And last season too! Virtually nothing is different about Arya's storyline now. She's not a better fighter, I don't think she's gotten any better at the art of deception, and she hasn't really learned anything new or changed in any significant way outside of going blind and then not being blind anymore.

Speaking of Dorne, is…um…anything going to be happening there? We saw them once and then never again. Don't get me wrong, I'm perfectly fine if Dorne just goes off into the Dunce corner and never comes out, especially since they killed off Our Man Bashir. But it seems like the show had a plan and then just sort of…

Hannah Murray is adorable enough in wildling garb, but I found her downright stunning in the dress, even though it wasn't necessarily the most visually arresting gown. (Seriously, brown? Maybe Sam's sister just didn't want to compound his thirst by putting her in something that popped too much)

It's boring to me for the same reasons Arya's is. It's literally the same thing every week, with very little variation. Arya gets her shit pushed in by the Waif, or gets contracted for a murder she doesn't accomplish.

I just hope she gets out of Braavos, period. Outside of the Sand Snakes (for nothing will ever surpass the Sand Snakes as this show's nadir, with any luck), Arya's storyline has been some of the most achingly tedious business of the past two seasons. Hell, you probably could have gotten rid of her entire arc from last…

Mad Gainz of Thrones

On the one hand, it's probably too late to do Lady Stoneheart. On the other hand, is it though?

There were ongoing theories that Daario was everyone from Benjen to Rhaegar Targaryen to Euron Greyjoy to Myles McNutt. I think even I was briefly Daario Naharis at one point.

Abortions for some, miniature Baratheon banners for others!

So many cool things in this episode, between Benjen-as-ShowHands and the flashes of the Mad King. And yet, the highlight of the episode, to me, was Sam taking Heartsbane. Dude was making me feel some type of way. That was some straight Rick James shit.

It's insane to me that we're actually gaining Starks this season.

I'd like to think the weakness of the back-half of this season has to do with the 22-episode mandate, but that presupposes the first half was some kinda great shakes, which it really wasn't.

I'd love a real Elseworlds style Batman series. There really isn't any reason Gotham can't do this. I like David Mazouz, and I think he could grow into being a pretty solid Batman, but that would require this show carrying on for another ten seasons (then again, they DID give Bones 12 seasons).

Between this and Arrow, I think any attempt at non-procedural, serialized television is doomed to be a jumbled mess as long as networks mandate 20+ episode seasons. Even a show like The Flash, which I unironically love, has had a story that's gone on about 7-8 episodes too long by now.

Maybe he expected The Day King would come to their rescue.

In that moment, Hodor became a true Brodor.

He didn't put enough points in dexterity.

Considering he probably just got turned into a wight, I doubt Hodor will be resting in peace.

I was kind of holding out hope for a House Forrester name drop when they were discussing Northern Houses. Just so the Telltale Game wasn't a completely useless exercise in futility.

That's always been one of my ongoing issues with the show, how it essentially strips away the visual distinctiveness of some of the characters. I'm not necessarily saying that Daario should have had blue hair and a gold tooth, but now he just looks like every other Northern asshole in the show. And now it's the same…