I managed to find a way to watch the final two episodes of season 2 Game of Thrones without downloading it. Woot! Like the books, the last episode finished and I thought, "Is that it?" There is so much more story to tell and I'm stuck waiting for it. *sigh* Thankfully, there were some great moments that were fun to see come to life.
The first thing that comes to mind is the magical wildfire during the Battle of the Blackwater. It didn't play out exactly as I had imagined, and there were no chain links to trap the fleet inside the bay, but the wowing effect of the wildfire (especially its effect on The Hound) and Tyrion's inspirational speech to the faithless soldiers were spot on. I'm still bored with Davos and outright detest Stanis and Melisandre, so I found myself rooting for Tyrion and the Hound, which is amusing since I would generally prefer the Starks to win over the Lanisters.
Joffrey dismissing Sansa as his bride was perfectly done. I loved how Sansa wore the stunned mask and then laughed with relief when she turned her back to them all. The way Littlefinger immediately approached her worked well, too, especially considering how the Hound approached Sansa later, providing her with two options for salvation. I'm still saddened she didn't choose the Hound, even more so with the TV performance because he was so gentle with her when he offered. Things would have gone so differently! Not necessarily for the better in the end, but very differently.
I don't find the TV Sansa as stupid as book Sansa, but she's still obviously a terrible liar - mostly because she has no schemes to ingratiate herself with her enemies. The scenes with Sansa and Cersei waiting with the other ladies during the battle played out exactly as I had imagined. The best part was Sansa calming the other ladies down when Cersei stalked out of the room. I'm finding Shae more and more sympathetic. It's a shame she's going to throw that all away.
My favorite scene of the last two episodes was definitely when Jaime and Brienne got back on dry land. I liked it so much I re-watched it several times and went back to re-read all of the Jaime and Brienne chapters in the books. This particular scene never happened in the books, Ser Cleos was never with them, and Jaime isn't supposed to see Brienne's fighting prowess until he attacks her himself, but I was so giddy from the
astonished look on his face that I didn't care. I particularly liked when the Northman counted to three and Brienne and Jamie exchanged a look like they were silently conspiring together. Hee! Not to mention how awesome it was when she killed the Northmen and told Jaime, "Stay." *chuckle* He's getting his first taste of who he's dealing with here!
Re-reading their scenes in the books made me love the pair of them that much more. I saw the transformation more clearly from foe to friend, and I was surprised to find just how often Brienne thinks about him when she's traveling to find Sansa. It's no wonder she was calling out his name when she was half-dead. Jaime literally replaced Renly in her dreams. She even defended Jaime's character to Catelyn Stoneheart, insisting he's changed for the better, and refused Catelyn's command to kill him. Catelyn never was very reasonable. All the while, Jaime is doing his best to become a more honorable man. He tries to blot out his Kingslayer reputation and imagines earning the name Goldenhand the Just. He thinks of Brienne occasionally, and even dreams about her. My favorite is what I like to call "Brienne and Jamie versus the world." He's even learning more about her. He subconsciously wandered to the bear pit where he saved her, was surprised to discover she'd been betrothed to someone, and decked the man for insulting her. He may not dwell on how awesome she is the way that Brienne does, but actions speak louder than words.
In my fangirliness, I rejoiced at every moment, every line that supported my ship. She echoed his thoughts in the White Sword Tower and he said, "We know each other too well." They both marveled at each other's fighting skill and strength. It made me extra happy when I re-learned that Brienne had once declared that she wouldn't marry any man who wasn't strong enough to defeat her, and she told herself she wouldn't have been a match for Jaime at his full strength. There are so many little crumbs along the way, it could almost make a meal. Almost. But I'm still waiting. Gah! Book number six, where are you?
I suppose I should finish book number five first.