168 replies to this topic

[summer_stark]

rmholt, on 16 May 2012 - 08:45 PM, said:

I just dont get what is the problem with the viewer knowing the boys weren't Bran and Rickon.  The scene was designed for the viewer to figure it out.  This follows the book as Ramsey was carrying outfits and a wolf pin and nobody reading the book thought the boys at the mill were B and R even as they were being killed.

The people who were supposed to be fooled were the people still at Winterfell and that happened - except Maester Luwin wasnt left with enough evidence to figure out the truth.

Disagree.   The hints in the book were subtle.  Lots of book readers I know missed it, myself included -- some people put the book down and after reading that and would only pick it up again upon my prodding.  i'm no genius, and certainly don't read very carefully the first time i read fiction -- the second time around the clues were there, and the first time around when theon is looking at the bodies and thinking how stupid people are, i thought -- hmm maybe.

but to compare it to the scenes in the show where it was like hey two orphan boys at the farm where theon will be led to!  totally different.  haven't met a nonbook reader yet who thought it was b/r.  and frankly, i think the point is that it was a missed opportunity for a great cliffhanger -- is it essential to the plot?  of course not -- the point is, as you stated, that winterfell and westeros generally believe them to be dead.  fine.  noted.  however, considering how many contrived scenes we are getting to up the intensity/emotion/shock value (e.g., making the shadow baby a cliffhanger, craster braining jon, dragon-napping), the fact that they wouldn't pick this one for a good cliffhanger, when it's already there in the books and easily made into a cliffhanger with the deletion of a couple of lines of dialogue and the old guy who asked for the orphans, seems like an unnecessary waste of the chance for some great television.

Edited by summer_stark, 17 May 2012 - 02:41 AM.

[Michaelj]

I never once suspected they died in the books. No hodor, osha or direwolfs and two disfigured body's = mmmh

[Ashas Globetrotter]

TOTALLY agree with Summer_Stark. I think at least half the viewers would have been fooled if they had set it up similarly to the book. And the reason we keep believing it is that Martin lets it become common knowlege in the realm that they are dead. Why the hell they let cat release Jaime before her knowledge of the boys is beyond me.

[Evamitchelle]

According to the Twitter recap on winteriscoming.net there are in fact some non-readers who think Bran and Rickon really died.

[Oculus]

My favorite episode so far, for this reason: The scene with Jamie and his cousin had the flavor, the intensity, passion, and surprise that I love in the books.  Kudos the the writers and the director for taking their time with this scene.

[summer_stark]

Evamitchelle, on 17 May 2012 - 08:25 AM, said:

According to the Twitter recap on winteriscoming.net there are in fact some non-readers who think Bran and Rickon really died.

if you go on twitter and type theon or bran you'll find far more people who didn't believe it -- the recap is just highlights of what he wants us to see, which, admittedly, are awesome -- but not enough people to make up a good indicator of how the masses reacted.

Edited by summer_stark, 17 May 2012 - 05:48 PM.

[rmholt]

Michaelj, on 17 May 2012 - 04:24 AM, said:

I never once suspected they died in the books. No hodor, osha or direwolfs and two disfigured body's = mmmh

IMHO  that scene in the book and the movie served several things but one important thing was to show Theon having an awkward time figuring out how to be and what to do.  This led him to do some pretty stupid stuff.

[Whitering]

I guess my problem is that few of the characters to this point seem as capable as they did in books. Tyrion certainly does, I guess Robb. Well, hell, maybe most of the characters are. I mean, the changes are well written and all, but Arya does not seem as daring, as intelligent nor as desperate. It's a good actress and I get that it's a TV series on a budget, but a lot of what I considered key scenes have not been replaced with something equally as powerful. Dany also is missing a lot of the confidence she had gained throughout the series, I mean, we see glimpses of it, but it's not always there.

Well, I do enjoy the show, but I don't know if that's because I edit them with my memories of the books or not. In the end I gave the episode a 7, but the highest I have ever given is an 8.

[RhymesWithFreak]

Rated it a solid 7.

Pros:

Theon
Arya and Tywin (dragging a bit though)
Jaime
Sansa

Cons:

Jon
Daenerys
Cersei