Anyone watching Game of Thrones? (spoilers)

[strangerep]

I bought the Season 3 dvd last week -- and watched it all within a few days.
The seasons are too short (but of course I understand why).

It's curious that seasons 1 & 2 were rated "R-18+", but season 3 is only MA-15+. I would have thought the final throat-cutting scenes qualified as "high level violence".

I'll probably never understand the rating system.

[...] not to spoil anything, but there is a part involving the Targaryan girl in the third season that was just awesome

If it's the scene I think you refer to... well,... hmmm,... I guess you like cars with large trunks?

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

So funny thing. I watched the first two seasons and then read the third book. After reading the third book I am now 2 episodes into the 3rd season and I don't like it as much. So much is changed and missing. The first two episodes end and I feel like nothing has happened. Right now my feeling is the book is vastly superior.

 

[strangerep]

Right now my feeling is the book is vastly superior.

Isn't this normal?

E.g., leaving out the special effects, the LOTR books are superior to the films.

 

[1MileCrash]

So funny thing. I watched the first two seasons and then read the third book. After reading the third book I am now 2 episodes into the 3rd season and I don't like it as much. So much is changed and missing. The first two episodes end and I feel like nothing has happened. Right now my feeling is the book is vastly superior.

It should be noted that there does not exist a trivial one-to-one correspondence between the books and the show seasons.

The nth book does not cover the nth season exactly. It is all over the place. You'll be well into season 4 from the third book, iirc.

 

[arildno]

Isn't this normal?

E.g., leaving out the special effects, the LOTR books are superior to the films.

As a longtime LOTR books fan, I totally disagree. Books are books and films are films, and there ain't nothing in between. Besides, there are better character developments of, say, Frodo, Merry and Pippin in the films than the books have to offer.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

The nth book does not cover the nth season exactly.

I agree and it's kind of problematic for me lol. I noticed a few big things not happening in season 3 that happened in the book.

 

[HomogenousCow]

I hate to be that guy, but the books were better.
There I said it.

 

[Dotini]

Game of Thrones is some kind of cultural phenomenon into which I became ensorcelled in 2012.

The five books become intellectually and emotionally involving, and the HBO production is acquiring a reputation as a cure for depression and a source for artistic inspiration.

 

[strangerep]

[...] the HBO production is acquiring a reputation as a cure for depression [...]

Really? Do you have a source link for that?

 

[Dotini]

Really? Do you have a source link for that?

Yes, I'm very pleased to say that I do.:!)

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/oscars/2013/10/game-of-thrones-stevie-nicks
Game of Thrones has been a point of obsession and intrigue for us over
its past three seasons on HBO. But if used correctly, Fleetwood Mac
front woman Stevie Nicks claims, the medieval fantasy series can also
have vaguely therapeutic applications--or at least it did for her.

While speaking to the Herald Scotland on the European leg of Fleetwood
Mac's current tour, Nicks segued a question about grieving her
mother's recent death to the HBO show. After she died, Nicks says, "I
didn't leave the house for almost five months.

"I worked on the edit of my documentary about the making of In Your
Dreams. And then I got pneumonia. With my pneumonia and my mother's
death I watched the entire first season of Game Of Thrones--so that was
great! That certainly took my mind off everything."

Not only did the series distract the Grammy winner, but it re-ignited
her creativity, inspiring her to write some G.O.T.-centric fan poems.
Explains Nicks, "I've written a bunch of poetry about it--one for each
of the characters. On Jon Snow. . . On Arya. . . On Cersei and Jaime."
She also says that she has a talent crush on the author of the Game of
Thrones book series, George R. R. Martin, who is her age, and "would
love to write some music" for the show.

 

[Fredrik]

I agree and it's kind of problematic for me lol. I noticed a few big things not happening in season 3 that happened in the book.

Season 3 is only half of the third book.

 

[mrmjp]

The wife and I watch it.

 

[wukunlin]

I hate to be that guy, but the books were better.
There I said it.

After seeing some of my favourite sci-fi/fantasy books butchered by their TV adaptations, I have long decided to avoid them like plague and stay with my books

 

[HomogenousCow]

I don't like how they're rushing the series, they should take it slow and take advantage of the fact that this is a TV series and not a movie.

 

[Ryan_m_b]

Game of thrones is one of the very few things I've seen that I think is better than the books. I've read them all and I find the inability to maintain a well paced story arc a massive drag. The series is better paced IMO.

 

[HomogenousCow]

Game of thrones is one of the very few things I've seen that I think is better than the books. I've read them all and I find the inability to maintain a well paced story arc a massive drag. The series is better paced IMO.

I admit that the books do tend to meander about (especially the latest two books), however the scope and background offered by the books are far superior to that of the series.

 

[Fredrik]

After seeing some of my favourite sci-fi/fantasy books butchered by their TV adaptations, I have long decided to avoid them like plague and stay with my books

The biggest complaint I've heard from the book readers is that the bit that took place in Qarth was disappointing. It was kind of bad, but it's a relatively small part of the second season. Now that Breaking Bad is over, this show is vastly superior to anything else on TV. So it would be a shame if you miss it because of a principle.

If you think it will be a problem that you know most of what's going to happen, think again. It wasn't a problem for me when I rewatched seasons 1-3 in december and january.

 

[Dotini]

A new HBO viewership record was set Sunday night with nearly 7 million tuned in for 404, "Canon not found", as some have joked.

The show is increasingly departing from Martin's original epic fantasy, and a national chorus of controversy is still raging over the (Jaime/Cersie) Sept scene in episode 3 of this, the 4th season of a projected 7.

Martin himself is writing some of these departures, and they are mostly entertaining improvements of the POV-limited novels, and greatly expanding the character development of fan favorites like Brienne, Bronn and the Hound.

The shock reveal in the circle of ice stalagmites in 404 must now restore to readers the sense of suspense and apprehension we've missed in the show so far. A good thing!

 

[Hepth]

A new HBO viewership record was set Sunday night with nearly 7 million tuned in for 404, "Canon not found", as some have joked.

The show is increasingly departing from Martin's original epic fantasy, and a national chorus of controversy is still raging over the (Jaime/Cersie) Sept scene in episode 3 of this, the 4th season of a projected 7.

Martin himself is writing some of these departures, and they are mostly entertaining improvements of the POV-limited novels, and greatly expanding the character development of fan favorites like Brienne, Bronn and the Hound.

The shock reveal in the circle of ice stalagmites in 404 must now restore to readers the sense of suspense and apprehension we've missed in the show so far. A good thing!

I think that's the key. We have to remember that Martin is overseeing any changes, and so really just think of them as things that have been cut from the books bought are now sort of a DVD extra. They should still be considered cannon and not thought of as diverging from the story in any meaningful way. (though the Sept scene really pisses me off because it can possibly change your emotions toward some characters and it changes their motivations. I think I know why they did it, but it wasn't a good reason. I felt the same way about some Shae/Tyrion stuff too.)

 

[Borek]

-S9PdLH99bU[/youtube]

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

-S9PdLH99bU[/youtube][/QUOTE] What...The...F... This is surely a sign of the apocalypse. :smile:

 

[Dotini]

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/05/07/game-of-thrones-them/
The “Game of Thrones” theme song has been covered by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the show’s cast and even a cat (yes, a cat. It is the Internet, after all).

Now, in one of the more creative renditions we’ve heard, YouTube sensation Dan Newbie remixes the classic tune using wine glasses, pots, pans, water bottles and other utensils. The clicks, clacks and taps reach a surprising range, paying proper tribute to the original version by composer Ramin Djawadi.

 

[Bandersnatch]

-S9PdLH99bU[/youtube][/QUOTE] I think I spied at least one goat in sheep's skin.

 

[Borek]

http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2014/05/07/game-of-thrones-them/
The “Game of Thrones” theme song has been covered by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, the show’s cast and even a cat (yes, a cat. It is the Internet, after all).

Now, in one of the more creative renditions we’ve heard, YouTube sensation Dan Newbie remixes the classic tune using wine glasses, pots, pans, water bottles and other utensils. The clicks, clacks and taps reach a surprising range, paying proper tribute to the original version by composer Ramin Djawadi.

Makes me think of these two (unrelated to GoT) videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Czujclci6uA&hd=1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vU34pdvi07c&hd=1

(song and a cover)

 

[?n0t_A_nUmb3R?]

I used to be a Game of Thrones fan. Now I am hooked on Stargate Atlantis

 

[Dotini]

Science of Game of Thrones



Full HD season 5 trailer, just released:

 

[strangerep]

Full HD season 5 trailer,

(Sigh.) And I won't get to watch season 4 until end-Feb. :(

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Any thoughts on the new season so far?

 

[HomogenousCow]

Any thoughts on the new season so far?

It's gone completely off the rails.

 

[Fredrik]

Any thoughts on the new season so far?

It's been a little slow. A lot of what's happening feels like setup for what's going to happen later. Arya has barely been in it at all, and the scenes with Tyrion have been a lot less awesome than we're used to. So I don't find it as good as the earlier seasons, but Game of Thrones at its worst is still the best thing on TV.