gwenyth

An 8, based on overall content and the episode moving along briskly with no idiotic time-wasters like Pod's Penis or Maergery's jokes. Were I scoring the RW only, I'd give it - maybe - a 7. Huge flaws from my POV: no emphasis on the bread and salt ritual/significance - not even Cat's warning about it; no Grey Wind reaction at arrival; and almost most of all - expecting non-book readers to recognize "The Rains of Castamere" and its significance. I have talked to five non-book readers: none recognized the tune and only one remembered it's significance when I told him what it was. All those lacks really impacted the suspense and denoument of the event. And I don't think any of them would have been that hard to provide within the structure of the TV format.

Second that - why I gave it an 8. Amazing how much better the pace is when they don't invent pointless cutesy scenes like Margaery's little "joke" with Sansa. I wasn't bored this episode, which I can't say about most of the others this season.

I gave it a 7 - overly generous, but the Dragons were so marvelous, and for the acting in the Jaime scenes. I give them kudos for the live bear - goddess knows, I would not want to be so close to a grizzly, even a trained one - but cannot imagine why they left out the bone Jaime used in the book - aside from it being good action, bones in the pit would be an apt grim touch. I thought the Ayra scenes were good - the "death" remark is not in the book, I think, but fits how the character is developing. Bron and Tyrion were good. For the rest .... oh, well. Some more totallay pointless scenes ... more torture, more cutesy Margaery and Sansa.

It was OK, gave it a 5. I can't give any higher to episodes that seem to me to have utterly wasted and stupid scenes - like the Sansa/Loras ludicrousness. I think there was at least one other scene that struck me as a waste of time, but either I'm conflating with another episode or it was so forgettable I've - forgotten it. Besides the at-least-bordering-on engaging in stereotyping characterization - which others here have noted - the Sansa/Loras scene was just stupid. Sansa is NOT my favorite character - far from it - but she had developed some depth last season, or at least reflected having learned something from her experiences. In that scene she is again a starry-eyed simpleton. It doesn't help that I find the actor cast as Loras totally unconvincing in the role. Also, every time we have an extended scene with the QoT I am reminded how much more perfect I think Helen Mirren would be for the role. The actor playing Lord Tywin is always a pleasure to watch and the scene re-introducing the graceless, dour and unattractive Frey's was good.

Odd one out, here. I gave it a 5. I have been trying to be generous in my ratings, feeling that as a book reader I will inevitably feel less "ah hah!" or "wow" over plot or character revelations, so I've given the previous episodes higher ratings than I really felt they warranted. In truth, I really feel this series has been on a downward arc since season 1 in terms of excitement, interest, dramatic tension. There have been some spectacular moments in the last two seasons, yes, but they are too few and too far between, and most of the "character development" scenes are just .... slow, boring. I keep watching for the spectacular sets, lush costumes and other visuals, and the consistently good acting from nearly everyone - but good acting alone can't rescue a slow and boring pace or meaningless material, of which there is far too much (Roz and Shae being a prime example). At least there was little of that sort of time wasting in this one - the "character revealing" scenes were slow and boring, but at least told us something about the personalities/motivations: there was at least no idiotcy like the Marge and Sansa "porridge-face" joke or totally unneccessary additions like the "Sorcerer in a box." Since I watch it right after, I cannot help but contrast the pace with that of "The Borgia's," where other than the occasional scene of the lovely young thing who plays Lucrecia prancing about just to show how lovely and entrancing she is, there is no scene that does have dramatic tension, that does not advance the plot, that is not just dripping with sinister. So ... I'll keep watching - I'd watch for the visuals alone, the lush cinematic beauty of scenes like Rob et al standing in rain for the Karstark execution - but overall I am greatly disappointed so far this season.

An 8. The final scene with Drac was excellent - they've done a terrific job with the Dragons. The Night's Watch scenes were very good, the tension and then betrayal at Caster's very well done. Jaime and Brienne also well done (just a side note, standing in the supermarket line I noticed that Nicolaj C-W* is on on the cover of "Men's Health.") The King's Landing scenes ... not so much. Why waste time on the *Margaery and Sansa little "joke?" Why add *Vary's holding the Sorcerer captive? Theon just bores me, as he does in the books, but I admit that is ideosyncratic and it's not a judgement on the scenes - I'm too biased to evaluate them at all fairly - if one can ever be "fair" in such a totally subjective realm as responding to any "art" form. *(I can't spell and don't have time to look up these names)

I thought this episode much better than the first. My non-book reading companion was a bit fuzzy on Jojen (sp?) and some other - somewhat important - characters like Karstark, but not so much so as not to get the drift. One thing - though the Band was clearly not the monsters the young 'uns encountered before, I think that their Robin Hood-ish nature could/should have been made more clear. I am surprised - just browsing around a few threads, they are too long to read all the posts - to see a good few not liking the Margaery (sp?) performance. Admittedly it is a recap of the actresses portrayal of Ann Boleyn (sp?), but I think it works. Jojen is well-cast, I think. Looks the part.

5 - and I think I'm being rather generous. I thought it pretty much a muddle. I try to view the show without comparing to the book, and am watching with someone who has not read the books and am watching his reactions. Problems: Sam and ravens - eh, wot? Sam was out gathering dung. And Ghost with the company? Bronn with naked woman - ho hum. Sansa and Shae game - what a waste of minutes, what plot arc did it advance, what did it tell us about the story? Margaery and the orphans? Silly bathos. Why not have a scene with carts of food being delivered to grateful crowds while she is present? Would have accomplished the same point and harked back to the scene of the crowd mobbing the Lannisters because they were hungry. Harrenhall - my companion watcher had no idea who the characters were other than Robb, Cat, what's her name Robb wife. Well done: Tyrion and Tywin: stands alone as a powerful scene and sets up for later developments Giant Dragons - brief glimpse that we had Davos and Saan scene Stannis looking/acting drained, listless, defeated Dany assassignation attempt - well done with the child (when she opens that blue mouth it's a shiver) and the beautiful, deadly "creature" Condensing getting "Ser Grandfather" to Dany I was very happy not to have to endure Strong Belwas - I think he's a great bore.

Glad I have some company. I don't think i'm all that dim, and have managed some pretty dense writing in my time - does "Foucalt's Pendulum" count? - but by the end of ADWD I was so muddled by all the non-Westeros characters - the Sellswords with their outlandish names and costumes and shifting alliances quite defeated me. I had no idea why Tyrion would be miserable either, having only a vague memory that he was joined up with one or another of them - and which side that one was on that day I had no clue. There's a point - for me at least - when layer upon layer of complication becomes tiresome, and "Dance" went to that point and beyond in a number of instances. Thanks to the posters who gave the chapter summaries. Interesting. I like Barristan too. Hope both he and the lovely silver mare survive.