HBO: Game of Thrones

[DRW50]

JackPeyton talked about wine tasting.

I was never as into TNG as your friend is but I'm glad you're watching the show. The first season is a trainwreck, probably the worst of Roddenberry's idealism, and the second is a mixed bag, but there's good stuff, and the later seasons have some very strong moments. It's probably the purest form of Roddenberry. I'd say it's worth watching for Picard and then so much else (Q, Crusher, Polaski [who was hated by a lot of fans], the wonderful, wonderful Data; I always liked Deanna Troi, even if a lot of fans, especially female fans, struggled with her). Riker and Worf bored me but Worf had his moments. The pacifism reaches levels of self-parody (wait until you see that Crystalline Entity episode in season 5 or so), but I'll take that over anything to come with this franchise, especially the warmongering reboot.

I didn't care about watching GoT at first because most of what I knew of it was stories about women who were uncomfortable with the show's explotive treatment of females and female nudity, my not being a big fan of medieval stuff, and assuming the show was all about Peter Dinklage. Since reading here, and tumblr, I've seen more of the show I can relate to. At the moment I am trying to get through a few other shows but then I'm going to start watching.

Edited June 12, 2013 by DRW50

[Vee]

I just started watching Season 1. It's a hell of a show.

[quartermainefan]

I don't know who you were talking to, but whoever it was just has a thing about nudity since the show has gone to great lengths to make the women of the show as tough as the men and who move story as much as the men. It is just kneekerk faux-feminism if anyone told you otherwise. If some woman somewhere was uncomfortable watching, that is more a statement about some prude than it is about the show. Also, nowhere is it written that women are better judges of television shows than men.

Huffingtonpost put together a video called "The Bad Ass Women of Game Of Thrones"

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/07/game-of-thrones-badass-women_n_3403640.html

And you should show this to these wilting flowers who can't stand the site of a nipple or whatever it was that turned them off to the show. The show since day one has had the ladies just as much in the forefront as the men, and if any leading actress on the show showed as much skin as Khal Drogo did week after week let them come forward with clips.

[Ann_SS]

I definitely did not mean my comment to suggest that Lena Headley deserves anything good or bad. It is just one of those things that happens.

[Juliajms]

Only two scenes have made me feel uncomfortable. One was Tywin laying into Tyrion about being a dwarf. I can't remember the episode, but it was pretty awful. It was a necessary scene, but I felt bad for Dinklage. I'm sure he has a tough skin though.

The other was that last scene with Dany, I've already explained why.

The sex has never bothered me. I guess I just think it's fundamentally true that women on the low end of the totem poll get used in that way. Dany was clever enough to make the most of it. Actually Roz was too, until she let Varys convince her that they were smarter than Baelish. Plus, we certainly saw quite a bit of Theon and he had his sexuality used against him as well, as have the unsullied.

Edited June 12, 2013 by Juliajms

[DRW50]

I don't think a woman is automatically a better judge of a show than a man, I just meant that since I'm not a woman, if I read an article or comments from women about scenes that disturbed them or use of female characters that disturbed them, I'm more likely to take that into account, because they're seeing it from a view that I can't.

That's true for many shows, but for whatever reason this came up quite a bit with this show in season 2, which is one of the reasons I said it was one of the main things I'd heard about the show, until I started reading more closely.

[Ann_SS]

I think that we are a society with a variety of gender issues so it is reflected in the shows that we watch. GOT does have its share, possibly more because it is situated in a world where women do not have a lot of power. However, some of the women do have agency and fight for independence. Yet there are so many unlikable people, mostly men that almost everyone seems to have difficult lives regardless of gender. There is more female nudity than men on the show though which can be a problem for some people.

Edited June 12, 2013 by Ann_SS

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

I'm a guy and I've found some of the nudity ridiculous and unnecessary but that's just me.

As for fidelity to the novels I just think it isn't rocket science to simplify the show and yet still remain true to the plot in the books at least 85% of the time. Rather than the crappy 35% it's devolved into....

Season 1 was incredible and the last two seasons were okay. I think season 3 was the worst tho given the ending and absolute mockery of the books that occured as the season progressed.

[quartermainefan]

Does anyone know the origin of these videos?  It sounds like the actual actor is speaking as Tywin.

 

[Juliajms]

Hey Q! I'm guessing HBO, since that does sound like "our" Tywin. Plus this one is the actress who plays Ygritte:

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HBO has one hell of a website, so it makes sense they would do this sort of history, so people who haven't read the books have a better sense of what's going on.

Edited June 13, 2013 by Juliajms

[Vee]

I believe all those history, etc. videos are on the Blu-Rays (at least for Season 1). I borrowed my friend's box set and devoured all of those videos in the extras section after watching the first couple episodes - it helped tremendously. And yes, the actors do them. A lot of the V.O. on the ones I watched were Bran, Viserys, Robert, etc.

[Ann_SS]

I had no idea these existed. Now I am addicted to watching them.

House Stark:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHBqHtOR7R4

House Targaryen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NddW6BlLKqo

[EricMontreal22]

I agreed with everything you said--until this part. There's zero question that the show (especially early on) had more female nudity than male--and often the examples of male nudity they have had have been for comic reasons.

I agree on the nudity, frankly and I *love* the show. I think there are many instances--particularly early on where it jumps out and distracts me from the scene.

OK, I know you hate the changes from the book but 35%? C'mon!

Then I apologize for mis-reading you. I think I expected some scandal like she had had an infamous affair or something.

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

Lol EricMontreal....ALRIGHT it's not quite that bad.

Thanks to everyone who's posted those vids. I look forward to watching them tomorrow after I see Man of Steel tonight! I agree that HBO has done a superb job with the GoT website.....it's so beautiful and well designed

[ChitHappens]

Finished season 2 (actually I watched the entire season today), and I am emotionally exhausted! Wow!

The treatment of Tyrion has my blood boiling. I know that was the way of the world/kingdoms back them, but still...

The cast is absolute perfection!

Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, Jack Gleason, Michelle Fairley, Charles Dance (although Bill Nighy would have been my first choice), Conleth Hill get special kudos for bringing excellence to each scene! My god!

Now, I have to get S3, but Amazon doesn't have instant video for this season just yet, so I may have to wait for the DVD in the mail. I don't think I can wait. Anyone - ANYONE - who has a link, please share!!!!!!!!!

p.s. I want Tywin to pay big time for what he's done to Tyrion!