GSP

7. Can't believe they left out Jamie's admission about Tysha, especially since they actually had dealt with the Tyrion and Tysha marriage in the show. Why? Laziness? A total disrespect for the viewer's abilities to follow? That really, really irked me. And now they killed Jojen too? I couldn't help lamenting and suspecting that the writers might regret killing Grenn and Pyp. But I am almost certain they will regret offing Jojen. Book Jojen knows full well when his time to die will come and why, and I do suspect it will be something important, and it very well could make plot issues for the show. Oh, I'm sure they'll patch it up somehow of course. I'm equally sure it will be a fully unsatisfying and forced fix as well. The Maid of Tarth is a baddass for sure, and beats most of the swordsmen in Westeros, that's fine. But just not the Hound. No way. Other than that those irksome changes the episode was pretty good. The one change from the series that I noticed that I did like was Cersei's admission/threat to Tywin. That was beautiful (and not far fetched).

Seven. Would have loved it, but they killed Grenn and Pyp for fuck's sakes. Highly suspect either or both of those characters have parts to play in the novels, so, way to go. Of course, when you don't ever introduce the one armed blacksmith (Donal Noye iirc?), I suppose Grenn's got to eat it when he goes into the tunnels. The action was really well choreographed imho. Allister Thorne actually looked like a guy who knew what to do with a sword.

Gave it a seven. For reasons I can't quite put my finger on, the episode just didn't do too much for me. Viper/Tyrion scene was solid, but probably underwhelming in effect having been book spoiled.

Gave it a nine. Loved the entire trial and thought this was one of the scenes the series truly nailed. IIRC Tyrion got in some even stronger lines than he did in the book. And yeah, Dinklage is just awesome!

Gave this one a ten. Best of the season imho and one of the best of the series to date.

Awesome episode! And entirely boobless, oddly enough. It's like they had to fast forward some plot to make up for all of last week's useless nudy scenes. Thank you whoever at HBO got on that.

Gave it a ten, cause that's all that I was allowed to give. Awesome adaptation. Bridge of burning ships would have been cool but prohibitively expensive, I get it. Damn I wish they had a boundless budget!

Gave it a nine. A lot going on from the book that was well portrayed imho. A couple diversions from the books, but in a good for a tv series way.

Solid 8, would have thrown an 8.5 if it was possible. Wow, an entire episode without gratuitious sex scenes! Perfect. I realize the show needs to make a lot of changes from the books, and they often make sense, but to me there were a series of little changes from the book that I just don't understand why they are making them: Jon begging to go with the halfhand when in the book the halfhand chooses to bring him The wildfire being Joffrey and the Queen's idea What's his face in Qarth having previously married for love but loosing her instead of clearly being gay Just don't know what about translating the epic onscreen is helped by these changes, which kind of screw with the characters imho.

Gave it an eight. Yoren's story about how he ended up on the wall was the best thing the show has added that wasn't in the books imho.

Agreed with everything Vic-tarion Rattlehead said, but even more so, just love that handle! That's old school my friend! Killing is very much Vic's business (both of em). Can't really say anything that hasn't been said a dozen times here. Boo Ros. Boo brothel scenes. Stannis ... overcome by passion?! -- Boo Salador Saan is Lysene isn't he? IIRC, aren't they described as being a notably pale people? The actor did a great job, the change works, and I'm not a stupid redneck that is bothered by such a change, but I'm just curious if I'm imagining this or not. Hey HBO, I understand you like to stuff in all the sex scenes you can, but do me a favour and skip the ones where the people involved are hideous. Could really have done without seeing those nasty dugs on the boat.

6 I was going to give it 4 but decided I was allowing my infuriation over getting ripped of two major and important battles cloud my judgement too much. I'm tring not to let having read the books cloud my judgement of the series. Still, I could only give it a 6. Seriously, if this is the gameplan they are going to follow, seasons two and three are going to give me an anuerism. I know they can't get everything in there, and from a budget standpoint, might as well cut out the big battle scenes, but if this just turns into a soap opera while wearing swords, I'll be sorely disappointed. Get a significant budget for large battle scenes for Season 2, please, for the sake of my mental health.

Great episode. Gave it a 9. Can't remember in the book if Roose Bolton was in the tent where Big John Umber lost his fingers but he should be leading infantry within the next episode or so to my recollection.

Too heavy on combat? Seasons two and three definitaly won't be up your alley then. Honestly, I can't wait till the gloves come off. Without combat, any given fantasy series is just a soap opera while wearing swords.

No, that Loras/Renly scene was never in the books. They've been doing a good job with a lot of these 'could have happened' scenes that serve to explain a lot in a quicker form than how it went in the books. Renly in the books did not seem to be half of the wuss the series is making him out to be. I always pictured him as being a lot manlier than the boyish Loras. There was no indication he was squeemish over blood for one. He seemed like he was supposed to have been a competent warrior in his own right (not elite by any means, but no joke). The series also made it very clear it was Varys and Illyrio down in the basement that Arya overheard. The books seemed to me to suggest that was who is was, but left it a little ambiguous iirc. I guess I can consider that confirmed when next I do a re read. This episode finally did some justice to what a giant of a beast Gregor is. You can see that Sandor was a big guy but he looked miniscule next to his brother.