The Sword and Laser discussion

Did anyone else notice the gaps in that locked gate Arya couldn't get through?

They were massive! I reckon I could get through there and I'm not a 9 year old girl!

(Sorry I know there were loads of other good bits in this episode, but I thought she could at least have given given it a go :))

Lee wrote: "Did anyone else notice the gaps in that locked gate Arya couldn't get through?

They were massive! I reckon I could get through there and I'm not a 9 year old girl!

(Sorry I know there were lo..."

Haha! I was thinking the exact same thing!

Since I have now read the book it really feels like the show is dragging things out entirely. This episode barely moved the story forward and where it did, it compressed, altered, and distorted the book to meet whatever demands are being made of GoT to fit it on TV.

Unless my memory is severely distorted, Jamie Lannister rode off after ordering the killing of Stark's men. There was no sword fight, which was awful by the way.

Arya's conversation with her father concerning what she overheard played out totally differently in the book.

And again, there was no heartfelt conversation between King and Queen about their marriage that I remember in the book. There was a shouting match filled with oaths and I believe even physical violence between the two regarding Robert's youthful love, but no heartfelt chat, to my memory.

Indeed, I think that Cersei's character is being softened quite a bit for the TV show. She is much more cruel, angry and deliberate in the book.

Thus far, I am not particularly thrilled with GoT on TV from the viewpoint of person ignorant of the book and now from the view of one who has read the book. I think a lot of the emotion and sentiment has been stripped out of the book and the story and characters have been hardened and made a bit harsher in general.

Any novel of that size condensed into some 10 hours is not going to be as rich as the original. That's the problem with all film adaptations.

I enjoy the show for what it is. It's not the novel, and doesn't have to be. The novel already exists. The last time I saw a near perfect adaptation of a book (Watchmen), all I could think was, "What was the point of that?"

Sodon wrote: "Any novel of that size condensed into some 10 hours is not going to be as rich as the original. That's the problem with all film adaptations.

I enjoy the show for what it is. It's not the novel, a..."

I just watched The Last Airbender, despite warnings, and...well...that's one adaptation that suffered death by exposition.

I really like where Game of Thrones is going. The added scenes are playing with the characters in a really fun way, and I'm pleasantly surprised by aspects of the characters or plot being highlighted that I didn't catch in the reading, notable examples being Renly and Loras (and I feel dim for missing that, but it's another delicious piece of the puzzle) and the identity of the conspirators in the skull room. I distinctly remember that latter scene, but didn't connect the dots across the narrow sea.

One of the things I'm worried about is the approach the show appears to be taking towards the women in A Song of Ice and Fire. One of the things I love about the books is that the women are just as strong, flawed, and capricious as the men. I'm a little worried that giving Catelyn and Cersei "poor me" reasons for their actions, the show takes a turn towards the mundane.

I liked The Last Airbender cartoon a lot and it was many, many comments like the one above that have steered me away from seeing the movie version.

Eliaures wrote: "I liked The Last Airbender cartoon a lot and it was many, many comments like the one above that have steered me away from seeing the movie version. "

Watch it mit out sound and it'll be great.

Um, I think it's time to wean that kid.

Tamahome wrote: "Um, I think it's time to wean that kid."

Uhh... yeah.

yeah i was actually wondering two different things watching the kid suckle. I will share one which is that i think this might qualify as child porn a little bit no?

Halbot42 wrote: "yeah i was actually wondering two different things watching the kid suckle. I will share one which is that i think this might qualify as child porn a little bit no?"

I was studying that breast - I can't believe they would have shoved a real one in that kid's face. Still, I wonder how the actor's mother felt on the day of the shoot.

aldenoneil wrote: "Halbot42 wrote: "yeah i was actually wondering two different things watching the kid suckle. I will share one which is that i think this might qualify as child porn a little bit no?"

I was studyi..."

:) As I was watching that bit I was thinking stunt boob, that's got to be a stunt boob!

is it just me or was the dialog not insane enough?

Lysa's acting was superbly creepy, but i thought the scriptwriters could have given her some better material to work with.

Damn, nerds are picky.

Haha, what's the point of being nerds if not to be picky?

I just have to say that I think the show is improving, but that it's still moving at a slow pace. I just don't feel like I can emotionally connect with most of the characters yet.

Oh, and that scene with Lysa was definitely a little disturbing to see on screen.

Dan wrote: "Haha, what's the point of being nerds if not to be picky?

I just have to say that I think the show is improving, but that it's still moving at a slow pace. I just don't feel like I can emotionally..."

But how could it be faster paced and still have time for character development and story exposition? For me, it's doing a really good job and may even be just a little too fast paced if anything.

The audiobook is about 30 hours, so in a sense they're cutting 1/3 of it for 10 episodes.

Tamahome wrote: "The audiobook is about 30 hours, so in a sense they're cutting 1/3 of it for 10 episodes."

"cutting" might be the wrong word, as much of that is descriptions which is reflected in the casting and set designs.

Except for the inner thoughts and flashbacks.

Tamahome wrote: "Except for the inner thoughts and flashbacks."

I know that this is hard in a tv show, but I feel like we're missing a lot by not having insight into the inner thoughts of the characters. Much more about each character is learned from these in the book than the actual dialogue.

All we see/hear is the politically correct things that the characters end up saying and not the mischievous thoughts in their heads. Hmmm....wouldn't know how to fix that though.

Maybe on the dvd they can put a special 'mind' track. :)

I find re-reading the series in parallel with the TV version is letting me keep the "inner thoughts" available and makes for very enjoyable viewing.