December Fifith Promo.

[mashiara]

I just watched this and I love it! Not every detail is as I pictured it in my mind but I have no problem with that so far, I think it's going to be an awesome show and I can't wait for Spring. I kind of wonder if it will appear to people who aren't fantasy-lovers but we'll have to wait and see. Hopefully there will be enough anticipation built up that lots of people will tune in for the first episode and then they'll be hooked.

Anyone else getting a 404 Error for all 4chan images?

Me. I haven't been able to see any of those images.

[jurble]

They're gone now. 4chan moves quick, and old pictures don't get archived.

[Bubs]

I am interested to see if they're going to release any special on the background to GOT, talking about Robert's Rebellion, Greyjoys, etc. There's a lot there, I'm not sure how much they'd be able to fit in the show itself.

They could release some animated webisodes like Dexter did ;)

***

A friend was flipping through my copy of Entertainment Weekly and saw that I had bookmarked the Game of Thrones section. He said that he and his best friend were both looking forward to the series. Neither of them have read the books nor are they fans of the fantasy genre (as far as I know.) This made me very happy ^_^

[Lady Blackfish]

After some time to reflect and digest, here's my thoughts on things so far (for what they're even worth ;)).

Sets, costumes, effects, etc: Its a shame to lose the flavor as Martin wrote it because it seems like an aspect of ASOIAF that's a real labor of love, but most choices within this realm won't be dealbreakers. The palm trees make me laugh, and some of Lena Headey's wigs are ridiculous (perhaps purposely; Cersei's a ridiculous woman), and some changes leave me wondering why, since it would seem just as easy to do them as done in the books (why no Stark hair for the Stark lord?). But it's highly, highly unlikely that I would give up the show because of this. To me Martin has always been more about character drama than anything else, so scripts and acting and character direction concern me more than production values, even though I don't want them to be distractingly poor either.

New scenes: I would be disappointed if we didn't have new scenes. Martin left some of his juiciest moments merely explained in passing instead of brought forth to the "camera". Why not take advantage? I really like showing Cat begging Ned not to go, and Jon and Benjen talking, Jon's fascination with Jaime, Ned and Benjen (very interesting untapped dynamic). The ones I'm not liking tend to involve Ned going up against the Lannister Big Bad.

Dialogue: I've seen complaints that some lines are too cheesy or melodramatic. There are a few lines that have jarred me for reasons regarding specific content, but I personally am mostly content to wait and see how they play out in whole scenes. I feel they put their most commercial foot forward, choosing the flashiest lines, to lure people in with the Inside GoT segment, and while that disappoints me on some level, I can still hope the actual product is different.

Characters: This is where most of my concerns center around, as it's usually the most memorable aspect of ASOIAF for most people. Martin does a lot of other things nicely, like details that delight the medievalist/historian geeks among us, or plot twists for the inner pulp movie fan in us all, etc, but the story's human beings and their human drama is unquestionably what I'm "in it" for. Most of the minor (and a few major) characters and any changes they've made to them don't really trouble me. Bronn doesn't look like I imagined, nor Illyrio, nor even Joffrey (I can't see yet how Sansa was charmed by him) but oh well. Actually, I do miss Ian McNeice's wonderfully frown-tipped chin, but ... yeah I'll deal. There's a lot to be pleased with in the main cast, from my perspective, but also a few things I'm undecided on, and yes, some things I'm underwhelmed by. Good news first ;)

The Stark kids: I just love every thing about them. Even Sansa's goofier hairstyles will probably emphasize her maturation as she moves into prettier styles (like in the hand's tourney, where she's looking lovely). Jon's mustache doesn't bother me, he could withstand a bit of dorkification to prevent Gary Stu perfection. Kit is extremely likable and brings a young man's at times embarrassing earnestness (hey, haven't we all been there?) to life well.

The Lannister men: IMO the jewels in the casting director's crown. It's really hard for me to see them mucking Charles Dance as Tywin up, no piece of casting struck me as more perfect. I don't mind NCW's browner hair, he's still gorgeous (I can guarantee you there won't be many women crying over the lack of curls) and the Jaime-esque attitude drips off him like hot wax. We haven't seen enough yet to gage the depth of his talent, but so far I'm happy. The one thing there's been very little debate on is that Dinklage is the best of all feasible Tyrion options. Too handsome? Yeah, and that does affect some important aspects of the story; it's a lot easier to understand his alienation if he's uglier. But the height difference itself limits his ability to be a warrior, which is the Westerosi male ideal in terms of what's manly and what's attractive to women. I'm sure there will be some jarring moments with his accent to the well trained ear, but I think the pluses will outweigh the minuses. Tyrion strikes me as the kind of character that TV scriptwriters adore.

Littlefinger: I'm pleased by how many people think The Wire role makes the actor a good fit for this one. I enjoyed what I saw in the clip, and I'm not quite sure that unitiated viewers will automatically assume that he is a bad guy instead of a loveable rogue. It really depends on how he comes off with Renly, Catelyn, Sansa, etc, because he is basically always in an antagonistic relationship with Ned so scenes with Ned aren't any good to determine the overall obviousness of his enmity. Ideally he would be ambiguous even with Ned, but it could still work.

Robert: Addy was not exactly my ideal Robert, he has half of him down easily and another half that will need more help from the script and, well, acting. They call it acting for a reason. Still, if Robert isn't quite as epic as in the books, I will deal. A lot of things won't be as epic as in the books, epic is much easier to do in a fantasy novel. What matters more to me is his relationship with Ned and Cersei, how he triangulages their enmity, and his ability to conjure up joviality in gloomy places. I think Addy can do that, and still be a convincing enough former warrior, if not the god Robert was in the book. So, different, but I don't mind much.

Cersei: Headey is not my ideal Cersei, let me just say. I'm confident she can pull it off well enough, but the announcement was a head scratcher for a while, especially because of how overtly Catelyn-like the actress is. Essentially, Cersei is candy-coated strychnine, and I think Headey wears a lot of her thorns on the outside. But her acting choices might be mitigating that. I'll be frank, I think this role canonically is more flashy than it is substantial. Cersei is important to the plot, and she is sexy and colorful, and she is not wholly flat nor lacking in underlying psychology or human moments. But she remains a bunch of misogynistic stereotypes made flesh (I'm not calling GRRM a misogynist for writing her; I can explain but I will skip it for now to save space). It's possible to make more of her, but it's also possible to skate by playing her for sensationalism and entertainment (even crossing into camp?) because her role in AGOT is to bring drama more than depth. Basically, I think Headey can do a lot with her that I wouldn't mind because the role is such that she could stand to become more interesting, or a different kind of interesting. She can withstand some re-interpretation, and simultaneously little will be lost if she is exactly the same. The most notable feature of her character arc is that the more we learn about her, the more repulsive a human being she is (capped eventually by her decline and fall, which is played for grotesque entertainment value). The sympathy garnered by being a woman in a man's world never manages to excuse or overshadow how vile she is. This is the thing with canonical Cersei, she's the femme fatale exposed for its seedy underbelly, not built up into an even twistedly admirable figure. Will they change it? Maybe, maybe not. I won't know how much I like the idea of a change until I see it. For now, she's different than I imagined, but I'm curious and intrigued to see how this goes. Headey has an amount of latitude from me.

Dany: This role is so clutch. The character was not a favorite of mine in the books but I have little against her either and I'm obviously invested in her being done well, because with all the sheer spectacle in her storyline, as well as its detachment from other main characters, there's lots of places where it could go wrong, and I don't want her to, she is basically the female lead of the series. I haven't seen anything from Clarke that makes me sit up and say "Wow", but I've seen absolutely nothing that worries me either. Her wig looks fake, but I'll deal. She's beautiful, I dig her infectious enthusiasm for the story, and I will be willing to overlook costuming/scenery silliness if her character transformation is compelling (she is much more important than Drogo's beard ;)). Season one is a better showcase for Dany than two or three, so it needs to start off well. I think her chemistry with Iain Glen is a big deal, because he and later Barristan ground her (everyone else is very ... exotically colorful ...). I am keenly, though as yet neutrally, watchful.

Theon: Not suprised there's little talk about Theon since he has little to do in the first season compared to the second. Theon always came off more like a young Jonathan Rhys Meyers to me, but with the dark hair I find Allen less visually jarring. This role isn't the biggest in ASOIAF, but it really is one of the best, based on quality alone. How they handle him will speak volumes about their commitment to great story and the human element, and that's why I'm invested. Like with Dany, I've neither seen anything to make me disappointed or excited, so I remain keenly, yet neutrally, watchful for future developments.

Ned: Yeah, well. This is the dividing line between me and you good folks, I guess. I can't get into this more badass Ned we're seeing, I certainly understand why it could be expected and I don't begrudge anyone else for enjoying him, but the character type pales in comparison to the canonical Ned in terms of how interesting I find him. I watched that scene with Jaime where he explains why he doesn't fight in tourneys and just wanted to hide behind my hands and cry. Ned has these heroic feats in his backstory, sure, but any heroic role of his in those is consistently relayed by outside sources. When he himself reflects on them, the focus is on his hauntedness, not any self aggrandizing. Bean is a good actor, sometimes a great actor, I consider myself a fan and I don't exactly blame him for playing Ned this way. If I was Sean Bean I would too, because I'd be Sean fucking Bean and what the hell do people hire me for if not to be badass? Still, the actor is not the role and I can't help my honest reaction. Ned requires a certain humility and seriousness/maturity to come off as sympathetically moral as he does, otherwise he is just as dirty as the rest of us and that does not work for him as written in the book. He is not perfect, he isn't Jesus, but he is utterly, utterly sincere about his principles. The changes don't strike me as reflective of a more unique insightful vision, rather a tip of the hat to mass/commercial tastes, and as much as that's to be expected, that doesn't make it more likable. As of now, with full acknowledgment that it could change, Ned is at the bottom of my list.

Cat: I have a lot to say about this one because A] I like the character and B] (relatively) nobody else does. Risking seeming very arrogant here, I really don't think a lot of people understand Cat, I suspect because she is somewhat subtle. Yes, she is the grieving widow and the worried mother, but she's also that kind of woman that gets called a virago. The funniest thing is that if you were to ask me which Stark, amongst Ned and Cat, would be more likely to get into a pissing contest with a Lannister, I would choose Cat over Ned without hesitation. She is not the arrogant bitch many say she is, but she is cocky, just a tiny little bit. Or rather, she's gamesy, she has ever so much more swagger than Ned, just as the stout, hearty riverlanders do compared to the austere, stoic northmen. Cat bluffs and then grins out of the side of her mouth when she pulls it off. Cat kicks over the pail of shit at Jaime Lannister because it Makes A Statement. Cat's a baller; if she was so subdued how could everyone think she's such an arrogant emasculating bitch? ;) Being a wife and mother does not erase these aspects of her personality, and that's one of the greatest things about the character, the fact that Cat The Virago, Cat The Should-Have-Been-Hoster's-Heir, Cat The Girl Who Got Away, Cat The Boardroom Professional, Cat The Mother and Cat The Wife/Widow all co-exist. Taking part without the whole is inevitably disappointing. Cat is an arch, starchy aristocrat, and that should be the first thing you see when you look at her, just like Arya is Endearing Spunky Tomboy before other things. IMO, while Ehle and Fairley both seem like very fluid and intelligent actresses, and fluidity and intelligence are important for the role, they lack other things, and I can't help but wonder at HBO's grasp (I mean, I can understand the rationale for so much more Cersei, but Jaime's increased exposure over Cat at this stage is rather unfortunate, since like Dany, AGOT is Cat's best showcase too). In the case of Fairley, I certainly don't think 46 is too old, but I have to say, she does come across as a bit too overtly embattled and subdued to me, and that's not I wanted for Cat, especially because of how easy it would be to put her into that box given that she's the grieving wife and mom. If Ehle was not grave enough, then Fairley is just a bit too grave. I can see her doing solidly dependable and practical, and I expect a quality performance from her, but not quite a virago, not the woman who weathered the storm so much better than Lysa Tully or Lynesse Hightower. The sense I should get in her character arc is as if I watched a soaring eagle get shot down feather by feather until finally it's dragging itself across the ground waiting to die. It should be a palpable process, not an immediate given.

Basically, HBO's Ned is more swaggery and lively than their Cat and that's kinda a bummer to me. I always loved how, in the books, you get a clear sense of both characters not living the lives they're the most suited for. Cat struggles within her limited secondary role, while Ned chafes at being pushed into a prominent primary one. This doesn't make Ned an emasculated pansy or anything (and I'm kind of sad at how many people think that Ned not being a brilliant fighter like Jaime means "emasculated pansy"), it's just that their life paths and personalities get thrown into this very interesting ironic cross. It made both characters better IMO, because they can easily become bland and boring Hero Man and Hero Man's Female Appendage, but Martin avoided that without making them flashy and glittery like the very Hollywood Lannisters. I'm not sure that this is how it'll come off in the end, no, we can't be sure until we see the product. But I'm expecting something in that direction, for various reasons (not the least of which it's more typical of Hollywood). It won't deter most people, I don't think HBO is required to pander to my wants or anything like this, non-readers won't know enough to care, and amongst readers she's obviously not popular anyway. But it's my honest reaction, at this point in time, again acknowledging that much, much could change. If it changes, I will beg everyone's forgiveness as well as a crowbar to help pull the foot out of my mouth.

TL;DR on this Ned and Cat stuff: the distance between Ned and Jaime ought to be greater than the distance between Cat and Cersei, and I'm honestly not seeing it that way from HBO so far. JMO, of course.

[mormont]

New scenes: I would be disappointed if we didn't have new scenes. Martin left some of his juiciest moments merely explained in passing instead of brought forth to the "camera". Why not take advantage? I really like showing Cat begging Ned not to go, and Jon and Benjen talking, Jon's fascination with Jaime, Ned and Benjen (very interesting untapped dynamic). The ones I'm not liking tend to involve Ned going up against the Lannister Big Bad.

I'd also be disappointed, and the new scenes you mention seem to me unavoidable anyway. Most of the ones listed above deal with things that the characters remember or reflect on internally: you can't do that in a TV series. You have to either drop it, show it, or force it into the dialogue somehow. So Cat pleading with Ned not to go, if you want to keep it, requires either a new scene showing that or Ned to mention it to Robert or someone later. The latter would be less effective and also out of character. So a new scene is required. Same with Jon and Jaime: that requires either an aside by Jon to someone else, or a new scene. These are great examples of how TV is just a different medium, and makes some changes necessary.

Dialogue: I've seen complaints that some lines are too cheesy or melodramatic. There are a few lines that have jarred me for reasons regarding specific content, but I personally am mostly content to wait and see how they play out in whole scenes. I feel they put their most commercial foot forward, choosing the flashiest lines, to lure people in with the Inside GoT segment, and while that disappoints me on some level, I can still hope the actual product is different.

I think the problem here is delivery. Just like the look of characters, the delivery of their lines, in a book, is something that comes mostly from the reader's head. Every line in the books is delivered, in our heads, pretty much as the individual reader thinks it should be. So very few sound cheesy to us. We are our own actors, our own directors, in the 'internal' version of the books. And so the delivery is always perfect - in our opinion. ;)

But on screen, there's one choice made from this infinite array of possibilities. And we may not like it, we may find it disappointing or flat or just wrong. It's inevitable that will happen at least some of the time.

[Ran]

Ned kills Tregar and maybe one other. Jory, Heward, and Wyl killed the rest. But of course, Ned really didn't have a fair fight on his hands, what with the Lannister guards ordered to not harm him. They tried to back away. Tregar and the other guy were rather caught by surprise.

In any case, it's possible that Jaime will school Ned, I suppose -- but when they've built him up as one of Westeros's deadliest swordsman (the description, I believe, given in the pilot script) and he's basically comparing the size of his equipment with Jaime in that one scene, it will probably come off very badly if it turns out that Ned's a competent, capable fighting man and not, in fact, a reasonable match for Jaime Lannister.

So I think that's the idea, and this version of Ned is a much more dangerous fighting man.

The other thing one gets, of course, is that Jaime getting his hands dirty takes away something from the arrogance of him, and the sort of sense of medieval privilege where another man's soldiers are almost like possessions you break when you're angry: he orders his men to kill them, not to hurt Ned, and then he rides blithely off. That says something about Jaime that's rather different from what's being said here.

In a sense, I suppose, this scene now is the alternate-universe where Ned does draw his sword when Jaime urges him to. Though in the books, that would have been the world where Ned died on that street outside the brothel.

ETA: I think saying that Ned appears to be more swaggery than their Catelyn may be more accurate at this stage. A lot shall depend on how her scenes with Tyrion and Littlefinger play out, I suspect. So far, she's been practically the only example of dramatic dialogue in all the clips we've scene, but it'd be wrong to suppose that that's all she does.

We're still in the previews. And the cutting together of these features is handled by HBO's Studio West, not really the producers. Their selections of scenes probably only reflect something of HBO's corporate marketing perspective to date.

[MattTaz]

That was brilliant, seriously pumped for this series. Danaerys, man that girl is cute.

Loved when Arya ran up to hug Jon

Also laughed when GRRM said Jon and Robb are as close as brothers?? Kicked an own goal there haha

I know people will say 'oh there half brothers thats what he meant' but it was an interesting comment I think

[Padraig]

Very interesting post LB. Especially on the whole Ned + Catelyn aspect. I have had so much time to get used to "fighter Ned" that it doesn't bother me much anymore. But still, I could see why you'd be concerned that Catelyn would suffer in comparison. Not sure will it make any difference but at least she doesn't spend much time with Ned.

The other thing one gets, of course, is that Jaime getting his hands dirty takes away something from the arrogance of him, and the sort of sense of medieval privilege where another man's soldiers are almost like possessions you break when you're angry: he orders his men to kill them, not to hurt Ned, and then he rides blithely off. That says something about Jaime that's rather different from what's being said here.

I'd be surprised if Ned loses to Jaime easily (if at all). OTOH, i'm not sure how far it will differ from the books. Sure, they will fight but I can imagine a stalemate and eventually Ned will say to Jaime what he said in the books. In that way, Jaime will walk away. Leaving his men to deal with Ned's.

The alternative is that Jaime does injure Ned but knows that he can't kill him. He then walks away, telling his men to kill Ned's. That would be gut-wrenching for Ned. Seeing his men die while he can't do anything much.

I'm not sure what I prefer. Both seem fine and close enough to the books.

Fair point about Joffrey also. I wonder about his relationship with Sansa.

have no problem with that since ned (very stupidly) thinks jaime wants the throne for himself.

He was sitting on the throne. :P

I agree with the sentiments that the art direction, set design, and costuming could have been more faithful

I'm generally been very impressed. Except that one weird picture of Dany. But then, I don't see changing such aspects of the story as an issue at all. Let the set design/costume experts do their thing.

[Werthead]

It's possible Eddard sells his skills short in the books. Even given the disparity in numbers, him and his men killing three of the most badass members of the Kingsguard there have ever been (if you believe the hype, and it's something that both Ned and Jaime agree on) is not a light matter, especially since one of them was allegedly far superior to Jaime. It's perhaps out of character for Ned to start bragging about it to Jaime, but then again Jaime seems to rub Ned the wrong way in the book and get a rise out of him in a manner no-one else does, so maybe not. Throw in the fact that Ned was trained in arms in Winterfell and the Eyrie and presumably trained alongside Robert Baratheon and Brandon Stark (two apparently formidable warriors), and it's not a huge exaggeration to say that Ned is a damn good swordsman. The change here appears to be a matter of emphasis, not the underlying situation.

Things I haven't seen mentioned yet: I like the way Jory seems to have a slightly bigger role as the 'voice of the North'. Should make his fate all the more jarring (similar to Vardis Egen's beefed-up role). Donald Sumpter looks excellent as Maester Luwin as well. Illyrio also looks good.

Have they given Richard Madden contacts? Sure looks like it.

[The Mormegil]

where is that said? have you been listening to old nan's stories again?

On the HBO website they start the description of the show with the line

Summers span Decades, Winters can last a lifetime

Now I had put that down to the usual exaggeration you get on bookcover burbs and so on however when reading the leaked pilot script I saw that Robert specifically states that the next winter will last Twenty to Thirty years.

So unless the Maesters are really good weather forcasters and have predicted that the next Winter will last three times longer than it ever has before then 20 - 30 years must be a typical winter unlike the 5 - 10 years it is in the book.

Just seems a bit too much to me, they should have left it with a decade being the longest summer or winter they ever had.

[Lady Blackfish]

The other thing one gets, of course, is that Jaime getting his hands dirty takes away something from the arrogance of him, and the sort of sense of medieval privilege where another man's soldiers are almost like possessions you break when you're angry: he orders his men to kill them, not to hurt Ned, and then he rides blithely off. That says something about Jaime that's rather different from what's being said here.

I agree, the one thing that really struck me as a first time reader was the way the Lannisters managed to technically keep their dirty hands very clean, as if they wore gloves of Teflon. So slick, so deeply arrogant.

ETA: I think saying that Ned appears to be more swaggery than their Catelyn may be more accurate at this stage. A lot shall depend on how her scenes with Tyrion and Littlefinger play out, I suspect. So far, she's been practically the only example of dramatic dialogue in all the clips we've scene, but it'd be wrong to suppose that that's all she does....

There's a lot left to see, I take your point. But I suppose it's just hard for me to connect Fairley's vibe to that kind of attitude, or perhaps get a sense that that's where they're taking the character. I felt like in the scene where the king and queen arrive at Winterfell, she looked rather too rustic. I would have loved to see her hair done up as elegantly as Sansa's has been, or wearing something more sophisticated. She's practical, sure, but she's not humbly rustic, that's Ned. Cat has an impeccable sense of decorum and is not afraid to put her best foot forward, a Tully can't afford that fear. The look that she had in the admittedly brief glance we got of her face there seemed so nervous, and the way she's holding herself, perfectly dutiful and solid, but she's not exactly announcing herself. Cat's not as haughty as Cersei, but she's much closer to Cersei than Ned is to Jaime. Perhaps I'm being swayed overly by something I heard about the pilot script, I was told that there's a stage direction regarding Catelyn being afraid of or nervous about the deadly Jaime Lannister. I don't know the details obviously so someone correct me if I'm taking it the wrong way, but it really struck me as a poor choice for the character.

Not sure will it make any difference but at least she doesn't spend much time with Ned.

I feel like that makes the way they play them when they're together more crucial. That relationship helps cement their personalities and especially hers because he has more people to interact with at the start (his sons, his men, then her, then Robert, all by his second chapter; by her second chapter she's interacted with Ned and ... Ned). But even then, I don't think it necessarily means anything one way or the other about how they will play her when they're not together.

It's perhaps out of character for Ned to start bragging about it to Jaime, but then again Jaime seems to rub Ned the wrong way in the book and get a rise out of him in a manner no-one else does, so maybe not. Throw in the fact that Ned was trained in arms in Winterfell and the Eyrie and presumably trained alongside Robert Baratheon and Brandon Stark (two apparently formidable warriors), and it's not a huge exaggeration to say that Ned is a damn good swordsman.

I have less of a problem with Ned being damn good (though all the important characters being the bestest best is really artificial), and more with how he presents himself. Jaime rubs Ned the wrong way, but not because Ned feels insulted by him personally, rather because Jaime's dishonor and arrogance galls him. I feel like if they wanted to bring out that kind of a reaction then Ned ought to have been more frustrated, and less relaxed as he delivered a comeback. It shouldn'tve come off as a comeback at all, more like a rare outburst. But I say "shouldn'tve" acknowledging that that refers to what I want to stay preserved, not necessarily what is critical for the show to succeed or such. It feels untrue to the spirit of the character, despite how grounded it may be in certain facts, I guess. But they did it, it's done, so there's that.

[Andhaira]

Say, do we know who did the fight choreography in this series? That is, who trained all these swordsmen to fight in their fight scenes? Is it someone with a lot of experiance, or someone new to the field? Or someone in between?

[delete this account pls]

I'm really liking what weve seen so far, except ....

1) Drogo is wearing guyliner. Um, yeah. The leader of a massive barbarian horde shouldn't be reminding me of My Chemical Romance.

2) I hate to say it, but I don't like Jaime. I know you can't please everyone and it's a very hard role to cast, but I'm just not digging what I've seen of him so far. Lookswise, well he's a handsome guy I guess, but in a fairly generic male model sorta way. He's not the hottest guy on the show, and Jaime should be the hottest guy on the show. Acting wise, well we only get a brief glimpse, but he comes across as a typical smarmy evil villain. I'm willing to give him a chance though, so I'll wait and see.

Anyway, I kinda hate myself for nitpicking like that so I'll shut up now, because the rest looks pretty damn good. And my problems with Jaime might be more than made up for by Peter Dinklage as Tyrion. He is going to be the breakout star of this thing, IMO.

[Padraig]

On the HBO website they start the description of the show with the line

Huh. Didn't notice that. That is weird. Maybe GRRM has told something big about the last book? :) But even if he has, given the first 4 books have covered less than 3 years, not sure how a 20-30 year winter will play a part in the series. Unless we finally get a few 5 year breaks. :)

I agree, the one thing that really struck me as a first time reader was the way the Lannisters managed to technically keep their dirty hands very clean, as if they wore gloves of Teflon.

At the same time, Jaime always says he prefers to do his own dirty work. Jaime fighting Ned isn't just about Ned. It gives the audience a chance to see Jaime fight also. Him just walking (or riding) away wouldn't work so well on TV I think.

I don't mind Catelyn been afraid of Jaime, as long as it doesn't stop her doing her duty. Jaime is very dangerous. And since she knows that he has a bad relationship with her husband, been nervous makes sense.

Acting wise, well we only get a brief glimpse, but he comes across as a typical smarmy evil villain.

That's the difficult task for that actor. He is supposed to be the villain initially but we are supposed to realise later on that his actions at the beginning don't preclude our different perspective. He seems pretty good so far IMO but i've thought he had the look from his initial casting. I like what he said about the series also.

They really did go "exotic" for Drogo. Not what I expected but he is supposed to be exotic at the same time. So, i'm not too worried.

[aimlessgun]

There's a lot left to see, I take your point. But I suppose it's just hard for me to connect Fairley's vibe to that kind of attitude, or perhaps get a sense that that's where they're taking the character. I felt like in the scene where the king and queen arrive at Winterfell, she looked rather too rustic. I would have loved to see her hair done up as elegantly as Sansa's has been, or wearing something more sophisticated. She's practical, sure, but she's not humbly rustic, that's Ned. Cat has an impeccable sense of decorum and is not afraid to put her best foot forward, a Tully can't afford that fear. The look that she had in the admittedly brief glance we got of her face there seemed so nervous, and the way she's holding herself, perfectly dutiful and solid, but she's not exactly announcing herself. Cat's not as haughty as Cersei, but she's much closer to Cersei than Ned is to Jaime. Perhaps I'm being swayed overly by something I heard about the pilot script, I was told that there's a stage direction regarding Catelyn being afraid of or nervous about the deadly Jaime Lannister. I don't know the details obviously so someone correct me if I'm taking it the wrong way, but it really struck me as a poor choice for the character.

Your analysis of Cat is pretty interesting. I had to look up the definition of virago, and I just never got that vibe from her. Maybe it's been too long since I read AGoT (lost my copy so my last reread started with ACoK). She's definitely a strong person in a lot of ways, but I didn't imagine it in the way you describe. I wonder if a subconscious bias in me towards Cat as the dutiful, strong but subdued mother figure made my brain ignore descriptions to the contrary in the books.

I actually rewatched the video to pick out the Cat moments, but it's so hard to say anything for sure based on the little we saw.

[Asha—Not Yara!]

Jaime does come across as a typical smarmy evil villain in the first book, which is what makes his character arc so fascinating and enjoyable in the later books. I hope we'll be able to see that character arc play out on TV. :)

[Breakspear]

I would say that Jaime fighting is a direct result of the decision to imply a martial rivalry between them. It would be odd to have Jaime express a desire to fight Ned in a tourney, and then pass up an opportunity to fight him "for real", if you'll pardon the phrase. ;)

On the other hand, I could have the cause and effect reversed. If the writers wanted a Ned/Jaime fight scene (quite understandably) then the added scene at Winterfell sets the motivation up early so it doesn't seem odd when it happens.

[jurble]

I'm really liking what weve seen so far, except ....

1) Drogo is wearing guyliner. Um, yeah. The leader of a massive barbarian horde shouldn't be reminding me of My Chemical Romance.

Ancient Arab men would wear kohl in the desert. Maybe that's where they got the idea from?

[Lord O' Bones]

He's not the hottest guy on the show, and Jaime should be the hottest guy on the show.

Weren't Renly and Loras both considered "hotter?"

[Asha—Not Yara!]

Jaime is definitely VERY good looking according the books, but I also didn't get the impression that he was supposed to be the hottest looking guy of all of Westeros.