Game of Thrones Season 2: Spoilers Ahoy!

[Dmatix]

So, after a long wait season two is finally here! The first episode introduces Stannis Baratheon and his followers (most notably Davos Seaworth and the Red Priestess) and a slew of other things. Share your thoughts!

[Darlos9D]

Peter Dinklage gets first opening credit. I'm just going to assume Tyrion is the main character until that changes.

Also, babbykilling. Dat ending.

[Dmatix]

Peter Dinklage gets the first credit because he is boss. And because Tyrion is the best character. And yeah, Joffery actually managed to make himself even less likable. Never thought it was possible, but the little monster did it!

[kaoticAntagonist]

Tyrion is one of three characters who has a claim on the "main character" title.

Maybe 4 if you count Arya but I rarely do.

Oh, and Bran, forgot about that little bastard.

[PetPeeve]

The list of main characters doesn't stop from getting larger. Personally, I read the books looking forward to Jon, Tyrion, Arya, Cersei, and Davos chapters, with a honorable mention to Danerys WHEN SHE ACTUALLY GETS AROUND TO DOING SOMETHING, and Brienne when she's being awesome for no apparent reason.

This is pretty much Tyrion's season, with his time as Hand and the huge-ass battle at the end. I wish the Red Wedding was in this season, just because it was so damn entertaining when all the people who hadn't read the books wet themselves when Eddard got killed.

[alexthewhite]

Ah, but who else would we give top billing?

Season One, it was obviously old Ned Stark, but that's hardly an option. Clash of Kings, as a book, focused primarily on Arya, Caitlin, and Tyrion, with side-focuses on Bran, Theon, Jon Snow, and Sansa. Arya isn't going to get top billing. Robb has a big role in the plot but comparatively little screen time; we mostly just hear about his exploits rather than see them.

The only real choices for Lead Actor the show has are Jon Snow and Tyrion. JS is a good character and Kit Harington is a good actor, but neither stack up to Tyrion (who is, by the way, the focal point for the season finale) as played by Peter Dinklage. Tyrion is now the de facto male lead of the show.

That could mean he'll get a nice Best Actor Emmy to go with his Best Supporting one. Time will tell.

[PetPeeve]

Peter Dinklage steals every single scene that he's in. The man OWNS this role.

[kholhaus]

So I've decided to start Game of Thrones because of Reasons,

and telling by the intro, and starting scene of the first episode, I can tell this is going to be both fantastic and a huge investment.

[Dmatix]

So I've decided to start Game of Thrones because of Reasons,

and telling by the intro, and starting scene of the first episode, I can tell this is going to be both fantastic and a huge investment.

Yes and yes. It's all worth it, don't you worry.

[kholhaus]

Just finished the first episode

my thoughts below

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The quality is surprisingly high for a televised production, as well as the characters and plot.

They couldn't squeeze in more sex if they tried, although that's just perfect for the era they were trying to achieve.

The world seems very well constructed and varied.

The names will take a while to learn, though. 'Ned' made me snicker a little.

Dwarven Bastard Childs? Wow this show treads heavily without fear for sure.

The ending;

WhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA CAN THEY DO THAT?

[PetPeeve]

... you're going to be saying that a LOT.

[Varkarrus]

I think my favourite scene to date was in season 1

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It was when Littlefinger was instructing the 2 whores to do each other while giving directions like "he knows who you are, you must make him forget" and stuff like that and at first I saw the scene and I was like "oh. Of course. Fanservice" but later on I realized Littlefinger was talking about himself and I thought that was brilliant

[Darlos9D]

I think my favourite scene to date was in season 1

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It was when Littlefinger was instructing the 2 whores to do each other while giving directions like "he knows who you are, you must make him forget" and stuff like that and at first I saw the scene and I was like "oh. Of course. Fanservice" but later on I realized Littlefinger was talking about himself and I thought that was brilliant

Interestingly, that scene was obviously thrown in for the show, since he never got perspective chapters in the first book, from what I understand.

Not that it's a bad thing. Also, nothing is JUST fanservice in an HBO show. Even if it is pretty fanservicey.

I'm looking at you True Blood.

[Dmatix]

So chapter two was... interesting. It's the first time major deviations occurred. I clearly remember all of Dani's blood riders surviving the red wastes, and the entire last scene is totally unfamiliar.

[Darlos9D]

Well, I guess its hard convert the books to even television serial form without mucking with some things to make it all fit, make sense, and flow nicely.

As for those specific scenes: I guess they wanted to be able to show Dani in this current point in time since she's a major character, but make her scenes to be more than "everything goes fine." So, horse carrying a guy's head happens. And even though I haven't read the books, I did get a very "this is a TV scene" sense from the last scene, just because of how cliffhanger-y it was. Books don't do that really. Beyond that though, did that guy give his sons to the white walkers in the books? That was definitely weird.

Though ever since the question of "what does he do with his sons?" arose and everybody was really tight-lipped about it, I KNEW it had to be something more complex than "he just kills them." So this turn of events is satisfactory.

[Dmatix]

Well, I guess its hard convert the books to even television serial form without mucking with some things to make it all fit, make sense, and flow nicely.

As for those specific scenes: I guess they wanted to be able to show Dani in this current point in time since she's a major character, but make her scenes to be more than "everything goes fine." So, horse carrying a guy's head happens. And even though I haven't read the books, I did get a very "this is a TV scene" sense from the last scene, just because of how cliffhanger-y it was. Books don't do that really. Beyond that though, did that guy give his sons to the white walkers in the books? That was definitely weird.

Though ever since the question of "what does he do with his sons?" arose and everybody was really tight-lipped about it, I KNEW it had to be something more complex than "he just kills them." So this turn of events is satisfactory.

Oh, he did sacrifice them. John simply never followed him to the forest or saw him doing so. The Watch simply left Craster's Keep without any major occurrence. That scene with the girl and Sam was in the book though. This may influence events happening much later (book 3, this also applies to the blood riders, though to a lesser extent). We'll see what happens when we get there. Another change is the relationship between Stannis and the Priestess- It was never this overt in the books, and I don't recall her promising a son at all (In the book, he had a disfigured young daughter. Not sure the exists in the show). A funny change they did all the way in season 1 is how the White Walkers look- in the books they are semi-corporeal shades, while in the show they are far more similar the the weights.

[kholhaus]

I'm on episode 6, now.

Holy shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiit.

Game of Thrones is what happens when great writers try to make the world's most controversial TV series possible.

I bet episodes in Australia are only 5 minutes long, and Tyrion is tall, while the other two siblings of the Lannisters are completely scrapped.

King Robert is Santa Claus.

You guys what have I been missing.
THIS SHOW.

This goddamn show.

[Darlos9D]

I'm on episode 6, now.

Holy shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiit.

Game of Thrones is what happens when great writers try to make the world's most controversial TV series possible.

I bet episodes in Australia are only 5 minutes long, and Tyrion is tall, while the other two siblings of the Lannisters are completely scrapped.

King Robert is Santa Claus.

You guys what have I been missing.
THIS SHOW.

This goddamn show.

It's, uh, certainly graphic.

[kholhaus]

I'm pretty sure that's the point.

Oh and also a great story.

[Darlos9D]

It's so graphic and so much horrible shit happens that my brain has flipped over to just flat-out handling it like a comedy. If I took it all seriously I'd be in a depression in no time.

I'm ready for anybody to die. Yes... yes even Tyrion, should it happen.

[PetPeeve]

I'm on episode 6, now.

Holy shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiit.

Game of Thrones is what happens when great writers try to make the world's most controversial TV series possible.

The books existed for many years before the adaptation (and note that the TV series is toned down from the books - they are possibly the grimmest fantasy series ever written). I have to say, this is not a series I would have ever expected someone to make a TV series out of. Only HBO has that kind of planet-sized cojones, I think.

[Dmatix]

The books existed for many years before the adaptation (and note that the TV series is toned down from the books - they are possibly the grimmest fantasy series ever written). I have to say, this is not a series I would have ever expected someone to make a TV series out of. Only HBO has that kind of planet-sized cojones, I think.

The only one I can think of that is grimmer is Joe Abercrombie's The First Law books. It's really good, but it sometimes puts ASoIaF to shame in its bleakness.

[kholhaus]

It's so graphic and so much horrible shit happens that my brain has flipped over to just flat-out handling it like a comedy. If I took it all seriously I'd be in a depression in no time.

I'm ready for anybody to die. Yes... yes even Tyrion, should it happen.

Tyrion is the best.

Don't even.

[Darlos9D]

Tyrion is the best.

Don't even.

I didn't say I'd like it.

[kholhaus]

I kind of want to be encapsulated in molten gold when I die, now.

It'd freak the hell out of grave robbers, that's for sure.