Game of Thrones

SunCoastSooner · Post by **SunCoastSooner** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 5:32 pm

How many of you have been watching this on HBO and how many of you have also read A Song of Fire and Ice series that Game of Thrones was the first book of by George R. R. Martin? If you haven't read the books, are enjoying just the show in it's own right, and have no intention of reading the books this thread may not be your cup of tea.

As an avid reader of this series since college I have been pretty happy with what HBO has done so far and how well they are at least keeping with the actual story line; I think a lot of that has to do with GRRM's hand being on the strings for the series and he being allowed to make his vision in the books come to life as much as possible. The Castle at the Eyrie was almost exactly as I pictured it in the books with the exception of the moon door in the floor and not as part of the wall but it made for some pretty dramatic scenery within the walls. The Wall in the North was also done very well. Some of the younger characters in the books were made a little older for the show but that is well understandable for numerous reasons but mostly because people not familiar with the books would likely have shit fits about some of the events involving those characters if they were as young as in the books. Tyrion looked a little more menacing in the books but still I think HBO did a good job of casting him.

The only two valid and big issues I have had so far are . . .

The dire wolves of the Stark's kids not being implemented and the dogs are just not working out. They have been almost non-existent except for when Sansa's had to be put down by decree of King Robert. Completely absent from their roles when Bran was attacked and the wights awoke at Castle Black which were intricate parts of the tale. Also they have not even begun to show the connection between the wolves and some of the Stark children which is one of the most significant story lines of the series. I am really hoping that next season and down the line HBO goes CGI with the Stark wolves because dogs that look like wolves are just not going to suffice even closely to the description of what they become and their roles in the events to unfold.

#2 is Catelyn Stark who they seem to be trying to turn into some sort of female heroine for the show instead of the bumbling, whiny, and hateful bitch she is in the books. Her malevolence and hatred to toward Jon Snow as her husbands natural son is only touched on in a single scene during the time at Winterfell and because of that he is completely absent from the feast scene there to make it work when what really was forced on him in the book seemed so much more cruel.

Not a complaint but if you are into both the books and the show I think it has become apparent the season is going to finish with about the last 1/5 of the book Game of Thrones left for the beginning of season two and then move into A Clash of Kings; basically focusing season two on the beginnings of "The War of the Five Kings". I really hope that HBO goes beyond ten episodes a season (at least 15 but more preferably 18 to 20) for future seasons because otherwise it is going to take three or four seasons apiece to do A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords which are both just absolutely massive books.

I'm eagerly awaiting A Dance with Dragons being released on July 12th after too long of a delay since A Feast for Crows came out what seems like forever ago since I was still married when it came out and I read it. GRRM has stated on his website it is the largest of the five books written to date which seems pretty daunting if you are familiar with books two and three.

Bucmonkey · Post by **Bucmonkey** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 6:03 pm

Moby has posted a couple of threads pertaining to this. I had never heard of this book series until he brought it up here in his Game of Thrones thread. Perked my interest enough to give this series a try and it has not disappointed.

Every show that I view is bringing me closer to picking up the books. There seems to be so many story lines that I am imagining HBO will be hard-pressed to give each the full attention they deserve.

I am glad you clarified the dire wolves roles a bit. At the beginning I assumed they would be a major part of the storyline, but they seem to have become somewhat of an afterthought the last several installments.

SunCoastSooner · Post by **SunCoastSooner** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 6:28 pm

Bucmonkey wrote:Moby has posted a couple of threads pertaining to this. I had never heard of this book series until he brought it up here in his Game of Thrones thread. Perked my interest enough to give this series a try and it has not disappointed.

Every show that I view is bringing me closer to picking up the books. There seems to be so many story lines that I am imagining HBO will be hard-pressed to give each the full attention they deserve.

I am glad you clarified the dire wolves roles a bit. At the beginning I assumed they would be a major part of the storyline, but they seem to have become somewhat of an afterthought the last several installments.

I looked for a thread but not closely... my mistake on the glass dick.

SunCoastSooner · Post by **SunCoastSooner** » Fri Jun 10, 2011 6:47 pm

Bucmonkey wrote:Every show that I view is bringing me closer to picking up the books. There seems to be so many story lines that I am imagining HBO will be hard-pressed to give each the full attention they deserve.

I am glad you clarified the dire wolves roles a bit. At the beginning I assumed they would be a major part of the storyline, but they seem to have become somewhat of an afterthought the last several installments.

I would highly recommend the books. GRRM is a very descriptive writer and amazing story teller. I've never been a fan of fantasy books (I had to force myself through Tolkien just to say I had read them) but Martin's series of A Song of Ice and Fire goes well beyond what would be typically considered fantasy novels. It is some what of a magical and fantasy world as you would expect from the genre but the world he creates is deep and the show will never be able to introduce the number of characters that are a part of this world in the books. The series almost has a politik genre, action, war novel feel to it as well and goes much beyond. It isn't Good vs. Evil fantasy, the characters have real and serious depth. As the story unfolds you find yourself both loving and hating many of the characters at the same time. The way he writes the story from the point of view of multiple people really makes you feel like you know the characters and you begin to understand what it is that motivates most of them.

I keep up with the book series and news on line and have for a long time. Many of series' fans are not very happy with the way the dire wolves have been put forth in the story so far and I think it may become more of an issue down the road when they are even more of an intricate part of the story than they are now. HBO needs to rectify this or risk alienating a big part of the audience,

Moby Dick · Post by **Moby Dick** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 2:42 am

the wife..who freaked out when she saw the preview like 2 years ago had be chomping at the bit for the show..isnt too disapointed...altho she is pissed that they made those 2 guys gay. about her only complaint.

i can tell ya...Tyrian and Snow ..as it sits...are prolly my 2 favorite characters.

i keep bugging my wife for details..but she wont spill any beans. The books are on the shelf but i just dont have the extra time to read them. i'm about 2/3 thru the first book...been on it for about 3 months now....

SunCoastSooner · Post by **SunCoastSooner** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 8:02 am

Moby Dick wrote: i can tell ya...Tyrian and Snow ..as it sits...are prolly my 2 favorite characters.

This is the kind of story that if you give details you risk ruining the future . . . Unless you read the the books you don't want the details.

I discussed the "two fags in another thread. I respectfully disagree with your wife . . . they are flamers.

Tyrion is my favorite character in both the show and the books so far.

Bucmonkey · Post by **Bucmonkey** » Sat Jun 11, 2011 11:56 am

Yup, gotta love the Imp.

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 12:26 am

seems like there's a lot of work left to do here in the last two epis.

i haven't read the books, but it's kind of all over the place.

SunCoastSooner · Post by **SunCoastSooner** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 10:31 am

King Crimson wrote:seems like there's a lot of work left to do here in the last two epis.

i haven't read the books, but it's kind of all over the place.

They are going to leave the start of the war for next season . . . mark it.

Moby Dick · Post by **Moby Dick** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 4:48 pm

SunCoastSooner wrote:
King Crimson wrote:seems like there's a lot of work left to do here in the last two epis.

i haven't read the books, but it's kind of all over the place.

They are going to leave the start of the war for next season . . . mark it.

the wife keeps telling me alot of characters you may hate now you grow to start to like and vice versa for other characters.

i can tell ya this tho...Martin has a great way of ending characters' lives in this series...and Drago is a man's man.

i really hope this series doesnt go the way of Rome...2 seasons and gets too expensive to do anymore cause of the locations , sets etc...

SunCoastSooner · Post by **SunCoastSooner** » Sun Jun 12, 2011 5:43 pm

Moby Dick wrote:
SunCoastSooner wrote:
King Crimson wrote:seems like there's a lot of work left to do here in the last two epis.

i haven't read the books, but it's kind of all over the place.

They are going to leave the start of the war for next season . . . mark it.

the wife keeps telling me alot of characters you may hate now you grow to start to like and vice versa for other characters.

i can tell ya this tho...Martin has a great way of ending characters' lives in this series...and Drago is a man's man.

i really hope this series doesnt go the way of Rome...2 seasons and gets too expensive to do anymore cause of the locations , sets etc...

Rome was only intended to be a one season affair from the beginning; they only even had a second season because of the out cry and demand for it. They are already exceeding 2.8 million viewers a show and has the highest average viewership than any show HBO has ever done in the first season so I think it is pretty safe.

Your wife is right about loving and hating some of the characters in the books but I think it will be more difficult to translate that into on film as well because of the limits it poses as compared to writing and description in a book.

SunCoastSooner · Post by **SunCoastSooner** » Mon Jun 13, 2011 2:17 am

I have to say that tonight's episode was the first that disappointed me (even though it was awesome in its own right if I hadn't read the books), actually it pissed me off a great deal . . .

First off not a single moment shown of "The Battle of Whispering Pines". But even more than that they made Tyrion a complete pussy who gets knocked out before the battle? WTF!?!? In the book the battle consumes at least twenty plus pages of complete fucking awesomeness. Tyrion gives a rousing speech, turns out to be an excellent commander who does so well commanding the vanguard and the troops directly under his command that he actually screws up Lord Tywin's plan for the battle even though he carries the day! But beyond that he certainly wasn't a personal pussy and actually uses his wits to capture a knight after being unhorsed in the thick of battle! Not a single fucking moment of Bronn getting hessian and totally skull fucking the first wave of Stark spear men! Not one single moment of it!!!

Not a single moment of "The Battle of the Three Camps" and once again Robb's dire wolf gets ass fucked from the script. No wolf ripping Lannister men to shreds. No Jaime going bucknuts and tearing through mother fuckers. No Robb getting buck wild and starting to show himself a young warrior. None of it!!!

I swear on everything holy if down the line HBO ass fucks the other major battles, especially "The Battle of Blackwater Bay" (which is the one thing I am most anticipating from the show someday) I hope the HBO execs pulling the purse strings on the show die of ghanasyphaherpaclap!!!

Moby Dick · Post by **Moby Dick** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 12:59 am

just caught the episode.

I WILL be reading these books asap.

can't wait for some Stark payback (HOPEFULLY..the wife aint sayin' shit other than "read the books")

Bucmonkey · Post by **Bucmonkey** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 10:12 am

Yup, that last episode as well as Suncoast's rant has pushed me into picking up at least the first book. I must admit I was floored with Ned's beheading, figured he was going to be a major player throughout this storyline.

Moby Dick · Post by **Moby Dick** » Thu Jun 16, 2011 11:04 pm

Bucmonkey wrote:Yup, that last episode as well as Suncoast's rant has pushed me into picking up at least the first book. I must admit I was floored with Ned's beheading, figured he was going to be a major player throughout this storyline.

i've been told to be prepared for more suprises... :idea:

SunCoastSooner · Post by **SunCoastSooner** » Fri Jun 17, 2011 1:19 am

Moby Dick wrote:
Bucmonkey wrote:Yup, that last episode as well as Suncoast's rant has pushed me into picking up at least the first book. I must admit I was floored with Ned's beheading, figured he was going to be a major player throughout this storyline.
i've been told to be prepared for more suprises... :idea:

Next week and almost every next season I would expect some sort of "surprise". The story picks up pace from here on out.

HBO has confirmed that A Clash of Kings is going to be split into two seasons with GRRM writing the season finale for season Two set to be Blackwater. Season three will finish out the second book.

Moby Dick · Post by **Moby Dick** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 10:49 pm

Looks like Stephen Dillane will be playing the role of Stannis.

Even tho Gerard Butler came really close to playing him. ( would have loved to have seen him play the role instead).

SunCoastSooner · Post by **SunCoastSooner** » Sun Jul 24, 2011 10:44 pm

Moby Dick wrote:Looks like Stephen Dillane will be playing the role of Stannis.

Even tho Gerard Butler came really close to playing him. ( would have loved to have seen him play the role instead).

I like him in the role although I will admit that I could picture Gerald Butler fitting the character better for the way I have always imagined him the books. Stannis and Renly were very similar looking to each other in turn very similar to what King Robert looked when he was younger. I still feel they made Renly look a little week as far as the choice of person playing the character.

SunCoastSooner · Post by **SunCoastSooner** » Sun Jul 24, 2011 10:49 pm

Oh, and Brienne of Tarth has been cast as well; Gwendoline Christie.

PSUFAN · Post by **PSUFAN** » Fri Aug 12, 2011 8:58 pm

I enjoyed the season, and so I have been reading the books on my Kindle.

mvscal · Post by **mvscal** » Mon May 07, 2012 10:51 pm

SunCoastSooner wrote:I still feel they made Renly look a little week as far as the choice of person playing the character.

Renly was weak as well as vain and stupid. The only good call he made was to bail out of King's Landing when Ned Stark refused to seize Jamie's bastard brood.

My biggest complaint are the costumes. Everything is so muted, drab and colorless. Heraldry is an important aspect in books that has been totally ignored in the series.

mvscal · Post by **mvscal** » Sat May 19, 2012 1:09 am

KC Scott wrote:
mvscal wrote: My biggest complaint are the costumes. Everything is so muted, drab and colorless. Heraldry is an important aspect in books that has been totally ignored in the series.

Seriously?

Yes, seriously. Obviously you haven't read the books and are completely ignorant of the medieval history on which they're based. Heraldry was of immense social consequence in medieval society. Their colors and sigils were prominently displayed on their arms and in the clothing they wore. This point was constantly emphasized throughout the series.

Carson · Post by **Carson** » Sat May 26, 2012 6:25 pm

I don't have HBO but I caught this show while staying in a motel this past week.

Watched a ren faire midget talking to a woman about how much pussy he gets.

Looks like I haven't missed anything here.

mvscal · Post by **mvscal** » Wed May 30, 2012 10:39 pm

Carson wrote:Watched a ren faire midget talking to a woman about how much pussy he gets.

Well he's a rich midget from a wealthy, politically connected noble family so whoremongering is his favorite past time. Sorta like if Zyclone was a Kennedy...only much smarter.

PSUFAN · Post by **PSUFAN** » Fri Jun 01, 2012 8:57 pm

Really, it would be best if someone took over for George R. R. Martin and wrote the heck out of this story. Prolific...he is not.

Moby Dick · Post by **Moby Dick** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 12:53 pm

"Fuck the King's Guard, Fuck the Kingdom....and Fuck the King"

Moby Dick · Post by **Moby Dick** » Mon Jun 04, 2012 2:17 am

White Walkers marching on the wall?

pretty epoch

mvscal · Post by **mvscal** » Fri Jun 08, 2012 5:41 pm

KC Scott wrote:was hoping they would be Yetti instead of zombies

The Walkers themselves aren't zombies. They make them but they are something else. The giants should be yeti-like, though.

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Tue Jun 12, 2012 10:22 pm

PSUFAN wrote:Really, it would be best if someone took over for George R. R. Martin and wrote the heck out of this story. Prolific...he is not.

He just has no idea how to end a story, and probably never will end this one before he kicks off.

Moby Dick · Post by **Moby Dick** » Mon Jun 18, 2012 12:34 pm

Mikey wrote:
PSUFAN wrote:Really, it would be best if someone took over for George R. R. Martin and wrote the heck out of this story. Prolific...he is not.
He just has no idea how to end a story, and probably never will end this one before he kicks off.

apparently he's already discussed how he wants the story to end (tv show wise) with the producers if he does indeed die before the story is told..

Go Coogs' · Post by **Go Coogs'** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 3:38 am

Just watched both seasons over the last few nights. Very good so far, but yeah, the battles are less than stellar. I'm not sure if that's a budget issue or the director isn't all that good with directing battles. Prolly a little of both. I'm going to pick up the books now based on what y'all are saying.

Overall, one of the better series on TV. Lots of tits and ass...which is always TV gold.

PSUFAN · Post by **PSUFAN** » Fri Sep 14, 2012 6:42 pm

Mikey wrote:
PSUFAN wrote:Really, it would be best if someone took over for George R. R. Martin and wrote the heck out of this story. Prolific...he is not.
He just has no idea how to end a story

That, or no interest in doing so. He's a nerdy old fuck who loves it when the internet goes ablaze when he kills off a character that everyone had decided was an immovable story object. He's in this for the glee of saying, "hey - this is my story, and it's going wherever the hell I want it to, when I want it to".

Moby Dick · Post by **Moby Dick** » Sat Mar 30, 2013 9:00 am

Winter is coming tomorrow night mufuckas.

Bucmonkey · Post by **Bucmonkey** » Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:55 am

I picked up the books but never got around to reading them. That said, the ending of Sunday's episode was "pure shock". Never saw that coming, not to mention the brutality. Martin certainly knows how to throw curve balls into his story lines. One thing I have learned for sure, you can not emotionally invest in any character in this series. The hammer can fall at any damn time...and the Starks don't seem to be the brightest bulbs on the tree.

Carson · Post by **Carson** » Sat Jun 08, 2013 12:46 pm

KC Scott wrote:what makes it great is there is no other show like it I can remember where the protagonists are killed off like that

24 had main characters dropping like flies.

jiminphilly · Post by **jiminphilly** » Fri Jun 13, 2014 4:01 pm

Moby Dick · Post by **Moby Dick** » Mon Jun 16, 2014 4:14 am

this series has the best fight scenes period.

Brienne vs The Hound.....fuck yes.

on a side note, GoT has surpased The Sopranos as the highest watched show on HBO. (as of last week)

King Crimson · Post by **King Crimson** » Sat Aug 09, 2014 7:39 pm

so, how many seasons in a row do we have to be threatened with the white walkers for it to ACTUALLY happen? as i recall at the end of season 2, they were shown marching on the wall. that was two seasons ago. wha'happen? they decided to call it off and listen to the guided by voices catalog?

as usual, sucks to be theon greyjoy. and the ironborn, talk a lot but usually getting their ass kicked.

Roger_the_Shrubber · Post by **Roger_the_Shrubber** » Mon Apr 13, 2015 6:45 am

Roasted by fire. Not a good way to go. Snow did him a favor, and it pissed everyone off.

Ask yourself this question:

Who will be the next leader of the Night Watch?

Mances' watch is over.

Yeah, I read all of them, and most of GRRM's other books as well. His prose can be........irritating.

Mikey · Post by **Mikey** » Sun Apr 24, 2016 6:02 pm

http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la ... story.html

'Game of Thrones'? More like waste of time

Thronies.

For those who must live and work among them, the next couple of months will be a challenge. Beginning this Sunday, these loyal subjects will return to Muggleshire, or Rivenmoore or wherever it is that HBO's "Game of Thrones" is supposed to take place. Prepare yourself for loved ones and co-workers shocked, outraged and generally agitated by the imaginary things that happen in this magical land that never existed.

Of all the successes HBO has enjoyed with its hour-long dramas, "Game of Thrones" is perhaps the most surprising. Who could have foreseen that fantasy, a genre that suppresses the horrors of middle school by escaping into the womb of Middle Earth, would emerge as the ratings champion of premium cable? Why have programming executives surrendered Sunday nights to those lost souls you see in the park eating turkey legs and jousting with plywood broadswords?

For those allergic to blood oaths and derring-do, HBO's decision to schedule "Thrones" in the wake of Mick Jagger and Martin Scorsese's "Vinyl" only compounds the humiliation. Just when all the cool kids were getting into grimy nostalgia for '70s sleaze, "Game of Thrones" arrives to rub our noses in the folderol of magic, dragons and pidgin Shakespeare. It's like being at a party where someone rips "Exile On Main Street" off the turntable and forces everyone to play Dungeons and Dragons.

Colliding "Ivanhoe," the War of the Roses, and those skin flicks that play on Cinemax after midnight, "Game of Thrones" is set in a world that has yet to discover antibiotics or the steam engine. If you've always thought pre-Industrial Europe was a quagmire of mud, superstition and syphilis, you might wonder what makes fantasy fans yearn for a time when a person could still die from a nasty tussle with a ferret. Perhaps you've even been tempted to start watching "Game of Thrones" to see what all the fuss is about. Before taking this step, I implore you to first go on-line and study HBO's "Illustrated Guide to Houses and Character Relationships." There you will find a chart of the medieval morass that is the "Game of Thrones" universe (there are also maps to be memorized!). Verily, it will make thou head swimmeth.

Ask yourself this: Is it worth devoting 60 hours of your life to a TV show that features a talking three-eyed raven? The third eye provides said raven the ability to deliver such gems as, "The strongest trees are rooted in the dark places of the earth. Darkness will be your cloak, your shield, your mother's milk. Darkness will make you strong."

Do portentous birds and beasts appeal to you? Why not try spreading some fortune cookies around in your backyard and pretend they are pearls of wisdom bequeathed by Quizzilneck the Engimatic Gopher? That way you'll still have 59 hours free to rotate your tires, clean out the gutters and complete all the various other chores associated with responsible adulthood.

Ask yourself this: Is it worth devoting 60 hours of your life to a TV show that features a talking three-eyed raven?
Why are fans of fantasy so obsessed with memorizing complex family trees and mapping imaginary realms? Why do Trekkies go nuts if a Romulan appears someplace a Romulan should not yet appear? No doubt child psychologists would attribute this impulse to adolescent mastery. When confronted with the terrors, mysteries and near certain humiliations looming in high school, the ability to locate every turbo-lift on the Enterprise can be a great comfort. The trouble is that attachment to fantasy, superheroes and shoot 'em up science-fiction no longer ends at graduation.

Hollywood has been working a long time to herd everyone toward the more predictable tastes of a 14-year-old boy — "Star Wars," "Star Trek," "Lord of the Rings," "Harry Potter" and the ongoing plague of super-fantastic-avenging-iron-bat-X-people-movies. "Thrones" only assists Hollywood in further emulating the corporate strategies of Coke and Camel — hook kids when they are young and trap them in a lifetime of addictive regression.

Last year, when Disney debuted the first of its new "Star Wars" titles, several retailers ran ads based on a common theme. Parent and child return from the store, hand-in-hand, carrying freshly-minted "Star Wars" merchandise. The spots were overtly warm and fuzzy — families bonding over their corporately managed imaginations and traditions. But, to a thinking person, these ads should be a call to action. They might even rate a call to child protective services.

Popular culture was meant to be momentarily distracting and entirely disposable, not a cult handed down from parent to child to grandchild and beyond. We already live in a world where there's a company making "Star Trek" diapers and another making "Star Trek" coffins. How many more generations must we lose to this nonsense?

No, what we really need are more TV shows about zombies. Unlike fantasy, zombie shows actually provide a valuable public service.

Most of us recognize the high probability that a radioactive asteroid or a germ-soaked lab monkey will one day plunge the earth into the chaos of the undead. When that day comes, wizards and warlocks won't save us, nor should we want them to. It's the 21st century, after all. God willing, humans will never again live in awe of kings, mythical beasts or Oxbridge accents.

Zombie television teaches audiences the practical skills that will be needed if and when modern civilization actually evaporates. When the brain-sucking ghouls are at our doors, Thronies can invoke their spells, amulets and meaningless appeals to feudal honor. Viewers of zombie fare, meanwhile, will know how to siphon gasoline, make a Molotov cocktail and effectively herd the undead toward a giant pit of quicksand.

On the off chance that winter is coming, daydreaming about Puff the Magic Dragon will not help you. But knowing how to loot a zombie-infested supermarket just might save your life.

Plan your viewing accordingly.