114 replies to this topic

[Carldog]

That ep worked for me.  I gave it an 8+, which is high for my standards. Its the first time this seires truly felt epic, which was an element I thought was lacking from the show.  Of course I'm judging the sieres to the book, and that not fair to the sieres.  It would need to be twenty hours long (which would be great) to capture the ture nature of A Game of Thrones.

[GSP]

Great episode. Gave it a 9.

Can't remember in the book if Roose Bolton was in the tent where Big John Umber lost his fingers but he should be leading infantry within the next episode or so to my recollection.

[valacirca]

whoa the 10's are leading the other ratings for the first time...

[BarrileteCosmico]

I have no major complaints but the episode left me somewhat unsatisfied. I gave it an 8 for this reason, but the episode was great. Loved Drogo pulling the tongue out of the dothraki. Very happy they make him go out as a badass.

[Corvinus]

I gave it a 10 because it's my favorite episode so far, and I am not just being biased cause Marting wrote it. One thing I was pleasantly surprised was that unlike every single other episode, this one did not have a piece of dialog that was too lengthy, and boring and out of character.
Still no flashbacks. Maybe Ned will have one next week just before the end. And my biggest disappointment was that there is no Blackfish.

[David Stark]

I forgive the jumpiness of the show considering how much information there is to cover, I use the show though to give me the visual for the book however. Right now I am behind the show in the book so the show is still exciting then the book explains everything for me. Don't think I will wait a year for book two though but it will still be fun for the show. But man only two episodes to go I guess?

[SFA-OK]

Bowl o, on 05 June 2011 - 09:31 PM, said:

Great episode. Great moments. Maybe to many moments? I think so. I give it an 8.

My big complaint is how much jumping around the world we did. We never had a chance to digest a scene, before being presented with another. So many big story scenes that it was almost sensory overload. I'd hate to be a non-reader trying to pick out everything of value in this episode.

I was about to post exactly the same thing.

This has been one of my biggest complaints about the show so far and this was probably the worst episode in that regard. I counted literally about 20 different scenes in the course of 57 minutes. It's just not working for me. I think a different approach closer to how the book was written would've been much better. I was also thinking "If I hadn't read the book, I'm not sure I'd even know what the hell is going on here". The scene with Jon and the wight ended so abruptly, IMO.

Also, is it just me or has Cersei made the same exact face throughout the entire show so far?

I hope to see these improvements in season 2 - More episodes, longer scenes, better editing in some places, better characterization and better writing in some places.

On the plus side, I think the actors portraying Robb, Barristan, Dany and Tryion are all doing a great job.

6/10.

[Daenerys]

It's a 7 for me, actually matching my lowest rating of the season. Despite some really badass moments (Barristan, Drogo, Syrio, ravens flying from Winterfell). Just felt a little flat and uneven to me, and a pretty lame ending. Again, nothing so horrible I can call it bad, overall it's quite good, but it left me wanting in way that episodes 5-7 did not. Nice to see Rickon and he even speaks! But I am getting worried that Robb and Sansa are not going to be able to carry it when they have to, frankly. I'm already missing Robert's presence.

[Asha—Not Yara!]

I guess I'm one of the few people who really liked the ending. I thought it was ominous the way the camera went behind the Iron Throne and we saw Sansa between its spikes, which I thought was a neat way visually to foreshadow just how trapped she's going to be for some time to come.

Edited by Mellisandra, 06 June 2011 - 01:20 AM.

[Shepherd6]

This episode gets my first "ten." I wonder, if, as I think someone mentioned earlier, I am biased because Martin wrote it? I don't think so...I agree it jumped around a lot, and I do wonder if a non-reader would be confused (My better half, a non-reader wasn't here to give me insight into the non-reader mind tonight) Loved Drogo! Loved Robb, and especially loved the Great John/finger biting scene, "Your meat is bloody TOUGH!" came out just as I've always imagined it. Sansa...I don't know. Still undecided about her I guess. Catelyn was good too, and Tyrion as always, although I missed the Tysha story and hope they take the time to do it right. Minor quibble: Was Ghost wearing a collar? And I guess the dog they have playing him cannot be silent, so I will learn to live with that. Loved it anyway. But I've been pretty delighted all along.

[emmank]

My first 10. My heart was racing the entire time, and by the end I was reminded why I adore these books. Just wow... good stuff.

[Drogon 72]

First timer so don't crush me to bad. I gve it an 8. Thought a wonderful job has been done so far covering just about everything through th first 8 epps. I just finished reading the books in the past 3 months(literally all 4 in 4 weeks). What a wonderful  world to finally discover. Only reason tonight was an 8 and not 10 was because of jon and mormont scene. To me it seemed way  More intense in the book. Just MO

[sammycakes]

Solid 9. Probably not the best episode of the season but definitely the most entertaining. All the Robb stuff was extremely well done, and I can see myself getting a lot more invested in TV Robb than in Book Robb. Tyrion stuff was gold, as always. Momoa really showed off his physical acting chops; you can see why he works perfectly for Conan. I didn't have a problem with the location-hopping at all. We know all these characters and their situations by now; the rampant scene shifts added to the urgency of the episode, to the feeling that the shit is really coming down now for every character.

(very minor) Quibbles:
* The opening slaughter of the Winterfell men seemed a bit stagey, as did the Syrio Forel fight. Especially so compared to the physicality of the Drogo fight. Lines were well delivered, though.
* The fight vs the wight didn't have the urgency or danger it had in the book. Also seemed foreshadowed much too heavily.
* Drogo's gash doesn't seem deep enough.

[Arrogant Bastard]

I'll give it a 9, very strong episode but a few parts felt rushed. I liked the opening dancing lesson and the cuts to the carnage outside. However, I felt Arya killing the stableboy seemed a little rushed, maybe because I knew it was coming. I wish they had added a shot of her escaping through the dungeons, but that's a minor quibble. Loved the scenes with Robb and I liked the Greatjon also. Tyrion meeting the Storm Crows and Shagga was fun. I expected him to tell his story to Bronn about his background, but I'm sure that will get added in a later episode (I remember in one of the making of videos Peter Dinklage mentioning Tyrion's horrible childhood, so it has to be in the show). Charles Dance is very good as Tywin. The Wall parts were pretty good good this episode, but felt a little rushed, especially the wight attack. I was really impressed with Sansa this episode, she did a great job in two big scenes, and so did Joffrey. Ser Barristan's dismissal was excellent, and I'm glad they kept in Littlefinger's nasty quip about "dying a naked knight". Overall, very good episode, can't wait until next week.

[Asharak]

I gave it a 10, best episode so far. Its just baffling how much happened in this episode, felt like I had watched 2 episodes in a row.


I was extremely pleased by the Robb scenes, from being a secondary character he suddenly felt like the main character (at least in this episode). Both confrontations with the Greatjon were great, and Robb tricking the spy was a wonderful addition. Before this episode I was afraid the character would get shortchanged, but they really fired on all cylinders for him in this episode.

I hate Lysa, nuff said.

Syrio vs. the Lannisters was great, the slaughter of the Stark household had me in tears for 5 minutes.

I was especially happy with the Jon vs. Wight scene, probably my favorite moment in the book. Jon trying to kill Thorne was a great character moment.

[sammycakes]

Oh, forgot my most important critique: Arya killing the stableboy was a waste of a huge moment. This is so important in Arya's development, yet the killing seems almost accidental, like a matter of course. Is she panicked? Is she reluctant? Resolutely determined to survive? Angry? I have no idea based on how the scene was filmed. Pity.

[Ran]

A 9, which may represent a 9.5... not sure. See, the writing? Lovely. The characters? In some cases, they just seemed more real to me, more like what GRRM intended, as if he just sort of shaded things a little differently -- not in a way that was inconsistent with the show, mind you, but just ... by omission, maybe, doing things so they came a little nearer the book.

But, while I absolutely adored Daniel Minahan's work in the last two episodes, there was some clumsiness in this one that detracted from it, just weird little cuts that I didn't understand. Worst of all was the Arya scene with the Stableboy, which just felt ... well, amateurish. I know, I know, there was very little time, they had to go on to the next thing, but I would sooner have trimmed 10 seconds from the Lannisters slaughtering the Starks to just give that moment more weight.

So, a 9-9.5, after a bit taken off for the direction.

[The Scabbard Of the Morning]

I liked this episode a lot, except for the Wight fight.  That scene was so cinematic in the books, and so creepy, I felt none of that in this scene.

[Ghost Cat]

I loved, loved, loved it!!! I had a horrible time watching it - kept loosing my connection so it came across very disjointed but I know it will be even better when I can see it on "The Big TV" on Wednesday.

I was mildly disappointed in the Arya/stableboy scene also. The rushed nature was alright with me, after all, she is in a hurry. It was the choreography and acting of the stableboy that bothered me. That child actor is no Maisie! That's what made the scene run false for me. Perhaps it was the direction as mentioned in some previous posts, but I also think the choreography and ability of the boy had an affect on the scene too.

That small nitpick aside, I thought it had wonderful tension and flow. I got the feeling of events galloping ahead at a speed no one involved can control or stop. That's why I gave it a 10.

[sadfascist]

Goddamn. God damn.

THIS is how you write an adaptation.

D&D, better be taking notes. The master shows how it's done.