Game of Thrones appreciation - Please /spoil carefully!

Started by Ramael, April 18, 2011, 04:23:36 PM

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Lilias

Quote from: Will on May 19, 2011, 10:57:35 AM
As far as the books go, I'll consider reading them when the series has been released in full.  I'd rather make sure he's going to live to finish it. : /

I was tempted to do that, but then decided not to miss out on a few thousand pages of great writing 'just in case'. Same goes for the WoT, actually.

QuoteI'm loving the series, though.

+1
To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.
~Wendell Berry

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Will

Well, I ran through WoT before I knew that Jordan would be passing.  If I had known ahead of time... I may or may not have picked it up.  I really don't know.  That's largely what's keeping from starting Game of Thrones.  I understand that it's great writing, but in a way, that just makes it worse.
If you can heal the symptoms, but not affect the cause
It's like trying to heal a gunshot wound with gauze

One day, I will find the right words, and they will be simple.
- Jack Kerouac

Shjade

Quote from: Samael on May 19, 2011, 12:31:44 AM
I am really not sure what to think of Jaimie at this point.
Every time I think he is just a bastard, I find him doing little things that tend to redeem him in my eyes a bit, like
Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
letting Ned go, instead of capturing him as he wanted, because one of his men jumped in their duel. And he also seems to really be protective of Tyrion, which I didn't expect considering his general ruthlessness.
I dunno, I got the distinct impression that Jaime
Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
let him go because he'd wanted to kill him in a fair fight - can't really fault him for defending himself against the obviously enraged Eddard, right? But he couldn't justify killing the man while he was already injured and defenseless - thus why he punched out the guy who "helped" since he spoiled the opportunity. If he'd just wanted him captured he could have taken him in anyway, but he didn't need to; he's already a prisoner in the city, more or less.
In that light, the incident doesn't seem particularly redemptive.

So the series is ongoing, not just the first four books? Hrm.
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Kye

Quote from: Shjade on May 19, 2011, 02:36:21 PM
So the series is ongoing, not just the first four books? Hrm.

Currently there are four with a fifth coming out in July I believe.  My understanding is that there are at least two more planned after that.

Lilias

There are two more planned, with titles at least. I hope Martin gets to actually write them and finish the story, rather than let it go on and on.
To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.
~Wendell Berry

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Caeli

Quote from: Shjade on May 19, 2011, 02:36:21 PM
I dunno, I got the distinct impression that Jaime
Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
let him go because he'd wanted to kill him in a fair fight - can't really fault him for defending himself against the obviously enraged Eddard, right? But he couldn't justify killing the man while he was already injured and defenseless - thus why he punched out the guy who "helped" since he spoiled the opportunity. If he'd just wanted him captured he could have taken him in anyway, but he didn't need to; he's already a prisoner in the city, more or less.
In that light, the incident doesn't seem particularly redemptive.

That was the impression I'd gotten from the scene, as well.

I've been having a difficult time deciding which characters I like and dislike, mainly because there are so very few of them who are completely "good". (Of course, this makes for a fantastic and utterly believable story, so I can't complain too much.) Jaimie has thus far come across as someone who is... at once a victim -

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
- especially because the woman he loves is basically hated by the man she is married to. That she returns the sentiment, I feel is not particularly relevant. I almost pitied him during the scene when the king was having an orgy in his bedroom, with almost-naked women scurrying out from time to time, while Jaimie stood guard, perfectly able to hear everything that was going on inside -

but also very much a cruel, almost heartless individual.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
I mean, it's hard to argue any kind of justification for pushing Bran off the tower.

So that scene (quoted above, from Shjade) didn't seem particularly redemptive to me.

Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
I'm still having trouble deciding whether he let Ned go because he actually wanted a fair fight, or because he wanted to protect his reputation of being a fair fighter. Granted, all of the soldiers/guards were his men, but there were also other people in the vicinity to be considered.
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Shjade

I don't think he has a reputation as a fair fighter. I mean, pretty much everybody knows how he dealt with the last king, right?

I like a number of characters more for their performance and just being who they are than being good or bad. Tyrion, Jaime, Ned, Arya, they're all on the "yay" pile. Sure Jaime's a dick, but at least he's up front about being a dick. Mostly.
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Ramael

Without spoilers, I'd like to take this oppurtunity to say how much I like the "little extras" the series directors are putting in. There has been a bunch of stuff (especially in the last two episodes) that wasn't in the books at all, but has definately added without betraying the original story.

Also, being as there's (quite predictably, given that he's also the best character in the books too) so much Imp-love going on, both for the role and the actor, can anyone smell an award on the horizon for Dinklage?

Has a dwarf won a major TV award before for a role? Added to that Dinklage's acting and the amazing role he's been given, I'd say my sense of smell was justified.

Jus sayin'.

Shjade

While not bad, I think ep. 6 was the first episode to feel a little rushed/underwhelming so far.
Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide
Tyrion's trial by combat and the throne room audience in particular, the former probably just not living up to book-created expectations of how agile Bronn sounded, the latter mostly due to Littlefinger's pushing looking so incredibly obvious in it.

On the plus side, it was worth it to see Viserys' whiny ass finally get crowned, even if it was brief.
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Shjade

Update: Jon Snow's performance a bit stilted this week; Khal Drogo's successful at portraying badassery.
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Ramael

Yeah Drogo killed it (quite literally) in that scene. Though that wound really should have been deeper to make us believe it could fester nastily.

They've moved war on quickly, which is fine I suppose.

Robb Stark (who I've just found out is played by a friend of a friend of mine) got to do a whole lot more, and we got to see Rickon!

Also...why was Hodor outside...covered in white...and naked?! I'm sure I read that in the book...can't quite remember it...

Loved the Greatjon Umber scene...it only gets skimmed over in the book so I'm glad we got treated to it in it's entirety in the show. I love how batshit MENTAL Rob's allies are. Big massive roary shouty man challenges the boy lord to see if he has any balls. Boy lord sets his direwolf on massive shouty man. Massive shouty man loses a finger. Massive shouty man decides the boy lord has balls of steel to stand upto him, bursts into laughter, best friends for life, undying respect and unquestioning faith.

That's how hard these Northeners are - ready to lose a finger over a bit of jovial cockslapping. I'd be happy if men like that were guarding my back!

Ser Barristan Selmy gets a good scene, too, a nice piece of Badass Speech or whatever the trope is. Although I can see it being confusing for non-book readers over the issue of the Kingsguard, maybe it being hard to tell who's in it and who isn't (even I can't recall the one who tried to arrest Syrio and Arya, and stood facing Selmy when he "quit", is it Blount?)

Lilias

Hodor took Bran to the godswood and was dismissed to the pool to bathe, hence the starkers bit. Very faithful to the book, it was.

I missed the beginning (though the stepdaughter apparently thought that Arya's first kill was neat), but yeah, the entire episode was chock-full of badassery.
To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.
~Wendell Berry

Double Os <> Double As (updated Feb 20) <> The Hoard <> 50 Tales 2024 <> The Lab <> ELLUIKI

Shjade

I'm just glad we got to see a little of Syrio in action. I knew it was coming, but all the same.

About Drogo's wound, if improperly tended pretty much any little cut can turn nasty. That one was plenty icky enough I'd say, especially after he FLEXED around it. x.x

So you can go have a chat with Robb, eh? Nifty. ;p
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Remiel

Two words:  hol-ee shit.

I mean, I kind of got the sense that it was coming from reading some of you guys' spoilers, but even so...I just sort of sat there, slack-jawed, as the credits rolled, unable to properly believe what I had just seen.

Shjade

Quote from: Remiel on June 13, 2011, 03:01:07 AM
I just sort of sat there, slack-jawed, as the credits rolled, unable to properly believe what I had just seen.
Well clearly Joffrey would say you have the eyes of a woman! Or something similarly stupid. Seriously, kid needs to be slapped more often.

On a much less dramatic note, anyone else a little surprised they had Tyrion tell his sorry marriage tale to Shae so much earlier than in the books? Sorta sets their relationship in a different light. That and totally skipping his battle scene! D:
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Martee

Quote from: Remiel on June 13, 2011, 03:01:07 AM
Two words:  hol-ee shit.

I mean, I kind of got the sense that it was coming from reading some of you guys' spoilers, but even so...I just sort of sat there, slack-jawed, as the credits rolled, unable to properly believe what I had just seen.

It's episodes like last night's that make a small part of me wish I could see this series with fresh eyes.  I knew what was coming, so yes - it was exciting, but I miss the numbed, stunned aftermath of the first time I read the books.

The music stood out for me quite a bit more than usual.  I thought it was interesting they used the main theme for Robb...

Shae is not at all how I pictured her.

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Ramael

Quote from: Shjade on June 13, 2011, 03:13:00 AM
That and totally skipping his battle scene! D:

This.

Totally this.

I mean, ok, you don't have the budget to do both the battle of the Whispering Woods and the Northmen's feint with Tywin's army, but to do NEITHER?!

They should've to put the Whispering Woods (non-book readers, this is the forest in which Jamie's army was caught unawares by Robb's mounted troops, don't know what they've called it in the series if anything) after the scene at Baelor's Sept with Ned, too, as to not completely crush the viewer's spirits. Something like Cersei warning Joffrey about his actions, reprimanding him for going against hers and the Small Council's will, and condemning the Seven Kingdoms to a nation-wide war with the Northmen. Then Joffrey would sneer, and say something like "My brother will end the war when he spits the traitor Stark like a suckling pig!" Cut to: Jaime's capture at the hands of Robb Stark. "Suck on that Joffrey, you little shitstain" (say the viewers) instead of "...just watched main character beheaded in front of both his daughters. I'm going to have a strong drink."

But hey, I'm no screenwriter and I'm sure the series' team have their reasons.

Nontheless, I'm a red-blooded male who likes to see carnage and warfare and lots of people smashing each other apart with swords. Clearly they didn't have the budget to do either battle scene, but we could have at least had tiny scenes of a few of Robb's cavalry tearing through Jaime's camp? It was at night, the scenes wouldn't have to be big at all, they've already scaled down a lot in this series, could have done the same again easily.
It bodes ill for the plentiful battle scenes to come in the series D: (and there are PLENTY, and bigger too!)

Still love the series, though. The scenes with Varys and Ned were good writing.

Shjade

Didn't mind the Whispering Woods skirmish being skipped over since it was in the books as well - that bit's from Cate's point of view at a safe distance, isn't it? But changing Tyrion's bit from oh-god-what-am-I-doing-here-AAAH-KNIGHT-GET-AWAY-AXE-I-CHOOSE-YOU-thank-god-we-won to lolhammerface was kinda :|
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Ramael

Agreed. Admittedly, it was still-in character, and pretty funny, but it does kinda make Tyrion a little more impotent than he needs to be already. Unless they're saving any dwarf-awesome (I'm going to call this Dwawesome) for...you know...THAT battle, later on.

Yeah, but in the book we do get a recapping of events from the guys who were at the Whispering Woods. We'll get a verbal retelling of that next episode, and brief at that, doubt we'll get any visual flashback treats. Pout.

Craz

I was sorta ticked at the whole fact that they missed that scene and skipped to the end.

But Shae! Holy crap, I'm in love with Shae. Totally not how I imagined, but wow! She's awesome!

Shjade

Yeah, they really classed her up from how I pictured her in the books, but in a good way. I had to make a TVTropes entry for her first scene's mathematician's answer. ;p
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Lilias

All these budgeting issues make me:

1. Wonder how they're going to show the you-know-whats right at the end, fearing there will be some really ropy CGI involved, and

2. Rubbing my hands in anticipation of the better conditions of Season 2. As long as the scripting doesn't grow complacent, that is.
To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.
~Wendell Berry

Double Os <> Double As (updated Feb 20) <> The Hoard <> 50 Tales 2024 <> The Lab <> ELLUIKI

Ramael

Yeah...second seasons usually get more budget...can't see how they'd naff anything up if they keep the same writers, George himself is obviously going to stay on as exec producer, and they obviously have the original script to work from. So.

I think the biggest problem for the second season is how they're going to advertise it without using Sean Bean's face, especially over here in the UK where he's adored (by half the country at least).

Lilias

Quote from: Ramael on June 14, 2011, 05:07:21 PM
I think the biggest problem for the second season is how they're going to advertise it without using Sean Bean's face, especially over here in the UK where he's adored (by half the country at least).

I haven't read A Clash of Kings yet (though I plan to, long before the show restarts), but I can speculate there's at least one slot for someone new and very big and popular to be cast?
To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.
~Wendell Berry

Double Os <> Double As (updated Feb 20) <> The Hoard <> 50 Tales 2024 <> The Lab <> ELLUIKI

Shjade

Possible, but he doesn't get nearly as much screen time as Ned did.
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