Just came in from Netflix. Episode 1, Two Swords. Time Warner cable doesn't carry HBO so I see everything a year later. It's still good. The sets and costumes are elaborate, expensive looking, and convincing. The multiple story arcs (Jon Snow in the Black Watch. Arya on the lam, Sansa Stark married to Tyrion Lannister, Jaime Lannister and Brienne fumbling along, Bran struggling to get beyond the Wall, Theon Grayjoy getting tortured, Joffrey Baratheon/Lannister being obnoxious) can get confusing. It's surprising that we can have so many story arcs after killing off so many likeable major characters (Lord Ned Stark, Rob Stark, Cat Stark) However each surviving story arc still retains its interest.
They have improved the sound track. I could understand everything that was said. Last season they had some really bad episodes where I could not understand a word. One of them with Jaime Lannister and Brienne sharing a hot tub would have been more fun to watch if I could have understood what they were saying to each other.
I liked the scene toward the end where Arya has somehow fallen in with big, old, and ugly Sir Gregor Clegane ("The Hound"). It opens with Clegane and Arya riding double and Arya is chewing out Clegane 'cause she lacks a horse of her own and has to ride double with him. They come upon a tavern, with five bad guys inside it. Arya drags Clegane inside, whereupon the bad guy leader tries to get Clegane to join his gang. The conversation gets frostier and frostier until swords come out and Arya and the Hound wipe up the tavern floor with the bad guys. Arya gets two of them. She has done some growing over four seasons and is bigger and taller than she was in season one. Anyhow we see the unlikely pair riding away from the scene of the carnage, Arya has her own horse now, having slain its previous rider in a hand to hand sword fight. Good scene all the way.