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TV: Game of Thrones, S. 5, ep. 5

Great beginning, a few cool scenes, but I didn't love the episode. I'm a little worried with the showrunners veering off the books, whether they're going to be able to pull off the big narrative turns that make the seasons. Certainly one cannot expect another Red Wedding, but consider the Battle of the Blackwater, Ned getting his head chopped off, the capture of Jamie Lannister, or the Oberyn death -- these are huge, series defining moments. GMM has a few twists and turns laid out for season 5, and maybe he's shared with them ideas for the book 6, but those big world-shifts are GMM's storytelling. And while the showrunners have done a terrific job trimming the show to essentials and making the tone less nerdy, we've yet to see any evidence that they could pull off the sweeping narrative twists that are the bread and butter of the show.