Why haven't any of you doll fuckers started a Game of Thrones topic?

Taiso

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One thing troubles me about the series is that everything almost seems like it could really happen, but then frozen monsters attack an outpost which make me kind of scratch my head... and if Khal Drogo survives because of blood magic it may ruin the realistic aspect that I enjoyed from the show.

I remember when I showed some friends the anime for Berserk and they were all on board with the politics and the violence and the human intrigue. And then, the way that show ended with everyone being sacrificed to monsters, they were like 'wait, what?'

I had to remind them that at the very beginning, the first episode, Guts fought a giant snake guy. And then in early episodes, they fought Zodd. And Griffith wears a behelit around his neck that occasionally blinks. The hints are always there, but the monsters are all waiting for a big event ot happen before coming back into the world full tilt. There are reasons the supernatural elements of Berserk are subdued in the early stages.

Likewise, Thrones had supernatural stuff happening in the very first scene, beyond the wall, when the white walkers killed those two rangers and one of them saw the corpse of the girl. Early on, I was wondering what it was all about, even in the book. Was this in his head? Was any of it really happening? Then I started seeing more instances of the truth throughout the book and series. Old Nan telling stories from long ago and Osho talking about how things are stirring in the north, driving the wildlings south into Westeros. And then Lord Commander Mormont talking about how the rangers are finding whole villages abandoned beyond the wall. Then there are other things that weren't explained until later on in the series, like why the trees have faces and what actually lives north of the wall and whatnot. And through it all, the ominous saying 'winter is coming.'

It was all verified when John Snow torched that one zombie before it could kill him and Mormont. I started to think about it. Tyrion doesn't believe in 'snarks and grumpkins.' He says that's all mythology and that there is nothing different north of the wall than what is south except for cultural differences.

But why build a huge fucking wall to keep it out? Why does it have to be so big if it's just a bunch of disorganized savages without the science or tools to craft arms and armor or the command structure to gather into a real army?

That wall is there for a reason. Mysticism has been pushed out of Westeros, and only exists on the fringes of the 'civilized' world where Lannisters and Targeryans and Baratheons and their kind don't hold sway. Later events in the series explain it further, but the precedent is already sent: people don't believe because it's been pushed away. Guys like Tyrion and the maesters call it bullshit because they are men of knowledge and science. Only the more primal people still believe it, or those that have seen it with their naked eye.

And remember that Sam Tarley was reading maester Aemon's books at Castle Black (on the wall) and he read very old tomes that talked about the 'Others' in very great detail. Surely, such things would seem like myth if they were written about thousands of years ago and no one's actually seen them since then, eh?
 

evil wasabi

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You're 100% spot-on. I made the mistake of casually watching the first several episodes while doing other things. This was a huge mistake, because I missed a lot of things. Taiso is right - this series demands serious attention. I just finished episode 9, and I feel it hurt me not watching the first episodes as closely as I should. I know what's going on, but I'm not engrossed in it like I should be. I'll finish episode 10 today, and probably go back and watch the other episodes again.

One thing troubles me about the series is that everything almost seems like it could really happen, but then frozen monsters attack an outpost which make me kind of scratch my head... and if Khal Drogo survives because of blood magic it may ruin the realistic aspect that I enjoyed from the show.

This is still a great show. I fully plan to go back and re-watch episodes just to get a ton of information I know I missed.

Don't watch 10 until you backtrack though earlier episodes. There's some build up here that you're depriving yourself of.
 

SonGohan

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tywin-lannister.jpg


005_Benedict_LAH.jpg
 

Alc

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One thing troubles me about the series is that everything almost seems like it could really happen, but then frozen monsters attack an outpost which make me kind of scratch my head... and if Khal Drogo survives because of blood magic it may ruin the realistic aspect that I enjoyed from the show.
I got that, too. I'd be settling into the middle-ages feel of the thing and then BAM something supernatural happens. Slightly jarring.
 

evil wasabi

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I got that, too. I'd be settling into the middle-ages feel of the thing and then BAM something supernatural happens. Slightly jarring.

When I saw the end of the finale I had that same reaction but quickly remembered the very beginning of the first episode.
 

Alc

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When I saw the end of the finale I had that same reaction but quickly remembered the very beginning of the first episode.
Don't get me wrong, like you say it's obvious from the start that it's not a real-life, historic re-imagining or whatever. Still feels a little weird when the ice zombies kick in again later.
 

Castor Troy

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Liked the season finale. Although it didn't have as strong of an impact for me as the previous episode. I can't wait to see what's in store beyond the wall and what will happen between Tyrion and Joffrey.
I also just finished ordering the books from Amazon.
Having to wait until spring for new episodes will be brutal.
 

Cylotron

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my excuse is that I havent had tv in years... just internet and the occasional theatre outing.
 

Taiso

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The season finale felt like an 'it'll be okay, see where we're going with this?' kind of episode. HBO had to know they were taking a huge chance sticking to the novel's events at the end of that 9th episode. The character in question had to be a fan favorite, and everyone I know at work that's watched the series was very frustrated when shit went down. But I was delighted to find that all of those people were saying 'even though that really sucked, it's cool that they didn't find some bullshit way to stop it from happening.' I think people appreciate that sometimes, shitty things will happen to people you like.

I'm really curious to see how things play out as the series continues. Robb Stark isn't much of a direct presence in the second book, but all the other characters continue to hear about all the great things he's doing on the battlefield. Seeing how they execute the story, given the narrative of the book, will be very interesting. I just pray they don't change anything. It worked well for the first season. They need to keep to the plan.
 

lithy

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Just a question for those that pay better attention than me.

Spoiler:
So the kid that defended Aria as they were going off the The Wall was the previously introduced bastard son of Robert right? I think this is the kid that Ned thought should be king, so I'm assuming he comes back into play at some point next season.
 

evil wasabi

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Just a question for those that pay better attention than me.

Spoiler:
So the kid that defended Aria as they were going off the The Wall was the previously introduced bastard son of Robert right? I think this is the kid that Ned thought should be king, so I'm assuming he comes back into play at some point next season.

yeah, but establishing that lineage is kind of impossible now.
 

evil wasabi

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Are you telling me that different (or similar) hair colors wouldn't fly in court?

Thing is that I don't think that he knows his lineage, and no one who does know seems willing to step forward and say so.

We should do a book club thing and just read the fucking books and talk about them.
 

clutch

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If anyone is aching for some more medieval Sean Bean action, check out Black Death. It's on Netflix streaming right now. I thought it was pretty good. Not for the squeamish though.
 

Taiso

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Second season starts April 1, 2012.

BDs just came out.

And the Simpsons pays some motherfucking tribute!

 

Castor Troy

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Waiting for Amazon to ship my Blu-Ray (should have gone with Best Buy's superior cover).
Can't wait to see Hodor's pen0r in HD.











Wait.. I meant Daenerys' boobs in HD. >_>
 
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Taiso

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I ended up going with the Best Buy House Stark special edition.

Because, well, you know...look at my avvy.

Although the Target version has a special extra disc that covers the visual effects. Hate it when they do that.
 

Eric

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Just a question for those that pay better attention than me.

Spoiler:
So the kid that defended Aria as they were going off the The Wall was the previously introduced bastard son of Robert right? I think this is the kid that Ned thought should be king, so I'm assuming he comes back into play at some point next season.

I've only been reading the books but...

Spoiler:
Unless they changed something for the show then Ned should think that Robert's oldest brother Stannis should be king as the next in the Baratheon line. (And sent messages out that said as much, therefore the accusations of treason) The bastard son's identity was just there for the old Hand (and then Ned) to figure out that Joffrey couldn't be Robert's son. And the same with the other kids who are therefore not in line for the throne. You'll see the bastard traveling with Arya again, though, as it seems everyone gets some POV time in the novels.

And if anyone was surpised by Ned's death...then you obviously don't watch enough Sean Bean movies.
 
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RBjakeSpecial

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Just finished Dance With Dragons. We should definitely have a book thread filled with spoilers. I'm 2/3 way through the Hedge Knight novellas, pretty awesome stuff.

The new chapter on the website is pretty nice too.

I can't wait for season 2 of the TV show.
 

Hot Chocolate

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Waiting for Amazon to ship my Blu-Ray (should have gone with Best Buy's superior cover).
Can't wait to see Hodor's pen0r in HD.











Wait.. I meant Daenerys' boobs in HD. >_>


Yeah.............I wait for the lady to be asleep when I watch this



So this is why I bought a HD tv
 

Neo Alec

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Don't know what this show is about, but the intro reminds me a little of "Rome."
 

Kristian Meller

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I got the Blu-rays early from Amazon UK (never happened to me before), and I've only got the season finale left. It's an amazing show. If they keep up this level of awesomeness and get to make like 50 episodes, and wrap it up properly, it might be the best damn tv show ever.
 

Taiso

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Just finished Dance With Dragons. We should definitely have a book thread filled with spoilers. I'm 2/3 way through the Hedge Knight novellas, pretty awesome stuff.

The new chapter on the website is pretty nice too.

I can't wait for season 2 of the TV show.

I could watch a Dunk and Egg show. Just the two of them, traveling across Westeros and getting into adventures. The nice thing about those stories is that they're stories that take place in that world but you're not quite so afraid to turn the page. I love A Sonng of Ice and Fire, but I don't think I could read another series like it. I get really involved in books and I become very attached to characters, and that series is very stressful at times.

I hear in the next Dunk and Egg story, they go to Winterfell. It's supposed to appear in some anthology focused on women in fantasy settings, so I imagine they'll be meeting some tough Stark and Wilding ladies when they get there.

Oh, in case anyone hasn't seen this yet, this Season Two advertisement will have its way with you:

 
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N30_G30_speed

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Don't know what this show is about, but the intro reminds me a little of "Rome."

If you like medieval fantasy settings, treason plots and a couple of sex scenes you should check it out...
I think it holds the right amount of "fantasy" spice to lure those of us who really enjoy it and also people who would normally say "that shit is for nerds and geeks"

Warning, might have a couple of spoilers for those who didn't yet see season 1 !!!
 

Taiso

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I think LOTR has pretty much blown the door off the whole 'fantasy is for nerds' thing.

What I mean is that I think people, generally, are willing to give fantasy a shot now because LOTR was so popular.

They still think it's for nerds, but they can watch it. Almost everyone I know has seen both LOTR and Game of Thrones, and loves them both.

Which just proves that when something is good, people will enjoy it even if it's outside their wheelhouse. Fuck demographics and focus groups.
 
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