Game of Thrones

Am I too desensitized to violence? Too excited to see things I've read about play out onscreen? When that bit happened at the end, I gasped-- then cackled a little bit. Mostly at "The Bear and Maiden Fair," but still.

Fiammetta wrote:Am I too desensitized to violence? Too excited to see things I've read about play out onscreen? When that bit happened at the end, I gasped-- then cackled a little bit. Mostly at "The Bear and Maiden Fair," but still.

I was watching the episode on HBOGo and I thought they had gotten the credits mixed up with another show or something! I was so confused, lol. Very jarring.

I feel like the show is getting too meandering right now, as a reader of the books. I don't mind changes so much as I feel they're adding stuff when it's already overstuffed. Looking at you, ROZ.

Just check my more-or-less unspoiled* suspicion:

Dany can totally speak Slaver, can't she? She's been playing Slaver Guy, hasn't she? And thus her appreciation of Translator Woman, whose diplomatic translating was so artful.

Meanwhile, here have a dragon. They're just like Shar Peis, with wings. And I'll take your uberwarriors, who are apparently not programmed with the Three Laws of Robotics, so no, your ass will not be the first one I instruct them to kick.

Perhaps it's just wishful thinking on my part.

*Read the first book years ago; stopped at some point TOO DEPRESSING; forgotten details

Haven't read the books either, and both of us were thinking pretty much "The second she snaps her fingers, her dragon will break free and come back to her anyway, and probably roast everyone in the process."

There's something that's starting to bother me about the constant threat of rape in this universe, though I can't quite articulate what it is yet. I know they were going equal opportunity this episode, with both male and female characters almost raped, but I can't think of another show where sexual violence is so pervasive -- between that and the constant tits, I'm starting to look askance at how this show portrays power, sexuality, and gender. I are confused.

I feel conflicted about that myself. One review I read was very disturbed by the fact that Brienne's near-rape was more about Jaime than it was about her - we were focused on him the whole time, saw how disturbed he was to hear it, and it was a character moment for him.

And I understand that criticism, but at the same time, I love Brienne, and it was hard enough to HEAR her being assaulted, so I can't really mind that we didn't get the visual as well.

The constant threat of rape and assault disturbs me, too. That plus the nudity, and the fact that this show has a wider variety of strong female characters that I've seen in most television, leaves me feeling very conflicted on a weekly basis.

Anyway, the Jaime/Brienne story was the one I found the most engrossing (unsurprisingly), and I felt horrible for him when his hand was chopped off (even though it was obviously karmic payback for what he did to Bran). But aside from the pathos of that moment, I really can't wait for Arrested Westeros and the Jaime-Buster Bluth jokes that will come henceforth.

I thought that focusing on Jaime in that scene actually worked to increase the tension of the audience, since we couldn't track exactly what was happening to her, and also presented an interesting contrast with what she and we were feeling with Jaime's calm detached approach. That approach to the scene as a whole I thought worked well to set-up the surprise for the non-book viewers - they decreased the perceived threat to Jaime until CHOP.

That said, I don't remember there being an actual rape attempt in the book, just the threat - though again, as a choice to raise tension but also mislead the viewer, it worked.

I agree with you, Matinee. As a reader of the books, I knew that Brienne kept her "honor unbesmirched," but I thought the off-screen screaming and fighting amped up the tension.

The gratuitous sex and the sexual violence thing does bother me as well - though the show is keeping with the books on that part (well, mostly - I don't recall Pod getting a foursome of prostitutes, though the follow-up scene to that was pretty funny). I feel like they just throw in some male nudity from time to time to try to pretend that they're striving for balance. Which, let me tell you, Benioff and Weiss, TRY HARDER - there are plenty of men on that show you could use to even the score on that front. And I'm not talking about Stannis.

The Theon scenes have thrown me, but in a good way. While I really don't want to see

Spoiler:

, the show seems to be switching things up (who is that guy rescuing him?), and it's nice to have a plot line whose direction I'm unsure of.

I love Jaime despite everything (the guy's just so darned charming), but honestly, that hand-chopping or some similar comeuppance was a long time coming. 'Bout damned time someone didn't fall over themselves to kiss his arse as soon as he said "My father's rich and will pay you whatever you want."

inversed, it hasn't been confirmed anywhere, but I think most people are assuming that the guy rescuing Theon is

Spoiler:

Shalamar, I like Jaime too, but I feel guilty about it. I agree he is charming, but I cannot forget that he pushed poor Bran out of a window! I am looking forward to watching his relationship with Brienne develop and seeing how he deals with losing his hand.

inversed and Me Talk Pretty about Theon

Spoiler:

Is there no one who wants to talk about the show who hasn't read the books? The last two episodes have been seriously awesome, but I haven't read the books so I don't want to partake in the "spoilered" discussion thread at the top of this board.

I'm loving this season! This past ep gave us the Jaime/Brienne scene I've been looking forward to the most and they knocked it out.

Also, I am getting obsessed with the Valyrian language about as much as I was with Elvish when LotR came out. It's so pretty and Daenerys speaks it so beautifully. But according to the adorably nerdy creator of the GoT languages, the guy who plays Grey Worm speaks it perfectly. He totally geeked out and fanboyed him on his blog.

This season has been so awesome. Everything with Dany has been amazeballs and I was clapping with glee when her dragon burned that slavemaster guy to death.

How awesome/terrible is Twyin Lannister? Seriously, he sucks as a dad but he's amazing to watch.

He's the best/worst. Bad person but fascinating character and I totally get why all three of his normally snarky children cower under him. I mean, Cersei shouldn't be begging him to not make her marry Loras. She's the Queen Regent! She outranks him! Yet her attitude makes perfect sense.

Kookla wrote:Is there no one who wants to talk about the show who hasn't read the books? The last two episodes have been seriously awesome, but I haven't read the books so I don't want to partake in the "spoilered" discussion thread at the top of this board.

Me, me! I'm loving Granny Tyrell and Margaery, who's such a tricky combination of kindness, canniness, and ambition. Tywin was right--she plays the game way better than Cersei ever dreamed of. And I'm worried about Robb, who seems to be making a series of terrible moves. I really hope he doesn't die, because I want him and Dany to join forces and tear strips off the Lannisters and their allies. And by tear strips I mean set them on (dragon) fire. And I want to see A Man again, and I really want Arya to thrive. And eventually ride a dragon. And maybe kill Tywin Lannister and/or Joffrey personally.

I can't bring myself to care about Jon Snow or Stannis.

Not care about Jon Snow? He practically invented oral sex in this last episode. CLEARLY HE KNOWS SOMETHING, YGRITTE.

No, I don't want Tywin Lannister to die, ever, because as Filwdork mentioned, he is truly awesome/terrible. I basically want the series to end with him standing in the middle of King's Landing, having glared everyone in Westeros, white walkers and all (seriously, Charles Dance can show them what "ice" really means) to death. Cut to black. "The Rains of Castamere" plays. Awesome.

Though that ending doesn't jive with my Daenerys love (I truly flove her and loved her scenes in the last two episodes). I've seen this comment basically all over the internet, but the scene of her and the Unsullied could not have been more telegraphed, but it was still even more amazing than imaginable.

The actor playing Jaime is really killing it this season as well. The delivery of the monologue in the tub was truly affecting. I wouldn't say that I "feel sorry" for Jaime Lannister, but all of this is really giving him some added depth.

Meeeeee! I've read some of the books -- I'm partway through Book 4 -- but I'm not done so I can't really read the other thread, and I promise not to get near anything that hasn't shown up in the series yet.

I'm loving this season too. I also get bored by Jon Snow et al. Nothing ever seems to happen up there. They walk around, it's snowy, they yell at each other, someone gets killed, etc. If I could watch Jaime/Brienne all day I probably would. Arya too, but the Brotherhood parts are a little dull for me. YES, even though someone got brought back to life through dark religious magic.

I've seen this comment basically all over the internet, but the scene of her and the Unsullied could not have been more telegraphed, but it was still even more amazing than imaginable.

It was truly fantastic. I knew from the book that it was coming, but it DID seem sort of obvious if that guy had thought about it for two seconds. I adore Dany, and Emilia Clarke seems kind of delightful if I can manage to forget that she's dating Seth MacFarlane.

You'd think, though, that word would be spreading throughout the East or wherever they are that maybe you should try not to fuck with the dragon girl, because dragons can set you on fire. Even if you take one of the dragons away, or even if she gives you one. Spoiler: The dragon will set you on fire. And then she will take the dragon back. Come on now, guys.

Oh, and Margaery! LOVING her. Watching Joffrey's brain hamster react whenever she talks is hilarious. She is playing him like a string quartet.

sen3, thank you for posting GoT Language-Creating Guy's blog! I had a ball reading it. His enthusiasm for his languages and for everything else in the world is delightful.

Instant Monkeys wrote:I adore Dany, and Emilia Clarke seems kind of delightful if I can mange to forget that she's dating Seth MacFarlane.

They broke up, fangirl away. :)

Yessssss!! I mean: That's too bad. I'm sorry she went through a breakup. But, girl, it's for the best. Or so I assume based totally on the public profiles of people I don't know. Seriously, though. For the best.

Soooo, you're saying that Seth's available? :D

I mentioned this on another board, but this episode made me think that Podrick is, in fact, a Jedi mind-controller. Because I am like 99% sure that the scene with Lady Oleanna and Tyrion was manipulated by him. She just suddenly agrees to pay for half the wedding? I suppose it's not really out of character for such a rich family, but her agreement came at exactly the same time Podrick came back with the figs. If true, it would explain what happened in the prostitute scene and why the writers keep bringing it up.

The only part of the show that is dragging for me is the North. I seriously cannot figure out what they are doing up there, neither Jon, nor the entire Night's Watch, nor the white walkers (seriously, where did they go?) nor Ciaran Hinds (he wants to attack the wall? why? and when? now? again, why?) Also, Ygritte annoys me so much that I didn't even realize up until this week that the story was trying to put her and Jon together. I didn't catch any of the sexual tension at all because I was so focused on how much I wanted to punch her in the mouth.

Other than that though, this show is my baby.

I can answer some of that! Ciaran Hinds wants to attack the wall so his people can move South and get away from the walkers. Who are just sort of around as a menacing threat (they went to the ether? maybe?).

queenofdenile wrote:Not care about Jon Snow? He practically invented oral sex in this last episode. CLEARLY HE KNOWS SOMETHING, YGRITTE.

Well, he's like a thousand years and also a fictional world away from me, so that doesn't do me much good. I do wonder if I'd like him more if he were played by a less tedious actor.

punzy wrote:I can answer some of that! Ciaran Hinds wants to attack the wall so his people can move South and get away from the walkers. Who are just sort of around as a menacing threat (they went to the ether? maybe?).

I will admit that this whole part of the book/show is something I constantly forget. With the whole climbing over and back and the whole point of the climbing and what exactly is going on later. I think I sleep through most of Jon's chapters with all the boring planning and moving and what have you. I'm still totally unclear on why they can't just sail around the edge (like, bring a boat back around?) or something - or given that they can climb up and over without being noticed, why not just climb and lift the elderly/infirm over or something. It's not like the Night's Watch are any great shakes or apparently paying attention. Given how unconcerned they were about being found during the climb.

ETA: removed some book info, realized I was in the other thread!