[KC_Connection]

Wow, they really saved it all for the last episode, didn't they? I'll try to go through what I remember from the beginning.

Jon Snow had a bit of a death wish to go and "negotiate" with Mance, but he (and the Night's Watch) get bailed out in a huge way by Stannis. I suppose his appearance was a bit of a surprise, but I did expect him to show up there eventually after what Melisandre said about the real war being up north last season. It's good to see him out and kicking ass again instead of his perpetual sulking at Dragonstone.

And of course, the Mountain is still alive somehow after the duel and is going to be turned into an even worse kind of killing machine. Yeah, deserve's got nothing to do with it.

Great to see some development to the Bran plot line. He finally meets the three-eyed raven after four seasons and it turns out to not be a raven at all but some really wise old guy in a magic tree. I'm thinking his comment about Bran being able to "fly" is in reference to him some day being able to Warg into one of Dany's dragons. Poor Jojen, by the way. Killed by a ****ing zombie skeleton, but had to think he was always destined for that fate. Also, after hearing about them for a while throughout the series, I had wondered when/if the Children of the Forest would show up and it seems they'll play a large role now with Bran. The real battle against the White Walkers is still looming in the background of everything.

I had hopes for an Arya/Sansa reunion, but I guess any Stark reunion in this narrative is too much to ask for. We did get a ridiculous fight with Brienne/the Hound instead that Brienne amazingly won twice (first with swords and next in hand to hand). She may be the best fighter in Westeros. I feared before the episode that the Hound might die this season and it appears that he may have. But shit, if his brother can survive being stabbed straight through the chest, maybe he can survive too. A most interesting (and ruthless) decision Arya made there not to give him the mercy kill he wanted, though. Getting off Westeros while she can for Braavos is probably the best thing for her. It could be time for her to become one of the Faceless Men assassins. The only thing that kept her from doing so in S2 was her now mostly dead family.

And finally, in the epic climax, Tyrion kills Tywin. I had a slight suspicion something like that might occur when Jaime and him spent a bit of time talking about fratricide/patricide/matricide, etc. a few weeks back, but I thought it might be Jaime that would be the one to do it, not Tyrion. Amazing to see the guy that has pretty much been running this show since Robert/Ned died go down in that unsavory fashion. And at the hands of his own unwanted, hated son who he had sentenced to death...such beautiful justice for once. Glad that Tyrion both survived the season and got out of there with the help of Varys (who may be a decent guy deep down after all! It's too bad he didn't do the same for Ned in S1, not that he could have ever known what Joffrey would do). Tyrion will be a wanted man now for as long as the Lannisters control Westeros. Have to think he'll head east and stay there.

All in all, I think that had to have been the best season finale yet, a great end to another phenomenal season. They tied up quite a few loose ends and left off with a few new intriguing storylines. GoT is showing absolutely no signs of slowing down heading into Season 5.