The issue is not that no one should ever make rape jokes because they can never be funny.  It's that if you're going to make a rape joke, it better be fucking hilarious.  If it's not, it's going to be offensive.  This joke was not even a little bit funny.

Failing in making a popular/successful TV show warrants canceling the show, not firing the creator.

The book version of the reveal occurs months after Catelyn left the water.

I think they have too much prep work (new characters to introduce - not just the Dornish, but also probably Mace Tyrell; Sansa's whole escape plot to work through) to have the Purple Wedding in the first episode, or even the second.  I'd guess it'll be not before the third episode.

I imagine we'll get not only Oberyn Martell, but also Mace Tyrell coming into town for the wedding.

Where is the Game of Thrones/Arrested Development mash-up?

Given that Frey, Bolton, and Tywin have apparently been planning this for a long time, it's hard to see how Stannis and Melisandre's curse can be "responsible" for what just happened.

"Tattaglia is a pimp. He never could have outfought Santino. But I didn't know until this day that it was Barzini all along."

Who do you think Tywin's been writing all those letters to?

The book absolutely explains what was going on.

Bean's Odysseus is one of the few characters to survive "Troy".  Apparently he doesn't die in "National Treasure" or "Ronin," either.

It seems to me that, for most of the episode, the most important thing for the show to do is not to ratchet up the tension, but to lull us into a false sense of security.  Once Black Walder closes the door and the Rains of Castamere starts playing, there's still plenty of time for dread.

The preview seems to show Jaime in King's Landing next episode, and no Purple Wedding in sight.  I don't see why anyone should be "really afraid" about this.  What plotting problems does Jaime's presence create?  Sansa is married to Tyrion now, and Robb and Catelyn are dead, so it's not like his promise to return her…

It's not a "pervading fan theory."  It's what the book says, even if it doesn't call Roose by name in that particular sentence.

Come on, "strongly suggested"?  "generally assumed"?  It is Roose.  It is not ambiguous at all if you're reading at all closely.  This is likely saying it's "generally assumed" that the guy Arya sees who is described in exactly the same way that Dany describes Illyrio is Illyrio.  These aren't fan theories.  A guy…

Surely Arya's list is ever shrinking - she hasn't added anyone in ages, Joffrey, Amory Lorch, the Tickler, Gregor Clegane, Polliver, Chiswyck, and Weese are all dead, and the Hound is off the list.  That leaves only Ilyn Payne, Meryn Trant, Cersei, Dunsen, and Raff the Sweetling.  And who cares about Dunsen and Raff…

In the books, at least, it seemed clear to me that Jaime has some suspicions as to Roose Bolton's loyalty to Robb Stark, although he obviously doesn't actually know about the Red Wedding itself.

E is the worst character in TV history, except for Vinnie and Turtle, who are somehow even worse.

E is the worst character in TV history, except for Vinnie and Turtle, who are somehow even worse.

Ida did seem to have some preternatural knowledge, or at least instinct for saying the right thing.  She chose Don as the person she knew.  She said not only that Don was handsome (a reasonable guess, I suppose, or she may have seen a picture before Sally found her), but also that Sally's mother was, iirc, a "piece of…