My stream has been frozen at the 46 minute mark for 15 minutes now.

Great episode. It was nice to see them concentrate on one plot and go for the jugular. This season has been very good, but so diffuse.

If only we got a movie version of that "battle of Blackwater scene". It was very awesome what they did with tv budget. STannis is a badass

Deus ex machina, thy name is Charles Dance.

Wow! So that's why Dany couldn't show her dragons at the gate of Qarth.

Fuck the Kingsguard!

That's not what a Deux Ex Machina is.

An unexpected power or event saving a hopeless situation, esp. as a plot device in a play or novel.

Charles Dance and his troops, who we've been given no indication (to my knowledge) were going to race to King's Landing versus fighting Ned's son, showing up precisely three and a half seconds before Tyrion would have been crushed and Cersei would've committed suicide...has the sound of a deus ex machina, but, please, enlighten me.

A Deus Ex Machina is a plot device brought up out of thin air to resolve a conflict. We know that Tywin has won many battles, and we know that he was rushing from Harrenhal, they just made us assume that it was to fight Robb.

People use the term too loosely. The fact something or someone enters a fight at the last second to change the outcome does not equal a Deus Ex Machina. Is Gandalf showing up at Helm's Deep a Deus Ex Machina? Is Han Solo appearing out of nowhere to blast Darth Vader and save Luke from death a Deus Ex Machina? Hell, is Irene Adler calling Moriarty to stop him and his sniper from offing Sherlock Holmes a Deus Ex Machina?

Actually, the last one might be, but A Scandal in Belgravia is awesome so who cares.

The feeling may have been intensified by the way it was presented. Everything is at its absolute worst, with death just moments away. Then, bang, a shot of a horse, a shot of a sword, and then Charles Dance coming through the door declaring, "The battle has ended! We are victorious!" Roll credits.

Well, yeah, but that's drama (on a more depressing scale, certainly). Gandalf only appears after Theoden and Aragorn are surrounded by thousands of monsters and about to die. Han only appears once Luke is on his own and Vader is a second away from blowing him out of the sky.

I thought we saw an image of Renly's ghost (basically Littlefinger's trick). I imagine it will be explained next week. It really took more than Tywin but was really Littlefinger's machinations which saw hints of several episodes ago.

I've had a few issues with this season.

I still find it engaging, but it is so diffuse. Even though a few of them are at war with each other, the various character groups feel so far apart. Daenerys has done NOTHING of much note. I'm sure her character has an epic future, but her storyline has been on pause this season, almost as if the writers forget her and then insert a scene right before the final draft is completed.

The scenes at King's Landing are the best (Peter Dinklage is definitely the star and heart of the series), though I also find Arya's scenes enthralling. I have a hard time investing in the Stephen Dillane character (Stannis Baratheon) and his milieu.

It's also strange how they introduced the Natalie Dormer character, gave her this badass Lady Macbeth moment ("I don't want to be a queen, I want to be THE queen!"), and then stopped showing her for several episodes. I don't believe she's appeared since. At times, I feel the series, try as they might to be 100 percent accessible, can't help itself and winds up operating on the presumption every viewer has not only read, but closely studied the novels and know where each character and concept is headed. It's strange TV to introduce this sexy, powerful female character, suggest she's on the eve of a major play for power, and then just drop her 100 percent. I'm sure she'll appear again, but the momentum is gone.

It's because they're playing the long game. Trust me when I say that Season 2 has improved quite a bit on A Clash of Kings, and that means really wonderful things for the next two seasons (as A Storm of Swords is the best of the books).

That said, it's only going to get more disparate. Characters will spread out more than come together. That's the nature of the story.



She just made her play for power. How exactly do you think Tywin Lannister managed to get the Tyrell forces? That "I want to be THE queen" scene was there for a reason. It seems like you're getting frustrated with the show for introducing and hinting at plot lines that, in the books, take much longer to develop.

With the amazing response this episode has gotten, I'm sure we'll see more singularly focused episodes in the future.

Lol you could have guessed Stannis would not win..

It pretty much stops the story cold then..

Anyways epic fight!

I haven't thought of it because I have no clue who Tyrell is, let alone his forces. Is he the false king Tilda Swinton Knight is accused of murdering?

The Tyrells are Margaery's family. They're one of the reasons Renly's forces were so big -- he was marrying a Tyrell.

Yeah the other helmetless guy was Loras, her brother and Renly's lover. I imagine we'll see Marge in the next episode. Their father is Mace Tyrell, the lord of Highgarden. We might not meet him till next season.

Yeah house Tyrell plays a big part in the next season

The season 2 finale will be an extra 10 minutes.

List of characters that will come into the game next season:

Mance Rayder, Daario Naharis, Edmure Tully, Ser Brynden Tully (The Blackfish), Lady Selyse Florent, Shireen, Olenna Redwyne (The Queen of Thorns), Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr and Jojen and Meera Reed

Don't think that is spoilers because non-readers will not be able to make anything out of that information. Also note that just because a character is not listed, doesn't mean they won't appear. Oberyn Martell comes to mind.

I would add Ramsey Snow to that list unless he shows up in episode 10.

The Brave Companions

What a great ending episonde


Damn feels like a movie.

Episode likley breaks a records of some sort for so many story lines...

They continue to change the Dragon ladys story but it feels more epic.

Also its Walking Dead Game of Thrones Version!!

Knowing what happens next season this episode was very sad and emotional.

Excellent episode! Creepy whitewalker is creepy.

And so glad Dany got her dragons back. Her.. hallucinations in the House of the Undying were great, too.