In this week’s edition of Blog of Thrones, I’m going to tell you a few things that I learned from reading George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books. Not spoilers, obviously. But insights that make this week’s episode of Game of Thrones, appropriately titled “The Bear and the Maiden Fair,” all the more poignant and interesting. Because this week’s episode is rife with symbolism and plenty of George R.R. Martin’s favorite things. It’s appropriate then, that this week’s episode is also season three’s writing credit for Martin. It’s an episode that so perfectly embues all that makes Martin a fun read, that not talking about the books a bit would be a missed opportunity. And like the show it covers, Blog of Thrones does not miss opportunities. From here, there will be advanced talking points from this week’s episode, “The Bear and the Maiden Fair.” Read on at your own peril.

Compared with last week’s episode, Game of Thrones‘ sixth frame of season three was a bit of calm following what was a furious episode of movement. It’s fitting, then, that it begins with a rather quite scene by the fire, checking in on Samwell Tarly and his stolen wildling girl Gilly. Still her most awkward of heroes — not even fit to start a damn fire — Sam attempts to pass their time in the wilderness Beyond the Wall with a soothing song. Just as a fiery sword battle set the tone for last week’s rage, Sam’s tender moment establishes the big goal for “The Climb”: it’s about moving characters forward with smaller, calmer moments. And taking a trip into much darker territory. From here, there will be advanced talking points from this week’s episode, “The Climb.” Read on at your own peril. 

This may not be the real reason, but I’m ever-suspicious that George R.R. Martin’s third book in the A Song of Ice and Fire franchise is called A Storm of Swords because it feels every bit like a storm. So much happens in book three that Game of Thrones producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss have had to break the thousand-paged behemoth into two seasons. Don’t worry though, this week’s Blog of Thrones won’t be digging into the who, what and why of the book. That’s not this column’s style. It’s here for those who have not read ahead. I only make mention of the book’s title and action-crammed nature because this week’s episode, “Kissed By Fire,” exemplifies the book upon which it’s based in every way. After two episodes of scheming and positioning, season three has broken into an all-out sprint. This being the season’s busiest episode by far is by no means a bad thing. It just means that we all have to keep up as the storm grows… From here, there will be advanced talking points from this week’s episode, “Kissed by Fire.” Read on at your own peril. 

Season three of Game of Thrones has finally started killing people. And not just anyone, as we’ll discuss in this week’s epic, thoughtful edition of Blog of Thrones. For those reading along, as always, we’re not getting into any spoiler territory. Sometimes a little bit of bookishness will shine through, but at no point will we discuss any events that have not happened yet in the show. With that in mind, lets get on with it. Because as season three has its first big character death, it also now has a number of great accelerating storylines.

Prior to this week’s episode, we’ve been doing a lot of walking, talking, catching up with old friends and for the most part, have not yet begun to spin up the wheels of this season’s rising action. While it has been fun, and as opposed to last season far better handled by the show’s brass, it’s about time Game of Thrones lets loose some arrows and dismemberment in its third season. As it turns out, that’s what episode three is all about. Reminder: Blog of Thrones is meant to be friendly to those who have not read the books. It will only discuss events that have happened up through the current episode. No spoilers in the article, so please no spoilers in the comments. Don’t be that guy (or girl). 

Beyond the continuation of the festival of walk-and-talk that is customary this early in a season of Game of Thrones, season three episode two, entitled ‘Dark Wings, Dark Words,’ also brings with it several less-than-idle threats. In fact, thanks to some extended time spent with members of the Stark clan, it gets well into the territory of being ominous. Those Starks, they are a bunch of dire wolves. Get it… dire? Anyway, it is with these most ominous moments that we begin our descent into this week’s Blog of Thrones.

In the intense closing moments of Game of Thrones‘ second season, we learned a new phrase. “Valar Morghulis,” or “all men must die.” A traditional expression in High Valyrian spoken by Jaqen H’ghar to Arya Stark right before he turns into a completely different person. That was quite a way to finish that particular storyline in season two. And given the amount of death that was wrought on Westeros in the final two episodes of the last season, Valar Morghulis pretty much sums it up. Don’t act like you weren’t impressed. It’s also fitting that season three opens with “Valar Dohaeris,” which translates to “all men must serve,” as the opening frame of the highly anticipated third season spends a great deal of time viewing the aftermath of Blackwater, Qarth and the war in the North through the experiences of those who serve the (still) many kings who challenge for the Iron Throne. It’s with those experiences that we pick up our Blog of Thrones, an ongoing exploration of one of television’s most compelling adventures.

301 days. Not that anyone’s counting, but that is how long it will have been when “Valar Dohaeris,” the first episode of Game of Thrones‘ highly anticipated third season debuts. That’s how long we’ve had to wait since season two took its final bow. Not that anyone’s counting. For my own part, the opportunity to bring back the Blog of Thrones is a great one. Truly one of the most enjoyable parts of my job, blogging through the kingdom of Westeros offers my usually tame sensibilities to explode into the realm of fantasy. Long have I not been one for big fantasy adventures (sorry, Lord of the Rings and Star Wars), there’s something about George R.R. Martin’s creation that has captured my spirited attention. So here we are, almost a year removed from where we left off. It’s time to take a look back, talk season two (spoilers aplenty, so be sure you’re caught up) and a look forward to what we might expect from season three (no book spoilers, just wild hints and accusations). Come along as we continue our journey toward taking the Iron Throne for ourselves.

Somewhere amidst the mess that was a cool, stormy night last night in downtown Austin, Texas, a man could have found himself on the corner of 4th and Brazos Street, hurriedly working his way toward the Austin Convention Center, dodging frantic pedicab drivers and their mostly soaked clientele. It was a scene that might cause a man to wonder, perhaps not aloud, but wonder all the same: is winter coming? That man was most certainly not yours truly, as this writer was at home staring at a pile of Game of Thrones posters purchased on borrowed money from the Mondo Gallery show opening two days prior. But there’s no doubt that someone had the experience described above. A notion born out of Austin’s unexpectedly apocalyptic late-night weather and the fact that HBO’s mighty series has invaded the streets of Austin. The latter of which has been the subject of great fun for South by Southwest attendees. 

Today, we bring you joyous news. HBO has released the first set of images from the upcoming third season of Game of Thrones. In this giant gallery, you will find the familiar faces of Tyrion Lannister (seen above), the children of House Stark and that shitball Joffrey. There are also fresh new faces — Thoros, Blackfish Tully, the Reeds and the badass King Beyond the Wall himself, Mance Rayder. It’s all part of the opening salvo from HBO’s publicity team and photographers Helen Sloan and Keith Bernstein. As if we needed any incentive to be excited about March 31, 2013. Check out all the new photos after the jump. Click “Next Page” to move through them on individual pages, as they are quite large and awesome. Each photo can also be clicked and enlarged.

Blog of Thrones lives on! Even though we’ve seen the end of Game of Thrones‘ epic second season, that does not mean that we can’t still blog all about the show, the books, the board games based on the books, and lest we forget, rumormongering about season three. The offseason brings us plenty of topics, which shall be addressed monthly beginning in July and more frequently should the topics dictate more discussion. For now, I’ll be closing out the month of June with a few weeks worth of looking back at what has come to pass on season two. Now that we’ve seen the battles, played the game and met all the new faces, it’s important to look at the big picture around season two. We’ll begin with the season’s most defining moments, a collection of scenes that were not just shockers or twists, but moments that greatly impacted the momentum and trajectory of the stories within the second season. And yes, some of them involve big beautiful explosions. As always, Blog of Thrones is written from the perspective of a relative novice to George R.R. Martin’s books. It focuses solely on Game of Thrones the show and assumes that you’ve seen everything up to the latest episode. If you travel down this Kingsroad and find yourself spoiled, the king will know the reason why. 

As HBO’s “Previously on Game of Thrones” reel runs to its completion and the theme rises, it’s hard not to be wistful upon the closing of the second season of this cult hit of a show. For those of you who’ve been following along as I blog my way through season two, you’ll surely find a bit of sadness in this being the last entry into the Blog of Thrones series for the year. And even though it’s coming a few days later than usual, there’s still plenty to talk about. So don’t be too sad when it’s all said and done. Besides, this has been so much fun to write that I wouldn’t be surprised (if I were you) to see Blog of Thrones pop up periodically in between seasons two and three. With reflections on season two, thoughts on season three, thoughts on my readings of the books, thoughts on casting, thoughts on life in Westeros, and many other thoughts brewing around this fine series of stories, there may just be enough to keep Blog of Thrones going on a monthly basis in between now and early 2013, when the show will return for an undoubtedly epic third season. But for now, lets talk about “Valar Morghulis.” As always, Blog of Thrones is written from the perspective of a relative novice to George R.R. Martin’s books. It focuses solely on Game of Thrones the show and assumes that you’ve seen everything up to the latest episode. If you travel down this Kingsroad

They’ve been telling us all along, those fine marketeers at HBO. Winter is Coming. War is Coming. More Winter is Coming. War is Here. There’s No Where to Hide. And throughout season two we’ve peered back at them and said, “ok, but when?” There is no time better than the present, I always say. Especially when episode nine, “Blackwater” is upon us and the battle has raged with massive green flames. Even though there’s one frame left, anyone who has watched last night’s episode has now seen the season’s penultimate chapter. Stannis Baratheon sails toward King’s Landing with a massive army and he will not rest until he has taken the Iron Throne away from the boy King Joffrey. That’s where we pick up the tale as we travel on with our Blog of Thrones… As always, Blog of Thrones is written from the perspective of a relative novice to George R.R. Martin’s books. It focuses solely on Game of Thrones the show and assumes that you’ve seen everything up to the latest episode. If you travel down this Kingsroad and find yourself spoiled, the king will know the reason why. 

Hold on tight, you guys, War is really Coming this time. I promise, there will be a great battle — and it’s likely going to happen in next week’s episode, which just so happens to be directed by Dog Soldiers and Centurion director Neil Marshall. But more on that later. For now, we’ll just focus on the eighth episode of season two, “The Prince of Winterfell,” in our weekly column known as Blog of Thrones, the people’s champion of Westeros and the first place you should come on Monday mornings for all the juiciest Game of Thrones watercooler discussion. This week we get to use dirty words, contemplate strategies and watch one of our favorite characters finally get what’s coming to him. As always, Blog of Thrones is written from the perspective of a relative novice to George R.R. Martin’s books. It focuses solely on Game of Thrones the show and assumes that you’ve seen everything up to the latest episode. If you travel down this Kingsroad and find yourself spoiled, the king will know the reason why. 

Winter is Coming. And War. But mostly Winter. And playful ginger girls from beyond The Wall. Yes, it’s time again for our weekly Blog of Thrones, the part of the week when we urge you to gather around the mead cooler and talk of Westeros and the Free Cities of Men. As we march through the show’s second season, it’s important to be constantly reminded that Winter is Coming. It stands as an excellent motto for all of what is to come in this story — “Winter” is not just about cold, but of war and evil and evil war. With that in mind, we put Winter is Coming on our banners this week and forge on as the staggeringly good HBO series ripped from the mind of George R.R. Martin (and his books) moves swiftly toward a season two finale that continues to promise big things. This week, we learn about a few key personality traits shared by many a character in this Game of Thrones. As always, Blog of Thrones is written from the perspective of a relative novice to George R.R. Martin’s books. It focuses solely on Game of Thrones the show and assumes that you’ve seen everything up to the latest episode. If you travel down this Kingsroad and find yourself spoiled, the king will know the reason why. 

It’s time to call you back in, my Bannermen. And Bannerladies. As you well know, Winter is Coming. And as we steam past the midpoint of season two, the big season finale is also coming to the lands of Westeros. So our weekly Blog of Thrones can see the end of this round, not clearly, but on the horizon. This week we learn plenty of lessons along with the denizens of Winterfell, King’s Landing, Harrenhal and whatever the hell they call those mountains north of The Wall. These lessons will likely come back to be important later in the season, as many a collision course is being set. War may be upon these gamers of thrones, but we are yet to see the real bloodbath that is to come. As always, Blog of Thrones is written from the perspective of a relative novice to George R.R. Martin’s books. It focuses solely on Game of Thrones the show and assumes that you’ve seen everything up to the latest episode. If you travel down this Kingsroad and find yourself spoiled, the king will know the reason why. 

The anticipation one feels from week-to-week as a fan of Game of Thrones is almost maddening. Like any great dramatic work, every new chapter delivers as many new questions as it does answers. “The Ghost of Harrenhal,” season two’s fifth chapter, is absolutely no exception. Critics of the overwhelming nudity in Game of Thrones can relax for a week — this one isn’t about the sex — but plenty of people are violated. With our weekly Blog of Thrones entry, it’s time to see what happens as the battle between brothers Baratheon escalates in an unexpectedly swift manner, Daenerys and her dragon children settle in to Qarth and Tyrion Lannister continues to maneuver around his twisted sister. Remember, Blog of Thrones is written from the perspective of a “Song of Ice and Fire” novice — no making fun of me if I can’t pronounce all the names correctly — and it is done so with the understanding that you have seen last night’s episode and those before it. There won’t be any spoilers beyond that, of course, but before you read on, get yourself caught up, then come have a good old fashioned discussion about all the intricately crafted drama of Westeros.

Season two of Game of Thrones rages on. And up to this point, there has been a great deal of shifting in pace. It opened fast and furious, with so much to say in that frantic first episode. Then is slowed down for two episodes, taking its time in showing us some of the characters we’ll be spending time with in this frame. And now we’re back to accelerating. And how. As we do every week, it’s time to talk about it in our Blog of Thrones. But before we do that, a usual warning: this is being written under the assumption that you’ve seen this week’s episode and all of season one. We take no responsibility for spoiling anything that has already happened on the show. Also, it’s being written by someone who is completely new to the material. I have no idea what will happen, and I like it that way. So no making fun of me for not knowing what the hell that thing is at the end of “Garden of Bones” and if you can avoid it, don’t spoil it for me (or others) in the comment section. That said, lets get down to business. There’s a lot of ground to cover.

As promised, the wicked pace set in the first episode of Game of Thrones‘ second season has calmed a bit, as the time for checking in on everyone in Westeros is done and the time for the build up to the storm of war — which appears to be happening on about 30 fronts — is upon us. It all brings us to perhaps the best episode of the new season yet, “What Is Dead May Never Die,” a chance to see some real political maneuvering on several fronts. But before we get into the nitty gritty details, remember that our weekly Blog of Thrones is not meant to be spoiler free. It’s written by yours truly, a man who has never read George R.R. Martin’s books, so there won’t be spoilers of anything in the future, but I am assuming that you’ve seen everything up to and including this week’s episodes. With that in mind, lets talk about sexual politics…

If only one could create an opening credits sequence for a blog post, the one for this particular column would be as informational and visually pleasing as that of Game of Thrones. If you’re paying attention — something I’m not always one to do — keeping a close eye on the opening credits for season two’s second episode will bring clarity to some of the other areas of Westeros left unexplored in season one. Namely Pike in the Iron Islands and Dragonstone. The geography of all this is going to become important as season two wears on, one can assume, because it seems like everyone will be moving from their respective locations and descending on King’s Landing, where episode two’s missing boy, the false King Joffrey, waits for all-out war. But before that happens, season two appears to be slowing down a bit, taking some time to introduce us to new characters. Gone is the dizzying march across the lives of season one’s beloved (and not so beloved) characters. In its place are some new faces, some new alliances and yeah, some of that wonderful Game of Thrones nudity. Of course, as you read on with this week’s Blog of Thrones, remember that you should do so having watched this week’s episode and the entirety of season one. This author will not be held responsible for spoiling anything that has already aired. Also, here’s hoping you brought some notes, as there will be a discussion at the end.