Rhapsodies

The long awaited “Maid and the Maiden Fair” This season’s episode written by the author George R. R. Martin was everything I hoped it to be including the advertised fight between Brienne and a bear. Along with all of this it very much looks like we’re well on our way to this season’s climax which, at the moment, I am fairly sure shall rhyme with “Dead Leading”

Again, as I’ve mentioned several times, I’m fascinated how the show is becoming it’s own thing. I keep waiting to see things happen on the schedule I’m expecting and I keep getting surprised that I’m surprised when it doesn’t. This episode was closer to the book than the last two episodes probably due to the work of the author but even then all of the new material began to continue it’s own way while at the same time compliments and improves on the original material. In this episode the best example of this is Tyrion’s mistress, Shae. In the book she is just a childish camp follower picked up at random and painfully naive. In the show she is intelligent and ambitious with her own agenda. It makes more sense for this character to do what she will do later on than the version in the book does.

The other example is the character of Gendry who’s story has gone in a completely different direction than it has in the book. In the book he joins the Brotherhood Without Banners and that’s it. Here his story is merged with another of his father’s bastards, Edric Stone. I have a hard time believing that it will end in the same way and I look forward to finding out.

All in all this one was great. We had one of the best dragon scenes in the entire season and we had a BEAR. What more can we ask for?