"A Game of Thrones" Spoiler-Ridden Catch-All of Doom - books and HBO show

Nevin73 wrote:
Bonus_Eruptus wrote:

Wait, who is Mac playing?

I had the exact same thought.

I'm more curious about who GRRM is playing.

gore wrote:

I'm more curious about who GRRM is playing.

Rorge.

I am speechless.

IMAGE(http://www.glamour.com/images/beauty/2013/03/emilia-clarke-game-of-thrones-premiere-eye-makeup-h724.jpg)

This did not get the response I had hoped for on my Facebook wall. Maybe you all will appreciate it more:

heavyfeul wrote:

I am speechless.

IMAGE(http://www.glamour.com/images/beauty/2013/03/emilia-clarke-game-of-thrones-premiere-eye-makeup-h724.jpg)

Wondering how Seth McFarlane could break up with her?

EriktheRed wrote:

This did not get the response I had hoped for on my Facebook wall. Maybe you all will appreciate it more:

So much truth in there.

Grenn wrote:
heavyfeul wrote:

I am speechless.

Wondering how Seth McFarlane could break up with her?

I assumed it was the other way around. If not that would make me speechless.

*Not looking at anything because I don't want to spoil Dance of Dragons*

I love this sentence about a quarter through Dance of Dragons.

Spoiler:

"That dragon queen's got the real item, the kind that don't break and run when you fart in their general direction."

Did a bit of a spit take reading that.

*runs away from the thread*

garion333 wrote:
EriktheRed wrote:

This did not get the response I had hoped for on my Facebook wall. Maybe you all will appreciate it more:

So much truth in there.

OMG. That was EPIC.

Grenn wrote:
heavyfeul wrote:

I am speechless.

IMAGE(http://www.glamour.com/images/beauty/2013/03/emilia-clarke-game-of-thrones-premiere-eye-makeup-h724.jpg)

Wondering how Seth McFarlane could break up with her?

Quoting, just because I like looking at this.

Goddammit, where's my Strong Belwas? They really breezed through the Arstan/Barristan story line. Is Strong Belwas not to be?

ColdForged wrote:

Goddammit, where's my Strong Belwas? They really breezed through the Arstan/Barristan story line. Is Strong Belwas not to be?

Is he introduced before she completes the purchase?

ColdForged wrote:

Goddammit, where's my Strong Belwas? They really breezed through the Arstan/Barristan story line. Is Strong Belwas not to be?

I'm betting it would take too much time to do that subtly in the time they have, even with book 3 being split in half.

Ranger Rick wrote:
ColdForged wrote:

Goddammit, where's my Strong Belwas? They really breezed through the Arstan/Barristan story line. Is Strong Belwas not to be?

I'm betting it would take too much time to do that subtly in the time they have, even with book 3 being split in half.

Also, people would probably identify the actor long before the reveal.

Nevin73 wrote:
Ranger Rick wrote:
ColdForged wrote:

Goddammit, where's my Strong Belwas? They really breezed through the Arstan/Barristan story line. Is Strong Belwas not to be?

I'm betting it would take too much time to do that subtly in the time they have, even with book 3 being split in half.

Also, people would probably identify the actor long before the reveal.

I think that would have been fine actually, maybe even better. The viewer would know who he is and would constantly be wondering what his game was and when/if Dany was going to find out. And the reveal could happen the same way in the book with Jorah being outed as well.

So with this change I'm wondering why Barristan wouldn't just out Jorah right away. I guess they've got a plan for what they're doing, so I'm curious what his motivation will be in waiting.

ColdForged wrote:

Goddammit, where's my Strong Belwas? They really breezed through the Arstan/Barristan story line. Is Strong Belwas not to be?

They could introduce SB later on as she liberates the slave cities, given that he is a former slave. I would really hate to miss out on this memorable scene:
IMAGE(http://i.imgur.com/Fg0rgxC.jpg)

That said, I could also see them using Barristan to fill the role in that fight, but he would not pull it off with such pizzazz.

You know it is interesting that while this episode was a lot of setup and recapping where people were left off, I would have enjoyed it for the banter between Tyrion and his sell-sword if the rest of the episode was pitch black and had no audio. I could definitely watch a show with just the two of them.

Oh, and I am happy that Jon Snow's pudgy cohort is still alive. I love that character!
Speaking of which, Snow's lover-to-be is an extremely attractive young woman.

What the heck is Ghost doing with the remnants of the Night's Watch from the fight on the Fist of the First Men? Didn't he help Jon kill the Half-Hand? I am confused on why they changed that.

And didn't Sam actually get the Ravens off in the fight? It is getting harder to disentangle the books and the show.

Sam couldn't get his fingers to work and let all the ravens go by accident. From what I recall.

fangblackbone wrote:

You know it is interesting that while this episode was a lot of setup and recapping where people were left off, I would have enjoyed it for the banter between Tyrion and his sell-sword if the rest of the episode was pitch black and had no audio. I could definitely watch a show with just the two of them.

Oh, and I am happy that Jon Snow's pudgy cohort is still alive. I love that character!
Speaking of which, Snow's lover-to-be is an extremely attractive young woman.

I think you might be in the wrong thread

Check this one out instead.

Other quibbles I had with the episode:

I didn't care much for Jon's explanation to Mance about why he turned traitor. I preferred the explanation from the book. I also wish we got to learn more about Mance and why he abandoned the watch (and see his cloak), but I guess we might get more of that in future episodes

I also hate that the Fist of the First Men battle was glossed over. I understand that they're working on a budget and all, but it would have been awesome to see it. Also, Samwell definitely sent out the ravens (or at least some of them). Otherwise how is Stannis going to know about the sh*t going on at the Wall?

I am kind of confused with the whole Harrenhall situation in the show. What exactly happened there and how did it all deviate from the books? Are the other Bloody Mummers going to make an appearance (besides Qyburn)? Surely Vargo will be around to cut off Jaime's hand.

These are all minor things though, and I thought the episode was pretty great overall. The scene Tywin/Tyrion was amazing and I am really liking the way Margaery is getting fleshed out in the show.

I didn't care much for Jon's explanation to Mance about why he turned traitor. I preferred the explanation from the book.

Brother. One of my least favorite changes.

Also, Samwell definitely sent out the ravens (or at least some of them).

Yup, he did.

There is also a disconnect between where they left Sam in Season 2 and where he ends up in Season 3. He is alone (and surrounded by a zombie army no less...bad directing?) and cut off from the other men. So, how could he even get to the Ravens? He should be dead the way they shot the Season 2 finale.

It will not be a big deal as long as they handle the mutiny at Crastor's properly and the desperate run for the Wall where Sam becomes "The Slayer."

I still do not know why Ghost must be there with men if the Night's Watch. It was a big deal when he had to leave Ghost and climb the Wall for his first skirmish as a Wildling, was it not?

Vega wrote:

So with this change I'm wondering why Barristan wouldn't just out Jorah right away. I guess they've got a plan for what they're doing, so I'm curious what his motivation will be in waiting.

My memory on the books is a little sketchy here; does Selmy know that Jorah is a traitor at this point?

I don't mind Selmy being revealed ASAP. That element of the book seemed kind of silly and it definitely wouldn't work nearly so well in visual form where the viewer knows for sure who he is the entire time.

EriktheRed wrote:

I didn't care much for Jon's explanation to Mance about why he turned traitor. I preferred the explanation from the book.

Yeah, me too. I don't really understand the rationale for this change, but since it's just a ruse anyway I guess it doesn't reveal anything (or fail to reveal anything) about Jon. Although, I always thought some part of him really did believe the story he gave Mance in the book.

I am kind of confused with the whole Harrenhall situation in the show. What exactly happened there and how did it all deviate from the books? Are the other Bloody Mummers going to make an appearance (besides Qyburn)? Surely Vargo will be around to cut off Jaime's hand.

I'm confused by this as well, but maybe that's intentional and they'll clear it all up later.

Selmy knows Jorah is a traitor. Selmy was privy to the Small Council reports from Jorah. I suspect he will be off the show for a while...maybe till Dance of Dragons content. Viewers might forget about him by then.

Bolton will take over Harrenhall. He got there differently in the book, but it should work out. What disappointed me is that they toned down Arya's role. She murdered a lot more people with her own hands in the book and was responsible for taking the castle from within. They are not playing up the "Dark Heart" aspect of her character. She is a bit of a psychopath in the book.

gore wrote:

I don't mind Selmy being revealed ASAP. That element of the book seemed kind of silly and it definitely wouldn't work nearly so well in visual form where the viewer knows for sure who he is the entire time.

I'm not so sure; I'm pretty sure Selmy is cast out of Westeros at the end of season 1 or at the very beginning of Season 2; enough time could have passed for a character that had very little screen time; I'm sure a lot of people would not have immediately recognized him.

I believe the show based on such a complex, eventful book series needs to simplify and streamline where possible. I'm also sketchy about the book story line, but I don't remember much character development from anyone due to Selmy pretending not to be Selmy. It's until he reveals who he is, and who Jonah was, that Daenerys, Jonah and Selmy get some additional depth as characters.

EriktheRed wrote:

I didn't care much for Jon's explanation to Mance about why he turned traitor. I preferred the explanation from the book.

Ok, I'm really forgetting the book; what was Jon's explanation to Mance in the book?

gore wrote:
Vega wrote:

So with this change I'm wondering why Barristan wouldn't just out Jorah right away. I guess they've got a plan for what they're doing, so I'm curious what his motivation will be in waiting.

My memory on the books is a little sketchy here; does Selmy know that Jorah is a traitor at this point?

heavyfeul wrote:

Selmy knows Jorah is a traitor. Selmy was privy to the Small Council reports from Jorah.

And they made sure to show this in the TV show. Back when King Robert wanted Varys to assassinate Dany when he found out she was pregnant, Ned demanded to know the source of the info because it could be false reports. Varys told everyone it was Jorah and Selmy was sitting right there.

In the books, Selmy hid his identity because he wanted to hang out with Dany for a little while to make sure she wasn't as crazy as her father. Once he was sure she was for real, he revealed his identity and was like oh by the way Jorah has been spying for King's Landing, just thought you'd like to know.

Now, here's my question, or at least the part I've never been clear on. Varys seems to be working with Magister Illyrio and a bunch of other people waiting for the right time to bring the Targaryens back into power. So, why did he actually hire an assassin to try to kill Dany when she was pregnant? If Jorah hadn't had the change of heart and prevented her from drinking the wine she would have been poisoned. So, were Dany and Viserys never part of his plan and he didn't care about them? I mean, we know now that he had/has someone else in mind, but you'd think he'd want a backup plan and keep some other Targs around.

Hobbes2099 wrote:

Ok, I'm really forgetting the book; what was Jon's explanation to Mance in the book?

I know I'll get Tannhausered, but here goes anyway.

Mance made his way south to Winterfell and sat in the hall when Robert visited Ned. Jon asked Mance if he recalls where Jon was sitting at that feast, implying his own marginalization within Winterfell.

heavyfeul wrote:

What disappointed me is that they toned down Arya's role. She murdered a lot more people with her own hands in the book and was responsible for taking the castle from within. They are not playing up the "Dark Heart" aspect of her character. She is a bit of a psychopath in the book.

There seems to be a chance we'll see some of this anyway from some of the clips they've shown of upcoming shows.

Vega wrote:

Now, here's my question, or at least the part I've never been clear on. Varys seems to be working with Magister Illyrio and a bunch of other people waiting for the right time to bring the Targaryens back into power. So, why did he actually hire an assassin to try to kill Dany when she was pregnant? If Jorah hadn't had the change of heart and prevented her from drinking the wine she would have been poisoned. So, were Dany and Viserys never part of his plan and he didn't care about them? I mean, we know now that he had/has someone else in mind, but you'd think he'd want a backup plan and keep some other Targs around.

Wasnt it because he was ordered to by Robert?

Thanks for the refresh on Selmy. That does indeed make his failure to reveal Jorah initially in this version kind of perplexing.

Vega wrote:

Now, here's my question, or at least the part I've never been clear on. Varys seems to be working with Magister Illyrio and a bunch of other people waiting for the right time to bring the Targaryens back into power. So, why did he actually hire an assassin to try to kill Dany when she was pregnant? If Jorah hadn't had the change of heart and prevented her from drinking the wine she would have been poisoned. So, were Dany and Viserys never part of his plan and he didn't care about them? I mean, we know now that he had/has someone else in mind, but you'd think he'd want a backup plan and keep some other Targs around.

This confuses me as well - was the poisoning ever actually linked to Illyrio / Varys in the books? My recollection is that Jorah's foreknowledge of the poisoning was made explicit in the show but only sort of implied in the book (but I could well be wrong about that).