I don't think it's spoilery to say that this week's Mad Men contained significantly less rape and child-sacrifice than this week's GoT.

Speaking as someone who has not watched Mad Men yet: what a relief!

Theon told Bolton that Bran and Rickon might be heading for Jon Snow on the Wall, and Bolton said Jon might also be a threat. I think Locke is supposed to take care of all of that as best he can, but I don't think explicit orders were given.

I think Locke is supposed to take care of all of that as best he can, but I don't think explicit orders were given.

Right. I remember now.

My home nurse, an Iranian woman in her 50s, is big on GoT, I've just recently learnt. Problem is, I'm shit at talking about it--many of the details just wash over me, and I revel in feels. But she wants to TALK. And she's looking for someone who knows more than she does to shore up her knowledge, which is putting pressure on me, because I'm used to being that person for any TV show I watch.

It's like having a fandom conversation with my mother (she'd hate to hear that--she's closer in age to me than Mummy), but goes to show about its penetration.

No, we didn't talk about the rape.

I think Locke is supposed to take care of all of that as best he can, but I don't think explicit orders were given.

That makes sense.

I finally had to look up the actor because I couldn't place him -- he was Lara Croft's ... brother? personal IT person? ... in the Tomb Raider movies.

Owen in "Torchwood!"

Very interesting stuff. As I said to Debet in a W&P, these are very major changes from the book, but I'm still very willing to follow D&D along on this.

Although my first comment upon finishing the episode was "Well that was just a big bucket full of HUH."

A new show called Penny Dreadful is being released mid-May on Showtime. Though I won't be able to see the show, I did see the first episode because Showtime has enough faith that if you see the first episode you will be hooked to have released it all over the internet, and also put it out for free on most On-demand packages.

Since it spite of this, it has not been officially broadcast, I won't spoil it (at least not here). But I will say that it is glorious and wonderful trash. That is a compliment, not criticism. It is set in Victorian England, but not historical Victorian England. Hammer Films Victorian England. It is very Gothy trash. I think Jilli MUST see it - except that I will stick a Jilliwarning in spoiler font.

One of the main characters is constantly harrassed by Jillfonts, and I suspect will continue to be throughout the series.

It crams so much into that first episode, that I'm pretty confident that the second episode will include a deadly Kitchen Sink, since they have already thrown almost everything else at you in the first one. Although everyone watching will spot the foreshadowing of which major character not in the first episode will show up soon. Since I'm too cheap to pay for Showtime I may never see the second episode, but based on the first I strongly rec the series.

I second Typo's charmingly vague endorsement.

Penny Dreadful is what League of Extraordinary Gentlemen wishes it was, had it forsaken camp altogether.

The casting is shockingly perfect...in as much as I have never liked the performances of Eva Green or Josh Hartnett before and am quite impressed with them here.

Oh! They were advertising that on the busses at SXSW, and I was wondering if it was any good.

It is creeptastic, for sure. Some jumpy-outy scares, which are not my favorite, but the performances and crossing of well-known storylines is delicious.

Billie Piper is in the cast, but was not featured in the first episode. Timothy Dalton, whose performances have not thrilled me since Jane Eyre, is actually terrific here.

Creepy-deepy effects galore.