[NO SPOILERS] General Opinions on the TV Show

[Snow's Ghost]

Thus far, I am incredibly impressed with the casting, especialy Peter Dinklage, Lena Headey, and Sean Bean. I have yet to find a character with which I am displeased. Emilia Clarke is just as I pictured Daenerys (though more full-figured). I am truly looking forward to Aiden Gillen and John Bradley in next week's episode. As far as 'slow plot development,' as stated above, I feel HBO is developing each character thoroughly and staying as true to Martin's GOT as possible. My only complaint is that I was waiting for Catelyn to say to Jon, 'It should have been you...' and was a bit disappointed that such an emphatic line from her was omitted.

[L’Age d’or]

As for the casting goes, I like them all except for Jon, Robb and Theon. Its gonna bother me a lot since Jon is one of my favorites of course as everyone :D Robb I always imagined as better looking and softer, this Robb

is actually a perfect post rebellion Robb who has been scarred and hardened by war

Theon looks like a farm boy not an heir apparent to a people.

[Loras]

I am really enjoying the show so far; 8/10

My favourite aspect is the relationships between Jaime and Cersei and Catelyn and Ned. All the actors involved are doing a terrific job of bringing these characters and the complex relationships to life.

My biggest gripe remains how jarring the Dany scenes are, particularly in the second episode.

[Jon of the Wall]

Theon looks like a farm boy not an heir apparent to a people.

I think he kinda looks like Cletus Spukler from The Simpsons. See what you think.

My link

[mattmcg]

I thought the second episode was a huge improvement on the pilot. The first episode was rushed, understandable I suppose with so much to cram in, and for whatever reason there was something felt off about it. That Dany/Drogo scene was poorly executed on screen and that irked me quite a bit. Also, I guess the actors were just getting used to their characters in the pilot. They felt a lot more assured of their roles in the second episode.

I got to admit my apprehensions of Lena Headey and Michelle Fairly as Cersei and Catelyn respectively, but they've both really impressed me. Lena Headey especially in the latest episode got Cersei down to a tee in how I imagined her. I hate her already.

First episode - 7/10

Second episode - 8.5/10

[Arya The Assassin]

I never got the impression that Robert Baratheon had any gravitas, except for that which is generated by his ample girth. He's a playboy king, fit to fight but not to rule.

I was thinking in terms of the actor's performance, not whether Robert is fit to rule :) It just seems to me that the actor doesn't "inhabit" his character in the same way as (for example) Sean Bean does (who I think does an excellent job). He lacks a bit of screen presence, I think. Certain actors (such as Anthony Hopkins) do an excellent job portraying authoritative characters, and I think it has a lot to do with not only how they look and behave physically (gestures, body language), but also the way they deliver their lines. It's hard to pinpoint, but Mark Addy's lack of "gravitas" probably has something to do with both screen presence and line delivery.

Hard to judge sometimes when the character is supposed to be unlikable, like Cercei is.

I was thinking about the way she was portrayed (I know Cercei isn't supposed to very likable). Her performance seems a bit muted, but I know that Lena is a capable actress (I've seen her in other TV shows and movies). Perhaps Lena simply needs a bit more time to become more "comfortable" and emotionally connected to her character. This is what I had in mind when I was talking about "warming up" to "Lena's Cersei".

Opinions differ on this. I think he hit the notes quite well, and my only regret is that he doesn't come across as more unhinged at times.

Yes, I agree that he hit many of the notes (apart from one scene in the first episode where he shouts "Did he like her? Did he like her?"), my problem has more to do with the casting of the role and Harry's approach to his character. But some of the glimpses from later episodes do indicate that we'll see a more nuanced and temperamental Viserys later in season one (and I don't mean constant "shout-acting", but a stronger reflection of the anger and hatred within his character).

Just don't get me wrong, though: I don't want to make the impression that I'm disappointed with the overall cast and performances, because I'm not. Most of the negative things I've mentioned really boils down to nitpicking, and I think the performances range from about average to excellent, with a strong main cast (in my vocabulary "average" doesn't mean "bad". Some actors simply make a stronger impression than others).

Like I said before, I think things will get even better as the show progresses. In some ways it's too early to draw any bombastic conclusions about the acting (at least if you try to assess the performances in season one as a whole), because the characters have barely been introduced, and we know that many of the characters will face a lot of personal and emotional challenges later. The actors will get plenty of opportunities to further develop and connect with their characters.

Harrington is actually one of the weakest ones in the cast, imo.

Harrington is very laid-back, it's almost as if he's not acting, but that's exactly why I like his portrayal of Snow :) He "is" Jon Snow, he doesn't try to "act" as if he was Jon Snow. I think the same thing can be said about Sean Bean and Michelle Fairley in their respective roles.

[Maia]

I actually think they've done a very good job in this department. I think the difference between nobles and commoners in the north is mostly evident in the quality of their clothing (especially when the occasions call for it), and not necessarily in the use of colors.

Not true. In the books they tend to dress in their House colors a lot (viz Lord Bolton's pink cloak). The Starks are always mentioned as wearing gray with some white and having their House sigil somewhere. Colored clothing was more expensive iRL, which is why nobility wore it. And yes, quality difference should be apparent - I don't see any difference between Ned's clothing and that of a random guardsman. In fact, Ned looks a bit shabbier, even. Nor did they change for the feast, of course.

Even the supposedly flamboyant Lannisters are strangely muted and less colorful than servants who serve them breakfast in episode 2. I really don't get Jaime's leather smoking vests/bathrobes too.

I don't criticize it just because of the difference from the books or from iRL history, but because making the clothing of nobles recognizable and memorable would have made it much easier for the new audience to tell the numerous characters apart. It could have also immediately conveyed the enormous differences in power and standing between them and commoners.

If you want more colors, silks and velvets, I think you'll appreciate the changes in costuming as some of plot moves to the warmer climates and King's Landing later in the season

In clip of the tourney Robert wears the same stuff as in WF. Littlefinger also wears something very dark and muted and decidedly not made out of silk/velvet, etc.

[Loras]

I was thinking about the way she was portrayed (I know Cercei isn't supposed to very likable). Her performance seems a bit muted, but I know that Lena is a capable actress (I've seen her in other TV shows and movies). Perhaps Lena simply needs a bit more time to become more "comfortable" and emotionally connected to her character. This is what I had in mind when I was talking about "warming up" to "Lena's Cersei".

I agree with this analysis. I find Heady's Cersei to be very deliberate in her actions and I find that her line delivery reflects this. My vision of Cersei is that she is quite a volatile character, someone earlier described her as wildfire. Rather than being fiery, I find this version of Cersei to be much more calculating and colder than she comes across in my head.

A good example of this comes at the end of the second episode, there is none of that Cersei fire at her victory over Eddard regarding the wolves. I expected a much more smug, less veiled Cersei in that scene.

I think the decision to tone Cersei back is a writing rather than an acting decision. If Cersei had come across as feisty during that scene then she couldn't have garnered any sympathy from the audience, bearing in mind that she is now responsible for 2 acts of 'cruelty' on two of the shows cutest characters. I just worry that she has come across a little defeated so far.

[The Anti-Targ]

Harrington is actually one of the weakest ones in the cast, imo. Robb didn't come across too well, either, and Theon I can't judge since he had a total of maybe 4 lines so far and about a total of 1 min of screen time.

My brother-in-law who's never read the books thought Kit Harrington only had one look/emotion in the 2 episodes so far. I think this is intentional though. I think if they don't move Jon off sullen and into some different emotions the audience will be turned off a little and not be sympathetic to him.

Over all I've really enjoyed these 2 shows.

[The Anti-Targ]

I thought the second episode was a huge improvement on the pilot. The first episode was rushed, understandable I suppose with so much to cram in, and for whatever reason there was something felt off about it. That Dany/Drogo scene was poorly executed on screen and that irked me quite a bit. Also, I guess the actors were just getting used to their characters in the pilot. They felt a lot more assured of their roles in the second episode.

I got to admit my apprehensions of Lena Headey and Michelle Fairly as Cersei and Catelyn respectively, but they've both really impressed me. Lena Headey especially in the latest episode got Cersei down to a tee in how I imagined her. I hate her already.

First episode - 7/10

Second episode - 8.5/10

Interesting, I get the impression book lovers like Ep2 better than 1, and people who've never read the books like Ep1 better than 2.

The story is still very much in the establishing stages. We haven't even met all of the significant players in the game: LF, Tywin, Varys to name 3. There's so much yet to happen in the story that it'll be quite a feast to tell the rest of GoT in only 8 hours and keep it comprehensive and coherent.

[Asha—Not Yara!]

My only gripe here is that some of the actors seem a bit older than the characters from the books. For example, I seem to recall that Daenerys and her brother (in particular) were younger in the books, although I realize that there are obvious reasons why they had to pick an older actress to play Dany.

This was done on purpose for Daenerys because HBO knew watching a 13 year old child or even casting an actress that could pass as 13 year old would be very wrong and offend a great deal of people with the explicit sex scenes in the books. As a result of aging her up, all the Starks got aged up as well (including Catelyn but people seem to like to complain that she doesn't look like the young 30 something in the books, bleh. Sorry pet peeve of mine).

I forget how much they aged up Dany though. Is she supposed 16 now?

[Asha—Not Yara!]

My only gripe here is that some of the actors seem a bit older than the characters from the books. For example, I seem to recall that Daenerys and her brother (in particular) were younger in the books, although I realize that there are obvious reasons why they had to pick an older actress to play Dany.

This was done on purpose for Daenerys because HBO knew watching a 13 year old child or even casting an actress that could pass as 13 year old would be very wrong and offend a great deal of people with the explicit sex scenes in the books. As a result of aging her up, all the Starks got aged up as well (including Catelyn but people seem to like to complain that she doesn't look like the young 30 something in the books, bleh. Sorry pet peeve of mine).

I forget how much they aged up Dany though. Is she supposed 16 now or 17?

[L’Age d’or]

I think he kinda looks like Cletus Spukler from The Simpsons. See what you think.

My link

:agree: :laugh:

[Arya The Assassin]

This was done on purpose for Daenerys because HBO knew watching a 13 year old child or even casting an actress that could pass as 13 year old would be very wrong and offend a great deal of people with the explicit sex scenes in the books.

Yes, I figured that was one of the obvious reasons for aging her up. I also read an interview with Martin, and he explained that they decided to age up many other characters as well. I seem to recall that he regretted that the characters were so young in the book, although he also said that it was not unusual for young teenage girls to get married at that age during the middle ages.

I still think Viserys looks too old though. He seems to be in his mid-to-late 20s (at least in my eyes).

I forget how much they aged up Dany though. Is she supposed 16 now or 17?

I'm not sure, but in the TV show she appears to be in her late teens.

[Ser Greguh]

I still think Viserys looks too old though. He seems to be in his mid-to-late 20s (at least in my eyes).

Viserys is 23 (?) in the book. Certainly in that range.

[Edda van Heefmstra Ruston]

I forget how much they aged up Dany though. Is she supposed 16 now or 17?

16, I think. Viserys makes a comment about waiting 17 years to get his throne back, but Dany was born after Aerys was deposed/Viserys would have inherited. ETA: Viserys in the books was ~9 when Dany was born, so if the show kept that, that puts him in the 25-ish age range.

[Arya The Assassin]

Not true. In the books they tend to dress in their House colors a lot (viz Lord Bolton's pink cloak). The Starks are always mentioned as wearing gray with some white and having their House sigil somewhere.

It may have been true in the books (I don't remember), but in the TV series they've toned down the use of colors in the north deliberately, and I think that was a good decision (as explained above).

You can find more information about the design of the costumes in the TV series here:

Game Of Thrones: Costumes (HBO)

And yes, quality difference should be apparent - I don't see any difference between Ned's clothing and that of a random guardsman.

I noticed that many of the Lannisters wore reddish leather, while commoners mostly wore dark leather. The reddish leather looked more "luxurious", at least in my eyes. As for Ned (and many of the Starks), it was a deliberate choice to tone down the "flashiness" of his costumes. He's dressing in a simple but practical manner.

I don't criticize it just because of the difference from the books or from iRL history, but because making the clothing of nobles recognizable and memorable would have made it much easier for the new audience to tell the numerous characters apart

I personally don't think the design of costumes should be dictated by the (in)ability of non-readers to recognize the characters visually. I think the practical approach of the costume designers is better and more realistic. Some things may sound good on paper, but it may not work that well on the screen.

[Arya The Assassin]

Viserys is 23 (?) in the book. Certainly in that range.

Really? Then the age difference isn't that big as I'd imagined. When I read the book I had the impression that he was only a bit older than his sister, but perhaps my recollection is simply incorrect.

[L’Age d’or]

Really? Then the age difference isn't that big as I'd imagined. When I read the book I had the impression that he was only a bit older than his sister, but perhaps my recollection is simply incorrect.

Its because of his immaturity, I knew his age range while reading the book but his childish behavior always made me forget his true age.

[Arya The Assassin]

I thought the second episode was a huge improvement on the pilot.

I just saw the second episode again, and I agree that it's better then the first episode, although I think the pilot was very good as well. In fact, I felt that the second episode was even better on second viewing. So many details are easily missed on a single viewing.

My scores:

First episode: 8.5/10

Second episode: 9.0/10

I'll save the top scores for later :)

I got to admit my apprehensions of Lena Headey and Michelle Fairly as Cersei and Catelyn respectively, but they've both really impressed me. Lena Headey especially in the latest episode got Cersei down to a tee in how I imagined her. I hate her already.

I fully agree about Michelle. She's well cast as Catelyn and there's something about her that makes her seem both strong and vulnerable. She's a kind-looking, attractive woman, but the way Michelle portrays her, it's not that hard to imagine her as a more cynical, angry person, who would go to great lengths in order to get what she wants (this will come in handy later in the series).

I still felt that Lena was a bit too calm (she was almost whispering) when she talked to Ned at the inn after the direwolf-incident (I won't be more specific in order to avoid spoilers, but you probably know which scene I'm talking about). I can understand that Lena probably wants to portray Cersei as calm and in control of her feelings, but sometimes she underplays her character a bit, and that particular scene called for a bit more emotional delivery, in my opinion. But apart from that scene, I think Lena did very well in the second episode (she had a nice scene with Catelyn).