HBO adaptation of Game of Thrones - will this be just for nerds? (NO SPOILERS PLEASE)

but they can't develop storylines without running into the brick wall (the end of the books).

really the best solution is for this show to take a breather until 2020 or so, i'm sure everyone would be fine with that

the amount of expository back-story-retelling in this show is ridiculous

really the best solution is for this show to take a breather until 2020 or so, i'm sure everyone would be fine with that

― Karl Malone, Wednesday, April 29, 2015 12:18 PM (20 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

All of the actors will age normally except Bran, who at his current rate will be a decrepit old man by that point.

just think, first episode could be tyrion and dany until they (presumably) meet. episode two: arya and sansa's storylines so far. episode three maybe cersei and jon snow? or whatever. it's all so choppy and dissatisfying dramatically right now.

i remain confused by how frustrating this is to people, i mean to each his/her own obvs but the sprawl and the crosscutting has been embedded in the show's blueprint for most if not all of its run

but they can't develop storylines without running into the brick wall (the end of the books).

well, since they aren't going to be going entirely according to GRRM's plan out of necessity, i'm not sure this is a factor exactly

yeah book diversion is already a thing, they can do whatever they'd like at this point

True, but they're not doing it very well is the thing.

the only change i've really disagreed with is how that scene with cersei and jaime in the sept went and only bc it made an already unsettling occurrence that much worse

like what has really bothered ppl?

this is a slow-paced show, it is basically the wire with swords and magic and a lot more nudity, always has been, things unfold at a v measured pace until they explode and they always explode eventually

xpost
eh, i mean they have artistic license to explore different directions that aren't in the books, especially while they wait for the new ones, but does anyone really think they're going to introduce a new storyline that would have a major effect on the overall plot? one that kills off a main character, or results in one house destroying another or something? nah- any new non-book storyline is gonna have to be like a optional sidequest that the characters do for bonus XP

like MAYBE the character will travel to a different land and eventually, after a bunch of talking and 9 episodes pass, pick up upgraded armor

i def think they will kill off a main character this season who's still alive in the books & would tell you in the spoiler thread if yer curious

i don't want to know! but i will cross my fingers that they're killing off the entire daenerys storyline

This show has gotten farther and farther away from any fair comparisons with The Wire for a couple seasons at least. What drew me in during the first season was how the bureaucratic minutiae could ripple out into massive effects far away from the epicenter, but now, a lot of the cool consequential realpolitik has been replaced by generic high-level fantasy cliche. I did like Stannis and Jon's (and later Davos's) negotiations to legitimize Mopey McOpenMouth and offer him Wintefell, but even then it felt a little superficial and rote.

I guess Carcetti's wandering accent is to blame, really.

"...generic high-level fantasy cliche."

What are the main examples of this in your opinion?

Don't make me back up my internet assertions this early in the day!

all of the tywin stuff, which lasted for 3 seasons, counts as cool realpolitik, the meereen stuff that everyone hates (even i'm getting a little impatient and i'm a dany defender) is basically carcetti #struggles but with 3 dragons lol

ummm it is only early on the gomorrah that is the west coast leee you'll have to do better than that excuse-wise

Not enough sheeeeit

Which character storylines are near the end of Dance With Dragons and which still have a long way to go?

bran is already done hence his absence and sansa is done but now being repurposed. i think everyone else has enough book story for the rest of the season.

Dude I am on the West Coast, I wish the entire Eastern seaboard would get swallowed up into the Atlantic already!

I like the Meerene stuff, I wish it were expanded on!

I dunno, it all feels like boring cloak-and-dagger, betrayal for memeification's sake.

What makes Bran "done"?

That's like saying Brienne was "done" when she made it to King's Landing with Jaime, or similarly when Tyrion made it back there himself earlier in the show.

done as in, his plotline has not moved further in the published books than where it's at in the tv show

It's still spoiling things to talk about what is not going to happen fyi

OH, right

xpost

the question was asked and answered. As Spiralli pointed out, Sansa's story has been repurposed. Same could happen for Bran too, who knows?

i dunno man it's still a drag.

just think, first episode could be tyrion and dany until they (presumably) meet.

I was telling my wife that if the shows pace is indicative of anything, these two will finally meet in the second to last episode of the season..

i doubt they will meet this season

they'll just text

Certain characters are diverging widely from the books at this point.

The producers have also said that some characters won't be in this season at all and also that some plot lines will be going beyond the books, based on Martin's outlines (i.e. the show will now be 'spoiling' the books).

also a Veep crossover episode

^^ I'm ready for this

The show's political scheming was always my favourite part, but when you have frozen zombies and wizards there will necessarily be shaky attempts to juggle the tonal differences between "Giants attacking a wall to flee White Walkers" and "lady is pretty upset her lover was killed in a duel".

But it's still there, and I like that this season might be reorienting to that a bit outside of King's Landing. The Sansa stuff is potentially great, and I'm at the point where I assume any character that looks like they can outmaneuver someone won't (we need twists!) but in the case of Sansa v Littlefinger v Roose, it's very interesting. Roose is pretty canny but it's hard to tell just how good he is, but even if he's at his best he has that Edward I>Edward II problem of a good leader and strategic thinker being stuck with an absolute waste of a "son", which has the feel of epic, dynastic tragedy that is best when borne out of muddy political shenanigans.

I think the pace of the show is good overall, especially as it still gives time over to character backstory monologues that were the salvation of the first however many episodes of the first season. Regardless, this show theoretically only has 27 episodes left and I'm glad it's still taking its time rather than rushing headlong to resolve all the set up.

What was the point of the Gendry storyline? It was developing in a possibly intriguing political shake-up style direction then just got literally pushed out to sea and abandoned.

I had been wondering that, I've no idea where Gendry even is at this point.

Looking forward to shit kicking off at Winterfell. This whole thing is feeling increasingly like a Varys and Littlefinger chess game and I'm enjoying it a lot but could do with some action quite soon.

Feel like the Gendry and Brotherhood storylines fell down a memory hole at the exact same time.

hope Brienne doesn't fall in a similar hole. they've spent a good amount of time with her this season so i'm expecting some Tarth action.

the story about her and renly was kinda adorable and explained alot

I don't think it's quite inevitable but I'm worried/excited about favourite characters eventually fighting each other, like Brienne vs Davos. Kinda felt that way about Brienne vs Hound but generally so far it's been clear who the audience is rooting for.

What was the point of the Gendry storyline? It was developing in a possibly intriguing political shake-up style direction then just got literally pushed out to sea and abandoned.

― Evan, Thursday, April 30, 2015 11:56 AM (3 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

it m/l served its purpose, stannis wanted to kill davos over it but knew he'd need him once he realized he had to go north of the wall, that's about it. i wouldnt be surprised if he showed up in some small capacity

I figured he'd turn up as a blacksmith in some small northern town like Hotpie in that pub.

Hotpie was probably the single most pointless character who wasn't one of Bran's kru.

I kinda liked him. He hardly distracted the plot.

a lot of these "pointless" characters aren't really pointless, but serve to illustrate how major characters view themselves, treat others,are good/bad, etc.

https://twitter.com/joedempsie/status/479055824414076928

Well, at least I got to see a little actual Barristan Selmy action. That's all I'd wanted this whole time.

"Sand snakes" actors all seem kinda... shitty.