Game of Thrones | Another slow yet far more eventful episode than the season premiere saw Cersei scheming, Tyrion drinking, Jon being elected as the new Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Arya arriving in Braavos, Sansa turning down Brienne's protection, and Daenerys making some very difficult decisions as a leader.

Jon's reasoning for not accepting Stannis' offer to be legitimized and made the Lord of Winterfell was befuddling. Why he should remain beholden for life to a vow, he took as a kid is one part that's frustrating. Sam didn't really argue with this logic.

The second part is that the Wall is mainly comprised of criminals and he has witnessed its corruption time and again. Jon thinking they deserve fealty is foolish. He cannot have it both ways either. He wants to remain loyal to this horrible place, and yet he breaks the rules he wants to as he sees fit (breaking his celibacy, mercy killing Mance, etc.).

It is clear that he does not want to be fully committed to the life of the Night's Watch. So why doesn't he back out of this clearly ill-advised move, made in the ignorance of youth, and stop going through the motions? How is continuing on with the Night's Watch the "right" thing?

While Jon was busy at the Wall, his sister Arya continues her mission of vengeance. She's now down to only four people on her list. Her list has shrunk, not because of anything she's done but by the result of outside forces.

By the time she's finally equipped to avenge her family all of the culprits will have died or been taken by the hand of another. Her quest is starting to ring hollow, and if there's a moral nestled in there, it's probably cold comfort to the feisty Stark.

Daenerys had the most challenging task of the hour, meting out what she believed to be justice. Her dilemmas are often the most complex of the series and this week's episode proved to be no exception. Facing an unruly crowd, she kept her composure and remained brave in the ensuing turmoil.

She has the courage to sit on the Iron Throne. The question is whether she really has the time to devote to it. She currently has her hands beyond full with her current royal duties. There's an argument to be made that she's where she's needed most now.  

Side Notes/Burning Questions: Please let Tyrion dry out already. His and Varys conversations are so much meatier when they're equally sober. Does anyone else get the feeling Jamie might be on his last mission? How did Stannis have a little daughter as sweet and compassionate as Shireen? Why is Gilly still allowed to stay at the Wall?

Revenge | Having stopped watching the show following its January hiatus, recaps have been a way of keeping tabs on a long-ago must-see. After learning that they killed off Victoria, one of television's all-time best villainesses, I won't ever be back. Quite frankly, since the season began the vibe that Queen V was doomed was overpowering.

To know that it came to fruition and Emily and her lousy father got their revenge is a bitter pill and one I'm thrilled to have avoided seeing. Neither deserved any vengeance. David is a selfish ego-maniac who brought everything that happened to him and his daughter, on them himself. He is a wretched protagonist.

Try as they might, the series could not avoid season 2’s reason for Victoria and Conrad going along with the frame job on David. Their son's life was being threatened by an evil organization known as "the initiative."

In actuality, what David and Emily are busy whining about is the Grayson's choosing to save their son's life over the sleazy David. This whole plot point exonerates them of what happened to the philandering the older Clarke.

David's selfish affair with a married woman is the sole catalyst for what happened to both him and Emily. Accordingly, both can back off on playing the world's smallest violin. Rooting for these two characters has been impossible for some time, and after realizing where it was headed: a happy ending for two psychopaths, it was better to cut the losses of a 4-year investment in the show. In the end, it was a good decision.

[Featured Image by HBO]