Update

I'll be at the Pasadena Loves YA book festival THIS SATURDAY, May 23rd. More info here: http://www.pasadenateenbookfestival.com/ There will be panels and signings!

*GAME OF THRONES SPOILERS*

*GAME OF THRONES SPOILERS*

*GAME OF THRONES SPOILERS*

*GAME OF THRONES SPOILERS*

And I personally think *that scene* from last night's Game of Thrones was kind of garbage. I was willing to roll with the Sansa in Winterfell story change, and thought it was going well. And yes, there were so many other avenues the writers could have pursued in the Winterfell arcs, so many I can't even list them. First off, Sansa's rape did not happen and, based on GRRM's "if you want to see where Sansa's story is going in the books, check out the new chapter" response, she probably won't end up spending her wedding night with the absolute worst character in a pantheon of sociopaths.

But we knew a bedding would happen as soon as they married. We knew it would not be pretty. I was ready for another not-great stop on the Sansa Train to Queen in the North Station. But reducing the scene to Theon's pain and Theon's character shift was downright bullshit. Westeros is a brutal, cruel place, and nothing is sunshine and roses. But would it kill us to show a little agency on Sansa's part? The show seemed to be setting up her shift from pawn to player, and last night was so many steps back, in my opinion. As evidenced by the Cersei/Jaime debacle, the show is developing a serious problem with women and sexual agency. I'm not advocating for Sansa to go full on seductress, because she's not there yet (in the show, at least. Her new TWOW chapter is another story). But come on. One shot of determination, resolve. One shot of her drawing strength from the stones of Winterfell like Daenerys drew strength from her dragon eggs.

Instead we get Reek crying, beginning his shift back to Theon, because a woman was brutalized in front of him. I don't doubt this moment is also a catalyst for Sansa's character, and will be part of her arc later on, but the scene didn't play that way. It was Theon's scene. Somehow the show managed to take Sansa's rape away from her and it's very, very off-putting. And we're starting to see the seams in Game of Thrones. Setpieces are choreographed poorly. Storylines are getting shaky. The train is rattling on its rails. I'm hoping as things tighten up and characters find their way back together, things will improve. Or, we might be going the way of Sons of Anarchy, a terrific show that ended not well. It developed a reputation for violence and brutality, like Game of Thrones, and in an attempt to improve, I think, it leaned too far into its wheelhouse, giving us a mess in an attempt to be a bloodbath. Here's hoping Game of Thrones won't become the same bloated caricature of itself.

It's an odd day when Reign handles a storyline better than Game of Thrones, but here we are.

All hail Stannis Baratheon, the One True King of Westeros.