HBO's Game of Thrones Season Two [SPOILERS for EVERYTHING ASOIAF!!]

[Luya Sevrein]

I think my real problem with the book-to-TV adaption is the actual story. The way George writes is very realistic - two people have an amazing relasionship or dynamic? So what? One could die like snap, or move away, and no more story for them. Someone deserves revenge against a specific other? So what? It's war, that 'other' probably died in a random battle. It's very... disjointed, and not continuous, but this is on purpose, I think.

However, I don't know how well it translates for people who haven't read the books and just see this as a piece of television. Stories seem to come and go all without point. I think many people were expecting Blackwater to change something more. Stories do not get resolved instantly, or at all for that matter, and it seems as if the Starks are just getting ruthlessly screwed over.

[KatG]

Well, definitely the t.v. series is not going to provide as much back story and connection material as the books. Most of the prophecy material, for instance, that gives the events in the books a lot of richness as you hook things together, has been jettisoned by the t.v. series which doesn't want to give viewers clues about things that will be happening or might be happening, and doesn't want viewers having to remember all these different prophecies, which in the book are in writing, often get repeated and can be re-looked up easily. Additions to round out main character pov's have been largely more standard conversations, although I think they've kept to the spirit of Martin's work.

But I do think at this point viewers are getting used to the show's dynamic. The sexposition stuff went over very well and Ned's death let them know that main characters may unexpectedly die. And the main point of the story -- that everything is returning -- war, dragons, zombies and Others, winter and endless night, wilding invasions on a large scale, Targaryens, various types of magics, eventually the First Folk and such -- is fairly clear, I think. I think for the book folk, it can actually be harder, because we know when the story is changing, when characters have been altered, etc., and we tend to judge scenes based on what we think of those changes (or at least I find myself doing this.) Non-book viewers have to keep track of more stuff, but they also just get to enjoy all the surprises and get caught up in what happens on screen maybe more fully.

[TooNice]

I watched all of season 2 again. Loved it. The show works so much better that way, rather than waiting every week for the next episode.

[kged]

As this especially dreary Monday drags on, I feel it weighing on me more and more heavily; there is no Game of Thrones episode to look forward to tonight.

Tonight is dull, and full of tedium.

[AuntiePam]

Tonight is dull, and full of tedium.

I feel your pain. I'm re-reading. It helps, but it won't keep me going until season three.

[TooNice]

[Evil Agent]

As this especially dreary Monday drags on, I feel it weighing on me more and more heavily; there is no Game of Thrones episode to look forward to tonight.

Tonight is dull, and full of tedium.

I watched all of season 2 again. Loved it. The show works so much better that way, rather than waiting every week for the next episode.

I've started re-watching Season 1. It's even better now, after having just watched Season 2. Lots of details, dialogue, and foreshadowing that seems to have more weight now, knowing what comes afterwards.

I'm also re-reading ADWD, to deal with this withdrawal.

[AuntiePam]

I'm also re-reading ADWD, to deal with this withdrawal.

Me too, but I'm re-reading by POV, first Tyrion, then Jaime, Catelyn next. I wouldn't want to read the books this way the first time though. But so far, it's helping me get a better handle on the characters and why they do what they do.

[kged]

Damn it, another Monday with no new GoT episode. I lent my s1 DVDs to a friend who was going on holiday to the Lakes, and wanted something to watch in case the weather turned bad (as it certainly did); on reflection I've decided I'd rather have the DVDs than his friendship.

[JangoLee]

Am I the only person that dislikes GRRM's books? I dislike his writing style, but sort of got excited about The Game of Thrones series. Then I sat down to watch it and thought, "Are you kidding me?". A bunch of incest and lame dialogue. "The winter is coming." Oh my, how significant. In the first episode there were two or three instances of guys doing naughty things with their sisters, and just when I thought it could not get more stupid..... enter the whatever tribe. The tribal leader is the same guy who helped make Conan into a punch line, and his guys are running around raping women in the dirt like a twisted version of some circus act. I could not even make it through one episode.
Am I the only one here who did not like it?

[saintjon]

You're not the -only- person, you are -one of the only- people here though. Not sure what you want me to tell you, I've loved his stuff since the first time I cracked open A Game of Thrones. Taste is subjective man. I will suggest to you that if you lived somewhere where winter lasted 6 months let alone 6 years you would probably find its coming pretty significant.

[Evil Agent]

Am I the only person that dislikes GRRM's books? I dislike his writing style, but sort of got excited about The Game of Thrones series. Then I sat down to watch it and thought, "Are you kidding me?". A bunch of incest and lame dialogue. "The winter is coming." Oh my, how significant. In the first episode there were two or three instances of guys doing naughty things with their sisters, and just when I thought it could not get more stupid..... enter the whatever tribe. The tribal leader is the same guy who helped make Conan into a punch line, and his guys are running around raping women in the dirt like a twisted version of some circus act. I could not even make it through one episode. Am I the only one here who did not like it?

You're definitely in the minority. I'm curious what you do like, because I think GRRM is one of the finest authors in the genre.

[Kazz Wylde]

I think HBO is doing an awesome job on my fav series, no doubt. I haven't read Feast yet, but I been burning out the first two seasons on DVD. I keep thinking of questions either I forgot or always wondered. Like Rickon, is he ever gonna be a major player, its like George kind of forgot about him or something to me, cause all the Stark kids have major roles.