Dreadstark Bastard

One of the top five best episodes of the series, ever. Maybe the top two. So, so happy the writers pulled off the unprecedented Dany/Tyrion dialogue so well. Given how awful everything in Dorne is, we had much to worry about. And Hardhome...my favorite battle of the series yet, even more than the Blackwater.

I gave it a 9 but that's from rounding up from an 8.5. The actors nailed it, though bitter that Michelle Fairley had to wait this long for the writers to let her character shine. My major criticism though is similar to some others -- wish they had done more this season to plant the seeds of what was to come, captured in the book by Tywin's line (and I don't know it by heart and so must paraphrase) that the war would be won by ravens and not by swords. And capture the dread. Cat's scenes with Bolton got to it a bit. Also wish we had gotten to know Robb's bannermen better, besides Karstark and Bolton (important though the latter is).