Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire) The Fantasy Thread

[Unknown Soldier]

Originally Posted by Paloma

I had to read that, although I don't know what it is. ****ing hell I love Arya. When I have a daughter, I hope she's like Arya.

Arya gets even better when she starts sticking "needle" into people.

Originally Posted by Paloma

Oh Ned. I'm crying.

I can't....!!!!!!! **** Joffrey!!!!!!!!

Joffrey's great, every series needs a nasty spoilt king hacking people's heads off.

[Sansa Stark]

I hate him though.

I loved Arya when she was like "I killed a fat boy once! I'll kill another! I LIKE KILLING FAT BOYS"

I was like, damn!

[LoathsomePete]

After three episodes I definitely like where this season is heading. The first episode seemed a little rushed, but I don't mean in a production sense but in that the producers seemed to be cramming as much as they could into that episode. I can see why they did it, it set in motion a number of stories such as Catheryn's journey to the south and Theon's journey to Pyke. By doing that so early in the season they allow so character building to take place once both characters actually reach their destination, which was something the book seemed to shy away from.

Spoiler for spoilers, you've been warned:

I like how the show's writers have gone into a bit more depth with Renly Baratheon and Theon Greyjoy. I'm really happy that they've decided to showcase Renly's homosexuality (which was only vaguely hinted at in the novels) and make it a struggle for him to balance his sexual preference and his kingship. I also like how they actually show that Margeary Tyrell's marriage with Renly is just for political gain and that there is absolutely no love between the two except that of Renly and Ser Loras. It makes it a hell of a lot more believable that they would so easily switch sides and start supporting the Lannisters again after Renly is slain and Stannis loses the Battle for King's Landing.

On the other side of Westeros I was really happy the writers decided to include some actual internal conflict with Theon Greyjoy and his betrayal of Robb Stark. In the novel he pretty much just shows back up to Pyke, gets chewed out by his father for his greenland ways, gets told that they're going to conquer the north now that all the armies are down in the south, then the next thing you know he's on a longship raiding the Stony Shore. In the show, after his father explains his plans, Theon actually has a letter written for Robb Stark and is stuck in this horrible position of betraying one family for the other, both of whom he's known for about equal time. In the end he burns the letter, but at least the writers actually decided to show some internal turmoil rather than just expect the audience to assume he feels it.

Besides those two major changes, I'm pretty happy with all the little ones the writers have made, most of them have to do with consolidating events. Rather than show the Night's Watch go through abandoned wildling villages, they show have Commander Mormont say they've been through them. Same with how the last episode ended, rather than have Gendry, Hot Pie, Lommy, and Arya wander after their encounter with Ser Amory Lorch and his men only to get captured by Ser Gregor Clegane and his men, they just have them yield after the first skirmish.

[PoorOldPo]

I really like this show. Latest episode was cool. Love the books.

[James]

I didn't really get that episode. She gave birth....to a shadow?

[NSW]

I never read the books, so you book nerds please excuse me for asking...can Joffrey just get mauled by direwolves already? What kind of 13 year old boy doesn't get a stiffy from watching two hot chicks kissing, and instead makes one beat the hell out of the other one? What a sick little ****.

Oh, and I'm very confused by Sansa now. I don't know whether to hate her or feel sorry for her. I'm sure she's traumatized though, and I'm hoping she has some devious plan in mind for getting back at the Lannisters.

[LoathsomePete]

Originally Posted by nonsubmissivewife

I never read the books, so you book nerds please excuse me for asking...can Joffrey just get mauled by direwolves already? What kind of 13 year old boy doesn't get a stiffy from watching two hot chicks kissing, and instead makes one beat the hell out of the other one? What a sick little ****.

Oh, and I'm very confused by Sansa now. I don't know whether to hate her or feel sorry for her. I'm sure she's traumatized though, and I'm hoping she has some devious plan in mind for getting back at the Lannisters.

I really don't want to spoil anything but rest assured that he gets his in the end, but sadly so do characters you also have grown fond of.

As far as Sansa goes, hating her might be a little extreme but it's pretty understandable to be annoyed with her. She really doesn't see any significant character changes until the 4th book sadly, which leaves her chapters as the least interesting and most skipped for the first three books. I really hope Martin makes her a more engaging character for the last two books, but she's going to have some fierce competition with Arya.


Pertaining to last night's episode, I thought it was perhaps the best in the entire series so far. I loved watching Robb get completely told off by the field nurse lady who will become his love interest. She looks far more interesting than the girl he marries in the novel. I thought it was really nice to get a little bit of insight into Joffrey's sexual deviancy that only gets briefly touched upon in the book, which is a little weird considering Martin is not shy about going into the details and exploits of other characters. It's also further proof to his sociopathic behavior, that often gets shrugged off as the extremes of a spoiled brat, who instead of smacking two toy soldiers together opts to use real men. I also really liked what they did with the Qarth scene, particularly the little in-joke with the pronunciation of the city and the 13's hesitance to let Danaery's enter. I'm also happy that they shied away from the book's description of the Qarthians as having pale milky skin and have added some ethnicity to the cast.

I'm also intrigued by the changes to Arya's story arc this season, they seem to be changing up who she serves as cupbearer for, as in the book it isn't Tywin Lannister. Not really a bad thing but it does have me wondering if a somewhat major event is going to happen or not, and if it does how they're going to change it.

[PoorOldPo]

Originally Posted by James

I didn't really get that episode. She gave birth....to a shadow?

You'll see

[LoathsomePete]

This is a question for the people who have read A Clash of Kings, but does anyone else feel the writing staff for the TV show has completely mishandled the story arc in the North? While the big event is probably going to happen in the upcoming episode, there was a lot of stuff that happens off screen in the book that hasn't even been mentioned in the show. I don't think I've heard Ramsay Snow's name mentioned, Roose Bolton has only had one minor scene and even then you had to listen real carefully to catch his name, and Meera and Jojen Reed haven't come up to Winterfell yet. I can understand the writers shying away from introducing new characters, but the Reeds are absolutely detrimental to Bran Stark's story and Ramsay Snow needs to be introduced sooner or later to set him up for his role later on in the story. I know we're only halfway through the season but still... it has me a little concerned.

I'm also kind of disappointed that the writers haven't done a lot of showing just how much the war has ravaged the people. Martin spent a lot of time characterizing King's Landing and the Riverlands' people as these refuges who have yet to have a proper meal in months and the building animosity in the city towards the upper class and lords. Bronn told Tyrion that the people despised him, but they're not doing much to actually show it. It's a TV show, you're suppose to show, not tell, or if you must tell at least show a little bit! I don't think it's asking too much to show us how bad the conditions have gotten now that their main food supply is either cut off from the south by the Tyrells or being burned to the ground in the riverlands by the Starks or Lannisters.

[Unknown Soldier]

Originally Posted by LoathsomePete

This is a question for the people who have read A Clash of Kings, but does anyone else feel the writing staff for the TV show has completely mishandled the story arc in the North? While the big event is probably going to happen in the upcoming episode, there was a lot of stuff that happens off screen in the book that hasn't even been mentioned in the show. I don't think I've heard Ramsay Snow's name mentioned, Roose Bolton has only had one minor scene and even then you had to listen real carefully to catch his name, and Meera and Jojen Reed haven't come up to Winterfell yet. I can understand the writers shying away from introducing new characters, but the Reeds are absolutely detrimental to Bran Stark's story and Ramsay Snow needs to be introduced sooner or later to set him up for his role later on in the story. I know we're only halfway through the season but still... it has me a little concerned.

I'm also kind of disappointed that the writers haven't done a lot of showing just how much the war has ravaged the people. Martin spent a lot of time characterizing King's Landing and the Riverlands' people as these refuges who have yet to have a proper meal in months and the building animosity in the city towards the upper class and lords. Bronn told Tyrion that the people despised him, but they're not doing much to actually show it. It's a TV show, you're suppose to show, not tell, or if you must tell at least show a little bit! I don't think it's asking too much to show us how bad the conditions have gotten now that their main food supply is either cut off from the south by the Tyrells or being burned to the ground in the riverlands by the Starks or Lannisters.

You're highlighting the problems that most TV/film adaptions face. I agree the Roose Bolton aspect is quite pivotal to the story in the north, but leaving out how ravaged the Riverlands are sounds a big nono (i haven't seen any of season 2 yet, so can't say from personal experience) The Riverlands bore the brunt of the war and what made them so ravaged, is that certain sections of the riverlands had different forces occupying them and certain areas changed hands several times, also huge amounts of atrocities were committed by the Brave Companions and Gregor Clegane etc.