Newstar

"I hope I got your measurements right." Shipping it so hard.

I saw the look on Tommen's face when Margaery left, and immediately "I Just Can't Wait To Be King" from The Lion King popped into my head.

Ser Pounce made it into the show yasssss!

"Sansa's not a killer....Not yet, anyway." I SEE WHAT YOU DID THERE, WRITERS.

I think that ship has sailed. ...although I do think the writers will "course-correct" around the end of the season with Tyrion's character. There were complaints about Arya and Tywin being whitewashed in Season 2, and the writers have course-corrected since. I'm not too, too concerned at this point, although I'll be the first to raise hell if Tyrion doesn't kill Tywin and Shae as he did in the books.

I actually liked this scene a bit better, because Ellaria kept her clothes on just as Oberyn did, while the male prostitute got naked just as the female prostitutes did. Equal-opportunity nudity (or lack thereof, as with Ellaria and Oberyn). I'm kind of disappointed that Oberyn never kissed Olyvar. Step up, man! They were both grooming their grandchildren to marry each other. Olenna telling Margaery "The next one will be easier" and Tywin giving Tommen the Talk.

Alex Graves said it turns consensual...which is not how I saw it, but whatever. Get your story straight, show people. Daniel Portman's acting pleasantly surprised me in that scene. Lots of actors I never really thought much of before have raised their game this season. Tony Way was serviceable! Kit Harington has been showing some actual expressions! Emilia Clarke...yells real good? I got nothing, man.

Indeed. "Paternal"? "Avuncular"? LIES! It half-looked like he was leaning in for a kiss.

Yes. It seems like TV Tyrion thinks Sansa's too nice to poison Joffrey, not that she's too stupid to pull it off by herself. That could change, of course. It's a bit early to pass judgment on that bit. Tyrion and Pod, on the other hand... Book Tyrion: Doesn't give a fuck about Pod's safety, tells him "You've been a good squire to me. Better than I deserved." TV Tyrion: Tearfully sends Pod away from KL for his own protection, tells him "There has never lived a more loyal squire." ...You see where I'm going with this? Ran, are your ears burning? :D Well, the notion of Sansa/Tyrion sex was bandied about in a few non-book conversations in the show, and that marriage wasn't consummated either, so I don't know that the conversation Means Something in terms of a deviation from the books, but yeah, I wonder.

The idea that Tywin just made up a king on the spot in service of his point is awesome. I love it. I guess the problem is that Book Tyrion never even turns his mind to these things, if only to dismiss them. It never occurs to him to think of Pod...just as Brienne later realizes that Tyrion neglected Pod's training.

He could be, and even the possibility that Pod might be at risk due to his association with Tyrion never seems to occur to Book Tyrion either way.

In the Tyrion whitewashing department... 1. TV Tyrion demands Pod flee for his own safety, while Book Tyrion does no such thing (even though it would have been equally prudent advice). 2. TV Tyrion refuses to believe that Sansa had anything to do with Joffrey's death, while Book Tyrion strongly suspects she was in on it, even if he knows she could not have done it alone. (I suppose TV Tyrion could change his mind over the course of the season, but still.) Maaaaaan, it's going to be one hell of a turn for the character when he murders Tywin and Shae. Yikes. The viewers will all have whiplash. I totally read that in Aidan Gillen's weird Littlefinger voice. :D

He still seems fairly young, and I imagine that much like TV Sansa, the character will wind up being much younger than the actor looks (TV Sansa is 14, e.g.). Yes. They could leave off the kittens, the beets-outlawing, etc., and still make Tommen a credibly pliable puppet. Tywin seemed to have him in hand in this episode with just a few shrewd words. Tommen need not be hopelessly childish, just sweet, trusting, and easily manipulated, like Sansa circa AGOT. Did the Hound kill the guy? I thought he just clubbed him.

Could be. Or maybe the writers just made shit up. (Just saying.)

About Tommen's age and his marriage to Margaery... Did anyone notice that as Tywin and Tommen were walking away, Tywin was telling Tommen about the need to marry and continue the family line? The rest of the conversation went like this: Tywin: To continue the family line. Do you know how that happens? Tommen: Yes. Tywin: Has anyone explained the details to you? Tommen: I don't think so. Tywin: It's all relatively straightforward... Hmmm. Sansa and Tyrion never wound up consummating their marriage, either, but Tywin giving Tommen the talk? I wonder. TV Tommen is...interesting. Despite being older, he still seems easily manipulated by Tywin...although, to be fair, Tywin was not wrong in anything that he said.

Also... Who the hell is King Orys? Murdered by his own brother? The hell? Orys Baratheon was Hand, but never king himself. I guess this is just show canon, but still. Weird.

Was that a shot of Tommen waking up in bed in the trailer for 4x04? The hell? Yes. Should be good. No lies detected. That was a whole lot of nothing.

I know, right? Joel Fry is looking good.

Bwah!

I love that the Valyrian translation for "Stormborn" is apparently "Jermazmo." Cracks me up for some reason.

Styr. Although to be fair, all the wildlings in his group with the shaved, scarred heads are implied to be cannibals.

Bawwwwww Pod!

He has to, since he's apparently the only male prostitute in KL.

Are you sure? Because the show left it super unclear. *eyeroll* LOL at Pedro being so short next to Charles Dance.

Yeah, TV Davos and TV Shireen's relationship is everything. Love it.