havent watched the last season but already spoiled

Sunny_Arms

Do you still watch stuff even if you know some things that happened in the last season?
I blame facebook for getting me spoiled. and also youtube.

now i cant bring myself to watch the last season because i know somethings that are gonna happen.

also i was told that it's dark?? like even if the brightness of the device is up, still cant see details of the scene.

Theboinkmaster

Sunny_Arms wrote: »

Do you still watch stuff even if you know some things that happened in the last season?
I blame facebook for getting me spoiled. and also youtube.

now i cant bring myself to watch the last season because i know somethings that are gonna happen.

also i was told that it's dark?? like even if the brightness of the device is up, still cant see details of the scene.

you're about 2 years too late

If I'd watched all 7 seasons, yes I'd watch s8 - even now.

is_that_so

Sunny_Arms wrote: »

Do you still watch stuff even if you know some things that happened in the last season?
I blame facebook for getting me spoiled. and also youtube.

now i cant bring myself to watch the last season because i know somethings that are gonna happen.

also i was told that it's dark?? like even if the brightness of the device is up, still cant see details of the scene.

It all depends how emotionally invested you are in it. It has its moments but as posted it would make sense to wrap it up. Yeah, it is dark at times so a larger screen with a wide range of image options would be preferable! It's not dark all the way through.

Potatoeman

You may as well and be disappointed like the rest of us.

ceegee

Sunny_Arms wrote: »

Do you still watch stuff even if you know some things that happened in the last season?
I blame facebook for getting me spoiled. and also youtube.

now i cant bring myself to watch the last season because i know somethings that are gonna happen.

also i was told that it's dark?? like even if the brightness of the device is up, still cant see details of the scene.

Episode 3 is the episode that people had issues with the darkness, a lot of it is set at night. From what I remember this seemed to depend a lot on the version you watched. On nowtv I found it hard to watch due to compression making it a dark mess but a HD copy of it was fine. Obviously your TV setup will make a big difference in terms of contrast etc

Homelander

The first two episodes of S8 are fairly okay but from Ep3 onwards they get progressively worse, the last two episodes were actually offensively bad and more or less represent the showrunners taking a huge steaming dump on the legacy of the show.

They are not the first people to do it and won't be the last, but it's shocking that it was allowed happen to the most prolific TV show in the world.

Seasons 1 to 4 are utterly sensational, and there's plenty of good in S5 and S6 as well.....S7 less so, that's when it started to go wrong, but it's still not bad. The problem is I could never bring myself to ever watch it again, or even recommend it, knowing where it ends up in S8.

Countless hours of rich, layered exposition, lore and narrative.....most of which utterly leads nowhere, or to nothing meaningful. Just a braindead CGI filled short-cut finale season that condenses about 20 episodes worth of content into a few episodes and neuters most of the characters to unrecognizable levels.

So honestly, if you already know the spoilers, I wouldn't even bother. Usually I believe in the "it's the journey as much as the conclusion" but in the case of S8, the journey to the conclusion (which is fine on paper) is utterly terrible.

Slydice

Not exactly sure I'd call advance knowledge of the final season as much of a spoiler as it is a buffer for the sea change in the style of the show.

Sunny_Arms

Theboinkmaster wrote: »

you're about 2 years too late

If I'd watched all 7 seasons, yes I'd watch s8 - even now.

yeah, i took sometime off because I was spoiled hahah

Sunny_Arms

ceegee wrote: »

Episode 3 is the episode that people had issues with the darkness, a lot of it is set at night. From what I remember this seemed to depend a lot on the version you watched. On nowtv I found it hard to watch due to compression making it a dark mess but a HD copy of it was fine. Obviously your TV setup will make a big difference in terms of contrast etc

am planning to watch it on my laptop. forgot about its specs but sometimes it has a hard time with very dark things (learned from watching yt and netflix) hopefully it wont be as bad as ive heard

Sunny_Arms

Homelander wrote: »

The first two episodes of S8 are fairly okay but from Ep3 onwards they get progressively worse, the last two episodes were actually offensively bad and more or less represent the showrunners taking a huge steaming dump on the legacy of the show.

They are not the first people to do it and won't be the last, but it's shocking that it was allowed happen to the most prolific TV show in the world.

Seasons 1 to 4 are utterly sensational, and there's plenty of good in S5 and S6 as well.....S7 less so, that's when it started to go wrong, but it's still not bad. The problem is I could never bring myself to ever watch it again, or even recommend it, knowing where it ends up in S8.

Countless hours of rich, layered exposition, lore and narrative.....most of which utterly leads nowhere, or to nothing meaningful. Just a braindead CGI filled short-cut finale season that condenses about 20 episodes worth of content into a few episodes and neuters most of the characters to unrecognizable levels.

So honestly, if you already know the spoilers, I wouldn't even bother. Usually I believe in the "it's the journey as much as the conclusion" but in the case of S8, the journey to the conclusion (which is fine on paper) is utterly terrible.

wow. this is a new opinion about it. yeah i thought about not watching too because i was already spoiled thats why it took me long enough. but i guess i'm still on the pros and cons on this.

Sunny_Arms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117041488#Comment_117041488

I've been mentally preparing myself all this time and I'm still not ready. I guess I'll just have to suck it up? hahaha

TheIrishGrover

For me, the last few seasons were a case of style over substance. I mean I was reading the books as they came out from book 2 I think (It's been so long). And, c'mon, let's be brutally honest here, the books are enjoyable (In a misery sort of way) but they are not exactly Shakespeare. There were some fantastic scenes (ANYTHING with Diana Rigg) but yeah, it became more about stylish outfits and cool setpieces and lack of risk-taking.

However, that's as a reader. What is the verdict of non-readers? Did they feel just as let down by the last couple of seasons?

Sunny_Arms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117714127#Comment_117714127

Im a non reader (i planned to read it but the reviews say that it's more brutal than the series so i backed out) and even though i was just spoiled, it's pretty disappointing.

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117726667#Comment_117726667

Well, it's not that they are more brutal (Certainly the earlier season of the show had their moments) but it's just that they are not exactly a barrel of laughs.

Plus, obviously the series is finished but the books are SO far back, that might put you off. Current position of books. Spoilers. Seriously. Don't look if you don't want to know

Spoiler Warning

Jon Snow has JUST "died"

Tyrion STILL hasn't even met Dany. Seriously! Spent a whole book farting around with a pathetic moaning other dwarf called Penny.

Arya's still blind

I THINK Dany has just hooked up with her Klingons..... I mean Dothraki, again. But I'm not 100% sure on that as I haven't reread the last book.

Sam spent about 18 years on the world's most miserable and depressing boat ride (seriously, I came close to skipping his chapters) and is STILL not at the Citadel really.

Bran has just met the 3-eyed raven and has yet to turn into a creepy, weird and unlikeable wannabe-Yoda

Plus, there is bugger all chance that he will finish the books so I don't know if it is worth your while if you haven't started. But that's another thread.

Nah, I was just curious what non-readers thought as, obviously most readers thought the last seasons were rushed and style-over-substance and all the grittiness and complexity of characters was lost.

Sunny_Arms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117727209#Comment_117727209

what do you mean by so far back? i thought that the book series is done?

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117731456#Comment_117731456

Ohhhhh no... Nonononono.

Nononononononono.

No, Martin has stated that there are two books left to write. However, given the amount of ongoing storylines (Many not included in the series), and their current position, two books may not be enough. And below is the publishing dates:

A Game of Thrones (1996)

A Clash of Kings (1998)

A Storm of Swords (2000)

A Feast for Crows (2005)

A Dance with Dragons (2011)

See a pattern?

Sunny_Arms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117732513#Comment_117732513

okay, so the hbo series is only the first book???? omg wait so there's this big possibility that they'll make more? or it'll end with the house of dragons (??)

ure kinda making me wish I read the books hahaha

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117735961#Comment_117735961

No, the series went to the end. The books have not caught up to the series. They will go in the same general direction as the series and will end in pretty much the same way. However there are a couple of pretty major and interesting threads in the books that are now known to be red herrings in that they never made it to the series and had no impact. Without giving anything away, I'm talking about game changer threads. Think of the shocks of Ned Stark going and The Red Wedding. Storylines that started in the latest (Or maybe previous) book that made you think "Wait a minute, this could change EVERYTHING... Oh, no. Not in the series so just forget about it".

I mean, I've voiced my opinion on the author's distain of his paying fans (IMHO of course) and his definite lost interest in the book series in other threads. But the early books are fun in a bleak sort of way: Decent world building, ready to take risks *Although, Fantasy readers will note, many of the shock twists were not as risky as all that. The biggest shock to me was The Red Wedding and not so much that it happened but when it happened. It was always going to happen). But, as they went on, they got mote and more bloated. Needlessly bloated. And it is highly unlikely that they will be finished at all. (The SECOND LAST book has been about 6 months from publication for the last 6 years it seems)

So, tldr: The series covered everything the books will eventually cover. The books will end in a similar state but many interesting arcs are now null-and-void. The early books are pulpy fun but get bloated as they go on and it is unlikely they will be finished (Certainly by the same author).

markw7

Its an awful end to a great series but surely you'd have to finish it.

nullObjects

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117736189#Comment_117736189

Great summary in this posts, but I thought Martin and the studio agreed that what happens in the final series might not be what actually happens in the final book(s)?

I'd hope that a lot of the character arcs and little snippets / clues he left here and there would actually come to something then (I could be waiting a while for that to happen though!)

Potatoeman

The books are different in that chapters being point of view of the character you never know what’s fact and what’s opinion. The further you get the more obvious this is. It gives it wiggle room that had to be dumped for the show. It means that ‘in the book’ needs to be taken with a pinch of salt.

The story has branched out further than the initial idea. There was a leaked story plan back during book 1/2, you see the general direction but it’s veered off so much at this point that any timetable is questionable. I think he’s written himself into a corner and tying the whole thing together is going to be messy, he needs to kill of lots of characters without making even more branching stories.

Sunny_Arms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117736189#Comment_117736189

ohh i see. that's disappointing, I guess.

wait so is that why other bookworms are waiting for the book series to end before watching it?? I've seen this concern a year or two ago but I'm not sure if they still have the same feelings about it.

Sunny_Arms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117736736#Comment_117736736

that's confusing. and sad for him because of the difficulty finishing the books.

Sunny_Arms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117736255#Comment_117736255

the plot thickens

wait so the house of dragons are just snippets of the book series but put together??

TheIrishGrover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117740979#Comment_117740979

And therein lies some of the problem. While his involvement in that is/will be minimal, he is still working on other projects related and unrelated to ASoIaF (A Song of Ice and Fire to give the overall series title).

Now, nobody is saying he should be bolted to a chair until he finishes (Well, not many are saying that), but there does seem to be a lack of interest on his behalf. I mean he has being writing it for over 20 years and is still about 5-25 years away from finishing it and maybe he just wants to move on to other things or simply retire as he knows there is no point in trying to please miserable gits like me :D

I believe initially there was meant to be a 5 year gap in storytime between book 3 and 4. In that line one of book 4 would basically be "Five years later". But he wanted to flesh out/ tie together some minor storylines. This ended up being another bloated book.

Again, I may be a bit harsh but long term readers have become pretty frustrated at this stage. As I mentioned, I have being reading these since the 2nd or 3rd came out. Assuming it's the 3rd, that' over TWENTY YEARS!!! As I said, the first couple of books are good bleak pulpy fun which (in my opinion only) become more bloated and more of a slog as they go on:

Chapter upon chapter about Euron Greyjoy and their silly religion. Basically making Vikings boring somehow. Chapter upon chapter of the Sand Snakes that went NOWHERE. Interesting characters (A certain person and his ward that Tryion meets) that are not mentioned in the series so we know are pointless. Chapter upon chapter of the most miserable journey with Sam that ever was. I will reveal one thing that I hid in spoilers above that's not really a spoiler: In the books, Tyrion has not even MET Dany yet!!!!! Again, twenty years!!! (And I do know I am going full on with the Exclamation Marks). They will probably meet in the next book but will spend the entire book circling around eachother. He will not become her Hand in the next book. That's for sure.

And there is every likelihood that the books will not be completed by the same author. They make too much money to leave them unfinished if he doesn't but, let's be honest, hiring in writers to finish up books based on notes never really works.

Anyway :) That's my (overvalued) tuppence worth and it is really only my opinion. There is more to get your teeth into in the books than the series but you have to ask yourself if it is worth comitting to a story you already know the end of but which may never be totally finished.

Sunny_Arms

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117742165#Comment_117742165

thanks so much for giving a very detailed and opinionated take on the series. with your perspective (along with the others) i think that the author might be more suited for screenwriting or whatever than being an author. i hope that he does finish the book series for those bookworms who are waiting so long for it to end.

also, when I'm a bit free, I'll rewatch everything but this time I'll finish it. even if the last season disappoints me.