Hello and welcome back to the NotACast, the one true chapter-by-chapter podcast going through A Song of Ice and Fire one chapter a week!

In this episode, the Northmen come to Winterfell to offer their services to the Starks for nothing in return, because they’re all about manly honor. Right? Right?!

This week, we:

-Defend George's food porn as an essential part of worldbuilding and character development

-Compare Bran to the terrible horrible Walders as microcosms of the Stark v. Frey approaches to politics

-Dig deep into the layers of Northern politics as acted out by everyone from Lord Wyman Manderly to the Umber Uncles to (from afar) the Bastard of Bolton

-Discuss Bran's character arc from a would-be knight to a will-be king, with magic powers along the way

-Frame the Hornwood inheritance crisis as central to the downfall of House Stark

Next week: "one, two, three." Need we say more? Oh, yes: ACOK Tyrion IV will be our next livestream episode, on Monday 11/18 at 830 PM EST!