Game of Thrones [SPOILERS]

[Khaldun]

Wife-o-meter: way up after the latest episode. Much much more engaged now. Thought Caetlyn was being a total idiot in arresting Tyrion. 

[Lucas]

Ok, I saw this pic on the Something Awful boards and couldn't resist.

The Wall gets attacked by the "White Walkers" :P

[Rendakor]

Golden Crown episode will make me go 

[Rasix]

Golden Crown episode will make me go  

Wife-o-meter: way up after the latest episode. Much much more engaged now. Thought Caetlyn was being a total idiot in arresting Tyrion. 

It's a running theme with mama and papa Stark.

[lamaros]

Halfway through episode four.

Hitting its fucking stride. If it keeps this up it will be amazing.

[Draegan]

Dinklage's acting is really phenomenal with this character.  Did you see his facial expressions at the end of the last episode in the inn?

It's going to suck really a lot when we have to wait for season 2.

[shiznitz]

Dinklage is stealing the show, by far.  I loved the final inn scene.

Still, if I wasn't a fan of the books, I don't know if I would have the patience for this show.

[Ruvaldt]

To be fair, Tyrion steals the show in the books too.  Dinklage is doing a great job, but he has a fun character to work with, and he only gets more interesting as the series continues.

[Arthur_Parker]

Major spoiler from later in the series so you might want to avoid it if you haven't read all the books.

[Rasix]

Major spoiler from later in the series so you might want to avoid it if you haven't read all the books.

SUPER SPOILEY. DO NOT CLICKETH.

[Ironwood]

lol.

You know what's funny?

Clicking a super spoiler and not having a fucking clue what the fuck you're talking about because I haven't figured out all the names yet.

Stupid, stupid shit.  This is why Dickens stuck to 'Mr Happyflump' and 'Ms Lovelace' and 'Count CompleteBastard'.  So much easier to follow.

[WayAbvPar]

Just wait until the Freys show up. Every 2nd or third one is Walder or Walda.

[Rasix]

Black Walder is especially fun.

[Arthur_Parker]

Seems simple enough to me 

[Lucas]

Yes, Freys are a funny and homely bunch. 

[Lemming]

I've been enjoying the show so far, but I can't really see how people who haven't read the books will have an easy time keeping up with this awesome story.  My wife has only really been able to keep up with the show because I am able to answer any little questions she may have about the characters or the world they live in.

So far I only have a few minor complaints about the show changing what characters do in some of the scenes.  For instance, Dany was the one who ordered her brother to walk behind the khalasar as punishment, not Jhogo.  I don't really understand why they would change things like that.  Having Dany give the command showed that she was becoming more confident in herself, becoming more of a leader.  She had been taking shit from her brother all her life, and she was finally coming into her own.

Another one that comes to mind is when Will, the young scout of the night's watch, was executed instead of Gared.  Gared was a hardened veteran on the wall.  He had been there for decades, and yet something on the other side of that wall made him run for his life, despite the fact he knew he would be executed if he was found deserting.

I completely understand omitting stuff from the book, and I know these are just minor changes, but it took these changes for me to realize their significance to me once they were changed.  Or maybe I'm just being the comic book guy.

[Ruvaldt]

Major spoiler from later in the series so you might want to avoid it if you haven't read all the books.

Nope.  That's been my read on it since the first book as well.  I don't see any alternatives that make as much sense.

As for those minor changes, Lemming: everyone's mileage varies.  Those things don't bother me at all.  In fact, I think that the writers have done an excellent job adding scenes that didn't exist in the books in order to better introduce characters.  The scene that introduced Theon, for instance.

[Tale]

I'm up to episode 3, watching it with my girlfriend. Neither of us have read the books. We found ep 3 quite long-winded, lots of talking and no action except the horse whip incident. She fell asleep towards the end. We'll give ep 4 a go.

[lamaros]

I'm up to episode 3, watching it with my girlfriend. Neither of us have read the books. We found ep 3 quite long-winded, lots of talking and no action except the horse whip incident. She fell asleep towards the end. We'll give ep 4 a go.

It does take a while for the 'action' to happen in the first book. Once it doesn't it never stops, though.

[Mazakiel]

Major spoiler from later in the series so you might want to avoid it if you haven't read all the books.

That's always been my theory as well.  I'm hoping there'll be some movement to confirming it in the next book. 

[Speedy Cerviche]

So far I only have a few minor complaints about the show changing what characters do in some of the scenes.  For instance, Dany was the one who ordered her brother to walk behind the khalasar as punishment, not Jhogo.  I don't really understand why they would change things like that.  Having Dany give the command showed that she was becoming more confident in herself, becoming more of a leader.  She had been taking shit from her brother all her life, and she was finally coming into her own.

I think they just want to make the character development more obvious to the audience. They changed that ep.3 moment to a more intermediate step (letting someone else kick his ass in her presence), setting up the ep.4 development where she really kicks his ass herself and talks about how he is a loser.

[Khaldun]

The Jon Snow theory always struck me as screamingly obvious even in Book 1.

[lamaros]

I spoke too soon. Captain obvious (with terrible acting) episode.

Why are the writers so intent on butchering this? They have abandoned nearly all the characterisation in order to expedite the plot, but the whole thing is no fun when you can't believe the characters. They open their mouths, but only generic "here let me explain it for you dear viewer" words come out.

The kid playing Bran was the only bright spot in episode five for me.

[Arthur_Parker]

The Plot is dense, but it's moving so quickly there's no way round it.  I thought it was pretty good, with Gregor's poor horse, Tyrion's shield use "I'm willing if she is", the Eyrie, the sky cell and poor Jory all in one episode.

[Khaldun]

Lots of invented scenes in this one, but I thought they did a great job adapting here, except for the Theon scene, which just seems pointless and "look, it's HBO, there's cock and tit". But I feel for the writers: Theon has nothing to do that matters this early in the story and yet it's terribly important that viewers see him, understand who he is, and remember him.

[Lucas]

One of the most hysterical scenes:

[Threash]

I spoke too soon. Captain obvious (with terrible acting) episode.

I thought it was the best episode yet.  The duel between Varys and Littlefinger wasn't in the book but it was as awesome as Ned vs Jamie.

[lamaros]

The Plot is dense, but it's moving so quickly there's no way round it.  I thought it was pretty good, with Gregor's poor horse, Tyrion's shield use "I'm willing if she is", the Eyrie, the sky cell and poor Jory all in one episode.

And yet they have time to shit around with Robert and Cersei (who I might add is being acted/portrayed very oddly compared to the books) at the end there? And a far too long scene with Theon? I know it's a very hard thing to do, but I am struggling to understand some of the choices. I mean, the scene with Renly getting shaved? Seriously? You think the comments from Littlefinger at the joust wasn't obvious enough? (Also it fucks the Loras characterisation, giving him too hard an edge for this early and less scope to grow later imho. And makes Renly a bit pathetic. Renly is meant to be the grandiose dandy with aims above his station, he doesn't need grooming tips from a child.)

Sansa is being done brilliantly. She's only on the fringes, but we see enough of her to know who she is and her personality; without resorting to inserting her in to scenes.

Anyway, I gotta stop ranting...

[Slayerik]

I never read the books but I'm enjoying the series. A lot of people to try to keep track of, though. I thought ep 5 was good.

[Arthur_Parker]

Anyway, I gotta stop ranting...

It's ok with me.  I didn't like the Theon scene myself but GRRM is involved so I'm not sure what effect that has.

[WayAbvPar]

Once again, the 'made for TV' scale really galled me. The Ned/Jaime fight looked like it was done on a playhouse stage FFS.

[Threash]

The tournament of the hand REALLY got the short end of the stick.  It was supposed to be a massive affair with spartacus type crowds and lots more jousts, not to mention the melee.  No Jamie getting embarrassed by Sandor, no Jory making it pretty far into the tournament, no Beric Dondarrion, no Thoros of Myr with his flaming sword winning the melee.  Sad.

[Khaldun]

One of the most hysterical scenes:

I can't be the only one who was thinking, "O Brave Sir Robin!"

[Vision]

Jamie and Ned never actually fought in the book did they? Ned took off some heads and then his horse fell on him and broke his leg.
I suppose I like the fact that Jamie kills Jory in the show, makes it more personal.

[WayAbvPar]

I don't think they ever crossed swords, no. I was wondering if they would include a broken leg in the fight, and then was like 'not canon, but that will definitely do'.