night light

Tywin's bastard Huh. He had a neutral expression? Didn't notice. I was too busy rolling my eyes. I thought I was pretty clear initally but obviously not. Let me restate it: this was 1) a new scene which 2) did not progress the plot and 3) provided no new character insights. Joffrey does plenty of awful things in the books. In the show, these will 1) not be new scenes - I'll be annoyed if they do create any since there are many from which to choose already, 2) progress the plot (e.g. inciting the riot) and/or 3) provide new character insights - with respect to Sansa, Tyrion, the Hound, Margaery, and the Queen of Thorns amongst others. I honestly don't see how you can draw that comparison.

I loved almost everything about this episode: Tyrion and Bronn, Yoren, Arya and Gendry, Davos and Sallador, everything and everyone at Pyke, Dolorous Edd, Sam, Gilly and Jon beyond the Wall - all fabulous. I personally didn't have a problem with the Stannis/Mel sex scene, as it was heavily implied in the books and will certainly make the whole "shadowbaby" thing clearer to non-readers. Similarly, I didn't mind the change with Jon seeing Craster making his offering to the Others: it explained in a few seconds what would otherwise have taken a couple of minutes of dialogue to describe. I can't see how it would cause a huge ongoing deviation from the books - I assumed Craster struck Jon mostly so he can drag him back and take him for a wife out of anger, not necessarily to keep his sacrifice a secret. Mormont already knows what's happening (or at least book Mormont does), and Craster's rage just means the brothers will be moving on from Craster's Keep a bit earlier. Which is good, yes? For pacing purposes. There's a lot of book to get through. Which brings me to my main complaint: the added brothel scenes. Quite aside from the fact that the bj/peepshow and the subsequent action was vile (I'm no prude, but I really, really thought it was unnecessarily exploitative and offensive), I just don't see why they're wasting TIME on this shit. One book, ten episodes and so many brilliant characters, and HBO fritters away precious screentime on this crap? Really? For the record, I don't buy the characterization angle either: I honestly don't think it added anything to the story, or shed any new light on Littlefinger. We already know he's an untrustworthy, morally bankrupt opportunist. Now we know what...he likes to watch? He likes to clean up afterwards? Ugh.