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Game of Thrones [HBO & Sky Atlantic] **Spoilers** (Read Warning Post #1)

  • 14-05-2010 8:48am
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 43,759 ✭✭✭✭Basq


    This thread shall be used to discuss the Game of Thrones TV series as it airs on HBO & Sky Atlantic.

    Since HBO shows it roughly 24 hours before Sky Atlantic, you are warned that from late Sunday night / early Monday morning, discussion will take place on the latest episode (which will then be shown the following night on Sky Atlantic).

    If you're watching on Sky Atlantic, you are advised to do both these things:

    - avoid the thread from late Sunday night until after it's airing on Sky Atlantic on Monday at 9pm
    - turn off e-mail notification on this thread by clicking here, checking the box beside this thread, check 'No email notification' in the combo-box at the bottom, and then click the 'Go' button - as shown below:

    got.png

    Also bear in mind, this is to discuss the TV series fresh. You should take it for granted that people commenting on this thread HAVE NOT read the books. If you have read the book and wish to talk about how it compares to the book (etc), please use this thread in Sci-Fi & Fantasy.

    Standard rules with regards to using spoiler tags when referring to future episodes / material shown in promos etc.


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Comments

  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 21,634 ✭✭✭✭Richard Dower


    Kicks off tonight, lots of buzz about....will it be the new True Blood for HBO and garner Walking Dead numbers? :)

    Is it too complex and littered with hard to pronounce characters? :(
    Will HBO renew it on Monday after just one ep. ? [my guess is yes]
    We'll soon find out...........................


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,783 ✭✭✭heebusjeebus


    Looking forward to watching it. Never read the books but appreciate this kind of show.


  • Registered Users Posts: 537 ✭✭✭vard


    Looking forward to it.

    A good friend of mine plays the leading character of samwell.


  • Registered Users Posts: 55,433 ✭✭✭✭Mr E


    We have decided that its probably best to have a new thread for the episode discussion. I've locked the old thread.


  • Registered Users Posts: 43,759 ✭✭✭✭Basq


    It's been pretty much off my TV radar for months..

    .. but have it Sky+'d and series-linked for Sky Atlantic tomorrow night.


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 21,634 ✭✭✭✭Richard Dower


    Better visual quality, able to appreciate the visual spectacle better...in HD!

    So i watched the first ep. - and it IS an adult version of LOTR!!!....the opening credits are epic, but i'm sure i've seen that style somewhere else before?

    Even the credits have a firey eye of Mordor!, you've got a map with weird names...just like LOTR!, it's a fantasy show and novel, much the same as LOTR....just with swearing and nudity.

    Then we have a brother shagging his sister, wolves, large cast, multiple story arcs, thrones, cities in various lush locales.....so yeah, it's a bloody adult version of LOTR!!!

    ^ that part of my review is just for fun i'll now write a proper review, but for someone to tell ME it ain't an adult LOTR is pathetic!...and let me clarify, i'm saying it's LOTR-esque, as in an epic fantasy, but with boobs and sex.


    *********************************************************************

    Right, hugely impressive from alot of aspects, one thing i appreciate is there is alot of practial sets, it's not a bluescreen, visually it looks superb. It's a BIG show...from extras to locations, sets. Technically it's smells like a megabucks production, it certainly has an epic feel to it.

    I can't really fault the first ep., solid acting from almost all, and thankfully despite the large cast it's not too hard to follow. I know nothing about the source material, i'm looking at this show as a novice and judging it as a TELEVISION show and not from a fanboy who knows every line of every book and spends countless hours diiging deep into the mythos.

    Very solid start, pacing is not an issue for me, was never bored....it's establishing itself and this big fantasy world and it's characters and locals, i don't have anything negative to say about the first ep.

    But i wonder, what is The Wall for?, what is beyond it?, why is it 700ft high?...and The Rangers guard this wall?

    4.8/5

    http://tvrecaps.ew.com/recap/game-of-thrones-season-1-episode-1/

    http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/04/17/game-of-thrones-sex/

    http://watching-tv.ew.com/2011/04/18/game-of-thrones-episode-1/

    http://www.ew.com/ew/package/0,,20470532,00.html


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,139 ✭✭✭Wreck


    Can't wait to get home and watch this.


  • Registered Users Posts: 139 ✭✭KingEnda


    Pringles and beer ready for tonight. I'm looking forward to this show with the same anticipation as a first date
    Hope it lives up to the hype


  • Registered Users Posts: 84,341 ✭✭✭✭JP Liz V1


    Is the pilot episode 2 hours long?

    I will try and check out tonight on Sky Atlantic


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,095 ✭✭✭Lirange


    I wasn't that impressed with the first episode. The best bits were the opening credits and any scene involving Tyrion the Dwarf. I did like the House of Stark and how the characters of the family were cast. However the same can't be said for the inbreeding Lannisters. Lots of T&A but bordering on gratuitous in a few places.

    Bran and Arya are great. Although apart from just being a dim little plank Sansa was annoying. Sean Bean was solid as Eddard as was the actor that plays Snow. Joffrey and Sansa, a decidedly hive inducing pairing for many reasons. Joffrey is inbred what's her excuse? Headey is a listless monotone actress. She was always the primary weak point of TSCC where she was even out acted by Shirley Manson playing a robot.

    Meanwhile over at Penthouse er Pentos we have scenes that were totally at odds in terms of feel and film making from the rest apart from the obligatory T&A. The scenes with Viserys, Daenerys, and Drogo seemed like they were from a cheap Vaudeville set. Drogo was like a wannabe Genghis Khan early Hollywood exploitation character. I thought these scenes were ridiculous. Although admittedly "there is no word in Dothraki for thank you" was good for a laugh. The giant colourful avocados were supposed to be petrified Dragon Eggs? There was a bizarre shift in tonality back in Winterfell like the show was trying to be semi serious again. I know this is a fantasy tale but they really could've done better here. But admittedly Viserys as the brother pimp was glorious in his pantomime villainry. Like a more effete version of Julian Sands only more annoying. It's good to have the bad people be annoying as well as evil that way we don't feel conflicted.

    The absolute moral of the story is that people with bad overbleached dye jobs are evil. I think it's racist against blonde people! Wait blonde people aren't a race. Nevermind. But notice they hate blondes so much they won't even pay real ones to play them. :pac:


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  • Registered Users Posts: 6,984 ✭✭✭Venom


    Lirange wrote: »
    Headey is a listless monotone actress. She was always the primary weak point of TSCC where she was even out acted by Shirley Manson playing a robot.

    The moment she appeared onscreen I though "ah crap" to myself as she is a huge weak spot in the cast imho.

    Loved the rest of the episode tho :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,459 ✭✭✭T-b0n3


    Really looking forward to watching this tonight. Know nothing about it really, never read the books (or even heard of them before today) so hopefully I'll like it. HBO rarley disappoints, so lets hope it continues as such.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,348 ✭✭✭✭ricero


    i enjoyed mainly due to the fact that im a huge sean bean fan hes a fantastic actor. it was a solid and very entertaining first episode and is better than half the ****e being produced these days.
    also the "dave" from the "Full Monthy" is the king i love it :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,742 ✭✭✭Branoic


    So are we talking Spartacus levels of gratuitous t&a or not that bad? I'm a massive fan of the books and don't remember *that* much sex. Thing is, the missus had an absolute fit after an episode of Spartacus and that show was banned from the house :D Little bit nervous this will be the same but I really hope not as the books were not like that.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,095 ✭✭✭Lirange


    Branoic wrote: »
    So are we talking Spartacus levels of gratuitous t&a or not that bad? I'm a massive fan of the books and don't remember *that* much sex. Thing is, the missus had an absolute fit after an episode of Spartacus and that show was banned from the house :D Little bit nervous this will be the same but I really hope not as the books were not like that.

    Well going off of the first eppy you could have a dilemma on your hands. :P


  • Registered Users Posts: 919 ✭✭✭RVD420


    Just finished the pilot, hugely impressed. Excellent pace, characters and story. And the ending.... :eek: Already counting down the hours till ep 2.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,055 ✭✭✭✭Tusky


    Just watched first episode and thought it was brilliant. I've read the books and they have really got the tone and setting spot on. Really looking forward to episode two now.

    Does anyone know how it did ratings wise in the States ?


  • Posts: 15,814 ✭✭✭✭ Bruno Narrow Soul


    Tusky wrote: »
    Just watched first episode and thought it was brilliant. I've read the books and they have really got the tone and setting spot on. Really looking forward to episode two now.

    Does anyone know how it did ratings wise in the States ?

    HBO have pretty much announced today that a second season is pretty much guaranteed. Ratings were good but as HBO is subscription based the weekly ratings will be nowhere near as important as for network shows. Id also imagine that Sky paid a small fortune for the rights as did numerous other channels around the world so it's pretty much a very that Game of Thrones will be with us for a few years to come.


  • Registered Users Posts: 43,759 ✭✭✭✭Basq


    HBO have said they won't reveal it's official ratings until tomorrow but early indicators are ratings were far from stellar..

    .. it's cable though so it's worth dick all really!

    But it doesn't look like a cheap series to make either, so I'd be hoping for better numbers than this.


  • Registered Users Posts: 17,055 ✭✭✭✭Tusky


    Basq wrote: »
    HBO have said they won't reveal it's official ratings until tomorrow but early indicators are ratings were far from stellar..

    .. it's cable though so it's worth dick all really!

    But it doesn't look like a cheap series to make either, so I'd be hoping for better numbers than this.

    Those figures look quite good to me - Boardwalk empire broke records didnt it ? So comparing it to that is maybe a little unfair..although they probably have similarly massive budgets. I reckon the overnight viewing figures will be around 4m which is v.good.


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  • Posts: 15,814 ✭✭✭✭ Bruno Narrow Soul


    Basq wrote: »
    HBO have said they won't reveal it's official ratings until tomorrow but early indicators are ratings were far from stellar..

    .. it's cable though so it's worth dick all really!

    But it doesn't look like a cheap series to make either, so I'd be hoping for better numbers than this.

    The budget is rumoured to be around the 60 million per season mark but I would imagine that a most if not all the figure was easily recouped in international sales.


  • Registered Users Posts: 213 ✭✭emrys


    great start to series - makes me want to dig the books out again!


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,515 ✭✭✭Outkast_IRE


    excellent first episode , was really impressed .
    Cant wait for episode 2


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,509 ✭✭✭SK1979


    Really enjoyed that first episode. Could nit pick at some of the castings but the overall epic feel more than made up for it.

    Bean has a great presence and Peter Dinkage has already stole the series (he's the best character in the books anyway!). :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,462 ✭✭✭Kiwi_knock


    Never read the books so really did not know what to expect. Thought it was ok, weak in points but I think that was due to the fact so many characters had to be introduced. Has potential anyway to be a good series.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,459 ✭✭✭T-b0n3


    Really enjoyed it, looking forward to next weeks. Visually it was great and the cast were brilliant (for the most part anyway). Seems like a show I could really get into.


  • Moderators, Category Moderators, Entertainment Moderators Posts: 35,729 CMod ✭✭✭✭pixelburp


    I watched it, and like most pilots I have no idea what to make of it yet; you really need to give a show 2/3 episodes before getting it's tone & pulse. As a hour of introductions goes though, it was quite entertaining & knitted some interesting mysteries. I have never read the books so can't comment about it's accuracy but it could be a grower ...


  • Registered Users Posts: 11,739 ✭✭✭✭expectationlost


    premise: the borgais and game of thrones are telling the same story

    the second faster and more explicit then the first


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,515 ✭✭✭matrim


    Good first episode. Sets the tone well and the casting and acting is good for the most part, although they seem to have taken a couple of liberties in the ages of people, but given the T&A on show they had to

    My only major complaint is it
    needs more Hordor


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  • Registered Users Posts: 724 ✭✭✭jonsnow


    As my name might indicate I,m a GOT fan and have been since 99.Simply the greatest fantasy novels ever written and amongst the greatest fiction ever written.I despair of it ever been completed however although i understand that George r martin is not my witch.

    I,d watched the 14 minute preview twice already and enjoyed them.For a fanatic like me it is clear that the series will be quite different from the books.Already characters, events and the script has been changed but I like that because I will have two different experiences of the story.

    The first episode is solid with some gorgeous visuals and great acting.Most of the actors nail their characters.I had a few minor gripes.The feast scene at the wedding looked kinda crappy like their was only 30 extras.It looked like a xena episode not a raucous gathering of 40000 warriors.Why did the other leave the black bother live.Winterfell did not look as impressive as I would have imagined it could.But I,m nit picking.It was still very enjoyable especially as I was watching it with my brother who was completely shocked at the ending.Roll on next week.


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