Rubes

The funny thing is, you know after reading the books that nobody is dead unless it is absolutely clear that they are dead. And even then, some of them can still come back to life, like Catelyn and Dondarrion. But yeah, the show specifically did not show Stannis dying, or for that matter the Hound. Although I think Stannis is dead, we didn't actually see his head get chopped off, so I suppose it's possible that he's not...

That sounds pretty convincing, but I have absolutely no doubt that D&D and GRRM would purposefully keep the fate of Jon Snow secret to everybody, including Kit, just to make sure it doesn't get out. It's one of the biggest uncertainties of the books as they currently stand, and I'm sure nobody wants that little nugget to be leaked. I'm sure they knew *everybody* would be interviewing Kit this offseason wondering if he'll be back, and this would be the way to ensure nobody finds out. Of course, it's possible that he doesn't come back next season, but the season after that...? There's too much foreshadowing of Jon Snow's importance for him to just be gone for good. Perhaps, as others have suggested, he may return in a different form... That jump was basically an adaptation of a similar scene from the books, involving Reek and a different character. My sense is that they were trying to show her realizing that her interpretations of the visions from the fire were all wrong...and that she may now realize they were about Jon Snow, not Stannis...

Yeah, well, you're nuts!

That is nuts!

Yeah, I think you said it well. Most of the storylines at least resemble what we know in the books (except for Stannis and Sansa, of course), which is an improvement. Interesting how they merged Sansa and Jeyne Poole there at the end, with the dive into the snow. As for Melisandre, I agree, I think she'll be the one to bring JS back, though there's no foreshadowing of it like there is in the books. If there was some Ghost reference at the end, I would be more confident in that.

I think we'll see something dramatic tonight with respect to Jon Snow's fate...

Love me some pancakes. Real maple syrup, with some strawberries on top. Also, no french toast lovers out there?

Rex Ryan + All 4 defensive linemen in the NFL Top 100 + solid LBs and DBs = A pretty ing good defense, in all likelihood.

In fact, he used the word "outstanding".

I think we all get that, but doesn't the rush to be the "first" to report something lead to this type of behavior? Nobody wants to wait until the truth comes out...better to guess at the truth and, if you're right, you get the credit of being "first".

Man, I can completely relate to that. I'd go so far as to say most objects within 200 yards on either side aren't safe. Especially houses.

Objection, Your Honor. Speculation.

Ryan also seems to be pretty high on Powell as well. I like the way the LBs are shaping up.

He's part man, part mule. Plus, apparently Whaley has been putting on a few pounds.

Too true. I think we'll all be dead before he finishes writing the books. I've heard he's trying real hard to get the next book out before season 6 starts, but I'm skeptical. If he dies, anything goes...

Alas...I think I'm done watching the show after this next episode. I thought I wouldn't mind too much if the show went past the books, but I find it unsatisfying, especially with how poor some of the writing for the show has been. It's been entertaining enough, but I think I'd rather wait to see if GRRM gets the next book out before next season, and if not, I'll pass.

Sansa is still married to Tyrion, but since they never consummated the marriage, it can be nullifed, or something like that. I believe Tywin said something to that effect during the show when he was still alive.

I don't disagree, but it's also not like all of that won't still be there if he stays in school another year to win the title.

I meant "brave" in a sarcastic way. But there were plenty, it seemed, who stuck around for awhile rather than immediately running away.

Not exactly, because the situations are almost entirely different. In the book, there is no Harpy attack. It is just a day at the fighting pits, when suddenly Drogon appears and causes mayhem, though he basically only just kills people in the pits. Dany jumped into the pits basically to both protect Drogon and to stop him from causing havoc. Although there was an obvious threat to the others there, it was basically from Drogon, so Dany was essentially helping by mounting Drogon and getting the hell out of there. Contrast that with the show, where there was an obvious threat to everyone, but here from a hoarde of murderous Harpies. Dany has retreated into the pit with her protectors and close advisors, huddling and holding hands while they realize their impending doom. Drogon appears and basically saves the day, but (presumably) since the Harpies start attacking Drogon, Dany mounts him to ride him away from danger...leaving all of her protectors and advisors to the remaining Harpies. The odd thing is that plenty of Harpies were brave enough to start attacking Drogon, but once he flew away, they all just...ran? Just weird. The further the show gets away from the books, the less they seem to be able to handle the complexity of the world they created.

Yeah, the way the Meereen scene ended, it just didn't add up. I too thought it was ridiculous that the Harpies sent one guy in at a time, when they had them so badly outnumbered. Then, when Dany mounted Drogon, I kept thinking, "Is she really just going to leave everyone else to their deaths?" At the time, there were still a crazy number of Harpies standing around, but by the time Drogon flew away, they just disappeared...

I have always loved John's unbridled offseason optimism.

Thanks everyone.

It's getting time for us to replace our water heater, and since it's just the wife and me in a small house, we were thinking of going with a tankless water heater. But I've heard different stories about them from people, and I wanted to see if anyone here has had experience with one. I started looking into information about them, but there are many different makes and models, and wide ranges of parts and installation costs.

Ha! That's what I was thinking.