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The first season of HBO's Game of Thrones just ended and I must say, it was pretty goddamn excellent.
A complex story with a variety of well developed characters (a good thing, given the deathrate), spectacular set design and HBO's trademark vulgarity.
Watch it from the beginning, immediately, if not sooner.
I've been waiting for the season to end to start watching. It looks like some tv-show I might appreciate, allhough 'historical' shows aren!t really my cup of tea. But I've been hearing/reading nothing but good things about Game of Thrones, so I Will give it a try.
If anything, GoT is a political thriller dressed in swords and spiced with a touch of magic...it definitely is not a normal fantasy story.
I sort of watched the initial episode when it came out but I didn't see anyone worth cheering for so gave it a pass.
Clearly one episode does not a series make but is there any character worth cheering for ?
The first couple of eps are used to introduce a vast array of characters and define the world they live in, so "bonding" with any particular person is difficult.Quote:
Originally Posted by IdolEyes787
After that though, things pick up quickly, the major plot points are more character driven and favorites are emerging.
But...don't be fooled.
If you've avoided spoilers so far, I shan't ruin any surprises.
Suffice to say, GoT is relentlessly unsentimental (so far, my favorite aspect of the show) and Peter Dinklage is marvelously entertaining.
As is Emilia Clarke.
It would be an advantage to watch the series as one (which I did in a two day marathon with Rome) and avoid the week long delays but I'd wager that most wouldn't be able to wait that long for season two.
Best "soap" i have seen so far. :cool:
loving it. currently on ep 7 and the show is quite good. unlike idol as soon as i saw the 1st ep i was hooked.
Ok, you convinved me, I'll grab a few episodes.
You have to remember only one thing in this story the characters are becoming heroes and then they have to die painful :naughty:. So if you have to choose a character to bond with choose the ones you normally hate.
The only real disadvantage is that it is a tv production and will be difficult to presents the battles of the following books (Just pre-ordered the 5th in amazon). Besides that it's the best production ever made for TV
Fuck and kill the Lannisters. All of them
The problem with that is I prefer my heroes to come out on top and my ending to be happy. I mean if I want to be depressed and see evil triumph over good I will just turn on the news or browse the bt section.Quote:
Originally Posted by brightsid
But...but...I've been cheering for the Lannisters. Make up your mind. :ermm:Quote:
Originally Posted by brightsid
Still grieving over Two and a Half Men, eh?Quote:
Originally Posted by IdolEyes787
Edit: I've already said that Thrones is "relentlessly unsentimental" and if you weren't kidding about your heroes winning and happy endings, don't look here.
Those plucky little hobbits from the Lord of the Rings epic would have been gutted and roasting on spits within the opening credits of GoT, Gandalf would have made all his prophetic speeches whilst getting a hummer and Elves would have stood aside, taking bets on the war's outcome.
Would have been a much better trilogy if these things had actually happened...
I haven't read the books (still on the fence about whether or not to begin) but it's already obvious that the usual tropes will not prevail in this series... the hero is NOT safe, good intentions are useless and apparently minor characters can/will have major effects on the storyline.
Dammit, I have to wait a year for it to start up again?
I actually thought the LotR movies were mostly simplistic and childish and paled greatly compared to the books that beget them.As for heroes not being safe that is so now commonplace as to be the stuff of parody ( see Feast).Quote:
Originally Posted by clockerStill grieving over Two and a Half Men, eh?Quote:
Originally Posted by IdolEyes787
Edit: I've already said that Thrones is "relentlessly unsentimental" and if you weren't kidding about your heroes winning and happy endings, don't look here.
Those plucky little hobbits from the Lord of the Rings epic would have been gutted and roasting on spits within the opening credits of GoT, Gandalf would have made all his prophetic speeches whilst getting a hummer and Elves would have stood aside, taking bets on the war's outcome.
Would have been a much better trilogy if these things had actually happened...
I haven't read the books (still on the fence about whether or not to begin) but it's already obvious that the usual tropes will not prevail in this series... the hero is NOT safe, good intentions are useless and apparently minor characters can/will have major effects on the storyline.
Dammit, I have to wait a year for it to start up again?
If that hadn't come from you ,someone who's opinion I respect, I would take it as more adolescent fanboy rambling which seems to rule the day in bt land.
Making things turn out bad or heroes less than praiseworthy is not adult or even necessarily interesting, it is simply a device that certain sectors of humanity seem to prefer over feeling good.I'm not saying that everything has to be sunshine and roses and big eyed puppies but whatever occurs in the interim things should end on some note that doesn't leave me wishing to slit my wrists. Take for example since I used it in another thread, Glory. Everyone dies but not everything is lost.
That I'm fine with. Unlike something oft praise like Requiem for a Dream which is just a better structured essay in Eli Roth type degradation.
Btw having not seen most of Game of Thrones I could be entirely off base in my criticism since obviously different people are going to view certain aspects differently and maybe it's not all nihilism,sadism and despair.
Love the rewrite idea, clocker. Glad to hear you are watching as I always enjoy your comments on such shows.Quote:
Originally Posted by clocker
July 11-(ish?, from memory) is when Breaking Bad finally returns. WOOT!
GoT stands out, for me, due to its massive cast, with a followable, yet complex interactions across a vast landscape. The story seems not to be about evil getting its way, but that each character serves their own best interest- without necessarily being all good, nor all bad (largely). There are no saints in the mix, but the calling of power (different definitions apply to different characters) brings out a darkside in the majority. Also, once easy-going individuals are eventually called into doing things that seem out-of-character for them initially. We don't so much see lines of good and evil, but the ebb and flow of power changing hands as circumstances change, and individuals are no longer able to control what they had.Quote:
Originally Posted by IdolEyes787
It's good, adult-oriented fun, has an incredible budget ($10 million an episode, I believe), and is able to tell a story that follows the real novels FAR more than a low-budget production, or a 3 hour movie ever could.
Sit back, grab a box of tissues (for whichever bodily fluid you tend to spill while watching adult-oriented shows), and enjoy. :)
Just watch it, fer crissake.Quote:
Originally Posted by IdolEyes787
I think you'll like it.
The whole "good guys all get killed" aspect has been overemphasized (even by me, I guess) and nihilistic is certainly not a description I'd use.
If there's an adult slant to the story (of which, keep in mind, I have no real knowledge...yet), it's that there are consequences to everything and sooner or later, every one pays the price.
Please, watch the damn thing (isn't winter about to set in again up there? So, you've got the time) and then we can talk.
as a redhair fanboy or as just a pure voyeur?Quote:
Originally Posted by megabyteme
:D
I've been taking notice lately of my (normal) reaction to dislike characters who cause turmoil, such as the Lannisters, and how "everything would have gone well if it hadn't been for them". However, it is that conflict that makes shows interesting. I think we internally find it painful to watch because in our own lives that sort of underhandedness is anything but "interesting". It is all of the backstabbing, and power imbalances (often through wealth) that make life difficult.
I shun such interactions, and people, IRL like them, but am drawn in while despising them on-screen. :)
Ok you are right they are more interesting than the straight fighting for good Ned especially for the developing of the story.
On the other hand if I was the story teller Danny's "It's not your screams I want, only your life" would be addressed to a different recipient
Idol - I think one of the biggest differences between GRRM's AGOT (and the other books in the series) as opposed to the other authors' standard fare is that he isn't afraid to kill off a main or "good" (and this line will further continue to be blurred in the upcoming seasons) character if it serves to further the story. He isn't just killing off the "good guys" willy nilly in order to make a statement or just to show simply that he can - it's always for a very particular reason. Without giving too much away, the death of certain characters will set off events for many books to come, and the further you go, the clearer it becomes that he killed off certain characters with a purpose in mind. And GRRM can get away with it as well - unlike other novels in which one or two characters make up the bulk of the novel, there is so much diversity and richness in the characters and their development in AGOT that another one can easily pick up the pace.Quote:
Originally Posted by IdolEyes787
And that is what makes this series so excellent - yes, it is based around a tried and true medieval fantasy setting shared by so many other books - but that's where the similarities end. There are fantastical elements - but only light touches here and there (in fact there is practically no signs of magic until the last few episodes) but it only serves to supplement the storyline, never as a substitute. There is no "magic saves the day" or and it doesn't any character out of ridiculously impossible situations. There are no archetypical "heroes" or "villains", no cliched love story, no hero overcoming insurmountable odds, etc. etc. Just a brilliant story of politics, intrigue and action woven through a massive array of characters that while all seemingly so different and so separate, always manage to intertwine in a way that just seems natural. Simply put, this is an excellent adaptation of a group of books that many directors shunned off as "unfilmable", yet comes off as one of, if not the best series on television.
The books are a great read as well. I'm not quite done with them, they are certainly far more dense than the TV series, but provide a lot more background to the world itself, in addition to clues to the many mysteries and unknowns within the story. Many characters as well who seemed to have been largely glanced over (ie Bran) get significantly more facetime in the books as well.
On another note, as Clocker mentioned, Peter Dinklage is simply amazing in AGOT. It's as if the role was made for him. That man deserves an Emmy. Of course, that's not to say other actors aren't amazing as well. The casting has been spot on, no doubt in part by the fact that GRRM is one of the producers on the show.
In regards to the "adult content"...there is a decent amount of sex in the show. Not only does this give the characters some depth (What are their proclivities? Who are they having sex with? Is it gay, straight, or bi-? Are they willing to do things with people they despise? Is it incestuous? What secrets are they keeping about it?...), but it is also used to form alliances, control others, and shift balances of power.
Not to mention there's lots of dwarf sex. Need I say any more?:w00t::w00t::w00t:
Books are almost always better than the derived movie/tv shows. I think the exceptions are few and far between, The Godfather and Jaws being the only ones that come immediately to mind.Even Roots was a shadow of the book.
I think given the limitations of visual media the wise producer takes great pains to get the casting right ( apparently the case with AGOT) because a person can't imbibe the characters with their own life like they can with a book so the connection needs to be immediate and a lot stronger than with unknown material ..Ned should be taller or not as gruff or whatever.The trick is to have an actor so good that all those preconceptions become irrelevant.
just finished up the season.
Spoiler: Shownow, i'm ready to see some dragons take control and burn all! muahahahaha
lastly, i'll miss u sean bean. u did a good job!
i love this show
Nails: that last line should probably go in a spoiler, too..
Watch Sharpe. Bean was pure gold until he started getting a little long in the tooth.Quote:
Originally Posted by mr. nails
http://www.wwtdd.com/2011/06/sean-be...dude-on-earth/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16D8ZSXeVXw
yeah, that's my bad. fast reply be4 work. my fault.Quote:
Originally Posted by megabyteme
@ idol. after wiki'ing him that show came up. i'll have to check that out. never heard of it.
this series is very interesting but the adult scenes make it not good
I'm a big Sharpe fan but you need to be aware that the series was filmed intermittently over the course of almost 20 years.Consequently it varies greatly in quality with the middle ones being imo by far the best. If you start (appropriately) with the first and don't especially like it , try to hang in there til the third when everything's better established.Quote:
Originally Posted by mr. nails
Also if by some fluke of nature you do actually like it then I'd also suggest checking out Hornblower
They aren't adult scenes, they are scenes with titties, ass, dangling cocks and pelvic shots. They don't detract from the show though, however it's a personal preference as to how much they augment the show. For me they are mostly beside the point, why wouldn't significant conversations take place in the nude?Quote:
Originally Posted by Mizo
On the other hand, your post wasn't very good.
Actually, a couple of the "nude" scenes I found to be totally egregious and probably the result of a big problem faced by the director.Quote:
Originally Posted by mjmacky
GoT is a sprawling epic work and there's a lot of backstory to cram into a few episodes. Sometimes there seems to be no way to insert a big block of info into the flow of the story without a soliloquy, which tends to slow down the pacing.
Having some hot girl-on-girl action (Littlefinger's brothel scene) or a naked hooker cleaning up (the old advisors rumination on the nature of kings) in the background can give some visual interest to a pretty static scene.
I wasn't offended by either but did think it was a device to distract from a clunky exposition of detail.
That said, Daenarys should be naked all the time.
I found the use of sexual activity in those scenes you mention very distracting because those monologues were very interesting. The freaking whores in the back were making too much damn noise.
Daenarys shouldn't be completely naked, perhaps some bracelets or hair decorations would be better.
I'm guessing that her final scene gave her all the adornment she'll need.Quote:
Originally Posted by mjmacky
For the time being, yets, but bracelets don't grow big enough to crush you. In fact, if I really think about it, bracelets don't grow at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by clockerI'm guessing that her final scene gave her all the adornment she'll need.Quote:
Originally Posted by mjmacky
That realization required "really thinking"?Quote:
Originally Posted by mjmacky
no... I'm making fun of the wording I used. Joke, I make joke
Ah.
You make joke,
Me miss joke.
Joke lie flopping on floor like dying fish.
Me make metaphor.
Hmmm... so far Spartacus has more titties than this. :ermm:
So does RedTube.
You actually maked a simile.Quote:
Originally Posted by clocker