Season 2 - Episode 1 **Have Read The Books / Spoilers Included**

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If you've read the books, OR don't mind reading spoilers, post in here.

I'm starting this early in an attempt to trash out some rules before the episode airs. Sunday US HBO, Monday UK/IRL Sky Atlantic, people may see it before it airs here, don't read the thread if you don't want the episode spoiled. It's simple.

I think Spoiler tags should be used, especially for book stuff, because some people may not have read the whole book series.

But still, if you read this thread, don't bitch if someone mentions something from the books and they don't spoiler it, the clue is in the thread title really.

MitchKoobski

Spoiler tags may be difficult here.

1. They could be bringing stuff from Book 3 into series 2.
2. What if someone hasn't read all of Book 2, but has read about everything that happened in the episode?

I think if you are putting something in a spoiler highlight, then say what book the spoiler is for. For example, I haven't read past the 4th book "A Feast For Crows" yet, but I know everything that happens in book 2 and 3.

_blank_

If you haven't read the complete book series, then you shouldn't really be reading this thread, otherwise we could have eight threads for every episode.

Not read any books
Read book 1
read book 2
read book 3
read book 4
read all the books
not read the books but want to ask questions, so only spoiler what I specifically ask about
blah blah blah

it gets ridiculous really.

2 threads, one with book spoilers allowed -

IN SPOILER TAGS

- and one with no spoilers allowed

Maybe something like this (fyi, all spoiler tags in this post DO NOT CONTAIN ACTUAL SPOILERS)

Here's how it could work

talking about something in the show, blah blah blah, but I know from reading

Book 4 Spoiler

that x,y, and z happens, so that means the show character and scene is leading to this other thing in the fourth book

That way, if poeple have read three, or four books, but not all of them, they won't click on relevent spoilers.

stesaurus

This is going to get messy no matter what.

clashburke

Des wrote: »

talking about something in the show, blah blah blah, but I know from reading

Book 4 Spoiler

that x,y, and z happens, so that means the show character and scene is leading to this other thing in the fourth book

That way, if poeple have read three, or four books, but not all of them, they won't click on relevent spoilers.

that could be a problem also... i know that for myself and people on other ASOIAF forums the books are read together or many times over.

ive read all books 3times now but always together and go from one to the other without a break.

Therefore remembering which book somthing came from is quite hard for me.

_blank_

clashburke wrote: »

Therefore remembering which book somthing came from is quite hard for me.

So, you stick anything you are saying about the book into spoiler tags.

Not that hard really, is it?

Tzar Chasm

Surely the big spoilerific thread title explain in that its a thread for people wh read the books should suffice

Tigger

Red wedding

People really need to not know what's happening, if you've not read all the books then Don't go into a read the books thread.

That is all

mariebeth

6 clips from episode 1


Nothing too surprising, you get a glimpse of Dolorous Edd and Cleos Frey is younger & better looking than I had pictured.

Son0vagun

Those dragons look awesome.

Getting very excited now.

calex71

Be interesting to see how they handle the ending with Tyrion

getting maimed and the battle at kings landing

I'm most looking forward to Jon and Arias plots, the one line from the book that sticks with me was when Jon is off with Qhorin and they find

Mances army and you get the line "Now... We run"

that will make for a great ending to a later episode and will be an end to one I bet, not to mention Jon later

killing the halfhand and joining the wildlings

I really hope they make Rattleshirt as hideous and vile as possible, and Egret as "Kissed by fire" as possible

Spoilers are from 2nd book only...... I think

Frisbee

calex71 wrote: »

Be interesting to see how they handle the ending with Tyrion

getting maimed and the battle at kings landing

I'm most looking forward to Jon and Arias plots, the one line from the book that sticks with me was when Jon is off with Qhorin and they find

Mances army and you get the line "Now... We run"

that will make for a great ending to a later episode and will be an end to one I bet, not to mention Jon later

killing the halfhand and joining the wildlings

I really hope they make Rattleshirt as hideous and vile as possible, and Egret as "Kissed by fire" as possible

Spoilers are from 2nd book only...... I think

Yup, have to agree Jon's arc is what I'm looking forward to most, along with Tyrion.

The journey over the Skirling Pass and the other rangers getting picked off and him finally killing Halfhand at his own request should be awesome.

Wetbench4

When he see's the

wildling army

for the first time. All the

giants and mammoths and crazy ****

. When you think about it though, they're going to have to cut an awful lot out to squeeze clash of kings into 10 episodes.

stesaurus

Feckin work and feckin United match later :mad:

Will have to wait until 10pm to watch this. CANNOT WAIT

Seren_

Good episode I thought. All the new characters were introduced well. And hardly any time spent with Daenerys' story, yessssss :P (I like the character, but the whole situation surrounding her is boring in book 2 I find).

Joffrey is so awesome, slapping Cersei like that

Frisbee

Really enjoyed that.

They nailed the casting with Stannis, Davos and Dolour Edd. Although I think Liam Cunningham could do an equally good job at Stannis. Crasters casting was a bit off for me, I'd pictured him as a lot more of a 'wild wildling' if you get me. Older, more haggard and scrawny, maybe that's just me though. The direwolves look great, granted we don't see that much of them but they did a decent job with the CGI imo. Same goes for the little bit of Drogon we see.

The scene with Roz teaching the two new brazzers and quoting Littlefinger pretty much word for word was brilliant, quite liked the addition of the little interaction between Littlefinger and Cersei and her guards too. I thought they were going to shirk the killing of Robert's babies/kids as too unsavoury but fair fúcks to them they realy went at it.

I think they're going to struggle to get this into 10 episodes without cutting a lot out, we've not even really seen Arya or Renly yet.

PhiloCypher

Just watched it there , great ep, loved the effects work with the dragons and direwolves . While I have read the books through once can someone remind me whether or not Robs and Theons bond was as palpable in them as it is in this show , its gonna be one hell of a kick in the teeth to the unsuspecting audience when Theon does what he does , when he offered to convince his dad to ally themselves with Rob and avenge Ned together I actually believed him , whereas I never really trusted Theon from the book.

Seren_

I think Robb and Theon's closeness was pretty clear in the books. He seemed almost as fond of Theon as of JOn.

But then again, I saw the first season before reading them, so maybe I just always had that sense of their bond in my head already!

Frisbee

Frisbee wrote: »

Really enjoyed that.

They nailed the casting with Stannis, Davos and Dolour Edd. Although I think Liam Cunningham could do an equally good job at Stannis. .

Funny thing is when I was reading the books first time round I was always picturing Liam Cunningham as Stannis

kevohmsford

Really enjoyed that episode, it is building up nicely. The special effects were very well done.

Temptamperu

Littlefinger wrote: »

Funny thing is when I was reading the books first time round I was always picturing Liam Cunningham as Stannis

I had him pictured in my head as Christopher Eccelston.

Lardy

Temptamperu wrote: »

I had him pictured in my head as Christopher Eccelston.

He would have made a great Stannis now you mention it!

giddybootz

Frisbee wrote: »

I think Liam Cunningham could do an equally good job at Stannis. Crasters casting was a bit off for me, I'd pictured him as a lot more of a 'wild wildling' if you get me. Older, more haggard and scrawny, maybe that's just me though. The direwolves look great, granted we don't see that much of them but they did a decent job with the CGI imo. Same goes for the little bit of Drogon we see.

Totally agree with you about all of this. I would like Stannis to be a little stockier...he looked very thin there. Craster looks like he could be a Northern Lord sitting at a feast in Winterfell so he was the most disappointing casting for me.

Delighted how well the CGI looks...can't wait to see the other 2 dragons.

I'm dying to see more of Arya on the road!!

mikemac1

I don't know this actor who plays Stannis at all

I pictured him as Mark Strong

Tzar Chasm

Craster is a bit of a let down, I was expecting someone far sleazier and creepy about everything, but Crasters Keep does look rather like i imagined it

johnnyskeleton

Has little fingers accent changed?

5starpool

Frisbee wrote: »

Really enjoyed that.

They nailed the casting with Stannis, Davos and Dolour Edd. Although I think Liam Cunningham could do an equally good job at Stannis. Crasters casting was a bit off for me, I'd pictured him as a lot more of a 'wild wildling' if you get me. Older, more haggard and scrawny, maybe that's just me though. The direwolves look great, granted we don't see that much of them but they did a decent job with the CGI imo. Same goes for the little bit of Drogon we see.

The scene with Roz teaching the two new brazzers and quoting Littlefinger pretty much word for word was brilliant, quite liked the addition of the little interaction between Littlefinger and Cersei and her guards too. I thought they were going to shirk the killing of Robert's babies/kids as too unsavoury but fair fúcks to them they realy went at it.

I think they're going to struggle to get this into 10 episodes without cutting a lot out, we've not even really seen Arya or Renly yet.

They really are. I wish this was a 16 or so episode season. Things might just get a passing explanation that get more detail in the books. The battle of the blackwater alone should be at least 1 episode, if not 2, but might not get more than 15 or so mins, which is more than whispering wood I guess.

Tzar Chasm

Janos Slynt didnt kill the baby in the books, when Tyrion asks him he names another Guard, Maybe he still will, but it was the Baby that caused all the fuss and led to Slynt being sent to the Wall, and tyrion specifically requests that the Killer be chucked overboard

podgemonster

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Has little fingers accent changed?

I noticed that too. He's seems to have lost any Irish hints to his accent.

Oafley Jones

johnnyskeleton wrote: »

Has little fingers accent changed?

Definitely. Castors Keep was exactly how I imagined it, although the casting for Castor seemed off, pictured a character not too far off a wilder Lord Frey. Stannis doesn't have the air of severity I was expecting, he just seems slight both in appearance and delivery.

I'm a lot happier with the use of CG and sets in the episode, my biggest complaint with season 1 is that it felt incredibly small for the budget it had.

nicklauski

Great start to the second series.
Was particularly impressed with how Brans "Green Dream" was handled. I remember reading in the book and thinking, Jaysis how will they pull this off. But it was very well done.

The new Direwolves are great. The CGI is very well done on them and are very believeable. Jaime actually fears them. Great job from the actors.

Completely off topic off this episode but I was watcing the Thronecast on Sky Anytime. And Nickolaj was saying that episode 7 has his favourite ever acting scene. Can't wait.

The new characters were introduced well and we still have Brienne and Qhorin to come into it

johnnyskeleton

podgemonster wrote: »

I noticed that too. He's seems to have lost any Irish hints to his accent.

He's no longer Tommy carcetti in a dress.

calex71

Found it correct and odd that they started in kings landing, odd that the book started with Stanis , correct that they show character we know already.

Sir Dontos was how I imagined Sam in the books

From one episode it's over all like the book on fast forward perhaps, which is no bad thing given how boting it was compared to the others, and the amount of setting up it did.

How weird was to have Joffery, Tyrian and Sansa all in the opening scene together given what we know later

calex71

Tzar Chasm wrote: »

Craster is a bit of a let down, I was expecting someone far sleazier and creepy about everything, but Crasters Keep does look rather like i imagined it

I actually thought when I saw the 1st season that the actor playing Robert would have been a great choice for Craster if they sleezed him up a little.
Edit: Osha scrubbed up well compared to me S1 memory of her

Conchir

Really enjoyed that, good start.

I'm loving the size and scope of this series already. The locations are amazing. I also think the frequent views of the comet are great.

Only small problem I had was Craster, as others have said. I pictured him rougher, wilder. It's not a big deal though.

Roll on episode two!

podgemonster

At the rate it's going, Renly should be seeing shadows by the end of the next episode and if not definetly the 3rd. I don't think how they can drag out the series climaxing with the battle of the black water, i think it is moving faster than that!

I think Brienne and Jaime could be meeting up a lot soon as Jaime does nothing in the 2nd book. Neither does Dany for that matter, hopefully might see more of her story in book 3 in season 2.

Also love reading theories of those who haven't read the books, some think Tyrion ordered the bastards killed :eek:, bless em!

Frisbee

PhiloCypher wrote: »

Just watched it there , great ep, loved the effects work with the dragons and direwolves . While I have read the books through once can someone remind me whether or not Robs and Theons bond was as palpable in them as it is in this show , its gonna be one hell of a kick in the teeth to the unsuspecting audience when Theon does what he does , when he offered to convince his dad to ally themselves with Rob and avenge Ned together I actually believed him , whereas I never really trusted Theon from the book.

iirc in the book Theon doesn't ask Robb to send him to his father with request of an alliance. Robb just tells his mam at one stage and he's not happy with it but the impression I got form the books was that it was Robb's idea to send Theon to see Balon, not the other way around.

giddybootz wrote: »

Totally agree with you about all of this. I would like Stannis to be a little stockier...he looked very thin there..

Stannis was described as being really thin in the books though wasn't he?

5starpool wrote: »

They really are. I wish this was a 16 or so episode season. Things might just get a passing explanation that get more detail in the books. The battle of the blackwater alone should be at least 1 episode, if not 2, but might not get more than 15 or so mins, which is more than whispering wood I guess.

Yup, I was hoping maybe they'd even extend it to 12. A lot more happens in A Clash of Kings than in the first book imo. As you say Blackwater really needs it's own episode, or at least the bones of one. I'm hoping with the bigger budget this year they won't be skimping on big scenes.

Sleepy

Craster's definitely too fat for my liking. I pictured him as being far less padded.

Other than that, excellent. *LOVE* the CGI'd direwolves. Finally starting to look as threatening as they were described in the books.

calex71

Frisbee wrote: »

iirc in the book Theon doesn't ask Robb to send him to his father with request of an alliance. Robb just tells his mam at one stage and he's not happy with it but the impression I got form the books was that it was Robb's idea to send Theon to see Balon, not the other way around.



Stannis was described as being really thin in the books though wasn't he?

Re: Robb, it was all done from Catelyns view if I recall, and I'm 99% sure it was robb's idea alright. I remember her not being happy about it.

As for stanis, I'm not sure how he was originally presented to us but as it goes on in the 2nd and 3rd books he was described as being almost skeletal, which I assumed was the effect of melisandre and her sorcery on him, or his participation in it.

nicklauski

I had an image in my head of Craster and he was always more like Walder Frey in season 1. Old & Creepy.

Frisbee

nicklauski wrote: »

I had an image in my head of Craster and he was always more like Walder Frey in season 1. Old & Creepy.

Yup, pretty much exactly what I was expecting. Not just a mucky looking Varys.

stesaurus

Sleepy wrote: »

Craster's definitely too fat for my liking. I pictured him as being far less padded.

Other than that, excellent. *LOVE* the CGI'd direwolves. Finally starting to look as threatening as they were described in the books.

Direwolves, huge improvement over last season. So glad they went the CGI route.

I agree about Craster too. I expected someone a lot taller and more imposing.

Robb seems to have eaten a few too many Frey pies by the looks of him. ;)He's put on weight during the break.

Can't wait for next week. I love how much media attention this is getting. It's just snowballing.

Mr Freeze

nicklauski wrote: »

I had an image in my head of Craster and he was always more like Walder Frey in season 1. Old & Creepy.

Ya, same here, I pictured him the same as Lord Frey, but without the constant heh heh's every sentence that wreck my head.

Re: Stannis, he is supposed to a tall and lean, but gets thinner and thinner as times goes on due to Melisandre's influence.

Still I pictured him taller for some reason and with a bit of a beard...his voice will take a bit of getting used to, I thought it would be deeper. He seemed a bit squeaky.:pac:

nicklauski

The accents are a bit all over the place this year.

Littlefinger sounds totally different, although even Aidan Gillens own accent sounds wrong.

Tyrion sounds a little different too.

And as for Liam Cunningham as Davos I'm not sure if he's trying to sound English or trying to tone down his hardcore Dub accent, but he's a bit up and down (the few lines that he does speak so far )

I think Richard Madden who plays Robb will have a great series. Seems much stronger than last and his accent doesn't deviate too much considering his a Scot.

Will probably give the first episode another look tonight. Sky+ it even though I downloaded yesterday as I couldn't wait till 9 o clock

Mr Freeze

nicklauski wrote: »

Littlefinger sounds totally different, although even Aidan Gillens own accent sounds wrong.

Ya, his accent was all over the place.

In the scene where him and Cersei square up against each other, just at the start of the scene, it didn't even sound like Aidan.

ArmaniJeanss

Gillen is the same in Love/Hate, strangely unconvincing Dublin accent despite being born and raised there.

Owryan

giddybootz wrote: »

Totally agree with you about all of this. I would like Stannis to be a little stockier...he looked very thin there. Craster looks like he could be a Northern Lord sitting at a feast in Winterfell so he was the most disappointing casting for me.

Delighted how well the CGI looks...can't wait to see the other 2 dragons.

I'm dying to see more of Arya on the road!!

I think they got Stannis spot on, hes a hard, unfeeling fighter who has no softness about him.

With Robert , you could see he had gotten soft with his role as king although his anger was always just under the surface. With Stannis he looks like he has no time for frivolity at all, just purely a fighter

mordeith

I think the casting is pretty poor with the latest characters introduced. I was hoping Davos was Stannis when I first saw the two of them. Stannis seems a bit weak-willed at the moment. He always came across as being very severe and sombre in the book but its early days yet. Craster for me is terrible. He's way too clean and manicured to reflect the character in the book (I pictured a stockier version of this guy .
Melisandre doesn't do it for me either at the moment. Certainly not this alluring, powerful priestess that comes across in the books.
For all that the series is still wonderfully shot and I'm looking forward to the rest of season 2.

podgemonster

mordeith wrote: »

I think the casting is pretty poor with the latest characters introduced. I was hoping Davos was Stannis when I first saw the two of them.

I think Cunningham is perfectly cast. Davos is a hardened sailor, loyal, fearless, honest and intelligent, similar to Cunninghams character Dan in The Wind That Shakes the Barley. We can see already that though he is loyal to the king he is at odds with his new choice of belief but smart enough to know that the oppurtunity to speak out about it wasn't right. I think as the season progresses Davos (and Cunnigham) will be very well recieved.

I do think Stannis could have been better cast, he looks like the average lord and should be more bitter and rougher round the edges, speaking with a grave serious tone. I would have thought Mark Strong, Christopher Eccleson or James Nesbitt would be better for the role. But we do know from the books that further expsosure to Mellisandre affects him greatly so perhaps he will grow into the Stannis we are more familiar with.

giddybootz

giddybootz wrote: »

Totally agree with you about all of this. I would like Stannis to be a little stockier...he looked very thin there. Craster looks like he could be a Northern Lord sitting at a feast in Winterfell so he was the most disappointing casting for me.

Delighted how well the CGI looks...can't wait to see the other 2 dragons.

I'm dying to see more of Arya on the road!!

Doesnt stannis get gaunter and gaunter as the series goes on though?

Son0vagun

Loved the return, but it all seemed too fast paced for me. Hope it slows down a bit and focuses on characters. But in saying that maybe it just seemed fast because i was excited, and when i rewatch it won't seem so fast.

I did think though they should have opened the epoisde with the prologue from the book, Stannis burning the seven, instead of Jofferys name day thorney! Would have got us familar with the new characters straight away!