"The Wars to Come" Game of Thrones 5-01

Oldest Previously:
Thought it was going to be Myrcella to Dorne, but we're going old school  Two administrations ago with Lancel and Robert's wine.

Credits
The Eyrie may or may not have been there last year.  All the old guys, plus Pentos, finally back.  Winterfell is on the mend.  No Dorne.  No Bravos, but I expect we'll see them next week.

Flashback
I am wondering how obvious it was to people that it was a Cersei flashback, if you hadn't read anything about it.  Maggie looks way better than expected

Confess your unpopular opinion
I do not care about R+L=J. 

I find D = E completely fascinating though because it could change the game.  I wonder if the recast of Daario had to do with casting someone who would fit an Iron Islander description better.

The real question is how does he get from Nashville to Mereen and back so quickly?

Chapter 1
Some shows are like reading a book.  Spend two episodes setting the stage and showing us what conflict will propel our characters through the season.  What obstacles they are facing.  What sort of changes they will make, or try to make and fail.  Here are some conflicts that look to play a major part:

• Deeper division between Cersei and Jaime
• Night's Watch election
• Jon Snow's over-sympathy to Wildlings is a divisive issue
• Stannis marching south to the North
• As they said, Stannis is like iron...unbendable.  And he can't bring himself to be lenient with Mance, even if it would help him immensely.  While Stannis is doing the work of the King in Westeros, he can't be so dogmatic.
• Dany can't control her dragons
• Dany's army/police force is facing an insurgency
• Surge!
• Tyrion to Dany?
• Margarey aiming high
• A younger, more beautiful queen
• Getting in with Tommen
• "Perhaps......Perhaps."  probably the best line of dialouge in the episode.  If this show does one thing well, it is economy of words and scene.  They convey so much information so succinctly.
• Sexposition
• Now, with dudes
• Birth mark looks like Dorne

Adaptation
The presence of Varys does several things.

• Much of Tyrion's action and conflict occurs inside of his head at this point in the series.  That doesn't play on television.  So he needs someone to speak to.  That person has to have an investment in his and the kingdom's future.  And he has to be an intellectual equal of Tyrion. 
• It allows Tyrion and Varys to continue their already established rapport.  Always good not not add more characters to a cast of hunrdeds if you can avoid it
• You also save time that would be needed to establish a new character
• They are in the East now.  Varys is Eastern.  They are going to seek an Eastern solution to the problems of Westeros.

Lords and Lordlings

• A POV shot worthy of Breaking Bad, Tyrion looking out from his box
• Uncle Kevan made an appearance
• Dorne dorne dorne dorne.  Let's get to it. 
• Alisair's alive?  Did not expect that.  But again, using an established character at this point is always better than creating a host of new ones. 
• I wonder if Robert got a proper funeral, like Tywin did, with all the hubbub going on when Ned Stark tried a coup.
• The image of tearing down a statue transcends any culture or medium
• Do a storyline where Robin gets bullied
• Small shout out to Oberyn when Oliver refers to his ex.