HBO's Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire)

[medford]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

I thought the first episode was about note prefect. It's been a long time (probably going back to the first "Harry Potter" movie) since I've seen the look and feel of a book captured so well on film.

I only saw the opening sequence, but I agree that it seemed to capture the imagery that I envisioned from the book pretty well. I'm waiting on my wife to finish out the book before we dive into the series full bore. Hopefully in a couple of weeks she'll be finished and we can start playing catchup.

Anyways, since I know you were kind of wishy-washy about half way thru the book, I'm interested how your views of the book changed (if at all) as you got towards the end.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by medford

Anyways, since I know you were kind of wishy-washy about half way thru the book, I'm interested how your views of the book changed (if at all) as you got towards the end.

I really enjoyed it once I accepted the fact that just about everyone in the book falls into some shade of grey -- except really for Viserys, who was just morally reprehensible to his core.

I still really like Jon Snow, I love Arya Stark, and I'm a big fan of Tyrion (mostly because he's the only person in the story that seems to "get it" in terms of the bigger picture behind all the fighting). I've found myself disliking Ned a lot more, mostly because (without getting spolier-y) I think that his sense of duty/honor and overall moral compass is a crutch for not thinking his way through things.

I'm going to keep with the series for now, because I'm kinda interested in where everything is going.

[medford]

thanks, interesting take on Ned; never looked at it like that before. Agree w/ the other 3.

[top6]

I agree, CE, you have an interesting take on the book. I would discuss it but I'm just too worried I'd give stuff from the later books away.

And speaking of the later books, HBO has renewed the show for a second season! Yay.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by top6

I agree, CE, you have an interesting take on the book. I would discuss it but I'm just too worried I'd give stuff from the later books away.

And speaking of the later books, HBO has renewed the show for a second season! Yay.

I'm picking up the second book today (putting my planned next reading project, the "John Carter of Mars" series, on hold) -- when I get a little further through the series, I want to start a thread and discuss.

[medford]

I plan to buy it as well, but wanted to wait until after I saw the HBO series so I wasn't getting ahead of myself in the series. I guess sometime around July I'll be starting the 2nd book.

[Redsfaithful]

Really impressed with the scenery in this. Winterfell looks amazing, and the Wall blew me away. I really enjoyed the first episode.

[RFS62]

Originally Posted by Redsfaithful

Really impressed with the scenery in this.

Me too.

[Redsfaithful]

It's funny, before the show started I was telling my wife I hoped it would catch on because the material is kind of dense and I could see it being hard to follow in non-book form.

And then we got an hour of gore and t&a. HBO definitely knows what they're doing.

[medford]

Originally Posted by Redsfaithful

It's funny, before the show started I was telling my wife I hoped it would catch on because the material is kind of dense and I could see it being hard to follow in non-book form.

And then we got an hour of gore and t&a. HBO definitely knows what they're doing.

It seems like every HBO series that I've followed and has gone several seasons has more t&a the 1st season or two than proceeding seasons. Sopranos, entarouge, big love to name a few.

[Caveat Emperor]

Originally Posted by medford

I plan to buy it as well, but wanted to wait until after I saw the HBO series so I wasn't getting ahead of myself in the series. I guess sometime around July I'll be starting the 2nd book.

I'm not a patient person.

Really, even though this book is complex and filled with tons of characters, it's just designed like it was intended to be a miniseries or TV series at some point, right down to the way Book 1 / "season 1" ends.

[medford]

Originally Posted by Caveat Emperor

I'm not a patient person.

Really, even though this book is complex and filled with tons of characters, it's just designed like it was intended to be a miniseries or TV series at some point, right down to the way Book 1 / "season 1" ends.

I'm not worried so much that I'll that starting book 2 will give anything away in the show that wasn't already in book 1, more so that book 2 will change my view points on certain characters or developments that will alter how I look at season 1 on HBO. Hope that makes sense; right now I've got a certain outlook on the characters and scenes that are going to be altered (especially the scenerior/towns) by watching the show. I don't want season 2 of the book to conflict w/ that, plus it will be nice to watch the show, then dive into book 2. W/ HBO already picking up season 2 of Game of Thrones, it wouldn't surprise me to see it back on TV next winter, in the "Big Love" time frame of late jan thru march.

[top6]

Well between that episode and the Reds game, it was a depressing night on cable television.

[wolfboy]

Is anyone still watching this? I watched episode 6 on Sunday and episode 7 via HBO Go last night. I thought they were pretty good. For what it's worth, I have not read the books.

[Caveat Emperor]

Been watching every episode -- still love how they're handling the source material faithfully while still keeping every episode well-paced and interesting.

Wish we saw more of the direwolves, though.