GAME OF THRONES [Book and TV Discussion (US Pace)]

AnCapaillMor · 19-04-2011 09:21AM

I'm liking it, but i spent half the show explaining who everyone was in particular Viscerys and Daenerys to my da. I imagine it would be confusing if you didn't go near the books.

Sleepy · 19-04-2011 04:16PM

They aged the characters up a little deliberately. In fact, Martin has mentioned a few times that he regrets not making them a little older to begin with. It was originally intended for the series to have a 5 year gap to allow the characters age but during the writing of either AFFC or ASOS (can't remember which) he found himself having to rely on flashbacks too often which lead to a total re-write and the characters all being a little younger than they were originally meant to be.

Overall, I'm happy with the first episode. It was a little rushed (no doubt due to only being 10 episodes long rather than the originally planned 12) and Tyrion's introduction seemed a little off (the whoring seemed less based in self-loathing than it's shown in the books). Brilliant adaptation though, really can't complain given the constraints of budget and time in a series being made of a book that was originally written in the spirit of "to hell with making it filmable, I'm writing this as big and as epic as I like" after GRRM had so much of his screenwriting curtailed by budgetary limits on Beauty and the Beast and the Twilight Zone.

Sleepy · 19-04-2011 04:20PM

Second Series Confirmed:
http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/04/19/game-of-thrones-renewed/

Dades · 19-04-2011 05:56PM

Sleepy wrote: »

Second Series Confirmed:
http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/04/19/game-of-thrones-renewed/

Not quite 'confirmed' - but confident.

Also ixoy - where's our GOT Episode 1 thread?

nesf · 19-04-2011 07:28PM

Loved it. Dinklage was so well cast as Tyrion. Happy enough with the changes made from the book, didn't expect perfect accuracy given the book's contents and with GRRM on board from the start of the series am happy to accept his signing off on these things.

Morgase · 19-04-2011 07:54PM

Overall I really enjoyed it. Arya is just perfect, she's exactly like I imagined her. So many of the characters are in tune in my mental pictures of them, it's just great.

The only quibble I have really is

the Dany and Khal Drogo wedding night. It's a while since I read the book, but I remember it as Khal Drogo being, well, less rapey.

Sleepy · 19-04-2011 08:33PM

Morgase

that's certainly a huge topic of conversation over on asoiaf.westeros.org, I think it was portrayed as such to bring in the later brutality of their sexual relationship: Drogo "riding her as relentlessly as he rode his stallion" every night while she cries into her pillow and the relative tenderness of their wedding night to that could make it look as if their relationship is taking a step backwards rather than growing into one of empowerment for Danaerys. I'd imagine we're not going to see as much of their later nightly congresses, allowing her later taking a more assertive sexual role with Drogo ("I will look on your face this night") to be condensed for the time-constraints of the series. I'd go so far as to guess we'll see this change in the next episode or, at the latest episode 3, after Dany is presented with her handmaidens and instructed in the "marital arts".

Contextually, you have to remember that we're also looking at a medieval society where a woman is effectively her husband's property and sexual congress is his right to take as he pleases. The relatively modern concept of marriage as a union of love doesn't really exist in Westeros, as it didn't really exist in the medieval societies of our own world

.

I found Arya to be absolutely perfect, fantastic casting and a great job from Maisie Williams.

Dinklage was always the obvious choice for Tyrion though his introductory scene

in the Whorehouse seemed an off-beat to me. Tyrion's role in the series as a whole so far seems a little too "jolly" to me. The Tyrion of the books is rather more self-loathing and cynical in his demeanour, at least as I'd picture him. Though, that could be me letting later Tyrion chapters colour my memory of his first appearances

.

pljudge321 · 19-04-2011 09:45PM

Second series has been confirmed on Martin's blog by the man himself.

Somnus · 19-04-2011 10:04PM

Just watched the first episode there.

Overall I'm happy with it. I agree with most people about Tyrion

he is definitely missing the bitterness that accompanies his witty remarks. Sleepy hit the nail on the head about him being jolly instead of bitter.

I think that Ned's children, including Jon, are all great choices. They look the part. I noticed they didn't introduce Rickon. I saw him standing next to Caetlyn when Robert arrives and, for a second, was thinking "who's that kid"

Jaime is well cast as well.

I think that people who haven't read the book will be saying wtf was all that about though.

AnCapaillMor · 20-04-2011 09:12AM

The tyrion in the first book wasn't a quarter as bitter as the tyrion from the last 2 books.

5starpool · 20-04-2011 10:19AM

AnCapaillMor wrote: »

The tyrion in the first book wasn't a quarter as bitter as the tyrion from the last 2 books.

Ya, that's true. It was more when they started focusing on his relationship with Tywin that we got to see more than the drunken, whoring, sarcastic little dwarf.

Dades · 20-04-2011 12:19PM

5starpool wrote: »

Ya, that's true. It was more when they started focusing on his relationship with Tywin that we got to see more than the drunken, whoring, sarcastic little dwarf.

Agreed. He had little to do but, well, 'drink and whore' (and read) until events require that his wits came to the fore, and also he is faced with his past.

The characters are still very two-dimensional at this point, but that's to be expected.

5starpool · 20-04-2011 03:21PM

I can't wait til the end of the series to see the reaction of people who haven't read the books.

ixoy · 22-04-2011 04:23PM

Renamed the thread to make it clearer that the books can be discussed. Feel free to start an episode thread next week if you wish!

micayla · 23-04-2011 09:50AM

Really liked the first episode, looking forward to the rest of the series and then the new book later in the summer

I think the ages of the kids will be a bit messy, for example they mentioned that Sansa is 13 but the rest seem to have aged considerably apart from Bran and Arya (Rickon was 3 when the books started but he looks about 6 in the show). I really like the casting of Jon and Rob, thought the two actors were great. I think it will take a few episodes for them all to settle into their characters but really looking forward to seeing how it develops. Glad they've announced a second series, really hope the ratings stay good for the season and they don't end up cancelling it.

Paddy Samurai · 24-04-2011 03:14PM

I enjoyed the first episode,Sean Bean is great in the role of Eddard Stark.Thought it was a great effort given the range of characters and the depth of the story involved.I am looking forward to the rest of the series.:)
Don't have sky atlantic or HBO on my TV cable,so took me a while to find a web site that showed it in full.

Zapp Brannigan · 25-04-2011 07:26AM

Second ep still going strong.

Really starting to dislike Joffrey and Cersei, as we're supposed to be doing by now.

Noticed some changes from the book already (where the hell is Ghost!?) but they're not too bad. Getting hooked now.

pljudge321 · 25-04-2011 11:39AM

Zapp Brannigan wrote: »

Second ep still going strong.

Really starting to dislike Joffrey and Cersei, as we're supposed to be doing by now.

Noticed some changes from the book already (where the hell is Ghost!?) but they're not too bad. Getting hooked now.

2nd episode is awesome so far. Bit disappointed they left out the "It should have been you" line by Catelyn though.

Somnus · 25-04-2011 10:25PM

Still have to get around to watching the second episode. I'm looking forward to it.

Aidan was up this evening though, pic as proof I actually do know him :P

He was saying filming for series 2 starts in July.
I'll probably get to go down and have a bit of craic as an extra for a few days. Or just watch them filming. Looking forward to that!!

Dades · 25-04-2011 11:39PM

^^ Deadly - Littlefinger!

Episode 2 - started slow - finished great. Less Caitlyn please and more action. The whole Daenerys thing is starting to seem a bit, well, gratuitous.

Still, loving it!

titan18 · 25-04-2011 11:52PM

Hopefully Hodor is in the next episode now that Bran is awake. Will be the best thing ever

Tar.Aldarion · 26-04-2011 03:22AM

Very happy this is finally out, really makes me want to read the books again. Although cersei should have been hotter, daenrys less hawt and jaime younger and feistier. Do they pronounce it jamie? I always said jaymm

Zapp Brannigan · 26-04-2011 03:24AM

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

Very happy this is finally out, really makes me want to read the books again. Although cersei should have been hotter, daenrys less hawt and jaime younger and feistier. Do they pronounce it jamie? I always said jaymm

I always pronounced it your way as well but it seems it's Jamie.

Also can I just state that I love Sean Bean. The man is just pure class!

Somnus · 26-04-2011 12:42PM

Just finished watching the second episode there. It was excellent. I definitely think it's just going to keep picking up.

A lot of the lines seem like they are straight out of the book. Some parts felt like I was reading it again. I'm impressed with how little they've deviated from it so far.

Looking forward to the next one!

jamezy · 26-04-2011 02:35PM

I hate to be the voice of negativity but does Sansa really annoy anyone else? I don't think she is much of an actress.

Somnus · 26-04-2011 02:45PM

jamezy wrote: »

I hate to be the voice of negativity but does Sansa really annoy anyone else? I don't think she is much of an actress.

I remember her annoying me in the early stages of the book too :P

We'll just have to see what happens once (spoiler if you haven't read the book)

Joffrey starts beating her

ixoy · 26-04-2011 02:45PM

jamezy wrote: »

I hate to be the voice of negativity but does Sansa really annoy anyone else? I don't think she is much of an actress.

She generally annoyed me in the books too so I don't mind that she's annoying. I don't think she's a particularly good actress for what it's worth - those playing Jon, Arya and Bran all seem better.

AnCapaillMor · 26-04-2011 03:17PM

Yeah she was and still is a very annoying character. There's really not much to play off the character.

jamezy · 26-04-2011 07:07PM

Haha, yes she is annoying in the book too.
I will tip my hat to all the other casting though. They did an amazing job.

O-Deazy · 26-04-2011 08:13PM

Dr.Poca thats an awesome pic! Really loving the first two episodes.. Its really staying true to the book which is a big positive. Already starting to dislike Jeoffry and Cersei which was fairly similar to when I was reading the book from an early stage as well! And I have to agree Sansa is really annoying me in it as well..

Really like all the other character choices, however I don't know why but I don't like Cat Stark! I'm not sure if its the character choice, the acting style or just the fact that she seems sour and depressed all the time (I know she doesn't have much to be happy about) but I still find myself disliking her.

One thing thats a bit different from the books for me is how I look forward to Danaery's storyline a LOT more! Always some boobs or general eye candy on display

GAME OF THRONES [Book and TV Discussion (US Pace)]

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