You gotta admire the Whitewalker's method of conscripting its army - there are no conscientious objectors and they just keep going from strength to strength.

To those that have read the novels: if the second book ventures to France, do many of the major characters (like Dougal and Randall) retreat into the background?

I read that 'defense' of male rape, a point made all the more indefensible by the 'three rules' approach to writing. She was basically using rape as a plot device and/or as a way of mapping out a narrative arc.

I dunno. A lot of people are equally unhappy over there too.

I'd argue that the show has recourse to sensationalized horror *because* of the way it ties into the character’s arcs.

I'm going to assume that Kenny (and the doctor) were playing a joke on Louie - and that they're laughing their ass off at the depressing joker right now.

Oh my god, they killed Kenny!

An article likely to interest you about the show's perception in the UK (no spoilers)

To what extent has the show caught up (or will catch up) with the books by the end of the season?

It sounds like you're projecting too.

So, why does Ghost intervene to protect the guy with the fat pink mast? Is Sam more important to the narrative than we've been led to believe?

I'd like to see some readings of this scene as transgressive because from my perspective it was just risible.

My bad.

I've just watched the first episode, and so far so good. I haven't read the books and can't vouch for how well they're adapting them - but I'm already looking forward to the next episode.

Pine Box?

Why do I get the feeling that we saw the real Louie tonight?

I don't understand how modern viewers don't feel anything other than moral disquiet at the show's ambiguous ending.

I think Myles is failing to see the moral ambiguity of Sansa's 'rape' - an ambiguity conveyed by the show's own depiction of the scene.

If the former is true, it is certainly telling that most online commentators want to believe the latter.

I actually didn't draw the inference myself - it was more a wtf moment for me. It was only on reading a couple of reviews (Sepinwall, Goodman, Slate) that I considered the possibility. Let's suppose that Don did go on to create the ad after his spiritual retreat - I would hope that Weiner was being sarcastic about…