Instant reaction post: “Game of Thrones” S4, Ep7 ‘Mockingbird’

Brienne and Podrick in 'Mockingbird'
Brienne and Podrick in ‘Mockingbird’

The episode starts off in the aftermath of Peter Dinklage’s Emmy reel performance, and corresponding tongue-in-cheek reference to it: “Yes, brilliant speech. They will be talking about it for days to come.” (And that *was* all everyone was talking about after the episode aired.) I thought that Jaime would be Tyrion’s champion, until he reminded us that he was one-handed. For some reason, though the show keeps stressing it over and over, it’s easy to forget that he lost a hand.
When they cut to the Mountain immediately after the jail scene, I thought for a moment the Mountain was impaling Jaime! That unfortunate body really looked like him. Am I the only one who thinks so?
That philosophical exchange between Arya, the Hound and the soon-to-be-dead guy went way over my head. It felt like they had wandered into a reenactment of Waiting for Godot, and I never got Waiting for Godot either. And then it transitioned so quickly into the next killing bit that that scene was *definitely* put there deliberately, only I can’t figure out why. Also, that Rorge guy is so ridiculously incompetent he deserves to die for that alone. He was standing there just waiting to be stabbed by a girl who is obviously going to make sudden movements!
Seriously, Jon should set Ghost on Ser Alliser. Though of course he won’t, for reasons of “honour”.
Poor Tyrion, losing his friends and defenders one by one — though you really can’t fault Bronn for being so practical. This is one of those cases where “honour” will get you killed, so it would be stupid to hang on to it, if he had any in the first place. At least they parted on good terms?
Tyrion and Bronn in 'Mockingbird'
Tyrion and Bronn in ‘Mockingbird’

I detest gratuitous scenes for the sake of gratuitous scenes, so I feel that scene with Melisandre walking around naked is unnecessary. At the same time, they shot it in such a way that it feels necessary, so I have to begrudge them this scene. It’s like Littlefinger’s “sexposition” — him delivering important monologues while watching his whores f**king, in order for the producers to justify having otherwise completely unnecessary scenes of whores f**king in the first place.
Who designs Dany’s costumes, because wtf is she wearing? It looks neither comfortable nor practical.
Daenerys in 'Mockingbird'
Daenerys in ‘Mockingbird’

The dejected look on the Hound’s face talking about how his family betrayed him made my heart ache for him more than ever. Everyone’s got a sob story in Westeros.
Ooh, Hot Pie! I remember he was an idiot, but was he also always such a foot-in-mouth guy?
Peter Dinklage is absolutely KILLING IT these few episodes. His face when he realised just how much Cersei hated him from the very moment he was born! It’s one thing to know it; it’s another thing to have someone tell you the physical evidence of it.
“I will be your champion.” THAT WAS UNEXPECTED. AAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!
The scene with Robin started off differently than I thought, but it ended exactly the way I imagined. I was expecting him to go right into stomping snow Winterfell — because that’s what spoiled little boys do — not have a fairly pleasant conversation with Sansa first.
Sansa in 'Mockingbird'
Sansa in ‘Mockingbird’

Of the things I did read and remember, the last part followed the book down to the very letter. (Though that didn’t diminish the creep factor of Littlefinger kissing Sansa.) Watching him push Lysa Arryn through the moon door was strangely satisfying, though it’s not her fault that she is crazy. My desire to not allow the show to make me a misogynist is warring with the fact that her character has been written as such that you feel no pity, only relief that she is gone.