HBO adaptation of Game of Thrones - will this be just for nerds? (NO SPOILERS PLEASE)

<i>There were a couple discussions in season 1 about how there wasn't a Westeros army, it was basically just made up of various loyal houses who could split any time if they weren't happy.</i>
True, but after Robert claimed the throne people bent the knee/signed treaties with him or whatever. And then when the Ironmen rebelled a few years before the start of the series, his rebellion was quashed on behalf of the king by Ned Stark, who was...Warden of the North, and that kind of thing comes with the title. Think Tywin Lannister was Warden of the West.

el tombot goes off upthread about how westeros is a libertarian paradise

the power structure is king --> regional "wardens" --> bannermen --> subjects

at each level the people swear fealty to those above them

If that's paradise we better keep Ron Paul out of office.

theoretically one of the powerful houses could break their vows to the king and launch a rebellion, its what baratheon did to the targaryen, what the greyjoys attempted, and what robb stark is more or less attempting to do now (though he wants to separate, not to become king of westeros), but b/c honor is the paramount virtue in westeros it would take an even bigger breach of honor on the part of the king to lead a sworn subject to do so

With the powerful houses, there's really only a few who could realistically challenge a king, so the kings keep them in line with marriage/powerful positions. Hence Robert marrying Cersei.

Although it works both ways - it got Tywin the Warden of the West gig, and put him in a strong position to claim de facto rulership of Westeros when Robert died.

thought the lannisters have always been the wardens of the west?

With the powerful houses, there's really only a few who could realistically challenge a king, so the kings keep them in line with marriage/powerful positions. Hence Robert marrying Cersei.

― gyac, Monday, April 23, 2012 3:13 PM (9 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

probably an even bigger motivation was the fact that he wanted access to the lannister's fortune too, robert was a big spender and his house is in massive debt to the lannisters by book one.

Have we met a Martell yet?

can someone put this in terms of Star Wars, as opposed to Ancient Roman periods?!

kingsguard = http://switz.tripod.com/RoyalGuard17.jpg

sellswords = http://images.wikia.com/starwars/images/6/63/BountyHunters.jpg

Yeah, the Lannisters have had that title for ages. Tywin was also Hand to the mad king beforehand.

xp I can't wait til we meet the Martells!

Pretty good episode, but man that scene at the gates of Qarth was totally cheeseball in execution. "I INVOKE SUMAI!"

Harrenhal was perfect, though. Stoked about shadowbaby hijinx next week!

yeah i think we've established that joffrey is horrible at this point

― l0u1s j0rdan (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, April 23, 2012 5:59 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

seriously.

so I guess The Brotherhood is a "thing" and not just some minor local issue that'll never come back?

because this show needs more shit to introduce and develop

yeah the Brotherhood comes up later but it plays a big role

I will say that Joffrey cranking up the crossbow is probably the first time he's ever felt truly menacing, if that makes sense.

i agree with "develop" not so much with introduce; we got so fucking much on the plate already it feels like everything that's happened this season is just moving the pieces around and adding new factions. Not even a solid murder yet. And Jaimie's only shown up once! I'm aware this is following the books, but c'mon: we're drowning in characters already.

Not even a solid murder yet.

Solid in terms of the person being important, sure. Solid in terms of awesome, no.

what was the important murder this season?

because this show needs more shit to introduce and develop

I think it's safe to say that it isn't going to get any easier. There are a lot of places on the map that we haven't been to yet.

i agree with "develop" not so much with introduce; we got so fucking much on the plate already it feels like everything that's happened this season is just moving the pieces around and adding new factions. Not even a solid murder yet. And Jaimie's only shown up once! I'm aware this is following the books, but c'mon: we're drowning in characters already.

― boy, was that Dan Fielding hungry for some cake! (forksclovetofu), Monday, April 23, 2012 9:00 PM (40 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Just wait until we get to Ser Barko of Sealton and his underwater castle.

what was the important murder this season?

No, I meant sure, there haven't been any important murders yet.

I'm aware this is following the books, but c'mon: we're drowning in characters already.

They've really done a remarkable amount of streamlining already. It's quite a task

shouldn't have Cat's family shown up at this point?? what are the tully's doing?

Is Cat's creepy sister with the kid an Arran now? And are Arrans the Lords of the Vale?

or was she in a Tully stronghold?

Houses:

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Houses_of_Westeros

missing houses Pain, Buggin, Waffle, and Pancake

whoever said they've done an admirable job of streamlining this is otm---I encouraged my roommate to watch this and for him to go hog wild with the "ok who's THAT guy" questions and it actually wasnt that difficult to nutshell a lot of it? and this dude basically doesn't watch tv, has never been a fantasy dude, and is in general a perfect test case. a guess a lot of the plot devices are actually standard enough ("this person is made because that person killed this other person") that most scenes have an easily graspable power gradient or w/e

explaining the sopranos would've been trickier

yeah but her brother Edmure & uncle Brynden aka the Blackfish should really be introduced at some point.

Got confused that Bolton was the Great House of the North (lol has GRRM ever been to Bolton?) but alright, worked it out. (going to assume there are spoilers there, btw)

ah, and the Martell's are home to the famed Dornish wines/whores. Can't wait to see them.

also apologies for asking clarification questions here from time to time, but google is a minefield of spoilers

Nah it's cool, fire away.

(going to assume there are spoilers there, btw)

There are only spoilers there if you click into one of the houses and read about it. On the root page it's fine.

so Stark and Tully have been officially exiled?

After closer reading there are definitely spoilers on that page, sorry!

Oh, was guy talking to Robb on battlefield Roose Bolton?

yup

I almost feel like putting up a poll of favorite houses, but I probably would never recover from the feelings of dorkiness.

I'm just about to start DwD, when I finish I may well do a POV character poll (excluding all the one-off ones)

aw man not another fucking smoke monster

tyrion aside this was a horrible and shitty episode and probably for the first time kinda made me feel like a saddo for even watching this show

the thirteen were SO CRINGE

it's the same smoke monster--irc the island is in westeros somewhere.
thought the last two eps were both kinda middling but i'm gonna stick w it of course.

the thirteen were SO CRINGE

― r|t|c, Tuesday, 24 April 2012 01:41 (6 minutes ago)

I definitely cringed a little at "Xaro Xhoan Daxos". I mean it's fine on the page...

they're going insanely overboard with the sex and violence too. Most of which is not on the page

this one was probably the worst of the series. exposition was clunky and they couldn't even hang it on some decent thematic thread. obv i am crazy excited about next week, because I always am.

This was the last ep sent to critics (at least in the initial review package), which is the same as last year, and iirc it was about episode five where it became less about establishing everything and more about shit kicking into gear. I'm hoping this season follows that same rhythm, but with so much new crap i dunno.

xposts

I really don't think they are. There seems to be a lot less sex at least, at least as far as pointless nudity goes (only real case of sexposition all season was greyjoy in the ship iirc).

Violence is brutal, yes, but in times of war it makes sense that the worst excesses of a culture comes out.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/22795/game-of-thrones-to-english-premier-league-converter&usg=AFQjCNGyNhPuv7-hhWfL5LGer903S3TF_w

nn did you see this btw!