299 replies to this topic

[Ran]

How would you rate episode 201?

[Nathan Storm]

Really well done. I agree with Lord Handsome on the pace, but this series generally leaves me wanting more.

[BondJamesBond]

Yes, I truly did not realize how completely horrid the little s&$) Joffrey is.  I knew he was bad, but Gleeson just hammers that point home brilliantly.  This episode does a great job of defining the dramatic tension and keeping it simple.  There are so many intricate, rich subtleties in the books that we forget the simple, powerful central story.

Also, Robb's dire wolf is massive!  I was shocked to see the size of that beast.  I'm glad they went the extra mile and made them as unnaturally large as they are in the books, a tough feat for TV!

Edited by BondJamesBond, 01 April 2012 - 09:18 PM.

[Bozworth]

I gave it a solid 7, but I actually make use of the 10-point scale.  So that's not too bad...  definitely not C-.  More like a B.

I think it's about as good as you could expect from a season opener.  It's basically just setting things up.

I actually liked the Cersei/LF scene quite well.  I think it fits into the narrative.

As far as the bastard killing...  well done.  I just hope they keep that on Cersei and don't push it off on Joffrey.  It's not yet clear, but it seems like they may go that way.

And Jack Gleeson is truly one of the most unsung heroes of this series.  I love everything about his Joffrey.

Edit:  Watching again.  I'm thinking they're going to do Theon's storyline great justice.

Edited by Bozworth, 01 April 2012 - 09:44 PM.

[Ygritte's fur]

Sorry--double post.

Edited by Ygritte's fur, 02 April 2012 - 06:30 AM.

[Ygritte's fur]

I gave it a 7. It would've been hard for the show to meet the level of anticipation, but it felt unnecessarily plodding. And I thought some of the emphasis was odd (drawn out Ros/whorehouse scene over more dread-building at Craster's Keep?), that said I do see the point about the first episode setting things up.

The last Robb scene was very slow. But I never cared so much about his war stuff and today, before the show came on, I couldn't even remember his name.

Totally digging the actor playing the Onion Knight. Even though I never loved the Stannis parts it was exciting to see his posse in the flesh. I think Melisandre was chosen for her acting chops (versus strict similarity appearance wise. Yet she is "cool looking" per my husband.

But total let down on Craster's Keep! I re-read that chapter today: what a great build up of dread and horror I always felt in the Jon chapters, especially that one. On TV it was just kinda weird, like they were in Appalachia.

However, the Tyrion/Cersei scene was awesome. And I can't wait for more of that.

(null)

[lomiller]

Gave it a 7.  The packing felt awkward with them introducing so many story lines without having time to do much with any of them.

[Ravenhair]

Maybe a 3 or 4.  If GRRM wanted to rewrite his books, he could have published AGOT alternate universe.  Jack Gleeson did do a magnificent job.  Richard Madden did as well, but all in all, Jack Gleeson owned the episode.

[Baitac]

Producers didn't capture decrepit frozan haunted mansion feel of Craster's keep. Too many chairs, clean and lucid Craster. Not the total chaos of chickens living indoors and utter disaster with too many people and filth. Maybe they spruced the place up in expectations of having visitors.

[Zios]

I would give it a 7(pollwise) but really a 7.5, which is pretty good in my book. I enjoyed many scenes including Robb/Jaime, LF/Cersei. Jack Gleeson does Joffrey's character justice which I'm happy about.  Looking forward to next ep.  

[Harle The Handsome]

If I had never read the book, I'd say it was great, but there were so many little changes that didn't seem like they needed to be made.  A partial list:

1.)  Changing the nameday tourney to a melee instead of a joust.

2.)  Having The Hound fight in the tourney, when in the book he didn't, referring to it as a "tournament of gnats."

3.) Ser Dontos' acts which cause Joffrey to call for his execution were far less farcical than in the books-and it was on HBO, so there is no excuse not to show him flopping around, trying to get on a horse.

4.)Failing to have Joffrey's AND Cersi's first words to Tyrion be "You!"  Which allowed the reader to see into how J & C truely felt about Tyrion, and allowing Tyrion to reply to Cersi, "I see where your son gets his courtesies."

5.) Having Janos Slynt kill the suckling bastard instead of Allar Deem.

None of these had to be edited out due to time constraints.  It was as if the script writers had gone no farther than brushing over the Cliff Notes before writing their own script.

[Ravenhair]

@Baitac

So agree.  Craster was way too clean and clean-shaven, and the place did not at all look like the chaotic, filth-ridden Craster's Keep.

[Harle The Handsome]

Bozworth, on 01 April 2012 - 09:32 PM, said:

As far as the bastard killing...  well done.  I just hope they keep that on Cersei and don't push it off on Joffrey.  It's not yet clear, but it seems like they may go that way.

Too late.  They did.  This was another unwelcome change.

[turdle]

I thought davos was awesome, and the cersei/little finger scene had me going (even though i'm far enough into the books to know better). i gave the episode a 9, even though it is a little plodding, i feel a lot better about the direction they set shae and theon in this episode than they had them going in the first season.

[Khayenkil]

Gave it a 9. Would'a been a 10 cept for the Joslyn whorehouse parts, and Craster's Keep. I'm sure the producers/writters of the script don't want too push the 1st episode about Jon and the truth of what's going on north of the Wall.

I hate Joffrey, and they do nothing too change that. What a lil &*)(*&#

[BondJamesBond]

Love the scene where Tyrion plops down in the hand's seat in the small council to Cersei's consternation

[Jack's Smirking Revenge]

Harle The Handsome, on 01 April 2012 - 10:06 PM, said:

Too late.  They did.  This was another unwelcome change.

Well it's not clear yet so who really knows if they did change it.

I gave it a 9.  We only saw a little of Craster's Keep but the outside looks awesome.  Some people are upset about it jumping around too much but I expected it.  My two complaints are why the creators added two pointless scenes.  The Littlefinger bit I get. It establishes why he would work against Cersie but I hated the Ros scene.  It was just pointless and the Ros character adds NOTHING to the series.  There are already a shitload of cahracters I don't see the need to add another one.  Other than that I loved it and it has me pumped for the rest of the season.

[songbirdsings]

I didn't think Craster was dirty or creepy enough.  And the whorehouse scene bleh! I hate when they waste time on something that has no importance, like last season's whorehouse lesbian fantasia.  It's just irritating they leave out so many details but make sure they add in some T&A.

[Tears of Lys]

I gave it a solid 7.  I'm a purist, so I'm bound to view any changes negatively, but I understand how some of them are necessary.  A lot of the changes they made this episode I didn't feel fit into that category.

Random observations...

a LOT of importance placed on killing of Robert's bastards.
Gray Wolf was friggin' HUGE, then got smaller as he approached Jaime.
Okay, okay, already.  They TRAIN the whores to work in the brothels.  Sheesh.
Liked Davos.
Still not sure about Melisandre.

I don't know how I missed this, but the series is only going to have ONE dragon, right?  (I was watching the reruns of Season 1 and noticed that.)

[Dru]

Solid 7 and almost an 8. Great first episode but wish they started on Dragonstone.