Game of Thrones (Not For Prudes/Boobies are bad mmkay?)

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Thu Sep 01, 2011 11:06 pm

Cut your balls off, become Varys, and people will antagonize you for your own purposes.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Sat Sep 03, 2011 3:00 pm

Now seen four episodes complete. Seen most of these in clips, but it's nice to get them cohesively.

Spoilers on first book and the TV series

Go with some dislikes first: very much disliked the portrayal of Khal Drogo and Dany's sex life. I found Martin's arc much more convincing, in which Drogo is somewhat more respectful to her in private and waits a moment for her permission and the "No?" scene ends with a "yes." All the same trappings were there. She was still a rather horrendous victim of circumstance, but in the show, she appears to simply be a rape victim who decides that if she's going to be raped, she'll do it on her own terms.

The fourth episode was a bloody mess of exposition, wasn't it? Even the enormous budget-draining setpiece of a joust was almost entirely taken up by Littlefinger's whispered story regarding the Mountain and the Hound. And in other portions of the episode, we got Vhiserys's tale of dragon bones, Tyrion's backhanded exposition regarding Theon, Cersei assessing Ned's fitness as Hand, discovery of Robert's bastard...

Well, actually it was a dull part of the book, too.

Likes, though. Lots of likes! Tyrion is, as Impy said, bloody ace. Dinklage brings serious depth here, even beyond what I read into the book. He manages to project a bitterness that I never read into the novel Tyrion. It's there, but it's subtle, and it's wonderful. Every Tyrion scene is just magnetic.

Really enjoying Jamie Lannister. Tisn't really a spoiler to say that his role increases exponentially in the third book, and the studies here of his dual nature as noble warrior and self-justifying murderous egomaniac are wonderful. This actor's got Jamie's number for sure.

Some of the others seem to just be playing the character as written, and that's great. Robert Baratheon, Jon Snow, Arya, Catelyn and Sansa are everything I could expect. Varys and Littlefinger are absolutely wonderful. Those characters drive everything in the books and from the minute I saw them here I could see how they really control the Seven Kingdoms.

Sean Bean is not what I expected as Ned Stark. He seems to have traded the blunt hard nature of the book's Ned for a kind of world-weariness. I'm rather liking it after a little bit of conflict. His sister, his father and brother all died and his only solace was vengeance. He married a woman he didn't know because she was engaged to his brother. He dallied outside of marriage and took it upon himself to raise the boy as his own (unless you buy the fan theories that Jon is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark). He's haunted but capable. I like it quite a bit.

Now to get 6-10 from some other damn spot on the Internets.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Fri Sep 09, 2011 9:47 am

Finally finished Clash of Kings last night, somewhat more abruptly than I expected as the appendix was larger than I anticipated.

I think by far the easiest approach to replicate is What Would Theon Do. In which case the answer is almost always "something incredibly stupid, then try to have sex with someone." Often the two are the same.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Mon Sep 12, 2011 4:14 pm

Brendocon wrote:Finally finished Clash of Kings last night, somewhat more abruptly than I expected as the appendix was larger than I anticipated.

So true - I finished Feast of Crows on the way to work because of this, and had nothing to read at lunchtime. Beware, those appendices get longer as the series goes on and he keeps adding more and more characters.

Brendocon wrote:I think by far the easiest approach to replicate is What Would Theon Do. In which case the answer is almost always "something incredibly stupid, then try to have sex with someone." Often the two are the same.

Without giving too much away, doing What Theon Would Do is a really, really, really bad idea. Really bad.

*crosses legs and winces*

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Tue Sep 13, 2011 12:47 am

Metal Vendetta wrote:
Brendocon wrote:Finally finished Clash of Kings last night, somewhat more abruptly than I expected as the appendix was larger than I anticipated.
So true - I finished Feast of Crows on the way to work because of this, and had nothing to read at lunchtime. Beware, those appendices get longer as the series goes on and he keeps adding more and more characters.

Brendocon wrote:I think by far the easiest approach to replicate is What Would Theon Do. In which case the answer is almost always "something incredibly stupid, then try to have sex with someone." Often the two are the same.
Without giving too much away, doing What Theon Would Do is a really, really, really bad idea. Really bad.

*crosses legs and winces*

So you didn't intersperse Feast and Dance? That's one thing I'm excited about in the reread. The cut characters drove me nucking futs.

Thoughts on the rest of the TV series:

Thank the Gods old and new that they didn't repeat the exposition nightmare that was episode four. Still plenty of exposition (usually over shots of Roz f*cking) but it was in the service of suspense.

I've forgotten how bloody gut-wrenching this book was! I knew every twist and turn that was coming. Must have read A Game of Thrones five times. But it still killed me to watch Eddard screw himself over.

Loved some of the additional stuff. Tyrion's drinking game was bloody marvelous, and one of the only times the constant exposition didn't derail the scene. Didn't like Shae much at first. She was too much of an exotic mystery woman to play the young, inexperienced but duplicitous Shae. But I warmed to it after a while. She's playing off the exoticism as a mask.

Also discovered that the actress playing Shae has done, um, a number of adult films. Along with half the female extras. Guess HBO put out a casting call for fake orgasms...

Tyrion is bloody marvelous. I was skeptical of Dinklage just because Tyrion is supposed to be 23. He's been aged up at least ten years, as have Jaimie and Cersei, although we don't think about how people aged in the medieval era. Dinklage is easily 40-something, but he pulls off the youngest misanthrope brother bit. I love how Tyrion goes in turns of grandiose and pathetic, from this sort of brilliant snarkiness about masturbating into soup as a way of winning over the crowd to the pathetic "My brother's going to get you!"

Dany and Drogo won me over by the end, but it was a hard-fought battle. She had Dany's number, and I really bought the emotion, but something about her mannerisms was just not medieval. Drogo's weaponless fight was so ******* amazing I nearly **** myself.

Sean Bean can play the hell out of a man agonizing over his honor. Martin writes tragedy in the Aristotelian sense. Noble characters undone by flaw. And Eddard's stupid decision to hand the throne to Stannis, despite Varys and Littlefinger's much more sensible warnings, was brilliant. Classic tragic flaw kills a man.

The Starks' performances in the final episode, especially poor Sansa, were heart-wrenching. I love the time they spent on Eddard's death. It was not cheapened. And the way Robb inspired loyalty in everyone, even in the rather dubious Theon.

Umm... oh, yes, hot naked dragonchick FTW.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 7:32 pm

bumblemusprime wrote:So you didn't intersperse Feast and Dance? That's one thing I'm excited about in the reread. The cut characters drove me nucking futs.

Nah, my housemate was reading Dance, but now he's gone on holiday to Croatia so I've got it all to myself. About halfway through now, though I seem to be catching up on the Feast narrative - all the Dornish stuff seems quite advanced compared to where we left off in Feast so I'm guessing this one goes a little bit beyond that...

bumblemusprime wrote:I've forgotten how bloody gut-wrenching this book was! I knew every twist and turn that was coming. Must have read A Game of Thrones five times. But it still killed me to watch Eddard screw himself over.

True that, I watched it all through again on my new telly and episodes 8 & 9 were thoroughly, er, gut-wrenching. Even though I knew what would happen. Awesome stuff.

bumblemusprime wrote:Also discovered that the actress playing Shae has done, um, a number of adult films. Along with half the female extras.

Hm. More research needed there, I think.

bumblemusprime wrote:Umm... oh, yes, hot naked dragonchick FTW.

FTMFW.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Wed Sep 14, 2011 8:01 pm

Metal Vendetta wrote:Hm. More research needed there, I think.

I'm not watching porn, I'm enhancing my understanding of the production and casting of a tv series.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Fri Sep 16, 2011 2:57 pm

Brendocon wrote:I'm not watching porn, I'm enhancing my understanding of the production and casting of a tv series.

Bloody hell, I think I've enhanced myself blind, "researching" Dilara...

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Fri Sep 16, 2011 3:20 pm

For anybody who cares, ref the problem I alluded to earlier in the thread - I established the owner of the knife I found in my back, and returned it to them.

Long story short, I did something that (unknown to me) affected a friend of theirs. They decided I was being a prick, so informed the person I was responsible. Sadly they underestimated just how much of a prick I am. Revenge is best served by me. Via their boss. Who is also my best mate. They really didn't think it through.

Of course now they know I'm a prick and probably hate me, but that's their ******* problem.

I'm Littlefinger, aren't I?

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Fri Sep 16, 2011 3:26 pm

Incidentally, about 200 pages into Storm of Swords. Is it bad that I think Bran needs a good hard slap?

I'm missing Sander Clegane.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Fri Sep 16, 2011 3:37 pm

He shows up. And yeah, Bran's a bit of a whiner, even if he can't walk and he's freezing.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Fri Sep 16, 2011 4:11 pm

I'm Littlefinger, aren't I?

Never expected anything less

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 12:21 pm

General life interruptions meant it took several weeks to get through the first half of Storm of Swords, but I devoured the second half in about four days.

Holy actual gods. I mean really. That's your Four Weddings and a Funeral right there.

Post by **Best First** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 1:18 pm

Two thirds through book 3 part 1.

Danerys just whumped some serious arse.

Getting a bit sick of wolf dreams.

Professor Smooth · Post by **Professor Smooth** » Mon Oct 17, 2011 2:17 pm

I prefer cougar dreams, personally.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Mon Nov 21, 2011 2:15 am

Season two!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE12H1HorUU

Lots of Easter Eggish scenes of Davos and Melisandre! One measly second of one of my favorite Clash of Kings Davos scenes.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 5:25 pm

Dinklage is GQ's Stud of the Year.

http://www.gq.com/moty/2011/peter-dinkl ... year-issue

Post by **Best First** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 9:28 am

Just finished Dance with Dragons. Now to wait FIVE YEARS for the next one

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 5:30 pm

Martin's posted a sampler on the site:

http://georgerrmartin.com/if-sample.html

Imma start a spoiler thread for the books.

Post by **Best First** » Fri Jan 06, 2012 5:53 pm

read it this morning!

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:01 pm

Season 2 trailer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOzXsqoJhtE

Also, note the top comment below: "This is the weirdest boner I've ever had, but I am proud of him."

inflatable dalek · Post by **inflatable dalek** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 9:33 am

Watched the first episode with very little foreknowledge beyond it's supposed to be very good, there's naked ladies and a dwarf in it. Though helpfully my mother decided to tell me what she'd heard happens to her favourite beardy Yorkshireman in it.

Hard to know what to think so far, lots of good ideas and scenes without any sex in are usually quite good, but the vast cast hasn't had much time to settle in yet and it could have actually done with a bit more exposition in places (I think my knowledge of things like the long season cycle came from the blu ray packaging). Also, if you don't want people unfamiliar with the books to think it's a Lord of the Rings knock off casting Sean Bean because he's still got his costume and wig and can bring them with him is probably a bad idea.

The sex scenes are rubbish as well, the sort of page 3 girl puffy nipples thing you used to get on late night channel 5 that was great when you were 14 and didn't have the internet but less useful now you're only a mouse click from watching every orifice being stretched to breaking point. And it's odd that with all the men being so hirsute because they're from before the age of Gillette that the women are are perfectly smooth.

And the tone in the sex scenes is bizzare as well, it starts off all "LOL! A midget and hookers!" before going into what's basically a deeply disturbing marital rape (on a beech for no seeming reason other than pretension) before ending on a comedy bumming that sees a small boy shoved off a wall. Very odd, and I'm not sure exactly when this hypothetical 14 year old is supposed to not be trying to knock one out.

So, just a slightly uneven pilot before the really good stuff kicks off?

Still, boobies hey?

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Wed Mar 14, 2012 3:48 pm

The requisite sex scenes were, other than plot-motivated ones like the twincest and Dothraki rape, generally just stuck in there to distract you from how much there was to tell you about the fantasy world.

http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/ ... 1uvuc.html

The series lurches along unevenly through the fourth episode, then really hits its groove.

Post by **spiderfrommars** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 11:07 am

Good read: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17554816

Post by **Best First** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 12:04 pm

Yes! We are awesome. With swords and wenches.

And no iphones.****!

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 12:20 pm

I was skimming that a few minutes ago.

I always worked on the basis that it's set in a medieval-type setting, and America didn't have a medieval.

Or did it? I'm fuzzy on the dark ages.

Give em all a Sioux accent!

Post by **Best First** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 1:37 pm

Stupid White Men America doesn't have a middle ages.

Or if it did it would be about 1890 and so would mainly have Cowboys in it.

Brendocon · Post by **Brendocon** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 2:56 pm

Game of Saddles.

I'd watch that.

bumblemusprime · Post by **bumblemusprime** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 6:01 pm

Brendocon wrote:I was skimming that a few minutes ago.

I always worked on the basis that it's set in a medieval-type setting, and America didn't have a medieval.

Or did it? I'm fuzzy on the dark ages.

Ah, the Dark and Fuzzy American Ages, in which we invented, then lost the technology for, shaggy saddles.

Metal Vendetta · Post by **Metal Vendetta** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 6:40 pm

'Kay, the pizza's in the oven and people are en route to Vendetta Towers for S02E01. Really looking forward to it, see you later for discussion...