The Official Geek Thread

[Boz]

A short interlude from the GOT discussion to remind all geeks (as if you needed reminding), that today is Towel Day.

www.towelday.org/

Don't Panic!

[SFHoya99]

This two week wait is killing me, though I did introduce my Dad to GoT over the weekend. I've also inducted several friends and have gotten three new people to read the books.

Tomorrow, I start the re-read to prep for A Dance With Dragons. Six weeks to get through four books? May be aggressive.

[hoopsmccan]

Last night was the first time I think the show suffered for being 10 episodes rather than, say, 12. A lot happening on every front and a bit choppy for me. In the books, those are mini cliffhangers but on screen it felt rushed. Thoughts?

And SF, that is ambitious. Let me know how it goes. I'll probably opt for some E Note version from the Internet.

hm

[Bando]

Hoops, really? I thought this was one of the best episodes yet. A lot happened in a lot of different plotlines (Arya, Robb, Tyrion, Sansa, Jon Snow) and yet it all seemed to work for me. This was the episode written by Martin himself, btw.

[prhoya]

I'm hooked on GoT. I haven't read the books, but will do now. I also thought a lot was happening last night. Is this 10-chapter HBO production just the first book? Without having read through the thread, how many books are planned in the series?

[Bando]

7 books are planned in the series, 4 have been released and one is coming out this summer. The producers of the HBO show have said they plan to do one season per book. Given the time Martin's taken to write the fifth book, the show might catch up to the books sooner rather than later (assuming it gets a third and fourth season).

[SFHoya99]

Jun 6, 2011 13:36:04 GMT -5 hoopsmccan said:

Last night was the first time I think the show suffered for being 10 episodes rather than, say, 12. A lot happening on every front and a bit choppy for me. In the books, those are mini cliffhangers but on screen it felt rushed. Thoughts?

And SF, that is ambitious. Let me know how it goes. I'll probably opt for some E Note version from the Internet.

hm

It's not going well. I've read GoT too many times (I started the series before aSoS came out, so I think I've read it four times at minimum) plus I'm watching the tv series...

...I didn't reread before the series so I wouldn't nitpick, but it's too soon. I can only see the actors and the scenes and while I'm not upset at the detail cut, it's just weird.

I might just skip to aSoS or aFFfC. I feel like I need to remember things but I might know these well enough.

-------------------

As for Episode 8, I can't say it was my favorite, but I definitely felt it was excellent.

Things I thought were great:

1. The final scene. Not a cliffhanger or action, but you hear Janos Slynt's price (in the background, almost), and you simply see phenomenal acting across the board. Barristan, Joffrey, Cersei, Sansa -- all phenomenal.

2. Septa Mordane/Sansa/the Hound. Septa Mordane was awesome! She dies off-screen in the book (and here, too), but that was just a fantastic visual -- her walking to her death. The Hound was finally scary.

3. Syrio & Meryn Trant. Just a great scene.

4. Dany and Drogo's storyline. Something that may have been done better than the books. We get a kick-ass action sequence that shows us how awesome Drogo is. We get a scenario where Dany's mercy has consequences -- just like Ned Stark's -- where it is less clear of the direct consequences in the books. And Dany and Drogo's eye contact is frankly crazy good.

5. Cat and Lysa. When read, I bet that dialogue comes across as hitting the audience over the head with something, but they were so good I didn't care.

6. Robb and Bran. Both actors were very good; Bran's "is everyone crazy" with the Greatjon's fingers and Robb's reaction to dissent and his mother were very good.

-------------------

Nitpicks:

1. The Stableboy Arya kills was the worst. actor. ever. Also not a huge fan that it was an accident, but he was just terrible.

2. Thought they handled Othor well right up until the end - I get why Ghost was an issue (and they excluded him well), but Jon makes a somewhat amazing leap to throw the lantern at him and then the scene ends abruptly. Interesting to see Sam spell out the Wight/Other distinction.

-----------------

Actually, it's become a pattern with me that I enjoy the added scenes much more. At first I thought it was simply because they were better adaptations -- the original text was holding back the adapter.

Now I just think it's me -- I have something in mind and when it differs, I can't help but be disappointed.

[hoopsmccan]

I was thinking of rereading aSoS since I think a lot of the cliffhangers from that book were left unresolved during aFfC. I could definitely use a refresher...we'll see (time is running out).

Bando - I liked the episode, but not as much as the past few. I think it works better when they leave out either Dany or Jon, if they are going to hit Kings Landing and the Eyrie/Tyrion. Otherwise, its just too much (or too little of each) for me.

hm

[Bando]

So that happened. [Here be spoilers for those who haven't watched Episode 9]. That whole episode was beautifully done. Would have loved to see the battles, but get why they didn't (you don't see Robb's battle in the books/budget). The internet is practically exploding right now over Ned's death. I gotta think, though, that if you're ready to quit a series because they killed off a character, you have to be hooked. All in all this is a great series, truly one of HBO's finest. All of you who haven't seen should definitely get the DVD when it comes out.

[SFHoya99]

There's a guy who does reviews on youtube -- Larry Williams of something called Otaku ASSEMBLE (and no, I have no idea what that is). He's enthusiatic but his reviews generally ramble like all non-written, non-scripted media, so I never watch him.

But there's a great clip up on youtube of him reacting. Hysterical. I'd link it but my firewall is not cooperating right now.

[SFHoya99]

Anyone who hasn't read the books watch last night? Reaction?

[AvantGuardHoya]

SF, I thoroughly enjoy GOT. Sunday's episode was alternately maddening and satisfying -- left me with lots of questions.

Am really Editeded that Ned was executed, but sensed that was coming. Surprised that Anya was still roaming the streets, though I guess she had no way of getting further. Who was the guy that shielded her from the execution?

Robb's victory and capture of Jaime was also a bit unexpected. Took some of the edge off his father's humiliation and death. I didn't like Joffrey before, but I hate him now! Even his mother decried his ruthlessness.

Feel awful about Jon's circumstance of being exiled to the Wall while the sh*t's hit the fan. Very curious to see what happens for him next week.

What's happened with the Khal came out of the blue. I thought the witch had given him the necessary healing herbs last episode. Looks like I'm in for even more supernatural stuff, in addition to the White Walkers.

Would appreciate it if you don't spoil anything for me, but welcome anyone's comments which clarify what at times has more plot threads and characters than the HoyaTalk board .

Excellent series!!

[thebin]

"Who was the guy that shielded her from the execution?"

I'd also like to know this......

[SFHoya99]

It was Yoren, the Man from the Night's Watch who came looking for recruits and who told Ned that Catelyn had taken Tyrion hostage.

[thebin]

Right. Thanks SF.

[SFHoya99]

You know someone is messed up when Cersei thinks they've gone over the line.

I was taken in by the books at the moment they found the direwolves (which play a more prominent role in the books where they don't need to be trained to be around child actors and horses), but it was Ned's execution that cemented my love of the series.

Martin is exceptional at foreshadowing it without letting you really believe it -- and then it happens -- and you're never really sure about a character's safety ever again. Because when you have five or six main protagonists... who knows who is supposed to be there at the end?

I referenced this on the TV thread, and I really like Justified, but I never thought Raylon was in danger of dying at the end of season 2, despite the situation, because there's no show without him. There's a show without Ned. And without any of the characters individually.

[Boz]

I don't want to point out any spoilers, and I don't think this is one, but I'll just say that SF is spot on. The execution of Ned Stark establishes quite clearly that no character - major or minor - is safe in this story.

As for the most recent episode, the execution scene was spot on, but I really, really don't like what they did with the Battle of the Green Fork.

Tyrion is made to look like a buffoon, getting knocked out at the beginning and not waking up until everything is over. In actuality, he fought and fought very well in the battle.

Never mind that we don't get to see ANY of that battle, nor ANY of the Battle of the Whispering Wood (where Jaime was captured for non-book readers).

I haven't read any of the reviews of Ep. 9 yet, but I sure hope some people are complaining about that. This is really my first non-minor quibble with this show. You HAVE to show some of the fighting. And don't tell me you don't have the budget for it. You are HBO.

But more than not being able to witness the battles, my major problem is how they treated Tyrion in the fighting. Very, very bad!!!

[AvantGuardHoya]

Ah, yes, Yoren. Here's hoping he helps Anya rather than handing her over to Joffrey's minions.

And would it be fair to compare Night Watch service to the French Foreign Legion? Shades of Eric Micoud....

[rosslynhoya]

Jun 14, 2011 10:32:47 GMT -5 Boz said:

Never mind that we don't get to see ANY of that battle, nor ANY of the Battle of the Whispering Wood (where Jaime was captured for non-book readers).

I haven't read any of the reviews of Ep. 9 yet, but I sure hope some people are complaining about that. This is really my first non-minor quibble with this show. You HAVE to show some of the fighting. And don't tell me you don't have the budget for it. You are HBO.

The HBO production has some kind of weird problem with showing crowd scenes that I just don't understand. Remember the Vaes Dothrak debacle? There should have been 30,000 dothraki going nuts over Danaerys eating the heart successfully, instead of thirty.

I think this alone is why we're not getting to see any battles (we know they're not blood-shy). The scene at the Sept of Baelor this week was the first that I can remember where they actually tried to show thousands of people gathered in one place.

Is it just a question of investing some money in this technology during the off-season?

[SFHoya99]

Boz,

The generalized critical response to the lack of battles has been "it's about the characters, stupid."

On the other hand, there's a huge part of the fanbase that is very unhappy.

I haven't met any non-readers who missed the action -- so I'm not sure it is as important to the feeling of urgency or lack thereof that I thought it was.

My general point of view: I thought the lack of battle scene detracted. The laugh I had as Tyrion got bonked was not what I expected, but I'm actually fine with having the Green Fork deleted. What would have been best, though, was when Tywin alludes to Robb being with his 18,000 other men, we should have seen the Whispering Wood.

Given all the other events, visuals of a Stark victory would have given an important balance. You could have established Jaime as a fantastic fighter, Robb as an excellent tactician and leader, and created more tension. It simply would have been better.

Did the show still work? Of course. The ending was devastating and there were plenty of other awesome scenes (Ned and Varys, in particular) to offset the disappointments (lack of battle).

One thing I've found is I really need to focus. The show doesn't waste time -- the information is all there, but they aren't going to drag out things over more than once. If you miss a sentence as you look at a text or something, you will miss it. ("What? Why is he carrying Dany into the tent? She's in labor? How did that happen? Why didn't they find another midwife? Or just deliver it without one?")

Avant,

I don't know enough about the French Foreign Legion though I've heard the comparison before. I think mostly in terms of the "Alternative to Prison" aspect.