Thursday, May 12, 2011

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN SWINGING AT ME FOR YEARS. THEY ALWAYS SEEM TO MISS: We haven't talked about Game of Thrones lately, but this chart of character relationships provides a rather nice hook for me to check in with everyone, four episodes later. For those familiar with GRRM -- is HBO doing the series justice? And for newbies like me, are you still as engaged and intrigued as I am?
Posted by Adam at 9:11 AM

10 comments:

  1. Matt B10:32 AM

    As a reader of the first three books, I am really digging how the pace of the episodes is picking up a bit.

    I think that HBO is definitely doing the story justice; the fan in me just wishes that we could somehow both get more hours of airtime and also get a lot further in the storyline at the same time.

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  2. cagey10:32 AM

    I was fascinated enough by the series to pick up the book.  HBO is doing it justice.  Yes, a book-to-screen conversion is always going to leave out nuances and details, but the series has done an admirable job leaving in all of the IMPORTANT ones.

    I am not usually into the fantasy genre, but this one has really grabbed me.   Also, the HBO site has done a great job of filling in much of the history of this world that Martin created.  It is worth clicking through and getting the back story on some of the legends, etc.  They also include some charts, which are a little easier to follow than the one linked here simply because the HBO charts include pictures of the actors/actresses.

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  3. cagey10:42 AM

    Matt, I picked up the books because I am impatient to learn what happens next!  Unfortunately, I've been tied up with life lately and have not read through as quickly as I had hoped.  Darn it, Life!

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  4. Matt11:54 AM

    Still enjoying it, though have a bit of a problem with almost every character being rather unlikable (exceptions--Tyrion, who's an asshole, but a likable one, and Dany, who's really fascinating) and over-aggressive foreshadowing (we get it, dragons are important!). 

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  5. Watts12:28 PM

    My biggest concern is with regards to season 2 - the showrunners have hinted that there are certain actors they really like working with that if they were to follow the book's plot would be gone.  I know True Blood did the same thing with the Southern Vampire Stories - (keeping characters on the show that were killed off early in the book series) and it's worked out well for them.  But I'm nervous about it here because when Martin kills someone off it's usually for a good reason, even if the reason is "Death is often random and senseless."

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  6. Matt B12:38 PM

    If the show refrains from killing the character I think you are referring to, it would be a major change to the plot of the remaining seasons/books. I'm not sure how they could make that work.

    I am however looking forward to the reactions of the haven't-read-it fans and press when this death does happen though.

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  7. Anonymous12:52 PM

    I ditto both of those thoughts. Plus I have to think that going in, said actor knew what s/he was signing up for, and for how long.

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  8. LB12:58 PM

    The Viserys bathtub scene was terribly out of place, because they make a point of mentioning in the books (and I think have mentioned in passing on the show) that Targaryens marry their siblings, and always have. The books never shows Viserys with a handmaiden, or anyone else. 

    And I agree with Isaac, that as a reader, I don't think the characters are unlikeable. This series is so much more about shades of grey than about good guys/bad guys that I am enjoying seeing them flesh out each character, especially because I know some good stuff comes later. 

    The biggest thing I have noticed is they seem to be bringing things forward in the timeline. Much of the exposition (particularly with Cersie and Jamie) is not told until book 3, as a flashback, and now we are seeing it real time. (Specificially the scene about why he threw Bran out the window). It was strange for me to see this, but it makes me immensely happy that they are planning so far ahead, and trying to fit everything in that they can.

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  9. LB12:59 PM

    Guest was me. 

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  10. Watts2:57 PM

    Here's my random association of the week:  During that bathtub scene when Viserys was naming the dragons I flashed on this scene:

    http://www.youtube.com/v/qMLYTZNmUmw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="170" height="140

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