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What was the point of getting Locke to the Wall, only to kill him off a minute after?

Did he? Why do they do this. Some of the choices they make are really stupid.

It's an 8 from me. The episode was excellent, the build up was great, but Joff actual death... Maybe I need to watch it again.

hmmm, I thought it was a bit underwhelming compared to the books. The build up was good, but the actual moment... Cersei's reaction was a bit off, too. She was fine at the end, but she was just staring at Joff when he was dying, in the books she's in panic, screaming. It was good overall, not amazing. I think they did better with the RW, despite the fact it was very different from the books. Also, the actress who plays Shae is the most unconvincing at crying.

Maybe that's just me, but I'm assuming this won't be the Jaime/Tywin final confrontation. They were never going to settle it now, it's just episode 1.

It wasn't a complaint. I was laughing about the fact it looked silly. I didn't give a sh-t, tbqh.

You can't read sarcasm apparently though. My post mentioned that Melisandre had a car... You don't actually think I believe that, do you?

I agree that it was purposely ambiguous, but it's not like in the books in the slightest. In the books Cersei is not a snarky woobie who stares at sea shells thinking on the good times. Show!Cersei is a soap opera-like character. A dramatic heroine. Which is completely laughable and unfair to the books. She also doesn't love Jaime all that much, so that look of love is quite a change.

It's how did he survive 3 arrows as well to me. Once would have sufficed, I do think they took a it too far and it was a bit far fetched.. They obviously couldn't skip it because they needed a scene of Ygritte eventually turning on Jon, but it should have happened all during episode 9.

How did Jon survive all of this is a mystery, I'm beginning to believe he's the Kurgan reborn.

I don't understand where did some people see this. In an interview NCW said something along the lines of Cersei and Jaime both having missed each other and loving each, but things have changed for the while they were away. So the way the show is going to go on about it, is by having them loving each other like in a soap opera, and fall apart for other reasons. Not because Cersei is a manipulative liar and a cheat, like in the books. When she saw him she looked shocked and concerned to me, not like she didn't love him. I'm not fine with this, honestly I'm not fine with all these departures in characterisation. They're quite annoying. She runs as fast as a horse, apparently. Or maybe she has a car like Melisandre, who travels across Westeros much faster than other characters.

I gave it a 10, and this is the first 10. Best episode of the season by far. I was intermittently in tears since Jon left Ygritte behind, and then Rickon/Bran, poor wee Arya and Catelyn... It was so good. The RW was different than in the books, it had a very different feel to it as it was awkward but somewhat joyful, whereas in the books there was a feel of impending doom, but I think it worked fantastically anyway. I'm also so happy that Jon's storyline is finally shaping up nicely, and I now recognise the Jon I love in the books. Please, keep going in this direction and don't muck Jon up again! One thing I couldn't tell, did Blackfish die too?

I think Loras will eventually willingly join the Kingsguard to get out of marrying her. He'll be the one rejecting her.

This. I always think of either Charlize or Diane Kruger when reading Cersei. She never has Lena's face, and I do think she's a good actress, but she's not the Cersei I imagined and still imagine. There. So the other poster was perfectly entitled to say he does't like Headey's acting, since as you put it, to each their own. Geez. As for Cersei's characterisation, and this is the writing, she has her moments. In the last episode she was great, during most of season 3 she's been a passive bore.

I gave it an 8, and I gave myself some time to stew over it and decide. Mostly because the good was very good, and the bad wasn't as bad as last week - except for Theon. The highlights were Arya, Jaime/Brienne, Dany and I suppose I liked Jon/Ygritte too (but let's move forward now, they made a point they love each other). I also liked Tyrion kind of implying that as much as he doesn't want to admit it, he would like to have Sansa which is faithful to the books. Mel/Gendry and Talisa/Robb were fairly forgettable. The only thing I hate is the fact that Talisa is pregnant means she'll definitely stick around. An episode without show!Littlefinger and show!Cersei is automatically a much better episode btw. Need more Stannis and Davos.

How do you know? Has it been confirmed? Agreed. I liked the scene anyway, but cinematically speaking it would have worked much better from Brienne's POV. Then again they needed to show Jaime deciding to go back. I guess we could have had both if they cut some of Theon's redundant torture.

I gave it a 6 because too many things bothered me, but I'm just going to skip them altogether and mention the good ones: - Jon Snow: I'm a massive Jon's fan who has been not very pleased with his depiction so far, but as cheesy as his interaction with Ygritte was, I think it worked and it finally did the character justice. We saw his respect for Tormund grow, and by making the love story more romantic-us-against-the-world they set up a more poignant situation when it all goes tits up. I still don't know how is it gonna work from a narrative standpoint, since they're like 4 wildlings doing the deed? :dunno: - Bolton/Jaime/Brienne: the actor who plays Bolton is so good - subtly threatening, and while the scene should have been longer it was good nonetheless. I also loved Brienne/Jaime and their new "in tune" interaction; he struggles with his dinner/she offers a steady hand, she grabs a knife/he stops her and insists she's coming with him. And all of it it's done without them acknowledging it or even looking at each other. - Tywin/Olenna was funny, and as unfair as it is so was the Continuous Unfortunate Adventures of Sansa Stark (I mean the date with Loras, not the last bit). It was the worst episode so far though.

I can't be the only one annoyed at the whitewashing of Cersei. In season 1 it was a nice touch, by now it's becoming very irksome.

The episode was practically perfect, so many highlights e.g. Jaime/Brienne, Shireen/Stannis and Shireen/Davos (I love the little girl that plays her!), Robb/Karstark, Arya's heartbreak. At the moment I'd say it's the episode I've enjoyed the most. I have to join the chorus of people who aren't pleased about Jon/Ygritte though. Tbh, I have problem with Jon's whole storyline, in the books he's one of my faves while in the show he's a bit of a letdown. Sex with Ygritte had zero build up and came out of nowhere, their whole relationship feels sudden. I just can't wait for Jon's time with the wildlings to end, for Stannis to get to the Wall, and for Jon to start interacting with Team Dragonstone (Melisandre!). I'm sure it will be way more interesting than what we get right now, as for some reasons it just did not translate properly on screen. Jon's story is my only gripe atm, I hope it picks up. Re Brienne's body double: it's weird some would say that, as the actress who plays her has done tons of naked portraits so I doubt she'd have a problem with nudity. She looked very pretty during the whole scene and her body is gorgeous, however Brienne is not supposed to be attractive; why use a body double with such pretty derriere? EDIT: spelling

I'm a bit disappointed as well, in the books it comes across differently. Show!Brienne is much more hardened by life already, and I don't necessarily have a problem with that, but some of the things she said like the "bloody woman" line, it's something book Brienne would have never said in a million years. I think they're bringing to the surface Brienne's conflict with who she is- a woman- and what she wants to be- a knight, and how the two things don't seem to be able to coexist. At least that's my take so far. However, I still think they're showing Brienne's humanity. When Jaime is being beaten up, she tries to help but she's stopped and she's horrified and sad at what's happening to him. And as harsh as what she said to him was, it sounded like tough love. She's puzzled by his actions- lying to save her whenever he was threatening to kill her himself not so long ago, but she doesn't think highly of him and it shows, however she's humane enough to want to him to pull through. Also, practically speaking, she needs him to be alive otherwise her task is fruitless. I think show Brienne is naive in the way she sees the world and people as good or bad, but also quite pragmatic. She's more grown up.

I'm not sure I see the point of picking plot holes before the whole season has ended, as what it would appear as a plot hole might in fact make sense in context or be explained later on. Some of the things you mentioned could also be explained even now; for instance in the Brienne thing, Locke made a point of him "going first" and the other men would have her after him, so they weren't trying to rape her yet at that point, just beat her up. Or Ramsay killing his men, the guy is deranged, why is that surprising? Dany will probably free Missandei later on. Just give it time, also because you said you gave it an 8, so it can't be that bad ;)

I gave it an 8, but it was nearly a 9. The problem I have with voting episodes as I watch them, is that I always change my mind after watching the whole series and compare each episode overall, so end up being much tighter in my initial voting. But anyway. I thought it was great, pretty much all of it. The parts that stand out the most were Jaime/Brienne, which I'll get to later, Dany (I'm dying for her story in the next episode!), Theon, and the little snippet of Arya- who needs more screen time asap, it's not enough so far. The things I disliked was the Talisa scene, because as much as I try I just don't care and I find her screen time wasted time, and Jon's sloooow moving storyline. I'm unsure about Pod The Stud; while I understand they need to establish his attachment to Tyrion because at some point it will matter, it went on for too long. And I'm not squeamish about nudity, I just wish it didn't take that much time as it doesn't advance the plot. I loved the ending. While reading SoS those Jaime's chapters were always filled with so much dread but were slightly surreal at the same time, and I felt the scenes on the show completely captured that feeling. One minute Jaime thinks he's manipulating everyone, the next he's handless. Forever. The song was very fitting, too. Like I said, it added to the chaotic/surreal/bleak feel to it. And Jaime/Brienne have by far one of the best dynamics of all. ETA: I still don't understand the point of separating Jon and Ghost.

Re the accent: I thought it was Cockney. Regardless, I though it was ironic and quite funny that the bloke who ratted them out was the second person to remind him of that Frey wedding he attended but didn't quite remember.

Lol, calm down :P I was talking about the actual fight scene book vs show. The book version was quite sexually charged, whereas in the show it came across quite different. I love those two together in the books, the actors have great chemistry, and I agree the Renly scene was quite tense. However I'm not sold on the show's adaptation of the fight.