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

[Loerwyn]

I had problems with this episode too, but for different reasons. If anyone was noticing my Twitter feed, I moaned about the sex in it. Three times in one episode - really, HBO? Really?! That's not counting the oral scenes or anything else, that's just the full on "proper" sex. Ew, icky.

Yara seemed cool, but... that horseback scene didn't sit well with me, to be honest.

Still not convinced about Emilia Clarke, either. I just don't find her convincing in any way, shape or form. At all. Ever. In a way, I guess it's like she's a woman playing a girl's role, and it just doesn't work for me.

What I did like, however, was Tyrion (again). I think we're seeing a much more human side of him now, especially in this episode. He's not honourable like Ned, but... it seems to me that he's perhaps the least evil of the lot. The baby-killing thing doesn't sit well with him at all, even when it's his best buddy (whose name I don't know).

Arya is pretty good, too, and I liked the scene with the blacksmith, although from my view point, some of the gender stuff just didn't sit well with me and made me a little uncomfortable.

Hopefully we'll see Brienne soon. I need a woman to root for, and hopefully she'll be it.

[Palfrey]

That was the worst episode of of both seasons so far. Salador Saan was unconvincing and completely un-Braavosi-like. I'll bet you people who haven't read the books don't realize he comes from the same place as Syrio. They are spending far too much time in Littlefinger's brothel: Lots of sex goes on there - we get it. Baelish is a jerk in many ways - we get it! My memory of the books is fuzzy at this point, but it doesn't seem like they're advancing Jon's and Dany's story lines fast enough either.

[kged]

That was amongst the best episodes of both seasons so far. Salladhor Saan was acted with real swagger and bravado, as he should be, just as Syrio Forel was. And I have little doubt that the scene in the brothel was mainly there to further establish Ros as a serious character for this season; one of the s1 DVD commentaries said the writers have big plans for her, and I await future developments with much interest. And although I don't share the American puritanism often displayed in this forum and have no qualms at all about sex scenes, even I thought the wiping of that girl's mouth was a bit much. Not necessary, by this stage.

Still very unconvinced by the portrayal of King Stannis. So far he is not at all as I'd envisioned him. I can only think the writers have changed his character from the iron-hard autocrat to a rather dismal petulant fool. We'll see where that goes, but I'm not really happy with that.

Apparently Shireen has been airbrushed out of existence, interestingly. I wonder if that was because they knew there is no actor in the world who could play Patchface without seeming entirely ridiculous? I'm not sorry to see him get dropped from the show (oh, oh) - he's pretty much Jar Jar Binks in Westeros as far as I'm concerned. A ludicrous character altogether.

Davos is outstanding, and the lad playing his son did rather well too. "Yara" doesn't look quite right for my mind's eye but acts the part very nicely, as does Patrick Malahide as Balon. The neat exposition of the meaning of the Iron Price was deftly done.

Even though I knew what was coming, I was genuinely saddened at that moment when Cersei showed some vulnerability in front of her brother ("It's all fallen on me") and he just couldn't resist sticking the knife in. I was aching for him to reach out to her then, monstrous as she is. I guess that can be put down to the quality of their performances.

And for the second week running, a direwolf shot that made me exclaim out loud. All fears on that score are now extinguished.

[suciul]

I was also a little mixed about episode 2 (and episode 1 to some extent though there the excitement of the new season muted that); thinking a little more why, I arrived at the conclusion that the TV series started moving away significantly from the books in spirit even if not yet considerably in action (though noticeably like in Bronn's new position or the Cersei vs Littlefinger confrontation which makes

his later actions less of a shock than in the books when he seemed the happy power climber on the Lannister bandwagon

Taken on their own and aside from the books, both episodes 1 and 2 had great stuff and while there was a little over the top in this or that, the characters, dialogue, action... were all excellent but they have been becoming more and more modern in feel

[Loerwyn]

Even though I knew what was coming, I was genuinely saddened at that moment when Cersei showed some vulnerability in front of her brother ("It's all fallen on me") and he just couldn't resist sticking the knife in. I was aching for him to reach out to her then, monstrous as she is. I guess that can be put down to the quality of their performances.

I wasn't. She's a horrible, horrible person. I'm not a huge fan of the actress, either. Some minutes she's absolutely brilliant, other minutes she basically stands around looking like a fish out of water, and it kinda takes me out of it.

[Luya Sevrein]

I am loving the Gendry/Arya/Yoren scenes, though I'd like them a bit more fleshed out. Yoren telling her to go into the woods to piss, and the wolves surrounding her but not attacking her. Them all trying to sleep listening to howls. Y'know? On the road~ stuff. Because in the promo, it looks like some fighting goes down next week.

Yara/Asha seems all right to me. I'm unsure if she commands enough of a prescence. She seems more subtley smug than Graghsghsghg axe lady.

I actually like Dany. She's nothing specail, but then I never believed Dany was anyway. She seems to have improved acting wise, and is reflecting a much more quiet, bitter outlook.

I also don't mind the sex scenes. Sex happens in life. People always complain about sex happening, yet not gore? Not torture? Is it some high-brow thing? Oh well. Spartacus did the same; but much more, and that still is one of the best written shows out in my opinion. Sex doesn't take away, it just doesn't really give either.

I'm also kind of sad to find that the person who wrote my favourite episodes from last season, such as 'A Golden Crown,' isn't writing any this season. : ( I recently watched all of Season 1 again for my friend, and by the time we got to Episode 1 of Season 2 I found it to be my least enjoyable. Too much talky-talky. But two I did enjoy. : D

Salladhor! Loved that guy.

[Luya Sevrein]

And I have little doubt that the scene in the brothel was mainly there to further establish Ros as a serious character for this season; one of the s1 DVD commentaries said the writers have big plans for her, and I await future developments with much interest.

Ros is a serious character? I thought she was an exposition sponge/character development tool? Uh, that makes me uneasy.

In one way, George would have Okay'd it, so... Can't be so bad, but in another way, you know... You wrote your story, George, live by it. If you don't like what you've wrote now, tough, you've already put it out to the world and now it exists in public domain. I don't like these axings and additions.

But maybe they are doing an Alton Lannister on her and making her another character. Is she too young to be Tansy, if that woman was ever inportant? I said a funny post on tumblr. about her being;

Jon's mother,
Princess Rhaeneys, the true heir.
Quarthe unmasked,
Azor Ahai reborn,
Tysha,
Nymeria Sand,
etc etc.

[Loerwyn]

I also don't mind the sex scenes. Sex happens in life. People always complain about sex happening, yet not gore? Not torture? Is it some high-brow thing?

But the sex scenes aren't good. The violence works because it kinda makes sense and looks good in context.

The sex scenes are just... gross. That one with Chinfluff and the girl on the boat? That was just vile. And then there was the horse scene, which was just... ugh.

Maybe I'm getting prudish in my old age. She says. After putting down Crystal Singer, Friday, the first Valor book, Take Back Plenty and numerous other books because of the sex in them.

[kged]

That one with Chinfluff and the girl on the boat? That was just vile.

It's meant to be though, isn't it? It's there to show Theon as the unmitigated scrote he is. His callousness towards that hapless girl was all part of the build-up to his self-imagined grand homecoming as the long-lost hero of the mad bad Ironborn. Him giving himself such airs, being so disdainful of her, throws the apathetic reception he actually gets in harbour into even sharper relief.

[Loerwyn]

I understand that aspect, in that it's meant to show he'll put his *cough* in anything that moves, but I just... didn't like any sexual scene with him in.

[Evil Agent]

The sex scenes are just... gross. That one with Chinfluff and the girl on the boat? That was just vile. And then there was the horse scene, which was just... ugh.

Both those scenes are pretty much STRAIGHT from the book, and both are important to Theon's character development.

I don't understand the complaints at all...

[Loerwyn]

I don't think it matters whether they're straight from the book, especially considering it's not the book.

Some of us are a bit finnicky when it comes to sex. When you have a chinfluffy guy with bad sex acting and bad sex talk in one scene and some really... questionable actions in the next scene, it's not generally going to sit well with us.

[Evil Agent]

I don't think it matters whether they're straight from the book, especially considering it's not the book.

Some of us are a bit finnicky when it comes to sex. When you have a chinfluffy guy with bad sex acting and bad sex talk in one scene and some really... questionable actions in the next scene, it's not generally going to sit well with us.

Ok, but I just don't understand your position at all. Sounds like your own personal issues with sexual content. The scenes were just fine, IMO, and there would have been a lot more outrage had they been cut (considering, as I said, that they're straight from the book). Also, the sex scenes are supposed to be disturbing, both in the book and the show. You're not supposed to "like" it. The books contain graphic sexual content, as do most HBO shows, so I'm not sure what you were expecting...

I think this is related to the larger general issue of North American (and maybe UK?) audiences having strange hang ups about sexual content, and yet no problem with extremely disturbing violence. Very bizarre, IMO.

[Werthead]

HBO has renewed GAME OF THRONES for a third season, to air in the Spring of 2013. At the moment it sounds likes the season will again consist of 10 episodes, although HBO has not officially confirmed this. However, in recent interviews the producers have said they cannot make more than 10 episodes a season without a substantial increase in budget and time, so it seems unlikely it will be more than this.

Season 3 will cover approximately the first one-half to two-thirds of A STORM OF SWORDS, the third novel in the SONG OF ICE AND FIRE sequence. The novel is too long (half again the length of the first) to be adapted into one season. According to the producers, they plan to culminate the season with an event code-named 'RW' (book readers should work this out immediately).

David Benioff and D.B. Weiss are returning to produce and co-write most of the season. George R.R. Martin should be contributing one episode as usual. It's too early to talk about casting, but major roles debuting in Season 3 should include Oberyn Martell, Mance Rayder and Tormund Giantsbane, as well as the delayed Edmure and Hoster Tully (and possibly the Blackfish). Production should resume in Belfast (and presumably Dubrovnik and Iceland) in June or July this year.

Ros is a serious character? I thought she was an exposition sponge/character development tool? Uh, that makes me uneasy.

In one way, George would have Okay'd it, so... Can't be so bad, but in another way, you know... You wrote your story, George, live by it. If you don't like what you've wrote now, tough, you've already put it out to the world and now it exists in public domain. I don't like these axings and additions.

George doesn't 'okay' anything. The producers sometimes ask his opinion on things and will either listen to him or ignore him. However, he doesn't have any real power or say over the day-to-day operation of the show. He isn't a showrunner or executive producer.

This is something that needs to be clearly understood. A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE is George R.R. Martin's baby and the thing he has total control and authority over. GAME OF THRONES, the HBO TV series, is controlled and run by David Benioff and Dan Weiss. GRRM is an advisor, at best, on that show and has an option to write an episode a season (which Benioff and Weiss will rewrite a lot of anyway). That's pretty much it.

There's been several changes already that GRRM has disagreed with and said as much to the producers - Marillion's mutilation and Mago's death in Season 1 immediately come to mind - but hasn't been listened to. Ros's character arc is a total invention of Benioff and Weiss. I believe the only thing that GRRM was consulted on was possibly her name (since he didn't like the term 'red-headed whore' in the script and asked to give her a name).

[Palfrey]

Alright, I think I had that wrong and Saan is actually from Lys. I maintain my point on his manner of speaking though.

And I agree that Theon's sex scene had a point. The brothel scenes I certainly hope will have a point at some point. How many times can you say point in a post?