[Book Spoilers] Nitpick without repercussion!

[Fantôme]

Agree with everything about Robb and the annoying Volantene (So is she a fake Jeyne Westerling or have they really completely change the storyline? What was the point of this unbearable conversation if it's all lies?)

Arya escaping Harrenhal...so very impressive...But worse than that they are not showing Arya's evolution at all.I was worried about it since she became Tywin's dotted cupbearer but I am even more now.

Still had hoped for the chain but no...

Catelyn. But I guess that was a nitpick about last week's episode.

[Rickon is FIERCE]

Also I was really looking forward to that chase scene from the books where the rangers stay behind one by one to stall Rattleshirt, but it's not going to be there. Very disappointing.

THIS. And that great cowboy scene the night before Qhorin dies. They'll have a similar conversation but it won't be the same having them chained up like a couple of losers.

[Bride of Winter]

One reason I am seriously frustrated is that the person I (force) to watch the show with me doesn't like it at all. He thinks the romance is cheesy and cliche, and the Robb/Talisa dialogue just went overboard (he fell asleep during her story). I just kept saying while he eyerolled, "this is NOT the books I love." It makes me defensive of the books, because GRRM is not a cheesy romance writer, not even close, and that is one of the many reasons that I love him. There is no way in a billion years that GRRM would write a storyline like the one between Talisa and Robb. I'm not kidding when I think there are tons of people with no real television writing experience that could produce something better than that. It is atrocious on every level. Even my friend who loves T&A at every opportunity in the show was disgusted and disappointed by their scene, saying it was "too forced with no chemistry." It's hard to believe that book Robb, a 15 year old boy, is more mature than TV Robb, a grown man. Yes, Robb in the books makes totally foolish decisions, but when he came back to camp with Jeyne he was all business. He had plenty of sex with his wife (and why wouldn't he?), but he was mostly focused on important things, like the damn war. Jeyne was so worried about Robb's intense behavior (he was pacing, not talking to her, completely distracted, etc) that she went to talk to Cat about it. TV Robb? He doesn't give a fuck, honestly. I hope the RW comes sooner than later so we can put an end to this disgusting "romantic tragedy." Blah. And I was so looking forward to this relationship too. Thanks, D&D.

Exactly. asides from the personal element of it being devastating how badly they're fucking up such an amazing series, it sucks to have to constantly defend ASOIAF/GoT week after week to show-viewers. If I had a dollar every time I told my friends "It's different in the books!" I would probably have enough money to adapt the series myself.

[Davos55]

Pretty good episode..but definitely some nitpicks for it.

Robb and What's her face is just so cheesy and ridiculous. I face palmed listening to the dialogue between them, and they just dragged it out this episode so long, when everyone in the entire world knew that clearly they were going to have sex. Seeing Chaplin's great body didn't make up for the excess of time spent with them this episode, and this romance is just very weak.

Honestly I can't wait for Roose to kill Robb next season. Bolton has been great in every scene he has been in this year in my eyes, and I love how he is there whenever Talisa comes around. You know he is just thinking..man..this kid is dumb.

Jon's new storyline is just not good. I went into too much of a rant last time about it, so I don't feel like getting into it again, but honestly, these changes were not beneficial and Jon Snow has never looked more idiotic. All of my nonbook fans think he is a big moron.

Where is Ghost or any direwolf?

Why have that redundant scene with Dany? Her dialogue this season has just been very poorly written. She is either all about fire and blood, or all about being a mother. That's it. I am hoping she gets her proper moment to shine in episode 10 though with the House of the Undying!

I surprisingly can't complain about Ros this episode. Her scene was relevant and was very effective.

I am sad to see no Weasel Soup, but honestly I came into this season thinking they would cut it for some reason, and this was just further convinced each and every episode. It had no chance of showing up..which is too bad!! I am curious to see how Jaqen will meet up with Arya for episode 10 now.

I loved the return of Stannis and Davos, but why did they have Stannis casually ask Davos to be his hand in that situation? This takes out some great dialogue from ASOS, but I suppose they maybe could retool it and put it in somehow.

Final random positive note: Hot Pie is back!

[The Wood of the Morning]

I'm not so unhappy about the lack of weasel soup, what I am quite concerned about is her lack of guard killing. It's an awesome scene when she slits his throat without remorse and the wolf howls in the background and really started molding her into the killing machine she soon becomes, The season isn't over yet so there is still hope but idk, I feel she's being portrayed as too innocent.

Also not exactly new to this episode but the wildlings look totally wrong to me, I pictured boiled leather, iron studs, and fur; not a bunch of guys wearing white camo GAP parkas :bang: Though I did enjoy seeing the Lord o' Bones

And of course the Robb/Talisa scenes are cringe worthy. I don't care if she isn't Jeyne, she could be Walder from Asshai for all I care, but god damn that was almost unwatchable, I almost feel sympathy for Roose :lol:

And why no chain? I really don't understand some of the changes being made this season.

[Rickon is FIERCE]

Also, the writers like the word "cunt" a bit too much. Yeah yeah you're so edgy, lawl.

HA!! I counted about four or five references on a rewatch...could have been more...has to be somebody's job to catch that, right???

[birdsong66]

Guys, Karstark's mention of The Father does not mean that he worships the Seven. He was suggesting just how far he'd go to get his sons back, even if it meant praying to a religion he does not worship.

And how is that different or more honorable than exactly how far Catelyn did go? Can we assume that this praying to a foreign god is after he beheads Jaime?

Just asking....

[The Wood of the Morning]

Final random positive note: Hot Pie is back!

\

Hear Hear!

[SerMixalot]

the problem as I see it is HBO didnt have the courage to really give into the SOIAF. By that I mean getting away from Dany and Robb this season. Let these seeming leads, drift into the background and feature the other stories. Given time Aryas story could have had alot more meat on it, San/San, etc. but instead they saw these two as their stars and had to have stories on them. It would have taken courage for HBO to go against the typical TV grain and reduce their stories in favor of THE STORY.

People do remember across seasons etc. and enough people have read the books

But I suppose that would ahve been too much to ask for.

[teemo]

But she is a mother. Moreso in the books, but she's still very much the mother of her dragons in the show.

I didn't mind hearing it so much in her head (it was kind of sad/touching in a way), but her screaming about it all of the time is really unappealing.

[SerMixalot]

yes arya is a badass, she grabbed Hot Pies ear.

OOOOOH scary tough.

Have to admit Hot Pies fall from being a tough guy kicking to death some guy in the balls to a guy lamenting the cherries in the pie is pretty funny

[Rickon is FIERCE]

I still resent that they made Jon ask to go, instead of Qhorin requesting him.

100% yes.

[1234567]

The more I think about it, the more I am begining to hope they move the Red Wedding up to the first or second episode of season 3. I think I might be sick if I have to watch another Robb / Talisa scene.

Edit: actually Talisa is probably the worst addition to the story I have seen so far.

Seriously we get her made up back story, but not Sandor's despite having seen the audition which is good acting as opposed to chemistry-less Robb and Talisa.

[Lexicdark]

While I like that igrette stood up for Jon, I hate that you basically only get this implied sense that Halfhand told Jon to switch sides. In the books it is very clear, and it gets drilled into Jon to do whatever it takes to get the Wildings to accept him. Hopefully this will get fleshed out more in the next episode.

LOVE the Tyrion/Bronn scene, they are just too funny. But the Tyrion/Varys scenes always leaving me feeling confused. I understand what they are saying to each other, because I have more background and context. The husband doesn't quite get their purpose either, and he is not a book reader.

And really Robb? Sex with the strange doctor girl in your command tent, with people walking by, possibly in..... really? Totally knew where that scene was going, but this can't be the inciting incident for the Red Wedding. And if he finds some way to sneak off and marry her, I will have to jump on the hurry up and kill Robb bandwagon. I mean, marrying Jeyne Westerling was one thing, she was a noble woman from an established house. Marrying a woman who wanders about healing people at battles, who has no established family in Westeros, no noble ties is just WAY too far outside Robb's character for me. And maybe yes, we will all find out she is some Lannister high born spy working in the trenches to get info. But Robb doesn't know that. And he grew up in a home where honor and duty was everything, and couldn't just through them away for a commoner!

[I'll pay the iron price]

Talisa does have a nice butt though :drool:

[Rickon is FIERCE]

Amen... it's the epitome of what's happened to Tyrion his whole life... it is such an important part of character motivation that to remove it was just stupid on all fronts.

One of GRRM's strengths is that his characters are human/we understand their motivation even when we don't agree... the chain missing is big error imo.

Yes, yes, yes, yes. A lot of Tyrion's depth has been lost, from brains to balls. The ONLY sign of his superior intellect has been the Pycelle trap. There have been NO sex scenes with Shae, which are purposefully all over the books....unfortunate b/c I think the contrast of how he'd be with Shae, whom he loves, vs. his interlude with Ros last season would've been good for character development. As it is they've whitewashed him quite a bit- no participation in Tysha's rape, no sex this season, no threats to Tommen after the Alayaya/Ros beating, no Cersei poisoning (why show him getting the drug from Pycelle in the first place???), over the top Prince Charming setup of the forthcoming Sansa marriage....very little substance, conflict, darkness, or depth, all of which make him such a fantastic character.

[David Selig]

Speaking of Nurse-girl, some badly written dialouge (rather monolouge!) makes her a good deal older than she ought to be: Her drowning story were set when Nurse-girl was 12 year old during the hottest day of a "three year summer". Fine, but current summer is a record ten year long summer, meaning she was 12 year old during the previous summer. Making her at least, if not more than, mid-twenties.

What's the problem with this? I am pretty sure her age has never been specified, so why can't she be in her mid 20s? That's exactly how old the actress looks to me anyway.

[Rickon is FIERCE]

I simply could not agree with this more. The irony of it was so moving. And it means that Theon shares some culpability for the Red Wedding, which was really tragic to me, because it was clear that he just got in over his head, and did not really intend the extent of the damage he did. These aren't small changes, these are changes that cut away at the very heart and soul of the strongest and most important storyline in the entire series!

YESSSSSSSS

[1234567]

@ Jolene Brown

These subtle changes have made all most all the Starks go honourable and a bit naivee to gobsmakingly stupid and whiny. The Jon / Ygritte and Robb/ Talisa scenes get more painful as the show goes on and Cat's character seems to have been removed and replaced by someone else.

[Rickon is FIERCE]

I still have high hopes for the chain. I think it's meant to be a surprise to the viewer as it will be for Davos...that they're going for a big shock moment.