The new season of Game of Thrones starts July 16.  As preparation, I’m re-watching the first six seasons of the show. Below are 20 thoughts I had while watching the fifth episode of season one, “The Wolf and the Lion.” Spoilers for the entire series, but for this episode in particular.

1. “I don’t think a widow’s life would suit her” – Okay, now the writers are just being morbid with the foreshadowing.
2. Lancel may have gotten the Lannister looks, but he didn’t get their brains. Not if he thinks there’s a breastplate stretcher.
3. I almost pity Cersei, being married to Robert. Almost. Not quite.
4. I am not loving Loras’s hair. I’m glad it gets better as the show goes on.
5. Loras and Renly’s relationship really was the worst-kept secret in King’s Landing, wasn’t it?
6. I like how we get some background on the various houses of Westeros during Bran’s lesson with Maester Luwin. It’s a clever way of including important information.
7. Why on Earth do we continue to get full-frontal scenes on HBO and other premium cable channels? Does anyone really want to see a penis on their TV?
8. The Iron Throne looks so uncomfortable. It would have to be the creation of a Targaryen.
9. I always appreciate the reminder that Littlefinger and Varys hate each other, even though they’re forced to work together. Team Varys!
10. Why the Hell are people always mistaking Arya for a boy? She might be wearing pants, but she has long hair and feminine features, for goodness sake.
11. “The whore is pregnant” – You are all class, Robert.
12. Robert threatening to strip Ned of his title as Hand cracks me up, since Ned didn’t want the job in the first place.
13. This scene is so messed up. I know it’s meant to show how crazy Lysa is, but I think part of the reason it was included was pure shock value.
14. Pity there’s no printing press in Westeros, or Lysa could publish a book on extended breastfeeding.
15. We get our first scene between Loras and Renly.  And I’m reminded that Bury Yours Gays is still a thing in 2017.
16. Hearing Robert complain about how he hasn’t had a real fight in nine years makes me roll my eyes. How is peace a bad thing?
17. “What harm could Lyanna Stark’s ghost do to either of us?” – I hope her son comes to King’s Landing and has you beheaded, bitch.
18. Littlefinger’s girl honestly thinks the king cares about her and the child he fathered out-of-wedlock. Poor, naive thing.
19. Ned is such a gentleman, trying to protect Cat.
20. I wonder what the outcome of this swordfight would have been if that stupid Lannister guard hadn’t stabbed Ned in the back of the knee.

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