The speech wasn't special, but that's the first time we've ever seen her really control one of her dragons (beyond making them burn shit). That's a pretty big deal.

Absolutely. Both her and Margaery have had their roles beefed up, if anything the show has gone out of it's way to show both of them as powerful and badass without substantially changing the narrative.

Agreed entirely, was going to post something similar. She's a substantial character that's had substantive screen-time and a serious impact on the story. She's been the face of the Tyrells for 4 seasons, she's been manipulating three Kings now! And even the article itself references her probable comeback. The idea…

It is pretty weird that in article about women in power, the author would exclude Olenna, one of the most powerful women in the show. And Olenna's done most of it without massacres, same as Margaery

I dunno. Falcon is the symbol of the Vale, Lord Royce is from the Vale. Doesn't seem too unlikely.

Nope. GRRM has said he intended Darkstar to seem cool.

Qyburn just taped a bunch of cats together.

This is a case where I think Martin's trope subversions are harmful. I don't think the deconstruction makes it worthy, even though I appreciate what you're saying. He had no arc, unlike other major character deaths. Before, the death of a significant PoV characters would have enormous consequences for the story, here…

It's not so much the character as his storyline that bothers me, I kind of found him endearing to a degree. Why the hell did he have PoVs? He did nothing but travel and die.

Sounds believable. Unfortunately I think Aegon may just be the worst thing GRRM has come up with, give or take a Quentyn.

It's a very good album to my mind. Though I do find the percussion overbearing in the first half. Feral and Bloom in particular would be great songs if it weren't for all those drum loops.

Really? Because the stuff he pulls in Clash of Kings seems pretty badass to me. He takes control of a neigbouring castle, he switches clothes with his servant, pulls a months long con game on Theon, and then defeats a force 4 times the size of his in battle, then burns Winterfell to the ground.

Yeah, the books are genuinely endlessly meticulous, but the situation in the Stormlands is largely vague. I do believe Storm's End is also under Stannis' control as of Dance with Dragons, since Aegon is going to try and take it.

Agreed. It's frustrating to me that people thought his scenes this episode were the same as always, there was a very obvious shift in his mannerisms and behaviour to me.

Karstark is a deep cut, I'll accept that. But one of the main characters is a Greyjoy, and that was a major plotline at one point.

That's definitely the direction the show will go with if Walder finds out. I don't think it will come up though, there's already enough factions in the North, and the Freys are going to be heavily involved in the Riverlands this season it seems.

The Vale is being run by Lord Royce, who Littlefinger put in charge. Those other two, no idea. Not really sure it matters, give they're under Crown control. There's loads of Lannister cousins.

True, I assume the loss of that potential power would annoy him. No doubt he won't find out now that Ramsay's in charge.

I do think Roose may have realised in those last few moments that he'd gone too far with the browbeating, which is why he dropped "You'll always be my firstborn" on Ramsay to give him a little more time. It was too late for that though, obviously.

That's definitely possible, though Karstark did kinda hint at the incoming coup when he said the north needed "new blood".