Game of thrones season 2

[Loki Laufeyson]

This show has way too much pointless nudity and sexual themes for me. I can't really take it seriously.

I actually lol'd. Really hard. Because as far as premium channel serials go, this one is fuckin' tame. Sparticus is really just porn and gore and True Blood....deugh...Theres only one scene in GoT that comes off as super gratuitous and well it is. But Littlefinger is at least being Mr. Exposition there. All the other sex stuff is really relevant to the plot as a whole.

Just finished season 1. Holy good goddamn! Great show! I was late to the party but im here to stay! Whooooooop!

Stupid Sexy Targaryens....

[Tangerine]

I actually lol'd. Really hard. Because as far as premium channel serials go, this one is fuckin' tame. Sparticus is really just porn and gore and True Blood....deugh...Theres only one scene in GoT that comes off as super gratuitous and well it is. But Littlefinger is at least being Mr. Exposition there. All the other sex stuff is really relevant to the plot as a whole.

None of which I watch, and for good reason . Regardless of whether it's "relevant to the plot", none of them need to be explicitly shown. It's a grab for viewers, in the episodes I watched the only thing they made me want to do is turn the channel. I don't need to see boobs or hear some guy talking about what he's going to do to boobs every 5 minutes.

[Loki Laufeyson]

Usually, im on your side. But i was told "PLOT RELEVANT" so i was like "ok OK! fine! Ill stick it out! But if theres more than a few seconds of tits and ass...that it!" I toughed it out. It was worth it for such a neat plot. I know even this amount of fanservice (which is a good amount) is actually really low for this sort of show. Its why i dont really plan on watching The Borgias which is a new Showtime serial coming up with Jeremy Irons. Looks awesome, but i bet its just filled with smut. Every episode. Probably twice. (or more) GoT, there were whole episodes with barely a nipple! :o

[Klokinator]

In the whole of 10 hours, I probably saw about 15 sex/sexy scenes in GoT. In spartacus, there was probably a combined total of 20 or 30 minutes across the first season. Therefore GoT was definitely tamer in that front, but then again it was also less sexy xP I mean, the Spartacus chicks were usually pretty fucking hot.

[Loki Laufeyson]

but then again it was also less sexy xP

Spartacus is also basically porn with plot trappings. I tried watching that show. Everyone was fucking. All the time.

[Klokinator]

LOLOLOL

Once again Cracked comes through for me. I love you guys. http://www.cracked.com/blog/4-problems-with-living-in-game-thrones-universe/

[Rapier]

Welp, I just finished season 1. I'm not exactly disappointed... but it wasn't as amazing as I thought it might be, felt like the first episode had this awesome horror element going of "The white walkers are coming...!" and then uh... nothing. At least, not for another 6 or 7 episodes, which is the equivilant of bringing up the Secret Evil in movie one, then waiting until the fourth movie to be like "Oh yeah, about those terrifying abominations, they still exist...!". I know it's ten 1 hour episodes and not 4 movies of equivilant length, but I judged it as so.

To be honest, I was expecting something more along the line of "Spartacus". THAT, was a great show with awesome story progression. You're introduced to motives, given a definitive protagonist, and the story is set on its course. Here, I don't know what this show wants me to be doing. There's a king, something about taking over power, then people die, a whole fuckton of names are thrown at me, some more people die, something about revenge for crippling a boy but then the "protagonist" is killed, and then the series ends on the note of "yay dragons, and season 2 will have more undead!".

That's something you will never find in any season of Game of Thrones nor in the books. People don't show their reasoning easily, even though some are easier to understand (like Tyrion, Jon, Eddard, Dany etc.) while others are confusing (Varys to an extent, Littlefinger, Theon, Jaime etc.). The series are famous for their plot twists, intrigue and a story that is too chaotic and almost impossible to predict what's going to happen next because ANYTHING can happen.

It's not that I disliked the series at all. In fact, I'm waiting for season 2 with bated breath. I liked it a lot and thought it was very enjoyable... but it wasn't doing it for me. Like all movies and shows that go for the whole "political intrigue" and "150 plot twists per episode" catch, eventually it gets too many of those twists. I stopped caring at some point about most characters and then I was like "ehh cool he died, didn't like him much anyway. what was his name again?". As of this moment, there are only three characters that I feel any sort of connection to, and I can't for the life of me even remember their names. Talk about forgettable. I like the little girl who's being taken to the Wall, I like the blond dragon princess girl, and I like the cripple boy. The three weakest characters on the show are the only ones I feel any sort of empathy for, and everyone else is just so bla'zeh.

That's the catch of the series and the books: The realism and the "anyone can die" part. Characters you like/expect things from it may die anytime and anywhere if the conditions are favorable, just like Robert died: It wasn't an spectacular death, but it made sense.

Nobody has any sort of stable personality, it's literally chaos. I don't expect the characters to be one dimensional, but the characters have literally zero stability. For example, the bald eunuch is unsure of whether he's a good guy, or maybe he wants to be a bad guy, or maybe he's a backstabber, or maybe he's a man of loyalty and honor... who knows? At least the little girl loves her dad, she's saddened by his death, she matures and gets stronger by killing one boy and then threatening another... her actions make sense, they are explained properly. She has a backstory, a reason for why she acts the way she does. Same for the dragon girl, she betrays her brother because he's always been a self-righteous loathing prick to her, and she falls in love with a seemingly violent man who in actuality loves her far more than her brother ever would. She too, goes from weak to strong, and the reasons for that change are explained clearly.

The series doesn't throw things at us, it leaves us to speculate then show if our theories were right or wrong after a while. On Episode 9, Varys says that he worked as a pretender since his childhood and he learned everyone has a role to fill, but that's pretty vague.

And then we go back to the eunuch. He changes allegiances for... no real reason. Hell, he even says there's no reason. And that's fine, some characters may have no real reason for why they do what they do. But then you take the guy who runs whorehouses yet aims for the throne (You know, old "What'shisname") and he too doesn't have the most clearly explained reasons, but he does have some reasons. Like, he loves mom character (Ol' What'shername) and so he's happy to see King's Hand guy get killed because that clears a path for himself. There are many characters though who have seemingly no real motives for their actions, and that is why I am hoping season two brings in a little kerpow and kablam to the mix, showing more backstories and explaining why the characters exist and what their motives are.

Did he change his allegiance at a point? I don't remember. Also, Littlefinger's intentions are confusing and we get the feeling he's playing with everyone as if they were chess pieces (at least on the books); I don't think he's got something agaisnt Eddard, but I think he's agaisnt everyone who has played with him because he comes from a lesser house.

I liked the show, but I expect more from the second season. The books explained much more than that and we could understand the characters' reasoning and point of view better than in the show. Of course, it's impossible to make it just like the books, but I expect more explanation and focus on the causes, especially now.

[Original Alear]

I actually lol'd. Really hard. Because as far as premium channel serials go, this one is fuckin' tame. Sparticus is really just porn and gore and True Blood....deugh...Theres only one scene in GoT that comes off as super gratuitous and well it is. But Littlefinger is at least being Mr. Exposition there. All the other sex stuff is really relevant to the plot as a whole.

Just finished season 1. Holy good goddamn! Great show! I was late to the party but im here to stay! Whooooooop!

Stupid Sexy Targaryens....

The funny thing is that they actually cut some of the sex that was in the book out of the show, specifically a scene between Ned and Kat in Winterfell towards the start. You know, because loving husband and wife sex is just too appalling.

Edited April 1, 2012 by Jet Black Gunner

[Parrhesia]

Catelyn Stark is pretty appalling, yes. (I mean, she has some of the best chapters, but fuck Catelyn Stark. Seriously.)

[Aethereal]

Minor Season 1 spoiler alert ahead.

Nobody has any sort of stable personality, it's literally chaos. I don't expect the characters to be one dimensional, but the characters have literally zero stability. For example, the bald eunuch is unsure of whether he's a good guy, or maybe he wants to be a bad guy, or maybe he's a backstabber, or maybe he's a man of loyalty and honor... who knows? At least the little girl loves her dad, she's saddened by his death, she matures and gets stronger by killing one boy and then threatening another... her actions make sense, they are explained properly. She has a backstory, a reason for why she acts the way she does. Same for the dragon girl, she betrays her brother because he's always been a self-righteous loathing prick to her, and she falls in love with a seemingly violent man who in actuality loves her far more than her brother ever would. She too, goes from weak to strong, and the reasons for that change are explained clearly.

And then we go back to the eunuch. He changes allegiances for... no real reason. Hell, he even says there's no reason. And that's fine, some characters may have no real reason for why they do what they do. But then you take the guy who runs whorehouses yet aims for the throne (You know, old "What'shisname") and he too doesn't have the most clearly explained reasons, but he does have some reasons. Like, he loves mom character (Ol' What'shername) and so he's happy to see King's Hand guy get killed because that clears a path for himself. There are many characters though who have seemingly no real motives for their actions, and that is why I am hoping season two brings in a little kerpow and kablam to the mix, showing more backstories and explaining why the characters exist and what their motives are.

Not to hate or anything, but these two paragraphs show a serious misunderstanding of the characters, and the motivations that are presented. I might be biased, since I've read the first couple books and what not, but this misses everything about Varys and Littlefinger that makes them compelling. Varys, for instance. He's very "stable", it's just difficult to see who he believes to be in the right. He isn't chaotic. They just need to be looked at with more nuance than a typical show with characters that are "Honorable, therefore will fight and die with you, cuz they're a good guy". Varys is on whoever's side he thinks is best for the realm, but he's not a man of "honor", as defined by the show. While he doesn't help Ned when he's in need, it's because he thinks he would die, pointlessly. I think he even says that himself, but I could be wrong. The fact he supports Ned, tries to have his life spared, and brings him food, drink, and advice are all indicators of this. I mean, with characters like him you can never be completely sure of their motivations, but the path he's walking down makes sense.

Littlefinger is motivated by power. He's much less loyal than Varys, and his motivations and intentions are very unclear in the first season. That said, he doesn't need to be completely explained at this time. He becomes a much bigger player later in the series, and his character until then is meant to be more of a mystery.

In my opinion, one of the best things about ASoIaF is the character depth, political aspect, and the break off from your prototypical story. I'm a damn big fan of the twists, and characters, and I like not knowing everything about Varys and Littlefinger. I'd rather I didn't, it keeps me unaware of what's coming next.

[Klokinator]

I might be biased, since I've read the first couple books

Oh yes, that is probably why I don't think the characters are that great. I shouldn't have to read the books to like the characters. As someone who has not read the books, I can assure you they don't come off very well in the show, for all the reasons Cracked outlined.

[Aizenberg]

hmmm. i feel like the first episode of season 2 was a bit too rushed. Not as good as i remember from the books

[Original Alear]

Catelyn Stark is pretty appalling, yes. (I mean, she has some of the best chapters, but fuck Catelyn Stark. Seriously.)

Ya, I mean, I agree with this.

[Loki Laufeyson]

Wait, why the beef with Cat Stark? She appears to be pretty ballsy and awesome. A little pushy though...

[Parrhesia]

Just from the first book, she's already almost baselessly accusing Tyrion (the base she has, she got from Littlefinger, who she trusts for... some reason), ostracising Jon probably causing him to join the Night's Watch (an overall positive but seriously now), the fact that she doesn't shut up about being a mother... Also, the way she pride-trips Tyrion into muling the whole way up to the Eyrie while somehow trying to have dignity and intelligence... I don't know, her entire part with that pissed me off.

She also begat Bran, the most boring and tedious (if briefly necessary) character in the entire series.

[Loki Laufeyson]

To be fair, how was she to know Tyrion had little to nothing to do with his siblings' shenanigans. In her eyes, hes just another filthy Lannister whos scheming for shits and giggles. Yes, she was dead wrong but alas...(plus the consequences were kinda awesome anyway...Tyrion giving the middle finger to so many people along the way.)

she got from Littlefinger, who she trusts for... some reason

Ok...ill give you that one. Thats just...dumb. REAL dumb. Of course Ned fell for it too. Yeah shes kind of a dick to Jon but...shes such a Mama Bear, its not too surprising.

Shes also not being too smart involving Robb in the season premiere...so many things are gonna wrong...

I still kinda like her though. My favorite character got killed off (gloriously with a pot of molten gold!!! God i loved Viserys...he was such a fruitloop! <3) so i have to find someone else to cling too...

[Agro]

Just from the first book, she's already almost baselessly accusing Tyrion (the base she has, she got from Littlefinger, who she trusts for... some reason), ostracising Jon probably causing him to join the Night's Watch (an overall positive but seriously now), the fact that she doesn't shut up about being a mother... Also, the way she pride-trips Tyrion into muling the whole way up to the Eyrie while somehow trying to have dignity and intelligence... I don't know, her entire part with that pissed me off.

She also begat Bran, the most boring and tedious (if briefly necessary) character in the entire series.

Fuck you, I love Bran, if only because he's giving us so much insight into the history of Westeros via TEC and timehacking trees. And Catelyn. Some of her actions did annoy me (the whole Jaime thing) but book-Catelyn is so much more tolerable than TV-Catelyn.

But where she is now... I think it's going to be a perfect climax to the Jaime/Brienne storyline.

That being said, Episode 1 of Season 2 has me a little worried about the future of the show. I think they really needed to have a two-hour premier rather than just one hour, because if an hour wasn't enough this time (it really wasn't) then it's definitely not going to be enough for the future.

Edited April 3, 2012 by Agromono

[Loki Laufeyson]

Solution, just make more episodes.

[Aizenberg]

There will only be 10 episodes this season, but ive heard they're going to make 2 separate seasons for book 3 because its the longest (and the best) in the series.

But where she is now... I think it's going to be a perfect climax to the Jaime/Brienne storyline.

Be careful on wot you say. You don't wanna spoil it for other people now

Edited April 4, 2012 by Aizen

[Agro]

There will only be 10 episodes this season, but ive heard they're going to make 2 separate seasons for book 3 because its the longest (and the best) in the series.

Be careful on wot you say. You don't wanna spoil it for other people now

My bad, I was deliberately vague, but then I realised even that was a spoiler.

[Anouleth]

I didn't really like the 1st series. It felt like they cut a lot out in order to make room; for instance, you basically never see the children's direwolves (Lady only shows up to get executed), you never see Tommen or Myrcella, a lot of the jousting tourney was skipped. And the worst part is that these scenes were in all likelihood, cut to make room for gratuitous "someone has sex with a random slut" scenes. I think the only sex scenes in the original book were Daenerys' and Jaime's, but now you get pointless sex scenes for Renly, Littlefinger, Theon, and even Viserys. And was the full-frontal shot of Hodor really necessary?

Plus, they made out Sansa to be a total bitch in this. Sansa is one of my favourite characters, so I didn't really like that. Sure, she wasn't exactly bright, but that's no excuse. I think in general they also missed an opportunity to flesh out characters who didn't get enough time in the books but eventually turn into more important characters; Tommen and Myrcella especially.

I do like the people they have playing Jaime, Tyrion and Cersei. I think it will get better for the 2nd and 3rd series, but the source material takes a nosedive around A Feast For Crows, so I can't imagine that the series will do otherwise...

[BBM]

Yay, SOMEONE else who likes Sansa. Everyone I know is like "Sansa is such a dumbass, I hate her!" Yeah, she's a bit of an idiot in GoT, but I really like how she evolves after that.

[Parrhesia]

Yay, SOMEONE else who likes Sansa. Everyone I know is like "Sansa is such a dumbass, I hate her!" Yeah, she's a bit of an idiot in GoT, but I really like how she evolves after that.

You aren't alone: those are basically exactly my thoughts. Watching Sansa and Jaime evolve as characters is the most engaging part of the entire series, in my view.

[Agro]

I do like the people they have playing Jaime, Tyrion and Cersei. I think it will get better for the 2nd and 3rd series, but the source material takes a nosedive around A Feast For Crows, so I can't imagine that the series will do otherwise...

AFFC is just a little slow. I'm sure they will cut a lot of bloat from it.

[spoiler=feast for crows and dance of dragons etc.]I don't like all the Sansa-hating as well, Sansa is turning into one of the most interesting characters in the book series what with her proximity to Littlefinger. I'd hoped to see a little more of her in AFFC but I guess some things had to be cut.

Part of me is really praying that they extend the episode lengths after Season 4. What the explosion of new POV characters in the books it will be difficult to keep a lot of the storylines - many of which are quite important - and still have only an hour of TV. One can hope, one can hope...

Edited April 19, 2012 by Agro

[Gone2Ground]

AFFC is just a little slow. I'm sure they will cut a lot of bloat from it.

[spoiler=Game of Thrones stuff]I don't like all the Sansa-hating as well, Sansa is turning into one of the most interesting characters in the book series what with her proximity to Littlefinger. I'd hoped to see a little more of her in AFFC but I guess some things had to be cut.

Part of me is really praying that they extend the episode lengths after Season 4. What the explosion of new POV characters in the books it will be difficult to keep a lot of the storylines - many of which are quite important - and still have only an hour of TV. One can hope, one can hope...

I recently got the Season 1 DVD from a relative. As a fan of the books (To the extent of having a map of Westeros on my wall), I was really looking forward to it, and I wasn't dissapointed. They succeeded in making Sansa - GoT Sansa, pre-character development, actually engaging.

Also, that opening sequence. I don't have HBO, so I'm going to have to wait for Season 2. Aww...

[spoiler=Game of Thrones stuff] I just want to see how the Red Wedding is handled. If it does not make me cry, I shall be dissapoint.

Also, I actually found that Dance with Dragons was the best one, and not because of being the most recent - the Jon Snow storyline is one I really enjoy. Smoking is a really odd choice of word for his stab injury, though...yeah, he's not dead. Can't be. At least, not pernamently. Hey, Lord Beric's been brought back to life frequently, it could happen here.