I enjoyed the show. Like most all the previous episodes the end came quickly and harshly - leaving me feeling cut-off.
I'm a bit baffled, perhaps worried (though I hate to admit worry over a tv show). Thus far each season has covered what, maybe 1.5 books?
So this season will should come close to finishing off what's already been written. Martin is obviously in no hurry to get book 6 out - in fact the only release date given is 2015. Will the tv show surpass the written story - or will they sync up? When they do will Martin stop introducing characters in the books that don't make it into the show?
I don't really remember which events happened in which novel specifically, but the basic plan is that Storm of Swords will comprise the third and fourth seasons. At least that's what all of the media regarding how the seasons are broken up says.
I imagine AFFC and ADWD could be stretched to three seasons, but maybe not. I assume the material from those two books will be merged, since they run concurrently, and you're not going to want to have seasons of the television show where certain characters are absent.
I'm a bit baffled, perhaps worried (though I hate to admit worry over a tv show). Thus far each season has covered what, maybe 1.5 books?
The first two seasons cover the first two books. The third and fourth seasons will cover the third book.
They had covered a lot of material in book 3 by the end of last season.
Conversely, they kept back Jojen and Meera for this season. So I'm not worried at all about how they're going to time things, and I'm really letting go ... treating the books and show as two related but entirely different entities. I've had practice at that, after following both the Sookie Stackhouse books and the True Blood TV show.
Now that the books are going to get two seasons each, there's enough material for ten more years of shows. I'm more worried about the children hitting their mid twenties, and some of the older actors dropping dead before they are supposed to. I JUST got my partner to start watching season 1, and I'm pretty sure he has no idea who 90% of the major cast members are yet. And that's before we've hit the new characters in season 2.
I liked the episode (absent my complaint in the OP). Felt like it went by in a bit of a blur, though. Gonna need to rewatch it again to let my impressions coalesce.
The best scenes were between Mance and Jon, Tywin and Tyrion. The latter was still a gut punch, even having read the books.
The sword-play between Brienne and Jaime on the bridge was better than the in the book. Bri was kicking Jaime's butt. I'd so love for them to hook up romantically.
Is the boy playing Bran a different actor than last season?
Is the boy playing Bran a different actor than last season?
I noticed some appearance difference, but I just figured it was the actor aging, since he's young enough to be changing noticeably in short periods of time.
The sword-play between Brienne and Jaime on the bridge was better than the in the book. Bri was kicking Jaime's butt. I'd so love for them to hook up romantically.
Is the boy playing Bran a different actor than last season?
Yeah it was fun to watch Brienne mop the floor with Jaime. I also really loved some of the monologues in this episode, just like the last one. Cat's was particularly good. Some people who haven't read the books seem to be getting a little antsy about the relative lack of action or direction so far this season, but I've been quite content with the additional character development.
And yeah, Bran is the same actor, but damned if he doesn't look like he's aged 4 years or so since last season. Puberty's crazy.
The sword-play between Brienne and Jaime on the bridge was better than the in the book. Bri was kicking Jaime's butt. I'd so love for them to hook up romantically.
When I saw the preview for the episode in the description said something like "Jaime finds a way to while away the hours". I thought he was going to get it on with Brienne. And when he was taking a **** at the tree I think she was stealing glances of his junk.
I bet Brienne wishes she had killed that old man like Jamie told her to.
I'm glad they included Jojen and Meera, that's something I was sort of concerned about after last season. Was nice that I recognised both actors from other things as well.
And Thoros of Myr, for some reason I always pictured him as being black. I'm not sure why. I'm glad they cast, again, another actor I recognise.
I recognized the person playing Jojen, but couldn't place him. Looked it up on IMDB and kept scrolling and scrolling and then I saw Nanny McPhee. Pretty sure that's the only movie I've seen him in.
Don't recognize the girl. Or any of her movies/shows.
Jojen and Meera are yet more examples of what I think is brilliant casting by the producers. None of the actors is how I envisaged them in the books, but they never are no matter what the production. Jojen and Meera are more human, less subtly begrimed and beslimed, less hung about with strange and reedy things. But Jojen has a very suitably fey cast to his features, and Meera is very convincing with a large knife. Meera sure is pretty and charismatic enough for any young teen to get a crush on. I also liked her riposte about "some men are worth protecting", given Osha's relationship with Bran. I recognised Bran straight away, but yes, this is one of the reasons I super wish HBO would take a breath and run the filming as fast as they could go, while maintaining the book-to-TV ratio. Get the video on hard-drive before the children and old people age so much.
Tyrion seemed very much defeated and flat compared to his usual self, but no wonder, given what he's been through. I'm glad he's human and not a caricature. John's scene gave us more Mance, and more urgency that all the dire squabbling in the South is ruinously inconsequential and horrifically ironic. Poor Sam, I thought someone was going to say "We need him with us so we can eat him." I loved loved loved Cat's scene, where she admitted she was terribly wrong to hate John just for existing, but she just couldn't overcome her emotional jealousy with rationality. The Brotherhood Without Banners guys seemed supernatural in their tracking and weapons abilities. Incredibly impressive. I was disappointed Arya couldn't avoid getting her sword smacked out of her hand instantaneously, though. Even if it's realistic, muscle-wise, I wish she'd been able to water-dance a little to keep her sword a little longer. When she picked up her sword, I actually expected her to go for him again.
The whole Brotherhood Without Banners thing made me want to see a lot more of them. I'm really worried about the Hound showing up and outing Arya. Oh! And Margery Tyrell REALLY stepped up her game as a player. On hearing that Joffrey is a monster, she delicately works her way round to insinuating to Joff that she could be a companion monster, thrilled and energized by gore and death. It was masterful manipulation, so subtly but quickly worked up to. Back in episode 1, There was all kinds of funny about Daenerys and the Translation Game. I presume she got the money for buying Unsullied from a quick sack of Ducksauce's palace before she left. It's a really nasty irony that she's reduced to buying slaves to ensure her survival, though. That's a bad, bad compromise. I approve that the story has her shade well into grey this way.
Theon's torture was nasty, and I found it horribly abrupt. Ok, so he's pissed off all the Greyjoys and all their people. Why don't they stick a sword in him and bedone with the Greatly Despised Disappointment? I thought Theon was way overdoing the pain of being woken up with cold water, until I remembered what being in a cold, stone place is really like, and what being cold to the bone is really like. Adding ice-cold water on top of that would very likely send you into Shock. Given the actors being blizzarded on in Iceland, I wouldn't be surprised if poor Alfie Allen really was good and freezing by the time they threw a bucket of ice water on him. His muscular spasms were very convincing as they went on and on.
Jaime and Brienne got the best scene. I was so thrilled with the fight on the bridge I was left begging by Bolton and his men cutting it short. What an episode cliffhanger! ARGHH.
I'm with Aripyanfar on the Arya scene. Couldn't she at least parry one or two swings? Also Jaime being dominated in such a one-sided fashion didn't seem right. Sure his hands are bound and he was a prisoner for weeks (months?) but I hoped for a more impressive show. That being said it was another great episode. Finally Mondays are fun again.
Jojen and Meera are yet more examples of what I think is brilliant casting by the producers. None of the actors is how I envisaged them in the books, but they never are no matter what the production. Jojen and Meera are more human, less subtly begrimed and beslimed, less hung about with strange and reedy things. But Jojen has a very suitably fey cast to his features, and Meera is very convincing with a large knife. Meera sure is pretty and charismatic enough for any young teen to get a crush on. I also liked her riposte about "some men are worth protecting", given Osha's relationship with Bran. I recognised Bran straight away, but yes, this is one of the reasons I super wish HBO would take a breath and run the filming as fast as they could go, while maintaining the book-to-TV ratio. Get the video on hard-drive before the children and old people age so much.
Tyrion seemed very much defeated and flat compared to his usual self, but no wonder, given what he's been through. I'm glad he's human and not a caricature. John's scene gave us more Mance, and more urgency that all the dire squabbling in the South is ruinously inconsequential and horrifically ironic. Poor Sam, I thought someone was going to say "We need him with us so we can eat him." I loved loved loved Cat's scene, where she admitted she was terribly wrong to hate John just for existing, but she just couldn't overcome her emotional jealousy with rationality. The Brotherhood Without Banners guys seemed supernatural in their tracking and weapons abilities. Incredibly impressive. I was disappointed Arya couldn't avoid getting her sword smacked out of her hand instantaneously, though. Even if it's realistic, muscle-wise, I wish she'd been able to water-dance a little to keep her sword a little longer. When she picked up her sword, I actually expected her to go for him again.
The whole Brotherhood Without Banners thing made me want to see a lot more of them. I'm really worried about the Hound showing up and outing Arya. Oh! And Margery Tyrell REALLY stepped up her game as a player. On hearing that Joffrey is a monster, she delicately works her way round to insinuating to Joff that she could be a companion monster, thrilled and energized by gore and death. It was masterful manipulation, so subtly but quickly worked up to. Back in episode 1, There was all kinds of funny about Daenerys and the Translation Game. I presume she got the money for buying Unsullied from a quick sack of Ducksauce's palace before she left. It's a really nasty irony that she's reduced to buying slaves to ensure her survival, though. That's a bad, bad compromise. I approve that the story has her shade well into grey this way.
Theon's torture was nasty, and I found it horribly abrupt. Ok, so he's pissed off all the Greyjoys and all their people. Why don't they stick a sword in him and bedone with the Greatly Despised Disappointment? I thought Theon was way overdoing the pain of being woken up with cold water, until I remembered what being in a cold, stone place is really like, and what being cold to the bone is really like. Adding ice-cold water on top of that would very likely send you into Shock. Given the actors being blizzarded on in Iceland, I wouldn't be surprised if poor Alfie Allen really was good and freezing by the time they threw a bucket of ice water on him. His muscular spasms were very convincing as they went on and on.
Jaime and Brienne got the best scene. I was so thrilled with the fight on the bridge I was left begging by Bolton and his men cutting it short. What an episode cliffhanger! ARGHH.
I'm with Aripyanfar on the Arya scene. Couldn't she at least parry one or two swings?
I think it was about right. Thoros isn't some random dude with a sword. I know in most fantasy worlds, a week of lessons with a sword and the main character is suddenly a master, but Araya should be better than untrained people, not able to even briefly hold her own with Thoros. To be honest, the Brianne being able to keep up with a hands bound Jaimie is quite a stretch and clearly a sop to female readers. I like her character fine, but the idea that she's almost as good as Jaime, who is supposed to be one of the best 5 or whatever warriors on the continent is a little silly.
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Disclaimer:
To make a long story short, I don't take any responsibility for anything I post here. It's not news, it's not truth, it's not serious. It's parody. It's satire. It's bitter. It's angsty. Your mother's a *****. You like to jack off dogs. That's right, you heard me. You like to grab that dog by the bone and rub it like a ski pole. Your dad? Gay. Your priest? Straight. **** off and let me post. It's not true, it's all in good fun. Now go away.
True. Also, I lied, I hate her character. She's jarringly badly portrayed. The lesson with Ned was that cliche honorbound "heroes" just died a lot in a realistic fantasy world. The same should apply to Brianne. It doesn't because, apparently, Martin thinks he has to patronize female readers. Maybe he's right, I have no idea, I've never tried to sell a million copies of a novel. Hopefully she'll end up falling in love with Littlefinger or the like and being betrayed as an afterthought. If she turns out to play a large role in the outcome of the series, we'll all be worse off for it.
____________________________
Disclaimer:
To make a long story short, I don't take any responsibility for anything I post here. It's not news, it's not truth, it's not serious. It's parody. It's satire. It's bitter. It's angsty. Your mother's a *****. You like to jack off dogs. That's right, you heard me. You like to grab that dog by the bone and rub it like a ski pole. Your dad? Gay. Your priest? Straight. **** off and let me post. It's not true, it's all in good fun. Now go away.
True. Also, I lied, I hate her character. She's jarringly badly portrayed. The lesson with Ned was that cliche honorbound "heroes" just died a lot in a realistic fantasy world. The same should apply to Brianne. It doesn't because, apparently, Martin thinks he has to patronize female readers. Maybe he's right, I have no idea, I've never tried to sell a million copies of a novel. Hopefully she'll end up falling in love with Littlefinger or the like and being betrayed as an afterthought. If she turns out to play a large role in the outcome of the series, we'll all be worse off for it.
"Badly portrayed"? What'cha mean?
Personally, I'd find the stories to be more dull if every single "honorable" character got killed off two chapters in. I like it more with a few of 'em around here and there from time to time - it's less predictable that way.
I've always felt that part of the fun of the series is watching such characters struggle for every single inch against the rest of the cutthroats. Brienne hasn't exactly had it awesome; her king (and love interest) got killed within like, the first week of her protecting him, and she's basically been going from frying pan to fryer to frying pan since then.
Better to have a few characters like her and Jon Snow around every now and again, so we can watch them squirm at all the nastiness.