193 replies to this topic

[now my watch begins]

SFA-OK, on 09 April 2012 - 02:08 AM, said:

I gave it a 4. I'm almost done watching the show. I was hoping it would improve from last season but if anything, it's gotten worse. Unnecessary changes, changes for the worse, characters acting out of character from the book, etc. The writing is just mediocre, there's no way around it. It's clear they are targeting a mass audience (which is understandable) but the show and the writing definitely suffers. I just don't get some of the changes, though. Melisandre and Stannis? What the hell, And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

And I'm starting to think the show's producers/writers are just looking for excuses to show nudity, lol. Not that I would normally complain, but, the semen scene, wow.

Oh, any way HBO can work in T&A and sex they do it. Did you catch Tyrion's reference to Varys about Shae's fish pie?  At least that was a double meaning and not as in your face as the brothel scene.  I don't even think my husband caught that one. The brothel scene I did a double take and said to myself, was that??? Did they???  My husband didn't miss that one.

I do like watching it, despite any changes and since I know GRRM is involved, it kind of gives me clues on who is really important and who isn't for the upcoming books. I've re-read the books 4 times.  My husband hasn't read them at all and he keeps asking me questions throughout the episodes - this last one I couldn't explain much because so much of it was different than the books.

[Ran]

A tally of ratings: 7.04 unadjusted average, 7.15 adjusted score after removing the top 5% and bottom 5% of votes to normalize data a little. That's a bit lower than last week. Also, the median vote is 7 this episode, vs. 8 for the previous episode.

[Cellio]

Probably a 7 or an 8. Wasn't a fan of the ending but in all fairness, it is difficult to make a good cliff hanger this early on in the book.

Edited by Cellio, 15 April 2012 - 07:12 AM.

[Vic-tarion Rattlehead]

PatrickStormborn, on 10 April 2012 - 12:10 PM, said:

Renly is gay. He doesn't need outing.

Gregor Clegane was recast because he's an important character. Rakharo is not important to the story.

Mel says that her bed has seen little use since Stannis left. They also share a tent. What else do you think was going on?

Now THAT was a serious answer
To end the futile disscusion - can you provide a solid quote from the books about Renlies LGBT prefrences?
The same goes also about Mel/Stannis team actions - is it stated somewhere particularly that they SLEPT together? No? Sharing a tent is not an ancient way to say "consumating" it is only what it sounds to be - just sharing a tent. And maybe Mel's bed was cold lately, because she stoped sleeping herself, being to worried and busy? A serious quote about the subject would be nice.
Rakharo is not an essential character, on this I can agree with you - but do you suggest, that the film directors will also kill Reacon (he is deffenetly not an important character also)?

[PatrickStormborn]

Vic-tarion Rattlehead, on 16 April 2012 - 08:04 AM, said:

Now THAT was a serious answer
To end the futile disscusion - can you provide a solid quote from the books about Renlies LGBT prefrences?
The same goes also about Mel/Stannis team actions - is it stated somewhere particularly that they SLEPT together? No? Sharing a tent is not an ancient way to say "consumating" it is only what it sounds to be - just sharing a tent. And maybe Mel's bed was cold lately, because she stoped sleeping herself, being to worried and busy? A serious quote about the subject would be nice.
Rakharo is not an essential character, on this I can agree with you - but do you suggest, that the film directors will also kill Reacon (he is deffenetly not an important character also)?

Martin has confirmed that Renly is homosexual.

Mel thinks that her bed has seen little use since Stannis left. Carice Van Houten herself cited that quote from ADWD when someone on twitter complained about Stannis and Mel not having sex in the books.

Rickon is an important character. Rakharo is not.

[DornishSnake]

HBO defenders of the Stannis and Mel scene: we're at book 2, not book 5.

You cannot seriously argue that HBO is just as mysterious and subtle as GRRM because in book 5 something is revealed. We're at book 2! GRRM milked that mystery and subtely for years. HBO milked it all of 0 seconds with its ham-handed approach.

It's the equivalent to watching a Sherlocks Holmes movie where the killer is revealed in the first minute. Then defending it by arguing it makes no difference because Conan-Doyle reveals him anyway...on the last page.

Maybe it'd also be OK if HBO told us who ends-up on the Iron Throne?? Because, after all, GRRM no doubts reveals that too...in book 7.

Sometimes people make me wonder.

[DornishSnake]

To be clear: it does count as a (very) significant change to make these "big reveals" 3 books earlier. Also totally unnecessary and for the worse.

In addition to reveals being made so early, the HBO Stannis/Mel scene is not remotely consistent with his character in the books. Stannis and Mel may have had sex, but I doubt very much it's because Stannis can be seduced in under 30 seconds like a teenage virgin, or that he did it because he "wants an hier" and/or because his "wife is sick." HBO needs to recognize the difference between Stannis and a teenage John Edwards.

[Quiet Isle]

Laohu, on 09 April 2012 - 02:04 AM, said:

I gave it a 9. It would have received a 10 if D&D had refrained from putting the Ros/LF scene in. The only purpose I can see it having is a foreshadowing to Qyburn.

  WOW.  Thank you for that.  I missed it.

[Quiet Isle]

Vic-tarion Rattlehead, on 16 April 2012 - 08:04 AM, said:

Now THAT was a serious answer
To end the futile disscusion - can you provide a solid quote from the books about Renlies LGBT prefrences?
The same goes also about Mel/Stannis team actions - is it stated somewhere particularly that they SLEPT together? No? Sharing a tent is not an ancient way to say "consumating" it is only what it sounds to be - just sharing a tent. And maybe Mel's bed was cold lately, because she stoped sleeping herself, being to worried and busy? A serious quote about the subject would be nice.
Rakharo is not an essential character, on this I can agree with you - but do you suggest, that the film directors will also kill Reacon (he is deffenetly not an important character also)?

   The books are pretty open about Renly being gay.  Melisandre did sleep with Stannis - Martin all but told it with the "bed" passage.  And Rickon?  OH RICKON?  Don't you forget about him.  He's going to be a major player in my opinion.  He's lost, confused, with no history to remember, with a massive aggressive direwolf, a wildling and headed to Skagos.  He's going to come back as THE ORIGINAL STARK.  He won't have to live up to others of his line (WHO BY THE WAY WERE NOT LIKE NED).  His Uncle was a WILD WOLF, not tentative like Ned.  Rickon is, I believe, going to return to help and will be an AWESOME WARRIOR, and I believe he's going to learn magic on his journey.

[RhymesWithFreak]

Rated it a generous 8.

Pros:

Tyrion gets rid of Janos Slynt
Arya, Gendry, Hot Pie and Lommie scene
Theon's scenes on Pyke

Cons:

Pointless sex scenes
Daenerys not doing much
Jon cliffhanger

[GreyWarden]

I liked it well enough. There were parts I don't remember reading from the book; but i'm getting used to the show adding its own touch to it, and most of the time they are very pleasant surprises. That part when Cersei talks about Tyrion's first joke is heartwrenching. Poor little guy.

(Btw I know I'm pretty late. Just watched it now. Heh)

Edited by ENReal, 19 November 2012 - 09:34 AM.

[Hill]

Absolute belter of an episode, no?

[Lord_Tyrion]

9/10

That would be my rating.

[MouldyMuffin]

A 9. it was quite exciting.