S04.E01: Two Swords

[mad_typist]

Welcome to season 4 gentle unspoiled souls. People who like posting spoilers should remember: Valar morghulis.

 

Episode Synopsis:

 

Tyrion welcomes a surprise guest to King’s Landing for the royal wedding, but fears he’s come to the Red Keep for something else. Meanwhile, Jon warns his skeptical Night’s Watch superiors about an impending attack. Jaime struggles to regain his status at home. Arya encounters a face from her past, and Daario Naharis discusses strategy with Daenerys on the journey to the slave city Meereen.

 

Reminder: This is for discussion of the TV show only, no book talk allowed - including saying "but it's different in the books". Any spoiler from outside the books (i.e. next weeks preview) should be in spoiler tags.

[David T. Cole]

So many of history's great events started with an argument over chicken.

[AimingforYoko]

Arya's got Needle back and gives no fucks. Get her Nymeria back and she'd march on The Twins.

[pitchnduel]

No Littlefinger...plus 5 for any episode.  We're going to need at least 3 Jaime-Brienne scenes per episode, though...

[TooMuchCoffee]

 I am a 62 year old grandmother. I want to be Arya when I grow up.

[Haleth]

Gotta love those odd couples, Brienne/Jaime and the Hound/Arya. I could watch them bicker all day.

[Stardancer Supreme]

Arya's getting her groove back!   

I'm amazed that Jaime let Cersi's remark about "taking too long" pass without an immediate explanation.  I'm sure he probably won't like being replaced in his sister's affections...

Edited April 7, 2014 by Stardancer Supreme

[rogueprinzess]

So much brilliance in this episode. Only things that could have made it better would have been the omission of Jaime/Cersei  and Ygritte scenes. That last scene was everything.

[bluvelvet]

I think Jaime couldn't reply to Cersei's remark because they got interrupted. I did like that he said no to Tywin, however did Tywin really disown him or does Jaime think his did.  Need more Jaime/Brienne scenes.

Poor Sansa, she looks so lost and forlorn. I wondered if she knew what happened to Robb, but I guess news travels fast.

Don't like the cannibal men with the scarification faces, I didn't hear what they were called.

Dany's dragons are getting big, I assume they are probably "teenagers"  by now.

[dramachick]

Hellooooooooooooooo, Prince Oberyn!  "The Lannisters aren't the only ones who pay their debts.  Tell your father I'm here."  [me - swooning]

Alister Thorne is head of the Night's Watch?  Oh lord.  It looks like Maester Aemon is the only thing keeping him and his crony from killing Jon Snow.

Arya and Needle, reunited and it feels so good!

I loved how Lady Olenna greeted Brienne. 

Watching Ned's sword getting melt down was heartbreaking.  I hate Tywin Lannister with the heat of a thousand suns. 

Looks like Shae's days are numbered.  I can't even imagine what Cersei is going to do to her.

Don't like the cannibal men with the scarification faces, I didn't hear what they were called.

Those dudes were scarier than the white walkers.  I think they're called Thenns. (from closed captioning)

[AimingforYoko]

I hate Tywin Lannister with the heat of a thousand suns.

 

He's in the same category as Mads Mikkelson and Hannibal Lecter. I love Charles Dance, but Tywin has to go.

[BlackberryJam]

Charles Dance in that opening scene was utterly terrifying.

Joffrey is just utterly horrid and Jack Gleeson is wonderful. 

All the Lannister scenes were wonderful.  And Jaime and Brienne.  I need more of that bicker.

I would have loved a Tyron/Jaime scene, but you can't have everything.

Oberyn doing a Luca Brasi in the brothel was a great introduction to character.

[90PercentGravity]

It is disturbing how many shows I watch have a cannibalism element lately.

So, it took what? Like 2 minutes to get to the boobs? Is that a record?

Hooray for Jaime and Brienne.

So, what happened with Sam's little incest family? I don't recall that thread tying up last season, but no mention of them now? Does he have them stashed away in a cabin somewhere?

New actor for Daarios Naharis? I approve.

[Stardancer Supreme]

Yep. Looks like Tyrion let the fox right into the henhouse in regards to Prince Oberyn.  I wonder how they are treating Myrcella in Dorne?   

Shae is so doomed now.  I can't believe that she is jealous of Sansa.  She clearly doesn't understand what being a political prisoner is.

[Enigma X]

I was not on the "Shae Must Die" train last year but am now. And Jon Snow being all assertive made me weak in the knees!

[David T. Cole]

Added an important poll.

[bunnyblue]

 

Gotta love those odd couples, Brienne/Jaime and the Hound/Arya. I could watch them bicker all day.

By far my favorite scenes of this episode. But really I loved the whole episode; how I've missed it.

I hated seeing Ned's sword melted down to make swords for the Lannisters. What did Tywin throw into the fire during that scene? Something furry?

Cersei can go screw herself (literally) for saying Jamie took too long to get back. I hope he finally gets over her shit. I loved Jamie & Brienne's brief scene. They are fabulous together. Who knew Jamie would one day grow a conscience. 

Oberyn Martell seems intriguing. Finally, someone who doesn't care for the Lannisters' crap and seems out for revenge. I hope he gets it.

 

Arya's got Needle back and gives no fucks. Get her Nymeria back and she'd march on The Twins.

Yes!!  I actually cheered her on when she killed Poliver. She is a cold-blooded killer now with an excellent teacher in the Hound. Girl's got a great memory to be able to recite Poliver's words to Lommy right before she killed him. Yay, she got a horse of her own and Needle. The smile on her face as they rode away was a bit disturbing but I was also happy for her; I was reminded of little Arya from season 1 who wanted to be like her brothers, and ride & shoot a bow & arrow. She's got it now. 

[David T. Cole]

It is disturbing how many shows I watch have a cannibalism element lately.

Don't forget this completes the recent premiere cable child rape storyline hattrick. :\

[rogueprinzess]

Watching Ned's sword getting melt down was heartbreaking.  I hate Tywin Lannister with the heat of a thousand suns.

Ditto, with a side of all the fires of hell. His depravity knows no bounds. I can't wait for the inevitable day when Arya exacts her revenge on the Lannisters that hurt her. Judging from what we saw with Poliver, she'll make it very slow and very painful.

I ship Jaime/Brienne far more than I should. 

Shae needs to learn to read a room. Sometimes men REALLY aren't in the mood. 

Love the Red Viper, his woman can go though, she's like a Shae 2.0 to me.

Edited April 7, 2014 by David T. Cole
I wasn't sure if something was "book knowledge" or not so I put it in a spoiler tag. Apologies if it is not. Just doing safest thing.

[Rhondinella]

Dinklage got top billing!  Finally!!

[Veruca Assault]

Dinklage got top billing!  Finally!!

I didn't catch that! I was too busy looking at the buildings/locations yo try to figure things out. Way to go, Dinklage!

[halgia]

Dinklage got top billing!  Finally!!

Hasn't he been since season 2?

[SFoster21]

Great show! The new Daario is disappointing. He looks like. Westeros guy. He should be more exotic and southern, ya ask me.

Funny to see Margarey saying something negative about Joffrey. Joffrey never disappoints! Always the biggest dick in the room.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Dougal
Removed reference to character not yet introduced on the show

[joliefaire]

^^ Or the littlest.  As it were.

[thuganomics85]

I have to say, I might like this new snarky, snippy Jon Snow.  I'm all for him not brooding all the time.

Wow, did this episode bring a lot of guys back from the past.  Allistar Thorne, Janos Slynt, Polliver, Ser Dontos.  Thank the Seven Gods for the recap.

Pretty much any interaction involving a Lannister was gold.  Tywin/Jaime, Jaime/Cersei, Jaime/Brienne, Tyrion/Sansa, Tyrion/Bronn, Tyrion/Oberyn.  Except Tyrion/Shae.  Shae just bugs nows.

Oberyn more then lived up to the hype.  I've seen and liked Pedro Pascal in other shows, but I think he might really be something here.  It was also great seeing Indira Varma, as well.

Lady Olenna continues to steal scenes.  Loved her tossing the necklace off the balcony.  The Maergery/Brienne scene was a surprise, and great to see.  I like the new mixtures we're getting.

I'm hope Dany's story is going to go somewhere different, because it feels like it's just going to be another "Oh, this town is full of a bunch of slave-owning dicks, that Dany needs to sick her dragons on."  Michiel Huisman was great as Liam on Nashville, but it was so weird seeing him as Daario 2.0., and there was no mentioned of how different he looked.  I know recasting can happen, but the Daarios really looked different, and it was kind of jarring.

What a way to close out the episode.  Arya is scary as fuck!  Loved the Adventures of Arya and The Hound.

Welcome back, Game of Thrones!

[ChocButterfly]

Oh, I missed the part when they said that was Ned's sword being melted. No wonder it was enough for 2 swords, that thing was humongous!  Well, Twyin has always been a pragmatist.

Finally we got to see the mysterious Dornish, and I'm liking them already. Plus, Oberyn is a Prince, not a Lord, hmmm weird. I hope he's the one that kill gets to kill Twyin. But I know that won't happen for the moment, or like, ever.

If the Dornish hate the Lannisters so much, what do you think they're doing to Myrcella? Is she some sort of prisoner like Sansa? :(

I liked this premiere, but I think it lacked impact, like that one where they killed all those Robert's bastards.

[clack]

She's in a brutal world, but still Arya is traveling down a dark path. I hope she will be able to hang on to her humanity, but it's not looking good. The Hound/Arya chemistry, though, is perversely compelling. Probably the highlight of the episode.

[DrSpaceman]

A solid opening, though it felt like a whole lot of reintroducing things from where they left off last season

I am hoping for a whole lot of Lannister bloodshed this season.  They can all die, except Tyrion. 

So did they show who the second sword went to that they made from Ned's melted down sword?  I didn't realize that was his sword at first. 

 

I really didn't recognize Jaime, looks completely different. 

[jellysalmon]

It's ridiculous how much Tywin looks down on his children. I love it. He's had one of the best fighters, one of the most appealing brides and one of the smartest people in Westeros and he just nitpicks at their faults all day. If he was my dad I would have offed myself as a teen.

Edited April 7, 2014 by jellysalmon

[David T. Cole]

Please be more careful to avoid posting "book knowledge" here in the no-spoilers episode topics. That includes character names not revealed on the show yet and obviously unseen characters, future plot points, blah blah blah be more careful cakes.

[Stardancer Supreme]

Margaery is suddenly less than thrilled with becoming the psychopath's wife.

I'm sure she was never thrilled. She's just not hiding it anymore. 

I haven't read the books yet, but it would be so awesome if Joffrey died at her hands.

[Little Dove]

I wondered, after seeing Jamie's new 'do, if it was a conscious decision to make him and Joffery look strikingly similar. I can't imagine that with Jamie back that that whole can won't be opened again.

Have we ever heard Margery talk I'll of Joffery before so bluntly? I can't remember if we had.

Ayra's kicking butt and I'm not surprised. Was this, Polliver, the man that the Red woman predicted she'd kill with brown eyes?

I was surprised by how many people were fit in this episode that it wasn't until long after that I realized all that we're missing!

[profreader]

The actor who plays Oberyn — what an incredible face. It was like an illustration from a book. I loved that character and Indira Varma's character — I remembered her from Rome. I think they bring a great energy to the show and can't wait to see what unfolds with them.

I thought they did about as good a job as anyone could with working in reminders to the dialogue — it will take me a bit to get all the names sorted in my brain again, but this always happens at the beginning of a season. 

Out with schmoopy Jon Snow, in with strong/confident Jon Snow — at last! Olenna and Brienne, fantastic.

One thing I really appreciated about the final sequence in the tavern was how well they communicated what the atmosphere in that place must have been — claustrophobic, stuffy, sticky, probably smelling like a barn (or worse). I've seen who knows how many scenes set in medieval-ish inns of this sort, and for some reason this really stood out in a visceral way. Production design/lighting/cinematography, all really powerful. And of course the staging of the fight was so well done. The look on Arya's face at the end: man, I hope I get to see that when she mows her way through some Lannisters.

[joliefaire]

The actor who plays Oberyn — what an incredible face. It was like an illustration from a book. I loved that character and Indira Varma's character — I remembered her from Rome. I think they bring a great energy to the show and can't wait to see what unfolds with them.

I thought they did about as good a job as anyone could with working in reminders to the dialogue — it will take me a bit to get all the names sorted in my brain again, but this always happens at the beginning of a season. 

Out with schmoopy Jon Snow, in with strong/confident Jon Snow — at last! Olenna and Brienne, fantastic.

One thing I really appreciated about the final sequence in the tavern was how well they communicated what the atmosphere in that place must have been — claustrophobic, stuffy, sticky, probably smelling like a barn (or worse). I've seen who knows how many scenes set in medieval-ish inns of this sort, and for some reason this really stood out in a visceral way. Production design/lighting/cinematography, all really powerful. And of course the staging of the fight was so well done. The look on Arya's face at the end: man, I hope I get to see that when she mows her way through some Lannisters.

schmoopy?  Um....?

[Pallas]

So, what happened with Sam's little incest family? I don't recall that thread tying up last season, but no mention of them now? Does he have them stashed away in a cabin somewhere?

Gilly and son Sam were accepted into Castle Black by Maester Aemon.  One more point against Aemon, I'm sure, where Thorne is concerned.

Welcome back, Game of Thrones.  The show no one ever snacks to. -- stillshimpy

 

Hee!

The opening was a blow upon a bruise. One more sorrow and a side of Tywin we hadn't seen: triumphantly malicious; victoriously vindictive. In his own chilly way he too has become Mayor of Crazytown. Throwing the direwolf scabbard onto the coals...and cut into the opening image of the credits. Gorgeous.

Jaime has moved from caring for his father's approval to caring, even more than before, for his legacy. Or rather, his own story and how he feels about it. He knows he can't rewrite the book, the myth, but like the Hound, he too has his code. (That was a wonderful line!) For all his chafing at Brienne, Jaime also knows that only she gives a shit if he is honorable or not. As for Cersei, Jaime is discovering that their private, twinly Elsewhere is no more. While he was gone, Cersei changed the locks. Not because there's someone else, but because she is a perfect narcissist and when feeling abandoned, moved Jaime clear across the board and into role of "anyone who is not us." Cersei's "us" has been reduced to "me."  

Arya. She stormed into the tavern with childish bravado, then when the Hound backed her up, played the scene with perfect self-possession. Let the Hound do their talking. Let the Hound do their fighting. Let it all play out, then made her move. And when she did, she looked like Tywin at the forge. 

[Tech Noir]

Oberyn was serving just a touch of Desperado era Anotnio Banderas. I enjoyed him!

I am not opposed to major style changes for characters but Jaime's new caesar cut makes him look like Denis Leary circa 1999.

Team Arya all the way, as everyone seems to be.

Also -  I find I have zero interest in the Wildings. I don't really care about the new cannibal tribe from Terminus or wherever. Is that just me? I don't know why ... unless maybe it's just one too many storylines. Sometimes I get plot thread fatigue.

[dramachick]

Throwing the direwolf scabbard onto the coals...and cut into the opening image of the credits. Gorgeous. - Pallas

Thank you for explaining what that was!  Duh.  I was wondering why he threw a dead animal into the fire.

[JayKay]

I think Jaime couldn't reply to Cersei's remark because they got interrupted. I did like that he said no to Tywin, however did Tywin really disown him or does Jaime think his did. 

I didn't think so at first, but Tywin tried to send Jaime away to a place he knew he would never return, so seemingly he planned to never see Jaime again? So I can't tell if Tywin was just manipulating Jaime into changing his mind or if he really did disown him. Either way, he wants Jaime gone it seems.

New actor for Daarios Naharis? I approve.

He bears a strong resemblance to one of the knights from BBC's Merlin, but even with the rather generic look, he beats the other guy who played him. The original guy's facial expressions were straight-up distracting. Plus Daarios 2.0 has more of an easygoing rogue vibe rather than that intense stalker-with-a-crush manner 1.0 had. He doesn't seem the type to drop two peoples' heads out of a bag upon introduction, but oh well.

Oberyn's girlfriend said her last name was Sand and that she's a bastard, so I wonder if "Sand" is like the "Snow" of Dorne, if that's where she's originally from. I like her so far, and hopefully Oberyn will at least be a discerning hater of all things Lannister and Sansa won't be dragged into his vendetta. I'm thinking it's a good thing Brienne is there to watch out for her in any case.

Speaking of, I found it hilarious that Jaime appeared to be flirting with her while simultaneously remarking on how she could be family.

And going by the music I'm supposed to be disturbed by Arya because she got revenge for Lommy. I'm not. What other direction could she possibly take at this point? That poor kid's broken to pieces.

[Muffyn]

Michiel Huisman was great as Liam on Nashville, but it was so weird seeing him as Daario 2.0., and there was no mentioned of how different he looked.

 

Hopefully he won't get Daenarys hooked on pharmaceuticals.  

Seeing the Hound on the ground was jarring.  He always has his hair over his scars.  I loved how Arya was watching, wide-eyed, then deciding to help.  She has learned so much from the Hound and finally seems to understand she needs him to remain safe (or as safe as anyone can be in her position). 

[jeansheridan]

Arya. She stormed into the tavern with childish bravado, then when the Hound backed her up, played the scene with perfect self-possession. Let the Hound do their talking. Let the Hound do their fighting. Let it all play out, then made her move. And when she did, she looked like Tywin at the forge.

 

Nicely put, although I'm getting a bit worried that Maise is only capable of looking dead-eyed during a killing scene.  I did like that she was watchful during the exchange before the fighting started, but she basically caused that fight.  The Hound didn't want it.  So she's being a bit of a brat (like Joffrey) and letting the Hound do her dirty work because for now she's valuable to him and he has to protect her.  I know she's a popular character (who doesn't love the plucky tomboy?) but she worries me the most of all the Stark children.  How many people has she killed now?  As many as Jon?  

[Wilowy]

Yahoo's shoutout to the premiere:

https://24.media.tumblr.com/25cdb1ba169fd97d998054bb6bdcb7aa/tumblr_n3n4qq4qFd1twh2a7o1_400.gif

[DigitalCount]

Edited because apparently I'm not supposed to post in this thread; sorry about the mistake. I'll put what was here in the other thread.

Edited April 7, 2014 by DigitalCount

[jellysalmon]

+1 for Team Oberyn.

I think part of the reason that I like the Tyrells and Martells is that they're so progressive in their mindsets about gender and sexuality.

It's too bad the two families had a falling out of sorts.

Also -  I find I have zero interest in the Wildings. I don't really care about the new cannibal tribe from Terminus or wherever. Is that just me? I don't know why ... unless maybe it's just one too many storylines. Sometimes I get plot thread fatigue.

 

 

Definitely not just you. Same with all the Slave City stuff. For the first time in forever, all my favorite characters are in the same city and I want more of them interacting. 

 

 

Edited April 7, 2014 by jellysalmon

[Andromeda]

Also, that cold open was powerful. Have we had a cold open before? I thought it usually went right from previouslies into the intro. Agereed that Tywin's facial expression was telling. I feel like he was waiting to have finished Robb before melting down the sword. In his mind, Robb, Bran, Arya and Rickon are all dead, and Sansa is married to his son, so he has Castamere'd the Starks. It hurt to watch, once I realized which sword it was that was being melted.

Team Oberyn ftw.

On the cold open, I marathoned season 3 in the last few days, and a couple episodes had it as well.

I still can't believe the wait is over. So many call backs to seasons 1 and 2, I'm thinking I should have watched the entire series over. It broke my heart seeing Neds sword melted down. Arya is getting scary cold. Glad her targets so far are all bad people. I hope that doesn't change. Love her and the hound on the road.

Jamie looked so different. I miss his longer hair.

Shae drives me crazy. Her modern day attitudes make me want to slap her. What exactly does she expect Tyrion to do? She's going to get them both killed.

Edited April 7, 2014 by Andromeda

[bunnyblue]

 

I am hoping for a whole lot of Lannister bloodshed this season.  They can all die, except Tyrion.

Yes please! I'm so tired of the Lannister's winning. Charles Dance is a wonderful actor and I love him on the show but I'd like Tywin dead. Seeing Tywin's final triumph over Ned broke my heart. Who'd have thought the melting of a sword could be so powerful. I want that whole family dead (except for Tyrion of course).

 

Throwing the direwolf scabbard onto the coals

Thank you for explaining what that was! On second viewing I saw that the very first shot was the sword being drawn from the direwolf scabbard. D'oh! I should have paid closer attention on first viewing.

So Tywin now hates all his children and grandson? I guess he loves all the power they bring him but is still disappointed in all of them. The Lannisters all hate each other, yet they all get to be under the same roof while the surviving Stark kids are scattered and Winterfell is a burned husk. Gah!!

It was nice to hear Jon remember Robb; I hope we didn't miss out on Sam telling him that Bran is alive and heading north of the Wall. It would have been nice to see Ghost.

Sansa's never been a favorite of mine, but seeing her so broken, alone, and hopeless was too much. I hope Brienne is able to protect her.

Lady Olenna was wonderful chucking the necklace over the balcony and with her reaction to Brienne. "My word!"

Edited April 7, 2014 by bunnyblue

[millahnna]

I love how slowly Arya committed her tow stabbings.  Most sword fights in film and tv are all hack, slash, thrust and she did it soooo slowly, almost lovingly.  It was awesomely disturbing. 

[profreader]

 

Out with schmoopy Jon Snow, in with strong/confident Jon Snow <snip>

 

schmoopy?  Um....?

I am hoping I used the quote function correctly — anyway, to explain what I meant (that's what I'm picking up with your question mark) is that I was glad to no longer see emo Jon Snow who was trailing around with Ygritte, and instead this Jon Snow who told the Night Watch guys what exactly was about to happen to them if they didn't get their asses in gear. I like an active confident Jon Snow better. 

Edited April 7, 2014 by profreader

[AlliMo]

Pedro Pascal is delightful. He brings such a delicious physicality to the role.

[CeeBeeGee]

Cersei disappoints.  I was remembering what she said the Ned, that she and Jaimie shared a womb--and this is how she treats him?  Yes, Cersei, you suffered through a siege--Jaimie LOST A HAND.  It is known (TM Irri) that Cersei is not *quite* as single-minded as Jaimie (hello, cousin Lancel)! but still, you'd think she would be a bit more understanding.

 

Shae is Dead Whore Walking.  I called this two seasons ago, when Tywin said the next whore I find in your bed, I'll hang.  It's actually bad writing because it's difficult for me to believe that a character as pragmatic ("let's GTFO, Tyrion" after Blackwater), or as aware of possible peril (the knife under her skirt) as she would be so clueless about how stupidly she's acting.  It actually interferes with my appreciation of her character.

 

Arya is going straight to hell but I can't blame her.  Score one for Lommy Greenhands.

 

LOOOOOOVED the convo between Jaimie and Brienne.  Love, love, love their changed dynamic.  Love it.  When he asked "am I related to you?" I wanted to add "because I'm suddenly attracted to you."  Except that their relationship is so much more than that. Not that he wouldn't be better off with anyone Cersei.

 

I disliked the old Daario (he came off as cheesy, Fabio-esque), this one is better.

 

Oh Tywin.  FUCK YOU for that opening scene.  Rot in hell.  I wanted to love you because of your interactions with Arrya in Season 2 but seriously fuck you.  Melting down Ice was bad enough but burning Grey Wolf?  ROT IN HELL.

[CletusMusashi]

The hound is awesome. I kind of thought he'd be the straight man and Arya would be the smartass, but Sandor is frigging hilarious!

I don't think Tywin originally planned on melting the sword down. I took it as him trying to throw a Jaime a bone. Doubt the idea even occurred to him until he found out that two-handed weapons were no longer an option.I mean, shields appear to be even less popular than helmets.

I should feel terrible for Shae. I still like her a lot, in theory, but I kind of do miss the "funny whore." What's on my screen now is the soap opera whore who's giving me such a Ned Stark vibe that they might as well get it over with already. I mean, I'd rather things looked up for her, but I'm not holding my breath.

Just finally realized why Bronn is so integral to Tyrion's effectiveness. It's not just that he's extremely tough and streetwise. Lots of soldiers are. Nor is it simply that some people warm up to him more quickly than they do to Tyrion, although that helps. What matters is that he allows Tyrion to maintain the necessary level of seriousness. Ever get mad at something at work, when you're busy, and you're ready to start complaining about it, but then somebody else does, and it's like a switch clicks in your head? "OK, good, as long as somebody said it. Now, on to more important things..." Bronn's venting is so similar to Tyrion's venting that having Bronn around allows Tyrion to be the serious one when necessary. Otherwise, I think he'd have either

1. Slapped Joffrey one too many times by now and gotten tortured and/or killed, or

2. Run away to Bravos with Shae to start a highly successful chain of whorehouses, occasionally using his profits to hire a Faceless Man to go to King's Kanding and slap Joffrey. 

Not that I wouldn't have loved watching the "Demon Monkey and Funny Whore Hour," but Westeros needs Tyrion to be more serious than he likes to be, and I think having a sardonic cohort like Bronn working closely with him helps a lot.

Let's see, what else about the episode? 

Glad they took the Dani romance down a few notches. I mean, she's already a beatiful blonde princess out to reclaim her thrown from an evil king pretending to be the rightful heir, and freeing slaves and befriending dragons left and right. It amazes me that I'm not nauseated by her. I think a few more bath scenes with Fabio might have done it, and I'm glad to still be able to enjoy a well-done classic archetype.

Oh, and when she asked where Grey Worm was, and Sir Barstool or whatever the real old guys name is did that awkward pause, did anyone else's inner fratboy think he was biting back a response somewhere along the lines of "Oh, I've got a grey worm right here for here for you, baby!" or some such? Glad he thought better of it, but I can see the wheels turning. Just wait until he finds out which local plant the slaves make Viagara from. They probably don't call it that, though. probably something more mythic-sounding, like milk of the pop-up.

And, because I can not emphasize this enough, I love the Hound. Never expected that to happen. Even during the final ride-away shot, I started laughing again when I saw he was eating chicken. Besides being awesome, dark, and scary whenever necessary, the guy is also comedy gold. Watch and learn, Hot Pie.

Edited April 7, 2014 by CletusMusashi