I mentioned this in the AV Club article yesterday, but I think this season really captured the weakness Benioff and Weiss have. And that is filling a framework with content rather than the other way around.

Having the sick impulse to call the cops, from the site of one of the worst flood disasters in American history, to report victims of that flood for looting a supermarket; but also: a crime

That would be a hilarious turn of events, and would drive Cersei crazy and push him and Theon together straightaway, so it makes sense.

I feel like the “capture a wight” plotline was similar. They started from the end and then tried to figure out a way to get there. Which as you say seldom works - just look at BvS, for example.

“That wraparound with Euron seems like a screwball way to get him to Essos.”

He ain’t going to Essos. Cersei may think he’s following her orders, but he now has all the gold, Cersei still hasn’t had sex with him and shows no indication of being willing to keep up her part of their agreement, and he has every reason to…

I write, and while I inevitably come up with the climactic scene early, I write from the start and see if the characters can get there themselves. You never, ever, write backwards like that. It made it all feel like a slog; it simply is not as interesting as it would be if you let the characters get there organically.

Eh. I am somewhere between “big fan of boxing” and “casual fan of boxing,” in that zone that happens when you are a big fan of something and sort of fall off. And the fact that no one in my family can name whichever heavyweight champ they prefer is a problem of the sport, not them. Everyone knew Tyson. Most knew…

In this very broadcast Buck Martinez referred to one-time Blue Jay Jose Cruz Jr. as ‘Junior Cruz’.

I read this headline as being impossible, and then realized I’ve just gotten to that advanced age where I get newer players confused with older players and I had read “Kevin Millar Takes Flight Again”.

“Spread your wings, Spiderman!...”

I don’t think the color analyst yelling “Get on Your Horse, Superman!” was very well thought out.

But still no gold gloves because it’s really important that Brett Gardner get one for playing a reasonably good LF.