Game of Thrones

[Munson]

A couple of things were curious to me. What is the deal with the plan to marry Sansa off to Lorus? Other than him not being suitable for marriage, I thought the plan was for Lorus to go to the King's Guard to keep an eye out and protect Margaery from Joffrey. Are they suddenly that confident he won't turn on her? I wondered what Margaery really thought about Joffrey's considering gay secks punishable by death (last weeks episode) and if that might play into the new plan to marry Lorus to Sansa. It still doesn't make a lot of sense unless keeping Little Finger out of Winterfell is more important, or maybe just the Tyrell's getting Winterfell for themselves if Robb dies.

The other thing I still don't get is what is the deal with the dude who set Theon "free"? Last week I didn't buy that he was sent by Yara. It didn't make sense when he was helping Theon up after shooting the riders and he both addressed Theon as "my lord" and also said "winter is coming." One is Iron Island and the other is Stark (and it is dubious that anyone from the Islands would recognize Theon as lord anyway). But if he is Bolton, why would he shoot the riders chasing Theon?

The mystery of who burned Winterfell seemed to be answered when Theon said something like "I burned it all," just before going into the dungeon.

Lastly, the biggest mystery of all - what did Pod do?! Glad to see some comic relief, the show needs more of it.

1. I think the idea was born more from Varys and Lady Olenna, not Margery herself. They just had Margery tell Sansa because, well, Margery is good at that whole thing. I think Olenna and Varys have different motives for why they want Sansa with Loras....Varys wants to do everything he can to prevent Littlefinger from gaining any power, whereas with Olenna and the Tyrells it's all about gaining influence IMO. With the Baratheons and Starks ravaged by war and such at the moment, the Tyrells have more or less become the 2nd most powerful family in the realm. I think they see an opening where they can combine their influence with that of The North, and actually become more powerful than the Lannisters. And Varys knows that's Olenna's intentions, and probably doesn't think it's a very bad idea. At least, in his eyes, a much better option than Littlefinger getting The North should Robb fall.

If it happens, I wonder how Sansa will handle finding out that her big crush really does like penis. Poor girl can't catch a break.

2. Maybe it's a power play on his part? If he really is Bolton's bastich, maybe he doesn't get a lot of respect from the men, so he did this to prove himself a bit? Or maybe he was literally just doing it to farg with Theon/torture him a little more psychologically.

[Eagaholic]

With everyone assuming Bran & Rickon (and Arya) are dead, Sansa becomes a pretty important bargaining chip.  If Robb is killed in the war, Sansa becomes heir to Winterfell, so it would be a way of extending Tyrell influence North.  Whether there's altruistic reasons for it as well (meaning whether or not the Tyrell's are more compassionate) is up for debate.

I still can't tell if Margaery is at all trustworthy or compassionate (eg with the orphans) or just very good at playing everyone, which is my bet (in part given how she didn't hesitate when telling Little Finger that she wanted to be THE queen before Renly was cold).

[Eagaholic]

A couple of things were curious to me. What is the deal with the plan to marry Sansa off to Lorus? Other than him not being suitable for marriage, I thought the plan was for Lorus to go to the King's Guard to keep an eye out and protect Margaery from Joffrey. Are they suddenly that confident he won't turn on her? I wondered what Margaery really thought about Joffrey's considering gay secks punishable by death (last weeks episode) and if that might play into the new plan to marry Lorus to Sansa. It still doesn't make a lot of sense unless keeping Little Finger out of Winterfell is more important, or maybe just the Tyrell's getting Winterfell for themselves if Robb dies.

The other thing I still don't get is what is the deal with the dude who set Theon "free"? Last week I didn't buy that he was sent by Yara. It didn't make sense when he was helping Theon up after shooting the riders and he both addressed Theon as "my lord" and also said "winter is coming." One is Iron Island and the other is Stark (and it is dubious that anyone from the Islands would recognize Theon as lord anyway). But if he is Bolton, why would he shoot the riders chasing Theon?

The mystery of who burned Winterfell seemed to be answered when Theon said something like "I burned it all," just before going into the dungeon.

Lastly, the biggest mystery of all - what did Pod do?! Glad to see some comic relief, the show needs more of it.

1. I think the idea was born more from Varys and Lady Olenna, not Margery herself. They just had Margery tell Sansa because, well, Margery is good at that whole thing. I think Olenna and Varys have different motives for why they want Sansa with Loras....Varys wants to do everything he can to prevent Littlefinger from gaining any power, whereas with Olenna and the Tyrells it's all about gaining influence IMO. With the Baratheons and Starks ravaged by war and such at the moment, the Tyrells have more or less become the 2nd most powerful family in the realm. I think they see an opening where they can combine their influence with that of The North, and actually become more powerful than the Lannisters. And Varys knows that's Olenna's intentions, and probably doesn't think it's a very bad idea. At least, in his eyes, a much better option than Littlefinger getting The North should Robb fall.

If it happens, I wonder how Sansa will handle finding out that her big crush really does like penis. Poor girl can't catch a break.

2. Maybe it's a power play on his part? If he really is Bolton's bastich, maybe he doesn't get a lot of respect from the men, so he did this to prove himself a bit? Or maybe he was literally just doing it to farg with Theon/torture him a little more psychologically.

I can't tell if Olenna is all that motivated to expand Highgarden's influence or prioritizes Margaery's safety more (i.e. wanting Lorus for the King's guard) but she did scoff at the weakness of their words and sigil compared to Stark's and Greyjoy's an such (lol, saying "grow strong" to her granddaughter as she left).

After helping the Lannister's at the battle of Blackwater, they are already in good with them so they can afford to play it either way, fully allying with the Lannisters and/or making a play for the North and possibly setting themselves up for Winterfell with Sansa.

After watching the dragons torch Astapor it occurred to me that since fire is what kills white walkers maybe this is moving toward an eventual showdown where Dany's' dragons kill them in a great battle. And if she's the only one that has a good shot of killing them she is in a powerful position over the houses of Westeros (presumably depleted by then) to protect them or not.

[Diomedes]

I haven't seen the show past season one, so I'm not really sure what you're all talking about, but if I'm understanding all of this patter between you nerds, then the show deviates a good bit at points from the books.  Or you are idiots who can't follow a plot.

Also...gin is back in my life after a long disengagement.  Huzzah.

[Munson]

From what book readers have told me, the only major difference so far is what has happened between Littlefinger/Sansa. Everything else has been minor stuff that was cut, or was just saved til later/shown earlier.

For example, despite being in both the first and second book, we didn't meet Edmure Tully or the Blackfish Tully until this season. And everything that is currently happening to Theon apparently is what happened to him during Book 3 and 4, but you didn't find about about it until book 5.

Start watching season 2 between digging ditches you miserable drunk farg.

[Diomedes]

Send me the discs. Yuppie fargs like you aspire to be don't pay me enough money to afford HBO.

[Diomedes]

I don't know if the teevee show is hewing so close to the story about the fall of Winterfell, Roose Bolton's bastich, Reek, and Theon Greyjoy from what I've read here.

[Eagles_Legendz]

There are some deviations from the book regarding Winterfell.

[Eagles_Legendz]

Looking forward to tonight.

Don't think this is a spoiler but just in case:
[spoiler]I think you're going to see some rather explicit nudity tonight based on the episode's title.[/spoiler]

[Munson]

Arya/Hound-Holy farg. I spent all of 20 seconds being disappointed that Berric Dondarrion died. Good (fire) lord.

Kings Landing-lol Lady Olenna even fast talks Tyrion. She is quickly becoming my favorite character. Poor Sansa, she's to be wed to a handsome dude who is getting his butt poked, and now the Lannisters wanna marry her to Tyrion. Did not see that coming at all. It's frustrating watching Tywin because one minute I hate him for being a fleshpop to Tyrion, but then the next I love watching him metaphorically bitch slap Cersi. I don't get why Littlefinger even went to the Queen with that info, considering it seemed to be his plan to marry Sansa himself. I guess he's okay rolling the dice with the Eyrie. I wonder how Varys and the Tyrells will take this news...looks like trouble brewing between the two ruling families.

Robb-fargin a. shtein is falling apart here. Karstark farging everything up. Robb shoulda listened to everyone and spared him. Dumb move. I was really hoping shtein would go good for him but it's not looking like it. Though the idea of him going after Casterly Rock sounds pretty awesome.

JonWooo, Ygrette T&A. Like seeing Jon stop being a little bitch and actually speak up to the Wildlings.

Dany-Was hoping Selmy would have brought up the fact that Ned Stark tried to talk Robert out of killing Dany. Equally surprised he had no idea Jorah was spying for Varys at first. I do wonder who Selmy had in mind for who will be the "good men around her"...he must have some idea of who in Westeros may join her cause.

Stannis/Ser Davos-Have no idea what's going on here. Dude's just moping around, trying to be a dad again, finding out his Governor from Walking Dead wife has given him a permanent hall pass. His daughter was introduced in book 2 if I remember correctly, but I don't remember many details about her story. I'm hoping this stuff starts to move forward at some point.


Overall an awesome episode and once again at the end I was looking at the tv wondering what the hell is going on.

[Eagles_Legendz]

NCW just murdered the bath scene - he's been acing Jaime IMO.

My guess is with Littlefinger (pure speculation on my part), he was seeing if Sansa would go with him anyway.  When he found out Sansa seemed good with Loras, he went to the Lannisters in hopes Sansa wouldn't be ok marrying into the Lannisters because of everything they've done to her.  So his only chance to sneak Sansa out would be to breakup the Sansa/Tyrell pairing.

[Eagles_Legendz]

also I found Jorah's stuff funny, kind of probing at Barristan to see if he knew Jorah sold out Dany earlier.

[SD]

NCW just murdered the bath scene - he's been acing Jaime IMO.

What does this mean?

I'm assuming the figs are what's making the women in the kingdom so easy to persuade. Imagining Cersai and Loras is hilarious.

[Munson]

Oh yeah, completely forgot about the Jaime scene, which was goddamn excellent. Finding out about Jaime warning the Mad King not to trust Tywin is definitely a big "wow" moment for the character. I think he misjudged Ned though, I think all of that information would have softened Ned's "judgement" of him a bit. Ned was "honorable", but he also valued innocent human life pretty highly.

[Eagles_Legendz]

Sorry NCW = Nikolaj Coster Waldau, the actor who plays Jaime.  I was just saying I think he's done a great job this season as Jaime and did a really good job with the monologue tonight about the real reason he killed Aerys (instead of Ned's line season 1 "you served him well while serving was safe").