His arc following Storm of Swords, though, is terrible on both character and dramatic levels. They need to rework it on the show. Getting drunk a lot, being a sexist ass, then making friends is decidedly not a redemption arc for what he does to Shae.

The Kingsmoot can be dramatically shortened.

Drunk and repititive and insanely misogynist Tyrion is the worst Tyrion we see—though "learning lessons" pig-riding Tyrion isn't so good, either. Martin really loses the thread with Tyrion after the crossbow scene.

I think Stoneheart will be revealed soon.

Yeah, I can't tell at all what to do with Tyrion from the end of book three on. It reads to me much more like Martin decided after the killing of Shae that it should never be mentioned again, on penalty of catapult. Which makes sense, because it's really a moment the character can't come back from, and no amount of…

I think Stannis in the books is clearly no more than a man—as any king is.

Davos has much more of a sense of ethics than a sense of honor. Ned's honor compelled him to misrecognize the world as it is. Davos' ethics help him navigate the world as it is.

@avclub-d980b15d49101608dc407770f35b1d75:disqus

I think it's the odd plotline that's going to work better on film than on the page.

I think you should watch Clarke's face during that scene. She starts out with that serene confidence, but by the end of the scene it's been broken and she's obviously overwhelmed and unsure of herself.

TVDW: "Violence in the pursuit of raw power is ultimately self-defeating. Violence in service of a worthy cause, however, is not just sometimes useful but often necessary."

Yes.

Saw it last night. Absolutely fantastic.

That's *exactly* how Topher plays him. It's very well done.

I disagree with this advice!

My guess is that @avclub-21cb1137b6aab4de4328a8c698770071:disqus  is referring to Arya's slower, less actively murdery journey in the tv show. By this point in the books, she has amassed a much larger body count, including some full-on planned murders carried out herself.

SPOILERS

SPOILERS

If the books have a point, it's that the whole idea of "true heirs" and the right of legitimate kings is a load of poisonous shit.

Both Robb and Cat made huge mistakes, without which they probably wouldn't have died at the Twins. If you can't find any kind of human connection with flawed characters and see their brutal deaths as thus deserved, I don't really know what kind of fiction beyond the late-childhood kind you're going to properly…