[Garak]

I'm currently re-reading the book (yeah the show made me do it). Joff gets bitch slapped by Tyrion twice in the book, three times in the show - no complaints here. Actually seeing Jofff being slapped, bitten and on the verge of crying like a little c**t was very satisfying. I also want to hit Sansa for lying like a b***h (meh, just wait for season 2). Lady getting killed and Nymeria having to run away made my eyes water - but I always had a soft spot for animals, especially the predators.

Summer coming to Bran's rescue was awesomely done.

[Tyr]

The only way this show could get better is if it had Bronn in it. 2-3 more episodes to go methinks.

1 small problem, I dont think it was obvious that the Hound killed the kid. I wish that had been better done.

[Garak]

Ned accuses of riding down the boy and the Hound says he didn't run fast enough - I think it's obvious. We might see Bronn next episode and if not then definitely the one after.


EDIT: Never mind, Catelyn and Tyrion meet at the inn in episode 4. That episode also has a tourney which means - GREGOR.

This post has been edited by Garak: 25 April 2011 - 09:01 AM

[Tyr]

OMG GREGOR IS GOING TO BE HUGE (pun intended).

Yeh, but I asked a couple people new to the series and read/watched a couple review, no one seemed to pick up on the fact that Micah was slaughtered by the Hound. They should have cut down the "Dany learning to be a whore" scenes and given it to the Hound.

[Garak]

Speaking of huge, am I the only who thinks that Dany looks tiny - really really tiny - next to Drogo? Every time those two are in a scene together I can't help but think "Crhist she's tiny".

[Tapper]

Oh my. That was quite the episode even though it covers a less eventful part of the books than ep 1. I really liked the handmaiden scene - stuff of two pretty girls talking sex aside, even (although the hip-wriggling cowgirl was a nice touch). It has Daenerys giving her first order, learning her way to control and it was very well portrayed. I also really like Jorah Mormont (wasn't he as bald as an egg in the books, tho?).

One minor pet peeve is that nowhere it is explained why Arya has to go south, and that Robb complains about being followed around by a crying Rickon, yet there was no shot of Rickon in the entire episode.

I am quite in love with Lena Headey as Cersei. She's not as cold, but just as vicious as the Cersei of the books. Tyrion continues to be fantastic - exactly the right amount of irony and venom there. Benjen Stark was properly awesome even if he had nothing to do. He oozes dangerous uncle and if anything, I wish they had cast him (Joseph Mawle) as the Blackfish, who is even awesomer.

Sophie Turner as Sansa... I don't know. On the one end, it is obvious she's going to be that incredibly classic beautiful redhead in a couple of years, the girl who nearly every will look twice at and think 'if only you were over 18' - so yeah, well done on the casting there. On the other, she's a bit off. Sometimes she has that slightly conniving, look-at-me-being-good look in her eyes and face that I associate with Sansa, at others, she's acting it a bit too obvious imho, especially during Nymeria's attack. Then again, she's a child actress, you can't expect constant quality there - and she's old enough to really try and act.

Jon, Theon and Robb suffer a tiny bit much from the Tom Cruise disease (looking pensively/frowning with your mouth slightly open into the camera whenever you need to act emotional or thoughtful), but then, there was little else to do for them this episode.

Of them all, Arya is really stealing the show. Well, her and Peter Dinklage (duh).

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 25 April 2011 - 05:44 AM, said:

Quickie Ben, on 22 April 2011 - 05:13 AM, said:

...Things could get messy. I just hope Tyrion finishes the King's Landing mounted Lannister Laser Cannon in time... but then there is always Sansa's pet fire-breathing energy-blade-wielding giant space robot Muffy.

Please... Everyone knows it's a giant space robot DIREWOLF with energy FANGS. Named 'Lady'.
The revelation in book nine about them using Ned's brain to operate it was a bit weird tho.


so, EPISODE TWO... just watched it...

We're getting better... not better enough, but still solid...

The assassination attempt on Bran was a well done scene... i especially liked how Cat fought the killer by GRABBING THE BLADE WITH HER HANDS. That's the sort of nasty stuff you just don't see in tele-fantasy. The direworlf jumping in was a nice touch.

...aaAAAAaaand that was about it for action in this ep. The Joffrey/Arya fight, while enoyable, was still kids fighting. And i did so totally love watching Tyrion pimpslap Joffrey.

On the plot side, Jon Snow has about got the 'tortured look' thing down pat. His scenes with Tyrion, Arya and especially Cat were just perfect tho'.

Lena Hedley is absolutely nailing Cersei as far as i'm concerned.

Cat is growing on me. The disconnect from the visual in the books was bugging me, but she's getting better and her actions certainly fit the character. Cat leaving Winterfell to run to Ned in the first book always bugged me, but it was actually somewhat more convincing here.

Did i mention that Tyrion is perfect?

Dany... also getting better but her acting is... still unconvincing.

And Drogo really, really, REALLY needs to lose the eye shadow.

Viserys was actually quite convincing this time.

Still good fun. I'm still in for the long haul.

Tyrion was on par with Bran since episode 1 for his spot-on-ed-ness. While I feel that MOST of the casting is really good, I think that Ned, Bran, Arya, Tyrion and Jaime are the standouts for completely badass excellent casting. I can't wait to see some of the other characters when they show up and see if the casting stays this good.

Dinklage OWNS the character now. Fucking OWNS him flat out. So much so that as I am currently re-reading ACOK I can fully picture and hear him doing Tyrion's lines and loving that.

Also, is anyone else re-reading while the show is on? I am having No trouble fitting all the actors into my head doing the voices and visualizing them for scenes. Also, I am loving that we now have one of all our very fave book series happening on TV...but also on HBO...are we dreaming? This is an awesome time to be a fantasy fan.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 25 April 2011 - 05:41 PM

[Binder of Demons]

I agree with almost all of the sentiments above. Another fine episode. Been so long since i read the first book that many of the details are fuzzy so i can just enjoy the tv series for what it is.

Like Tapper says above, Peter Dinklage and the actress playing Arya are stealing the show thus far, and Sean Bean has been excellent as well in my opinion. All in all, great casting (my one caveat would be Khal Drogo but I'll hold off judgement til he gets some lines to speak).

From the 2nd episode, I thought the standout scene was Catelyn fighting off the assassin, especially grabbing the sword. Gave it all a real down and dirty feel and not like a choreographed hollywood fight scene.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how the series will do as the action begins to pick up. Will they be able to balance the political machinations and subterfuge with the action and keep all the storylines clear? Fingers crossed they do it justice.

[Bauchelain the Evil]

Saw it.

Dinklage was perfect. He got Tyrion's attitude dead on. Loved the scene with him and the other Lannisters at breakfast and the one with jon was also good.

I agree with Tapper that Benjen was awesome even though he basically didn't say anything.

Liked also the way Sandor admits to have killed the butcher's boy just like it is nothing.

Also:
"If it comes to that,you know I'll be beside you" .Ha!

[End of Disc One]

My favorite part of this episode was Robert's and Ned's conversation about Dany. From all the previews we've seen, and in the previous episode, Sean Bean has seemed pretty monotone and emotionless and I was worried he would be this way all season. It was great to see him get fired up like I knew he was capable of.

Tyrion...damn. I always imagined him as loud and boisterous in the books but I thought that just might have been me. I didn't think Dinklage could pull off my image of him, but he really nailed it this episode. Harry Lloyd was my favorite actor in the premiere, and Peter Dinklage is my favorite in The Kingsroad.

I think every remaining episode of the season will be better than these first two.

I'm so thrilled that the most interesting character (Tyrion) has an actor who can do him justice. Now if they can do justice to the second to last chapter in the book, they can fuck up everything else and I will be satisfied.

[Tyr]

Bauchelain the Evil, on 25 April 2011 - 06:12 PM, said:

"If it comes to that,you know I'll be beside you"

Go go Theon!

Man Viserys is a damn good actor. His 15 second chat with Jorah was probably the standout of the episode to me. And I seem to forget why everyone hates him, he has a retarded sense of entitlement, but so does Dany. He is vicious and cruel, but so are so many other characters in the series. This actor actually makes Viserys seem somewhat likeable, whereas I loathed him in the books.

[SpectreofEschaton]

Tyr, on 25 April 2011 - 08:39 PM, said:

Bauchelain the Evil, on 25 April 2011 - 06:12 PM, said:

"If it comes to that,you know I'll be beside you"

Go go Theon!

Man Viserys is a damn good actor. His 15 second chat with Jorah was probably the standout of the episode to me. And I seem to forget why everyone hates him, he has a retarded sense of entitlement, but so does Dany. He is vicious and cruel, but so are so many other characters in the series. This actor actually makes Viserys seem somewhat likeable, whereas I loathed him in the books.

I'm reading the book for the first time and following along with the show, but Viserys seems much more like a sadistic monster in the books. I agree, he's entertaining to watch on screen, the way he's being portrayed, but in the book, just... ick.

[Cyphon]

Tapper, on 25 April 2011 - 05:05 PM, said:

Oh my. That was quite the episode even though it covers a less eventful part of the books than ep 1. I really liked the handmaiden scene - stuff of two pretty girls talking sex aside, even (although the hip-wriggling cowgirl was a nice touch). It has Daenerys giving her first order, learning her way to control and it was very well portrayed. I also really like Jorah Mormont (wasn't he as bald as an egg in the books, tho?).

One minor pet peeve is that nowhere it is explained why Arya has to go south, and that Robb complains about being followed around by a crying Rickon, yet there was no shot of Rickon in the entire episode.

I am quite in love with Lena Headey as Cersei. She's not as cold, but just as vicious as the Cersei of the books. Tyrion continues to be fantastic - exactly the right amount of irony and venom there. Benjen Stark was properly awesome even if he had nothing to do. He oozes dangerous uncle and if anything, I wish they had cast him (Joseph Mawle) as the Blackfish, who is even awesomer.

Sophie Turner as Sansa... I don't know. On the one end, it is obvious she's going to be that incredibly classic beautiful redhead in a couple of years, the girl who nearly every will look twice at and think 'if only you were over 18' - so yeah, well done on the casting there. On the other, she's a bit off. Sometimes she has that slightly conniving, look-at-me-being-good look in her eyes and face that I associate with Sansa, at others, she's acting it a bit too obvious imho, especially during Nymeria's attack. Then again, she's a child actress, you can't expect constant quality there - and she's old enough to really try and act.

Jon, Theon and Robb suffer a tiny bit much from the Tom Cruise disease (looking pensively/frowning with your mouth slightly open into the camera whenever you need to act emotional or thoughtful), but then, there was little else to do for them this episode.

Of them all, Arya is really stealing the show. Well, her and Peter Dinklage (duh).

I think RE: the Ayra issue, will be mentioned next episode. They seem to be getting the main motivations in for the characters, but an episode or two (?) later than in the books. Rickon I think is the hardest character for them to deal with, as due to his aging up, shaggydog isn't going to have the same effect anymore.

Did anyone see Jon's Direwolf go with him to the Wall? Or naming ect. ect. mentioned at all? They're being a bit underplayed imo.

[End of Disc One]

Tyr, on 25 April 2011 - 08:39 PM, said:

Bauchelain the Evil, on 25 April 2011 - 06:12 PM, said:

"If it comes to that,you know I'll be beside you"

Go go Theon!

I'm a massive fan of both Robb and Theon so I loved that part too.

[Slick Mongoose]

Cyphon, on 25 April 2011 - 09:24 PM, said:

Did anyone see Jon's Direwolf go with him to the Wall? Or naming ect. ect. mentioned at all? They're being a bit underplayed imo.

He was there in a couple of the scenes, but I think they're using the direwolves sparingly.

[Bauchelain the Evil]

Yeah well Lady and Nymeria are gone, Greywind wad never much onscreen (for the most part it was more like people going "OMG that beast killed twenty people in battle!"), Shaggydog is put on a bus soon, the only important ones are Summer and Ghost.

[Mott]

Second episode was much better than the first now that the initial introductions have been made. Tyrion was just perfect, the scene at breakfast was amazing, and already I'm liking little Tommen if only for his slight interactions with Tyrion. The scene with Ned and Jon before they parted was really emotional, looked like Ned was going to cry. Jaime's comment about how it would be better to be dead than crippled was delivered great and nice bit of foreshadowing there. Every scene Arya is in is golden, she really is just perfect, even the way she was dodging Joffreys attacks, like a water dancer. Joffrey gets worse each time he is on screen but his humiliation and pleading Arya for his life was satisfying.

I agree on Visery's he is much more sympathetic here, even playful at times. He seems less demented on the surface but you can still see flashes of it. The fight scene was, wow, I nearly screamed when Cat grabbed the knife, so painful looking. I love Robb and his scene with his mother was really great, the way he was automatically facing up to his responsibilities and then in his next scene him and Theon like kids all eager for a fight. Theon creeps me out here, really well played he always creeped me out in the books.

The Cersi scene with Cat was not what I was expecting but it was all the more chilling for how gentle and vulnerable she managed to make herself seem to Cat when the scene before she was saying it would be better the child died.

[Abyss]

Sinisdar Toste, on 25 April 2011 - 06:13 AM, said:

Abyss, on 25 April 2011 - 05:44 AM, said:

Viserys was actually quite convincing this time.

easy to be convincing when you're in one brief scene, lol.
...

But per downthread, he was more impressive (and better acted) in that one scene than in his longer scenes in ep1.

Rhand, on 25 April 2011 - 07:58 AM, said:

I've always found Tyrion an amazing character in the books, but actually seeing and hearing him say all those things is equally amazing.
...

Totally. Dinklage is the John Noble of this series... without being the least bit intimidating, he dominates every scene he's in, and not just bcs he gets the best lines, but the way he delivers.

Garak, on 25 April 2011 - 08:52 AM, said:

...Never mind, Catelyn and Tyrion meet at the inn in episode 4. That episode also has a tourney which means - GREGOR.

I know certain forumites are going to weep, but i seriously wonder whether Bronn will get much play in the tv series. I suppose it depends on how far they take the 'Tyrion imprisonned at the Aerie' plotline.

Tapper, on 25 April 2011 - 05:05 PM, said:

...Sophie Turner as Sansa... I don't know. On the one end, it is obvious she's going to be that incredibly classic beautiful redhead in a couple of years, the girl who nearly every will look twice at and think 'if only you were over 18' - so yeah, well done on the casting there. On the other, she's a bit off. Sometimes she has that slightly conniving, look-at-me-being-good look in her eyes and face that I associate with Sansa, at others, she's acting it a bit too obvious imho, especially during Nymeria's attack. Then again, she's a child actress, you can't expect constant quality there - and she's old enough to really try and act....

Yeah, i struggle between my dislike for the character from the series (in an entirely 'i hate her because she's well written' way) and the general stiffness of the actress, but she has potential.

QuickTidal, on 25 April 2011 - 05:38 PM, said:

...This is an awesome time to be a fantasy fan.

QFT.

Tyr, on 25 April 2011 - 08:39 PM, said:

Bauchelain the Evil, on 25 April 2011 - 06:12 PM, said:

"If it comes to that,you know I'll be beside you"

Go go Theon!
...

oh, so loaded with irony that scene was.

Everyone who's read the books went AAAHHH and everyone who hasn't went Awww.

Cyphon, on 25 April 2011 - 09:24 PM, said:

... Rickon I think is the hardest character for them to deal with, as due to his aging up, shaggydog isn't going to have the same effect anymore.

I don't think it matters. Shaggydog's perspective only becomes relevant via Bran and that can't quite work in tv the way it does in text. I suspect we'll get considerably less of Bran dreaming the various direwolves. Cool part of the books tho it was, it just doesn't work the other way.

Quote

Did anyone see Jon's Direwolf go with him to the Wall? Or naming ect. ect. mentioned at all? They're being a bit underplayed imo.

You see him in the establishing long shot of Jon sitting at the fire with Tyrion.

Slick Mongoose, on 25 April 2011 - 09:59 PM, said:

He was there in a couple of the scenes, but I think they're using the direwolves sparingly.

I think the innate limits and expense of animal performers will keep it down. Realistically as the story moves along we'll likely only see Ghost periodically and in S2 Greywind for one all important scene... or likely just his head.
We'll probably get some blurry pov shots if they follow Bran's warg plotline.

Mott, on 26 April 2011 - 03:47 AM, said:

...The Cersi scene with Cat was not what I was expecting but it was all the more chilling for how gentle and vulnerable she managed to make herself seem to Cat when the scene before she was saying it would be better the child died.

Totally and a large part of why i'm liking Lena's work. The woman can ACT.

[JPK]

Has anyone else noticed that Sean Bean is remarkably well suited to characters that are doomed to die HORRIBLY?

** Insert Tyrion praise here...***

[Cyphon]

Missed Ghost then. Thanks for the heads up Abyss.