"The Game of Thrones"

What happened to the direwolf story line, its connection with the Stark family sigil and the mind-meld that seemed to exist between the wolves and the Starks? Was it simply forgotten or will it reappear in the last episode?
 
I was "underwhelmed" by the first episode. It only picked up for me with the scenes between Arya and Jon, and Jon and Sam.

I get the feeling Sansa is on the rise. If she wins it will spoil the whole show for me. I can't stand her. She's always been everything I hate about some women's character and behavior.

Hopefully the rest will be better.
 
I was unhappy to see in the last season that Littlefinger was killed off with so little attempt to give the scene some lift - he deserved some appropriate final words. Tyrion and Varys also got little scope for wit. I don't dislike big battle scenes or low politics, but I miss the sparkle of the early seasons.
 
I first found LOR as a paperback in the late 1960's and fell in love with it. I read those books so often the pages fell out. Then I bought the hardback and finally the Kindle edition. I re-read it again on a regular basis. I've read everything Tolkien wrote and everything about him . . . . I hate and loathe the LOR movies because they are not the Tolkien vision. I've tried to watch the movie several times (my boys love it), but I can't stand that this isn't the movie I imagined as I read the book. The numerous changes they made to characters, dialogue and situation are, to me, beyond the pale.Well, I got that off my chest.
 
Wow, wow, wow. Last night's episode sums up what I (and many people) like about GoT. It was absolutely riveting. Slow paced, no action, mainly conversations and character development, heavy and gloomy atmosphere… yet I was on the edge of my seat for the whole hour.
What a gripping episode, full of emotional intensity and a palpable sense of dread and urgency permeating every scene. The night setting and the indoors scenes with candle/fire light, the eerie atmosphere, the play of light and shadows, the sense of intimacy and poignancy you get from the interactions between the characters… especially given that half of them are probably going to die in the next episode. It was pure gold, first class episode. 10/10.
And we got to get a gimpse of Ghost :)
 
Wow, wow, wow. Last night's episode sums up what I (and many people) like about GoT. It was absolutely riveting. Slow paced, no action, mainly conversations and character development, heavy and gloomy atmosphere… yet I was on the edge of my seat for the whole hour.
What a gripping episode, full of emotional intensity and a palpable sense of dread and urgency permeating every scene. The night setting and the indoors scenes with candle/fire light, the eerie atmosphere, the play of light and shadows, the sense of intimacy and poignancy you get from the interactions between the characters… especially given that half of them are probably going to die in the next episode. It was pure gold, first class episode. 10/10.
And we got to get a gimpse of Ghost :)

Took the words right out of my mouth. :) I was riveted too. This is one I'll watch again.

Just saw a behind the scenes video and the director was talking about how it was so important to him that each character be given "space" in this episode before the battle, because everyone loves them so much. He almost broke down crying.

When the creators of a show are just as in love with the characters and the story as the viewers, that's when you get great art.

I so don't want them to die, but die most of them will. :(
 
Interesting that no one has commented on episode three. Kind of a let down that the chief bugaboo since the opening sequence of the series is so suddenly gone. I know the show likes to up-end expectations, but the rest of the series now seems like anti-climax.
 
Interesting that no one has commented on episode three. Kind of a let down that the chief bugaboo since the opening sequence of the series is so suddenly gone. I know the show likes to up-end expectations, but the rest of the series now seems like anti-climax.

Couldn't agree more. That's one of the reasons I haven't commented. :)

I don't mean to say it wasn't a great episode in a lot of ways imo: the battle sequences, the character exposition, the suspense, all of that.

In addition to your point, I'm disappointed that they picked Arya to kill the Night King. I thought it was supposed to be about the Prince Who Was Promised who would save the world. Evil as Cersei is, that isn't'wasn't the existential threat, and Arya is not the Prince or Princess who was promised. She's more like a ninja girl suddenly leaping to the rescue.

Ever since they ran out of source material I haven't been as happy with the show. Maybe I'm short changing them, but it's almost like "let's make fantasy politically correct now and let the girl or young woman save the day." She would be totally unfit to rule Westeros. The only one who should rule is the one who doesn't want it and hates killing, as much as he might be good at it.

Now I know why there were all those episodes of Arya training. I thought they were boring. Only ones I skimmed through after taping the show.

Plus, it was too damn dark even after I used the settings to lighten it as much as possible. I couldn't tell what was happening in the air.

I'll still watch it, but I'm not expecting much.



I had the same reaction to "The Walking Dead". It was great in the beginning and then clunk. As it went on and got past the half way mark it was as if suddenly the local PTA was writing the scripts. I half expected them to have a training session on bullying.
 
My chief disappointment has been the number of dead story lines. What about the dire wolves, the ability of the Starks, and some north of the wall, to mind meld with animals, the catacombs under Winterfell, and what the heck has Bran been doing? He supposedly knows everything that has ever happened, why doesn’t he share this info?

There’s a new thread for you, catalog the number of forgotten plot lines in GOT.
 
season 8 is just a fast bad screenplay, to end the series,

Catapults outside the wall
, coffee drinks, total black for many sec',
most silly death of frozen zombies, etc

the main thing I will always say

IT IS BRAN THE PATHETIC
He knows all, But never say who made him like this,
He enjoys his status, as revenging all others.
simply outrageous,

 
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My chief disappointment has been the number of dead story lines. What about the dire wolves, the ability of the Starks, and some north of the wall, to mind meld with animals, the catacombs under Winterfell, and what the heck has Bran been doing? He supposedly knows everything that has ever happened, why doesn’t he share this info?

There’s a new thread for you, catalog the number of forgotten plot lines in GOT.

They would probably need another season or two, which would be great with me, but maybe the show runners, after ten years, want to move on.

I think either Arya or Jaime will kill Cersei. Maybe Jaime will try to protect her, and gets killed first. Jon will kill Daenerys, but he won't be king. He'll go north of the Wall to the Wildlings.

So who will rule? Maybe Sansa and Tyrion. Stark and Lanister.

It's not what I would like to happen, though. Sansa has become Littlefinger Lite, and Tyrion likes his drink too much. She's as cold as a snake and would just completely dominate him.

I just think the foreshadowing when Jon and Tormund were talking might be the way it will go. Sort of like Paul in the Dune Series. Jon is too good for the game of thrones.
 
So, after last night, is GOT dead to you? If not, why not?

Tough one. I've declared fan bankruptcy after episode 3, so I'm mainly watching for the spectacle at this point and I'm ignoring the plot holes and the glaring inconsistencies, the simplifications, the shortcuts, the reduction of complex characters to mere caricatures of their former selves. I'm just curious to know how it will end (not gonna give up the show when there's only one episode left). They decided to go full "Dany the mad queen" mode, fine. I never liked show Dany anyway - arrogant, entitled, borderline. Some people seem surprised by her "sudden" change, I'm not really. The clues and hints of her madness were there all along, starting at season 1. While she'd somewhat kept a hold on her worst instincts till now, she just "snapped" in episode 5. I hope she gets what she deserves… she most certainly will.
I wouldn't rate this episode as low as episode 4 (which was really bad), the visuals were terrific and the scenes of destruction truly horrifying. But it'll never compare to the excellence of the first 3 seasons, and to the books, of course. Let's just hope Martin finishes the series and offers us the ending that we, readers and show watchers alike, deserve.
 
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That's an interesting point. When/if Martin finishes the books, will he follow the series lead, or find his own way and possibly contradict the series? The latter might lead to greater sales . . .
 
So, after last night, is GOT dead to you? If not, why not?

No, it's not dead to me.

I know a lot of people have big problems with Daenerys going full on mad queen but it makes sense to me. Half the Targaryens go mad, and the signs were always there. She never had the stability and moral compass of Jon/Aegon. Vaserys was right, imo.

I was initially upset about Jaime's arc seeming to change, but on the other hand I understand how you can be so bonded to someone that if you know they're going to die alone you'd go to them, no matter what they've done, and the death of the Lannister twins in the keep is poetic, as is Sandor choosing to die in fire to kill his monster of a brother. I didn't need to see Cersei made to pay by having another Ninja moment with Arya or something.

I think a whole paper could be written about the sibling relationships in these books/show. Speaking of which, I got very emotional at the leave taking between Jaime and Tyrion.

I think my problem is really going to come next season. Poor Jon is going to have to kill Daenerys and I think they'll make him pay with his life. I get that he doesn't want it, I get that they'll make his life hell, but as was said, he'd make a good and wise ruler.

Maybe the showrunners, in addition to wanting to move on, thought that was too obviously the direction and wanted to shake things up and do something different. The problem for me is that anything else will be unsatisfactory. Sansa is Littlefinger Lite who betrayed her brother in an instant, Arya doesn't have the right skills, Tyrion, if he doesn't get killed, just makes too many mistakes. Who else is there? Bran? That's the solution?
 
My point would be, not that you can't explain character arcs or plot twists, but what happened to the subtle politics and wit of the first years? What happened to the careful pacing? It can't be that they were in a hurry to finish, they're making lots of money on this so why not spin it out?

My issue is that, personally, I'm not into big death scenes and lots of carnage, I want characters that evolve, at a human pace, and interact with other humans in a believable fashion.
 
My point would be, not that you can't explain character arcs or plot twists, but what happened to the subtle politics and wit of the first years? What happened to the careful pacing? It can't be that they were in a hurry to finish, they're making lots of money on this so why not spin it out?

My issue is that, personally, I'm not into big death scenes and lots of carnage, I want characters that evolve, at a human pace, and interact with other humans in a believable fashion.

They've spent ten years on this, and word is they have another project lined up. I'm sure HBO would have been happy to see it go on forever.

As to the carnage, people like to see extravagant set pieces like that, i.e. battles. Think of "Saving Private Ryan". Unless someone makes it real you don't really understand it. It's exciting, gets the pulse racing, and is cathartic. I like character driven movies too, but there's also room for the other kind, imo, although unlike me most of my women friends don't like them.

I also personally think some people need to be reminded what war is like on the ground, not only for innocent women, children, and other noncombatants, but for soldiers on the other side as well. All these whooping 20 and 30 somethings need a reality check.

Some people also need a reality check in terms of this to me inexplicable desire to be related to the aristocracy or royalty. I think of the conversation Bron had with the Lannister brothers: kill a couple of hundred, you get to be a Lord; kill thousands and tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands, and you get to be King. Jon is a good fighter, but he hates war. That's the way it should be. It's the amoral Brons of the world who enjoy power and found lasting dynasties.
 
All good points, but we'll agree to differ on carnage-driven stories.

Your comment about 20 and 30 somethings reminds me of an episode of Big Bang Theory. All of the show's characters are dressed as super-heroes, on the way home from a party where they played at being strong and virtuous; they come on a scene, a group stealing car, that requires an heroic act, and they all turn and slink away. Easy to play-act, hard to act.

As to Bron and Jon, it's been said that the only man who should lead is the one who doesn't want the job. Isn't there a Roman that fits that description?
 
All good points, but we'll agree to differ on carnage-driven stories.

Your comment about 20 and 30 somethings reminds me of an episode of Big Bang Theory. All of the show's characters are dressed as super-heroes, on the way home from a party where they played at being strong and virtuous; they come on a scene, a group stealing car, that requires an heroic act, and they all turn and slink away. Easy to play-act, hard to act.

As to Bron and Jon, it's been said that the only man who should lead is the one who doesn't want the job. Isn't there a Roman that fits that description?

Do you mean Cincinnatus? He left his farm to take absolute power perhaps more than once at a time of extreme peril for the Republic, and when the crisis was over he gave up power and returned to his farm.

George Washington is in some ways a Cincinnatus like figure. He was so revered that there were even calls for him to become King, or at least to rule indefinitely, but he refused to serve longer and returned to his farm as well, if a more wealthy farm.

There is also the story that Claudius, hiding somewhere in the palace while Caligula was being assassinated was found by the Praetorians and forced to become Emperor. It may or may not be true. He could just as well have been plotting with them. He was the last adult male of the family, and Caligula was mad as a hatter. Sounds familiar, I guess.

Have you read "I, Claudius" ? If you haven't, it's a lot of fun even if a lot of it is probably exaggerated.

I suppose you could also say something like that of Marcus Aurelius. From childhood he was destined for the purple, and yet he supposedly didn't want or perhaps was even afraid of the life of pomp at the imperial court. You would expect that of someone whom you could call a Stoic.

My husband still has and reads his university copy of "The Meditations".
 

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