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Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things"

Grading

  • Excellent

    Votes: 15 55.6%
  • Above average

    Votes: 10 37.0%
  • Average

    Votes: 2 7.4%
  • Below average

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Poor

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    27
Re: Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Thing

Whew, thanks for keeping those spoilers light. They beckon, but I still don't wanna find out too much. :D
 
Re: Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Thing

Actually you're not 40% into the story though... You're 40%(or so) into book 1 of a planned (at the time trilogy I believe) so the way a lot of writers handle a trilogy (or planned series) is to introduce a lot of plot and elements into the first book and then usually have some event(s) happen at the end to really ratchet up their plans and make the reader want to continue on with the further books in the series.
 
Re: Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Thing

A lot of people just need more Ritalin in their lives. It's as simple as that.

I, personally, am enjoying the relatively slow build-up events and appreciate learning more and more about the backstory. Makes me care about the characters and where they're going. Random swordplay with blood spewing all over the place gets boring after about five minutes.
 
Re: Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Thing

And I don't mind slower moving shows, but shows that spend 40 minutes of people telling stories of events that happened long ago and far away and it not having very much to do with the present moment... I lose interest.
All those stories have a lot to do with the present events because they establish who is who and why do people love/hate each other.
It is important to know that there were real dragons just a 100 or so years before the main events of the series and that no one could hatch any more.
The short exchange between Tyrion and Theon Greyjoy at the beginning of the episode tells us who Theon is and what's he doing in Stark household. He may not be the most important character right now, but he will become one of the main characters later.
In the books, it was Sandor (the burnt guy) who told his story to Sansa and that establishes a creepy sort of a relationship between the two, but looks like it will be gone from the series. Anyway, looks like they want to develop the "Littlefinger is a creep who likes Sansa because she looks like her mother" angle more.

I guess at the moment, I'm not sure how they impact the present events and they way the story moments were done, things dramatically stopped, we listened to the story and then got back to the plot of the episode.

One or two is fine, but it felt like in EVERY scene we stopped to hear a story. It got repetitive.



Actually you're not 40% into the story though... You're 40%(or so) into book 1 of a planned (at the time trilogy I believe) so the way a lot of writers handle a trilogy (or planned series) is to introduce a lot of plot and elements into the first book and then usually have some event(s) happen at the end to really ratchet up their plans and make the reader want to continue on with the further books in the series.

I'm assuming, however, that Book 1 more or less tells a complete story, with story strands left over for the next book. That there is an arc the completes somewhat.

A lot of people just need more Ritalin in their lives. It's as simple as that.

I, personally, am enjoying the relatively slow build-up events and appreciate learning more and more about the backstory. Makes me care about the characters and where they're going. Random swordplay with blood spewing all over the place gets boring after about five minutes.

It's not about pace or swordplay. I didn't say that. It's about conflict and drama, and using those stories to push a story FORWARD rather than as EXPOSITION.

So, no, it isn't as simple as that. I'm GLAD that you're enjoying it. I'm explaining WHY I'm not as engaged. It has NOTHING to do with my wanting swordfights or more sex scenes.

For example, I'm interested in Sean Bean's search for what happened to the previous hand. That was great. I'm interested in what's on the other side of the wall. I'm interested in Peter Dinklage's character. But, I'm interested in seeing them in ACTION--now, I understand, maybe that's a confusing word, I don't mean it in the sense of swordfighting or fucking, I mean in the sense of PURSUING something, a goal, a desire.

Stories being told in the PURSUIT of something, interesting.
Stories being told as exposition, not very engaging.
 
Re: Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Thing

I'm assuming, however, that Book 1 more or less tells a complete story, with story strands left over for the next book. That there is an arc the completes somewhat.
The first book isn't a complete story, at least not for all the characters. For some of the characters the story just stops at some more or less random point and then continues in the next book and for others it ends with a cliffhanger. The rest of the books are like that too. Basically, all the books that are out so far are just one big story. That's why it is easy for the writers to bring some stuff from the next books to the first season.

In other news, the ratings are up again.
 
Re: Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Thing

A very enjoyable episode, but not quite as good as the preceding ones, so I voted "above average". The scenes at the Wall were the best part and Sam's introduction was handled superbly. It was also good to see Dany stand up for herself and the three-eyed crow in Bran's dream was very well-realized. Aidan Gillen was better as Littlefinger this week than last and the little intoduction of Hodor was neatly done. On the negative side much of the exposition of the history of Westeros was a bit clunky, although I did appreciate a bit of Roxanne McGee nudity to serve as a distraction through some of it. :)

The ratings did indeed go up again, and this time they went up in both the US and the UK. The initial airing on HBO went up to 2.5 million viewers (from 2.4 million the week before) and the initial airing on Sky Atlantic went up to 628,000 viewers, an increase of 23% from the week before.
 
Re: Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Thing

I think the season 2 premiere will show whether the show has legs or not. I think HBO is planning for it to be around the same as S1 so April 2012. That means roughly around 8 months? or so of people watching on DVD/On Demand/whatever and interest building after some very interesting events to end book 1/season 1 on.

Sorta similar to how True Blood took off with S2.
 
Re: Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Thing

What is that Wall Commander guy's problem? He's a lousy teacher, does he just hate his own job so much he really doesn't give a damn about anything?

He goes on about how Jon and Sam aren't men worthy of the Watch, when the Watch are composed mostly of the dregs of society in the first place. What makes him so self-righteous over them? What's his story?

He is trying to toughen them up. Jon helping Sam by not making Sam stand up for himself, is a disservice to Sam.
 
Re: Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Thing

Actually you're not 40% into the story though... You're 40%(or so) into book 1 of a planned (at the time trilogy I believe) so the way a lot of writers handle a trilogy (or planned series) is to introduce a lot of plot and elements into the first book and then usually have some event(s) happen at the end to really ratchet up their plans and make the reader want to continue on with the further books in the series.


This. You are 40% into the first act of a 7 act series.

Anyways, I LOVED this episode, the pacing worked, and I liked how they included Theon's backstory, but they wove it right into that dialogue between Tyrion and Theon.

Also loved finding out about Samwell's and Jon's past.
 
Re: Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Thing

I think the season 2 premiere will show whether the show has legs or not. I think HBO is planning for it to be around the same as S1 so April 2012. That means roughly around 8 months? or so of people watching on DVD/On Demand/whatever and interest building after some very interesting events to end book 1/season 1 on.

Sorta similar to how True Blood took off with S2.


The Season 2 premiere numbers will be based on the HUGE spoilers below

Robb being crowned King of the North and Dany's Dragons

The fervor of that 2nd season will be great
 
Re: Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Thing

I think the show needs to start incorporating flashbacks for some of this backstory, instead of so many scenes of verbal exposition.

I enjoyed the episode as a fan of the books (I'm re-reading them now). But I see no reason we can't throw in a little bit of, say, the mad king burning the older starks in the Red Keep, or Jaime fighting in the battle of Pyke, or The Mountain burning the face of The Hound.

It's a visual medium. Let's SEE some of this stuff.


Also, Maisie Williams is just phenomenal. Maybe the best child actor I've ever seen on TV.


And... if there's one thing you can count on, WITHOUT FAIL, in the entire series, it's Catelyn Stark making bad decisions. It's kind of recurring theme.
 
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Re: Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Thing

What is that Wall Commander guy's problem? He's a lousy teacher, does he just hate his own job so much he really doesn't give a damn about anything?

He goes on about how Jon and Sam aren't men worthy of the Watch, when the Watch are composed mostly of the dregs of society in the first place. What makes him so self-righteous over them? What's his story?

He is trying to toughen them up. Jon helping Sam by not making Sam stand up for himself, is a disservice to Sam.

Jon is just keeping Sam close. In order to eat him later when they are lost and hungry.
 
Re: Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Thing

What is that Wall Commander guy's problem? He's a lousy teacher, does he just hate his own job so much he really doesn't give a damn about anything?

He goes on about how Jon and Sam aren't men worthy of the Watch, when the Watch are composed mostly of the dregs of society in the first place. What makes him so self-righteous over them? What's his story?
He is trying to toughen them up. Jon helping Sam by not making Sam stand up for himself, is a disservice to Sam.
Jon is just keeping Sam close. In order to eat him later when they are lost and hungry.
Exactly. Winter is coming, after all. Remember what they did with the taun-taun in Empire Strikes Back? :shifty:
 
Re: Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Thing

The Hound jumping in to fight his brother The Mountain was one of my favorite moments. Just awesome.
 
Re: Game of Thrones Episode 1.4 - "Cripples, Bastards and Broken Thing

^ Didn't that happen this week, not last week?
 
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