Dude, this is the open spoiler thread.
Err…isn’t the point of the “Game of Thrones: omnibus discussion thread based on knowledge of books (OPEN SPOILERS)” that we don’t have to do that.
This is the thread for those of us who have read the books. Why would spoiler notification be necessary.
I do think that there’s no reason for spoilers in the Episode threads. Even if they are marked…
We got a pretty strong sense of that when she basically sold out her own sister to protect that weaselly little prince.
I kept flashing to The Karate Kid when the little girl was practicing her balance on the staircase. 
Yep. I re-read Game of Thrones just before the series started, and I think I’d be enjoying it more if I hadn’t. As it is, I watch and wonder why the writers changed this or that, or added stuff that wasn’t in the book.
If you really want to know…
The books point to ‘No’, though I can’t recall exactly how it was proven.
Lady Stark genuinely believes the Lannisters did it, and that the dagger’s belonging to Tyrion pointed to him.
In one of Tyrion’s chapters in Book 3, Joffery says “I am no stranger to Valyrian Steel” when he receives Lord Tywin’s present of the sword made from what was originally Ice. That tips Tyrion off, and he alludes to the dragonbone dagger that was used to attack Bran in front of Joff. Joff reacts in a way that convinces Tyrion that he was the one who sent the assassin. Later Jaime comes to the same conclusion.
Tyrion did tell Cat the flaw in Littlefinger’s story - that he would never bet against Jaime - but Cat never could bring herself to believe that LF lied to her.
I still think they should’ve ditched Theon. All the talk about the Greyjoys is just throwing more names at the audience that they’ll never remember, and its not like this episode was lacking for new characters already.
This series definitely makes the audience pay attention. About half the things I’ve heard are complaints that it’s too complicated and half that they’re making things (the eggs mostly) too obvious. I think it’s fine how it is. Just as long as people accept you don’t need to know everything right away. If it’s important, they’ll get around to it.
Anybody know if the Tower of Joy is in the series? We did get one dream sequence here, so maybe another isn’t too much to ask for.
I’d forgotten about the Dagger.
In the book do they explain the planet’s climate, why the cold and warm seasons aren’t in synch with the years?
Also, I kind of got the impression that the weather and conditions were entirely different beyond the Wall? Is the Wall something more than just the limits of this society and a defense against the savages outside it?
Drain Bead, my apologies. The post report came in while I was doing several other things and I didn’t pay careful enough attention to which thread it was. Open spoilers are fine in this thread and I shouldn’t have admonished you.
I have removed the unnecessary spoiler box.
I haven’t read many complaints from non-book-readers. And Theon definitely has a role to play later on.
What I thought of the episode? When I read the book I found Catelyn’s “arrest” of Tyrion quite stirring. With what I now know, I just wanted to yell at her…
Even his role later on doesn’t really need him though, someone else can sack Winterfell.
I just think the writers are going to run into trouble if they don’t start simplifying the plot somehow. The first book is probably the least sprawling and most straight forward of the series, but still, half way through the season and half the scenes are still introducing new characters.
Making Theon the one to sack Winterfell gives that extra taste of treachery–mere death & destruction isn’t the GRRM way!
Again–where are the complaints of virgin watchers who can’t keep up? Reading the books for the first time, there were many characters to follow & not much background. But I liked what I was reading & kept going.
Don’t assume other people are stupid.
No they don’t. I think they do mention than it ancient times the weather was normal though, but i am not entirely sure.
It’s extremely cold, even in the summer. The whole north is cold, it just gets colder the further you go.
I don’t understand either of those points. Why would Joff try to kill Bran? He didn’t know what Bran had seen. Maybe he thought Bran would be better off dead, but that’s a long way from actually killing him.
And why would Littlefinger lie about Tyrion? It would make a pretty powerful enemy of Tyrion when he finds out, as he quickly did, and I don’t see how it helps anyone.
I’m sure glad Ned Stark told Cersei that Sansa likes it at king’s Landing, because we the viewers have seen no evidence of that. Rather the opposite, in fact.
If they had to have Littlefinger tell Sansa the story of how the Hound got his scars, I’d rather they’d omitted the killing of the Arryn knight entirely. The viewers already have enough clues that Ned’s investigating Dangerous Secrets, so that knight’s death is superfluous from that point, and (given how little we’ve seen of Sansa enjoying life at King’s Landing to date), it shocks Sansa too much. Better to show instead the handsome Ser Loras gallantly defeating the Mountain Who Rides, followed by Littlefinger telling her the truth about Gregor Clegane. It makes sense that Littlefinger’s ugly little story wouldn’t dispel Sansa’s overly-romantic notions of gallant knighthood, which were just reinforced by her watching a scene right out of one of her beloved songs (especially since Clegane loses). Right now, though, she lacks any motivation for her later acts. That’s going to pose a problem for the viewers.
But at least we got to see Ghost! And the three-eyed crow!
For the first, I think the book refers to Joff hearing his father say something like “better dead than a cripple” or some such. For his many faults, Joff also has a serious case of father worship going on, which is kind of tragic for him as Robert can’t be bothered to pay attention to any of the kids. ISTR that Joff contracts with the sellsword to kill Bran because he thinks in his own twisted way that doing so will make his father proud of him.
For the second, I dunno. Maybe he hates the Lannisters, and thinks pitching the Starks against them will bring their downfall. He does kind of seem to be working with Ned here to depose the Lannisters, tho’ it ends badly. Or maybe it’s just Littlefinger being Littlefinger, sowing all sorts of seeds of discontent.