Sun and Moon

I really didn't want to jump online and offer a knee-jerk reaction, and so I've given my self a week and watched the ep. again. Words fail me as to how disappointed I still feel. As much as I'm an avid reader, I understand that concessions and compromises must be made in the attempt to bring this epic story to the screen; some I have approved of, some not so much. For me, it all came down to tone and mood. My initial impression on reading the scene was one of impending doom. The only bright ray, if one could call it that, was Edmure's and Roslin's reaction to each other but even that began to strike a bitter chord, as it became increasingly apparent that it was more than the thought of the bedding that was troubling her. Even the 'Jon's drinking, for all its humour, was ringing alarm bells loudly in my ears. The feast itself should have felt nothing short of miserable. Now, I know that much of my take was based on Cat's internal dialogue, and obviously that is something that would have been very hard to get across on screen, but I just felt that Cat's observations were a tad too little, too late. Even the chain mail reveal didn't exactly sit well with me. I just can't shirk the opinion that the screenplay reduced the scene to its lowest common denominator. It was almost enough to make me wish I was viewing the events for the first time as unsullied viewers did. Edit: Silly me... I've become so completely despondent again, I've forgotten to dole out praise where I feel its due. Kudos for the way the Bran/Hodor warg was handled. Given that there hasn't been too much emphasis until now on the Stark kids warging abilities, I thought this was an excellent primer for the viewers, although they were probably so gutted by the RW that the full realisation of what Bran's ability might mean in the long run might have been temporarily shifted to the back of their minds. Jojen's dialogue did much to confirm the scale of Bran's achievement, which I think was sorely needed.

Thank-you, Lord Tyrion. Much appreciated.

Hey there! I've mean meaning to do this for a while now; I'm only into the lower double digits, post-wise, so I hope I haven't been amiss not doing so sooner. I first was introduced to GOT by my father. I'd taken a trip to visit my folks, and as very often was the norm, we talked for a while about we were currently reading. It needs to be said that my Dad loves history, so very often I'd leave with either an historical novel, or something a little more academic. If I remember correctly, the book he gave me prior was a book on the history of the Steel Bonnets, and the Border Reavers; It wasn't exactly my taste but, hell, I read it anyway. (I've always been of the opinion that it's worth giving his offerings the time of day. If nothing else, the possibility of future discussion is useful for dragging my father out of his reserved shell. History is his passion.) So, on this particular occasion, he pressed GOT's into my hands, looked me in the eye, and said: "You have got to read this!". When I asked what it was about, I thought it strange fodder for him. The alternative universe alone, and the supernatural elements just didn't align with his usual preferences. I went home and read the book, and phoned him to tell him how much I enjoyed it, and we continued the rest of the books apace. I didn't get to see him very often, and none of my close friends are readers, so sometimes I really felt the need to speak on the subject, but no matter how much I badgered and goaded my friends there were no takers. Then I found this board. Since then I have read the first three books three times, and the last two, two times apiece. I live in Belfast, Northern Ireland, so I was completely stoked when HBO announced that they'd be filming right across from where I live. The interest this provoked, along with the first series, started my daughter reading. (I hate to say it, but aside from school text books when she was younger, she'd never read a book in her life.) and also one of my close friends, who are now desperately playing catch up to the series. It never ceases to amaze me how that one book set in motion, my daughter's foray into the world of literature. Not having been able to instill this myself, made me feel like a failure as a parent. Martin will always have my profound respect, for opening up a whole new world to her. (And I don't just mean his universe.) I've started posting occasionally, rather than lurking, but by the time I get round to expressing my opinion, I find that my feelings have often been expressed by someone else, but still, I love coming here, just to see what everyone else is thinking and feeling. Probably more than you guys ever needed or wanted to know, but there ya have it. :D

Despite having a few quibbles, I enjoyed the episode, and gave it a seven. The main scene that caused me to mark down, was that of Margaery with the orphans. Whilst I appreciate what the writers were trying to do, I thought the scene was ridiculously heavy handed. Like so many others, I was a little under-awed by the scene with Jon and Mance, and yes, I was looking out for the lining of his cloak. I always viewed it as a symbol of Mance's defiance. I was quite surprised when I heard of Hinds being cast... he is certainly not what I pictured in my head, but he's a actor of considerable charisma, so I'll be interested to see what he does with the role, nonetheless. The Unsullied? ...hmmm... babies? ...hmmm? For the time being, I'm going to reserve judgement, but was the original idea not that they would carry out orders, even those that were of personal detriment? I don't see that this change adds anything, but manages to detract plenty. There was much to like, however, and many of the departures from the source material, for e.g. Selmy not bothering with his pseud, was a good move, and made sense. Why attempt the pretense, when screen time is so precious? Okay, so we've lost Belwas, but I can live with it. Great scenes with many of the other characters. I especially enjoyed Tywin and Tyrion, Davos and Saan, to name but two. Massive kudos, to the guys responsible for the C.G.I. I was so impressed how wonderfully they handled the depiction of the Giant. Tasteful and not over played in the least. When I first heard ASOIAF was making it's way to the telly, this aspect troubled me most. I was afraid, if done badly, it would make it harder for those watching who are not of a fantasy bent, to take the series seriously, and as these aspects will only become stronger, the further into it we go, sympathetic handling is essential. Going on what I've seen, so far, I'm quietly optimistic. And now... a repeat viewing is the order of the hour.