Shireen's I thought was beautifully acted but was just rushed and ultimately could have been handled a LOT better if they had to do it.

*cue inevitable well informed but snarky response about how wrong people are.*

No, even for show watchers alone it's nothing compared to the shock in the book. It was done well, I feel, but perhaps a bit too methodical, and bringing Melisandre back *right* at that moment rather than having her around for ages to me cheapened his death in a way. Literally spelling out on a post that he's a…

I look forward- assuming they do it- to a spider returning to King's Landing and having some words with the only really likable Lannister and a beadred old man. That'll be fun.

Biggest disappointment- Stannis' death. In a way I'm glad he's gone because of the character assassination to him, and I don't think I honestly could have tolerated them trying to sort that mess, but it was still horribly anticlimatic I feel. For a character that's been around since S2 and an actor of Dilane's caliber…

Because I spent a fair bit of time debating here, just to end, I think this image quite nicely summarises a lot of readers'- or indeed just show watchers'- disgust as the Stannis scene. Wonderfully acted and hauntingly done, yes, but with sloppy justification and a reversal of character. But I'll let the image talk. ht…

I'm happy to say that I should have specified 'kin' more initially but the implication that I didn't actually explain what I meant in the very same comment I resent, and- forgive me, this is just how you came across- you just seemed to be nitpicking that rather than reading my whole comment. But, that forgotten, I'm…

Weak as it sounds waiting longer was the most logical path. Excusing the fact that Ramsay's 'infiltration' was a flimsy excuse to begin with, this is the kind of decision even Stannis would wait for starvation to set in in my opinion.

For sure. And yes, the story was that much richer from a prisoner's- Asha- perspective when the men outside her cell were as poorly off as she was.

Renly- declared war on him.

Agreed. The decision to have him tell his heartwarming story to Shireen adds to the shock value and devastation of his sacrifice but at the same time in alignment with how his character has been written for five seasons- by and large consistently with the novels- it demolishes all reason.

George has said that he thinks her role is substantial, and that's why he put it in. I love the concept of a resurrected but twisted Catelyn wreaking vengeance on the Freys. It's one of the few ways that could possibly satisfy my desire for the Freys to die very painfully after the Red Wedding.

Agreed. Yes, they needed to do something to keep his story interesting but when he's been out there for just over an episode a few shots to depict hunger and cold really don't cut it. It sounds awful, but, really, if they're going to burn children then show us some starved animals and people, some frostbite, beyond…

Ah, do have a look at the whole comment rather than just the bit you choose to nitpick, please. It would seem fairly apparent with the rest of the comment that just 'his kin' exclusively is not what I meant, and I 'said so.'

On the note of both Doran sending away Trystane, his heir in the show, and Stannis burning Shireen, I really must question if some characters in the show's world understand the significance of heirs and what they represent. Some Stannis quotes regarding Shireen:

I honestly can't help but feel that we were missing several scenes. Was it not last week or the week before Melisandre suggested this and he blatantly refused her, more firmly than he's ever done- and then, with very little manipulation we see and with far more apathy than I think he should have shown, decides to burn…

Right, except for the part where he's done that before, in the books.

Sure is here, we use it all the time.

I don't understand what people have against it, I loved it.

That's a very good point. We know that in GoT many actor are only treated to their relevant scripts, and I'd imagine actors such as Portman could be among that. I'm inclined to instantly think Daggers in the Dark, and think it's still the most likely scene, but you could very well be on to something.