HBO's Game of Thrones

[Buttmunch]

I've been listening to them as I do yard work or whatever. Finished book 3 saturday.

I listened to all of the books as well. I'm horrible at pronouncing regular words to begin with, so I would have never been able to pronounce this stuff. I see some of the spelling now and I'm like "yeah, that's what how I would have said that guy's name"

The books a beasts! I'm able to listen to them at work and they took me a good week or two at 6-8 hours a day to get through some of those books. Its easy to get things mixed up though, so the show has clarified a lot of things that I missed while listening. You're able to keep more characters straight when you've got a face to place them with now.

 

[rushmore223]

I read the books, couldnt imagine listening to them. I assume it is narrated by one person, correct? Doesnt it get confusing then, considering there are so many characters?

Also, as someone else mentioned, yes the characters, including Jaime Lannister are not so cut and dry, many of them have good and evil in them, and JL's killing of The Mad King was one of his more noble acts, but is also the one used to defame him. There is no question evil in him, pushing a child out a window (likely to his death) is testament to that, but at the same time, I think in that harsh world, life is pretty cheap and murder doesnt carry the same weight there as it does here, especially for someone who has been a part of taking many lives.

One character that I find very interesting in the same way is Sandor (The Hound) Clegane. There is obviously real decency in him, but at the same time he is capable of so much evil, and often speaks of it with a sense of glee.

Martin did a real service to his characters in making them have such real depth and nuance.

 

[Buttmunch]

They are read by Roy Dotrice - they actually had him play the pyromancer last season, which I thought was really cool. He does several unique voices for the characters. I think one of the books said it was a world record for unique character voices - not sure if that was before or after Jim Dale' Potter record.

They do a great job keeping main characters separate that way, but the second tier type characters really start to blend together.

Yeah, Jamie and EVERYONE for that matter are just all shades of grey. Nobody is truly good or evil. Well, except maybe Joffery. I think everyone agrees he's a d-bag

 

[rushmore223]

They are read by Roy Dotrice - they actually had him play the pyromancer last season, which I thought was really cool. He does several unique voices for the characters. I think one of the books said it was a world record for unique character voices - not sure if that was before or after Jim Dale' Potter record.

They do a great job keeping main characters separate that way, but the second tier type characters really start to blend together.

Yeah, Jamie and EVERYONE for that matter are just all shades of grey. Nobody is truly good or evil. Well, except maybe Joffery. I think everyone agrees he's a d-bag

LOL, Joffrey is indeed! He was getting a little too excited over the idea of Margaery killing someone a few episodes back.

There actually are characters that are prtrayed as all good or bad, but they dont last too long, like Ned Stark.

Spoiler

I'd say the Bastard of Bolton is a prime example of someone that is all bad

 

[ExMem-LarjaThwei]

I don't know whether to facepalm or feel sorry for the people who call GoT "boring". This is without a doubt the greatest show that's ever been made. Suck it.

We're getting so many scenes with great character development. Just the way it's all written, each character's dialogue, etc...it's so engaging and entertaining.

The opening scene with The Hound dueling Dondarrion was perfectly choreographed. Probably one of the best sword fights I've ever seen.

I was really hoping that Robb would have let Karstark live because it was the smart thing to do and he needed his men, but I am also glad that he did the honorable thing and executed him. I love Robb. He's easily my favorite character in the series.

The Jaime & Brienne scene was amazing. Nikolaj Coster Waldau is a fantastic actor. Pretty much everyone on this show is. It was interesting to hear his exact reasons for becoming the "Kingslayer". Though I don't like the way he made Eddard sound.

Throwing a kid out of a tall window with every intention of killing him still makes Jamie a bad dude. Even bad guys can have their sympathetic moments.

Pretty much. And yet I am presently rooting for him. TV shows love to make us not entirely hate the bad guys. They know we're always on the lookout for redemptive potential.

Agreed. He doesn't get a free pass just for showing his sympathetic side. He pushed a ten-year-old out of a tower and beat his own relative to death after being praised and admired by him FFS.

 

[pixletwin]

I don't know whether to facepalm or feel sorry for the people who call GoT "boring".

I gotta agree with you. There is a difference between keeping the pace slow and a show being boring. I think shows that can sustain a slow burn and then POW are the best shows.

 

[EVILFACE]

The opening scene with The Hound dueling Dondarrion was perfectly choreographed. Probably one of the best sword fights I've ever seen.

Was pretty good but the Jamie/Giant Chick one was better. Was awesome cutting through the flaming blade and half way into that dudes chest.

I was really hoping that Robb would have let Karstark live because it was the smart thing to do and he needed his men, but I am also glad that he did the honorable thing and executed him. I love Robb. He's easily my favorite character in the series.

Ned would have take his head as well. Robb is like his father. Too noble. Well, except for the wife thing.

 

[Kamandi]

I don't know whether to facepalm or feel sorry for the people who call GoT "boring". This is without a doubt the greatest show that's ever been made. Suck it.

It is the greatest show that ever was and ever will be.

 

[Dr Daystrom]

Was pretty good but the Jamie/Giant Chick one was better.

Brienne...Her name is Brienne

 

[FrodoEyes]

There actually are characters that are prtrayed as all good or bad, but they dont last too long, like Ned Stark.

Apart from the being unfaithful part, and as others have said, probably TOO noble and very naive.

It is the greatest show that ever was and ever will be.

It is known.

 

[Dr Daystrom]

Apart from the being unfaithful part, and as others have said, probably TOO noble and very naive.

I wouldn't bet the farm on the "unfaithful part"...

 

[Something Sexy]

I wouldn't bet the farm on the "unfaithful part"...

 

[DinoDB1975]

Hey now, I know that there's a prevailing theory about that, but you book readers, don't confirm or deny it!

 

[ExMem-LarjaThwei]

I gotta agree with you. There is a difference between keeping the pace slow and a show being boring. I think shows that can sustain a slow burn and then POW are the best shows.

People act like nothing is happening in the show right now. Apparently if there's not some epic battle, dramatic reveal or scary monster sighting, it's just a bunch of boring "walking and talking" and the show isn't worth watching.

What makes this show great is the characters. They're personalities. Who they are. The way they react and develop. Etc

If we didn't have any of that, nothing in the show would be impactful or exciting.

Like you said, keeping the pace slow and building up to the "POW". Every character interaction we're seeing right now is only going to make that big "POW" more and more exciting.

Was pretty good but the Jamie/Giant Chick one was better. Was awesome cutting through the flaming blade and half way into that dudes chest.

Ned would have take his head as well. Robb is like his father. Too noble. Well, except for the wife thing.

Yeah, he would have. The Stark gift is the Stark curse. Their honor and nobility.

...except for the wife thing


Robb does seem to be more aware of how the world works than his siblings though. I think Jon and Eddard are more alike.

It is the greatest show that ever was and ever will be.

Is this a reference to something? Didn't you say this last time? I can't remember.

 

[Niltusk]

I've found this show very enjoyable so far this year. I like that Daen has her army and the dragons are growing. Some of the side stories may be grinding, but I think they're just setting up big story objectives. I like the little Stark girl, I think the Hound had her pegged, shes braver than most men.

 

[Dr Daystrom]

Hey now, I know that there's a prevailing theory about that, but you book readers, don't confirm or deny it!

Don't worry. Nobody can confirm or deny at this point based on the books. Hints aplenty to build a theory on, but nothing that constitutes "proof".

 

[Dr Daystrom]

Robb does seem to be more aware of how the world works than his siblings though. I think Jon and Eddard are more alike.

I can't agree with this. I don't picture Eddard venturing into the gray areas that Jon is currently quite lost in. (Killing the Halfhand, breaking his vows to fit in with the Wildlings, etc). Eddard had a very inflexible sense of honor, something that Robb definitely inherited (to his credit and detriment at various points).

 

[ExMem-LarjaThwei]

Okay I agree with that I guess.

I think that Eddard and Jon both share the same kind of naivety to the world outside of Winterfell though. Robb seems to be more "in the know" than I imagine Eddard was at his age.

 

[jrice73]

At the end of the day, you could not ask for a better fantasy drama nor television series when it comes to Game of Thrones. It delivers on story and character just like Jackson's LOTR films did. And they did a helluva lot of walking around and talking in LOTR. Same type of people who said that was boring are saying the same thing about GOT. Crazy. So much has gone on this season already its beyond belief and trust me, that last episode had some VERY IMPORTANT plot points in it that will make what happens in a couple of episodes all the more _______ _______, well I let you fill in the blanks because of spoilers.

 

[Dr Daystrom]

Okay I agree with that I guess.

I think that Eddard and Jon both share the same kind of naivety to the world outside of Winterfell though. Robb seems to be more "in the know" than I imagine Eddard was at his age.

I'm not sure I consider Eddard all that naive. I think he was fully aware that honor often came with a cost, sometimes a very high one. I just don't think for him that there was another option. He might see the alternate path, but taking it was never a real choice for him.

Robb definitely sees the other options, agonizes between what's "right" and what's sensible, and then invariably chooses the honorable path per his father's example.

Jon understands honor, and his instinct is to do what's "right", but he's coming to see the longer view that one must sometimes get one's hands dirty, forsaking the appearance of honor, in order to do what in the end is actually necessary and ultimately honorable in the larger sense.