S04.E10: The Children

[MrsRafaelBarba]

I really liked the choral music set to the theme song at the end. Whoever scores this show is a master.

       

 

        Ramin Djawadi

[KurlyGrl]

 

 

I agree, I think he was just saying those things to get her to kill him. Unfortunately it had the opposite effect, I think if he hadn't brought up his past misdeeds she probably would have considered it, however by bringing up the past she remembered how truly heinous he was and left him to die a horrible death.

Also the look of her face, "stone cold" indeed.. If she does meet up with Jaquen again, he is going to see a different girl.

 

 

Yup.  Right then was when she decided NOT to kill him and let him suffer. 

 

And shae saying "Tywin"......wow, didn't see that coming. Obviously he turned her against Tyrion, but that was unexpected

 

 

She also called him My Lion, and that is what she called Tyrion.  That right there made him lose it. 

[bunnyblue]

 

Tywin, magnificent bastard that he was, kind of deserved his undignified death.

 

He sure did. I hope word gets out that he died on the shitter. For a man so worried about his legacy, that would be perfect. But I will miss Charles Dance. I don't know if any other actor could have made me love to hate Tywin the way he did. 

 

 

Am I the only one that cackled, where Varys  started towards KL then decided to GTFO with Tyrion?

 

I laughed too. The look on his face was priceless and then he just calmly turned towards the ship. It surprised me, though, that he would leave. King's Landing has seen so much upheaval I didn't think the possible fallout from a little Lannister patricide would be the event to make him flee. But I am glad it appears Tyrion will have the wily old Varys by his side next season.

 

Stannis showing up at the Wall with reinforcements was awesome. But unfortunately thanks to the "previously's" I knew it was Stannis' cavalry riding to the rescue as soon as they showed them. I would've like to have enjoyed that OMG WTF moment the way it was probably intended to be.

 

I didn't like how the Red Woman stared at Jon through the flames. Stay the hell away from him, witch!

 

Poor Jojen. But he was too sickly to continue and would eventually be a hindrance to his sister. And Meera was fantastic in fighting those skeleton zombies. She held her own fabulously while still trying to protect Jojen. Although, I kept wondering why none of them took out the dragonstone weapons Sam gave them? Would they have worked on the skeleton zombies? So now the group is down to Bran, Meera, Hodor, and Summer. Unfortunately their story is one of my least favorite even though I like all the characters.

 

Brienne was another badass woman. Her sword fight with the Hound was beautifully choreographed, but I hated knowing that one of them was going to die. I like them both! Farewell, Hound. I will miss him. Never thought I would say that after how awful he was in season 1.

 

I'm so glad Arya is no longer a captive/bargaining chip of anyone. I loved watching her ride to the seashore towards the ships. She is finally free to do what she pleases. Which apparently at first was to go to Jon at the Wall, but I guess she'll settle for enrolling in Waterdancing School in Braavos.

 

I don't want to have to wait another year! 

Edited June 16, 2014 by bunnyblue

[Taget]

1)

 

Aww, I love that Jaime saved Tyrion and that he did it despite all of Cersei's manipulations.

 

So does Ceraei get out of marrying Loras now?

 

Here is a thought.  What if Cersei manipulated Jaime into doing what he did?  After all she had more reason to want Tywin dead than she did to want Tyrion dead.  And happy Father's Day Tywin!  Hope you enjoyed all the gifts your kids gave you!

 

Course Lannisters are now incredibly screwed.  Tywin is presumably dead.  Varys and all his spies and connections now gone.  And Tyrion was if nothing competent.  Now Cersei is free to run things.  And free to do battle with the people behind the  army (the Tyrells) which keep her in power.  And Jaime and Cersei are delusional enough that without Tywin restraining them that they just might publicly admit Tommen is a bastard born of incest and live as man and wife.

 

And we haven't even gotten to Dorne which must be livid over the death of Oberyn and probably has found out thanks to Oberyn being previously on the small council about Dany and her dragons and her army.  They have to be thinking whether Dany rather than Myrcella would be a better match for them.  Or if they want to keep things "local".. Shireen.

 

Happy days are here again in King's Landing!

 

2) I have a feeling Varys too must be thinking about Dany (with the death of Tywin and the rise of Stannis with his Bank of Braavos bankroll) and will make a detour to Mereen to visit the girl with the dragons and the army.  And just in time too.  Because she does seem in over her head. With Jorah gone she could use a pragmatist by her side.

 

3)

 

And all the slaves want to go back to their masters.  Pity she didn't suggest the masters pay them a wage. 

 

Well that is what she suggested more or less.  Make a years contract where both sides stipulate what they want.  The former slave wants food, lodging, protection, and a job he enjoys doing.  But the economic disparity between the Masters and their former slaves will bring back a defacto system which will resemble the old one.  Think post-Civil War, but pre-reconstruction, South.

 

4)

 

Dany is going to have trouble getting Drogon to heel and not roast the people of Mereen.  He is the biggest of the dragons and probably the most stubborn of the lot.

 

Is it wrong that I'm hoping Drogon pulls a Jaime and rescues his siblings?  I mean is it really Drogon's fault that the kid tasted so good? 

 

5) I figured the Hound would lose once Brienne bit off his ear.  That's additional money to be spent on makeup and such.  The Hound fought to save Arya because he mistrusted Brienne.  Partly out of sexism but also because there really was no way to confirm the story she told.  You (and I think Arya) could see there was a caring beneath his goading and tough exterior.  Funny how Arya showed her coldness by not killing the Hound rather than killing him.

 

6) Supernatural "children."  Awsome!  But too bad that girl threw that magical exploding stuff on Jojen.  Or else he could've come back much stronger and a better fighter.  But I noticed these old skeletal zombies seem to be a lot more easily killed than the ones we've seen so far.  Either these are something different or this will be a limiting factor for the zombie apocalypse.  Zombies from older graves won't do nearly as well.

 

And Bran is going to fly?  Wings? Levitation?  Flying carpet?  This might get pretty cool next season!  Of course it is possible that old guy meant it metaphorically.  But I want Air Bran.

 

7) Things looking up for Stannis Baratheon.  Not so well for the Wildlings.  Though I get the feeling Stannis is actually looking to turn them into an army to help him conquer Westeros.  So perhaps the deal Jon and Mance were discussing is still on the table.  Just a little mercenary work is required.

 

I do worry for the Night's Watch.  Given Melisandre's history might living members of the Night's Watch be joining their dead brothers in the fire?

 

[ACW]

My beloved Jaquen Hagar in the credits *sigh*..

 

I was hoping he would show up and surprise us at the end.

And how do you know he didn't?

(Not a book spoiler; I'm just saying).

[mojoween]

Which episodes has Alex Graves directed before?

The budget on this episode alone must have been fantastic with the dragons and Summer and fighting skeletons and that beautiful ship Arya zoomed away on.

So Arya is on her way to Braavos? I interpreted that scene as her showing the iron coin and the shipmaster deciding to take her north as she asked. I missed the subtext.

[Love]

I have never liked Shae from the beginning so I was not sorry to see her die. She had it coming as far as I am concerned. Tyrion knocked it out of the park. Killing Papa Bear (or in this case Papa Lion) while in his most vulnerable position was somehow fitting. Loved the Jaime/Tyrion hug.

It's more than likely due to my Lena Headey girl crush, but I loved Cersei. She totally owned Tywin. Not a fan of the whole Twincest thing, but I think she had something up her sleeve.

As others have mentioned, the scene with the dragons broke my heart. The way they cried out...so sad.

I loved the Jon/Stannis/Davos scenes. Finally Jon is reconnected with the Seven Kingdoms,as opposed to being isolated to the Wall/North of the Wall. Stannis definitely seemed impressed with Jon. Melisandre upped her creep factor.

[bluvelvet]

And how do you know he didn't?

(Not a book spoiler; I'm just saying).

 

It's possible that he was one of the men on that ship, however I was hoping for original recipe Jaquen..

 

So Arya is on her way to Braavos? I interpreted that scene as her showing the iron coin and the shipmaster deciding to take her north as she asked. I missed the subtext.

 

I think so, Jaquen in the previouslies said that if she gave that coin to a man from Braavos and said "Valar M.." they would take her to Braavos..or am I misremembering?

Edited June 16, 2014 by bluvelvet

[Taget]

I think Shae made a deal with Tywin soon after Cersei pointed her out to him.  Bronn never did put her on that ship. 

 

Here is a thought I just had that is even more devastating.  Who found Shae for Tyrion in the first place?  Bronn.  What if Bronn was working for Tywin right from the time Tyrion brought him to the Lannister camp.  And Shae may have never been Tyrion's right from the start.

[YellowWesterosKing]

Which episodes has Alex Graves directed before?

In season 3, he directed "And Now His Watch Has Ended" (probably the second best episode of the season, with Dracerys and the Night's Watch revolt) and "Kissed by Fire". This season, he directed the royal wedding episode "The Lion and the Rose", "Breaker of Chains" (which he was highly criticized for, due to his handling of Jamie and Cersei's sex/rape scene) "The Mountain and the Viper", and this episode.

[KurlyGrl]

 

So Arya is on her way to Braavos? I interpreted that scene as her showing the iron coin and the shipmaster deciding to take her north as she asked. I missed the subtext.

 

 

So, Arya first asked the captain to take her north, to the wall, and she had silver to pay, but he scoffed at that. She asked him where he was going and he said home.  She asked the captain where was home and he said Braavos. Lightbulb!!  She presents the iron coin, says the magic words, and the captain tells her of course she has a cabin on the ship. Off they go to Braavos.  

 

 

Is it wrong that I'm hoping Drogon pulls a Jaime and rescues his siblings?  I mean is it really Drogon's fault that the kid tasted so good?

 

 

You are terrible!!  LOL!!!  Too funny!!

 

 

 

It's possible that he was one of the men on that ship, however I was hoping for original recipe Jaquen..

 

 

Could have even been the captain himself  Who knows.  But yes, the the "original recipe" would have been very much welcome. 

[calliope1975]

I think so, Jaquen in the previouslies said that if she gave that coin to a man from Braavos and said "Valar M.." they would take her to Braavos..or am I misremembering?

 

 

That's what I remember. And I think as soon as he mentioned Braavos, she remembered what Jaquen told her and figured why not?

[Conan Troutman]

Wow.

 

I really wanted to see Oberyn wreak havoc in KL, but now I know why GRRM didn't go that route. I'm almost willing to forgive him on that one.

 

Where to start? Jon Snow's tactic was a bit stupid. It was indeed "walk right in and then kill him". Even worse, it worked. Sort of. Then the cavalry was indeed coming. A bit chliché and somewhere between "completely expected" and "WTF?". Still a great scene.

 

I had some theories about the Bran storyline and what could happen at the fucking tree. Okay, I didn't thinkt about that in my wildest dreams. Holy Tywin on the shitter!

 

Then were was some merely awesome stuff that got lost in the even more awesome stuff. Cersei almost managed to be likable for like five seconds long, but immidiately made up for it by making out with Jamie.

 

And the Tyrion storyline. That was so fucking great, even if that ship sinks at the next moment, it was still totally worth it. I never liked Shae, but I also never believed the theories that she was in bed with Tywin. Well... I was never more wrong. That plot was so great, even Arya's story was overshadowed by it. And Maisie really nailed the part. Kinda feel sorry for the Mountain, he really thought she'd have some loyalty for him (as did I). I figured he was going to die soon, so I'm not shocked, and not really sad, but I'm gonna miss Rory McCann.

 

Worst thing's the wait, but at least we have a lot of stuff to talk about.

 

Got to go the the shitter now, hopefully no crossbow shootings tonight there.

[Amelie06]

I was a little underwhelmed. This episode was good setup for the next season, but I was a little bored in parts.

 

That scene with the raven was weird as shit. How is Bran getting back what he lossed by getting the ability to fly? He couldn't fly before. That just seems like more esoteric bullshit. Like everything inlvovling Bran's story.

 

I'll be interested in seeing Arya next season. She is clearly a budding serial killer that will never be fit for polite society, but she is fairly interesting to watch. She seemed to abandon trying to find one of the few family she had left in favor of Braavos a little quickly.  I do think that Arya taking a cruise was a weird way to end the season.

 

I expected more from Tyrion. I know that Shae, the Entitled Whore, pushed him too far, but I just wanted him to leave the castle. Why the hell did he have to go on a walkabout in the middle of his daring escape. A couple of people really stuck their necks out to save his life and he repaid them by wandering around the castle and going on a killing spree. He really betrayed the trust Jamie and Varys placed in him. That being said, I get it. I really do. Shae turned out to be no good. I don't believe she could have ever really loved Tyrion. Even if she was hurt, how could she betray him to his death and fuck his father? Yuck. And she didn't even try to talk to him! Her opening offer is stabbing.

 

Ok, here is my insane theory about the Melissandre: Could she be Jon Snow's mother? I've got nothing to support this. But I figure that Jon's mom has to be someone significant to the story. Otherwise, Ned would have told him in season one before leaving for King's Landing.  Katelyn Stark was a redhead, maybe Melissandre showed up a redhaired slave (she said she had once been a slave in a past episode, right?) that caught Ned's eye. This resulted in Jon Snow! Maybe she was staring at Jon because she suspects this. Or maybe I'm just a crazy person, desperate for any explanation that won't include that sketchy bitch either mounting or burning Jon.

[jbrecken]

I think Bran is going to Worg Drogon.

[YellowWesterosKing]

Kinda feel sorry for the Mountain, he really thought she'd have some loyalty for him (as did I). I figured he was going to die soon, so I'm not shocked, and not really sad, but I'm gonna miss Rory McCann.

I believe you mean The Hound, the Mountain is the hound's brother, who killed Oberyn. Easy mistake to make, I know.

Edited June 16, 2014 by YellowWesterosKing

[Conan Troutman]

I believe you mean The Hound, the Mountain is the hound's brother, who killed Oberyn. Easy mistake to make, I know.

 

Oops, yes of course. The question is, which fate is worse? The Hound dying a slow death, left to rott by the only one he thought had even a little bit of sympathy towards him, or the Mountain - whatever it is the crazy Maester will do to him. Right now, I'm picking the Mountain.

[Rocket]

 

Or maybe I'm just a crazy person, desperate for any explanation that won't include that sketchy bitch either mounting or burning Jon.

Why not both ;)

 

The magic battle finally making a payoff to me for all the Brian not that important to the story drag north. 

 

Think I heard this on show or saw on HBO site but just in case. I read the books only up to what has already happened. Only spoil read myself once and that has happened now. Following is pure speculation on Dragons based on historical information. 

 

Dragons can melt steel and rock at least full grown so I wonder if they will stay. Know they melt steel as that how the iron throne was made. 

 

Really don't think Arya and Sansa will ever be close in the future, unless Sansa goes full dark Sansa with Littlefingers help and kills people. If that happens maybe Arya and Sansa can work together for domination. 

[SoWindsor]

Why the hell did he have to go on a walkabout in the middle of his daring escape. A couple of people really stuck their necks out to save his life and he repaid them by wandering around the castle and going on a killing spree. He really betrayed the trust Jamie and Varys placed in him.

 

Ok, here is my insane theory about the Melissandre: Could she be Jon Snow's mother? I've got nothing to support this. But I figure that Jon's mom has to be someone significant to the story. Otherwise, Ned would have told him in season one before leaving for King's Landing.  Katelyn Stark was a redhead, maybe Melissandre showed up a redhaired slave (she said she had once been a slave in a past episode, right?) that caught Ned's eye. This resulted in Jon Snow! Maybe she was staring at Jon because she suspects this. Or maybe I'm just a crazy person, desperate for any explanation that won't include that sketchy bitch either mounting or burning Jon.

The walkabout made me laugh. I was wondering the same...very risky but one of those moments where I am willing to suspend disbelief.

Wait so Jon Snow is the smoke baby! Kidding. Interesting theory. Is there a general non-book speculation thread?

[bunnyblue]

Re-watching the opening scenes beyond the wall made me realize that Mance Rayder really is a sympathetic & intelligent character. He only wants to get his people as far away from the White Walkers as he can. He has no time for the BS political infighting of the Southerners because he knows the true danger is closing in. He is was willing to negotiate with Jon & the Night's Watch before Stannis showed up. I loved when he pointed out to Stannis that he didn't have to bend the knee to him because he was North of the Wall. And when he told him he was under dressed for the weather. Though I hope he sends word to the 400 climbers that are currently scaling the Wall to stop them from slaughtering what remains of the Night's Watch.

 

I guess Stannis completely abandoned his base at Dragon Stone, seeing as he brought along his wife, his mistress, and Shireen. And all his troops & horses from the looks of it. Castle Black is going to be bursting at the seams.

 

I'm having doubts about Dany's ability to one day rule Westeros since she's doing a poor job in Slaver's Bay. The Dragons are her trump card but if she can't control them she may be in trouble.

 

A bit disappointed they didn't show Ellaria and the reaction to Oberyn's death. And the Mountain better die. Whatever that maester was doing to save him better cause him to die a horrible painful death. I will spit nails if the Hound dies and his shit brother survives.

 

I can't believe we got through an entire season without any Starks dying! And 2 Lannisters met their maker. I'd consider this season a success for that alone.

Edited June 16, 2014 by bunnyblue

[Myriad]

She looked like Sleeping Beauty.  I have always maintained that the two of them loved each other.  But no one but me was feeling their relationship.  Well, that was very touching to me how Jon set up her pyre himself. 

Can I join your Feeling Their Relationship committee?  You're alone no more.

[Lady S.]

First of all, thanks Uverse for another free HBO weekend. I was able to DVR the ep and watch it after the Spurs won instead of following a shitty livestream or waiting on a download. Though idk how Uverse thinks it's gonna sucker us into paying for HBO now that GoT's gone for another year.

 

Bravo, Alex Graves, apparently you do know how to film a consensual twincest scene. I'm glad that sept unpleasantness wasn't the golden assholes' last time together.

 

What a way to lose the game of thrones, Tywin. At least Ned Stark wasn't murdered by his own son on the shitter.

 

Arya meeting Brienne was pretty neat before the Hound ruined it by pointing out her Lannister sword. But he was trying to protect her, and I think he was attracted to Sansa but only added the part about wishing he'd raped her to his Mycah confession to try to provoke her into killing him in anger. Which of course totally backfired and just made Arya sure he didn't deserve mercy. I like that they included her trying to go to the Wall first to show family still ranks higher than murder training. Unless she turned on her beloved brother and wanted to see if she could jinx him into getting killed too.

[Constantinople]

I'm so done with Bran's storyline. I don't really enjoy the more mystical elements of the story. Plus, I hated the way the skeleton zombie things looked and fought. It made me think of the 80's movie "Young Sherlock Holmes" for some reason.

 

The magic phrase and the iron coin together do the trick. Secret handshake and all. Also, the Ray Harrryhousen tribute was brilliant.

I enjoyed the skeletons as an homage to Ray Harryhausen. It's a shame he won't get to see them, having died just a little over a year ago.

[Meredith Quill]

Is there a general non-book speculation thread?

 

@SoWindsor Yes here.

[Potanical Pardon]

So I guess at some point the guards break into Varys' chambers and find random dude in a box. Poor guy. "Hello? Is anyone out there? I'm all alone and hungry something fierce. Please feed me even though you're torturing me."

 

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the added layer of Tywin sleeping with Shae/probably many other whores. It adds SO MUCH to why he hates Tyrion. Time after time, he's reminded of how much Tyrion is truly his father's son. I'm hoping this additional hypocrisy is also why his quarters weren't well guarded since he's pretty publicly anti-whoring, so he'd probably want to hide that.

1)

 

 

 

Here is a thought.  What if Cersei manipulated Jaime into doing what he did?  After all she had more reason to want Tywin dead than she did to want Tyrion dead.

No way. Cersei is nowhere close to being that smart. She's just slightly ahead of Ned Stark when it comes to brains.

Edited June 16, 2014 by Tandaemonium

[BKWordsmith]

So, correct me if I'm wrong, but ... did the "good" guys just win one?

 

Obviously "good" is a relative term in this series, and I'm really not sure how to classify Arya any longer, but the characters who have generally fought for honor and justice seem to have kind of come out on top here.

 

Tyrion got some of the vengeance he was owed, Jon and the Watch got the backup they've so long needed (though at what cost it's difficult to guess), Arya got the freedom to follow her destiny as an unrepentant killer, and Jamie screwed his sister literally and figuratively. And Bran has apparently reached the goal of his "vision quest" (pun intended).

 

The only people who seem to be SOL are the people of King's Landing and greater Westeros for living under the yoke of the Queen Regent. Tywin was certainly a monster, but he was at least competent at ruling and keeping things in line. All Cersei understands is ruthless selfishness.

 

Man, I'm so excited for next year I might break down and read the books.

Edited June 16, 2014 by BKWordsmith

[peggy06]

Gotta say that Mance Rayder is a better and smarter leader than most of the pretenders to the Iron Throne. He made the case for his people to Jon brilliantly (something that had been lacking in the storyline up till this point). Call me naive, but I believed him when he said there'd be no more killing if they were allowed to pass through the tunnel. Not having seen the previouslies, I was mystified by what army could be attacking. Too bad they weren't a day earlier; could have saved Grenn and the others.

 

I don't like what Tyrion is becoming. Why didn't he just hurry and get out of Dodge; why did he have to go poking around? It was awful when he strangled Shae (OK, you could argue self-defense), but he killed Tywin in cold blood. Was there provocation? Yes. But what he did to Tywin wasn't much better than what Tywin tried to do to him. Plus, your brother just put himself in danger to help you escape - get out of there!

 

I'm not sure how far back Shae's perfidy is supposed to go. Since Cersei had to point her out to Tywin at Joffrey's wedding, I'm going to assume her liaison with Tywin dates to that time. Not sure I see any evidence of her being a spy the whole time she was with Tyrion.

 

Let's see, the gold is gone, the smart Lannisters are dead or on the lam, the Lannister with tunnel vision is in power. How the mighty are fallen. I shudder to think what havoc Cersei and her souped-up henchman will wreak on King's Landing. If I were Margaery, I'd think about getting back to Highgarden.

 

Kept waiting for Brienne to tell Arya they were heading to The Eyrie in hopes of finding her sister. Nope. Can't have any Starks finding each other. The Hound was totally trying to protect Arya, and he actually meant it when he told Brienne that yes, he WAS watching over her. As horrible a character as he was, the actor and the writing for this storyline were calculated to make him more sympathetic. That in turn made it extra-chilling when he couldn't even goad her into putting an end to it.

 

Still don't care about Bran's storyline. Still seems hokey. I must have dozed off during S1 or something because I have no clue what he's trying to do - and don't much care.

Edited June 16, 2014 by peggy06

[ElectricBoogaloo]

So is the Varys/Tyrion pair going to be next season's buddy road trip comedy duo? I mean, someone has to replace Arya/The Hound and Brienne/Jaime, right?

 

With The Hound dead, who is going to maintain the shows weekly required quota of "fuck" and "cunt"? It doesn't seem right the The Mountain is going to live and probably become a freakishly stronger Frankenstein version of himself but The Hound is going to bleed out by himself.

 

Mr. EB had a fantasy GoT team of awesome people but it got blown to bits. When The Hound went over the edge of the hill, Mr. EB actually yelled, "Noooooooo!" and he usually doesn't utter a word during the episodes.

 

As soon as Brienne spotted Arya, I was holding my breath. I did not want to lose Brienne or The Hound so I was simultaneously hoping for an epic fight and hoping that they would just go their separate ways so everyone would stay alive. I loved that Arya was so interested in Brienne learning to fight from her father. They had so much in common as highborn ladies who wanted to fight the boys. I think Arya could have learned so much from her, but I'm excited to see her adventures in Braavos. A girl needs to learn how to fight even better!

 

he's pretty publicly anti-whoring, so he'd probably want to hide that.

Ha, so Tywin is more like a typical politician than I thought!

 

I like that both The Hound and Cersei attempted to manipulate their way into getting what they wanted and it ended up backfiring. The Hound couldn't get Arya to kill him and Cersei's seduction of Jaime only further motivated him to help free Tyrion. When Tyrion first entered the bedchamber and I saw a woman in bed, I thought he was going to kill Cersei. I guess he wouldn't do that because it would hurt Jaime too much? Loved the Jaime/Tyrion hug. It's nice to see that there's one healthy loving relationship in that family.

 

I loved when Cersei said that she will do anything to protect her family, including getting rid of Tyrion, and Jaime reminded her that Tyrion IS her family and then very logically told her that an infant is incapable of intending to murder its own mother. She is so blinded by her rage over losing her mother that she is irrational in her hatred of Tyrion. She loves to manipulate and play the victim. When she was whining about how Joffrey was dead and Myrcella had been sold off like livestock, I just rolled my eyes. Yes, your spoiled narcissistic psychopath son is dead, boo hoo. Meanwhile, Myrcella, to our knowledge, has not been sent to live with the family of her betrothed and I would guess she's been treated far better than Sansa was. So suck it, Cersei!

 

When Tyrion decided to go on his walkabout, I was like noooooooo, get the hell out of dodge! I was afraid that someone would catch him wandering around the hallways and he'd be taken back to the dungeon.

 

Although I'm sad to see Tywin go because I liked him as a character (although I certainly wouldn't want him as a father), I loved that Tyrion took him out with Joffrey's crossbow thing. That sounds about right. So did anyone believe Tywin when he said that he wouldn't REALLY let Tyrion be executed because he's a Lannister? I actually laughed when he said that because it was such an obvious lie.

 

As for Shae, I have mixed feelings. Did she start sleeping with Tywin after she came back to Kings Landing? Or was she working with him all along? If it's the former, I can't blame her much. After all, as we were reminded several times, she is a whore. She needs a patron or customers to stay fed and clothed. If you're a whore, sleeping with the most powerful man in the Seven Kingdoms is a no brainer and I don't fault her that. Whores don't really have the luxury of picking and choosing their clients, especially rich ones, because they need to survive. I do give her the side eye for sleeping with the man who set out to ruin the man she claimed to love, but I guess if she still feels that Tyrion rejected her than I can see why sleeping with Tywin would feel like great revenge to her. If she's working with Tywin since the very beginning, then again I can't fault her for being paid by one of the most powerful men in their world, but still sad. Either way, that's gotta hurt for Tyrion. Since she was going to kill him, I don't have an issue with him killing her first.

 

Heh, I've never been so glad to see Stannis before. Of course he would have his army riding in fancy patterns before killing! I loved when one of Mance's people tried to charge forward and one of Stannis's men just cut him down as he rode past.

 

Poor Meera.

 

So I guess at some point the guards break into Varys' chambers and find random dude in a box. Poor guy. "Hello? Is anyone out there? I'm all alone and hungry something fierce. Please feed me even though you're torturing me."

Ha, no kidding! "Anyone? Bueller?"

Edited June 16, 2014 by ElectricBoogaloo

[Constantinople]

When Mance asked Jon if Jon had been loyal to all of his Night's Watch vows, I was hoping that Jon would respond, "Well, according to my friend Sam...".

[Conan Troutman]

In southern Germany, we have a saying/curse that basically says "A [lightning] bolt shall hit you on the shitter". Well, it wasn't lightning, but...

Edited June 16, 2014 by Conan Troutman

[Happy Harpy]

I loved, loved, loved, how Brienne and Arya bonded in like two seconds. I wonder, is "doing it right" something Ned said to Arya when he offered her sword lessons ? I have a vague recollection of something like this. Anyway, I was already cheering for some epic new travels for next season with lots and lots of girl power,  executions of rotten individuals and Brienne/Hound moral disagreements. Of course, GoT giveth and then taketh and it had to go to hell. Or down a cliff.

I don't know how to interprete the way that Arya left the Hound. I'm kind of glad she didn't kill him, even though he could still be a brute.

I think that Arya is smart enough and has spent enough time with him to know he was just goading her (plus he just said to Brienne he was looking after her) and didn't believe what he said once hurt. Moreover, he's different from the people she killed so far: He actually helped her in some way and wasn't without redeeming qualities. The way she took his money was reminiscent of what he did to the farmer who sheltered them. Was it a twisted way to tell him that she learned some lessons he taught her and that she could go on her own, but that she couldn't kill him? Since she never hesitated so far when push came to shove, I wonder if she was truly able to end his life.

Paradoxically, I think I would have been more bummed if she had killed him. Because I can hope a last minute save and this very entertaining character to return. If I don't see a gruesome corpse, I don't believe that a major character is dead on this show.

 

It's interesting to contrast it with Meera and Jojen; because Meera clearly did it out of love, but the situation was different (it would have been leaving him alive in the enemies' clutches).

And...

No, not Jojen! I liked him. So that's what the flames he saw at Craster's meant, I guess.

I wonder who the old guy is. Bran will fly? I won't even try to guess this one.

 

I am very worried for Jon with the way Melisandre was looking at him!

 

She had "leech sex" written all over her forehead. Stop hounding my pretty, bitch!

Although I can't blame her to want the pretty, considering she's with a cold cucumber like Stannis. The guy saved Jon Snow  so I should be thankful to him, but he managed to look like a total ass imo.

Mance completely owned him, re: honor and dignity; and I couldn't but think of Tywin's word to Joffrey about saying you're the king when he was demanding respect. Stannis looked like a tantrum-prone, sulking child. I usually love Davos' loyalty to him, but even this character who is one of my favorite managed to get on my nerves with his man-crush, this time.

I agree with what was said upthread: Stannis' arrival would have had more impact in the previous episode. Here, I was "meh". The Wildlings were so outnumbered that it looked more like an unilateral raid than a real fight. Moreover, Mance was still willing to negociate and just thinking of saving his people.

 

Everybody said what I think about  Tyrion/Jaime greatness and Tywin's death, but one thing came to my mind. Ironically, Tyrion might have saved Cersei's butt. I don't think that Tywin would have accepted to be outwitted by his own daughter, and I think he would have found a way to get the upper hand again.

 

Daenerys without Jorah at her side is just not right. He's gone and she has to chain her dragons (bar the most dangerous, and the closest to her; it was weird. Was it a scene that ended on the floor of the editing room?). But storylines are still dragging there imo.

Are Tyrion and Varys (loved C.Hill's expression when he hoped on the boat) going to Lys ? That's where Oberyn said Varys was from, so it would make sense, right? So, with Arya going to Braavos, maybe things are going to be interesting again in the Free Cities.

 

The last scenes with Arya arriving to the port and then her on the boat were beautifully shot. With the music, it was perfect. It was a soothing end to the episode and the season.

Edited June 16, 2014 by Happy Harpy

[Conan Troutman]

...but that she couldn't kill him?

 

You got that one wrong. She could've killed him, but she didn't want to. Because she wanted him to suffer. I guess she toyed with the idea, but after the Hound was finished with his speech, she was more like "Nope, no mercy kill for you, I'll let you die in agony".

 

Edit: "You're the worst shit in the Seven Kingdoms." Well, she certainly left him to die like that. And stole his gold.

Edited June 16, 2014 by Conan Troutman

[Unknown poster]

I've seen this brought up a few times, and the reason Dany didn't lock up Drogon along with the others is he isn't around. They specifically said he hadn't been seen in 3 days.

[Conan Troutman]

After killing Shae, I wish Tyrion would've said "And now her squatch is ended."

[Lady S.]

Meanwhile, Myrcella, to our knowledge, has not been sent to live with the family of her betrothed and I would guess she's been treated far better than Sansa was. So suck it, Cerse

Huh? That's exactly where she was sent, Tyrion betrothed her to a son of House Martell. I do think we can assume she's being treated better than Sansa if just because Joff was a truly a one of a kind royal boyfriend.

 

Tywin's problem with Tyrion's whoring was always more about how open Tyrion was about it, at least the golden incesters tried to hide their sins from Tywin for a while. I'm sure Tywin thinks his own sexual activities are more befitting a Lannister since he wasn't so shamelessly conspicuous about it, that'd be just foolish, and Lannisters don't act like fools. And it makes sense to me for him to choose to share Tyrion's lover, since he's been way too involved in Tyrion's sex life from the start.

[Haiti D]

Nice episode.

Brienne vs Clegane... When she bit him I thought why do people keep biting him? Next thought was how surprised I was that Brienne was able to fight dirty (using a rock, dick shots, ripping off an ear). I guess she really is no lady! Watching this fight pained me actually because there was no way either party would have a happy outcome.

Leaving Sandor Clegane to die like that was the least Stark-like thing Arya has ever done. Not a proud moment. She should be ashamed.

It looks like Cersei's act of defiance unknowingly led to Tyrion's freedom. By defying her father so openly, she gave Jaime the courage to free their brother. Interesting that Jaime was reading the "Jamie Lannister" chapter of the Great Knights book.

Normally I'm a sucker for fantasy but this show's politics and personal dramas take a back seat to the fantastical elements. Therefore I was slightly unreceptive to the twist in Bran's storyline. Apologies to the Hodor enthusiasts but is he such a simpleton that the idea of self defense comes unnaturally to him?

Edited June 16, 2014 by Haiti D

[Conan Troutman]

And it makes sense to me for him to choose to share Tyrion's lover

 

Ugh. That was maybe the worst thing of the season. Have him executed all you want, that makes you an asshole. But that's just so gross, I doubt even Ramsay, Walder Frey or Craster could get behind that.

 

Leaving Sandor Clegane to die like that was the least Stark-like thing Arya has ever done. Not a proud moment. She should be ashamed.

 

I liked it.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Huh? That's exactly where she was sent, Tyrion betrothed her to a son of House Martell. I do think we can assume she's being treated better than Sansa if just because Joff was a truly a one of a kind royal boyfriend.

Sorry, that was my fault for editing while thinking but not rereading. I started off saying Myrcella was not being treated badly (which is where the erroneous "not" came from. Sorry for my confusing post!

[Richness]

This show is so clever with the meta-jokes this season. Tywin had the worst Father's Day in the history of the world and they had a skeleton fight lifted right out of classic Ray Harryhousen movie. Those two joined the Joffery statue transition and Reek's sausage transition from the first two episodes. Excellent finale on several different fronts.

 

Glad Shae is dead after betraying Tyrion. Calling Tywin "My Lion!". Really, Shae? That he was the one that killed her in self defense is just that much more twisted. The Lannister brothers hugging goodbye was very touching.

 

Tywin's really bad Father's Day began with the info-bomb from his daughter. It went downhill when he realized his favored son betrayed him. But the literal killing shot came from the despised son killing him on the privy. Talk about the ultimate disgraceful way for such a proud man to go out.

 

The skeleton fight was a wild tribute in itself, but then they up the ante by adding in a child wizard lobbing energy fireballs around. Woo hoo! Add in a bit Warging and we got ourselves some major magic going down.

 

While I'm glad Jon is still alive, I'm not convinced he's any better off than he has been. The Red bitch was eyeballing him something horrible through the flames. Jon's negotiations showed how much the Wildlings and the others were just doing what they had to do in order to survive. Still Ygritte and her merry band of cannibals didn't have to kill off entire villages. She got a much more touching send-off than she deserved, but I'm hopeful we'll never have to hear about her again.

Dany broke my heart locking up her dragons like that. Too bad the one that caused the problems is still free.

 

I was equally heartbroken when Brienne and the Hound started fighting. As awful as the Hound has been at times, I really liked him ever since he defended Loras during the Hand's Tournament in season 1. Arya is one cold-hearted bitch to leave him like that. For once I'm not rooting for her. Her bonding with Brienne over sword names was a nice moment that went to hell quickly. At least Arya got to sail off into the sunset, as did Tyrion and Varys. Granted, off into the moonlight for the guys, and one of them was in a crate, which Varys has some experience with.

 

For once, I think I enjoyed the finale more than penultimate episode. See you next year, show!

[Potanical Pardon]

Ok, here is my insane theory about the Melissandre: Could she be Jon Snow's mother? I've got nothing to support this. But I figure that Jon's mom has to be someone significant to the story. Otherwise, Ned would have told him in season one before leaving for King's Landing.  Katelyn Stark was a redhead, maybe Melissandre showed up a redhaired slave (she said she had once been a slave in a past episode, right?) that caught Ned's eye. This resulted in Jon Snow! Maybe she was staring at Jon because she suspects this. Or maybe I'm just a crazy person, desperate for any explanation that won't include that sketchy bitch either mounting or burning Jon.

Man I really hope she isn't. Remember that Ned didn't even want to tell Bobby B who his mother was. Ned's supposedly all super-noble and all about the honor. So he getting some on the sly does not compute. He married Cat because his older brother was supposed to (or did, I can't remember) and he loved/loves her. He's Mr. Black and White, no room for "Well, just maybe this once." And he promised to tell Jon who his mother was once Jon returned from the Night's Watch training or Ned's return to him (I also can't recall which here) but it definitely felt like a "this is the kind of news I want to make sure you're ready for before I drop the bomb." Personally, I don't think that Ned's even his dad also. I think that whoever his true parents are is some super-secret for Jon's protection. I'm leaning towards a not-dead Targaryen kid kind of similar to how most of Westeros thinks Bran and Rickon are dead...Targaryen mainly because Ned showed up with the kid to Cat right after Robert's Rebellion. Plus, we saw how trigger-happy Bobby B is when it comes to surviving Targaryens. Ned even flipped out and quit being the Hand when Robert set out to actively assasinate Danerys. If Jon is one then that's a pretty good reason why Ned would keep that from Robert. When did Ned's older brother die? Maybe it's his kid and he didn't want to hurt Cat's feelings one way even though it would hurt her a completely other way by her thinking he's Ned's. Or do we know why Benjen wanted to join the Night's Watch? Maybe that honor thing runs in the family and for whatever reason felt shame for having a kid so he joined up. Did they ever tell us where he was during the Rebellion? We already know that Jon and he have a close relationship.

As for Melisandre, I think maybe Jon is her next step to whatever for the Lord of Light in the same way Stannis was the previous step to get to this point.

Edited June 16, 2014 by Tandaemonium

[Lord Cranley]

I was never a Shae/Sibel Kekili hater like so many Game of Thrones fans are.  However, I never thought she was that sexy or particularly beautiful.

 

However, in this episode--maybe it was her posture ("odalisque" is what my art history professor used to call it), maybe it was the lighting, maybe it was the heart-rending circumstances--but she looked as SEXY AS FUCK in the bed, dolled up, waiting for her new "lion" to come back to her! WOW!

 

I was actually kind of hoping they would have one last (consensual, of course) hate-fuck before Tyrion escaped from the castle.  But alas it wasn't to be.  

 

I believe that Shae truly did love her dwarf "lion" but after he dumped her so cruelly (though she was too stupid to realize his cruel words were just an act, concocted so she wouldn't be hanged), she became consumed with hatred/revenge toward him.  And that's why she schemed with Tywin and Cersei to testify against Tyrion, and that's why she became Tywin's bedwarmer.  I think she had gone mad with rage at Tyrion for spurning her--one of those "hell hath no fury" situations.  You could see the hate in her eyes when she went for that knife to kill Tyrion.

 

All in all, a pretty good scene and good resolution of the Tyrion-Shae storyline.

 

EDIT: here's a fun fact.  I looked up odalisque on Wikipedia and it says "An odalisque (Turkish: Odalık) was a female slave or concubine in a Turkish harem, particularly the concubines in the household of the Ottoman sultan."  Funnily enough, Kekilli herself is a Turkish actress, a former porn star, playing a whore on TV.  I couldn't have picked a better word!  And just when I was starting to doubt my college education was worth anything at all...

Edited June 16, 2014 by Lord Cranley

[Haiti D]

I don't recall seeing Ser Allister as a survivor at Castle Black. Maybe he didn't make it?

Must rewatch

[LitllBear]

Wow. I was prepared to be disappointed in this episode. Thank Goodness it was so great! My heart hurt for Jon burning Ygritte, cracked when Dany chained up her dragons, broke for the Hound (got misty-eyed at that last scene between him & Arya) and completely shattered for Tyrion. (guess I was alot more invested in Tyrion and Shae than John and Ygritte.) Now I am just so sad that we have to wait until next year for the next season.

 

I realize that Jojen died somewhere in there (and I did get sad) but don't really care about Bran's storyline. Although I love Bran, Hodor and Summer! I did get tense when they were being attacked by the skeleton zombies and I believe I even cried out "Hodor!" when the skeletons jumped on him. I absolutely hate it when he gets hurt.

 

I am sad to see Tywin go, because he is such a dynamic character (thanks to Charles Dance). I really thought Tyrion was going after Cersei, was surprised to see it was Shae. So long Shae! you not only broke Tyrion's heart when you testified against him, you broke mine so you deserve what you got! I am holding on to the hope that since Arya didn't kill the Hound then he survived and we will see him again. I am with those that think there is no justice for the Hound to die and the Mountain to survive. I am so, so, so excited for the next season, I don't know how I am going to survive the long wait.

[Jeebus Cripes]

I hope Arya hooks back up with Original Recipe Jaquen H'ghar. I need for more funtimes with those two. I felt a bit bad for Brienne though. She truly means to keep the promises she's made. 

 

I desperately need for it to be Original Recipe Jaquen! My understanding is that Tom Wlaschiha is on another show, but I won't be able to handle another actor taking on the role. I hope he can film both.

 

Stannis showing up at the Wall with reinforcements was awesome. But unfortunately thanks to the "previously's" I knew it was Stannis' cavalry riding to the rescue as soon as they showed them. I would've like to have enjoyed that OMG WTF moment the way it was probably intended to be.

 

This! Why did they have to be so heavy-handed with the previouslies? Stannis was pretty sexy once he showed up, though.

 

Paradoxically, I think I would have been more bummed if she had killed him. Because I can hope a last minute save and this very entertaining character to return. If I don't see a gruesome corpse, I don't believe that a major character is dead on this show.

 

Word. My personal motto is "They ain't dead until I see the corpse!" I have a deep affection for the Hound, and therefor, for an entire year I will be waiting for Sansa and Littlefinger to discover him. Sansa will take pity because the Hound saved her, and they will bring him to the Eyrie where he will receive medical attention. Then, he will eventually get to kill FrankenMountain. This delusion will make me very happy until the show confirms otherwise.

 

Also, Happy Father's Day Tywin! Oh, how I will miss your magnificent bastardly ways.

Edited June 16, 2014 by Jeebus Cripes

[Lady S.]

I don't recall seeing Ser Allister as a survivor at Castle Black. Maybe he didn't make it?

Must rewatch

I rewatched ep 9 in Spanish on HBO Latino during this free weekend, and I noticed Alliser's wound from Tormund was in the hip area, which is pretty much never serious on this show, what put him out of the fight was falling off that balcony they were fighting on. So maybe he's inside with broken legs, but I'm sure they would have shown on the mass pyre with Pyp and Grenn if his wounds were fatal.

 

 

Man I really hope she isn't. Remember that Ned didn't even want to tell Bobby B who his mother was. Ned's supposedly all super-noble and all about the honor. So he getting some on the sly does not compute. He married Cat because his older brother was supposed to (or did, I can't remember) and he loved/loves her. He's Mr. Black and White, no room for "Well, just maybe this once." And he promised to tell Jon who his mother was once Jon returned from the Night's Watch training or Ned's return to him (I also can't recall which here) but it definitely felt like a "this is the kind of news I want to make sure you're ready for before I drop the bomb." Personally, I don't think that Ned's even his dad also. I think that whoever his true parents are is some super-secret for Jon's protection. I'm leaning towards a not-dead Targaryen kid kind of similar to how most of Westeros thinks Bran and Rickon are dead...Targaryen mainly because Ned showed up with the kid to Cat right after Robert's Rebellion. Plus, we saw how trigger-happy Bobby B is when it comes to surviving Targaryens. Ned even flipped out and quit being the Hand when Robert set out to actively assasinate Danerys. If Jon is one then that's a pretty good reason why Ned would keep that from Robert. When did Ned's older brother die? Maybe it's his kid and he didn't want to hurt Cat's feelings one way even though it would hurt her a completely other way by her thinking he's Ned's. Or do we know why Benjen wanted to join the Night's Watch? Maybe that honor thing runs in the family and for whatever reason felt shame for having a kid so he joined up. Did they ever tell us where he was during the Rebellion? We already know that Jon and he have a close relationship.

Taking to the Jon Snow thread.

 

So a hill is basically just a much smaller mountain, right? So if that slope was higher and steeper, the Hound would have been done in by a Mountain.

[Lord Cranley]

So I guess at some point the guards break into Varys' chambers and find random dude in a box. 

 

Is it just me or is the crate that Varys stuffed Tyrion into exactly the same kind of crate in which that evil wizard from the Free Cities was shipped to Varys in Season 3.  It was a very grisly scene if I recall, the wizard's mouth was sewn shut and he had shit all over himself and all over the crate.

 

So as far as we know, Varys is re-using that crate to smuggle Tyrion out of the city.  Here's to hoping he hosed it down first!

[Ygritte] looked like Sleeping Beauty.  

Someone on some other website commented that she looked exactly like dead Laura Palmer from the pilot of Twin Peaks, and I'm going with that.

 

Pale, flawless skin, tussled hair, creepily serene expression on her face--youthful, tragic and unmistakably dead.

It's possible that he was one of the men on that ship, however I was hoping for original recipe Jaquen..

 

Right before he changed his face at the end of Season 2, Mr. H'gar said "Jaqen H'gar is dead" and I'm pretty sure he meant it.  To me, that line meant that once a Faceless Man assumes a new identity, he never goes back and assumes an old identity, which makes sense--it's probably one one of the many ways they avoid getting caught.  It's ever onward and upward in the life of a shape-shifting assassin.

 

I'd be pretty shocked if we seem J.H himself return to the GoT world, but since that actor is so beloved by fandom, maybe we'll get to see him in a dream sequence or in a vision or something

Edited June 16, 2014 by Lord Cranley

[NvidiaATI]

My first post.  I have browsed TWOP for so long and moved here to continue the insightful discussions.

 

I think Bran is going to Worg Drogon.

 

I agree.  It makes the most sense.

 

I am baffled about why Tyrion was wandering the hallways of the Castle instead of getting out of Dodge.  Why did he go to Tywin's chambers?  What if his father was awake and saw him?  Tyrion's escape would have been thwarted. 

 

I think ending the season with Arya sailing to Bravos was perfect.  I am looking forward to her adventures there and the transformation into an accomplished faceless assasin.  I hope Maisie grows a couple of inches over the next year so that she can be big enough to execute some entertaining fight choreo and kills.  Perhap she can become the person who will terminate Franken-Mountain.

 

Finally, the Wall has become interesting.  I wonder if Jon would have taken the risk of letting the Wildling army through.  Too risky
 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I really liked that Stannis, Davos, Shereen, and her mother watched the bodies burned at Castle Black. I was actually surprised that Stannis allowed Shereen to watch. I definitely didn't like the way Melisandre was looking at Jon Black though. I hope he doesn't join the bastards who thought they were going to have sex with her club.

 

I just realized there was no Theon this week and I didn't miss him (or Bolton) at all.

 

I was so sad when I realized that Arya and the Hound didn't even try to go to the castle once the guy at the Bloody Gate told them that Lysa was dead. I think Arya and Sansa would be at odds with each other again if they had reunited but I have learned to accept that every time I think there may be a Stark sibling reunion, the closest they will get is getting within physical proximity before veering off in separate directions again.

[Colored Francie]

Here is a thought I just had that is even more devastating.  Who found Shae for Tyrion in the first place?  Bronn.  What if Bronn was working for Tywin right from the time Tyrion brought him to the Lannister camp.  And Shae may have never been Tyrion's right from the start.

I don't think this is true,  for no rational reason than that it would break my heart, as a Bronn-lover. Rationally, though, I think if Bronn were on Tywin's payroll, he wouldn't have gone to the trouble of making the visit to Tyrion in the cell.

 

...Cersei almost managed to be likable for like five seconds long, but immidiately made up for it by making out with Jamie...

 

It's amazing how this show - writing, acting, characterization - can take a character I am absolutely hating and make me feel sympathetic toward her. I was almost fist-pumping her confrontation with Tywin.

 

Re-watching the opening scenes beyond the wall made me realize that Mance Rayder really is a sympathetic & intelligent character. He only wants to get his people as far away from the White Walkers as he can. He has no time for the BS political infighting of the Southerners because he knows the true danger is closing in. He is was willing to negotiate with Jon & the Night's Watch before Stannis showed up. I loved when he pointed out to Stannis that he didn't have to bend the knee to him because he was North of the Wall. And when he told him he was under dressed for the weather. Though I hope he sends word to the 400 climbers that are currently scaling the Wall to stop them from slaughtering what remains of the Night's Watch...

I tend to agree, but that whole bit about Mance letting his folks kill and pillage mercilessly makes a mockery of his noble intentions. While they are fighters, can't he find some way to show the "Southerners" that they're basically a huge group of refugees?

It looks like Cersei's act of defiance unknowingly led to Tyrion's freedom. By defying her father so openly, she gave Jaime the courage to free their brother. Interesting that Jaime was reading the "Jamie Lannister" chapter of the Great Knights book.

 

So, was Jaime manipulating Cersei? Or was he just going for one last roll-on-the-slab, since he's got to know that Cersei's going to know exactly who let Tyrion escape, and while she probably won't do physical damage to Jaime, I doubt she'll let him touch her again.

 

Tyrion murdering Shae made me teary. It was such a betrayal on her part (I understand feeling scorned, but c'mon, to implicate him in a trial where he might be put to death?!) and he seemed truly broken by doing it.

 

I was worried about a mid-level leadership vacuum at Castle Black, but I’m really not sure I want it filled with Stannis Baratheon. Although his asking Jon Snow for an opinion about what to do with Mance showed him to be more flexible than what I’ve seen in the past (Davos must be continuing to rub off).

 

While certain storylines have merged (Jon Snow & Stannis), and perhaps Arya and Tyrion & Varys could meet up in the Free Cities, I worry that characters will be even more flung far and wide next season.

 

I was surprised it took Brienne so long to realize that young girl was a good candidate to be  Arya Stark. Wouldn’t she have had a description from Catelyn at some point? Otherwise, girl wandering around near the Eyrie in boys’ clothing should have been a good tip-off, I think.

 

A Show kept me too busy to mourn for Oberyn. I'm kinda grateful for that.

 

Farewell, my beloved (to watch) Tywin Lannister. His relationship with Tyrion was one of my favorite things about this series, and I'm sorry to see it go, as well as Charles Dance. But here's one thing I didn't like about the send-off, which is the same problem I had with the ep of Joffrey's murder. In both instances, I felt A Show really piled on the hateful things about the characters, almost to make it so you couldn't be emotionally torn - or even neutral - about what was going to happen. At the wedding, Joffrey just kept going after Tyrion, with the remarks, the dwarf show, and the cup bearer thing. I felt like, OK, we get it, you're evil, we hope you die! With Tywin, we had the convo with Cersei (which made him look weak - something I've never felt before in any of his scenes), and the Shae reveal, and the bargaining with Tyrion. He just didn't feel suitably...Tywin this episode.

 

I have to agree with whoever said the Brienne-Hound fight actually topped Oberyn vs. The Mountain. My emotional investment in both characters had me twisting in knots (of course, I wanted Brienne to win, but not kill the Hound).

[justawatcher]

I, as well, thought that box looked like the wizard's box. I'm assuming Varys has money stashed all over and thus no need to go back and get some for his destination. I was wrong on a couple of my predictions. I said that in order for the story to move forward, Tywin was going to have to die. I didn't predict it that way for sure, but now KL is in chaos. Know who can get to KL and take advantage of that? I thought it would be Roose Bolton because of the time/distance factor, but now I'm fairly sure we're going to see Stannis take the throne with Jon Snow in charge at the Wall with all of Stannis' and maybe Mances' men.