Nothing about this episode or A Song of Fire & Ice is "filler". And one thing I've learned about Game of Thrones is never try to predict the future of events. George R. R. Martin has a really serious habit of making you think shit is gonna be one way and it goes off into totally new and different UN-CLICHED territory. In that respect alone, Game of Thrones may just end up the most unique and epic TV show in history.
Yeah filler isn't word I was looking for.
I was reffering to this episode having a more even feel to it and it seems to be one of the episodes they use to set up future events that are going to happen in the last three episodes.