Utopia Talk / Movie Talk / Game of Thrones

Paramount Member	Wed Aug 07 16:10:09 Since the other thread is full I decided to start a new thread. I finished watching the 3rd season today. I just wanted to tell you all about it :) Hadn't had the time to watch until now. They need to hurry up and finish the 4th season so I can watch that one too. I'm impatient. After I finished the 1st season I bought the first three books in a bundle because I wanted to read all that shit to find out what happens. I think I read a few pages only. When I finished with the 2nd season I also felt an urge to read the books. But all I did was to look at them in my bookshelf. Now that I finished watching the 3rd season I'm again feeling a strong urge to read the books. I think I actually will this time. Gonna read a few chapters tonight. I have a feeling that a lot of things are left out and that the books are way better than the show.
The Children Member	Thu Aug 08 01:10:48 yea not gonna happen lol. next season comes next year and it gonna be slow and only 8 episodes or somethin. its pathetic.
pillz Member	Thu Aug 08 01:48:20 The books are nothing to write home about. I've stopped about 1/3 of the way through book 3. The story drags on needlessly, the author glosses over things that might actually catch your interest, and he inserts an absurd amount of detail into things that might never be brought up again for another 2 books. There is a line between 'believable characters and tragedy' and 'wasting your time with the most unlikely series of events affecting an otherwise unimportant group of idiots'
Hood Member	Thu Aug 08 10:20:07 "There is a line between 'believable characters and tragedy' and 'wasting your time with the most unlikely series of events affecting an otherwise unimportant group of idiots'" This.
Paramount Member	Thu Aug 08 12:55:02 So, the books are not worth it then?
zombie jesus Member	Sat Aug 10 13:47:32 Anál nathrach, orth’ bháis’s bethad, do chél dénmha
nhill Member	Sat Aug 10 17:32:09 The first two books are worth it
pillz Member	Sun Aug 11 01:09:50 The first book is worth it. The second book tests your patience and teaches you that the 3rd won't be.
Palem Person.	Mon Aug 12 19:48:28 Idk what your guys' problem is. Third book is better than the 2nd book by a long shot. I just started the 5th and the only one I didn't very much enjoy was the 4th and that's because the only character they let you follow that's even remotely interesting to read about is Cersei. I've still got my hopes high that Sansa is violently raped and murdered before the series ends.
pillz Member	Mon Aug 12 23:39:51 Like I said, I've stalled. I just can't push through it. I can't even care to hate the characters.
Palem Person.	Tue Aug 13 23:45:47 It definitely helps that I don't watch the show, so all of the exciting stuff isn't already spoiled.
Forwyn Member	Wed Aug 21 12:43:20 I didn't really have a problem with a draggin storyline until FfC. Its really gets bad in DwD.
tumbleweed the wanderer	Thu Sep 05 15:49:58 "Third book is better than the 2nd book" agreed... just finished #3, lots of upcoming good stuff, treachery & misery for the show
Forwyn Member	Tue Sep 10 17:00:30 I noticed some confusion as to what regions constitute the Seven Kingoms. Let me be of assistance. The Seven Kingdoms are: The North(Starks), The Vale(Arryns), The Iron Islands(Greyjoys), The Westerlands(Lannisters), The Stormlands(Baratheons), The Reach(Tyrells), and Dorne(Martells). The Crownlands, where King's Landing is situated, is a separate district but not one of the original Seven Kingdoms, having been contested lands at the time of Aegon's Conquest. The Riverlands, another district, was under the rule of the Stormlands at the time. There are nine districts in all, which is why some people have been confused.
Still Well Member	Wed Sep 11 10:18:00 The Iron islands controlled the riverlands under house Hoare. The greyjoys were given control of the islands after Aegon's conquest.
Forwyn Member	Wed Sep 11 14:53:50 This is true. Fix what I said; the Stormlords originally conquered the Iron Islands, but it was actually the Iron Islands in control at the time of Aegon.
McKobb Member	Mon Oct 21 07:39:30 Bump
tumbleweed the wanderer	Thu Oct 24 23:09:34 'Game of Bones: Winter is Cumming' debuts tomorrow
Palem Person.	Sat Dec 21 17:26:36 Even by "spoof porn" standards, that looks awful lol
Still Well Member	Sat Dec 21 22:20:49 if by awful you meant awesome, then I agree.
State Department Member	Mon Feb 03 10:45:14 I recently watched all 3 seasons in about a week. lol. Best series ever.
Forwyn Member	Wed Feb 05 16:28:16 Welcome to the party. April 6th baby
The Children Member	Tue Feb 11 11:08:44 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5iS3tULXMQ
Forwyn Member	Tue Feb 11 17:23:42 Watched this yesterday. That dragon is looking huge, man
repel Member	Tue Apr 08 14:59:22 slackers! I seriously hope they not gonna spoil a lot of book 5 I still have to read that one... I know, I know I'm slacking too :(
Forwyn Member	Tue Apr 08 16:52:07 This season is just the second half of SoS. Wouldn't be surprised if elements of FfC is in it, but you shouldn't have anything to worry about.
Palem Person.	Tue Apr 08 21:10:27 The beginning of FfC lines up with the beginning of DwD, but they shouldn't get to that until the second half of this season. I'm guessing they won't get to the end of book five until at least the end of the next season, maybe part of the season after too depending on how much they drag the story out.
swordtail Anarchist Prime	Wed Apr 09 10:39:53 http://io9...history-for-game-of-1561092800
swordtail Anarchist Prime	Sat May 17 16:36:51 http://fishfinger.me/game-of-thrones
Palem Person.	Sun Jun 01 22:34:48 crunch crunch crunch
Cherub Cow Member	Sun Jun 15 18:44:20 Weird.. I thought I just posted here, but it's gone meow.. Anyways, I was saying that I just found out that Charles Dance from The Golden Child acts on this show.. which should be considered the recipe for awesome sauce
Palem Person.	Mon Jun 16 16:43:40 *spoiler* not anymore
Cherub Cow Member	Tue Jun 17 01:34:24 ..not much distance between that spoiler warning and the spoiler, was there? :( I can probably just assume that everyone on the show will die, though
Cherub Cow Member	Tue Jun 17 19:45:39 "Shocking ‘Game Of Thrones’ Finale Concludes With Arrest Of 5 Million Viewers For Piracy" http://www...nale-concludes-with-arr,36286/ "NEW YORK—Following a critically acclaimed 10-episode run, the HBO series Game Of Thrones capped off its fourth season Sunday night with a shocking finale that concluded with 5 million viewers being taken into police custody for pirating the show online. “Wow, you expect some major shakeups in the final episode of the season, but that part right at the end when the FBI kicked in my door and told me to get on the ground? I did not see that coming at all,” Boston resident Peter Herzfeld said of the surprise season-ending turn, which left millions of die-hard fans of the fantasy series in a state of astonishment and disbelief as they were handcuffed by federal law enforcement officials and charged with violating intellectual property law by using BitTorrent and similar file-sharing services. “The last few minutes of the episode were so intense—one moment the show was proceeding along as normal, and the next I was being shoved into the backseat of a police car and driven to a detainment facility. I just sat there completely stunned for a few minutes, trying to process what had happened. That’s classic Game Of Thrones, though: no one’s safe.” The nation’s incarcerated fans told reporters they could not wait to get out of prison after their five-year sentence and recap the startling conclusion with friends and coworkers."
tumbleweed the wanderer	Tue Jun 24 12:07:35 ^ nice :p i binge watched season 4 this past weekend... now i am empty inside
Cherub Cow Member	Sun Jun 29 06:04:04 arg!! :( I knew that Sean Bean died on GoT sometime around season 1 or 2 (maybe?), but someone on imgur made a gif of the execution scene, so now I know specifics :/ really need to watch it so the whole show won't be ruined
tumbleweed the wanderer	Sun Jun 29 09:18:10 even after caught up, you gotta watch out for the book readers :p but still, watch faster!
McKobb Member	Sun Jun 29 16:03:30 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oVfIFrpslI
McKobb Member	Sun Jun 29 16:03:49 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oVfIFrpslI
tumbleweed the wanderer	Sat Jul 05 13:31:09 takes some balls to have a GoT wedding: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IW53nWZOd3Y apparently brother-in-law Drogo has a high opinion of himself :p
tumbleweed the wanderer	Wed Aug 06 12:52:02 from Sean Bean's AMA http://i.imgur.com/NTGjPXl.gif
Cherub Cow Member	Mon Aug 03 04:02:03 Finally watched S1-E1. Based on this episode, I'm guessing that Sean Bean will last the entire series and that Jon Snow will be decapited next episode ;) {sadly, most of the major deaths have probably been ruined for me due to pop culture references}
Cherub Cow Member	Wed Aug 05 05:28:41 have watched up to S1-E3 meow. Def like how it goes into the way that Lannisters vs. Stark raise their children and show their alternate values at work. Really liking things
Cherub Cow Member	Mon Aug 10 21:50:58 Have meow watched up through S2-E6. It gets addictive very quickly. Every time a major death starts approaching I start recognizing scenery and situations from spoilers I've seen, so sadly a lot of shock has been tempered, but it still gets very tense
Cherub Cow Member	Wed Aug 19 04:09:06 (( minor spoilers of course )) Am now up to the season 3 finale! When all the wedding talk started on the show I knew to expect the much talked about "Red Wedding", but wasn't quite sure how it would go. First I thought it would be Tyrion and Sansa's wedding, but that fizzled.. so when Robb Stark and company were all together for another wedding and the pieces started falling into place, I just started doing mental damage control like, "I hope not -too- many people get slaughtered" :p Very shocking, and much sadness too :( .. was almost hoping that Catelyn Stark would charge the King right after killing his wife, but that was too much to ask given the futility of it. Things also getting especially sad for Arya and Jon at this point — all dying off in respective parts of the world, losing the chance to reunite... I'm sure that that resonates with a lot of families. Anyways! Continuing this marathon! :D
Cherub Cow Member	Sat Aug 22 05:26:22 (( more spoilers )) After lots of marathon viewing, am all caught up with the show... From season 4, def liked Jon and Ygritte's relationship, especially that Ygritte didn't hold any stock in an afterlife and that it was all about the tangible present. Very sad end to that.. was kind of weirded out that Jon was willing to keep the boy that killed her so close to him, but maybe Jon thought that he could reach him (meaning, "get through to him;" get him to see wisdom) or something? From season 5, liked that Cersei's imprisonment was pretty closely modeled after Jeanne d'Arc, with the constant asking for confession, the abuses of an ascetic church that should not have been given power, the cutting of her hair, etc — all things showing how ridiculous religion (particularly Catholicism in this case) has been... but was a little surprised that Cersei made such a big error of not realizing that giving this church powers to punish the Tyrells would also give them powers to punish -her-. I get that they were trying to show that she really -isn't- very smart/strategic, that her father had been acting like a buffer, and that his absence left her vulnerable to her own mistakes.. but that was still a very big oversight. Regardless, I look forward to some vengeance persecutions next season >:) After watching the episode where Sansa Stark was raped, a friend mentioned that that episode was "controversial," .. if so, I think that would be a sign of ridiculous oversensitivity by the viewership, like some kind of dumb savior complex where ingenue-worshipping viewers expect those kinds of tragedies to be prevented in stories, even when in reality they often occur — Kitty Genovese sadly not being a rarity. So if that forced some cognitive dissonance onto viewers, then good. And about Jon Snow.. it seems like in George Martin's world he would be dead for good, but if the HBO writers really intend to move ahead without his works, it seems possible that they'd start doing some stupid crowd-pleasing stuff like bringing him back. One possibility I've heard would be that Melisandre would resurrect him like Thoros did for Beric Dondarrion, but that speaks of contrivance, because Melisandre doesn't seem capable of that and wasn't exactly mentally ready to try. Hmm. Anyways, I'll look at the UP thread meow: http://www...hread=73549&time=1434425607514
Palem Person.	Mon Aug 24 18:31:19 "And about Jon Snow.. it seems like in George Martin's world he would be dead for good" This is, unfortunately, not true. While GRRM is very happy to allow favorite characters to die, they are often not left dead. Also, GRRM is the one who left the door open about his fate. That was written long before D&D got around to it. ***I haven't watched season 5 and I refuse to continue watching the series until I've read the books first, so I'm not sure how exactly they've moved the story, but I'm fairly certain they didn't plan on using this character so it should be spoiler free. If they happen to find the well running dry and introduce her far too late into the story, my apologies for spoiling the mild shock lol*** In the books, Cat is not "dead". She's been revived (by Thoros) and is hunting down every living soul she can find to bring misery and suffering upon them. There's a few other characters worthy of note that are "dead" but not really quite dead (and they haven't all been revived by magic lol), but to avoid possible spoilers I won't say much more than that. Also, I know you're a reader, so shame on you for not reading the books. They're fantastic :p
Cherub Cow Member	Mon Aug 24 23:20:03 Hey! im lurnin 2 read still ;) I aktly just wanted to watch the series before reading the books, so now that I'm caught up I might start soon. I'd heard that the series has started deviating, so I don't have to worry about book spoilers anymore :) .. "Cat" like Catelyn? It's a little weird for Thoros to resurrect her, because was Thoros even around? I guess he'd have to be, or how long can a dead body sit before it's resurrected? .. "they are often not left dead" Seems conceivable, then. Jon Snow at least has Melisandre right there, even if she hasn't resurrected anyone before... I guess she only has to speak the words, like Thoros said he does... Too bad it's too late for Ygritte! Just -once- I'd like to see a story where "let's run away togeher" comes up for two people in love and they -actually- run away together and you don't hear about them again because love is forevers ;D
Cherub Cow Member	Mon Aug 24 23:21:30 *"let's run away [together]"
Palem Person.	Tue Aug 25 08:20:10 Eh, the series has deviated a little (some important things, some unimportant things), but I wouldn't assume it's beyond book spoilers. From what I understand, GRRM sent them a rough manuscript of the next book to give them an idea of where the story was heading. They also know the final ending. While some of the more minor things will likely not be spoiled, some major things likely will be, including the ending of the books (mega-sad face). And since you're planning on reading the books, apologies for the Catelyn spoiler, but for the sake of accuracy and possibly retaining some mysteries, what was posted above is not entirely accurate. You can speculate on the details :p I WILL say though, since the idea of resurrection seems to cheapen character deaths, that GRRM has built a very dark image of resurrection in his world. Being resurrected doesn't mean you've been magically revived and you're back to being your plain old self. A good example is what happened to Khal Drogo. I'll leave it at that and you can explore the rest yourself :)
McKobb Member	Tue Aug 25 08:38:46 Read the books!!
McKobb Member	Tue Aug 25 09:27:39 Also you should read the Baroque Cycle starting with Quicksilver (or maybe Cryptonomicon but not the Cobweb).
Cherub Cow Member	Tue Aug 25 14:15:27 Baroque Cycle seems interesting! Will look into that :D .. "that GRRM has built a very dark image of resurrection in his world." Yeah they've at least been clear about that much on the show. Not just with Drogo (Mirri Maz Duur could be blamed for making him empty-headed on his return, since she was trying to be mean), but Beric Dondarrion outright says, "every time I come back, I'm a bit less. Pieces of you get chipped away." I do hope it's not abused. Resurrections can really ruin things. Not sure I've seen them done well.. .. "but I wouldn't assume it's beyond book spoilers." Hmm.. might stay away a little longer, then :p For lots of reasons I tend to like seeing the visual attempt and going to the book afterwards. It's partly an avoidance of that pretentious "I read the book, it was better" attitude (which rarely makes sense; it's a different medium with a different author so it should be considered separately), but also I like to see if the movie/show can communicate deeper ideas on its own.. Would the earlier books be safer to read?
Palem Person.	Tue Aug 25 18:51:11 Depends what you're looking to avoid. Not exactly sure how far Season 5 got the story, but I'd say the first 3 books should be safe to read. If they got as far as I think they did, then everything from the books (that they wanted to put in the show) have been covered and the show will be completely into "new" material, but you might want someone that's actually watching to confirm that lol There is always the chance that they add in some things from the books later into the show that they decided not to use (like the Cat thing)
OsamaIsDaWorstPresid Member	Tue Aug 25 18:58:09 stil waitin 4 hodor 2 rape daernys wile shoutin 'hodor' with evarie thrust
Cherub Cow Member	Wed Aug 26 15:21:03 I guess that could happen if Brandon Stark wargs his way into Hodor to explore his sexuality? .. "but I'd say the first 3 books should be safe to read." coolz! Sounds like it's okay to at least start, then. Think I'll find a copy of the first one this weekend..
swordtail Anarchist Prime	Sat Oct 31 11:40:42 http://www...eorge-r-r-martin-z-nation-clip
Palem Person.	Sat Oct 31 13:12:05 I was hoping that Winds of Winter would be released on December 18th, but I think that ship has sailed :(
chuck Member	Thu May 05 22:34:41 Moar content!
Cherub Cow Member	Fri May 06 04:36:37 I just caught up with the two new episodes tonight! (( SPOILERS of course )) not much happening yet! Pretty much just getting the plot going with the details that peeps speculated would happen anyways (like Melisandre helping Snow). I did like Ramsay Bolton's expression after killing his father.. sort of like, "wait.. that was a little impulsive even for me.. can I even make this work? Guess I have to.." :D Also like that Cersei is already using the Mountain to kill the peeps that messed with her.. starting with the least protected (that random commoner). I really hope we get to watch the downfall of that ascetic religion.. And was funny to see that Bran Stark has continued to age more than the show wants him to :D .. he'll look like Clint Eastwood soon and they'll finally decide to recast him ;p
chuck Member	Fri May 06 22:33:00 Yay, content! :D Now more plz!
Cherub Cow Member	Mon May 09 14:11:45 UP also does its own threads :p http://www...hread=76940&time=1462819439049 @S6-E3 I especially liked the scene where Melisandre and Davos rationalize Jon's resurrection in their respective ways.. Melisandre wants to renew her faith through some confirmation and Davos recognizes that Jon is basically just back to the business of living again. Looks like Melisandre will be playing the role of born-again-Christian ;p ..and High Sparrow finally has a way to do a GoT repeat of the Catholic Church's sinister power grabbing: King manipulation. The Sparrows' Scientology approach of blackmailing through secrets was already going well, but now they can turn their pseudo-revolution into another system of lies by advising an impressionable idiot. Poor Tommen :( .. he even bought High Sparrow's technique of saying something that feels true and then leaping from that pathos into an absurd height ("[your mother's love is true ... also, that's the goddess' eternal truth]")(lolwut?). Tommen will probably sign away half of his power to the Sparrows while thinking he's helping Cersei and Margaery, so Cersei's murder plot will be too late to stop the religious movement. Also a very sad theme that a people's revolution can get twisted by religious doctrine when the people have no education :/
Cherub Cow Member	Mon May 16 14:25:31 @S6-E4 talk: http://www...hread=76992&time=1463423750471
Damian DB Moderator	Mon May 23 07:27:14 I don't know if it's just that I don't know what's coming now, but this season has seriously stepped up it's game.
Cherub Cow Member	Mon May 23 10:54:02 @S6-E5 ("The Door") UP episode Thread: http://www...hread=77045&time=1464015517939 Things def stepped up quickly when the White Walkers showed up at their doorstep so quickly. The writers could easily have let that occur an episode later, but they threw in a pacing curve-ball. Too bad those magic grenades may have been a limited run item ;) And much sad this episode :'( Daenerys' talk with Jorah/Tyrant.. Theon's speech on behalf of his sister.. :'( ..and of course poor, endearing Simple Jack ;p
chuck Member	Mon May 23 19:41:53 I said "Oh shit" aloud when Meera tried to go outside. Very nice twist to have it happen immediately instead of in an episode or two. In season 4 they would have checked in with the NK 5 times over the course of 4 episodes showing him making the march so I felt like it was an excellent deployment of the magical plot teleportation.
Cherub Cow Member	Mon May 23 23:38:07 Definitely! They didn't waste any time at all :D
Cherub Cow Member	Mon May 30 23:45:42 @S6-E6 ("Blood of My Blood") UP Thread: http://www...hread?id=politics&thread=77107 Samwell's dad can be such an ass! ;p Nice pit-stop for Valyrian steel, though! Sword looks too heavy for Sam, so I wonder if they'll melt it into two swords, hand it off, or something.. Also wondering if Jaqen H'ghar (many-faced god's main person) has only actually been testing the Waif (assistant who's been training Arya). The Waif seems pretty resentful of Arya, and maybe that crosses a line for the many-faced peeps. Or not, and Jaqen will simply let Arya do her thing once/if Arya kills Jaqen.. Motivational speeches work great while sitting atop a dragon! :D
tumbleweed the wanderer	Tue May 31 21:13:05 "Samwell's dad can be such an ass" seemed like a standard family dinner to me... i didn't think Daenerys needed another moment so soon after her fire thing... maybe after a month of thumb twiddling waiting on the iron islands boats
chuck Member	Wed Jun 01 13:44:32 Hadn't thought of the Waif as violating the rules of the Many-Faced God but that makes perfect sense. Definitely has a personal vendetta, she is not no one. Jaqen (not Karen, chill autocorrect) would own Arya so there's no way he comes after her. I think Arya kills the Waif, Jaqen takes her face for the M.F.G. and they call it a day - i.e. any face will do.
Cherub Cow Member	Wed Jun 01 16:04:06 [tw]: "seemed like a standard family dinner to me..." lulz :D It would be a lot of fun to sit through a dinner like that. Like Festivus! Sam was filling in for George and his dad was Frank Costanza ;) .. [tw]: "i didn't think Daenerys needed another moment so soon after her fire thing... maybe after a month of thumb twiddling waiting on the iron islands boats" True! Plus they should have let the scene continue so we know whether or not they all just have to calm down and continue the walk.. maybe soaking in how mundane travel can be, even when walking behind a dragon .. [chuck]: "Definitely has a personal vendetta, she is not no one." Yeah it seems like a self-fulfilling prophecy.. like, "see, Arya betrayed us just like I said! [incidentally, I drove her to betray us, which probably doesn't represent a sound training strategy]." .. [chuck]: "Jaqen takes her face for the M.F.G. and they call it a day - i.e. any face will do." Sounds fair! Maybe he'll also give her the 1984 "Book" and level her up to the higher practices of the many-faced peeps. Upper tier stuff like that they have a political edge, plan their own assassinations (like the "Wanted" movie), and wander around killing certain peeps to balance things. Arya may just be obeying the many-faced god after all! :D
Cherub Cow Member	Mon Jun 13 16:37:52 UP thread for S6-E7 and S6-E8 here: http://www...hread?id=politics&thread=77150 Things already amping up!! :D Hound and Mountain slaughterfests! New boots! Daenerys all like, "dudes, stuff's on fire?" Ironborn ready to swoop in and be helpful (dragon looks like it has other plans?). Weird emphasis placed on the Hound's decision to pee? And Arya ready to put her training to work! :D This excitement can only be replaced by the dismal feeling of having to wait a year for season 7 ;p
Cherub Cow Member	Mon Jun 27 16:55:46 For posterity, S6-E9 "Battle of the Bastards" UP thread: http://www...hread=77301&time=1466994650464
Cherub Cow Member	Mon Jun 27 16:55:51 And S6-E10 "Winds of Winter" UP thread: http://www...hread=77361&time=1467064178615 Really psyched to watch the finale again tonight :D So awesome :D :D
swordtail Anarchist Prime	Wed Jan 25 14:16:53 How The Cast Of Game Of Thrones Should Really Look http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdxBOpP1bIo
Cherub Cow Member	Mon Jul 17 05:52:19 UP thread for S7-E1: "Dragonstone" http://www...hread=80637&time=1500288159924 Glad that they slowed the pacing back down following all that condensed action they did for the season 6 finale. Should be a fun season :)
Cherub Cow Member	Wed Jul 26 02:10:38 UP thread for S7-E2: "Stormborn": http://www...hread=80700&time=1501052332508 .. Samwise Gamgee seemed to be breaking the fourth wall in that greyscale scene (enjoying it a little too much and sawing at the prop a little too comically).. he better not be taking his GoT acting job for granted :p Another reason I think the Night King is the Lord of Light: we know very little about the Night King's history so having him be the final enemy makes him one-dimensional, but if it is revealed that he is the Lord of Light, then people realize that he's been present in almost every episode of the series (screwing with Stannis, setting up Danny for a fall, bringing back certain people so that they'll kill the right people for him, etc...). Then again, it could be that both Bran and the Night King have been mistaken for the Lord of Light and have both attempted to communicate their wills to people... I think there will have to be some sort of psychic battle between Bran and the NK at some point
Cherub Cow Member	Sun Aug 06 19:49:59 UP thread for S7-E3: "The Queen's Justice": http://www...hread=80748&time=1501977047901 Looks like Samwise Gamgee only got a slap on the wrist by the Citadel after all! I was looking forward to the possibility that he'd be kicked out and would just have to steal a bunch of random books before heading to Winterfell ;D And for posterity (since this thread is only viewed by myself and occasional random visitors)(Current Date: August 6th, 2017): episode 4 was leaked by some l33t ha<k0rz, so it's been necessary to avoid the popular Internets.. which, due to Billah's immaturity, also includes UP. Even so! With 15min before the episode starts to air, I'll still post my idle speculation :p (this after having managed to avoid leaked spoilers this week) ..from the episode preview (aired last week following "The Queen's Justice") it looked like Arya was on a hill with Winterfell in sight... Based on her bad luck with re-joining family, that either means that she's about to die or that Sansa will suddenly leave or die ;D .. lulz.. no, hopefully Arya finally gets to see Bran and Sansa again.. and maybe Jon too if Littlefinger doesn't succeed with Jon's murder. Arya has had it rough, so it would be nice to see her rewarded with something besides another name off her list. More likely, she'll wear a mask in their presence and find some intellectual reason to avoid re-joining the family, and then she'll turn back to King's Landing :'( It also looked like the GoT producers paid for sets and locations around Jaime's transport of the Highgarden gold to King's Landing.. which could either mean that GoT just has *that much* money to spend on sets (doubtful given that they already cut costs by making the seasons shorter), or that something big will happen on the road. I'm hoping that Jaime will return to King's Landing with the Highgarden gold and food to support their war effort (i.e., nothing happens on the road except for some nice conversations), but with Danny all fired up by losses it could mean that her dragon(s) will attack and take the gold. Though how does a dragon transport that much gold to Dragonstone? Just set things on fire and wait for backup? To be seen if it's to be seen! ;p I'm really hoping that Cersei gets to stay in power this season, with former enemies coming to her in supplication only after they've finally seen the army of the dead and know that their games for the throne have been pointless. Then maybe Jaime has to kill her only when the last armies of the living have been driven to the King's Landing walls and she finally sees that it's all been true but still won't open the gates? That's like next/final season stuff, so that's a little *too* idle for the mid-way point episode of season 7 :p Getting hyped!! :D \:D/
Cherub Cow Member	Mon Aug 07 18:33:24 UP thread for S7-E4: "The Spoils of War": http://www...hread=80812&time=1502147264742 Yay! Was wrong about Arya — she did get to see the fam :D And of course they were attacked on the road, but the gold had already made it to King's Landing so the dragons didn't have to put it on their backs ;) (and as it turned out, the Dothraki would have been able to manage carrying it if needed) Really exciting episode! I wasn't sure they'd be able to pull off another "Battle of the Bastards"-type of fight, but they just did. But only 3 episodes left in the season? D: ... "there's no time!!" ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMfCFhjhZQ8 )
Cherub Cow Member	Mon Aug 14 20:01:44 UP thread for S7-E5: "Eastwatch": http://www...hread=80874&time=1502735955069 On the negative side: this episode threw a bunch of plots into order and played very loosely with time On the positive side: With 2 episodes left in the season, is there any time left for transition episodes?
Cherub Cow Member	Mon Aug 21 03:29:33 UP thread for S7-E6: "Beyond the Wall": http://www...hread?id=politics&thread=80940 This one was reminiscent of the "Battle of Castle Black" episode! An episode about nothing but the North :) (not a perfect parallel, but this episode was still pretty devoted to fewer stories than usual) Season finale next week! Lots of stuff to set in motion.. • Does the dead man just become a regular, un-moving corpse when he gets to the warmth of King's Landing? Does the dead army power only work by reasonable proximity? If so, would this result in Cersei perceiving a betrayal and causing a main character massacre? • Does Samwise get coach-jacked and die on the way to Winterfell, leaving Gilly to become the show's first female maester? ;) • Does the ice dragon shoot white powder like a fire extinguisher, does it freeze people like Arnold in the indisputably best Batman movie, or does it insta-convert people into dead army soldiers? • Will the Wall fall at the end of this episode, or will they save that for late next season? This might feel like a long week :D
swordtail Anarchist Prime	Fri Sep 15 17:07:06 http://4.b...3805_3444573997709131776_n.jpg
tumbleweed the wanderer	Fri Sep 22 14:56:19 i just finished the binge-watching, thanks for keeping track of the UP links (but the last one missing!)
Cherub Cow Member	Sat Sep 30 21:33:34 Oops! :p (and double oops for not checking this thread recently — currently September 30th, 2017) UP thread for S7-E7: "The Dragon and the Wolf" http://www...hread=81000&time=1503867358651 The UP thread mostly just degraded into me explaining to TC why Jon and Danny's boat sex was well-established this season *and* in previous seasons. :D And it looks like the ice dragon shoots super fire (some kind of blue fire (super hot) as opposed to it being a freeze ray). The writers/Martin could alter this when the dragon goes up against peeps (maybe it just *looks* like fire but does freeze peeps?), but the visuals seemed pretty set for it being fire... really have to wonder about the logistics of successfully fighting off that many white walkers +dragon. Now that the wall is gone there isn't much time for planning a strong defense.. Maybe there will be a "World War Z" moment where the walkers just pile on top of each other to jump the Winterfell walls :) Peeps pushed south and the Golden Army arrives by S8E2?? :D It was also a big moment when Bran revealed that he needs to have his attention drawn to specific moments in order to know about them. This was the rule that was in place when the older 3-eyed raven was guiding him, but the highlight reel he got as they fled the tree plus Bran's "I see everything" confidence made him seem more 5th-dimensional. Guess not! :p .. looks like he has to follow known histories to their hidden moments.. like following Ned's whole life and following important side characters of Ned's life. That'll have to lead Bran through the Night King's history, but I really hope the theory about the Night King being Bran is wrong. That seems too self-perpetuating. I'd prefer it if the Night King were just some random human of the old world who turned out to be uncontrollable, with Bran then being present through his ancestors in the opposition. Looks like a long wait ahead to find out! ;)
Hot Rod Revved Up	Mon Nov 12 22:36:56 QUERY: Are all of these books tied to the HBO Series or just the one? 1. A Dance with Dragons 2. A Feast for Crows 3. A Storm of Swords 4. A Clash of Kings 5. A Game of Thrones If not, Are the books tied together but just not a part of the TV series? Also, are there more books in the series of books if it is a series. The reason I ask is that I bought the above five books and I want to make sure that I have everything involved with the story. Thanks.
McKobb Member	Mon Nov 12 22:51:41 Answer: GRR Martin is a no-writing asshole! But a good writer when he does.
Forwyn Member	Tue Feb 26 13:30:25 I wonder if Rod ever got around to reading all five. Myself, I ran out of gas halfway through ADwD. The quality of writing tanked and spending most of the book in Essos made for a snorefest.
Cherub Cow Member	Sun Apr 14 23:40:52 Now 2019 — can't believe it's been so long since the last episode :D .. @S8E1: "Winterfell" UP episode thread: http://www...hread=84250&time=1555302167647 Nice new intro... Covered a lot of ground! Lots of reunions. I think I liked most that Sam pointed out to Jon what a shit leader Danny is :p .. I've been hoping for a long time that Danny'll find out how little power she has in a one-on-one situation; she has lots of influence but not much character (in the moral sense). Obviously this leaves a big decision point for Jon.. He's got to know that the North wouldn't accept an aunt and nephew marrying, so he probably couldn't announce his kingship *and* marry Danny (a best of both worlds situation)... or could he? :D .. so he'll have to either announce his kingship and try to take power or marry Danny and not tell anyone about his lineage. Jon tends to be more honorable than romantic, so I think he'd have to announce his lineage. Shit. Maybe they still marry, even knowing that the North will be weirded out. They need the armies... D: ;p I was surprised by the pacing! I thought the dead army would have sprinted to Winterfell by now. I suppose it makes sense; they've been shown to walk for distances and only go full sprint when it's game time. And it looks like Cersei gets to pretend that the baby is Euron's. Good timing ;)
tumbleweed the wanderer	Mon Apr 15 11:39:59 i say Daenerys dies trying to save her dead dragon or something and Jon becomes king or they both die & the blacksmith becomes king do we know if George is deciding things or have others taken over?
Cherub Cow Member	Tue Apr 16 01:25:06 George has given the writers his outlines for the rest of the story, so they know who does what and where and stuff like that. The show runners just have to do the scene work (dialogue, pacing, etc.). But I don’t think that George is hanging out on set or anything. I am looking forward to Danny seeing her undead dragon :D ... and it’ll be interesting to see whether or not the Night King throws more spears. He’s definitely in a position to kill Danny and Jon in dragon fights.. D:
Cherub Cow Member	Mon Apr 22 00:25:20 @S8E2: "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms" UP Episode thread: http://www...hread=84275&time=1555904952860 Wow — very emotional episode. I thought the reunions of the first episode of the season were great, but this episode had a lot of good exchanges... Theon and Sansa kicked it off with the strongest, but then the Night's Watch crew getting back together, and Jaime and Brienne. Also some great conversations, like Brienne vouching for Jaime and turning Sansa's cold face into one where Sansa didn't necessarily like allowing Jaime to be present but was completely accepting of Brienne's word — that spoke a lot to Brienne&Sansa's connection and Brienne's character (also to Brienne's love for Jaime, of course). *So* many strong scenes, too: Podrick showing his development by being a teacher now, Jorah accepting Sam's family sword, Jorah meeting with his Mormont family but still being kept on the outside of it, Danny and Sansa at odds over rule of the North, Davos being heartbroken that children may well have to fight (the girl's scarred face was a good touch showing that children already have had a rough lot in these times), everyone thinking of their mortality and how dangerous this all is, Brienne's knighting, and Jon telling Danny the truth... So much coming together from the show's history. I was a little in a panic that they made *time* for all of these scenes when so much has to be accomplished still, but it was important development before the end, so a good pacing decision I think. Plus, only a few big moments left for the show: the Battle of Winterfell, Bran maybe finding out the truth about the Night King, the survivors fleeing (or, if seriously optimistic, the survivors marching for control of the Iron Throne), and King's Landing as a last stand against the white walkers (or, optimism again: the survivors fighting for the Iron Throne). So this was a much-needed pause. Also, I was expecting it would be Jaime who made the move for Brienne's virginity before the war, but Arya pulled a dark horse and lost hers instead ;D ... It wouldn't have worked with Jaime&Brienne, I suppose... Jaime wouldn't sleep with someone other than Cersei, and after Brienne was knighted by Jaime, it would have been slightly inappropriate if Jaime had slept with her ;p .. lots of admiration in that knighting scene, though. Danny's reaction to Jon telling the truth was a little worrisome before a major battle, especially since it seemed like they were each running off to the dragons or their respective war stations. That could mean that Danny will have a moment where she can choose to save Jon or let him die so that she can have the throne (*her* particular moment where she'll have to truly decide if she's fighting for the realm or fighting for a Throne — a decision for the Throne always being one of folly and death). Most of these people have decided to fight for survival; but Danny, Sansa, and Cersei have been putting everyone at risk by still playing for power (Sansa at least less so, since she was only interested in retaining the North in opposition to the Iron Throne). So nice to watch a great show after marathoning the Fear the Walking Dead garbage ;D ... such a difference that good writing makes.
tumbleweed the wanderer	Mon Apr 22 01:29:32 Tormund deserves to get Brienne! they better survive to make it happen maybe she can carry him wounded from battle & fall in love :p
Cherub Cow Member	Tue Apr 23 01:22:11 Lulz :D ... her disgust with him has been pretty evenly-delivered, but maybe she's just not used to being so openly desired ;D It sounds like she has a dangerous position outside the walls, so maybe Tormund would have that chance after all ;p
Forwyn Member	Fri Apr 26 03:19:51 How the fuck are the flanks gonna be made up of infantry? :S
Cherub Cow Member	Sun Apr 28 22:44:54 @S8E3: "The Long Night" UP Episode thread: http://www...hread?id=politics&thread=84302 Expectations aside for the moment, that was a crazy tense episode D: ... like the "Battle of the Bastards" episode except longer, so probably more adrenaline for my heart ;D I thought that one of the Mormonts would have to live, which is why I split them up in my lists in the S8E2 UP thread... but I guess that that house is gone now :( ... very sad ending for Jorrah, and it looked like even though he didn't get to say it in words, he was saying, "I love you," with his eyes. :( Lyanna Mormont was my pick to live because it fits the pop-feminism narrative of an extra-strong female ruler not held back by her size or age, but I didn't consider that they would give her a heroic death — I thought that would be reserved for Brienne. Otherwise, it looks like the big episode surprise for me was just that so many people *lived*. On the positive side of that, they left a lot of plot alive for the last three episodes. Aside from Lyanna, my "survivors" picks were made for these reasons: • Arya - must kill Cersei or face Cersei at least • Tyrion - must continue to advise, and he has to find out if Ser Bronn was always about money or if Ser Bronn will go against Cersei for a friend (i.e., not killing Tyrion and potentially dying himself instead) • Daenerys - Must face Cersei and find out what Cersei's "plan for [her]" was; i.e., must survive an assassination attempt. Taking the throne was actually sort of optional for her, but surviving gives her ground to be the one who commands the melting of the Throne • Jon - needs more time to explore the gravity of his lineage • Drogon (largest of the three dragons) - the greatest dragon has to live to melt the Iron Throne; the other two dragons were expandable, so it wasn't surprising that they died • Tormund Giantsbane - needed to live because he's the last male of the free folk • The Hound - still has to face his brother • Podrick Payne - is a metaphor for future honorable knights, so this needs to be the beginning of his story • Samwise Gamgee (Samwell Tarly) - I thought that he would survive in place of Bran because — as a stand-in for George Martin — he would be a better keeper and giver of knowledge than Bran • Gilly (Sam's wildling GF) - only as an extension of Sam's happiness • Little Sam (Sam's wildling GF's son) - same as Gilly • Varys (bald eunuch) - he's been the most important voice for the "Realm", not just for thrones But my death list didn't do so well ;D ... since Bran survived, I'm hoping we'll get more information about the Night King, but I'm guessing that the writers don't feel the need to explore that (so, for the show, the NK's story may simply be that he was created by the Children of the Forest to kill the worlds of men, and that he had no story beyond that). I don't think Bran has much more purpose to the story beyond burying himself (alive) in the roots of the family tree (his seat as the three-eyed raven). I can't imagine him making the trip south... And I guess Sansa gets to stick around, but I don't really see her being anything important beyond a replacement for Jon as ruler in the North. Oh, and obviously "Team 'Winterfell Will Fall'" didn't work out for me ;p ... this really opens up the possibilities for the last few episodes, but I'm still surprised that they didn't let the Night King bring winter farther south. Now Cersei's plan is set: the Northern armies have been almost entirely dismantled, and she has the Lannister army and the Golden Army — no competition in a fight, really. Some of the dust needs to settle on the numbers of troops remaining, but they made it seem like only key characters had survived — maybe only a few stray troops... but that can't be right. The Knights of the Vale weren't on the field, I don't think, so they may be in tact; and the houses that avoided hulling up at Winterfell would have to return in regret (e.g., the Umbers). So probably Jon and Danny can amass a big formation, collecting people as they move south... at least enough that the numbers wouldn't be *impossible* for Jon&Danny ;)
The Children Member	Fri May 03 07:03:41 must resist. how many more weeks till finale?
tumbleweed the wanderer	Sat May 04 01:58:48 May 19 is final --------- i assume Cersei's ballista will successfully kill a dragon since otherwise a dragon could kill everyone needed :p there may only be one that can do much, unclear how badly hurt they were
tumbleweed the wanderer	Sat May 04 11:17:05 ...although i guess Bronn used it in that one battle already so maybe that was enough to scare them from just roasting all armies
Cherub Cow Member	Sun May 05 06:24:34 Danny may not have learned her lesson around those yet :D In the quick preview at the end of episode 3 they showed both dragons flying for half a second, so they may be okay by the time any fighting happens. I’m just wondering if this next episode will be all about traveling to battle locations and planning or something. If so: Episode 4: setup episode? Episode 5: Cersei’s armies vs. Danny’s? Episode 6: final interpersonal conflicts and resolution It almost looks like Cersei will be boating north, which seems weird (why give Danny a defensive edge?). Maybe an open episode gives Bronn his moment (kill for money or side with a friend)... Lots of hidden potential for a middle episode :D
Cherub Cow Member	Sun May 05 22:49:57 @S8E04: "The Last of the Starks" UP Episode Thread: http://www...hread=84323&time=1557105648615 Ah! D: ..the dragon scene seemed almost unreal. Not just because of the CGI and that it's difficult to feel for CGI characters :p .. but because of that surprise change in tone (happy and soaring and then bleeding from the chest). That would *have* to be the surprise that Cersei mentioned for Danny... it would be way too much to expect that shooting a dragon was not her most noteworthy pick... so at least Danny is safe from more of Cersei's tricks (of course, not safe from Cersei's castle defenses) I thought that Varys might give a little more in his private discussion with Tyrion (maybe deciding to try to work with Danny more), but he walked away totally ready for his next monarch-killing plot. Still, I think Tyrion was right to point out (again?) that at some point an advisor has to pick a side; if Varys put the energy that he has reserved for plotting against monarchs into *helping* them, he might be standing on more successes... Even so, Danny showed the same non-comittance: she was set on burning King's Landing, and it was almost a waste of time for her to pretend that she would *seriously* push for diplomacy. She only agreed to the *appearance* of diplomacy... And since Varys would likely want to protect the people of King's Landing from the attack, it makes sense if he tries to have her killed during the battle. After would be easier to cover up, but would he let all of those citizens die? D: Maybe? D: D: Good tension with Danny's scenes. Could really see her blood boiling while she struggled to be reasonable :D .. but come on, Missandei! Say, "I love you, Grey Worm," not "[Burn this hick town!]" ;D (( Minor SPOILERS if you didn't see the little preview at the end of the episode )) It looks like Tyrion will get to talk to Danny in private again before the battle and that Danny attacks the fleet. For her sake, hopefully that was related.. like, if she attacks the fleet then she's not burninating the peasants; the armies can be attacking the gates instead. That would mean that Varys wouldn't have as much reason to kill her. He still favors Jon as ruler, but if Danny shows this little bit of restraint then maybe he'll reconsider the marriage? D: .. would it be *so* impossible to get a Northerner to marry his aunt? ;D .. [Me] "It almost looks like Cersei will be boating north" Oops. That was just editing; they showed the seas and then Cersei, but not Cersei on the seas :p [Me]: "(kill for money or side with a friend)" I forgot to consider "side with a friend [also for money]" ;D
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