Paul Stewart

5. Partially dreadful, partially interesting. I am to the point where seeing snow.. or Snow.. makes me reach for the 'skip ahead 30 seconds' button on my remote. However, our 'mother of dragons' drinking game was a major success, even with only one scene.

I read all the books multiple times. Then watched the show (season 1 on blu-ray, season 2 live), and love it, as I am capable of treating them as two similar-but-separate forms of entertainment. I did not know I was performing the impossible.

6. The episode made me cringe every time a Jon or Dany segment appeared. For other members of my audience who are not book-familiar, I did appreciate the warning from Cat to Robb about remembering his agreement. Most of them had forgotten.

9 of 10. More Brienne, more Arya would have pushed a ten, but I'd prefer to leave some room for a future Nadia Comaneci episode anyway, if one happens to be coming. Halfway through the second season, and people are still using 'it wasn't like the book!?!?!' as a reason to knock down a rating? Seriously.

I felt it was one of the slowest, least rewarding episodes of either season. The amount of time spent portraying Joffrey's cruelty was excessive and unnecessary. We get it. The other stories inched along. Other than Tyrion's scenes, of course. His star power is blinding.