DarkAndFullOfTurnips

I feel you, and at first I thought why the hell are they doing this with Arya's arc, but watching those two interact was just awesome. I watched an interview with Charles Dance, Thronecast I think, where he's almost speechless about how great Maisie was, and that really pushed me over the edge that sometimes on TV you just need to let brilliant actors interact to make for better television. As long as they don't develop it into a completely different story I'm ok with them do things that are better visually at the expense of book faithfulness.

I think given what we know about how much planning, reading, and meeting these guys do for character arcs and the overall plot that they would attempt to avoid writing themselves into a corner where they have no choice but to do something so drastic that the plots become too different from the books. I'm somewhat optimistic since these guys know more about George's world than we do. I actually very much dislike their portrayal of Littlefinger thus far, but I think it will play out as I mentioned in the spoiler. Or at least I hope. If not I'm eagaerly awaiting your "I told you so!" post :P

Ooh, I don't know about that. I think this forum isn't that indicative of the general perception of characters since we're all so obsessed and overanalyze everything. I think Robb gets extra crap on here because he did do some stupid things, but overall he was honorable and just and fighting for a good cause, whereas Tywin ordered the death of babies and is overall a pretty bad father and a petty man (As Oberyn points out).

I agree. it's more damaging than a million people knowing. But change your comment from "quite literally everybody and their grandmother" to Varys and Olenna if you'd like to be accurate.

As far as I can tell, only Ros, Varys, and Olenna know. That's not a lot of people. Substituting Ros for Dontos, that's two more people that know compared to in the books. Two people who keep secrets to further their position.

Complaining about the Ramsay plot at this point of the season is like reading half of a book and saying you don't get every storyline.

Brienne's lines is twofold. One, she is using Jaime's own devices against him. Two, Brienne clearly has a disdain toward the typical perspective of a Westerosi lady and where they think their place is in the world. This is why she loves Cat, because she is atypical in the sense that she's strong and courageous. Up until the point she swears her service to Cat it seems that Brienne has never met a woman with courage (Other than herself). It's not really hard to piece together. If you think it's sexist it's because they live in an incredibly sexist world.

So Jaime and Brienne was terribly botched because you interpreted her line to mean that she dislikes women? Everything else about it was terrible too right? Rory as Sandor was brilliant in that BwB scene, and so was Anguy - transforming from witty little outlaw to soldier concerned with the fate of the smallfolk. Why are people so ridiculously dramatic.

I don't think it should matter what number of episode it is to rate it a certain way.

I don't think you do pay attention, since the entire argument leading to Craster's death is about how Bannen was killed by starvation, Rast mentions he has a hidden larder, and Edd talking about how good a burning man smelled, Craster saying how he needs to feed his wives, and Karl saying quite obviously that they were starving and the bread his wives gave him was not sufficient. These are all very obvious points regarding the NW starvation. And if you watched the scene when Sam is fleeing and didn't hear the obvious sounds of sword-on-sword clanging and understand there was a fight, you can't have been paying attention. You also see Grenn and Edd fighting against their own brothers. I'm not arguing that the scene could have been shot better. Sure, almost every scene could be. But to say it wasn't obvious is only giving credence to the fact that if you don't pay attention, you have no idea what's going on. It was dark? Of course it was dark!!

If it made it seem like the entire NW attacked the keep with 1 man (Craster) in it then why were there sounds of swords, mean screaming, and fighting amongst themselves? It doesn't seem that way at all if you simply pay attention. And I think chaos is what they were going for.

My non-reader friends aren't confused much at all, except for with Boy which is obviously done on purpose. But they don't just watch it because, they're pretty obsessed. Occassionally they do ask questions that I'll explain from previous episodes, little bits of information they missed to explain something. But that's a good thing. Rewatchability is great, and reading through the books the first time I must have missed hundreds of things that I picked up on re-reads.

Ah, I see. I just felt the need to point it out since people say things like this episode was a bit boring, I gave it a 9. Gotta respect the scale :)

The scale. When something is 10 out of 10 it means it's perfect. If it's 5 out of 10 is average. If it's 1 out of 10 it's garbage. That's how it works.

On a 10 point scale there is no possible way you can grade something you consider to be absolutely incredible a 5. Unless by absolutely incredible you mean perfectly mediocre. I gave it a 9. One of the best episodes, nothing glaringly dislikable, but some very powerful moments ("You sound like a woman," Valyrian speech, Sansa looking happy for the first time since Joffrey). Sansa has no motivation to be queen anymore. She just wants to be happy.

Well, he is iron born ;) Also if you hate these episodes I can't imagine you enjoyed season 2 much, either. A 3/10 for me would be garbage TV and unwatchable so... It's not going to suddenly become super faithful to the book(s).

I don't really recall Theon building an ark but maybe I need to rewatch.

Well in that case it is pretty stupid.

Jorah was too busy checking out dat ass to be of any use rescuing her. Barristan has no such inclinations.

The reason I thought it to be that way is because Tyrion seems so perplexed at the notion, not considering that it could have some sort of hidden or political meaning (Not like him) that he was basically feigning ignorance to butter up his boy for whom he owes his life...A small price to pay for a man with unlimited wealth. He also invites him to sit with Bronn and share some talk with the boys. It just seems like a gift. I wish they made it a tad more clear though because it could really be interpreted several ways.

Nothing anybody on Essos does is smart. They have soldiers fighting on stilts of all things.

Theon isn't tortured in Episode 3 :) The horse chase sequence was quite awesome though. And Talisa's scene was just sort of a hey look there's a couple Lannister kid hostages.

Well I'm not sure how you can call yourself a purist if you think it's a waste of air time to portray one of the best, albeit most troubling storylines of the books. It just can't happen like it does in the books and still be powerful. Theon has absolutely nothing to do the next 2 seasons so there's plenty of air time.

All of Jaime's prowess is sort of hinted at through some dialogue in the show. I would have liked if they make him seem the prodigy he was in the books as well, but oh, well.

They do say he cut down 10 of our men, or something to that effect, when they first capture Jaime.