[Book Spoilers]What your non-reader friends/family thought and their predictions

[Lucifer Lightbringer]

Yeah please don't use the show to judge Martin's use of sexuality or his lack of poetic justice in the actual books. Sex especially is handled in a totally different way in the books. If I remember correctly, there are like maybe one or two explicit sex scenes per book whereas there are at least ten per season on the show.

Martin is a self-expressed feminist, and while he doesn't shy away from showing some of the harsh realities that women face in a fuedal society and sometimes writes sex in kind of a clumsy, mechanical way, the show is definitely portrayed through the eyes of our own modern media patriachy in a way I don't think he would have intended. The sex is for the ratings in the show and their target audience is probably young males.

Edit: To be totally honest, the show isn't a good metric for measuring the books at all. They are frankly totally different except in the broadest strokes of plot and characterization. The show is great for what it is and for what they have the resources and time to create, but as with most anything the books are better by a LONG shot.

[Tirilei]

Okay, fair enough. No, I don't think I'll read the books, but if you say the sex scenes there are written differently, I'll take your word for it. The day I joined here, I asked that question in a new thread, but it was never posted. One of my coworkers who has read the books (and doesn't watch the show) made it sound as if they are all hardcore and blood and gore, he actually said he doesn't think any woman would enjoy them.

Anyway, thanks for your responses.

[Mr Hodor]

my friend is swooning over robb's masterplan.

[Lucifer Lightbringer]

Ironically I'm pretty sure that the majority of the fan base is female :laugh:

[A Bear covered in Fluff]

This woman certainly enjoys the books! :) If you change your mind later on, you're in for a treat. :)

I love the lore of westeros and so after season 1 i dove into the books and here.

as for the episode: I asked my boyfriend and my roommate what they thought. The answer was it was a good episode. but they have no idea whats really going to happen. at least if i keep my mouth shut. I've been spoiling them too much D:

[Dove]

Unsurprisingly, they ooh'd and ahh'd over Jaime's story. With the exception of one of them who hates Jaime with a passion, pretty much everyone's turned over to the "yeah alright alright he cool" line of thinking. Which surprises me a little bit, as I wasn't entirely sold on him until the bear pit, honestly. I wonder how people can harbor such a burning hatred for characters like Theon and even Cat but then forgive Jaime so easily.

They're also very impressed by Robb's "big plans." :lol: Gotta keep your p-p-p-poker face.

Selyse and her baby-jars were met with a resounding "WHAT THE FUCK", ahahahaha.

[Donaldys I Trumpagar]

My wife the physician's assistant didn't notice in the earlier episode that the line about the Unsullied being "cut." She then made the observation that if the Unsullied really were "cut" they'd have no testosterone, and therefore would be pretty useless as warriors -- their bones would be fragile and they'd have diminished muscle compared to other men.

But they would be pretty: they would be hairless and have treble voices.

Funny, she was describing Varys.

[Ser Desmond Wine's Bane]

I knew from this website about the upcoming Sansa/Tyrion wedding, and I was glad to hear that he isn't in favor of the idea and talks of her wellbeing. Cersei and Loras, how creepy that would be too. Her character should be in her late 30s and he is in his early to mid 20s. I'm curious to see if she'll end up going along with that. She doesn't seem the type to let someone tell her what to do.

That Loras actor needs to comb his hair. For a guy who is supposed to be good-looking and gay, he looks too unkempt.

In the series all the children are older than the books and all the adults are younger. Even Ned Stark and Jaime Lannister were roughly the same age. Cersei was quite young when she married Robbert, perhaps 16. maybe younger. She is only about 30-32 or there abouts in the books.

[Ser Desmond Wine's Bane]

Okay, fair enough. No, I don't think I'll read the books, but if you say the sex scenes there are written differently, I'll take your word for it. The day I joined here, I asked that question in a new thread, but it was never posted. One of my coworkers who has read the books (and doesn't watch the show) made it sound as if they are all hardcore and blood and gore, he actually said he doesn't think any woman would enjoy them.

Anyway, thanks for your responses.

The books have more consentual sex, the TV series has a preponderance of contractual sex ie brothels - due to some perceived need by the producers for a 'bare nipples per episode' quota or some rubbish.

As for the women liking them thing, I don't know any woman who has read the books who didn't love them.

[Jorah the Explorer]

My wife the physician's assistant didn't notice in the earlier episode that the line about the Unsullied being "cut." She then made the observation that if the Unsullied really were "cut" they'd have no testosterone, and therefore would be pretty useless as warriors -- their bones would be fragile and they'd have diminished muscle compared to other men.

The strength of the Unsullied is in their discipline and training. A Roman legion is far more powerful than a Germanic tribe, despite the latter likely having more hardy men.

[Toxspecific]

The strength of the Unsullied is in their discipline and training. A Roman legion is far more powerful than a Germanic tribe, despite the latter likely having more hardy men.

I like your username XD

And agreed about the Unsullied, how much testosterone would they need for the kind of fighting they do?

[Sun]

Unsurprisingly, they ooh'd and ahh'd over Jaime's story. With the exception of one of them who hates Jaime with a passion, pretty much everyone's turned over to the "yeah alright alright he cool" line of thinking. Which surprises me a little bit, as I wasn't entirely sold on him until the bear pit, honestly. I wonder how people can harbor such a burning hatred for characters like Theon and even Cat but then forgive Jaime so easily.

I loved Jaime, the instant I read his first POV. I understood him, and that made me love him. On the other hand I maintained my dislike of Theon despite his POV chapters. I understood him as well, and that made me dislike him more.

ETA:

Liked the part where handsome Jeor tells the white haired guy that he is no Lord Commander there, just another exile. And then that ex-slave officer guy, Grey Worm, another sexy addition to the male cast. I wonder what his role will be. But wait, when the translater girl (forgot her name) talks about how the slave boys are renamed, did she say "when they are cut"? Are all those "unsullied" soldiers castrated? (Unlikely, I would think, testosterone and all..) Or did she say "when they are caught"?

Yes, they are.

[Sun]

DP

[PatrickStormborn]

That Loras actor needs to comb his hair. For a guy who is supposed to be good-looking and gay, he looks too unkempt.

I hate to break it to you, but plenty of gay people are "unkempt".

[Lord Flashheart]

I hate to break it to you, but plenty of gay people are "unkempt".

Really? I thought all gay people looked like

?

[Trident full of Dogs]

Really? I thought all gay people looked like Neil Patrick Harris?

Fun! Lets talk hair.

I get these mental images of that guy from American Pie (can't remember his name - he's the one with the odd Ken doll face and precisely combed back hair - the one who dates Mena Suvari's character) as the very antithesis of unkempt hair.

Both Loras and Jon Snow have the best hair in the show!!!!

Jaime, on the other hand and as mentioned a zillion times, has fantastic Prince Charming from Shrek's hair. Love to watch it bounce!

I mention my mum is constantly puzzled by the beautiful hair women in the show have, since its teh middle ages thus no hair salons. I point out to her noble women have handmaids but she keeps saying "It's not realistic! look at Robb's mum hair. She's wondering in the forests how can she have great hair?"

[Mother of Mini Dragons]

I'll have to come back after I talk to my family more we had a kiddo distraction before we could fully discuss the episode, but they did mention that they believe that Cersei is going to kill Tywin. lol

My hubby didn't say much except that it was a good episode and he absolutely loved the Hound/Beric fight. He also can't understand why Stannis has his daughter locked up.

[Jarlix]

My parent's a total baby who skipped out when she saw the Karstarks murder them Lannister squires. She watches occasionally with me. I desperately tried telling her they're being held accountable for their crimes after and that the episode has other merits but nope, it's been this way since Sean Bean died in it for her.

I loved the episode. Haha, Cersei almost looked cute at the end with her reaction to being Loras' betrothed...

My brother thinks Robb is going to do something at Joffrey's wedding. Like a surprise attack.

I could barely keep myself from laughing.

hahah. AHAHAHA.

[MsLibby]

My coworker who is obsessed with the show but hasn't read the books told me first thing this morning that she loved Gendry asking Arya to be his Lady. I think I broke her heart when I explained :(

[greywindsrage]

Awww! So that sexy guy plays an eunuch! How disappointing. Obedient maybe, but they'll be missing those fighter hormones when they are neutered. Dang!

I don't mind. Don't know why people are making such a big deal about "spoilers". People who watch a play on stage read a summary before they go, too. I sometimes seek out explanations on this website for better understanding. It doesn't spoil my enjoyment of the show, but it does make me angry at the author, GRRM, at times, and makes me wonder if he used his writings of many years as an outlet for his personal frustrations. It seems nothing good ever happens to his "good" characters. Also, most of the sex scenes (except Jon Snow's) are rather unpleasant to watch (at least from a woman's perspective), so I'm wondering if he is this angry old man whose life has been dull and boring, and his writings are his phantasies.

Most of the shows sex scenes are not in the books.