I agree. Even the little changes — that I know are really too petty to care about — are bothering me. Like Janet becoming Margo. I was like, “Who the hell is Margo? Oh…” Maybe that’s just a built-in problem of any adaptation?

This is nitpicking, but I was weirdly underwhelmed by the clock tree. Maybe I was imagining a grander type of clock or something. Or maybe the face trees in GoT ruined me.

Totally agree about the show rushing to the Beast. Seems like we'd hardly even gotten an introduction to Brakebills and then there he was. Aside from that walking and talking scene that skimmed the various magical disciplines, it seems like they weren't interested in exploring that "this place really exists" angle.

The two Rams' heads on top of that clock made me break into a big grin.

Aw, no Experts thread? I was looking forward to finally being on the other side of that equation.

Would it really be that cheap for Stannis to somehow help rescue Sansa? Or for him to track down Melissandre and kill her? Or for Davos to be the one who really kills him? Just because this would be a good ending to his arc doesn't mean any other option would necessarily be bad or boring.

It might be a bit too much of a Craster's Keep repeat, but that would be slick if the Wildlings ended up manning the Wall.

Re: #3, I couldn't agree more. We knew Trant was a terrible guy before this season started. We knew why Arya wanted to kill him. Anyone paying attention had their ears perk up when he was assigned to take Papa Tyrell to Bravos. That would have been sufficient.

I see what you mean; no argument from me. Great points about Ned being the protagonist and the show starting with the Stark POV. I just watched the S1 DVD extras on Youtube last week, and appreciated how they told the history of Westeros from that variety of perspectives. One man's rightful king is another man's…

I see what you mean; no argument from me. Great points about Ned being the protagonist and the show starting with the Stark POV. I just watched the S1 DVD extras on Youtube last week, and appreciated how they told the history of Westeros from that variety of perspectives. One man's rightful king is another man's…

You're probably right, but I'm hoping Bran's "but you will fly" turns out to be something else. Warging into a dragon seems a little too pat, or telegraphed too much, to be very satisfying.

Yeah, he's probably a longshot. I don't know book lore, so not sure what the established parameters are for what makes a dragon rider, or makes a dragon allow a particular person. (For example, if they must be a Targaryen, that narrows the field considerably.)

It's possible that Melissandre's god is real, and (at least some of) her magic is real, but they aren't from the same source. Smoke baby worked, leeches may have worked, prophetic visions may still turn out to be true, just a little off in the details.

This seems to be assuming that Dany ever does get to Westeros. Is there any reason to think that has to happen by the end? I think it could just be one long, long misdirection.

Thanks for the link — an interesting read.

Totally agree.

Love it. Even if that's not the first scene, it seems very plausible as the direction his story is going. Especially with the "random" collection of Superfriends all arriving at Castle Black at the same time, suddenly freed of their former bonds and commitments.

Other two dragons: I've thought Bran and Jon for a while, but now Jorah seems fairly likely. Tyrion less likely, but how badass would that be? That line about him not being able to ride a horse would be a good hook, in retrospect. Wondering if the other two riders will be established while Dany is away from Mereen?

Or even adding an occasional 10-15 minutes in an episode. I think it would help if they could linger on a moment more often, or allow a bit more reaction or setup for a key character. (In part, I think the Sand Snakes were terrible because they were crammed into all of about 5 minutes of screen time.)

Yes, I doubt the show goes there, but having Jon join the WW and then adding the dimension of their POV could be fascinating. Or a train wreck. Maybe both.