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Finally, we've arrived at the fight that everyone has been talking about for two weeks. The fight was shocking, violent and surprising, everything that everyone should have expected. As a book reader, I was still surprised at how shocking the end of the fight was, even knowing what was ultimately to come.

First, let's rewind back to the violence that opened the show. The Wildlings are creeping ever closer to the wall, raiding all the way there. The most recent stop is Molestown, which is basically the brothel for Castle Black. The Wildlings are knocking on the wall (almost literally) and some shit's about to go down.

Reports before the season started were that they filmed a battle that was much bigger than "Blackwater", which took up an entire episode. Apparently this battle is going to be along the same lines, where it dominates the entire episode. Next week should be worthy of being the ninth episode of a season, which is traditionally the biggest one of every season.

A surprisingly heartwarming scene, if it can be called that, was between Roose Bolton and his son Ramsay Snow. Roose gave Ramsay the Bolton name, and is essentially legitimizing him and making him his heir. The impetus for this is a particularly gruesome scene featuring the slaughter of the remaining Ironborn holding out at Moat Cailin, the gateway to the North. I guess some good ole flaying is the way to a Bolton's heart.

In the Vale, we see Sansa grow up before our eyes. It turns out that she has actually has been listening to all the lessons that Littlefinger has been trying to teach her since she got to King's Landing. She spins a great web of lies, dropping a few truths in there just to get them to buy into it. This is basically the only way out for Littlefinger, who has no clear way to wiggle out of this one.

I don't really have much to say about Jorah Mormont being exiled from Mereen for betraying Daenerys a long time ago. These scenes were all beautiful but just straight up plot and as a book reader, almost came off as boring, but I'm not the one they're making the show for. It's clearly essential for show watchers.

Before the big fight, we get one, seemingly last, conversation between Jaime and Tyrion. Tyrion talks about his cousin who used to smash beetles senselessly. It's probably reading too much into this, but it sure does seem like quite a metaphor for George R.R. Martin and all the jokes on the internet about how he just loves killing off characters.

Speaking of killing off characters, we arrive at the final scene. On one side you have the flashy Oberyn Martell showing off his sweet spear skills to the crowd. The other, Gregor Clegane, a literal mountain. The Mountain is all brute force and it's clear that he is nothing more than a killing machine. Oberyn dances around him, much like Bronn said would be the only way to beat him, and delivers enough glancing blows to get him stunned, which allows him to spear the Mountain through the stomach.

Of course, for Oberyn, a man literally built of passion, just killing him is not enough. He must have revenge on his terms, and wants the Mountain to admit what he did and admit who told him to do it. Oberyn's thirst for revenge is his downfall, and this is an unexpected way to turn the revenge trope on its head. Just as shocking as the rest of the events we've experienced over the last 12 or so episodes, Oberyn quickly finds himself in the grasp of the Mountain and it's only seconds until he literally makes his head explode. This was shocking, even for a book reader who knew what was coming. Bravo Dan and David, they're taking Martin's story and somehow making it better on screen.

This week we were treated to a play in three acts that I like to call "Save Tyrion's Ass". Act I starts with Jaime chewing out his brother for throwing out the deal that he made for him. Tyrion was never really interested in that anyways, and took much more delight in ruining his father's long con. The act closes with Jaime confessing that he can't fight anymore and Tyrion is left hoping that the increasingly absent Bronn will help him out.

I like how Tyrion's scenes in this episode follow a three-act structure. It's just one example of the amazing skill that the writers have. They are often required to remind viewers who people are and remind them of past events that are about to be relevant to the story. This is often accomplished in the opening of the show, sometimes with semi-awkward scenes like when Dontos gave Sansa the necklace, but sometimes it's just done very subtly and elegantly.

The Hound and Arya have been having the best scenes of the season, and really this was the best one. Many props go to Rory McCann, who has not had a whole lot to say at times, but was amazing when he started talking about his brother. This piece of writing, delivered so well, accomplished two things. It was another step in the relationship between Arya and the Hound, but it also reminded the audience of The Mountain (his brother). Maybe I'm just a history fan, but I could listen to these characters tell stories about their past all day.

Anyway, back to "Save Tyrion's Ass", Act II. Bronn finally shows up, only to tell Tyrion that there's finally been a higher bidder. This is, regardless of the outcome, an excellent way for them to say goodbye to each other. It also follows the three act structure because it just gets worse for Tyrion, now that he actually has to just picture himself fighting the mountain.

Much to Tyrion's surprise, his third visitor is Oberyn Martell. Oberyn arrived in King's Landing seeking vengeance, and now it's as close as it's ever been. He volunteers to be Tyrion's champion, more for the chance to kill Gregor Clegane than because he wants to fight for Tyrion. It doesn't really matter to Tyrion, as he now has a chance, and that's all he was hoping for in the first place.

Game of Thrones excels at showing and developing relationships between characters. We've been blessed with several buddy comedies this season, perhaps lead by Arya & the Hound (Little Wolf & Big Dog?). My favorite relationship (this one is well established, think of the prequel opportunities), and perhaps best source of comedy, is between Davos and his Pirate friend Salladhor Saan. Their scene in the baths where Salladhor is telling a joke that everyone has heard before reminded me that the show has its lighter moments that are still meaningful to the story.

This is of course, is followed by a failed jailbreak of Theon, due in no small part that Reek (Reek, Reek, my name is Reek) did not want to go. Then we get right on to dragons having a nice goat lunch. Daenerys is presented with the charred bones from the farmer who now has nothing. The writers are quick to remind you that the show has a lot of darkness at its core.

There is both light and darkness in every character, some just have different ratios than others. It's not that the show is a dark show; it's that it's realistic. That point is driven home by the fact that the first scene of the episode took place at a bank. That's definitely a setting you don't often see in most fantasy, ok, other than Discworld.

Back in King’s Landing, we’re treated to our first small council meeting in quite some time. There are a few new faces, two of them basically opposites of each other. Mace Tyrell can’t stop brown-nosing Tywin Lannister and Prince Oberyn had a late night last night. He seems like the kind of person who has a lot of late nights. Hopefully we have many fun small council meetings in the future, as Oberyn seems to relish in making people uncomfortable and certainly does not follow anyone’s rules.

Finally, we are treated to Tyrion just losing his cool. He’s told, after a break in his trial, that he will be granted a chance to take the black if he pleads guilty and asks for mercy. Tyrion, of course, doesn’t trust this as the last person to take this offer wound up a head shorter (Ned Stark).

Back up a second and understand why Tyrion does wind up losing his cool. He never expected to receive a fair trial, but the parade of people telling lies and half-truths was laid on pretty thick. The straw that broke the camel’s back was the ultimate betrayal by Shae. She had been very hurt by his repeated attempts to dismiss him, though it had seemed that he got through finally and Bronn told him that she was on a ship. Clearly, this was not the case as she delivered the most damning testimony of the trial.

Shae’s testimony is basically the nail in the coffin and causes Tyrion to snap. In one of the best speeches of the entire show, he spits a lifetime of hate back into his father’s face and throws a wrench into everyone’s plans. By demanding Trial by Combat, he single handedly ruins all of his father’s current plans for the family. He’s either going to be exonerated by a victory, thus not forcing Jaime to leave the kings guard, or be killed and basically the same result happens for Jaime. Either way, Tyrion uses his wits to roll the dice one last time on his life and Tywin is left with no real prospects for the future of House Lannister.

It seems like we've had several "First of His Name" characters over the past season and a half. Most notably, of course, is Joffrey "Baratheon". This week it's his brother, Tommen. Tommen is a boy who, despite being spawned from the evil Cersei Lannister, really seems like a good kid. Maybe that's why he doesn't get a lot of screen time. He's boring, he's nice, he's what a king should be, really. In spite of (because of?) all this, a world like Game of Thrones will just chew him up and spit him out by the end of next episode.

Everything is very low key this time around. Tommen's coronation is a simple ceremony that takes place at Baelor's (I still can't get enough of that awesome set) and it seems that most things will be a very different tone now that Joffrey is gone. Tywin and Cersei, in discussing Tommen's probable marriage to Margaery Tyrell, mention that there will be no jousting dwarves, no 77-course meals and in doing so also provide a nice tip of the hat to book readers.

We meet up with everyone's favorite new character, Oberyn Martell, who is, of course, writing poetry out on the castle grounds. Must be nice to be a filthy rich renaissance man. Oberyn and Cersei then take a tour of the gardens, basically so she can butter up another judge. Cersei seems to do her best to cozy up to both judges, appealing to each judges' (Oberyn and Tywin) biggest source of pride. You can see that all of her drinking is starting to take a toll, as she's no longer a subtle manipulator anymore, but far too direct for her attempts to have any real effect. I do like that they take this opportunity to show us, once again, how beautiful Dubrovnik, Croatia is.

Michelle MacLaren (of Breaking Bad directing fame) directed this episode, as well as last week's "Oathkeeper". This week, we were treated to a great long distance shot in basically every single outdoor scene. The producers and HBO have really hit their stride in this show, churning out high quality episode one after another. Every episode has plenty of eye candy for everyone, from the sets to the costumes to the locations they shoot in.

The setting is fantastic, but it would be nothing without a great story. As we catch up with some, but not all of the other stories outside of Kings Landing, we're treated to yet another budding buddy comedy in Brienne and Podrick. Podrick is the same as he's always been, very aloof but loyal as hell and he tries as hard as anybody. He finally wins the respect of Brienne when he recounts the events of the Battle of the Blackwater when he saved Tyrion. Brienne's scenes in big camps and in the city are really sort of awkward, which seems in character. She's best on the road, and with her mission and her new sword, she is in her element.