I love Game of Thrones. I watched every episode a few weekends go. I plan on purchasing the books soon.

I can't wait until April when the new episodes start coming on.

At 7/20/11 08:07 PM, DarkMatter wrote: my friend told me about it a month back.

He mentioned the sex but he also mentioned how it didn't take away from the show and how it was becoming his next favorite thing. He even told me they're based off of books and he's reading those now.

The sex isn't enough to ruin it, but it definitely detracts from it. There's an awkward as fuck scene where Littlefinger dumps exposition at the camera while watching two women have sex. Not only is it a cheap ratings grab, it also treats the audience like a moron by having the character spell out his motivations. It's the one thing I can't stand about the show.

The fact of the matter is you get maybe 4 or 5 sex scenes per book (which is still quite a lot), whereas HBO likes to have at least 2 in every single episode. It's been a real problem for the network recently, cramming tits where tits are not needed into stuff like Boardwalk Empire and The Pacific.

Seems like HBO thinks everyone who watches the show is a moron, and is renaming even more characters to avoid anyone getting confused.

They already renamed Asha to Yara (because Asha is too similar to Osha, apparently), and now they've renamed Cleos Frey to Alton Lannister, presumably so people won't be confused as to why a Frey is fighting for the Lannisters.

Just finished the second book a few days ago. I can't wait to see The Battle of Blackwater next season hnnnnng.

At 7/30/11 02:38 PM, TheMaster wrote: They already renamed Asha to Yara (because Asha is too similar to Osha, apparently), and now they've renamed Cleos Frey to Alton Lannister, presumably so people won't be confused as to why a Frey is fighting for the Lannisters.

oh god, Yara is such a stupid name.

At 7/30/11 02:47 PM, Ptero wrote: Just finished the second book a few days ago. I can't wait to see The Battle of Blackwater next season hnnnnng.

It's HBO. You'll get a few shots of the battle lines before the battle begins, a charge, and then it'll fade to black and cut to the aftermath. If they couldn't afford to show Tyrion fighting Robb's diversion, which is just him fighting a couple of guys with his wildlings, they're not going to be able to show dozens of burning ships on the Blackwater.

HBO never show the actual battles. Didn't do it in Rome, haven't done it in Game of Thrones so far.

At 7/30/11 03:08 PM, TheMaster wrote: It's HBO. You'll get a few shots of the battle lines before the battle begins, a charge, and then it'll fade to black and cut to the aftermath. If they couldn't afford to show Tyrion fighting Robb's diversion, which is just him fighting a couple of guys with his wildlings, they're not going to be able to show dozens of burning ships on the Blackwater.

HBO never show the actual battles. Didn't do it in Rome, haven't done it in Game of Thrones so far.

They increased their CGI team by a lot, plus they're getting George R.R. Martin to write the episode with the battle. The showrunners have confirmed that the battle will be shown.

The main problem with the first season was that they had a smaller budget, plus they had to reshoot a lot of scenes from the pilot when they had to replace Dany's actress.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first series, and I'm eagerly awaiting the future installments.

At 5/12/11 11:52 PM, Rallard wrote: I only watched one episode, but I didn't like it.

The story was cliche medieval fantasy bullshit that has been done a million times before, the characters are unforgettable and bland (with the exception of maybe the royal dwarf, who is only memorable because he's a dwarf who has orgies with a ton of normal sized chicks), and nothing about it impresses me.

So no, I don't like it. I heard the books are good but judging from the show, it's the same old shit. I've seen dungeon and dragon campaigns more original than this.

3.5/10.

Honestly, i read it, and i had the same ideas about it. i heard a description and it sounded like any other medieval fantasy book. then i read it, and i found the characters to be all intriguing. they all have faults, and seem human. theres a good amount of backstory into everything. the characters all end up being highly interesting. and there always a good cliffhanger for each chapter.

At 7/30/11 03:16 PM, Ptero wrote: The main problem with the first season was that they had a smaller budget, plus they had to reshoot a lot of scenes from the pilot when they had to replace Dany's actress.

I didn't know that, who originally played Dany?

At 7/30/11 05:09 PM, AlphaCentauri wrote:

At 7/30/11 03:16 PM, Ptero wrote: The main problem with the first season was that they had a smaller budget, plus they had to reshoot a lot of scenes from the pilot when they had to replace Dany's actress.

I didn't know that, who originally played Dany?

Tamzin Merchant. Jennifer Ehle played Catelyn in the pilot, too.

Xaro Xhoan Daxos is cast. They cast a black man to play him, even though the character is supposed to be white. Interesting choice, I suppose that his skin color doesn't really matter.

I started watching the first episode and I didn't like it about halfway through so I gave up. I've been kind of bored lately, so does the series pick up? Should I give it another chance and rewatch the first episode, give it even more of a chance and watch past the first episode, or is this just something that isn't for me?

At 8/2/11 04:05 PM, Makeshift wrote: I started watching the first episode and I didn't like it about halfway through so I gave up. I've been kind of bored lately, so does the series pick up? Should I give it another chance and rewatch the first episode, give it even more of a chance and watch past the first episode, or is this just something that isn't for me?

The show improves a lot as it goes on. In the first few episodes they kind of have to set everything up and introduce all of the characters, but shit gets real pretty fast. I'd give it another chance if I were you.

At 8/2/11 03:55 PM, Ptero wrote: Xaro Xhoan Daxos is cast. They cast a black man to play him, even though the character is supposed to be white. Interesting choice, I suppose that his skin color doesn't really matter.

I still think it's an odd bit of casting. If you look at that photo, and then try to imagine him mincing around, crying and being generally over dramatic like Xaro does, it doesn't sit quite tight.

Did you ever see Hercules: The Legendary Journeys or Xena: Warrior Princess? I always pictured Xaro as basically being Salmoneus from them.

At 8/2/11 03:55 PM, Ptero wrote: Xaro Xhoan Daxos is cast. They cast a black man to play him, even though the character is supposed to be white. Interesting choice, I suppose that his skin color doesn't really matter.

Xaro is a summer islander, he's black. Your probably thinking of Davos.

At 8/2/11 05:42 PM, froggerfreak wrote:

At 8/2/11 03:55 PM, Ptero wrote: Xaro Xhoan Daxos is cast. They cast a black man to play him, even though the character is supposed to be white. Interesting choice, I suppose that his skin color doesn't really matter.

Xaro is a summer islander, he's black. Your probably thinking of Davos.

Nevermind that, I was thinking of someone else...

SPOILERS

A Dance with Dragons is great.

At 8/2/11 05:42 PM, froggerfreak wrote:

At 8/2/11 03:55 PM, Ptero wrote: Xaro Xhoan Daxos is cast. They cast a black man to play him, even though the character is supposed to be white. Interesting choice, I suppose that his skin color doesn't really matter.

Xaro is a summer islander, he's black. Your probably thinking of Davos.

Xaro is Qartheen, and they're described as pale skinned.

Are you not thinking of Jalabhar Xho?

At 8/2/11 05:50 PM, TheMaster wrote:

At 8/2/11 05:42 PM, froggerfreak wrote:

At 8/2/11 03:55 PM, Ptero wrote: Xaro Xhoan Daxos is cast. They cast a black man to play him, even though the character is supposed to be white. Interesting choice, I suppose that his skin color doesn't really matter.

Xaro is a summer islander, he's black. Your probably thinking of Davos.

Xaro is Qartheen, and they're described as pale skinned.

Are you not thinking of Jalabhar Xho?

Yeah, That's probably who I was thinking of. Also, aDwD was awesome, but not enough Arya chapters IMO, or any one from the aFfC. Tyrion and (SPOLIER)

Ser Barristan were my favorite prospective..

Jaqen is cast.

Looks good.

At 8/3/11 03:52 PM, Ptero wrote: Jaqen is cast.

Looks good.

Yeah, that's spot on. I think how the accent sounds will be what makes or breaks the character, though.

At 5/12/11 11:07 PM, Rooster wrote: My dad likes stuff like this. So if we had HBO I would probably watch it.
He will probably just wait till its on DVD and buy it or rent it then and watch it. It looks good though. I usually don't like movies and shows from that period though.

you must have heard of sparticus blood and sand? if you have not i definitely recommend you torrent the first 10 episodes. after that you wont be able to stop watching.

Looks awesome ill have to check it out

At 8/3/11 05:48 PM, Bees wrote:

At 8/3/11 03:52 PM, Ptero wrote: Jaqen is cast.

Looks good.

eh he's alright, they described jaqen with longer hair than that tho. otherwise he's exactly as i pictured him. i hope they get someone good for biter

Are you seriously implying he's not just going to wear a wig?

How many of the actors do actually think have the same hairstyles they do in the show?

At 8/3/11 05:48 PM, Bees wrote: eh he's alright, they described jaqen with longer hair than that tho. otherwise he's exactly as i pictured him. i hope they get someone good for biter

He'll definitely either get a wig or grow out his hair. What I wonder is if they're going to make his hair red and white.

Hannah Murray from Skins as Gilly.

Doesn't have a lot to do in season 2, but whatever.

Seems odd to casting someone like Gilly when we still don't have a Roose Bolton yet, or a Ramsay Snow/Bolton for that matter.

Dolorous Ed cast

I thought it was looking like he wasn't going to get cast at all. Glad he did, one of the best characters.

Roose Bolton cast.

GRRM made it a riddle and some guy in the comments solved it.

-3 nominations for best actor and 1 win.
-was in the Santa Incident = "taken on Santa".
-last worked on Shadow Dancer = "last seen dancing home"
-Was Fergus in Fergus' Wedding which he wrote= "wrote the script for his own wedding"
-was in The Tiger's Tail = "caught a tiger by the tail"

I've been debating with myself to read the books or not.

The show was so awesome that I don't want to read the books for fear of "spoilers". I'm not sure if I wan't to know whats going to happen and watch to see "how they are gonna do that" in the show, or just watch the show and be amazed as the story unfolds.

All this news about casting would be really exciting if I even knew who the characters were.

So, what do you all think, does reading the books detract from the suspense of the show, or is still just as interesting knowing what happens? I suppose to properly to answer this you would have had to read the first book before seeing the show, but regardless, any input is valued.

At 8/10/11 02:03 AM, AlphaCentauri wrote: So, what do you all think, does reading the books detract from the suspense of the show, or is still just as interesting knowing what happens? I suppose to properly to answer this you would have had to read the first book before seeing the show, but regardless, any input is valued.

Well of course it detracts from suspense when you know what's going to happen, but I still enjoyed just watching everything play out. The books have loads of extra stuff that didn't make it into the show, and the show has stuff invented for itself that isn't in the books, too.

Apparently season 2 is going to deviate even further, with stuff from A Storm of Swords (book 3) being moved into it. They already did a little of that in season 1 (Arya meeting Hot Pie, Lommy and Gendry is at the start of A Clash of Kings, Catelyn interrogating Jamie tied to the tree takes place in a dungeon in Riverrun well into Clash), and if I had to bet, it'll be Dany stuff they move over, since she's hardly in A Clash of Kings at all, but has plenty to do in Storm.