HBO: Game of Thrones

[Juliajms]

I know. I couldn't help myself. I'll watch live on Sunday too though. i always watch more than once.

[ER Tosh]

Now that was a great ep. But it needed some Tyrion.

[Juliajms]

So much happened, I didn't even miss him and he's my favorite. He better be back next week though. I wonder if he's headed to King's Landing or Casterly Rock?

If only Ned had listened to Renly and taken Joff under his "protection". Now the realm is well and truly screwed. The Dothraki are coming and Stannis knows he has a claim. Plus, you have Renly and Loras going who knows where to do god knows what. It sure didn't sound like Renly was planning on backing Stannia. Such a clusterfl*ck.

[quartermainefan]

This was such a great episode. I am not sure which I liked more, the Queen and Stark talking verbal smack, or Drogo having such a cool rant. I think Drogo gets the MVP for this episode.

[EricMontreal22]

I've been behind with this thread--but the show has quickly become my favorite show of the moment. Ep 7 (which I watched last week due to the HBO on Demand thing) was particularly good--the only bit that annoyed me, and my brother says was not in the book, was Littlefinger's obvious monologue, setting up the end, accompanied clumsily by the softcore (if talk of anal sex can be called soft core) whore action. It felt like it was there to keep teenaged males invested, which is something I've appreciated about the show otherwise. Yeah it's as graphic as most HBO shows, but it doesn't seem to pander. (Would I have complained if the same scene had shown male prostitutes? Probably not But I already have ahd some trouble convincing some women friends that they'd really love the show, and it's not typical fanboy stuff).

When I was flying back from San Fran I picked up the novel at the airport, and have read up to, basically, where ep 7 ends, now. While this isn't a True Blood case--where I think the tv material is far better than its source--I have to say I actually enjoy the series more. Martin is a very good writer (aside from some comments, like Cat musing about missing Ned's seed in her--I really doubt any woman, or man, actually thinks so literally and ickily like that), but the visuals, and the more interesting take on Cersei, who comes off far more intelligent and rounded in the show, among other things has me more into it. That said, I'm not sure if I can hold back from reading the following books for a year waiting for Season 2. That said, I do appreciate the details the novel fleshes out--and I admit until about episode 4 I had to go to HBO's viewer's guide and re-read all the back history, and character relationships. I'm a little surprised it's doing so well, because I do think it takes work to get into--but is very rewarding.

(But please, no more views of the sky prison cells, etc--I thought I had quit being afraid of heights, but literally all those scenes caused such a reaction in me that my legs would start twittching).

[quartermainefan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-6_WRDROdM

This has to be the best scene I think. The actor, whoever he is, does a really great job spouting gibberish and making it sound like a language and that he is able to work himself into a frenzy speaking nonsense sounds. You almost want to see him kill the men, rape the women and take the children as slaves, he is just that cool. (no offense to men, women and children)

[Juliajms]

Well, HBO did have a linguist come in and create a Dothraki language, so it's not completely gibberish. I agree though, Robert's did a good job of pissing Drogo off, and the hoard he was so worried about is headed for his kingdom. Just figures he died and left the problems to others.

[Juliajms]

Episode 8 preview: http://www.youtube.c...h?v=6AoQQjkL2gc

Also tyrion preview:

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Edited June 2, 2011 by Juliajms

[quartermainefan]

another good episode. I always love when the pet wolves get something to do. I want a dire wolf of my own. I also like that the other son is getting stuff to do as well as the other daughter and not just the sword daughter. How many more episodes are there?

[Juliajms]

There are 2 more episodes left. Poor Sansa begging mercy for her father. Cersei is such a bitch. I felt bad for the Septa too. Both she and Syrio sacrificed themselves for the girls.

Tyrion's scenes were good as always. Glad he is getting Lysa back by arming the clans of the vale. It just figures that he has to fight in the upcoming battle. I hope Bronn sticks close by him.

[YRBB]

I haven't been here for a couple of episodes! Episode 7's twists and turns were completely brilliant. Everything you thought would happen, happened--but in completely different ways than I thought. That ending was a brilliant cliffhanger.

Episode 8 was great, too. Though, for the first time, I didn't get that feeling of awe for everything that happened; probably because George R. R. Martin was writing. Does he have other scriptwriting experience?

I loved the chaotic feeling the opening scenes had--it was really sad to then see Ned locked up like that. Robb coming into his own and leading the army was great--Jon and Robb are so sexy, it hurts.

Hodor's random penis was shocking. DAMN! I wasn't expecting that

The part with the zombie was really unexpected and scary. Things are looking really bad.

Uh-oh, Tyrion has to go into battle! Can he talk himself out of a battle?

Well, you don't mess with Drogo, do you? I didn't like their storyline this episode as much as I did before. I'm guessing this witch may have some part to play in the future.

And, finally, Sansa wins some like-ness points! It was sad seeing her go to battle for her dad. But I didn't like the way they ended the episode, didn't feel like a climax when it, quite obviously, was.

[Juliajms]

He does. I'm pretty sure he started out in TV, although I can't remember what it is he's done. I know that old show Beauty and the Beast, but he's done more recent and famous shows too. It's slipped my mind, which ones.

For me, this was the best written episode, but I think that's because I know the books. So I know that he wasn't wasting my time with characters that are ultimately unimportant (Roz) and annoying "sexposition" scenes.

I feel sorry for Sansa. She can't see through Cersei at all.

[Juliajms]

Interview with Sophie Turner (Sansa). http://www.tvguide.c...er-1034079.aspx

Also short article on Sean Bean talking about Ned. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118038108/

Edited June 10, 2011 by Juliajms

[YRBB]

I see.... I dunno, I guess it could be seen from another point of view if one has read the books. I guess I was just talking on a purely script level--after most of the episodes were written by the creators of the show, there may have been a slight downfall in quality (ever so slight), for me anyways. But I may need to rewatch it. However, what goes into the episodes I believe is sorely the headwriters's decision. So if they had decided that Roz needs to feature in the episode with this plot development or another, then he would have had to write her in

I feel sorry for her, too. This is great character writing/development. She annoys you (in a good way) and, then, all of a sudden, you feel sorry for her!

[Juliajms]

I think having read the books is sort of a disadvantage. It makes it harder for me to judge the episodes on their own merits because I have so much background info. I've read the books twice because there was so much time in between that I needed a refresher, so I pretty much know the story in and out. I wish I could see this with "fresh eyes".

I think the next two episodes should be pretty exciting.