It's not spoiling anything about Game of Thrones to say that every time Tyrion Lannister ends up on trial, it's more because of his physical characteristics and his degenerate family than anything he's actually done wrong. If drinking, whoring, and razor-sharp retorts were illegal in Westeros, you'd have to lock up everyone but Hodor.
Tyrion Lannister's dramatic demand for "trial by combat" at the end of last night's Game of Thrones has precedent. Not just in the annals of ancient Germanic law: 12 years ago, an "unemployed mechanic" demanded trial by combat over a motor-vehicle fine.
You probably won't be shocked to learn that the showrunners of Game of Thrones are big Monty Python geeks, but the Holy Grail easter egg they slipped into a scene earlier this season might surprise you. Unless you speak Low Valyrian, anyway.
Who are those guys with Jon Snow again? Why is the graffiti in Meereen in English? And what the hell was going on at the end of last night's episode?
Game of Thrones' characters found themselves recovering from King Joffrey's death, and its viewers found themselves wondering: Why did no one wonder where Littlefinger was? Who is Tommen, and is he an incest child? Where the hell are Arya and the Hound? And what is Danaerys doing?
Only two episodes in to season four, and Game of Thrones is already killing off major characters. As I did for episode one, I've put together a collection of scenes, references, and characters from episode two that deserve a special comment or mention—in particular, an investigation into season four's first major death.
In this world, nothing can be said to be certain except that winter is coming, the night is dark and full of terrors, all men must die, and here are some goats singing the theme song from Game of Thrones.
Game of Thrones is back, and with it dragons and beheadings and breasts and many, many characters you don't remember. We've broken it down and annotated it to help you. (And we want your help too.)
The fourth season of Game of Thrones premieres tonight on HBO. (Have you heard of that show? People like it!) Ahead of the event, GOT author George R.R. Martin stopped by the Weekend Update desk at Saturday Night Live to discuss what has been keeping him from continuing the series.
It's the story of a womanizer who schemes his way through a life of alcohol, fighting, and gratuitous nudity meets the story of a womanizer who schemes his way through a life of alcohol, fighting, and gratuitous nudity. No wonder the Wolf of Wall Street treatment of Game of Thrones works so well.
Actor Kristian Nairn, who plays Bran Stark's hulking protector, Hodor, in Game of Thrones, has never made a secret of his sexuality. He's been looking for an opening to publicly announce he's gay, and now he's finally found one.
While the rest of us struggle with expensive cable packages or try to bum HBO GO passwords, the president has already taken delivery of screeners for season 4 of Game of Thrones. Commoners won't get the first episode until April 6.
Don't avert your eyes. (Unless you're not caught up on Game of Thrones.)
The new Game of Thrones trailer is out, and it's everything you hoped it would be: just over a minute and a half crammed with swordfights, dragons, backstabbing, and sex. The new season starts April 6. Get hype.
Reince Priebus
