DolorousKim

Well, I was in the middle of a very lengthly reply when it suddenly went "poof" (damn my clumsy fingers). So I'll just summarize by saying that I really enjoyed this episode a great deal and rated it a 9. To me, it is easily one of the best season finales that we've seen from the series thus far. I loved nearly everthing about this episode, in particular the performances of Rory McCann (I can not overstate how very much I loved his performance this week, it was quite simply awe-inspiring), Maisie Williams, Ciaran Hinds, Kit Harington, and believe it or not, Emilia Clarke (I knew that she had it in her, we've seen it before way back in season one. Thank goodness that she finally showed some emotional range this episode, it couldn't have come at a better time). I also appreciated the fact that we finally got to see Stannis looking kingly (the wonderfully shot sequence of Team Stannis descending on the wilding camp certainly helped), with Davos by his side as it should always be, and with no Mel in sight. His acknowledgement of Jon Snow as Ned's son, and of Ned as being an honorable man was the icing on a very long awaited cake. Despite the impact that Tyrion and Jaime parting on loving terms will potentially have on both of their characters' development, I have to confess that I actually kind of liked this change; the way that they parted in books has always left me feeling rather depressed, and with such a dark overall saga, I do find myself appreciating the infrequent bright spots, show manufactured or not. The only reasons that the episode ended up not being a 10 to me include the rather silly exploding fire balls hurled by the child of the forest (now really, what exactly were they supposed to be -- some kind of alternate universe version of an rpg??), Jojen's death being rather unlamented, even by his sister once she got inside the cave (seems a bit OOC), and the final Tyrion - Tywin face off not quite matching its incendiary potential (Charles Dance's Tywin has been so incredibly dominant a character throughout his run that it pained me to see him going out so meekly).

This episode had quite a few crucial scenes, and the pressure was on the show to deliver in an epic fashion. In my opinion, they completely nailed every one of the key scenes. I rated this episode a 10, the first "perfect" score that I've given since Season Two's Blackwater. This is my favorite episode so far this season, and is easily in my top 10, perhaps top 5, for the series overall. What really, really worked for me: My top slot has to go to the Tyrion/Bronn farewell scene - This scene is my "building the snow Winterfell" scene, so I was really anxious for the show to get this one right: I can happily state that I was not disappointed in the least. Both Dinklage and Flynn were perfect in their performances -- the emotional level was subtly and deftly built throughout the scene, both verbally and non-verbally (the awkward body language and lack of the trademark smirk on Bronn's part, for example). By the end, the scene succeeded in conveying the fact that the two shared a friendship far beyond the employer/mercenary relationship that they started out with, and did so without descending into cheesy over-sentimentality. I was actually more moved by the show scene than by the book scene, which is not something that I find myself saying often. My second slot goes to the Oberyn/Tyrion cell visit - Is Peter Dinklage having a great year, or what? His performances for the past two weeks have exceeded my ability to come up with new descriptive superlatives. And the best part? Pedro Pascal absolutely matched the lofty level of Dinklage's performance every step of the way. Great, great scene! My third slot goes to the Arya/Hound scenes - I've said it before, and I'll undoubtedly say it again before this season is out, but the dynamics of the Hound/Arya relationship are probably my favorite of the whole show this season. To me, these two are like fierce warriors from opposing tribes - they respect each other, even have some regard for each other, but at the end of the day, they are on different sides, and can't ever really be allies in the long term. Maisie Williams and Rory McCann were superb yet again this week. Unlike what others have stated above, I really enjoyed the gift of mercy scene, even if it was a shade less strong than the scene featuring The Hound's confession of how he received his injury at the hands of his brother. I also thought that whoever the gentleman was that played the dying man did a wonderful job with his portrayal. Both scenes really pushed the correct emotional buttons for me. My Fourth slot goes to the Sansa/Peter/Robin/Lysa scene - Despite a few minor changes (minor to me, anyway), I really thought that the show did justice to an incredibly powerful set of scenes from the book. Aidan Gillen's performance has has gotten a lot of criticism on this site, but I thought that he was wonderfully creepy and pitch-perfect as pervy Peter this week. Kate Dickie is so damn convincing as crazy Lysa that if I ever should happen to bump into this actress walking down the street in real life, I would probably cross to the other side. My Fifth slot goes to Jaime's visit to Tyrion - Like Peter Dinklage, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is also having a stellar year, and through the performances of these two, this scene really drove home just how desperate life has gotten for the Lannister boys, and just how desolate of hope the unfolding of events have become for them as well. It also served as a reminder of how strong the bond of brotherhood has remained between these two. Wonderful scene! My Sixth and final slot goes to Iain Glen, for delivering a stupendous rendition of "why you just can't kill all of the slavers that you see." It's about time that the actor got to sink his chops into some real dialogue for a change. He was so good, that he all but blasted Emilia's one-note "bad-ass teenaged conqueror-queen" vocal inflection out of my memory, and saved the Meereen scene from being laughably bad. What didn't work for me: The only criticism that I have regards Emilia Clarke's sudden inability to change her vocal inflection regardless of the nature of the dialogue that she's delivering. Whether she's trying to seduce a sellsword or asking for advice from her most trusted friend, everything sounds like she's issuing an order in a tone of voice that's overcompensating for the fact that she's just a clueless young woman who no one would follow if she didn't have dragons. We've seen her perform far, far better in the past, so what gives?? It's like we're right back to her second season performance, which was a huge step back from her first season performance, but where she at least had the excuse that she had nothing to do but wander around in the wastelands spewing about being the "blood of the dragon, etc., etc...

I found this to be a very strong episode overall -- not quite at the perfect "10" level from start to finish of a Baelor or a Blackwater, but very gripping entertainment. I rated it a 9. What worked for me: Have to mention Peter Dinklage's extraordinary performance in the number one slot. His acting in this episode was as strong as, or stronger than, any performance that we've seen in the series to date in my opinion. I can't imagine any serious fan of this show not being emotionally impacted by his delivery. He was simply perfection. Liam Cunningham gets my number 2 slot: both in his scene with the Iron Bank and with his old running buddy Salladhor, he totally stole the spotlight. It's about time this season that we got to see (be reminded of) what he can contribute when Davos gets some time at center stage. Now, perhaps the show will afford Stephen Dillane the same opportunity? Coming in at number three is Conleth Hill's throne room dialogue with Pedro Pascal. It's a crime and a shame when an actor of Hill's caliber is so chronically underused. I've really been missing Varys this season, so I was thrilled with this scene, and I didn't particularly care that it was a non-book creation. I like these little periodic glimpses into Varys' mind. Number 4 is Alfie Allen's Reek. I don't particularly like Reek in either book or show form, but there's no doubting Allen's acting chops in portraying him. His completed transformation from Theon to Reek has been mind-blowing to behold. Finally, at number 5, I have to give a nod of acknowledgement to Gemma Whelan, for a rousing delivery of the Iron Born's call to arms speech on the way to the Dreadfort. If show Yara is missing the spark and the humor of book Asha, I'm convinced it's down to the way the writing depicts the character, and not Whelan's acting. What didn't work for me: Very little but minor quibbles this week, which include the fairly clunky progression of the Dreadfort invasion / Dreadfort retreat, and a less than gripping Dany segment in Meereen.

I was overall still entertained by this week's episode, but it was to me the weakest of this season so far. I tend to favor character development moments over scenes that just serve to move the plot forward, and while this week did have many of said character moments, some of them just didn't deliver in the manner that I've grown accustomed to with this show. I gave it a 6: not bad, but not great either. What worked for me: Crazy Lysa with both Peter and Sansa - Kate Dickie is delivering one hell of a performance! She's so convincing when bringing the crazy that it makes me a tad physically anxious to the point of nearly being uncomfortable to watch her. Now that's acting! Arya - Hound scenes - I love the dynamic between these two. I disagree with the notion that their scenes this week had no point. To me, the scenes really drove home the fact that these two, while having a grudging respect for each other, are not allies. Loved the way that Arya casually turned her back on the Hound before uttering his name as the last on her list. As if to say that she had no reason to fear him, and also let him know that she hadn't forgiven nor forgotten his murder of her friend. Loved the look of panic on the Hound's face when he woke up to find Arya missing. Every scene with Maisie and Rory together is something I treasure. Extra bonus points for the extremely cool to watch "waterdancing." Brienne - Pod - wonderful character and relationship building moments between these two. Their scenes were funny, touching, and awkward as hell all at the same time. Perfectly realized and portrayed to my mind. What didn't work for me: Dany - Jorah - I don't think that Emilia Clarke is a bad actress overall: sometimes she totally nails Daenerys, particularly in moments where she's required to show some vulnerability. This week, unfortunately, was certainly not one of her better moments... What a stinker of a scene, her line delivery was completely and bizarrely off. The only saving grace was Iain Glen's performance as Jorah. Nice to see that they finally remembered his character still existed and he actually got a few lines. For someone who is supposed to be Dany's most trusted adviser and staunchest ally, he's been little more than a glorified extra this season. What a waste! Cersei - everyone - This is not the Cersei that I've come to know and loathe/love. I understand what they were going for, as far as having her character trying to influence the judges in Tyrion's trial, however, it came off as being a totally out of character move for Cersei to have embarked upon, and a ridiculously transparent attempt at manipulation at that. Total thumbs down from me, not for the acting, but for the entire stupid premise. Peter - Sansa's walk into the Vale - This scene rang totally false and seemed to serve merely as an excuse to film some impressive shots of the Bloody Gate. If Littlefinger is supposedly so damn clever, why is he letting Sansa proceed so long into her march into the Vale with her Tully hair on full display? What happened to the horses/mules? It seems utterly ridiculous that Lord Baelish would be walking so far on foot when he's supposed to be at this point a fairly powerful man qualified to win the hand of Lady Arryn in marriage. The action scenes at Craster's were pretty well acted and realized, but these scenes posed nothing unexpected beyond Locke's death. Bran's warging of Hodor was well done and suitably creepy, as was Jojen's delivery of his prophecy of Karl's death, but there ultimately wasn't much in the way of suspense here, was there? I mean, was anyone really expecting the mutineers to carry the day? Not a bad conclusion to the episode, but not exactly revelatory either.

I really enjoyed this episode; it delivered under both the character development and the plot development categories in a very satisfying manner. The hour was over faster than I could believe, and the episode gave me both answers to some long-running questions as well as some new developments and possibilities to ponder. I scored it as a nine. What worked for me: Grey Worm - Missandei scene - I'm not a huge fan of the whole Dany-the-teenaged conqueror of Slaver's Bay/Meereen plot arc in the books or, particularly, the show, so I appreciated the fact that we were introduced to events via the viewpoint of folks who actually knew what it was like to be slaves -- it brought a fresh perspective to plot points that are normally somewhat tedious to me. Bronn - Jaime scene - This is a prime example of a non-book "add on" scene that I found to be really effective. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Jerome Flynn play off each other very well indeed, and we get to see more of Bronn as well as giving Jaime someone to actually have some snarky dialogue with; it's a win-win as far as I'm concerned. Also given the dodgy nature of Shae's "leaving" of King's Landing, I was a bit worried that show Bronn was going to be portrayed as having sold out Tyrion in a very blatant manner -- it's good to see him chiding Jaime to take Tyrion's part. Jaime - Brienne - Pod scene - an effectively underplayed scene that hit just the right emotional balance for me -- there was some humor, a bit of sadness, as well as a tentative touch of hope that some of Jaime's tarnished honor could be reclaimed via Brienne's quest. Queen of Thorns - Margaery scene - I loved watching Diana Rigg schooling Natalie Dormer on the path to becoming queen. Mrs. Peel has still got it, and my appreciation for Natalie Dormer's performance grows with every season. Margaery - Tommen scene - Aging up Tommen's character was a good decision in my books, this scene would have been very disturbing or even impossible had they not made this move, as things stand now, I found it to be deviously delightful. Jon and the Night's Watch scene - I never had an issue with Kit Harington's portrayal of Jon Snow, but this season he is delivering well beyond my expectations. The fact that he's finally getting some excellent dialogue certainly helps. Jon Snow and Alliser Thorne set off fireworks whenever they share a scene. Owen Teale excels at making Ser Alliser a complex and interesting character when in the hands of a lesser actor it could have gone the ham and cheese villain route. What didn't work for me: The NW deserters at Craster's scene - you've already got a bunch of irredeemable scum who murdered their own commander and sworn brothers -- did we really need to see the over the top "embellishments" of drinking from Mormont's skull and the gratuitous rape scenes? I think that even the most distracted and casual of viewers realize that these are bad dudes; no need to bludgeon us over the head with further proof. Head-scratching parts: What happened to the fierce and lethal defenders of Stark kids? Are direwolves suddenly no more dangerous than unicorns? How did the bozos at Craster's manage to capture and cage Ghost? Why wasn't Summer defending Bran?

I rated it a 7, which to me is a good rating, indicative of a solidly entertaining episode which had far more elements to recommend it than condemn it, but still not being an especially brilliant episode representative of all the best features of what this series can deliver. I can't understand the "one" ratings for this episode any more than I can understand the "ten" ratings, but to each his/her own... What really worked for me: Tywin - Tommen scene - I loved everything about this scene from the way that it was filmed, to the content of the dialog, to the actors' body language and facial expressions (including the "background" characters -- Lena Headey killed it without having to say a word). Grandpa delivering a not so subtle smackdown of Joffrey's reign in the presence of his corpse while swiftly taking the heir apparent in hand was masterful from start to finish to my mind. Tyrion - Pod scene - I found this scene to be ridiculously touching while still managing to deliver some key exposition as to the way things currently stand for Tyrion. The quiet dignity that Peter Dinklage imbued Tyrion with despite his condition and surroundings was a thing of beauty, and this leave-taking was handled better than the way things played out in the book in my opinion. Arya - Hound dinner scene - some great funny stuff here! Maisie and Rory have wonderful chemistry, and I really enjoy every interaction between their two characters. While not really "liking" each other, it's clear that they have a large amount of grudging respect for each other and it's a joy to see. Tywin - Oberyn scene - Such great menace and crackling animosity delivered in such a wonderfully understated way. I love watching these two powerful predators stalking each other. Leaving the acceptance (or not) of handshake offer ambiguous at the scene's end was brilliant. What didn't work for me: Cersei - Jaime sept scene - I'm no book purist, but why on earth change this scene to introduce the element of non- or dubious at best consent? Isn't the fact that the relationship between these two is so freakishly dysfunctional that they are willing to indulge in consensual sex in the realm's most holy location in the presence of their dead son's corpse powerful enough? Really bad decision on someone's part to add the consent question here (or really poor execution if it was meant to be consensual). This scene as filmed undermines the fact that Cersei and Jaime are both victims as well as perpetrators in the severely twisted relationship that they share. Thenn cannibalism - This element being present once again in an otherwise successfully executed battle scene brought the whole segment down. The systematic wiping out of the population of a peaceful village was already brutal enough, why push things to a sickening extreme by shoving in the cannibalism? Way too over the top for me. Are the Thenns supposed to be hardened, disciplined soldiers or some escapees from The Walking Dead?

I rated this a solid 8. To me, it was just a shade less enjoyable than last week's episode, but still a consistently engaging and entertaining foray into the saga. Also, as a book reader, it's quite possible that I have some unrealistically high expectations that the "big event" episodes can't usually live up to when compared with the literary unfolding of events. The lone exception to this in my mind is the "Blackwater" episode, which might possibly have been even stronger than what was portrayed in the book. That being said, there were some highlights that jumped out at me in this episode: Tyrion and Jaime dining scene - I really enjoy whenever Peter Dinklage and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau get to play off each other. Tyrion is the only person that Jaime feels he can confide in, and I like the little brother bolstering bigger brother interplay here. Tyrion and Jaime's good qualities never shine better than when they are consoling each other. Bronn and Jaime sparring - More Bronn is always a good thing in my books, and I love the nonchalant and effortless way that he gets under Jaime's skin. Sir Bronn truly gives no f***'s as to who he pisses off. Jerome Flynn seems like he's having a ball playing the swaggering sellsword. Oberyn/Ellaria vs. Tywin/Cersei - House Martell comes off with the win in this smoking little tete a tete. The great casting for the roles of the Red Viper and his paramour points to the many great things yet to come in this season. Tyrion vs. Joffrey wedding scenes - The malevolence between these two fairly crackles right through the screen without ever being over the top. A fine acting workshop courtesy of Dinklage and Gleeson. The death of King Joffrey - Massive kudos to Jack Gleeson for making Joffrey such an epically loathsome little shit right up to the end. I'm so going to miss hating on the creepy bugger..... The parts I found kind of meh: The Dragonstone scenes - I found them to be underwhelming and a bit forced into this episode, and I'm still not digging Stannis' charaterization in the show. Stephen Dillane and Liam Cunningham's talents are pretty much wasted in this episode. Kerry Ingram is really impressing me as to how good an actress she is, however, so there is that for a bright spot. Ramsay's "hunt" - Yeah, yeah, we get it, Ramsay is a sadistic prick. I think the Theon torture-porn pretty much drove that point home at ridiculous length last season. I could have done without this scene, even though it wasn't that long, and wasn't as graphic as it could have been. The head-scratching scenes: What exactly happened to Shae? Without treading into Spoiler country, I really doubt that she's on a boat to Pentos, so what's up? Why did they make a point of showing Bronn escorting her presumably out of the Red Keep, and why did she slap Bronn when Tyrion sent her away? Something is definitely going on, and I really can't tell what it is......

I rather liked this episode; even though there weren't any huge or shocking developments regarding the overall plot, it had some excellent character moments and definitely moved the chains forward for the next season. I'd rate this one as a solid 8. What worked for me: Davos and everyone - Davos is my MVP this week. Liam Cunningham was charming, funny, heroic, and just everything that Davos should be. This week was really Cunningham's week to shine, and he took full advantage of it. Good assist from Joe Dempsie, who made me like show Gendry more than I had up to this point. Arya/Sandor - I wasn't sure if the series would actually allow Arya to go full-on cold-blooded killer, but it did, and very, very effectively too. Maisie Williams and Rory McCann are quite the power duo. From the overwhelming devastation of their first scene to the brutal deliverance of vengeance in their concluding scene, both actors hit all the right notes. Varys/Shae - I know that Shae isn't one of the more popular characters, but I was really moved by this week's Varys and Shae scene, and I think that both actors were very effective in it. I find show Shae to be a much more interesting and engaging character than book Shae, and Sibel Kekilli deserves at least some of credit for that. I think that sometimes the heavy-handed criticism directed towards this actress is a bit unfair, and I found her performance this week to be quite good. Tyrion/Sansa - It was very interesting to me to see the juxtapositions of the range of emotions present within their relationship this episode. First we see a light-hearted scene between them, where they are somewhat working as a team and Sansa actually gets to laugh, only to be followed by the wordless desolation later that same day after the news arrives regarding the Red Wedding. Any possible chance that they had to reach some kind of true understanding and mutually beneficial partnership died with Robb and Catelyn Stark, and the show captured that quite well. Kudos to Peter Dinklage and Sophie Turner. Yet another Tywin smackdown of Joff - I can watch Charles Dance's Tywin own Jack Gleeson's Joff all day, every day, and never, ever have it grow old. What didn't work for me: Stannis, Stannis, Stannis - With the way that Stannis is portrayed as acting on the show with regards to Davos, it's hard to imagine why Davos didn't just hop in the row boat with Gendry and get away from that cold, dead-hearted man and his crazy zealot of a black magic priestess. I had to keep telling my unsullied husband that book Stannis is nowhere near as much of a total douche canoe to book Davos. Jaime/Cersei - Okay, talk about your total throw-away scenes -- Jaime had been gone from KL for over a year, had been captured by the Lannister clan's most bitter enemies, and every day could have brought news of his death, and this is the big reunion scene between him and Cersei??? Underwhelmed doesn't even begin to cover it. Sam/Gilly/Maester Aemon - This scene didn't quite sit right with me. Maester Aemon seemed very unconcerned regarding what Sam reported to him regarding the White Walker, and seemed rather more fixated on whether Gilly's child was Sam's. Also loses points for totally removing the wilding taboo against naming babies, and to no end other than to point out in all CAPS that Gilly thinks very highly of Sam. The "pork sausage" scene - Okay, it doesn't get much more juvenile than that. In case anyone had any doubts, let's just put in this cheap joke so that we can point out in all CAPS that Theon isn't quite the man he used to be. I spent some time locating my missing eyeballs that had rolled out of the sockets after having endured this scene.

I've been dying to respond to this, but the internet keeps eating my posts :P . Great analysis, you've summed up what I was feeling far more succinctly than I have been able to manage. I completely agree with what you've written, particularly the part regarding Bran and Rickon's parting evoking more of an emotional response than the Red Wedding. When I see the many posts proclaiming that this is the best episode of the series, I'm left feeling a bit confounded. Heck, it's not even my favorite episode of the season (I liked "Kissed by Fire" and "And Now His Watch is Ended" better). To me, it doesn't even hold a candle to Blackwater or Baelor, and your post perfectly captures why I feel this way.

While a good, solid, and emotionally charged episode, it didn't deliver on all that I expected this event to be, especially considering that this was the key event that made the Producers want to make this adaptation in the first place. I gave it an 8. What worked for me: David Bradley's portrayal of Walder Frey was mind-blowing in its awesomeness. In every scene where he's needling Rob (and his own daughters and granddaughters in the bargain), my unsullied husband was laughing out loud, and I just sat there thinking, Dude, don't even start liking this character, he truly is one of the most despicable POS characters in the whole series... Yet even knowing how things would turn out, I was smiling along, too. Now that is some great acting, and the dialogue sure didn't suck either. Rob's asking his mother's advice (finally) - Yes, as Ran stated in his analysis, it was a bit too little, too late, but still, I was glad that this scene was in there, as it at least evoked a smidgen of the love and respect that these two characters shared. Well acted by Michelle Fairley and Richard Madden. Arya vs. The Hound tete a tete - Maisie Williams and Rory McCann nailed this scene; it was both funny and heart-wrenching at the same time. Funny, because boy, these two sure know how to push each others' buttons! Heart-wrenching because it really did sum up how very close Arya was to her one and only desire, a reunion with her family, yet how she seems destined to never achieve it. Death of Grey Wind - at first I was pissed that the direwolf was never freed and allowed to go out like a heroic legend, but instead, was dispatched with no more effort than shooting fish in a barrel. On second thought, though, the emotions evoked by not having the viewer see the actual killing shots, but rather just hear the mournful cries of Grey Wind as he dies was actually more powerful IMHO. What didn't work for me: They should have saved the scenes in Yunkai, Jon and the Wildlings, and Bran and company in the tower room for another episode. Each of these events are very important in their own right (Dany's major victory over the slaver city, Jon's abandonment of the Wildlings and his escape, Bran's first purposeful warging of both Hodor and Summer) and should have had more time and space to breath. Here they were wasted in the wake of the Red Wedding. At least one or two scenes establishing Robb's relationships to his key bannermen/women would have gone far setting up the emotional devastation of their deaths. As things played out, seeing random Northmen getting butchered really didn't have any where near the emotional impact it should have had and only contributed to the overall savagery of the event. Robb and Talisa's baby naming scene - I know why the scene was included, but it came off as being really cliched and unnecessary to me. Cat's catatonia - Since Jinglebell was never introduced, I guess it made sense to substitute Lord Walder's young wife, but it still seemed to hit a false note to me. But more importantly, where was the face rending, or her protestations not to cut her hair, as Ned always loved it? Having her stand mute and catatonic as her throat was cut was yet another choice that significantly dampened the emotional impact of the final scene. I think that this episode falls short of Blackwater in the capturing one of the most major events in the ASoIaF series. It didn't succeed as well in setting up the atmosphere of dread and the overall level of tension, nor was its delivery of the actual climax realized as well.

A solid episode with an extremely gripping ending, I gave it an 8. What worked for me: A miserable drunken Tyrion raising his glass to a miserable Loras -- this scene and just about everything concerning the wedding feast (particularly the new family tree dynamics explained for you by QoT) gave me a guffaw. So much misery for such a short ceremony, I loved it. Davos/Stannis - Finally, we check back in with the guys on Dragonstone. Powerful scene between Liam Cunningham and Stephen Dillane in which Davos finally gets his freedom. I wished we had gotten to see a bit more of this duo over the course of the season -- ahh well, perhaps in the final episodes, or next year... Daario doesn't suck!! - I was dreading the introduction of this character--needlessly, it turns out. Show Daario looks to be a vast, vast improvement over book Daario. Now this guy I could picture Dany falling for. Arya/Hound - The short sequence between them points towards some great character interactions to come. There seems to be some good chemistry between Maisie Williams and Rory McCann. Sam the Slayer - Glad Sam got his mojo working. Excellent final scene, it was creepy, spellbinding, and just all-around fantastic. What didn't work for me: Melisandre/Gendry/Stannis - The leech part was cleverly executed, but the naked Mel and Gendry bondage part didn't quite hit the mark for me. Also, I wished that they didn't picture Stannis as being equally enthusiastic in naming the three "usurpers". I liked the bit in the book where he hesitated before naming Robb. Cersei/Margaery - I thought that the naked threat on Cersei's part to have Margaery strangled in her sleep a bit too much to swallow. They should have stopped the scene after she related the story of the Castameres, as that was already blatant enough of a warning. No Robb and Cat - Considering where we are in the season, I think that we really should have had a least one scene featuring Robb and Cat this episode. At least one nice mother/son moment, perhaps? Oh, and one last very minor quibble, but something that mildly annoyed me nonetheless, when I see Conleth Hill and Jerome Flynn's names in the credits, I anticipate seeing them in at least one actual scene with at least a line of dialogue, not just a fleeting glimpse of them in the crowd at the wedding. HBO and GoT, sometimes you are such teases. :P

I thought that this episode, while still being entertaining overall, was tied with episode 2 as being my least favorite overall so far this season. I gave it a 7. There were the usual high and low points, but to me the highs weren't quite as high as most of the other episodes in season 3. For example, for as much as I was anticipating the bear pit scene, for some reason it just didn't deliver to its fullest potential -- it wasn't terrible, it just felt flat. Too short, maybe? Not enough time to build a full sense of peril? What worked for me: Tywin/Joff - There should be a picture of Charles Dance in the dictionary next to the word "presence." It's always great to see Joff squirm -- it looked like he was ready to soil his small clothes. Just a brilliant scene. Tyrion/Bronn - Though extremely short, I really enjoyed this scene of these two just kicking back and having a bit of a "heart to heart." I've really missed Bronn in these past several episodes, and I think that some of my favorite character building moments in the series come when these two interact. Kudos to Peter Dinklage and Jerome Flynn for really nailing the essence of Tyrion and Bronn. Jaime/Brienne - I was moved by their farewell scene, particularly where Brienne for the first time addresses him as Ser Jaime. This scene had more impact on me than the closing scene, oddly enough. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Gwendoline Christie have been consistently amongst the strongest performers throughout this season -- they may well end up being my co-choices for MVP of season 3. Margary/Sansa - Natalie Dormer has grown almost exponentially in my esteem in her portrayal of Margaery. When we were first introduced to Margaery, I thought that it was a terrible casting job and barely recognized the character as being Margaery -- I couldn't imagine what the show was trying to do. Now, I've come to really relish this actor's portrayal of this re-imagined character. While I think that Sophie Turner didn't quite match Natalie in terms of performance, I have to give plus points to the character of Sansa for finally showing some self-awareness. What didn't work for me: Theon/Ramsay - I would be so very happy if we didn't have any more torture scenes this season, thank you. I think that EVERYONE has gotten the picture of what's going down by now. And of course, to make matters "better," let's throw in some sex-n-nudity. URGGGGHHHHH. Robb/Talisa/Cat/Tullys - Watching the scene were they are discussing Walder Frey, it's hard to believe that they are the tight, united family group that they supposedly are -- what with the Blackfish cutting Cat off so he can discuss excrement, and Edmure's constant scowling, and everyone basically barking at each other. The dynamics felt really off in this scene. The bear pit - As mentioned above, this scene seemed anti-climatic and was a real disappointment to me. Bran/Jojen/Meera/Osha/Hodor - Bran's story line continues to struggle this season. While this scene wasn't the weakest this season, it just felt like a bit of a toss-in in this episode. While Osha's back story was interesting, and provided some rationale for the way she has been behaving, some of the other dialogue was pathetic. Osha "forbids" Jojen from speaking to Bran?? Really?? Just ridiculous.

Yep, you are right, that did happen in episode one, but I took it to be more of lucky shot. Perhaps I misinterpreted and it was meant more to show her overall skill level. My mind keeps going back to the way that book Arya had trouble bending the bow properly when she was with BWB, and that's where my cognitive dissonance is undoubtedly coming from.

I actually rather liked this episode, so it gets an 8 rating from me. To me, it was much stronger than episode 2, and a bit stronger than episode 1. Sure, it was a bit of a let down compared to the past two episode, but still, this is a vast improvement over pretty much every episode in Season 2, with the exception of the Blackwater episode. What worked for me: Lady Olenna/Lord Tywin - For all the folks who were getting disgruntled with the QoT owning everyone that she conversed with, we a have scene where each player held his/her own. Great acting as usual from Charles Dance and Diana Rigg. Tyrion/Cersei - A bit of a new dynamic shown in this normally totally antagonistic relationship. I guess misery makes for some strange bedfellows. I really liked this scene, and both Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey acquitted themselves quite well. Thoros/anyone-everyone - I am also really enjoying Paul Kaye' take on Thoros. He totally dominates every scene that he's in. Jon/wildings - I thought that the climb sequences were pretty well executed, and that Tormund was a bit more in keeping with the Tormund from the books. I also think that these sequences helped to advance the Jon Snow/Ygritte relationship a bit further into the realm of believability. Orell sucks pretty hard, though.... Littlefinger/Varys - I always like to see these two characters interacting, and Littlefinger was especially chilling. His character has not been done justice thus far this season (and I say this as someone who doesn't even care for the character to any great extent), but I thought that the final scene was a big step in the right direction. Jaime/Brienne/Roose - Not a show-stopping scene, but something about this one was both amusing and creepy to me all at the same time. Roose telling Jaime that he "overplayed his.......position" I was yelling "hand" during the pause. I also like the "failing at dinner" line from Jaime. What didn't work for me: I guess that I'm in the minority here, but I really didn't like the Ramsay/Theon scene. I hate torture sequences to begin with, and things just seemed to go on forever. Please, please tell me that we are not going to have two full seasons for Theon getting tortured by Ramsay. Arya the master archer - Just WTF??? Since when is Arya some super wunderkind with the bow and arrow?? Jojen has a seizure - Again, WTF?? Are they mixing his character up with Robert Aryn (I mean Robin Aryn)?? Meera/Osha antagonism -- Why, why is this necessary? Beric selling Gendry to Mel - Totally not in keeping with Berric and the BWB. May have been the most disappointing sequence of the episode to me. Ros - Okay, I was never a fan, but man, that was a pretty shitty way for her character to have gone out.

This was by far my favorite episode thus far in Season 3. I was oh-so-close to giving it a 10, but the Selyse/Stannis scene just hit too false a note to me to give this episode a perfect rating. What worked for me: Jaime/Brienne bath scene - In my opinion, this was NCW's finest moment in the series so far; he just couldn't have delivered this scene any more perfectly. After this, I would imagine that Jaime should receive a bit more sympathy from the non-book reader fan faction. Gwendoline Christie was once again the perfect foil, her portrayal of Brienne has been stellar this season. Tywin/Tryion/Cersei - This scene illustrated the glorious dysfunctionality (yep, I made that word up, but I could think of no other word that fit so well) that is clan Lannister in a superlative fashion. Charles Dance, Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey hit all the right notes, and then some. Shireen/Davos - A short, incredibly sweet scene that managed to be both precious and heartbreaking at the same time. Liam Cunningham was absolutely charming -- I hope that we get to see a bit more of this side of Davos in the future. Kerry Ingram knocked my socks off -- she was wonderful as Shireen, blonde hair notwithstanding. Stannis/Shireen - Finally, FINALLY, we get to see the warmer side of Stannis. It was long overdue. Great chemistry between these two -- I hope we get to see more of this relationship play out on the screen. Beric/Hound - This was my favorite individual fight sequence since the Bronn/Ser Vardis duel back in season 1. Excellently staged and executed! Beric/Thoros/Arya - Each one of the actors in this scene really succeeded in conveying just how miserable, demoralizing, and isolating each of their own existences presently are. They also really drove home the fact that there is presently no end (happy or otherwise) in sight to their travails. Lady Olenna/Tyrion - Diana Rigg, Peter Dinklage, and ridiculously witty dialogue, what more can you ask for? The closing credit song, sung by Kerry Ingram, was so wonderfully eerie that it deserves special kudos. Now THIS is the way that you end an espisode! What didn't work for me: Selyse/Stannis - This whole scene was just jam-packed with false notes to me. I can't believe that even religious fanatic Selyse would be quite so hearty in her endorsement of Stannis' infidelity, even if it was supposedly in the service to r'hllor. Also, since when does Selyse exhibit such a great deal of hatred/shame of/towards her daughter that she would actively discourage Stannis from visiting with her? Do I even need to mention the pickled fetuses?? Nearly everything about this scene just felt "wrong" to me.

Best episode of the Season so far, I gave it a 9. What worked for me: Queen of Thorns and Varys - Conleth Hill and Diana Rigg --two exquisite actors doing their thing. Loved, loved this scene. Some of Lady Olenna's dialogue seems like a direct shout-out to the readers (especially the part where she rips on the house motto of the Tyrells), and that just makes a good thing outstanding. Hound vs. BWB - Rory McCann was simply awesome in this scene. My usual sympathies are with the BWB, but The Hound was so convincing that it had me wavering in my allegiance.... Dany vs. the Slavers - Emilia Clarke's performance isn't usually at the top of my list considering the depth of this cast, but she really brought it in this episode -- she provided a truly epic moment, so some well deserved kudos to her. Brienne and Jaime - I am loving the interaction between these two, it seems to get better each week. Tywin and Cersei - Now there's the dickish Tywin that we all know so well! Charles Dance delivers as usual, and Lena Headey succeeded in making Cersei sound both rational and sympathetic this episode, which is no small feat. What didn't work for me: Varys captures the "sorcerer" - What, what, what are they going for here? As much as I adore Conleth Hill, and normally dig any excuse to see him on the screen, I didn't really see the point here, other than possibly pointing out how truly dangerous Varys is, which anyone paying attention should already know. Joff and Margaery - While I haven't always dug Natalie Dormer's performance as Margaery, I think that she's been killing it this year, but Joff has suddenly gone from dangerous psycho with a slightly goofy vibe to a giddy, lovestruck schoolboy. Not that I'm faulting Jack Gleason's overall performance, I just think that someone in production is overselling the influence that Margaery has on Joff to an almost ridiculous extreme. We get it already, okay? Still a very effective episode overall, where even the parts that didn't totally work for me were still much stronger than previous episode weak points were to me so far this year.

Well, I was being a bit facetious with the horndog reference, but judging by the body language, I believe that ol' Stannis was not simply looking for an expedient way to produce his desired end result.

Another pretty solid episode -- I liked it as much as the first and better than the second, I gave it an 8, as I'm a fairly hard grader. What worked for me: Clive Russell is looking to be an awesome Blackfish if tonight's episode is any indication. Stellar casting job once again. His scene with Michelle Fairley was perfection. Michelle Fairley gets some well-deserved props for the above scene -- I haven't enjoyed a Cat scene so much since season one. Jaimie and Brienne's scenes were great once again, and dear God, the ending!! The meeting of the small council and the musical chairs game; some of the best actors in the series all facing off at the same time is always great viewing I enjoyed the Tyrion, Pod, and Bronn scenes for the comic relief they provided; this is a somber, somber season, so I appreciate the chuckles even if they don't move the story forward in any significant way I was surprised that the Hot Pie and Arya/Gendry farewell was actually fairly touching to me; I don't recall being particularly phased when he left in the book. What didn't work for me: Stannis and Mel; Whah??? Since when is Stannis some lovelorn horndog just begging Mel for some? Really not liking the direction the show is taking Stannis in. Edmure -- in the books Edmure is a decent, kind hearted chap who's a bit on the hapless side at times. In the show, Edmure looks like a spoiled, haughty, buffoon. And since when is the Blackfish so totally down on Edmure to the point where he would shove him and diss him publicly? And what was with Robb snickering at Edmure for missing his bow shot? They are at a funeral for goodness sakes -- show a little decency and decorum! The whole "bastard" and Theon character arc -- I'm just not buying it. Maybe it will improve with further developments, but for now, I'm thinking this just strains credibility a bit too much to successfully go where it's supposed to be headed in the books. Maybe it is going in a totally different direction all together, which would be a huge mistake in my opinion. It also still rankles me that Bran and Rickon are supposedly just "missing," since their "deaths" provided such true and obvious motivations for so many things which happen in the story, while their being missing does not have the same emotional resonance. Not really digging the punk version of the Bear and the Maiden Fair. Talk about pulling the viewer out of the ambiance of the show.

I didn't really express myself too clearly on this point. I also don't think that Rickon has run off "forever," but it seems to me that the Reeds, well Jojen at any rate, were in the books very, very cautious regarding not meeting up with anyone who could later disclose the fact that the Stark boys were still alive, so it seems peculiar that they would just let little Rickon arbitrarily run off by himself. Of course in the books, Rickon and Osha didn't travel with the Reeds, Hodor and Bran, and we have no idea how stealthy their approach was to traveling in the North, but I still find it hard to believe that even Osha would allow Rickon free reign to wander off alone. Also, I'm assuming that Summer went with Rickon and Shaggydog in order for Bran to be able to watch out for Rickon via Summer, but it still strikes me as somewhat of a false note. The books did a very good job of depicting how deep, unique, and mystical the bond was between each Stark and their direwolf. I don't think that the non-book-reading viewer is able to get any sense of the true nature of this bond thus far in the show, and I feel that this is too important a point to be glossed over. My non-book-reading husband, for example thinks of the direwolves almost as pet dogs at this juncture.

Yes, I also don't think that Rickon was running off for good, but given their circumstances, I would think that their fear of someone spotting him and realizing that at least one of the Stark boys was still alive would preclude the rest of the group from letting their youngest member run willy nilly through the North accompanied by only the direwolves. While it seemed clear that Summer was going with Rickon so that Bran could watch over him from inside Summer, I still don't think that the show is really capturing just how close the bond is between each Stark and their direwolf. First you have Ghost being unnecessarily separated from Jon Snow and now Summer is shadowing Rickon instead of Bran. I don't think that non-readers especially are going to understand the significance of the direwolves and will see them more as just big dogs/family pets.

I liked the episode, but not quite as much as last week's; I rated it a solid 7. What worked for me: Great introduction of the Queen of Thorns! Dianna Rigg is going to be awesome in this role. This scene made me appreciate Magaery more than I have up to this point as well. Also a great introduction of Thorros, I didn't even mind that he appears to be absorbing the role of Tom O' Sevens. I predict that I am going to enjoy the show BWB as much as I did the book version. And of course, it's always great to see the Hound again. I liked the Brienne vs. Jaime fight and didn't mind the switch up in circumstances from the book. Gwendolyn Cristie kicks ass as Brienne, she was really convincing as a powerful swordswoman. I also enjoyed show Jojen a good deal more than book Jojen. Ferb is going to acquit himself well in this role. What didn't work for me: The Cat and Talisa scene. I think that the writers/producers went astray in this attempt to woobify Cat. I also don't understand the outright hostility that show Cat is projecting towards Talisa; even book Cat doesn't hold Jeyne wholly responsible for Robb's decision to marry her, and is relatively kind to her. Not thrilled with show Dolorous Edd telling Sam that they left him behind because he was fat and slow and they wanted to live -- even if true, book Edd would have expressed himself in a kinder or at least a much more humorous way. What's with Rickon's just running off like that, why would they let him, and why would Summer leave Bran? I don't think that the show is at all accurately or effectively depicting the nature of the bond between the Starks (and Jon Snow) and their direwolves. Everything else I was either neutral on or waiting to see more of before I form an opinion on . Boy, the Producers sure weren't kidding when they said that Season 3 would be much more divergent from the books than the previous two seasons. It remains to be seen if they will stay true to the spirit of the characters and major story lines or not.

I gave it an 8 -- some great scenes, some not so great scenes, but overall a solid beginning to the season. What worked for me: Davos and Salladhor Saan - I always enjoyed their relationship in the books, and I'm glad to see that its been given time in the show. Great to see Salla back again after the 2 minute teaser introduction last season and then nothing.... Tyrion and Tywin - This showdown was epic in the book and they delivered it strongly in the show; Dance and Dinklage were superb; probably the highlight of the episode for me Bronn - I can't help but love both this character and Jerome Flynn's portrayal - easily the most likeable character to me in this episode Barristan Selmy - I am soooo glad to have Sir Barristan back again, I don't even mind that they cut to the chase in exposing his identity so early on Sansa and Shae - I'm not a huge fan of Sansa, and I detest book Shae, but I'm very surprised that I find the show's take on their relationship to be intriguing. Never thought I'd find myself enjoying their interactions. What didn't work for me: Robb being a total dick to Cat -- talk about character assassination! This surely is not the Robb Stark who united the North and the Riverlands, is it? I'm finding myself hard-pressed to understand why anyone is following him at this point. Stannis being a total douche to Davos -- where's the bromance?? While Stannis is hardly the emotive one, his reaction to Davos being alive was a bit cold, even for him, and then sending him to the dungeon like that -- not liking it Ros as Littlefinger's right-hand woman -- no, just no! Since when does Littlefinger go about sharing his plans all willy-nilly with anyone and practically everyone? Littlefinger is acting more like Ser Dontos than Lord Baelish I'm reserving judgement on Margary and Mance, since I'm not really sure how I feel about their characters and the actors portraying them at this point.