First trailer for season 5 of Game of Thrones

[Borachio]

I can see that's what Martin sometimes seems to be trying to do.

I just don't think he succeeds. But to be fair, I'm really not paying sufficient attention to what he's writing.

In other words, the thing doesn't grab me like it should.

But, annoyingly, it doesn't leave me totally off the hook, either.

 

[Kyriakos]

Look. I've read the things. And that's as much as any reasonable person could expect from me.

The whole oeuvre is smack bang on the cusp of readability and unreadability for me. Any worse and I wouldn't read it at all. Any better and I might enjoy it.

I'd be a lot happier with a series that had fewer but more fully described characters. As it is, very few characters seem particularly different from each other.

And more people who died for more reason than just because, would be nice.

It seems to be that Martin has sacrificed quality on the altar of quantity time and time again. Which is fine. It makes him more book sales. But it doesn't make me like him, or want to read his books again, or concentrate on what (if anything) he is trying to say through his fantasy series.

This is only my personal view of the matter, of course. And if anyone is thoroughly enjoying it all, good luck to them, say I.

Oh and I've just seen a couple of youtube clips where Daario (whatever his name is) is played by two different actors who don't even remotely resemble each other.

While new-Daario seems colorless/generic, the old-Daario looked less than a mercenary and more like a pornstar, so i suppose this choice was not all-together that bad...

But the series has loads of bad actors. The Mountain was also played by a different person in the first season, and the season 4 Mountain clearly is no actor

(as for the books... only read the first chapter, and it was way too plain/boring/empty/run-of-the-mill narrative and language for my taste and iirc you shared this view more or less).

 

[Zack]

And more people who died for more reason than just because, would be nice.

No one dies "just because," each death has storytelling significance.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

New-Daario sucked, new-mountain sucked fiercely
That is all.

 

[Borachio]

No one dies "just because," each death has storytelling significance.

Yes. That's what I would have thought, too.

But I'm Volume 5 Part 1 into the story and I haven't seen any reason for any of them. Every one has seemed gratuitous to me.

It's certainly possible that I'm missing something, though.

new-mountain sucked fiercely

You mean they pulled the same trick twice?

I did buy the first season on DVD, but I'm having grave doubts whether I shall buy any more.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

The perhaps most aweful thing is that old-mountain really looked like he may be the brother of the hound.
New-mountain? lol no
It took me a while to even realize that they are supposed to be the same person.

Regardless, I still love GoT and recommend it to anyone in a heartbeat. I just perhaps love it too much and am easily greatly annoyed since the 4th season or so (when quality declined). And it of course also always is a different experience when you have read the books. I most of all didn't read them because there many good books but not so many TV shows I care to follow with genuine passion.

 

[Zack]

Yes. That's what I would have thought, too.

But I'm Volume 5 Part 1 into the story and I haven't seen any reason for any of them. Every one has seemed gratuitous to me.

It's certainly possible that I'm missing something, though.

Can you give an example of a death that had no significance to the story? I disagree that it's gratuitous, especially in 4 and 5. In fact, some characters seem to have rather thick plot armor.

 

[Borachio]

Well. It depends what you mean by significance, of course, I suppose.

For me, the death is significant if it comes as a direct and inevitable result of what happened before. And I simply haven't seen any. Some character is moving through the landscape in a more or less haphazard fashion. And then boom, next moment they're dead (in a variety of ways). And occasionally not dead. And then maybe dead again. And then some of them are undead and wandering around with anger management issues until someone sets light to them.

But, honestly, this is just my failing, I know it. I'm not trying to persuade anyone that the story is no good. Just that I've read it (with probably less attention than I should) and not been grabbed by it.

Spoiler alert:

Spoiler :

The death that struck me as particularly gratuitous was Brienne's. I could see no reason at all why that woman... thingy.. Sean Bean's missus... should kill her.

 

[Zack]

Frankly, if you believe that, you're simply not paying attention. So many deaths have come as a consequence of that character's actions. To claim that hasn't been the case for any of them, that they're all just random... Are you sure you've read the books and not just a summary?

 

[Borachio]

No. I've read them alright.

And yes, you're probably right, I'm not paying enough attention.

Brienne just struck me as a innocent bystander in it all. Not particularly malevolent but not making particularly good decisions either.

 

[Zack]

She's not even dead...

 

[Terxpahseyton]

Spoiler alert:

Spoiler :

The death that struck me as particularly gratuitous was Brienne's. I could see no reason at all why that woman... thingy.. Sean Bean's missus... should kill her.

Dame my weak compulsion-control.

She's not even dead...

Horay!
That was close...

 

[Kyriakos]

Well. It depends what you mean by significance, of course, I suppose.

For me, the death is significant if it comes as a direct and inevitable result of what happened before. And I simply haven't seen any. Some character is moving through the landscape in a more or less haphazard fashion. And then boom, next moment they're dead (in a variety of ways). And occasionally not dead. And then maybe dead again. And then some of them are undead and wandering around with anger management issues until someone sets light to them.

But, honestly, this is just my failing, I know it. I'm not trying to persuade anyone that the story is no good. Just that I've read it (with probably less attention than I should) and not been grabbed by it.

Spoiler alert:

Spoiler :

The death that struck me as particularly gratuitous was Brienne's. I could see no reason at all why that woman... thingy.. Sean Bean's missus... should kill her.

Thanks a lot Borachio, that was a major spoiler

(although i am not sure if they have that *thing* in the show this season either, or at all).

edit: read the x-post too.

New-Daario sucked, new-mountain sucked fiercely
That is all.

The old Mountain likely could act a bit better (although he likely was crap too by and large), but the new mountain at least looks fierce.
The old one looked like that archenemy from Popay.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

nvm..

 

[Zack]

There have been 3 actors for Gregor Clegane. I assume when you guys are saying "old mountain" you mean the one from season 1 (with the jousting)?

 

[Kozmos]

I wasn't even aware they changed the Mountain several times. I mean Daario was noticeable, but I guess I never really paid much attention to the big guy.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

There have been 3 actors for Gregor Clegane. I assume when you guys are saying "old mountain" you mean the one from season 1 (with the jousting)?

3 srsly?!
I probably never recognized the 2nd one at all...
But yeah I mean the one from season 1, with the jousting. That guy was IMO fantastic. At least compared to his latest incarnation.

edit:
Here they are in chronological order

 

[Zack]

He doesn't have many scenes.

 

[Leifmk]

Not easy to find an actor of that size. Let alone a good one.

 

[Kyriakos]

Not easy to find an actor of that size. Let alone a good one.

Hodor?