Synopsis: King’s Landing hosts a wedding, and Tyrion and Sansa spend the night together. Dany meets the Titan’s Bastard. Davos demands proof from Melisandre. Sam and Gilly meet an older gentleman.

My thoughts: This episode focused a lot on the younger characters of the show for example, Sansa finally wed Tyrion, but he vowed he would keep watch over her because he knows that there will be no consummation of this union that he was forced into by his father. Sansa will need this because Joffrey was once again being  a creep and threatening to bed her. Arya was being taken to her brother, Robb, and her mother by the Hound for ransom and just in time for Robb’s wedding to the Frey. Gendry was taken to Stannis’ castle and with our hearts in our throats we expected the worst, but Melisandre only used Gendry to make a point of the power of a King’s blood. Sam and Gilly make it to a shelter and while they discuss what to name the baby a murder of crows shows up and why are they there? Well, to pinpoint where the baby is for a wandering white walker. Happily, we learn that they can be killed by stabbing the walkers in the back. I was hopping for something a bit more spectacular, but what can you do with icy zombies?

What really drew me in was Dany’s interaction with Daario Naharis of the Second Sons. He was chosen, by luck, to off Dany, but he has other plans for her… like join her and defend her to the hilt because he has the hots for her. So, he kills off his co-horts and swears to  Dany that he and his men will fight for her. Did I mention that Daario was handsome in a Conan the Barbarian kind of way? This coupling, of sorts, will have repercussions with those in Dany’s retinue, especially with Jorah. Her storyline just gets more and more interesting, doesn’t it?

Well, it was a banner episode, but we will have to wait two more weeks for the next new episode… blame Liberace for that.

Next time: The Rains of Castamere is going to air on June 2 and in it Robb presents himself to Walder Frey, and Edmure meets his bride. Jon faces his harshest test yet. Bran discovers a new gift. Daario and Jorah debate how to take Yunkai. House Frey joins with House Tully.

Werewolves Be Damned
By: Stacey Kennedy
Published by: Entangled Publishing (2013)
My Rating: ****

Reviewed by: Denise S.

Book blurb: Nexi Jones—part witch, part guardian, and wannabe kick-ass warrior—can’t throw a punch or conjure the simplest magic. But that doesn’t stop her from hunting the werewolves who slaughtered her human family. She’ll have her revenge, but only if Kyden, the elite guardian, would get the hell out of her way.

Kyden can’t decide if Nexi wants to get herself killed or if she just has no clue what she’s doing. But her father made it clear: keep Nexi safe…or else. Of course, the more Nexi runs toward revenge, the more she needs Kyden’s aid, and as she grows into her power and confidence, so does his desire to protect her. The only problem? She’d rather he dropped dead.

But when a vampire paints a bull’s-eye on Nexi’s back, she’s hard-pressed to deny Kyden and the help he’s offering. Even if it means getting her revenge will be a little bit harder. At least it will still be as sweet.

My review: Revenge is a poison that blurs your vision. If not careful it can consume you, but what do you do when everything you’ve ever known is gone? What do you do when everyone you’ve ever loved is taken away from you right before your eyes? With the right mind and the right guides it can turn into a strength. Innocent little Nexi Jones has to find the strength to keep her sanity intact when she’s thrown into a world that was thought to be just a myth; soaking in the reality that this exists. Everything “Otherworldly,” where Guardians and witches serve to protect and vampires and werewolves roam the earth, mixed amongst the human race is something that Nexi has to come to terms with and the fact that she is one of them. Kyden, the Guardian deemed to keep Nexi safe, must show her the ways and teach her to protect not only herself but for the wellbeing of others. She must learn the ways of a Guardian and tap into her true powers as a witch.

Determined to find the werewolf that killed the ones she loved, Nexi throws herself into the face of danger with no regards to her safety. In the beginning, Nexi’s need to seek revenge was making me a bit restless. She wasn’t thinking clearly and was acting impulsively, always taking her frustration out on the people who saved her. However, I guess, this is how it is for someone who watched a murder happen right in front of them.

It was frustrating to see how immature Nexi and Kyden were in the beginning of the book, especially with the knowledge of how Kyden just wanted to keep Nexi safe. But, as it is with any book of this nature, their relationship evolves for the better. Even though Nexi and Kyden were the main characters, the one character that stood out the most for me was Valor. I absolutely loved him. When he said, “mortals need a lesson to respect the gloriousness of woman,” that’s what had me and I couldn’t help but scream a “Heck yea.”

Overall, barring the spelling and grammatical errors, “Werewolves Be Damned” was a really good read. Character-wise, I would have liked to read more about Valor and I’m hoping that there will be a Valor-centric novel in the near future.

Should you download this book? Yes, especially to those of you who are in between book series and love quick, adventurous reads.

Synopsis: With the aid of Hook, Regina attempts to put a plan in motion that will help transport herself and Henry back to Fairytale land. But her plan revolves around a fail-safe that was planted within the curse, which if triggered could wipe Storybrooke off the map – and kill all of its inhabitants; and Emma’s suspicions about Tamara grow. Meanwhile, in the fairytale land that was, the Evil Queen asks Rumplestiltskin to transform her into an unrecognizable peasant in order to kill an unsuspecting Snow White, with the twisted aim of earning the love and respect of her subjects.

My thoughts: Personally, my favorite sequences of the night revolved around Emma. Yet, the majority of the episode revolved around the true creation of the ‘Evil Queen” and how Regina lost her magic at the hands of Hook, Tamra and Greg after foolishly wanting something that Hook had in his possession.

During the flashback sequence of Regina, it was Snow that gave us some clarity on what makes Regina tick. She states that Regina is in constant pain and wants to blame everyone for it, but there is good in her. But, is there any good left in her? Really?

Regarding Emma and Henry, well operations praying mantis is in full swing. This time they are setting their sites on Tamra whom Emma saw had a list with a list of a select few of Storybrooke’s citizens with their fairy tale names. For Emma, she knows something is up but she cannot prove it without looking like a jealous ex. But, Henry has her back and at this moment that is really all she needs, right? The only problem is that Henry really wants to live in the Enchanted Forest and Emma not so much.

Grumpy, Mary Margaret and David learn that their fields of magic beans has been destroyed, what they don’t know is that Regina stole one of the plants and it growing it in plain sight in the middle of her office. This obviously puts a wrench in their plan to go back home to the Enchanted Forest.

Next time:

Synopsis: The TARDIS is on a countdown to disaster when it crashes, and the Doctor has 30 minutes to find Clara and stop an explosion that will destroy his ship.

My thoughts: The beauty of this episode was that we got to see some of the hidden gems in the Tardis. Yes, there is a pool, an observatory, a Beauty and the Beast-esque library and we see a little room where there are bits and bobs from the Doctor’s past adventures as well as a book that lists his name. We also learn how the Tardis is powered and how it can regenerate the things it needs. We also see how it can defend itself.

We learned all this at the expense of the Tardis. The Doctor once again tries to have Clara and the Tardis become friends, but when Clara attempts to fly the Tardis a salvage ship takes a hold of her and it gets wrecked with Clara trapped inside of her. So, the Doctor drags the crew of the salvage ship, in hopes of him handing over the Tardis, to assist him in saving Clara.

When all hope is lost, as always, the Doctor figures our (with the help of Clara, of course) how to save his beloved Tardis. But, there was something more that he finally understood… Clara is just a girl.

I want to give kudos to my niece for figuring out who those crispy critters were that were haunting Clara, the salvage crew and the Doctor. I’m not giving it up because you should watch this fun and at time harrowing episode.

My one question is.. why does the Tardis not like Clara?

Next time: In Victorian Yorkshire, the Doctor and Clara investigate a series of strange deaths where the corpses are left with glowing red skin.

Synopsis: Gabe comes clean to Cat that he knows about Muirfield. Vincent does not think Cat should trust Gabe and is suspicious of his intentions, which causes tension between them. Meanwhile, JT and Vincent finally find a new place to live.

My thoughts: This was an interesting episode because we learned that Gabe, as a child, was a test subject of Muirfield. This has haunted him for years and he is now hell bent on taking down Muirfield. He approached Cat and asked for help and it did take a bit of time for her to believe him, but in the end she decided (without Vincent’s knowledge) to help him get all the information from Muirfield’s orchard. Of course she aborts the plan when she tries and fails to delete Vincent’s file so no one has it.

We also learned that it was Cat’s mother who rescued Gabe and placed him with an adoptive family sans Muirfield knowing.

After all this mess, Vincent and Cat decide to work together in order to protect each other and to take down Muirfield. Yet, you can tell that they are both very wary of what Gabe is up to.

I have to say that eventhouh we got a lot of insight about where Gabe was coming from, this was not  the best episode of the season. I think the tension of Cat and Vincent in utter constant danger is what makes the show watchable. We’ll see what happens next…

Btw, we want to congratulate this show on it’s second season pick-up. Well deserved.

Next time: On the anniversary of her mother’s death, Cat asks Gabe to attend her family’s annual remembrance of Vanessa, which makes Vincent incredibly jealous. Cat learns some information that makes her think her mom might still be alive and when a sniper shoots the mayor at a public event, Vincent finds evidence that links Gabe to the sniper.

Synopsis: Acting on a mysterious tip that a plot is brewing against him in New Orleans, Klaus makes a trip to the town he and his family helped build. Klaus’ questions lead him to a reunion with his former protégé, Marcel, a charismatic vampire who has total control over the human and supernatural inhabitants of New Orleans. Determined to help his brother find redemption, Elijah follows Klaus and soon learns that Hayley has also come to the French Quarter searching for clues to her family history, and has fallen into the hands of a powerful witch named Sophie. Meanwhile, in Mystic Falls, Damon and Stefan continue with their plan for Elena, while Katherine reveals a surprising vulnerability to Rebekah and asks her to deliver a message.

My thoughts: I have to admit that I really liked this back door pilot to the now green lit spin-off of The Vampire Diaries. Since we met “the Originals” we all said that they were far more entertaining the original cast of The Vampire Diaires and I place the blame on the storylines. The Originals pulled us out of  Mystic Falls and expanded the universe of this show and injected it with some much needed fun.

Watching Klaus go to his old stomping grounds and feel like someone stole his destiny, you know we were sitting on the edge of our seat. Then to find out that he had baby mama drama that the local witches were trying to use in order to force Klaus to take down his progeny. Of course, this is Klaus we are speaking of and initially he could care less about the bun in the oven, but after talking to Elijah (who surprisingly dropped Katerina in order to assist his brother) and meeting a human bartender named Camille, he decides to do what the the witches ask of him and to also accept his heir.

Now, the only question we have is what forces Rebekah to up and leave Mystic Falls for New Orleans?

There were a couple of non-Originals scenes and it seems Elena is tougher than we thought and the Brothers Salvatore are willing to do whatever it takes to turn her feelings back on.

Next time: Damon and Stefan try a brutal new approach to provoke Elena into turning her humanity back on, and Caroline is frustrated when her attempt to intervene backfires. When Elena figures out a way to call the Salvatore brothers’ bluff, they call for backup from a surprising source. Matt gives Rebekah some unsolicited advice on her life choices, and she tries to help him in return. Caroline has a confusing and dangerous encounter with Klaus, and Katherine is suspicious when Bonnie makes her an offer that she promises will benefit them both.

Synopsis: Oliver and his team go after Deadshot, only to discover that ARGUS plans to capture the assassin… and recruit him as an operative. Meanwhile, Roy seeks out The Hood while Laurel inadvertently drives a further wedge between Oliver and Tommy. And on the island, Shado teaches Oliver how to use the bow.

My thoughts: So much happened in the first 30 minutes of the episode that I felt like I was watching an extended episode. In Oliver’s corner we had a family being marked by an assassin who was hired by a shady businessman who was being tried by Laurel. The parents were successfully murdered, but their little boy ran to safety, but was still being hunted down. In Diggs corner, he gets uber close to taking down Deadshot, but when his plan fails (due to Ollie deciding that protecting the kid and Laurel was more important than getting rid of Deadshot), he almost loses his life.

There were a lot of casualties in this episode:
1. Tommy breaks it off with Laurel because he feels that they are still in love with one another.
2. Diggs leaves Oliver because he feels like he and Oliver are not on the same path.
3. Oliver is technically all alone in his endeavors (outside of Felicity). He runs the club alone (because Tommy is now working with his Dad) and Diggs is off on his own vendetta. He also cannot pursue a relationship with Laurel because he knows it would put her in danger.

I think the only brightspot in the episode revolved around Roy and Thea… maybe these will be the couple to make it in this crazy town name Starling City.

Now… even with all the impressive action sequences and the emotional turmoil that is soap opera worthy, this is not one of my favorite episodes. But, I want to give Colin Donnel kudos for the scenes where he had to convey tenderness to the young child and his scenes with Stephen Amell. Nice bit of acting!

Next time: The Undertaking – Left with no one but Felicity to rely on, Oliver goes after an accountant and gets a lead on Walter’s whereabouts. With Diggle out of his life, Oliver turns to Felicity for help in the field. Meanwhile, Tommy tells Laurel the truth about what he’s doing, and Malcolm remembers working with Robert Queen and Frank Chen to alter The Glades forever after the death of his wife.

Synopsis: Dean is concerned about the physical impact the second trial had on Sam, so he insists that Sam stop hunting for a while. When Charlie comes across a case and finds the boys, Dean decides it’s time to teach her how to be a hunter. However, the boys suspect she is hiding something from them that could get her killed.

My thoughts: I have to say that the promos for this episode kind of pulled the wool over my eyes. At first glance, you think you are watching another quirky episode that revolves around the Brothers Winchester and Charlie (their wise-cracking, tech savvy, lesbian pal that has crossed their paths less than a handful of times, yet has given fans the most fun and memorable of episodes). Even though we did get some funny moments, this episode really gave us some insight into Charlie’s character. Here is a woman that has been on her own since she was 12. Since that tender age, she has been blaming herself for her father’s death and the current vegetated state of her mother. Whatever money she has accrued has been funneled into the care of her mother… who is in Kansas. Yep, the same state Sam and Dean are currently residing in. She comes a-knocking and decides to help the boys on a case where inhabitants are being marked for impending death by turning their innards into gelatinous goo. The only way Dean and Charlie can fight these creatures is by giving into their fear during a joint nightmare sequence. That means Dean has to deal with the repercussions of Sam’s trials and Charlie has to finally let go of her mother.

Let me tell you that Supernatural never brings a tear to my eye, but this episode did as Charlie read The Hobbit one last time to her mother.

This has to be one of my top 5 episodes for this season, not only because of Charlie’s story line, but because we saw genuine moments between Charlie and the boys and between the boys themselves. Also, I would pit Charlie and Dean against Scully and Mulder anytime.

Next time: The Great Escapist – Sam and Dean receive a video message from Kevin which leads them to a casino in Colorado, where they find a mysterious recluse that might help them fill in the gaps in Kevin’s research. At the same time, Crowley is winning at the tables. Meanwhile, Castiel tries to escape from Naomi and the other angels that are after him.

Synopsis: Jaime learns that he can’t buy his way out of everything.

My recap: So, of all the shows we cover on this site, there are only two that my family watches together: The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones. So, as these shows’ episodes unfurl themselves before us… we compare the stories to their book forms. Now, Game of Thrones has decided to interweave story lines from the third and fourth books… which makes us scratch our heads and they put a lot of emphasis on characters that are really not that important i.e. Theon Greyjoy.

Let me digress, so the episode started with the funeral of Papa Tully. Yet, it was watching Edmure hilariously and incompetently shoot an arrow to finish off the funerary custom of pitching the decedent’s body aflame. It was actually Catelyn’s uncle, Black Fish, that finished the deed. But, this little family reunion that included Robb, just showed us the issues between Edmure and Robb. In all honesty, I would have pushed him off a cliff at this time because Edmure will be a hindrance in the long run. This is also another time of watching Catelyn, once again, bemoan the tragedy that has befallen her. We know, we know…

Outside of this, we got to check up on Arya, she is about to ship out with Gendry with the Brothers without Banners. If you are are wondering about Hotpie? Well, he got a job at the kitchen they were hanging out at because as he said, “My brother ain’t no king, I’m not a Stark of Winterhell.” As a bon voyage present, he made Arya a loaf of bread in the shape of wolf and as she rode off she told Hotpie that it tasted good. We’ll miss you Hotpie.

In homage of the Godfather, the White Walkers used horse parts as art. Mance also made a plan that would pick off the murder of crows. Unfortunately, they have to somehow climb a wall to do so. Now, the murder of crows have med their way back to Craster’s den of incest. Unfortunately, Sam saw a baby born and I want to say it is a boy and we are all sure that he will try to do something about the baby.

Now, onto House Lannister. Tyrion has been made head of the treasury, by his father, and upon reviewing the past ledgers he learns that they are massively in debt. Tyrion also gave us one of the few fun points in the show and it revolved around his servant, Pod. He finally got his a present for being such a great employee and that is three whores. Well, guess what. He was so great in the sack that the ladies didn’t charge him and that blew Tyrion’s mind and he and his henchman, Bronn, asked for details.

This was the scene that made me drop my cafe con leche. Locke allows Jaime to try to sway him as Jaime attempts to save Brienne from being gang raped. But Locke just makes Jaime think that he has won, until he led him to the table to get a bite to eat. That’s where Locke chopped off Jaime’s hand. You heard me. Now, as we all know… Jaime’s ability to fight is his claim to fame. without that… what will he do? So, this should be interesting to see.

Now, no episode is complete without some Dragon action and we all went into shock when Daenerys exchanged one of her dragons in payment for the Unsullied. Really? Now, we all know that she will not give up any of her babies, but still.

Also, can I just the say that the music that played the episode out was so off-kilter that it threw everyone for a loop. Awesome episode.

Next time:

Synopsis: Arya comes across the Brotherhood Without Banners and Jaime finds a way to pass the time.

My Recap: My favorite story lines popped up in this episode and with heady delight we got to see what the youngest of the tragic Stark Children were up to….

Bran has aged quite a bit over the break and his ability to see through animals and to command animals is actually an ability that a select few have. Because of his ability he is tracked by the Reeds, Jojen and Meera. Bran and Jojen have the same ability and he and his sister are leading the youngest of the Bran children back to their home.  Because no one in the known world knows if Bran and his little brother are alive, Catelyn tries to protect Bran by creating a dream catcher. While she is doing this, she speaks to the new Queen of Winterfell. No one cares for the new Queen and that is because her union with Robb means the end of the Starks.  But, Catelyn actually informs the new Queen that she had created a similar item for one of her youngest boys, it was for Jon Snow. He had come down with the pox after wishing he would die, but then prayed to the Gods that if they allowed him to live, she would embrace him as her own and give him a name. Of course, Jon survived, but she could never really take Jon in and as a result… her family has been cursed.

Catelyn’s parenting style has always been an issue with me and now we know that it was just a recent issue.

Catelyn’s daughters are treading dangerous ground. Arya has been found out and we have no idea what that will mean for her or her little friends. Sansa is being befriended by Lady Tyrell, but it is only to get the deets on Joffrey. This bit of info has allowed Lady Tyrell to figure out a way of how to be with Joffrey and it is working. Where Sansa acted like a deer in the headlights, Tyrell coos and acts coquettish with the young King. If you have read the books, than you know that the Tyrell’s become a major family to watch.

There was a Lannister storyline and it involved Jaime and Brienne of Tarth. They are still walking and antagonizing each other. Yet, there was a moment when Jaime grabs one of Brienne’s swords and they went at each other and it reminded me of medieval foreplay. Yet, they were captured just as she got him on his knees.

I think the most painful part of this episode was when we had to watch Theon get tortured, but he deserves it… doesn’t he? Now, his sister has sent someone to rescue him, but does he honestly think his family will jump for joy when he shows up?

I have to admit that this episode was quite informative and much better than the forst episode. Here’s to the episodes getting better and better…

Next time: Can Robb count on his men?

For those of you who want an official look into tonight’s episode, view the following video from HBO: