[spoilers] Nitpicking with impunity

[JesterX]

BINGO!! Instead of Jorah in a brothel with a silver haired whore, it'll be Connington with a silver haired male whore. I feel 99% certain of that, the other 1% exists only because I wonder if they'll leave Jon Con out. I suspect that they might look for an even easier, quicker way to intro Young Griff. The Grayscale might make him necessary, maybe? Although, they already have Shireen for that, don't they?

Hmmmmmm, I'm wondering, though, JonCon, Duck, and a silver haired male prostitute, that's more up their alley, right?

Has anyone else noticed that the show has NEVER explained Shireen's greyscale? And just like they did with the Hound's burns this season, they've minimized her scaly face. You can still see it but it doesn't jump out at you like before.

[Lady Fevre Dream]

If they cut Jon Con I'll personally punch the HBO crew on the face. All of them.

I thought of that one with your name, I was wondering how you'd take that.

Still, between the idea of needing Young Griff, another grayscale victim, and the chance at fun times with Jon Con and Loras (that just sounds sooooooooooo wrong, I'll stick to the prostitute and Duck), your chances might be better than I thought originally.

[Lady Fevre Dream]

Has anyone else noticed that the show has NEVER explained Shireen's greyscale? And just like they did with the Hound's burns this season, they've minimized her scaly face. You can still see it but it doesn't jump out at you like before.

I still do notice her face, but yes, they seem to keep her in rooms that are pretty dark. I've noticed they never have mentioned exactly her condition, have they? I'm noticing lots of people noticing the things they don't explain in the show in general this week. Dragon names, being one I've read lots about this week, too. I really wonder how much they realize that they are lacking severely in the explainations, and simple naming, departments.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

I thought of that one with your name, I was wondering how you'd take that.

Still, between the idea of needing Young Griff, another grayscale victim, and the chance at fun times with Jon Con and Loras (that just sounds sooooooooooo wrong, I'll stick to the prostitute and Duck), your chances might be better than I thought originally.

They can't cut Jon Con. First, he's relatively important for Tyrion's plot and Aegon. Also, with Loras in the KG and Oberyn gone, they need someone to fill their LGTB quote. Unless Olyvar is Satin and send him to the Wall.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

I still do notice her face, but yes, they seem to keep her in rooms that are pretty dark. I've noticed they never have mentioned exactly her condition, have they? I'm noticing lots of people noticing the things they don't explain in the show in general this week. Dragon names, being one I've read lots about this week, too. I really wonder how much they realize that they are lacking severely in the explainations, and simple naming, departments.

Selyse kinda says it's a condition and a sickness because she's like Stannis sinful, stubborn and sullen, but they don't say much else. I guess people already realise it's a disease but they don't know anything else.

[Lady Fevre Dream]

Olyvar seems a sneaking little shit, he is NOT Satin. It's a damn shame, but yes, their 'take' non the LGTB lifestyle probably does give us some promise of Jon Con. We can hope reminscing about a Silver Prince is enough, we'll have to see.

The Rolling Stone GRRM article that the site has linked has me really thinking GRRM will not be speeding up books for the show. At least not the last book, I'm not sure if that bodes for good or ill in relation to story and character on the show. I get the feeling that we'll know for sure by the time the show hits this time frame. I have my fingers crossed, hoping it helps. ;)

[Old Man River]

Using the HBO Go subtitles to confirm the spelling, this is what Tywin says to Tommen:

"Orys the First was just. Everyone applauded his reforms. Nobles and commoners alike. But he wasn't just for long. He was murdered in his sleep after less than a year by his own brother. Was that truly just of him? To abandon his subjects to an evil that he was too gullible to recognize?"

....this creates all kinds of problems.

At first I thought he was slurring "Aerys the First" or possibly "Aenys the First"...though they're both a stretch.

The problem is that there is no king who ruled for less than a year but was then murdered by his own brother (the only king to rule one year was Viserys II, but he was an old man, and his brothers were dead by that point - his last brother being the previous king).

Aerys I was not murdered by his own brother, or at least I'm fairly sure Maekar I never did that. And he ruled for many years. On top of that Aerys I was an infamously weak, do-nothing king, not a great reformer.

Aenys I...may have attempted reforms but been killed by Maegor the Cruel, his own brother. We don't know how Aenys I died in the books.

A RUNNING GUESS which I have is...maybe they thought that "Aenys" sounds too much like "anus" on TV, and in the TV continuity he's been renamed Orys? It's actually not much of a stretch to say that Aegon I would name his firstborn son after Aegon's Hand of the King and only close friend. Though it is weird to say that Aenys/Orys ruled only one year when he ruled for a few more than that (though not the biggest change in the world).

The other possibility is that "Orys the First" was an important ancient Storm King or something, but not a king who sat on the Iron Throne.

This is a serious problem.

Someone with access to Cogman via twitter (i.e. Westeros.org) really needs to ask about that one.

Interesting. I can only say that the show is making it's own changes to the history as suits it.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

Interesting. I can only say that the show is making it's own changes to the history as suits it.

They already made Aegon V being father of Aerys II, rather than Jaeherys.

[Ser Desmond Wine's Bane]

That's a good point. My other thought (which is basically an elaboration on yours) was that because we miss out on all the internal dialogue in the show (MOST of Dany's chapters are her talking in her head, aren't they?) we are maybe seeing what book!Dany WOULD look like to the people she's interacting with, but we're ONLY seeing that one side, thus the incredible one-dimensionality of it all.

Either way it's in large part a writing failure, as that should have been an obvious issue that really should have gotten some attention in reworking her scenes. We can have 15 extra Oberyn brothel scenes that aren't canon, but they couldn't be bothered to add in some kind character/plot device for expressing Dany's thought processes and inner vulnerability... Sigh.

Yep, an example is the Astapor scene where she says "All men must die but not for a long while, we may pray" then takes Missandei's hand. This was replaced with 'We are not men'. Any tender moments or the times she looks away from the Unsullied because of the tears in her eyes were replaced with 'badass' persona. Even when she rages in tears at Jorah for bringing her to this place was replaced with steely 'badass' resolve.

[Petyr Patter]

Emilia Clarke has been going downhill since Season 1. I don't really understand why. I liked her in S1! Are there theories on why her acting has devolved so much??

In season 1 Clarke was asked to play a scared girl who none the less is caring and eager to learn. We see her learning and growing and navigating her role with her brother, her husband, Ser Jorah, her haindmaidens, and the rest of the Khalasar. Her having to come to grips with the fact the only family she has ever known is actually cruel and pathetic.

Now, her character has one personality trait: stoic. She doesn't have dialogue, she has proclamations. She doesn't have doubts, she has annoyances. In essence, Clarke is now portraying a completely different character. I don't know if this is how she chooses to interpret the transition, or if her directors are telling her to always act the 'god'.

Which is a shame. Because Danaerys should be showing doubt at her cause, concern over how she's going to feed her freedmen, and realization that her current actions are a detriment to ever going to Westeros. In the books, Meereen isn't taunting her because they are silly and evil, but because they have a dominant military position. Danaerys doesn't have a way to beat the high walls of Meereen without high cost or great risk. Which makes her decision to take the city much more tense and dramatic.

[Nami]

Olyvar seems a sneaking little shit, he is NOT Satin. It's a damn shame, but yes, their 'take' non the LGTB lifestyle probably does give us some promise of Jon Con. We can hope reminscing about a Silver Prince is enough, we'll have to see.

The Rolling Stone GRRM article that the site has linked has me really thinking GRRM will not be speeding up books for the show. At least not the last book, I'm not sure if that bodes for good or ill in relation to story and character on the show. I get the feeling that we'll know for sure by the time the show hits this time frame. I have my fingers crossed, hoping it helps. ;)

I love how their LGBT take is all related to sex and whoriness. Nice message.

I really side eye those producers.

We have unecessary rape scenes and all gay characters fucking everything they see in their sight.

[HairGrowsBack]

In season 1 Clarke was asked to play a scared girl who none the less is caring and eager to learn. We see her learning and growing and navigating her role with her brother, her husband, Ser Jorah, her haindmaidens, and the rest of the Khalasar. Her having to come to grips with the fact the only family she has ever known is actually cruel and pathetic.

Now, her character has one personality trait: stoic. She doesn't have dialogue, she has proclamations. She doesn't have doubts, she has annoyances. In essence, Clarke is now portraying a completely different character. I don't know if this is how she chooses to interpret the transition, or if her directors are telling her to always act the 'god'.

Which is a shame. Because Danaerys should be showing doubt at her cause, concern over how she's going to feed her freedmen, and realization that her current actions are a detriment to ever going to Westeros. In the books, Meereen isn't taunting her because they are silly and evil, but because they have a dominant military position. Danaerys doesn't have a way to beat the high walls of Meereen without high cost or great risk. Which makes her decision to take the city much more tense and dramatic.

:agree:

I very much enjoy reading Daenerys' chapters (yes, even from ADwD), but the show has simply made me stop caring from season 2 onwards. There is zero complexity to her character or even her plot/storyline as a whole. This may yet change, with things going downhill in Meereen later on, but I have my doubts.

[Cas Stark]

:agree:

I very much enjoy reading Daenerys' chapters (yes, even from ADwD), but the show has simply made me stop caring from season 2 onwards. There is zero complexity to her character or even her plot/storyline as a whole. This may yet change, with things going downhill in Meereen later on, but I have my doubts.

The show seems pretty committed to Targaryen Jesus, so I have a feeling that her string of bad decisions in Meereen is going to be seriously truncated. I also think she now functions as the sort of 'feel good' segment, where we've got the badass warrior girl whose smiting her enemies right and left as relief from the Westeros stuff.

I don't think Emilia is capable of "complex", even season 1, she was fairly stoic and one note, only her one note was a little different, but still really a lesser form of the Queen Mode she's been in.

[Nami]

The show seems pretty committed to Targaryen Jesus, so I have a feeling that her string of bad decisions in Meereen is going to be seriously truncated. I also think she now functions as the sort of 'feel good' segment, where we've got the badass warrior girl whose smiting her enemies right and left as relief from the Westeros stuff.

I don't think Emilia is capable of "complex", even season 1, she was fairly stoic and one note, only her one note was a little different, but still really a lesser form of the Queen Mode she's been in.

I notice she never really mentions Westeros anymore. If I was an Unsullied I would be asking what does this girl have to do with the crap going on in Westeros. I have a feeling most of them even forgot she is a Targaryen?

I don't know, this show became a pale shadow of what the first season was. Funny because you expect to be better and bigger since it became more famous, but now when you look at it, it kinda seems low budget, if you take out all those bad effects and CGI dragons.

[Nami]

ShowDany is completely one dimensional.

[iknownothingjonsnow]

Emilia Clarke has been going downhill since Season 1. I don't really understand why. I liked her in S1! Are there theories on why her acting has devolved so much??

It's a really good question. I know they auditioned a lot of early 20-something females who were capable of doing the weak girl but not the powerful woman. On one hand that would seem to be Emilia's problem, but on the other hand I thought she was actually pretty good playing 'strong' in Season 1 ("The next time you raise a hand to me will be the last time you have hands", "It is not your screams I want, only your life", etc...).

I think you and Ser Desmond are on the right track, I'm just not sure how much of the problem is the writing versus her acting. Which is to say, Dany has definitely become one-dimensional, and I think that her lack of complexity is the underlying problem, I just feel it comes down to Emilia completely losing any sort of humanness in the character.

The speech she gave in front of the funeral pyre in 1.10 conveyed both genuine strength and the scared girl who was faking it until she made it, resulting in a very compelling performance IMO. Ever since, I don't see a strong woman, or a girl who is trying to appear strong and overplaying her hand, I just see a demurely arrogant little b***h who is incredibly off-putting in everything she does.

[Cas Stark]

I notice she never really mentions Westeros anymore. If I was an Unsullied I would be asking what does this girl have to do with the crap going on in Westeros. I have a feeling most of them even forgot she is a Targaryen?

I don't know, this show became a pale shadow of what the first season was. Funny because you expect to be better and bigger since it became more famous, but now when you look at it, it kinda seems low budget, if you take out all those bad effects and CGI dragons.

I agree. My theory is that while the multiple sets and locations is "cool"...all of the logistics have caused the actual show itself, e.g. writing, continuity, etc. to suffer, they're spending so much time on the props, locations, shoots that the script isn't what it should be. So, its hit or miss.

The had tons of time to perfect the first season before they shot the first scene. Now, I suspect the time frame is not only shorter but they've got all those different sets and shooting locations.

[Nami]

It's a really good question. I know they auditioned a lot of early 20-something females who were capable of doing the weak girl but not the powerful woman. On one hand that would seem to be Emilia's problem, but on the other hand I thought she was actually pretty good playing 'strong' in Season 1 ("The next time you raise a hand to me will be the last time you have hands", "It is not your screams I want, only your life", etc...).

I think you and Ser Desmond are on the right track, I'm just not sure how much of the problem is the writing versus her acting. Which is to say, Dany has definitely become one-dimensional, and I think that her lack of complexity is the underlying problem, I just feel it comes down to Emilia completely losing any sort of humanness in the character.

The speech she gave in front of the funeral pyre in 1.10 conveyed both genuine strength and the scared girl who was faking it until she made it, resulting in a very compelling performance IMO. Ever since, I don't see a strong woman, or a girl who is trying to appear strong and overplaying her hand, I just see a demurely arrogant little b***h who is incredibly off-putting in everything she does.

Agree with everything.

Dany is my favorite character in the books, but watching her scenes in the show makes me annoyed and I start to get mad at the character.

I really think the real problem with this show is the directing and writing.

[John Suburbs]

I don't mind Tyrion's accent so much, but for chrisakes, run a comb through your hair. Your at court now, Master of Coin, former HotK, and even at your own wedding you look like you just woke up in a pig sty.

[Le Cygne]

I love how their LGBT take is all related to sex and whoriness. Nice message.

I really side eye those producers.

We have unecessary rape scenes and all gay characters fucking everything they see in their sight.

Whatever happened to, "When the sun has set, no candle can replace it?" They just yank these defining things away from these characters, like they never meant a thing. And it's not just books vs. show, it's show vs. show. Who could hang a name on them, when they change with every new day.