How does Vergil's Aeneid not make this list?

That's a fair point. Though maybe going the traditional route would itself be subversive at this point?

Someone elsewhere here mentioned that Joffrey was buried with a sword, presumably the Valyrian steel one. Of course, all we saw was Joffrey lying in state with the sword—that doesn't mean it was buried with him (or that it's even the same sword). But I agree, Tywin would probably not have squandered it.

Honestly, I never got the complaints. Harington is very well cast as Jon Snow, & that stoic, even dour demeanor is all in the books.

There's still stuff from the books that could still happen, but yeah, some plotlines have been completely taken off the table. This season has thrown a lot of curves at us SBRs (Smug Book Readers), & I have to say I am LOVING it. Tonight's episode was just jaw-dropping, & there's sure to be more of the unexpected to…

Ice was melted down by Tywin Lannister & re-forged into two swords (it was so damn big it hat THAT MUCH steel in it). Jaime Lannister got one, which he gave to Brienne (that's Oathkeeper). The other one was given to Joffrey for a wedding present (that's what he used to chop up the book Tyrion gave him, & to cut open…

We've never seen Sansa warg at all, but Arya has, a bit—seeing through Nymeria's eyes (like when she pulled Cat out of the river).

I thought he was standing near Tormund in episode one this season, when Mance was being burned.

I've long assumed that the books would get to the point where Dany comes back to Westeros & her dragons are a major factor in the ultimate defeat of both wights & the White Walkers themselves.

I'm a teacher woefully behind on my grading, with finals looming this week, but fuck all that. Priorities, man!

My memory is that Sam's just theorizing, though—not that he finds concrete proof. But as soon as the previously-on focused on Longclaw being Valyrian steel, I figured this is what we'd get. Still, I loved how they dragged it out, loved the fight, loved the beating Jon Snow took, loved the reveal about that magical…

I didn't know what to expect. I thought he was gonna bring a storm howling down on their little boats.

Who's saying nay?!? That was fucking AWESOME.

Not sure I can say this was the best episode so far—I mean of the whole damn series, not just this season—but definitely the most intense. As an SBR (Smug Book Reader), this season is turning into quite the ride—so much happening, so much that's so different from the books. Tonight's magnificent entry was full of…

That, too.

You know, the part nobody actually likes, that's only palatable when you slather it with something better?

I'm pretty sure that's not what "cameo" means.

Re your #2: A lot of kids are towheads when they're little. Mrs. Neophyte & I are both brown-haired (& I'm a quarter Italian), but both the little Neophytes were very blonde at first. The Boy is almost 11 & The Girl just turned 8, & they're both really just starting to get darker hair.

Actually, the love triangle aspect of it is the one thing I remember being impressed by. The usual lazy sit-com would have made the new boyfriend easy to dislike—it would have been easy & obvious that we should be rooting for Pete & Sharon. It felt like a novel move to have the "other guy" be a good guy—it made the…

Michelle Fairley has also said she didn't shoot any LS scenes, though I suppose that could be a fake-out.