Oooooh....that ending was so orgasmic, I think I drooled a little while I waited to see what they were going to do with a kettle filled with melted gold. I mean, I probably knew, I knew, but it didn't hit me until it happened. It's almost as if my mind blocked all foresight so as to magnify the effect. I jumped up and tried to cheer as loudly as I could, but I was struck silent by the beautiful display! Oh so good...so very good...

My respect for Tyrion Lannister just continues to grow. He seems to exist in the perfect place along the moral spectrum, and is quite capable at maneuvering himself through a wide variety difficult situations by simply analyzing the situation, his own means, and finding where, when, and how he can be most effective. To some extent that can be said for almost everyone of note, but for Tyrion, you get the feeling that his methods are a directly related to his shortcomings (hehe, pun), and not some kind of training you'd expect from those of his social standing. I'm also starting to respect King Robert a lot more. Sure he has his faults, like excessive drinking and being a dickhead on a personal level to people he doesn't particularly like, but when it comes to realizing the impending threat presented by Danerys and her Dothraki, he has his head straight on, and he seems to be the only one to understand the need for unity at this time. It's too bad that he doesn't seem like he'll be able to get it...another shortcoming :-(

@Yukimura. I'm in total agreement with your character analysis. I'll also probably read the books, but I'm going to wait until the series is over. It does seem like the show glosses over a good number of details I'm sure the books cover, but even so, as a standalone the show is excellent. I'd really hate to know what happens next when the TV adaptation is so good.