The Killer Snark

Yeah, I kind of thought that as well. I enjoyed it, but the last two episodes were more thematically designed.

I'm not worried about action. Too many scenes in the first half were overextended. This wouldn't be a problem so much in the novels, where interior monologue and different sorts of narrative colouring can lend event. Martin's dialogue was an improvement over previous episodes, but it's possible to apply too much of your own literary construction directly into a medium that is tradionally snappier paced. Stephen King, for example, is a very erratic adaptor of his own material. My one concern is that delaying the appearance of the Red Wedding will mean having to shorten the future adaptation of more eventful passages in the books. For instance, where are the Dornish? Are they even going to be used?

Was tempted to give a seven but decided to be generous and give it eight. some wonderful stuff, especially the Daenarys scene, but slow to start and some scenes went on too long. I actually preferred last week's, which had a smoother sense of pace. That Theon scene was pretty much nigh unwatchable. An improvement, though to how the details of his torture are rushed past in the books. I wonder if they'll show the death of Vargo Hoat, though, which again is totally grotesque. Sorry, Locke.

The Wall is very long, for starters, so Jon and Ygritte wouldn't exactly have been surrounded by other wildling parties, and weren't, if I recall, in the book when they reached the top. The rest of their party, in the show, thinking them dead, would have moved off to another part of the top of the Wall. The scene makes sense. The topography, however, doesn't quite. Owing to the amount of packed ice at the Wall, you'd expect it to be snow and ice for a longer distance than gets shown southwards. A fair amount of time has gone past in the novel by the time Jon's party reaches The Gift.

They have to cram Theon in for two reasons. Firstly, it gives Alfie Allen something to do. They want to make sure he stays in contract, instead of Theon frustratingly disappearing for a massive amount of time like he does in the books. It would be less interesting to just spend vast amounts of time, for instance, with Catelyn twiddling her thumbs at Riverrun, though I'd like to see Robb being featured more often. Secondly, the producers bungled by not bringing Ramsay in during season 2. If they simply brought him in a few seasons hence with no introduction, non book followers would be confused regarding who he's meant to be.

Just coming in to say that I think the series has gotten better in the last few episodes (including this one, unfashionably), but I would have given 8s to some of the episodes prior to the 5th, including the season's first episode, in case I'm giving the impression I'll just give everything a 9. I only started rating episodes here counting from episode 5.

Okay, I do have a few minor nits here, in case others haven't pointed them out, but my 9 score stands: 1. Theon had his finger flayed and left to rot in the text. Ramsay cut it off pretty quickly. I think they should keep the whole torture in to preserve the ick factor of the books. 2. It seems off to me that Loras, a valorous prig in the novels, is being forced to join the KG. 3. The closing shot is the most grandiose so far in the season, but surely the ice and snow would extend far further south of the Wall. DaveSnow - As much as I like Alfie Allen, I do have a bit of an issue with Theon not being smarter in the series, as opposed to the books where he is in fact very clever, just fantastically naive.

I'm giving it a 9. Last week's was better, but marginally. I think people are getting put off here by two factors, that the pace was very leisurely and the episode served mainly to set up future plot points: and that a fair amount of liberties were made with the source material or new material added, in part because of prior cuts or unneccesary alterations, I admit. Yet aside from the somewhat crass giving over of Gendry, most of these scenes worked. The pace was just a little too leisurely towards the end, and the death of Roz won't go down well with Petyr baelish apologists, and suggests the producers realise her character was superfluous in the first place, since she isn't in the books. I've reversed my opinion on the actor playing Ramsay, though I still wish they'd went with someone a bit bulkier and more physically weird. I don't think the lack of real events are a big problem here, considering how readers had to adapt to Catelyn being sidelined at Riverun for around 900 pages while her father refused to kick the bucket, so I'm glad at lease they've cut back on that here. Rose Leslie as Ygritte is proving an increasing treat, and I'll be sad when she leaves the series. One point which is probably improved over the books is the fact that Osha is still in it, who I believe Martin sent off to Skagos because he couldn't think of how to use her. I'm developing an attraction for the actress playing Meera Reed. Next week's episode will no doubt be better, but I think the panning many are giving this one wouldn't happen if they hadn't already read the books, and were oblivious to the changes that have been made. Only the pointless fate of Gendry had me silently groaning to myself. However, at the moment I'm struggling to take an interest in the direly scripted, badly characterised and snail-paced last season of Spartacus, so I might be inclined to be slightly generous in this case.

Seems we're mostly in agreement here. I voted 9, of course, like most folks. Not quite perfect, but the best 3rd season episode so far. Who in God's name were the four people who gave it 4 or below, though? :o Two people gave it 1.

Lord Godric - Very well groomed? You couldn't see anything. :( How can we tell apart from looking at her eyebrows that she is indeed 'kissed by fire'? Nice body, mind. Not too skinny at all. :D

I'm still not sold on how they're portraying Stannis yet, and what on Earth were the pickled babies about? But at least the Dragonstone sections are picking up for me. I reckon they should have included Patchface, though, who I always found creepily amusing, but they may have considered him a distraction. I just realised how badly underused Roose has been before.

I gave it a nine. I really enjoyed how faithful it was in relation to prior episodes in this season which altered or chopped to fit things in. The second half was arguably more interesting than the first half, with more key plot-points coming together. My only reservation is that Rose Leslie could have shown her bush, because this was of course expected by any male viewers tuning in. I'm not really being facetious either, seeing as Jon thinks of Ygritte being 'kissed by fire' from the moment he sees her nude. I thought the actor playing Jaime was terrific in this episode. Also the guy who plays Roose, and the actor for Qyburn is spot on.

Yo.

Yes. Thanks.

Hello, Mya. You look like Dita Von Teese in that pic.

I have just changed my profile name. I used to be known as the published poet Iain James Robb. I am now The Killer Snark.

Thanks, Lord_Tyrion. I think this is a great place. And welcome to the other new users as well.

I'm 37, from Glasgow, Scotland but born in Greenock, am currently unemployed but am a small-press published metrical poet working on trying to arrange a book deal. As a hobby, I like to practice fine art and photography, am a fanatical film buff, and have done work as a part time life-model. I am also a general music afficionado who believes that Beethoven was probably the greatest man who ever lived.