That's a good point. All we hear from the High Sparrow is about equality and living a meaningful life, so the fact that they also hate gays does feel kind of tacked on to make them more clearly analogous to (contemporary versions of conservative) Christianity, with some cool ideas packaged right alongside intolerance.

Well, if the Sparrows weren't bigoted shame-spewers, they'd be way too easy to root for.

I don't think the author is contending that Game of Thrones' writers were deliberately making metaphors about the 2016 election, but something doesn't have to deliberately ape something else for there to be parallels that can be drawn between the two things.

I think he knew Ramsay's predilections full well but figured he'd keep them in check with Sansa, since he needed her alive and bearing children. He probably thought Roose would keep an eye out for any shenanigans; I doubt he expected Ramsay to treat Sansa badly enough to cause her to run off.

Yeah, but there's no real reason for him to be around in any of these scenes. Jaime likes him well enough, but Cersei is not a fan, and he doesn't actually have any status or a job to do. I'm sure we'll see him again, but there's no real need to (other than that we like Bronn and want to see him, of course).

I actually love that Jon is going through a bit of an existential crisis in the wake of being murdered and resurrected. It seems much more interesting and realistic to me than Jon embracing some epic destiny. He's over it, and I like that about him.

That was my impression — that Jorah/Daario set the room up to burn like hell. Does killing the Khals count as blood magic, though? Martin has said repeatedly that Dany isn't automatically fire-immune, and that she survived Drogo's pyre because of blood magic (killing the witch). I know the show isn't the book, so…

It just seems like a miscalculation on the HS's part (in addition to just being a dick move). Cersei was loathed by the people. Margaery is loved, and her "crimes" much less lurid. Are they really going to take as well to her walk of shame (not that I think we'll actually get that far)?

Can someone remind me what Margaery's supposed to have done to warrant a shame walk? Is it just that she loves her gay brother?

Well I thought that was a damned fine episode, other than that Ramsay is still alive, that motherfucker.

I'm playing on PS3 — mods only work on PC, right? (That's probably a stupid question, sorry.) Thanks, though!

Man, y'all are really killing my motivation to go back home and play DA:O (I'm currently in the midst of that Fade subquest).

Yeah, I'm replaying the game right now and am in the Fade in the Circle Tower, and it's a neat idea in theory but plodding in execution.

I don't know if this counts as a level, exactly, but I was enjoying Assassin's Creed: Liberation on the Vita well enough — it was fun playing a female protagonist for once, and it's set in south Louisiana, my home turf — until I hit a ball puzzle fairly early in the game. It requires you to use the Vita's "tilt"…

I love that the rest of the world is going to shit, but for Gilly life keeps getting better and better — because she had nowhere to go but up. I'm not particularly invested in the character, but I really want things to end up well for her and little Sam. Like I hope they just get to leave the story soon so we can…

Well, if it turns out that Tommen gets killed by the Mountain or otherwise as a result of Cersei's machinations (this is pure speculation), I could see that being the thing that drives Jaime away from Cersei? I have a hard time imagining him killing her on purpose, though, no matter how estranged they get.

I've always just kind of assumed (in the books anyway) that Jaime will turn out to be the "little brother" who kills her (since they make a point of mentioning that she was born first).

Ah crap, this has done more than anything to convince me that Shaggydog really is dead.

Or at least Tommen, for fighting with his mother. I like Tommen, but I kind of hope that happens, actually. It would be so perfect and so awful for Cersei to fulfill the prophecy herself (again).

I think it's odder that they'd bring actual Rickon into Ramsay's presence if it's a trick (they know full well that Ramsay has a fondness for unexpected stabbings), but if for some reason Rickon had to be there, then I'd bet Osha would insist on coming along to protect him.