One detail that kind of comes out after the fact, and may yet come out in the show is that Walder Frey and Roose Bolton have been in communication with Tywin Lannister since around the scene earlier this season where Tywin tells Tyrion that he will never inherit Casterly Rock. So basically they've all been planning this with Tywin, to buy his good graces, for almost the entire season. There was a reason Roose Bolton specifically requested that Jaime tell Lord Tywin that he had nothing to do with Jaime's maiming.

Well, the stuff happening in the North is not really explained. Common folks in The North are just trying to stock up food and supplies for the coming Winter. With no Stark in Winterfell there's a huge power vacuum. The IronBorn (Greyjoys) want to take over the North and rule it themselves, but they are rocky island folk whose strength is in ships and water-based warefare. Bolton is pretty much in charge pro tem with the blessing of the Lannisters (as he revealed when he stabbed Robb), but he's more interested in flaying and raping than helping anyone or securing the border. Little Finger is theoretically lord of Harrenhal and thus a ruling force in The North but he's busy in the Riverlands wooing Lyssa Arran so not currently in the picture at all. The Wildlings (under Mance) are fleeing to South of the Wall because...well...those White Walkers and their zombie hordes are super creepy. Everyone seems to be hoping that The Wall will keep the White Walkers north of it and away from everyone living their lives and fighting their battles south of the wall and continuing to hope/believe that those creepy icy things are just old stories from the last long winter. You might vaguelly recall from S1 the attempts to recruit men for the Night's Watch, and how they are having to scrap the dregs of the prisons to man the Wall. I suspect that lack of staffing is gonna be a really big problem.

Actually, Harrenhal is in the Riverlands, and the Eyrie is in the Vale.

ETA: Just to say that Littlefinger being Lord of Harrenhal doesn't make him a power in the North, but the Riverlands (the first thing south of the North).

I am staying up WAAAAY too late reading Twitter reactions to the Red Wedding.

Yeah, my response to the Red Wedding was: these people are completely without honor.

Right? Worf would've been pissed.

I only just realized that Walder Frey is Filch! Oops.

That was shocking. (Understatement.) I think my heart finally broke when Arya couldn't even get to Robb's wolf. The look on her face ... So weird to think that the only official Starks left are essentially children. And ... Robb and Cat are dead! I'm actually speechless. Did not see that coming at all.

I'm also honestly a little shocked that Jon left without even a backward glance at Ygritte. Also that he seemed to have no reaction to direwolves giving him a hand, although that could have been just the general confusion of the scene.

Anyone else see parallels between Jaime and the Hound? Sort of a reluctant hero thing, and a fierce reputation hiding a degree of decency?

Has Jon heard that Bran and Rickon are dead? I can't remember who knows what.

So now Bran is the Lord of Winterfell (although the Bolton's have actual possession of it, I think), but everyone thinks he's dead so it goes to Sansa and therefore Tyrion.

Tywin is pretty good at this stuff.

Has Jon heard that Bran and Rickon are dead? I can't remember who knows what.

I think so? He definitely knew Theon had burned Winterfell down, but I'm not sure how much of the rest of that story got up to the Wall.

I often find it hard to remember that 4 out of the 5 Stark kids are still alive because the deaths of Robb, Ned, and Catelyn loom so large.

[link] People's twitter reactions last night

Erin,

Man. I am not sure what your profession is but you have provided me really clear information in a short period of time. You are fantastic.