Ros's callback to the infamous first season prostitute audition sexposition scene was obviously D&D having a little fun with the audience.
Game of Thrones 2.1 - "The North Remembers" - Rate and discuss
- Thread starter Out Of My Vulcan Mind
- Start date
The wife and I laughed, wondering how many people who hadn't just rewatched season 1 last week in preparation would have got that...
No, it's still Cersei, I think - they didn't say Joffrey did it, just someone who doesn't care what Littlefinger thinks, and this is right after Cersei demonstrates to Littlefinger that she doesn't care what he thinks...
Exactly - and his voice is a bit lightweight.
I'm trying to think of who I'd cast now, but unfortunately the one who springs to mind has been dead for 20 years or so...
This is answered more definitively in 2.02.
Yeah, I just watched 2x02 online. Will Europe be getting each episode of the season a week early, or is this a 1-time thing?
I actually thought Cunningham's portrayal of Stannis to be quite lovely. Stannis never came across as a seething character in the books, just an overly pragmatic, unimaginative and dull one. It is his by right and he will have it. And given the fact that they are playing up Renly's pomp and circumstance it is a nice counterbalance to have a character who has no interest whatsoever in frivolties or florid language.
I even like the fact that the only Baratheon motiffe he wears is a little set of Antler clasps on his tunic, unlike Renly's "maginificent crown" as seen in the S2 trailers.
I like that he is in fact, unlovable. He's dull, even measured (in voice and stance) a man without life or vigour. A fun reversal of Renlys' flourishes and Roberts' boorishness.
Melisandre was interesting, just not quite as serpentine and machievellian as I read. But maybe that's a good thing too. No need for a second mustache twirler in this show (*cough*Littlefinger*cough*). I always had Polly Walker in my head when I read her, but at least the actress who has been cast can look dangerous.
Overall, a pretty solid first episode, about on par with the Pilot last year, and like that episode unfortunately encumbered with having to kickstart 10 plots at once. I think it did it admirably, with quite a few very clever transitions between stories and, given the scope of this episode, felt bigger than almost anything that has come before (Look, real daylight! Look, a real sea!) I believe we are in for a treat for the remaining 9 episodes as the story builds and then explodes.
Hugo - rates this Four Joffrey-Slaps out of Five
I even like the fact that the only Baratheon motiffe he wears is a little set of Antler clasps on his tunic, unlike Renly's "maginificent crown" as seen in the S2 trailers.
I like that he is in fact, unlovable. He's dull, even measured (in voice and stance) a man without life or vigour. A fun reversal of Renlys' flourishes and Roberts' boorishness.
Melisandre was interesting, just not quite as serpentine and machievellian as I read. But maybe that's a good thing too. No need for a second mustache twirler in this show (*cough*Littlefinger*cough*). I always had Polly Walker in my head when I read her, but at least the actress who has been cast can look dangerous.
Overall, a pretty solid first episode, about on par with the Pilot last year, and like that episode unfortunately encumbered with having to kickstart 10 plots at once. I think it did it admirably, with quite a few very clever transitions between stories and, given the scope of this episode, felt bigger than almost anything that has come before (Look, real daylight! Look, a real sea!) I believe we are in for a treat for the remaining 9 episodes as the story builds and then explodes.
Hugo - rates this Four Joffrey-Slaps out of Five
I'm assuming that'll be in the scene with Tyrion and Janos, then Tyrion and Varys (which we know they've done, since half the dialogue from it was in the trailers)
I remember when being "smart" was defined in terms of intelligence rather than outcomes.
hopefully it is a one time thing
Cunningham was davos, Dillane is Stannis.
I watched season one over the weekend and launched myself into season two.
I don’t think that Cersei was/is smarter than Ned per se. Rather she, having spent most of her life at court, knew that Ned’s morals would leave him high and dry. Ned was not stupid just principled. (His banishment of Jorah shows that he held to his unwavering sense of what was right and just at all times.) *I have not read the books. Therefore, I am totally going off what I see on screen.
Cersei does not strike me as particularly bright for several reasons. One, why is she letting that little bastard run around wearing a livery emblazoned with a lion? The rumors are already flying. She might as well have the words “Uncle Jamie’s bastard” tattooed on the sniveling little twit’s forehead.
Also, why make an enemy out of Little Finger when it was not necessary? What she did was reckless and stupid. Her family is already fighting off the Starks and the two real Baratheons. Why tick off a man that seems content to let you rule?
I just love Robb on all levels. He seems to have his father scruples but realizes that Ned’s goodness got him killed. His confrontation with Jamie was riveting. You have to give Jamie credit for bravado, but Rob strikes me as the type that would gladly mail Jamie back to Cersei in little bitty pieces if provoked.
Tyrion continues to amuse me to no end. I loved his little convo with his sister. I cannot wait to see what that little man has up his sleeve.
Sansa annoyed me as a limp little dishrag last season. (I did love it when she quipped to Joffre that Robb may give her Joffre’s head on a spike.) However, baby girl seems to be learning how to play the game. The family’s biggest liability is turning things around. (Being young and female though is not in her favor. I worry that too many men are noticing her.)
I love Sam.
I was underwhelmed by Stannis and his witch (?). Neither one of them impressed me and I was quite frankly bored by them. (I did like Stannis' second in command.)
I love the Joffrey slapping meter. I gave the ep an average. So I guess that equates into 2.5 out of 5 Joffrey slaps for this ep.
I don’t think that Cersei was/is smarter than Ned per se. Rather she, having spent most of her life at court, knew that Ned’s morals would leave him high and dry. Ned was not stupid just principled. (His banishment of Jorah shows that he held to his unwavering sense of what was right and just at all times.) *I have not read the books. Therefore, I am totally going off what I see on screen.
Cersei does not strike me as particularly bright for several reasons. One, why is she letting that little bastard run around wearing a livery emblazoned with a lion? The rumors are already flying. She might as well have the words “Uncle Jamie’s bastard” tattooed on the sniveling little twit’s forehead.
Also, why make an enemy out of Little Finger when it was not necessary? What she did was reckless and stupid. Her family is already fighting off the Starks and the two real Baratheons. Why tick off a man that seems content to let you rule?
I just love Robb on all levels. He seems to have his father scruples but realizes that Ned’s goodness got him killed. His confrontation with Jamie was riveting. You have to give Jamie credit for bravado, but Rob strikes me as the type that would gladly mail Jamie back to Cersei in little bitty pieces if provoked.
Tyrion continues to amuse me to no end. I loved his little convo with his sister. I cannot wait to see what that little man has up his sleeve.
Sansa annoyed me as a limp little dishrag last season. (I did love it when she quipped to Joffre that Robb may give her Joffre’s head on a spike.) However, baby girl seems to be learning how to play the game. The family’s biggest liability is turning things around. (Being young and female though is not in her favor. I worry that too many men are noticing her.)
I love Sam.
I was underwhelmed by Stannis and his witch (?). Neither one of them impressed me and I was quite frankly bored by them. (I did like Stannis' second in command.)
I love the Joffrey slapping meter. I gave the ep an average. So I guess that equates into 2.5 out of 5 Joffrey slaps for this ep.
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I love the Joffrey slapping meter. I gave the ep an average. So I guess that equates into 2.5 out of 5 Joffrey slaps for this ep.
50% is average? :P
Pull out the calculator. Math was never my strong suit. 
And the focus on the servant boy at the end of the scene, presumably one of Varys's "little birds" who will report back to him, brought things back to "knowledge is power", but with the additional kicker that knowledge is more powerful when it's discretely and subtly employed.
Edit to add: the ratings are in. The initial airing drew 3.858 million viewers. That's a new series high (the previous series high was the first season finale with 3.041 million viewers). The next two repeats of the second season premiere drew 1.5 million and 0.9 million viewers respectively, bringing the episode to just under 6.3 million viewers so far. Further repeats and HBO Go should boost it over the 10 million mark.
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Ratings are in and we have a winner:
Gif of Ghost from the 2nd episode:
How well they would handle CGI direwolves was one of the big questions for the second season. CGI wolves are very difficult to get right, even more so for a TV show that, while having a very big budget by TV standards, doesn't come close to the resources of a big budget movie. I think they've done a good job so far in that respect. I've seen some people express disappointment at the CGI direwolves, but I think they look good - not perfect, but good - and are probably the best that could be hoped for at this budget level.
It looked to me like at least some of the shots - like that one above - are of a real dog scaled up by CG...
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