go attack Winterfell and aid Jon, landing her in the same position, minus the gratuitous rape and violence.
4. We have now seen Ned, Robb, Theon and Jon execute someone that served underneath them.  Tragedy seems to accompany this, as all 4 die shortly after.  Yes I count Theon becoming Reek as dying. 

Stray Observations:

1. This is now Margaery’s third husband.  She gives the kiss of death at her weddings apparently. 
2. Stannis giving a subtle nod to Jon after he executes Janos is one of my favorite moments.

RIP: Janos Slynt, the baby murdering ex-captain of the Goldcloaks. 

Episode 44: Sons of the Harpy

“You do not belong across the world with the bloody Stone Men. You are the Princess Shireen of House Baratheon, and you are my daughter.”

Major Plot Points: Cersei unleashes the sparrows.  Tommen tries to be a king.  Jaime and Bronn meet Dornishmen.  Jon is seduced by the Lord of Light. Stannis wins the heart of the audience. Tyrion travels with his new captor. Barristan fights peasants.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. No one was sent to rescue Myrcella.  She wasn’t exactly safe, but the royal family of Dorne truly enjoyed having her around, and protected her.
2. Cersei filled the small council with random knights and lords she thought loyal to only her.  She employed a bastard named Aurane Waters as the head of the royal navy, and ordered new ships be built for him, simply because he looked uncannily like Rhaegar Targaryen.  When Cersei was arrested by the High Sparrow, Waters left King’s Landing with all of the new ships.
3. Loras was never captured by the sparrows.  He was instead sent by Cersei to retake Dragonstone from the remnants of Stannis’ army.  While there he led the charge into the castle, where he was gravely wounded by boiling oil.
4. The Tourney at Harrenhal was one of the most influential moments in all of the books, and it took place years before the first novel.  When a man wins a tournament, it was custom for him to give a rose to his beloved, crowning her the Queen of Love and Beauty.  Rhaegar gave a bouqet of blue roses to Lyanna, and not his wife Elia Martell.   This marked the true beginning of the war and led to thousands of people dying, Lyanna and Rhaegar included.  Through the POV of Barristan, we learn that one of his greatest regrets in life was losing to Rhaegar in that tournament, because if he won then Rhaegar never would have given the rose to Lyanna.
5. There were 7 sand snakes, with the youngest being a child still.  Elia did not organize them into a revolt against Doran Martell, Doran had them imprisoned before they could do anything against him. 
6. Barristan is still alive, and still a fucking badass.  He kills elite assasins that come for Hizdahr when Dany leaves Mereen with Drogon.

Other Points to Notice

1. The Sapphire Isle pointed out to Jaime is also known as Tarth, which is of course where Brienne was born.
2. Jon is the only person we have seen resist Melisandre’s seduction.  She seems drawn to Jon, but still believes Stannis to be the chosen one.  When she smiles and remarks “You know nothing, Jon Snow” you can see the horror in Jon’s eyes.
3. Stannis has a beautiful moment with Shireen.  We never see them talk much in the books, but when he leaves the Wall to head south, Shireen, his wife, and Melisandre remain behind.  He tells his men that if he is to die they must continue fighting to put Shireen on the throne.
4. Bronn uses the same trick as Daario to defeat a mounted opponent.  Mercenaries definitely fight differently than highborns.
5. Unfortunately we meet the Sand Snakes.  Three of the worst characters of all time.  Immediately Obara begins telling a ridiculous expositionary tale of her father, which contextually makes no sense since I’m sure her siblings know this story already.
6. Ridiculous that Barristan dies in such a meaningless way; fighting Sons of the Harpy who probably have little to no actual training.  If he stayed alive he could have gotten a much better send off, or been around till the end.

Stray Observations:

1. It’s hilarious Cersei gave the High Sparrow so much power, and never saw a way it could backfire.
2. I predict Bronn will be one of the only survivors at the end of the series. 
3. Who needs cool book characters like Barristan when you can write cool new show only characters like Olly, Ros and Locke?

RIP: Ser Barristan Selmy, also known as Barristan the Bold.  Winner of countless tournaments, slayer of the Kingswood Brotherhood, and the greatest remaining swordsman in the series. 

Episode 45: Kill the Boy

“Kill the boy, and let the man be born.”

Major Plot Points: Daenerys tries to end a rebellion.  Jon begins to make unpopular decisions as Lord Commander.  Sansa spends some time bonding with the Bolton family.  Tyrion travels to the ruins of Valyria

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Daenerys did not capture the masters in Mereen after the Sons of the Harpy attacked.  She tried everything she could to keep the peace.  However if Barristan died she may have acted differently.  She did still marry Hizdahr.
2. Jon did not go to Hardhome, he sent a group of men there to scout it out.  He received communications that the situation had grown dire, and began making plans to go help.  However he ended up sending Tormund instead, since right before he left he received a letter from Ramsey Bolton that caused him to change his mind.  More on that later.
3. The first time we see Theon as Reek is him waking up in a dog kennel eating a rat.  His hair is white at this point from all the torture and he can barely speak through his broken teeth. 
4. When Stannis left the Wall with his army, he left Melisandre, Shireen, and Selyse with Jon Snow.  This would make it seem like Shireen is still safe in the books for now.
5. The Stone Men were not in Valyria, but in a river known as the Sorrows.  Tyrion went through this area with Fake Aegon and Jon Connington.  Jon was the one who rescued Tyrion from the depths of the river, and he contracted grey scale from it. Connington made it his mission to put Aegon on the iron throne before the grey scale killed him, and Tyrion was captured by Mormont shortly after.

Other Points to Notice

1. There are other officers in the Night’s Watch besides Alliser and Aemon, but we seldom see them on screen.  The show also rarely brings up that Castle Black is not the only fully manned castle on the Wall.  Eastwatch-by-the-Sea is still used by the Night’s Watch, and we finally see it in Season 7.
2. Sansa still is not a great judge of character.  If she were, she would have ran as soon as Myranda began talking to her.
3. Ramsey brought Reek in to see Sansa as a way to further bring her spirits down.  At this point it’s possible Sansa still has hope her brothers live, and Ramsey forces Reek to tell her that he killed them.
4. Roose knew telling Ramsey he was having a son would greatly upset him.  Roose had another son when he was younger, but he died mysteriously after going to meet his half-brother Ramsey.  While it was never proven, it was pretty obvious he was poisoned.
5. When we hear Missandei discuss Dany’s choices, she reflects many of the points Tywin brought up to Tommen about what makes a good ruler, a great ruler. 

Stray Observations:

1. Jon earned Tormund’s full loyalty the moment he unchained him after being threatened.
2. Myranda and Ramsey have to be the show’s best power couple.
3. Roose looked understandably confused when Ramsey stood up at dinner to give a toast. 
4. Greyscale spreads really fast I guess. Idk i found this episode really boring and hard to write about.

RIP: The stone man who drowned trying to kill Tyrion.

Episode 46: Unbowed Unbent Unbroken

“I killed my father. He wanted to execute me for a crime I didn’t commit. And he was fucking the woman I loved.”

Major Plot Points: Arya tells some lies.  Tyrion and Jorah meet slavers.  Jaime flails around with bad actors.  Loras attends a trial conducted by Pope Bernie Sanders. Sansa gets married again.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. The episode title contains the official House Martell words.  This unfortunately means the episode will feature the Sand Snakes
2. It is still unclear how the faces of the faceless men work.  We see them change their entire body and voice from wearing them, which indicate some type of magic is used.  But if this is the case, why do they still need to collect physical faces, as we see Arya do later in the series?  And some of the faces shown in their temple can’t possibly be the real faces of the deceased. 
3. Jorah actually did win the tournament at Lannisport.  He wasn’t a renowned fighter or knight, but he fell in love with a highborn woman and fought better than he had in his entire life in order to win the tourney and propose to her. 
4. The main Dornish guard, Areo Hotah, was actually a POV character in the books.  He essentially served as a window into the political conversations that took place in Dorne.  He rarely spoke in his chapters and as a result earned the fan nickname of “The Camera that Walks”, a play on “The Mountain that Rides.”

Other Points to Notice

1. Faye Marsay, the actress who portrays the Waif, is actually 32 years old.  When I first watched I thought she was in her early 20’s at most.
2. At this point, we viewers are used to the classic “Tyrion talks his way out of danger” trope.  But here it feels forced.  It seems unlikely that slavers would be swayed that easily.
3. Littlefinger is at his best in King’s Landing.  We now see his elaborate plan come together.  He gave Sansa to the Bolton’s to convince them he was on their side.  But he immediately ratted them out to Cersei.  He now has the authority to take Winterfell, and become the Warden of the North.  He could even conceivably marry Sansa somehow.
4. The sand snakes are bad actors.  So of course their fight scene is the worst choreographed fight in the shows entirety.  Check out the below gif and take turns watching both of the girls.  One stands there awkwardly while the other does a random twirl.  So bad.
5. Sansa had a mini power moment against Myranda.  Just another tease of her taking agency with her position.
6. Many people (rightfully) had a serious problem with the Sansa rape scene.  The first reason, is it seemed like more unnecessary  torture for a character that had already been tormented constantly.  Secondly, during the actual scene the camera focuses on Theon, making it seem like he was the real victim.  Obviously he was not, and it made the whole thing even worse. 

Stray Observations:

1. Arya lies about hating the Hound, and she didn’t even realize it.  This gives me hope for their eventual season 8 reunion. 
2. Jerome Flynn (Bronn) has a weirdly good voice. 
3. Why would Jaime and Bronn try to infiltrate a Dornish palace in broad daylight? Why would the Sand Snakes try to conduct a stealth mission in broad daylight?

RIP: This show’s reputation when it comes to well choreographed fight scenes.

Episode 47: The Gift

“Egg, I dreamed that I was old”

Major Plot Points: Jon marches north.  Stannis keeps marching south.  Sansa dreams of escape.  Daenerys receives a gift from Jorah.  Cersei falls into her own devious trap.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. The Gift is a large stretch of land directly south of the Wall.  The legend goes that the mythical Brandon the Builder, the same man who apparently built the Wall, allocated that land to the men of the Night’s Watch.  This episode cleverly uses the title to reiterate Jon’s promise to the Wildlings that they could settle there, as well as the gift Littlefinger gives Olenna, and Jorah’s gift of Tyrion to Daenerys.
2. Maester Aemon was sent with Sam to go to the Citadel.  However they had to travel to Braavos first. While there, Aemon died and one of the men of the Night’s Watch, Daeron, abandoned the group and was later killed in an alley by Arya when she recognized him as a deserter.
3. Before Aemon died, he lamented the fact that Daenerys, the last Targaryen, was alone without anyone in her family to help her.  If only he knew that he was a mentor to another Targaryen.
4. It pains me to say this, but someone has to.  In the books, when Gilly and Sam first have sex, GRRM uses the term “fat pink mast” to describe Sam’s member.  He is an insanely talented writer, but his sex scenes sometimes were the funniest part of the series.
5. Jorah and Tyrion arrived at Mereen after Daenerys left on Drogon.  The last time we see them they are trying to survive outside the city, where a plague is killing refugees rapidly, and several slaver armies are laying siege.  Tyrion then attempts to join forces with a mercenary group.

Other Points to Notice

1. The person named “Egg” that Aemon was referring to, was his younger brother Aegon Targaryen.  Known as Aegon the Unlikely, due to the fact he was the fourth-born son of his late father. He is also one of the titular characters of GRRM’s “Dunk and Egg” prequel novellas.
2. Sansa repeatedly saying “Promise Me” to Theon was an intentional reference to her Aunt Lyanna’s last words to Ned.
3. If the show actually killed off Balon Greyjoy when they were supposed to, Melisandre could have brought him up to Stannis as well, when she was making her claims about the power of King’s blood.  It is strange that Stannis doesn’t bring up how he is still alive.
4. After tearing through Tywin, Tyrion, Cersei, and everyone else she’s ever met, the Lady of Thorns finally meets her match in the High Sparrow.  It is hard to tell if the High Sparrow is truly genuine, or uses his piety as a means to hold power.  We don’t get to see his plot through to the end in the books yet.  It seems to me like he does truly believe in what he does, but has enough political savvy to manipulate people with his faith.
5. Tommen has no idea how literal Cersei is being when she tells him that she would burn cities to the ground for him. 
6. The “handsome young man” Littlefinger was referring to in his conversation with Olenna, was none other than Lancel Lannister.  He knew with this information Olenna could turn the faith against Cersei.  However, it does seem a bit weird that the High Sparrow wouldn’t know about his incestual affair already. 

Stray Observations:

1. Hard to see Sansa in such a distressed state.  A whole season of character development thrown away.
2. Why would Sansa antagonize Ramsey??
3. Very key character scene showing Bronn and the Sand Snakes flirt.  I guess it foreshadows them using their poison again later?

RIP: Maester Aemon Targaryen.  A man who once turned down ruling the Seven Kingdoms, because he already pledged his life to being a maester.

Episode 48: Hardhome

I’ve been pretty harsh on Season 5 so far, but this episode is fucking awesome.  Honestly may be my favorite of the entire series.

“The Long Night is coming, and the dead come with it.”

Major Plot Points: Arya gets her first magic assassin mission.  Cersei enjoys prison life. Ramsey needs 20 good men.  Daenerys tries to help Tyrion with his alcoholism. Jon meets his new nemesis.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Arya did go undercover as a clam girl (??), and during this time actually lived with a fisherman and his daughters.  It was an interesting aspect to her mission, since it indicated that almost all of the people within Braavos would do anything that the Faceless Men asked of them.
2. Cersei sends Jaime a desperate letter whilst in prison, begging him to come be her champion in trial by combat.  Jaime at this point was trying to take over Riverrun, and had just found out from Lancel that Cersei did in fact sleep with him.  When he got her letter, he immediately burned it, indicating he had fully moved on from her.  It took Jaime much longer in the show to do so.
3. Varys did not do much for Dany, instead he devoted his efforts to helping Aegon, the Targaryen who may or may not be authentic.
4. Hardhome was once a legitimate wilding city, the only place north of the Wall that had a natural harbor and was equipped for a large population.  Around 600 years before the series begins, an unnamed catastrophe struck it, and it has been abandoned since.  Some say the entire settlement was captured by slavers, others believe cannibals from the island of Skagos arrived there and slaughtered the populace.
5. Since the books did not have a POV character at Hardhome, we are still uncertain what happened there, but this episode does an incredible job at showing us how horrible it must have been.   Also, the Thenns did move south with the rest of the wildlings.

Other Points to Notice

1. It isn’t ever really talked about, but Daenerys is a good judge of character (in the show at least not so much the books).  You can tell she started to like Tyrion as soon as he told her that she may not deserve his service.  The rest of their conversation is really just her testing his temperament.
2. Sansa learning her brothers are still alive actually helped her morale significantly.  This is the first time in years she finds out she may not be the last Stark.  Jon doesn’t count. The two of them were far from close as children due to Sansa adopting her mother’s icy demeanor towards him.
3. Ramsey demanding 20 good men is a bit cringeworthy to me.  It seems a bit far fetched they could travel into a military camp undetected, and it makes Ramsey seem more like a cartoon villain than a real character.
4. Sam saying that Jon always comes back was hilariously one of the main reasons people were certain that he would rise from the dead in season 6.
5. Part of what makes this episode so great, is that it’s the only real battle in the show we did not see coming.  This episode also confirms a long held fan theory, that Valyrian Steel could kill White Walkers.  It is possible that this is the main reason it was created.

Stray Observations:

1. Ramsey says “feast for the crows” which is basically the title of the fourth book.
2. We haven’t seen the Lord of Bones since season 3.
3. Dany’s wheel speech was better as a promo, it came off a bit forced in an actual dialogue scene.  Like what would Tyrion say in that conversation after she said it?  “Oh cool, I’m down let’s do this shit.”
4. One of the wights Jon kills has the distinctive skull markings of a Thenn.  Cool detail.
5. The 4 White Walkers looking down on the battlefield have to be a direct reference to the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse. 

RIP: Karsi, the badass female wildling who immediately became a fan favorite, and then died, all in the same episode.

Almost done with Season 5.  I consider this the weakest of the 7 seasons, but it still had some cool moments.  Mostly Hardhome.  Arya’s story seemed to stagnate, as did Dany’s and Tyrion’s.  Luckily Jon had some great moments, from his speech at Hardhome to the wildlings, to his inauguration as Lord Commander.  And don’t even get me started on the Dornish plotline.  Crazy how close we are getting now to Season 8.

Things I Liked: Everything about the battle at Hardhome.  The impending sense of dread, the actual action scenes, and the way it helped display the true might of the White Walkers.  This is easily my favorite battle in the show.  I also have to admit that I am a big fan of Jonathan Pryce’s performance as the High Sparrow.

Things I Did Not Like: Everything about Dorne.  Obviously I hated the Sand Snakes, but I also hate what they did to Doran Martell.  In the books he acted calm and placid but was scheming the entire time to overthrow the Lannisters.  I also did not enjoy watching Arya scrub floors for 3 episodes. Finally, Sansa’s plotline seemed unnecessarily cruel to me, especially her wedding night. I still think D&D could have written her a better story arc in the Vale, learning politics under Littlefinger’s tutelage.

Episode 37: Mockingbird

“I’ve come to the perfect place. I want to bring those who have wronged me to justice. And all those who have wronged me are right here. I will begin with Ser Gregor Clegane, who killed my sister’s children and then raped her with their blood still on his hands before killing her, too. I will be your champion”

Major Plot Points: Tyrion looks for a champion.  The Hound gets bit.  Daenerys compromises with the old masters.  Jon tries to prepare the Night’s Watch for Mance Rayder.  Brienne chases a new lead. Sansa hangs with her cousin.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Tyrion and Jaime never openly discussed the fact that Jaime and Cersei were a couple.  Only when Tyrion escaped King’s Landing did he finally make a comment about it to Jaime.
2. Arya’s journey through the riverlands was GRRM’s way of showing the human cost of war.  The entire countryside was destroyed and most of the innocent civilians were suffering. 
3. Aliser Thorne and Janos Slynt did not arrive at the Wall until after Mance Rayder attacked.  Jon had more freedom to organize the defense of Castle Black.
4. The Hound was burned on the other side of his face.  Took me a while to remember this fact.
5. Littlefinger told Lysa “Only Cat” not “Your sister” as he threw her to her death. No idea why they changed it, but it was another change that seems to serve no purpose other than annoying book readers.  Also the Moon Door was a vertical door, not a trap door.

Other Points to Notice

1. The Mountain is shown for the first time since season 2.  The final actor to play him is definitely the most physically imposing.  Believe it or not, the first actor to play the Mountain in season 1 was actually four inches taller.  I like the new actor, but he does seem too young to be the Hound’s older brother.
2. We meet our old friends Rorge and Biter.  Biter, fittingly, bit the Hound and died doing so.  These were the 2 other prisoners with Jaqen that Arya freed.
3. Lollys Stokeworth, Bronn’s new bride, was present in Season 2 when the royal party was attacked by an angry mob. 
4. Later in the series, we see Melisandre remove her necklace, and her true, old lady form shows.  Here, we see her naked in a bathtub without the necklace and she still appears young.  This means either Selyse Baratheon sees her as an old woman and isn’t moved by it, or the writers didn’t think of the necklace’s ultimate purpose yet. This scene also foreshadows the plans Mel has for Shireen. 
5. Petyr tells Sansa how she could be his daughter, then immediately kisses her.  The shot of Lysa watching was incredible at least.

Stray Observations:

1. Still hard to tell if Shae ever loved Tyrion.  He doesn’t think so.
2. I am going to miss the Tyrion and Bronn bromance.  Bronn immediately rebounds with Jaime but it isn’t quite the same.
3. Arya won’t admit it but she has grown to care about the Hound.
4. Gotta love Hot Pie teaching random strangers about baking.
5. Oberyn steals the episode during his scene with Tyrion.
6. Sansa grossly over reacted to a little boy accidentally breaking her snow sculpture

RIP: Lady Lysa Arryn, formerly Lysa Tully, Lady Regent of the Vale of Arryn. Also completely insane.

Episode 38: The Mountain and the Viper

“I am the brother of Elia Martell. And do you know why I’ve come all the way to this stinking shitpile of a city? For you. I am going to hear you confess before you die: You raped my sister. You murdered her. You killed her children. Say it now, and we can make this quick.”

Major Plot Points: Jon readies for war.  Reek helps the Boltons take a stronghold from the ironborn.  Sansa tells a lie for Littlefinger.  Ramsey becomes a Bolton.  Oberyn dies.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Mole’s Town got its name due to the fact that most of the town was located underground in large cellars.  Jon Snow even referred to the people there as moles.
2. Tormund remained north of the Wall with Mance, he was not part of the southern raiding party.
3. When Reek arrived at Moat Cailin, he found the captain so sick from infection that he couldn’t stand.  He killed him as a mercy.  He also was not sent southward until far later in the series, but this really doesn’t matter storywise. 
4. Littlefinger’s story to the Lords of the Vale was much different.  He blamed Lysa’s death on a singer who happened to be in the room.  The lords still did not believe Petyr and planned to take away his regency, until one of the men there, Lyn Corbray, raised a sword to Petyr and violated guest right.  This got the lords to give Littlefinger a trial period as Robin Arryn’s ward.  It was later revealed Corbray was under Littlefinger’s payroll and the act was entirely orchestrated.
5. Oberyn’s blade was mentioned as being heavily poisoned.  It slowed down the Mountain more and more with each blow.  He had the perfect chance to kill him. Fuck.  Tyrion then threw up immediately after Oberyn died. 

Other Points to Notice

1. Again, we see Grey Worm and Missandei having a tender conversation after he sees her bathing.  Apparently their relationship had far more roots than I remembered when I watched originally.
2. Ramsey puts a glove on Reek’s hand before sending him off.  This was a subtle way to hide his dismembered and missing fingers.
3. Sansa has to act timid and scared to sell Littlefingers lie.  It’s interesting because in a few seasons, Lord Royce is at Winterfell taking orders from her.
4. Unclear who sent the royal pardon that incriminated Jorah.  Most likely it was Tywin in an attempt to sow discord in Dany’s court.  Barristan revealed the truth about Jorah to Dany in the books as well. 
5. Littlefinger gave some blatant foreshadowing of Tywin’s death. “Some people die squatting on their chamber pots.”
6. Sansa comes down the stairs wearing all black and looking confident for the first time.  It seemed this was a turning point for her but the next season she is sold into slavery yet again.
7. Some believe the story Tyrion and Jaime tell about their cousin smashing beetles for fun was actually a reference GRRM’s tendency to heartlessly kill his own characters.

Stray Observations:

1. Alfie Allen is an insanely good actor.  He somehow is able to portray Theon as broken entirely with facial expressions.
2. This is the second time now we see an ironborn hit their captain on the head in order to surrender to Ramsey.  Both times ended with them being flayed.
3. Am I crazy or did Roose and Ramsey have an actual nice father son bonding moment?
4. Arya has the best reaction of all time to Lysa dying.  She completely loses it.
5. Ellaria’s scream was a perfect expression of how the audience felt

RIP: Prince Oberyn Martell.  The Red Viper, and man of the people. 

Episode 39: The Watchers on the Wall

“Jon Snow, do you remember that cave? We should have stayed in that cave.”

Major Plot Points: Mance Rayder lights the greatest fire the North has ever seen. 

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. The defense of the Wall was led by Donal Noye.  He was the one armed blacksmith of Castle Black, and loved by all members of the Night’s Watch. 
2. Most of Mole’s Town escaped to Castle Black prior to the southern raiding party’s arrival.  The raid then happened before Mance’s force attacked, and the wildlings were doing well until they began climbing the stairs on the Wall.  It was then that the Night’s Watch lit it on fire, killing most of the attackers.  The staircase isn’t really shown in the tv series, just the elevator.
3. Alliser giving the Wall to Slynt robbed us of an incredible moment.  Donal Noye has to go to the bottom gate to help fight Mag the Mighty, the king of the giants.  Before he goes down he looks at Jon and says “Jon, you have the Wall until I return.” 
4. Jon did not kill Styr, the Magnar of Thenn.  He was killed when the Night’s Watch lit their staircase on fire.
5. Pyp and Grenn both lived through the battle.  Their deaths did serve a purpose though, to show the cost of the fight.  Grenn’s death replaced that of Donal Noye. 
6. Jon did not volunteer to parlay with Mance.  Aliser and Janos arrive at the Wall after the battle and force Jon to go on a suicide mission to assassinate Mance, as punishment for sleeping with a wildling.

Other Points to Notice

1. Maester Aemon is a father figure to Sam, someone who never had a father that cared for him.  I also get extra sad when I see Maester Aemon on the show, since the actor who portayed him died shortly after filming Aemon’s death. 
2. Sam’s speech to Pyp clearly had an impact.  He fought his heart out before he was killed.
3. Janos is proven to be a coward multiple times during the Battle.  It distracted from the fighting in a way I did not really appreciate.
4. Sam gives another speech, this time to Olly.  In a way it is Sam’s fault that Ygritte dies.
5. Grenn died a hero, it’s a shame that we did not see the battle between him and Mag the Mighty.
6. Incredible camera work during the battle as we see a nonstop action scene that makes the melee look like a complex diorama.
7. Jon spits in Styr’s face to gain the upper hand.  This is a trick he learned from fighting Karl Tanner, the legend of Gin Alley. 

Stray Observations:

1. Styr saying “a nice slice of ginger minge” is extremely weird.
2. I wish Alliser was not present at the Wall for the battle.  But I understand they needed him there, since the show never showed us any senior members of the Wall besides Mormont, Thorne, and Aemon.  We needed someone that we recognized to lead the fight initially.
3. This is only the second episode of the show that takes place entirely at one setting.  It also continues the tradition of battles and major plot moments being shown in the 9^th episode of the season.

RIP:  Ygritte,  a free woman.  Also Grenn and Pyp, true brothers of the Night’s Watch.

Episode 40: The Children

“I am your son. I have always been your son.”

Major Plot Points: Jon gets stuck in-between 2 kings.  Daenerys learns more about slave culture.  Cersei yells at her dad.  Bran meets the Three Eyed Raven.  Tyrion shoots a crossbow bolt through his father’s chest, after choking out his old concubine. 

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. We never meet Mance’s wife Dalla, or her sister, Val.  Dalla was pregnant with Mance’s child at this point.  Val was said to possess incredible beauty, and Jon knew that she could be part of a key marriage with a northern lord to help Stannis’ claim.
2. When Qyburn “healed” the Mountain, people in the Red Keep claimed to have heard him screaming all day and night from Qyburn’s experiments.
3. The Three Eyed Raven was supposed to have only one eye, and be mostly connected to the weirwood tree.  This explains his quote “I have watched you with a thousand eyes, and one”. Instead it makes no sense.  Also Jojen didn’t die, but I’m sure he will soon.
4. Brienne and the Hound never fought.  Not sure if he would have won if he was healthy though.  He was supposedly a great fighter
5. Jaime and Tyrion left on different terms.  Jaime tells Tyrion as he escapes the truth about his first wife, Tysha.  Tysha was not a whore, as his father told him, but truly someone in love with him.  Tyrion is furious by this, and tells Jaime that Cersei was having sex with Lancel, and one other knight.  He even insinuates that Cersei had sex with the court jester, Moonboy.  Finally, Tyrion falsely tells Jaime that he did kill Joffrey, and that Joffrey was more of a monster than the Mad King.  Very different ending for those two in the show.  This conversation is a huge turning point for Tyrion, and part of the reason he is angry enough to go confront his father.  He then spends the next book in a very dark place mentally after all of this. 
6. At the end of book 3, we see Catelyn Stark fished out of the river by the Brotherhood Without Banners.  Beric Dondarrion then leans towards her body, and dies giving his life to her.  She comes back as a living corpse, and as the new leader of the Brotherhood, Lady Stoneheart. 

Other Points to Notice

1. The wildlings completely out numbered Stannis’ force.  However, they were no match for a serious army that rode in formations with real battlefield tactics.  Most of the wildlings were farmers or men with no battle training. 
2. Davos is upset with Jon’s nonchalant way of addressing Stannis.  One day he will be Jon’s most loyal servant. 
3. Cersei telling her father the truth about her and Jaime was a show-only invention, but god damn was it powerful.  Tywin flat out refuses to believe her, even though he must know it’s true.  I wish Tywin lived so we could see this play out.   
4. Tywin having sex with Shae may be the most hypocritical thing anyone in Westeros has ever done.  Also Tyrion killing her is an insanely dark moment for his character.
5. The Hound was a truly tormented soul.  When he talks to Arya the last time, he begins telling her to go find Brienne, and almost seems like he wants her to be safe.  He then tries to incite her into killing him because he truly wants to die.  Next time we see him, he is much more at peace.  I think deep down he does care about Arya, and hopefully they will get to speak in the new season. 

Stray Observations:

1. Jon tells Davos that Ned died for Stannis.  This is 100% correct, but it’s rare that you hear it described this way. 
2. Cersei is beginning to show the cracks in her sanity this episode.  It gets exponentially worse each season from here on out.
3. The full skeleton wights are not nearly as creepy.
4. The children of the forest look much more magical in Season 6.
5. It annoys me that the show never brings up Tysha, Tyrion’s first wife, ever again after season 1. 

RIP:  Lord Tywin Lannister.  Hand of the King, Warden of the West.  A pragmatic bastard to the end.  Also Shae and Jojen.  Mostly Jojen, fuck Shae.

Episode 41: The Wars to Come

“Gold will be their crowns, and gold will be their shrouds.”

Major Plot Points: Jaime and Cersei mourn their father.  Tyrion emerges from a box.  Daenerys learns conquering and leading are very different.  Sansa heads north.  Jon tries to convince one king to serve another king

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. The title is a reference to what Mance tells Stannis before dying. “I wish you good fortune in the wars to come.”  It is also what Ser Arthur Dayne tells Ned years before the show.  We get to see this exchange later in the series through Bran’s vision.
2. A key part of Maggy’s prophecy to Cersei was omitted.  She told Cersei “And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.”  Valonqar means little brother in High Valyrian, implying either Jaime or Tyrion would kill her. 
3. Varys sent Tyrion to his friend Illyrio, the bearded man from season 1 who hosted Dany and Viserys, but never left the capital.  He instead remained hidden in the secret rooms and passageways of the Red Keep.
4. Janos Slynt ran for Lord Commander, not Ser Alliser.  Janos wasn’t a huge joke, and had leadership experience.  He was still a horrible person though. 
5. Davos never went north with Stannis.  Stannis sent him to White Harbor to recruit the Manderly’s and other northern lords to his side against Roose Bolton.  This concluded with Wyman Manderly giving Davos a speech about how “The North remembers” and loosely pledges to aid Stannis.
6. Varys and Illyrio did not send Tyrion to Dany, but to a man named Young Griff.  Young Griff was supposedly Aegon Targaryen, the son of Rhaegar who was killed by the Mountain.  Aegon was either a fake, or actually was swapped by Varys before the Mountain arrived.  He was protected by Jon Connington, an old friend of Rhaegar.  This entire plotline was removed from the show, which makes me believe Aegon is a fake.
7. Mance was not burned.  The Lord of Bones was transformed to look like him by Melisandre’s magic unbeknownst to Stannis.  Mance in turn was made to look like the Lord of Bones.  Mance was then sent to Winterfell with Val to spy on the Boltons, disguised as a troupe of bards.

Other Points to Notice

1. One of the reasons Cersei’s mental state deteriorates rapidly after Joffrey’s death, is because she now believes the prophecy about her children dying is coming true.
2. The advice Jon gives to Olly about using a shield, and even the way he grabs his head, is identical to how Ned trains Benjen in the season 6 flashback.  This implies Ned trained Jon the same way. 
3. We see the man-whore identify Loras’ birthmark.  This ends up somehow being the incriminating evidence against Loras when he is tried by the High Sparrow.
4. Daenerys is shown to still be a leader that doesn’t fully understand leading.  Hizdahr brings up great points about reopening the fighting pits, but she refuses to bend or attempt to understand. 
5. Mance was an underutilized, and perhaps miscast character.  But he did go out on a high note when he refused to kneel to Stannis.  I still wish we got the more charismatic Mance from the books.

Stray Observations:

1. The last 3 king’s hands have been murdered at this point.  Not a good job.
2. After we see Sansa regain her confidence last season, it is extremely disheartening to know she ends up as Ramsey’s wife.
3. Strange we hear Varys tell Tyrion they are at Illyrio’s house, but we never see Illyrio.
4. Jon killing Mance as a mercy is one of my favorite Jon moments.

RIP: Mance Rayder, King Beyond the Wall, and a man who does not kneel

Episode 42: The House of Black and White

“A man is no one, and that is what a girl must become”

Major Plot Points: Arya arrives in Braavos.  Brienne finds Sansa.  Jaime and Bronn embark on a mission.  Tyrion heads for Volantis. Jon refuses a King’s offer. Daenerys deals with an ex-slave.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Brienne never meets Sansa at the inn.  Most of her plotline at this point is just her meandering around the countryside on a wild goose chase.  She eventually is captured by the Brotherhood and brought to Lady Stoneheart, who then sends her to capture Jaime Lannister.
2. Sansa never left the Eyrie, at least not yet.  Ramsey married Sansa’s old friend, Jeyne Poole, and the Bolton’s claimed she was Arya Stark to legitimize her claim.
3. Jaime was never sent to Dorne.  Myrcella was part of a scheme concocted by Arianne Martell, the daughter of Doran Martell, a character omitted from the show.  In Dorne, women had the rights to assume leadership positions, and Arianne believed this made Myrcella the rightful queen.  She seduced Arys Oakheart, a knight sent to guard Myrcella, and convinced him to help put Myrcella on the throne.  There was an assassination attempt on Myrcella’s life, but she survived and Arys did not.  Doran then reveals to Arianne and the Sand Snakes, that he is not sitting idly, and has a plan.  The Sand Snakes were captured by him to falsely placate the Lannisters. The whole time however, he was planning to overthrow the Lannister’s with Daenerys.  He sent his oldest son Quentyn to find and propose to Dany.
4. Kevan Lannister became Hand of the King when Tywin died.  He actually did a decent job too.
5. Jon became Lord Commander after Sam manipulated the main leaders at the Wall into voting for him.  It was one of Sam’s greatest moments and the show had to cut it for time. But at least we get to hear Sam give a great speech. 

Other Points to Notice

1. Sansa was very quick to dismiss Brienne.  At this point she still fully trusts Littlefinger, and this comes back to bite her very hard.
2. We finally are able to meet Lollys Stokeworth, the beloved fiance of Ser Bronn of the Blackwater.  She is every bit as vapid as we were promised.  Bronn then basically tells Lollys he is going to kill her sister and she seems fine with it.
3. Ellaria becomes an incredibly irritating character.  She stands in for Arianne Martell here.
4. Barristan telling Dany about her father is a great moment for her to learn where exactly she came from.  It also voices many people’s concerns about her eventually growing mad like her father.
5. Shireen is a great teacher, and an even better person.  She immediately begins helping Gilly learn how to read.  She deserved better.
6. This is the first time we hear Lyanna Mormont mentioned.  “Bear Island knows no King but the King in the North, whose name is Stark.”  Lyanna was of course named after Lyanna Stark, Ned’s late sister. 
7. Jon is more his father’s son than any of Ned’s trueborn children.  He swore an oath to the Night’s Watch and only death would allow him to break this vow.
8. Daenerys somehow angers both the commonfolk and the masters by killing Mossador the ex slave.  Yes I had to google his name.  Literally did not remember this character at all.

Stray Observations:

1. Podrick Payne is still not a great horse rider.
2. I loved the way Brienne’s Valyrian steel cut right through the Arryn soldier’s sword.
3. What could Qyburn possibly want with the head of a random dwarf?
4. This will not be the last time we see Jon reluctantly become a leader.
5. The old man did not use the face of Jaqen when Arya arrived, but I like it as a show only invention to make the character more familiar.

RIP: Mossador, the slave Daenerys killed.  Whatever

We have arrived at the part of the show where things start to go off the rails a bit.  This season is where the real book diversions begin happening, and most changes for the worse.  But there are some great moments ahead still, especially for Jon.  Unfortunately, next week will see the introduction of the Sand Snakes, quite possibly the worst characters in television history. 

Things I Liked: I actually liked quite a bit from this last block of episodes.  Firstly, the fight between Brienne and the Hound.  This was a show only invention, but it logically made sense due to the characters proximity to one another.  It also humbled Sandor Clegane, and made his goodbye to Arya even more impactful.  Next up, the Mountain vs the Viper was even better on the show than in the books.  Ellaria’s scream, his acrobatics, and of course the grisly ending made for one of the show’s most memorable sequences.  Third, the battle at the Wall was incredible from start to finish.  It was excellently choreographed and the decision to have the southern wilding party attack at the same time as the frontal assault made the battle even more cinematic.  Seriously how sick was that panning shot of the fighting on the ground level? Fucking amazing.  Better battle than most blockbuster movies.  Finally, Dinklage was at his peak this season.  From the speech at Tyrion’s trial, to his tearful murder of Tywin, we never see Tyrion hit these heights again.

Things I Did Not Like: I was not a fan of Mance actually dying.  He never got all the scenes he deserved, and him dying off before going on his Winterfell mission put a stamp on how forgettable his character ultimately was on the show.  I also had major issues with Jaime and Tyrion’s tender goodbye.  When Tyrion left in the books, he was completely isolated due to their falling out, and this led him to become a much darker, somewhat villainous character in Essos.  We also were robbed of the payoff from finding out his first wife was not a lie, and that his father was responsible for making him feel like he was incapable of being loved.  Oh well.  Dany’s storyline dragged slightly, but it was worse in the books so I can’t complain. On to week 8.

Episode 31: Two Swords

“Tell your father I’m here. And tell him the Lannisters aren’t the only ones who pay their debts.”

Major Plot Points: A prince arrives in King’s Landing.  Sansa misses her family.  Tyrion has lady problems.  Daenerys moves to conquer a new city.  Jon recalls his older cousin. Arya and the Hound go to a bar.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Jaime refuses to give up the Kingsguard because he believes it is the only oath he ever kept, something that all of a sudden means far more to him than before
2. Tyrion met Oberyn at the city gates, not the brothel.  Oberyn wastes no time and recounts Tyrion of the first time he traveled to Casterly Rock to meet the monster born of Tywin Lannister.  In the show, he waits until Tyrion is in jail to tell this story.   He then asks Tyrion “When will justice be served” for his sister. He informs Tyrion he is there to kill the Mountain and get revenge against Tywin.
3. Oberyn was said to have studied at the Citadel, the college of the Maesters.  It was there he learned the intricate secrets of poisons.  He of course is famous for his love of poison which earned him his nickname.
4. The Thenns, while isolated and hated by other wildlings, considered themselves the last of the First Men.  They lived isolated in the North, and actually had lords and laws.  Led by their Magnar (king) they were considered by far the most civilized of the wildlings.  For some reason the show made them demon cannibals.
5. Joffrey mentions Ser Duncan the Tall while reading the Kingsguard book.  Duncan was the protagonist of the Dunk & Egg novellas that take place 100 years before the series.  Highly recommend.

Other Points to Notice

1. Powerful cold opening.  Tywin watches at the ancient greatsword of the Starks, Ice, is melted down into 2 new swords.  If that wasn’t enough symbolism for you, the  wolf pelt sheath is then cast into the flame.  Interesting that Tywin only did this after Robb died.  Almost as if he was waiting until he was sure the war was over.
2. Cersei meets her eventual Hand of the Queen, Qyburn the evil maester.  
3. We see Janos Slynt for the first time since Season 2.  He was the old commander of the Gold Cloaks that Tyrion sent to the Wall for killing the infant bastards of King Robert.  He mocks Jon for believing in giants, then receives dirty looks from everyone there, showing just how ignorant he was to what actually existed beyond the Wall.
4. The necklace Dontos gives Sansa is the same necklace she wears to Joffrey’s wedding.  Olenna Tyrell grabs one of the crystals to put in Joffrey’s drink.

Stray Observations:

1. The show made a huge point to use the name Daario Naharis before showing him to us.  As if this would help us forget that he was recast.
2. Wasn’t Jaime supposed to have golden blonde hair? That was like the entire identifying characteristic of the Lannisters.  And how Ned figured out Joffrey was his son.
3. Hilarious cut of Joffrey’s statue, to Joffrey standing identically regal.
4. Arya and the Hound murdering a tavern of Lannisters is possibly the best final scene in an episode.

RIP:  Polliver.  What kind of man kills Lommy?

Episode 32: The Lion and the Rose

“No one weeps for spiders, or whores.”

Major Plot Points: Reek meets Roose Bolton.  Tyrion and Sansa attend a wedding.  Stannis offers heathens to the Red God.  Joffrey gets choked up at his wedding.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Jaime trained with Ilyn Payne, not Bronn, which made a bit more sense since Ilyn Payne had no tongue and couldn’t speak.  Of course this was a necessary change since the actor who portrayed Ilyn Payne was off the show dealing with cancer. 
2. Roose was even harsher to Ramsey.  He once said “Don’t make me rue the day that I raped your mother.”  It’s not surprising Ramsey ended up the way he did.
3. Locke is a show only character.  But Roose Bolton almost certainly did send hunters after the Stark boys.
4. Weirwood trees are said to be ancient, as they existed before the First Men.  They are all connected which leads the Three Eyed Raven to use them as a network of communication. 
5. One of the dwarf entertainers at the wedding was a female, Penny.  Her and her brother rode pigs around the stage.  Tyrion later meets her in Essos, and they travel together for a while.

Other Points to Notice

1. Alfie Allen auditioned for the role of Theon, as Reek.  Fitting, since the broken persona of Theon is who Theon is for the majority of the series.
2. When Tyrion goes to confront his father later in the season, Shae is in his bed.  In this episode we hear Tywin give instructions to have Shae brought to his tower.  It’s possible this is where he started sleeping with her, especially since in this episode Tyrion tried to send her to Essos.
3. The book Tyrion gave Joffrey was said to be priceless.
4. The band singing “The Rains of Castamere” was Sigur Rós, who are apparently a big deal in Iceland I guess.
5. Olenna and Littlefinger’s plan to kill Joffrey worked out perfectly.  With Tyrion as cup bearer it would be impossible for the masses to blame anyone else but him.
6. This wedding was called “The Purple Wedding” due to the shade of violet Joffrey’s face turned as he choked.

Stray Observations:

1. There was a scene transition from Theon’s face, to a large sausage.  Cruel.
2. Stannis and Melisandre burn an insane amount of people.
3. Cersei really comes off as evil while talking to Brienne.

RIP: False King Joffrey Baratheon first of his name. A bastard born of incest, his rule oversaw the crown victory against the northern uprising.

Episode 33: Breaker of Chains

“Money buys a man’s silence for a time, a bolt to the heart buys it forever.”

Major Plot Points: Jaime and Cersei deal with their son’s passing.  Sansa finally leaves King’s Landing.  Arya learns from the Hound. Jon proposes an idea. Daenerys shoots barrels at a wall.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Sansa left the capitol the same way her mother once entered, through a secret staircase set into the walls of the harbor.  This was never shown on the actual show
2. Here it is. The infamous rape scene.  A couple things here. First of all in in the books the first time Jaime sees Cersei after being imprisoned for a year is in the sept by Joffrey’s body.  They do have sex, but it is consensual and it also makes more sense why Jaime was so horned up.  Still a gross image next to a corpse, but not nearly as wrong as the show portrays it.  The worst part is, I think the writers saw nothing wrong here since it never comes up again for the rest of the series.
3. Stannis made a point of how he was the last king from the War of the Five Kings, and yet he still was not king.  This of course does not hold true in the tv adaptation, since for some unknown reason Balon is alive.
4. Dorne was not conquered until nearly 160 years after Aegon the Conqueror landed in Westeros.  Daeron I Targaryen was able to conquer Dorne, but was killed shortly after in a rebellion.  30 years later, a different King Daeron married his sister to the Prince of Dorne, peacefully joining Dorne to the Seven Kingdoms. 
5. Jon never went to fight the mutineers at Craster’s Keep.  They were killed by Coldhands one night, while Bran and his friends were sleeping.  It is a really fun side plot though.
6. Daario was not Dany’s champion.  It was Strong Belwas, her loyal giant eunuch warrior I mentioned a few weeks ago.  When he was done, he took a steaming dump on top of the champions body.

Other Points to Notice

1. Dontos clearly never cared about Sansa saving his life.  He only helped her for money.
2. Tywin’s speech to Tommen about being a good king really makes it seem like Tommen would end up being a great ruler.  He wasn’t terrible, but he was too easily manipulated.  Also very telling that the first ideal he guesses a king must have is “holiness”.
3. While the Hound is right about the father and daughter being dead come winter, (as we find out in Season 7), it definitely does not alleviate Arya’s conscience. When the Hound finds their bodies years later, he is a different man.
4. The first person killed by the wildlings is the father of Olly, the future mutineer.  It does explain his intense hatred for wildling sympathizers, but he’s still a prick. 

Stray Observations:

1. Rare to see someone not intimidated of Tywin.  But Oberyn hates him too much to be intimidated. 
2. Fuck Olly.  I wish they killed him.
3. It would have been so much cooler if Barristan fought the champion.

RIP: The Champion of Meereen. 

Episode 34: Oathkeeper

“I will answer injustice with justice”

Major Plot Points: Daenerys gets a new city to play with.  Sansa guesses who killed Joffrey.  Jon is back to being a steward.  Margaery sinks her claws into Tommen.  Bran gets captured by the legend of Gin Alley.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Jaime and Tyrion were always very close growing up.  This is one of the more surprising relationships in the series, since Jaime’s sister and father both despise Tyrion.  But they usually always would have each other’s backs growing up.
2. The further we move from the book plots, the more certain characters suffer.  None more so than Littlefinger, who we see here being completely brilliant.  By season 7 the writers run out of plans for him.
3. It was not outright stated that Olenna Tyrell killed Joffrey.  It was possible to put it together, but here Olenna flat out tells Margaery that it was her. 
4. Ser Pounce was a huge part of Tommen’s royal retinue.  Tommen was also nine years old, which explains why he knighted a cat.
5. Ghost was never captured by the mutineers.  He found his way back to the Wall and met up with Jon.  Also how the hell would the mutineers even be able to capture a full grown direwolf,let alone two?  Furthermore, the show doesn’t let us see Ghost nearly enough. 
6. We never see how White Walkers are born.  They are still a complete mystery at this point.  Although converting human babies does make sense in a way.  We also do not know if they have a unified leader like we see in this episode.

Other Points to Notice

1. The connection between Grey Worm and Missandei starts in this episode, as we see her helping him learn a new language, while also discussing with him their traumatic pasts.
2. Barristan is rightfully concerned by Dany’s approach to dealing with the old slave masters.  He watched her father descend into madness firsthand, and is certainly concerned by the idea of Dany going down that same path.
3. Jon Snow almost immediately befriends Locke, and Olly. Swell judge of character. I’m not sure what Locke’s endgame here is, even if he finds the Stark boys he would be breaking his new vow to go tell Roose Bolton.  I guess he expects a pardon.
4. Tywin Lannister spent his entire life trying to acquire a Valyrian steel sword for his house.  He finally gets one and Jaime gives it away to Brienne of Tarth because he knows she can use it for good, while he could barely hold it.  He also probaby did it to piss off his father.
5. Having Bran and company get caught up in the mutineer plotline is a weird move to me.  It adds a lot of pointless drama to Jon and Bran’s storylines that ultimately doesn’t accomplish anything narrative wise.  If Ghost was never captured, and Bran didn’t see Jon at Craster’s, nothing would have changed plotwise.  Seems like the writers just needed filler for Jon and Bran.
6. Karl is apparently able to tell Bran is highborn, but not Meera or Jojen, who are also highborn.

Stray Observations:

1. Joffrey dying is another turning point for Cersei.  She becomes even more angry and drunk from here on out. 
2. Karl Tanner is a true legend.  He also seems like he should be in Peaky Blinders. 

RIP: Craster’s last child. Although he did not really die, he did un-die. Idk.

Episode 35: First of His Name

“Lord Snow. Come to take me back for trial?”

Major Plot Points: Daenerys commits to staying in Meereen.  Sansa meets her beloved aunt.  Brienne and Podrick hit it off immediately.  Bran watches Jon fight mutineers.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. The revolts in Astapor and Yunkai were explored a bit more.  Both cities were ran by warlords and in complete chaos soon after Dany left.  Eventually massive armies from both cities marched on and besieged Meereen.
2. One of Robert’s bastards, Mya Stone, serves at the Eyrie.  Sansa and Catelyn both had a chance to meet her when they traveled to see Lysa.  A very headstrong young woman, she was in charge of escorting guests to the top tower via a large basket. 
3. Robert (Robin) Arryn was younger and far sicklier. He often would have seizures that left him incapacitated for days.
4. The Lannisters never revealed that they were completely out of gold.  It has been theorized, but nothing even close to concrete.  As far as readers know, the Lannisters are still the wealthiest house in the Seven Kingdoms.
5. Karl Tanner was not a book character. However his name likely comes from one of the mutineers, Clubfoot Karl.

Other Points to Notice

1. Margaery saying “I haven’t even thought about it” in regards to marrying Tommen, is among the biggest lies anyone in the series has ever told.
2. Lysa reveals to the audience, through some ham-fisted expositionary dialogue, that Littlefinger was behind not only Jon Arryn’s death, but also the letter that drove Ned to move south with Robert.  One of the show’s biggest mysteries was solved in a weird scene between 2 secondary characters. 
3. Brandon Stark was described by Lysa as “cruel”.  He is rarely spoken about on the show, and not much is actually known about the kind of man he was.  A handful of times in the book, stories of him are told that paint him in a negative light.
4. Oberyn mentions he has 8 daughters, one named Elia.  Unfortunately next season we meet three of these daughters, and they are three of the worst characters ever written.  The aforementioned Elia Sand is never brought up again.
5. Jojen seeing his own hand on fire could mean a few different things.  My opinion is he knows that death is rapidly coming for him.  The fire starts at his hand and will spread to engulf him entirely.
6. Jon learns a lot from his confrontation with Karl.  After this fight he no longer fights with reservation against his enemies. 

Stray Observations:

1. The image of Bobby Baratheon drunkenly patting Tywin Lannister on the back is something I would pay good money to see.
2. The Hound was not nearly as mad about Arya trying to stab him as I thought he would be. 
3. A sword from the back of the skull through the mouth is a gnarly way to go.

RIP: Karl “Fookin” Tanner. The legend of Gin Alley.

Episode 36: The Laws of Gods and Men

“I did not kill Joffrey but I wish that I had. Watching your vicious bastard die gave me more relief than a thousand lying whores. I wish I was the monster you think I am. I wish I had enough poison for the whole pack of you. I would gladly give my life to watch you all swallow it. I will not give my life for Joffrey’s murder. And I know I’ll get no justice here, so I’ll let the gods decide my fate. I demand a trial by combat!”

Major Plot Points: Daenerys practices ruling.  Reek receives a mission.  Tyrion stands trial.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Stannis and Davos never went to Braavos.  It wasn’t until Stannis was already marching his army towards Winterfell that he came into contact with the Iron Bank.  Tycho Nestoris (the man Davos and Stannis speak to in the show) meets his army and makes a deal to fund him fully in his conquest.
2. Asha Greyjoy, Yara in the tv series, stayed at Deepwood Motte.  It is unlikely she would ever attempt to sail to the Dreadfort, since it would involve sailing around the entire southern coast of Westeros.  This would take months. 
3. The counsel between Tywin and Jaime did not happen, but it does feel in line with Tywin’s goals.  He would do nearly anything to get Jaime to finally step up and be the Lord of Casterly Rock.

Other Points to Notice

1. Ramsey is not traditionally trained in using a sword.  He wins his fights by attacking his opponents fearlessly and ferociously.  I still think the scene of him fighting ironborn while shirtless is a bit shark jumpy though. Not wearing armor would be a death sentence for any person in a close combat situation. None of it makes much sense other than to show how broken Theon is.
2.  Oberyn is officially sitting in on small council meetings.  He doesn’t do much besides sit there.
3. Tyrion never took the trial seriously.  He knew that no matter what he said, there was no way he would get out of it as a free man.
4. It was never a good idea by Tyrion to threaten Cersei with his “joy turning into ash” speech.
5. Tyrion delivers the best monologue of the series at the end of his trial.  Even knowing that he could live by pleading for mercy, he could not bring himself to do it.  He was able to deal with the undeserved shame, until he saw Shae appear.
6. Everyone at the trial was shown to be shocked or furious by Tyrion’s speech.  Oberyn seemed excited and impressed by it. 

Stray Observations:

1. Cersei refuses to acknowledge Daenerys at this point.  She still barely does even after she lands in Westeros.
2. How did Pycelle get the necklace?  We saw Littlefinger throw it off his boat.  Either it landed in the dinghy with Ser Dontos, or Pycelle found it at the bottom of the blackwater.
3. Mace Tyrell is such a joke.

RIP:The poor innocent goat that Drogon devoured.

Season 4 is now in full swing, and it has way more filler than I remembered. At the time I remember it being a bit more fast paced, similar to how season 3 was. The last few episodes have been mostly self contained story arcs that have few ramifications for the story. The next few episodes are a whirlwind though, and I am looking forward to seeing the trial by combat, and Battle at Castle Black.

Things I Liked: Tyrion’s trial was a definite high point. Peter Dinklage earned all of his Emmy awards for this series with his speech about being a dwarf. Of course I also was a fan of Joffrey’s wedding. Not Joffrey dying though, love him or hate him he was an electric character to watch.

Things I Did Not Like: The entire mutineers plotline. Why did Jon have to go kill them all again? It would have been way more fun to see them all killed by White Walkers in an episode ending scene. Plus Bran and co. being captured didnt do much for me either. We already knew Bran could warg into Hodor, so seeing him do it again to free himself wasn’t the huge moment the writers wanted it to be. I also could have done without the ironborn attack on the Dreadfort.

Episode 25: Kissed By Fire

“By what right does the wolf judge the lion?”

Major Plot Points: Jon performs the Lord’s Kiss.  Robb follows his father’s honor system.  Arya witnesses a resurrection.  Dany learns about slave names.  Sansa is a pawn in the great game.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Tormund had a more jovial personality.  He was almost constantly making lewd jokes and yelling “Har” after each one.  He also constantly talked about his member.  I enjoy both versions of the character.  The gritty one works well on television.
2. The cave Jon and Ygritte consummate their relationship in was described as having small tunnels run out the back of it.  Ygritte told Jon a story about how a wilding party once got lost deep underground trying to find a way under the Wall.
3. The Karstarks are ancestral relatives of the Starks, hence their name.  Their 2 houses have been united for hundreds of years. 
4. The song Shireen sings is actually a song her court jester, Patchface, constantly sings.  Patchface is not in the show, but is a terrifying presence in Davos POV chapters.  He was said to have nearly drowned once, and since coming back is completely insane and grim.  For some reason Shireen loves to have him around, and many people theorize that the crazy things he sings and tells people, are actually prophecies.  Melisandre even tells Jon Snow that she sees Patchface in her flames and considers him dangerous.
5. Barristan served on the small council. He was the one that tells Dany about how Jorah used to spy on her for Varys and King Robert.
6. Cersei was offered by Tywin to be wed to Willas Tyrell, heir to Highgarden, and the Tyrells refused. Loras wasn’t able to marry anyone in the books, since he was granted a spot on the Kingsguard after the Battle of the Blackwater.

Other Points to Notice

1. When Thoros prays before the trial by combat, the music playing in the background is the same theme that plays whenever Melisandre begins talking about or praying to, the Lord of Light.
2. Jon is lying badly about there being 1000 men left at Castle Black.  In reality, it’s less than 100.
3. We hear Beric talk about how every time he comes back, he loses a part of himself.  I don’t believe we ever hear Jon talk about this when he comes back.  It almost seems like the show purposely ignores the cons of being revived from death.
4. Littlefinger finds out about Sansa’s proposed marriage, and immediately uses this knowledge to get the Lannisters to marry her off to Tyrion.  He couldn’t allow her to go to Highgarden out of his clutches.

Stray Observations:

1. Do you think this is the first time Kit Harrington saw his future wife naked? It almost has to be right? That’s hilarious
2. Roose Bolton did a great job trolling Jaime. 
3. Maybe Dean-Charles Chapman got the part as Tommen because he did a great job dying?
4. The scene in the baths between Jaime and Brienne is among my all time favorite Game of Thrones scenes.  We learn a lot about who Jaime really is, his true reasons for killing the Mad King, and why it broke him so much to see Ned Stark viewing him with disgust.

RIP: Rickard Karstark, Lord of Karhold. Pretty badass last words.

Episode 26: The Climb

“Chaos isn’t a pit. Chaos is a ladder”

Major Plot Points: Arya loses a friend to religion.  Theon gets tortured.  Jon goes for a climb.  Jaime overplays his “position”.  Sansa and Loras enjoy a romantic stroll.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. At this point, Sam and Gilly were being guided by Coldhands.  Coldhands then left Sam at the Wall and waited for Bran to arrive.  In the show, Coldhands was Benjen Stark and only appeared in Season 6.
2. Arya and the Brotherhood never meet Melisandre.  Her and Thoros immediately saw each other as priests of the Red God, which is why Thoros was so quick to trust her.
3. Gendry stayed with the Brotherhood when Arya left.  He is still with them. 
4. Robb’s plan was to retake the North, not Casterly Rock.  Robb was going to take back Moat Cailin from the Greyjoys.  Moat Cailin is a fortress guarding the road to the north, surrounded by swamp lands.  It had never been taken, but Robb never lost a battle.

Other Points to Notice

1. Melisandre learning from Thoros about Beric coming back to life was the main reason she believed Jon Snow could arise from the dead.
2. Mel also gives Arya an almost prophetic speech about all the lives she would take.  But the more interesting part is when she tells Arya, “We will meet again.”  This indicates in Season 7 these 2 will confront one another.  It should be a fun reunion.
3. How does Theon not realize he is at the Bolton home, the Dreadfort?  He served with Roose Bolton, and knew his sigil was the flayed man on a wooden X.  He is also hanging on a wooden X.
4. If Edmure refused the marriage proposal, and Robb lost his Frey alliance, he may have survived.
5. Littlefinger was able to tell Ros betrayed him, because only she knew of his plans to leave with Sansa. 

Stray Observations:

1. Sam is incredibly smooth. “Ah you know your fires!”
2. Ramsey finally brings out the horn he used to torture Theon behind the walls of Winterfell.
3. Roose Bolton almost certainly gave Jaime a dinner that required a fork and knife on purpose.  He was a sick dude.
4. Hilarious how non subtle Tyrion was about trying to get Shae to leave him and Sansa alone.

Episode 27: The Bear and the Maiden Fair

“You waste time trying to get people to love you, you’ll end up the world’s most popular dead man”

Major Plot Points: Sansa and Tyrion fret about their upcoming nuptials.  Jaime rescues a maiden.  Theon is tortured.  Arya is stolen by a dog.  Jon makes Ygritte swoon. Daenerys threatens an entire city.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Jeyne Westerling, Robb’s wife, was never pregnant.  Or even if she was, it was terminated.  She stayed at her castle, while Robb went to the Red Wedding.
2. Shae did not fight against Tyrion being married to Sansa.  It gives a bit more credence to the theory she was playing him the whole time.
3. Jaime tells Roose to inform Robb Stark “Jaime Lannister sends his regards”. This was changed to just be “The Lannisters”.  The reason for this change is lost on me

Other Points to Notice

1. Robb promises Talisa to go with her to Volantis.  Just another promise he breaks.
2. Sansa is still very poor at playing the game.  She can’t sense any of the manipulations from Margaery. 
3. Joffrey was correct when he told Tywin they were not worried enough about Daenerys and her dragons.  In his arrogance, Tywin never even considered to look into it.
4. We see Miranda often from here on out.  She seems to be a complete psychopath that weirdly loves Ramsey obsessively.
5. “Tralalalalallyday” is not a real place.
6. Ygritte clearly knows that Jon isn’t really a wildling deep down.

Stray Observations:

1. Orell is weirdly in love with Ygritte.  But he comes on far too strong. 
2. We finally get Arya and the Hound together.  Best duo in Westeros.
3. Jaime takes his first real step to redemption when he saves Brienne.

RIP: The next poor prisoner that Locke throws in the bear pit to satisfy his primal urges. 

Episode 28: Second Sons

“The usurper Robb Stark. The usurper Balon Greyjoy. The usurper Joffrey Baratheon”

Major Plot Points: Arya and the Hound head for the Twins.  Daenerys meets with mercenaries.  Tyrion and Sansa get hitched.  Sam meets an ancient evil.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Daario Naharis looked very different.  He had blue hair and a blue beard that was kept in 3 prongs.  He also was a captain in a different mercenary company, the Stormcrows, he did not serve with Mero, the Titan’s Bastard.
2. Mero was not killed by Daario.  He was killed by an angry mob after trying to attack Daenerys when she claimed Yunkai.
3. Melisandre does leech Edric Storm (Robert’s bastard that Stannis kept at Dragonstone), but doesn’t seduce him the way she seduces Gendry in the show.  Also her leech burning ritual is far more effective, since all of the kings mentioned die shortly after. 
4. Tyrion and Sansa never actually had sex, but he did get in bed with her. He backed out at the last second due to how wrong it felt.
5. Sam killed the White Walker while with Grenn and Pyp. No other brothers believed him and mockingly called him “Sam the Slayer”.  He also sorta accidentally fell on him. 

Other Points to Notice

1. The Wise Master from last episode, Razdal mo Eraz, takes back the city of Yunkai soon after Daenerys leaves.
2. Stannis shows his kind side when he visits Davos in the dungeons.  Stannis knows that Davos would disagree with killing Gendry, and him going to talk to him shows that Stannis wanted Davos to stop him from letting Melisandre murder the kid.
3. No coincidence Cersei tells Margaery (and the audience) the meaning behind the song “Rains of Castamere” this episode.  The Red Wedding takes place next episode, and of course the episode is named “The Rains of Castamere”.  Kind of a giveaway.
4. Samwell Tarly may be the first human to kill a White Walker in over 8000 years.  Unreal.

Stray Observations:

1. The Hound does not like Arya as much as Sansa.
2. Not only did the actors for Daario change, but the personalities did as well.  The original Daario is much more soft spoken, and less mercenary-ish than the new one.
3. Tywin giving Tyrion a lecture about his need to perform is objectively hilarious.  “I am the God of tits and wine.”

Daenerys Boob Counter: 1

Overall Count: 3.5

RIP: Mero, “The Titan’s Bastard” What a pleasant man.

Episode 29: The Rains of Castamere

“Mother”

Finally.  If Ned dying put this show on the map, it was this episode that forced the series into every household across the globe.  No episode of any TV show has come close to what the Red Wedding did to viewers at home.

Major Plot Points: Arya travels to meet her brother.  Jon goes on a raid.  Daenerys devises a plan.  Robb gets brutally murdered at his uncle’s wedding.  Catelyn watches her oldest son get brutally murdered at her brother’s wedding, and then is also brutally murdered at her brother’s wedding.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. More was revealed at Robb’s final council.  First, Robb is informed that Balon Greyjoy is dead. Robb then devises a brilliant plot to take back his home.  Finally, he writes a last will, and in it named Jon Snow as his successor.  This letter was sent to the swamps of the Neck, and the theory goes that Howland Reed came into possession of it, and is waiting for the right moment to present it to the remaining Northern lords.
2. Robb’s wife was not present at the wedding.  This was just pure cruelty by D & D.
3. It is theorized that Rickon and Osha went to the island of Skagos, where cannibals and unicorns roam free.
4. The entire wedding is seen through Cat’s POV.  There is a sense of dread building the entire time.  The first major scare is when she sees Roose Bolton is not drinking and wearing chainmail under his clothes. She also notices the band barely knows how to play their instruments. Then of course when the drums start to bang and the Rains of Castamere play, her dread comes to a climax.
5. Cat does not kill Walder’s wife.  She kills his mentally challenged son.  When she threatened to kill him, Walder Frey responds; “Then I’ll get a new son.” She also calls Robb her last son, since she believes Bran and Rickon to be dead. 
6. As Cat watches Robb die, she goes completely hysterical.  As the knife comes to her throat she scratches her face until it bleeds and begs them not to cut her hair, because Ned loves her long hair.
7. Roose Bolton says “Jaime Lannister sends his regards”.  This matters later since Catelyn comes back as Lady Stoneheart.  More on that later.

Other Points to Notice

1. When Walder gives bread and salt to Robb and his men, it signifies that they are under his protection.  It was one of the oldest traditions in the land. 
2. This is the first of two times that Bran and Jon get within arm’s reach of each other without actually interacting. 
3. When a warg dies, they inhabit one of their animals.  They slowly lose all that is left of their human consciousness.
4. When Daenerys asks Jorah about Daario, you can see the friendzone hit him in the face.
5. Robb saying “Perhaps I made a terrible mistake.” , and then talking about naming his son Eddard Stark is so cruel.  They really lay it on thick.
6. When the Rains of Castamere start playing, Catelyn has the same reaction as the audience.

Stray Observations:

1. Rickon had some pretty good acting when he left Bran.  This was also the last time he ever speaks on the show. 
2. This episode is still incredible.

RIP: Walder Frey’s wife.  Also King Robb Stark, the Young Wolf, Lord of Winterfell, King in the North, and firstborn son of Lord Eddard Stark.  Catelyn Stark, formerly Catelyn Tully, eldest daughter of Lord Hoster Tully.

Episode 30: Mhysa

“Monsters are dangerous, and just now Kings are dying like flies”

Major Plot Points: Arya sees the Young Wolf one more time. Tyrion questions his father.  Sansa learns about her brother.  Sam meets Bran at the Wall.  Jon returns home.  Daenerys gets carried by slaves.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Arya started going crazy when she saw her brother’s corpse.  As she was running she was hit in the head and it seemed like she was killed.  Obviously it was just the Hound, but it seemed for a bit that she also died at the Red Wedding.
2. Sam and Gilly arrive at the Nightfort and tell Bran that Coldhands led them there.  We also hear the story of the Night’s King.  A Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch who fell in love with a female White Walker.  He declared himself the King of the Nightfort, and ruled for 13 years committing countless atrocities.  The Night’s Watch, the Lord of Winterfell, and the King Beyond the Wall had to join together to stop him.  The show seems to borrow his name for the leader of the White Walkers.  The Night King instead of the Night’s King.
3. Balon Greyjoy was dead at this point.  Robb was dead, and Joffrey also died soon after.  This really bolstered Stannis’ faith in Melisandre. 
4. Ramsey would never sign anything as “Ramsey Snow” He refused to let anyone call him that, and not Ramsey Bolton. 
5. Jaime did not arrive back at King’s Landing until after Joffrey died.
6. Stannis was not as mad at Davos about freeing Edric.  He was much more reasonable, and agreed with Davos about heading North.

Other Points to Notice

1. Just as Tyrion seems to be getting Sansa to like him, Sansa learns about the Red Wedding and all hope for her not despising him forever evaporates.
2. Tyrion’s threat about kings dying like flies, comes back to bite him very hard after Joffrey’s death.   
3. The Blackfish apparently escaped by swimming down the river. Very appropriate.
4. We finally learn that Ramsey is Roose Bolton’s bastard.  It was pretty obvious beforehand though. 
5. Shae really seems to love Tyrion.  It makes it weird how she instantly betrays him, even when everything he warned her about was true. 
6. The scene of Dany looking up while surrounded by a mob is imitated in season 6 when Jon stares straight up after surfacing from a mob at the Battle of the Bastards.  It is supposed to symbolize their births into who they really are.

Stray Observations:

1. Pycelle clearly dropped the note on purpose.  That old bastard. 
2. You could see the air drop from the room when Joffrey went after Tywin. 
3. Gendry rowed down that stream for 4 seasons.
4. Somehow the Hound killing all those men with Arya was a sweet moment

RIP: All the Frey men Arya and the Hound slaughtered. 

Season 3 is over. Some incredibly memorable moments, including the best show moment of all.  Looking forward to the Red Viper and Season 4.

Things I Liked:  The entire Red Wedding sequence was incredible.  They did a great job capturing the building horror of the situation.  The Jon and Ygritte scenes were also a highlight, they were only in a handful of episodes but their chemistry worked well.  Another highlight was the bathtub scene between Jaime and Brienne.

Things I Did Not Like:  I can’t understand why the show kept Balon Greyjoy alive so long.  I also was not a fan of how unreasonable Stannis was when it came to Davos.  When Davos freed Edric Storm in the book, Stannis was disappointed but he certainly did not sentence him to death.  I sometimes feel like D & D never really understood his character and made him a bit too much like a villain, instead of the nuanced character he is.

Episode 19: Blackwater

“Don’t fight for your king, don’t fight for his kingdoms, don’t fight for honor, don’t fight for glory, don’t fight for riches because you won’t get any. This is your city Stannis means to sack, your gate he’s ramming. If he gets in, it will be your houses he burns, your gold he steals, your women he will rape. Those are brave men knocking at our door. Let’s go kill them!”

Major Plot Points: Tyrion tries to stop the True King of Westeros.  Cersei and Sansa celebrate a siege together.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Tyrion’s plan to defeat Stannis had 2 major points. The wildfire, and a giant chain that was laid across the entire bay.  Once Stannis’ fleet entered the bay, the chain came up trapping the ships inside so they could burn in the wildfire.  Nearly every smith in King’s Landing worked on it.
2. Stannis is revered as a one of the greatest battle commanders left in Westeros.  He was able to destroy a majority of the Greyjoy fleet during the Greyjoy Rebellion singlehandedly.  This is extremely impressive when you remember that the Greyjoys are supposedly the masters of naval warfare.
3. Wildfire is said to burn so hot, that jumping into water wouldn’t be enough to put it out. 
4. Tyrion’s mountain men played a large part in this battle.  They were sent to the Kingswood to delay ground troops from Stannis.  This was a great tactic by Tyrion since the mountain men were very comfortable fighting in wooded terrain.
5. When Tyrion breached the wall, he went into battle mode, and actually killed quite a few men with his axe. 
6. The Hound actually drunkenly kissed Sansa when he left.  Very weird.
7. Stannis’ men swore after the battle, that they saw the ghost of Renly fighting against them.  In reality, it was Loras Tyrell in Renly’s armor wearing his stag helmet.

Other Points to Notice

1. We finally hear “The Rains of Castamere” being sung for the first time.  This song has huge symbolic importance throughout the show, and usually comes before a Lannister victory.  The song of course was written after Tywin destroyed an entire house for disobeying him.
2. Varys despises all things magic, especially the followers of the Red God R’hollor.  He talks more about this later in the series
3. Joffrey could not beat Stannis in a sword fight.  Not even close.
4. Huge difference between the speech Stannis gives to rally his men, and the speech Tyrion later gives.  Stannis is a practical man of few words.  “Come with me and take this city”.
5. Tyrion rallying the remnants of the Lannister forces into battle, and leading them against Stannis saved the city.  Tywin would have arrived too late to save them if Tyrion didn’t buy all that time.  He never gets any credit or love for this.
6. Sansa picks up the doll Ned once bought her.  Not surprising she kept it this long

Stray Observations

1. Why was that barrel the soldier puked into completely full? Not a single person could empty it?
2. People really think that Varys is into little boys.  It does not help that he uses children as his spies. 
3. The Hound really likes Sansa.
4. This is the first episode of the series to only focus on one storyline the entire time. 

RIP:  Ser Mandon Moore.  Podrick speared him real bad.

Episode 20: Valar Morghulis

“These bad people are what I’m good at, outtalking them, outthinking them. It’s what I am, and I like it. I like it more than anything I’ve ever done.”

Major Plot Points: Sansa loses a fiancé.  Jon proves fights his brother.  Robb gets hitched.  Arya receives a nice trinket.  Tyrion lies in bed.  Dany has her dragons perform tricks.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Tyrion received a worse injury than a scar.  The front of his nose was completely cut off.  This would have obviously involved a lot of prosthetics for Peter Dinklage, and was understandably cut from the show
2. Stannis never attacked Melisandre.  At least not from what we have seen.  Our only glimpses into Stannis come from Davos and Jon POV chapters. He did gaze into the fire, and apparently saw The Wall.
3. “The horn-blowing cunt” torturing Theon, is of course Ramsey Snow.  He began messing with Theon before Theon even knew who he was.
4. Ramsey captured and flayed every single ironborn that surrendered.  They somehow would have been better off dying in a pointless battle.
5. It’s a ridiculous writing mistake that Robb and Talisa get married by a septon.  Robb has only worshipped the Old Gods his entire life, and Talisa was from Volantis! Neither of them ever practiced the Faith of the Seven! Definitely a huge oversight that only uptight nerds would care about, but I care god damn it.
6. Dany never saw Khal Drogo in her visions.  Her most important vision showed her late brother Rhaegar, talking about how “the dragon must have 3 heads”.  That one scene sparked hundreds of theories about which 2 people could be possibly secret Targaryens.
7. Xaro Xhoan Daxos did not die in a vault.  Daenerys fled the city after killing Pyat Pree, before the other warlocks could attack her.  Daxos eventually found Dany at Mereen and again asked her to marry him.
8. Sam and company actually fought against the White Walkers and wights at The Fist of the First Men, in a pretty terrifying battle.  The show skipped over this battle and instead showed us the massive army from just Sam’s perspective.

Other Points to Notice

1. Sansa looks understandably elated she lost her betrothal to Joffrey.  She obviously is relieved to not marry him, but Littlefinger reminds her she has no protection in King’s Landing now.
2. It’s rare, but Catelyn is completely right in her argument against Robb.  I doubt they anticipated just how right she would be.
3. Maester Lewin was giving Theon great advice.  If Theon made it to the Wall all his sins would be forgiven and he could have lived the rest of his life honorably.  Also he then never would have met Ramsey.
4. Lewin was lucky Osha put him out of his misery.  A gut wound like his would take 3 or 4 excruciating days to kill him
5. Dany seeing the Iron Throne covered in snow could sure allude to a whole lot of things.  Guess we will find out if it is literal or metaphorical in Season 8 (“Snow” v.s. “snow”).
6. Qhorin’s last words “We are the Watchers on the Wall” are of course lines from the oath a man makes when he commits to the Night’s Watch.  It made  Jon realize Qhorin sacrificed himself so Jon could infiltrate Mance’s army.

Stray Observations

1. Seems like Littlefinger has officially began using his signature raspy voice.  We will never hear him speak normal again.
2. That was a weirdly smart move by the Stark soldier when he asked Jaime and Brienne for Jaime’s fake name at the same time.
3.  The dragons did not look great, CGI wise. 

RIP: Maester Lewin.  Easy to forget how great of a person he was, since he died relatively early in the shows run. 

Episode 21: Valar Dohaeris

“Before winter is done, everyone you’ve ever known will be dead”

Major Plot Points: Jon swears a new oath.  Tyrion visits his father.  Robb visits a graveyard.  Davos protests burning prisoners. Margaery enters the game. Daenerys meets The Unsullied.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. The cold open begins with a black screen and the sounds of a battle.  This is the only hint we get of the actual battle at the Fist of the First Men.
2. Jon hears the wildings singing a song in camp, called “The Last of the Giants”. It’s a tragic song about the slow death of the Giants in the North. There are only a handful left at this point of the story.
3. Davos had several remaining children at home with his wife.  But we never see his wife in the show or books.
4. Roose Bolton at this point was already in command at Harrenhal.  Also, his “best hunter” was a psychopathic man named Vargo Hoat.  Vargo commanded a group of sellswords who went by “The Brave Companions”.  They were among the worst mercenaries in Westeros and committed countless war crimes.  Hoat was replaced with Locke in the show, probably because Hoat was a bit too cartoonish for television.
5. It wasn’t Littlefinger that approached Sansa about escape.  He used Ser Dontos, the drunken fool from the beginning of Season 2 that Sansa saved from Joffrey’s anger.  She did not know it was Littlefinger pulling the strings until after she escaped.
6. Missandei was only a child.  About 10 years old.
7. The manticore assassination took place in Qaarth.  Barristan was also not revealed to be Barristan until later.  He went by Arstan Whitebeard, and was accompanied by a giant eunuch fighter named Strong Belwas.  His absence from the show is criminal, he was hilarious and an excellent fighter.

Other Points to Notice

1. The scene with Jon meeting Tormund plays out very similar to the books.  Jon believes that Tormund is Mance, because of how intimidating he is.  Mance hid in the corner playing a lute.
2. Jon played his hand well with Mance.  Bringing up the White Walkers was the only thing that could convince Mance he was serious about joining.  The wildlings entire motivation for attacking the Wall is to escape them.
3. This is the 2^nd time we have now seen Bronn almost fight Meryn Trant.  Unfortunately it never happens for real.
4. Davos is shipwrecked very close to King’s Landing, in Lannister territory.  And yet he still does not lie about who he fought for.  That’s one loyal guy.
5. The man Talisa revives is none other than Qyburn.  You may remember him as the insane doctor that turns the Mountain into a zombie.
6. Daenerys mentions that the warlocks must have sent the manticore. We never met any warlocks besides Pyat Pree, but apparently they do exist in the show behind the scenes.

Stray Observations:

1. I wish that Mance on the show was as cool as Mance in the books.  He should be a smooth talking killer that can play the lute.
2. Cersei breaks the fourth wall a bit. “They say you lost your nose” is a reference to Tyrion losing his nose in the book.
3. Tywin seemed a bit unnecessarily harsh towards Tyrion.
4. Cersei never trusts Margaery for even a second.  Very smart of her.

RIP: The nipple of the Unsullied soldier?  No real deaths in this one.

Episode 22: Dark Wings Dark Words

“And everything that’s happened since then, all this horror that’s come to this family, is all because I couldn’t love a motherless child”

Major Plot Points: Robb receives bad news.  Arya meets a brotherhood.  Jon learns about his ex-brothers. Sansa eats lemon-cakes with Margaery. Joffrey gives a crossbow lesson.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. We never saw Theon tortured.  After he was knocked out at Winterfell, we didn’t hear from him until 3 books later, when he was already fully transformed into Reek.
2. Olenna was not as present, but just as deceitful and awesome.  She secretly tried to have Sansa marry Willas Tyrell, who was the brother of Loras and Margaery.  He does not exist in the show universe.
3. Hoster Tully was still alive when Robb and Cat arrived in Riverrun.  He was dying and delusional, but through his rants Cat learned that at one point Littlefinger impregnated her sister Lysa, and the baby was aborted.
4. One notable member from the Brotherhood Without Banners was Harwin,  an old member of Ned Stark’s guard that was originally sent with Beric to fight The Mountain.  Arya recognizes him and is more relaxed about the Brotherhood after.
5. Jaime losing to Brienne was explained a bit better.  He was malnourished and weak from months of captivity. 

Other Points to Notice

1. Roose Bolton at this point was already planning with Tywin and Walder Frey.  This is obvious since the letter he gives Robb claims Ramsey never saw Theon at Winterfell, which is proven a lie in the next scene.  He probably began plotting when Jaime was freed, and saw an opening when Robb broke his marriage vow.
2. Sansa is falling into the same trap as her mother.  No matter how many times he tricks people, the Starks love trusting Littlefinger.
3. Cat was always cold to Jon.  We saw a bit of this in Season 1. Tragic since he was not born from Ned’s infidelity like Cat was led to believe. It’s also interesting to hear that Ned refused to give him the Stark name.  We now know the true reason (He ain’t no Stark)
4. Jon meets his first warg, and later for the first time we hear Bran referred to as a warg.
5. Joffrey is fixated on his crossbow.  Many times throughout the books (unsure about the show) the crossbow is referred to as a cowards weapon.  Clearly the writers liked this analogy. 

Stray Observations:

1. Jojen was much smaller and sickly looking.
2. Gendry is right.  Arya was very poor at choosing her 3 kills.
3. First time we see Thoros, he is singing Rains of Castamere.  Are there only like 2 songs in Westeros?
4. Margaery saying she doesn’t understand the subtleties of politics is an all time hilarious moment.  She then gets Joffrey to like her by feeding into his psychopathic tendencies.  I think she knows what she’s doing.

RIP: All the lemoncakes that Sansa ate while hanging with Olenna.

Episode 23: Walk of Punishment

“Send your eagle over The Wall every night. When it’s time I’m going to light the biggest fire the North has ever seen”

Major Plot Points: Jon learns he has a lot of climbing ahead.  Arya says goodbye to an old friend.  Sam sees his crush again.  Tyrion gives Podrick a reward.  Jaime is deceived handedly.  Theon gets saved, then captured, then saved.

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. The Blackfish (Ser Brynden Tully) got his nickname from being called the black sheep of his family by his brother.  Brynden reminded his brother that their sigil is a fish, and that would make him a black fish instead.  He had a strained relationship with his brother, mostly because he constantly refused to marry the political partners that his brother tried to arrange.  
2. The Inn at the Crossroads is one of the most commonly seen locations in the countryside of Westeros.  Here is a list of a few major things that happen there; Ned killed Lady, Cat kidnapped Tyrion, and Hot Pie gained employment.
3. The symbols the White Walkers leave are never explained.  They also seem to communicate more verbally.
4. Jon traveled with Ghost the entirety of his time north of the Wall.  At least until he had to scale it.  Then Ghost met up with Sam, not before.
5. Melisandre never left Stannis.  The show only did this because they did not introduce Edric Storm.  Edric was one of Robert’s bastards that Stannis captured when he took over Storm’s End in the south.  Gendry acts as his plot substitute, or plotstitute if you will.
6. Podrick doesn’t get to enjoy the company of all of those whores, but it’s now canon as far as I’m concerned.

Other Points to Notice

1. Edmure was shown to be an ineffective leader from his first 2 scenes.  As if not being able to aim an arrow wasn’t enough, he got completely verbally owned by Robb for his actions against Gregor Clegane.
2. Getting Tywin to approve of him marrying Lysa Arryn, was always a huge part of Littlefinger’s plans.  Being the Lord of the Vale would make Littlefinger one of the most powerful lords in the Seven Kingdoms.
3.  Try to recognize Martyn Lannister, the prisoner that Talisa is tending to.  It is the same actor who eventually is recast as Tommen Baratheon in Season 4.  I guess the showrunner’s really thought he killed it in his 1 line of dialogue.
4. Watching the scenes between Dany and Kraznys are so much better knowing that she can understand all of the insults he sends in her direction.  She shows great restraint in not reacting to him.
5. The soldier that Ramsey kills with a point blank arrow calls him a bastard.  Theon did not pick up on the fact that the soldier was being literal.
6. Jaime tells Locke how his father used to make him read every day for 4 hours.  This is a callback to what Tywin tells Arya in Season 2.

Stray Observations:

1. Gotta love the chair move that Tyrion performs.  Probably the longest dialogue pause in the show.
2. We get to hear “The Bear and the Maiden Fair” which of course is song 2 of 2 in Westeros.
3. “I’m no Stark of Winterhell”. We will all miss you Hot Pie.
4. First time we see Karl Tanner aka “The Legend of Gin Alley” he stares at one of Craster’s daughters with a creepy smile.
5. Tyrion uses the term “Mereenese Knot”. This is a reference to the situation George RR Martin described himself in while struggling to write all of the Mereen storylines in book 5.
6. The juxtaposition of Jaime screaming from losing his hand, and the rock version of “Bear and the Maiden Fair” is incredible, but very un-game of thrones like. 

RIP: Jaime’s sword hand

Episode 24: And Now His Watch Is Ended

“A dragon is not a slave”

Major Plot Points: Tyrion consults with the spider. Sansa makes a new girl friend.  Sam and friends grow treasonously hungry.  Daenerys gets an army

Observations from a Book Reader:

1. Through Jaime’s POV it is shown just how much his ability to fight with a sword dictated his personality.  Losing his hand was worse than a death sentence for him, because with it he lost his identity.  This ultimately would lead to him becoming a better man.
2. While Varys did have the same backstory, we never got to see him capture his old tormentor.  It certainly is possible that it happened.
3. Theon never says the words out loud about how he felt Ned was really his father.  By the time we see him again he is almost too far gone to reflect on all of his decisions.
4. Brienne never called Jaime “a bloody woman”.  A lot of people were unhappy with this line of dialogue because it makes Brienne seem far too self loathing and angry against her gender.
5. Jeor Mormont’s last words were to Sam.  He told him to convince his son, Jorah, to come back home and take the black so he could be forgiven of his past crimes.

Other Points to Notice

1. Mixing an open hand wound and horse shit was almost a death sentence for Jaime.  His arm grew extremely infected from his fall.
2. Varys is extremely interested in every move that Littlefinger makes.  This is because Littlefinger is among the only people in the world that Varys finds to be a threat.  Through Ros, Varys learns of Littlefinger’s plan to get Sansa out of the capitol.
3. Joffrey listening to Margaery and ignoring Cersei was a blatant sign of how Cersei was losing control over him.  Margaery works very fast.
4. Sansa started the series off wanting to be a southern girl, but now that her life has turned into a nightmare, she finds comfort in her northern identity.  When Margaery finds Sansa, she is praying at the stump of a weirwood tree.  Her father always prayed at the same type of tree in Winterfell.  It’s hard to make it out, but you can see the giant white stump as she leaves the cliffside. 
5. Varys was attempting to convince Olenna to marry Sansa to Loras.  Just so Littlefinger would not have her. 
6. The last time we saw Beric Dondarrion, he was being sent off by Ned to bring the Mountain to justice.  He was also a different actor.

Stray Observations:

1. We get to see Sam’s thimble again, as Gilly gives it back to him.  It really did not serve any purpose.  I’ll keep an eye out for it in the future
2. Cersei almost seems to have a careful respect for Olenna Tyrell.
3. Tywin was unnecessarily harsh towards Cersei.  He has now talked shit to 2/3 children.  Jaime has it coming.
4. This was a very Varys heavy episode.
5. I think this is my favorite Daenerys moment.  Complete control of the entire situation.

RIP: Lord Commander Jeor Mormont. And now his watch is ended.

This was definitely the best block of episodes so far. From the Battle of the Blackwater to Daenerys claiming her army of Unsullied, it seems like a lot is happening at once now. The rest of this season will also be great, and I am especially looking forward to the infamous Red Wedding. It may be easier to pick up on new things there, since I won’t be blinded by sadness.

Things I Liked:

They truly did the Battle of the Blackwater justice. The scene of the wildfire exploding has already gone down in television history. It was the moment that really solidified the series as being just as spectacular visually as any blockbuster movie.
I also already like Dany’s plotline in season 3 better than season 2. Probably her most successful storyline. The only thing season 3 is missing so far, is more Jon and Ygritte scenes. They are coming though.

Things I Did Not Like:

Everything that had to do with Qaarth. It was boring, and served no real purpose. At least in the books Dany got some prophecy given to her.
I also do not like the direction the show went with Mance Rayder. He gets barely any screen time and you don’t get to see the charismatic man that he is in the book series. I mean the guy once infiltrated Winterfell as a bard just to see what it was like. Hard to imagine the show version of Mance do anything but scowl angrily. I also wish we got to go more into Jon’s ability to see through Ghost. Or just more Ghost in general.