it’s not the choice Daemon was given either: the surgeon basically said “I’m at my wits end, maybe I could save the baby maybe not” which implies Laena is not going to make it.

Sure, but the parallel was “your wife and baby die, or we cut your wife open and she dies but maybe the baby survives”, which is rather different than what Jenna wrote.

I’ve seen more than one recap describing it that way, and, like... were they not paying attention to either episode?

The attending maester gives Daemon the same choice that Viserys had to make in the pilot: save the baby or save the mother.

I really wish we had expert reviews of this show like we got with the original. Reviews that focus on what the episode is setting up with the primary focus being the events of the episode and what they are leading to next with full spoiler talk. And that point out differences from the source.

Great, can we get Curb back on Amazon Prime, already? And how about a green light for a new season of Venture Bros.?

Jenna, why do you review a show that you clearly hate? 

Okay, I take back hating the idea that it’s Gandalf, because if it’s Gandalf after the Balrog, well that’s way more cool that just screwing with the timeline to get a popular character squeezed in--it’s creative sci-fi writing to get a popular character squeezed in!

I doubt Halbrand is being set up to be Sauron. He’s a king remember. Him and eight other guys are about to receive some pretty impressive designer jewellery.

“The Stranger is Gandalf, I’m willing to bet a reasonable sum on it. The events of the show are the beginning of his fondness for hobbits.”

re: “Actually got a twinge of feeling from A.J. referencing “grandma.”
... and she was miming a drink in her hand when she did her little impression!

Not sure if it was an intentional affect or not, but I really enjoyed how confused the Stranger was about how fire burns paper, in contrast to his fire which is just prestidigitation or whatever. The dude always looks completely befuddled by everything though, so it might have been incidental. I’m definitely even less…

I can't wait to see the Strange New Worlds/Lower Decks crossover. 

Say “mother–daughter”, not “mother-daughter”. En dashes, people! Merely hyphenating makes it seem like you’re referring to someone who is both a mother and a daughter.

Any chance the AV Club could go back to covering Bob’s Burgers and Rick and Morty? They used to work as good reminders that the show was on as I tend to forget.

Centralized power generation is easier to convert to more environmentally friendly forms than addressing the problem at the level of every individual car, unless you’re suggesting busses should be powered by portable hydroelectric plants.

It was odd when he yelled “That’s it. You’re dead, mallrat! I’m gonna fuck you up beyond repair!”

Those of us who left miss those days too, FWIW: https://episodicmedium.substack.com/

Lol.  That was the exact one I was thinking of. 

God that was good. I unabashedly adore that freaking podcast. Also better live eps than most.