What Is Dead May Never Die

The construction of this week's episode of Game of Thrones was very interesting to me. As a reader of the books, I was quite engaged by a lot that transpired. But afterward, I had to wonder a bit what the perspective might be of someone who hadn't read the books.

For starters, there was a lot missing. If your favorite character/plotline is Daenerys or Robb, you got nothing this week. If you're still trying to find your footing with Stannis and Davos and Melissandre? Tough luck; they sat out this week too. If you love to hate Joffrey? Too bad; he spent his second straight week off screen.

A non-book reader might then be further flummoxed by the introduction of still more characters -- the skilled woman-warrior Brienne, and the coldly calculating Margery Tyrell, wife of Renly. I would like to think, though, that any trepidation surrounding these two new women would be quickly dispatched by their compelling introductions. We saw that Brienne was a towering powerhouse of a fighter, the best we've seen in a duel since The Mountain back in season one. As for Margery, we saw just how much she was willing to overlook for the sake of amassing power; she's fully aware of what she's getting (and not getting) in marrying Renly.

At least if you're a fan of Arya or Tyrion (and most are), you got plenty to enjoy this week. Tyrion was absolutely in his element, plotting to unmask a traitor in his midst with a carefully constructed ruse. This storyline had no "action" in the traditional sense, but was still fun and tense. Arya showed a wit just as keen at the end of the hour, when she covered for Gendry with the soldiers who'd captured them all. There were also two key moments -- the story told to her of the killing prayer, and her releasing of the fugitives -- that certainly had book fans squealing to see what will come next.

I remain impressed with the way the show has portrayed Theon. I've said before how unlikable I found him in the books, and how difficult I found it to understand his motivations even while being inside his head. I actually think it might be better not to "hear" his actual thought processes, but to instead just see him beg for any scrap of love from his father. He took a big step tonight in turning his back on the Starks, and while I'm certainly not rooting for him, I "get it."

Lastly, we got snippets of Bran and Sansa, the former believing he's assuming the form of his dire wolf in his dreams, the latter suffering in her plight at King's Landing. We also got a small taste of Jon Snow and Samwell up beyond the wall. These stories were all marking time a bit... but of course, we still have seven more episodes to go in this excellent second season.