Juliajms

Saw a live-action version of the promo poster at my mall yesterday. The promotion for this show is seriously out of control, lol. If they use some clips beyond the pilot for the commercials, maybe they can lure more people in but I'm sick to death of seeing the same 30 shots in varying positions 10 times an hour.

If it fails no one can say it was for lack of promotion, that's for sure.

I don't get why they're promoting this show so heavily. The concept is tired and the only recognizable face is VanCamp. I think she's got what it takes to be a show lead but she can't carry the show by herself.

I'd say Madeleine Stowe is a bigger name than EVC

The True Blood pilot leaked about 4-5 months before the premier (with the different Tara--the girl from Passions). Didn't cause any problems--there are other examples of pilots leaking early and they don't seem to cause any probs, in fact it might be good word of mouth.

Thanks Eric, that's good to know. I'm really hoping that this show is good and manages to survive.

If the pilot is available online, I wonder if that is going to hurt ratings. I'm kind of worried since shows are canceled so quickly these days.

I have high hopes for this one. I'll definitely give it a few episodes to grab my attention.

^^^Whose the author of the books you are talking about? I need some books to read for the summer.

George R.R. Martin. The first book is "A Game of Thrones".

Article about the new show runner:

http://www.deadline.com/2011/07/glen-mazzara-to-succeed-frank-darabont-as-walking-dead-showrunner/

It sounds like he may stay on in a limited capacity, but that the grind of working so many hours a day was too much for him. It's too bad, since one of those articles mentioned that he had been trying to bring this to series for 5 years.

I think this article spells out the issues more clearly. Quotes some of the things he was saying behind the scenes at SDCC:

http://www.tvguide.com/News/Walking-Dead-Frank-Darabont-Showrunner-1035739.aspx

Sounds like they have a lot of season 2 wrapped up.

It sounds like some elementys of Book three will be handled in Season 2 (at least that's what the Ent Weekly interview implied). I'm a bit worried Martin won't finish it in 7 books, he admits in another interview that that could all change.,.. (he also commented on how worried he was about how to film the battle in Book 2 as they can't just cut it as they did the battle in book 1, but would never have the budget to film it as written.

Yeah, I'm sort of concerned as well. I'm reading book 5 right now and I'm not convinced he can bring this home in two more books. Not to mention that the show runners said they think book 3 will take between 11/2 and three seasons!? They also said that they would feel like they had achieved something if they could film up to a particular event in book three (I won't name it for the sake of avoiding spoilers). So, I'm not sure they have any intention of filming this series to the book's conclusion.

Ultimately, I guess I suspected that all along. It took GRRM six years to write this last book, if you've read even the first, you can see how complicated they are. I don't see that he can turn them out much faster than he has been. And he's not even planning to start the next book until next year. Perhaps the idea is to film the last books as mini series or movies. I imagine it all depends on the series gaining veiwers from season to season.

The videos are basically spoiler free (thanks Q, for posting). There are actually 5 parts, you'll find the other three by watching the first. At one point he does mention an event that happens in book 3, but he doesn't tell what happens. It would sort of be like someone saying "If we get to the filming of the Battle of the Bulge, we'll consider that an achievement", when the person they are speaking to has no idea what the Battle of the Bulge actually is.

I'm slightly distressed by the idea that book 3 might take up two seasons. I just don't see how that is practical and yet...I don't see how it could be done in less than two without serious cuts. The writers sound like they would be happy just to get to the end of book 3, but I won't be happy! :-) There are to be 7 books total. I want to see this story filmed to it's conclusion. It'll be interesting to see what happens. Maybe, by season two this show will be popular enough to warrant 13 season episodes. That would help.

Synopsis of the GoT's Comic Con panel: http://www.aoltv.com/2011/07/22/comic-con-game-of-thrones/

To me this is the most interesting part:

Martin asked Dan and David to tell fans what to expect in the second season. David: "Everyone dies. Sorry." Dan: "It was all a dream."

• More seriously, Benioff said this: "For the readers, they know much of what to expect. If we're lucky enough, if we have a season 3, that's when it won't start corresponding so neatly [i.e., one season per book]. 'Storm of Swords' is just too big. We don't know yet whether it will be one and a half seasons, maybe it's three seasons for 'Storm of Swords.' We don't know yet exactly. For the second season, we've got a bunch of great new characters coming in. We've already got such an incredible cast, but it's time to meet the red priestess and it's time to see those dragons and wolves start to grow up. There's bad stuff lurking north of the wall. It's a season of exploration. Our hope is -- from the very beginning, I remember talking about this with you, George -- if we can keep this alive somehow, if we can get to [an event in 'Storm of Swords' he calls R.W.], we've accomplished something. ... If that happens, I can retire to my asylum."

it's more a snotty teen acting out. I'd like to think I was never like that, but I know a lot of people who were (to an extent) as teens and grew out of it

Ugh! I see more of my teenage self than I like in Sansa. Not the "my prince will come" crap, but the taking my teenage angst out on innocent victims stuff.

I agree it's going to be a long wait until season 2.

Season 2 casting news:

http://insidetv.ew.com/2011/07/19/stannis-melisandre/

Sansa is not one of my favorites by any stretch, but I do feel sorry for her. I don't think she ever wanted a crown in the way that most of the players do. Sansa isn't after power, she's a girl who was raised on fairytales. She was snotty to both her father and the Septa, but to me that's just being 15 years old. She took her father and Septa for granted and was acting out against them because of what happened with Lady. And yes, it was her own fault for lying, but she's a teenager, she had no idea how high the stakes really were in King's Landing. I loved the way the Septa tried to protect Sansa in the end. She and Syrio were so loyal.

That said, I almost wish she had pushed Joff over that ledge. She would have been executed, but it would have been worth it.

The show got 13 Emmy noms: http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/07/game-of-thrones-garners-13-emmy-nominations/

Did you get all 3? That's awesome. I want one of the steins.

I'm excited about Natalie Dormer being cast. I liked her a lot in The Tudors.

Oh, theories are fine. I said way back I think that Jon Snow is gonna wind up being the son of the dead king because he out of nowhere has black hair. The King had an affair with Ned's dead sister and for some reason or another, Ned took the baby to protect him from the evil blond family. He has raised him ever since, but Mrs Ned has no idea.

Robert and Lyanna were set to be married. Rhaegar Targaryen stole her away, remember? I think that Jon is either Rhaegars child with Lyanna, or maybe the bastard son of Benjen Stark. Either way, Ned is not his father, imo. But I also wouldn't put it past GRRM to punk us all.

I am trying not to read your posts because I see talk about Jon and I am looking away. If it is something not already aired on TV, I hope you are placing it in spoiler captions

anyway, just in case it hasn't been brought over, there is now a case of costume drama crossover

It is stuff that's already been on the show or more like theories.

All that could happen, or Jon could die in the next book. GRRM Martian likes to do the opposite of what people expect. The last 4 books have shown that if nothing else.

^ I wouldn't call it a rumor. There was plenty of evidence in that first season. In fact, almost all the evidence is in that first season, since Ned is dead, so I feel free to discuss it now. read no further if you don't want to hear theories on the matter.

Ned has a ton of honor and the only thing that made him break in the end was his love for a child. He wouldn't even break for his own life, so I find it pretty unlikely he broke it for a woman. We know that Rhaegar Targaryen had Lyanna for months and that she died while he was off fighting Robert. Robert wanted to kill all of the Targaryen's and he made that very clear to Ned. He even wanted to kill Dany, while she was pregnant, he hates them that much. Ned looked like he was lying when he had that conversation about who Jon's mother was, so it seems pretty clear to me that he's Lyanna's with Rhaegar. In the books, it is still unknown, so that is not a spoiler. Also, Jon is still a bastard and a brother of the Night's Watch, no matter who his parent's are.

I honestly don't understand why we spent 10 weeks with Drogo. His speech a few weeks back was pretty cool and I was all set to watch him kill people and make the kids slaves and all, and that's it? he just dies?

Drogo was just a catalyst for Dany to come into her own.

I didn't feel especially sorry for the witch. The Dothraki destroyed her life and people, so she took some revenge on Dany. That was understandable, but she took revenge on the wrong person. She may not have lied, but she certainly didn't tell Dany the truth either. After the way she made a point of telling Dany her baby had been deformed and enjoyed it, I was ready for her to die screaming.

Anyway, I like how Robb is now the OtherKing,

One of the other kings you mean. Renley has declared himself King and Stannis has done the same. Everyone and his brother is a king right now, with a Queen coming their way with dragons. And as Osha keeps telling people, they are all marching the wrong way.

So she's like mother to the baby dragons? They totally LOVE her!

Did the wicthes power cause the dragons to be hatched?

I think it was the witch's death ("only death pays for life") plus the fire. Remember Dany had instinctively kept the eggs near fire and put one on that brazier. Some part of her thought understood that dragons are born from fire, but she was still sort of young and innocent. She didn't know yet that life only comes through blood and pain.

Osha finally combed her hair! Thank you, God. I love that she has become part of the Stark household and is protective of Bran.

Tyrion as hand of the King is going to be great. I can't wait, although part of me wishes he was safe away from that little monster. How I wish that Sansa had pushed him off that tower. Damn the hound for stopping her. I'm so glad that Sansa is getting tougher.

Dany's scenes were good too. I was worried about how that scene with the dragons would come across on TV, but I thought it was good.

I cannot believe Cersei is screwing Lancel. That poor boy. She'll eat him alive.