MrDoog

Absolutely brilliant episode. I give it a 9. I think you can only give a 10 if you couldn't possibly improve on anything and as great as this episode was it wasn't 100% perfect. This was after all the most exciting part of CoK to draw from and bring to tv screens so there was some room for improvement but not much. People here complaining about Stannis being first up the ladder is a bit silly. It was an blatant way of GRRM showing how he and Joffrey are polar opposites... one king hiding behind his mum's skirts while the other is battered and bloody and doesn't even want to retreat even when the day is lost. And nitpicking on the fact that Stannis wasn't wearing a helmet is even more ridiculous - it's tv for christs sake, the battle is at night and the guy in question is merely a secondary character in a show which has an absolutely massive cast, you have to make the show accessible for those who haven't read the books. I must say of all 19 episodes so far this was the one I was most looking forward to while at the same time half-dreading in case they screwed it up. It was quality, a strong 9/10.

Would give this a 9/10. For what it covers in the book, I thought it was near perfect. My only slight complaint would be as i'd previously feared, the lifting of the Riverun siege was "covered" in episode 9 but that's more to do with how badly episode 9 was fucked up, not this one. Also, still not warming to Shae but oh well. Jaqen looks Exactly as i'd pictured him, quite scary. Brilliant episode, brilliant season, can't believe i'll have to wait a year for the next one :(

Exactly. We never see Jaime with an army, we never even see Riverun. Someone who hasn't read the books would have no idea that a major siege has just been lifted or that a significant Lannister host has just been smashed. Judging by the modest numbers accompanying Robb's speech, it looked more like the a mere skirmish has just happened, not a battle. It's easier to notice these things when you're watching with those that haven't read it so IMO the episode failed to convey a sufficiently accurate message to the viewer... since I had to answer about 50 questions once it had ended.

Totally agree with you mate. I didn't expect them to show Whispering Wood, thought they might show Jaime cutting down a few Northmen just to give him some air-time but the way they completely distorted the other battle was just awful. It made Tyrion look like an incompetent oaf, deprived of us a pretty exciting scene which I enjoyed in the books and like you said, this battle was small potatoes compared to what's ahead. Maybe budgetary constraints? Well if they'd just followed Tyrions contribution to the battle for a couple minutes showing the tribemen fighting it wouldn't have been that costly. Also, if I hadn't read the series i'd have no idea what the significance of those two battles was. The friend I was watching with was clueless that Riverun's siege had just been lifted not to mention the predicament now facing Tywin's half of the Lannister army which is effectively cut-off. IMO this particular episode simply didn't do the book any justice. Just to add, Not only did my mate (who hasn't read the series) not know Riverun's siege had just been lifted, he didn't know it was besieged in the first place..... But at least he knows that Bronn's dad beat him and that Shae doesn't like it when Tyrion talks about her parents!