After a slow paced instalment last week, The Gift hurtled along at breakneck speed tonight, as key players met their fates and conspiracies and schemes came to fruition.
Tyrion Lannister wasn't the only gift in tonight's episode - Littlefinger made an offering to the Queen of Thornes, Ramsay delivered a terrifying token to Sansa and Sam gave Jon his dragonglass - and received a reward of his own after coming to Gilly's aid.
Then there was Melisandre's controversial suggestion for sacrifice as Stannis' army struggled in the cold.
Here's 10 things we learned this week:
1. The Wall lost two good men. Jon headed out into the snow with Tormund Giantsbane, leaving Castle Black and its unhappy men in hands of Alliser Thorne. With many questioning his decision to trust the Wildings, the new Lord Commander needs to deliver. A further blow to the men on the Wall was the death of Aemon Targaryen - respected and loved regardless of his family lineage, as the moving funeral proved this week. Aemon guided Jon to be a fair commander - and now both are gone. What will Jon Snow return to?
2. Sansa lost her allies. Raped, bruised and locked in her chamber, Sansa desperately tried to make Reek remember his true title this week and help her escape her bleak future. But the first of many betrayals in this episode came shortly after, when Reek bowed to Ramsay's control and Sansa was shown the gruesome image of her flayed handmaid on display at Winterfell. Her first husband gave her her father's head on a pike, and her third flayed on of her only allies with a sinister smile. Her only hope now appears to be Brienne - still watching, still waiting for an opportunity to fulfil her vow to the Starks.
3. Stannis marched on. Winter is certainly coming - and despite Ser Davos' pleas to cut their losses and return to Castle Black, Stannis resolved to continue his march to Winterfell, no matter what the cost. Horses have died, allies have fled and their food supplies dwindled - but Stannis cannot lose face. But will he make the ultimate sacrifice to win his war? Melisandre's thinly-veiled suggestion to sacrifice Shireen to win the Lord of Light's favour horrified him, and rightly so - but we know the Red Priestess has ways of bending his will.
4. Sam became a man. "You're losing all your friends, Tarly", hissed Thorne at Aemon's funeral - and with Jon gone too, Sam has lost his usual protection against the rogues of the Watch. His defence of Gilly was honourable, if unsuccessful, and luckily Ghost was there to save the day (and I cheered when he appeared, hackles raised, like Jon in direwolf form). Sam has always struggled with the concept of 'being a man' - so Gilly boosted his confidence. "Oh my" indeed.
5. The Queen of Thorns met defeat. She may have the sharpest tongue, she may rival Lord Baelish in her scheming, but Grandmother Tyrell met her match in the High Sparrow this week, when her bid to free Loras and Margaery failed. Her realism about Loras and his 'perfumed ponce' was fair - half of King's Landing has broken one or two holy rules - but even threats of cutting off Tyrell supplies did not phase the High Sparrow. "A lifetime of wealth and power has left you blind in one eye," he sighed. There was a wonderful moment when they bonded over the troubles of old age and their problem joints: "Knees." "Hips." It's tough playing politics when you're getting on a bit.
But the game continues - amid the ruins of one of his brothels, Littlefinger promised the Queen of Thorns a gift, information he claimed Cersei was unaware of. But the Tyrell matriarch is unlikely to rush into an alliance with Lord Baelish - she spoke for millions when she sniped: "You've always been rather impressed with yourself haven't you?" At this rate, Littlefinger is going to have sworn alliances with so many different families he's likely to be torn apart by them.
6. Has the Dorne mission failed? Myrcella showed a frightening streak of Cersei in her this week when she refused to go back with 'Uncle Jaime' to King's Landing, still bitter about being shipped off to Dorne in the first place. Jaime is still a captive of Prince Doran, albeit a comfortable one, and while the prince is less bloodthirsty than Ellaria, I can't see him allowing Myrcella to sail home with her dad anytime soon.
7. Bronn was saved. While Jaime sat in luxury above, poor Bronn was stuck below decks in the cells with the Sand Snakes, with only his singing to keep him sane. Not only that, but Tyene lured him with her breasts (fulfilling this week's visual quota) only to tell him she had poisoned the dagger that nicked his arm. After making him swear she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, she offered the antidote - is she playing with him to amuse herself or does she have larger plans for the sellsword?
8. Targaryen met Lannister. In one of the most nail-biting scenes of tonight's episode, Tyrion came face to face with the Mother of Dragons at last. After attacking a slaver with his chains, Tyrion managed to stay with Jorah - and wound up in the same fighting pits that Daenerys reluctantly visited with her husband to be. Dany looked horrified when Jorah revealed himself - and even more disgusted when Tyrion stepped forward as her 'gift'. But their meeting is one of the most exciting developments of this season - bridging two iconic families, bringing together two worlds - and perhaps even moving the Targaryen closer to the Iron Throne.
9. Cersei played with fire... Poor Tommen realised just how powerless a king he was as Cersei manoeuvred to take back her place as the most important woman in his life. Her scheming has paid off - Margaery is languishing in a cell and her little boy needs her once more. But she also showed real emotion this week, telling Tommen she would 'burn cities to the ground' to protect her 'only boy'.
But sly, insincere Cersei soon returned when she visited Margaery in the dungeons, delivering food and sickly sweet false concern for her daughter-in-law. Her smile as she left Margaery's filthy cell was pure, gloating malice and a return to the Lannister we love to hate.
10. ..and got burned. But how quickly that smile was wiped off her face. For all her skill at playing politics, Cersei underestimated the High Sparrow - and what secrets may be spilled as a result of her throwing Loras and Margaery into the lions' den. Loras has revealed all about the Queen Mother - and Cersei may find her own sins outshine those of the people she betrayed. She was defiant to the last - promising death to her captors - but I have a feeling her rage won't help her now. Nor will her name, title or her son. It was a shocking end - and I can't wait to see what becomes of the fallen Queen.
Tonight's episode was real edge-of-your seat stuff that has made me desperate for next week's scenes already. So many lives hang in the balance and I have a feeling even Lord Baelish won't be able to call the outcome of the events rapidly unfolding around him.
What did you make of it all? As always, comment below.
