Oh yeah, forgot about that. Then I guess Jaime could have a claim to the throne too. There was an episode in Targaryen history in which a brother and sister fought a war over the Iron Throne.

I think they're trying to keep it ambiguous. Sansa was smiling as the other lords were shouting for Jon, but her smile faded when she caught Petyr's eye. It was difficult to tell whether he succeeded in planting ambition in her head or whether she's simply worried about what he'd do to Jon.

Jon being acclaimed King in the North was basically a reprise of him being acclaimed Lord Commander. He doesn't seek power, but people want to follow him anyway. It's a promising start for a leader who would rule justly.

It was probably Tommen's absence that really tipped her off that Cersei was up to something. She knew T wouldn't miss something like this of his own volition.

And then he kills himself and they die in each others' arms, just like Cersei wanted.

I kinda like that Marg's plotting came to nothing. It reminds me of S1 when Ned was trying to head off Cersei but got screwed because he miscalculated how quickly and ruthlessly she could act.

I was trying to work out the succession too. House Baratheon has been extinguished and so has House Tyrell for all intents and purposes. There are no Targaryen claimaints that anyone is aware of. So the Lannisters would be the next logical choice, but all the male Lannisters are dead or Jaime (who can't claim the…

She told the Sandsnakes to STFU, which immediately redeemed the inclusion of a Dorne scene. As I said upthread, LOTS of fan service in this episode.

Yes, and she was devastatingly close to reuniting with them before the Red Wedding (though not quite thanks to the Hound). Of course Arya had a special revenge planned for Walder.

Incredibly satisfying episode. LOTS of fan service.

A review that is mostly, "dude, awesome ep! Amazing battle scene" would be boring and give no grist for conversation. I think Miles' critique is fair, even if I don't agree with every bit of it.

He plays evil so convincingly that it was a bit of a shock when I came across his music videos. "Bang Bang" is weirdly catchy, but the lyrics took on a sinister tone that I'm not sure Rheon intended (or maybe he did, judging by the bloody lighting).

Snarking on bigots is not punching down, dummy.

The problem was the set/landscape looked incredibly fake, which just emphasized how fake the dragon was too.

I've long thought that Natalie Dormer's casting was a meta joke about Margaery being a kind of Anne Boleyn character.

In this case, there's certainly a stupid question and a stupid questioner.

It's not like Melisandre was making rabbits disappear prior to Davos's request that she try to revive Jon. Birthing shadow babies, surviving poison, and apparently causing the deaths of other kings demonstrated to him that she's a very powerful sorcerer.

Yes. A number of people over the years have pointed out parallels between ASOIAF (specifically the latter Dany parts in Meereen) and the Iraq War.

Ditto. Most of the interesting parts of Victarion's story are internal or have to do with petty Iron Island politics anyway. So far in the books, he grouses at his brother, sails a ship, and gets his arm burned. That's not very interesting television.

Even worse—he told them to rip down their own houses to make those ships.