GRRM updates with news about the "A Game of Thrones" series:

The latest news on HBO front is that David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have turned in the second draft of the pilot script for A GAME OF THRONES, and their rewrite is presently being read and evaluated by the powers-that-be at HBO. In other words, it's the normal process, which is long and often slow. So far, the reports are good, and HBO seems to like what they're seeing... but no, there's no greenlight yet, A GAME OF THRONES remains a script in development, not a series in production.

The one hard bit of news is that HBO has reached agreement with the BBC for them to come in as a partner on the series... IF it goes ahead. That's very cool news, and I'm excited and pleased to have the BBC involved... but even so, we're still in the crossed fingers stage here, not the shooting-off-fireworks stage.

Does Generation Kill start next month?

After this episode, there are only three more episodes to inflict pain and suffering on these poor children. But I see it has already begun because holy crap, Detective Walker! BROKE DONUT'S FINGERS OW OW OW OW OW WHAT THE FUCK.

And, man, Herc and Bubbles. I know Herc hasn't been great with Bubbs, but it's a little annoying that it's not really his fault he's not coming when Bubbs needs him! It's just television contrivance. Bubbs just happens to call him when he's busy. TWICE. Perhaps a better man would have dropped everything. Bubbs's revenge was amusing, though; I wasn't sure what he was doing at first.

God, Namond's mom sucks so hard. So very hard.

It's weird. Prez's storyline feels like every TV movie about inspiring teachers ever made, but...I don't care.

Little Kevin, what the hell! What the hell, Marlo! HAVE YOU NO RESPECT FOR HUMAN LIFE AT ALL? And now Bodie's got that shit on his conscience, and Poot is all, whatevs. And brings up Wallace. Which is interesting because I recently read the Wikipedia recap of that scene and was reminded that while Bodie hesitated and only shot once, Poot was the one who finished him off and didn't seem to have any trouble with it. Bodie's really not as hard as all that, but Poot, who's usually the butt of a joke, actually is, even though it doesn't come out as much. And I am so with Bodie on this. Marlow is a cold motherfucker. And despite what he said about Randy's not being a threat, I'm afraid of what he might end up doing. He offed Little Kevin on the mere suspicion that he told the cops some shit. He basically knows Randy's a snitch. And now so do a bunch of other people. Aaaah.

And then there's Partlow and Bug's dad (Sidenote: Wikipedia refers to him as "Bug's dad." How do we know he's just Bug's dad and not Michael's dad too?). I don't know whether we're supposed to take the allegations of molestation as truth (although that would certainly explain Michael's feelings toward him), but holy shit. That was a beatdown. That was...a BEATDOWN. It was so surprising and confusing because Partlow normally just shoots people, and I wasn't sure whether he intended to just "send him a message" so he'd leave or actually kill him. Because I didn't think Michael would have wanted him to kill him. But then there was nothing left but a bloody, bloody pulp. Even in the dark, the face looked almost unrecognizable. Hell, even Snoop was all WTF.

And Michael was all...yeah, that's the way to take care of business. Eee. It's all in the game.

How do we know he's just Bug's dad and not Michael's dad too?

Michael's always called him "Bug's dad." I figure Michael knows who his dad is.

That was...a BEATDOWN

Yeah, you think maybe there's a reason Chris identifies with Michael so much?

it's a little annoying that it's not really his fault he's not coming when Bubbs needs him!

Fuck that. Herc should have dropped everything. He didn't come because he doesn't care.

Also, S5 on DVD Aug 12.

Amazon has all three seasons of Deadwood on DVD for $90 today.

Just today? Cause while I'm expecting to have $90 soonish, I haven't got 'em right this minute.(I don't know when I'd watch 'em anyways, my family finds Deadwood super-disgusting.) oh, I saw Jim True-Frost on the new BK commercial with P. Diddy or whateverthefuck he calls himself this week. It kind of made me sad, although it's probably easy work, and maybe he is a Whopper fan like MsBelle. And of course, I was like "Oh, look, Pres!"

Aw, I'll have to watch for that. I love seeing actors I like in commercials.

After I scamper over to Amazon...

Heck, they're already gone.

Holy Shit Dexter S1 was intense

Oh, season 4. Why are you so FULL OF PAIN?

I...MICHAEL. Aaack. He got his first taste of blood by proxy, and now he's become One of Them! HE BEAT UP A TEN-YEAR-OLD KID. AND SLAPPED NAMOND AROUND. AAARGH. And then he SHOT A DUDE IN THE HEAD. I...I can't even say anything. It's so sad. So hard to watch.

And Namond! Poor fucking kid. And I hate his mom SO MUCH. I want to reach through my monitor and strangle her. She's so awful, without an ounce of human decency in her. At least now he gets to live with Colvin! And get his old hair back!

And Dukie! Being shipped off to high school...and choosing to DEAL DRUGS INSTEAD AARGH.

And RANDY. My poor Randy. Oh my God, you guys, the end of episode 12 killed me. It's always the penultimate episode that does it, and after seeing Michael go crazy and then following it up with the destruction of Randy's faith in humanity ("You'll look after me, right? You've got my back?"), I wanted to cry. And then he ends up beat up in a group home. None of these fucking kids can catch a break. Except Namond.

In happier news, I really like how much Carver has grown, as I said. It's interesting. Back in season one, Carver and Herc were sort of on equal footing, and although Carver got his stripes first, he was also the mole, and he was a whiny bitch in season two, and then he was a little more morally ambiguous in season three. But in the end, he's turned out to be a way, way better cop than Herc, who's really kind of a fuck-up. It's pretty consistent, but I had higher hopes for him after his stand against Hamsterdam.

Lester Freamon, how are you so awesome! The end.

Oh God, poor fucking Bubbles. I had a feeling that's how that was going to turn out. Not that I cared a whit about Sherrod, but shit, Bubbles fucking HANGED HIMSELF over it. Ack. At least Landsman showed that he has a heart.

Rawls! Oh, Rawls. I felt a little sorry for him when he realized that he actually wasn't going to be moving up the chain like a regular person. Reverse racism is a bitch.

Cutty! Shit! I freaked out when he got shot; it was so abrupt and unexpected.

BODIE! Man, see, I've been spoiled about this from the very beginning. I looked him up on Wikipedia to see whether he was really Wangler, and he was, but I also got the bonus knowledge that he's only in the show through the fourth season, and the only way Bodie's leaving the show is by dying. But I was really beginning to like him in more of a "rooting for him" kind of way since we both hated Marlo. And I knew that as soon as he said he was going to take a stand against him, he was doomed. At least he went out fighting.

Omar! Man, you do not cross that fucker. He scared Prop Joe! The dude who'll kill your whole family!

HOLY SHIT! THAT FUCKER! THE GREEK DUDE! And here I thought season two existed in a vacuum. Joe did mention the Greeks before. All this time, that's where his shipments were coming from? Come to think of it, this might have been established in season two.

That grad student teacher lady was cute. I'm just saying. I don't get a lot of eye candy on this show. Although I got a Beadie scene too!

I am so ready for the gang to get back together and kick Marlo's motherfucking ass. Oh my God, take that bastard down, PLEASE.

Man, I'm not even sure that was all as bad as I was expecting, the way people kept talking about it. I was preparing for way worse, I think. But this was still bad. Aaugh. Kids. Poor fucking kids.