Brewmaster

I may have missed it in another thread, but does anyone think there is any significance between the obvious phoenetic similarities between Syrio Forel, 1st sword of Bravos and Phario Forel with "the bloodiest quill in Bravos"?

I know all the arguments, but the audience is flatly told by the Author that Arya is the spitting image and personality of Lyanna Stark. She is not like Ned, it's true. But there is no reason to think that Cat and Lyanna were much like either. Sansa is probably more like Ned than Arya is, though. Not sure that any of the kids are particularly "Tully-like", based on what we know of the Tullys. And that's probably not suprising. The Stark kids grew up in the North in Winterfell, which has completely diferent sensibilities than the Riverlands. Cat was a fish out of water there, but the kids all are a part of it. None of them are much like Edmure, the Blackfish, Lysa, or Cat

LOL - Did you really read the books? I don't really want to spoil non-book readers, but you got all 3 wrong.

Theon is the Gollum of the series. Have to see his transformation. From what we know, this was his second to last scene. Probably the only thing we see of Theon left will be the Ramsay reveal. Next season he will start the path down truly becoming Ramsay's creature. Assuming Theon has a significant part left to play in the books (and I believe he does), I simply don't see any way to can possibly cut out a significant amount of his torture. Reek is unrecognizable as Theon.

We need each step of Theon's transformation. This epside showed that Theon's pinky is flayed (it will later be sent to Asha and/or Robb). It also set up that Ramsay plans to go on a hunt for Brack & Rickon.

Yeah, but that's not true. It doesn't advance the immediate plot, but it's absolutely necessary in terms of the longer plot. There is a reason that GRRM spent so much of ADWD with Theon flashbacks. Theon spends more time in his head, remembering his torture at the hands of Ramsay, than he does thinking about the present. GRRM wouldnt have (and didn't) brought Theon back as a completely broken character 3 books after his capture, without being able to show that transformation happen. It's critical for the development of both Theon and Ramsay

I don't know if Theon will get (m)any more escape attempts, but I do think they will hunt the Stark kids, resulting in Bran & Rickon splitting up in different directions.

Yes, you did. Tywin had the order to appoint Loras to the Kingsguard in hand and was preparing to sign it. She snapped the quill, meaning she didn't want him to appoint Loras to the KG

Ramsay flayed Theon's pinky in this episode. He sends it to Asha & Robb in the books...

It may, or it may not, be reflective of what happens to him in the books, so why worry about it?

Why do people keep bringing up Mel's "we will meet again" as some kind of hint or spoiler for future books? For fucks sake, people, we know that Mel's visions (or at least her interpretation of them) are not reliable. She certainly has access to some power, but she is far from being right all (or even most) of the time. She very well may never meet Arya again The other thing some people seem to be missing is that we do get these Theon/Ramsay scenes in the books. The show is being told chronologically, while the books were not. Most of the Theon/Reek chapters in ADWD were Theon reliving the torture that was taking place (chronologically) at this time. That doesn't work for a TV show. We don't have internal monologues, and 2 years from now they aren't going to spend all of Theon's screen time in his head. But in Theon's chapters he spent more time focusing on the terrible things that Ramsay did to him in the past, than he spent focusing on what was happening around him in real time. These Theon scenes are basically "book scenes". Just book scenes from ADWD that were only told after the fact. And as such, they are absolutely neccessary to tell the story. 1 or 2 scenes doesn't cut it. It wouldn't make Ramsay the monster that he becomes. Ramsay (for most book readers) far and away has surpassed Joffrey as most hated villian of the series by the end of ADWD. And he gets to that point mostly by Theon's "flashbacks" on the torture was enduring at this time in the story. You have to show it...have to, if you want Ramsay to be the big bastard that he is in a couple years. You can't just show a broken Theon and have him cry "Ramsay did it to me" .

Every bad thing that happens in the story is actually Rhaegar's fault

I think the suggestion is that he doesn't need to be there for the wedding to still be there for the trial.

Theon is already broken in ADWD. We do get a lot of this story that is being shown, but it's only in Theon's thoughts. Theon spends a lot of time remembering the torture and torment that Ramsay put him through. The show is showing it chronologically, and keeping Theon in the show. I don't think it's such a big deal when you start to feel sorry for him. The big deal is that he's the thoroughly broken mess that is Reek 2 years from now.

Oberyn doesn't need to befriend Tyrion. They do end up being jovial to each other, but he doesn't offer to be Tyrion's champion out of friendship. The only reason he chooses to do so is to get revenge on the Mountain. There is no need for him to be there at the wedding to be Tyrion's champion, because his trial doesn't take place at that time.