Recaps

On a recent Sunday's episode of the blockbuster HBO drama, Game of Thrones, a rather big thing happened. This is not always the case with the show -- or, frankly, with a lot of serialized shows currently on the air. Sometimes, it seems, they plod along at a glacial pace with lots of empty scenes and characters staring expressionlessly into the middle distance, as if to say, "We don't really have anything to accomplish in this episode, but we've got 60 minutes to fill, so here's a scene with one of the stars looking pensive..."