- Theorize about Val's role in the story

- Introduce Craster and his nightmarish prison factory of a Keep

- Introduce Gilly, and watch as her peril unravels the Watch's self-justifications

- Dig into the complex, opaque dialogue between Jon and LC Mormont at chapter's end

- Make explicit all that's implied about Craster's deal with the Others

Next week: we head back to the Iron Islands as Theon meets the girl of his dreams, only to find out too late that a) she's his sister b) she's the heir and c) he's a chump.