Game of Thrones - TV Series (NO BOOK SPOILERS)

[desura]

The whole point of GoT is that it isn't a fairy tale with a clear protagonist and a "good triumphs over evil" happy ending. It's a story where the people who believe that good always triumphs end up dead at the hands of people who don't waste their time believing in such simplistic bullshit.

It could still have been done without killing Ned Stark so quickly.

Sean Bean was the heart and soul of the show IMO. He really brought the Irish into the role.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

It could still have been done without killing Ned Stark so quickly.

Sean Bean was the heart and soul of the show IMO. He really brought the Irish into the role.

Yeah, okay. And Hamlet would have been so much better if Claudius didn't kill his father so everyone could have lived happily ever after.

 

[VulgarDisplay]

It could still have been done without killing Ned Stark so quickly.

Sean Bean was the heart and soul of the show IMO. He really brought the Irish into the role.

Because this is set in Ireland? Wut?

 

[alkemyst]

Most here would have missed those two innuendos.

Arya is probably one of the most badass characters.

She is just running down her list of names no matter at what cost, what favor, what political catastrophe it causes.

...and now she has her Needle. Passes as guy or girl. Disappears from crowds.

She is a fucking killing machine.

Jaime should stick her on his hand and strap her on!

 

[alkemyst]

Because this is set in Ireland? Wut?

he mad...

Send him The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant

 

[JEDI]

ahh.. now I understand why she betrayed him

heh

 

[Sable]

For me, I still haven't quite recovered from the death of Ned Stark. If I were a tv exec, the big change I would have made from the books would have been him living. Season 2 really suffered IMO from Ned Stark having died. Season 3 (I'm almost finished) is finally picking up the pieces...

Ha, wait till the end of season 4...

 

[Sable]

LOL

 

[ZaneNBK]

Sandoooooorrrr Cleeeegaaaaane: At least I have chicken!

 

[cubby1223]

For me, I still haven't quite recovered from the death of Ned Stark. If I were a tv exec, the big change I would have made from the books would have been him living. Season 2 really suffered IMO from Ned Stark having died. Season 3 (I'm almost finished) is finally picking up the pieces...

The way I saw it, the death of Ned Stark allows his children to grow independently without the boundary of a powerful parent directing them.




-----------------------------------------------
I'm late to the Game of Thrones watching, so if this has been discussed before, be kind. What bothers me is how early on when Daenerys was, to put it bluntly, her brother's property to pass around to the barbarians, her plot line was given at least 15 minutes every episode. Now that she is an independent and strong leader, she has been getting like 5 minutes every second episode. I've not read the books, don't know what percentage of pages are to her plot line, but I mean, come on, the dragons are way more interesting than many of the scenes that consume the remainder of the show!

 

[AViking]

It could still have been done without killing Ned Stark so quickly.

Sean Bean was the heart and soul of the show IMO. He really brought the Irish into the role.

You don't get it.

 

[AViking]

I'm late to the Game of Thrones watching, so if this has been discussed before, be kind. What bothers me is how early on when Daenerys was, to put it bluntly, her brother's property to pass around to the barbarians, her plot line was given at least 15 minutes every episode. Now that she is an independent and strong leader, she has been getting like 5 minutes every second episode. I've not read the books, don't know what percentage of pages are to her plot line, but I mean, come on, the dragons are way more interesting than many of the scenes that consume the remainder of the show!

There's not much more to tell on her story line. I really don't think we want to hear people complain for 10 minutes that her dragons are eating their sheep. It's boring.

 

[AViking]

That's just odd. Granted, I didn't read the books, and I would say that Season 2 was the weakest season so far, but the weakest season in one of the best television shows of all time is still incredible. "Hating" it just seems ridiculous.

You didn't read the books is key...

Season 1 stayed pretty true. Season two drifted a lot and with the books fresh in my mind it bothered me. That's the whole point with what I said above - now that it has been a while since I read the books I can enjoy the show much more since details are forgotten.

 

[KeithTalent]

Boy, some people just cannot help themselves. :\ Welp, guess I am done with this thread now too. It's been fun.

KT

 

[desura]

I always thought that Sean Bean was Irish because of his name and because he played an IRA terrorist in one of the Tom Clancy films. Guess not. He's as English as they come.

Just finished the "red wedding" last night. Left a ghastly feeling.

Kinda fucked up because with the typical hero narrative, a boy becomes a man with the death of his father. So by most conventions, it should have been Robb Stark's story.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

Kinda fucked up because with the typical hero narrative, a boy becomes a man with the death of his father. So by most conventions, it should have been Robb Stark's story.

To be fair, there are still a lot of Starks running around. Or, more accurately, sitting around (Sansa), riding around (Arya), getting dragged around (Bran) and who really knows (Rickon)... But, yeah, it's definitely not the traditional "you killed my father, prepare to die" story.

 

[smackababy]

Boy, some people just cannot help themselves. :\ Welp, guess I am done with this thread now too. It's been fun.

KT

I don't think there were any spoilers after the incident of the guy claiming what he was saying wasn't, when it was. I suppose the books being split up might be construed as a spoiler, but it is really supposed to be one 2,000 page book that all happens at the same time, and rather than split it up at a logical break point, GRRM decided to just remove half the characters and put them in the next book.

Spoiler

I suppose Tyrion being in the upcoming books is a spoiler, because you know he doesn't die this season, at the very least.

Honestly, I think they will split books 4 and 5 into at least 3 seasons. So, GRRM has around 4 years to finish the 6th and likely another 2 if that isn't the end of the series.

Just finished the "red wedding" last night. Left a ghastly feeling.

Kinda fucked up because with the typical hero narrative, a boy becomes a man with the death of his father. So by most conventions, it should have been Robb Stark's story.

Spoiler

GRRM did a really good job painting the picture of basic good vs evil and then a good job showing that the perception is not always true, as quite a few believe Rhaegar eloped, not went out and kidnapped; the Targaryans weren't all such awful people, as viewed by Robert.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Kinda fucked up because with the typical hero narrative, a boy becomes a man with the death of his father. So by most conventions, it should have been Robb Stark's story.

When I read the books ages ago long before HBO got the rights Robb's death was far more shocking to me than Ned's death. Ned's was an incredible moment, it was the key event, but after he died and Robert died and Renly died it looked like the path was clear. Robb for the forces of good, Joffrey for the forces of evil, Danny on the other side of the world and each would eventually consolidate their forces for some cataclysmic showdown. Robb getting whacked totally stuck a pin in that idea. At that point not only did I not have the slightest clue about the potential players in the endgame, I didn't believe that anyone was safe. From that point I read every subsequent chapter expecting the worst.

 

[desura]

To be fair, there are still a lot of Starks running around. Or, more accurately, sitting around (Sansa), riding around (Arya), getting dragged around (Bran) and who really knows (Rickon)... But, yeah, it's definitely not the traditional "you killed my father, prepare to die" story.

Yes, and no. Most of them are too young to really make a difference now. At this point, their holdings are all lost and they'll become wandering mystics.

Sansa is the oldest but she is always crying. And judging by the timeline of the seasons so far, by the conclusion Bran might be like 15 or 16.

 

[Feneant2]

Best episode in the series I think... the writing was top notch, a good amount of violence, comedy/satire, nudity, etc. This episode was probably the closest to reading the book in terms of everything being gratuitously over the top- loved every moment of it.

 

[desura]

The problem is that by killing off so many hero characters so aggressively, there is a good chance that there won't be enough heart left in the entire thing to make it through. Right now it is looking like the series is headed in two annoying directions:

"free the slaves" dragon queen

and

"ice zombies attack".

I would have delayed Ned's death until the end of season 2, and at worst I would have sent Robb into exile someplace.

 

[smackababy]

The problem is that by killing off so many hero characters so aggressively, there is a good chance that there won't be enough heart left in the entire thing to make it through. Right now it is looking like the series is headed in two annoying directions:

"free the slaves" dragon queen

and

"ice zombies attack".

I would have delayed Ned's death until the end of season 2, and at worst I would have sent Robb into exile someplace.

The story is about the political situation in a medieval land with some magic elements long since past that resurface. And, in those times, guess what? People died; lots of them. Even the most idealistic good guy could be manipulated and killed. People without power wanted it and would strive, by any means, to get it.

Delaying Ned's death ruins pretty much the entire story. We don't need another season of Ned playing detective and Robert playing fat drunkard. Robb was marching on the throne, with the intent to destroy the person sitting atop it (just like his father and Robert years before). There was no exile far enough to send him to where he would cease to be a threat. He raised an army and marched on the king. The only way to stop him (and anyone else) was to kill him and his family. The Lannisters were forced into action, as they only had power because people feared them. The Starks no longer fearing them gives way for others to take the same liberties, eroding their power. Power can only be given or taken, and if someone won't give it, you have to take it. Tywin understands this. The Targaryans understood this.

And, what you would have done is pretty irrelevant. You're neither an accomplished fantasy writer, nor a television director. If you happen to be either, please feel free to correct me.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

The problem is that by killing off so many hero characters so aggressively, there is a good chance that there won't be enough heart left in the entire thing to make it through. Right now it is looking like the series is headed in two annoying directions:

"free the slaves" dragon queen

and

"ice zombies attack".

I would have delayed Ned's death until the end of season 2, and at worst I would have sent Robb into exile someplace.

You would have ruined the show. Who honestly complains about a series spiraling towards a conclusion that seems poised to bring a global war between all of humanity, ice zombies and dragons? "Yeah, that sounds epic and all, but what I really want to see is more of this emo prince whining about his daddy and making boneheaded war decisions because he's too busy boning a hot nurse to think rationally..."

 

[alkemyst]

The problem is that by killing off so many hero characters so aggressively, there is a good chance that there won't be enough heart left in the entire thing to make it through. Right now it is looking like the series is headed in two annoying directions:

"free the slaves" dragon queen

and

"ice zombies attack".

I would have delayed Ned's death until the end of season 2, and at worst I would have sent Robb into exile someplace.

It would have changed the whole story.

GRRM writes in a way where it's not all rainbows and happy endings.

 

[smackababy]

It would have changed the whole story.

GRRM writes in a way where it's not all rainbows and happy endings.

He also has a very nice sense of irony. The fact that Jaime sacrifices his honor to remove one mad king (saving half a million people) and Cersei sacrifices pretty much everyone besides her family putting another on the throne.