Stephanie Hunt? Well shit, now I'm obligated to watch at least a couple episodes of this because of my self-imposed "watch at least a couple episodes of everything starring a Friday Night Lights alum" rule.

I did, but I also figured that if it had said that, the news would have leapt out of the computer screen and into my real life before I ever could have seen it, like all the gasps and chatter that suddenly erupted in my college computer lab when Heath Ledger died.

Networks: Look at what FX and AMC allow, then allow that. Done. Easy. (And AMC, in turn, let this year's seasonal Breaking Bad f-bomb be uncensored.)

Viewers will already know something is going to happen on account of it being episode 9.

I actually thought this episode marked a step in the right direction for the Jarl, not because he's any better a character, but because as of this episode he's a one-dimensional, not especially interesting character who's acting against Ragnar rather than a one-dimensional, not especially interesting character who's re…

He just wasn't showering because of the rain, apparently, so I imagine it's taken care off.

Every show is permitted its signature stylistic flourishes.

I haven't seen one second of The Talking Dead this season, but back in season 2 when TWD was really spectacularly awful, every dreadful episode would always end and then I'd see like five seconds of Chris Hardwick going "OHHH WOW THAT WAS INCREDDIBBLE!!!!!" or something and I'd shut the TV off going "shut up SHUT up…

I am definitely a fan of this interpretation of Margaery. She pops off the screen a lot more than she popped off the page at this point (maybe ever). The show's cinematography and special effects also look very beautiful. Still, though, I definitely spent a fair amount of this episode tapping my foot/glancing at the…

I don't think that's just how you pictured it, I think they were straight-up described that way. But maybe they thought it would have played as silly onscreen.

I love the Barristan book reveal, and certainly didn't like this one as much, but I'm just not sure it would have worked onscreen the way it was in the book. They were in a tough spot with that, I think.

If you're into FNL, I'd definitely check out Parenthood. They have the same showrunner/head writer (Jason Katims), and share a fair amount of writers/directors/supporting cast members. No football or Texas, of course, but it has a similar kind of warmth and naturalism to it. It especially took a leap in quality in S3,…

Oh yeah, I damn near bolted up out of my seat in the middle of Salt and shouted "the Smash!" If I'd been at home instead of a movie theater, I definitely would have.

They even had a Friday Night Lights joke in one Hart of Dixie episode, where another character said something about how Scott Porter's character almost made a bad tackle in a high school football game and got paralyzed for life. I think they need to bring in a third FNL alum (anyone, don't care who) for a guest spot…

Matt Lauria (aka Luke Cafferty) is great in Parenthood and definitely deserves to be higher in your power rankings.

Michael B. Jordan's new movie (he's the main character) won the Grand Jury Prize at the recent Sundance Film Festival, so, that's somethin'.

People hate Matthew McConaughey? Dude, that's SO 2010.

It's always super-jarring for me when celebrities playing characters interact with celebrities playing themselves in a non-comedy (i.e. Rayna tallking to Katie Couric in this episode). It's all like "YOU'RE WATCHING A TV SHOW!!!" to me.

I have little memory of these specific episodes (I'd be watching along with these reviews if the show was on Netflix instant, but it's not), but I just wanted to pop in real quick to say that whenever Stars Hollow was covered in snow, it was such a striking, beautiful, inviting image that somehow evoked warm feelings…

I'm sure Liam McIntyre will get more work, though I'm kind of afraid it might be as an American in some crappy CBS procedural. Is there a role for him in Game of Thrones S4/5, please?