HBO: Game of Thrones

[DRW50]

I never thought she was a con artist, I thought she was a zealot and very dangerous, but I didn't realize just how...tied she was to the dark forces she was up to that point. That old man who was absolutely terrified of her to the point of murder/suicide was a great intro to her character.

I could do with a few less "the night is dark and full of terrors," but she is fascinating.

And that scene...well at first I thought she was, not to be crude, but pleasuring herself for the dark forces. When it turned into what it actually was, I was flabbergasted. Van Houten is a good sport to play those scenes.

[rhinohide]

I cannot wait for 4/6. That is all.

[YRBB]

+1

[DRW50]

Still making my way through season 2.

The best for me was everything with Bran and Theon and Osha. So. Good. So good. I love the way we learned of the overthrow of Winterfell - Theon walks into Bran's room when he's half-asleep. Bran just can't understand what's happening. And Theon tries to tell him what's going on and tries to tell him how to react. Theon's hesitant in what he says, because deep down, he knows he's not good at any of this. He's waiting for other people to tell him how to speak. He's waiting for a coronation.

The part where Bran says "Did you hate us the whole time?" breaks my heart. So few words, such a killer delivery. The boy who plays him is just great.

And it just gets worse and worse as Theon continues to have NO idea what he is doing, butchering an execution he was goaded into, as Bran screams and pleads for help, a junior prince now aware that he is completely lost.

Osha saves the day, with a series of beautiful performances from Natalia Tena. And you know on paper it might seem a little questionable that someone who is kept as a servant for the Starks has to use her body to save these kids, but the bond between Osha and Bran is so strong and so far outside any idea of master and servant (I think she is the first friend he has ever truly had and I also think she's one of the first people who has ever "gotten" him), that I just can't see it that way.

I loved the scene where Osha, Bran, Rickon, Hodor, and Luwin got away in the dead of night. I could watch an entire show about this group. I could watch an entire show where Osha and Bran talk about their dreams. I think this is my favorite group of characters on the whole show in this season.

Alfie Allen - again, terrific performances. Theon is just such a pretender, but not in a way where I can hate him, because deep down, he knows it too. Allen gives his work such texture and sells the frustration of a man who keeps waiting for respect he likely will never receive.

Renly's death - eh. It just felt a little rushed/lackluster, and I didn't know Brienne well enough to feel her anguish. I find Loras to be immature so while I was sorry he lost the man he loves, I wasn't as affected as I should have been, because he sort of always acts that way. I can't quite get into Margaery, because she doesn't feel like a real person. She seems somewhat machine-like. I did enjoy Brienne and Catelyn learning to trust and respect each other, and Brienne's love for formality and customs is a nice contrast to the Starks.

I find Davos to be a fascinating character, as he does seem to truly be a good man, with morals, in spite of his cynicism. In a way he doesn't fit into the show, but the show also needs him. I'm glad that the show realizes they shouldn't overuse Melisandre, but I have to admit I wish she'd pop into Kings Landing to stir up some trouble.

The whole Kings Landing group seem to be marking time, which I get (Jaime is gone, Tywin is, as always, away), but they're all caricatures at the moment. Joffrey is evol and stoopid, Cersei is a neurotic and ineffectual failure, Tyrion saves the day. For such an interesting family, they all seem to have become very drab. I think the idea of the riot scene was a brilliant one, but the execution wasn't the greatest. I know they have a limited budget, but I never believed any sense of threat. I started laughing several times (when Cersei had to duck into a concealed area like the paps were asking her if she was really [!@#$%^&*] her brother, not like wild and starving denizens wanted to tear her heart out, and then when that poor guy was taken down and we saw someone waving his arm, in a very Monty Python-esque moment). The only part that worked for me was the attempted rape sequence, which was genuinely terrifying, and had that incredibly powerful scene with Sansa and Shae, where she wanted to confide in Shae and Shae, while sympathetic, warned her to NEVER tell ANYONE her true feelings.

Arya...well, I could take or leave Arya, and I also feel like her story mostly consists of marking time, so these scenes were just there for me. Jaqen H'ghar is an interesting guy and as with the other magical characters, GoT is smart to not overuse him. I will give the show and GRRM some points for coming up with this as a way to wait a little longer before Arya herself has to start murdering people, as that's a very dark road. I do enjoy the Arya and Tywin relationship. Maisie Williams and Charles Dance work well together and Dance is a brilliant guy to watch - I'm glad the show realized this and didn't just make Tywin a one-note monster.

Jon Snow...I have a soft spot for Jon, I have from the start, so I'm somewhat biased about his material. I'm mostly glad they're away from the incest igloo. I'd been waiting to see Ygritte for a while. She reminds me so much of a young Patsy Palmer, it's a little tough to get past at first. I do think she's interesting, and I liked the scene where she asked for nothing more than a quick death. Jon couldn't do it, because he's not that type of man who could cold-bloodedly kill a woman (I'm sure part of it might have been because of "feelings" too, but it was more than that). Then we had the comedy moment where they snuggled close and he was, presumably, trying to play hide-the-boner. I did laugh at that.

Rose Leslie and Kit Harington did the commentary for this episode and when the writer of the episode speculated that Ygritte put the cloak over her head before running from Jon, it was to keep out from the cold, Leslie said no, it's that they'd had her run to see how she looked, she couldn't run for [!@#$%^&*], and they had a double brought in. Leslie also said that several men had recently come up to her and started singing the theme song in her ear.

Robb...oh Robb. Such a gorgeous man, and an intelligent man, and yet so stupid. Falling for Talisa is a terrible idea. I've heard some fans say that Talisa doesn't work as a character because her views against war and slavery are written for a modern audience, not for what would have been felt in the day. I can understand that, but I still like her. I like Oona Chaplin's work in the role. She's firm but not sanctimonious. She can laugh at herself. She stands up for her beliefs. She has a real spark in her eye. It's not difficult for me to understand why Robb fell in love with her at first glance. Richard Madden does such a wonderful job playing Robb's love for her. He doesn't go all gooey-eyed (well he kind of does, but...) like an idiotic teenage parody you see on a lot of shows. He's challenged by her and he didn't even know he wanted to be challenged by a woman that way. There's something he does with his eyes and his mouth when he looks at her or laughs with her - it makes you feel happy, even though you, like poor Catelyn, know this is very, very, very wrong.

Dany. So we finally get to the "where are my dragons?" stage. It took a lot longer than I'd expected based on the parodies. Learning that most of this story in this season was just sort of made up by the show helped explain some things. I haven't really minded this down period very much, because we're seeing Dany learn the limits of her power, which she needs to know. I also think Emelia Clark works well with the guy who plays Xaro. That brief bit where Dany and Louise from Hollyoaks were semi-patronizing Dany's Dothraki servant (who is later murdered) reminded me again of the consistent strain of colonialism in Dany's personality. Anyway, the highlight of these two episodes for me was when Jorah talked her out of marrying Xaro for power by pointing out how she had to earn armies and how she had such a kind, gentle heart, etc. And in that moment I swear you finally saw Dany realize that Xaro was right - Jorah is in love with her. I think this is the last thing she wanted to happen, because she sees him as her best friend, her truest adviser. Not as a lover or a husband. It's very sad to watch, but also satisfying, in some way. I guess this is what people read old Victorian novels for.

Edited April 3, 2014 by DRW50

[Vee]

I have loved Oona Chaplin in many things, particularly The Hour, which I think is now on Netflix Instant and which ended far too soon - it features Ben Whishaw, Romola Garai, The Wire's Dominic West, Anna Chancellor, Peter Capaldi and others as the staff of an early BBC TV news program. Oona looks so much like her mother and grandfather too, and I will always revere Geraldine Chaplin for Nashville. I think her role in GOT is pretty basic compared to The Hour - she's there to be Robb's true love/Achilles heel and a decent, goodhearted woman - but she elevates it, as does the writing.

I hope you'll avoid spoilering yourself much going forward, I know I am staying off most social media as I watch S4 live with everyone else. I have a hunch about the Purple Wedding, but I don't want to know. I already was inadvertently spoilered about

which would have shocked me.

I remember finding Brienne's introduction a little rushed, but Gwendoline Christie is so incredible. And the real introduction of her character, beyond the incidentals, comes in her stuff with others going forward. She (and Margaery, who is much more fleshed out in Season 3) are now two of my favorites. As is Sansa, oddly enough, after last season.

The stuff with Bran, Theon and Ser Rodrik is still very difficult for me to watch.

Edited April 3, 2014 by Vee

[DRW50]

I know quite a bit of what's to come (in season 3 and probably 4), although I'm trying to train myself not to keep reading in advance.

It's the little things that surprise me more.

I wanted to say if anyone here would rather I put my comments in spoilers, even though this is old material, I will.

When I finish some of my shows I will check out The Hour. I've heard good things about it.

I love Geraldine Chaplin in Nashville. It's a role that should have been or could have been terrible but she brings such humor and determination.

I wonder how people who read the books felt about Talisa compared to the woman in the books (Jayne Westerling or something like that).

[ThePrinceOfSunspear]

Regarding Talisa that's where I started hating the show for real and questioning how good it really was...she's a totally made up character who serves no purpose and doesn't match the real character in the books....

Love your reaction to Osha and Bran and I def agree...some of the best and most touching scenes have come from those two. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on them from the last season (especially this scene that occurs in an abandoned tower of the Nights Watch).

Much as I loathe Theon in the books Alfie Allen has done an incredible job with him in the show. To the point where I actually do feel bad for the guy despite the horrible things he's done. I don't know if you've gotten to the last scene between him and his sister Asha (the show stupidly names her Yara for whatever reason) but I do love the little speech she gives about him as a baby screaming all the time...hilarious in such a heartbreaking way....a sister pleading with her naive brother to come back with her. The brother she barely knew but still loves.

[DRW50]

I haven't seen it but I can't wait to see it (that scene).

I think I read that they named her Yara instead of Asha because they were afraid viewers would confuse Asha and Osha.

[YRBB]

GAME OF THRONES broke HBO Go and Twitter has responded accordingly. It's amazing.

[YRBB]

SPOILERS for Season 4, Episode 1:

Lovely opening scene.

The guy playing Oberyn is great and I'm excited they played up his gay side a lot

I dare any of the Sansa detractors to not feel for her as she tells Tyrion about Robb & Catelyn's deaths. And there was something very endearing about her in her scene with Dontos. Meanwhile, Olena is killing me with her one-liners.

Jaime & Brienne forever. That is all.

Daario got a very sexy face change and I love the actor. I can see the pairing happening, now.

Jon handled the Night's Watch assholes like a BOSS. Also, I like that they made sure they pointed out the fact that, if Ygritte really wanted to kill Jon, she would have. Squeee!

I was very interesting in seeing Arya take that dark step towards killing people off her list. I'm surprised she was shown smiling at the end, but that's just it, isn't it? The rules are different.

[quartermainefan]

Cersei is a cruel mistress. Poor Jaime went to hell to get back to her and now she gives him the cold shoulder! And he really needs to straighten Joffrey out. Is he unaware he is his father? About the new guy, I am slightly confused here about who exactly he is. Is he saying he is Dany's uncle? I may be getting my dead king names wrong.

[YRBB]

If you're asking whether Jaime knows he's Joffrey's father, yes he does. He doesn't care. He's keeping his distance so as not to raise suspicion and therefore all he can claim to be is the King's uncle. And he has to treat him as the King.

New guy? You mean Oberyn, who stabbed the Lannister and had a scene with Tyrion?

[quartermainefan]

Yes, he is the one. Is he Dany's uncle or do I have my last names confused.

[YRBB]

No, Oberyn's sister Elia was married to Aerys Targaryen's (the Mad King) son, and then she and her children were murdered by The Mountain, after Tywin, Ned and Robert took over the throne (following Jaime killing the Mad King). So that would make him... Dany's sister-in-law's brother.

[rhinohide]

‘Game of Thrones’ Draws HBO’s Largest Audience Since ‘Sopranos’ Finale

http://variety.com/2014/tv/news/game-of-thrones-draws-hbos-largest-audience-since-sopranos-finale-1201153525/#

Edited April 7, 2014 by rhinohide