Here Comes My Cheese

I got around to watching "Dark Wings, Dark Words" this morning. I liked it. Given what the series is, I think the past couple episodes have been as good as it's going to get. The banality of the dialogue is less glaring, and the decision not to cram every storyline into every episode gives things room to breathe and allows for neglected characters like Sansa to get some screen time. Along with opposite-of-neglected characters like Margaery. But as far as that goes, I thought her scene with Joffrey was interesting to watch. I'm not sure there's a coherent conception of her personality at work, but Dormer has a fascinating presence all the same.

I'm really starting to wonder how the changes the show has made to some of the characters are going to affect the plausibility of fixed narrative points. The cracks are already starting to appear: surely TV Shae ought to be too smart to sneak into Tyrion's chambers or to be jealous of Ros? And how hard are the writers going to work to separate Cersei and Joffrey? Their scene here was a retread anyway; the fact that he prefers Margaery to her was made clear enough last week.

There was a Catelyn scene in this episode. It was stupid and embarrassing and demonstrates that the writers will never run out of new ways to make the King in the North storyline a ridiculous collection of anachronistic cliches. But the damage to Catelyn and Robb was done last year; this is just a little salt in the wound. And I'm happy with Diana Rigg's take on the Queen of Thorns. I can see why some are less enthusiastic: her sharp tongue is now a function of cynicism rather than of brio, which makes the character less of a comic delight. But she's still delightful, and for once compressing dialogue from the books actually works. So I'm going to do what Olenna Redwyne did, and focus on the positive. I thought that dreadful scene with Talisa was never going to end. But look, here comes my Queen of Thorns.