[BOOK SPOILERS] Nitpick Without Repercussion

[Mark Antony]

I love historical fiction and drama. Hell, I love reading straight history books.

:wub:

[Ser Desmond Wine's Bane]

I did almost order for that. I hate having more and more channels and nothing on, though. I will do it on dvd/blueray or netflix or something someday. I love historical fiction and drama. Hell, I love reading straight history books. Yeah, I'm a reference book geek. :thumbsup:

+1 for Mark Antony's :wub:

Do it. Rome was brilliant.

Another I'd suggest is 'I, Claudius' from the 1970s if you can get your hands on it. Maybe 10 years since I saw it last and it has kept its age very well.

[Rashtibram]

Great episode overall, but I do have a few complaints:

– I wouldn't mind the new Daario if they hadn't completely changed his personality and the way the other characters interacted with him. Just makes for a jarring transition from last season to this one.

– The Thenns felt way too cartoonish and over the top. They felt like they would be more at home in "300" than GOT.

– So Aemon can just override the acting Lord Commander on important decisions? That scene kind of stretched my suspension of disbelief. Also, did Sam ever tell Jon that he saw Bran at the Nightfort? Maybe I'm misremembering, but I don't think Bran made him promise not to tell anyone on the show.

That's it, I think. I loved the episode.

[Pod The Impaler]

Most of the Jaime and all the Brienne scenes felt like filler, the scene together was basically, we can't rescue Sansa yet because we're back too early. There was a scene with Jaime trying to comfort Brienne after she learned about the Red Wedding on the way back that would have been better.

Yeah, Jaime & Brienne's arrival so early is going to have all sorts of follow-on effects, and this is one.

However, it did open up the chance for some negative Jaime / Joffrey interactions, which should make some sense for later events.

I agree with what others have said. If Oberyn is such a romantic and desirable guy then why would he need to go and hire prostitutes? Surely just travelling to the courts of noble houses and inns/taverns or at tournies in the realm would fit more for whats meant to be an adventurous heroic character. Having to pay for it feels like a poor fit. Especially when he pulls rank on the male pimp.

Oberyn is a libertine by nature, and likes to take chances and provoke people. I can totally see Oberyn throwing that whole "I am a Prince of Dorne, do you dare refuse me ?" at the brothel keeper, more as a sort of cruel jest, rather than really meaning it. Sadly, that's not the impression I got from how far he went with it. The confrontation Oberyn has with the two Lannister men after did seem quite true to character, even though it was a show-only event.

I'd prefer to have the scene when Tyrion is to meet Oberyn the way it was done in the books; that was actually one of the most memorable exchanges Tyrion had with anyone in the books.

Jorah telling Dany dragons can't be tamed. But who was Balerion, Meraxes and Vhagar? Jorah, you're from Westeros. You should know this.

Yeah, that was an outright mistake by the show. Of course they can be tamed. Not easily, and perhaps juvenile dragons may have the occaisional tantrum, but if a Targaryen can't manage it, who can ?

I mean, I know why they're introducing that bit into the show, I just think the writers could have come up with more solid reasoning and therefore dialogue.

[Colonel Green]

Brienne just being able to see Sansa and not try to interact with her/tell her about her promise to her mother felt a little out of character especially since we know Brienne knows about the Red Wedding. She's willing to tell Margaery that she still considers Renly a king and that she hasn't forgotten about Stannis, but can't take the time to pop by and be like, "Hey Sansa. Sorry about your family. I knew your mother and don't worry I'm going to get you out of here. Just be patient (insert filler here until Sansa is on the run with Littlefinger and Brienne has to try and find her again)."

Brienne not talking to Sansa at all definitely seems out of character to me. Moreover, since they're removing Sansa's agency from her escape, it's not like they want to avoid having her choose Dontos over Brienne, as she's making no choice at all. So on the face of it, there's no real reason they need to be kept apart.

It makes me wonder if Sansa not knowing anything about Brienne is going to be a really important plot point in the future.

[Le Cygne]

On the bright side, Brienne's little smile when Lady O told her she kicked Loras butt was nice. But bringing Jaime and Brienne back early was a bust, the only good thing is, it will be over soon.

[Angmar]

I didn't like Shae's scene. It seems like every season on most episodes she's jealous or angry and lashes out at Tyrion. It's kinda the same scene and same dialogue all the time...So boring.

Brienne and Jaime related to Sansa's escape. Again, why? It seems the show's turning the characters into selfish assholes on purpose.

Cersei bitching out at Jaime for no reason...I just don't get it, really. Why should she be angry at him? For what exact reasons? They write Cersei so contradictory on the show, It's so bizarre...

[Le Cygne]

My biggest nitpick was Drogon snapping at Dany. He never did that in the books. The Daznaks pit scene was only because he didn't recognize her, and was being attacked.

Yeah, that was especially bad since he is Nameless Dragon #1 (The Big One). A nice way to tie Khalessi (they don't know her name, either) to the reason she is khaleesi, Drogo. And the Drogo and Daario plots are tied to her identity, which means a lot in the story to come, she has a very strong connection to Drogon that matters.

He gives her flowers in the book.

Yeah, don't get the hate for the flowers scene. In this cesspool that is the world of ASOIAF, where there are so few tender moments you can count them on one hand, he's making a gesture here that she remembers over and over again. They do actually like each other, he wanted to see her smile.

[Flana]

I seriously cannot understand how they could make the Thenns into these super cartoonish and over the top cannibal people and yet they can't have Daario dye his beard even a little blue. <_<

Also Jorah calling Dany Khaleesi... Can someone please just call her by her actual name for once.

Cersei bitching at Jaime seemed off. Like what was her problem even? Joff is still alive so no real reason to be upset (maybe they are trying to play up the crazy in her but I dunno).

And I did not like the Arya/Hound scene :| They took 2 great book scenes and blended them together kinda loosing the impact of both of them along the way.

Also Tyrion being the nicest man in all of Westeros bothers me since forever XD especially now since he's suppose to be more bitter at this point.

Bitter, drunk, annoyed at everyone and trying to get into Sansa's panties and break through her courtesy wall.

And Shae being jealous of Sansa is just ridiculous. You're a whore... Just giggle a bit and do your job instead of playing the bitchy girlfriend.

I'm pretty sure they're just going to make her a victim later on. Torturing her to make her testify instead of offering her jewels or something like that, but we'll see.

[Cold Crashing Waves]

– So Aemon can just override the acting Lord Commander on important decisions? That scene kind of stretched my suspension of disbelief.

Thorne is only acting Commander and Aemon has the advantage of seniority and he's very well respected so he can do shit like that. He's the goddamn Maester.

Anyway, Thorne may not like or trust Jon but a part of him believed what he was saying. I don't think he would have had him executed either way, which is why he didn't put up much of a fight.

[The Kinkslayer]

Oberyn getting angry because of the rains of castamere: they lost a golden opportunity for singing the Dornishman's wife (or at least cracking a few how many dornishman jokes)

[Mark Antony]

Where is Ghost?

[Florina Laufeyson]

I did almost order for that. I hate having more and more channels and nothing on, though. I will do it on dvd/blueray or netflix or something someday. I love historical fiction and drama. Hell, I love reading straight history books. Yeah, I'm a reference book geek. :thumbsup:

Me too. I read things on the viking age a lot. <3

Where is Ghost?

Good question. We do need Ghost. We need to establish that Jon is, indeed, a warg.

So Aemon can just override the acting Lord Commander on important decisions?

Because hes muthergrabbin' Aemon Targaryen. Im a huge fan of all things Night's Watch and i observe the Wall stuff in the show with a great deal more scrutiny than the rest. But this didnt dent my willing suspension of disbelief at all, cuz...

Are you gonna argue with Aemon? :B

[Le Cygne]

Also Jorah calling Dany Khaleesi... Can someone please just call her by her actual name for once.

Quick research, but I came up with no one who calls Dany by her first name in the books, either, post-Viserys and Drogo (Dan Ares).

Jorah calls her khaleesi. Barriston Selmy, Missandei usually call her your grace. And Daario my queen... except in private. Here you go, Daario haters:

"She loved the strength in his arms, the sound of his laughter, the way he would always look into her eyes and say her name as he slid his cock inside her."

[Queen of Whores]

"She loved the strength in his arms, the sound of his laughter, the way he would always look into her eyes and say her name as he slid his cock inside her."

Ahh! My eyes! It burns! It burns!!!!

:P

[JonCon's Red Beard]

Quick research, but I came up with no one who calls Dany by her first name in the books, either, post-Viserys and Drogo (Dan Ares).

Jorah calls her khaleesi. Barriston Selmy, Missandei usually call her your grace. And Daario my queen... except in private.

Maybe they don't know her name :lol: (this could make a good Seinfeld episode)

Here you go, Daario haters:

"She loved the strength in his arms, the sound of his laughter, the way he would always look into her eyes and say her name as he slid his cock inside her."

Today I just read the chapters before any cock-sliding and she said Daario made her laugh, while Jorah didn't. Mystery solved. As the Genie said, "A woman appreciates a man who can make her laugh".

[Florina Laufeyson]

Quick research, but I came up with no one who calls Dany by her first name in the books, either, post-Viserys and Drogo (Dan Ares).

Jorah calls her khaleesi. Barriston Selmy, Missandei usually call her your grace. And Daario my queen... except in private. Here you go, Daario haters:

"She loved the strength in his arms, the sound of his laughter, the way he would always look into her eyes and say her name as he slid his cock inside her."

I like how Missandei calls her "Your Grace" and Barristan also does that. Makes Jorah's "Khaleesi" look kinda dumb cuz Grey Worm is also pretty much calling her "Your Grace". Har.

Maybe they don't know her name :lol: (this could make a good Seinfeld episode)

Today I just read the chapters before any cock-sliding and she said Daario made her laugh, while Jorah didn't. Mystery solved. As the Genie said, "A woman appreciates a man who can make her laugh".

Girls like it when a bloke can split her sides.

[paddington]

Is my general feeling too, and has been for a while.

There's nothing wrong with writers who adapt stuff, but I abhor writers who think they are more clever than the creator of the source material —or think they can improve on the source material.

Frankly, I've read Harry Potter fanfiction that had dialogue better than the original dialogue in this show.

I been trying to think of the reason that the brothel scene (and similar scenes in other season) are ethier funny, wierd, or just plain dull. I guess the reason is that they are almost all created by the show writers.

Oberyn's intro in the books was fine, it just felt like they tried to fix something that wasn't broken. Or have to fill a certian nude/sex per episode quota.

The nudity also feels forced/awkward, just wierdly scripted. I wish they would just leave it out, because it's done so poorly.

[Roose Seal]

I been trying to think of the reason that the brothel scene (and similar scenes in other season) are ethier funny, wierd, or just plain dull. I guess the reason is that they are almost all created by the show writers.

Oberyn's intro in the books was fine, it just felt like they tried to fix something that wasn't broken. Or have to fill a certian nude/sex per episode quota.

The nudity also feels forced/awkward, just wierdly scripted. I wish they would just leave it out, because it's done so poorly.

Well it wasn't as bad as Littlefinger's monologue in season 1 (that was seriously the most awkward and poorly written 5 minutes of television i've ever watched) but it was pretty bad.

I just can't wrap my head around why they would go out of their way to turn one of the most interesting and badass character introductions I've ever read into ... this?

Oberyn's introduction in the books is simple, straightforward, rife with backstory and characterization and in barely a couple pages we learn everything we need to know about this character: he's confident, arrogant, he loved his sister and his family, he doesn't care much for court pageantry and he's not here to take shit from anyone, not even a Lannister.

The show tells us that ... he is bi and he hates Lannisters. I mean, even if you look at it objectively and not compared to the books, this was a weakass introduction.

[ladyinblack]

Lack of horses is always going to be a problem. The horses are costly and when they die on set you get all sorts of trouble. HBO couldn't get through a season of Luck without a few horse deaths. And they literally had world class trainers and doctors on hand at all times for that show.

How many animals have died on the set of Thrones isn't known publicly. It's certainly not zero. But at this point, after the disaster of Luck, I don't think HBO wants to film with horses unless they are absolutely necessary. Though on the other hand with last night's ratings maybe a million horses could die and HBO would just ignore it

how dangerous is it for the Lannister reception party to be waiting on horseback? They are not in a war scene !

- - - -

The thing that bothered me about this episode is that they are lifting lines from The Wire again. "A man must have a code". They are removing lines from ASOIAF to shoehorn in Wire lines. And GOT's writing isn't as good as either shows. Why sacrifice ASOIAF lines for out of context Wire lines? Just to be hip? How long until GoT characters are quoting episodes of Silicon Valley or Girls?

Lack of horses is always going to be a problem. The horses are costly and when they die on set you get all sorts of trouble. HBO couldn't get through a season of Luck without a few horse deaths. And they literally had world class trainers and doctors on hand at all times for that show.

How many animals have died on the set of Thrones isn't known publicly. It's certainly not zero. But at this point, after the disaster of Luck, I don't think HBO wants to film with horses unless they are absolutely necessary. Though on the other hand with last night's ratings maybe a million horses could die and HBO would just ignore it

- - - -

The thing that bothered me about this episode is that they are lifting lines from The Wire again. "A man must have a code". They are removing lines from ASOIAF to shoehorn in Wire lines. And GOT's writing isn't as good as either shows. Why sacrifice ASOIAF lines for out of context Wire lines? Just to be hip? How long until GoT characters are quoting episodes of Silicon Valley or Girls?