Game of Thrones—NO SPOILERS—The Balls

God I love that opening music, and I am really enjoying the show so far.

As I mentioned before in this thread or the other, I can't remember, I read the first book years ago and really can't remember any of the details, just a general sense of familiarity. After reading several of the comments over the last few weeks I am so glad I didn't try reading the books before watching the series, people are getting to hung up on the differences. It's a TV show, it's going to be different from the book in so many ways. If you can't get over that and just enjoy it for what it is, it may not be worth watching.

Nevin73 wrote:

Jaime confessed that? I don't remember that bit. I thought he was saying that if Bran talked he'd kill him, the Starks, Robert, and anyone else that stood in his way to being with Cersei.

I didn't catch it either. And if he did say that, it's got me wanting to type spoilerish things.

MannishBoy wrote:
Nevin73 wrote:

Jaime confessed that? I don't remember that bit. I thought he was saying that if Bran talked he'd kill him, the Starks, Robert, and anyone else that stood in his way to being with Cersei.

I didn't catch it either. And if he did say that, it's got me wanting to type spoilerish things.

I don't think he confessed anything. Cersei asked him what he was thinking, and he responded to what he was thinking in the initial action. He pushed Bran to keep their secret. If she was asking what he was thinking, with regard to the assassination attempt, then he took it wrong, I think.

I'm starting to come around. I've read the books twice so I've got a good handle on everything. While the show is different, it's attacking the storyline in ways that it can. You can't SHOW what a person thinks, so they go about character development in different ways by adding new stories that didn't happen in the books

Most annoying thing I've run into on the show was CSI:Winterfell up in the tower. That was a reach.

I hate to be that guy but can people refrain from foreshadowing things that are supposed to be important but haven't been so in the show (yet)? In this case, I'm mainly talking about the wolves business but there has also been some talk about future events that I'd rather not know. There are people in this thread who haven't read the book.

Nevin73 wrote:
Quintin_Stone wrote:

Yeah, I explained to my wife why Jaime gets such crap even though he did what seemed like a good thing. But like a lot of things, I expect more details to be explained in later episodes.

The confession that he sent an assassin to kill Bran seemed so... brief. Glossed over. Like, you could have missed it if you weren't paying attention. On the other hand, the talk about it being Tyrion's dagger found at the scene was highlighted a couple of times.

Jaime confessed that? I don't remember that bit. I thought he was saying that if Bran talked he'd kill him, the Starks, Robert, and anyone else that stood in his way to being with Cersei.

I found that scene a bit confusing as well. I'm fairly certain he and Cersei are talking about his rash decision to chuck Bran out the window, but after the scene even my wife said, "Hah! I knew it was Jaime who hired the assassin." I had to rewind the scene to show her they were talking about the window, not the assassin. I blame it on the editing and where that scene was placed.

Regarding the wolves, I'm not disappointed that they don't feature more into the story, I think it's more that they're not even visible. At this point, a new viewer would think both Jon and Rob abandoned their wolves. Even if it's just walking around, laying on the ground, chained up in his room, pissing off the wall next to Tyrion, something. I'm guessing Ghost is going to appear with Jon in some scene in the future and viewers are going to scratch their heads wondering where he came from.

iaintgotnopants wrote:

I hate to be that guy but can people refrain from foreshadowing things that are supposed to be important but haven't been so in the show (yet)? In this case, I'm mainly talking about the wolves business but there has also been some talk about future events that I'd rather not know. There are people in this thread who haven't read the book.

edit: n/m

I'd hate to be the guy who hasn't read these books too.

iaintgotnopants wrote:

I hate to be that guy but can people refrain from foreshadowing things that are supposed to be important but haven't been so in the show (yet)? In this case, I'm mainly talking about the wolves business but there has also been some talk about future events that I'd rather not know. There are people in this thread who haven't read the book.

Looking back, I worry that this might be directed at me. I tried to keep everything I posted only relating to what has been on screen, or things that I thought were covered, but poorly, in the show so far, and were handled better (more appropriately, really) in the book.

If you want to PM me with what you feel needs to come out of my post, I will happily clean it up; I don't want to ruin anything for anyone. Even just knowing that Bran survived the "fall" took a lot of the trauma of the ending moment of the first episode out of it, and people deserve the other surprises they have coming.

iaintgotnopants wrote:

I hate to be that guy but can people refrain from foreshadowing things that are supposed to be important but haven't been so in the show (yet)? In this case, I'm mainly talking about the wolves business but there has also been some talk about future events that I'd rather not know. There are people in this thread who haven't read the book.

If you're referring to my post, you might be reading more into it then intended. I'm not foreshadowing or speculating anything that hasn't been shown in the series. You all ready know the wolves are there. I was just complaining about how I wish they'd show them more. It has nothing to do with importance, it was just something from the books I enjoyed and was looking forward to seeing. So, it's just a minor complaint in an otherwise awesome show. I can sort of see your point with my last sentence, but as I said you all ready know the wolf is there so the assumption can be they're going to be together in a scene at some point. It's like guessing that Ned and Robert will be in a scene together at King's Landing at some point, but I'll refrain from that kind of talk in the future.

Quintin_Stone wrote:
Atras wrote:

It feels like Jamie is being portrayed as less of a dick than he is in the book. Not much has been made of his status as Kingslayer, I think this episode was the first time we had people directly ask him about it. They have done a pretty fair job, so far, of justifying his act, but I don't recall much being said that indicates the level of betrayal he enacted with that killing. He is still a member of the King's Guard, right? One of the seven sworn protectors of the King? I think they should be talking that up a bit.

Yeah, I explained to my wife why Jaime gets such crap even though he did what seemed like a good thing. But like a lot of things, I expect more details to be explained in later episodes.

The confession that he sent an assassin to kill Bran seemed so... brief. Glossed over. Like, you could have missed it if you weren't paying attention. On the other hand, the talk about it being Tyrion's dagger found at the scene was highlighted a couple of times.

You should rewatch that scene, he didn't confess to that at all.

Vega wrote:
Nevin73 wrote:
Quintin_Stone wrote:

Yeah, I explained to my wife why Jaime gets such crap even though he did what seemed like a good thing. But like a lot of things, I expect more details to be explained in later episodes.

The confession that he sent an assassin to kill Bran seemed so... brief. Glossed over. Like, you could have missed it if you weren't paying attention. On the other hand, the talk about it being Tyrion's dagger found at the scene was highlighted a couple of times.

Jaime confessed that? I don't remember that bit. I thought he was saying that if Bran talked he'd kill him, the Starks, Robert, and anyone else that stood in his way to being with Cersei.

I found that scene a bit confusing as well. I'm fairly certain he and Cersei are talking about his rash decision to chuck Bran out the window, but after the scene even my wife said, "Hah! I knew it was Jaime who hired the assassin." I had to rewind the scene to show her they were talking about the window, not the assassin. I blame it on the editing and where that scene was placed.

Oh, hrm, that certainly could be. I guess the part you miss if you weren't paying attention was the topic of their conversation.

IMAGE(http://www.abload.de/img/xqnj6wlnm.jpg)

Sinatar wrote:

BIG PIKCHER

WTF, Jorah Mormont sprang from nothing? *grumble-canon-grumble*

I thought they were talking about the assassin at first but then figured out they were talking about the window moment. Then I thought this show is going to be canceled before they finish the story line for the first book because many people will not be able to follow what is going on unless they read the book to guide them.

Ok, who was played the Big Chief Night Watchman? Not Benjen, or the guy drinking with Tyrion, but the one who seemed to be the commander? I recognize him from something, and it's driving me mad.

SpacePPoliceman wrote:

Ok, who was played the Big Chief Night Watchman? Not Benjen, or the guy drinking with Tyrion, but the one who seemed to be the commander? I recognize him from something, and it's driving me mad.

James Cosmo plays Jeor Mormont, I think. It's not on IMDB, but other sources list him in the role.

He looks like Robert Duval a bit but I know it's not him. And damn IMDB for not having this updated yet!!

LOL!! See, I thought to myself, "He looks like the old guy with William Wallace's crew in Braveheart." And I thought it was Robert Duval. But it's THAT guy

zeroKFE wrote:
SpacePPoliceman wrote:

Ok, who was played the Big Chief Night Watchman? Not Benjen, or the guy drinking with Tyrion, but the one who seemed to be the commander? I recognize him from something, and it's driving me mad.

James Cosmo plays Jeor Mormont, I think. It's not on IMDB, but other sources list him in the role.

Yea that's definitely him. Great choice for that role.

Jeor Mormont, the old bear, is played by James Cosmo. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0181920/#...
http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/game-...

*edit* Tanhaussered (although in context perhaps better to say I've been Varysed.)

Sinatar wrote:
zeroKFE wrote:
SpacePPoliceman wrote:

Ok, who was played the Big Chief Night Watchman? Not Benjen, or the guy drinking with Tyrion, but the one who seemed to be the commander? I recognize him from something, and it's driving me mad.

James Cosmo plays Jeor Mormont, I think. It's not on IMDB, but other sources list him in the role.

Yea that's definitely him. Great choice for that role.

Totally agree actually who i was picturing when i was reading the books.

Having recently read the first and second books of the series, I'm concerned that the show hasn't been translated well from the book.

My current impression is that the screenplay has copied across the characters, events, and dialogue too literally, and misses out the substance of what the book is really about. Perhaps it's also the direction, but the show and the characters seem to lack the emotion, subtlety, and intensity that pervades the first book of the series.

A good example of a book translation done well is Fight Club. Despite only loosely following the original text in terms of plotting and storyline, the author describes it as being a far better representation of what he was aiming for than the book itself.

I think that's what they're missing here. They're being too referential to the superficial parts of the original, without successfully translating the substance.

Part of the problem might be the huge tangle of characters, relationships, and plots in the series. I'd say the only solution in the TV format would be to cut. Cut out minor characters, unimportant events, and focus on the really important parts of the book.

Focus on the key relationships, the most interesting characters. Currently they seem to be trying to cram in everything, without giving anything the space to breathe.

That was my biggest concern for this series too Caddrel. I'm definitely holding my judgment for the end. I was not too thrilled with the first episode but it's slowly coming around.

Meh, you've got to have a set-up before you get to the punch-line.

How far did the book Game of Thrones go on before it turned into something different from the genre-standard? In order to mess around with the audience's preconceptions, you have to start with, well, the pre-conception.

Thanks for all the answers, gents. Ironically, while I was wracking my brains to figure out who he was, I hit on Sons of Anarchy, and immediately discounted that. And I am right, he is the head of the order, right?

Sinatar wrote:
zeroKFE wrote:
SpacePPoliceman wrote:

Ok, who was played the Big Chief Night Watchman? Not Benjen, or the guy drinking with Tyrion, but the one who seemed to be the commander? I recognize him from something, and it's driving me mad.

James Cosmo plays Jeor Mormont, I think. It's not on IMDB, but other sources list him in the role.

Yea that's definitely him. Great choice for that role.

Better known as the "good cousin" from Highlander and Hammish's father from Braveheart.

SpacePPoliceman wrote:

Thanks for all the answers, gents. Ironically, while I was wracking my brains to figure out who he was, I hit on Sons of Anarchy, and immediately discounted that. And I am right, he is the head of the order, right?

Ya, I actually had to pause it and couldn't continue until I wracked my brain and figured out he was the big Irish priest in the last season of Sons of Anarchy. For some reason when my brain stutters on someone like that I literally have to find out where I know them from or it distracts me too much from the show I'm trying to watch.

But yes, he's the head (Lord Commander) of the Night Watch.

I haven't read the books...so I imagine it is more enjoyable as I have no expectations. I do realize from reading these threads I miss major plot points while watching, so maybe it really isn't translating that well on screen. However, I still follow the story very well and enjoy it. I don't feel lost or anything.

I too worry about the lack of seeing the Dire Wolves; just watched ep3 again, and don't remember seeing them once past the intro recap.

peacensunshine wrote:

I haven't read the books...so I imagine it is more enjoyable as I have no expectations. I do realize from reading these threads I miss major plot points while watching, so maybe it really isn't translating that well on screen. However, I still follow the story very well and enjoy it. I don't feel lost or anything.

Seriously, you (plural - the non-readers) are not missing any major plot points. There is a lot of nuance and added character that is getting left out, but it is a mix of impractical and overdoing it to try to get all of that into the show. So far they are doing a great job hitting the main characters and the main plot. You all just have a bunch of geeks in here telling you that you are missing out on stuff that we liked from the book. So far the biggest thing "missing" has been the constant companionship of the Dire Wolves, and that has not actually been a major point of deviation yet, either.