Game of Thrones fans here?

[MU82]

It isn't a sport to me.  It is more like reading all the Batman comics as a kid and then seeing them come to life on a movie screen.  Its seeing something you loved on pages entertain people on a TV screen that wouldn't normally be into that genre.

A most reasonable answer, Hards. I guess there are two schools of thought to this and you and I are just in opposite schools.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I don't get why those who have read the books enjoy watching the show knowing exactly what all the huge stunners are going to be.

Maybe it's just the sports fan in me, but I HATE knowing even what might happen. I want every episode to be like a blank canvas, the same way each athletic event is.

If I knew for certain that Tiger Woods or the Heat or the Patriots were going to win, I wouldn't bother watching the game, even to see how they do it. I refuse to watch the Olympics on tape delay. For me, it's all about getting to the stirring conclusion -- of the sporting event or of the show.

I mean, I LOVED that I had no clue that Ned Stark was going to get killed. Right up until one second before the blade cut his head off, I thought he was going to be spared. When he was killed, I was amazed/stunned/aghast/enthralled/hooked.

But hey, I guess that's just me.

So I'm a hybrid on this one.  I'm a voracious reader of many things and often read books that appear on tv or film.  Tom Clancy novels I used to love seeing on film and felt they largely held their own on the screen.  Jack Reacher...was pathetic on the screen vs the book(s).  For GOT, I'm doing the reverse, watching the series and then going back and reading the books.  That way I'm not spoiled by it.  However, having to do business with HBO on a daily basis, I know enough about the plot lines for the next few series based on the books, scripts, etc that I pretty much know what happens without having read books 3, 4 or 5 yet...I'll have book 3 done this Summer I would guess.   It also helps me to read later to fill in the gaps because the show has so many stories going on at one time and shifting from one to the next to the next that it's often difficult to follow the characters and who is who.

[reinko]

So I'm a hybrid on this one.  I'm a voracious reader of many things and often read books that appear on tv or film.  Tom Clancy novels I used to love seeing on film and felt they largely held their own on the screen.  Jack Reacher...was pathetic on the screen vs the book(s).  For GOT, I'm doing the reverse, watching the series and then going back and reading the books.  That way I'm not spoiled by it.  However, having to do business with HBO on a daily basis, I know enough about the plot lines for the next few series based on the books, scripts, etc that I pretty much know what happens without having read books 3, 4 or 5 yet...I'll have book 3 done this Summer I would guess.   It also helps me to read later to fill in the gaps because the show has so many stories going on at one time and shifting from one to the next to the next that it's often difficult to follow the characters and who is who.

Jack Reacher books really that good?   Looking for some summer reads,  should I start at the beginning? Saw the movie,  just eh,  was unsure about the books.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Jack Reacher books really that good?   Looking for some summer reads,  should I start at the beginning? Saw the movie,  just eh,  was unsure about the books.

I enjoy them...read 11 of them so far.  Easy reads, the movie was terrible compared to the books.  You'll realize that about 20 pages in.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Confirmed with HBO tonight that GOT actors are locked up under contract.

[reinko]

Confirmed with HBO tonight that GOT actors are locked up under contract.

Including Dinklage?  Read that he was a holdout.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Including Dinklage?  Read that he was a holdout.

Unless they were giving me wrong information, they said all the actors were locked up during season 2.  They're pre production shooting right now.  They indicated they were burned by Sopranos because the original intent of the series was only 5 years, so when it was extended they had to cough up some extra dough.  As they put it to me last night, they "learned their lesson". Maybe they're wrong, as the folks I deal with are the distribution side, not the creative side.

Sure it wasn't this?

http://hbowatch.com/peter-dinklage-april-season-four/

[chapman]

Unless they were giving me wrong information, they said all the actors were locked up during season 2.

Which also makes sense, since they had to re-cast the Mountain and Beric Dondarrion from season one and not include Greatjohn, and didn't have any of those issues that I recall from season 2-3.  Unless they were too minor to lock up in the first place, or for Dondarrion the books claimed he wasn't even recognizable so the same actor would have been almost wrong anyway.

[Henry Sugar]

SPOILER: DON'T CLICK ON THE LINK UNLESS YOU'VE READ ALL OF THE BOOKS.

You've been warned.

http://squarelyrooted.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/narrative-structure-in-asoiaf/

The blog post breaks down ASOIAF books by looking at the character narrative and total content. Then he groups them into two Acts (Act one: books 1-3; Act two: books 4-5) and provides some additional commentary. His general argument is that the narrative structure of the book is a key part of the story as well.

Note: The Starks take up over 54% of the narrative structure in the first three books, and that is even after removing Jon Snow from that family for books two and three (since he is technically a member of the Night's Watch). Because the Starks dominate so much of the first three books, it's just a general reinforcement for the shock of Ned's death and the Red Wedding.

My take...
I'm not sure I agree with his approach on Tyrion, who he splits out from the Lannisters. I personally think that it makes more sense to have him as a Lannister regardless of how he may act differently from his family sometimes. And then it makes me question which family, if any, will dominate the third and final act.

Again, don't click if you haven't read all the books. But if you have, it's interesting.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

SPOILER: DON'T CLICK ON THE LINK UNLESS YOU'VE READ ALL OF THE BOOKS.

You've been warned.

http://squarelyrooted.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/narrative-structure-in-asoiaf/

The blog post breaks down ASOIAF books by looking at the character narrative and total content. Then he groups them into two Acts (Act one: books 1-3; Act two: books 4-5) and provides some additional commentary. His general argument is that the narrative structure of the book is a key part of the story as well.

Note: The Starks take up over 54% of the narrative structure in the first three books, and that is even after removing Jon Snow from that family for books two and three (since he is technically a member of the Night's Watch). Because the Starks dominate so much of the first three books, it's just a general reinforcement for the shock of Ned's death and the Red Wedding.

My take...
I'm not sure I agree with his approach on Tyrion, who he splits out from the Lannisters. I personally think that it makes more sense to have him as a Lannister regardless of how he may act differently from his family sometimes. And then it makes me question which family, if any, will dominate the third and final act.

Again, don't click if you haven't read all the books. But if you have, it's interesting.

Tyrion is definately a Lannister throughout.  agree on moving Snow out to the watch from the starks.

SPOILER:  There are some interesting theories about Snow's parentage out there too.

[muwarrior69]

Only a little more than a Week to go for season 4. Something to look forward to while waiting for our new coach.

[Hards Alumni]

SPOILER: DON'T CLICK ON THE LINK UNLESS YOU'VE READ ALL OF THE BOOKS.

You've been warned.

http://squarelyrooted.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/narrative-structure-in-asoiaf/

The blog post breaks down ASOIAF books by looking at the character narrative and total content. Then he groups them into two Acts (Act one: books 1-3; Act two: books 4-5) and provides some additional commentary. His general argument is that the narrative structure of the book is a key part of the story as well.

Note: The Starks take up over 54% of the narrative structure in the first three books, and that is even after removing Jon Snow from that family for books two and three (since he is technically a member of the Night's Watch). Because the Starks dominate so much of the first three books, it's just a general reinforcement for the shock of Ned's death and the Red Wedding.

My take...
I'm not sure I agree with his approach on Tyrion, who he splits out from the Lannisters. I personally think that it makes more sense to have him as a Lannister regardless of how he may act differently from his family sometimes. And then it makes me question which family, if any, will dominate the third and final act.

Again, don't click if you haven't read all the books. But if you have, it's interesting.

SPOILERS ALL:!!!!!


Tyrion is his father.  To a T.   Cersei and Jamie behave much more like Targaryens... and GRRM mentions in the books how big of a fan the Mad King was of Joanna Lannister...   

ZFB is referring to the R + L = J theory.

[Steve Buscemi]

Bump.  Can't wait for tomorrow night.  There's a marathon on HBO right now, too.

[Chili]

Bump.  Can't wait for tomorrow night.  There's a marathon on HBO right now, too.

Have been watching this weekend up until the games came on tonight. Pretty fired up.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Have been watching this weekend up until the games came on tonight. Pretty fired up.

Saw the premier two weeks ago to this season....eh.  Not bad, not great but it will build.

[Jay Bee]

Never seen it; hope I never do. Not a clue what it is about, yet I hate it.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Never seen it; hope I never do. Not a clue what it is about, yet I hate it.

Do us a favor, don't start now because we wouldn't want to explain it to you anyway.   

[brandx]

Never seen it; hope I never do. Not a clue what it is about, yet I hate it.

And, who cares?

[Stronghold]

Can't even get HBO GO to load right now!!!

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

Can't even get HBO GO to load right now!!!

What's the cheapest way to go about getting Game of Thrones?  I've never seen it, so I'd like to watch in bulk sometime soon.

[Coleman]

What's the cheapest way to go about getting Game of Thrones?  I've never seen it, so I'd like to watch in bulk sometime soon.

There isn't a cheap way. There are free ways and expensive ways.

I'm a sucker and paranoid of being that guy who got made an example of, so I pay for it.

I do enjoy it though. Thought the season premier was great.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Can't even get HBO GO to load right now!!!

https://twitter.com/poniewozik/statuses/452982861906595840

Yup, should have told you.  Got an alert from HBO earlier today they were having problems.....remember, streaming as cool as it is still has some considerable issues to deal with.  True Detective caused issues a few weeks ago, ABC went down a few weeks ago. Netflix has had 3 major outages in the last 6 months.

Technical advisory was sent early in the evening that HBO Go was having issues.

[ChicosBailBonds]

What's the cheapest way to go about getting Game of Thrones?  I've never seen it, so I'd like to watch in bulk sometime soon.

Do you have a television subscription?  Do you subscribe to HBO?  If so, all the past seasons are on VOD if you are with a decent television provider.

[MU82]

Thoroughly enjoyed the season opener.

My, those dragons have grown ... especially the one that snapped at Daenerys!!

[lab_warrior]

"You're going to for some chickens?!"

"SOMEBODY IS."


And this--comedy gold: