Oathkeeper - Game of Thrones - 4x04

The Book Was Better!
Don't be that guy.  The one who read the book of the movie and proudly proclaims immediately while walking out of a theatre that the book was better.  Often this same person will claim "I don't own a television."  Game of Thrones has its own version of that.

There's nothing more pedantic or pedestrian than the simple lists that excuse themselves for writing, documenting the differences between the shows and the books.  There is, amazingly, still an enormous amount of shock that the show is not a 1:1 transcription of these five, 1,000 page books.  It's even more surprising considering that the scenes spun of whole cloth are among the best in the show.  I'd rather simply talk about those scenes and what they add.

Grey Worm *   gets to show Daenareys' liberation mission from the perspective of current and former slaves.  Daenareys freeing of slaves has largely existed in the abstract until recently.  We get to actually see the slaves talking to each other, debating whether or not to take up arms against the masters.  With some urging from Grey Worm, Mereen falls from the inside thanks to a slightly more successful John Brown uprising.  It helps her story resonate a bit more while we wait for her dragons to grow and to finally get on a ship and head to Westeros.

* Of the Summer Isles, which means he has no imagination, which is a hilarious regional stereotype, because it makes no sense.  It's like saying "People from the Reach are all left handed!"

In that vein, the episode ends with another group that we haven't seen operate in a private moment yet.  Surprisingly, the White Walkers appear to be an organized society, with procedures, if not rituals.  They think and respond to things consciously, rather than simply out of instinct as previously appeared to be the case.  Taking the baby to the Stonehenge-esque and transforming him into a White Walker was a moment to be marked.  Craster had 100 sons so that means there's at least 100 of those buggers out there.  If the Realm falls because of Craster's sperm then it deserves to fall though.

There was talk of conversations between Benioff&Weiss and GRRM about "broad strokes" and "laying groundwork" so I'm betting this will come into play significantly. 

But guess what?  The big thing is, from this point on, you know nothing, Jon Sn-, er, book readers.

The Queen of Thorns
Besides making the funniest remark of the episode, commenting on the Betrayl Garden, which makes me thing Benioff and Weiss are fans of South Park.  I'm hoping she sticks around because in a single breath she talks about the old days, admits to murdering the king, and tells Margarey how to make sure she gets her claws into Tommen while keeping an eye out for Cersei.

Jaime and Cersei and Tyrion
Cersei's in pretty much the same bad mood she's been in since Jaime returned.   Only now it's compounded because her psycho little bastard son is dead.  She makes a request is Jaime to which Jaime thinks "Okay I will do the opposite of that" and her formal addressing of him as "Lord Commander" is both in response to his saying "Your Grace" and a way to dismiss their former bond.

Ends and Odds

• Stop hitting yourself, Jaime, stop hitting yourself
• Horrible Bosses continues at The Wall, only now Alistair wants to murder Snow.
• Snow is getting a reputation.  First hanging with the Wildlings, killing the Halfhand.  Now heading to Craster's to kill former Crows
• Surprised that Locke is willing to go as far as saying his vows at The Wall.  I guess  the Warden of the North can pardon that?
• Please don't kill Ghost and Summer.  After Lady and Grey Wind, no more Michael Vick-ing these pets. 
• Sansa, someone too naive to live much longer in Kings Landing, quickly comes to grips with what happened in the Purple Wedding

Breaker of Chains - Game of Thrones

Episode 4-03
"Breaker of Chains"

Taking a page from True Blood or Alias, the episode picks up on the same frame from last week, Joffrey's beautiful purple dead face.  And boy is Tywin mad!  Sansa makes a break for it, doing her best Melisandre impresssion of a redhead wearing a hooded cloak at night.

The Reign of King Tommen I (i.e. Tywin's in charge)
Tommen is already thirty steps ahead of Joffrey in terms of being a king.  It's been a day and he hasn't chopped anyone's head off, so that's quite a good start.  Tywin reminds me of Ganondorf from Ocarina of Time.   He gives a professorial talk to Tommen about what it is to be king asking him what it takes to be a good king.  And Tommen even names a few good qualities (holiness, justice, strength) that it takes.  He leaves out being a psychopath and sadist.  While Tywin doesn't lead him all through the Triforce (courage, power, wisdom) it is close.  He gets to wisdom and it's apparent that his entire talk is framed to make it so Tommen does whatever Tywin says.  It is like when Don Draper gives advice and his advice always boils down to "Be more like Don Draper."  Basically, listen to Tywin when you are young, and then you may as well listen to Tywin when you are old as well.

Interestingly, he refers to "King Robert" rather than "your father" as though Robert was some sort of abstract figure who he never met.  I imagine that's not far off from the truth, but still...there are times when the Lannisters aren't even pretending like they have a legitimate claim.  Tywin ends the talk doing something all sides can agree is a good thing, he pulls Tommen away from his mother.

Later, Tywin also acknowledges the real threat of Wildlings in the North and the dragons in the East, as well as the Greyjoys who are probably the least of their worries at the moment, as he'll allow Roose Bolton to deal with that as his reward for betraying the Starks.  

The Faith of the Seven
This episode more than any other in the series has a religious overtone, and maybe that's not by accident this Easter Sunday (also Orthodox Easter).  Tywin and Tommen discuss Baelor's holiness.  The Sept provides a setting.  The Riverlands family that takes in the Hound and Arya are devout and say an excruciatingly long grace before chow.  There's talk of the gods and their vengeance.  Besides the Faith, there's more talk of the Red God and even Davos is acknowledging its power.

Braavos
Braavos got a mention earlier this season.  This episode saw a few more.  There's talk of the Iron Bank again.  And Arya and the Hound both discuss going there.  Perhaps to make it a little more real in our minds, and bring back some memory of it, Davos mentions he was almost beheaded by the First Sword of Braavos...our friend from Season One, Syrio Forel (who I refuse to believe is dead despite Meryn Trant still talking about).  Most significantly, Davos sends a letter to the Bank on behalf of Stannis after his boss rings him out for not rallying enough people to his cause.

"The Iron Bank will have it's due" is kind of a relation to "A Lannister always pays his debts" (no mention of a female Lannister paying back debts though).  The Bank gets paid one way or the other, either from the loan recipient, for by funding the enemies of the deadbeat debtor.

Oberyn
If Oberyn didn't already hate the Lannisters, he sure would now after they keep barging in on his whorehouse time.  Ellaria is discussed for a third week in a row.  One of the things that makes Oberyn so awesome/dangerous are the zero shits he gives about everything coupled with the restraint he's able convey.  It is so much more dangerous than someone like the Mountain who Robb Stark described as "a mad dog without a strategic thought in his head" as Oberyn is probably one of the few people in the Seven Kingdoms who could hang with the intrigue of Kings Landing and fight as a warrior.


Daario
The New Daario is a sellsword much closer to Bronn, fighting dirty, than whatever they were going for last season.  The wink was a bit much, but that seems more of a directing choice than an acting one.  Anytime you can win a duel in the vein of Indiana Jones though, you have something working.

Sir Not Appearing in this Film

• Brandon Stark, righful Lord of Winterfell (and company)
• Brienne 
• Ironmen, still not found in Season Four which is quite all right
• Roose & Bastard

Come to think of it, this episode packs quite a lot of characters and settings in.  Hound/Arya, Jaime/Cersei, Tywin, Tyrion, Oberyn, Stannis (and Davos) making his first appearance, the Wildlings and the Wall, all punctuated by the East.

Heads chopped off this week: 1

The Lion and the Rose - Game of Thrones

Episode 4-02
"The Lion and the Rose"

Written by GRRM

Directed by Alex Graves

Scenes Made for Television
I want to talk about what the medium of television adds to the show beyond the books. While we don't get the same background, from characters or geopolitically, that we do from the books, we do get a lot of scenese that are either occurred "off screen" in the book or are added out of whole cloth.  Often they are speechless scenes, as in "Walk of Punishment" with the Small Council scene or that episode's opening scene with the Tully funeral and the Edmure/Blackfish dynamic.  The thing these scenes have in common is that they use the screen to add depth to the characters involved. 

Tyrion and Jamie
Tyrion and Jamie have the most healthy relationship in the entire Lannister family.  They are much closer than one would expect considering their relationships with other family members. Jamie is understandably insecure about his fighting ability and confides this in Tyrion.  This despite his bravado and bluster when speaking about it last episode with Tywin, Cersei and nephewson Joffrey.  And it's Tyrion who counsels him on further training, as well as finds a sparring partner who is both ably skilled and compelled to keep his mouth shut.  Bronn has also been a great aspect of the show with his role expanded to that of the City Watch commander and Addam Marbrand, one of the more honorable Westerland knights.  Even better that Bronn smacks the sword out of his hand, like Syrio would.

Edit 4/17:
Adding to their already established relationship is that Tyrion and Jamie both share a handicap now.  Oddly enough, Tyrion is the one with experience in this area and can help Jamie through it.  Connecting him with Bronn in training his left hand not only helps with discretion, but with the manner in which he's going to have to train.  Jamie needs to get up to speed as fast as possible, and he needs to do that any way he can.  Bronn's not someone who was trained by a master of arms in a castle, or got private swordfighting lessons.  He is probably largely self taught and with that comes a manner of fighting that would not be described as "classic".  We saw this in Bronn's fight at the Eyrie, where he employs the old adage "speed kills" and while he does not fight with honor, according to Lysa, he is still the one standing there at the end.  And this is why he's the one to get Jamie up to speed, quick and dirty.

Lady Oleanna

• Mace Tyrell appears, only to be shooed away immediately by his mother.  Another thing that says so much in a quick second.
• "The Iron Bank with have its due"  With the crown's debts looming, perhaps this is some foreshadowing?  Perhaps Mycroft Holmes will pay a visit?
• "Killing a man at a wedding...horrid."

Tywin also seems to have some sort of old money/new money rivalry with the Tyrells, as though he doesn't respect them (despite them saving Kings Landing against Stannis) because of how they spend their money (due to them being 'new' to having it).  The Lannisters are an ancient family of Westeros and the Tyrells are the overlords of the Reach for "only" the last 300 years, so I suppose that qualifies them as "new money" in Tywin's eyes.

 Storms & Swords

• Roose Bolton has the North but does not hold it.  It's like a car with no gas
• For just a moment, we think Joffrey may have grown up, taking a cue from Tywin at his side when Tyrion presents his gift.  His human reaction to Tyrion's book is clearly suspicious to everyone there and it only takes another 60 seconds for Joffrey to revert back and hack the book to pieces.
• Last week, seeing Ice melted down was like watching Ned die all over again.  This week Joffrey mentioned every time he uses the new sword it will be like cuttiing off Ned's head again...as if Joffrey had done it himself.  His view of himself was completely encapsulated in that hilarious statute last week.
• On that note I wonder how they are going to incorporate Kevan Lannister or a composite equivalent
• Tyrion has to "White Fang" Shae, something Arya had to do to her actual wolf in Season One
• The wedding is a mix of Naboo from Star Wars, the Castle from Ocarina of Time, and EPCOT.
• Margarey would make both Pippa and Kate stop in their tracks.
• Cersei's new title is Tattletale Reagent
• Oberyn loves to dig into the Lannisters.  Unsure who else can speak to them that way and get away with it.  Probably him and Lady Oleanna.  Just keep driving in that knife though.  We have no Stark army, but we can root for the frenemies of their enemies.  Especially if they are super cool
• Joffrey cannot watch anything for more than a second before he wants to inflict pain on someone.
• Varys got bopped on the head by one of the dwarves during the performance
• The cultural differences between different kingdoms of Westeros have been slight, save for the North which largely operated as a separate entity and was set apart more by their different religion.  The direct interaction between Northerners and Southerners only took place for a limited period of time.  Now we have another geographic outlier, Dorne from the South, with cultural differences highlighted in every interaction.
• We know how many people gave a fluff about Joffrey by the number of people who rushed to help him.  The little pyscho couldn't even open the cake without killing things.
• Tywin, in a grandfatherly moment, holds Tommen, having him look away from his brother. 
• We finally get a good moment.  After Ned, Robb, Cat.  After Arya being imprisoned  and Sansa held hostage and Bran and Rickon forced to flee and Winterfell being burned to the ground.  And it's tainted by Tyrion being arrested. 
• The GOP needs a new standard bearer.  

Bran's vision, which appears to be a mix of a flash back and flash forward includes Ned in the dungeons, his execution, Dany's walk through the throne room via the House of the Undying, the Three Eyed Raven who actually seems to speak to him and a shadow of a dragon.  A quite large dragon.

One of the things about the Theon//Reek scenes with the Bastard of Bolton is that we, like those being hunted/tortured/psychologically abused have no idea what is going on or why it is happening, which makes it all the more unsettling.

Cersei's battle with Margarey continues.  Anything Margarey is in favor of, she is against.  Rather than pull the people of Kings Landing into the fold per Lady Di of Westeros, she feeds the leftovers to the dogs out of spite.  This does a few things.  1) Undermine Margarey.  2) Shows she can still threaten members of the small council 3) Continue her contempt for the small folk

"Lannister" is always inserted more with Joffrey, who it is easy to forget is a Baratheon in name.  He has to keep that name so they keep their claim to the throne, but the Baratheon's have zero presence in Kings Landing.   For example, behind Joffrey and Margarey, there are stags and lions (no roses) but also a big "L" pattern.  This despite that if Joffrey actually only has Lannister heritage, which he does, he has no claim to the throne.  That truth seems widely acknowledged and ignored. 

Imagine the most awkward toast, father of the bride or best man speech you've heard at a wedding.  Multiply that by a thousand for the reactions to Joffrey scolding Tyrion.  So everyone is sitting there listening to the child who they know is not the rightful king make everyting super awkward and tantrumy, all the way until he is made dead.

Two Swords - Game of Thrones

"Two Swords"
Episode 4-01

Written by showrunners Benioff & Weiss.

Directed by Weiss.

Lots to do kids, and there's one less worthwhile voice out there to talk about it, so let's get to it.

• The first episode is good for one scene for each character, maybe two.  We're spending a week, maybe two, establishing where everyone is a mere several weeks after the Red Wedding, both physically and their state of mind.
• HBO, particularly Game of Thrones, does great "previouslies" and there are a lot of chickens coming home to roots, some things you may not have thought about in quite a while.
• Ruthlessly pragmatic Tywin thinks Ice is big to a silly extent, so he makes the titular "Two Swords".  It's a bit like killing Ned all over again seeing the Stark family Great Sword melted down and turned into, of all things, a new Lannister heirloom.  Actually, it's more like Sansa becoming a Lannister via marriage.
• Though, what did Tywin throw on there at the end?  A pig?
• I love Tywin because everything he does is grounded in pragmatism, and he has no aspirations or pretension of his actions being anything other than effective. 
• As much as Tywin talks about his/the Lannister legacy and name (starting a war for the "least of" them), when he kicks it one day, he essentially has no heir.  He won't give Casterly Rock to Tyrion (but pragmatically gives him Winterfell), Jamie still forsakes his claim, and he has no faith in Cersei who also happens to be a girl.  Maybe Tommen can get it (even though he's technically a bastard) with Myrcella, also a girl, enjoying Dorne.  But they are short on options.  
• On second thought, maybe the two swords are "Ice" and "Needle" rather than the two Lannister swords.  The Stark swords bookend the episode after all.  Maybe I am just refusing to pick the obvious choice here though.
• Dreadfort is added to the always epic credits, as is Mereen.
• "Can you read the sigils?" "Yellow balls?"
• Jamie's wave...perfect.
• Oberyn steals the show, as expected.  With all the Starks dead, there's a lot fewer people to root for.  So we're pretty much reduced to rooting for enemies of their enemies.  Probably not ideal foreign policy
• Passing his hand over the candle says more in a half second than the rest of it combined 
• Tyrion's indifference to Oberyn stabbing the Lannister soldier is quite hilarious
• Doran Martell gets a mention and I ponder who they will cast for him next year 
• The best way to describe Oberyn is as a honey badger, giving zero shits. 
• It is somewhat impressively how quickly and seamlessly they integrate the exposition of the Martells beef 
• Funny how everyone screamed bloody murder at this casting.  Turns out its going to be okay
• Alisair Thorne ascending to acting commander is just the ultimate version of getting stuck with a horrible boss following a good boss.  It is basically Jason Sudeikis' part in Horrible Bosses
• The Gold Cloaks commander showing up at the Wall is one of those chickens coming home to roost.  It appears he's weaseled himself into some sort of leadership position, despite goldbricking it and not actually going north of the Wall yet
• Was that a statue of Joffrey?  It looks like something Calvin would imagine
• "Reigns of Castamere" times heard: 2
• Sansa Lannister gets a bird to roost as well via Ser Dontos
• Looking forward to seeing the result of Pedro Pascal's Wushu master training
• The Hound quotes Omar "A man's got to have a code"
• Arya's scene at the inn mirrors the new, just published chapter of The Winds of Winter
• Chickens roosting!
• It's impressive that the first episode of a season actually has many payoffs, rather than the traditional structure of building over the season and having payoffs towards the season end
  
• I didn't think the old Daario was particularly bad, but the new one is obviously better and living up to more of the potential
• "The king is safe"
• Three seeds planted.  The dragons can't be tamed, Oberyn is looking for trouble, and the jig is up on Tyrion and Shae 
• Sir-Not-Appearing-In-This-Episode
• Stannis (and Melisandre and Davos), Roose Bolton, Bran & Co., the Ironmen.  Was Varys in there?
• Still dead: Most of the Starks.  Most of the Targaryens. Robert. Renley.

The War of Two of the Five Kings

I wonder how things would've played out between Stannis and Robb, had he lived.  Robb went from rescue mission, to vengeance to war for independence.  Stannis had no love for him and would've fought into the North just to be ornery if one or both of them had taken Kings Landing.

Pragmatically, Robb could've accepted his terms and gone back to being Lord of Winterfell under Stannis as Ned was under Robert.  Not sure his lords would've been keen on it though, spilling that blood to not rescue Ned and not be independent.  It may work if they did get the chance to kill all the Lannisters and Joffrey though.  I feel like a good compromise may have been something like a semi-autonomous republic, like Crimea.  But Stannis, being "iron" would probably not bend to that.

The two kingdoms at the peripheries of Westeros are both a bit like that, looking at themselves as their own deal.  Dorne even calls its lords "princes".

Two Characters

Sansa Lannister nee Stark
The episode spent an impressive amount of time  showing her grieving and hitting a lot of the right notes.  Sansa's never been one for actively taking out her anger, unless she is mad at her father or sister.  And she is still as polite as ever to her husband whose family murdered her whole family.  Not wanting to eat or sleep, Sansa's only retreat is the Godswood. 

Just like I was thinking about how Robb-Stannis would play out, it's interesting to think what would've happened with Sansa if Joffrey had been even the least bit not sociopathic.  Her ability to play along with everything is impressive and takes a certain temperment.  She also showed how she could handle queen-ly duties when they hid in the Red Keep as Stannis stood siege, while the actual queen drank and exuded contempt for everyone there.

Part of her grieving is her saying what she's heard about the Red Wedding, including how deep the cut was to her mother's throat.  

Arya Stark aka Arry aka Boy aka Girl
Without giving anything away, I'll say very generally that the show has deviated from the exact scenes that take place.  This of course causes some people to scream bloody murder over the Internets.  However, the one thing the they've stuck very closesly to is conveying the ideas in each of those scenes, as well as Arya's state of mind.  Simply put, there is more than one way to skin a cat and the way some things have been handled, while deviating from the original material, make the show all the more impressive.

For example, the scenes between Arya and Tywin are some of the best in the show.  However, they do not exist in book land.  It gave a lot of insight to both characters, as well as allowed us to spend time with two favorites. 

Arya's story so far is her trying to go somewhere and then being interrupted and taken somewhere else.  Yoren tries to take her to Winterfell via the Night's Watch route, she's interrupted and taken to Harrenhall.  She escapes and tries to go to Riverrun, but is taken to the Brotherhood Without Banners.  She's supposed to go to the Twins, but can't.  Now the Hound is taking her to Eyrie...
 

Raw Data: And Now His Watch is Ended

These are the unprocessed thoughts and observations for Game of Thrones episode 3-04 "And Now His Watch is Ended". Written by  Benioff & Weiss (under the interesting credit of "Written for television by"), series creators and executive producers.  Directed by Alex Graves, executive producer and oft-director of The West Wing

• Currently on page 528 of A Storm of Swords
• Episode title refers to the words said at the funeral of a Night's Watch brother.  Effectively his "End of Watch" or EOW
• Nothing new in the credits, but is there another opening credits a viewer watches so diligently?
• Doctors agree, episodes without Jon Snow are 98 percent less angst-y
• A viewer is not surprised a group of murderers and thieves turns to murder and thievery.  Less a mutiny by the Night's Watch and more of a riot.
• Old man strength transcends realms and Mormont has it in spades.  He's like one of those giants on PCP you see on police dash cameras.
• Deadwood often was described as a 'mud and blood' western.  Game of Thrones is a 'mud and blood' medieval epic.
• A viewer is confounded by the Theon storyline.  Tortured without being asked questions, then broken out and returned the same day?
• Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime) spoke on Conan recently of all the mud they threw him around in in this episode.  Basically one guy's job was to water the mud, non-stop.
• Nothings puts a smile on Joffrey's face like talking about people's violent deaths.  He and Todd Bowden would get along swimmingly
• The Dowager Countess of Highgarden's contempt for her own family, their words and their sigil continues, this time even coupled with some admiration for the departed King Robert.  Tired of roses, she reminds me of someone who got a gift once and people continued to give her such a gift assuming she found them pleasant, when in reality it's only inertia.  A lady at a place I once worked had several dozen toy cows on her desk due to such inertia
• An old trope present in Game of Thrones is obscuring the faces of bad guys while showing the good ones.  The Lannister guards, Daenerys' army and even the Ironmen all wear helmets that partially or totally keep their faces hidden.  Think Imperial stormtroopers versus rebel soldiers.
• The Night's Watch brother who observed it's mostly about shoveling...hilarious
• Varys' view of Littlefinger in the past has been of a worthy adversary, but presently he seems more alarmed than intrigued by Littlefinger's growing power

Speaking of worthy adversaries, much of the focus this week was on the Tyrells and their (Margaery's) growing influence in King's Landing, providing a foil to Cersei and the Lannisters.  But mainly Cersei.  Her influence has a half life each day between now and the royal wedding, and she needs to make a play.

• Margaery has almost fully asserted control of Joffrey from his mother.  The fickle masses not long ago threw a cow pie at Joffrey and now cheer for him and his wife-to-be on the balcony, albeit mainly for Margaery.  They like Margaery and may grow to tolerate/like Joffrey by association.
• The approach she took last week, when Joff explained the crossbow more closely resembled how a babysitter may ask a child to show his toys than a lady showing interest in her betrothed
• As the Northman pointed out to Jaime, Tywin and his wealth are very much a crutch for his children.  In this episode, Cersei runs to her father with her concerns about Margaery controlling Joffrey, but is only greeted with scorn for her own inability to control her son
• In the same conversation, Tywin pointedly told her she is not as smart as she believes herself to be.  The second time Cersei's been told this in Season Three.
• The more the Tyrells want to be friends and share trust, the less one should befriend and trust them.  Margery knows full well her own brother's, er, preferences, and chose not to share them with Sansa when she proposed their betrothal.  Then again, anything is better than having any association with the psychopath-in-chief.  
• The "porridge plague" seemed like test to gauge Sansa's gullibility.
• Margaery is protected in ways Sansa never was
• The Tyrells are schemers who know how to position themselves.  They are willing and able to play a game the Starks did not like nor understand
• Physically, Loras is there too.  Doubtful Margaery is going to be stripped and have a crossbow pointed at her in the throne room.
• Love of the people.  The Lady Di of Westeros has all the common people behind her and they already would not stand for any shabby treatment directed toward her

Raw Data: Dark Wings, Dark Words

These are the unprocessed thoughts and observations for Game of Thrones episode 3-02 "Dark Wings, Dark Words".

• For reference for you book readers, I'm on page 199 of A Storm of Swords
• A rare seemingly superfluous scene involved Tyrion and Shae, which no doubt means it will come into play in a major way down the line
• Of Robb's lieutenant bannermen, if Umber and Karstark are Pacino, then Bolton is Deniro. 
• It is only Tuesday but congrats to Theon Greyjoy for wining "Schadenfreude of the Week"
• How does one spell 'schadenfreude' correctly, while butchering 'lieutentant'?
• Joffrey had a beat when he was talking about Renley and making his "perversion" punishable by death.  The beat made me think there's a possibility he has a Larry Craig thing going.  I can't imagine the little psychopath is able to feel love or attraction beyond basic mating instinct
• Speaking of psychopathy, I wonder if there is a way to play psychologist and apply the Hare Psychopathy Test, the PCL-R, to Joffrey [notes idea for future post]
• My guess is Cersei would test higher as a psychopath.  Joffrey is "merely" anti-social
• It was so nice to introduce us to the Dowager Countess of the Tyrells
• In the same vein, we met the Katniss Everdeen of the Reeds
• Jamie showed a moment of sincerity when he said "we don't choose who we love"
• No heads chopped off?  Not even a limb?  And complete lack of nudity.  This is, without a doubt and with zero hyperbole, the most shocking thing that has happened in the show's entire run to date.

All in all, everyone raised a lot of money for Relay for Life because they spent the whole episode walking (minus Bran!).  To Riverrun. To the Wall.  To the Fist. To an undoubtedly miserable marriage to the king...