TudorQueen

Cardie, I hope the resolution of this season is as good as what you've outlined.

Frain isn't always a villain. He was very sympathetic as Kim Raver's ex-husband on "24". But after this week's episode I'm losing hope that he'll turn out to be a good guy. Even if he isn't part of the murder, he's in something up to his armpits.

That gunfight was one of the most intensely violent things I've seen on tv in some time. It seemed to go on and on, yet I never felt it was too long, or that it was done for effect. You could see how it affected our trio. And I gasped audibly when Dix went down. Farrell continues to astonish. I got interested in Paul for the first time during his scene with Velcoro, who was straightforward, a bit tough, but actually... kind. And the scene with his son made me tear up a little. Damn the ex-wife and her very suitable second husband for ignoring that, blood relations or not, these two love and need each other. Should Velcoro have custody? Probably not. But to erase him from his son's life is very cruel to both. Liked Paul's reaction to his girlfriend telling him she's pregnant. The preview indicates that Sleazy Inappropriate Mom will put a spoke in their wheel.

Ian McShane is kind of famously short. He once said in an interview that his agent told him a long time ago that if he'd been even a few inches taller, he'd have had a Sean Connery sort of career. Not that his height matters to me. I'm watching this season because he's in it. Haven't seen this episode yet but I'll be back when I do, with more focused comments

At least he doesn't have a daughter to sacrifice at the stake.

Bet Eminem knows who Stan is. I'm not finding the story as rich as Season One - and in terms of storytelling, Season One was more coherent, though there's still time for NP to pull it all together. McAdams is doing everything she can with a character who is constructed almost entirely from clichés, and actually pulls it off. I don't care about Paul, and have no idea if it's the writing (he's even more of a walking cliché) or Taylor Kitsch's acting, though I will acknowledge that Kitsch is a fine looking young man. I think Vaughn is doing pretty well, actually, and I don't have trouble believing him as the upwardly mobile gangster. I don't dislike Kelly Reilly, either, though I thought she was stronger and more interesting in the first episode. But Colin Farrell - I'm almost speechless. I do like him as an actor (so wonderful in "In Bruges" and "Seven Psychopaths", very good in "Saving Mr. Banks" and "Winter's Tale" (I'm one of two people who loved that movie), but I'm not all swoony, he's sooo dreamy and perfect in everything... but he elevates not only the character of Ray Velcoro (and his great big manpain), but elevates everything he touches. The scenes he's in crackle with energy, even though many of them show Ray in a completely checked-out pose, his line readings are fantastic (and sometimes very funny) and if the show was just him and McAdams driving around talking I'd probably still watch. (BTW, I'm not being a bitch about the manpain - I deeply sympathize with his desire to maintain a connection with his son, and the unswerving love he has for the boy whether or not he's biologically his.) As for this particular episode: That first scene really was Lynchian in the extreme - and worked for me. Nice to see Fred Ward, and he made both his scenes count. To those of you who think the Mayor is getting cartoonish, IMHO, cartoonish would almost be a compliment, he's so out there. All the portraits of himself that hang in his McMansion made me think of the soaps, and how everyone has numerous photos/paintings of themselves everywhere, unless they're good salt-of-the-earth people, in which case they have one Sears Portrait Studio arrangement of the whole family. If the Mayor isn't up to his armpits in the corruption, he's not putting his skanky, greedy, slimy, psychotically angry qualities to proper use. James Frain has to be either in with the bad guys (who I totally believe are centralized in Catalyst), or is going to protect or help our heroes at a crucial juncture. Otherwise it's a waste of a very good actor. For all the complaints about the direction (some of them I find justified) I thought the rhythms of the chase sequence and Ray pulling Ani out of the path of that truck to be handled exceptionally well.

This will probably strike everyone as completely insane, but... Ray Velcoro's name sounds a lot like 'Velcro', to which everything sticks. So I'm worried that Velcoro will become the scapegoat for the real culprits. BTW, don't change the title - I love it. But then, big "Chinatown" fan here.

I found Book Renly more interesting and credible than Show Renly. And while Gethin Anthony is a perfectly fine actor he never really conveyed Renly's great charisma, nor did I thinkhe was handsome enough.

Apart from Gendry, weren't all of Robert's bastard children slaughtered in GoT's own Massacre of the Innocents?

An entire noble house completely erased. Wow. There's something truly epic and sad about that

The Tyrion/Varys reunion made me so happy! Loved, too, that Missandei pointed out that Tyrion saved her life.

I changed my mind; Ser Alliser can die horribly any time. Olly, too. Ellaria can drown in her own venom. And I love Indira Varma. But really, killing Myrcella avenges Oberyn in any way? (Not to mention he signed up for a fight to the death, as Doran noted). All it does is push Doran into a likely war he never wanted - and will likely lose.

The disgusting, like Walder Frey and a good sized chunk of his progeny, are my first priority. Under this category I would also list Ramsey Bolton, whose sadism gets old fast, and Qyburn, the Victor Frankenstein of the Seven Kingdoms without Dr. F's glimmers of humanity. He can take FrankenMountain with him, too. Myranda can accompany Ramsey into whatever circle of hell will accept him. I would list the High Sparrow but I love Jonathan Pryce too much to want him to leave the show.Lancel's slide into religious fanaticism, on the other hand, even though it improved his looks, turned him into a smug, humorless piece of judgment on a stick. I look forward to his face to face meeting with the Father. I'm torn between wanting Cersei to die and wanting her to live and suffer. Either way, though, Jaime stands to suffer, so... I'm uncommitted. Mace Tyrell is too stupid to live. Mortgaging Highgarden??? We could thin out the Sand Snakes even more than the showrunners already have. I agree with those of you who feel Theon's death would bring him blessed release. I don't know if it's possible to make him whole psychologically, let alone physically. To my surprise, Ser Alliser Thorne does not make the list. He's turned into a fascinating character; dislikes Jon Snow but respects the fact that he is their duly elected Lord Commander, and gives him the best advice he can (which is often wrong, but given honestly and from a consistent point of view) and even the occasional back handed compliment.

Tyrion: my father would have liked you. (Wonder if Hizdahr took it as a compliment?) Ser Alliser: you have a big heart, Jon Snow. It's going to get us all killed.

It seems to me that only two people have ever really loved Stannis - Shireen and Davos. He burned the one at the stake and may have burned his bridges with the other. It's tragic, and like most tragedies, was brought about by his own flaws. I actually felt for Stannis as a character - he reminded me in many ways of Soames Forsyte, the protagonist of "The Forsyte Saga". But Soames sacrificed his life to save his daughter, Fleur. Stannis sacrificed his daughter's life to fulfill some obsessive concept of destiny.

I was more struck by the fact that she did take ownership of her mistake and what it cost. "We lost a million dollars and it was my fault." That was even said calmly and firmly. And Blair was quite sweet about it, calmly telling her not to do that to herself. I did not expect to become so fond of this team. And I did smile when Blair said he'd be happy to run the Race with Hayley again (what an evolution over the course of the Race!) if she would promise not to yell at him so much.

I have come to truly like and admire Noah over the course of the season, plus he is a seriously attractive man. I have respect for the work ethic he's brought to the competition, and he certainly has developed as a dancer - to a point. But - and this may make me look cold - I don't think he should be in the final, and I will be very disappointed if he wins. Yes, the audience vote is important - among other things, it keeps the show from being a PBS Ballroom Competition broadcast, it gives the viewers a stake, and it keeps some celebs who start out without the skills a chance to stick around and improve - to a point. But I think he has reached the limit of what he can do, and to have him in the finals over Nastia makes the actual dancing look even less important. Why vote for one of the best dancers when you can vote for the double amputee busting his butt out there? His paso doble had some nice elements and he had a killer attack. He relates well to Sharna and is very present in everything he does. But he doesn't dance as well as the others. He can't. Placing high in the end is appropriate because of all he has put into it, but to have him in the finals just adds to my sense that it is barely about the dancing anymore. I wish him nothing but luck, though.

I really liked this team at first, but lately I've found them irritating. Last night I finally figured out why - there's a mean streak in them. They tend towards schadenfreude, and are sometimes actively mean to or about teams they don't like. They aren't truly awful, but I don't really like them a lot.

No one is more surprised than I am to find myself so enjoying this team now that Hayley has received her personality transplant, and Blair has loosened up a little. They seem to honestly like each other, with a few stumbles now and again. The difference between Hayley's 'cheerleading' in earlier legs, and her sincere "Good job, Blair, you're doing great!" in this leg is night and day. They tease each other, bring up their previous difficulties with humor and acceptance, and since this turn for the better have consistently performed very well. I'm starting to think I could be happy if they won.

I've generally been neutral on Eva Green - didn't love her or hate her, and her performances were often circumscribed by the script or genre. But I do think she's wonderful as Vanessa here, and the new season will once again have her front and center, along with the men with whom she's had such intriguingly evolving relationships. However, I find the trope of every single man being in love or lust with Vanessa boring and irritating.

Wings707, I meant Charlotte McKinney (had to look her up because she was that memorable. She went out second, I believe, and had the same attitude - and only slightly better skills - than Master P in Season 2, who hung around longer than a number of better dancers (which is to say, everyone else). McKinney was one of those people who decried being known only for her looks all the while maximizing their exposure and showing no signs of any other positive qualities. People like Robert are the reason I watch DWtS - non-dancers who bring real enthusiasm and commitment to the show, and improve steadily, taking joy in that, and entertaining the viewers. As for him and Kym, I'm rooting for them. I've always felt she was a class act, and it looks as if his divorce really hurt him. She's no gold-digger and he has never seemed the type to look for arm candy.

I liked Robert from the beginning - heck, I love him on "Shark Tank" - and enjoyed the energy and commitment he brought to every round. What a contrast to that model who was texting and talking on the phone during rehearsal times! But the truth is he had reached the peak of what he could do and it was time for him to go. It comforts me that Chris went that same night - since he is more boring than celery - and that he took as much joy as he could from the experience. I kind of hope the rumors about him and Kym are true.

I'm not generally a conspiracy theorist, but this season I've finally fallen in line with those who believe the producers/network delineate a certain 'storyline' and press the judges to help make it happen. To me that would explain the elevation of Chris Soules (who is, IMHO, an okay dancer with no stage presence or discernible personality) the downgrading of Rumer on more than one occasion (obviously not this week) and the 'inspirational' framing of Noah's scores (I actually like Noah. but feel it's disingenuous to completely ignore his limitations, especially in the scoring). I believe they want Riker to win, and are pressing the judges to help make it happen. And Riker's good - I don't argue that - but his style also has its limitations and he sometimes seems to apply the same style and flavor to every dance. On the subject of the judges' panel, I think Bruno has become a caricature of himself (long ago, actually) and has little of consequence to contribute. I used to really like Carrie Ann, but she's gradually become DWTS' version of Paula Abdul. Julianne is coming along well, and Len is still, thank God, Len - able to deliver specific, pertinent criticism of the dance itself, and score more or less appropriately. (I could live without the "From Len, the TEN!:" nonsense, though). Getting a former pro to join the panel, replacing either Bruno or Carrie Ann, makes sense to me.

I think (and this is backed up by nothing) that Dorne is patterned after Morocco, or Moorish Spain.

Goodbye, Sir Barristan, a good knight to the end. I was tremendously sad to see him cut down, but his amazing heroism before that moment was a reminder of how skilled and dedicated he truly was. I remember him scoffing at Joffrey and Cersei for offering him a 'comfortable' retirement. To him, retirement was a living death, and he ended up dying on his own terms, in action, serving a ruler in whom he believed. But it still sucks,