Game of Thrones

[ArielFingolfin]

I am getting a little sick of the nudity. Even Martin, for all his R-ratedness, doesn't have someone stripping in every single chapter like the show's doing. I'm fine when it's in context or adds to the story, but now I think they're doing it just to do it. Or maybe you're right about the 13 year old.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

I swear, one of the writers is a thirteen year old boy.

Adam Friedberg isn't a writer; he's a creative consultant.

CLICK HERE

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

For a good take on Game of Thrones, check out Emily Nussbaum's review in The New Yorker.

To me, the show is sort of a "Wouldn't it be neat to see these characters on camera?" Having read the books (twice), I really can't objectively judge the show. I can tell in one sense that it's well-acted and well-produced, but I think that to those who haven't read the books, it's a very different story, emphasizing very different things in a lot of places.

Which isn't to say it's better or worse; just different. Joffrey is somehow even worse in the show than he was in the books, because Jack Gleeson is doing such a great job at making him a petty psychopath. Jaime (of whom we've seen very little this season; but he's barely in book 2, so it makes sense) is somewhat gentler and more conflicted in the show than he is in the books. Arya in the books was angry a lot, but Maisie Williams just seems really annoyed with everyone.

 

[ArielFingolfin]

I actually love how Jamie is in the show; he's one of my favorite characters after book 3 because of his multiple layers, and I like how they started that up right off the bat.

I think Maisie is doing a better job in the second season than in the first; she's sort of settled into the role. In the first season, I agree, the spitfire was a little overdone.

Just saw the latest episode, and we've finally hit the point for me where I think they've taken the changes too far. Particularly the first scene Ygrette is in; I love that scene in the books because it's so tension filled and just so beautifully written, and I'm really mad that they butchered it, not to mention changing the entire plot completely. And the stolen dragons??? Well, I guess you can't have everything.

 

[Steerpike]

I actually love how Jamie is in the show; he's one of my favorite characters after book 3 because of his multiple layers, and I like how they started that up right off the bat.

I like that character a lot in the books as well. Is this series available online anywhere, such as some place where you can maybe pay per episode to have it streamed?

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

I like that character a lot in the books as well. Is this series available online anywhere, such as some place where you can maybe pay per episode to have it streamed?

HBO Go is their online service, but you already have to be an HBO subscriber through a cable company.

In other words, unless you actually have a subscription to HBO (or know someone who does), the only way you can watch Game of Thrones is to pirate it.

 

[Steerpike]

HBO Go is their online service, but you already have to be an HBO subscriber through a cable company.

In other words, unless you actually have a subscription to HBO (or know someone who does), the only way you can watch Game of Thrones is to pirate it.

I can't believe companies like HBO still haven't realized that they could monetize this sort of thing quite easily by providing a way for non-subscribers to view on a per-episode basis.

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

I can't believe companies like HBO still haven't realized that they could monetize this sort of thing quite easily by providing a way for non-subscribers to view on a per-episode basis.

I don't think it's reasonable to believe that HBO "hasn't realized" this. They're smart cookies at HBO; they're well aware of other distribution models.

One problem is that they have contracts with scads of cable providers that most likely say that HBO is not allowed to offer their shows to people who aren't subscribed to HBO via some cable service. It's a giant mutual lock-in that means that HBO is pretty much only available through cable TV providers. The reason is that cable providers don't want to pay for content that their subscribers could get through other channels. Since cable providers tend to be local monopolies, a given resident (say, me) will then have only one choice for getting HBO: my local cable provider (I can't easily go to another cable provider, so as long as HBO is only available through cable providers, my local provider is happy with that).

Publicly, they say that they don't believe it would work, or that they're happy with this model, but it's possible that they're just stuck with it. Another issue is that the amount of money they earn from contracts with cable providers might be A) more reliable, and B) larger than what they could get with an a la carte model. HBO is very successful and profitable, and shifting to another model that might increase their revenue (but might not) is a risky thing for any exec to undertake.

 

[Fnord]

I've actually enjoyed the show a lot more than I suspected I would. And I don't even *mind* the plot deviations all that much--though so far the deviations have mostly been the sorts of things I didn't care for in the books anyway (like Stannis' daughter and Patchface). I also realize that some of those deviations have to be put in to A) make the action move forward in the TV format and B) establish some things like the history and backstory more explicitly in order to keep viewers engaged rather than confused. And we have to remember that the books have a lot of characters engaging in "inner dialogue" and that doesn't work so well when crossed over to film. Littlefinger engaging in a long monologue about something would bore most TV watchers--having that same monologue take place over a gratuitous lesbian sex scene? Well, a bit much but I guess it worked, eh?

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

One question I meant to ask last night to my brother, who has read the first two books:

Regarding last week's episode, when several commoners at King's Landing rebelled... were some of those guys fighting monks or something? There was a bald guy in an orange robe who attacked the Hound's sternum with his fingertips. The attack was ineffective and the Hound killed the guy easily.

But what I'm wondering is if the rebel was a monk who had the ability to rip a man's heart from his torso. It looked like he was trying to do that, and I'm wondering if that odd-looking attack is something we'll see actually work later on.

Or am I just overanalyzing some strange fight choreography?

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

Overanalyzing. There's nothing like that in the books. I think the guy was just trying to foolishly grab the Hound, and Sandor just smacks him down.

 

[Harbinger]

Last nights episode was the best so far of the new season. Readers will either hate or love the changes to the story but I for one am glad the writers are allowed to experiment and stretch their legs. There is so much material that they could almost make an entirely new series from it

 

[ArielFingolfin]

One thing that I like about the books is that there are a lot of strong female characters (which seems to be sorely lacking in the fantasy genre). But in the show the men are almost portrayed as slaves to the opposite sex. All a girl has to do is drop her clothes and instantly a formerly strong, commanding male is a helpless idiot. Any male thoughts on this?

 

[Benjamin Clayborne]

One thing that I like about the books is that there are a lot of strong female characters (which seems to be sorely lacking in the fantasy genre). But in the show the men are almost portrayed as slaves to the opposite sex. All a girl has to do is drop her clothes and instantly a formerly strong, commanding male is a helpless idiot. Any male thoughts on this?

It bothers me more in a dramatic sense than in, say, any kind of cultural or ethical sense. Would Theon really be so stupid as to trust Osha when she drops her robe? He's not actually depicted as being generally moronic, he's just sort of a yutz. It's done for dramatic reasons and isn't really consistent with his character as depicted on the show (or even in the books).

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Last nights episode was the best so far of the new season. Readers will either hate or love the changes to the story but I for one am glad the writers are allowed to experiment and stretch their legs. There is so much material that they could almost make an entirely new series from it

The most recent episode gave me a smile. A red smile.

 

[Ankari]

I have to share this. It's beautiful

[video=youtube_share;sn2l2_v6Ur8]http://youtu.be/sn2l2_v6Ur8[/video]

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Half Man! Half Man! Half Man...!"

My wife missed last night's episode. The perfect excuse for me to see it again!

They just keep getting better... I'm almost sorry it's about to end.

I'm also not building up too much expectations for the finale. Season One's best was Episode 9. Because they didn't slam us with a "Ned's dead" type twist this season, I do expect this finale will offer a little more of an exciting wrap-up, especially considering the resolution needed for any character not in King's Landing.

This may be the summer where I start catching up with the books.

 

[Elder the Dwarf]

I loved how they included The Rains of Castamere in the show. Really cool.

 

[ArielFingolfin]

I loved the little bit between Bronn and the Hound. It's a fight I'd love to see, not sure who would win though.