THE GAME OF THRONES/ASOIAF SPOILER THREAD (WARNING: SPOILERS)

I'm thinking they get rescued by Jon Snow complete with the ensuing tearful reunion, or maybe we finally get some Coldhands action.

There's a huge translation problem with Bran's story in that it's both massively inward-focused, making it difficult to translate to a visual medium, and mostly a boring trek through the woods. I'm pretty confident that if he were to do a rewrite, Martin would put more interesting things/near-misses with other major characters into the storyline just to make it more interesting.

yeah, coldhands is the one missing thing in that plotline that hasn't been addressed

that departure made me annoyed, except for getting to see more of "Owen out of Torchwood"

Bran's story contains like 99% of the interesting backstories and magic though so

but then it reminded me of the "Owen is actually dead" plotline from Torchwood which was a lot more interesting than Bran

I was thinking about how much I like Meera's hair, and then Owen went ahead and starting perving out on it himself, and then I felt disgusting.

I'm guessing the upcoming raid at crasters/ presumed rescue of Bran is a way to eliminate Coldhands altogether. They didn't show the magic goatse either.

yeah I've assumed for awhile now that CH is not gonna be on the show. The character is confusing to the mythos and would be frighteningly expensive to render on screen as much as he'd need to be there. Jon could just send Bran off with a trusted ranger who could fulfill the role.

naaaah. coldhands has got to be in. the crasters diversion is just for something, anything to actually happen

is Coldhands like Tom Bombadil or something (don't make me look up any stupid GoT wiki)

he may or may not be the missing uncle

may or may not be a wight

i love reading the wiki for this stuff, tbh

naaaah. coldhands has got to be in. the crasters diversion is just for something, anything to actually happen

― Roberto Spiralli, Friday, 2 May 2014 21:18 (7 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

the crasters diversion was some weird shit

dont understand coldhands at all, like idk? the narrative is questionable, imho

hahah wrong thread -- you want the non-spoilers thread

that post has rattled me

http://i.imgur.com/ucXHNsU.jpg

Whoever plays Mace Tyrell, I feel like he'd be better suited to playing one of Cersei's cronies after Tywin's fall

Like the Mastre of Coin who is always coughing

they have made him into maybe just a little too much of a cipher, but i guess there isn't a lot of material to work with.

i wonder if it was a mistake not to have had the show go to dorne before oby dies. i feel like it would've given him more substance as a character and it would've made for a smoother introduction of the new area and people. also, if they are going to do all of the fucking around in dorne (which i enjoyed in the books) and the iron islands (...less so) i think they should've got underway with one or the other. if they want to do the bulk of both next season i am not sure how that'll sit. actually, the iron islands could've used some more screen time in general. basically forgetting about the iron islanders after having established them is weird, and the 2 scenes we've seen recently with balon and 'yaya' and then yara's terrible outing this week both seemed totally tacked on.

I think it'll be a cool reveal when they go to Dorne & see the sand snakes and then people realize that's where that badass Oberyn comes from

With the Iron Islands they should cut straight to uh Eukaryote the One-Eyed Demon guy & have his dude blow the horn and sizzle up on the spot, maybe spontaneous combustion

I imagine they'll reduce the fucking around in Dorne considerably, and the fucking around in the Iron Islands even more considerably.

I mean once you get past all the machinations they basically come down to 'we're sending a guy after Dany'.

I just want to see Victarion's sick Octopus cape and squid helmet but considering the short shrift they've given to crazy costumes I don't see it happening. In fact should they even have any other Iron Islanders I imagine they'll just pick Crow's Eye since it's easier to have a rascally eyepatch dude than a prickly religious fanatic (of which the show already has one).

The bit where the Dornish send what's-his-name after Dany and we waste a whole book on it, just to see him fry, is probably the most frustrating part of the series for me.

it needs to feel like oberyn might actually beat the mountain, in fact it needs to feel like fuck yes he's gonna beat him. But they've done nothing to establish his combat bona fides. He is coming off as a badass, sure, but mostly an intellectual one.

how many gd times do we need it established that he is a sensualist

dedicate 1 minute of that time to showing him practicing with his weapon ffs

The bit where the Dornish send what's-his-name

His name was Oliver or something.

But they've done nothing to establish his combat bona fides.

That scene in the brothel where he stabs a Lannister guard through his wrist?

they need a little more than that. I mean he reveals his plan to use a poison spear doesn't he?

Balon's not dead yet, right? Didn't Mel make a bloodleech with his name on it?

still alive and yes there was a balon leech. given how the show likes to roll things up i wonder if they will have jaqen kill him.

well, he should be dead already, but considering the show changed the plot of the books of having Theon's sister be "I must save my baby brother" -- in the books, she goes back to the mainland because of the outcome of the succession, right?

it needs to feel like oberyn might actually beat the mountain, in fact it needs to feel like fuck yes he's gonna beat him. But they've done nothing to establish his combat bona fides. He is coming off as a badass, sure, but mostly an intellectual one.

― Khamma chameleon (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, May 13, 2014 5:46 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

how many gd times do we need it established that he is a sensualist

― Khamma chameleon (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, May 13, 2014 5:46 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

dedicate 1 minute of that time to showing him practicing with his weapon ffs

― Khamma chameleon (Jon Lewis), Tuesday, May 13, 2014 5:47 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

otoh, is there not an argument that they're deliberately wanting to make that a bit of a reveal in and of itself? Like, having viewers respond to his volunteering to fight the Mountain with a raised eyebrow - "What, this guy's going to fight the Mountain?!"

And then have them all be bowled over when he turns out to be a supremo-badass? idk, I feel that the "Fuck yes he's gonna beat him!" moment can come during the fight itself rather than in the build-up

Perhaps they want to turn his poisoned spear into a METAPHOR first, do you see.

all METAPHORS must be underscored by Littlefinger voiceovers

Using his Treacle Jr. voice/accent.

good point Windsor. That'd be dramaturgically sound.

Rate they're going, doesn't seem like there'll be much AFFC material sneaking in this season. Guessing Mountain v Viper will be key event piece of S8, the battle of the wall of S9, and Tyrion offing Tywin of S10.

depends on the story though. They're already deep into Dany and Theon's ADwD material and bran, presuming no more detours, isn't far behind really. Brienne, too, is already beginning her AFFC stuff.

Just checked and the final episode is called 'The Children', so we have a rough idea of what to expect from Bran's storyline in that one.

Good job consolidating Rory and Biter - I forget what happens in the books, they follow Brienne onto some hill or something?

Brienne runs into Gendry and the brotherhood and ends up assaulted by those two, or something like that and I believe barely survives? who knows, that book is so bad.

They meet Brienne at the Inn at the Crossroads, which has been taken over by children and Gendry. Brienne kills Rorge, is attacked by Biter, passes out, and is picked up by the brotherhood without banners.

I dropped the show and started reading book four instead. I'm mainly interested in the world and the backstory, and the show skimped on that to make place for all the rape. I liked most of book four, but I'm quite amused at how GRRM ever thought this strategy would be okay with his audience. Waiting five years, and then half the story has been held back, to make place for four Dorne-chapters which is basically Arianne trying to do something but being imediately foiled. Like, what was he thinking? Just write until it seems like a book, release, keep on writing. Man, it is weird.

Oh I guess that's how Brienne ends up there

Can't help thinking of the Simpsons "I call the big one Bitey" when Biter is mentioned

Similarly, next episode I am for sure going to be thinking "His name is Robert Paulsen"

http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/05/21/game-of-thrones-spain/

TV’s most globe-trotting series is preparing to add another country to its passport. Sources say HBO’s Game of Thrones is looking to film part of season 5 in Spain. The HBO fantasy hit is currently scouting locations in the Andalucia region of the country and is deep in talks with a local film commission.

[...]

While fans of George R.R. Martin’s novels will certainly have their theories, we cannot reveal which part of the increasingly expansive world of Game of Thrones that Spain will help depict.

That's the flimsiest SHHHH I've ever seen.

Spain feels a little too on the nose tbh

Everything about Dorne is on the nose

it could be Braavos

Aah yeah, kind of assumed they'd already filmed on location after the Daavos speech scene.

Good point. I always pictured Braavos as Venice, though.