rozen

This season kind of emphasized that Piper's "Prison Wife" con on Soso was actually true, though I suppose it's more like Prison Mom. The black girls were wide open for manipulation because they didn't have a maternal figure to shield them from the big bad wolf. Even better if the Prison Mom is a BAMF. Red was a weak prison mom in terms of muscle, but she was still able to shield her girls when Vee stole her business the first time around. Vee never tried to take control of the kitchen because Gloria does not mess around and would have her laid up in the infirmary with intestinal problems for the rest of her life. Team Old Biddies are apparently stone cold killers in min for good behavior, and are too old to be run around with head games. In contrast, Poussey, Taystee, Black Cindy, etc had no one, which means they didn't get bossed around doing things they didn't want, but also made them easily turned against one another. The closest thing to matron they have is Sophia, who seems to exist in her own little silo away from everyone else. Am I the only one who's a little glad that Rosa got locked up so early in her career? She would have been a terrifying mafia don, once she got over her boyfriends dying on her.

I thought introducing a new clone was a good way to nudge the plot back open again, after a series of plot twists and turns have narrowed many of the mysteries of the show. At the beginning we had Neolithians, DYAD, Art & co, Mrs. S and her crew, followed by the Prolitheans, all playing against each other with lots of unknown players. Now we have a much smaller main cast that we've seen extensively, almost all of whom have interacted with one another in some capacity. It's a lot less unpredictable now than when Helena was slinking around with a sniper rifle and we didn't know which side Art was really on. This episode was such a great slap to the face, "Oh you thought you had figured out what all the moving parts were? NOT!" I dunno, I thought Tony and Felix were interesting contrasts in androgyny that fell a little bit in opposite directions. The clones already span such a wide range of personalities, it would difficult no matter what to introduce a new clone without their seeming similar to another one. I rewatched the first season and found myself thinking that if the German clone hadn't gotten shot first thing, she would basically be a drunk version of Helena. Honestly, only a clone as shady as Sarah would have stuck around with Felix and Art to hear the truth. "Ohai, let's give strange and conflictiing information on how we know your contact. Ohai please stay right here with my partner while I run off to do 'something' that I can't tell you. Ohai, drink this beer I brought from an undisclosed location and then tell me all your secrets." On any other show they'd be murderers or something. Duncan creeps me out, I hope they don't let Kira anywhere near him ever again. He's waited 20 years to see his dear baby girl again, but callously scoffs at the notion of her birthing a family of her own? I don't think Duncan's twisted version of family love would have been any better for Rachel than what she got with Leekie. Oh Cosima, perfectly encapsulating the nerd girl struggle everywhere. Girlfriend runs the nerdcore of nerd labs, but those clowns didn't even consider asking if she wanted to play.

My pet conspiracy theory is that Kate killed Jared's parents and he was so deep into ideology and hormones that he claimed he did it to 'protect' her. I found it very strange that someone as good as Larrick would question Kate one time, and then kill her. If she were really a newbie, I think he would have settled in and tried to break her properly. I think she was an experienced professional, who would rather eliminate potential obstacles to the 2nd-generation illegal program rather than risk Jared's parents spiriting him away somewhere.

The Mountain has been a terror of Westeros for at least a decade. There are plenty of people willing to throw their lives away to attack The Hound, and he's small potatoes in comparison. I expect The Mountain to be very cunning because he's probably experienced just about ever type of battle situation because of his job, and every kind of sneak attack from people trying to kill him in retaliation. He's probably been in far less pleasant situations than being stabbed in the gut, and then being politely allowed to rest on the ground while his opponent prances closer and closer to him.

I think Mrs. S fully expects Paul to play any information she provides against Leekie and Rachel. She gets one fewer person chasing Kira, and he gets one fewer boss, either way. Besides, with David dead, DYAD doesn't seem to have anyone that can keep up with her except Paul, and she's got his number with The Super Secret of Afghanistan. Vic just showed again and again why he was such an easy mark for Sarah, which makes me even more suspicious of Cal. I don't feel a bit sorry for him a) because he was so ready to sell Allison out and b) because he treats Sarah like an arcade game, where if he pulls off the right combo he'll get everything he wants. Vic needs to go to rehab for Sarah addiction. I feel like when we find out who Cal really is it's going to be a megaton bomb on the plot. This guy is too good, and too sneaky to swallow whatever Sarah says hook, line, and sinker. Vic asked more questions and did more snooping than Cal has, Vic. I knew Donnie was dumb, but wow. I guess this is a time where Allison's paranoia will come in handy, there's no way that gun is registered.

I thought the opening in Mole's Hill was so well done. Those women had slept in the safety of the Night's Watch for so long, they had no idea how soft and weak they really were. A loud, carousing tavern is going to have an owl cooing right on their doorstep? If a Wilding girl told me 'that is not an owl' I'd have been throwing myself into the nearest cellar, manure pile, anything. That was the difference between acting strong and knowing you're weak. Ygritte is a killer, but I feel like her and Mance's men are in a 'go hard or go home' situation. I think if they raised even one question about the necessity of slaughtering everyone, the Thanes would (sp?) promptly turn around and kill them, and tell Mance they fell in battle. I know it's historically accurate for nobles to consider handling of money to be crass and best left to the lower classes, but it still sounds so idiotic to hear it said out loud. That the vale noble went to pieces over Sansa, who honestly has no power or leverage, but not the man who flippin handled all the money of the kingdom of Westeros, made me want the whole enterprise to crash and burn. Idiots, the lot of them (except Sansa, who has apparently evolved into her advanced intrigue form). I don't think Theon was blubbering because the Iron Born was berating him, I think it was because he saw that axe to the head coming. A nasty reminder of his own betrayal in Winterfell, where he was ready to proudly lead his mean to their deaths. Guy was lucky to get a clean death, at least. Roose is a psychopath who is confident and at peace with himself. He's not going to do some flashy, unnecessary, bs to make himself look good. Ramsay's fragility is what makes him so much more terrifying. Yup, Bronn was right to peace out on that battle. Oberyn was good, but the extended reach of his spear was critical in avoiding the hulk smash until his arrogance got the best of him. From a boxer's perspective, The Mountain had complete control of the center of the ring until Oberyn knocked him down. Bronn wouldn't have had the reach to get to him, and not much room to run around. If Oberyn hadn't been so fired up, he could have just pulled up a chair and had some wine while The Mountain bled out. The wounds he inflicted were critical, there's no way Clegane wasn't in pain. But he wanted to get right up in his face and make him confess, I bet that would never have been his style otherwise. Arya's cackle was priceless. And the vale representatives will of course not mention that grubby little man Littlefinger is warden of Robyn, ensuring that The Hound will give up as there will be no one else in the Vale that has seen Arya since she was probably an infant. No one would believe the murderous little psychopath was a noblewoman otherwise. Go learn proper waterdancing and take 'em all down!