sagaz

Sorry I didn't read the whole thread and I don't know if someone said this but I was thinking (and I didn't rewatch, i saw 209 blackwater 3 times when it aired and a rewatch of the whole season in june) that with this episode Martin has given us a Cersei chapter of aCoK. Cersei wasn't a POV at that point, but she was there. Because of the show, we can see it through her eyes, as her POV. Very clever of GRRM!!

I noticed a lot of people freaking out about Robb married under the seven. (I've read 5 pages, will read the rest later) I think he doesn't take after the old gods, really. Cat and Ned were married the same way. Ned come to Cat after the rebellion with his "bastard" and Cat already had a baby. I don't remember Robb religious tendencies explained in the books... is stated that Sansa prays to the seven and Bran and Arya "to the old gods and the new", but Robb is never referred (if someone has a quote or something, please share it. I don't have the books with me. Will look up when I can) The "king in the north" thing happens suddenly to Robb and wasn't his idea but of the other northern families, and nobody would think that the firstborn of the Lord of Winterfell wouldn't have the faith of the old gods... for me, as a believer of the R+L=J theory this add up and have been discussed that Jon have more pedigree to be "the king in the north" -that Ned's sons with Cat-, if his parents were married the wildling way (the abduction points to that). I think next season will be going deep in the faith of old gods.

I want to have Sibell Kekili (shae) agent!!!!.... he must be a master negotiator, she is in the main titles and did nothing, opposing to Osha, Jaqen, Luwin... I wonder

You're missing the point that they are trying to depict Tywin as someone who values intelligence above other things. He's in harrenhal (an awful place) surrounded by ignorants lords (or wathever) and this girl is the only viable interlocutor he can find. I don't saying it in a nostalgic/romantic way. It's merely practical. an educated man who needs good conversation. They did a very subtle and good job depicting how important is being intelligent to him that he tells how he sits with Jaime 4 hours a day to make him read: a nice contrast between his love for Jaime, the apparently perfect son who can't learn, who can't read and his hate for brilliant Tyrion, who has the intelligence that he admires. This contrast is really interesting.

I have this personal experience (I'm going to share) almost everytime that I've been surprised of how good directed some episode of -insert series name here- was, It was directed by Tim VanPatten, last season he had the pilot (the second shoot, the first was with Taylor) and the second. This season I loved the Sakharov episode (Theon burning the letter) but I didnt like the directing of rest (clarification: I liked the episodes, but if you have this production and those AMAZING actors you have to be really very bad not to do a good episode...you came to the set with half the work done). Alan Taylor doesn't do it for me, he delivers very efficiently but lacks "pepper" (I can't find a better term). This season seems heavily leant in the work of the actors. I went to imdb to see if we'll have a Tim Van Patten this season and, no, no this season. I think the skill of the director add a subtle + capably to make an episode from good to excellent...how a certain framing and lightning can convey a climate, how to enhance the acting (noticed how out of timing was the expression of Littlefinger when Margaery tells him she wants to be "the" queen?... Aidan Gillen was very good, but the directing and editing was slacky. The same with the Tyrion/Lancel scene last week Dinklage is very skilled but Eugene Simon had a performance more apt to the theatre than the camera. He was good showing the desperation and fear of foreboding Joffrey's reaction, but came out a little cartoonish...that is not the actor's fault, is the direction I think the problem is the directors are occupied more with bringing the teleplay to life than with their craft

I couldn't help but notice how they downsize the standard of season 1. If they're going to have a big battle scene (movie style) they had to cut the budget...you can see it in the sets, all interiors (except Dany's this episode)... Cersei's room I find it strange... season 2 winterfell, too. The wardrobe is also a bit economic than last Season (Cersei's have only one dress, and Margaery, and Sansa). But the most important is that it seems they can't afford the hbo's A list of directors (the ones used in Boardwalk, The Wire, Sopranos, SATC) except Alan Taylor, and have to go with people from Entourage and Big Love... This is starting to show in the overall season 2, in my opinion. Besides that, I love this show and this is a tough book to adapt. edit: when I said "all interiors" I was thinking in KL and winterfell and the visual difference with season 1. They have exteriors for the north of the wall scenes and pyke,

Wun Wun saying "Eat now?" made me think of Larry Kubiac http://seventeenprecisely.tumblr.com/post/5647969662