Any hardcore Game of Thrones/Song of Ice and Fire fans?

[PennLady]

This is definitely one of those points in the story where I have to keep my lips sealed around the wife. Too much here or there and I might light the fuse early for the coming explosion

So are you prepared for upcoming events for your wife? Like smelling salts, maybe? A soft place to sit? A wide shoulder for any tears?

 

[SecondCircle]

So are you prepared for upcoming events for your wife? Like smelling salts, maybe? A soft place to sit? A wide shoulder for any tears?

Really, I should hunt some football pads and earplugs. She's grown attached to most of the characters on the show, and she knows I've read the books. So usually I catch quite a bit of flak whenever something big happens.

I have to smile though. She hates ruined surprises, but she hates that I don't ruin them for her.

 

[PennLady]

Really, I should hunt some football pads and earplugs. She's grown attached to most of the characters on the show, and she knows I've read the books. So usually I catch quite a bit of flak whenever something big happens.

I have to smile though. She hates ruined surprises, but she hates that I don't ruin them for her.

LOL Puts herself in a catch-22, eh? Luckily my husband doesn't care. I've told him at various points that I know what will happen and if he wants I'll tell him. He says it's fine because he'll likely forget by the time it rolls around anyway.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

This is definitely one of those points in the story where I have to keep my lips sealed around the wife. Too much here or there and I might light the fuse early for the coming explosion

Are you looking forward to the Red Wedding as much as the rest of us.

 

[PennLady]

An interesting graph of the characters and events in GoT. Sort of like a Venn Diagram.

http://www.jeromecukier.net/projects/agot/events.html

 

[PennLady]

Impressions of ep 7:

Sorely missed Lady Olenna. However, the scene with Tywin and Joffrey was cool. Tywin, it seems, fears no one including his psychopathic royal grandson, the King.

I like that we're seeing Jaime's character change a bit. He does have a sense of honor which compels him to help Brienne even if he doesn't like her, and he certainly didn't have to do it.

Robb, Robb, Robb... sigh. Catelyn has become a Cassandra, it seems. Only she understands how angry Robb's actions, including the involuntary delay, will make Walder Frey. Everyone else, including Blackfish, seems to think that proper apologies and marrying a daughter to Edmure will pacify Frey, and, well, we'll see.

For once I liked the scene with Bran, although of course the scene was about Osha more than anything, but it was good to find out more about her, and we finally have someone with direct experience with the White Walkers on this side of the wall.

The scene with Theon was stupid. It reminded me of the time in college I played some D&D, and our GM, who was an ubergeek at the time, would have any female players lose their clothing as the result of a spell or whatever. The whole Theon story line is dragging anyway and we STILL don't know who the torturer is. That has dragged out way too long.

I honestly thought we'd find out Theon was dreaming, and although I'm not usually much for that kind of misleading, I think I would have preferred it this time.

Margaery is really cool.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

Did Theon lose his bits in the books?

 

[PennLady]

Did Theon lose his bits in the books?

I don't remember. All of this stuff with Theon is not in the books. He disappears somewhere in book two, or maybe three, and then doesn't reappear until five, so all of the torture happens off the page. When he comes back, he's, ah, not entirely himself, but I don't remember if losing his bits was part of the problem.

The problem with that scene for me was twofold, I guess. There was the whole juvenile "let's have naked girls and then trick him" and then still a lack of knowledge of who the torturer is. There are already so many characters in this show that having an anonymous one isn't adding to anything. We don't know who he is or why he's doing this, so it's not exactly advancing any story lines.

 

[SecondCircle]

Tywin Lannister (as strange as it seems to others) was one of my favorite characters in the books and is in the show as well. Yes, he's the evil guy, and is a really cold bastard. And he's particularly cruel to Tyrion, who through no fault of his own, was born a dwarf.

But there's something about this type of "tyrant" or "villain" that I love. The entire scene with him and the snivelling boy king illustrated it all. Tywin has a commanding presence, and he's brilliant both on the battlefield and elsewhere. He's very tactful and precise. There's something both honorable and fearsome about him that makes people listen to him and not question his authority. Of course his fortune at Casterly Rock helped to cement that, but you have to admire his complete control of any situation.

I loved last night's scene because of how skillfully he handled Geoffrey. He knows that whatever the idiot king may be, he's still the king, and has power to do whatever he wants. He chose his words to be both respectful but effective. I liked when he ascended the steps to the iron throne, made his presence seem more threatening and commanding, and made the statement "We could arrange to have you carried." He said nothing that was outright blasphemous, but managed to make Geoffrey feel belittled and stupid. That is a character if I've ever seen one.

That's why I have to commend the show on their efforts. That scene, as best I can recall, was not in the books, and yet the orchestration of that moment explained so much about the characters.

Forgive me to those who hate Tywin, but sometimes great characters are not great people. But if everyone was "good" there would be no story worth telling.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

Tywin Lannister (as strange as it seems to others) was one of my favorite characters in the books and is in the show as well. Yes, he's the evil guy, and is a really cold bastard. And he's particularly cruel to Tyrion, who through no fault of his own, was born a dwarf.

But there's something about this type of "tyrant" or "villain" that I love.

As far as I can tell, Goffery is the only villain in the show. Everyone else has a pretty good reason for the horrible things they have done. But Goffery? He's just a petulant little shit with no redeeming qualities. String him up my his balls and lash him to death, I say.

 

[PennLady]

Tywin Lannister (as strange as it seems to others) was one of my favorite characters in the books and is in the show as well. Yes, he's the evil guy, and is a really cold bastard. And he's particularly cruel to Tyrion, who through no fault of his own, was born a dwarf.

Tywin is an excellent character, and there's nothing wrong with liking him even though he does what we think are bad or wrong things. For one thing, you need to consider context -- this is a medieval-type world where, as Cersei said, "Power is power." Tywin has a rich family and has no intention of losing it, or his influence.

I can't say he's terribly sympathetic, but in the books (IIRC), there are some points made that prior to his wife's death in childbirth with Tyrion, he did at least sometimes smile and even laugh, so perhaps it was the loss of his wife that caused much of his personality that we see. He blames Tyrion for his wife's death (and so does Cersei), and not only did she die -- he's a dwarf! Then Jaime, his son and heir, takes vows to be celibate and never marry. That can't sit well with a man who is raised in a world where family is of primary importance.

I loved the scene with Tywin and Joffrey, just as I loved the scene with Tywin and Lady Olenna from the week before. It's great both to see Tywin dominate someone like Joffrey, but then have to match wits with a peer.

As far as I can tell, Goffery is the only villain in the show. Everyone else has a pretty good reason for the horrible things they have done. But Goffery? He's just a petulant little shit with no redeeming qualities. String him up my his balls and lash him to death, I say.

Even Joffrey isn't exactly a villain. He's a spoiled brat with few redeeming qualities, but whose fault is that? His bio father wasn't allowed to acknowledge him; his "father" was a drunk who probably didn't know what to do with a kid if it couldn't drink or hunt; and his mother spoiled him. I will agree though, that Joffrey is probably the least sympathetic character in the show. Even Jaime Lannister, who pushed a young boy out a window, comes across as "better" than Joffrey, and others.

One of the great things about this series in both forms is that no one is pure -- no one is all good or evil, smart or dumb, etc. The only "truly good" man was Ned Stark, and look where that got him.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

Tywin is an excellent character, and there's nothing wrong with liking him even though he does what we think are bad or wrong things. For one thing, you need to consider context -- this is a medieval-type world where, as Cersei said, "Power is power." Tywin has a rich family and has no intention of losing it, or his influence.

I can't say he's terribly sympathetic, but in the books (IIRC), there are some points made that prior to his wife's death in childbirth with Tyrion, he did at least sometimes smile and even laugh, so perhaps it was the loss of his wife that caused much of his personality that we see. He blames Tyrion for his wife's death (and so does Cersei), and not only did she die -- he's a dwarf! Then Jaime, his son and heir, takes vows to be celibate and never marry. That can't sit well with a man who is raised in a world where family is of primary importance.

I loved the scene with Tywin and Joffrey, just as I loved the scene with Tywin and Lady Olenna from the week before. It's great both to see Tywin dominate someone like Joffrey, but then have to match wits with a peer.



Even Joffrey isn't exactly a villain. He's a spoiled brat with few redeeming qualities, but whose fault is that? His bio father wasn't allowed to acknowledge him; his "father" was a drunk who probably didn't know what to do with a kid if it couldn't drink or hunt; and his mother spoiled him. I will agree though, that Joffrey is probably the least sympathetic character in the show. Even Jaime Lannister, who pushed a young boy out a window, comes across as "better" than Joffrey, and others.

One of the great things about this series in both forms is that no one is pure -- no one is all good or evil, smart or dumb, etc. The only "truly good" man was Ned Stark, and look where that got him.

I would argue that the harranhaal bandits and many of the slavers are one-dimensionally evil, but they are the least interesting characters.

The Theon scene was pretty sad, I didn't think they were drawing it out. They've been having a lot of 'talky' episodes lately, and they have a reputation to keep!

Theon has lost his junk in the book series (which I am rereading, and loving)

I've always liked Osha. Hodor's line makes me laugh (as usual)

I'm always surprised at the extent that the show can go through to make characters likeable. Mellisandre and Joffery have both undergone some scenes recently that make me like their characters a little bit more. (just a smidgen in Joff's case) I love Davos a lot more in the show (in the book, I'm pretty 'meh') And I feel like margery has so little going for her in the books, and the show is turning her into a fan favorite.

Bronn might just be one of my favorite characters in the entire series. He's 'unimportant' enough so that he might escape this world unscathed (which is a secret desire of mine.)

 

[PennLady]

I would argue that the harranhaal bandits and many of the slavers are one-dimensionally evil, but they are the least interesting characters.

I'd agree, but part of them being uninteresting is that they just aren't developed. Then again, there are so many characters that they can't develop everyone. But I think it also shows that there isn't a "good" side vs a "bad" side.

The Theon scene was pretty sad, I didn't think they were drawing it out. They've been having a lot of 'talky' episodes lately, and they have a reputation to keep!

Theon has lost his junk in the book series (which I am rereading, and loving)

Well I'll disagree there. I do think Theon is more sympathetic than he was in the books, and I'm fine with that. His confession to CrazyGuy was a good scene that I don't think we ever got in the books, or if we did it wasn't until much later. But this whole thing of not knowing who CrazyGuy is has gone on far too long. You like Theon, and I get that, but that whole story line isn't going anywhere and hence it's boring. Now, I'm also still bored with Bran's story line to a degree, but at least you know that's going somewhere. Literally, they're trying to get to Castle Black, but more figuratively, Bran's growing with the dreams.

I've always liked Osha. Hodor's line makes me laugh (as usual)

Me too. I think the guy playing Hodor deserves some credit for infusing his one word with lots of different emotions and inflections.

I'm always surprised at the extent that the show can go through to make characters likeable. Mellisandre and Joffery have both undergone some scenes recently that make me like their characters a little bit more. (just a smidgen in Joff's case) I love Davos a lot more in the show (in the book, I'm pretty 'meh') And I feel like margery has so little going for her in the books, and the show is turning her into a fan favorite.

Bronn might just be one of my favorite characters in the entire series. He's 'unimportant' enough so that he might escape this world unscathed (which is a secret desire of mine.)

Bronn is fun. I don't like Melisandre, but I don't hate her. I'm curious to see what she does, so at least I guess she's interesting. Joffrey is... well, like I said before, I can drum up a little sympathy for him knowing that he grew up around screwed up people, but he's more psychopathic than intentionally evil or something. Hard to explain that.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I think you are worrying too much about who is torturing Theon. It's now about who they are and why they are doing it yet. All they are trying to do right now is show us how Theon is suffering. The particulars beyond that are being saved until later, and I'm fine with that.

 

[SecondCircle]

I dunno I think the theon stuff has been dragged on and on and on. Every week its the same thing, and we don't learn anything new. You would think by now that it would be leading somewhere. He's being tortured badly. We get it.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

Crazyguy is Roose Bolton's bastard... I thought we all knew that.

 

[SecondCircle]

Crazyguy is Roose Bolton's bastard... I thought we all knew that.

That much we could assume from the "reek" parts in the books. What we're saying is it is just the same old thing every week with his story, without much headway being made. I realize that's because certain stuff hasn't gone down yet, so they haven't revealed his identity, but I don't want "oh look, he's getting tortured. Oh he got out. Oh he's getting tortured again. Oh more torture." Its bland (even if it is torture).

 

[PennLady]

I dunno I think the theon stuff has been dragged on and on and on. Every week its the same thing, and we don't learn anything new. You would think by now that it would be leading somewhere. He's being tortured badly. We get it.

Exactly. This has not moved forward. If CrazyGuy is on Robb's side, once he had the confession, why didn't he take Theon to Robb for proper punishment? If not, why not take Theon to someone on the other side? Theon has some knowledge of the Starks and Winterfell and may be valuable. We know Theon is wrong; we know he is sorry; we know the guy likes to torture him. But that's all and it's stagnating.

Crazyguy is Roose Bolton's bastard... I thought we all knew that.

To echo a few others, yes, if you read the books you can guess that. If you haven't, he's just a crazy guy with no known affiliation.

 

[PennLady]

Season 7 on Facebook: http://www.happyplace.com/23906/game-of-thrones-facebook-recap-season-3-episode-7

 

[Cruel2BKind]

Season 7 on Facebook: http://www.happyplace.com/23906/game-of-thrones-facebook-recap-season-3-episode-7

Excellent as always.

TAKE ME WITH YOU.

lol.

 

[TheeGoatPig]

What the fuck?

 

[PennLady]

What the fuck?

Are you referring to last night's episode, or Cruel's quote above?

I liked last night's episode. I read a couple of recaps, which kind of complain how this was another "positioning" episode, i.e.., getting characters into place for upcoming events. Then I thought, well, duh, nearly every episode is that to some extent.

I liked the changes they made from the book to Tyrion and Sansa's wedding, and the wedding night. Loved Tyrion's drunken(?) threat to Joffrey. Peter Dinklage is so excellent in this role.

I've read the books, so I know what's coming -- eep.

So, did Sam forget his dragonglass knife? Or did we miss him picking it up?

 

[TheeGoatPig]

So, did Sam forget his dragonglass knife? Or did we miss him picking it up?

If anyone missed it, it was the camera man. I was very upset at him for letting that go after it did such a brilliant job of destroying the white walker. So does this mean we can blame Sam for their inevitable invasion of the south?

 

[PennLady]

If anyone missed it, it was the camera man. I was very upset at him for letting that go after it did such a brilliant job of destroying the white walker. So does this mean we can blame Sam for their inevitable invasion of the south?

Why not? His father probably will.

I also liked the scene with Sam and Gilly discussing the baby names. It underscores how ignorant -- but not in a bad way -- Gilly is, but Sam isn't all worldly, either. One thing that was in the books but hasn't been brought up yet, if it will be, is that Gilly insisted on not naming the baby until it was at least two years old, I think. Bad luck, she said, because many babies didn't live that long.

 

[Cruel2BKind]

Two weeks till the next episode.

excuse me while I curl into a fetal position and count the hours