Now that I think about it, it's probably a reference to the custom of a bastard bearing the inverse heraldry of his house. For example, the sigil of the Blackfyre house, which was established by the bastard of Aegon Targaryen, was a black dragon on a red field instead of the red dragon on a black field that is the…

Oh wow, I didn't even think of that. It made me wonder, not for the first time, "Where the hell is Ghost?"

The Vale has been allied with the Starks for a long time. Jon Arryn (Sweet Robin's father and husband of Lysa Arryn, sister of Catelyn) practically raised Ned Stark (that's where he was headed to in Bran's first vision of Winterfell earlier this season).

Littlefinger hanging out at Winterfell and casting looks at King in the North Jon with Sansa at his side is the new creepy Ned, Cat, and Littlefinger love triangle. I didn't think he could make things creepier, and yet he did.

I never thought the story lines were concurrent. It's been pointed out in the show in subtle ways. When Arya purchased ship passage, the captain said that the Ironborn fleet was docked in Slaver's Bay, and we just saw them in Volantis in the same episode. From our perspective, Yara and Theon did not arrive in Meereen…

The Queen of Thorns telling the Sand Snakes to STFU because they are the worst was almost as awesome as Lyanna Mormont telling the old white men what's up. Olenna would love Lyanna.

There were Dornish ships in that fleet. Perhaps they met up. Regardless, the writers confirmed that the timelines are not concurrent.

I think almost all, if not all, the losses will be confined to King's Landing and The Twins. The High Sparrow, Septa Unella, Lancel, Kevan Lannister, Pycelle, Tommen, and Loras are toast. The Mountain will probably survive with Cersei. I'm less sure about Margaery. I hate to lose her, but I don't know what her story…

Ramsay cannot resist the impulse to be malicious. Jon and Wun Wun were having a moment. Jon was reaching out to Wun Wun tenderly, so of course Ramsay had to be a dick about it.

For me, the moment is around the 1:10 mark when Stannis sighs and draws his sword. In "Battle of the Bastards," that little rueful nod that Kit Harrington does when he realizes that Ramsay fully played him is probably my favorite thing that Harrington has done on the show.

It seems like a long time because the show is milking it for dramatic effect. The camera cuts between five characters: Rickon, Jon, Ramsay, Davos, and Tormund. Perhaps it does take the full thirty seconds for the full impact to register with Jon: that Ramsay did this to lure Jon within range, and now he's screwed. I…

I found it disturbing. I don't judge Sansa for killing Ramsay brutally, but her taking pleasure in it reminded me of the way Dany or Cersei smirk when they smite their enemies. Jon, on the other hand, looked sickened after he hanged his murderers. I guess I prefer that bit of humanity and idealism that Jon, and people…

It seems like now it will be Lyanna Mormont shaming the remaining Northern houses into crowning Jon King in the North. Not quite as triumphant.

I was hoping that some other Northern houses would show up, or that the Umbers would turn at the last moment.

To be fair, Jon threw him in the kennel with his mad dogs and let Sansa finish him off.

The camera following Jon on the ground was extremely effective. I don't have a fear of a being buried alive, nor did I think for a second that he was going to die, but when he was nearly suffocating from the pileup of bodies, I found myself breathing erratically.

Roose did warn Ramsay, “If you acquire a reputation as a mad dog, you’ll be treated as a mad dog.” I can see Jon imprisoning Ramsay in the same kennel where Ramsay's dogs are kept and getting his comeuppance there.

Wun Wun and Rickon are my only sure bets. Ramsay likes to play games, so he will kill Rickon in front of Jon, which I think will backfire on Ramsay because it will get Jon's head in the game. Not that I think it's a game, but Jon has been a bit out of it since his resurrection. I don't think Rickon is one of the…

Menzies beautifully conveyed Edmure's transformation from disdainful to terrified while Coster-Waldau perfectly conveyed the inverse transformation of honorable to ruthless. You can see how Jaime is initially high off of Brienne's faith in him, then when Edmure crashes him back to earth, Jaime plays up his Kingslayer…

I thought the joke of nicotine gum turning a nonsmoker into a smoker was easy but hilarious, and perfect for hapless Mike.