That much social unrest and class division, I'm waiting for the Mereenese V.I. Lenin to appear.

The White Walkers have an Ice Darth Maul leading them! Unless the show casts Liam Neeson as Howland Reed for the Love Actually joke and let him join the fight against the WW, Westeros is doomed.

Going by the hints this episode and the last pushed, he's a Stark on his mother's side.

Agreed, happy to not see King's Landing. Every week I groan at scenes not at the Wall, simply because everything not involving the coming White Walker Ice Demon Apocalypse of Doom is petty in comparison. Dany's story is still aggravating, but at least no King's Landing.

I truly am angry that they deleted the scene in "Blackwater" where, before the battle, he pulls Davos aside, says in his own way that he's his friend, and says he'll make him Hand.

Not Joffrey?

Iain Glen: Best Hamlet ever, still has the epic dramatic chops.

Agreed. R+L=J. A theory my book-reading friends spoiled to me, along with every single plot point ever. And I fully buy into it.

The Westerosi Foggy Nelson, avocado at law.

We have an endgame in the works. Sam the Slayer. Stannis the Mannis. Versus the Head White Walker, AKA Ice Darth Maul.

Maester Aemon's speech about Dany being a Targeryan alone in the world immediately ending on Jon walking in has to be another hint to Jon's parentage.

Stannis totally buys the White Walkers. He listens to the Night's Watch, likes Jon, and is trying to take the Iron Throne partly because the Realm needs to be united to fight the WW. He's the only sane, competent ruler on the show. He is the Mannis.

Thank you! I was trying to place what the Old Valyria scenes looked likel you're totally right, very Lord of the Rings.

The only Stannis is STANNIS THE MANNIS.

Let's not forget Miranda taunting Sansa about her mother's death.

Stannis and Roose are the two most competent people in the show. One's good, one's evil. Good father, bad father. Yin and Yang. Both awesome.

Joffrey dispatched early on. Stannis being awesome. Ciaran Hinds being underused but still awesome. Oberyn being Oberyn. The entirety of The Watcher on the Wall. Just a brilliant seson.

The climax of the climactic book. And yet it still took its time getting us to the Mountain and the Viper fight in their titular episode.

Michael McElhatton might be the best villain actor I've seen in years. The right mix of dashing, competent, and intelligent, directed toward pragmatic villainy. Can he be a Bond villain? Roose is the Westerosi Putin, without the shirtless obsession. And to think, the only other thing I'd seen him in before GoT was as…

I'm Team Stannis all of the way, but if Shireen was in the running for the Iron Throne, she'd instantly win. She's smart, she's kind, she's adorable. Anyone who opposes her instantly becomes pure evil.