RimaTheBirdGirl

On a re-watch of the Great Nora/Kevin Fight, there was a glorious mess of contradictory explosions: Nora immediately snaps to Kevin's trauma, despite her own raging obsession with those Dutch physicists. In an instant she's concerned, soft, kind. She just as immediately gets nasty, but only when she learns that Kevin-in-crisis had called Laurie, not her. Regrettable, but human. The weapon Nora uses to mock Kevin is Matt's new gospel. Something she believes that they both find comic. As savaging goes, a pretty mild topic. Unless she's perceptive enough to know that Kevin doesn't find it funny at all. That text holds every agonizing, maddening memory that Kevin cannot tell Nora, because she had so cruelly fled from his honesty, before. So uh, using it to mock Kevin sets him off. He rejects her accusations of abandonment and betrayal. And in response, he is so cruel. It was stunning to see Nora's disbelief at his cruelty. (His candor?) And her disbelief at his departure. But Kevin kept looking back, again and again. He kept worrying about Nora in that burning room. And despite everything they said, they still never talked.

I'd guess that any answer applicants give to the "Kill the baby to cure cancer?" question, results in rejection from the Join Your Departed program. Certainly the man who immolated himself in front of Kevin Sr. chose in opposition to Nora. Yet he too was rejected. And then disappeared from the earth. Nora confirmed that everyone in the video she viewed (giving pre-zap testimonials to the program) had now disappeared. We know, from our flash-forward to Future Australia, that Nora Durst has also disappeared from society, and is living under another name. I think that the end-game for the band of "physicists" is to shift these unhappy people into such further misery, that they drop out from their worlds altogether. And disappear. They are not Departed. They've just hidden themselves. (And God did I love the dynamics and rich characterizations of the two "physicists." So Lost-ian, those two.)

Sober Kevin Sr. is a bummer. Kevin Sr. on God's Tongue, though, will tenaciously struggle to save his son, and succeed. He's giving, connected, and loving. And knows how to communicate trans-universally, through TVs and flower deliveries. Multi-dimensional, is Kevin Sr.

Matt is now routinely lying, in ways that may foment violent chaos in Jarden, on October 14. Matt lied to Nora this episode, in denying involvement in Pillar Man's post-death dealings. Matt lied to the community & the world, in supporting the falsehood that Pillar Man departed. He lied to Kevin in last week's premiere, when he denied being the author of the yellow flyers, advertising his church. (A touch of self-aggrandizement there.) I bet Matt knowingly told a falsehood to Nora, as a child, about their burnt-alive parents feeling no pain. That first, childhood lie puts the rest in context. As Matt explains, he lies for the greater good, to bring solace, and ease pain. But as the Millerite-saga opening of this season illustrates, lying doesn't always do that. Even from men of faith. And it leads to the unfortunate deaths of police chiefs in Australia.

The magic of the Wall might not be well known, and it might not be as affective as advertised. After all, waaay back in season 1 they brought a wight through the wall and it almost killed Jon and Lord Mormont. Mac, as you noted, the wight did not cross the wall on his own accord. He was carried across by some Night's Watchmen, who thought he was a mere corpse. Deedee, the Big Problem is that White Walkers are intent on crossing that wall -- and the book and the show (a little) have presented several ways they could do so. And uhhh, plot development demands that they do so. Among the means of entry are: some old horn or other that is believed to have Wall-shattering abilities (held by Wildlings, or the Ironborn, or toted around unknowingly by Sam, or buried north of the Wall, (I forget)) no member of the Night's Watch remaining true Bran with his Night King-marked arm crossing through the Wall.

All the Lord of Light and Red Women crowd seem have an understanding of the White Walker threat. (Melisandre and the Red Woman of Mereen.) And certainly Berric and Thorus had direct dealings with Melisandre.

Pickles, you must watch that episode. The "old lady" is played by Lois Smith, a magnificent actress. The character is an extraordinary (and ordinary) human being, and Elizabeth responds to her, and kills her. At one point, when Elizabeth justifies murdering the old lady to the old lady, the Lois Smith character says something like, "That's what evil people say to justify what they do." And those words pierce Elizabeth.

Hodor is dying while controlled by Bran's wargdom, yes? What if Hodor shifts into a wight, with Bran still "inside" him? Perhaps Bran will then gain the (helpful) White Walker attributes that some here have speculated are crucial to a (happy-ish) endgame. Nah, that's not how wargdom works, I think. Wargs don't retain attributes of the lives they've possessed. But perhaps Hodor might become a different kind of wight. I would like him to be spared two existences of erasure.

The Kings write that the Slap ending was always their end-game, but that they had intended Elsbeth Tascione to deliver it. (An Elsbeth slap would have more clearly been on moral, not personal grounds.) Here's the quote: The full article is: Variety interview with Robert & Michelle King

Ser Davos' counsel to Reanimated Jon Snow was so good. Even the rhythm of their back and forths was lyrical. And that message -- to keep going in the face of failure -- was so precisely what Jon needed to hear. And strategically sound in these circumstances. It's also the message of every civil rights rally I've attended, for 40 years. A highly pragmatic rallying cry for difficult causes, and long struggles.

Sigh. But Jon's leavetaking speeds the fall of the Wall. As the Wall stands only so long as one of the Night Watch remains true. (That's right, right? Per Nan?) My son points out that the Wall has to fall, in order for dragons and Promised Princes to eradicate all White Walkers forever.

And further, this fellow is not the Greatjon, but some-other-Umber. My son reminded me of all this -- the GreatJon (on the Show) was that very large man who guffawed when Robb chopped off the Greatjon's fingers, or some such thing. And after that was ever-loyal. Bannermen loyalty is so integral to the ethos of the books. It is sad-making that Show is utterly trashing the character of the Northerners. In fact, disregarding all the regional distinctions, now. (Unless Rickon's betrayal is a ruse.)

Splutter, WaitWhat? StillShimpy, you are suggesting that perhaps Jon's resurrection was independent of Melisandre and the Lord of Light? Holy Moly.

In my obsessive household, we cite to book-Cersei's creepy fascination with the destructive fire she started (burning down some portion of the Red Keep, or sumpin'), as evidence that CERSEI is the illegitimate child of the Mad King. (And yes, Jamie too. Patricide abounds.) Here's a good rabbit hole to fall into, on the Tyrion-as-secret-Targ question : http://www.techinsider.io/tyrion-targaryen-theory-2016-4 * Actually, StillShimpy was only quoting a text cited and received by Haleth.

Harking back to ages-old Television Without Pity threads, scrutinizing the sisters' post-separation references to one another. Yes, it was heart-warming to see that little smile. Acceptance and affection for the very differences that had had kept Sansa and Arya at odds. Nicely done. And the fandom sighs, once again, for a Stark sibling reunion.