Tywin Smokin a Blunt

No one (i hope) is doubting it but it will be far more complicated than "we've got no food and there's a blizzard, honey come here for a second and give daddy a little help."

unfortunately there are plenty of people doubting it. I do think you're right that the scene will play out much differently in the books. I think we were witnessing one of those mash up scenes they've done so many times in the past and take two similar scenes that happen at different times and condense them into one. Stannis won't burn Shireen to get to Winterfell in the books, it'll be for some other purpose we don't know about yet that comes after he is reunited with his family.

I'm sorry but some of you must have been watching a different episode, that was an unqualified 10. For poor little Shireen alone that was one of the best episodes they've ever done, and for all you doubters, that's coming in the books I guarantee you.

I thought Hoster was talking about Tansy on his death bed because it was the Tansy Tea he made Lysa drink to have an aborition. Thus all the jabbering about 'all the blood' and whatnot.

I think he was being facetious.

He's drinking from the skull of his former commander, ordering his men to rape women 'till they're dead, sacrificing babies to ice monsters, feeding a giant direwolf for no apparent reason, and braging about how he can kill anyone.

If that's not a cardboard villain I dunno what is.

I get that, they're using a bit of shorthand because they dont intend to develop him beyond this short little filler arc, but they did give him a raison d'etre albeit a cliche one. Just be glad that they're beefing up what was otherwise a rather boring travelogue for Bran north of the wall.

Strong 8 bordering on 9. I like that they had Dany at the beginning to get her out of the way. I hate it when you look the clock and realize that it's 45 minutes past the hour and you just know they're going to close out with Emilia making some boring diatribe with that stupid smug look on her face...

The violent stuff at Craster's was pretty lame, IMO. I hate caricatures like Karl who are evil for no reason other than 'because they're evil'. GRRM knows how to build a true character, D&D still have no freaking clue.

Everything outside of Dany and Craster's was top-notch.

how is he evil for no reason? He's not necessarily evil at all, he's just reveling in the fact that for the first time in his life, he's the one giving orders rather than taking them.

I loved it. Really nailed the tragedy of the whole thing, especially Maisie Williams being so close but so far away. Even the Talisa change finally paid off, watching her have little Eddard aborted by force was so brutal, and it tied up one of GRRM's loose ends. Even beyond the RW, the episode was excellent. Bran warging Hodor was awesome, we got to see Greyworm go all baddass on some Yunkai guardsmen, even loved the comic relief from Sam & Gillie.

The only thing that concerned me, and its been concerning me all Season, we still have no wolf dreams for Jon Snow or any of the other Stark children. No idea if we're just supposed to assume it, or if its something they'll get to next season, or (horror) they're cutting it out. I hope they give us something on that front next week.