New Game Of Thrones episode

This post contains spoilers for the 4th episode of Season 5

Season 5, Episode 4: “The Sons of the Harpy”

Sunday’s episode of “Game of Thrones” felt like the first one of the fifth season to have a bit of the old verve. After Season 4 capped off so many subplots — Tywin vs. Tyrion, Arya vs. the Hound and Night’s Watch vs. the Wildlings, among others — the first few episodes back had to set several new pieces of the story into motion. This was the first hour in which they felt like they were cruising along under their own power.

Parallel developments transpired all over the known world. The Lannister brothers each took fateful boat trips, religious sects sparked panic in the streets of King’s Landing and Meereen, and Rhaegar Targaryen, a dead cypher who nevertheless casts a broad shadow over this story, made what I think was his first substantive appearance in the show, as the subject of lore, in separate conversations held thousands of miles apart.

It was also a brutal week, after the expository drift of the first few episodes — though Janos, Mance Rayder and a few flayed northerners might counter that they were plenty eventful — gave way to blood-letting from sea to narrow sea. Ser Barristan and that greedy Pentosi ship captain arguably got the worst of it, but there was plenty to go around.

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi Carves Up Bayern Munich in Champions League Semifinals

BARCELONA, Catalonia — He knew. Of course he knew. Pep Guardiola spent four remarkable years as the coach at Barcelona, won 14 trophies at Barcelona, saw Lionel Messi score more than 200 goals for Barcelona. When Guardiola, who now coaches Bayern Munich, said Tuesday that Messi was “unstoppable,” it was not hyperbole. It was simply the truth from a man who could not lie.

And Guardiola was right. Bayern Munich tried anyway; the Bavarians tried everything, really. Physical play. High-pressure defending. Even a risky three-back defensive scheme that lasted fewer than 20 minutes before Guardiola realized he was doing the soccer equivalent of playing with dynamite.

In the end, there was no escaping. Messi teased and tantalized without a payoff until late into the second half Wednesday night. Yet, when the inevitable finally arrived with about 13 minutes remaining, it was as enchanting as anything Messi has ever produced.

First, there was the sheer power, a lashed shot from outside the penalty area that burrowed into the corner of the net. Then, three minutes later, there was the artist’s touch, a breathtaking run that felled defender Jérôme Boateng as if he had been knocked unconscious, followed by a devilish chip over the goalkeeper that sent the Camp Nou stadium into hysterics and Guardiola, on the sideline, into the emptiest of stares.