On the what of it is not Thomas, but a shape shifter; I don't think it is the case, but if it is that person is really hardcore. Facing being imprisoned forever and not flinching takes a lot of nerve.
Also, I think Jim said once that Grey could probably become Harry to a degree that he could use some or all of his wizard powers, bit that the transformation would be so complete that Grey would effectively be gone forever. Of course only Lara knows if that is the case, since she fed him and could have faked that. Then the charge would be to uphold the illusion.

With that being said, I don't think it is odd that she charges him. It seems a fair amount of people on the forums reasons that if you get to a certain position of power and responsibility all your actions will be well reasoned out and emotions will never affect that reasoning. So far the only ones in the series who seems to live up to that inhuman ideal are (suprise) the ones that are not human in any way. I guess the angels are the best, maybe only, example.

My wife and I have our own house and a kid. We still go to my parents and stay overnight for Christmas Eve together with my brother and sister. For me it is not same same great family holiday if we are just three people. There might not be more to it, the Carpenter kids are kind of like siblings to Maggy and Michael and Charity uncle/aunt.

I think especially if a lot of bad stuff has happened there would be even more inclination to gather together for Christmas Eve.

It is pretty clear that his two scariest frenemies are counting on Monoc personnel to be an important part of their protection against Harry. That does seem like a pretty big security risk of they knew on how good terms him and Odin are.

A good first reason to put him above Marcone is that he is Santa Claus.

Another would be that his primary activity seems to be keeping humankind safe from monsters. It is the main good thing about him in Norse mythology and in the dresdenverse the earliest deeds we have heard of from him helping the Vikings fight the Grendelkin.

It so also my impression that the Einherjaren are not for fights with other mortal gangs, but a counter for supernatural threats.

Against Odin being a nice guy, Gard thinks Marcone is too soft because he won't kill the workers that builds his secret hideout to be sure they keep silent.

River Shoulder even says he was sworn to secrecy about the Starborn part, but by who then? Listens to Wind?

It was my clear impression that Eb was living the loner life on his farm and staying out of council politics untill he was forced to join the senior council to save Harry. (Or maybe the loner life except for some black staff action when the council really needed it). But then his friend Simon was killed and the martial voice on the council was gone and he had to save his grand son. So those two things forced him back in the world (I think).

To me that explains the isolation.

We saw in WN just how badly suited the White Court is to direct conflict with powerful supernatural beings. Harry and Carlos are blasting uberghouls left and right, and the White Court are pretty helpless against them.

I am the only one remembering a ring of dark goddesses stading around papa Raith killing any of the super powered ghouls that came close? Of course they would not have lasted forever, but helpless was definitely not the term I thought of.