Tyrion seems to slowly be shifting into the role of the main protagonist as this lengthy story unfolds.  It is somewhat ironic, or maybe not, that as he replaces Ned Stark’s role in Game of Thrones he has also taken his job as hand of the king.  This job is one of great importance and carries a great deal of authority but, as we already know, usually leaves the person of this position dead.  Tyrion is going out of his way to make sure this does not happen to him and has decided to use his superior intellect to keep not only his position but his life as well.  This week he demonstrates how, as Lord Varys says, even a small man can cast a rather large shadow by cleverly, and a little bit violently, taking care of his mole problem and now surrounding himself only by those he knows he can trust.  Meanwhile he protects his special lady friend by hiding her right under his sisters nose.  Little Finger and Lord Varys are on his side for now, but how long will that remain the case?

Well I have to say I was really happy when I realized the show was picking up exactly where the last one left off with the crazy old man beating the crap of Jon Snow, but I was quickly disappointed with conclusion to this conflict.  Basically the men of the Nights Watch have to leave now and what Jon witnessed was none of his business and therefore should be left alone.  The Night’s Watch needs men like that to stay alive and there are more important enemies out there to worry about.  I really hope that isn’t the final conclusion to this and something his done about this.  Maybe those male infants he’s sacrificing are what are creating the White Walkers and if they just put a stop to that man they wouldn’t have to worry about fighting those things anymore.  Sounds like two birds with the same stone if you ask me but what do I know.

I really feel for Theon Greyjoy in this episode.  He is obviously torn between fighting against the family who raised him or the one who gave him up.  I got really excited when he finally calls his father out on being angry with him for being raised by the Stark’s.  He didn’t choose to be raised by them, but his father did make the decision to give him up.  His father’s reaction was expected but I think in a way it gave his father more respect for him.  I’m interested to see if he really does carry out this attack and what will become of Winterfell if it actually is invaded by the Greyjoy army.  I really want to see Theon turn against his father and I feel like they are trying to hint that his sister may possibly be more on his side then on their father’s.  I could be reading into that too much but it seems like they are always showing a close up of her face whenever there is something said to Theon, and her expression almost always appears sympathetic.

The alliance with Renly Baratheon and the Starks makes perfect sense.  I guess there will be disputes over who is the true king, however.  The religious people were absent from this episode but it seems like these two parties each have their own claim to the throne.  Robb seems caught in the middle of this but perhaps doesn’t even realize it yet.  As a matter of fact, I don’t think anyone realizes it except for we the audience.  I also find it strange that already Renly has acquired all of these people who regard him as their king and call him their grace.  Things seem tense between him and his lover, the knight of flowers.  It also appears that he has married his sister who oddly enough is perfectly all right with him being gay with her brother, as long as he gets her pregnant.  She is pretty open with this actually and even tells Renly that if he would prefer her brother be involved with the conceiving then so be it.  Wow.  That’s really all I can say about that.

The cliff hanger we are left with this week, is oddly enough the story we started with last week.  Arya and Gendry are captured but their captures have no idea who they really are.  What will end up happening to them now?  I suppose they will be returning to Kings Landing but what will they have to do once they get there?  Maybe those men from the caged wagon will return and save them, or at least the nicer one of the three.  I have a feeling he feels that he owes Arya and will try to repay her for what she did.  I could be wrong though but again, I don’t know why else they would have shown him turning around to watch her as she ran off.  I can’t wait to see what will become of Arya and Gendry now, and I also am looking forward to seeing what will happen with Khaleesi and her troubled group.  They hinted at something taking place involving them next week and I hope it’s finally something good, but from the brief clip we were shown it appears to be even more hardships.