In the books, the war of the boy king is Catelyn’s story, subverting tropes of the dashing young hero who beats the odds and triumphs over all. She adds an emotional level to the story, as the mother who worries for her children, but she’s also a strategist and deeply pragmatic. She’s one of the few figures who realizes that they’re not merely playing at war, and understand what that must mean. In the show, however, Catelyn is merely the mother of the king, and no one wants to see what the mother is thinking or doing when the true hero is elsewhere.

Gods give me courage. She took one step, then another. Lords and knights stepped aside silently to let her pass, and she felt the weight of their eyes on her. I must be as strong as my lady mother.

(for sansasparkle)

…it’s a small victory, Anon. A victory nonetheless.

…and you know who love(d)s her hair, Anon…

she could feel the hole inside her every morning when she woke. the hole will never feel any better, she told herself when she went to sleep.

it hurts so much, she thought. our children, ned, all our sweet babes… make it stop, make it stop hurting… 

Bran is starting to see past, present and future… “No more climbing” and “Promise me” echoing and him falling, not flying but all I’m seeing is a lot of LOL Cat pushed Bran out of a tree. Buzzkill in dreams. Mother of the year! when clearly Bran has some things to work through while he sleeps/wargs…

Anyone wanna take a stab at further interpretation of Bran’s dream?

And Now His Watch Is Ended - Game of Thrones 3.4

So…which Stark(s) do you guys think is/are sitting out of tonight’s episode?

PopcornTaxi - Game of Thrones: Michelle Fairley Live On Stage

(Source: michelle-fairley.com)

Even in its abridged-for-TV version, this show has a kajillion characters. We don’t even get to check in on every major storyline in each hourlong episode. (Missed you this week, Danerys!) So to keep us watching, and to help us keep everything straight, the characters must be compelling. They don’t have to be likable, obviously, but they have to be interesting. And honestly, Lady Catelyn just hasn’t had that much to work with since Season 1. The show did not allow her to indulge much in her grief over Ned (bringing his bones to her at Renly’s camp—really?), and they couldn’t show her internal anguish about leaving Bran and Rickon for months.

All of which leaves her looking not just cold, but boring. The revelation might upset fans, but it doesn’t change that much. She’s still a flawed woman. Proper and honest and honorable and fiercely protective of her (trueborn) children, but flawed. But by admitting that, and by saying that she blames herself for her family’s considerable recent woes, she’s opened herself up just enough to make us curious about her.   

                                                            -Rachel Larimore, Slate