Game of Thrones, episode nine:
Jun. 12th, 2011 11:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
marinessGame of Thrones, episode 9
Some chatter about X-Men: First Class coming up as I get my thoughts together, but first, my untogether thoughts about Game of Thrones, episode 9, which you could tell was a great episode because we were all shouting at the screen. This was also the first episode that my brother thoroughly enjoyed. (He's enjoyed the others, mind you, but not as much as this one.)
Spoiler warnings. I'm trying very, very hard not to post anything but minor spoilers for stuff after this first book, but you have been warned. Also, these thoughts are really not in any particular order. You have also been warned. People who have read the books, please note that I've been informed that quite a few non-book readers are reading these posts, so let's avoid major spoilers like informing them about the alien invasion and laser gun shootout at King's Landing, ok?*
*(not an actual spoiler.)
1. First, HBO, I speak for all three of us when I say that you have featured an excessive amount of horse killing in this show. On behalf of at least us, SPARE THE FUTURE HORSES. Sniffle.
2. My brother, as we were driving away: "I guess that's a bad place to be a horse." SEE.
3. Joffrey, you suck. Big time. (My brother's comment, "This must be really close to the book because I HATE THAT LITTLE KID SO MUCH.")
4. Speaking of which….I knew the Ned execution scene was coming, and it was still hideously painful and tense to watch, even leaving me with the faint, faint hope that this was one scene HBO would decide to change (despite the massive, massive plot problem that making that switch would create….) Watching Cersei react with, "THIS IS A BAD IDEA," Sansa react with screaming and pleading and knights physically holding her back and little Arya trying to save Ned with her little sword….Tense barely begins to describe it.
5. Meanwhile, let's all congratulate Joffrey, who has now taken the place of our Most Hated Character In the Series. (And here I thought nothing was going to surpass my hatred of – well, really, irritation with – Theon, but I was wrong.) Lying, manipulating people into false confessions, endangering both of your uncles, plunging the kingdom into further war – I'd bow to you, sir, except I don't want my head cut off.
We would all now like the baby dragons to eat Joffrey. Or the ravens to eat Joffrey. Whichever choice is slower and more painful.
6. My actual favorite scenes of the night, mostly because they did not involve killing horses or executing people after false pretences: Aemon Targaryen telling his past history to Jon Snow, about the choice between honor and duty and love, and his own past (having this later followed by Tyrion's ramblings about his marriage and Ned's decision to choose love over honor just intensified the punch) and Walder Frey's introduction scene.
7. Speaking of Walder Frey, SP (who has not read the books) had two reactions: "It's like a business deal!" Followed by, "I do not think that marriage will go well."
Heh.
Just.
Heh.
Moving on!
8. In all of the excitement about the dead horses and Ned (sniffle) and the other stuff we kinda missed the greatness of the Dany/dying Drogo scene. I never quite got the full horror of the demonic chanting (I quote the closed captioning since Brighthouse still hates us, it does) in the book, but here…it worked well.
9.I have only one small quibble with the entire episode, and that is the decision to have Tyrion tell his story of Tysha to both Shae and Bronn. (In the books, he tells Bronn, not Shae.) Not just because Shae is not how I pictured her at all, in voice or manner, but because, well, I think that part of what happens later depends upon Shae not knowing this story.
Since she does…all I can say is I suspect I'll be having a lot less sympathy for show Shae than I did for book Shae. When book Shae is told something is dangerous, she has no reason to know why. When show Shae is told...
...yeah.
On the other hand I suppose that her knowing this tale does explain some of her later dealings with Tywin. And she can't complain that she doesn't know exactly what Tywin is.
10. And just how many Harry Potter actors are going to be popping into this show? It was confusing enough to see so many of them flittering in and out of In Bruges last night (which deserves a separate entry). I like them both, mind you; I'm just wondering how many more we'll see.
11. Tyrion = Awesome. Bronn = Awesome. Robb = Becoming More Awesome (I forgot my other quibble: I would have liked more direwolf). Catelyn = Annoying Me. Walder Frey = Heh, heh, heh. Aemon Targaryen = Stealing the show.
Possibly more comments later.
Some chatter about X-Men: First Class coming up as I get my thoughts together, but first, my untogether thoughts about Game of Thrones, episode 9, which you could tell was a great episode because we were all shouting at the screen. This was also the first episode that my brother thoroughly enjoyed. (He's enjoyed the others, mind you, but not as much as this one.)
Spoiler warnings. I'm trying very, very hard not to post anything but minor spoilers for stuff after this first book, but you have been warned. Also, these thoughts are really not in any particular order. You have also been warned. People who have read the books, please note that I've been informed that quite a few non-book readers are reading these posts, so let's avoid major spoilers like informing them about the alien invasion and laser gun shootout at King's Landing, ok?*
*(not an actual spoiler.)
1. First, HBO, I speak for all three of us when I say that you have featured an excessive amount of horse killing in this show. On behalf of at least us, SPARE THE FUTURE HORSES. Sniffle.
2. My brother, as we were driving away: "I guess that's a bad place to be a horse." SEE.
3. Joffrey, you suck. Big time. (My brother's comment, "This must be really close to the book because I HATE THAT LITTLE KID SO MUCH.")
4. Speaking of which….I knew the Ned execution scene was coming, and it was still hideously painful and tense to watch, even leaving me with the faint, faint hope that this was one scene HBO would decide to change (despite the massive, massive plot problem that making that switch would create….) Watching Cersei react with, "THIS IS A BAD IDEA," Sansa react with screaming and pleading and knights physically holding her back and little Arya trying to save Ned with her little sword….Tense barely begins to describe it.
5. Meanwhile, let's all congratulate Joffrey, who has now taken the place of our Most Hated Character In the Series. (And here I thought nothing was going to surpass my hatred of – well, really, irritation with – Theon, but I was wrong.) Lying, manipulating people into false confessions, endangering both of your uncles, plunging the kingdom into further war – I'd bow to you, sir, except I don't want my head cut off.
We would all now like the baby dragons to eat Joffrey. Or the ravens to eat Joffrey. Whichever choice is slower and more painful.
6. My actual favorite scenes of the night, mostly because they did not involve killing horses or executing people after false pretences: Aemon Targaryen telling his past history to Jon Snow, about the choice between honor and duty and love, and his own past (having this later followed by Tyrion's ramblings about his marriage and Ned's decision to choose love over honor just intensified the punch) and Walder Frey's introduction scene.
7. Speaking of Walder Frey, SP (who has not read the books) had two reactions: "It's like a business deal!" Followed by, "I do not think that marriage will go well."
Heh.
Just.
Heh.
Moving on!
8. In all of the excitement about the dead horses and Ned (sniffle) and the other stuff we kinda missed the greatness of the Dany/dying Drogo scene. I never quite got the full horror of the demonic chanting (I quote the closed captioning since Brighthouse still hates us, it does) in the book, but here…it worked well.
9.I have only one small quibble with the entire episode, and that is the decision to have Tyrion tell his story of Tysha to both Shae and Bronn. (In the books, he tells Bronn, not Shae.) Not just because Shae is not how I pictured her at all, in voice or manner, but because, well, I think that part of what happens later depends upon Shae not knowing this story.
Since she does…all I can say is I suspect I'll be having a lot less sympathy for show Shae than I did for book Shae. When book Shae is told something is dangerous, she has no reason to know why. When show Shae is told...
...yeah.
On the other hand I suppose that her knowing this tale does explain some of her later dealings with Tywin. And she can't complain that she doesn't know exactly what Tywin is.
10. And just how many Harry Potter actors are going to be popping into this show? It was confusing enough to see so many of them flittering in and out of In Bruges last night (which deserves a separate entry). I like them both, mind you; I'm just wondering how many more we'll see.
11. Tyrion = Awesome. Bronn = Awesome. Robb = Becoming More Awesome (I forgot my other quibble: I would have liked more direwolf). Catelyn = Annoying Me. Walder Frey = Heh, heh, heh. Aemon Targaryen = Stealing the show.
Possibly more comments later.