Despite how GoT ended, I'm excited to see how this show turns out. I'm also curious how long they intend the show to stick around. The Dance of the Dragons covered a roughly two year period so I wonder if the plan is to stretch that plotline out for a few seasons, or will they do time jumps to cover other periods of Targaryen rule in Westeros? Who can say.
Reflecting on the last two (!!!) decades of Golden Era TV, the thing I'm coming to believe is that the subject matter matters way less than the competency and vision of the creators involved.
The best shows, imo, had competent people at the helm who wanted to tell a specific story.
D&D lost the thread. But if they've found someone who will lead and build their unique vision, I'm interested. If it's going to be DragonTown by the Undercommittee of Game of Thrones, LLC, no thanks.
The Game of Owns podcast did an interview with GRRM recently.
I just started re-reading A Game of Thrones. I've never heard of this podcast, is it worth listening to their book re-read episodes while going through the book myself?
MannishBoy wrote:The Game of Owns podcast did an interview with GRRM recently.
I just started re-reading A Game of Thrones. I've never heard of this podcast, is it worth listening to their book re-read episodes while going through the book myself?
I enjoyed them. Haven't kept up recently.
Another in depth podcast is History of Westeros.
And if you just want juvenile japes, there's always Boars, Gore and Swords.
They started because of the show but did do some book reads during off seasons.
I definitely don't care about anymore about GRRM's work, but this looks interesting.
I watched that yesterday and it’s a good primer for the show. Also if you haven’t read Fire & Blood, it’s worth checking out if you’re itching for more GRRM writing in your life.
I’m looking forward to the premier tonight.
I watched that yesterday and it’s a good primer for the show. Also if you haven’t read Fire & Blood, it’s worth checking out if you’re itching for more GRRM writing in your life.
I’m looking forward to the premier tonight.
I'm going to start relistening to the Fire and Blood audiobook I think. But if you haven't read it and expect GoT style writing, it's more dry in tone, as it's supposed to be written like a history book.
Yeah Fire & Blood can be dry, but I found it compelling regardless.
I enjoyed the first episode of House of the Dragon. I don’t really have any deep thoughts beyond that. The CGI and actors were good. The wigs were weirdly bad. I’m happy to be watching a new show in this world.
I enjoyed it, and Matt Smith really stood out. Love the way he inhabits the characters he plays and it works in this one. He overwhelms many of the other actors, but not annoyingly so.
Yeah Fire & Blood can be dry, but I found it compelling regardless.
I did, too. It includes all the odd and salacious details you'd expect from that world, detailed the betrayals and why with little bits of flavor thrown in from the various "sources" used. The fictional author has a voice of their own which is interesting. It's oddly compelling and personal for something that's written as a history.
Matt Smith's in danger of being typecast as angry, entitled princes.
Thought it was well acted, paced, and done. The dragons look better than GoT, but I don't see you greenlighting this series without upping the game there.
Biggest thing new to the show for me that wasn't at all in the books (that I can remember) was this secret passed on Targaryen monarch to Targaryen heir that mirrors the Stark moto, Winter is Coming. Except that a Targaryen has to be on the throne to save men. Not sure that makes a lot of sense to me yet. The Long Winter was a known history even at the time of ASoIaF. Why do the Targaryens have this secret about it after ruling Westeros for maybe 100 years at this point?
"Aegon foresaw the end of the world of men," Viserys said. "'Tis to begin with a terrible winter, gusting out of the distant North."He continued: "Aegon saw absolute darkness riding on those winds, and whatever dwells within will destroy the world of the living. When this great winter comes, Rhaenyra, all of Westeros must stand against it. And if the world of men is to survive, a Targaryen must be seated on the Iron Throne. A king or queen strong enough to unite the realm against the cold and the dark. Aegon called his dream 'The Song of Ice and Fire.'"
Makes me wonder if this it GRRM indicating a direction that varies in the books vs the show?
Also the talk about dragons being a thing that man shouldn't have become involved with. Just sounds like somehow dragons had crucial part in the Doom of Valyria.
NOTE: Well crap, when I started searching for that quote, there's a big article on insider that has input from the showrunner. Goes into their thinking. I'm leaving my stuff above as I was thinking about it before seeing the piece, which is worth a read.
I'm thinking the Targaryens consider themselves the only ones who can unite Westeros to defend it, probably having to do with dragonfire, but perhaps also volcanic glass. I thought I saw him sort of fondle a dagger when he was talking about the secret? That and Valyrian steel makes a triumvirate of potent weapons against the White Walkers.
Apparently that dagger is the one Arya used to kill the Night King? I figured they were focusing on it for a reason, but I couldn't think of it until I saw someone mention it on twitter.
I'm not crazy about them adding this prophecy. The family/political drama is compelling enough on its own without having to add a save-the-world motivation to Rhaenyra's rise. Part of the tension of the White Walkers is how everyone had either forgotten about them or thought they were just a legend to scare children. Finding out that, oh, actually, the people in charge were originally working all along to counteract them cheapens it a bit.
Apparently that dagger is the one Arya used to kill the Night King? I figured they were focusing on it for a reason, but I couldn't think of it until I saw someone mention it on twitter.
Yes, it was formerly called the "Cat's Paw Dagger", because it's the one that Joffrey took from Robert and gave the assassin that attacked Bran and Cat in Winterfell. IIRC, Sam also saw it in a book he was reading in the Citadel, indicating it had more importance and history.
Part of the tension of the White Walkers is how everyone had either forgotten about them or thought they were just a legend to scare children. Finding out that, oh, actually, the people in charge were originally working all along to counteract them cheapens it a bit.
And it especially fails to land when the final season of GoT showed us that no, the White Walkers weren't really a terrible supernatural force that needed the realm united to overcome. It was just a glorified undead beehive that would fall apart instantly if someone killed the queen bee -- just need one good assassin for that.
Yes, I'm still bitter. Sorry, not sorry?
I've not bothered to look, is this an actual GRRM joint or the HBO team's?
I've not bothered to look, is this an actual GRRM joint or the HBO team's?
He's credited as co-creator.
I think in an interview I saw with GRRM, he may have originated this show and proposed it to HBO with at least one of the showrunners attached (Ryan Condal).
Yeah, Martin is apparently a lot more heavily involved in this one.
beanman101283 wrote:Apparently that dagger is the one Arya used to kill the Night King? I figured they were focusing on it for a reason, but I couldn't think of it until I saw someone mention it on twitter.
Yes, it was formerly called the "Cat's Paw Dagger", because it's the one that Joffrey took from Robert and gave the assassin that attacked Bran and Cat in Winterfell. IIRC, Sam also saw it in a book he was reading in the Citadel, indicating it had more importance and history.
I believe Joffrey stole it from Tyrion. That's why Tyrion was accused of conspiring to murder Bran. Or that's what Littlefinger said. It's all a blur now.
Yeah, I echo the sentiment of not really caring about the whole doom is coming when for us it already came and left with a whimper. It was an ok start. Definitely want to keep watching.
Every time the Game of Thrones main theme leitmotif plays on House of the Dragon it feels like I'm smelling a delicious food that once gave me a bad case of food poisoning. Like, I remember that I used to like this, but now it just makes my stomach turn.
MannishBoy wrote:beanman101283 wrote:Apparently that dagger is the one Arya used to kill the Night King? I figured they were focusing on it for a reason, but I couldn't think of it until I saw someone mention it on twitter.
Yes, it was formerly called the "Cat's Paw Dagger", because it's the one that Joffrey took from Robert and gave the assassin that attacked Bran and Cat in Winterfell. IIRC, Sam also saw it in a book he was reading in the Citadel, indicating it had more importance and history.
I believe Joffrey stole it from Tyrion. That's why Tyrion was accused of conspiring to murder Bran. Or that's what Littlefinger said. It's all a blur now.
After I wrote that, I started second guessing the exact chain of custody and thought I might have muddied it up, but forgot to go check my memory. You're definitely right that Littlefinger claimed that it was Tyrion's, which led to the trial by combat of Tyrion that Bron won to prove his innocence. Petyr again ended up with the dagger (after Ned's execution) and gave it to Bran in Winterfell, who gave it to Arya, who used it to kill Littlefinger, then the Night King.
Anyone else hungry for grilled crab?
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