This is a thread for discussion of HBO's epic fantasy series, Game of Thrones.
This thread is primarily for people who have NOT read the books. Discussion of episodes, characters, etc. should be based on the series as it airs, avoiding any book spoilers (or, if that's impossible, using spoiler tags to hide them... but try to avoid them altogether).
Episode 1 - Winter is Coming...
(For the EXTREME-SPOILER THREAD, CLICK HERE.)
Last edited by Evil Agent; April 15th, 2011 at 06:15 PM.
As a big fan of the books, I LOVED the first episode... but I can't help thinking that some newbies might be confused. There was a TON of exposition (nearly every line of dialogue was crucially important). Hopefully people stick with it for a few episodes, and give everything a chance to sink in!
I liked it. I didn't think it was excellent. It did not meet my expectations, however i did have very high expectations. Maybe my expectations were to high. I am worried how well non fantasy fans will take to it. I'm glad they'll follow the basic plot and not pull a Legend of the Seeker on us.
The start of GoT was slow even in the book. It does pick up.
I, too, loved the first episode.Originally Posted by Evil Agent
I thought the music was absolutely stunning, the cinematography was brilliant and most of the acting was absolutely superb. Emilia Clarke was nothing short of mind-blowing in her role. She managed to create a natural 'stiffness' in her character which shows her... Perhaps distrust of her brother? He's an arse, and brilliantly played too.
However, I do have a few questions.
1. So, we have two incestuous relationships, right? I'm guessing the one we saw at the end is rather consensual, whereas the other isn't.
2. WHERE WERE CORVUS CORAX?!
3. Why on Earth did the credits go so fast? I couldn't read a thing.
4. Anyone else reminded of Victor Meldrew when Tyrion shouted "Close the door!"?
Two incestuous relationships? As in Dany and Viserys being the first? No, there's no incest there. (Unless you consider a guy undressing his sister incestuous even though they never make the hanky panky or any other such thing. I guess you could call that incestuous, but at this point it's mostly just him exercising power over her.) It's just, ah, Viserys is weird.
I hope you don't view that as a spoiler, but it's pretty important that you understand Viserys has controlled Dany her whole life and she's terrified of him (which didn't really come across in the show). That's their relationship. It's weird, but not incestuous... though the Targaryens do have a history of marrying brother to sister.
The incest vibe from the Targaryen siblings comes from the fact that the Targaryens traditionally wed brother to sister, in order to preserve their pure bloodlines. These two are not really incestuous, though. Viserys is just very, very creepy.
Well, at that point in the show, it did look like he was perhaps getting too much out of undressing her.
I'll disagree, though, as I felt Dany looked rather scared/worried throughout the whole episode.
Have to say first and foremost i dl'd because im from australia and itll be a long time if ever before it comes out here.
Whilst i had a few issues with the show overall i was very happy and satisfied obviously my biggest gripe is you can never do a book justice with movies/tv.
Bu the other issues were minor i thought the head at the start looked a bit too fake 2nd beheading was better. Last was Catilyn (sp??) Stark is too old.
But other than everything else was awesome brought back everything from what i enjoyed in the book Jon snow is is once again my favourite thought Ayria is going be awesome.
Dany Hot as **** and boobs we're top notch sure to draw in more veiwers
Another excellent episode!
That said, I'm really not convinced about the guy who's playing Jon Snow. My mum remarked that he can't ride well, and I felt the scene where he talked to... Uh... Incestuous Lannister Bloke was terrible. All he did was stand there looking ridiculously gormless. On the contrary, I think Peter Dinklage is absolutely superb and really showed Jon Snow Guy up during the scene with him reading.
And that brings me onto the Dire Wolves. The dogs they've used are very good with expressions, and I will admit that when Arya told hers to get socks and it didn't, I giggled quite a bit. Whilst they can be vicious, they don't half look stupid at timesI don't exactly buy them as wolves, but I can accept them as I understand compromises would have to be made in that department, especially with the number of child actors around.
One thing I noticed was that Daenerys' maid seemed to get a bit too into the smexy scene, and I'm wondering if she's developing a thing for her. But Daenerys herself is quite the character, even if I'm a little unsure of Clarke's acting. It's clear where it's going with her and Mr Buff Backside, but I'm curious as to whether it's Stockholm Syndrome, her seeing no way out of it and bending to both his and her brother's will, or if she is actually going to fall for him.
Oh, and thanks to Werthead retweeting something, we have a .gif of the best scene:
Slower paced episode this time, and I think it worked well.
Arya's first sword lesson was pretty damn funny, and both me and my mum chuckled when Arya repeated Jon's advice to Ned. I can't help but feel her lines feel a little cooked, though. She seems a little too witty, if that makes sense? I'm also curious as to why Ned Stark look worried at the end - Is it because he realises just how much danger Arya is in, or is it because he begins to realise that she could actually be killed?
Daenerys is a bit of an odd one, in my opinion. I can't tell if she's doing her best to help her brother, or if she's turning her back on him. It seemed, from this episode, that she's moving (And quite quickly, I might add) over to Drogo's side, and away from her brother. Maybe it's because Drogo can protect her from him, and his inappropriate touches, looks and even his ideas?
Catelyn Stark is probably my favourite female character at this point, and not just because she's kinda pretty, but she's a strong, clever woman and I've little doubt that she kicks backside when she needs to.
And now, to the criticisms:
1. The time span. Two months (At the very least) in three episodes, yet barely any indication that such time has passed.
2. Kit Harrington. I'm really not sure about him as Jon. I don't know what Jon's like in the books, but I don't really think much of Kit. He stands around looking gormless too much.
3. Not enough shots of Tyrion slapping Joffrey.
4. Where'd the dire wolves go?
Oh, and nice work, Sky Atlantic. Warning me about sex and excessive violence before the episode airs... Except, besides the language, the most 'upsetting' thing would be Tyrion taking a leak (Big bladder for such a small guy, huh?).
Funny as it is, I'm not sure we can leave the slapping montage up and running. I'll check.
He's supposed to be gormless. Jaimie humiliates him. It is because Jon feels a useless, gormless outcast that he goes to the Wall. There he finds it very different from what he expected. But Tyrion points out that the criminals are just young guys who are outcast like him. And so Jon begins to learn how to be their leader, as his father has also been teaching him. Tyrion is much older than the sixteen-year-old Jon, much better used to dealing with abuse and in a better position in a more powerful noble family. He uses sarcasm as a weapon. Jon will not use sarcasm as a weapon; he stays more moody.All he did was stand there looking ridiculously gormless.
They're baby wolves. Dire wolves when fully grown are much, much bigger than normal wolves. So for now they're using Inuit dogs. I imagine they may need to attempt CGI later.I don't exactly buy them as wolves,
This is sort of the problem with the big changes that they make from the book. I still don't get why they made that first change as it made things much less dramatic.I'm curious as to whether it's Stockholm Syndrome, her seeing no way out of it and bending to both his and her brother's will, or if she is actually going to fall for him.
Both. Ned has discovered that the kingdom is broke and that the Lannisters probably tried to kill his son. All of his children are in danger and he doesn't know what the future is going to be. It's a loss of innocence.Is it because he realises just how much danger Arya is in, or is it because he begins to realise that she could actually be killed?
Viserys treats Danys as a tool, worth nothing to him. The Dorathki and the exiled knight treat Danys as their queen, as someone of worth. It's not so much that they'll protect her as that she's learning to be a leader, like Jon, to know her own strength, and so is moving away from her brother. Leadership is a big theme in the books.Maybe it's because Drogo can protect her from him, and his inappropriate touches, looks and even his ideas?
They'll use them as little as they have to, I'd imagine, but they'll pop up again.Where'd the dire wolves go?
Thanks for the answers, Kat. They're much appreciated.
Episode 4 was pretty good. I felt it focused less on the sex and in-fighting, and more on developing the characters and the background to the politics, as well as giving greater depth to Westeros as a whole. Oh, I think this episode had the most number of laughs and cheers from me.
The new characters seem pretty interesting. I'm wondering what'll happen to Sam, if he'll be literary fodder or if he'll rise above his physical and mental 'issues' (Size, lack of confidence etc) and be a capable man of the Black. The Mountain seemed pretty literal in that he was like a mountain on a horse. Would be interested to see how he compares physically to the other cast members.
I'm getting the impression that Game of Thrones (And ASoIaF as a whole) is less about politics and more about people. The 'politics' depends on who likes who, rather than what I'd consider being politics. It's like less about running a kingdom and more about being the head bully in the playground, but instead of lunchmoney and homophobic taunts, we're talking lives and much bigger stakes.
The Mountain is 8 feet tall in the books, but the actor (Conan Stevens) is a little over 7 feet tall. I haven't watched the episode just yet, but hopefully at some point we see him standing next to someone of average height.
This thread doesn't have much activity so far, but I'm interested in the non-reader perspective. What do you think about the backstory and exposition so far? Is it confusing? Is there too much of it? It seems as though some of the readers think non-readers will be confused, but that hasn't been my experience.
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