Game of Thrones, "Two Swords"
This season is already 1000% better because of the absence of all the boring Starks. There, I said it. The ones that are left are awesome. Well, mostly awesome. I'm about 75% convinced that someday, Sansa is going to rule the world. We shall see. Meanwhile, Arya is turning into a cold-blooded killer. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT. (Keep in mind, I have not read the books, and I'm never going to, but I don't want to be spoiled for what has happened in them.) It's pretty refreshing to see a character that's a) a child, really and b) a girl, who is morphing into a warrior without many scruples. She's amazing. More of her taking revenge, please. I have a feeling her path is not going to get any less dark. Thank goodness. And her bloodthirstiness earned her respect, and a horse, from the Hound. Meanwhile, I am not quite sure how the characters I was ambivalent about early on - Jaime and the Hound - have turned out to be two of my faves, but that's unexpectedly great, too.
Back to King's Landing, so I can say: OMG INDIRA VARMA!!!! :D Why did no one tell me she had been cast?? She is one of my FAVORITES. Her casting almost makes up for the weirdly re-cast Daario (seriously, I do enjoy looking at Michiel Huisman, but he is not really that great of an actor, and I liked the other dude). She may have only been in 1-1/2 scenes, but she is already knocking it out of the park. Also, that scene at the brothel made me love the new prince, and not just because he is casually into fucking both men and women (HOW HOT WAS THAT JUNK GRABBING) - his conversation with Tyrion did more to tell me about him in three minutes than several seasons of the show has about other characters. (Hi, Shae!)
Speaking of House Lannister (and associated characters), there was not enough of either Jaime nor Brienne. Or Jaime/Brienne. Not enough Tyrion or Tywin, either. This is actually the trouble with following so many characters, so many threads. But the opening scene, with Tywin melting down Ned Stark's sword to make swords for his sons (I assume the shorter sword we saw being forged was for Tyrion, though who knows; that was sort of odd) was FANTASTIC. Even if it did make me miss Sean Bean like whoa. I know Tywin and Joffrey think they have vanquished the Starks - that statue of Joffrey with his foot on an impaled wolf was not subtle - but I think the three strongest of that family are still kicking.
Which brings me to Jon Snow. It was nice to see him stop prevaricating and just be who he is, for a change. Maybe this year I can stop wishing him dead for being a whiny twit. Sigh. He's like the A-New-Hope-era Luke Skywalker of this show. MAN UP JON SNOW.
Who have I forgotten. OH RIGHT, the ever-fantastic Diana Rigg and Natalie Dormer, who are being criminally underused, but I live in hope that this will improve once Ms. Natalie is queen. And then there were the three minutes or so of Dany and her fierce dragons. I think this season has been set up nicely...and we shall see where it leads. I AM VERY EXCITED. :D
(Indira Varma OMG! :D)