Game of Thrones-Observations

[Super Bee]

Al Swearegen added to cast of Game of Thrones. Perfect, I love Ian McShane.


Game of Thrones: Ian McShane Cast in Season 6 | Variety

 

[ArcadiaGP]

Al Swearegen added to cast of Game of Thrones. Perfect, I love Ian McShane.


Game of Thrones: Ian McShane Cast in Season 6 | Variety

I wonder if we'll get to hear the phrase "**********" uttered in GOT now.

 

[Super Bee]

And Kit Harrington confirms he is back. Most do not consider this as a surprise as Kit has been seen filming for a couple months now.


Kit Harington slips up, Gwendoline Christie teases a season 6 fight, and more | Watchers on the Wall | A Game of Thrones Community for Breaking News, Casting, and Commentary


"Let’s just say that Game of Thrones will remain a part of my life for a while, I’ll probably be in my thirties when it’s over."

 

[chipbennett]

Trying like mad to finish the first five books before Season 6 airs. The one benefit of traveling for work is lots of airport/airplane time for reading. I started A Feast for Crows over this past weekend. I'm slowly seeing where more and more of the various plot points diverge between books and HBO series - though there hasn't been much major/meaningful divergence yet (at least as far as I can tell).

Happy to hear the "spoiler" from Kit Harrington - though, I don't necessarily infer from it quite as much as the gossip site seems to imply.

 

[Libertarian01]

Trying like mad to finish the first five books before Season 6 airs. The one benefit of traveling for work is lots of airport/airplane time for reading. I started A Feast for Crows over this past weekend. I'm slowly seeing where more and more of the various plot points diverge between books and HBO series - though there hasn't been much major/meaningful divergence yet (at least as far as I can tell).

Happy to hear the "spoiler" from Kit Harrington - though, I don't necessarily infer from it quite as much as the gossip site seems to imply.

One of my largest gripes today is with what we consider a "season" of a show! Today a "season" is like 12 - 14 episodes, which is only slightly more than half of a season not that long ago. Star Trek had 29 episodes in Season 1 (1966 - 67), Star Trek, the Next Generation had 26 episodes in Season 1(1987 - 88), Star Trek, Deep Space 9 had 20 episodes in Season 1(1993) but increased to 26 episodes in Season 2 (1993 - 94), Star Trek, Voyager had 16 episodes in Season 1(1995) but also increased to 26 in Season 2(1995 - 96). So on average one of the TV series with the greatest utilization of special effects for its day averaged 22.75 episodes over their entire first season and IF we count the second season for DS9 and Voyager that number increases to 23.83 episodes per season.

My point is that we have lowered our standards as viewers for being cheated on what a series means. How this relates to GOT is that the story is SO DAMN HUGE there are parts that would still have to be cut, but far less than would be needed IF the season were in keeping with what a viewing season used to be. Martin has so many characters, both major and minor that it probably could never be helped that actions, plots and characters would need to be combined, consolidated and erased due to time issues. But the divergence would have been far less necessary if we got back to what a viewing season was! I remember the lecture Jon Snow got from the weaponsmith about his upbringing versus those he was serving with. That interaction was kept but replaced by Tyrion Lannister instead. I get that. If you throw in one (1) blacksmith scene and have him talk down to Snow you would need to keep him in, whereas the producers took that power and transferred it to Tyrion. What was said isn't out of character at all for Tyrion. He is very smart and wise in many ways, but it was still removed from the blacksmith which is a shame.

All that said I still ABSOLUTELY LOVE how they ended the last season! With Tyrion and Varis running things backed up by Grey Worm and Missandei that city will be running far better than Daenerys would ever do! I wouldn't be surprised to see her return to the city and have most of the heads of the Sons of the Harpy either mounted on pikes or fighting in the pits they wanted to keep alive. My man Tyrion is exactly where he should be!

My other favorite has yet to return to Westros. I cannot wait for dear little Arya to come home and do some housecleaning all her own! Those will be some wonderful kills.

Regards,

Doug

 

[Super Bee]

New Game of Thrones trailer and. . . new poster with Jon Snow. Excellent.


Game of Thrones Season Six Trailer: Jon Snow Isn't Dead

 

[Super Bee]

Season six tonight on HBO. I am thrilled the new season is finally here.

 

[lester]

Technically he's not wrong though. He's definitely dead.

Doesn't mean he has to stay dead.

So far, still dead. And I'm not happy about it. Kill the boy and let the man live!

 

[Expat]

I may record all of them then watch it this year.

 

[GodFearinGunTotin]

Only time I watch them is when HBO has a free weekend. I've got 11 of them on the DVR now from this past weekend so maybe I can catch up with most of last season (not sure how many episodes are in a season).

 

[chipbennett]

First observation: major snafu with HBO Now, which had "technical difficulties" right when Episode 1 was to air (9PM Eastern).

Second observation: Season Six, Episode 1 sucked. It was more of a Season 5 Epilogue, or a Season 6 Prologue: all exposition, zero plot advancement.

 

[singlesix]

It was kind of a yawner, wasn't it?

 

[Kutnupe14]

First observation: major snafu with HBO Now, which had "technical difficulties" right when Episode 1 was to air (9PM Eastern).

Second observation: Season Six, Episode 1 sucked. It was more of a Season 5 Epilogue, or a Season 6 Prologue: all exposition, zero plot advancement.

Idk, it seems like a good place to start out. We now know that Dany will be headed place where the Khal's widows go. Sansa has been rescued, and assumed to be turned over to a prominent northern family (Umbers would be my guess). Tyrion and Baldie are going to be running things, and Cersi is about to go loco over Marsela's death.

 

[chipbennett]

Idk, it seems like a good place to start out. We now know that Dany will be headed place where the Khal's widows go. Sansa has been rescued, and assumed to be turned over to a prominent northern family (Umbers would be my guess). Tyrion and Baldie are going to be running things, and Cersi is about to go loco over Marsela's death.

The only real revelation/plot movement there is Brienne finding/rescuing Sansa. Once the Khalasar captured Danaerys at the end of Season 5, it was a given (though admittedly only through book canon, not series canon) that she would be taken to the Dosh Khaleen.

Other than those: Tyrion and Varys were already left in charge of Mereen at the end of Season 5, and Cersi's reaction to the death of Myrcella is hardly a surprise. We see Margery still in the Sparrow prison, the Sand Snakes carry out a coup in Dorne by killing Doran (RIP Areo Hotah) and Tristane, Arya doing her no-name blind girl routine, John Snow's faithful claiming his body, and an expected reaction to the Lord Commander's assassination among the rest of the Watch. We find out that Melisandre is very, very old, and is using Red Witch magic to hid her age (in an admittedly nice homage to a significant part of the books that was omitted from the series).

But, apart from Brienne rescuing Sansa, and possibly the Sand Snake coup in Dorne, none of that moved any of the plot forward, at all.

I'm sure the season will be fantastic, but after a year of waiting for new material, this was a very disappointing episode.

 

[Super Bee]

Well, that was ******* great, what an episode.

 

[chipbennett]

Well, that was ******* great, what an episode.

QFT. Had a little problem with storms and hail, that delayed watching. I'm really glad I avoided the spoliers. Bran. Lyanna. Willis. Euron and Aeron Greyjoy. And, oh yeah: that other thing.

Now, how am I supposed to get to sleep?

 

[Woobie]

I waited all last season to see what happened to Bran. Glad to see that story has been picked back up.

 

[JTScribe]

Aww yiss.

 

[ArcadiaGP]

I waited all last season to see what happened to Bran. Glad to see that story has been picked back up.

He hit puberty. Real hard.

Sort of funny seeing him grow faster than anyone else in the show. Going to be awkward for Hodor to carry him around anymore.

 

[JTScribe]

He hit puberty. Real hard.

Sort of funny seeing him grow faster than anyone else in the show. Going to be awkward for Hodor to carry him around anymore.

Speaking of . . . it was a little heartbreaking seeing Hodor able to speak. I wonder if he'll be at the Tower of Light and get injured.