Game of Thrones season one has come to a close. And if you new viewers are anything like us readers, you are ready to start season two immediately. Unfortunately you will have to wait until next year for that (unless, of course, you pick up the books). But there is a lot to discuss with this finale. We Do Not Sow gives his thoughts after the break. We invite you to discuss your reactions in the comments below.
Spoiler note: This post is intended for new viewers only (book fans can discuss the show here). We ask all the series veterans to refrain from posting spoilers in the comments here, veiled or otherwise. This show is best viewed without knowing all the surprises beforehand, so please be respectful of your new, fellow fans. Thank you!
We Do Not Sow: Well ten weeks ago, when I sat down to watch the first episode of Game of Thrones, I had hoped it would give me more than the stereotypical fantasy series. I was wishing for a great plot line and characters that would captivate me and keep me thinking throughout the week, in anticipation for the next episode. Even without knowing anything of this series I still found myself giving it a higher standard, maybe because it’s an HBO series or maybe they had put together an interesting cast of veteran English actors and a slew of newcomers I had never heard of. I sat down a few nights ago and relived the journey we had taken the last nine weeks and realized what I had hoped to see from the series was easily accomplished by the third or fourth episode and without taking notice I had been swept away, enjoying the ride and totally been mesmerized by a great story, wonderful acting and the beautifully created world of the Seven Kingdoms.
As I said 10 weeks ago we started with stumbling upon a stag and a direwolf in the woods and now we just ended this season with three small dragons. Mentioned in a comment from last week’s post I had missed the foreshadowing of the dead stag and direwolf as it pertains to Robert and Ned. Now I can not help to jump to the conclusion of Daenerys and her three baby dragons being reborn out of the ashes of Drogo and into a powerful position next season. I am really looking forward to this storyline next spring. AHHH next spring, it seems so far away. Speaking of Drogo, I thought for sure we hadn’t seen the best of him yet. Like so many of you had mentioned in your comments, they keep killing my favorite characters! I’m going to miss his character. After Viserys and Robert had been killed off, I was O.K. with it, they had their main story arc completed and they were both charactesr that you can take at face value. But then came Jory, Syrio and now Drogo, and I feel slightly cheated. I would have liked to spend more of my Sunday nights with them.
Before I saw the little dragons I was yelling at the television, “They are leaving the Wall! And they’re gonna leaving me hanging aren’t they?” I was really excited to see everyone at the Wall ride out into the unknown, I mean, I am excited to find out more about the White Walkers, the blue eyed zombies or whatever they are, and I should have guessed that they wouldn’t give me too much with only 15 minutes left in the episode. I never really thought Jon was going to leave the Wall, but when he rode over Sam I was a little taken aback. Once I realized it was Sam that had hit the branch, I figured it was his friends coming to get him back. I thought that was a great moment in tonight’s episode with the three friends reciting the oath while they stood around Jon. That scene gave me chills running up my spine in anticipation of next season when there is a war at the Wall.
The other scene I really loved tonight was in the Riverlands when the lords of the North were claiming Robb the King of the North. It was great to see the man who gave Robb such a hard time before going to battle lead the way in bowing his knee before Robb first. I am sure that Jaime is worth more alive than dead to Robb, Cat the the rest of the North. I was shocked not to see them take revenge on Jaime tonight though. After Jaime confessed to throwing Bran out the window to Cat, I would have thought anger, rage or some kind of reaction to Jaime would have taken place. As Tyrion said tonight, Robb is winning this war. It will be interesting to see what kind of response the Lannisters have in battle next season. It also sounds like Robb’s northern army will join up with the Baratheons army, I would assume there would have to be a few larger battle scenes, well I can only hope.
Last but certainly not least, the little boy, Arya, is in the middle of finding a way back home and no fat boys better stand in her way. Look who is with her and on his way up to the Wall, but King Robert’s bastard, the one Ned had met right before being captured. I am really excited about him next season! The crew of misfits at the Wall need more younger and stronger men like Jon and this new guy. It should be really interesting to see if they get along together next season, I can see it going either way.
This episode wasn’t as thrilling as the last but I don’t know if that’s possible. My highest moment this season was finding out they had split the troops and captured Jaime and I think the lowest moment of this season was when Bran fell or rather when I found out that he will not walk again. What were yours? How did all you new viewers enjoy season one? Did you start watching when the show first aired or did you join us more recently and got to take in 3 or 4 episodes in one sitting to catch up?
Is it Spring of 2012 yet?
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67 Comments
Can’t wait for my wife to see this
lebafQuote Reply
:( season 2 can’t come soon enough!
John-Michael LelievreQuote Reply
Ay Dios Mio! It’s a fking dragon! I wonder what it said
Flow101Quote Reply
My wife is mad at me because by episode 8 I finally got her to watch it and she got hooked, and know it is going away, lmao she is honestly and truly peeved at me.
David BrewerQuote Reply
Hbo has outdone itself and this is coming from a diehard Sopranos fan. Whoa, that last episode of Thrones was jaw dropping. I’m missing some characters that died but love the ones remaining, especially Ser Jorah.
nanQuote Reply
We Do Not Sow’s recap is now up. Thanks to him for a great job recapping this season! Now the hard part, waiting until next season but not reading the books and not spoiling himself on the internet. ;)
Winter Is ComingQuote Reply
I’m sorry for Drogo but, omg…dragons!! His death is worth!
MaxQuote Reply
Good episode, nothing can top last week but the lead on for next season is great.
For those that have read the books, is this where to first book ends? I am buying the books, as I cant wait till next years TV series to air, to continue my discovery of this epic.
Thanks
SteveQuote Reply
Steve,
The book ends with the birth of the dragons, but some part of Aryas storyline from the beginning of book 2 was moved into this episode to set up her storyline for season 2.
NorwegianDevilQuote Reply
All I can say is WOW. Having never heard of G.R.R.M. before the HBO promo’s for this series began, I can now say after 10 completely awesome episodes I am a fan for life. This series is one of the best I have seen HBO produce, and that is saying a lot for me considering I have about 15 HBO series I could rattle off the top of my head as favorites.
As badly as I want to go out and purchase these books, I am compelled to enjoy this ride as shown by HBO without prejudice. I love this show and can only hope for a long run. FANTASTIC SEASON 1!
TravisQuote Reply
NorwegianDevil,
Thanks ND.
SteveQuote Reply
Books, here I come :)
So yes, we noticed Robert’s bastard son too. We figure TV wouldn’t make such a big deal of remarking his presence if there wasn’t something good in the storyline planned for him.
It was great seeing Sansa come aboard too. I was always rooting for that kid. I think she will become her own person (that is neither the King’s or her house’s).
And the secrets… nobody remains who would want to tell everyone about Joffrey not being Robert’s. Or about Robert’s bastards.
Is Arya really bound to the Nightwatch (that would be pretty cool), or just on her way up north?
Yes the next book should be full of battles. I think the title is the spoiler after today’s episodes, and not just retoric.
Can’t wait until next Spring! To the books!
RedQuote Reply
Travis,
I know how you feel, but this series has been so awesome, I just want to keep on learning about the characters that have so enthralled and entertained me, whether it be on the screen or in the books.
If I think about other fantasy epics that have been made films such as Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia, I have enjoyed them just as much even though I had read the books.
Either way, it will be a great ride.
Steve
SteveQuote Reply
At first I was a bit disappointed that we didn’t see more of Tyrion arriving at King’s Landing, or how the fight between the Starks and Lannisters will continue, but the dragons made more than up for that. The scene with Ned’s head and Sansa was chilling, and made me much more sympathetic towards her. If only we wouldn’t have to wait for so long now.
So, here’s a question for readers: How long-winded are the books? Maybe it’s a cliché, but I tend to think fantasy novels engage too much in world-building while not really advancing the plot. So I guess my question is, how fast-paced is the narrative in the books?
JayneQuote Reply
Jayne, the books are simultaneously very gripping and suffer from exactly the flaw you mention. They are great fun to read, but leave you wanting to know what happens next and frustrated that it is taking Martin so long to finish the series and that so many pages are spent listing every minor bannerman and his sigil that is at the various events. However having read Game of Thrones before seeing the first season of the HBO show was a huge help in being able to keep the characters straight and that should only become more true as the series expands in future seasons. So if reading 1000 page fantasy novels doesn’t daunt you, I’d highly recommend doing so.
Ron E.Quote Reply
Jayne,
A Feast For Crows has been heavily criticised in the past, mainly because far less happens so I suppose some people could think of it as long winded. Personally its my favourite though. The second and especially the third book have plenty occuring in them.
Nearly Headless NedQuote Reply
Jayne,
The books are very fast paced, GRRM doesn’t go for endless walks through never ending woods, the books are all character driven.
My only niggle with the tv series is the lack of direwolves, it’s been discussed how difficult it must be to work with the dogs but they are a vital part of the Stark children’s lives.
I hope they decide to CGI them for season 2, because they get BIG!!!
He’s hardly featured yet, but wait until you see Rickon with Shaggydog(the biggest, baddest of the wolves)
Well done everyone at HBO and roll on season 2!!
Martin HenryQuote Reply
The ending was spectacular! Like others, I was thinking “don’t end it here” when the Night’s Watch rode out. The episode had set up a lot of pieces for the next season until that moment…a fantastic season got the best ending I could’ve imagined. At first I didn’t really understand what was happening to Daenarys’s boobs (who expects a dragon to drink breastmilk anyway) what followed were goosebumps. Best scene of the season (probably because it’s something good happening to a likeable character). Shame that Drogo had to die for it, but totally worth it.
Another goosebump-inducing scene was when the bannermen all pledged their loyalty to the King of the North, the way they kept repeating the phrase and the footsoldiers coming out to look at the scene was wonderfully done. Props to the actor that portrays Greatjohn, his delivery was perfect.
Other favourites:
- Sansa standing up to Joffrey and all she got was a dirty rag from the Hound…almost believed Joffrey was going to fly!
- Pycelle gymnastics. So it’s all a facade, a performance to make him look weaker than he really is? Sly old bugger. He probably knows Ross is there to spy on him (she’s Baelish’s girl after all) so he just spouts some nonsense about the Mad King being likeable and Joffrey being the next Superking. Finally understand why he has been around for so long.
- Arya is a boy
I actually have only one gripe with the episode and it’s a minor one that fortunately got burned. In my opinion the actress that portrayed the Witch wasn’t very convincing/good. Well now the waiting begins…what are other non-readers going to do…read the books or wait for the next season? I’m not sure yet.
Mr BojanglesQuote Reply
Red,
Remember that there was a certain letter from Ned to Stannis (about Ned’s investigation) that may have got out by courier… Don’t rule out continuing suspicions about Joffrey’s parentage.
MUGgerQuote Reply
Thanks everyone for your replies, I’ll give the first book a try and see how it goes :-)
JayneQuote Reply
Red, I also wouldn’t be so sure about the members of the council staying quiet. This episode made it pretty clear that all three know how to scheme, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they spread this information should they see an opportunity to profit from it.
JayneQuote Reply
The first book ends exactly like the show did last night, with the birth of the dragons. Next season will introduce a few new characters. One in particular I really like and I think most of you will as well. I know the feeling that most of you are getting about “the characters I like always seem to die”. That bothered me a lot, but I have since gotten over it because the whole picture or the grander part of the story is so compelling.
DaveQuote Reply
MUGger,
The letter didn’t get out. That’s how Cersei knew Ned was conspiring against Joffrey.
However, remember Renly also wanted to unseat Joff. He knows Joff isn’t the true heir. He knows Stannis is the heir, but he just doesn’t much care for Stannis.
As mentioned, the small council knows.
DemeQuote Reply
No, Cersei knew Ned was conspiring against Joffrey because he told her that’s what he was doing. They haven’t revealed anything about the fate of the letter Ned sent to Stannis.
Steven SwansonQuote Reply
Deme,
Are you sure the letter didn’t get out?
My (possibly mistaken) view on the chain of events was that littlefinger knew the truth and what Ned was planning from their conversation. He told Ned that the guards would be on his side. Once Ned read Roberts (edited) death statement, he was betrayed by Littlefinger.
I’ve just started reading the books so maybe the letter to Stannis being intercepted is much more obvious than in the show..
MustangJeffQuote Reply
Oh, good point about Cersei.. Ned stupidly spilled his plan to her. She had a ton of time to get everyone in the council on board.
MustangJeffQuote Reply
I avoided all internet blogs, books, wiki basically anything that would spoil the GOT series for me. I am so glad I did. HBO and GRRM did a fab job of delivering 10 weeks of ‘can’t wait for sunday’ episodes. I am wholly disappointed that its nearly a year before we will get to see Daenarys take full command and challenge for the Crown.
There were tons of subtle foreshadowing and hints along the way. The youngest Stark boys both seem to have ‘gifts’. Who is this woman with Tyrion- surely she must be the eyes for one of the counsil. Like many above, I was sure the show was leaving us with Nights Watch heading out the tunnel.. And that little sneaky s-0-b Pycelle!!
Of all the characters though, Jon Snow is my fav!!
CoopQuote Reply
Correct, the whereabouts of that letter is unknown to us right now.
PeterQuote Reply
Not necessarily — Ned told Cersei he knew her children were Jaime’s, not Robert’s; given that and Ned’s personality, she didn’t need to intercept the letter to know that he’d try to enforce the law of inheritance and pass the throne to Stannis.
Alex H.Quote Reply
At least Winter is coming.
And spring after that.
I hope til then I won’t get hit by a bus or get some sickness that’s going to knock me out of my shoes. =)
TreehornQuote Reply
Not exactly a spoiler, but a fact that was established in the first book but elided from the show: Stannis already knew, because he was in on Jon Arryn’s investigation — he went along to both the blacksmith’s shop and the brothel to see Robert’s bastards. He left King’s Landing for Dragonstone when Jon Arryn died, because he suspected he might be next on the hit list. Since the show left that detail out, we may surmise that Stannis will learn the truth about Cersei’s children from Ned’s letter; he’s far too much of a legalist to try to sieze the throne if he though Robert had a legitimate son.
Alex H.Quote Reply
Alex H.,
Thanks Alex,
That makes a lot of sense now.
MustangJeffQuote Reply
I’m counting on that letter reaching Stannis, who is described as something of a warrior and not a diplomat. I expect the Stannis character is going to play a significant role in Book Two. Assuming I am right, I would also think there’s a chance the plum role of Stannis could go to a “name” actor or recognizable face.
ShaggyDogQuote Reply
“There be dragons”
Damn! Dragons, now we’re talking.
Very good season finale, and I am already bitting my nails waiting for season 2, but until then I will read all the books, I am already 1/4 thru the first book (just went past the part where Bran is pushed from the tower)
I can’t wait to see what is going to happen beyond the Wall, as I like Jon’s story way more than everybody elses.
Rodrigo AraujoQuote Reply
Jayne,
fucking slow. Particularly Daenarys and Sansa chapters (however from what i’ve read on the reader boards those parts are some fans’ favorites). but soak in every one of those details. they all count.
Andrew son of EndrewQuote Reply
I hope all the TV-only folks consider picking up the first book and getting to pick up on all the extra wolves, 3 eyed crows, characters, subterfuge, and betrayal. The TV show was amazing and was a streamlined version of a very big story, but now I’m curious not only to how you all saw the show and experienced Westeros for the first time (was a long-term lurker in the new viewer recaps) but what your impressions are of the bigger story in the books.
In short, hope you enjoyed the ride and plan to stick around.
Rik TaylorQuote Reply
Jayne,
You have received some feedback, but I will relay my personal experience. I will not lie to you saying that the first book, Game of Thrones, is a bit tedious in the world building, but it has to be. You SHOULD NOT skip this book regardless of how tedious it is. There are so many things left out of the show that will make future encounters more vivid (Rhaegar is more than a mention below Winterfell). There are also a few changes in the book (one particular change is the interaction between Sansa and Sandor). The first 300 pages of Thrones is tedious…Clash of Kings and Storm of Swords will have you reading faster than you ever have before. These are VERY fast paced, and full of action. The problem is you read them so fast, you forget things. I am on my first re-read (some people are on their multiple re-read), and I am taking more time on this turn to stop and ponder things. Martin foreshadows all the time…if you don’t look up now and again, you will miss something. As always with non-readers, I will reiterate the fact that should be all the more apparent after watching the first season….be wary with who you align yourself…take the story for what it is…an expose on humanity. Very few characters are black and white in this series (a few are thrown in for good measure), but the beauty of this read is that this is not your typical fantasy series, and you cannot overlay the “good/evil” sentiment found in too much fantasy (sorry Tolkien, Martin just ripped apart your formula). All of you must, MUST read these books…they are the new fantasy standard.
I will add that as a re-reader, I now find myself wishing Martin would do a book on backstory. By the time you make it to Feast for Crows, you will be yearning for more historical information. That is the success of websites like Towerofthehand.com and others. The forum sections of those websites are filled with discussions of the meaning of things and the imagination of what happened in the past (BTW DO NOT READ THESE forums until you have read through Feast, they are full of spoilers).
hvacigarQuote Reply
Jayne,
It’s as easy as that: ASoIaF is one of the strongest and most mature fantasy series out there, if not the best one for most experienced readers.
I had only 2 such experiences and believe me, I read many s/f books (I guess 120 the last 5 years). There are just two series way ahead of others: ASoIaF and The Malazan Book of the Fallen.
The first is for everyone, maybe not kids, clearly, but every hyped fantasy story diminishes to minuscule almost pathetic tries. The second is the best effort out there but way harder to read and understand, with felt 500 main protagonists and personally my favourite and I won’t go into it because that is a totally different discussion.
Both are outstanding, in prose and quality and will be hard to match. For me personally, ASoIaF stands far above LotR, even though I grew up with Tolkien’s work and those works are not comparable.
Many other authors try to compete with GRRM/Erikson nowadays or be as good as they are, best example is maybe Patrick Rothfuss. If anyone has read Eragon he/she will never read it again after ASoIaF. Never never again. Thinking just one thing: crap!
The problem of fantasy is it’s reputation because of easy stories of heroes, of good and bad, of fairies, of magic with simple sticks and spells of whatever … you know what I mean. But here we have the real deal. A dangerous world. No good and evil, but grey shades. More like a godfather story, but with many godfathers and powerful families/houses.
Ok, we all have our favourites, guys who may act good in our eyes. Jon is that example. But even Jaime is not the character we think he is, you see that alone with his last sentences in this season. Even the best can die. See Ned Stark or Khal Drogo. The story is about the children growing into leader’s roles, the coming of age in a mean world where death lurks behind every corner, where intrigues are played that no one likes.
It is right that GRRM describes every banner, every knight, every sword, but if you watch the series you will see these details almost everywhere. And there is another problem: ASoIaF is not yet ready. Two more books have to be written, at least. And that can last 10 or more years according to the wait we have behind us for ADwD in July.
After reading ASoIaF for the first time (the 4 books), I really thought about the weak efforts I read earlier. Many books flew out of the window which I thought were good. I want to read more sophisticated stuff now, the level is high and everything will be compared to GRRMs work when in the years before all had to hold up to LotR which was simply impossible as the icon it has become.
Read it, and do not stop. It is as good as it sounds. And be delighted if sometimes some characters occur that you don’t like because then the ones you like shine even brighter and have there counterparts.
darkulQuote Reply
Regarding the pace of the books.
Don’t worry, they’re not bogged down by endless descriptions of walking, walking and more walking (ahemLOTRahem). The plot unfolds very quickly, with lots and lots of fantastic dialogue (especially Tyrion’s chapters).
The only time it seems to drag is during all the exposition. GRRM tells the backstory (Robert’s Rebellion, the Mad King’s reign, etc.) throughout the course of the novels. Each chapter adds a bit more to the backstory, and it’s always told through dialogue.
The first time I read the books, I skipped over a lot of this backstory. However as the plot became more and more complex, a lot of things kept happening in which I would be totally lost. This was because I skipped over so much of the exposition over the course of the books. Do yourself a favor and pay attention to everything that’s said, it’s all very important.
RheostatikQuote Reply
Jayne,
Ron E.,
Yes, the books can seem a little long winded sometimes. However, after I read them and went back to read again, I realized something. It’s not all just long windedness and unnecessary world building. If you pay attention, practially every little seemingly insignificant event in books has a major impact on the plot line as a whole. You may not notice it during your first or even your second read, but each page is riddled with little hints and pieces of the puzzle so it speak. If you like theorizing and trying to predict whats going on and where the story is going, all of the information is given to you in time and this is definitely a book series you want to read. And if you’d rather just sit back and enjoy the ride, it’s still an amazing story but there will be a spot or two where you’d be wanting to just skip the rest of the chapter.
SwordofthemorningQuote Reply
This is my first time seeing this site. I love the fact that it has a discussion for people who read the book and others, like me, who hadn’t.
But I have to say this is one of the best shows out today. I’m not a fantasy person, but I love this show. On Sundays, my wife and I love to jokingly tell each other, “Winter is Coming”.
This last episode had me to think. Will Joffrey even listen to his mother’s counsel? Or will his mother tell him the truth after she is p/o’d by him?
Who is the girl that’s shacking up with Tyrion? And I maybe going to far out but she didn’t get burned by the candle wax, was she a dragon?
What’s the banter between Baelish and the Unich? It seems as though they both admired each others espionage and diplomacy to politics. Will they join forces to gain the throne?
I know Renly knows about Joffrey’s lineage. Will he tell his brother so they join forces? And will Stannis, who we haven’t seen, try to quell the Stark Rebellion if he takes the throne?
And will Daenarys ride dragons and get the rest of the Dothraki to regain the throne for herself.
Even though I like the story of the wall and Jon Snow’s character, I am more intrigued by the battle to win the throne than anything.
Please don’t kill Tyrion!!!
HouseofTargaryenQuote Reply
Great adaptaion!
Loved the scene when Samwell rode right in to the branch and fell off the horse and then got Jon to go back with him and the others!
Dragons were awsome too!!
HamzahQuote Reply
I seriously cannot wait for season 2. Am buying the first book now, to hope kill some time for the wait for the next season. That ending, with Daenerys and the dragons was just way too epic. So many things going on at so many places all at the same instance. I love the fact how the story is not afraid of creating extreme turn of events and dramatic twists. A very successful season 1 indeed, and it’s just really hard for me to let go of this one thing that has been making Monday my favourite day of the week. gahhh.
To all the fans on here hello! Am new to the series and hope to gain more knowledge of the story by reading the first book soon! This site is awesome!
Juanda KosasihQuote Reply
First of all, thanks so much to everyone who has contributed to this blog! It has been truly invaluable to go over each episode and better understand all the action and the various storylines. I was somewhat skeptical of the series going into it, but from the moment Bran fell, I was completely and utterly hooked; now I’m 3/4 of the way through Book 1 and about ready to buy Book 2. My wife absolutely despises fantasy, never read or saw Lord of the Rings, and had no interest in watching this show…until I made her sit through that firs episode. We’ve been watching, together, every since. Bran’s fall, completely unexpected as it was, I believe was the real hook to getting people to follow this series to its Season 1 conclusion. To be able to look beyond the medieval, the mythical, and the magical, to see that the story is about relationships and families and politics, and that it has such resonance in present times…thanks HBO for bringing this to life! April 2012 would seem much further away if not for the 3000 pages or so I have to look forward to between now and then…
Jason UllnerQuote Reply
Whole week I was cursing how I will stop watching this show, and now I can’t wait for April 2012! That ending with dragons must be the best ending for a TV show I have ever saw – I guess book ends at that point too – ..what a brilliant brilliant cliffhanger. so many possibilities, so many questions, so many potential …I’m afraid I won’t be able to wait till Season 2 and read the whole damn series. I hope that won’t make me enjoy the show less, as I have witnessed some book readers are whining about almost anything.
EkleipsisQuote Reply
Travis and anyone else thinking about reading the books based on enjoyment of this show…..
I have read all 4 currently available and am on my 4th time to do so (their that good). However since you have not read the books yet I suggest you wait for a several reasons:
1) Shows always have to cut out of books to make it translatable for the screen which is fine and I keep the screen version vs book version separate but to avoid you having to make comparisons and potentially complain about them. Just watch the HBO series and enjoy it for what it is since your a newbie.
2) If you buy these books now you WILL be tempted to read on beyond the pace of the HBO series which will make watching the series without fresh eyes impossible. The stories are too good and you won’t be able to help it.
3) Books are so much better because of the depth and detail they go in for bringing you through this story. It would be better for you to enjoy the more thinned out version(HBO) because you don’t know any better and then after the series is over you should then read the books and get a whole new detailed and more enhanced perspective of the story and will enjoy it even more so then the show.
Just my 2 cents as I am very jealous you are seeing this story for the first time and I want to have you make the most of it.
Jeff
Jeff TQuote Reply
I think the same thing every time I read a post by a non-reader, or first-time reader. To be able to experience this story for the first time…amazing. I’d love to have that back.
DaveBQuote Reply
Briliant series! I’ve sat on the book for close on 14 years and only now want to read it to further widen my perception of this amazing world G.R.R.M has created on paper. I think the producers and cast and crew have done a fantastic job bringing this world to a visual realisation and look forward to more of the same next year.
Paul WatsonQuote Reply
Thanks to Winter is Coming for all the great coverage, and for making the site and discussions equally welcoming to readers and non-readers alike… Having separate recaps helps a great deal too!
I really, really enjoyed the series. From the first episode with its creepy introduction of the land beyond the Wall, to meeting the Starks, Tyrion, Dany, and everyone else… to that end to the first episode.. first time I’ve yelled at the TV in a long time.. “NO!” when I saw Bran fall… I was so worried we’d lost him already, but was happy to see this was not the case.. Martin is merciful afterall..
Then we see others go such as Jory, Robert (which wasn’t shocking, it was inevitable.. only thing shocking was how easily it happened), Viserys… and then by the end of the series I was shocked again to see Ned go, and again outraged, but then as I thought about it… it was brilliant and really exceptional storytelling.. and so effective at helping us to realize that you really will die if you lose in Westeros… There is no cavalry, there is no magical undo, there is no 11th hour summoning of strength and will.. even if you do what they want you to do.. you could get killed on a whim.
Powerful stuff.
I too, plan on reading the books. I want to thank all those readers who commented here because it helped me figure out what to read and when.. I’m going to stick with the show to give me surprises of the first experience, and then read the books as the seasons finish so I can delve deeper into the world… regardless I am very excited to continue with this series.
drivebyinsultQuote Reply
http://www.afterelton.com/sites/www.afterelton.com/files/2011/06/dragons061811.png
I like this screencap of Dany with one of her little ones.
WeirwoodQuote Reply
DRAGONS HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
That was my exact reaction. Amazing stuff.
Mick JQuote Reply
Mick J,
More like:
DRAGONS HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODOOOOOOOOR! :D
NorwegianDevilQuote Reply
NorwegianDevil,
I could do with not seeing white half-giant penis again.
Seriously though, I know a lot happened in the episode, but those damn dragons …. one of the best premiere season finale closing scenes I’ve ever seen. The only others that come to mind are Battlestar Galactica when Adama got shot and Lost when the camera zooms down the hatch.
Mick JQuote Reply
Yes, it sounds like an extremely innovative concept, doesn`t it? If only Homer didn`t do it already a few thousand years ago. ;-)
Sorry, I don`t mean to be a party pooper (being a crabby bitch is a part of my charm). I loved the dragons. They were unbelievably cute.
Also, Malazan Book of the Fallen is absolute trash when compared to Song of Ice and Fire books. One-dimensional cardboard characters, cheap dull meaningless action over and over and over again… I am amazed someone who appreciates the quality and depth of Ice and Fire can also like that crap.
Oedipa MaasQuote Reply
I hope they look at doing something with the long layoff between seasons once season 2 finishes up. It just seems like there is a huge potential to lose momentum when you have 9 months between new episodes.
It sounds like we are stuck with a 10 episode season 2, but I’m hoping the they will expand the number of episodes for season 3 and beyond.
MustangJeffQuote Reply
Have avoided posting on this thread since I have read the books but just want to let all of you know that I have enjoyed reading this thread more than all the others. To see your fresh perspective each week was so wonderful and since I feel the books are the best fantasy series going and by the way I read a lot of fantasy and a lot of books in general being a manager of a Barnes & Noble store, I was hoping for this type of reaction from non-readers.
Like some of the other readers stated I wish I could re-read the first book fresh again to experience the joy of it or watch the show unspoiled and fresh. However I loved the adaptation and have been waiting 16 years to see that final scene play out and was so astounded at how awesome it was.
Anyway so glad that all of you enjoyed it so much and I hope a few of you don’t read the the books so I can come back and watch your wonderful reactions to this astonishing series. However I totally understand if you want to dive into the books because they are really amazing.
Wish all of you the best in 2011 and will eagerly await reading your reactions to episode 1 of season 2. Thanks for your great posts!!!!!!!
Eric NiewohnerQuote Reply
Martin already has! He wrote 3 short stories that predate A Game of Thrones: The Hedge Knight, The Sworn Sword, and The Mystery Knight. Marvel has also made them into comics. The stories are about Dunk (Ser Duncan the Tall) and Egg (King Aegon V, aka Maester Aemon’s brother) when they were young, before Egg became king. Martin is currently working on a 4th story and I believe he plans to write about 10 total.
There’s tons of backstory in these so I really recommend them to everyone.
PeterQuote Reply
Oedipa Maas,
I couldn’t disagree more; Malazan and aSoIaF are both in my top 5.
GaRQuote Reply
I’d like to see the actual percentage of book readers to non book readers posting on this board….I think the book readers should have more faith in the producers of the show and the cleverness of the viewers… (and here I am posting on this page…)
KingthlayerQuote Reply
Oedipa Maas,
Ho-ho, crap is a bit of a very harsh word … wow, hurts me :)
On Malazan I don’t want to start a flame here so I just say a few small things to defend against the standard critics heard out there more than often.
The characters Erikson creates need there time to develope and they are never, as long as they are powerful, clearly unravelled. A Malazan trait seems to be that everyone is never showing his full potential unless he is forced to do so, and the reader can catch only hints of what hides in some players. Better hide in the masses than stick out, better use power when no one reckons with that small squad mage.
The reader is thrown into the midst of a time period (more periods to be correct), into the midst of the action, of a great betrayal, with all the special terms used for their magic, with many hints on elder species or persons, names are thrown around, and nothing really is other than chaos for the poor reader. Could be overwhelming, tiring maybe. That’s what makes the entry to Erikson so tough. Most readers give up before even finishing the first book, which is not bad, but seemingly chaotic for readers who never read Gene Wolfe’s Book of the New Sun for example.
The mysteries around many characters, their intentions, their motivations, their hidden plans, are hidden to the reader as well, as long as he is not reading every sentence with watchfulness.
Dany doesn’t burn her hands on the hot dragon eggs? That is a hint in GoT which has not the subtleness you will see in TMBotF. Much smaller hints, not so direct. But they are there, always.
It is a ride over a 10 book series (and yes, it’s finished) to find out what some of those players in the game are trying to achieve. To get a more complete fill about some players we get more books to read soon (at least two 3-part series and also Esslemont’s addtions which will be 6 books at least) because they are out of the main story arch now. But to be clear, every single tome has its own culmination of events, its own unique ending. Some things you will read about you have never heard of in any book. Many times you just sit there with jaw open that this all happens what you just read.
Not to know exactly what some gods or ascendants want is the main problem some readers have with it. They want to know. Plans in plans in plans in plans … wow … brainwashing, hm?
Even small soldiers have their story and their motivations have a reason. Sometimes you really care for them, sometimes you think why you have to know that at all, ok. Do you care for one of Robb’s 2000 dead soldiers he sacrificed (in the book we have even higher counts)? No. But Erikson puts the reader often in the midst of exactly those soldiers, their fears, their thoughts, how they came to be where they are now, thinking about desertion, their potentials, their families, their new names, there weapons, their chances to still live the next day. Is it necessary to know that? Yes, it is. To find out, why those Malazans, for example, do what they do. Why they are so successful or why they fail. Those characters are not just Roddenberry’s Enterprise-like-characters you can kill without impact on the storyline or they main characters. And still the rules are the same as in Martin’s story: everyone can be killed on the next page, and also death and death are two different things. Yes, sure, there are some minor players who you really don’t care for, but how else could it be with so many characters in the plot lines? Not everyone can be that important.
The action is never without purpose and the parties have a clear course, even if there are more than two enemies. The battle scenes are mostly great and have a feel of reality. You can always picture what happens. Even the magic which can kill 10000s in an instant feels like this is the reality, this is what we could see in todays wars also. Drop the bomb and see its consequences. Chaos is there if chaos is needed to show the usual battle blindness. You don’t see the forest when you’re between so many trees ;)
The “warren” magic is not just Harry Potter spellcasting with a stick in hand and some latin sounding words to speak. But to understand that system you have to read at least until book 4 or 5. And even then, the total concept of the warrens is not clear.
I guess, the only other book series I can compare to the great battle scenes of Erikson is “The Monarchies of God” by Paul Kearney.
If you would have read Malazan completely you would know why this is the most epic effort ever done on paper. If Martin would have read it, and he clearly hasn’t, and thankfully so, because it is time consuming and we need him to write not read, then he would say the same. Be sure of that. He would be a fan, too.
On hell of a ride. I just say Deadhouse Gates (which many think this is the best book in the series, I don’t) … the perfect example how endings should be like, how culminations of different storylines work. How tragic the dilemmas some characters are in. How epic the ending of the saviour (I don’t want to spoil, sorry). But I admit that for some readers that is all too complicated, too much hidden info or foreshadowing (1000 times more than GRRM does), too much at all … yes, 300000 years can be a long time. Take the tragic meeting of the two sisters (if you’ve read so far ;). Or … or … or … but I waste time.
This is the good old Martin fan vs. Erikson fan bash … but why is it possible to like both, hm? Because they managed to create something huge and in some way genious.
Those two series can’t be compared at all. They are just unique (GRRMs story is unique in the genre, Erikson is unique for more reasons). Both are great without doubt. And without any hate for the other. Fans of one tend to think there is just one superb writer, their author and so they just give the other no chance, not enough time. Strange is one thing, Erikson fans seem to be a bit more open minded and also like GRRM’s work. They never criticise his work, just his working ethics. Be that good or not, be that correct or not.
But on the other hand, Martin fans tend to war with Erikson fans because of character developement and “crap” as you said. That is just not true.
Martin is really a great author. I wish he could write more books because I also liked his unique vampire story, Fevre Dream, also unique among all those pathetic vampire teen shit books.
——————————
Now, enough of that. And no more Erikson-Martin bashing. That is just ridiculous.
We should be thankful for them both to give us those huge stories.
Back to the topic. I hope they can bring ASoIaF on screen completely.
Has anyone mentioned how much crap is on TV? How many bad scripts there are?
99.9999999% of today’s TV shows are just not worth the time.
Oh, and cinema …. reboot, remake, sequel here, prequel there. Why don’t they just use the great books out there. There are still new ideas for generations to come.
HBO has managed to show that there are other possibilities. See Deadwood, see GoT, see The Sopranos, see Breaking Bad (is that HBO?) … at the moment I think these series are the future of TV, for the more sophisticated watcher.
darkulQuote Reply
Just a little notification about the Tolkien / Martin comparisons – All of Martin’s backstory is in the text of the story – Tolkien had endless notes and appendices of which his son put together to give you an overall history of Middle-earth. Martin keeps the story within the novels. So you can speculate all you want but all the clues are there. Tolkien fans however have had to sift through extraeneous stuff to piece together the history (which is a lot of fun) but Martin has written down everything (so far). Whilst Martin is heavily influenced by Tolkien and others he is definitely his own man and storytelling wise he is definitely up there with them.
The Red AvengerQuote Reply
Jason Ullner,
I agree… thank you everyone for your great feedback, posts and observations. I am going to miss reading through all your thoughts throughout the week.
We Do Not SowQuote Reply
Red,
Don’t forget that Ned sent a letter to Stannis Baratheon about the children not being Robert’s.
Emily Little BrunoQuote Reply
Since there are some foreshadowing going on, I’m really worried Rob and Cat aren’t going to survive either. Remember that talk between Bran and his youngest brother where Bran was like “Don’t worry, mom and our brother Rob will get dad and then they”ll all come back”. And then his brother was like: “No, they won’t!” with his deadpan face.
SergeyQuote Reply
darkul,
I agree 100%
After first reading ASOIAF and TBOTF I had similar feelings both times – total surprise and amazement. “How on Earth can there even BE such a book? Such a story? How is the author HANDLIG all this?! OMFG!!! Fantastic!”
Weeks were filled with that kind of happy squee playing in my head.
Both of them are great, really. Erikson and Martin, both.
(Damn, you made me think about Coltaine again. Thinking about Coltaine still hurts!)
Muru MunaQuote Reply
Hello to all..
I’m a newbie reader, that just hooked up with this page couple of weeks ago…
I’m from Costa Rica, Central America and have been watching GoT in HBO Latin America, so I got the episodes 2 weeeks after all of you.
Still reading the WdnS and comments on episode 2 recap, want to read all comments.. I hope I finish reading all the recaps before season 2 starts! Lots of catching up still…
Me and my wife are totally hooked up with the series, missed a lot of things between closed caption trasnlation and getting kids ready for bed, but we both loved the series
LatAmQuote Reply
I seriously think you should change your adress to http://www.winter-is-coming.ned as a tribute to a great character.
JPQuote Reply
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