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Drogon's Personal Trainer

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  1. Couldn't have put it better myself! I've not been commenting over here for a while, but Jeez - that has to be the worst episode of Thrones I've ever seen. My 5/10 was for some good actors trying to do their best, and some of the cinematography. But, gods, it was abysmal. What a let down.
  2. So glad to see posts like this. I no longer can be bothered posting - I just vote and go It's such a shame how these show threads have deteriorated to a slurry of in-fighting and name-calling by a proportion of the members. Love to all.
  3. Well, I'm a big show fan (of the mindless entertainment brigade) and there is no way in holy hell that the show (bless it) has EVER been either high art or superior/serious drama. It wouldn't make my list of 'Best ever' by a long way - but then neither would an awful lot of what passes for 'Best ever' on various internet lists, which seem to totally disregard anything produced prior to about 2010! I can't speak for the 'huge amount of GoT fans', Gabe, but my own appreciation comes from a theatrical stance as well as a pure entertainment stance. I love the production values; I love the great theatrical set pieces. There are one or two very good acting performances, and a handful of decent characters whom I root for. Same with the books for me. Not great literature, but a rattling good yarn and a brilliantly realised world. I think both ASOIAF and GoT are more cultural phenomena than art. People get passionate about both - whether in love or hate. Both the show and the books must be doing something right to get so many people engaged. Regarding the books, however, I made the mistake recently of reading the first few chapters of 'The Eye of the World' by Robert Jordan. I put it down and then re-read a chapter of AGOT, which was like bloody Shakespeare in comparison ;) :)
  4. That's not entirely fair, though, is it? It is billed as a Drama. It is advertised among other dramas. When nominations for awards come around it is in the Drama category alongside such shows as Mad Men et al. Don't misunderstand me - I'll always have a soft spot for GoT, big daft mess that it is, but people are bound to compare drama to drama - even more so if the show categorises itself as such.
  5. Martin has also said that Jon is not dead. Not like that, but indirectly. "Oh, you think he's dead, right?". Considering Jon is being set up to be a big player in the books, it's very obvious he can't kill him now. The thing is, some storylines and developments are so naturally leaded in a way, that the line between something spoiling it or simply confirming it is too thin. This is what is happening with the show. The show is confirming theories that a big percentage of the readership already believes will happen or are just hinted in books (like VS killing Others). The scene with Shireen is particularly tricky because Stannis is in no position to be anywhere close to Shireen at the moment in the books. In the show, Shireen is burned because they need to improve their odds before leaving to Winterfell. But in the books, Stannis has already parted and he's enduring a blizzard by saying "no more burnings, pray harder" and "if I die, put my daughter on the throne". While many believe Stannis will die while facing the Boltons, some others are sure -me, among them- that Stannis still has a role to play. He might be able to burn Shireen, but not because of the reasons of the show, as he's past beyond that scenario at the moment. For that to happen as in the show, Stannis or one of his men would have to fly back to the Wall and give the order. Shireen will be burned. I'm sure that will happen, sadly. Yet, one thing is to die for Stannis' cause and another one, by his hand. I think the first scenario is more likely. The situation at the Wall is about to get quite desperate. Not only due to the Others being about to invade, but because Jon has just been stabbed and hell is about to break. Remember that among the people in there, Val wanted the girl dead while Melisandre would do it if she believes Stannis is dead and they need to bring back Jon, who she already is starting to believe being AA and she's there to fight him, not to win a crown. I think, rather than spoil Stannis doing it, it does confirms Mel doing the deed for the sake of Jon's. I think that the sacrifice will come a lot later in WOW, and the stakes will be a lot higher - not just Stannis stuck in a blizzard. I think the show is obviously rushing his story through, truncating it, because he may not be around towards the end. I am upset about that from a personal point of view because I do actually like book Stannis (with all his flaws) and thought he would at least sit on the throne for a short while to bring back some order - Draconian though that order may be, it would be perhaps necessary. And even if he does do that in the books, he is clearly not going to do it on the show - well, I guess that isn't cast in stone, but it seems unlikely. I will also be very sad to lose one of best actors on the show - although perhaps Dillane will be glad to have it over with :)
  6. Presumably because they were seated with the crowd and had their masks hidden under their clothes? That's what I thought anyway FWIW.
  7. Absolutely! All this arguing gets tiresome. There are those who love the books and think the show is butchery. Fine. There are those who love the show and thinks the books aren't all that brilliant, or maybe don't even read them at all. Fine. We should ALL be allowed our opinions without carping at each other. As your old Aunty Drogon, I feel like banging heads together sometimes...... :D I gave it a 10 - the Shireen scene was heartbreaking, but not unexpected and I loved the Dany moments. I cried at both - I've now reached the age where my bladder is too close to my eye (as my old Gran would say) but I don't give a bugger. The show can still move me at times. Pax.
  8. Haha - well, there was ONE moment in the whole of ADWD that I actually loved, and it's coming in the next episode. I just hope Hardhome hasn't taken too much budget from DrogonAir :) But I'm sure it won't be as spectacular as the images I see in my mind when reading it.
  9. I'm torn with predicting Jorah's fate in the show. Yes, he could be the means to get greyscale to Westeros, but I also wonder whether he is going to be toasted by Rhaegal in place of Quentyn Crisp. He could be the one who releases the dragons. Death by Rhaegal may even be kinder in the long run. I don't know. We'll know in a couple of weeks.
  10. I usually prefer to remain ladylike on forums but that was one fantastic fucking episode! 10/10. I bet I wasn't the only one screaming Longclaw!!!!!
  11. What a difference a week makes. Thoroughly enjoyed that. I gave it a 9. But again, what was the whole point of Dorne apart from showing us Tyene's tits? I'll have a re-watch and may lower my vote, but at the moment I've probably given a high mark out of sheer relief - lol. Some decent dialogue tonight. Jonathan Pryce gave a chilling performance.
  12. Quite! I should imagine that with dialogue like this, Stephen Dillane hopes he gets killed off very soon.
  13. I can sympathise. I have given a 4 this time - I've never marked it as low as that. I don't hold it to such high criteria as I would some other dramas, therefore I've tended to vote purely on its entertainment value and forgiven the flaws. This episode has to be the worst I've seen in the history of the show. It wasn't just the Sansa rape for me - although that just rounded off what was a very messy episode. It started quite promisingly with Arya's scenes, but all in all it was terribly disjointed last night, with clunky direction and clunky writing. Margaery's arrest was rushed and unbelievable. In fact the whole sparrows thing has been poorly handled, despite the presence of the wonderful Jonathan Pryce. Tyrion and Jorah stuck in the middle of nowhere and jumped by the pirates/slavers was also clunky. I can't even bring myself to talk about Dorne any more. I didn't mind the LF/Cersei scene, and to me it was there to set up the fact that LF has really over-reached himself this time and will pay for it. But again, nothing really flowed last night. It was just bad all round. Although I suppose one could say that the Sansa wedding night was 'tastefully' shot - in that we did not actually see the rape - I still have a problem (as do many others on the Board) with rape being used as a device for female character growth. I really think this was a step too far. My 4 score is for the usual great production values, one or two stellar acting performances and the Arya scenes. It's worrying, because there are only 4 episodes left to pull this back together.
  14. I think the feather - covered in dust - was to remind us that Robert placed it in Lyanna's hand in Episode 1 of the whole damned thing :) I thought it was the same feather.
  15. Totally agree re. Dorne. I voted 8 this week, the 2 points coming off for Dorne. I was happy with everything else. I'm not watching it for adherence to the books at this stage, just where the internal show story is going.
  16. I'm just not enjoying Dorne at all so far. Such a disappointment, although I suppose it hasn't really got going.
  17. I agree entirely! If they can engage the audience and portray a believable character, I couldn't care less about the accent. That's the point I was making, really. :)
  18. Oh, Clariana - we Brits could say the same about Peter Dinklage's accent - and we've put up with it for 4 years!
  19. At last we in the UK get to see the show at the same time as our US cousins now - so that's a plus. That Sky Atlantic STILL inserted two commercial breaks is not - but that's for another time.... I actually voted 8 for 501 but have only given this one a 7. I had to take off a whole 3 points for what was a dreadfully clumsy and contrived scene at the inn with Brienne/Pod and LF/Sansa. As others have said here, Sansa is supposed to be incognito and Brienne has a voice like a foghorn. But that apart, the sheer coincidence of Brienne and Pod coming to the exact inn where Sansa was....I don't know. I expected better than this, Poor writing. I'm also not too sure about the Jaime/Cersei scenes this year so far. I think the show has rather shot itself in the foot with these two by changing the dynamic between them at the end of last year. Their scenes seem awkward now, and the dialogue poor. I am glad to see Jaime depart for Dorne. I've always thought these two were better apart, but nowhere has it been more obvious than in these two opening episodes - for artistic reasons, if nothing else! All the rest I enjoyed. I think the wall story has truly benefited from the presence of the sainted Dillane, and I actually felt sorry for Dany in Meereen this week. She couldn't do right for doing wrong, but she is learning that rulership is always going to piss someone off. I think the scene with Drogon at the end was a hint. 'Come with me, Mum....' That's how I saw it anyway, but obviously the bookless audience wouldn't realise that. Sheereen continues to be a delight, and it was also nice to see a little cameo of Lollys Stokeworth. Like others, I cheered when Lyanna Mormont's letter was read! Still largely a setting up episode, but as usual the production values continue to be excellent. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
  20. I think quite a few posters here start from the premise of how closely the episode adheres to the books - which is as valid a starting point as any. It's not part of my own criteria - I look for different things - but some posters look for characterisation, motives, plotlines etc. which reflect the books, and get upset when they don't. There's room for all. :D
  21. See - even I can't accept this, Haldir. Let's forget the books for a moment and examine this as a show only scenario. If Tyrion is pissed with his father for sentencing him to death, he goes off to confront him about it? Let's forget we know what happens for the moment. Suppose Shae hadn't been in the bed? Suppose Tywin calls his guards. Heck, suppose Tywin actually has a guard in the room with him. Plus, isn't Tyrion putting Jaime into jeopardy too, for releasing him? Or are we thinking that Tyrion went there with the sole intention of killing his father? If he didn't - if he just went there to offer one of his usual snarky speeches, I think he would be acting foolishly. He is putting himself right back into the danger Jaime has just freed him from. Perhaps this was the intention from the show writers, however. To show he wasn't thinking straight, but even so.... As I say - this was only a small thing in the end, but it did scream out at me for those few seconds when he was at the crossroads in the corridor. I've read the other explanations here from the posters, but it did come off as a bit contrived to me. (Gosh - I never thought I'd be a nitpicker :))
  22. Me too. I think that as book readers we try to follow the story line from the books, therefore when certain things are missing or changed, it seems like a plot hole, or whatever. But if you follow the story in the show/episode itself, it can make sense. The only slight problem I had in the final Tyrion scenes was WHY he decided to take a detour to his father's room. Of course that DID make better sense in the book due to the Tysha reveal, so they slipped up there somewhat. But I just knew there would be no Tysha. The show had so obviously invested in the Tyrion/Shae relationship, it was obvious her betrayal would be the trigger. I wasn't too bothered by it - not just for 'Where do whores go?' (Gods save us!) but because that door has now closed on Tyrion's story, and he's off to Pentos. Streamlining - but I do admit it was a wee bit clumsy.
  23. Kevin, haven't you read any literary fiction? Write: 'The Power that moves them is powerless here' - and you have the opening quote for an essay. You could get 20 different meanings out of that...... ;) I'm only teasing. :) Even though I'm a show lover, I cannot say that Dave and Dan thought of anything as deep as that. Although they did give us that Beckett reference in the episode with Arya and the dying farmer...... ;) You are right about the thousand eyes and one, though. In the light of BR having two eyes, keeping that line in as a shout-out to the book readers made little sense.
  24. Then lobbest thou the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thy foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it. :)
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