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Game Of Thrones ! SPOILERS !

MathuzzzMathuzzz Member Posts: 203
edited September 2012 in Off-Topic
Is anybody watching the show? What do you think of it?

Found some connection with BG so I was thinking if people here are watching it.

I like low fantasy settings, so magic and supernatural elements are rare and not on every corner, so I gave it a try (also one of the reasons I liked BG1 over BG2). I think it started as very interesting but became a bit chaotic and I think a bit excessive. Later, especially in the second season, it started to feel like soap opera with so many new characters with similar personality, trying to keep it dramatic with raising sex scenes and more and more senseless violence. While I have nothing against these things, actually I like that it is realistic and not made in Lord Of The Rings way, but they became a bit exaggerated, as every single scene must end with someone dead or at least being threatened with death.

Also the author must have hated all the foolishly naive and obedient, good characters, so he killed most of them already in the first season. Guess Sean Bean got used to it already.

What do you think? I am at the half of the second season, so please don´t spoil me some major events of the end of the second season.

Comments

  • ajwzajwz Member Posts: 4,122
    I read the books. Not trying to be elitist here, but the series actually changes the personalities and motivations of some of the characters. Plus it's not as bloodthirsty.
  • Awong124Awong124 Member Posts: 2,642
    I would have liked to see a more drawn out sword fight between Ned and Jaime, that would have been pretty epic though Jaime probably would have won. But that fight never happened in the book anyway, it was just briefly added into the show, which I thought was a nice touch.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited September 2012
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  • Awong124Awong124 Member Posts: 2,642
    I'd say season 1 stayed like 95% true to the book. I haven't watched season 2 yet, but I've read book 2.
  • KhamillKhamill Member Posts: 226
    edited September 2012
    @Awong124 Well.... then season 2 is maybe 60% true, or maybe less. Thanks to 1st season I have started to read the saga, and really... book is way, waahahaay better than show, at leat second season, which imo could be done much better.
  • MathuzzzMathuzzz Member Posts: 203
    edited September 2012
    It is really hard to keep with so many acts in the second season. First half of the first season was just one act, while in the second season there are like 7 different acts. Even though it creates impression of something big happening in the realm, it is hard to concentrate, when you see like 5 minutes of one act in the whole episode.

    I like it not being black/white, but so many shades of grey are as unrealistic as black/white. Not everybody is totally neutral without emotions and the story needs some clearly positive characters as well as those cunning, neutral ones. There are lots of arrogantly evil characters anyway, so what happened to all the humanity?
  • ajwzajwz Member Posts: 4,122
    Mathuzzz said:

    It is really hard to keep with so many acts in the second season. First half of the first season was just one act, while in the second season there are like 7 different acts. Even though it creates impression of something big happening in the realm, it is hard to concentrate, when you see like 5 minutes of one act in the whole episode.

    I like it not being black/white, but so many shades of grey are as unrealistic as black/white. Not everybody is totally neutral without emotions and the story needs some clearly positive characters as well as those cunning, neutral ones. There are lots of arrogantly evil characters anyway, so what happened to all the humanity?

    You might not like the books then. Or indeed any of the later series of the show when they are released.
  • MathuzzzMathuzzz Member Posts: 203
    ajwz said:


    You might not like the books then. Or indeed any of the later series of the show when they are released.

    I´m not saying that I don´t like it. It just doesn´t hold the greatness it started with.
  • BelgarathMTHBelgarathMTH Member Posts: 5,653
    This is a fantastic topic! I would be very surprised if there weren't many, many GoT fans among us BG fans.

    Unfortunately for me, I just had to cancel my HBO subscription to save money, so I won't be getting to enjoy season three until it comes out on DVD.

    I read the books up until "Feast for Crows". I must say, I like the slightly lighter tone of the TV series better. I eventually abandoned reading the books, because I got tired of going to bed every night with all the graphic descriptions of violence and suffering and sexual abuse rattling around in my head. If you think that the series has graphic violence and sex, I'm here to tell you that the books are ten times worse!

    My favorite character has always been Tyrion "the Imp". In the books, he is described as horribly homely and pockmarked and ugly, even before his axe wound. Peter Dinklage is the perfect Tyrion, but he is also a very handsome "little person", who does not even remotely resemble the "ugly dwarf" described in the book. Perhaps now that the tv series has gotten to his axe wound, they will apply makeup from now on that makes him more closely resemble his book counterpart.

    I keep laughing at all the people who have expressed surprise and outrage at Ned Stark's execution in season one. Every person who has read the books knew that was coming. I was looking for that from episode one of the series! It is the event that drives the entire epic, so there was no way they could change that event if they were going to adapt "Song of Fire and Ice".

    The brat playing Joffrey has the part nailed dead-on. I can only hope that he is doing that through masterful acting, and doesn't have a hint of such evil is his real-life personality! The actress playing Cersei, and the actor playing Jamie are also dead-on. In fact, one of the reasons that I think the series is loved by both readers and new viewers is because of the perfect casting and direction.

    I know what is going to happen to Joffrey eventually, and I very much relish the thought of eventually seeing it played out in life action!

    I have a hard time restraining myself from totally gushing about this series. I now much prefer the series to the books, no offense intended to the author.
  • HaHaCharadeHaHaCharade Member Posts: 1,644
    Season 1 was really accurate in terms of the book... sure they changed some minor things, like writing out Jeyne Poole, but other then that it was amazing how much they stayed on course. I will say that you lose some of the flashbacks and stuff with Raegar in the TV Series, which is unfortunate...

    Season 2 was great, the last episode for me was just ok. I didn't like the House of the Undying... thought they dropped the ball there. The rest of the season made up for it. I think some of the changes they made, for pacing etc. in Season 2, actually improved the story somewhat (I know, shoot me right?) I loved the idea of Arya being Tywin Lannister's cupbearer. How great was Jaquen H'ghar too?

    Looking forward to Season 3!
  • CrazedSlayerCrazedSlayer Member Posts: 131
    I heard the fight scene between Ned and Jaime went a completely different way in the books. Based on what I know of it, I prefer the series adaptation of that scene, because it says alot more about Jaime's pride.
  • MathuzzzMathuzzz Member Posts: 203
    As belgarathmth stated, acting is brilliant here. Especially old Lannister, but also Ned, as Sean Bean is veteran in such role and most of the Lannisters look really evil, or the king´s advisors, Imp...

    I knew that Ned Start is going to die, but I was still annoyed with the way they made it. Everyone good had to be butchered before the end of the season and evil has to win in all the fronts. Maybe if I read the book, it will give me a new perspective of things.

    On the other hand, horrible events of the end of the first season totally created backgrounds for typical heroic characters. I mean Arya. There is no way she is going to die any time soon. As a child, she was better with bow/sword than men and was eager to improve. Her father and those close to her were executed in front of her eyes, she became a thrall, a prisoner, still able to avoid death and act bravely, creating allies, which would help her (Jaquen,Gendry). If she won´t end as a heroine, than I stop believe into gods, old and new.
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