Lord of the Night

My thoughts on the Game of Thrones finale, Valar Morghulis (Awesome title). Arya and Jaqen: Jon and Qhorin/Sam and the Army: Daenerys: Tyrion: Stannis: Theon and Winterfell: Robb and Talisa: On the whole a very mixed finale to a mixed season. I really hope they get on the ball, the ASOIAF ball, for Season 3 and do not change anything further. Too many changes are already in play and I like none of them. LotN

I can't believe they killed Amory Lorch! That is just more bullshit! Now not only has Arya's scene with The Tickler in Season 3 been lost, now we'll never get to see Lorch being thrown in the bear pit! Ugh god, they have really messed Arya's story. The whole Tywin's cupbearer keeps her out of the dirt and takes away an important part of her story, that she is alone in the commoners world. What's next?! Cutting the Weasel Soup?.... oh dear hell. If they cut the Weasel Soup I will be convinced that Arya's story has been ruined this season. Do not care for the Dragons being stolen. Would it have been so difficult to just have her decide to visit the Warlocks after her meetings ended in failure, EXACTLY AS SHE DID IN THE BOOK. The whole Talisa issue is just off. How hard is it to introduce Jeyne Westerling as the noble who comforts Robb after Bran and Rickon's "deaths" and then after the Red Wedding have Tywin reveal that he and Jeyne's mother plotted the entire thing to make Robb lose the Freys. Littlefinger is at Harrenhal now? But he was just at the Tyrell camp which should take at least a few days of travel between the two. The man is everywhere, but I think the story can hold on without Littlefinger entering and making some smart-ass quips. Very bad episode imo. Too many changes for pointless reasons. I can understand changes that help the books fit into a screen adaption but not meaningless changes like the ones above. LotN

Damn fine episode. What I liked... -Jon and the Other. This was a fantastic scene that really makes you realise what the Night's Watch is walking into. Its not just Wildings and Mance Rayder and that dick Craster that live out here, there really are monsters in the woods. And as in the books its an interesting possibility as to how the Others are born. -Tyrion: Period. Tyrion is awesome and owns in every scene he is present in. His friendly dinner with Janos Slynt was his highlight scene, I do wish that he had invoked Tywin's name and made Slynt cower like he did in the book. But of course, "You should have stopped at Imp!" is fantastic. -Yoren taking a hundred levels in badass with the Gold Cloaks. This scene had me laughing with how awesome Yoren was, and he took the guy's sword. Also enjoying Arya and Gendry, these two are a great pair that I hope we see more of in the books as well as the TV show. -Balon Greyjoy. I was ambivalent to this character in the books, albeit I pictured him differently and wrongly, but his actor really pulled it off. Balon seems cool, and I liked the way he smacked Theon down for his stockholm syndrome with the Starks. -Davos and Salladhor. These two were great together, absolutely loved Salladhor's plans for Cersei and Davos later saying that Salladhor is indeed his friend, so of course he's never trusted him. What I was ambivalent to... -Daenerys. Things haven't yet picked up so Dany's story isn't a highlight. -Stannis and Melisandre. I had no doubt in the books that Melisandre was sleeping with Stannis after she offered to sleep with Davos and talked about heartfires, and that Stannis's was weak from being used. Obviously she bedded him to have that shadow. So I think the scene was necessary to explain it to the audience. Stannis himself needs to get to a scene where he can really show the iron core that makes him who he is, and Melisandre needs to get to one of her darker scenes to show who she really is. -Ros and Littlefinger. I do not hate or like Ros, I just don't find her character interesting. That said, Littlefinger scared the hell out of me with that story of his. If anyone needed confirmation he's capable of doing horrible things, selling some poor whore-slave to likely be tortured and disfigured is all the proof you need. What I didn't like... -Cersei. Too much attempts are being made to make her sympathetic to the audience. She ordered the killing of the bastards in the book and that is how it should have stayed. -Yara Greyjoy. I absolutely DO NOT mean the actress, she's great. I hate the name change to Yara. Asha Greyjoy and Osha are different names and hardly confusing, and does it even matter since Osha is leaving at the end of this season?... she is leaving I hope. And that they are not going to change it to keep her around. Also on a side-note. Is anyone else worried that Ramsay Bolton hasn't been cast yet, or the Reeds? These characters are vital to the stories for Bran and Theon, and in Ramsay's case much of ADwD and the following books. Episode 8 is titled The Prince of Winterfell, so hopefully we'll see "Reek" then, or hear about him beforehand. LotN