I too really enjoyed that episode. Great way to start the season off.
Watching Ice be reforged into Oathkeeper and Widows Wail was really difficult.
Oberyn's entrance into King's Landing was much better in the books but I think what the show did with it was very well thought out. In a short period of time we learned who Oberyn is, why he is here, why he dislikes Lannisters, that he is sexually liberal, and that he means business while simultaneously making him look really cool. They also recanted what happened to Rhaegar and Elia and their children for the show-watchers. All in all, good work.
New Daario is jarring and not all that interesting. We'll have to wait and see though. I'm still sad we won't be getting Strong Belwas.
I'm with GoodSarmatian on the Thenns. In the book, the Thenns seemed pretty cool guys, being more civilized, having a lord, smelting bronze armor. They made the Thenns needlessly scary, though I suppose the show is combining a few of the lesser and more dis-likeable widlings together for simplicity.
Jon's scene at the wall was great. We are starting to see Kit Harrington's acting show through now that his script has more meat in it. HAR! Loved it when Janos Slynt laughed at the mention of Giants and then looked over to Ser Allisor Thorn's stone-cold face and realized he doesn't know anything. Then that burn!
Last season I had no idea how they are going to do Shae and Tyrion's storyline as Show Shae is a completely different character from book Shae, but now I think I got an inkling of how D&D will make it work.
Glad they mentioned Cersei's excessive drinking and "symptoms". That'll make for an interesting sub-plot leading towards the end of the season, considering Jaime shouldn't be in Kings Landing this early.
Introducing Ser Dontos and including Arya's tavern scene is exciting. I hadn't thought either of them would be included but here we are. The chemistry between Arya and the Hound translates amazingly well on television and I'm digging that they showed Arya smirking as they left the tavern. I still feel as if the show was missing some of Arya's ferocity from the books scene though.
Jaime waving his golden hand and some of the Hound's lines were hilarious!
