Television Game of Thrones

[Belisarius]

That was a great episode; I'm a day late and a dollar short, as always.

NSFW:

The scene between Cat and Littlefinger isn't in the books, but he *is* sent away from King's Landing in Book 2, pretty much to disappear for the next novel or two as he sets the stage for later plans (as well as allowing Cersei to pay herself out enough rope). In other words, the show is (wisely, IMO) filling in the book's blanks.

Harrenhal: Though not quite what I envisioned in the books, this was indeed a grand set design. The omission of several elements in the book has been handled well, IMO, and the Arya change is improved by being streamlined, IMO.

In other news: Tyrion gets better and better--no surprise there, because IMO his character is at his Sunday best in Clash of Kings. Joffrey has gone well beyond "villain you love to hate" into "WTF is wrong with this guy?" Not enough Dany, who I'm sorry to say isn't doing much for me this season; she's coming off as much more petulant than she was in the books (or the first season, for that matter). Qarth will shine her up nicely, though.

 

[Escher's Waterfall]

I actually love the script writing and acting for Joffrey.

He's even more fucked up than in the books. The scene with the two whores may be considered over the top by some, until you realize that Joffrey, as a teenage boy, would rather witness a violent sexual assault on his orders than engage in sex. He is that twisted. I think that scene was his crowning 'complete monster' moment.

There's very few actors and scripts that cross a moral event horizon so thoroughly. Joffrey does. He's beyond a mere psychopath, who only sees other people as objects. Joffrey sees other people as people, who have the same capable to suffer as he does. And he enjoys seeing them suffer.

The HBO series does a better job than the books, where Joffrey comes off as a "mere" psychopath, cutting open cats and killing people just because he can.

NSFW:

I think HBO should devote a few minutes to the scene where he dies, slowly suffocating.

 

[alasdairm]

i'm now half way through book 3 an fully up to date on season 2. [spoil]the scene in s02e04 where melisandre births the shadow was really well done[/spoil]

alasdair

 

[freddy47]

He's even more fucked up than in the books. The scene with the two whores may be considered over the top by some, until you realize that Joffrey, as a teenage boy, would rather witness a violent sexual assault on his orders than engage in sex. He is that twisted. I think that scene was his crowning 'complete monster' moment.

Yeah. Instead of fucking them like any normal teenage boy would have he fucking tortures them. That scene pretty much says all you need to know about King Joffrey.

 

[Belisarius]

I've seen a lot of mixed reactions about the Joffrey scene; there are those who think it pushes GoT into "geek show" territory without adding anything to the series, while others saw it as an interesting expansion on Joffrey (who, after all, has no chapters in the books) from mere spoiled brat into someone who is in fact viscerally evil. For my part, I lean towards the former; I found it repugnant, but don't think it really made a difference. The fact of the matter is that, however cruel Joffrey is, he's a fundamentally dull character (unlike Littlefinger) whose sole surprises consist of what atrocity he'll dream up next. It's like finding out that Hilter was a (rumored) coprophiliac; it's nasty, sure, but it's not going to expand your view on his broader fuckery.

 

[34-dihydroxyphen]

I'm pretty sure the Joffrey thing happened in the books, but it was only covered by a single sentence in Clash of Kings. Easy to forget if I remember it correctly, but I know Tyrion sent Joff some whores and it ended badly, although they were not dead.

I love the new season, but I can be fucking nitpicky. I dislike some of the streamlining, where Arya goes immediately from the castle where Yoren takes her to rest and then ends up with the crew that takes her to Harrenhal immediately, I really liked the parts in the book where she is roaming through the woods, leading Lommy, Hotpie, and Gendry, and getting a nice view of the isle of faces.


Anyways, I just finished book 5, so major spoilers ahead:

NSFW:

Holy shit that was a good series. It took me longer than usual due to a benzo dependency (don't get hooked on benzos if you like to read a lot, I went from 100 pages a day to not feeling like reading 2, and I've weened myself to the point where I'm back to 40), but I finally did it. And I'm fucking sad, because Dance with Dragons is still open-ended.

Contrary to popular opinion, I thought books 4 and 5 were still great. Neither were as good as Clash or Storm (Storm of Swords was by far the best), but a lot of shit still happened and some things were more in depth. I also took them for what they were, as the author didn't intend to write them at first: They are the bridge between the events of Storm of Swords to Winds of Winter, so obviously they will not have the same impact as the first three. I believe he plans of doing a "5 years later" type deal from what I've heard, although I did try to stay away from message boards and spoilers during my reading, so shit could have changed. Feast and Dance were the books that put everybody into their proper place.

My favorite character is probably Arya now, with Tyrion, Dany, and Jon behind her, but I think the Temple of Black and White will be a huge fucking deal in this series, based on the final Samwell Tarly chapter. Nobody on here has acknowledged the presence of Pate at the end of his chapter, who was killed in the prologue. Outstanding use of subtlety. I'm debating whether or not the Temple truly wishes to take all of Arya's identity away, or whether or not it is simply a training device. The faceless man who sent her on her first mission for them towards the end of Dance seemed like he could be the former Jaquen H'gar, and he seemed to know that she would not let her "prayer" go away until it was complete.

I'm also concerned about the Starks. Bran is half a tree and beyond the Wall, and a cripple nonetheless, so I doubt he will claim his inheritance. All of this is up to little Rickon and Davos who is coming to get him, and with the reference to cannibalism I believe there is a good chance Osha took him to Skagos. I feel saddened at the possibility that the Stark legacy could end.

And it appears that Jon, Dany, and Tyrion are the heads of the dragon. Awesome. I hope Jaime figures his way back into the plot somewhere. His transformation from manipulative asshole and true twin to Cersei to his own man was outstanding. Despite what everybody else said I would think, I always hated Tywin and cheered when he died on his privy. Sure, he was intelligent, but he was also brutal beyond belief. Tyrion possesses his intelligence along with compassion, which is perfect.

Shit was fucking awesome.

Oh, and I hate the new Stannis, and Melisandre needs red eyes. Otherwise she is well acted and done, but the red eyes were her trademark. Liam Cunningham isn't how I pictured Davos, but he is a damn worthy actor. Totally worth it.

Roose Bolton also disappoints me.

Other than that, the Stannis vagina shadow was as freaky as I had anticipated. Holy shit that was a good episode. Shit is about to get real. The shocking brutality of this series only gets worse from here on out.

 

[34-dihydroxyphen]

Oh, and what the fuck is up with Yara? All my other complaints are nitpicky and small, but seriously? Not only the change of name, but the actress who plays her. Asha is supposed to be dark haired and pretty. Pretty enough that she comes off as smoking when you combine her solid 6-7 in looks with the way she carries herself. Yara is ugly no matter how she carries herself. And Asha completely emasculated Theon, while Yara simply allowed him to flirt with her. That has been the most disappointing aspect of the season to me, considering how much I was looking forward to the appearance of one of my favorite characters.

 

[Kenickie]

NO FUCKING SHIT. the first time i can remember agreeing with 3,4 about anything, but yeah man. Asha was a total bummer for me. She grew to be my favourite character during her time with She - Bear and all of that, and I don't think this actress got it right.

3,4

Spoiler: Dance with Dragons

so you think that Dany Jon and Tyrion are the three heads of the Dragon? I think that's what I said a couple pages ago when I finished book 5. I'm also pretty sure Jon is the Prince that Will Be Promised -- can he be a head of a dragon and PTWBP at the same time?? i guess i don't see why not.

 

[34-dihydroxyphen]

NO FUCKING SHIT. the first time i can remember agreeing with 3,4 about anything, but yeah man. Asha was a total bummer for me. She grew to be my favourite character during her time with She - Bear and all of that, and I don't think this actress got it right.

3,4

Spoiler: Dance with Dragons

so you think that Dany Jon and Tyrion are the three heads of the Dragon? I think that's what I said a couple pages ago when I finished book 5. I'm also pretty sure Jon is the Prince that Will Be Promised -- can he be a head of a dragon and PTWBP at the same time?? i guess i don't see why not.

NSFW:

I'm almost positive that the three heads are Dany, Jon, and Tyrion. They "fit" to me, in terms of what they offer. The thing about prophecy in this series is that it almost always has it somewhat wrong, it isn't really a guarantee that everything is going to be alright or all wrong, and several people from several parts of the world and religions seem to have similar prophecies. Take The Prince that Was Promised vs. Azhor Azzhai reborn. They are both very similar. We know that Azhor Azzhai is definitely not Stannis. The closest I came to believing in Azhor Azzhai was Beric Dondarrion, who was "reborn in fire" so to speak from Thoros of Myr. His blood was able to light his sword on fire.

With Jon potentially being killed, it seems logical to me that he would die, and Melisandre likely possesses the ability to resurrect him with a kiss. Of course, the kiss could also travel from Catelyn to The Wall, but Melisandre discovering this ability seems more likely, considering she is the most powerful of the red priests. I doubt the skill is reserved for the likes of Thoros of Myr, who didn't take his studies seriously yet still possesses the power of resurrection. He would have to be resurrected quickly in order to ensure that he would remain who he was, unlike Dondarrian who lost a shit ton of his memories or Cat who isn't remotely herself anymore, although the extreme cold to come can also play a large role in preserving his body and brain tissue.

Jon is the soldier of the group, the literal sword in the darkness, to steal a phrase from the Night's Watch, and I believe he would be the equivalent of Azhor Azzhai (but not the Prince that was Promised) reborn. He is also likely a Targaryan, however I do not believe that being a Targaryan is necessary for all three heads. Keep in mind that many signs are telling Jon that his place is at the Wall. He will never sit the Iron Throne, all of this prophecy is important because of the coming battle with the White Walkers, who will come out in a force never before seen, during a hellish winter. The battle between humans and whoever mans the undead is more important than the Game of Thrones.

Which brings me to Tyrion, who is perhaps the most intelligent person in the realm. He would serve as the braintrust for the three (Hand of the King/Queen), and only in his extraordinary intelligence do I believe he is one of the heads. The fact that he shows up in flames (in Melisandre's chapter, he was lot 97, which confused the fuck out of her) and Moquorro sees big things in the future for him, based on conversations, although I also believe Moquorro to be deceiving Victarion (Moquorro sees him being burned, and delivering the horn to Dany, I'm guessing).

And Dany is the Prince that was Promised. Nobody actually knows the prophecy, but if old Aemon Targaryan was certain of it, I believe it to be true. She is immune to fire, to the point where dragonfire only gives her a mild rash. In Dance with Dragons she fucks with her own prophecy a bit, showing us that prophecy is far from certainty, but she is the Prince(ss) that was Promised for sure.

Of the three, I know Tyrion has the weakest claim, but they do mesh perfectly. They have also been major characters for all of the books (despite their absence in Feast for Crows, but the only reason for that is that publishers are not fans of 2,000 page novels). Even so, based on what I've read I am absolutely certain that these are the three central characters.

I'm also really interested in the House of Black and White's interest in all of this, with the faceless man posing as Pate. It's important to remember that the House of Black and White is not atheist, and that the Many-Faced God is not a concrete figure to them. They believe in all religion. It makes sense that they would want a place in a prophecy that is showing up all around the world, mutated into several different forms and certainly corrupted, but almost omnipresent in the major religions. Arya might do some kick ass shit when the time comes, and while they knew about Needle, she never said they threw it away, as they might take the signs seriously, i.e. that she found Needle right before she found her way to Saltpans, where she met up with a ship that was conveniently headed to Braavos and knew what to do with anybody showing up with an Iron Coin yelling Valar Morhullis. If they do believe in all Gods, then they must know that the Gods have a plan for Arya of House Stark, and that they should not disregard it. The guy who sent her on her mission who might have been Jaquen H'gar (sp?) at one point (IMO) seemed to know she was a Warg as well. What happens with the Faceless Men excites the shit out of me, but they will play a role in the realm despite their pretended indifference to everything except mundane facts and prayers of death. Arya will be key to that.

And yes, I believe that one can be two or more of these things at the same time. The Prince That Was Promised is almost definitely one of the heads of the dragon, and it could have also been Azhor Azzhai and all the other things. I believe the three of these prophecies are from three different faiths, correct me if I am wrong concerning the Prince (ancient Valaryan), the Dragon Heads (many different faiths, including ancient Valaryan and The Undying of Qarth, as well as whatever the fuck Quithe practices), and Azhor Azzhai (red priests). There is a reason Melisandre became unsure and decided to remain with Jon at the Wall instead of joining Stannis. It may doom Stannis, and she still believes in him as of her last chapter, but the flames keep telling her "Jon Snow," so she feels fearful of leaving him. She is afraid that she is wrong about Stannis. She is so powerful it has turned her nasty and self-righteous, she might have trouble admitting that she misread everything with Stannis, even to herself. The trouble with the Red Priests is that they are zeolots, and they believe that the force they are messing with belongs to R'hallor, while it is really just a combination of myth and powerful magic. Stumbling upon such powers made them believe their own bullshit.

 

[Belisarius]

Man, I don't agree with these interpretations of #5 at all...

I'll keep it short and sweet, as it's late and I have to keep old-man nights for my shitty job:

NSFW:

I think the Dorne subplot that really gets rolling in #4 and is expanded on #5 is where the finale is heading. That's a shame, because every single one of the Dornishmen after Oberyn Martell feels like a waste of ink and paper to me (well, maybe not Obara Sand, but then again she's just another she-warrior). Nor has anyone mentioned Aegon (who may be less of a red herring than he seems).

 

[marissaaaaaa]

wow! that episode was surely the roughest one yet. i mean, Harrenhall? so. fucking. ominous.

this episode had a lot of things that were : not in the book, switched around, or completely invented, such as

Spoiler: Garden of Bones & A Clash of Kings

What's Tywin doing with Arya? She's supposed to be Roose Bolton's cup bearer. But I like Tywin a lot so I'm okay with him getting more face time. Catelyn and Littlefinger? don't remember that happening at all. Robb's conversation with the nurse? Who has got to be Jeyne Westerling. Right? The shadow birth - are we getting ready to say goodbye to Renly already? Storm's End has been completely written out it appears, which I guess is fine.

but, as far as the actual episode went -

amazing. SO MUCH GORE in this episode. I don't remember the other episodes being so fucking horrifying. Everything at Harrenhall had me gritting my teeth, it was horrible. I feel like this season is moving a lot...faster than the other one. The first season went almost tit for tat for the first book -- the last thirty seconds of season 1 being the last five pages of book one. this one just feels so fast! lots of foreshadowing in this episode too, i think. the previews for next week look promising (is Tywin going to out Arya? FINALLY J'HAQEN! some more wall too, exciting!)

Spoiler: Garden of Bones

probably my favourite scenes though:

“Lady Stark, you may survive us yet.”

this was my favorite episode of this season for sure, and i think it's doing really well at giving us a sharp jerk in an even more fucked up direction. i was just like OH SHITTTT...the whole time.
i loved that bit with tyrion and sansa.
AND OH. I JUST REALIZED THAT WAS BIG DADDY LANNISTER.
god there's so many characters.
i was like..........wait...who is this guy......king's guard???

That was a great episode; I'm a day late and a dollar short, as always.

NSFW:

The scene between Cat and Littlefinger isn't in the books, but he *is* sent away from King's Landing in Book 2, pretty much to disappear for the next novel or two as he sets the stage for later plans (as well as allowing Cersei to pay herself out enough rope). In other words, the show is (wisely, IMO) filling in the book's blanks.

Harrenhal: Though not quite what I envisioned in the books, this was indeed a grand set design. The omission of several elements in the book has been handled well, IMO, and the Arya change is improved by being streamlined, IMO.

In other news: Tyrion gets better and better--no surprise there, because IMO his character is at his Sunday best in Clash of Kings. Joffrey has gone well beyond "villain you love to hate" into "WTF is wrong with this guy?" Not enough Dany, who I'm sorry to say isn't doing much for me this season; she's coming off as much more petulant than she was in the books (or the first season, for that matter). Qarth will shine her up nicely, though.

i think dany's short screen-time is going well..
the littlefinger scene was meh, until he brought what i assumed was ned's head.
i mean..when that box came out i was instantly like:

and then i was like OH GOD. OH GOD. IT'S NED'S HEAD. IT'S NED'S HEAD. (i literally said that to myself) i was a little disappointed/relieved they didn't show it.

I actually love the script writing and acting for Joffrey.

He's even more fucked up than in the books. The scene with the two whores may be considered over the top by some, until you realize that Joffrey, as a teenage boy, would rather witness a violent sexual assault on his orders than engage in sex. He is that twisted. I think that scene was his crowning 'complete monster' moment.

There's very few actors and scripts that cross a moral event horizon so thoroughly. Joffrey does. He's beyond a mere psychopath, who only sees other people as objects. Joffrey sees other people as people, who have the same capable to suffer as he does. And he enjoys seeing them suffer.

The HBO series does a better job than the books, where Joffrey comes off as a "mere" psychopath, cutting open cats and killing people just because he can.

NSFW:

I think HBO should devote a few minutes to the scene where he dies, slowly suffocating.

Yeah. Instead of fucking them like any normal teenage boy would have he fucking tortures them. That scene pretty much says all you need to know about King Joffrey.

i really liked that scene.
it horrified me and it made me really like...cringe. i thought it was good character development.
that's interesting he doesn't have any chapters in the books...i wish he did.
meh.
disappoint.
i'm glad they included that even more then. we need to see his fucked up psyche!!
that was rough though. i thought he was just gunna have the chick ram the antler end into the other girls vag and tear it up. but it seemed it was lashing?
eek..

I'm pretty sure the Joffrey thing happened in the books, but it was only covered by a single sentence in Clash of Kings. Easy to forget if I remember it correctly, but I know Tyrion sent Joff some whores and it ended badly, although they were not dead.

I love the new season, but I can be fucking nitpicky. I dislike some of the streamlining, where Arya goes immediately from the castle where Yoren takes her to rest and then ends up with the crew that takes her to Harrenhal immediately, I really liked the parts in the book where she is roaming through the woods, leading Lommy, Hotpie, and Gendry, and getting a nice view of the isle of faces.


Oh, and I hate the new Stannis, and Melisandre needs red eyes. Otherwise she is well acted and done, but the red eyes were her trademark. Liam Cunningham isn't how I pictured Davos, but he is a damn worthy actor. Totally worth it.

Roose Bolton also disappoints me.

Other than that, the Stannis vagina shadow was as freaky as I had anticipated. Holy shit that was a good episode. Shit is about to get real. The shocking brutality of this series only gets worse from here on out.

i'm meh about this priestess lady.
but uh WHAT THE FUCK JUST CAME OUT OF HER VAGINA.
WHAT THE FUCKITY FUCK.
WHAT THE FUCK IS/WAS THAT.
HOW DID THAT HAPPEN..IS THAT FROM HER...OR FROM THE GOD....OR PART OF STANNIS SPERM FROM THE OTHER NIGHT...OR ALL OF THE ABOBE. WHAT THE FUCK
WHAT THE FUCK IS ABOUT TO GO DOWN.
THE FUCK.
that's uhm i believe the antithesis of my response to this episode.yeah.

Oh, and what the fuck is up with Yara? All my other complaints are nitpicky and small, but seriously? Not only the change of name, but the actress who plays her. Asha is supposed to be dark haired and pretty. Pretty enough that she comes off as smoking when you combine her solid 6-7 in looks with the way she carries herself. Yara is ugly no matter how she carries herself. And Asha completely emasculated Theon, while Yara simply allowed him to flirt with her. That has been the most disappointing aspect of the season to me, considering how much I was looking forward to the appearance of one of my favorite characters.

she fucking sucks.
she's ugly and annoying and creepy and weird and i don't like her at all.
hearing how she was better in the books annoy me too.
ugh.
i was really looking forward to a cool sea bitch to identify with.
BUT NOPE.
GOT SOME UGLY BUTCH LOOKING INCEST QUEEN. AGAIN. AT LEAST CERSEI IS HOT AS FUCKS AND NOT CREEPY.

i have a lot of feelings for this show considering i haven't gotten to the books yet.

 

[marissaaaaaa]

here's some pics

oh question. i do this.
does anyone else imagine themselves a character into game of thrones and like...imagine up stories and stuff and like what they're little self would be doing and omit characters to like replace with yourself in certain points and stuff? without changing major plot things?
i do.
sometimes i just lay in my bed and fantasize. or in the shower.
it's fun.
do it. fanfic without the shame or copyright infringement..

 

[Kenickie]

i love Asha! she's such a badass in the same way Arya is. she doesn't want to be married off to bear heirs, she wants the Sea Chair, she wants to be the Heir of the Iron Islands, she is a warrior. and dare say she fucking deserves to be Queen Asha of the Iron Islands. She's not incestuous, she plays her part with Theon to shame and emasculate him, like 3,4 says. She proves she's got the sea in her blood.

book readers (who also seem to be Asha fans)

Spoiler: Asha, Dance with Dragons

Do you think she escapes with Theon and kills Stannis? I don't see any other way out for them unless she kills Stannis.

 

[Cyc]

Poor Kenickie. Nobody gets Asha like you do

 

[Kenickie]

she's just so MISUNDERSTOOD!

 

[AmorRoark]

So I'm skipping past everybody's posts because I'm just catching up but man, everybody was right. This show is the shit. The acting is amazing and the plot moves at a nice pace. I'm also digging the cinematography and the costumes. I could do with a *little* less gratuitous nudity though... it starts losing its novelty after you see prostitute after prostitute moaning like mad.

 

[freddy47]

I could do with a *little* less gratuitous nudity though... it starts losing its novelty after you see prostitute after prostitute moaning like mad.

lol TBH seeing this Dutch beauty naked is one of the many reasons I keep watching this show.

I've had a crush on her since Paul Verhoevens movie Black Book.

 

[marissaaaaaa]

i love Asha! she's such a badass in the same way Arya is. she doesn't want to be married off to bear heirs, she wants the Sea Chair, she wants to be the Heir of the Iron Islands, she is a warrior. and dare say she fucking deserves to be Queen Asha of the Iron Islands. She's not incestuous, she plays her part with Theon to shame and emasculate him, like 3,4 says. She proves she's got the sea in her blood.

book readers (who also seem to be Asha fans)

i'd probably like her book character.
her show character sucks though thus far.

 

[xHippiexchildx]

Who are all the characters again? There are so many I can't put faces with names.

 

[Kenickie]

there's a website for that