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.

People's twitter reactions last night

If they were thinking this has a happy ending, they weren't paying attention.

It's kind of charming that everyone assumes HBO itself is to blame. They don't actually write the shows, folks.

I feel oddly emotionally distanced from everything. Only Arya makes me sad these days. And, hey, she's got a lot of sad going, but mostly I am prepped for irritation if a possibly interesting storyline gets cut off, and no one interesting to me died last night, so I'm callous all over.

Frankly, I'm surprised that, in three years, nobody ever noticed there were a couple of characters the book readers rather studiously avoided discussing

I think the whole "studiously avoiding getting spoilt" is more important. I certainly don't rip speculation apart, and tend to skim it from book readers. Too much room for involuntary disclosure.

Early on, some of you, perhaps notably Jessica, after Ned perished made a comment that people should not get too attached to characters. That was the elixir to help me deal. At this point, I just want bad shit to happen to certain characters. I am not hoping for happy.