I imagine many huge sighs of relief around the writers room table once they realized they were far enough past the books they could just write a good story, and not be tied down to GRRM's unintelligible mutterings grand vision. (Though I am somewhat skeptical that the Stark plan to ride around the North talking to minor characters we've never met will yield much in the way of narrative oomph. Probably something will go wrong that will make it more exciting.)
Sansa was spectacular last night. Her face when she told Littlefinger "I AM harmed."
Play!Ned saying "I'm starting to think you people can't be trusted" = comedy GOLD.
I would also at some point like Arya's story to move forward. Either she becomes a Faceless Man or she learns all their tricks and then escapes with a sack full of faces so she can murder Cersei.
Somebody elsewhere in some comments thread explained the Wyllis-Hodor thing in a way that got me to grasp it better.
Bran warging into Hodor while being in the presence of Wylis linked Wylis and Hodor - so just in case you thought it couldn't get worse think about young Wylis experiencing everything Hodor was going through.
Which means also that Hodor knew that moment was coming his whole life.
Which means also that Hodor knew that moment was coming his whole life.
Oh SHIT. No wonder he was so loyal to Bran.
Yeah, it really is so much worse than you initially think it is, on a couple of levels. Because there was a functioning mind still in there. He understood when other people spoke. Since he was mostly a functional person, one can only hope that he mostly suppressed the memory (although it certainly explains why he was always utterly freaked out by violence). But even with it partially or mostly suppressed, he had to understand on some level where the journey was taking him (the deep cryptic sadness in Kristian Nairn's "hodors" this season are so perfectly played).
So it's is simultaneously both this horrible thing Bran did to Hodor, and yet still Hodor's heroic, selfless choice.
And of course, part of why and how it so gutting, on top of just caring about Hodor as a character, is the realization that the awful truth has been right in front of your face the entire time. You just didn't understand what you were looking at.
CALLING ALL BUFFISTAE - please check out my post in Beep Me (probably should have put it in Press, too late now).
So it's is simultaneously both this horrible thing Bran did to Hodor, and yet still Hodor's heroic, selfless choice.
I like the idea that Hodor knew it was coming and so he deliberately stayed with Bran to protect him all this time because it was bothering me that the actual door-holding was
not
his decision.
You know, I realize now that I'm only just beginning to understand the distinction between the White Walkers and the army of zombie wights.
But all of the babies turned out at Craster's Keep were turned into White Walkers. But wights are just any old dead that get raised up by the Night King.
And you can kill the wights buy chopping and fire (Trad Zombie).
But you need Dragonglass/Obsidian or Valyrian Steel to kill a White Walker. (Probably dragon fire too.)
WELL THAT ARYA STORYLINE IS HEATING UP. What a brilliantly evil final scene.
I forget, has Coldhands appeared on the show? Because isn't it fanon that Benjen is Coldhands, which...appears to be confirmed now?
ETA: Hm, it appears the answer to my question is very complicated. No, he has not appeared on the show. Yes, it is fanon that Benjen is Coldhands. But...yes, it is confirmed that Benjen is Coldhands ON THE SHOW but...apparently not in the books?? WHAT IS THE DEAL.
