The Ghost of Harrenhal

The latest episode of Game of Thrones puts us halfway through this second season, and gave fans loads to talk about.

Of course, the big revelation for anyone who hadn't read the books came right at the top of the hour, in the death of Renly. The Iron Throne now has one fewer contender. As a reader of the books, the scene I found even more compelling followed soon after, once Catelyn and Brienne had fled. Littletfinger, Lorys, and Margaery discussed their next move in a newly added scene that continued to draw Margaery as a more cunning and ruthless character than she seemed in the books. Her line about wanting to be THE queen told you everything you need to know about her. Her story arc is much more clearly laid out on the screen.

Also laid out clearly -- though this was also carefully telegraphed in the book -- was the plot surrounding the wildfire in King's Landing. Tyrion's entertaining intrigue within the court was rather low-key this week (though he certainly still had some zingers), instead focused around explaining this very important plot device for later.

The explanations feel far less clear to me beyond the Wall. Maybe it's that I never was as engaged in Jon Snow's story as it seems many other readers were, but I've actually read A Clash of Kings, and I found myself a little muddy as to all this stuff about Mance Rayder and the wildlings. This felt like the one drag on this episode, watching the scouts march endlessly through the snow.

We got a taste of Bran again this week, but it seemed mainly to serve as a follow-up to the short taste of Theon we got this week. In his efforts to prove himself to his father, Theon has cooked up a ruse, and it seems young Bran has taken the bait. Then there's the matter of Bran's dream about a flood at Winterfell...

Across the sea, love is in the air for Dany. Well, there's a proposal of marriage offered specifically not for love, but from a man who thinks Dany's servant Mormont is in love with her. And his speech to her in the episode certainly seemed to confirm the hypothesis.

But the best material of the hour went to Arya this week. It began with a scene in which she cleverly matched wits with Tywin Lannister, insulting him within the confines of her current station. It ended with some smart coaching of Gendry, and a realization of the power she now commands with the dark "three wishes" (murders only, please) offered to her by the mysterious man she rescued.

One thing that I'm a bit surprised at is to have Jaime Lannister remain off screen once again. He's been absent since the first episode of the season. This is, of course, faithful to the book... but I'd seen interviews with the show runners acknowledging the problem of being faithful to that part of the book. Jaime was one of the more significant characters of season one, and the actor's face has been used in a great deal of the marketing for the show. It seemed like the writers would have to twist some things around to get him into the show and not spend so many episodes off screen as Robb's captive. Not so far.

Also surprisingly absent was Melisandre, who I assumed would have to make an appearance this week after her very important role at the end of last week's episode. I suppose the episode still showed us the most important thing to come of all that, though I imagine some viewers will be wondering what happened to her after she birthed the strange monster.

Maybe you'll find out next week...