[No Spoilers] How do you determine your ratings?

[Mladen]

For me, it`s also about instincts. But, I also disect each episode, scene by scene. I think about it and then I make the final decision. BUt, if the first impression was bad, no thinking would ever be able to correct that.

S03E04 of Game of thrones for me was somewhere 9,7-9,8. The length of Theon`s arc has become too much for me. It`s annoying, and the worst thing is that we don`t see cruelty and madness of Ramsay`s actions. It`s all cut down into small pieces and it last for two long.2,3 episodes would be enough for that arc, and now I think we`ll see Theon in every episode.

Also, another great plus is lack of Bronn. I seriously became annoyed by his appearence. Luckily, we have Beric now, a new badass has arrived.

So, it`s all about that moment in which you can`t hold your breath out of excitement, and just saying `this was brilliant`. Firt impression with these things is everything :)

[Dove]

The only time I'll subtract anything for a deviation from the book is when I feel as though it's a change that actually hurts the narrative of the TV show. Otherwise, I see them as two seperate beasts that enhance my enjoyment of each other and grade the episodes depending on their quality as a stand-alone thing in addition to an adaptation. It's much more enjoyable and much less stressful than getting mad at every little change or whatever.

[Ser Creighton]

I do it episode by episode, and it's pretty simple. How much did I enjoy this week? I actually try not to compare it directly to other shows. And honestly what show out there can you compare it to? Like I love Archer, but their is nothing to compare. Walking dead, Justified, you can't really compare them. Just like I would not compare a Monet to a Picasso, you don't compare Seurat to Rousseau. I look for different things from different shows, because each show is different and deserves to rated on it's own merits and what it is trying ot achive.

Granted it's tv and not painting, but you should get the general idea. I do incorperate some of the books into judging the show. I have read the books, it can't really be helped. If their is something from the books I am hoping to see and then it is not put in the series of course I am going to be disappointed.

Also it's HBO, I pay extra from HBO and I expect the best from HBO, mostly because of their excellent track record. So it's going to be a higher standard I judge the shows with. Thrones has been one of the best shows on TV but that does not mean every episode is great. They have had some lemons and some gems. Certain moments can be brutal, Shea and Tyrion. It doesn't work and the added scenes are brutal. I will hammer the show when something meaning full is cut from the books in favor a meangless Shea and Tyrion scene. That whole sitcom dialogue scene where Shea talks about Sansa and Tyrion is one of if not thee most brutal scenes in the shows history. Ruined the episode for me, the whole thing was so out of place and I felt like I was watching A game of Friends. They also seem to have gutted the Jon Snow and the Knights Watch arc. Like I never felt like they made a long march to Crasters, or that they were starving, or that anyting was getting tense. It felt like they marched for a day and were there for a day or two at most. No desperation in those scenes at all.

However as a whole that episode had so many good moments that even one or two not so good moments it still end up as an excellent watch. It's odd, the show always seems to be either kind of a buildup episode or an epic episode that has like one or two bad scenes and like 10 great moments. I have all but given up on Jon and the Nights watch ever being anything good and it's a shame as it takes away from the story.

[Shitmouth the Wise]

Gut feeling. 10 being perfect, 9 being excellent, 8 being really good, 7 being pretty good. I don't think I've ever given an episode less than 7 since the sheer talent of the actors and production value overall is just so good, tied in with the overall excellent source material, I don't ever find an episode not to be rated at least "Pretty good" by me.

This isn't really compared to other TV Shows, books, movies, or anything like that. It's just a feeling of entertainment I get from watching it.

This is how I do it. Never given out a 10 though, and I think a 7 only once.

[DarkAndFullOfTurnips]

This is how I do it. Never given out a 10 though, and I think a 7 only once.

I haven't given a 10 yet either because I don't feel any episode has really being absolutely perfect. I'm hoping we get one this season. Episode 9 could very well be a 10.

[Mulled Wino]

Ive never seen anyone say or even insinuate that they rate it vs how it compares to the books.

[The hairy bear]

IMO, it would we helpful to include a guideline for voting at the top of the poll.

*It should be established whether we are ranking within the show itself, or in relation to others: Is 10 supposed to be (1.a) the best episode of GoT, or (1.b ) the best episode of any series in tv?

*Then agree on the lower ranks: (2.a) the worst episode of GoT should get a 0 (because it's the worst) or (2.b ) about a 5 (beacuse it still "passes").

I personally us the 1.a and 2.b criteria.

[Sun]

I have often rated episodes on other shows 10s before, Deadwood, BSG, Life on Mars and Rome come to mind immediately, but I've not done it for GOT yet. My 10s tend to come out based exclusively on the writing, the quality of the words. CGI, production values, and action sequences never rate that high for me. The quality of the writing on GOT just hasn't reached that level for me. In fact, i've often found it to be its weakest element.

[Kienn]

I start at a 6 then subtract for bad/terrible scenes (see season 2 conversation where Tyrion says he wants to keep playing the game - really awkward work in for the show title or something, no clue what they were thinking with that writing) and add for good/great scenes.

Obviously people will disagree about which scenes are bad/good. As far as the books, I'm kind of giving a pass to the Theon scenes which I think would be confusing if I hadn't read the books - but the books made it clearly confusing on purpose so I let it pass for now, with the assumption it will pay off later in the show as well.

I also give a pass for the Bran scenes - I think Bran's story is pretty awful in the show sadly... in the books(where Bran is one of my favorites) it takes a lot of exposition which just isn't going to work on screen and I don't think they've gone with a good substitute. Of course I don't have a better idea for him but that's not the point!

[Kaitscralt]

I give every episode a 10 because, duh, HBO is doing an adaptation of ASoIaF.

[Reposado]

I have often rated episodes on other shows 10s before, Deadwood, BSG, Life on Mars and Rome come to mind immediately, but I've not done it for GOT yet. My 10s tend to come out based exclusively on the writing, the quality of the words. CGI, production values, and action sequences never rate that high for me. The quality of the writing on GOT just hasn't reached that level for me. In fact, i've often found it to be its weakest element.

this strikes me as a bit extreme. the quality of the acting doesnt matter to you? the cinematography? set design?

[Sun]

this strikes me as a bit extreme. the quality of the acting doesnt matter to you? the cinematography? set design?

ofcourse they do, combined with decent writing they can take the show a fair way up the ratings scale. But a rating of 10 is predicated on superb writing on top of everything else.

[Mother of Mini Dragons]

I rate it very high because I rate it as a TV show. I am avid TV watcher and there simply is not another show on television that has the high quality of acting, storyline and overall themes and the direction and look that this show has. I'd probably never go lower than a 7 for an episode of GoT and I haven't voted a 7 yet for this season. The acting on this show is absolutely superb, the story is well-done and is an adaptation that shows both respect and love for the source material. Obviously the locations and cinematography and the special effects and CGI are outstanding for a television program. One of the things not discussed that often, but that is really standing out for me is the costuming and especially this season - whoever is behind these designs is pretty amazing. I love all of the clothing and how each character has a style that is adapted to their personality down to the small detail that once Sansa saw the Lannisters for who they really are that she has stopped wearing her hair in the Southern styles that they Lannisters wear and now is back to wear her hair simply, like her mother.

It's easy to criticize some of the changes made for the TV adaptation, but I am fine with most of them. Probably the only ones that really bother me are Catelyn's storyline being very diluted as far as showing her political astuteness and I think it was a mistake to have her release Jaime before she 'knew' that Bran and Rickon were dead. I don't like Asha's portrayal, but she's a minor character so it doesn't really matter all that much. And one of the biggest mistakes was Arya's escape from Harrenhall, I thought it was really important to see Arya being the mastermind behind her escape rather than her essentially being rescued by someone else along with other details I won't get into since this is a non-spoiler thread. I like GRRM story here because he really does write female character as being the actors in their own stories and some of that has been taken away in the TV show with the men doing the actions that the females did in the books. I don't like that.

[PetyrPunkinhead]

I watched S1 & S2 w/out ever having read the books, and went in w/ little expectation and much speculation. So every episode of the those two seasons were an 8-10 for me. With S3, it's different b/c now I've read the first four books and come in to the episodes w/ more expectations. The first two episodes of S3 were probably the most disappointed I've ever been in the series. However, episodes 3 & 4 either met or exceeded most of my expectations. I rated them both as a 9.

I'm not sure how anyone could rate any episode below a 6 or a 5. And giving any episode thus far a one is just ludicrous to me. For it to rate a 1 they'd have to have something completely catastrophic like turning Jon Snow in to a glittering vampire that falls in love with Joffry while breaking in to a GLEE-esque cover of a Justin Bieber song.