Game of Thrones - Start of the Third Season

I've been sitting on these bits of thought for a couple:

Obviously with each new season there is not as much a reset as an introduction to fresh developments, often with characters earlier established briefly, now undergoing further elaboration. Such as Margaery Tyrell recognizing that peasant children should be addressed with a personable approach, treated with humane kindness, while Joffrey remains in his carriage with the window closed, too disgusted to even look upon the poor and starved. She sees them as human beings, not just things left outside the kingdom with little regard or concern. She speaks of their officer fathers and their dignified service, dead but leaving behind a legacy worthy of remembrance. This approach rings true to them while Joffrey and his entourage, on foot through these same streets, barely made it back to the Iron Throne alive. Cersei, quite comfortable with her position as Joffrey’s Queen Regent, clearly sees Margaery as a threat, someone to eye closely and not take for granted. This is not only competition for Joffrey’s attention and affection but to be woman with the most power in Westeros. Margaery’s brother, Ser Loras, and his closeted homosexuality (perhaps not such a big secret, really), though, could serve as a detriment later. But you can see how Margaery’s mind works early on: gain the love of the people and work to win over the King as well. Cersei, if she is to remain in her status and position, will need to leash Margaery somehow. And in regards to introduced characters, we finally get to meet—as Jon Snow does—Mance Rayder (Ciarán Hinds), the leader of the wildings, and his sarcastic lead “soldier”, Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju). We even get to see a giant, nailing down a stake, as Ygritte makes sure Jon understands that if anyone stares at him too long, his shyness turns to fury…the stake won’t be the only thing it nails into the snowy ground. Mance wants to know why Jon wishes to join him, as Jon is recognized for killing Halfshand, given the chance to extrapolate to his intentions. Is Jon sincere when he talks about how he was shaken by Craster’s crass feeding of children to the White Walkers and his own Lord Commander Mormont’s unwillingness to do anything about it besides turn the other way? 

A handshake between Mance and Jon could be less significant if Jon secretly sees them as the enemy. And speaking of the Lord Commander, when he and the Night’s Watch behind him (not quite that strong) find Samwell frightened and rattled after seeing the White Walkers firsthand at the end of the second season—and nearly becoming a victim of one of them if not for Direwolf Ghost—knows that those on the other side of the Wall, all of Westeros, must be warned of the undead army approaching them, considering Samwell failed to “send the ravens” with the grave warning of what is about to descend upon them. So with all the “kings” seeking the Iron Throne—which includes Stannis, reeling from the battle recently lost and burning alive according to Melisandre’s wishes those who oppose them, eventually imprisoning Davos, who returns to him on a pirate buddy's ship to try and persuade him against listening to his Red Witch any longer--what lies beyond the wall could destroy them all.

In his request for Casterly Rock, a homestead he believes is his right by being heir, Tyrion essentially provokes his father, now the Hand of the King (and true leadership at King’s Landing, while Joffrey serves as this mock King sitting on the Iron Throne), to sore, with the results of being raked across the coals, from how he’d use that as some den of alcoholism and whoredom to his responsibility in the death of his mother through his “ripping out of the womb at birth”. Tywin even considers Tyrion not his own, but without proof he has been burdened by his presence as a reminder of what he has lost. Tyrion nearly dies at the Battle of Blackwater, left to a dusty chamber not even fit for the maidservants, a scarred face due to orders from his sister to kill him, visited by Cersei to irritate him further, with no visit by his own father to see of his condition. Kind of a raw deal, wouldn’t you say? Considering it was Tyrion who come up with the wildfire idea to usurp the charge of Davos and the pirate ships leading the way to King’s Landing in an attempt by Stannis Baratheon to overthrow the Lannisters and take the rightful place on the Iron Throne…