If you didn't know that this week's episode, "The Bear and the Maiden Fair," had been written by George R.R. Martin, would you ever have guessed it? The plot deviated even further from the books than it did in "The Climb."

Of all the episodes this season -- or possibly even of the series -- "The Climb" was the one that deviated furthest from the plot of the books. Many of the scenes were completely new.

What happens when passion collides with politics? If the two forces come into conflict, which wins out? And how does the clash affect everyone watching it from the sidelines?

In this episode, as in most, everyone's being played by someone, though some people are canny enough to realize what's going on. The situation seems even more desperate this week and all the drama makes this the best and most exciting episode so far this season.

She's still on the other side of the world. She still doesn't have any money or land. But there's no doubting that Daenerys Stormborn, of House Targaryen, has inside her what it takes to be queen.

This week's episode was less about brute power than it was about the subtleties of influence. Some players are skilled manipulators while others remain oblivious to the way the current runs.

The beauty of this finale -- especially that ending -- is that it's truly impossible to predict where the show might go from here, so we can spend the summer in rapturous speculation.

It's been a revelatory season for The CW's "Nikita." The show shed the last vestiges of its procedural beginnings and wholeheartedly embraced its compelling mythology, drawing fans deeper into Percival Rose's treacherous web of politics and deceit.

A TV season is a marathon, not a sprint, but I'm concerned that Supernatural is starting to show signs of fatigue as it nears the finish line.

May 11 was an excellent day to be a "Nikita" fan. Not only was the show renewed for a 22-episode third season, its latest installment proved to be yet another gripping hour.

While episodes dealing with finances or computer hacking generally make my eyes glaze over, what "Shadow Walker" excelled at was emphasizing the family dynamic between Nikita, Michael, Birkhoff and Alex.