The Wolfswood

Apart from making Reek watch that was pretty similar to what Khal Drogo did to Dany at the start and she recovered. She needed a mental toughness that Sansa has shown no signs of yet. Can't see how Sansa will get any revenge, though. Maybe next season after this Jeyne Poole arc is behind her. I'm sure it made her much more appreciative of Tyrion in the long run, not that it will do her any good right now. Not a book purist, but find this victim to player to victim again rather forced with a crowbar rather than a shoehorn. Still, when I read this stuff (and more) in the book I was repulsed by Ramsey, sorry for Reek, but didn't really care about Jeyne Poole because she was just a cardboard cutout character for whom I had no particular affection. I did care strongly about this happening to Sansa so that must be why D & D did it.

The Sansa stuff did not surprise me at all. I hoped not to see anything graphically and thank D&D we didn't. It was meant to be gut wrenching. Shocking to realise that was not considered rape under Westerosi customs. Well, Sansa is still the victim as before (she just conned herself that she was tough). Littlefinger - you creep! I like the Arya stuff quite a lot and Cersei's smirk (boy is she going to get what is coming to her). They better make it horrific or I will rejoice like I did in the book, rather than feel an ounce of sympathy. Tommen is weak and an unfit king so if he gets executed I will feel less for him that for Robb Stark. Like the Tyrion and Jorah stuff too. Good banter and a bit of bonding. The Sand Snakes and the whole Dorne stuff is so LAME I cannot see why they bothered to recast the Myrcella actress. If you don't have time to build ANY characters or to even have an extended fight seen them just cut it out completely and give other areas more time. A total waste. ZZZZZZZZZZ.

1. A middle aged man a little older than Oberyn and with similar dark facial features and costume, but a good deal fatter and less fit. Greying. Gouty :- so he has his feet up in his wheelchair with puffiness on display rather than down and hidden. A shrewd, non-impulsive man, but still constantly calculating paths to revenge and quite bitter. - From book description and his dialogue. Also from Oberyn's portrayal in the TV series. 2. Alexander Siddig is a lot thinner, and, although he IS in a wheelchair and is immobile, he plays that down by not having his feet up as a gout sufferer would. Otherwise the looks, dress and calm disposition he displays, while also having a sort of brooding quality is just right. 3. Spooks/MI5 (posing as an islamic terrorist), Kingdom of Heaven, Star Trek: Deep Space 9 (Doctor Bashir), Poirot: Cards on the Table (Mr Shaitana). He is clever and often crafty in all these roles. So far they have been people of arab ethnicity rather than hispanic as Oberyn was, but he fits both as Oberyn's brother and arab-style at the same time in the backdrop of the Alcazar of Seville, which in my mind is the historic merging of these cultures/styles. The setting of Dorne there really makes it natural and believable to me. I am very happy to see him in GoT because he is a really good actor. 4. The official website announcement of new characters a few months ago, including a very brief clip (not in costume or accent.) Also a recent interview via Watchers on the Wall website after/during filming.

Tara Fizgerald (Selyse) was in the Camomile Lawn (quite naked). Michael McElhatton (Roose Bolton) & Ian McElhinney (Barristan Selmy) were in The Fall with Gillian Anderson in the lead. Oliver Ford Davies (Maester Cressen) was in a couple of the newish Star Wars films & has been in Poirot, Marple, Midsomer Murders, Maigret, Wycliffe, Inspector Morse, Spooks & Foyle's War. He usually plays either the murderer or the victim!