Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO, available through Time Warner Cable!

“Second Sons”

Arya wakes up a captive of the Hound. She contemplates killing him, but then he reveals that he’s awake and calls her bluff. He lets her know that he saved Sansa from being raped and murdered, and they are headed to the Twins, to intersect with Robb and Catelyn and the Freys.

Daenerys learns about the Second Sons, a for-hire army of 2,000. She meets with their leaders, one of whom is misogynistic and offensive to her. She tries to convince them to join her, but the rude leader refuses. Later, the leaders plan to assassinate Daenerys in the night so that they don’t have to face Unsullied army.

Stannis meets Gendry at Dragonstone and confirms his noble birth. She indicates that she may be planning to slaughter Gendry in some way. Davos continues to learn how to read. Davos learns about the intended sacrifice and tries to convince Stannis that it is not justified to kill an innocent. Stannis says he will free Davos as long as he does not rise against Melisandre. Stannis reveals that he saw a vision in the flames of a great battle in the snow, and is convinced that the Lord of Light exists.

Tyrion meets Sansa in her chamber and tells her that although he did not choose the marriage, he will treat her well. Joffrey escorts Sansa down the aisle during the marriage ceremony, pointing out that her father is gone. Margerye approaches Cersei at the wedding reception, calling her “sister” and mentioning a song about the Reyne family sung by the Lannisters. Cersei points out that Lord Reyne built a castle like Casterley Rock, eventually rebelled against Tywin Lannister and the entire family was slaughtered. Cersei tells Margerye that if she ever calls her “sister” again, she will have her strangled in her sleep.

Melisandre meets with Gendry and begins to seduce him. But she then ties him and applies leeches to take his blood. After the leeches are removed, Stannis and Davos arrive. Stannis throws the three leeches into the fire, calling one Robb Stark, one Balon Greyjoy, and one Joffrey Baratheon.

Olenna teases Loras and Margerye that family ties will become very complicated. Tywin confronts Tyrion about being drunk, reminding him of his duty to bear a Stannister heir. Loras awkwardly tries to talk with Cersei, but she brushes him off. Joffrey confronts Sansa and cruelly teases her. Joffrey commands Tyrion to carry Sansa to her room, but Tyrion insults and threatens Joffrey. Tywin defuses the tension and Tyrion stumbles out of the wedding hall drunkenly. They both reluctantly prepare to consummate the marriage, but Tyrion stops and says that she should wait until she is ready. Later, Shae greets them in the morning and realizes they did not consummate.

Miros of the Second Sons comes to Daenerys’s chamber, seemingly to kill her, but then reveals that he went against the other Second Sons’ orders, killing the other leaders, because he wanted to fight for her beauty. He vows to serve her.

Sam and Gilly talk awkwardly as they take shelter in an abandoned shelter. Sam discusses possible names for the boy infant as she starts a fire, and also reveals that his father had been cruel. After a huge number of crows gather outside and make noise, he goes outside to confront them. Suddenly they disperse and a White Walker–the same one who led the army of White Walkers at the end of Season 2–appears to take the infant boy. After the Walker destroys Sam’s sword and pushes him to the side, Sam charges with the shard of weapon he had found further out beyond the Wall. The weapon causes the Walker to shatter, and Sam and Gilly run away from the crows.

The 2013 Billboard Music Awards recognized some of the most talented artists in the industry, some of whom performed during the show.

The biggest news belongs to Taylor Swift, who won eight of the 11 awards for which she was nominated. Always graceful toward her fans, Swift said to the crowd, “You are the longest and best relationship I ever had.” That was probably her way of poking fun at herself for the number of relationships she’s had since breaking out in 2006. It’s easy to see why her fans adore her so much.

Swift also performed her hit “22” moving from the backstage to the main stage on the back of a bike. There were a dozen dancers and a plethora of red balloons.

Justin Bieber had a big night too, boos not withstanding. He performed twice and won three awards: top male artist, social artist, and the fan-voted milestone award. It was winning the fan-voted award that led to the boos within the audience. In his acceptance speech, while he didn’t apologize for anything, he did allude to his recent outbursts in the public eye.

Bieber performed with will.i.am for one song and solo for “Take You.” For his performance, he wore leather pants and vest and a one-sleeved black shirt. He performed under the beam of blue lasers.

Maroon 5 and fun. each won one of the awards for which they were nominated. Gotye and Rihanna were tied for second-most wins, winning four of them.

At one point, Kid Rock, the presenter for the top rap song award, sparked controversy by saying, “Let’s give it up for people lip-synching under pre-recorded music.” Lip-synching is a controversy that’s plagued musicians since Milli Vanilli, so that probably wasn’t a smart thing to say.

Tracy Morgan, the host, appeared dressed as Psy in a yellow suit, as Psy was onstage presenting an award. The two had a dance battle to Psy’s single “Gentleman.”

All in all, it was a night of controversies, show stopping performances, and Taylor Swift winning nearly all the awards.

Catch all of this week’s must-see TV shows on Time Warner Cable!

This week on Bates Motel, Norman has a date to his school dance but a surprising turn of events leads him to go home with somebody else. Catch up with the town of White Pine Bay Monday in “Midnight”, May 20 at 10 p.m. on A&E.

The Goodwin Games, a new series debuting on Fox this Monday, May 20, at 8:30 introduces the story of a wealthy man who dies, leaving behind a fortune. His family will not lay hands on it so easily, however; they must first undergo a series of games that are meant to strengthen them as individuals. The cast of characters includes three siblings: a bad boy, an overachiever and an underachiever.

On Tuesday, May 21, the season finale of Dancing with the Stars ends its season 16 finale. At 9:00 on the ABC network, Tom Bergeron will announce the shows’ newest winner on this tenth week episode. The finalists include Zendaya and Valentin Chmerkovskiy, Jacoby Jones and Karina Smirnoff, Kellie Pickler and Derek Hough and Alexandra Raisman and Mark Ballas.

ABC’s popular mockumentary, Modern Family, will air a new episode on Wednesday, May 22 at 9:00. When Phil’s mother passes away, the group attends a funeral. The family gets together to help bring together her final wish before leaving Florida. Gloria faces a dramatic court case stemming from a warrant. Another character finds himself facing somebody unexpected from the past.

The season finale of NBC’s Law & Order: Special Victims Unit will air this Thursday, May 23, at 9:00. Detective Benson finds herself in one of the most dangerous situations yet. In this episode, titled “Her Negotiation,” concludes the 14th season of the series with the story of a man who exposes himself in a park but ends up outwitting even the most experienced detectives on the case. Everything is on the line in this dramatic finale.

Director J.J. Abrams’ follow-up to 2009′s Star Trek is as action-packed as its predecessor right from the first frame, as Kirk and Bones bolt along the surface of an alien planet while Spock is lowered into the mouth of an erupting volcano. When Kirk reveals the Enterprise’s presence to this planet full of aliens who have “barely invented the wheel”–thereby disobeying the Prime Directive–he’s hauled in front of Starfleet Command just as a rogue officer named John Harrison (played by Benedict  Cumberbatch, best known for the BBC‘s Sherlock) perpetrates an unprovoked attack on Starfleet headquarters. Commander Marcus, head of Starfleet Command, orders Kirk and the Enterprise crew to pursue Harrison into the Neutral Zone and take him down–an act of aggression that is likely to lead to war with the Klingons, the belligerent race that lives on the other side of the Neutral Zone. As the Enterprise pursues Harrison into this dangerous territory, it becomes clear that his attack wasn’t just a single act of terrorism, and that there are much bigger forces at play.

Into Darkness is likely to satisfy fans who enjoyed the first film: it has the same snarky dialogue and rapid-fire editing, moving the narrative along at a fast clip that prioritizes action over exposition. This choice sometimes results in a plot hole or two (do the crew’s communicators really work all the way across the galaxy?), and the third act is choppy, but the pace of the story and the actors’ chemistry make these problems easy to overlook. Into Darkness displays Abrams’ usual talent for spot-on casting: in addition to the Enterprise crew (in which Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, and Karl Urban, in particular, inhabit their iconic roles like they’ve never played anything else), the addition of Benedict Cumberbatch as the brilliant and calculating John Harrison and Peter Weller (most recently seen on Dexter but forever enshrined as Robocop) as Commander Marcus add depth to an already near-perfect ensemble. There were moments when I found myself wishing the movie were longer so that beloved characters could have more screen time. (Cho, in particular, gets short shrift in this script.)

As for whether die-hard Trekkers will be pleased by this installment, that’s harder to say. The writers have wisely avoided the tricky morass of time travel that made Abrams’ first foray into the franchise, with its retroactive continuity changes to the original series’ timeline, tough for many to swallow. Abrams and his co-writers clearly have an indulgent love for the original series, and there are the requisite winks and nudges: “Dammit, Jim, I’m a doctor, not a torpedo technician!” Urban insists at one point. And the bromance between Kirk and Spock remains at the center of this newly imagined universe, as it was for the old. All told, Star Trek Into Darkness is an at times campy but entirely worthy addition to the Star Trek canon.

After nine years on the air, The Office went out on a heartwarming note with a final episode taking place one year after the penultimate episode. The central conceit of the show, that everything happening in the office was being filmed for a documentary, came to fruition as the office staff gathered for a “reunion” a year after the initial airing of the documentary. The characters reflected on the way that having nine years of their lives filmed impacted them, creating a bittersweet homage to the passage of time.

The finale also focused on the wedding of Dwight, the oddball who spent the whole series aspiring to the position of manager he finally attained, and Angela, the petite, uptight member of the accounting staff. This, even more than the retrospective panel, drew guests from years past – most significantly, former manager Michael Scott, who was arguably the series’ central character for seven years. His return and subsequent comments were among the episodes most memorable moments.

Pam, whose idyllic marriage to sweet prankster Jim endured a rough patch in the last season, surprised him by selling their house so that he could rejoin the sports company he helped build. Hence, Dwight’s wedding and reception and the post-reception office party served as their farewell to the staff of which they had been a part for most of their adult lives. Meanwhile, zany receptionist Erin found her birth parents at last through the documentary.

Former staff members Ryan and Kelly reunited at the wedding and ran off together, while Nellie, who had spent a long time trying to adopt a baby, gleefully took the infant Ryan abandoned. Andy, despite the erratic behavior he displayed after leaving Dunder Mifflin to follow his show business dreams, got an ideal position with the office of admissions at his alma mater, Cornell, while Oscar, who’d had an affair with Angela’s ex-husband, launched a campaign for his senate seat.

It was a charming episode that took some characters in unexpected directions but brought nearly everyone to a sense of satisfying closure. As befits an ensemble show driven by complex characters, it was an emotionally rich send-off that left its audience wanting more but grateful that the series could end in such an appropriate manner.

The season 12 winner of American Idol will be revealed tonight at 8 PM on FOX, available through Time Warner Cable!

In Wednesday night’s American Idol final performances, neither Candice Glover or Kree Harrison “stole the show,” nor did they cause their popularity to go up or down. Both finalists performed admirably, if a little wearily, but that’s to be expected after the nearly four-month journey they’ve traveled in seeking to be named THE American Idol, Season 12.

Ms. Harrison opened the evening with Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel,” and although she hit all the right notes, the song lacked the “oomph” that everyone kept waiting for. For her potential single release, Harrison performed “All Cried Out,” which better suited her country style. She started out interestingly, but by the chorus, it was apparent that this number, just like her opening song, was at best, very ho-hum. For her reprise number, Kree rehashed “Up To the Mountain,” and although it was by far her best work of the night, it still paled in comparison to her previous rendition of the tune several weeks ago.

Glover’s opening song, “Chasing Pavement,” was given a nice R&B, jazzy arrangement which allowed her to stretch out somewhat, and she performed it effortlessly, if a bit laid-back. For her would-be single, Glover did “I Am Beautiful,” which could have been a knockout punch, but instead she appeared to play it safe. Glover trotted out the tear-jerker “I Who Have Nothing” as her reprise tune, only this time she incorporated an a capella opening that was very powerful. By the ending, most of the audience were on their feet and it felt, if anything, like her “coronation” song.

The judge’s commentary was a bit hit-or-miss, with congratulations being noted more than the actual performances. With Randy Jackson having announced this would be his final season, “The Dawg” was uncharacteristically subdued, while Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey and Keith Urban were also less enimated than normal.

The producers have a star-studded lineup of guest performers on tap, including Adam Lambert (in a duet with Angie Miller), The Band Perry (dueting with Janelle Arthur), Four Seasons frontman Frankie Valli (with the Top 12 male finalists), Korean sensation Psy, as well as a pre-recorded performances by Keith Urban. It’s also reported that Randy Jackson will play bass behind a rare performance from Mariah Carey.

Barring a “country-music” fan voting blitz, Candice Glover is expected to be in the middle of all the confetti and hugs-and-high-fives at the conclusion of tonight’s program.

Metro 2033, developed by 4A Games and released for the Xbox 360 and PC in 2010, is one of this generation’s most under-appreciated gems, earning it the title of cult classic. It is a game that failed to amass huge sales but has still garnered a small, but loyal, audience. The previous publisher, THQ, claimed at the time that the game had an “absence of polish,” something that would be corrected with the sequel. However, due to THQ’s bankruptcy, that sequel is now in the hands of publisher Deep Silver. Would the promise of extra polish still hold up after the switch? Absolutely. Metro: Last Light improves on every aspect of its predecessor, crafting one of the best first-person shooter experiences of the current console generation and a great finale for this age of first-person shooters as we shift our attention to the next era of gaming.

Metro: Last Light once again places you in the shoes of Artyom in the bleak future of 2034 when humans live underground in the metro system as the surface world is now uninhabitable. Worrying about the poison-filled surface world isn’t the only problem these survivors face. Not only do mutant creatures stalk the metro but other groups of survivors, specifically Nazis and Soviets, are seeking to conquer what is left of the human race. As Artyom, what begins as a story about searching for the last remaining Dark One and preventing a doomsday device from falling into the wrong hands turns into so much more. Metro: Last Light‘s story grips you from the moment the game begins and doesn’t let go until the pulse-pounding conclusion.

While there are plenty of moments to admire the remains of civilization and interact with the few remaining human survivors, the bulk of Metro: Last Light will revolve around the action and it’s here where the game draws inspiration from some of the best in the genre. Taking a cue from Amnesia and F.E.A.R. is the constant sense of fear, as the game will attempt to scare you often and when you least expect it. From Far Cry 3 comes moments of stealth as you can choose to eliminate an enemy outpost by picking off enemies one at a time. The vehicle segments used to break up the action are on par with those found in Half Life 2 and even your infrequent trips to the surface world are reminiscent of games like Doom and Quake. It’s this variety that gives Metro: Last Light the ability to keep the gameplay fresh at all times.

Helping with the atmosphere is a new graphics engine featuring improved lighting effects and more realistic physics. While the game looks decent on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, graphically holding its own against any of the top games for either system, gamers with a high-end PC will want to opt for that version as the added bells and whistles make Metro: Last Light a graphical feast for the eyes.

Released on May 14th, 2013 for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, it was unsure if Metro: Last Light would even see the light of day due to THQ’s bankruptcy. However, thanks to the efforts of Deep Sliver, Metro: Last Light not only lives but can stand triumphant as one of the best first-person shooters available this console generation.

The NHL Playoffs are entering the second round after an abbreviated season wherein the Chicago Blackhawks dominated play from the moment the puck dropped to the moment the season ended. A handful of formidable teams still stand in the way of the Blackhawks and the Stanley Cup. Here’s a look back at the past week in hockey and a quick peek at pro baseball, as well as a look ahead to a few important matchups.

It was a tough last couple of days for the Toronto Maple Leafs fans, who basically assumed they had been advanced to the next round after they led by two goals with less than two minutes left in Game 7 against the Boston Bruins. Amazingly, Boston rallied for two desperation goals in the final 90 seconds before ultimately putting the Maple Leafs away in overtime.

This set up a matchup between the Bruins and the New York Rangers, a revival of the historic rivalry that involves very little travel distance. Each game is likely to be low-scoring, and penalty minutes could be an abundance when the puck drops on the ice in Game 1 this Thursday evening. Many experts expect the series to go seven games.

The Chicago Blackhawks are matched up against the Detroit Red Wings after Chicago bested the Minnesota Wild 4 – 1 and the Red Wings emerged victorious from a grueling seven-game series with the Anaheim Ducks. The Blackhawks are already up 1 – 0 on the Red Wings, and it seems from many angles that the better matchup would have been Blackhawks versus Ducks.

The winner of that series will face the victor of the San Jose Sharks/Los Angeles Kings series. San Jose came into the series with some serious momentum after sweeping their first-round opponent, but they are already down 1 – 0 to the defending champions and are one slip-up away from full-fledged panic mode. Game 2 will unfold Thursday evening in Vancouver, followed by Game 3 and Game 4 in San Jose on this Saturday and next Tuesday.

A few paces into a long and demanding season, the New York Yankees have finally began to throw it into gear. They are currently two games ahead of both the Orioles and the Red Sox, and upcoming series against Toronto and Baltimore will be full of pivotal games that have an impact on division rankings.

Tune-in tonight to American Idol at 8pm ET on FOX, available through Time Warner Cable!

In the finale of American Idol‘s Season 12, the stars will be out in abundance as Fox pulls out all the stops to try and salvage what’s been largely a disappointing few months, both ratings-wise and in “buzz.”

Following last week’s somewhat surprising elimination of Angie Miller, Candice Glover and Kree Harrison square off tonight for the coveted Idol crown, although they run the risk of being over-shadowed by the lineup of guest performers assembled by the producers.

Carly Rae Jepsen, Jennifer Lopez, reigning Idol Phillip Phillips (although recent health issues may prevent it), Adam Lambert (dueting with Angie Miller), Psy, The Band Perry (with Janelle Arthur), Frankie Valli (???), and pre-recorded performances by judges Mariah Carey and Keith Urban are tentatively scheduled for the two-hour extravaganza. In addition, expect most, if not all of this season’s Top 10 to make an appearance. It’s also Randy Jackson’s swan song, and if rumors are correct, this may also be the finale for the other three judges (Carey, Urban and Nicki Minaj). Side Note: A performance by Ms. Minaj would be welcomed, especially if this is indeed her “farewell.”

Oh, we nearly forgot about the REAL reason for tonight’s episode: Candice and Kree. The two finalists will each perform three songs; a reprise of selections they’ve previously performed, producer Simon Fuller’s two picks, and projected “singles” from each artist. Candice is slated to perform “I Who Have Nothing,” always an audience favorite, Adele’s “Chasing Pavements,” and “I Am Beautiful” for her “single.” Kree Harrison will take the stage for “Up To the Mountain,” Sarah McLachlan’s “Angel,” and for her personal single, “All Cried Out.” It’s difficult to argue with those selections, although one can’t help but wish they’d have given Kree either “Crazy” or “I Fall To Pieces” by HER “Idol,” the legendary Patsy Cline.

Ms. Glover, at least since the “live” shows began, has been the overwhelming favorite, but after last week’s dismissal of her projected co-finalist (Miller), it’s an exercise in futility to try and predict tonight’s outcome. If Harrison can once again tap into the real emotion she displayed last week, this holds the promise of being a real toss-up. But the betting here is that a “slam-bang” rendition of “I Who Have Nothing” will solidify the title of Season 12′s American Idol for Candice Glover.

Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9pm ET on HBO, available through Time Warner Cable!

“Bear and the Maiden Fair”

The show starts with Jon and Ygritte on the Westeros side of the Wall. They discuss loyalty and their devotion to each other. The other wildling–who tried to cut Jon and Ygritte’s rope in an earlier episode–warns Jon that Ygritte may not be loyal.

Because of heavy rain, Robb Stark’s group is delayed to Walder Frey’s. Even though Catelyn warns that the delay will be taken by Frey as an insult, Robb decides to make camp for the night. He makes love to his wife Talisa, who later reveals that she is pregnant. She expresses a desire that one day he will come with her to visit her native kingdom.

Sansa tells Margerye that she is concerned about bearing children with Tyrion. Tyrion apologizes to Shae for the situation, telling her that he has no choice and is being mandated by his father. Shae suggests that they could take a ship across the Seven Seas to her home kingdom, but Tyrion suggests that without the power of the Lannister name his stature would reduce him to juggling. Shae is very displeased.

Joffrey summons Tywin before the Iron Throne. He asks Tywin to explain why he hasn’t been summoned to his small council meetings to discuss political strategy. Tywin suggests that he is always welcome, even though the meetings are held in the Tower of the Hand. Joffrey expresses concern about Daenerys’s dragons, but Tywin reassures him that they would be able to defeat the dragons. Tywin barely conceals his disgust for Joffrey, but does not do anything to directly disrespect him.

Daenerys, Jorah, and Selmy reach the city of Yunkai, which has 200,000 slaves. Jorah advises against Daenerys against attacking the city, because it will cause needless suffering. But Daenerys wants to free the slaves. A representative from the city comes to meet her and offers her gold and ships to sail to Westeros as long as she does not harm the city. Daenerys, who sits with her three dragons (who are now even larger than in earlier episodes), says she will accept the offer only if all of the slaves are freed. The representative dismisses the offer and says she will regret it.

Melisandre and Gendry sail past King’s Landing on the way to Dragonstone. She reveals that he is the son of Robert Baratheon and a rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Elsewhere, Arya is angry at Beric for selling Gendry, and runs off only to be captured by the Hound.

Jaime talks with Brienne and swears that he will upload his oath to return to King’s Landing and then return the Stark girls to Catelyn. They say goodbye, and on the way out Jaime is mocked. It is implied that Brienne may be in danger. Meanwhile, Theon is still being held captive when two women begin to seduce him. Then, his torturer appears with a knife and it appears that he is going to castrate Theon.

Elsewhere, Jon warns Ygritte that wildlings have tried to attack Westeros six times and always failed, and he is concerned that this time will not be different and so she will die. She reaffirms her commitment to him and says that if they must die together then they will. Meanwhile, Osha tells Bran and their two new companions about why she will not go back beyond the Wall–where the strangers want to take Bran–because her husband was killed and re-animated as a White Walker.

The episode ends with Jaime learning from his captors that Brienne is going to be used as entertainment by Bolton’s men. Brienne’s father had sent gold as a reward for her safe return, but Bolton’s men were expecting sapphires because of what Jaime had said to rescue Brienne in an earlier episode. He is able to convince his captors to take him back to Harrenhall, where he sees that Brienne has been put into a pit with a wooden sword to fight an angry bear. Jaime jumps into the pit and helps fend off the bear. His captor, who had been charged with getting him safely to King’s Landing, shoots the bear with an arrow to slow it down. This lets Brienne, and eventually Jaime, get out of the bear pit. Jaime confronts Locke, the man who cut off his hand, and says that he’s worth more alive than any sapphires, and he and Brienne leave.