If he'd have bent the knee, he would have lost his fragile alliance up north. None of them will serve under a Targaryan vassal Warden.

Seems to be a side-effect of writerly fame. No publisher will risk offending a guaranteed money-maker, and Martin probably lost sight of why an objective editor is vital.

Jon's already King in the North. If that's recognised by anyone else, then the concept of the Seven Kingdoms has to be jettisoned (as Dany noted, he can only be Warden with her on the throne).

I liked Emilia's performance in that scene. You can tell that Dany's feeling something…. familiar about Jon. There were flashes in her eyes on occasion… nicely played.

It was Podrick… I freeze-framed.

It's been established that not only are the risks to the patient extreme, but that many people attempting the procedure (including the guy who wrote the book on it) contracted the same disease in the process…. and something that infectious, you could wipe out an entire city in a few weeks if you accidentally caught it.

He hasn't really had much in the way of normal conversation for a few years now…

Honestly, it's quite common for accents to be heightened or diminished depending on who you're around. When I visited the States, my sister was like 'Why are you talking like that?' because I was being extra English or something.

He's probably just a deckhand on a boat somewhere.

I think this season has to end with the White Walkers crossing the Wall… and likely the death of the Lannisters…. although they might be more interesting to keep around since it'll stop the final season just being people vs zombies.

I think it was supposed to be. They seemed to be emphasising that Bran has lost the ability to really engage much with humanity. It's made him more distant and indeed, even frightening to Sansa.

The Unsullied were inside Casterly Rock, looking for the bulk of the Lannister forces, they left their boats in the harbour.

I wonder what the Dothraki Sea is full of then…?

It's a lot easier to be unpredictable in your first and second acts. There are far fewer ways to end a story than to begin it…

Stuff like that just wouldn't have worked on TV… especially when they made efforts to keep the magical elements on the fringe for as long as possible. It's Game of Thrones. Not "Night Rider: Animal Edition"!

Yeah! They should totally do what The Walking Dead does and only (just about) develop a handful of main characters while only giving the secondary characters a few lines when they're about to be "shockingly" butchered in the upcoming (mid-)season finale.

Or maybe it was just two people having a nice moment in amongst all the chaos…

I think it's a case of doing the right thing getting her heirs killed. Margery was much love, and murdered by Cersei without consequence, and Loras wasn't exactly treated well by anyone either.

Probably best not to broadcast that Ned Stark's only surviving son is paralysed, alive, and at a poorly fortified (on the one side) position isolated from any and all help.

Nymeria jumps out of nowhere to take an arrow-missile for one of the dragons?