Game of Thrones [SPOILERS]

[ShenMolo]

Many HBO shows have pacing different from typical TV dramas. The Wire, Treme, Boardwalk Empire, etc build up slowly over the length of the season. It's also a style that works well with shows based on novels. Stories do not need to be compressed or re-arranged to get the highs & lows TV dramas usually shoot for.

Most TV dramas are written with payoff's at the end of every episode, if not before every commercial break.

I love the fact that they are really trying to embrace the books and am more than willing to give them time. Those of us who have read the books know what will come eventually!

[shiznitz]

Ratings held up.

Last night’s second episode of Game of Thrones‘ second season drew 3.8 million viewers at 9 PM, retaining virtually all of the viewership for the HBO fantasy series’ second season premiere (3.9 million viewers), which was a series high. For the night, including the 11 PM encore, GOT averaged 4.9 million viewers. That is slightly higher than that 4.8 million viewers who watched the second season premiere at 9 PM and 11 PM last Sunday, though HBO also had a third airing at 10 PM then, bringing the total viewership for the night to 6.3 million

http://www.deadline.com/2012/04/hbos-game-of-thrones-holds-up-well-in-week-2-ratings/

[Threash]

That's quite good considering it was easter sunday and the episode was leaked online for the whole week.

[Cheddar]

Book 3 needs to be 2 seasons.  It shifts the entire tale.

It has the most meat out of any of the other books.  Re-reading it now and up to [edited due to spoiler]; it is a LOT.

[Khaldun]

[Arthur_Parker]

[Bunk]

[EWSpider]

[Threash]

Does anyone else feel like Lena Headley is looking and acting better this season?

[Threash]

Renewed, also confirmed book 3 is gonna be 2 seasons

[Cheddar]

Renewed, also confirmed book 3 is gonna be 2 seasons

GOOD.  Thats the book with a ton of meat. 

[Tannhauser]

I like Theon Greyjoy, he's such a tool.  Loving all of the storylines, though I wish there was a fight every now and then.

[Teleku]

There should be a good amount of that the next few seasons.  First book had the least amount of fighting in it.

Glad to hear its renewed, though I hope that means they start filming at a faster rate now that they've confirmed a few new seasons.  Took over a year between the premier of the first and second seasons.  Age of the child actors could also start to be an issue.

[Threash]

Bran definitely had a growth spurt after filming season 2.

[Khaldun]

The actor playing Theon is doing a fucking great job of being a despicable wuss that you can almost feel sorry for. In two episodes this season, he's been a more interesting character to me than he's ever been in the books.

[HaemishM]

I really like the way the TV series is handling this book, moreso than the actual book. Some of the subtext with Stannis and the Red Priestess made abundantly clear, the compression of events, and of course, more Tyrion as done by Peter Dinklage. I don't remember


from the book, though.

[Threash]

It was implied.  That was the reason they left him a lone and he was able to stay there when every other wildling had to flee.

[Rasix]

I really like the way the TV series is handling this book, moreso than the actual book. Some of the subtext with Stannis and the Red Priestess made abundantly clear, the compression of events, and of course, more Tyrion as done by Peter Dinklage. I don't remember


from the book, though.

I'm actually really not enjoying this season so far.  It's just too much shock value for shock value's sake. It's pretty much HBO series 101 dialed way up.   

And it's starting to bug me on a book nerd level, they're making a lot more small, yet significant deviations from the book.   Seems like they're making a lot of these just to avoid having to use more actors, or they're caught in a situation where the character that would have been in this scene was never introduced in season 1.   The way they're dealing with Littlefinger is going to make a lot of stuff in the future less surprising and impactful.  You're just going to expect it.

[Threash]

Not actors, characters.  Nobody in my family besides me has read the books, they all have trouble with how many characters the series has already and the cast WILL get bigger and bigger.  Trimming characters whenever possible is really unavoidable.  Yeah, i'll miss the Reeds but they are not really necessary, Bronn being the captain of the gold cloaks is a good change, and introducing anyone from Riverrun this season when they really don't do anything important until next would be pointless.

[Arthur_Parker]

The fish pie conversation with the eunuch was great.

[Ratman_tf]

Not actors, characters.  Nobody in my family besides me has read the books, they all have trouble with how many characters the series has already and the cast WILL get bigger and bigger.  Trimming characters whenever possible is really unavoidable.  Yeah, i'll miss the Reeds but they are not really necessary, Bronn being the captain of the gold cloaks is a good change, and introducing anyone from Riverrun this season when they really don't do anything important until next would be pointless.

Yeah, one of the reasons I couldn't get into the first book is all the damn characters to remember, and that's just the first book! The series has been a godsend for understanding the actual story and paring down the cast to something manageable for a new viewer/fan.

[HaemishM]

Wait, the Reeds aren't going to be introduced in Season 2? WTF? Those 2 seemed really goddamned important to me.

[Merusk]

They haven't proven to be thus far.  Martin does  have a way of introducing characters and letting them hang around until zomg it's a good thing they were there, though, so their importance could increase.

[ShenMolo]

Wait, the Reeds aren't going to be introduced in Season 2? WTF? Those 2 seemed really goddamned important to me.

They'll have to shoehorn them in at some point if they plan on filiming the most recent books!

[Rendakor]

Even up through Book 5, I don't remember the Reeds doing anything important except wandering around with Bran and Rickon. Glorified babysitters, at best.

[Threash]

Yeah, they are not really required at all.  They are not going to be introduced at all, rumor is they are going to be replaced by Osha and her part by the maester.

[Special J]

Their most important role would be


As for Ep. 2, love the Greyjoys in the books, wasn't disappointed by Balon, Yara/Asha and Pyke.  Moar please.

[Arthur_Parker]

Simpsons game of thrones

 

[Teleku]

Simpsons game of thrones

 

This series really does have one of the best openings ever.  Heres the page from the company, fyi, and some of the other series they have done opening credits for:

http://www.elastic.tv/work/maintitles

Just got a chance to watch the second episode.  Very well done, and I'm happy with all the changes they've made.  Frankly it will help the storytelling in a lot of ways over trying to be more true to the books.  I don't think I'm quite on board with them killing one of Daenerys blood riders, since all three of them have fought and lived through all 5 books (an Amazing feat in this series, especially for none critical characters, considering the death rate of critical characters), but as with everything, I can understand the need to cut down on characters.  Other than that, I think my only gripe is that I wish they had gotten a hotter actress to play the red priestest.    Not that shes unattractive, but my teenage self was able to fill in the blank with a much hotter flaming red head fantasy sorceress chick.

Also, loved Salladhor Saan, great character, and I enjoy this take on him.

I really like the way the TV series is handling this book, moreso than the actual book. Some of the subtext with Stannis and the Red Priestess made abundantly clear, the compression of events, and of course, more Tyrion as done by Peter Dinklage. I don't remember


from the book, though.

[Threash]

The guy playing Rhakaro got a part in a movie i believe, that's why they chopped him off.

[angry.bob]

Tyrion delivers as I would expect, but Gendry is becoming a close second. I assume that means he'll be dead before the end of the season or make a break for it and disappear from the show.

[Teleku]

Yeah, considering the shear length of the material they're working with, and the fact that the books aren't even done yet, I see almost no way for this series to actually be completed.  Unless they really can manage 8-10 seasons and not lose all sorts of important cast members, which I doubt.  Still, if they make it to the end of book 3 and stop there, they'll have created a great entertaining story for TV.
Also, with no real explanation of the white walkers.  Speaking of which, I'm not too happy with the series take on them.  In the books they seemed like a highly advanced race, with an alien intelligence.  With high end special armor, weapons, and stunning agility.  Basically Evil Ice Elves is what I got from the books.  In the series, they seem to be barbarian orcs with blue eyes.  Meh.

[kaid]

Well in the books you had the others who I kind of pictured as you are like evil ice elves but you also had the wights which were the risen folks running about and most of what we see matches the wights pretty well. It may be that they decided to just meld them together for sake of story telling in the tv show.

[Merusk]

Bob you made me go look up what happens to Gendry because I'd forgotten. Nothing overly spoilery, but still spoilered

[Ghambit]

Saw one of these over the weekend.  Now I gotta have one:
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