Winter is Coming: A Game of Thrones (SPOILERS)

Post by **Erunáme** » Fri May 13, 2011 7:40 am

Wow, that's dedication Nin.

Post by **Nin** » Sun May 22, 2011 10:31 pm

I'm through with book one... watching time now.

Post by **yovargas** » Wed May 25, 2011 12:50 am

I have never read the book but at some book-fan-friends insistence I got caught up with them this weekend up through to the newest episode. I am largely enjoying it so far but I would definitely say I simply don't think I would've been able to follow what was going on if I couldn't ask my friends to pause and periodically explain. They're making a valiant effort at info-dumping everything we need to know in this hugely complicated world without bogging down the story but I think for the most part it's way too much to figure out on your own. Still, it's been quite fun so far. (Though I was hoping for more male nudity than we've been getting.

)

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Wed May 25, 2011 3:00 am

I've finished book 1 and have book 2 waiting. I am still really enjoying it.

Post by **samaranth** » Wed May 25, 2011 12:44 pm

I started reading this about a year ago, and stalled in Book 1. Not because it was shocking...actually I can't remember why I ran out of steam. When I heard that this was in the wind I started reading again - I've now just started Part 1 of Book 3. Not Tolkien, no, but definitely a good yarn.

It does read violently. This not surprising given that there are lots of swords/spears/tourneys/battles + other sharp, pointy, hurty things. I'm not great seeing the product of swordplay on screen, it's very much a between-the-fingers kind of viewing.

I'd still like to see this on screen, but it's not on-air in Australia yet, and we don't have pay tv anyway. I'll wait patiently for the DVD, and in the meantime read all of your reviews.

(Um, oh, and hi again. I think it's been easily a year since I was here last.)

Post by **narya** » Wed May 25, 2011 2:39 pm

Hi Samaranth! Missed you and you forget-me-nots.

I do't have HBO either, but might see if I can sign up for a month, once the series is done, and watch the whole thing thru. Then cancel. I'm not much of a TV watcher. I go months without deliberately turning mine on.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Wed May 25, 2011 3:17 pm

Netflix might be a better value and let you do the same thing on DVD.

Post by **Ellienor** » Wed May 25, 2011 5:57 pm

Heh, I love you people. I just discovered this thread and went through the sequence. Saw the HBO previews, got intrigued, ordered book 1, read it, and now am watching the series on HBO.

So I finished watching episode 7 early via HBOGO. I thought the first episode was amazing. Really, really great. Wonderful job at pulling me in. I've been a little back and forth on the rest of it since then, but part of that is the subject matter. It is an uncomfortable book in parts because what happens is pretty awful in some parts.

I'm loving the character of the dwarf (Peter Dinklage). He adds the right touch of humor and wryness and observation of the world. I think they captured Ned Stark's stubborn honor and applying the wrong fixes to the actual world that he lives in.

Unlike Tolkien, where honor is noble and always prevails, here, the world is not black and white, or, you need to do wrong things sometimes to get the right thing done. But what is the right thing? There is just the flow of events and the trick is getting on the right side. Certainly a lot of interesting ideas and nothing like Tolkien's world.

My husband is also watching with me, he's not into sci/fi fantasy and I have to frequently explain what is going on and who is who, but the titillation quotient is getting him interested.

Frankly I could do without the sex scenes, they are pretty frequent and I find it distracting from the story. A couple of them were particularly icky!

Post by **yovargas** » Tue May 31, 2011 8:11 pm

The last episode was awesome. Loved it - except for what was arguably the single dumbest, silliest, awkwardest scene in television history. To those watching, can you guess which scene I mean?

Post by **Lalaith** » Tue May 31, 2011 8:15 pm

I've requested the book from the library, but I'm 22nd in the queue. So it will be a while! (I guess I could request it from the two other library systems in the area and see which one gets to me first.)

Post by **River** » Tue May 31, 2011 8:36 pm

Hey Lali, I have at least one extra copy (maybe two, can't remember what I've given away to who). PM me your address and I'll mail it to ya. You don't need to worry about returning it...bombarding me with copies of GoT is an inside joke my brother and I share and I'm sure I'll get a replacement.

Post by **Lalaith** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 2:36 am

Hey! That would be so awesome! Yay!

PM on the way and thanks!

(That sounds like a funny inside joke.)

Post by **Alatar** » Wed Jun 01, 2011 8:54 am

yovargas wrote:The last episode was awesome. Loved it - except for what was arguably the single dumbest, silliest, awkwardest scene in television history. To those watching, can you guess which scene I mean?

Nope?

Post by **Ellienor** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 5:05 pm

I can. The scene where Lord Baelish tutored the two er, ladies of the evening in how to convince customers they were really "into it" while talking about the love of his life, Cate.

I'm having a problem thinking that Lord Baelish can have a "thing" for Cate in the series. The actors don't have that kind of chemistry. It kind of worked in the book, but it's not working for me on the screen.

Hidden text.

Post by **yovargas** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 8:13 pm

Ellienor wrote:I can. The scene where Lord Baelish tutored the two er, ladies of the evening in how to convince customers they were really "into it" while talking about the love of his life, Cate.

Bingo. Me and my friends laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed at how duuuuuuumb that scene was.

Post by **River** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 8:33 pm

I can't see Baelish as portrayed in the book actually coaching his whores.

That sounds like something he'd pay someone else to do while scheming elsewhere. But maybe the TV version is different - I don't have HBO or cable TV and I'm not about to get it. GRRM was involved in the script-writing so if Littlefinger's changed up a bit from the text we at least have the comfort of knowing his creator signed off on the changes.

Ellie, it was a bummer when he bit it in the book. Actually, "bummer" is the wrong word. Utterly hair-raising would be more accurate...and the final transformation of Dany is just stunning. It'll look great on screen when it happens, I'm sure.

Post by **yovargas** » Thu Jun 02, 2011 9:08 pm

River wrote:I can't see Baelish as portrayed in the book actually coaching his whores. That sounds like something he'd pay someone else to do while scheming elsewhere. But maybe the TV version is different.

Not really. It was one of several reasons why the scene was soooooooooooo stupid.

Post by **Ellienor** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 1:00 am

Yes, that scene came across as pretty dumb. Although, after observing a hetero male watching the scene (i.e., my husband), I can say that he had NO problem with how dumb the scene was. For him, the scene totally rocked.

Hidden text.

Post by **SirDennis** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 4:24 am

Finally. Geeks are getting some love.

Post by **Primula Baggins** » Fri Jun 03, 2011 6:09 am

That's never been a problem around here, SirDennis.