Game of Thrones

[rune_74]

This show is excellent. They have handled the pacing just fine. I find it funny finding out peoples favorite characters are, then thinking what happens to them. I think it will be very interesting to see what people think at the end.

 

[figment]

I actually subscribed to HBO for the next 6 months just because they are airing this series. Anyway as much as I love it, I think the pacing is off. A lot of the information is presented in a fast and almost too subtle way and you have to watch very closely to make sense of it all. In that sense it reflects the books very well.

If I had not already read the books I'm sure some of it would be confusing initially as they have introduced a lot of characters and relationships. It would have required multiple viewings for me to keep things straight. I remember basically memorizing the appendix of the books to try and get that straight and viewers don't get that help here unless they use the web.

I do like how the intro credits show the map for locations visited and discussed in the episode. Would be useful in the end of the episode or during transitions just to solidify locations for new viewers but there is only so much you can fit in an hour.

Finally, Peter Dinklage as Tyrion is classic and a standout performer that I expected him to be.

 

[GothicGothicness]

80/mo +$100?!?

Yikes that's expensive. No TV show is worth that much. Get the deluxe HD box set when it comes out and pay less than that.

HBO in Chicago is costing me $15/mo with no "starting fee" (what a joke) and I can cancel without penalty.

That's because the have a package "deal" you buy a package with a lot of channels... to get the one you want. Perhaps I could get a better deal but I don't know.

 

[Ovenall]

Saw episode three last night.

It keeps getting better. My wife is completely engrossed as well, and has never read the books nor had the slightest interest in doing so. I could point out some small criticisms here and there, but the good vastly outweighs the not-so-good, especially considering the length and complexity of the source material.

Still not liking the Jaime actor that much. I wish they had at least a little more time for Sansa. Petyr Baelish came across as only so-so, though I never enjoyed his character as much as GRRM seemed to. I wish we'd see more establishing exterior shots of the castles, etc., but it's probably too hard to make them look 100% convincing.

 

[DArtagnan]

Watched the first episode, and if it wasn't for my GF being interested - that would have been it.

Nothing but softporn and violence with absolutely nothing beyond that to engage me. I haven't read the books, but I assume there's more to it than people doing what they can to achieve power through fucking and killing? I know it's relatively new to have tits on TV in the US - but can it really drive an entire show?

Anyway, I think the HBO tits-obsession was a good fit for Rome - which I really enjoyed, but there has to be more than that.

Was kinda interesting to see Coster-Waldau in such a big production, and he seems to handle his role well without much of an accent.

 

[Ovenall]

Softporn and violence? I'm not even sure we're talking about the same show.

People have nipples. Human beings have sex with each other. I don't find that such a big deal. And there hasn't really been all that much violence yet, at least not so much that it would be an issue. How many people/things did you kill on the last playthrough of your favorite RPG?

And tits are driving the entire show? What an odd comment.

To each his own. In my opinion, there's less violence and more talk that I would have expected. And lots of family moments… though it's certainly not a show suitable for children.

 

[DArtagnan]

Softporn and violence? I'm not even sure we're talking about the same show.

People have nipples. Human beings have sex with each other. I don't find that such a big deal. And there hasn't really been all that much violence yet, at least not so much that it would be an issue. How many people/things did you kill on the last playthrough of your favorite RPG?

I have nothing against sex or violence in my entertainment, as long as they're not the only things in it.

While I agree there's a lot of combat in the average CRPG - it differs in it being interactive, and in how the strategic layer plays a large part. Watching people kill each other can get boring really fast, for me at least.

And tits are driving the entire show? What an odd comment.

To each his own. In my opinion, there's less violence and more talk that I would have expected. And lots of family moments… though it's certainly not a show suitable for children.

It was an exaggeration.

If you don't think there was a lot of focus on sex, then I guess we must have different standards.

To me, it seemed VERY important to get across that people were fucking or getting raped in that world - quite a lot. I kinda got the point within the first 5 minutes, and I don't need them showing it over and over for effect. I have real porn for that.

I'll watch another episode, and see if they don't have something else up their sleeve. If not, then I'm glad there are other people enjoying it - but obviously it's not for me.

 

[Ovenall]

Out of a 60 minute show, there was about what? Four minutes of sexual content? At the very most?

And how many killings were there? Some people got killed in the prologue by monsters out in the wilderness as a setup to the entire story. Then a person was executed for going breaking the law in an integral part of the story. I can't even remember if there was more violence than that in the first episode.

edit- yes the kid gets pushed out the window, but ***SPOILERS***












he lives and is a huge part of the long, long story that follows

It's certainly a gritty take on the typical fantasy world. Lord of the Rings will completely gloss over thousands getting hacked to pieces by orc axes and arrows. Martin's story makes you feel each death. There is no glory in the murders and killings or rape that happen in Game of Thrones. It's a far more nuanced look at the fantasy world clichés, and we see their world through our own very human eyes.

Not for everyone, I understand that. But to call it all soft porn and violence is completely missing the point.

 

[DArtagnan]

I don't know if I missed the point. I just watched the show and put forth what I got from it.

I'm happy you liked it, though.

 

[Tilean]

I just love this show. At first I was disappointed by something I can't even remember now. But I am totally in love now, I am even thinking about buying a blu ray drive for the official box set release.

They even did a better job at GRRM himself at points. That Cersei is a somewhat likeable character now is just such a huge improvement in my opinion.

I also appreciate that they included a lot of details that only make sense to readers like Arya's glowing eyes, Jaime sitting below the Iron Throne and the raven at Bran's window.

There were comments in this thread about the pacing, which I think is just fine. It is similar to The Wire in this regard in that every scene is important and can be seen as showcasing the development of different characters, for example the dialogue between Ned and Arya in episode 3 can be seen as Arya trying to resolve her feelings of guilt over the death of the butcher's boy and simultaneously as Ned trying to make up for his shame over marrying away one of his daughters to a selfish prick in order to secure the king's support for the Starks for the coming winter by giving his other daughter as much freedom in her life as he is able to.

I also think HBO is banking on the DVD/Blu Ray success of this show, so I assume the pacing was deliberately designed to further enjoyment of viewing the series in marathon sessions.

However, I am not so sure I could like it if I hadn't read the books because I probably wouldn't get half of what is going on between the lines.

 

[Ovenall]

After a while, you realize there are no clear cut completely good guys or bad guys (though some characters are more good/bad than others).

Hell, the whole premise is based on the fact that all this terrible stuff goes down 15 years after the good guys won!

The story may be soaked in blood, but none of the violence is glamorized or portrayed as positive. It's a tragedy on a human scale.

On the other hand, book one is far and away the best and the last one really wasn't all that good IMO. So who knows where this adaptation will go, or where the future of the series lies at all.

Another thought on episode 3: When Ned mets Jaime in the throne room, he had a chance to make a small amount of peace between them. Jaime is being almost conciliatory. I got the sense they could never be friends of course, but Ned makes it worse by being so completely honorable and forthright. Completely seals his own fate.

 

[DArtagnan]

Well, we watched episodes 2 and 3 - and I have to admit it's gotten a lot more interesting. They've toned down the sex and expanded the characters.

I'm definitely on it for the time being

 

[Tilean]

Hell, the whole premise is based on the fact that all this terrible stuff goes down 15 years after the good guys won!

Without giving away too much I wouldn't say that you can classify the complete rebellion as "the good guys".

On the other hand, book one is far and away the best and the last one really wasn't all that good IMO. So who knows where this adaptation will go, or where the future of the series lies at all.

I find the second and third to be on par with if not better than the first book (more fantastical elements, more subplots, more interesting characters,…). A lot of people were disappointed by the last book, which I can understand to some degree. But because I liked the new elements he introduced in A Feast for Crows, I am willing to give GRRM the benefit of the doubt, though, when he says that book 4 and 5 were really supposed to be one book.

However, I think that, if he doesn't finish the books, getting into this series might not be worth it in the long run. I hope corporate pressure from HBO will lead to good results on this matter.

 

[Scrav]

To me, it seemed VERY important to get across that people were fucking or getting raped in that world - quite a lot. I kinda got the point within the first 5 minutes, and I don't need them showing it over and over for effect. I have real porn for that.

It is very important to highlight the sex in Game of Thrones. Not because it supposedly has some entertainment value, but because the whole premise of the show is about power and control. Sex is used to help describe those elements.

 

[Ovenall]

However, I think that, if he doesn't finish the books, getting into this series might not be worth it in the long run. I hope corporate pressure from HBO will lead to good results on this matter.

Corporate pressure? The promise of giant piles of money will be what leads him to finish!

At least I hope so.

 

[Warmark]

After reading the books I didn't expect to enjoy a TV version, but boy was I wrong.

This has just been an excellent translation from book to TV movie.
I don't watch a ton of TV(being a gamer and all)but my wife and myself just can't wait for each episode now.
If there was more quality shows like this it could really kill my gaming time(don't think I have to worry though).

 

[Tragos]

#3 was boring , i only enjoyed the scene with the blond asshole and the whip

 

[DArtagnan]

I feel they're overplaying the comic relief dwarf, and they're still really fond of using sex as one of the primary draws.

But beyond that, I'm starting to find the characters engaging, though I must say I find the Lannisters implausibly cruel when directly compared with the almost altruistic and brave Starks. I'm hoping for more blurring of the lines.

I also find it interesting that all the 4 prime evils have blonde hair. The young prince is incredibly cliché in that way - but maybe there will be surprising developments there.

 

[Ovenall]

I like that sex is a major draw. What other fantasy film/series has had a bunch of sex in it as integral part of the story?

I just don't see it as a negative. It's different than a lofty, scholarly Lord of the Rings style story, but so what? At least it's different. There's around 10,000 LotR clone books and stories out there.

And I say this as a fan of Lord of the Rings by the way.

 

[DArtagnan]

I like that sex is a major draw. What other fantasy film/series has had a bunch of sex in it as integral part of the story?

Are you implying that having something that's not common is necessarily good?

I don't mind sex being a draw, I mind it being a big part as it gets in the way of other more interesting things.

I just don't see it as a negative. It's different than a lofty, scholarly Lord of the Rings style story, but so what? At least it's different. There's around 10,000 LotR clone books and stories out there.

And I say this as a fan of Lord of the Rings by the way.

To each his own.