114 replies to this topic

[Ser Hippie]

One thing I liked about the Varys/Bronn/Tyrion scene is how Varys seems to appear from nowhere in the background

[Reposado]

unqualified cheers for the shoot locations in iceland. absolutely breathtaking

the sets have been the biggest strength throughout the series, but north of the wall is just amazing

[CrypticWeirwood]

Lanza Rota, on 22 May 2012 - 05:01 PM, said:

unqualified cheers for the shoot locations in iceland. absolutely breathtaking

the sets have been the biggest strength throughout the series, but north of the wall is just amazing

There really is no substitute for location shooting, but gosh is it ever expensive!

If you ever watched the delightfully inspired Blackadder comedy series, the first season was all shot on location, full of horses and castles, and it nearly bankrupted them.  That’s why the rest of them were all studio productions only, with the exception of the very expensive millennium special.

We’re really lucky to have so much money available for this show.  Even so, it’s still horses-vs-Stonehenge.  I imagine that some of the reasons it’s shot where it is is economic ones.  It’s like how using New Zealand for the home of the Lord of the Rings was a whole lot cheaper than basing it in Hollywood or London. It made the money they had stretch further and better.

I’m sure the same is true here. I think there must be some highly non-trivial tax breaks involved, but don’t know any details; it’s just a hunch.

That said, I am afraid that Iceland may have been our Stonehenge. Just the harsh conditions alone are going to incur costs you wouldn’t see in Malta or Morocco.  I bet there’s a MacDonalds in Malta. : }

Edited by CrypticWeirwood, 22 May 2012 - 05:17 PM.

[sennahoj]

Lanza Rota, on 22 May 2012 - 05:01 PM, said:

unqualified cheers for the shoot locations in iceland. absolutely breathtaking the sets have been the biggest strength throughout the series, but north of the wall is just amazing

I second that. And I want to add some cheers for the location shoots in Croatia. I couldn't tell the sets apart from the actual medieval architecture already there. Splendid.

[RL Terrill]

The costuming is brilliance in and of itself for the whole series so far. Watching the very first episode my son and I turned to each other and gave a huge AWESOME when we realized how the Stark cloaks were fastened ( with the leather straps crossed over the chest ). The shear rightness of it was just so wonderful. I love all the details that each scene has. In this episode Talisa having to unlace all that lacing on Robb's coat, such a little thing that the writers could have avoided by another simpler costuming choice, but it gave a funny touching aspect to the scene. Wonderful.

GoT is indeed a great, great production for which I am so very thankful for. It is so gratifying to see a story played out with such a deft and caring hand.

[House Snow]

Loved the Stannis scene, wish there had been something similar in the beginning of the show.


Add me to the list that likes a lot of the changes they have made to characters, specifically making Jon and Dany less perfect then they were at this point in the book. Makes for better character evolution IMO

[bardgal]

Thank you so much for this thread.

I loved the whole episode.

I hope that when Jaqen changes, they can do it in a way that they keep the same actor. Change the hair, give him the hook nose and gold tooth - but keep Tom Wlaschiha!!!

[CrypticWeirwood]

RL Terrill, on 22 May 2012 - 05:46 PM, said:

The costuming is brilliance in and of itself for the whole series so far.  

I really want some of those costumes.

Joffrey is always dressed like  The Little Prince gone bad.

Varys  is always in a foofy dressing gown / bathrobe / house coat.  

Littlefinger is always neat and tidy.

Cersei’s dresses are elegant, and Dany’s are getting positively exotic: in Qarth she looks like a real superhero(ine), doesn’t she?

But the stuff I really want to get my hands on is Tywin’s elegant long coats. Those are just so cool!

[The Monkey]

I love that Stephen Dillane is finally Stannis. Took him half the season to find the role, but the scene between him and Davos was amazing.

Jaime & Brienne is building up to be the best road trip in TV history!

Loved Arya's shrug after Jaqen told him she has no honour.

I continue to be mesmerized by Isaac Hempstead-Wright's performance as Bran. The last shot of him in the crypts were heart-breaking.

[Drogon's Personal Trainer]

Far too many great things in this episode for me to name, and others have covered it adequately.  I'll content myself with a bit of selfishness.  I've noted on other threads that some scenes seem to be 'dark' (as in lighting) on the TV - I think CW mentioned that you have to have an HD set or something.  Thanks be to the Old Gods, I do own an HD set, and I have to say that on my TV the lighting this season for the interiors at King's Landing has been bloody breathtaking!  Really authentic candlelight.  Truly, it's been a thing of beauty.

It's tiny things like this I love, as much as the acting.  The beautiful visual details; the work that has gone into costumes; the mesmerising exteriors in Iceland.

And there may be one or two dashingly handsome guys on the show, but if I could have Conleth Hill on one arm and Stephen Dillane on the other, I'd be a very happy woman.  I've loved them both since they first stepped onto the stage screen.  Beautiful, subtle acting will get me every time.

I didn't have a gripe with anyone in this last episode, and I'm another Michelle Fairley fan. She can do no wrong for me, I'm afraid.

Are there only two episodes to go?

[Drogon's Personal Trainer]

bardgal, on 22 May 2012 - 06:06 PM, said:

Thank you so much for this thread. I loved the whole episode. I hope that when Jaqen changes, they can do it in a way that they keep the same actor. Change the hair, give him the hook nose and gold tooth - but keep Tom Wlaschiha!!!

Don't laugh or shout at me, guys - but you know what I would LOVE?  With the show making so many changes, one change I really would scream with joy about would be if Jaquen passes a hand over his face to reveal......a certain swordsman from Braavos.  Just indulge my little fantasy - I know it's not going to happen.

[House Snow]

LOL if they did that, Drogon Personal Trainer, every GOT related forum would crash for a week.

[iheartseverus]

HA!  If that happened, they'd hear me squeeeing all the way from here to Hollywood, to Ireland, to Iceland.  And back again!

[Warden of the North121]

Drogon, on 22 May 2012 - 06:36 PM, said:

Don't laugh or shout at me, guys - but you know what I would LOVE?  With the show making so many changes, one change I really would scream with joy about would be if Jaquen passes a hand over his face to reveal......a certain swordsman from Braavos.  Just indulge my little fantasy - I know it's not going to happen.

I would love this lol. Imagine if both that and Dagmer revealing to be Ramsay were in the finale. This forum might suffer a nuclear meltdown.

[Jolene Brown]

I was against the Dagmar-Ramsay thing at first but a part of me wants it to happen so I can see the wildfire grade fireworks explosion!

[Superior Glokta]

Stannis admits to not being a cat person...

[summer_stark]

probably everything has been said.  although i had plenty of complaints about this one, i like your thinking in doing an all praise thread -- and there is plenty to praise about this episode:

1) brienne & jaime -- "you're much uglier in daylight"  friggin hysterical.

2) yara's private talk with theon -- super good.  touching, and nice to see her show emotion for theon.

3) theon trying to make dagmer pay off the millers -- sort of makes you feel almost bad for his terrible decision making

4) theon finally standing up to dagmer re: burying the bodies -- when dagmer says to keep em up a few days longer, i loved theon's response -- forceful and finally an independent thought!

5) jaqen.  period.  "please"  lol so good.  and though i was disappointed w/arya's storyline, i did love the bamf-ness of him killing and propping up the guards.  awesome.

6) arya grabbing hot pie's face to find jaqen - lol.

7) tyrion & varys conversation, esp w/joffrey -- imagine stannis' terror.  i'm trying. HAH.

8) tyrion finally showing how much he loves shae.

9) tyrion/cersei scene -- such a great scene all around -- esp tyrion's controlled emotions - fear, relief, rage.

10) bran and co in the crypts!  yay!

11) stannis' onion story -- finally some background on the onion knight -- and loved the description of the siege of storm's end.

12) ygritte saving jon's life and then saying they're even.  rattleshirt's get-up

13) bran's face at the end.

14) bronn's description of thieves in a siege, and his implication that he killed the thieves, instead of coming out and saying it --

15) arya's shrug when jaqen tells her she has no honor.  FIST PUMP!

Edited by summer_stark, 25 May 2012 - 01:25 AM.

[SerMixalot]

I have been a vocal critic but that is a. because I am such a big fan of the books and season 1 and b. have way too much time on my hand.  If I didnt love the series I wouldnt be spending my time here picking out errors in interpretation!

All that being said, I must say that the series is very good entertainment and I am thrilled that HBO is making a serious Fantasy show with broad appeal.  That is something that has been missing from the world of entertainment and so rich for exploration.

Ignoring all the nitpicks, HBO has done a great job of bringing GRRMs work to life, the characters, the costumes the sets, the dialogue (for the most part) is true to the source.  It is truly a magnificent and ambitious project.

The casting was perfection in season 1 and while I have some quibbles with the casting in season 2, it has also been near perfect.  Melisandre is straight out of my head!

The acting has been universally superb, breathing life into all teh characters with the obvious standouts of Tyrion, Cersei, Catelyn, Varys, Arya, Tywin, Sansa, to name just a few.

[chinchalinchin]

CrypticWeirwood, on 22 May 2012 - 05:16 PM, said:

There really is no substitute for location shooting, but gosh is it ever expensive! If you ever watched the delightfully inspired Blackadder comedy series, the first season was all shot on location, full of horses and castles, and it nearly bankrupted them. That’s why the rest of them were all studio productions only, with the exception of the very expensive millennium special. We’re really lucky to have so much money available for this show. Even so, it’s still horses-vs-Stonehenge. I imagine that some of the reasons it’s shot where it is is economic ones. It’s like how using New Zealand for the home of the Lord of the Rings was a whole lot cheaper than basing it in Hollywood or London. It made the money they had stretch further and better. I’m sure the same is true here. I think there must be some highly non-trivial tax breaks involved, but don’t know any details; it’s just a hunch. That said, I am afraid that Iceland may have been our Stonehenge. Just the harsh conditions alone are going to incur costs you wouldn’t see in Malta or Morocco. I bet there’s a MacDonalds in Malta. : }

I'm glad someone understands this. I read people continually bitching about not seeing direwolves every episode or the lack of battles or dragons not being perpetually perched on Dany's shoulder. While, it's true, I would have loved to have seen the Battle of Whispering Wood or see Drogon spit a nasty fireball every other episode, I totally understand why this not possible.

I read interviews with D&D and they seem geniunely saddened at not being able to bring Martin's masterpiece to life they way want to. But, seriously, those dudes are doing an amazing job and should be given wet, sloppy blowjobs by all ASOIAF fans (myself excluded of course) for bringing this much determination to rendering his stories faithfully.

[ViennaGirl]

love Asha/Yara. different from the books, but I LOVE how the actress is playing her.

Rattleshirt was awesome.

Bronn is perfect.

Happy the Jon plotline looks to be headed back in the right direction.