House of the Dragon (Season 1 of GoT-related series discussion)

[aelf]

Absolutely. It's why you're still allowed here. (heh, no real offense meant - just enjoying the barbs)

I thought you were explicit about me being explicit.

Inconsistent logic! You think anything goes in a fantasy thread, eh?

 

[aelf]

DON'T watch season 8!!!

If you can't resist starting season 8, STOP after you finish ep 2.

Wow, I had an impression you still liked season 8. Seems like it being bad is quite uncontroversial.

 

[Sommerswerd]

Wow, I had an impression you still liked season 8. Seems like it being bad is quite uncontroversial.

So, my overall feeling on GoT, as I've explained at length a few times on these threads, in a nutshell, is that seasons 1-5 are superb, season 6 is good, just not as good as the first 5, season 7 is still good but noticeably less so than the first 6 seasons and the first two episodes of season 8 are still watchable/decent, albeit not as good as season 7. Starting with episode three of season 8, the show just becomes infuriatingly nonsensical hogwash and goes completely off the rails... figuratively speaking, starting with the unwatchable (literally speaking, as-in you can't see anything because its too dark) episode three.

 

[Kyriakos]

So, my overall feeling on GoT, as I've explained at length a few times on these threads, in a nutshell, is that seasons 1-5 are superb, season 6 is good, just not as good as the first 5, season 7 is still good but noticeably less so than the first 6 seasons and the first two episodes of season 8 are still watchable/decent, albeit not as good as season 7. Starting with episode three of season 8, the show just becomes infuriatingly nonsensical hogwash and goes completely off the rails... figuratively speaking, starting with the unwatchable (literally speaking, as-in you can't see anything because its too dark) episode three.

Imo 1-4 are great (wait, I meant "ok" Actually I started watching when season 3 ended, and I was mostly invested in season 4). 5... was a let down (Sand snakes being a lowlight imo)

 

[Sommerswerd]

Imo 1-4 are great (wait, I meant "ok" Actually I started watching when season 3 ended, and I was mostly invested in season 4). 5... was a let down (Sand snakes being a lowlight imo)

I agree that the Sandsnakes seemed somewhat pointless, except that they were necessary to develop/highlight Ellaria Sand's character. In any case I didn't think they were enough of an issue to diminish season 5 overall.

It was the same for me BTW. I started watching the show during season 3. I binged seasons 1 and 2 and then started watching every week with season 3.

 

[Zardnaar]

I rate it something like 4,3,1,2,6,5,7,8 in terms of quality.

 

[RobAnybody]

That is a really good order - I had never really thought of my season rankings, but I'll second yours.

 

[Zardnaar]

That is a really good order - I had never really thought of my season rankings, but I'll second yours.

I could maybe swap 3 and 4 around maybe 2 and 6.

First 4 are the best seasons, 8 is the worst.

 

[RobAnybody]

Actually putting some thought into it, I agree on swapping 3 & 4. 3 had the Red Wedding. I don't think that season can be topped. 4 had a *ton* of plot development & some... satisfying deaths though (although also "The Mountain and the Viper" - ouch, but that just elevates the season). Tough call. I'd keep 2 above 6 though - 6 was where they started to go off the rails with D&D making stuff up, & while it did have "The Door" & "Battle of the Bastards", it also had a bunch of meandering episodes & was kinda a portent of what was to come with D&D.

 

[Zardnaar]

Actually putting some thought into it, I agree on swapping 3 & 4. 3 had the Red Wedding. I don't think that season can be topped. 4 had a *ton* of plot development & some... satisfying deaths though (although also "The Mountain and the Viper" - ouch, but that just elevates the season). Tough call. I'd keep 2 above 6 though - 6 was where they started to go off the rails with D&D making stuff up, & while it did have "The Door" & "Battle of the Bastards", it also had a bunch of meandering episodes & was kinda a portent of what was to come with D&D.

Yeah it's really hard. 3&4 are the peak though.

Part of the decline in 5 was Joffrey and Tywin dying and Tyrion leaving Kings Landing season 4.

Aria leaving as well.

 

[RobAnybody]

Part of the decline in 5 was Joffrey and Tywin dying and Tyrion leaving Kings Landing season 4.

I think that's why S4 was so great - so much plot advancement. Just can't beat the *huge* plot changes in S3.

EDIT: It's kinda why Hot D doesn't measure up - S1 of GoT had some OMG, WTF moments. S3 & S4 of GoT was *full* of them. Thus far, Hot D doesn't have any of that. It's allllll set up. I can't point to a single OMG moment in Hot D so far. (still enjoying it, still Team Rhaenyra, just... not as much as before)

 

[Zardnaar]

I think that's why S4 was so great - so much plot advancement. Just can't beat the *huge* plot changes in S3.

EDIT: It's kinda why Hot D doesn't measure up - S1 of GoT had some OMG, WTF moments. S3 & S4 of GoT was *full* of them. Thus far, Hot D doesn't have any of that. It's allllll set up. I can't point to a single OMG moment in Hot D so far. (still enjoying it, still Team Rhaenyra, just... not as much as before)

Yeah it's not as good as the best GoT. That's a very high bar.

Overall happy with HotD exceeded expectations.

 

[aelf]

Actually putting some thought into it, I agree on swapping 3 & 4. 3 had the Red Wedding. I don't think that season can be topped. 4 had a *ton* of plot development & some... satisfying deaths though (although also "The Mountain and the Viper" - ouch, but that just elevates the season). Tough call. I'd keep 2 above 6 though - 6 was where they started to go off the rails with D&D making stuff up, & while it did have "The Door" & "Battle of the Bastards", it also had a bunch of meandering episodes & was kinda a portent of what was to come with D&D.

The Battle of the Bastards was not even a plus point for me. Absolutely silly battle that was saved by an LoTR-style cavalry charge that no one knew about beforehand. It also proved Jon Snow incapable.

 

[Kyriakos]

^I think it could have been a highlight ONLY if Jon Snow died when he was tricked and the cavalry came crashing on him.
Then again he got saved, because his own cavalry also came crashing on him at the same time

 

[Zardnaar]

The battle was kinda absurd. Switch brain off it's kinda cool just don't think about things like tactics.

 

[Kyriakos]

The battle was kinda absurd. Switch brain off it's kinda cool just don't think about things like tactics.

The other side had tactics (surround people with spearmen). But it lost due to cavalry ex machina. Then the person who ordered the cavalry to come save them was executed because no one cares about what happened in front of everyone in immediately previous episodes; a rumor is enough

 

[aelf]

No one ever does any scouting or ever has any battefield intelligence in movies and TV shows.

 

[Sommerswerd]

No one ever does any scouting or ever has any battefield intelligence in movies and TV shows.

Untrue. In the Hunger Games movies, everyone was doing tons of scouting and getting lots of battlefield intelligence on each other... then they would hilariously ignore it all, and fall into every single booby trap and every other trap set by the opponents anyway

 

[aelf]

Untrue. In the Hunger Games movies, everyone was doing tons of scouting and getting lots of battlefield intelligence on each other... then they would hilariously ignore it all, and fall into every single booby trap and every other trap set by the opponents anyway

Hmm I don't remember much of what happened, even though I watched them. But I was thinking about historical and fantasy shows.

 

[Sommerswerd]

Hmm I don't remember much of what happened, even though I watched them. But I was thinking about historical and fantasy shows.

Nothing "happened" really... they went on the game show, everyone died except the star and main characters, then they win... and every episode was essentially the same formula. I mean it was all very entertaining, with excellent visuals and decent acting, but they pretty much stuck to the formula.