Rant and Rave Without Repercussions - Includes Season 6 Spoilers

[LazyBazooka]

No colour in the show because we all know that colour is for gay people, right?

And we're also buying into the belief that the Middle Ages were bleak, depressing and miserable all the time. So grey suits that.

[Cas Stark]

This is a long standing rant about the bad costumes failing to distinguish the various armies and all the brown haired men.  You would think, given the large cast, that SPECIAL attention would have been paid to costuming the non leads to give some visual cues for the viewer as to who is allied with whom.

The scary thing is that I remember a piece on the wildlings where they were talking about the huge expense and all the massive work they did to distinguish the wardrobe?! for the various clans. Um, who cares?  They're wildlings.  They're extras.  We know they are wildlings because they're not in armor.  

Another of the long line of extremely strange decisions on where to spend the budget. God forbid they had spent it on Stark armor.

[Toth]

1 hour ago, Arrow of the Morning said:

The heraldry was neglected in most part in the show. The design in this game is much better and show the heraldry in a elegant way. Other thing, if you see in most armies: North, Ironborn, Stannis army as well, we don't see knights wearing nothing decorated with gold. Armors, jewels, buckles, mantles with golden or silver embroidery, all absent. The King of the North and the nobles dress like a hedge knight.

And about the dornish they could do much better, making a "oriental" style costume. One example is in the movie Kingdom of the Heaven, the armors the Arabs use are much better.

Saladin costume is great

Oh yes, Kingdom of Heaven! Awesome movie! And I also loved how during the shots in Jerusalem the sigils of the major players were everywhere. Like when Balian charged Saladin's outriders outside Krak de Chevalier with his houshold knights, I liked how striking and yet smoothly the heraldry of house Ibelin was put into the picture.

Outside of merchandise I am rarely aware in the show that they even have them. Even when someone bothers to wear his sigil  it is all grey and difficult to see, like with that ridiculous breastplate of Stannis. Seriously, has nobody told them that the purpose of heraldry is it to make it visible for everyone from miles away? In a medieval setting this is kind of important! These lords and ladies and kings and queens should wear clothes invoking their house colors as much as possible!

I also want to reinforce how awesome the Cyanide RPG in that regard it. Let me shortly explain that picture here and how the house sigils are actively used in the narrative:

In this picture you see our two protagonists, two knights of the Westerlands. Both of them start the game without any house color, but both of them have an awesome scene gearing up in which they decide to wear it and it is kind of made a point.

The left one is Alester Sarwyck. He is the eldest son of a minor Lord in the Westerlands, but after he obeyed an order that disgusted and dishonored him, he went into a self-imposed exile to Braavos where he became a Red Priest. Upon learning of his Father's death, he returns to Westeros only to find his hometown in grave danger. His younger brother is on the run as a wanted kinslayer and his sister is bravely running the place as Lady of Riverspring, only to be screwed over by an intrigue of Cersei Lannister and Alester's bastard brother Valarr Hill. Alester then finds his old armor in a chest and it is in top condition representing how his father took care of it, hoping for the day of his return. So when Alester puts on the colors of his house in a badass montage, he makes a statement: I am a Sarwyck! This is my home, this is my family. And I am back to make things right again!

The right one is Mors Westford. After defying a direct order from Tywin he voluntarily joined the Night's Watch in order to escape his wrath. During the game it turns out that a promise that was the base of him joining the NW was broken while he was out in the North. He then finds a chest with his battered old armor, with his surcoat being in a horrible state after 15 years of neglection. So when he dons the armor, he makes a statement. He distances himself from the NW since the entire foundation of his oath is shattered. And yet the sigil is blackened by dust and dirt. This represents how he still clings to his vows, being aware that he is still by all means a brother of the Night's Watch and cannot escape his duty to the realm (it is supposed to be a blue field with a silver dog's head).

 

Sigils matter! It means something when people don them. No Darth Sansa outfit in the world can replace how much house colors and sigils mean to those wearing them.

[A Ghost of Someone]

Even the costumes glorify the show creator favorites, the Lannisters. The Dornish were good though, everyone else, blah

[Prince of the North]

14 minutes ago, Toth said:

Sigils matter! It means something when people don them. No Darth Sansa outfit in the world can replace how much house colors and sigils mean to those wearing them.

Yes!  Another great example is in the books when, on that fateful day, Jaime wore his Lannister armor and not his Kingsguard armor (he was definitely saying something with that decision).  It can't be stressed enough - in this setting symbolism, oaths, etc. matter a great deal!  Also, I think it would be quite possible to have more color in AGoT and still keep it realistically muted or whatever.  

[A Ghost of Someone]

It bothered me when we saw Tywin all dressed up and glorrified and Robb, not even in his house sigil armor with overcoat, just armor with some fur.

[kissdbyfire]

1 hour ago, Cas Stark said:

This is a long standing rant about the bad costumes failing to distinguish the various armies and all the brown haired men.  You would think, given the large cast, that SPECIAL attention would have been paid to costuming the non leads to give some visual cues for the viewer as to who is allied with whom.

The scary thing is that I remember a piece on the wildlings where they were talking about the huge expense and all the massive work they did to distinguish the wardrobe?! for the various clans. Um, who cares?  They're wildlings.  They're extras.  We know they are wildlings because they're not in armor.  

Another of the long line of extremely strange decisions on where to spend the budget. God forbid they had spent it on Stark armor.

 

And it applies to ANYTHING that comes right after "would have been paid to"!

[LazyBazooka]

The only character in the show I can remember wearing a costume with their sigil on it was Viserys, and even then you had to look closely to see the dragon. Was there anyone else? 

[A Ghost of Someone]

1 hour ago, Cas Stark said:

This is a long standing rant about the bad costumes failing to distinguish the various armies and all the brown haired men.  You would think, given the large cast, that SPECIAL attention would have been paid to costuming the non leads to give some visual cues for the viewer as to who is allied with whom.

The scary thing is that I remember a piece on the wildlings where they were talking about the huge expense and all the massive work they did to distinguish the wardrobe?! for the various clans. Um, who cares?  They're wildlings.  They're extras.  We know they are wildlings because they're not in armor.  

Another of the long line of extremely strange decisions on where to spend the budget. God forbid they had spent it on Stark armor.

I know, I suppose since the Lannisters are so rich, they should automatically get the bright and distinguishable armor, the Starks are more humble so they get jack squat.

[kissdbyfire]

 

19 minutes ago, Prince of the North said:

Yes!  Another great example is in the books when, on that fateful day, Jaime wore his Lannister armor and not his Kingsguard armor (he was definitely saying something with that decision).  It can't be stressed enough - in this setting symbolism, oaths, etc. matter a great deal!  Also, I think it would be quite possible to have more color in AGoT and still keep it realistically muted or whatever.

Key word, "keep". You guys are killing me today!

[Tijgy]

6 hours ago, Le Cygne said:

Costumes, I have liked very few. A couple of dresses Dany wore. Can't think of anything else. Everything is drab and shapeless, and doesn't go together, there's no consistency. Margaery was beamed down from Star Trek. The costumes of the upper class are supposed to be sumptuous, and beautiful. I guess the worst in this respect was Talisa's rag dresses.

This and this and this and this...

LOL, the dresses of the Queen in the North ... rather ridiculous actually

[Ramsay's 20 Good Men]

11 minutes ago, Tijgy said:

LOL, the dresses of the Queen in the North ... rather ridiculous actually

That's the thing - these are some of the richest people in Westeros, their clothing should reflect that. And the great lords don't wear ridiculously expensive armour just for hoots and giggles, they do it to show just how rich and important they are and that means something. Having them walk around in drab, colourless dresses or leather armour is just silly. 

[Cas Stark]

LMAO. Oh man, those "Talisa" dresses really look bad when you see them as stand alones.  What a drab girl she was, except of course when she took off all her clothes and fucked Robb wearing nothing but boots.

I actually did like Cersei's outfit in the first episode because it was different, her clothes are decent, same for Sansa minus the necklace from hell+bird woman costume.  Marg Boelyn's dresses are FUCKING AWFUL.  All of them.  Awful. 

Was there even a direwolf sigil anywhere on Robb's costume?  It' looks almost exactly like Roose's except there is no tiny barely visible X marks the spot.

 

[Tijgy]

1 minute ago, Cas Stark said:

LMAO. Oh man, those "Talisa" dresses really look bad when you see them as stand alones.  What a drab girl she was, except of course when she took off all her clothes and fucked Robb wearing nothing but boots.

I actually did like Cersei's outfit in the first episode because it was different, her clothes are decent, same for Sansa minus the necklace from hell+bird woman costume.  Marg Boelyn's dresses are FUCKING AWFUL.  All of them.  Awful. 

Was there even a direwolf sigil anywhere on Robb's costume?  It' looks almost exactly like Roose's except there is no tiny barely visible X marks the spot.

:

I do not remember it actually ... let see some Robb Scenes (/Richard Madden ; thanks for the excuse). 

[Cas Stark]

Am I going crazy?????  Does nobody in the Stark army have a direwolf anywhere on their armor?  That can't be.

[Tijgy]

1 minute ago, Cas Stark said:

Am I going crazy?????  Does nobody in the Stark army have a direwolf anywhere on their armor?  That can't be.

The only think I remember is fur/skins (even from wolves) ... which is actually kind of morbid. They are literally wearing their signals? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snYE3_GGVcU

This scene is something better, or at least regarding the banners (Bolton, Umber, Stark, Tallheart, are there any more houses?

[Cas Stark]

4 minutes ago, Tijgy said:

The only think I remember is fur/skins (even from wolves) ... which is actually kind of morbid. They are literally wearing their signals? 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snYE3_GGVcU

This scene is something better, or at least regarding the banners (Bolton, Umber, Stark, Tallheart, are there any more houses?

I just look at Robb, Ned, Cassel and the "army" and nobody is wearing any kind of direwolf.  All they have is the banners.

Because, sure, Starks have been ruling the North for 6000 years, but never got around to branding.  Oh My God.

They were wearing wolf fur in the books too, so you can't fault the show for that...but, um, direwolf sigil on the breastplate would have been nice.  How is it possible I never ranted about this before?

They should have burried the hatchet with the guy who played the GreatJon and brought him back, he was spectacular.

[LazyBazooka]

12 minutes ago, Cas Stark said:

Am I going crazy?????  Does nobody in the Stark army have a direwolf anywhere on their armor?  That can't be.

The normal foot soldiers have the direwolf sigil carved on their shields, but that's about it.

[Tijgy]

In the same clip Greatjon (and some other men) are wearing sort of chains.  Haha, that is just fun. (And to be certain I had the pleasure to see that clip several times). 

Sadly Grey Wind actually acts because Robb gives an order in the books. Here is Robb actually surprised. (And that is really the only one thing they changed from the books? Why?)

Some consequences: 

• Robb cannot control his wolf in the show. 
• Robb doesn't show he has the intuition to handle his bannermen. 
• Robb is kinder() because he doesn't hurt his bannerman by purpose.

Quote

And when Lord Umber, who was called the Greatjon by his men and stood as tall as Hodor and twice as wide, threatened to take his forces home if he was placed behind the Hornwoods or the Cerwyns in the order of march, Robb told him he was welcome to do so. "And when we are done with the Lannisters," he promised, scratching Grey Wind behind the ear, "we will march back north, root you out of your keep, and hang you for an oathbreaker." Cursing, the Greatjon flung a flagon of ale into the fire and bellowed that Robb was so green he must piss grass. When Hallis Mollen moved to restrain him, he knocked him to the floor, kicked over a table, and unsheathed the biggest, ugliest greatsword that Bran had ever seen. All along the benches, his sons and brothers and sworn swords leapt to their feet, grabbing for their steel.

Yet Robb only said a quiet word, and in a snarl and the blink of an eye Lord Umber was on his back, his sword spinning on the floor three feet away and his hand dripping blood where Grey Wind had bitten off two fingers. "My lord father taught me that it was death to bare steel against your liege lord," Robb said, "but doubtless you only meant to cut my meat." Bran's bowels went to water as the Greatjon struggled to rise, sucking at the red stumps of fingers … but then, astonishingly, the huge man laughed. "Your meat," he roared, "is bloody tough."

 

[Arrow of the Morning]

1 hour ago, Toth said:

Oh yes, Kingdom of Heaven! Awesome movie! And I also loved how during the shots in Jerusalem the sigils of the major players were everywhere. Like when Balian charged Saladin's outriders outside Krak de Chevalier with his houshold knights, I liked how striking and yet smoothly the heraldry of house Ibelin was put into the picture.

Outside of merchandise I am rarely aware in the show that they even have them. Even when someone bothers to wear his sigil  it is all grey and difficult to see, like with that ridiculous breastplate of Stannis. Seriously, has nobody told them that the purpose of heraldry is it to make it visible for everyone from miles away? In a medieval setting this is kind of important! These lords and ladies and kings and queens should wear clothes invoking their house colors as much as possible!

Kingdom of Heaven shows sigil in a much better way. Also in the movie, the oriental like costumes of Eva Green are head and shoulder better than all feminine dornish costumes in the show.

Quote

I also want to reinforce how awesome the Cyanide RPG in that regard it. Let me shortly explain that picture here and how the house sigils are actively used in the narrative:

snip

snip

snip

Sigils matter! It means something when people don them. No Darth Sansa outfit in the world can replace how much house colors and sigils mean to those wearing them.

Not showing the House's sigils in social meetings and royal audiences are odd. Not showing in armors and in a battlefield where it is really functional is ridiculous.