Dark Wings, Dork Words

This week is all about the remaining Starks.  Jon is the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, and he declines Stannis' offer of becoming a true Stark and Warden of the North.  Littlefinger convinces Sansa that returning to Winterfell and marrying Ramsay Bolton is the path to vengeance.  Arya begins her initiation as a faceless man.  Tyrion arrives in Volantis and is unable to find solace in a brothel.  Ser Jorah also seemed to be struggling to find solace in the brothel, at least until he spies Tyrion.

Arya gets a great upskirt shot of the Titan of Braavos.  Jon declines Stannis' kind offer to become Lord Stark of Winterfell, and ends up Lord Commander of the Night's Watch as a nice consolation prize.  Dany beheads a disobedient follower and is paid a fleeting visit by Drogon.  Brienne and Pod lead Littlefinger's retinue a merry chase through the woods after getting dissed by Sansa.  Cersei harangue's Jaime into rescuing Myrcella from Dorne.  Jaime decides to invite Bronn along.  Prince Doran Martell, Ser Kevan Lannister and Lollys Stokeworth are all established as key characters this season.

We open on an important flashback for Cersei that I think will set the tone of her story arc for the rest of the season.  After that we pick up the action right where season four left off.  Of our surviving characters only Arya, Bran (and co.) and Reek are missing from this episode.  We see whats up at Kings Landing, the Wall, Meeren, and visit with Brienne and Pod, Varys and Tyrion.  I wonder where in the seven kingdoms Littlefinger and Alayne are off to.

Craig believes the grumpkins are our future.  Take their hand and let them lead the way.  Let them show the fireballs they have inside... What can I say.  Powerful episode.  The show has really caught up to the books in a lot of important story lines.  Where will they go from here?

The Wildlings attack Castle Black!  A Giant forces his way into the tunnel!  Ygritte is out for blood! Arrows are loosed.  Mammoths are put to work.  The scythe is deployed.  Jon, Sam, Pip, Grenn and Edd all dig in to fight alongside their brothers.

Plenty of eye-popping action this week, as Oberyn squares off against Ser Gregor.  Missandei bares all for Grey Worm.  Jon Snow and his bro's wonder about Gilly's fate after Ygritte tears through Mole's Town with her Wildling death squad.  Reek serves his master well at Moat Cailin, and Ramsay dusts the Snow off his Bolton.

Tyrion is visited by three potential champions.  Brienne and Pod find a strong wolf-cookie-shaped lead in thier hunt for a Stark girl.  We see the triumphant return or Rorge and Biter.  Melisandre takes a nice long leisurely bath.  And Daenerys gets some.

"Trial By Combat!" is Tyrion's go-to move.  Complaining about Shae is Chuck's.  Mycroft Holmes makes an appearance as an Iron Banker.  Yara meets Reek.

Cersei is in a great mood.  Pod and Brienne establish a scintillating rapport.  Arya dazzles the Hound with her water dancing skills.  Bran and Jon have a heartwarming reunion at Craster's Keep.  Hodor turns a few heads.  Ghost makes an uncredited cameo.

Brienne gets a new sword and a new squire.  Jon gets a new mission north of the wall.  Bran and his crew get into a nasty scrape.  Tyrion gets a visitor.