Is Tyrion Lannister of Casterly Rock in fact a Targaryen? The mystery deepens...

So the mystery of whether Jon Snow is a Targaryen gets put off for yet another week, as last night's episode of Game of Thrones offered no insight into this mystery. However, being that it's probably true (R+L=J theory), it started to make me think of why this happens to be significant. It has to do with a prophecy in A Song of Ice and Fire and with what Daenerys Targaryen saw in the House of the Undying:

"The fifth room, finally, shows a man very much alike her brother Viserys, except that he is taller and has eyes of dark indigo rather than lilac. He is speaking to a woman who is nursing a newborn babe, telling her that the child's name should be Aegon and saying that "What better name for a king?". The woman asks him if he will make a song for the child, and he replies that he has a song and that "He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire.". He appears to look at Dany then, as if seeing her, and then he adds that "There must be one more," and "The dragon has three heads."

So there you go. Daenerys is obviously one head of the dragon. I think that Jon Snow is the second (and so does everyone else in the world), which leaves the third for us to figure out. My bet's on it being Tyrion Lannister for two reasons: 1) Daenerys's dragons didn't kill him and 2) He's probably a Targaryen too. It looks more and more likely that Tyrion is actually the son of Aerys Targaryen after a rape or seduction of Joanna Lannister. Oy...I think the best part of Game of Thrones is actually trying to figure out what's actually going on in this story as the narrators tend to be a bit unreliable.

So what do you think? Is Tyrion Lannister the third head of the dragon? Is Tyrion Lannister of Casterly Rock in fact a Targaryen?

The Battle of the Blackwater

Sunday night's episode of HBO's A Game of Thrones was the most exciting one to date primarily because it was ALL BATTLE. I think that they probably blew most of their second season budget on this one. I was worried that a television series wouldn't do it justice, and all my fears were laid to rest. Man, George R.R. Martin has got to be proud of how HBO is treating his adaptation.

Things I liked:

It looked even more awesome live and on the screen. Watch the YouTube below.

1) The wildfire explosion was absolutely spectacular. I recorded it on my DVR and watched it a few times over. They got the coloring of the flames perfect...an eerie demonic green. And for those of you that don't follow the series or read the books, wildfire burns everything...stone, flesh, you name it.  And water does not put it out.  If you get wildfire on you, you scream and howl until you are ashes.  It helped that the battle took place at night, so that they didn't have to throw too many other special effects into the mix.

2) They kept the focus of the battle small and on individual characters. You saw Clegaine (a.k.a. the Hound) really chopping and cutting and lopping all kinds of things off in bloody gore. And then you got a real feel for his character as he fled because the fire and all that burning is a terrifying thing.

3) They kept the whole "ghost of Renly" out of it for the most part. I thought I saw something of a man on a steed with Renly's stag helmet, but in the book he was all glowing and stuff and I thought that would be unnecessary.

4) They didn't quite deform Tyrion as badly in the book. In the show, it looks like he'll have a nice scar on his face but in the book, he lost his nose. At least with a scar, they won't have to resort to some gross makeup for Tyrion.

5) I liked hearing them cheer for Tyrion. They said "Halfman! Halfman!" It was kind of cool. He's an unconventional hero and the only Lannister I really like.

Things I would have liked to have seen (can't really complain here):

1) I miss the whole chain thing and Tyrion fighting on the ships that are stuck together blockading the harbor. I would have liked to have seen that.

So did any of you watch it? Did it quicken your pulse? Did you find it as exciting as I did? Let me know in the comments. Have a great Tuesday.

My expectations for Game of Thrones Season 2

The second season of "A Game of Thrones" that was brought to the screen last year by HBO pictures in conjunction with the genius that is George R.R. Martin will soon be upon us. They just released the second trailer that gives us a more in-depth look into the upcoming season. The name isn't changing but the story will be taken directly from A Clash of Kings as the first season exhausted the plot from that book. Here are the things that I'm looking forward to seeing:

1) The arrival of Jojen and Meera Reed at Winterfell. They are influential in taking Bran north of the wall and to awakening the powers that reside within him.

2) Melisandre of Asshai. This witch is able to "birth" a demon from you know where (completely nude in the process). It literally crawls out of her birth canal when she summons it. I'm wondering how they are going to do this one.

Carice Van Houten plays the priestess Melisandre

3) Tyrion as Hand of the King. His lines are the best written so there will be much conniving going at King's Landing between Tyrion, Cersei, and Varis.

4)  North of the wall we see Craster's keep. This is a guy that has twenty or so wives, and they are all his kin (daughters). He's a complete and utter pig. Any boys that are born (he doesn't want competition) are given to the White Walkers as a sacrifice of sorts. It's about as disgusting an act as I've seen in an epic fantasy.

Robert Pugh plays Craster. He doesn't look so bad here, but in the book, he
was pretty ignorant and vile.

5) Battle at the Fist of the First Men. The White Walkers a.k.a. the Others attack the Night's Watch in a battle that should raise the goosebumps on anyone watching. This is one of the most hair-raising moments in the book.

This is an artist rendition of the Fist of the First Men.