HBO: A Game of Thrones (ASOIAF)

[Leoreth]

The barbarisation of Daenerys is well done (no pun intended).

Huh?

Good episode though. I've always liked the "Ned sitting the Iron Thrones" scene, and it was well adapted here. I only found it odd that Robert's out hunting with only three companions, no horses and no dogs. Seriously?

 

[Yeekim]

Yeah, that's where the series has fallen short badly. What about Dothraki "horde"? Or Vaes Dothrak, that was supposed to fit all the khalasars at one time, if need be? On the other hand, this was entirely expected and is not to be held against the makers. To do it right, they would have had to throw completely insane amounts of money at it.

Seriously, now I don't know whether to be amused or pissed. I mean, I can forgive them toning down the size of Drogo's khalasar a notch or two. Or the grand tournament.
But that hunting scene?

Four guys with spears on foot? WTH HBO? You couldn't budget four horses? Few extras with dogs? Regular hunting dogs, not direwolves? That comedic troupe is supposed to be the whole royal retinue? Is Robert going to make Lancel yap and flush the boar out?

I halfway expected someone to start clacking coconut halves together (and Renly to say “Oh, but you can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just because you wield the largest war-hammer! Ah! Now we see the violence inherent in the system!&#8221.

Since I doubt they intended to evoke that rather funny parallel, I must declare epic failure. Quite surprising, really, given the amount of attention to detail the show has so far demonstrated...

EDIT: Holy x-post!

 

[GoodSarmatian]

Huh?

Characterization well done.
Also well done: Viserys' face, like a steak.

I only found it odd that Robert's out hunting with only three companions, no horses and no dogs. Seriously?

Don't hunting parties usually split up into smaller groups ?
Also I suppose horses would be too loud and freak out the prey, and Robert was much too drunk to stay on a horse anyway.

 

[Leoreth]

I halfway expected someone to start clacking coconut halves together (and Renly to say “Oh, but you can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just because you wield the largest war-hammer! Ah! Now we see the violence inherent in the system!&#8221.

[...]

EDIT: Holy x-post!

Haha, coincidence

And I would've loved if Renly said that

Don't hunting parties usually split up into smaller groups ?
Also I suppose horses would be too loud and freak out the prey, and Robert was much too drunk to stay on a horse anyway.

They're carrying no bows either, and it looks like they're carrying boar spears instead. Hunting boars is a huge effort, they're rare even in supposedly medieval environment, so you need dogs to find them. And you need horses to keep up with the dogs. Boars are no deer, and afaik are no flight animals, so horses won't scare them away either. More important, taking on a boar usually requires several people at the same time to wound it enough for a killing.

Spoiler :

Now that I said it, maybe the small hunting party is intentional to make Robert's fatal lone attack on the boar more believable? It still isn't very plausible why they are so few in the first place, though.

 

[TheDanish]

I halfway expected someone to start clacking coconut halves together (and Renly to say “Oh, but you can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just because you wield the largest war-hammer! Ah! Now we see the violence inherent in the system!&#8221.

I almost choked on my water reading this. That would've been great to see

EDIT: Also, I think they've gotten most of the characters spot-on. I'm only upset that Lord Tywin's mustache is missing. I imagined it to be quite epic.

As for the end of episode 7: (spoilers because it's only been released online, not on TV)

Spoiler :

Khal Drogo's declaration that he would invade Westeros was very well done, and very believable. I definitely got the sense that he was pissed the Usurper had tried to assassinate his queen, and wanted to squash their heads.

And more spoilers, because the comments below spoil events from books 1-3. You have been warned:

Spoiler :

I wonder how easily the audience will stomach the death of Drogo, and of many others for that matter. Drogo made a huge show of how he's going to invade Westeros, but he'll die. And then Dany will declare her intention of following through, but not before wandering halfway across the world and back and deciding to settle in Mereen to "rule for a bit." I don't see TV viewers accepting it all. Promises of invasions that never happen, relatable characters that die at every turn, and half the cast replaced or crippled before Storm of Swords is done? I really want this series to go past Season 2, but between what I've said above and Martin's agonizingly slow release pace, I'm not sure we'll see anything beyond the War of the Five Kings on the small screen.

 

[Thoughtful Thug]

Thank you for mentioning that episode 7 is already out early.

Don't know if I should watch it now. Too many Mike Harder Lemonade today. :/

Spoiler :

 

[GoodSarmatian]

Oh, episode seven is out.

Thoughts on the first scene:
Well, Tywin doesn't really look like Tywin but I can live with that. Mayabe the bald head/epic sideburns would have looked to silly on TV. What rubs me the wrong way about the scene is that he's skinning and gutting his supper himself when that is a servants job. Maybe they wanted to show what a hardass and control-freak he is. It also makes me feel like someone has written SYMBOLISM !!! (yes, in allcaps and with three exclamation marks) on a wall and is trying to bash my head against it. While repeatedly screaming SYMBOLISM !!!
Oh, and Jaime sais "I could care less" when he means "I couldn'tcare less".
THE SHOW IS RUINED !!!
Now having said that, I love it how Jaime is lectured and intimidated by his daddy like a little boy. So far the performance of the Lannister actors is -with the sad exception of Cersei- perfect.

 

[Thoughtful Thug]

It just keep getting better.

Spoiler :

Facepalm: Stark, how can you trust Littlefinger?

Somebody got to tell me what happen to Stark? It is not like episode 8 is available. And I can't wait for another week!

 

[GoodSarmatian]

Is this a one time thing or wll episode eight also be available online ?

Now to Ned Stark:

Spoiler :

As far as I remember Stark will spend at least the next two episodes in a cell in the dungeon. What happens after that is a spoiler that I won't have on my conscience.

 

[Thoughtful Thug]

Is this a one time thing or wll episode eight also be available online ?

Now to Ned Stark:

Spoiler :

As far as I remember Stark will spend at least the next two episodes in a cell in the dungeon. What happens after that is a spoiler that I won't have on my conscience.

They are all available online.

And please reveal what happen next to me. You know my ancestry is traced all the way to Krautland? We could be cousins for christ sake!

 

[GoodSarmatian]

They are all available online.

And please reveal what happen next to me. You know my ancestry is traced all the way to Krautland? We could be cousins for christ sake!

I meant will it be availble online a week before airing.
If you really, really want to know what happens to Ned Stark I can PM you, I don't want somebody to inadvertently read my spoiler.

Btw, my ancestry can not be traced to Krautland, except for a stop in Lusatia before my raping and pillaging forefathers moved on to Illyria and Dalmatia.

 

[Quackers]

Worth downloading and watching?

 

[Ajidica]

Sounds interesting. Is there anyplace I can watch in online or should I wait until it comes out on Netflix?

 

[Yui108]

Moderator Action: Post put into spoilers tag, so that those who haven't watched won't know the outcome. - KD

Spoiler :

Ned Stark has his head chopped off to due to Sansa's betrayal/mistake and serendipity.

 

[TheDanish]

@Yui108

Season 1 spoilers

Spoiler :

Stark was executed because he tried to seize Cersei and Joffrey.

 

[Leoreth]

Warning to everyone who doesn't know the story: the last three posts, including this one, contain ending spoilers!

Spoiler :

Many factors contributed to it:
- Eddard trusting Littlefinger from the beginning
- Eddard outright telling Cersei that he plans to move against her
- Eddard refusing Renly's offer
- Cersei having neither Joffrey nor Slynt and Payne under control during Eddard's public confession

 

[Yui108]

Spoiler :

Didn't littlefinger betray Ned with his offer to obtain the King's Guard? And when Sansa mentioned to Cersei her father was leaving, stuff hit the fan.

 

[Yeekim]

Spoiler :

I wonder how easily the audience will stomach the death of Drogo, and of many others for that matter. Drogo made a huge show of how he's going to invade Westeros, but he'll die. And then Dany will declare her intention of following through, but not before wandering halfway across the world and back and deciding to settle in Mereen to "rule for a bit." I don't see TV viewers accepting it all. Promises of invasions that never happen, relatable characters that die at every turn, and half the cast replaced or crippled before Storm of Swords is done? I really want this series to go past Season 2, but between what I've said above and Martin's agonizingly slow release pace, I'm not sure we'll see anything beyond the War of the Five Kings on the small screen.

Spoiler :

Personally, I think that having relatable characters die is a strongness of the script. The generic "I know he's a hero, so he never dies" plots can't create that level of excitement. Even after Eddard, Drogo or Robert are gone, there are still a Daenerys, Tyrion and Arya to cheer for. And who wouldn't wish to see Joffrey get his comeuppance? No way can I see people quitting because they lose interest.

 

[TheDanish]

@ Yeekim

Spoiler :

I hope so. The books definitely managed to pull it off, but I just worry for the attention span of TV viewers.

 

[Scratch]

I think the show is doing fine so far.

Don't know if I much liked the exposition-y scene with Littlefinger talking to the 2 new members of his brothel. But pretty well liked how everything else was done, and I liked the opening scene to introduce Tywin Lannister.

Who was missing with last night's episode? Tyrion, Catelyn, Bran...

But I've definitely liked this show and how it got me back into reading the books again. Finished off A Clash of Kings this morning and will probably start A Storm of Swords tonight.