News:

Departing the Vacuousness

Main Menu

A Game of Thrones (Full of spoilers!)

Started by Sandra Craft, May 28, 2012, 10:48:05 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

Sandra Craft

I was wondering if this might be worth a thread, since there do seem to be a number of fans on the forum.

I found this recent episode, Blackwater, very entertaining and I don't usually care for battle scenes, esp. ones where people are sliced in two or have their heads vaporized by a rock.  I suppose I simply liked the continuing character development so much that I didn't mind all the mayhem going on around it.

For instance:

Tyrion and Bronn.  Definitely two of my favorite characters and the light thrown on their friendship (or "friendship" from Bronn's point of view, he being much less sentimental than Tyrion) was my favorite part of the whole hour, esp. when Bronn said "I've seen you kill a man with a shield; with that [battle ax] there'll be no stopping you."  And indeed there was not.  Tyrion might have to attack people's knees, but he made it a damned effective move.  

I also liked how effective Tyrion was as a leader as well as a soldier, the way he got a disspirited, fleeing army to turn back around and rejoin the fight after both their king and one of their most vicious warriors had abandoned it:  "There are brave men knocking at our door -- let's go kill them."  I just wish I knew who gave that king's guard asshole the order the kill Tyrion in battle so it could be passed off as the enemy's doing -- Joffrey?  Cersai?  Was the guard doing it on his own out of pure pissiness?  He seems the type.  And good on that odd serving boy for being willing to run out into a hellscape to come to Tyrion's rescue.

Speaking of vicious, pissy assholes, what is up with the Hound?  I don't get why he dislikes Bronn so much, tho I loved Bronn rubbing the Hound's face in how unafraid he was of him by saving the Hound's life in battle.  And why is fire still such a big deal to the Hound?  I get the unpleasant associations he has with it but really, he's had more than enough time to adjust and in a world without electricity this cannot be the first time since childhood that he's been in close proximity to large flames, esp. since he's spent most of his life fighting and has surely found it necessary to burn down a few things.

And before I get off the topic of vicious, pissy assholes -- Cersai.  Her single virtue, her only saving grace, is supposed to be her authentic love for her children but I am just not buying it.  I believe she loves them for what they can do for her, but not that she loves them for themselves which I think is what I'm supposed to be buying.  If she did love them for themselves, not only would she never have made that extraordinary stink about Tyrion sending Mycella (?) off to safety in marriage to a lord of Dorn, she would have thought of doing that herself and sent little Tommen along with his sister.  Instead her plan was to keep them by her to face the probable fate of starvation at best or being hacked to death by Stannis at worst.  Why?  Because she enjoys having them by her?  Of course she does, but a truly loving mother would prefer her childrens safety over her own happiness.

Before I leave the Lannisters, Tywin or as I think of him, Big Daddy Lannister.  Loved his ride in on the white horse to finish up the battle and capture Stannis (can't wait to see how he's dispatched), and that he arrived just in time to keep Cersai from poisoning the child she was too careless to send to safety much earlier.  Altho I must say the very best thing about Tywin Lannister is his relationship with Arya (and he must know who she is, he's being written way too smart not to), which I understand is not in the books but is a brilliant innovation for the series.  They have a wonderful chemistry together and I get the impression that Arya Stark is the grandchild Tywin wishes he had rather than the psychopathic Joffery, the girly girl Mycella or the sweet but vapid Tommen.  I read that in an interview about GoT, Dance said that the girl playing Arya was his favorite actor to be in a scene with and it really shows.

Altho they weren't in this episode, I also enjoy Brienne of Tarth and her completely different but equally compelling relationships with Lady Stark and Jaime Lannister.  I for one would love to see Brienne and Jaime fight it out -- I have a feeling that Jaime's fighting prowess is confined to what shifty moves he can pull whereas Brienne has more straight out fighting skill.

I feel I should write something about Jon Snow and Robb Stark but, honestly, I have a hard time telling them apart, even now that their storylines have diverged so much.  I still can't help thinking of them as Robb Snow.

Among my other favorites who didn't show up this episode is the team of Osha the wildling girl, Hordor the simpleton and the two youngest Stark boys, Bran and Rickon, both of whom seem to have a bit of the fey about them.  And it may be my imagination, but I think Osha and Hordor have been flirting with each other despite Hordor's inability (or unwillingness) to say anything except "Hordor".

Finally, the dire wolves.  We know where Robb and Jon's wolves are, and apparently Bran and Rickon's wolves are nearby in the woods around Winterfell (I get that they can't come into the castle grounds without giving away that the escaped boys have returned) but where the heck is Arya's wolf?  She set it free to save it from that nutcase Joffrey, but I can't help thinking that's not the end of it -- the wolf must have been hovering around waiting for Arya to leave King's Landing so it could rejoin her, so where is it?  I'm going to be very disappointed if that wolf turns out to be a forgotten loose end.


Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

Gawen

I nearly erased all the recordings from my DVR. The show (I have never read the books) has become too complicated. To many new characters. So many old characters with nothing to do or dead. Dinklage carries the show, both with himself as a very good actor and his character, but the character has the good stuff written for it. I'm going to watch the rest of this season. If my interest can't be kept, I'll turn it off.

My prediction for season three is nearly all the characters from season one are gone and even more new characters introduced.

I fell afoul with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series for the same reason. Too many characters to keep track of.

K.I.S.S.
The essence of the mind is not in what it thinks, but how it thinks. Faith is the surrender of our mind; of reason and our skepticism to put all our trust or faith in someone or something that has no good evidence of itself. That is a sinister thing to me. Of all the supposed virtues, faith is not.
"When you fall, I will be there" - Floor

Sandra Craft

#2
Yeah, sorry about the spoiler thing.  I figured anybody who was interested in it would have seen it already.

Quote from: Gawen on May 28, 2012, 01:27:57 PM
I nearly erased all the recordings from my DVR. The show (I have never read the books) has become too complicated. To many new characters. So many old characters with nothing to do or dead. Dinklage carries the show, both with himself as a very good actor and his character, but the character has the good stuff written for it. I'm going to watch the rest of this season. If my interest can't be kept, I'll turn it off.

My prediction for season three is nearly all the characters from season one are gone and even more new characters introduced.

I fell afoul with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series for the same reason. Too many characters to keep track of.

K.I.S.S.

I tried reading the first book, twice, but couldn't hack it.  I've read other books by GRRM and I just don't care for him as a writer.  The series, tho, I'm finding very entertaining and I'm having no trouble keeping track of the storylines and characters (except for that damn Jon/Robb problem); I sometimes regret that they can't touch base with all the storylines in a single episode but I understand that for the sake of keeping the drama tight they sometimes have to concentrate on a particular story for awhile.
Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

Ali

#3
OOoooh, yes, this thread is definitely needed!  LOVE Game of Thrones.

Okay, so Tyrion.  Tyrion is tough and brave (yet another reason to be gaga in love with him - he's definitely my favorite character.)  He's really the only Lannister I like, or that seems to have any shred of decency in him.  He also owned that battle with his battle ax.  I'm reading the book as well (only have about 50 pages to go) so assuming the show follows the book (doesn't always) I can tell tell you that Tyrion thinks that Cersai is the one that sent the king's guard after him, although so far that's only his own speculation.  Also, the injury in the book is a lot worse than the injury on the show, although I won't tell you about it unless you want me to (in case you want to read it for yourself.)


Re: Cersai getting pissy about Tyrion sending Myrcella away.  I think they go more into this in the book than the show, but I think Cersai kind of explains her objections to this in the recent scene where she is talking to Sansa about how she and Jamie were so much alike in childhood, but when he came of age he was to be the heir to Casterly Rock and given a sword and honors, and she was "sold like a horse to be ridden whenever he felt like it." (or something like that.)  I think she wanted to protect Myrcella from being a trading chip (which is exactly what Tyrion used her as, which is what Cersai herself was used as when she was wed to Robert.)  I agree that she should have made other arrangements for her children to tuck them safely away, but at least on the subject of the menfolk marrying their women off as a bargaining chip in political maneuvers, she and I agree.

Haha about Osha and Hodor.  I can't imagine a woman as sharp as Osha would truly fall for a man that only says "Hodor", but I think she does like his sweet nature.

Oh, do you want to hear my pet theory about Jon Snow?  Please keep in mind that this is only my theory (not something revealed yet in the books or anything like that) but I don't think he's really Ned Stark's son! I don't remember how much they fleshed out the story of Jon's arrival to Winterfell in the show, and I'm pretty sure that they've said next to nothing about Lyanna (Ned's sister) in the show, so the show may never go into this even if I'm right, but I think that Jon Snow is actually Lyanna's son, conceived when Lyanna was taken by Rhaegar (Danerys' older brother) which would mean that Jon Snow and Danerys are related.  You need to read the books so that we can speculate about this together!!!  ;D

ETA:  Oh yeah, just read a FMK about Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, and Robb Stark. 
http://jezebel.com/5912401/fuck-marry-kill-the-men-of-game-of-thrones?tag=fmk
I totally disagree though, I would kill Jon Snow, F Robb Stark, and marry Tyrion. 



Crow

#4
Spoiler wise how far can I go into the Song of Ice and Fire, just keeping with the tv series or the books? Just incase don't read below unless you want to, but I wont ruin anything big.

I have gone off the TV series since episode 5 of this series (still watching it though), it moved too far away from the books and has gotten rid of certain characters such as Reek, Jojen reed and Meera Reed, which are kind of important as they are the reasons for why Bran travels beyond the wall and why Theon makes the decision to have the Stark kids killed (well the illusion that they have) and eventually looses control over Winterfell, and an event that saves Davos Seaworths life. Also showing Robs wife this early on kind of ruins the massive event that happens in the third book. The events that happen with Danerys what the fuck is that all about? And Jon Snow why didn't they just play it like the books, its far better and intense and much shorter leaving more time for Tyrion.

[Ali] With Jon Snow you are way off, or are you  ;) But seriously, Way off.

The reason the Hound is scared of fire is because his brother pushed his face into a fire as a kiddah for some reason that I can't remember, it also builds up for an event with Dondarrion. Though I agree it is a bit stupid seeing as the knights are so fire happy.

Arya, Jon Snow, and Tyrion are easily my favorite characters in the books, but Tyrion, Davos, and Melisandre are my favorites in the TV show.
Retired member.

Sandra Craft

#5
Quote from: Ali on May 28, 2012, 04:53:08 PM
OOoooh, yes, this thread is definitely needed!  LOVE Game of Thrones.

Heh.  I knew I'd bag you!

QuoteOkay, so Tyrion.  Tyrion is tough and brave (yet another reason to be gaga in love with him - he's definitely my favorite character.)  He's really the only Lannister I like, or that seems to have any shred of decency in him.  He also owned that battle with his battle ax.

I haven't read any of the books so this is all pure speculation on my part, but I'm beginning to think that Tyrion is the only Lannister with any real skills in battle or politics.  Daddy Lannister is impressive but he seems to be in the habit of coming to a big battle only at the end when he's certain of being on the winning side, Cersai is determined and ruthless but not very clever and Jaime's fighting, tho bloodthirsty, seems limited to a way with dirty tricks.  

QuoteAlso, the injury in the book is a lot worse than the injury on the show, although I won't tell you about it unless you want me to (in case you want to read it for yourself.)

I already picked that up in a spoiler elsewhere (I am a spoiler whore) and I was wondering how they'd manage the makeup for it if they went with it.  I'm really glad they didn't -- too ghoulish.

QuoteRe: Cersai getting pissy about Tyrion sending Myrcella away.  I think they go more into this in the book than the show, but I think Cersai kind of explains her objections to this in the recent scene where she is talking to Sansa about how she and Jamie were so much alike in childhood, but when he came of age he was to be the heir to Casterly Rock and given a sword and honors, and she was "sold like a horse to be ridden whenever he felt like it." (or something like that.)

I think they made that pretty clear in the show but honestly, it doesn't ring true for me.  Political marriages for high born children are part of their culture -- she'd already made one for Joffrey, I don't see how she'd think she could spare Mycella.

QuoteHaha about Osha and Hodor.  I can't imagine a woman as sharp as Osha would truly fall for a man that only says "Hodor", but I think she does like his sweet nature.

Along with his other natural attributes.  You remember the "Hodor's been swimming" scene?   :o

QuoteOh, do you want to hear my pet theory about Jon Snow?  Please keep in mind that this is only my theory (not something revealed yet in the books or anything like that) but I don't think he's really Ned Stark's son! I don't remember how much they fleshed out the story of Jon's arrival to Winterfell in the show, and I'm pretty sure that they've said next to nothing about Lyanna (Ned's sister) in the show, so the show may never go into this even if I'm right, but I think that Jon Snow is actually Lyanna's son, conceived when Lyanna was taken by Rhaegar (Danerys' older brother) which would mean that Jon Snow and Danerys are related.  You need to read the books so that we can speculate about this together!!!  ;D

I'm so glad you mentioned that because that's exactly the impression I'm getting!  Frankly, I think Lyanna ran away to be Rhaegar's mistress when she found out her brother and father were planning to marry her off to Robert, and who can blame her?  (my nickname for Robert is The Hairpile)  Then she died in childbirth (as many of these women seem to do) but not before making Ned promise to protect Jon and conceal his identity.  I'm sure she was aware that Robert was killing every Targaryen he could find and doubted that he'd spare her baby.

QuoteETA:  Oh yeah, just read a FMK about Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, and Robb Stark.  I totally disagree though, I would kill Jon Snow, F Robb Stark, and marry Tyrion.  

I'd go with marrying Jon Snow (he's away a lot, I think I could live with that), fucking Tryion and killing Robb Stark.  Sorry, Robb.

Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

Sandra Craft

Quote from: Crow on May 28, 2012, 06:31:34 PM
Spoiler wise how far can I go into the Song of Ice and Fire, just keeping with the tv series or the books? Just incase don't read below unless you want to, but I wont ruin anything big.

As I've mentioned, I am a spoiler whore so you don't need to worry about my reaction.  I'm sure anybody else who jumps into this thread will speak up about their preferences.

Quote[Ali] With Jon Snow you are way off, or are you  ;) But seriously, Way off.

Nuts.

QuoteArya, Jon Snow, and Tyrion are easily my favorite characters in the books, but Tyrion, Davos, and Melisandre are my favorites in the TV show.

Haven't read the books but will go with Tyrion, Bronn and Arya as my favorite characters.  Have a feeling I'm going to warm up to Brienne real quick too, and Joren's not so bad (a little stiff perhaps).  Varys is another that may sneak into my affections.

Truly dislike the Hound and that terrible brother of his, I could drop kick all the Greyjoys into the middle of the ocean and I can't wait to see Stannis dead.  For some reason I have a hard time taking either Cersai or Joffrey seriously enough to dislike them, they're just too cartoonish.
Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

Crow

Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on May 28, 2012, 06:51:05 PM
Truly dislike the Hound and that terrible brother of his, I could drop kick all the Greyjoys into the middle of the ocean and I can't wait to see Stannis dead.  For some reason I have a hard time taking either Cersai or Joffrey seriously enough to dislike them, they're just too cartoonish.

I wish I was reading the books for the first time after reading that comment. Out of the above mentioned in the quote only two character get knocked off, but one is on the ropes, and the greyjoys change for the better with the introduction of Euron Greyjoy.

The relationship between Brienne and Jamie is good and I really want to know what has happened to them both. Varys is also one of my favorite characters and even though the character disappears for a bit he comes back with vengeance.

I don't envy the writers or producers of the TV series, they have one complex piece of work to try wrap their heads around.
Retired member.

Ali

Quote from: BooksCatsEtc on May 28, 2012, 06:38:24 PM
I think they made that pretty clear in the show but honestly, it doesn't ring true for me.  Political marriages for high born children are part of their culture -- she'd already made one for Joffrey, I don't see how she'd think she could spare Mycella.

True, but in their culture Joffery definitely gets the better end of that deal.  The King Can Do As He Likes, you know? Maybe she was just hoping that she could be involved in the process so that she could represent Myrcella's interests better.  I kind of do buy her anger, especially since Tyrion even addressed the culture piece of it "You could say that's what she (Myrcella) was born for..." and Cersai was basically like "Yeah, but fuck that."

QuoteI'm so glad you mentioned that because that's exactly the impression I'm getting!  Frankly, I think Lyanna ran away to be Rhaegar's mistress when she found out her brother and father were planning to marry her off to Robert, and who can blame her?  (my nickname for Robert is The Hairpile)  Then she died in childbirth (as many of these women seem to do) but not before making Ned promise to protect Jon and conceal his identity.  I'm sure she was aware that Robert was killing every Targaryen he could find and doubted that he'd spare her baby.

That's EXACTLY my thought process too, although Crow seems to think that we're way off.   ;D  Heck, that even leaves the door open to the same sort of arrangement that the Targaryens always married brother and sister when they ruled.  Danerys and Jon aren't brother and sister, but if they are both Targaryens....Although frankly I think Jon will probably end up with Ygritte.

Crow, ugh, really?  Do you know for sure that we're wrong, or maybe has it just not been revealed yet in the books?  How far along are you?  I just finished Clash of Kings this morning, and will be starting the next one soon, although I have a couple of books that I may read in between because they will go really quickly and then I can get back to the heavier (or anyway, longer) stuff.

Crow

#9
Quote from: Ali on May 28, 2012, 07:14:45 PM
Crow, ugh, really?  Do you know for sure that we're wrong, or maybe has it just not been revealed yet in the books?  How far along are you?  I just finished Clash of Kings this morning, and will be starting the next one soon, although I have a couple of books that I may read in between because they will go really quickly and then I can get back to the heavier (or anyway, longer) stuff.

Read all of them so far. Though it may not matter even if you were correct it all depends on the next book, the last book left on one big cliff hanger. It does hint at who his mother is throughout via the different stories and is Ashara Dayne, I think. There is a lot to try and remember but it isn't cemented so you may be right, but even in the first book it mentions that Jon Snows mother was a high born who threw herself from a window and that is Ashara Dayne and was also Eddard Starks lover prior to getting married.
Retired member.

Crow

The main reason I don't think the Rhaegar and Lyanna being Jon Snows parents is due to the fact that there is more than one Targaryen already on the scene. Then again though Jon Snow seems to be the main character throughout the books so maybe it could be true, from bastard to king, sounds like a curve ball that might get thrown.
Retired member.

Sandra Craft

Since we have actual book readers on this thread, I had a couple of questions for them:

I know there are some characters (Roz) and some situations (Arya being Tywin's cup bearer) that were not in the books but created specifically for the series.  Are there any others?

That Masked Lady from Quarth -- when she refers to Jorah having betrayed Dany before, is she being cryptic or did I miss something?  I don't recall Jorah ever betraying his Khaleesi.
Sandy

  

"Life is short, and it is up to you to make it sweet."  Sarah Louise Delany

Ali

I can't think of any others off the top of my head.  Robb Stark meeting that girl that he likes on the battlefield hasn't happened yet in the books, but I think Hubby said that's from the 3rd book, which I just haven't read yet.

I actually don't remember the masked lady in Quarth telling Dany that Jorah would betray her again, but in the book (I think it was the book - the problem with reading the book at the same time as watching the series is that I sometimes get them mixed up in my head) she said that she would be betrayed 3 times.

Ali

Quote from: Crow on May 28, 2012, 10:06:17 PM
The main reason I don't think the Rhaegar and Lyanna being Jon Snows parents is due to the fact that there is more than one Targaryen already on the scene. Then again though Jon Snow seems to be the main character throughout the books so maybe it could be true, from bastard to king, sounds like a curve ball that might get thrown.

I keep stumbling over the above bolded.  Who is the other Targaryen?  Have I just not stumbled across him/her yet? 

Crow

#14
The main situations I can think of that were in the television series but not in the books are the scenes with littlefinger in his whorehouse, I liked them as they gave littlefinger some depth and why he betrayed Eddard Stark. The first series and first book are very similar, the only thing different from the first season and the first book that I can remember was how Eddard Stark was injured after leaving the whore house, in the book his horse fell on him and the series he was attacked.

I watched the latest episode last night and was massively dissapointed with the battle, the hound did look like a proper sissy, you don't get that from the book. As Ali said Robs wife isn't in the second book and hardly in the other books as Rob isn't really a pivotal character.

(spoiler on the Jorah thing)
Yeah basically Jorah was giving information about Dany to Westeros and is how the assassin from the first series/book tracked her down. This isn't revealed until the 4th book (i think, it could be the 3rd though), and is the reason that leads to Jorah and Tyrion meeting.
Retired member.