Which Battle?

[King Tommen]

Don't think it confirms anything (officially anyways). There is no good reason why they wouldn't get a Season 4 but they aren't going to greenlight it until after S3 starts as is the HBO MO.

[Mr Fixit]

Season 4 is certain. Ratings for the first episode of S3 would have to be soul crushingly disastrous (below the lowest S1 levels) for S4 not be greenlighted. Since that's virtually impossible, S4 is a safe bet.

Now, S5 could be uncertain if S3 levels start noticably dropping, and that carries over even more sharply into S4. But that's a long way off to start speculating.

[StannisisaBAMF]

Battle for the Wall, I'd think

which one?

The battle from the south where ygrette dies? Or From the north with giants and stannis? Im guessing the later

[boojam]

which one?

The battle from the south where ygrette dies? Or From the north with giants and stannis? Im guessing the later

I keep wondering about that. It is a disposable narrative. All Castle Black needs to know is that there is going to be a full frontal assualt on the main gate and Jon is able to alert the NW at other ends of Wall. Jon may escape another way. For the big fourth season battle it is assualt for the North. In fact they might wait until then to have Ygrette killed , I don't but there is sure a lot of narrative to cover.

GRRM has not written it , but seems there has to one of the biggest battles of all when the Others army arrives.

[boojam]

Don't think it confirms anything (officially anyways). There is no good reason why they wouldn't get a Season 4 but they aren't going to greenlight it until after S3 starts as is the HBO MO.

Execpt I have never, never, heard of the shows producers make such an explicit reference to season before.

[Ran]

They have referred to things that explicitly before. It means nothing. They have to start work on breaking down and even writing scripts for the next season even before HBO gives the greenlight, because the production schedule is so tight. So they already know a lot about the 4th season and may even already have a script or two written. They'll even start pre-production meetings and hirings and so on early next year. But until HBO says 4th season is a go, it won't ramp up.

All that said, the 4th season of the show really is all but a certainty. It's just that HBO prefers not to count its chickens before they're hatched.

[boojam]

They have referred to things that explicitly before. It means nothing. They have to start work on breaking down and even writing scripts for the next season even before HBO gives the greenlight, because the production schedule is so tight. So they already know a lot about the 4th season and may even already have a script or two written. They'll even start pre-production meetings and hirings and so on early next year. But until HBO says 4th season is a go, it won't ramp up.

All that said, the 4th season of the show really is all but a certainty. It's just that HBO prefers not to count its chickens before they're hatched.

Yes I agree with all that.

Yet seems HBO acts strangely with expensive shows and especially one that seems just flat out successful.

For instance pre-production expenses ,for a big production , like this, come right out of their pockets.

I know what happened in the case of ROME , which was a little complex.

What happened with Deadwood, I don't know. (With LUCK I guess they just eat the loss.)

O well HBO moves in mysterious ways.

By the by since HBO has a better international distribution now, I have never seen , to date, the 'take' for season 2. Of course we still have the DVD set to come. I am guessing world wide HBO is doing well , profit wise, with the show.

[Mr Fixit]

I remember reading somewhere that their Season 1 DVDs/Blue-rays made an abnormal amount of money. Figures in excess of $100,000,000 were mentioned, if I remember correctly, though I'm not certain if that money was made solely on those or if it includes sales to foreign TV stations.

[boojam]

I remember reading somewhere that their Season 1 DVDs/Blue-rays made an abnormal amount of money. Figures in excess of $100,000,000 were mentioned, if I remember correctly, though I'm not certain if that money was made solely on those or if it includes sales to foreign TV stations.

All I ever saw was USA initial USA sales which were indeed extraordinary , never saw what , to date, USA sales were. I know I just bought season one DVD for a Christmas gift, better late than never!

I never saw international sales , DVD's for the HBO show are only way to see it in some parts of the world.

[Gannicus]

I wonder if they will somehow roll the two battles up north into one.

[StannisisaBAMF]

I keep wondering about that. It is a disposable narrative. All Castle Black needs to know is that there is going to be a full frontal assualt on the main gate and Jon is able to alert the NW at other ends of Wall. Jon may escape another way. For the big fourth season battle it is assualt for the North. In fact they might wait until then to have Ygrette killed , I don't but there is sure a lot of narrative to cover.

your probably right, for budget and time issues the may push all the wall vs wilding battles into one big one rather than have a long drawn out set of battles

[Vargo Hoat's Teddy Bear]

The wall probably. Season three will probably only carry up to Queenscrown and season 4 builds up towards the Battle of Castle Black.

[Iotun]

Season 3 Jon will end after the battle at Castle Black with the attack coming from the South and ygritte dying in Jon's arms. I believe the actress for Ygritte was only signed for 2 seasons so this makes sense. It also makes sense dramatically and leaves a big battle for the wall at season 4.

For Dany I'm not so sure.What I would like to see is all 3 cities, Astapor falls by the middle of Season 3, and Yunkai at the end of Seasson 3 (none fo these need to be big battles, we never really need to see Yunkai, but its a good excuse for seeing the mercenary companies. I also think its a good idea to keep Yunkai to show Dany's strategic abilities). Then at the end of S3, Dany, having been convinved not to attack Meereen, turns around and after she sees the first of the crucified children. The rest of S4 could be the siege and eventual takeover of Meereen.

There's a couple of reasons I'd like that - there's just not enough Dany material for later seasons if they finish all the conquests by Season 3, and the siege of Meereen, could make for very good TV, what with the attack at the gates, the infiltration through the sewers, and the freeing of the slaves at the fighting pits. It would be a great chance to introduce strong Belwas at that point as well, and leaves Dany finishing her S4 arc strongly when she exiles Jorah. I also thing its easier to leave the battle for Meereen as the late Season 4 climax rather than the battle at the wall, since I think there's a lot more Jon material to cover after the Wall battle than there are Dany. We could easily see the Wall battle at an episode 6, with the aftermath and the voting of Jon as Lord commander spanning the last 4 episodes of Season 4, and leave the Meereen battle for episode 9 of the same season. But I'm not as confidnet in my Dany predictions as in my Jon predictions so things could turn out either way.