This episode was the first time he's appeared on screen since the second season. It's the first time since the first season since they've shown him do anything brutal. The guy they've cast this season is perfect, but the book established him is this completely evil force of nature. All we've really seen him do on the show is kill horse and eviscerate three people, and the latter occurred in this episode.

This episode also showed why the Hound's origin comes off better when he explains it, rather than Littlefinger telling it to Sansa. I also thought that was one of the show's poorer choices.