What's so great about game of thrones?

1ZRed

My older cousins and my sister's boyfriend (in their 30s) have been at me to watch it. I've watched a few minutes of it and it's like the lord of the rings to me.
I'm not big into stuff like that and I don't see what's so great about it.
Do you need to like that kind of fantasy to enjoy it or do you get into it?

grizzly

It's not for everyone.

Sideshow Mark

You clearly didn't watch it very closely, it's a long way from Lord Of The Rings.

I gave up on the Lotr books after a could of attempts, gave up on the movies too. I find GoT highly watchable, and readable. Will start book 3 once the tv show ends and will read them all before the next season begins.

I can see why people don't like it or "get it" it's not something that can be dipped in and out of, and you have to pay attention, you can't just put it on in the background. People tend not to watch tv this way anymore.

1ZRed

Sideshow Mark wrote: »

You clearly didn't watch it very closely, it's a long way from Lord Of The Rings.

I gave up on the Lotr books after a could of attempts, gave up on the movies too. I find GoT highly watchable, and readable. Will start book 3 once the tv show ends and will read them all before the next season begins.

I can see why people don't like it or "get it" it's not something that can be dipped in and out of, and you have to pay attention, you can't just put it on in the background. People tend not to watch tv this way anymore.

Well the time I tuned in they were talking about some dragon and then two guys started going at it so I was like wtf is this all about?
I've heard good things about it overall so I'll make an effort to watch it.
Anyone know where to watch the first series on an iPad?

KerranJast

1ZRed wrote: »

I've watched a few minutes of it

I found your problem :rolleyes: At least watch the whole first episode before you judge an entire series.

conor.hogan.2

Watch the first 2 eps at least, then decide on it.

Even I was sketchy about it for a good bit of the first episode.

krudler

1ZRed wrote: »

My older cousins and my sister's boyfriend (in their 30s) have been at me to watch it. I've watched a few minutes of it and it's like the lord of the rings to me.
I'm not big into stuff like that and I don't see what's so great about it.
Do you need to like that kind of fantasy to enjoy it or do you get into it?

at least watch an episode of it then make your own mind up?

grindle

Don't bother watching it, it's like a porno Xena: Warrior Princess.
Watched the whole season, gonna get roped into watching the next one. Really wish it WAS more like LOTR.
The first ten minutes of the first episode had me excited. Ah well.

Also Starring LeVar Burton

grindle wrote: »

Don't bother watching it, it's like a porno Xena: Warrior Princess.
Watched the whole season, gonna get roped into watching the next one. Really wish it WAS more like LOTR.
The first ten minutes of the first episode had me excited. Ah well.

I'm sorry, I fail to see the problem here...

grindle

CaptainNegative wrote: »

I'm sorry, I fail to see the problem here...

If you're gonna watch porn, make it real porn.
Good porn.
Wholesomely fuucktastic porn.
Not "ooh, look, an attempt at a storyline" porn.
The 80s and 90s have been and gone, and storyline porn should've been buried with it.
That the acting quality in GOT stays true to 80s porn is the best that can be said about it.
That ginger prozzie has smashing tits though...

MrStuffins

grindle wrote: »

If you're gonna watch porn, make it real porn.
Good porn.
Wholesomely fuucktastic porn.

:rolleyes:

The show has a lot of sex scenes in it, it's not porn.

Game of Thrones is a super show. Took me a while to get around to watching it but once I watched a few episodes i really got hooked.

The characters are good, the story is good, the acting is good (for the most part, couple of glaringly bad actors thrown in actually).

It's a HUGELY expansive story. In fact, I haven't read the books but if i'm not mistaken the books are still being produced?

You don't need to be into LOTR. You don't need to be into fantasy. You just need to be into good TV done well.

Jax Teller

I didn't think I would like it but I gave it a chance and I love it .

Tyrion Lannister is the best character in it .

Tipsy McSwagger

Sideshow Mark wrote: »

You clearly didn't watch it very closely, it's a long way from Lord Of The Rings.

I gave up on the Lotr books after a could of attempts, gave up on the movies too. I find GoT highly watchable, and readable. Will start book 3 once the tv show ends and will read them all before the next season begins.

I can see why people don't like it or "get it" it's not something that can be dipped in and out of, and you have to pay attention, you can't just put it on in the background. People tend not to watch tv this way anymore.

You gave up on the best book of all time then.

Sugarlumps

I watched the first series…me’h. Dandies with man bags are far more inclined to watch this.

tfitzgerald

I have to say I really like it

telekon

Like Breaking Bad, Mad Men and The Wire, it took me a few episodes to get into it and then got absolutely hooked.


However, it is sometimes true that you can gauge a show after only a few seconds and know instantly that you hate it.

Yes, I'm looking at you Glee and Two and a Half Men.

1ZRed

Maybe I will like it. They said it was better than Spartacus, and fair enough I only saw about 3 full episodes but I liked it.
One thing I hate doing though is catching up on a few series. It'll take forever!:rolleyes:

1ZRed

telekon wrote: »

Like Breaking Bad, Mad Men and The Wire, it took me a few episodes to get into it and then got absolutely hooked.


However, it is sometimes true that you can gauge a show after only a few seconds and know instantly that you hate it.

Yes, I'm looking at you Glee and Two and a Half Men.

Did you really need to watch it to know you were going to hate it? I think the previews on TV were enough for me!:D
I used to like TaHM like 6 years ago. I absolutely hate it now though!

CastorTroy

grindle wrote: »

Don't bother watching it, it's like a porno Xena: Warrior Princess.

Wouldn't that be Spartacus?

ejmaztec

Pure unadulterated filth, foul language and good one-liners make it the success that it is.

1ZRed

ejmaztec wrote: »

Pure unadulterated filth, foul language and good one-liners make it the success that it is.

Yeah I fail to see the problem with that;)

CastorTroy

Maybe there's not enough of those things?

But 1 thing I really like about this series is how it makes you feel about characters.
You either really love them eg

Tyrion

or really hate them eg

Joffrey, that wee f......

Sleepy

Complex characters: there is no "good" or "evil" just shades of grey.

It's a "low magic" fantasy so the humans aren't just pawns in a world of wizards/orks/magic trees/elves story. Magic is used infrequently (so far less than twice a season) and magical creatures are almost non-existant.

The politics of rule in a feudal system are brilliant and lethal. The "Game of Thrones" is the maneuvering of the powerful lords and their lackeys in their attempts to further themselves or their families rule. "In the Game of Thrones you win or you die."

There's a major lack of "plot armor" and lots of surprises. "Anyone can be die".

Give it 3 episodes and make your mind up then.

Sideshow Mark

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

You gave up on the best book of all time then.

I got as far as the talking trees twice in the books. Definitely not for me.

Richard Dower

^ i said from the start it was an 'adult' LOTR!!!!!!!!

Glad someone else said the same!!

Richard Dower

Sleepy wrote: »

Complex characters: there is no "good" or "evil" just shades of grey.

It's a "low magic" fantasy so the humans aren't just pawns in a world of wizards/orks/magic trees/elves story. Magic is used infrequently (so far less than twice a season) and magical creatures are almost non-existant.

The politics of rule in a feudal system are brilliant and lethal. The "Game of Thrones" is the maneuvering of the powerful lords and their lackeys in their attempts to further themselves or their families rule. "In the Game of Thrones you win or you die."

There's a major lack of "plot armor" and lots of surprises. "Anyone can be die".

Give it 3 episodes and make your mind up then.

Dude, they are all evil..... :rolleyes:

krudler

grindle wrote: »

If you're gonna watch porn, make it real porn.
Good porn.
Wholesomely fuucktastic porn.
Not "ooh, look, an attempt at a storyline" porn.
The 80s and 90s have been and gone, and storyline porn should've been buried with it.
That the acting quality in GOT stays true to 80s porn is the best that can be said about it.
That ginger prozzie has smashing tits though...

there's some amazing actors in GOT, I'll eat my hat if Charles Dance doesnt get an emmy next year

tvnutz

This is nothing like Lord of the Rings,at all. Lord of the Rings is a pure fantasy based epic. As someone mentioned GOT has only touches of fantasy so far.

It is more about the characters and the conflicts,the clashes between the different families. In many ways it is kind of like Battlestar Galactica. That show was sci fi bit it was always more about the characters and the internal conflicts and politics than just pure sci fi. Sure there wasn't even any aliens in it.

don ramo

1ZRed wrote: »

Maybe I will like it. They said it was better than Spartacus, and fair enough I only saw about 3 full episodes but I liked it.
One thing I hate doing though is catching up on a few series. It'll take forever!:rolleyes:

it is better than spartacus, i love spartacus and all but GOT blows it out of the water, GOT breaking bad and homeland are the 3 best show currently in production,

the "porn" isnt as bad as some people make it out, look GOT is more or less a drama set in the middle ages, its based in a land that doesnt exist, and the fantasy elements are never shoved in your face, it is a fantasy show but it the fantasy is added slowly, for most of season 1 its more or less like the middle ages,

give it 4 episodes you dont like it, then fair enough you gave it a go, if you like it after 4 episodes then you have 13 more episodes so far to catch up with, seasons are only 10 eps long,

stesaurus

Sugarlumps wrote: »

Dandies with man bags are far more inclined to watch this.

What exactly does that mean?

stesaurus

Richard Dower wrote: »

^ i said from the start it was an 'adult' LOTR!!!!!!!!

Glad someone else said the same!!

You're still wrong!

krudler

Richard Dower wrote: »

Dude, they are all evil..... :rolleyes:

no they're not, good characters do despicable things and the "bad" characters have a human side in it, the only person in it who's out and out evil is Joffrey, he's a hairs breadth away from being a moustache twirling caricature, the rest are complex characters for the most part, the Lannisters especially.

Dermighty

I watched all of it up to the latest episode.

I have to honestly say that the only compelling episode out of all of them was last weeks episode. Up until then I was watching it because it was a high quality show, but I didn't like the characters nor the story. It's definitely got something to it. I don't think it'd be fair to watch an episode or two and decide based on that, it's based on the books (I've not read them, nor had I ever heard of them before watching the tv show).

Though the stories are different, I found the Tudors and particularly The Borgias to be far more enjoyable shows, even with the ridiculously high production quality of Game of Thrones.

MrStuffins

Richard Dower wrote: »

^ i said from the start it was an 'adult' LOTR!!!!!!!!

Glad someone else said the same!!

It's nothing like LOTR. Have you even watched the show?

Johnny Johnson

Richard Dower wrote: »

^ i said from the start it was an 'adult' LOTR!!!!!!!!

Glad someone else said the same!!

Two people share the same view. That's me sold.

DuckStab

The problem is the insistance of pigeonholing it into a particular genre which can turn away masses who would actually like it given a chance, and attract others for entirely the wrong reasons. Say "fantasy" and instantly one things of LotR and things of that ilk, when in reality this is a drama with fantasy elements, at best.
As others have said, this is more about the characters than it is about wizards, orcs, magic and the like. Even those looking for "epic battles" should take it elsewhere, because there hasn't been one yet! I don't particularly mind that, but if they pull the same fade-to-black, fade-in-aftermath for

Blackwater Rush

, I'll be pretty pissed!
For those who have read the books, the sex scenes appear to mainly be there to shoehorn in some exposition that would otherwise be impossible without having characters inexplicably narrate their own backstories, or give a spontaneous history lesson for no apparent reason. The problem with that particular method is that some people concentrate more on what's happening on-screen as opposed to what's being said :pac:

Although generalisations are present everywhere. Star Trek, Farscape, BSG - all sci-fi, but that's where the similarities end.
Early reviews of the The Wire wrote it off as a "cop show", but it's hardly the same as CSI or Law and Order now is it?

1ZRed

I've watched the first two episodes of it and it's alright so far but I am getting into it.
It's actually nothing like lord of the rings! The only thing they have in common is the medieval setting that's really all I notice so far anyway.

Kerrigooney

DuckStab wrote: »

For those who have read the books, the sex scenes appear to mainly be there to shoehorn in some exposition that would otherwise be impossible without having characters inexplicably narrate their own backstories, or give a spontaneous history lesson for no apparent reason. The problem with that particular method is that some people concentrate more on what's happening on-screen as opposed to what's being said :pac:

Ah yes...I believe this is called "sexposition". Great word.

1ZRed

I've caught up to the current series and I actually like it. It's done so well, kind of like watching a movie so I really like that about it.

One thing that is a bit annoying is that everyone seems to get killed suddenly so it's hard to care about them.
Does anyone else feel like its dragging on a bit? I want to see what's going on in the north, fck the capital!:D

Richard Dower

MrStuffins wrote: »

It's nothing like LOTR. Have you even watched the show?

Every episode, twice ....looking forward to the Blackwater epicness tomorrow night!!!!!! :cool:

Yamanoto

grindle wrote: »

Don't bother watching it, it's like a porno Xena: Warrior Princess.

I find it oddly engaging, but it's all a bit silly tbh.

Certainly nowhere near as good as some boardsies would have you believe.

BopNiblets

What's so great about it?
Well there's these thrones see, or at least one throne... anyway, the game is: everyone is trying to sit on this throne, but there's no music like musical chairs or anything... instead there's different families trying to murder each other and there is probably snow zombies and dragons later on too...
Hope that helps.

Tipsy McSwagger

1ZRed wrote: »

I've watched the first two episodes of it and it's alright so far but I am getting into it.
It's actually nothing like lord of the rings! The only thing they have in common is the medieval setting that's really all I notice so far anyway.

But LOTR doesn't have a medieval setting, it's set in a pure fantasy world. You could imagine A Song of Ice & Fire actually happening sometime in the past (if you leave out the dragons and black magic). You could never imagine LOTR as ever happening. It's pure fantasy. I have read the LOTR numerous times and am nearly finished ASOIF and they are nothing like each other......at all. George Martin has done something I would have never have thought possible, he has wrote a series of fantasy books that challenge Tolkien's masterpiece but ultimately falls short.

don ramo

1ZRed wrote: »

I've caught up to the current series and I actually like it. It's done so well, kind of like watching a movie so I really like that about it.

One thing that is a bit annoying is that everyone seems to get killed suddenly so it's hard to care about them.
Does anyone else feel like its dragging on a bit? I want to see what's going on in the north, fck the capital!:D

yeah its been said a few time that you shouldn't get to attached to anyone,

also welcome to the weekly slog :D

jimmymal

Tipsy McSwagger wrote: »

But LOTR doesn't have a medieval setting, it's set in a pure fantasy world. You could imagine A Song of Ice & Fire actually happening sometime in the past (if you leave out the dragons and black magic). You could never imagine LOTR as ever happening. It's pure fantasy. I have read the LOTR numerous times and am nearly finished ASOIF and they are nothing like each other......at all. George Martin has done something I would have never have thought possible, he has wrote a series of fantasy books that challenge Tolkien's masterpiece but ultimately falls short.

I'm not so sure about this. Martin has written(and continues to write) an epic that more closely resembles human society and condition. None of the characters are pure evil (obviously apart from Jeoff who would be in a padded cell in our world), and none of them all goodness and light. All the characters are living in that grey area of moral certainty that we all live in.(not that ive had any babys killed recently)


However in tolkiens masterpiece its blatantly good versus evil with inner conflict appearing a few times throughout the epic(and almost ruining it for me reading frodo moan the whole way through his miserable journey ..."i cant do it Sam"). The power is also too absolute, either its total domination or middle earth is saved. And guess what wins the day?

Having been a massive fan of LOTR for so many years and rereading and rereading when the next films were coming out, i can't but help admire the way Martin writes. Who know when your favorite character will die? Why bother writing about every battle, sometimes the outcome is enough.

Also there isn't an elf and a dwarf counting scores like chummy fookin assholes!

paulgeog

1ZRed wrote: »

My older cousins and my sister's boyfriend (in their 30s) have been at me to watch it. I've watched a few minutes of it and it's like the lord of the rings to me.
I'm not big into stuff like that and I don't see what's so great about it.
Do you need to like that kind of fantasy to enjoy it or do you get into it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToMbp7VgoRc&t=0m10s

Tipsy McSwagger

jimmymal wrote: »

I'm not so sure about this. Martin has written(and continues to write) an epic that more closely resembles human society and condition. None of the characters are pure evil (obviously apart from Jeoff who would be in a padded cell in our world), and none of them all goodness and light. All the characters are living in that grey area of moral certainty that we all live in.(not that ive had any babys killed recently)


However in tolkiens masterpiece its blatantly good versus evil with inner conflict appearing a few times throughout the epic(and almost ruining it for me reading frodo moan the whole way through his miserable journey ..."i cant do it Sam"). The power is also too absolute, either its total domination or middle earth is saved. And guess what wins the day?

Having been a massive fan of LOTR for so many years and rereading and rereading when the next films were coming out, i can't but help admire the way Martin writes. Who know when your favorite character will die? Why bother writing about every battle, sometimes the outcome is enough.

Also there isn't an elf and a dwarf counting scores like chummy fookin assholes!

Martin is a great writer but he could never come up with a character like Gollum.

Boom_Bap

I've known about Game of Thrones for a while, but never really bothered to watch it. But, I got Season 1 as a gift and decided to give it a go.
I wouldnt normally be the type to watch fantasy/medieval setting shows, but after 2 episodes I was hooked. I'm up to date with the latest episode now, so that's nearly 2 full seasons i've watched in the space of about 3 weeks!

CastorTroy

I think to answer the thread title's question: Just watch this week's episode. Brilliant.

1ZRed

CastorTroy wrote: »

I think to answer the thread title's question: Just watch this week's episode. Brilliant.

Yeah I saw it last night and it was unreal. I'm hooked on it now.

Shame the series is nearly over after I watched an episode every night to catch up!:(

lynski

there is a 3 word answer to this question ; characters and writing.
best characters in a series in a long time - maybe since the wire?
and some brilliant dialogue. the nuanced measured exchanges in some scenes are stunning. oh and tyrian.