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[Maffis]

I wonder why they didnt make the prologue with Cressen the start of the show. Would've have made the introduction of Melisandre, Davos and Stannis so much stronger than what it became.

edit: prologue not epilogue lol

 

[Lafiel]

Hmm not sure starting the new season with total unknown characters would be the right step. Worked in the book, don't think it would in the show. Always felt it was one of the weaker prologues in any case.

I always find that thing fucking cool when it's comes to opening a season premiere though. It sets off a good mood and a interesting sense of mystery. I'm pretty sure LOST did it on a number of occasions.

 

[Krogan]

I wonder why they didnt make the epilogue with Cressen the start of the show. Would've have made the introduction of Melisandre, Davos and Stannis so much stronger than what it became.

They probably wanted to start off the show with characters the non book reading audience knows rather than a group a strangers.

 

[Amir0x]

Blah Blah Blah. Good, don't watch. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. Just as long as we don't need to read your whiny bitching the entire season. Seriously, everything in your post is nerd rage over the smallest, most nit picky crap. Jaime's reaction wasn't exactly to your liking? Really? The dragon doesn't face the direction you want him to face? The comet doesn't look right? The fact that you need to find inane stuff like this to bitch about proves they're doing something right. Just ditch the show and stick with the books. The fact that you come to such grandiose conclusions over the 1st ep, which primarily is introducing characters, is incredible. Grow up and trying to understand that this show wasn't made exclusively for lovers of the book, but to a wide audience, and the decisions are catered towards them. Personally, the books bore the fuck out of me with their endless exposition and slow pace, so I'm all for the writers taking every liberty they can to make a good show.

christ, can none of you people accept criticism without withering into a pile of whining bullshit? It's criticism, not an insult to your mother. Stop taking this shit personally. YOU are not the show, and elaborating into detail on why you think the show sucks is not an affront on your honor.

I like the show but holy fuck

 

[Lafiel]

They probably wanted to start off the show with characters the non book reading audience knows rather than a group a strangers.

To be fair, it's not like the book readers even really had a idea of what those characters were when they initially read the prologue.

 

[28 Posts Later]

To be fair, it's not like the book readers even really had a idea of what those characters were when they initially read the prologue.

True, but it's easier to connect to a character when you can read their internal thoughts. By the end of the prologue I'm sure most would have cared about the fate of the maester, a reaction impossible to earn on film in such a short period of time.

I'm glad they staged the prologue and the burning of the seven as they did. It made sense from a TV perspective and made for a much more dramatic introduction to Stannis.

 

[Fjordson]

Carice van Houten was a great call, exactly how I pictured her character while reading book two. Stannis and Davos aren't bad either, but I thought Stannis had a fuller head of hair and a bit of facial hair.

Yeah, I pictured Stannis with more hair as well and a beard/goatee.

Still, I really like his casting. Stannis, Melisandre, and Davos were all great choices. Especially Davos. Fuckin' a. He didn't have much screen time, but I can already tell that he's going to be absolutely fantastic.

Whole episode was good for me. Lots to cover to open, so each check in while zooming around Westeros (and the Red Wastes) was a bit quick, but it wasn't too bad I think.

Looks like it's already been discussed, but yeah, the poison scene with Cressen and Melisandre confused the shit out of me. I'm watching this at 2 AM so maybe I am just tired, but I don't remember it going down like that in the book and here the whole sequence didn't make much sense to me. Oh well.

Again, great episode. Can't wait for more.

 

[Plywood]

I don't say this intending to attack anyone but I think you guys are kind of delusional with comments like "The best show on TV since The Wire" and "This show can do no wrong anymore."

Budgetary and time constraints have butchered the quality of GRRM's writing since the beginning. I was hoping they'd rectify some of the issues going into season 2, but it really seems like more of the same crap. The writers are just checking off items in a list of shit that needs to happen, and to get there they often invent things for the characters to do that betray who they're supposed to be in the first place. There are changes I can accept, like Jaime being a pussified version of himself or Cersei allowing Tyrion to peck her on the cheek. But then there's stuff like the meeting between Cersei and Littefinger, which just doesn't even make sense from a rational point of view. Why would Littlefinger ever threaten her? Why is she going around the courtyard yelling in front of guards and servants that they've lost Arya Stark? There's too many instances of stuff not making the slightest sense. And there's some big issues for me, like for example Tyrion

Spoiler

just straight up bringing Shae into the castle, which makes me assume the whole daddy issue thing is going to be glossed over, along with his obsession with Shae).

There are also some things I can't understand, such as why so much focus is given to a character like the whore that went to King's Landing (why is she even still here??). Or why, riding off the high of the end of last season, this episode starts out with Joffrey's birthday party. The proper way to start this is like the book: with the comet, the prophecy, and Stannis, who is one of the driving forces behind the "clash of kings." You need to set up a theme, some type of conflict, give the viewer an idea of what's to be expected this season. Then you give everyone Tyrion and Jon Snow or whatever. Starting off with Ser Dontos is just poor writing. It makes the show feel even more aimless than it already was.

Just caught your rant thanks to Amir0x replying to someone who replied to your rant and I absolutely agree with the bolded. It was what I expected going in, I couldn't believe they decided to skip out on that prologue. I felt it really set the tone of the book and in general I agree with the rest of your post. I don't want them butchering canon as an excuse to make the show their own.

 

[Amir0x]

Just caught your rant thanks to Amir0x replying to someone who replied to your rant and I absolutely agree with the bolded. It was what I expected going in, I couldn't believe they decided to skip out on that prologue. I felt it really set the tone of the book and in general I agree with the rest of your post. I don't want them butchering canon as an excuse to make the show their own.

how DARE you criticize the show!

 

[-Plasma Reus-]

I pictures Stannis as a balding man.
He does have a receding hairline on the show. But not enough if you ask me. lol

 

[Lafiel]

Honestly, I get a lot of the criticism, but for how ambitious the project is, I can overlook the number of issues it has.

I do wonder (if the season 3 & 4 = book 3 rumour is true) that the pacing will get a lot better in the third season though.

 

[Dunlop]

I kind of regret going apeshit after the first reason and reading the series. It's too fresh in my memory

 

[duckroll]

christ, can none of you people accept criticism without withering into a pile of whining bullshit? It's criticism, not an insult to your mother. Stop taking this shit personally. YOU are not the show, and elaborating into detail on why you think the show sucks is not an affront on your honor.

I like the show but holy fuck

Yeah basically this. I actually much rather read criticism which I disagree with, rather than people whining about people complaining. Lol.

Also, the comet looks shit.

 

[Raist]

I pictures Stannis as a balding man.
He does have a receding hairline on the show. But not enough if you ask me. lol

I pictured him as bald, goatee, huge jaw, rather tall and muscular. With an ice cold stare. he looks and acts like a wimp in the show. Am disappoint.

 

[Tacitus_]

I pictured him as bald, goatee, huge jaw, rather tall and muscular. With an ice cold stare. he looks and acts like a wimp in the show. Am disappoint.

I know, and Arya's actor has so far really dropped the ball.


... what the fuck people, he had two scenes. If you've built him a look in your mind when you read the books ages ago, of course the show can't match it in the first episode, if ever.

 

[AngryMoth]

As a devout book reader I enjoyed the first episode, but honestly, looking at it in isolation I think it's probably the worst one one they've done so far. Trying to look at it from the perspective of a non-book reader I think the main issue is that we expect season premieres to be eventful, and this simply wasn't. Already there are 6 groups of character, and since it's the first episode we have to visit all of them, meaning we only get a tiny piece of each story with no real chance to develop any sort of episode arc, and it ends up feeling like a bit of a highlights reel. I imagine also that there were a few elements that would have been very difficult to follow without background knowledge, the scenes in dragonstone in particular must have been very confusing.

A couple of personal crtisisms as well. I do think the cg dire wolves look very out of place. It's kind of the Nolan batman problem where they've created such a gritty and realisitc world that its very jarring when they bring in the more fantastical elements. I was ok with with the Cersei/Littlefinger scene until the end; "power is power" is a terrible line that really stood out in an episode full of good writing, especially because its the crucial line in that scene.

On a positive not, I really enjoyed the stuff they did with bran and I look forward to seeing what they have in store for him this season. The dialogue between Robb and Jaime was also great, I even felt a bit sorry for Jaime when they did the solemn pan away at the end. Love that he just didn't give a fuck about grey wind snarling at him.

Don't want to give the impression that I'm down on the show, I love the series and I'll be with it through thick and thin, but although this was a necessary episode I don't think it was a strong one, and definitely not a strong season opener.

 

[Lirlond]

Stannis has always been wiry to me, muscular, but not big like Robert, the only complaint I have of the actor is his jaw isn't clenched 100% of the time.

 

[Funky Papa]

Meh, I love pretty much all characters and even thought that Lena Headey nailed it this time. There were tons of mischievous glances and a couple of powerful fuck off moments. Heck, even the wig looked better.

Cersei haters can come at me.

 

[Pkaz01]

I know, and Arya's actor has so far really dropped the ball.

I know her hair is way too perfectly cut I expected it to be way shorter. How dare she sit on that wagon like a girl. And she looks like nothing like arya, what happened to her horse face are her eyes even gray?

 

[Raist]

I know, and Arya's actor has so far really dropped the ball.

Had no complaints whatsoever so far, I thought the cast was completely spot on. Stannis, not so much.

... what the fuck people, he had two scenes. If you've built him a look in your mind when you read the books ages ago, of course the show can't match it in the first episode, if ever.

I'm not really the only one picturing him like that.

edit: there are spoilers in that link. Not immediatly visible though, you have to scroll down quite a lot.

And it's not just his appearance. The way he behaves seems off. Yes, we've only seen him for 5 minutes, but first impressions are important. When Joffrey rode into Winterfell and looked at Sansa, I instantly wanted to slap him. Just an example.

 

[Brian Fellows]

That also looks ridiculous. I'm very happy that you are disappointed.

 

[Arnie]

I was also quite gobsmacked about the lack of a prologue, I thought this prologue specifically sums up a lot of the themes for the coming season, especially Melisandre. Given the unfocused nature of this episode, flicking from location to location, introducing Dragonstone half way into the episode, like it's just some random side plot it baffling to me. Had I not read the books I'd be thoroughly baffled as to what's actually going on this season.

 

[duckroll]

Stannis has always been wiry to me, muscular, but not big like Robert, the only complaint I have of the actor is his jaw isn't clenched 100% of the time.

Book 3+ spoilers:

Spoiler

Don't worry, I'm sure the cold in the North will help keep his jaw clenched in later seasons.

 

[Solo]

I'm hoping the season doesn't fuck up the more important scenes and the pacing doesn't continue to feel weird.

If the premiere pacing was weird, then I want weird pacing all season.

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

how DARE you criticize the show!

You can criticize this show but this

I don't want them butchering canon as an excuse to make the show their own.

is just bald faced entitlement. They're allowed to do whatever they want. If it ends up in narrative calumnity, then sure, criticize away, but stomping your feet because it doesn't match up to something that the show has no earthly chance of matching up to all the way is not criticism.

And if you think I don't welcome criticism, I ran Lost threads for like four seasons and defended any number of people who hated it from the rabid superfans within those threads.

 

[Ricker]

Ok was it just me or was the first episode damn confusing?...I understood half of what was going on...I need to find a quick recap of season 1 on Youtube or something and rewatch this episode lol...

 

[Raist]

Jeebus, some of you are reacting as if people were saying "Welp, this show just turned to shit. I'll just go and watch legend of the seeker again instead of wasting my time with this."

The fuck is wrong with you.

 

[Tacitus_]

Meh, I love pretty much all characters and even thought that Lena Headey nailed it this time. There were tons of mischievous glances and a couple of powerful fuck off moments. Heck, even the wig looked better.

Cersei haters can come at me.

It was always stupid to expect Cersei to behave like in S1 like she behaved in S2 E1. I expect Cersei haters to eat crow and hard.

 

[PairOfFilthySocks]

That recap music was boss.

 

[Basileus777]

Some UK ratings news. Apparently it had 5x the viewers of Mad Men.

It seems that UK audiences have more of a penchant for swords, sandals and sorcery than slick Madison avenue suits, as the series two premiere of the Sky Atlantic import attracted 522,000 viewers on Monday 2 April.

The fantasy drama, which attracted 743,000 viewers when the show launched on 18 April last year backed by a massive ad campaign, peaked with 633,000.

The average live audience for the first series of Game of Thrones was about 365,000 viewers.

This compares with the return of Mad Men in a double episode opener for the fifth season, which pulled in just 98,000 viewers to Sky Atlantic last Tuesday.

Game Of Thrones even outperformed Mad Men when the show was available free-to-air on BBC4 – the fourth series of the advertising drama attracted 355,000 viewers.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/apr/03/game-of-thrones-mad-men?CMP=twt_fd

 

[Salvor.Hardin]

GoT Season 2 marketing in the UK has been really impressive. There's a poster on just about every bus stop here in Glasgow.

 

[Arnie]

Mad Mens problem is that it airs two days after the US version. I'm not waiting, I pay for Sky, but I'm not waiting.

 

[Maffis]

Ok was it just me or was the first episode damn confusing?...I understood half of what was going on...I need to find a quick recap of season 1 on Youtube or something and rewatch this episode lol...

Not at all, but then, I've read all the books

But I get why people can get confused. A lot of people look a like and there's a lot of jumping between places and characters.

It is extra confusing to follow the sense of time, e.g. they send a raven and in the next cut it's already at Robb's place. There's no telling of the time in the show, which I find quite... i dunno... It's something they could've tried harder on IMO.

 

[Meier]

The wait for the ratings news is torturous! If it did big numbers (4-5 million), surely they'll officially greenlight seasons 3 and 4 shortly thereafter..

 

[-Plasma Reus-]

Meh, I love pretty much all characters and even thought that Lena Headey nailed it this time. There were tons of mischievous glances and a couple of powerful fuck off moments. Heck, even the wig looked better.

Cersei haters can come at me.

Cersei is one of the best things about this season so far. And Stannis is also great.

 

[Basileus777]

The wait for the ratings news is torturous! If it did big numbers (4-5 million), surely they'll officially greenlight seasons 3 and 4 shortly thereafter..

Season 3 will be greenlit this week no matter what happens.

 

[Valravn]

I reckon people shout a lot of insults at Jack Gleeson when they meet him. He plays Joffrey perfectly.

 

[marrec]

Ok was it just me or was the first episode damn confusing?...I understood half of what was going on...I need to find a quick recap of season 1 on Youtube or something and rewatch this episode lol...

As I sit here and think about the first episode as a fan of the books, I thought it was great... but then I remembered all the questions my SO was asking me while we were watching it. Ya... it does seem like it would be pretty confusing.

 

[sooperkool]

Carice van Houten was a great call, exactly how I pictured her character while reading book two. Stannis and Davos aren't bad either, but I thought Stannis had a fuller head of hair and a bit of facial hair.

Going to show my age here. Just seeing the name Van Houten always makes me think of the Tate-LaBianca murders.

 

[Lakitu]

Why is the rating news taking so long to come out?

 

[Chuck Norris]

Stannis is exactly what I expected. An icy stoic man but whose mannerisms come off as kind of weedy, unlikeable and hardly the sort of heroic figure he envisions himself as. I think the actor nails this, he seems like the kind of man people would have trouble following. Though that said, the same could be said of Renly based on last season

I expected Davos to be a bit more sombre, almost sad.

 

[Funky Papa]

Apparently we'll get to see Carice's magnificent bosom next week.

Not that it's the world's best kept secret or anything.

 

[marrec]

Stannis is exactly what I expected. An icy stoic man but whose mannerisms come off as kind of weedy, unlikeable and hardly the sort of heroic figure he envisions himself as. I think the actor nails this, he seems like the kind of man people would have trouble following. Though that said, the same could be said of Renly based on last season

I expected Davos to be a bit more sombre, almost sad.

I thought Stannis was perfectly played, especially during the prayer/prophesy part. He draws the sword, says the words, puts the sword down and is done with it. Wonderfully done.

 

[Pai Pai Master]

I reckon people shout a lot of insults at Jack Gleeson when they meet him. He plays Joffrey perfectly.

I would give that kid a solid handshake. He's a terrific actor and has some cojones to be establishing his career with what is arguably the most despised character on the show. Not that I think that matters to an actor, but man. I fucking hate him. But he's awesome.

Agreed on Stannis' casting, he's perfect. Davos' actor reminds me of Jean Reno for some reason. I'm really looking forward to more of him.

 

[Emerson]

Why is the rating news taking so long to come out?

It's not taking any longer than it did last season.

 

[Maffis]

episode 2 spoiler

Spoiler

wtf at the ending. that did not happen in the book, did it? fucking weird, but still, weirdly awesome how the show made me so surprised by it... or maybe im just starting to forget stuff seeing it was ages ago i read that book

 

[marrec]

Wait! Nvm.

He is talking about episode 2

Oops.

There was talk about the end of Episode 1 earlier, so for some reason my mind made me read Episode 1 instead of 2.

 

[Chuck Norris]

No need to Spoiler tag the episode stuff because it's already aired.

But...

ACOK Spoiler:

Spoiler

There is mention of it in the books but not in a big way. Certainly not describing Janos killing babies or pushing kids into pools... the dick.

If I remember correctly.

He is talking about episode 2

 

[Meier]

Why is the rating news taking so long to come out?

It takes a little longer because HBO releases the info themselves I believe and they get info on the follow up showings, HBO GO viewings, etc.

 

[Aiii]

Going to show my age here. Just seeing the name Van Houten always makes me think of the Tate-LaBianca murders.

Well, Van Houten is a very common Dutch last name ("From Houten", Houten being a city in NL). So there's really no reason to link it to anything.

Hope that helps