I think the episode hang's together fairly well. A part of the problem is that we expect a lot out of this show, sometimes unrealistically so and so end up being disappointed.

About John's affair: I agree with you when you say its all very sad and human.

Loved the references to the books:
- Thumb in icebag (The Adventure of the Engineers Thumb)
- The duplicate man (The man with the Twisted Lip)
- Jellyfish (The adventure of the Lion's Mane)
- Fresh paint to disguise another smell (The Adventure of Shoscombe Old Place)
- Ballon Watson scene (The Adventure of the Gloria…

Nice catch, I laughed out loud when I caught that. :)

Love the slow burn in this season, a fantastic ride where some questions were answered only to replaced with new questions. Layers of questions like these are necessary for a complex world and Esmail has made a compelling one for sure, with all the easter eggs and inside jokes ( Did anyone else notice the lab coat guy…

Missed the show on Wednesday due to work, saw it today. What a complete thriller this one was!!!! So many tense scenes where you are like 'Which way is this going to go?!?!?!?' Especially with Elliot and Angela, it was literally kiss or kill and it turned out to be a bittersweet kiss.

Aisling Franciosi (Quirke, The Fall) killed it as Lyanna Stark much as Birgitte Hjort Sorensen (Borgen) did as Karsi last year.

Hey Myles! Actually we got TWO Helm's Deep scene's. Dany using dragon magic to end Meerren's siege while Darrio charges with the horses was very much in line with Helm's Deep. :D

Did Sansa's smile at the end remind anyone else of Arya's smile after her kill in the inn with the Hound? Both these sisters are psychopathic killers! :P

It's possible that she sold out Loras to save herself but I don't think that is likely. Delivering the King to the High Sparrow has to be worth more than two prisoners, guess we will find out what in an upcoming episode.

I highly doubt Margaery has been 'converted', she saw an opportunity to rescue herself and Loras using her brains while the dunderheads outside continued to use brawns to no effect. Hopefully they will set it out in a scene with the Queen of Thorns and she will appreciate Margaery's skill.

Very astute analysis, the same is true of Freddy Lounds in the book.

Back of the line or Eva's back?

Good catch on the one day thing.

Didn't they stress it pretty hard when Oberyn goes to meet Tyrion in his cell? Something along the lines of if Joffrey hadn't been such a dick to Tyrion it would be Oberyn in the cells?

This was more like courtiers watching the fight not the grubby street people.

Yes. It happens in the books, the unsullied go to brothels and pay women just to hold them.

I swear my skin crawled as soon as I read that name contraction.

My head went 'tennis match' and I chuckled.

Please use the delicious word that he uses: papyri. :)