Game of Thrones SPOILERS

[Run BJM]

Agreed, though I've read that after this season they'll break the 3rd book into two seasons and could continue to do that down the line (presumably the TV show will continue to differ more and more from the books as well).

I'll bet HBO wants as many seasons as possible. If they start breaking the books down into multiple seasons they would have to get up over 10 seasons I would think.

 

[Natebishop3]

Red Wedding was mid-way through the 3rd book I believe. Doubt they'll make it that far this season.

On a similar note, I thoroughly enjoyed the second book but the third book was just a lot more fun. In the second book there is a massive build up to the Blackwater Bay battle and very little happens or gets resolved. In the 3rd book you get major changes coming fast and furious.

And yeah Arya's journey in the 3rd book is pretty fugged up. She kept going back and forth between Harrenhall, Acorn Hill, and finally Riverrun. Looking at the map in the book all these things are relatively very close to one another, yet she kept getting jerked around and got nowhere for the entirety of that book.

I could never figure out why she didn't just stick to the woods and walk her bony ass over to Riverrun. I should have known Robb would take a death. GRRM never really focuses on him. Not nearly as much as Jon or Bran. He obviously has his favorites. I think my least favorite character in the books is Sansa. I just hate reading her shit. She's annoying as hell. I like reading Tyrion, Jon, and even Dany when she gets her army. The Unsullied sound so much like the Spartans. I'm just barely into the 4th book now. Kind of lost interest in the show though. There's just no comparison.

 

[PapaG]

I could never figure out why she didn't just stick to the woods and walk her bony ass over to Riverrun. I should have known Robb would take a death. GRRM never really focuses on him. Not nearly as much as Jon or Bran. He obviously has his favorites. I think my least favorite character in the books is Sansa. I just hate reading her shit. She's annoying as hell. I like reading Tyrion, Jon, and even Dany when she gets her army. The Unsullied sound so much like the Spartans. I'm just barely into the 4th book now. Kind of lost interest in the show though. There's just no comparison.

I finally finished book 5 on Saturday. I didn't want to finish it, only because now I have to wait a while for Book 6.

 

[Natebishop3]

I finally finished book 5 on Saturday. I didn't want to finish it, only because now I have to wait a while for Book 6.

The package I bought on my Kindle only goes to book 4. I'm taking my time. I'll get sucked in and read a few chapters and then I'll take a break for a few days. Great book though. Trying to decide if I'm going to read The Hunger Games next.

 

[D-Rock]

I finally finished book 5 on Saturday. I didn't want to finish it, only because now I have to wait a while for Book 6.

GRRM hasn't even started on it yet, has he?

 

[D-Rock]

The package I bought on my Kindle only goes to book 4. I'm taking my time. I'll get sucked in and read a few chapters and then I'll take a break for a few days. Great book though. Trying to decide if I'm going to read The Hunger Games next.

The Hunger Games is a quick read. My wife convinced me to read them. It was like 2-3 days per book. Admittedly, I didn't have many commitments at the time...

 

[PapaG]

The Hunger Games is a quick read. My wife convinced me to read them. It was like 2-3 days per book. Admittedly, I didn't have many commitments at the time...

My wife told me the same thing. She has them on her Nook and said they're written for teenagers, but the story is good. I went to the movie with her a few weeks ago, but luckily it was at Cinetopia in a 21-and-older theater. No teenagers squealing, and I had a few IPAs during the flick.

 

[Run BJM]

I could never figure out why she didn't just stick to the woods and walk her bony ass over to Riverrun. I should have known Robb would take a death. GRRM never really focuses on him. Not nearly as much as Jon or Bran. He obviously has his favorites. I think my least favorite character in the books is Sansa. I just hate reading her shit. She's annoying as hell. I like reading Tyrion, Jon, and even Dany when she gets her army. The Unsullied sound so much like the Spartans. I'm just barely into the 4th book now. Kind of lost interest in the show though. There's just no comparison.

Yeah I think everyone who reads the books is just waiting for Robb to die. Its the 3rd book and GRRM still hasn't used his perspective at all? Plus Bran is a main focus, the very first chapter of the whole series. Like you said, you just knew GRRM was going to ace Robb to make Bran/Jon more interesting.

Dany was absolutely brutal to lead in the second books. Much more interesting in the 3rd. Tyrion is fuggin awesome, Jon is always good and gets very good in the 3rd book. I came to really enjoy the Jaime chapters as well.

I got the 4th book for my birthday a few weeks ago but left it back at home for fear of it ruining my last quarter of college lol. Only 6 weeks until I can start it!

 

[mook]

The whole plot line with Brienne and Jaime is maybe my favorite in the entire series. Really looking forward to that.

Oddly enough, I think Brienne in the HBO series isn't quite ugly enough. She's certainly big/brutish enough, though. That actress is one amazon of a woman.

 

[Natebishop3]

The whole plot line with Brienne and Jaime is maybe my favorite in the entire series. Really looking forward to that.

Oddly enough, I think Brienne in the HBO series isn't quite ugly enough. She's certainly big/brutish enough, though. That actress is one amazon of a woman.

I don't like the casting.... I pictured someone uglier, but also with a little more warmth to them.... that woman just seems very hard and cold.

 

[Run BJM]

Yeah I feel like they nailed it with some of the casting choices like Joffrey, Sansa, Ned, Cersei, Jaime, Tywin, Varys, Littlefinger. Some are way off. I know King Robert is older and fat when we see him but I was expecting a much bigger mofo not some Santa looking guy who's the same size as Ned. Tyrion wasn't nearly ugly enough IMO but the guy they got to play him has been fantastic. Hodor isn't what I expected and his character in the show isn't a fraction as funny as he is in the book. Catelyn in the show is also much different from what I think she should look like.

 

[Natebishop3]

Yeah I feel like they nailed it with some of the casting choices like Joffrey, Sansa, Ned, Cersei, Jaime, Tywin, Varys, Littlefinger. Some are way off. I know King Robert is older and fat when we see him but I was expecting a much bigger mofo not some Santa looking guy who's the same size as Ned. Tyrion wasn't nearly ugly enough IMO but the guy they got to play him has been fantastic. Hodor isn't what I expected and his character in the show isn't a fraction as funny as he is in the book. Catelyn in the show is also much different from what I think she should look like.

I agree on all counts. As much as I love the guy who played Robert (he's a good actor), I didn't like the casting. I pictured Tyrion as a shorter version if Varys for some reason... kind of balding and extremely ugly. The guy they got to play him is much to good looking, but he plays the part so well that I can forgive it. I also agree about Hodor. I pictured him as Tom from The Stand.

[video=youtube;7hVMrX9L90A]

Catelyn was a lot more attractive in my mind. She's old and haggard in the show.

 

[Run BJM]

We're in total agreement. I expected Tyrion to look like Mini Me but more deformed, though after I finished the 2nd book I suspect they decided to just let his scarring from the battle against Stannis manifest his deformity.

Catelyn was a lot more attractive in my mind. She's old and haggard in the show.

This is exactly what I meant lol. She's the queen of Winterfell and I feel like they set her up as pretty damn good looking (not as much as Cersei but pretty good looking).

 

[santeesioux]

Only one more episode left, the last one was great.

 

[PapaG]

Only one more episode left, the last one was great.

This season started slowly, but it was really cool to see the wildfire on Blackwater Bay. Stannis should have retreated for a month or so and just pecked at King's Landing after that, but I guess that's not his style, and he wants to prove himself without the Red Woman at his side.

 

[speeds]

LOL @ PapaG giving tactical advise to Stannis


The whole season has been great. The slow build to the last episode has been worth the trip. I think it was the best battle sequence in television history. And yet, somehow, not overwrought.

Still, have to wonder WTF they are doing with Dany. I suppose they'll give her more time in the last one. Her journey has really stalled out this season. I guess that's the problem when you have ten hours and about eleventy billion storylines to get through.

 

[PapaG]

LOL @ PapaG giving tactical advise to Stannis


The whole season has been great. The slow build to the last episode has been worth the trip. I think it was the best battle sequence in television history. And yet, somehow, not overwrought.

Still, have to wonder WTF they are doing with Dany. I suppose they'll give her more time in the last one. Her journey has really stalled out this season. I guess that's the problem when you have ten hours and about eleventy billion storylines to get through.

Dany's story has stalled out because it stalls in the books at this point. I'm offering Stannis advice because I know what's coming for him. You know what's coming, too, in Book 5.

Did you miss the 'SPOILER' part of this thread title?

 

[BlazerCaravan]

The TV showrunners have to draw their line in the sand now and take over the pacing from the books. From this point on, the books become softer and softer in the plot department until they ooze like mush. I trust HBO to firm that shit up and get it fit and fighting. If that means they accelerate Dany's "plotline" (lol), and Bran's too, I'm all for it. There's so much bloat by this point in the story that entire swaths of story could be excised without missing it. Hell, combine books 3, 4, and 5 into two seasons, then beat GRRM to the sixth book!

 

[speeds]

Dany's story has stalled out because it stalls in the books at this point. I'm offering Stannis advice because I know what's coming for him. You know what's coming, too, in Book 5.

Did you miss the 'SPOILER' part of this thread title?

No I just think it's funny to offer earnest advise to a fictional character, especially when you already know the story. Don't do it, Romeo, she isn't dead!

 

[PapaG]

No I just think it's funny to offer earnest advise to a fictional character, especially when you already know the story. Don't do it, Romeo, she isn't dead!

Isn't that the point of fiction, and studying it?

 

[SecretAgentMan]

Isn't that the point of fiction, and studying it?

Yes, it is.

 

[speeds]

You guys are weird. You can wonder about alternative courses of action a character might've chosen but I think the point is to understand the reasons for their actions and find truth in them. Stannis' hubris is the point. His righteousness. Saying what he ought to have done goes against who he is and what he stands for, and you said as much. You can try and learn from his mistakes, as with Oedipus or Narcissus or whoever. I think the point of non-fiction is to build on the platform of knowledge of the human existence. The purpose of fiction is to understand that process and the reasons for it and how it affects us.

Like saying Icarus shouldn't have flown so close to the sun, or Daedalus should've made the wings out of something that wouldn't melt. I think the point has been missed.

 

[speeds]

Anyway, this happened, and it was awesome.

 

[Run BJM]

Seems like they're abandoning the whole Tyrion-being-hideous angle all together. I figured they just decided to delay it until he gets blasted in the Battle of Blackwater Bay, but it looks like he'll only have a (big) scar on his cheek as opposed to mangling his nose.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Anyway, this happened, and it was awesome.

 

[BlazerCaravan]

Seems like they're abandoning the whole Tyrion-being-hideous angle all together. I figured they just decided to delay it until he gets blasted in the Battle of Blackwater Bay, but it looks like he'll only have a (big) scar on his cheek as opposed to mangling his nose.

Removing a nose is actually a difficult (read: expensive) special effect to pull off because it's persistent, always in closeups, and not really doable with makeup alone. I always figured a scar was the worst we'd get.

 

[tlongII]

I just want to see those dragons grow up.

 

[Run BJM]

Yeah I figured expense/convenience was the reason to delay making him hideous, but to abandon it completely? Didn't they just set the record for most expensive season of a TV show ever in season 1?

Good call on all the close ups though I hadn't even thought of that.

 

[speeds]

His nose did get mangled a little. They can work with the upper part if they want to make it really unsightly.

 

[speeds]