A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones Spoiler-Filled Discussion
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I saw Two Swords on the big screen last night and IMHO its possibly the strongest season opener yet. Don't have time to write a full review now but would anyone be interested in a spoiler-ish review if I did one?
No one has to be in charge of Westeros as a whole, it could be divided into seperate kingdoms again and that's how I think the series will end. Someone will sit on the iron throne but it will have lost most of its meaning, the new king/queen on the iron throne will probably just rule one of several kingdoms.
The stuff that was omitted from season one and two didn't really bother me but season three left out a lot of real character moments from Storm of Swords. Even though it only dealt with the first half of the book it seemed to cut out a lot of really great action and plot.
I believe that Seasons five, six, and some of seven will still be working on material from ADWD. The Winds of Winter will be released shortly, which will cover seasons seven and eight. That leaves the final novel for seasons nine and ten.
They've consistently said that the show will run for no more than eight seasons, and now they're saying they're aiming for seven seasons. Season five will most likely finish off Dance and get into at least some of Winds.
Unless Martin has worked far beyond what he has consistently said, this will not be the case. There are at least ten seasons for this show.
Martin has told them in broad strokes what he plans for all of the storylines through to the end. The show will end before the book series does. That's now clear. The producers have specifically ruled out running the show for ten seasons. They've also ruled out suspending production to allow Martin time to catch up.
Where is the link to this?
There have been any number of interviews with the producers over the years where they've addressed these topics. Their most recent interviews in the run-up to season four's premiere are where they've spoken about their goal now being a seven-season show. It's been a major topic of conversation on fan sites for weeks now, and it was discussed earlier in this thread. Just Google "Game of Thrones seven seasons" and you'll find plenty on it.
You also don't need links so much as recognizing this is real life and in real life a show doesn't suspend production for a couple years while books are written. They wouldn't be able to hold onto the actors that long. Seven or eight seasons sounds about right. Martin's just speaking nonsense, whether he realizes it's nonsense or not.
Well, thanks for the non links but if you go to Rolling Stone there are several articles where the producers talk about waiting for Martins books to be released and even Martin giving them information about upcoming plots in case he dies. So I am calling bulls##t on your fan sites until I get credible information otherwise.
Will this link satisfy you? It's Entertainment Weekly, two weeks ago (March 11th), and it quotes Benioff, Weiss, and HBO programming chief Michael Lombardo.
The intention of the network and the producers is seven, maybe eight, seasons, whether or not Martin finishes the book series by that time.
My apologies. This is quite different than what I read only last summer. Even the article linked to in the one you posted says that the producers aren't even going to worry about the possibility of catching up to the books for another two or three seasons.
I said there had been a lot of discussion on fan sites about the interviews with the producers, not that fan sites were the only source of information. If you had carried out the Google search I recommended a lot of links with information about those recent interviews with the producers would have come up.
The article linked to is from June 2013 after the third season had ended. Two seasons from that point is season five.
The title for the seventh episode has been revealed: "Mockingbird".
And here's a new gallery of pictures from season four.
And here's a new gallery of pictures from season four.
It must have been nifty seeing it on the big screen. I'd be interested in your review if you have the time to write it up. How did everything, especially the SFX, hold up on the big screen?
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I thought it was fantastic.
Just like Arya killed the Tickler in the way he killed others (Is there gold in the village???) she killed Raff in the same way he killed Lommy way back in CoK - "You'll have to carry me!"
Martin recently mentioned on his blog that the original version of the Mercy chapter is very old indeed: it was written about thirteen years ago, when the five-year gap was still in place, and was intended as her first chapter in that version of A Dance with Dragons. I'd kind of suspected as much: Mercy's plan would be more natural for a slightly older girl, and The Bloody Hand seems to have been written pretty darn quickly in this version. But quibbles aside, I like the chapter too.
I don't think this has been posted yet (apologies if it has been):
[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=L2p9dRl0yYo&list=PLdyYtz46Nolb1ovYhSOnbIYFktNHfZUkR[/yt]
[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=L2p9dRl0yYo&list=PLdyYtz46Nolb1ovYhSOnbIYFktNHfZUkR[/yt]
It held up really well. I did wonder about that myself before going in, particularly as it was being shown on the biggest screen in that cinema, but nothing to worry about. The scenery obviously looked fantastic and there was a great money shot of Dany's legions stretching into the horizon but even the dragons lost nothing by being enlarged.
For the most part, it's a talky episode with only one action type scene near the start and a very violent fight at the end. One nude scene. Talkiness is good though as there is a fair bit of character interaction, in particular between the various Lannisters. The Red Viper makes a strong immediate impact. There are more references to season 1 and Robert's rebellion than we've had for a while.
Okay, in over a decade on these BBS, I can never master the spoiler code, especially now I'm on an iPad, so I'm going to write a fairly spoiler-ish review, apologies in advance. Best thing if you want to avoid is just to skip ahead now.
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The show opens with Tywin Lannister having Ice, Ned's sword, melted down, and made into two new swords. Another kick in the teeth for us Stark fans after the Red Wedding. The final shot before the credits is of him looking rather pleased with the outcome. The Rains of Castamere plays over the scene.
After the credits, There's a scene with him then presenting Jamie with one of the swords. Jamie says the family has always wanted a sword of valyrian steel and Tywin says that they now have 2. The last sword was of a ridiculous size, he adds, and in answer to Jamie, he says that it came from someone who no longer has need of it. Tywin watches Jamie awkwardly try to sheathe the sword with his left arm and tells him a good swordsman should be able to fight with both arms. Jamie jokes that at least now it will be an even match.
In dialogue fairly close to the book, as I recall, Tywin tells Jamie to go to Casterly Rock as The Lord of CR 'as I shall never look on it again' but jamie refuses. They argue about Jamie remaining in the Kings Guard and Tywin tells him to go and be a glorified bodyguard if he wants.
Tyrion, Pod and Bronn are waiting for the Dorne contingent arriving for the wedding. The scene with Pod identifying banner markings is included as is some dialogue about the bad blood between Lannisters and Martells. Bronn remarks that this must by why they sent Tyrion to greet them, as he's expendable. The Dornish party arrive and tell them that Oberon is attending in place of his brother, owing to the latter's ill health. I'm not doing justice to this scene which is very funny, between the Dornish arrogance, Tyrion's discomfiture and Bronn's amusement. We establish that the RV has ridden ahead. Tyrion observes that it should be easy enough to find out where a man notorious for fighting and fucking has gone.
Sure enough, we see him and his lover in a brothel picking their choices, while Martell also tells the male brothel manager that he wants him to join in to. He then hears someone singing the Rains of Castamere and breaks off his conquest to go find who is doing it. Cue a foolish Lannister swordsman mouthing off to Oberon and immediately regretting it, before Tyrion and Bronn arrive.
Oberyn asks Bronn "who are you, his hired killer?" Bronn says 'started off like that, now I'm a knight.' 'How did that happen?' Demands Martell. "Must've killed the right people" is the answer.
Tyrion and Oberyn talk and Tyrion tries to find common ground in that they are both younger brothers. Martell discusses the murder of his sister and her babies by the Mountain and makes it clear that he blames Tywin. He reminds Tyrion that Lannisters are not the only ones who pay their debts.
Shae tries to seduce Tyrion but he's not having it. One of Cersei's spies sees Shae and appears to note her significance to Tyrion.
Jamie is having his golden hand fitted by Qyburn. This departs from the book, as I recall, in that the hand is a present here from Cersei and Jamie is unimpressed by it. After Qyburn leaves (Jamie waves amusingly with his new hand) and Cersei talk and he tells her he wants to remain in the kings guard to be with her. However, she says that she has to marry a famous pillow biter (this got a good laugh from a politically incorrect Belfast audience) and says that everything has changed since he left her. Cersei is holding a glass of wine and this scene, to me, shows D&D's weakness as writers; even in desperate housewives, they used to let us see Bree drinking and drinking for quite a few episodes before another character remarked on it. Here, Jamie comments on her drinking - it has to be signposted and they don't seem to have confidence in the audience to work it out. She storms out.
Jamie is making the security arrangements for the wedding with Joffrey and Meryn Blount and Joffrey is as annoying and arrogant as ever, commenting on Jamie's absence during the war and boasting of his having broken Stannis. He also queries the ability of a one armed man to protect him.
Away from King's Landing, Dany is playing with Drogon when the other dragons arrive with a sheep carcass. Drogon takes it from them and Dany laughs but as she pets him, Drogon snaps at her. Jorah, who has been watching, warns her that nobody can tame a dragon, not even their mother.
Dany wants to know where Daario and Grey Worm are and finds them in an endurance contest to impress her. She puts this to and end with threats. The new Daario is very different from the last actor, IMHO, but the character is still trying to impress Dany. Dany sees the bots of a child crucified with arm outstretched and we are told that there are other bodies at one mile intervals. Ser Barristsn wants to take them down but Dany says she will look each one in the face. We get a great money shot of her legions marching.
Next we see Ygritte and Thormond waiting for the Thenns and Giantsbane admits to hating them. There is some talk of Jon. The Athens arrive suddenly and there is a tense stand off; Ygritte draws her bow on the Magnar. The thenns are all bald and have ornate scarring on their faces (reminiscent of Michael Westmore aliens!). One of them tells the other wildlings that they will get a taste for crow and the scene ends with a shot of a human arm on a spit!
Jon is dressing in castle black and reflecting on the last time he saw Robb, saying that he always envied Robb, who was better at everything, yet he couldn't dislike him. Sam points out that the same is true of their relationship.
Jon is then interrogated by Alliser Thorne, Maester Aemon and Janos Slynt about the death of Quorin Halfhand. Thorne and Slynt want to execute him for treason but Aemon believes him. Jon stands up to the other two and is unafraid to give them some cheek. Aemon remarks that he is able to know when people are lying to him as a result of having grown up in kings landing.
Tyrion tries to console a distraught Sansa but to no avail. He first has to get a reluctant Shae offside. She tells him she goes to the godswood not to pray but so she can be alone.
Margery and her grandmother are making wedding preparations when Briene arrives; the queen of thorns' reaction to her is very funny. Briene explains how Renly died.
Briene next is seen reminding Jamie of his vow to Catelyn. Jamie here is slower to keep his vows than in the book as I recall but the banter between Brienne and him is as funny as ever. They watch Sansa and we cut to her POV and she is then followed through the godswood. It turns out to be Ser Donson, who promises to help her.
The final scene is with the Hound and Arya and they kept the best for last. The dialogue is not for the easily offended and the Hound's description of people who name their swords brought the house down. Arya recognises Polliver at an inn and they go in. Polliver and co are molesting a barmaid. The following scene between the group is both tense and hilarious at the same time and Rory McCann is brilliant. Inevitably, it leads to bloodshed in a very brutal scene. You even fear for the Hound. Arya kills Polliver but not before she reminds him of how he killed Lommy. She kills him in the same way and retrieves Needle.
The final scene has Arya and Clegane riding away. Arya now has Needle back. Perhaps this was the second sword of the title all along. There is a sense that maybe the Starks are coming back.
Okay, hope that was okay, sorry for the spelling, iPad predictive text and Westeros names do not a good match make. Enjoy! Got to dash to the gym now!
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