BobbyWhioux

I never actually saw the story play out in ECW until years after the fact, but I loved that eyeblink Stevie had in WCW. I must've, because even that slight glimpse was enough inspiration/enough of a launching point that I unwittingly ripped off/recreated from scratch that ECW Raven/Richards dynamic for about a year's worth of e-wrestling content (true story, ask Lawful Metal)

I think Richards has to be my favorite "comedy wrestler" since as I recall I thoroughly enjoyed his schtick and laughed every time he was trying to get a laugh. To the point where I was thoroughly in his corner whenever he got serious and wanted him to get further than he ultimately invariably did. Even today I've watched that Von Raschke Claw clip a half dozen times and chuckled each time.

Of course, Lancel has preemptively abdicated any lands and titles he might otherwise inherit by joining The Faith Militant, anyway (so even he's out as Emergency Heir). If he shows up again in the show, it'll probably be if/when they introduce that angle to the show. As far as a show watcher knows, Lancel might as well have died when Cersei punched him in the arrow wound. Kevan only showed up when Tyrion (w/ Vale Tribes) met his dad for the first time back in Season 1. The show has kept neither one on the lips of characters so it'll take some work and extra exposition to remind people who they are. (Tommen and Myrcella have suffered the same problem. at least people still TALK about The Mountain so people will kinda know who he is when he shows up)

Yeah that chapter gives me the most pause whenever I consider recommending the books to anyone. Especially since it comes so early. That's usually one I warn/spoiler people on in the hope that they'll be more willing to give the rest of it a chance. I'm not sure if the show truly handled it better or if I'm just less shocked because I knew it was coming. At least Emilia Clarke never stops being terrified (which is a slight improvement over starting to like it)

It's further complicated by Jaime and Cersei being a couple that "likes it rough", at least going by the last time we saw them get it on.

His whole mission in life was to make House Lannister basically be Above The Law. (Too powerful to challenge, might makes right etc.) Thus he always assumed he would eventually be able to get Jaime out of the Kingsguard because the "for life" rule would cease to apply, at least for Lannisters, and never bothered with a Plan B, or lived long enough to come up with one. Thus it was not necessary for him to remarry for heir production and/or political purposes... though of course totally necessary for Cersei to do so at the start of book 3, cuz Tywin's a big ol' hypocrite (for further reference, see Tywin lovin' him some whores but busting Tyrion's chops over his own whoring). Typical of his disconnect from his children as actual people rather than carriers of his genetic code & surname, it never crossed his mind that Jaime simply wouldn't want it.

Tommen is king, and his kids will be royal Baratheon's so they would get Storm's End and Dragonstone before Casterly Rock. Tyrion being married to Sansa, the living heir to Winterfell is a much more powerful position than being Warden of the North when you betrayed Robb Stark. The North is about as big as the other 6 kingdoms combined, and they all hate Roose, but love the Starks. Putting Tyrion and Sansa in Winterfell would solve a shitload of problems up there. He could claim to not want Tyrion to be the lord of Casterly Rock, but he would definitely want a Lannister to be in Casterly Rock and Tyrion is the only person with the last name Lannister who could do that. Well, there's cousin Lancel, but we haven't seen him since he (correctly) second-guessed Cersei to her face and she punched him in his arrow wound. Maybe he's still trying to find that Breastplate Stretcher from season 1.

Nah, Russo would've had Joff's body fall on top of them for the finish. Which I thought was going to happen anyway when Cersei started tugging on the shroud (?) that was covering the little platform they had him on for the viewing.

Daario burying The Champion Of Mereen Bill Watts style with two moves and a piss break. Well okay actual peeing makes it more in the Vince Russo milieu but you know what I mean.

"Daario" the character is secondary to Daario's signature prop, the dagger with the naked lady hilt. Pleased to see that appear again.

Littlefinger did give Ned the "DTA, sumbitch!" speech, after all... I can't see them doing The Kingsmoot until season 5, so they don't have to worry about casting Vic/Euron/Damphair (and paying those actors) until then. Balon's death will probably be his only scene this season, and that could come as late as episode 10 since there's no need to follow up on it beyond Yara hearing about it (or maybe she doesn't hear about it until it's too late. Yara's in "No longer following the books" territory with this Chasing Ramsay plot so there's no longer any predicting what she does.)

LIttlerfinger with the "Only Cat" kick wham Moon Door on Lysa Tully Epilogue is the Lady Stoneheart reveal.

Yeah I think they were worried that if they showed Tommen too much (i.e. AT ALL) last season it would tip their hand on something they clearly wanted to surprise people with, since obviously the first thought anyone's going to have seeing Joffrey's younger brother is "oh shit, there's another option? Why the hell isn't anyone taking Joffrey out then?" Unfortunately in so doing they caused people to forget about him entirely and balking at him suddenly reappearing when convenient. It's a bit much to expect viewers to remember Joffrey has siblings when none of the characters, not even their mother, remember his siblings exist either. The recast didn't help matters. Especially since nobody seemed to to acknowledge his existence even when he was on camera and certainly nobody addressed him as "Prince Tommen". They did a fair job of establishing him in the first couple seasons, and his main character note of "not like his brother or mother at all", but burying him for over a year kinda undoes all that build.

Sansa is the scapegoat in case things go wrong and the assassination is botched or foiled. She's got the poison on her, she's got the motive to want Joffrey dead, she's got no political allies. Also, the average Westeros courtier could, not knowing Sansa personally, be led to believe that Sansa is jealous of Margaery "taking her spot" and thus would want to take Marge out too, and presenting Margaery as also being an intended victim keeps the Tyrells above suspicion and their hands clean, so they can try again later. In the books, the poisoned cup is not an ordinary goblet as seen last episode; it's that massive and gaudy crunk chalice Margaery's dad Mace Tyrell gave as a wedding present. A cup that Joff and Marge would be expected to share and drink jointly from during the ceremony to symbolize their new union because it is so large as to be impractical for normal uses. Thus "they wanted to kill Margaery too!" is plausible. Mace's crunk chalice would, of course, be an unwieldly prop for all the cup shenanigans that go down in that wedding scene, so it's understandable they would use a normal goblet instead. This is as far as I can go without knowing how much you've been spoiled on. You're welcome to PM me if you want.

Of course you -- we -- as wrestling fans would appreciate a well-written and well-played heel and miss his departure. Sadly they can only get truly destroyed once. Good thing they made it count.

She's one half of the Dreadfortettes [who seduced Theon last season right before he got his dick cut off]. Their quarry was the other half. They're not in the books. Balon died first in the book -- Robb receives the report right before the Red Wedding. I assume they changed the order because going in order would tip their hand on offing Joffrrey and they wanted this to be a surprise. Same reason why they didn't show Tommen at all in season 3, I suppose. Balon probably won't die until they're ready to follow it up with the Kingsmoot/focusing on The Iron Islands/cast the roles of Euron, Victarion, and Aeron, when the ramifications of his death will be more clear. Or that there can even BE ramifications for that matter.

I've said this before, of course, but I love how full on rasslin' heel the Midget Battle Royal was. Something to offend EVERYBODY in attendance. I'm pleased to see the DVDVR crowd notice and appreciate it for what it is.

Too late. I usually use the Bran interludes as a chance to grab a beverage or use the bathroom, while anything involving Arya is mandatory viewing. Bran = Divas match?

I think I need a cigarette after watching Joffrey die. [i don't even smoke] Mini-Robb, Mini-Renly, Mini-Stannis, and Mini-Balon was a marked improvement over the book's dwarf joust skit. Show delivers on the money shot again

Joffrey going out on a pro wrestling heel skit with those midget versions of Renly, Robb, Stannis, and Balon will have me giggling for days.

Over just a couple weeks in 1992 the San Francisco Giants went from being all but out the door and off to St. Petersburg, Florida (the new stadium was even built and ready for them there!) to not only being saved by a new ownership group, but that ownership group's first move was to sign Barry Bonds as a free agent. Which later enabled reviving/turnaround moment #2: replacing one of the worst ballparks in MLB with one of the nicest in 2000. Now the idea that they were once almost gone seems unfathomable. And after spending most of their post-west-coast-move sliding into irrelevance, they've actually become a world series contender. They've even WON a couple.

I can't believe no cable show has booked The hound and Bronn to have a "best use of the word cunt off." Unfortunately, negotiations have hit a snag over trying to get both the FCC and the FDA to approve the "Roast Chicken On A Pole" stipulation

Really looking forward to Mace Tyrell finally showing up. Hopefully his ridiculous chair eventually makes the show too.

If people wanted to read that much about Game Of Thrones they'd actually read the books. Also, Jae, you're probably my favorite Game Of Thrones Episode Recap Author.

ending. Yep. Its very different from the "official story" that was in place during Robert's reign. Not much chatter from the Unsullied about it that I've noticed, but lots of book readers have mentioned their ears perking up at that. The books never go that far; nobody challenges that official story directly but people's accounts/memories of Rhaegar are consistently in conflict with Robert's assessment/the official story. Nobody else ever has a bad thought about Rhaegar (not even Ned) culminating in Jon Connington in ADWD literally being in love with him. Rhaegar gradually sounds less and less like a kidnapper (and the little we get on Lyanna likewise makes her sound like NOT someone who'd just let herself be kidnapped), and furthermore the story that "Ned slept around and had a bastard" also seems less and less plausible (he also never calls Jon his "son" but always says "he's family, he's my kin, he's of my blood, end of story.") Maybe they'll have Oberyn bring it up again to hammer home it's importance.