Game of Thrones begins....

[Martinus]

Did anyone else think it was Roose who had stabbed the Ramsay?

Yeah I did.

[Eddie Teach]

It was hard to tell as you were watching it. I only knew it was Roose being stabbed because I'd already seen grumbler's comment. 

[grumbler]

Did anyone else think it was Roose who had stabbed the Ramsay?

Yep.  That scene was well done.

[grumbler]

I wouldn't count Ellaria among "competent schemers". She is more of a Ramsay's school of intrigue. Tywin would have never murdered his lord and relative with his own hands, with many eye witnesses.

Her scheme looks to have gone off without a hitch. And the people of Dorne love her and the sand snakes. Ramsay looks more vulnerable and his betrayal looks more opportunistic.

Her scheme is crazy by objective standards.  There is no precedent for her or any of the sand Snakes to take over Dorne in the ethos of either Dorne or Westeros.  There's going to be (in any rational world) an heir to Doran somewhere.  All she did by killing Doran was buy some lifespan.

[Eddie Teach]

That heir might be one of Oberyn's daughters who were in on the plot. The show hasn't gone into much detail about Dorne.

[grumbler]

That heir might be one of Oberyn's daughters who were in on the plot. The show hasn't gone into much detail about Dorne.

They aren't legitimate, therefor cannot inherit (even if regicide didn't disqualify them).  there have to be cousins of some degree still alive (the Sand Snakes couldn't kill all of them without a conspiracy too big to keep secret).

And what makes as little sense as the evaporating dogs in the Sansa rescue scene is that all of Doran's guards could have been suborned without a single one of them ratting the scheme out to Hotah.  The Martells have, after all, been the reigning dynasty for a thousand years, and surely at least one guardsman would think such a lineage worth preserving, even if his own oaths to the dynasty were somehow made null and void.

If the writers were wise, they'd have an earthquake drop Dorne into the ocean at the start of the next episode.  It is pretty clear that thinking about Dorne makes any writer (including Martin) stupid.

[crazy canuck]

Her scheme looks to have gone off without a hitch. And the people of Dorne love her and the sand snakes. Ramsay looks more vulnerable and his betrayal looks more opportunistic.

One important vulnerability is that his most important supporters are the Karstarks, who are Starks by blood, and who should, if they haven't already, realize that Rob acted correctly.

On another note, we didn't actually see Stannis die, did we?

Wasn't there a Karstark in the last episode explaining why he still hates Rob?  Something about Rickard Karstark being separated from his head....

The Karstarks are never going to think that was a good decision.  There is a chance however that another Stark can rally them.

[Josquius]

Well. Lots of interesting bits in that episode.

*First Bran flashback! Yeah!
And they say its Ned right off. I thought they'd play with us on that a bit, show us these kids and not say who they are, only revealing it later. I guess 'the life and death of lyanna' will be a running thread this series.

*Hodor talks!?!?!? WHAT!!?!?!? I always thought he was a born simpleton. Yet there he is at quite an advanced age and fairly normal. I wonder why he now no longer talks.
Theory: Bran does something that messes with his brain in the past. A sort of pre-destination thing.

*Iron Islands. When I saw them on the credits I thought I was seeing things. Had guessed they'd totally cut all that.

*A common theory that I've never really got into but after this episode am on the side of believing- Tyrion the secret Targaryian.

*Ramsey- well shit, didn't see that one coming. Obviously he'd try to kill the baby at some point but to just outright stab dad like that...blimey.
The Karstark is obviously on his side too- or else why wouldn't he then stab Ramsay. A baby Lord Bolton is good for business.
Unless....they realise Ramsay is a disaster area so they're pretending to back him to make it easier to rebel.

*Have to say I was expecting Mel's magic to fail. For some reason just today I was coming around to thinking a little that maybe it would be a funeral pyre that would bring Jon back in some kind of Azor Ahai/Targaryan thing.

[grumbler]

Wasn't there a Karstark in the last episode explaining why he still hates Rob?  Something about Rickard Karstark being separated from his head....

The Karstarks are never going to think that was a good decision.  There is a chance however that another Stark can rally them.

I think that any Karstak other than Harald will recognize the justice of Robb's actions.  after all, they are feudal lords themselves, and will want to preserve their power to punish treason by their vassals.

Harald probably recognizes the justice of Robb's actions as well, but has to claim that he doesn't because that claim suits his personal ambitions.

[crazy canuck]

Wasn't there a Karstark in the last episode explaining why he still hates Rob?  Something about Rickard Karstark being separated from his head....

The Karstarks are never going to think that was a good decision.  There is a chance however that another Stark can rally them.

I think that any Karstak other than Harald will recognize the justice of Robb's actions.  after all, they are feudal lords themselves, and will want to preserve their power to punish treason by their vassals.

Harald probably recognizes the justice of Robb's actions as well, but has to claim that he doesn't because that claim suits his personal ambitions.

Ok, but based on what we actually know, rather than what you think, that is a stretch.  In any event, Sansa holds no blame for what Rob did.  It would be an easy thing for the Karstarks to follow her without forgiving Rob.

[Phillip V]

HYPE

Best teaser I have seen in a while.

Episode 3:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y685gVGRQ98

[Zanza]

[spoiler]Wow, that's the fight at the Tower of Joy at the end of the teaser. We might finally learn that Jon's parents are Rhaegar and Lyanna. [/spoiler]

[Josephus]

Did anyone else think it was Roose who had stabbed the Ramsay?

I think they filmed it that way, yeah

[Zanza]

I would have preferred Roose to stab Ramsey. I liked Roose better as a character. He had more depth.

[grumbler]

Ok, but based on what we actually know, rather than what you think, that is a stretch.  In any event, Sansa holds no blame for what Rob did.  It would be an easy thing for the Karstarks to follow her without forgiving Rob.

based on what we know of Westerosi society and its feudal equivelents, rather than your guess that the "Karstarks are never going to think that was a good decision," I think it more reasonable that the Karstark heirs will recognize the justice of Robb's position than that they will insist on the right of vassals to betray their lords. 

One Karstark is adamantly against the Starks, but that's all we know.

And, of course, if Robb as the head of his house created an offense against House Karstark, then Sansa inherits that offense and the obligation for restitution.  That's the way feudal societies work.  Your assertion that Robb's actions have no bearing on Sansa and that the Karstarks would find it easy to follow her without every resolving the stain on their honor (if that were really how they saw it) seems unfounded.