1.02 Game of Thrones - The Kings Road

[hadd]

Originally Posted by Quick Ben

Yeah that's how I pronounce it too.

On the episode, Cersei's first born??? Was that just something that writers put in to give the non-bookreaders hints about Joffrey et al's parentage? I do not remember that being in the book at all. Thought I was going mad.

Yea, can't recall anything from the books about that. AFAIK Cersei had no black-haired children (dead or alive).

Also the scene with Catelyn being in the old tower...Oh come on, why not just use The Who's "Won't Get Fooled Again" and let Cat put her sunglasses on David Caruso style...That was just BS.

They add touches that should make the story more understandable to the audience who haven't read the books, yet they cut dialogue parts such as Cat saying to Jon "It should have been you instead of Bran" (or something like that).

I do believe the series will get better as it gets on and as a person who just knows the story it's hard to take this "introduction" to the world.

Actually I'm not some mad fan who's like "JACKSON Y U NO SHOW TOM BOMBADIL" but I just can't see some of the changes or additions justified.

Harry Lloyd is doing a wonderful job as Viserys though. If we'd only see more of him :P

[ctg]

Originally Posted by Conor

Great episode!!

Is there anyone on this forum here that has NOT read the books?

I am very interested in their thoughts.

I must be the only one who haven't read the books, although I tried to listen the first book it just didn't catch me in same way as the televised series is doing.

At the moment this mini series is delivering higher marks than BBC's Merlin, and maybe the reason why it does that is in the execution, where the producer isn't directing the series towards the younger audience but actually uses the theme to draw in the adults.

Although I have said that the series and especially the second episode is great, I think that they could do a better story by delivering more complete narrative. What I mean is that even though I'm already hooked in, I find myself still wondering who's who and what the (expletive deleted) is going on. In that front, for example BBC's Merlin and AMC's Walking Dead are doing much better job.

So, if they are planning to draw in big numbers then they need to direct some of the editing to draw in the audience that has a shorter attention span, because I really doubt that GRRM did a that bad job with the books.

[Ursa major]

Originally Posted by ctg

I find myself still wondering who's who and what the (expletive deleted) is going on.

Why should you know what's going on after just two hours of TV when those of us who've read the first four (long) books are not really sure...?

[ctg]

Originally Posted by Ursa major

Why should you know what's going on after just two hours of TV when those of us who've read the first four (long) books are not really sure...?

Because the TV producers could have used the technology, and the writers/editors wit to deliver more comprehensive storytelling than the choppy one that we're seeing at the moment.

Just look at the beginning of the B5 and you see that JMS delivers the complicated story brilliantly. Although many of the first season episodes are fillers, we get to know the important characters intimately.

In this case, we are through 20 percent of the first book and the watcher is still trying to figure out who's who and where they are going to go next. Just seeing them jumping back and forth between the locations, and the characters doesn't really deliver the parts for the big picture. And all I can say at the moment is that there's some sort War-Of-The-Roses gearing at the background. What the winter has to do with it, I don't know, but checking the titles from other books, I can say we're going to see it at the sixth season/book. When in B5 we got to know Shadows at the second.

PS. Could one of the mods correct the title to reflect the "official" standard please.

1.01 Game of Thrones - Winter is Coming
1.02 Game of Thrones - The Kings Road
1.03 Game of Thrones - Lord Snow
1.04 Game of Thrones - Cripples, Bastard, and Broken Things
1.05 Game of Thrones - The Wolf and The Lion
1.06 Game of Thrones - A Golden Crown
1.07 Game of Thrones - You Win or You Die
1.08 Game of Thrones - The Pointy End
1.09 Game of Thrones - Baelor
1.10 Game of Thrones - Fire and Blood

[Ursa major]

I was joking, but there was a serious point to the comment (as always?). In the following, I'll try to avoid spoilers as this is the TV section, not GRRM's author section.

One of the reasons this site, and many others, is filled with speculation about A Song of Ice and Fire is that no-one (apart from GRRM, we hope) knows the ultimate shape of the story. It is known that the first three books - A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings and A Storm of Swords - were initially meant to be the first book of a trilogy, but the story expanded in the telling. And without giving too much away, those three books between them mostly do describe the fight for the Iron Throne. However, as the prologue you've seen showed, various other things (no pun intended) are afoot, which may or may not - and I say this not because I'm trying to avoid giving spoilers - be seen to be the true focus of the story GRRM is telling.

Withing the books, various story threads are born and come to fruition, whilst others eke their way through every book in the background. That's what I meant by not knowing what's going on. I won't be seeing Game of Thrones season 1 until the DVDs are issued (though I have seen the 14 minutes of Episode One that's on the HBO site), but I don't think I'm giving too much away in saying that plenty of things will be resolved within the season, while other threads are still going strong by the end of Book IV (and, probably, beyond). The vast cast of characters are the result of the breadth of ASoIaF; you can be reassured that we readers of the books have had to work just as hard as the new viewers in placing everyone in the story (and we're still having to do this, as GRRM delivers plot twist after plot twist).

[TK-421]

Well, I am very happy with episode 2.

They played the Cat-Jon and Tyrion-Joff scenes very very well, especially.

[Lady of Winterfell]

I think overrall I enjoyed this episode a bit more than the first.

I really enjoyed the scenes with Jon and Tyrion, as well as the scene with Jon and Arya. I like how they have portrayed those relationships so far. Even with just the one scene between Jon and Arya, you really got a feel for how close those two are.

I felt some things were missing though. Ghost was non existent. Even on the long shot where we see the Kings people and those of the Night Watch split up, Ghost is nowhere to be seen. Shouldn't he be following Jon? I guess we just assume he is going with him.
I was also disappointed they didn't include the line Catelyn says to Jon in Bran's room, 'It should have been you.' That was a very powerful scene for me in the books, I always hated reading that but it really shows her feelings for him.
And what about the three eyed crow? Will we see him in the next episode? I sure hope so, I would be disappointed if they left that out...seems important enough to me to include.

As for Theon, I really haven't seen enough to form an opinion of him yet. Tyrion, Jon, and Dany are my favorites so far. Mark Addy is doing very well as Robert, much better than I was expecting. And Maisie Williams IS Arya. I'm still looking forward to them reaching Kings Landing where we will get to meet more of the cast of characters.

And I've always pronounced it 'Aria', the way it is pronounced in music.

Does anyone know what ratings/viewers this second episode received?

[Mouse]

Just watched it. Gah! Hate Joffrey so much!

What I don't get is why Lady? Aren't Summer and Grey Wind (is that Robb's? I forget!) there? Or are they somewhere else? It's all a bit confusing actually and I've read the books! Were they separate in this episode? Starks in Starkland then the others (Ned, Ar-yuh , Sansa) in Lannisterland? Or somewhere else?

I know I sound like a wally, but it really was a long time ago I read the books, and I only read them once.

I kept waiting to see Ghost. Where was he?

I have no recollection of who Ilyn (sp?) Payne is.

Dany bits were ok. Viserys... yes, loving Harry Lloyd.

Tyrion... Damnit! I totally ruined him for myself. I spent the first few scenes of the episode sniggering to myself. I don't belieeeeeeeve it!

Jaime... weirdly attractive in this episode. More so than Jon.

Theon. No.

Did I mention how much I hate Joffrey?

[I, Brian]

Really enjoyed this episode, too - like others I wanted to hear that "It should have been you" because it was such a powerful thing to say, but it was clear the writers wanted to keep attention focused on establishing Jon as a bastard and Ned's refusal to answer even the king on this issue, so I can appreciate that.

Overall, there is a lot of movement missing from the books, but it's been transferred very well into a TV series so far - it's picking up momentum, the locations are memorable (ie, a scene opens, you know where they are) and the characters are slowly but surely coming to the fore.

It's always going to be a sticking point on how the cuts fall, and I think after the first season cuts are going to become far more contentious.

However, at this point I think it's becoming a very fluid and clean translation, and the spirit of the GRRM books is being carried nicely. Even better, it's very watchable for people who don't know the books, and there's nothing being done to lose them as yet, which I think is especially important.

[Lady of Winterfell]

Mouse, you're first line seems a bit like a spoiler. You may want to edit it.

Summer (Bran's) and Grey Wind (Robb's) are in Winterfell still, whereas Lady (Sansa's) and Nymeria (Arya's) are traveling with the Kings host.

Ilyn Payne is the Kings Justice.

[Mouse]

Originally Posted by Lady of Winterfell

Mouse, you're first line seems a bit like a spoiler. You may want to edit it.

Well it does now. Honestly, as people are talking about ep 2 in the ep 1 thread I didn't think anybody was worried about spoilers.

(Like I've said, I've read the books, but I still don't want to read about episodes I haven't watched yet!)

Summer (Bran's) and Grey Wind (Robb's) are in Winterfell still, whereas Lady (Sansa's) and Nymeria (Arya's) are traveling with the Kings host.

Ilyn Payne is the Kings Justice.

Cool, thanks.

[HoopyFrood]

I think it's more 'cos this section, Game of Thrones, is supposed to be strictly tv based and to avoid spoilers from later on in the books that new people might stumble across.

[Mouse]

Yes. Great. I haven't actually written any spoilers.

(sorry, that sounds a bit b*tchy doesn't it? Long day)

My comment: Honestly, as people are talking about ep 2 in the ep 1 thread I didn't think anybody was worried about spoilers.

Was meant as a hint to the mods to get rid of that post in the other thread (or move it to this one). I was an admin on the two biggest Lost fan sites for six years, it's hard-wired into me to not write spoilers and to seek and destroy them!

[I, Brian]

Removed Mouse potential spoiler - all fine with the world again.

(Of course, it was only a spoiler if you read the books, and I doubt anyone watching would have picked up on it - still better safe and all that. )

[Mouse]

It wasn't a spoiler! People are going to think I'm mentally retarded. Saying I want a character to die isn't a spoiler. GAH!

I'm going to step away from the computer now. (Sorry, Brian.)