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Latest episode features a massive departure from the source material.By Josh Wigler Alfie Allen in "Game of Thrones" Photo: HBO See that beautiful platinum-blond princess across the way? That's Daenerys Targaryen. Stay away from her. Everyone she loves dies or gets taken away — not ideal for those of you who value your lives. Honestly, as much as I'm loving this season, I'm not happy with where "Game of Thrones" is taking Dany. I'm an avid fan of George R.R. Martin's source material but not a stickler or purist who believes his novels must be adapted to the letter. Still, the liberties taken with Dany in Qarth, this week in particular, feel needless and damaging to who the character is. We'll get deeper into that later in our recap. Keep reading for more updates from Westeros, most of them blood-soaked and reeking of death — with one lovely exception. Bye-Bye, Whiskers
Northerners, man. Those guys have a hard time hanging onto their heads, don't they? Ser Rodrick is the latest to die on the chopping block, at the hands of the traitorous (not to mention embarrassingly weak) Theon Greyjoy, now fancying himself Lord of Winterfell and Prince of the Iron Islands. As we say goodbye to the sweetest whiskers in Westeros, Rodrick's final words ring true: Theon really is truly lost now. But where Theon falls, his performer rises: Actor Alfie Allen continues to kill it as Theon this season. If you think you've seen him at his lowest after this week — well, keep watching. Gone With the Reeds
With Winterfell sacked, Bran and his companions are left powerless ... well, not entirely powerless. The crafty Osha sleeps with Theon and manages to sneak Bran, Rickon, Hodor and the direwolves out of House Stark's royal seat as a result. It's cool to see this story moving so quickly, but still, where are Jojen and Meera Reed? The greenseer and his sister are huge parts of Bran's story at this point in the books, but with their continued absence and Osha's increasing prominence, I'm beginning to think they're out of the picture for good. Casualty of adaptation, I suppose, but a change I'm sorry to see. Ra Ra Riot
The North isn't the only area of Westeros under fire. In King's Landing, the wicked Joffrey's awful behavior nearly costs him his life when he incites a bloody riot that turns the streets red. He barely escapes with his life — though he thankfully doesn't evade a physical shaming at Tyrion's hands once again — as does Sansa, who is nearly raped by a trio of rioters. Her life is saved by the Hound, who finally gets his long-awaited Terminator moment when he guts one of the would-be rapists and kills the other two in equally merciless fashion. One of the best characters in the books, Sandor Clegane hasn't had much to do on the show so far. Perhaps this is the beginning of bold new things for the most feared burn victim in the Seven Kingdoms. Kissed by Fire
It wasn't all doom and gloom on "Thrones" this week. Finally, Jon Snow has met his match in Ygritte, a wilding warrior woman who is more than prepared to meet her maker should the worst come to pass. Of course, she also values her life greatly and isn't afraid to make some moves on Jon to keep herself safe. That's not great news for Jon; as a man of the Night's Watch, Lord Snow isn't allowed to take women into his bed. Then again, he's a teenager and, well, you know — hormones and all that. Perhaps what happens north of the Wall stays north of the Wall? Where Are My Dragons?
All the way east in Qarth, Dany is unsuccessful in recruiting the city's leaders to her cause to sail to Westeros and claim the Iron Throne. Worse, when the khaleesi returns to her quarters after her failed attempt to secure a fleet, she finds many members of her khalasar — beloved handmaiden Irri included — dead, with her dragons missing to boot. None of this happens in the books. I'm guessing it's a dramatic new way to get Dany to the House of the Undying, where she'll experience her fair share of life-altering events. But it's an unnecessary departure that, A) kills even more of the characters in Dany's story despite their survival in the books, further complicating the butterfly effect the show will have to deal with as it gets deeper into Martin's mythology, and B) cheapens Dany's character by stealing her dragons right out from under her. Just as she says, Dany is a strong and fierce fighter fueled by fire and blood. She is the mother of dragons. There is no world in which Dany's dragons are taken from her without her losing her life in the process. I don't like what the show's decision to steal Dany's dragons away from her says about the character, but maybe that's just me. What say you, readers of "Ice and Fire": Are you as bothered by the new changes to Dany's story as I am, or are you not sweating it? Hit us up in the comments below and let us know! In Previous "Game of Thrones" News ...
» "Game of Thrones" kills the king
» "Game of Thrones" births a shadow baby
» Has Robb Stark found true love?
» A kid-killing trend sweeps over Westeros
» Peter Dinklage's Tyrion lays the smack down What did you think of this week's "Game of Thrones" episode? Tell us in the comments section! Related Videos Watching The 'Thrones' Related Photos 'Game Of Thrones' Season Two

Boat party sets sail January 25-28 from Miami; Thomas Gold, Funkagenda and Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike also featured in 2012 highlight video.By Akshay Bhansali Roger Sanchez performing at Groove Cruise 2012 Photo: Groove Cruise On Wednesday (April 18), annual EDM boat party Groove Cruise revealed exclusively to MTV News that the 2013 event will take place January 25-28 and launch from Miami. Fans will party their way to Great Stirrup Cay, in the Bahamas, for two days, before doing it all over again on the journey back. To commemorate the occasion, Groove Cruise has been kind enough to give fans a taste of what they can expect come next year. The Cruise's 2012 video is set to Fedde Le Grand's remix of "Paradise" and features everything one could possibly dream up for an EDM party to the islands: sweeping panoramic shots of the parties aboard Norwegian Cruise Line's vessel and of Great Stirrup Cay. Bevy upon bevy of bikini-clad beauties and raucous revelers rock to epic sets by Thomas Gold, Roger Sanchez, Funkagenda, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike and Chris Lake, among others. For eight years, Groove Cruise, put on by Whet Travel, has taken EDM enthusiasts on a nautical party. Last year, the 2,200-person, 72-hr party visited Norwegian Cruise Line's private island Great Stirrup Cay and Nassau, with more than 40 artists performing. Big names like deadmau5, Benny Benassi, Dirty South and Max Vangeli have all taken to GC's many stages over the years. In 2013, fans will spend both island days at Great Stirrup Cay. Pre-bookings for the event sold out before Wednesday's date announcement, and Whet Travel has revealed that 70 percent of the 2,300 available tickets have been sold. Bookings will be open to the public come May 2 at TheGrooveCruise.com, and fans can expect the first wave of talent announcements to come in May or June. Follow @GrooveCruise for updates, and more information. Related Artists Roger Sanchez

Latest episode features an Emmy-worthy performance from Emmy-winner Dinklage, alongside other bloody, brutal twists.By Josh Wigler Peter Dinklage in "Game of Thrones" Photo: HBO We're now two episodes deep into the new season of "Game of Thrones," and a couple of trends are beginning to emerge. For one, incest appears to be a popular theme in Westeros. For another, killing children is a heck of a way to end an episode. Season two's second episode, titled "The Night Lands," once again claimed the life of an infant, proving that the world beyond the Wall is just as cold and unforgiving as Westeros itself, if not more so. But it wasn't all doom and gloom: There were heroic moments as well, particularly for Tyrion Lannister, and the introduction of Salladhor Saan was a welcome moment of levity as well. But again with the incest — uch! We covered all that and more on our latest episode of "Watching the Thrones." Check it out in the video below, and keep reading for more of the good, bad and ugly from the latest episode of the HBO fantasy series. The Good
» Welcome back, Arya Stark! The Needle-wielding not-a-boy made an all-too-brief appearance at the end of the season premiere. In "Night Lands," she was firmly in the spotlight, on the Kingsroad headed toward the Wall under Yoren's protection. Three observations: 1. Frances Magee is utterly fantastic as Yoren, one of my favorite side characters in the books; 2. Gendry and Arya make for a great pair onscreen, and fans who agree can look forward to a lot of shared time between the two throughout the season; and 3. Jaqen H'ghar! Jaqen H'ghar! Valar morghulis, it's Jaqen H'ghar! He's a bit of a slow-burn character for those of you who haven't read the books, but let's just say he's got lots of fun stuff to do in the future. Stay tuned. » It's nice when bad people get what they deserve, an occasion that happens far too rarely on "Game of Thrones." So it was wonderful to see Tyrion Lannister get the upper hand on City Watch commander Janos Slynt in a scene that was beautifully adapted from "A Clash of Kings." It's the last time you'll see Slynt for a while, but not the last time period. Just wait — it gets better. » Speaking of Tyrion, his scenes with Varys and Cersei were particularly memorable this week. With Varys, Tyrion has finally found an intellectual equal to wrestle with; their battle of the wits will be one to watch all season long. And with Cersei, it's fantastic to see the two Lannister siblings getting so much time onscreen together. Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey play their parts wonderfully and are as close to perfect as it gets when pitted against one another. Plus, a big reveal came from their scene: Joffrey was the one who ordered the execution of Robert's bastards. In the novels, Cersei gives that order; on the show, it looks like they're trying to make Joff even more deplorable than he is in the books, which is no easy task. » "Night Lands" introduced another new character into the mix: Salladhor Saan, a pirate pal of Davos Seaworth's who dedicates his service to Stannis Baratheon. Salladhor never quite popped off the page for me in the books, but on the show, Lucian Msamati brings him to life brilliantly, queen-ogling quips and all. Excellent casting. The Bad
» Staying on Dragonstone, I remain unconvinced on how the Stannis story line is unfurling. The middle Baratheon brother's sexual relationship with Melisandre was always alluded to but never fully shown. It was the same case with Renly and Ser Loras in season one, so there's a symmetry there, I suppose. But as I said last week, there's a supervillain quality to both Stannis and Melisandre that's starting to develop. Them having raunchy sex on a table shaped like Westeros only fuels that fire, so to speak. Maybe that's the right first impression to give a viewer who knows nothing about where their story goes, but for me, this week's only Stannis/Melisandre scene was a disservice to the characters I'm familiar with in the books. We'll see where it goes, but I'm just not convinced. » Also something that grinds my gears: the continued prevalence of Littlefinger, whose actions mostly take place off page in the books, and for good reason. It's best not to know too much about where Petyr Baelish stands in the grand scheme of things; there's an unknowable quality to him that makes him very, very dangerous. Besides, we already know he's a sleazeball, so watching him emotionally wound the grieving Ros didn't really further his character in any meaningful direction. Like his careless encounter with Cersei last week, Baelish's latest tiff with Ros just came across as a needless time-waster. The Ugly
» There are some people who claim that incest is best. I do not agree with this claim. But you can't say it doesn't make for compelling television from time to time, at least on "Thrones" (and perhaps on "Maury"). The latest entry to the Great Incest Hall of Fame on "Thrones" is Theon Greyjoy, who returned to the Iron Islands hip-deep in one woman and his hands all over another object of his desires — an object that just so happened to be his sister Yara. That scene happens in the books, yes, but the show took it to another level, as it tends to do. Nausea aside, getting Theon to the Iron Islands is a big step toward the big things lurking in Theon's future. Big, I say, but not necessarily great. I will say this: You might not like him now, but Theon Greyjoy is one of my very favorite characters in this entire story. Keep on watching and you'll (eventually) see why. » Finally, we get to the return of the baby-killing. This time, it's in the polar opposite of King's Landing: North of the Wall at Craster's Keep, the incestuous wildling sacrificed one of his baby boys to the mysterious Others, as is his usual custom. Jon Snow, himself a bastard with abandonment issues to spare, was none too pleased to see this sacrifice but found himself knocked unconscious by Craster himself before he could take any action on the baby's behalf. Make that two straight episodes of infanticide in a row — and just a warning, the ruthlessness towards children does not end there. What did you think of the latest "Game of Thrones" episode? Tell us in the comments section or hit me up on Twitter @roundhoward! Related Videos Watching The 'Thrones' Related Photos 'Game Of Thrones' Season Two 'Game Of Thrones' Exhibit At The HBO Store

From Ned's beheading to Tyrion's tumultuous journey, we recount the key moments to remember heading into Sunday's premiere.By Josh Wigler Lena Headey in "Game of Thrones" Photo: HBO Swords, kings, dragons and things (and by things, we mean an absurd amount of sex and violence): Where else but "Game of Thrones" can you get all that and then some? Those who've been thirsting for blood and fire are about to get plenty of both when "Thrones" returns for its second season this Sunday, but considering how much time has passed since poor Ned lost his head, you'd be forgiven for not remembering much of what happened all the way back in season one. Well, never fear, true believers; that's what we're here for! Keep on reading for everything you need to remember about "Game of Thrones" season one before returning to Westeros later this week. "Winter Is Coming"
The words of House Stark echo all throughout "Game of Thrones" season one, beginning with King Robert Baratheon's royal visit to old friend and war buddy Eddard Stark all the way north in Winterfell. Robert all but commands Ned to take on the role of Hand of the King — the ruler of Westeros' right-hand man — and Lord Stark begrudgingly accepts. His reason: to investigate the death of the pervious Hand, Jon Arryn, an old mentor of Ned and Robert's, whom he believes was murdered by Queen Cersei and members of her wicked family, the Lannisters. Kids These Days
Ned's investigation does not go smoothly. After arriving in King's Landing to serve as Robert's Hand, Ned learns that Robert fathered many bastard children and that his own supposedly trueborn heirs — Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen — were not his trueborn children at all, but bastards of Queen Cersei's incestuous relationship with her twin brother, Jaime. Robert dies from a freak injury before Ned can tell him the truth, and Ned takes it upon himself to see that the late Baratheon's younger brother, Stannis, is the next man to sit upon the Iron Throne, as is his right. Hopeless, Headless Ned
Once again, Ned's plan does not go well. When Lord Stark attempts to convince the court to recognize Stannis' claim to the throne, newly minted King Joffrey and Queen Regent Cersei have him arrested for treason. A deal is later brokered where Ned will confess to his treachery and recognize Joffrey's claim, in exchange for the safety of himself and his children. But after he publicly confesses to his "crimes," Joffrey pulls a fast one on everyone — characters and audience included — by ordering Ned's beheading. With one stunning stroke, the main character of "Game of Thrones" was dead, before the season finale, no less. Stark Reality
While they still have their lives, the Stark children aren't faring much better than poor Ned. The youngest son, Bran Stark, is pushed out of a window and subsequently paralyzed after catching twins Cersei and Jaime doing the nasty. Ned's two daughters, Arya and Sansa, are left in very different and very awful positions following his death too. Arya is posing as a boy, traveling north with a group of young men to join the Night's Watch; she's to be dropped off at her home in Winterfell before reaching the Wall. Sansa, meanwhile, is still in King's Landing and still betrothed to the wicked boy king Joffrey, who abuses her physically and emotionally with brutal regularity. The King in the North
Lord Eddard Stark's eldest son, Robb, on the other hand, is in a position to actually do something about his father's death. Robb has called upon House Stark's bannermen in the northern part of Westeros to wage war on Joffrey and the Lannisters. His goals are threefold: the safe return of his sisters, the official succession of the North from the Seven Kingdoms' purview, and vengeance for Ned. Robb becomes known as the King in the North, an ancient title not held by anyone since Torrhen Stark bent the knee to Aegon the Conqueror nearly 300 years earlier. Here a King, There a King ...
Robb Stark is not the only man in Westeros calling himself king. There's Joffrey Baratheon, of course, who sits on the Iron Throne. Three other men have their eyes on the crown as well: Balon Greyjoy of the Iron Islands and the two remaining Baratheon brothers, Stannis and Renly. Though Renly is a charismatic and well-liked figure in Westeros, he is also the youngest Baratheon, making his claim weaker than the less-beloved Stannis. It won't matter which Baratheon has the better claim, of course, if one of the other three kings vying for power has their say. ... And There a Queen
There's another player in the game of thrones, and that's exiled princess Daenerys, the last surviving member of House Targaryen, the clan who ruled over Westeros for nearly three full centuries. Dany spends the entirety of season one across the Narrow Sea among the Dothraki, a barbaric people who pride themselves on war and horses. Bad things happen to all "Thrones" characters, but Dany has a particularly rough go of it in season one: Her husband, Khal Drogo, and their unborn son both die, as does her brother, Viserys. (Indeed, that guy is super dead.) On the other side of all that tragedy, Dany is now the proud owner of three brand-spanking new dragons, the first of their kind in hundreds of years. That's a plus! The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Elsewhere, in another remote area of this fantasy world, Ned Stark's bastard Jon Snow serves as a man of the aforementioned Night's Watch, an ancient order of warriors who patrol the great ice Wall to protect the people of Westeros from the dangers lurking further north. Shortly after becoming a sworn brother of the Watch, Jon saves Lord Commander Mormont from dying at the hands of a reanimated corpse (zombies, ftw!), the latest and most dangerous evidence yet that the Others — a long-forgotten force of evil with unspeakably cold crystal swords and voices that sound like crackling ice — still exist beyond the wall. To investigate further, Mormont takes Jon and other members of the Watch beyond the Wall, where they'll continue to explore throughout season two. Paying Their Debts
Clearly, season one was crazy busy for Ned Stark and his family, but how about House Lannister? Though Cersei's son sits on the Iron Throne as she had always hoped, the queen suffers a severe blow in the capture of her brother and lover, Jaime, at the hands of Robb Stark. Jaime remains in the northerner's captivity. Meanwhile, the third Lannister sibling — the imp Tyrion Lannister — went through hell and back again as well: He starts in Winterfell as part of Robert's royal party, ends up on the Wall for a time, is captured by Ned Stark's wife Catelyn for his suspected role in Bran Stark's paralysis, is brought to the miles-high Eyrie to pay for his crimes, is eventually liberated from his fate with the help of his own cunning wit and the talented sellsword Bronn and ultimately relegated to the frontlines of lord Tywin Lannister's war against the Starks. As King Joffrey's Hand, Tywin can't exactly win a war and worry about the goings-on of Westeros at the same time. Accordingly, he temporarily passes off his duties as Hand to Tyrion, who is about to prove that a very small man can cast a very big shadow. A Dink and a Nod
Speaking of very big shadows, you heard about Peter Dinklage's Best Supporting Actor wins at the Emmys and the Golden Globes this past year, right? Well, given what happens to his character in "A Clash of Kings" (the novel that the second season of "Thrones" is based on), Dinklage has only scratched the surface of Tyrion's enormously satisfying arc. If he's as smart as his character, the gifted actor has left some room on the shelf for a few more trophies come the end of the new season. Are you all caught up for "Thrones" season two? Let us know in the comments section below, or chat with me more on Twitter @roundhoward! Related Photos 'Game Of Thrones' Season Two