Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

They are lying in pursuit of an agenda.

Roe isn’t about choice, it’s about freedom.

Technically true, but collectively nonsense

Republicans in disarray!

Red lights blinking on democracy’s dashboard

Conservatism: there are some people the law protects but does not bind and others who the law binds but does not protect.

Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

Battle won, war still ongoing.

We cannot abandon the truth and remain a free nation.

They think we are photo bombing their nice little lives.

Putin dreamed of ending NATO, and now it’s Finnish-ed.

“And when the Committee says to “report your income,” that could mean anything!

We’ll be taking my thoughts and prayers to the ballot box.

“woke” is the new caravan.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

Just because you believe it, that doesn’t make it true.

If you tweet it in all caps, that makes it true!

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

We’ve had enough carrots to last a lifetime. break out the sticks.

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43Comments

  3. 3.

    the Conster

    @JPL:

    Wolf Hall is really good. Mark Rylance is a revelation. I’ve never seen him in anything, and what a performance.

  4. 4.

    Omnes Omnibus

    @the Conster: Yep, you can see his Cromwell quietly taking mental notes and storing them away for later use. And the calm and matter of fact way that he took apart the young Percy was scary.

  5. 5.

    JPL

    @the Conster: I definitely agree but I still want to know how Thomas Brodie-Sangster, hasn’t aged since Love Actually. I want what ever he is taking.

  9. 9.

    Mary G

    D’oh! Forgot to turn on the HBO East. Getting off the computer now for fear of spoilers, although it seems like hardly anyone talks GOT on these threads.

  10. 10.

    the Conster

    @Omnes Omnibus:

    Most of the drama takes place in the close ups on his face. That’s some acting job, when you understand what’s at play by the way he looks at someone.

  14. 14.

    Mayur

    My one question in this episode is whose agenda is better masked: Littlefinger’s or Bolton’s. If the latter, I don’t know how much concomitant abuse of Sansa I could take.

  15. 15.

    Tenar Darell

    Okay, tonight was a big reveal of a book divergence in GOT. Anybody see it and want to chat about it?

  16. 16.

    Mike in NC

    David Benioff, producer of GoT, wrote a fabulous novel called “City of Thieves” loosely based on the experience of his grandfather in Leningrad during WW2. Hope they make a movie someday.

  18. 18.

    Viva BrisVegas

    @Tenar Darell:

    Okay, tonight was a big reveal of a book divergence in GOT. Anybody see it and want to chat about it?

    That Sansa meets and maybe marries Reek/Ramsey?

    That Jamie goes to Dorn to rescue Myrcella?

    There’s not really many of the book subplots left in the TV show.

    I think this will be the season that the TV series jettisons the book completely and goes its own GRRM authorised way.

  19. 19.

    Laertes

    Trying to remember where Sansa is in the books at roughly this point. Way I remember it, Bolton passes off Jeyne Poole as one of the Stark girls and marries Ramsay to her. Sansa remains in the Vale pretending to be nobody much? Have I got that about right?

  22. 22.

    gf120581

    One death on tonight’s episode that I’d been waiting a long time for. And it was even more pitiful then it was in the book. At least in the book the guy wasn’t crying like a baby.

  23. 23.

    Sly

    @Laertes:

    Trying to remember where Sansa is in the books at roughly this point. Way I remember it, Bolton passes off Jeyne Poole as one of the Stark girls and marries Ramsay to her. Sansa remains in the Vale pretending to be nobody much? Have I got that about right?

    Basically, yes. Baelish eventually tells her that his plan is to reveal her identity and reconquer the North in her name after she marries Harrold Hardyng, the heir presumptive of Robert Arryn. Whether or not he’s being honest is subject to debate.

  24. 24.

    Tenar Darell

    @Mayur: @Laertes: @Viva BrisVegas:

    I knew they decided to jettison the books, but I was surprised anyway. (I wasn’t really thinking about Jaime from last week). The key plot change tonight was the Jeyne subplot was jettisoned entirely in favor of Sansa. And yes, that disturbs me, because I don’t know how much of Ramsay’s probable abuse of Sansa I can handle. After Season 3 and the torture scene(s) with Theon and the scene in Season 4 with Jaime raping Cersei, I’m not sure what I can handle. At a certain point fast forwarding just ruins the story.

  27. 27.

    Sly

    @Tenar Darell:

    I knew they decided to jettison the books, but I was surprised anyway. (I wasn’t really thinking about Jaime from last week). The key plot change tonight was the Jeyne subplot was jettisoned entirely in favor of Sansa. And yes, that disturbs me, because I don’t know how much of Ramsay’s probable abuse of Sansa I can handle.

    Ultimately, this depends on how quickly Stannis gets to Winterfell. Or, more to the point, how quickly Sansa gets to Stannis.

  28. 28.

    max

    Yes, well, we’re getting towards the end (in some ways) of book V. And book VI is brewing.

    I’m surprised no one has mentioned the divergence of the disappearance of Stoneheart and the Bortherhood without Banners, and thus Brienne chasing after Sansa.

    max
    [‘It suddenly feels like it’s going too fast.’]

  30. 30.

    Sly

    @max:
    The disappearance of LSH/BWB was a big topic of discussion last season. Now the big kerfuffle is mostly related to the disappearance of “Griff” and the Golden Company, with a side order of Arianne Martell and the Greyjoy brothers.

  33. 33.

    Tenar Darell

    @max: Well, there’s always the possibility that they show magic coming back with more than the dragons, white walkers, three eyed crows and twitching corpses. Lady Stoneheart would be so cool. Wandering the Vale or terrorizing the Freys.

    @Sly: And maybe some extra spies to help things along too. (ETA too)

  34. 34.

    scav

    @Omnes Omnibus: Well, I can’t plead the dog ate my homework or any throne-involving rationale, but they’ve not even released it online yet please don’t hurt me, I’m already weak, wounded and vulnerable from refreshing . . could I attempt something proufound about a minor character or backdrop detail to redesm myself? I’m really hoping to see more of Anton’s/More’s specs? The real exchequer board? Will that suffice?

  37. 37.

    Sherparick

    @gf120581: Yep, pretty much right with the book on that one. And the little nod that Stannis gives John Snow at the end. An acknowledgement that they share more than most in this show in character and belief.

  39. 39.

    BretH

    Anyone watching with HBO Now? On my Mac I got about 1/2 hr in and then things started freezing for 5-10 seconds at a time, until it became unwatchable.

    Just like last week.

    Anyone else encounter this? Fixed it?

  41. 41.

    Tenar Darell

    @BretH: I use HBOGo, and had no problem watching episode two on Friday. I’d try running speedtest (ookla has a decent one) while playing HBONow and then run speedtest while it’s not but you’re streaming a free tv show, like via the PBS or CBS Apps, that way you can verify its definitely HBONow. Then email tech support. It’s also possible that it was simply really high demand. Maybe it won’t happen today.

  42. 42.

    Kristine

    I never read the books, so I have nothing invested in old storylines. Fearful for Sansa, too, but I suspect a alliance with Theon/Reek, who seemed to hint from his various reactions that part of him knows what’s going on, hates what he sees, and is bubbling back up to the surface.

    Waiting for Sansa to recognize Theon. He does hide his face every time he sees her.

    I hope this turns into more than “let’s torture Sansa until Stannis shows up.” That’s not what I gathered, given the interviews I read–those indicated that Sansa would be an active player now. I read rumors of her being folded into both Jeyne Poole and Lady Stoneheart storylines. Now wondering if she will be a combo of both. If the Sansa who had to be stopped from pushing Joffrey off the top of the tower comes to the fore again, things could get interesting.

    Though truth be told, I’m more concerned about Ramsay’s crazy gf than Ramsay himself. She’s bound to go off on someone, and I don’t think she possesses brakes. At least Ramsay has his dad to step on him when needed.

    I always liked Sansa–never got the Sansa hate. Hoping for the best here, which I know is bound to lead to tears.

    Three plotlines headed toward Winterfell. Holding my breath.

  43. 43.

    Mayur

    IMO Sansa hate mostly comes from the books. GRRM really tries to get into the character of a sheltered 13-year-old medieval girl with her… Which leads to a great deal of stupid behavior, dithering, and helplessness that modern readers are bound to find frustrating. Also, she takes five books to really begin showing the kind of strength and subtlety that she evidences in S4E8 when covering for Littlefinger.

    I’m one of those people who has been very glad with the different direction the show has taken; I agree sometimes with the book purists about individual moments, but many of those (Jaimes rape of Cersei, for example) have been acknowledged as directorial missteps, which are going to occur in any TV show.

    It’s also nice to know that if I really want loads of naarative about ironborn and two(!) multi-book red herring subplots, I can read the books and have them.

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