Mid Season Premiere Dates – UPDATED

Make sure you check out the main page for an update on the 2014 Mid Season Premiere Dates.  Game of Thrones, Mad Men, About A Boy, Believe, Survivor, the Amazing Race, and more have all been added.

 

SEASON FINALE RECAP & REVIEW: Game of Thrones “Valar Morghulis” S2 E10

Holy Crap!!!!   What a finale.  I was worried going into last night’s finale because there was A LOT that needed to be wrapped up or at least formed into a plan for next season.   GoT delivers yet again with another jaw dropping final scene.   Maybe not quite as jaw dropping as last year’s but still enough to say “what the frick was that??!!”

The Stark Family

Robb got married, Bran is still aimlessly being carried about to nowhere, Jon has the upper hand, Arya has a new direction possibly, and Sansa is screwed.  That’s it…thank you and good night!   Just kidding.

Did anyone else care that Robb Stark got married to what’s her face?  I didn’t think so.  It’s nice that Robb is following his heart but I think it’s awfully sudden.  He’s basically talked to this girl 3 times and boom, love of his life and married.  Now I’m no cynic and a huge romantic at heart, but I’m not buying this for many reasons.  Number One, the Starks are people of honor.  I find it hard to believe that Robb would be promised to someone else (and agree to it) only to give that agreement the middle finger.  His mother even reminded him of that fact. I think it would have been more interesting to see Robb struggle with that a bit more, but he didn’t.  Number Two, his main focus right now is taking out the Lanisters.  Is this really the best time for a new bride when you are avenging your father’s death and trying to over throw one of the most powerful families in the kingdom?   Number Three, he barely knows Talisa.  He’s known her for what, a minute?  What if she’s a plant from a rival family?   What if she smokes in bed?   These are all important things to figure out before marrying someone you barely know, while destroying your honor in the process.

Is Winterfell gone at this point?  That’s what my husband and I were trying to figure out.  The huge clouds of smoke and debris should be clue enough but since Winterfell is so important a land (Robb is king of Winterfell, I don’t care what Theon says) I was slightly surprised that it was destroyed.  For now, I’ll believe that it’s gone and Bran and crew are on the move…again.  Seriously is Hodor expected to carry Bran all the way to the Wall?  Yikes.  Theon is surrounded by hundreds of Stark men looking to kill him and take back Winterfell.  Theon gives us his best Knute Rockne impersonation but is eventually plunked over the head. Instead of his men shouting “win one for the Gipper” it was “let’s go home.”  Way to go guys.  This bugged me because I was really hoping to see a brutal death for Theon…one he truly deserved.  Instead I see him dragged out of Winterfell and back to the Iron Islands.   So the men surrounding Winterfell ready to destroy Theon and his posse did nothing but destroy Winterfell itself since Theon and his men were long gone.

While Bran and crew are off to the wall to be with Jon, Jon is busy being dragged around by Wildlings.  His cohort, realizing the end is near for him, wants to use it as an advantage for Jon to get the Wildlings to trust him.  Not sure if it completely worked but Jon does seem to have their respect.  So much so, that they are taking him to meet the King Beyond the Wall.  Who the hell could that be and does every land have a king?  Is it like every city having a mayor because King sounds a lot more powerful than Mayor.

Arya manages to escape and ends up meeting up with Jaqen once more before he heads back home.  She wants to come him to train to fight but he tells her to stay her course.  He gives her a coin and tells her that if she ever needs him, to give that coin to someone (I forget who) and they will send for him.  He tells her goodbye but not before he transforms into….someone else.   WTF?   What the hell is Jaqen?  Is he some sort of shapeshifter?  I know True Blood doesn’t start until next week but what else could he be?  I already want the old Jaqen back.

I was talking to someone today who said they were disappointed Arya and Tywin didn’t wrap up their storyline better from this season.  That didn’t bother me because I don’t think their story is wrapped up yet.  I think now that Tywin is Hand of the King and Arya is off to learn how to fight, their paths will cross again.  And it will be more interesting when that happens because I have a feeling it will come down to one or the other or both having to make a life or death decision regarding the person they have come to respect.

If I were Sansa, I would find a way to get the hell out of King’s Landing as fast as I could.  Now that Joffrey has tossed her aside for Margaery (more on that in the Lanister section) she has no protection left in KL.  At first she was thrilled to hear she was no longer betrothed to the little asshole.  But her happiness quickly subsided when Baelish reminded her that Joffrey will still torture and possibly rape her even though he will be marrying another.  So her best bet is to get out of KL, with his help, and back to her family.  I think at this point I believe Baelish is trying to help her.  I’m not a fan of his character and certainly don’t trust him.  But because of his feelings for Catelyn, I don’t think he would do anything to harm Sansa.  Plus this would put him back in Catelyn’s good graces.

The Lanister Family

Why do I have a bad feeling that little shit Joffrey will never die?  Is that horrible of me?  Not only did grandpa win the battle for him…a battle he cowardly ran away from to hide with Mommie Dearest…but he is taking all the credit, as well as a new bride.

After defeating Stannis’ army and keeping the iron throne, Joffrey has a few people stand in front of him to reward for their efforts.  First up is Pop-Pop Tywin, who is now dubbed Hand of the King.  Then some other dude got lots of land for his family.  Finally, since the Tyrell family was instrumental in helping to defeat Stannis, they received lots of goodies as well.  To take it a step further, Ann Boleyn, was offered as Joffrey’s bride since she never consummated her marriage to her first husband and is still pure and innocent.  (Hmm, just ask King Henry VIII how pure she is.)  At first Joffrey, stunningly, shows more honor than Robb Stark by wanting to continue with his agreement to wed Lady Stark.  But that crafty Cersei, she points out that since Sansa is the daughter of a traitor and the sister to a man who is coming after them to destroy their kingdom, he can be relieved of his commitment to Sansa and marry Margaery.  Joffrey, quickly accepts.  That Natalie Dormer sure will marry anyone to be Queen won’t she?  I love her.

Tyrion is recovering from his brutal injuries from battle (which we later learn was all Cersei’s doing.)  I guess, why take away someone he loves when she can just take him away..permentantly.  That Cersei certainly has been busy.  First by playing mind games with Sansa, then by trying to kill her youngest son, finally by trying to have her brother killed.  All while being completely snockered on Chianti.  She is quite the multi-tasker.

For all of his brave efforts, we see Tyrion has been relegated to what looks like servant quarters since he has been removed as the Hand of the King and replace by his father.  All his loyal subjects are gone, except for 3.  One nobleman, whose name I am blanking on, made a point to tell Tyrion that he realizes, as do many others, that they would have been defeated well before Tywin made his arrival, had it not been for him.  As a thank you, he brings Shay to see him.  She wants him to run away from his insane family (who can blame the girl) but he explains that he can’t.  He needs to keep them in check.  So she agrees to stay by his side.  It was a sweet moment.  Why do I have a bad feeling it’s only a matter of when, not if, this girl gets killed.

And then there’s Jamie.  Brienne is still carting Jamie and his smart mouth to King’s Landing.  While I don’t like Jamie Lanister, I love the scenes he is in with Brienne because his sharp wit is hilarious.  Still hate him though.    When questioning whether or not Brienne’s loyalties are to the Starks, Brienne quickly corrects him…she doesn’t serve the Starks, she serves Lady Catelyn (isn’t that pretty much the same thing?)  As this is happening, three Stark men appear and immediately start in on Brienne when they realize she’s a woman.   That has to get really old for her after a while.  But you know who has the last laugh?   Wonder woman herself! Not only does she take out the three Stark men in record time, she also scares the living daylights out of Jamie who has a new-found fear for Brienne.   That’s right King Slayer, this chick will kick your ass!!!!

Dani and Crew

As much as I like Dani as a character and I adore her portrayer Emilia Clarke, her storyline has been boring to me this year.  Basically she has been on her way “to her people” (do they know they’re her people) with no army, no ships, no money, no water, no food, no Lady Speed Stick.  It’s been frustrating to watch because I so want this girl to succeed but I have no idea how she’s going to do it!   But last night, we received a great payoff!!!

Dani goes to the house of the undying to get her babies back.  The palatial resort is playing mind games with her to try to throw her off track.   It even strikes below the belt by bringing Khal Drago and her baby boy back into the fold.  It was a great moment to see them back together but Dani knew it was all a lie.  She was strong enough to walk away and emerges in the area where the dragons are being chained.  The creepy undead dude shows up and surrounds her, taunting her, and eventually chaining her as well.  But her being reunited with her babies gave them their mojo back and baby dragon #1 proceed to scream fire at the undead dude until he is, well, no longer undead.  The chains are broken and the family is once again back together.

After all this happens, they head back to the main house in Qarth where Xaro is sleeping with Dani’s handmaid.  She realizes she has been betrayed by her and lied to by him.  She steals the emblem around his neck and both are escorted down the tomb area.  Remember this is the tomb where Xaro told Dani that all the wealth in Qarth is kept.  How funny was it that when she opened it, it was empty.  Actually that wasn’t the funny part.  The funny part was being so pissed at them that she locked them in the tomb with nothing.  If you haven’t learned this yet, learn it now….don’t piss off Khaleesi!!!!!!   In the end, she and Mormont begin collecting all the gold and jewels because that will be enough to buy a ship.   I hate to break up their happy party, but they’re going to need more than a ship.

The final thing I want to mention is the last scene.  When the 3 night watchers heard the 3 horns sounded and started to run, I had no idea what they were running from.  When I saw all the snow, I thought it was the start of Winter that we have been hearing so much about.  But it’s slightly impossible to outrun the start of a new season so it probably wasn’t that.   Then I saw the shadowy figures.  I was starting to get about as freaked out as Sam because I had no idea what or who that was.   Then we see the horse and the…person?…on top of him  look as if he came straight out of a Night of the Living Dead Part 25: The Ice Age, movie.   They were fricking creepy!!  And then more and more and more of them came.  I turned to my husband and said “what the hell are those things?”   He thought they were Wildlings but then we both remembered that they must be the White Walkers.   Right?   I still have to ask though, “what the hell are White Walkers?”  If I’m not mistaken, that’s what the night watch protect everyone from.  Not the Wildlings but those White Walkers.  Well, maybe a little of both but I have to imaging it’s more the White Walkers.  But how do they live with the Wildlings?   I can’t wait to see more of this come next season!!

Overall, it was a great season of GoT and I already can’t wait until Season 3.  I can’t believe Season 2 is over already.   Should we start the campaign now to beg TPTB at GoT to make it at least a 12 episode season?  I think we deserve that.   What did you think of the season finale?   And are you curious to read the books now because I am.   I need more detail!

 

RECAP & REVIEW: Game of Thrones “The Old Gods and The New” S2 E6

It’s hard to believe we are already half way through this season of GoT.  This show is so good, I wish this would get a full 22 episode season vs. 10 episodes.  It just isn’t enough.  I WANT MORE!!!!  This anger you are sensing is probably the show rubbing off on me because there were many angry characters last night, and for good reason….Robb learns Theon has betrayed him and his family, Cersei believes she is betrayed by her brother Tyrion, Joffrey doesn’t like having pastry thrown at him, and Dani’s dragons are gone.  People are severely pissed off.

I think dying at the hands of a direwolf, as I have suggested before, would be too kind for Joffrey.  We have to find something more excruciating for him.  What is this kid’s problem?  In all seriousness, I wouldn’t mind diving into what makes Joffrey such an angry young man.  He hasn’t been alive long enough to be that belligerent with everyone who crosses his path.   And what, for the love of God, did Sansa ever do to him that he leaves her to the savages to rape and kill her?  I started crying my eyes out during that scene.  I was so terrified for her.  But luckily Tyrion, the only one who seems to care about Sansa, made sure she was ok and had someone save her just in time.   This girl is slated to be your wife and she has been nothing but loyal to you.  So why is Joffrey treating her like garbage?  Oh that’s right, because he’s an asshole.

From one person who has no business being that upset, to another who has every right.   If you thought Robb Stark was mad before, his head is now ready to explode!   While moving towards King’s Landing to take out the Lannisters, a person he trusted, whom he thought was on his side, has betrayed him.  Theon, who initially went back to his father to ask for his help in taking down the Lannisters and teaming with the Stark army, has flipped sides and now is with his father’s army and has stormed into Winterfell and claimed that he is now King of the North.  He threatens Bran and manipulates him that the right thing to do, to keep his people safe, is to back down and turn Winterfell over to Theon.   Bran does exactly what Theon asks.  One of the Stark’s most loyal compatriots doesn’t take the news so well and challenges Theon and his newly found power.  He really puts him in his place and as a result Theon orders him to prison.  However, one of Theon’s advisors tells him that he will never be respected if he allows people to speak to him that way and must put him to death.  Another loyal Stark follower tells him it would be a bad idea to do this in front of his new people and that he should punish him another way.  Theon ops for beheading.  And in one of the most brutal death’s I’ve seen in a while, Theon struggles to get the head off with his sword and eventually has to kick it off, his head.  That’s a rough way to go!   The part that really breaks your heart is that you can see Theon doesn’t want to do this.  He wants no part of this.  But he is so desperate to be accepted that he will do what he needs to do for that acceptance.  He was raised by Ned Stark but for someone reason, all of sudden, doesn’t feel like a true part of the family.  So he is making decisions to get back into the good graces of his blood family, the Greyjoys.  I’m not sure of his logic.  The Starks treated Theon more like family than his own family ever had, yet when push comes to shove, he sides with the family that shunned him?  Stupid!  It’s going to get him killed.

Just when Dani thinks she may have worked her way into the leader of Qarth’s good graces to use his ships….access denied.  He appreciates her passion and fire but she has no army, she has no connections in King’s Landing, she really has no plan.   She has nothing other than her passion and her ambition which, until he laid it out the way he did, I didn’t realize it either.  He’s right.  What does she have.  She’s making some HUGE assumptions about what will happen in King’s Landing but she doesn’t have anything to back it up.  As a result, he denies her use of the ships.  Meanwhile, the other member of the 13 keeps telling her, marry me and I’ll help you get the throne.  How?  Why not help her and if you do and succeed, then she’ll marry you.  That’s how I would play it.  But this isn’t even the worst thing that happens to Dani.   After coming back and seeing a blood bath in Qarth with many people murdered, you just knew what had happened and Dani sensed it too.  She runs to her room and her worst nightmare has become a reality…the dragons are gone.   At some point this chick is just going to snap.  I think we’re going to see that next week.

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I kind of like Tywin Lannister.  Tywin comes across to me an incredibly powerful and tough man but he also seems fair and learned.  I love the way he is treating Arya.  He seems genuinely interested in her and sees something special in her.  While everyone hates the Lannisters, it’s more Cersei, Jamie, and Joffrey that people have a problem with.  And some people do have issues with Tyrion, but it’s mainly Cersei, Jamie, and Joffrey.  I don’t really hear the venom towards Tywin.  Maybe there will be more to come out about the type of leader he is, but as of right now, I am ok with him.  Now time will tell if he’s known all along that she’s a Stark or if Baelish was able to tell him who she really is (if he recognized her, which I think he did.)

While all this is going on, Jon Snow is falling in love.  I’m kidding…or am I?  The poor Stark boys.  No time for romance in their lives.  Robb turns into a pile of goo each time he sees Talisa and his mother basically tells him that he has no time for that.  Fighting a war, you have to make some sacrifices and romance is one of them.  Or is this a mom not wanting her baby boy to have another woman in his life?  Then you have Jon Snow, basically in the same position Theon was in of having to prove himself by murdering someone he doesn’t want to murder.  But unlike Theon, he doesn’t kill her.   Their camp has captured a wildling but since she has no bargaining chip, they want her dead and they want Jon Snow to do it.  He can’t it.  She escapes but he tracks her down and basically takes her hostage until he figures out what to do with her.  In the meantime, some spooning time is in order with Ygritte grinding against him as if she is trying to awaken little Jon.

I can’t believe we only have 4 episodes left!!  It isn’t enough!!!  I want more!!!!  But just like wanting Ned Stark to come back to life, it isn’t going to happen.

 

RECAP & REVIEW: Game of Thrones “Garden of Bones” S2 E3

Just when I thought Joffrey couldn’t be any more evil than he already is, he breaks the mold yet again.  Joffrey Lannister (I refuse to call him Baratheon) is easily the most disgusting, vile, awful character on TV.  I know everyone hates Ellis from Smash, but while Ellis is like a stink bug that every time you flick off your window screen August it just comes right back to annoy you, Ellis is 20,000 more tolerable than Joffrey (and that’s saying A LOT.)  Ellis isn’t evil, he’s just a stink bug.  Joffrey, is down right evil.  At first I wanted to beat him through my TV screen for wanting to beat and humiliate Sansa because of her brother’s actions.  I couldn’t understand why he was doing this to Sansa when it’s Robb he has the problem with.  Then I realized, it’s not uncommon to “send a message” through your enemy’s family instead of the enemy himself.  In many cases, that’s actually the best way to get your point across and have your enemy pay attention to you.  It’s cruel, but it works.  So that’s what Joffrey was doing here…the little shit.  Luckily for Sansa, his Uncle Tyrion comes storming in insisting that this torture stop.  “She is to be your Queen!” he scolds at his nephew.  I love how Tyrion can make the King look so small and weak with just some simple obvious statements.  As well as put the King’s minions in their place when they ask stupid questions….”Are you threatening the king?” Minion #1 asks.  “No I’m simply teaching my nephew a lesson.  The next time he speaks, kill him.  That was a threat.  See the difference?”   I think I am going to make up t-shirts that say “I love Peter Dinklage/Tyrion Lannister.”  Tyrion believes his nephew’s violent ways are the result of sexual frustration so he decides to send him two prostitutes to help him get all that anger out of his system.  When Joffrey realizes it was his uncle who sent the girls, he decides to go in another direction.  Instead of having sex with the girls, he would rather torture and beat them.  Or rather, have the one girl beat the other while aiming a cross-bow at her threatening her life if she doesn’t do what he says.  What a nice young man he’s become.  Cersei must be so proud.

From one disturbing story to another, let’s talk about what the hell crawled out of Melisandre’s vajay-jay shall we?  Well before we get to that, let’s back up a smidge.  Renly and Stannis Baratheon have met up with one another on a very windy and rock hillside.  But they don’t have a Sam and Dean type of reunion, instead it’s more like Cain and Abel.  These two are driving me crazy and I’m not the only one.  Catelyn is also annoyed by them.  Basically both Renly and Stannis want the Lannisters defeated.  Easy enough.  The problem is, they both want the throne.  Here’s my suggestion….why not band together now to defeat the Lannisters and everyone else who wants a shot at the throne, and then you two can battle it out after that.  Don’t they realize that they can’t be the only people wanting to take over King’s Landing?  Sheesh.  Men.  I’ll give Stannis credit for at least trying to throw a compromise out there.  Granted it was something that really only suited him, but give the man props for trying.  Meanwhile Renly’s acting like Kat from A League of Their Own.  But enough of those two.

To solidify his place on the throne (if he ever gets there of course) the god of light’s spokesperson has told him that he needs an heir.  So last week, Stannis threw Melisandre down on that massive map and had his way with her.  Flash to this week and Davos is taking Meli to a cave where she promises to reveal what she looks like underneath her cloak.  Little ho bag that Meli is.  Well, not only does she drop her cloak to reveal, everything, but we see her VERY pregnant belly that has something rather large moving around inside it.  Wait, didn’t they have sex just last week?  I know it’s last week in our time but how long has it been in GoT time?  It certainly hasn’t been nine months!  Anyhoo, Meli starts her breathing and pushing (I wonder when she had time for a lamaze class) and the next thing you know this black, slick, creepy, thing pushes his or her way out and stands before her.  It’s like the smoke monster meets the creature from the black lagoon.  I hope Davos was registered at Pottery Barn to he can get the little tyke something special.  But seriously what the hell was that?  At the end of the scene my husband and I slowly turned towards one another with our jaws dropped and shoulders shrugged.  Between the dragons and the comet and now this….I love this show!!

On the battlefield, Robb Stark is killing his way right to Kings Landing.  After the latest battle, it was pretty bloody and violent.  Lots of casualties, including the foot of a civilian.  Robb meets a young woman named Talissa (I think) and was quite smitten with her.  Because really, what’s more conducive to romance than watching someone chop off someone’s foot with a hacksaw.  For some men it’s lacy lingerie.  For Robb Stark, amputation.  He tries to find out more about her but she blows him off because if it wasn’t for him, so many lives wouldn’t be destroyed.  That’s always the ultimate fight when it comes down to people who are for war or against it.  The people against it say it’s too many innocent lives lost for no purpose or not enough payout.  The people for it say it’s a necessary means to an end that will result in a better way of life for all citizens and that the people who volunteer to help, know the risk going in.  You can see both sides.  But I have to believe that won’t be the last we see of her.  Especially since Robb was giving her the sexy eyes as she was leaving in the back of a wagon.

My girl Dani has finally reach a city, Qarth,  where she and the other Dothraki’s can finally shower and get something to eat.  Boy they must stink to high heaven!  She is met by the leader of the thirteen who kindly welcomes her but will only allow her entrance if he can see the dragons.  Dani does her best to keep the dragons sleeping in their crates and as a result, the thirteen rescind their invitation.  She goes to push for entrance and Mormont warns her to be careful how she handles this.  So she proceeds to threaten to burn their city and all of them if they don’t let them in.  Something tells me that’s not the approach Mormont meant when he said be careful how you handle this.  But it worked.  A gentleman from the thirteen emerges and vouches for Dani and her crew.  He solidifies his promise by slicing his hand with a dagger and showing it to the rest of his troops.  I must say I would be slightly concerned if someone I never met promised to vouch for me and that the way his people believe his promise is after he slices his hand with a Ginsu knife. I would definitely sleep with my eyes open.  But the doors open and they are led into what appears to be the beautiful city of Qarth.

In Harrnehal, the Night Watch recruits are being tortured and killed one by one.  Arya is about to watch her friend Gendry get eaten by a rat while set on fire just when Superman arrives!  Well not really it’s actually Tywin Lannister that stops the nonsense.  He tells his vipers that there is more value to these people alive than dead.  He instructs them to put all the recruits to work because they are free labor.  He wants them all put to work, except for the young girl.  One of Lannister’s idiots tries to convince him it’s a boy but Lannister isn’t fooled.  He spots her immediately and takes her in as his personal assistant of some kind.   I guess that’s going to keep her safe for the time being….that is until he discovers she’s Ned Stark’s daughter.   Here’s my question though.  I thought all the Night Watch recruits were people everyone in the seven kingdoms supported because they fight for all their freedoms on the Wall.  So if that’s the case, then why are Lannister’s men capturing, torturing, and killing them all?  I know their initial mission was on asshole Joffrey’s orders to kill all of Robert’s bastard children and there was a bastard in the mix of recruits.  But they should have believed that they got their man when Arya pointed out “Gendry” dead on the ground near the skull helmet.  So if the mission was complete, why kill all the other recruits?  The Lannisters suck.   Well, all of them except Tyrion and right now I’m giving a slight pass to Tywin.

What are your thoughts on the new season of GoT?  I must admit, it’s much easier when you have a better understand of who everyone is, where they come from, and what their goals are.  But for the love of all that’s good, can someone please name their kid Mike or Amy.   Please.  I’m begging you.  At least we have a Robb and a John.  More of that would be lovely.

 

SEASON PREMIERE: Game of Thrones “The North Remembers” S2 E1

Game of Thrones’ second season premiere was last night on HBO and it didn’t disappoint.  I’m not going to lie, it took me a little bit to remember all the players (thank goodness for all those Season 1 GoT recaps on the networks to help!)   I think we are in for a crazy ride this season with many power struggles ahead.

After watching the premiere last night, it’s very clear that last season set up all that is to come.  I realize that the last two episodes of season 1 also did that.  But my jaw was on the floor between the killing of Ned Stark and the birth of the dragons that I didn’t think about it that deeply until now.  But last night showed us a very simple premise….NO ONE likes the Lannisters.  They are everyone’s enemy.   Therefore, everyone across the land is coming after their claim to the throne.

It’s fascinating to watch how it’s all coming together.  While everyone is united in their hatred of the Lannisters and want to see them pushed out of power in King’s Landing, many of these other kingdoms can’t take them out on their own.   They need help.  They need to ban together with another kingdom or faction to achieve their goals.  But as we witness the individual brainstorming sessions, we learn that each of these other factions have their own rifts with the families planning to align with them.  In other words, everyone hates everyone else for one reason or another.  The key will be one of two things….who can put their egos and differences aside to team up to take out the Lannisters or who is smart enough to align with the right contingent to achieve the goal yet not be betrayed.  Because if you aren’t family, you can’t be trusted and it makes you an enemy.

I was worried going into season 2 that I wasn’t sure who I would root for.  After all, there is no more Ned Stark. But I do have my top three…Robb Stark, Tyrion Lannister, and Daenerys Targaryen.  Robb is awesome.  He is his father’s son and he will avenge this death.  The best part about the Stark family is that they want no part of the throne in King’s Landing.  All they want are the Lannisters out of power and destroyed and to return as King of the North never to be bothered again.  Seems fair to me.  Robb’s problem is, to take out the Lannisters he needs a stronger army.  His army is solid and they will die for him (plus he has Jamie Lannister prisoner which helps) but he needs to be even stronger.  He needs ships.  He best friend/pseudo brother Theon Greyjoy offers to ask his father (who fought against the Starks) to use his fleet of ships to assist them.  Robb then asks his mother to meet with Renly Barathian to see if his troops will align with them for one super power army.  If Robb can get both, it would make him near unstoppable.   That is of course, if others don’t usurp him in the process!

Then we have Dani.  Since her portrayer, the lovely and fantastic Amelia Clarke, call her Dani, that’s what I’m calling her.  Plus it’s much easier to spell!  Dani is leading the Dothraki’s through what looks like the desert to get to King’s Landing to avenge her family’s removal from the throne and her husband’s death.  The problem is, they are running out of food and water.  She sent three of her best men in different directions to seek help.  Her closest confidant is concerned about her and is worried that if she isn’t careful, no matter where she goes, they will be defeated and her dragons will be seized.  “No one will take my dragons!”  Dani exclaims.  You’re damn right sister!  I would hope at some point, that someone would be willing to team up with her.  If for no other reason than the fear the Dothpak have on the rest of the kingdom.  She is a fantastically strong character considering what she’s been through and I am fully in her corner.

Finally, we have the great Peter Dinklage.  Emmy winner, Peter Dinklage resuming the role of Tyrion Lannister.  Already I see a major shift in his character.  He’s not just the amusing, black-mark-on-the-family, playboy he was last season.  Yes he’s still all those things.  But something has changed in him.  He doesn’t like how his nephew Joffry and his sister Cersei are ruling King’s Landing and how they are destroying their family’s name.  He openly mocks Joffry about his leadership on the battlefield (he has none) and tells his sister that her only redeeming quality is her love for her children and her cheekbones.  He is furious with the way they have handled the Starks.  Since Robb has Jamie, they had huge bargaining chips with having Ned, Sensa, and Aria.  Well Joffry beheaded Ned and Cersei let Aria get away.  Now all they have is Sensa.  She’s still a powerful chip but not nearly as powerful as having all three.

It’s clear to anyone that Joffry is evil and Cersei is corrupted by power.  Joffry is killing people for enjoyment, abusing his soon-to-be wife, Sensa, threatening the life of his mother, and ordering the death of all the Barathian bastards since the secret is out that he is really the bastard of Cersei and Jamie and not Cersei and King Robert.  Cersei denies this of course but since Stannis Barathian released that information to the entire kingdom, everyone knows.  It weakens the Lannisters so Joffry is doing everything in his power to eliminate any possible threat to his throne.  I just hope a direwolf takes him out at some point and gives him the rightful death he deserves!!

Finally, speaking of Stannis, he is leading his own charge to take back the throne with a very interesting team of people.  Including Mesliandre, who apparently worships her own created deity.  She has a group of followers who also worship with “god” and Stannis has become one of the them.  Some of the men closest to Stannis are very concerned about his growing allegiance to Mesliandre.  One even goes so far as to poison a glass of wine he offers to share with Mesliandre hoping to kill her off while killing himself at the same time.  I believe I read somewhere that this character was very close with Stannis and would do anything for him.  I would say so!  But it fails.  He dies, but the poison has no effect on her at all and she chants something while a glowing red beacon of some sort flashes on her neck.  I can’t wait to find out more about her.

Oh and there’s a weird-looking comet that is hovering over the kingdom.    Just a FYI.  It’s supposed to signify the presence of dragons.  No one believes it, but we know better don’t we!

That about sums up the season premiere.  It really went fast and I loved every minute of it!  What did you all think of the premiere?  Let me know!!!

 

Game of Thrones Season Two Premiere Date!!!

I am sooooooo excited!!!!  Game of Thrones is coming back and it finally has a premiere date.   Game of Thrones is back on HBO Sunday April 1st at 9pm for it’s 10 episode season.  I really wish these were 12 episodes per season but beggars can’t be choosers.

In other HBO knows, “Girls” will premiere Sunday April 15th at 9:30pm.  “Veep” staring Julia Louis Dreyfus will premiere Sunday April 22nd at 10pm.   Girls is about a group of girls in their 20s and will highlight all the funny and crazy things girls endure at that point in their life.  It stars a bunch of people I have never heard of…Jemima Kirke and Allison Williams…and I have absolutely no interest in this show.  Veep stars Dreyfus as a former senator who is now the Vice President of United States and her job is not exactly what she thought it would be.  Talk about vague.  Aren’t these show descriptions becoming more and more formulaic?  Veep also stars a solid cast including Anna Chlumsky, Tony Hale, and Reid Scott.  This I will be checking out.

I was hoping to read the first two books in the series to catch up before the premiere.  Yeah, that’s not going to happen.  No biggie.  But I can’t wait for the premiere.  It feels like forever since we last saw Daenerys Targaryen emerging from the fire with her baby dragons surrounding her.   Good God I can’t wait!!!!

 

Game of Thrones and The Killing

I know I’m way behind but these shows are taking a back seat right now to finale week/weeks and my job.

I will catch up and start doing full recaps again, after next week.   Thanks!

 

REVIEW: Game of Thrones “The Kingsroad” S1 E2

I hope with every fiber of my being that it is a Direwolf that comes and kills every Lannister that is still living….starting with Prince Shithead, I mean Prince Joffrey and ending with Queen Bitchlips, I mean Queen Cersei.   Seriously, how much did last night’s ending bother you?   Because it bothered the hell out of me.  I kept shouting at Ned not to do it but my shouting couldn’t save the Direwolf.

We start with Daenerys (really couldn’t we have named her Caroline or Amy…these names are killing me and my spell check) and she is still terribly sad over this arrangement/marriage with Khal, her new husband and head of the Dothrakis.  However she starts to make some friends and her first order of business is to ask one of them (who apparently has been in a brothel since age 9) how to please her husband.  Her new friend proceeds to show her and gives her some pointers on how to make him happy.  The only reason I can think of that would make her want to do this, is because the other ways they have been intimate are painful for her (both physically and emotionally.)  At least if she can take some control back in the bedroom, she will begin to regain some control over her life.  Maybe even soften him up to the point where she could leave.  I guess we’ll wait and see.  Her brother the asshole, Viserys, is still on this mission of power.  He and Dothrakis are on the move to get into a position to take out King Robert.

Speaking of his highness, he and Ned are on their way to King’s Landing, along with his two daughters Sansa and Arya.  Catelyn, Ned wife’s, is really unhappy that he has chosen to leave Winterfall and not remain with his family.  The last time he went away, he came back with a son from another woman.  We know her name, Wyla, but we still have not met her and Ned doesn’t like to speak of her.   While he loves his son Jon, who is his son with her, he does seem terribly ashamed of his actions while he was away.  Catelyn is not only upset about Ned leaving for fear of being cheated on again, but also because she doesn’t trust the Lannisters and she fears for Ned’s life.  She insists that they were behind the murder of Jon Arynn (Ned’s predecessor) and now she believes they had something to do with Bran’s “fall.”  I’m not sure at this point if King Robert is aware of this revelation but I have to believe that he isn’t based on his words and actions.  Sansa is being prepped to marry Joffrey and she is really happy about it.  She really wants to impress him.  He seems equally interested in her.  The go walking together and come across Arya “sword fighting”…the sword are sticks…with the butcher’s son.  When Joffrey asserts himself and belittles the butcher’s son and starts to slit his face with his real sword, Arya yells at him to stop.  Joffrey doesn’t so Arya takes her rather large stick and smacks him on the arm.  The butcher’s son flees and Joffrey comes after Arya with the sword and calls her a rather nasty name I refuse to put in writing.  As he threatens her with the sword, her Direwolf comes out of the woods and bites his arm so he drops the sword.  Yeah Direwolf!!!!  Arya then picks up his sword and aims it his throat.  Loser Joffrey then starts crying like a wimp begging Arya to leave him alone and she then take his sword and hurls it into the water and runs away.  Meanwhile Sansa offers to run and get Joffrey help while he yells at her to do so.  I love Arya.  I love her spunk and feistiness.  I have a feeling that some day, she will rise to power and control all the kingdoms!   In the woods, Arya finds her Direwolf and begs her to run away so they won’t find her.  She refuses and stays by her side ( I want a Direwolf!)   She has to throw a rock at her to convince her to leave so she won’t get caught.  Arya is eventually found in the woods and brought to the king and queen instead of her father.  When Ned goes to see Robert and Cersei he asks why she wasn’t brought to him.  Then each child (Joffrey and Arya) explain what happened.  Joffrey obviously lies and Arya defends herself.  The king has had enough of the arguing and Queen Cersei asks sweet Sansa to come forward to say what really happened.  Not wanting to betray her sister or soon-to-be husband, she says he can’t remember and Arya attacks her…ha!   As a result, the Queen asks that the Direwolf be destroyed since he came after her son.  The king doesn’t like it but gives the command.  Ned says he will take care of it.  His daughters are crying saying it wasn’t her fault and she was only protecting Arya.  Unfortunately once the king gives his order, there is nothing Ned can do.  So he goes outside to see this sweet face tied up to a post and kills the wolf.  From that moment on, me and the Lannisters, are on opposite sides.   They have made an enemy out of me and I will NEVER root for them.  They are evil and I hope what goes around, comes around.

Another reason the Lannisters are so awful is that they are still trying to kill Bran.  Once they got word that he wasn’t dead, the sent an assassin to kill him.  Unfortunately for the assassin, not only was Catelyn there to protect her son but so was his Direwolf and the Direwolf ripped the assassin to shreads….literally.   Then he jumped on the bed, checked on Bran, and went to sleep.   Mission accomplished.  This all happened while Catelyn watched.  At least she knows that if her husband or herself can’t be there to protect Bran, the Direwolf will.

So not a lot of plot moved forward but we starting to see the battle lines being drawn.  We all hate the Lannisters (although my jury is still out on Tyrion because I don’t think he’s part of the cool click and he maybe on the outside looking in.)  And we all hate Viserys Targaryen for killing Ned’s sister and then whoring his own sister out to Khal for ambitious reasons.  I really like all the members of the Stark family (especially Arya) and I am sympathetic to Daenerys.  I really hope she will start to gather her inner strength and see if she can escape the clutches of her jerk of a brother and brute of a husband.   And I forgot to mention in my last post and they weren’t mentioned this week but what the hell are those creepy Winter Walkers?  That was so freaky and disturbing at the same time.  I don’t know what to make of that but they are also looming out there.

What do you think of Game of Thrones so far?  I am thoroughly enjoying it and now that I am starting to understand the characters a bit more, I think it will be even more enjoyable.

 

QUICK REVIEW: Game of Thrones “Winter is Coming – Pilot” S1 E1

Game of Thrones premiered last Sunday night and is based of the books from George R.R. Martin “A Song of Fire and Ice.”   Apparently the first book is over 800 pages long and the first episode covers about the first 100.  I haven’t read the book and after watching the first episode, reading the book may be helpful!  I have to admit, embarrassingly so, that I was very confused.  I still am a little bit.   There was a lot of information thrown at us and I am still trying to digest it all.

The basic gist that I got is that King Robert’s right hand man (and Lord Eddard “Ned” Stark’s mentor) Jon Arynn has died (or been killed.)  As a result, King Robert comes to see the leader of Winterfall and his good friend Ned and asks him to take over Jon’s place in the capital of King’s Landing, Westeros.  Now, I believe there are 7 kingdoms and Ned Stark is the leader of the kingdom in the North, Winterfall.  King Robert, I think, is the ruler of all 7 kingdoms and therefore the most powerful in all the 7 kingdoms.  Now over in the land of Penros, Viserys Targaryen is trying to win back the throne.  I’m not sure if it’s Lord Robert’s throne on someone else’s but, none the less, he is after a throne.  In order to get that throne he needs to build an army so he enlists the help of the Dothraki warriors.  How does he do this?  He makes his sister, Daenerys, marry the leader of the Dothrakis.  This guy is such a sleaze.  When she tells him she doesn’t want to do this, he tells her that he doesn’t care if he has to make her sleep with 400 Dothraki warriors, she will do it so he can be King.   Really nice guy.  I can tell I am going to root for this jackass.   She marries him and she is miserable.   I don’t blame her.  We also learn that Targaryen is responsible for the death of Ned’s sister who was also going to marry King Robert.  Needless to say, Ned and Robert don’t like Targaryen too much.

Meanwhile, back in Winterfall, accompanying King Robert on his journey to Winterfall is his wife Queen Cersei, her twin brother Jaime, her dwarf brother and male whore Tyrion, and Cersei’s son and heir to the throne, Joffrey.  They all meet Ned’s family…his wife Catelyn and their 5 children: Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, and Rickon.  There is also another son, the bastard, Jon Snow, who is the son of Ned and an unknown woman at this point.  To help strengthen their alliance against possible invaders, Robert suggests that they become family.  He suggests that Ned’s oldest daughter, Sensa, marry Joffrey.  Ned isn’t sure about this but he doesn’t say no.

Catelyn receives word from her sister that Jon Arynn was killed and she believes it was someone from the Lannister family who killed him.  The Lannister family is the Queen’s family.  Uh oh.  So not only did the Lannister’s allegedly kill Arynn but they may possibly be coming after the King to take him down from the inside.  Even creepier is the fact that the Queen seems to be having a sexual affair with her twin brother Jaime.  Either he really isn’t her twin or they are both even more disgusting than previously thought.  Bran unfortunately has a bad habit of climbing up very high buildings and his mother has already scolded him for doing so.  On this day, when he went climbing, he came across the Queen having sex with her brother.  They catch him and decided what to do with him.  Jaime decides his best bet, is to push out the window of the tower.  And it is believed Bran falls to his death….or does he?

Like I said, there was a lot to follow and I’m not 100% sure I got all that right!  So if any of my information is incorrect, please feel free to correct me.   Either way, I thought the show was terrific and I am looking forward to watching more episodes and hopefully start to understand more about the characters and what the ultimate end game is.  Maybe I should start reading the books to get a better grasp of the story and the characters!!!  But I highly recommend you check out Game of Thrones.