HBO's adaptation of Game of Thrones - Thread 2. There are a lot of nerds.

i appreciate something ineffable about the show has changed since jon snow got done in, but find myself not caring and enjoying it, albeit being happy that it's ending soon

i agree with everything in lindbergh's essay, but it's been getting worse for years and years now, not just all of a sudden here at the end. would i really want 3 more seasons of late-stage Game of Thrones? they really stepped in it once they started going past the source material, and i don't think they were going to suddenly figure it out anytime soon

one thing that the show is missing is that the first several seasons especially had the feel of a fully-populated and realized world, with a world history that was fully entrenched in the decisions being made, the lead characters were never stupid as much as they were naive to the realities of betrayal and dishonor, and for awhile many large battles were kept offscreen because the narrative intrigue was so strong that it kept the story moving along beautifully (even at its relative slow pace of world-changing events occurring). these dudes are doing the opposite: they want the major setpieces burnished with the veneer of half-assed intrigue that comes about because characters say stupid things because that's the only way to keep the story going to whatever end point they decided upon.

the battle episodes have largely owned, mind you, but they're examples of spectacle over any plotting. i bet the dudes love the big battles because they can write an episode where everything is put on hold except for who get their head hacked off and who the hero winds up being in the end.

been watching the show for the first time the last couple weeks and I'm up to the middle of season 4. honestly enjoying the show so much i might go to the source material and read a fantasy novel for the first time in my life. have had so many people tell me the show dips after season 4 so kind of sad that I've watched most of the purported peak of the show

It's all kinda heartbreaking since GRRM all but promised we wouldn't get a Lost/Battlestar ending, and that GoT would "stick the landing.". I guess he's right in that it won't be an anger-inducing WTF-style ending, but (and this is even worse) it looks like we're going to get a big dumb loud ending which ignores the smaller and bigger themes of GoT in favor of rooting for Jon to "win" the game.

xpost I read the first two books, and in my opinion the shows did a pretty good job with the material. At the same time, I didn't think they were particularly good or want to read any more of them.

xpost or for that matter even bothers to explain the magic and mythology the show has introduced.

jim, if you're interested in the world of the show and want to know more, definitely read the books. it's essentially the same plot, but the world is rendered under a microscope, instead of a magnifying glass

the books are pretty terrific in terms of plotting, up to the point that i read them. and many of the characters go in vastly different and more complex directions.

omar OTM - plotwise the books are a tour de force

Honestly my biggest gripe with the latest episode was how did Bronn just stroll into Winterfell with a crossbow.

I feel like even with the accelerated pace, the show could still be good with people that aren't colossal dumbshits in charge of it

I'm in full of agreement with D&D that the show has run its course and more than 73 hours is too much. I think they understood the more they take big narrative decisions in this universe, the more the franchise will be cheapened. They just ain't GRRM and there is nothing wrong with that, as long as they don't stretch it too far.

Given by how rushed this new stuff has felt, I don’t think the show has “run its course”, it just feels like these guys know they’re not particularly great at running this on their own and want to be rid of it.

Also lol at arbitrarily picking 73 hours as the sweet spot.

But like Karl or someone above said, I don’t need more of this if this is how pathetic it’s gonna be.

I mean that D&D have run their course with the show.

Honestly my biggest gripe with the latest episode was how did Bronn just stroll into Winterfell with a crossbow.

it has a zombie dragon-sized hole in the outer wall tbf.

(is it just me or does winterfell feel smaller than ever this season? it never really felt very big but this season it feels like a courtyard and not much more.)

They don't have the budget to make it bigger. Gotta save up for those dragons!

Want to know why Game of Thrones *feels* so different now? I think I can explain. Without spoilers. /1#GameofThrones #GoT #WritingCommunity

— Daniel Silvermint (@DSilvermint) May 7, 2019

Doesn't explain two truncated series and what seems like a rush to reach an artificial deadline.

It's fascinating/surprising/not surprising that this debate is playing out with literally two episodes left of the entire series, like everyone has come to the same conclusion at the same time but a couple of years too late. 7 seasons of ice zombies, they're gone, and people are all eh. What's left is a million posts/pieces not about 'what will happen' but asking 'why is this happening this way', which covers the same meta criticism ground of those chalking up years of odd creative decisions to a low CGI budget or whatever. So instead of discussions about plot or characters we're getting tons of 4th wall breaking discussions about the making of the show itself, which is neat but betrays a certain resignation.

Maybe I’m missing your point—it seems like you think the thread is D&D apologist? I didn’t get that impression at all. I didn’t think it’s making an excuse, so much as an explanation of what seems to have happened.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/game-of-thrones-season-8-director-questions_n_5cd45cb5e4b0796a95d84ece

Wow they are so dumb

Euron wasn’t really paying attention when Tyrion mentioned the pregnancy

xpost Oh, I'm not talking about this thread specifically, I'm talking the broader debate in places that cover it pretty religiously, like the Ringer and AVClub.

Xpost - ya, with Euron I find that believable.

Euron was "totally zoned out"

Dany forgot about the Iron fleet
Euron forgot about 'his' baby

Coming up: Jon forgets about Dany
Cersei forgets about the iron throne
Hot Pie forgets about hot pies

Look who's in the spirit!

I really hope @AnnRomney appreciates her Mother’s Day gift… pic.twitter.com/FnACKduZzK

— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) May 12, 2019

That’s shit just like the show

I thought Tagg was the fake one Schmitt made up on New Girl?

really poor typography on “ben“ tsk tsk

waste of time and energy on a laser cutter mittford

lmao

So at least what, three, four character arcs they completely FUBARed there?

but Cleganebowl!!

remembering that D&D have been developing a new Star Wars trilogy for the last while has helped me understand the direction

the only good way forward for the last season is if Dany goes mad like her father, that would rule

― a serious and fascinating fartist (Simon H.), Monday, July 24, 2017 12:03 AM (one year ago)

hmmmmm

It was the right story direction, but they really rushed to it didn’t they

yup

question is, whose face will arya be wearing when she merks dany

It just feels insubstantial, like the only reason Dany didn’t indulge her urge to burninate everything last week was because there were two more whole episodes to fill

someone do a simpsons meme with bart showing ralph wiggum’s heart breaking in slow motion to lisa juxtaposed with tyrion looking broken as danerys goes ham with the dragon

Hold on

Think of all the kids whose parents named them Daenerys or Khaleesi

— Lev Novak (@LevNovak) May 13, 2019

Dany going mad was a good choice and I didn't predict it would happen like this. Well done to whoever came up with it, GRRM.

The rest of the episode, uh

That was a very good and well-staged episode IMO but dammit I wish they hadn’t rushed to get to it. I’m usually in favor of shorter tv seasons but this is definitely a case where more episodes would have been better.

remembering that D&D have been developing a new Star Wars trilogy for the last while has helped me understand the direction

― Simon H., Monday, May 13, 2019 2:36 AM (forty-three minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, it explains a lot. Apparently HBO was going to give them all the resources and episodes they needed to finish but D&D chose to do it in six episodes. They’re clearly in a hurry to move on.

Not having any more book material to work with probably didn’t help either.

i don't see what Dany did as being particularly "mad" -- it was comparable to the US military strategy at the end of WW2 (e.g. Dresden) -- and speaking of which, I did love the Cersei/Quyburn tribute to the Hitler bunker scene in Downfall

Qyburn getting his watermelon smashed was my favorite thing in the episode

i found this episode pretty satisfying

Appreciated the total lack of Danerys-on-dragon shots. We don’t need her motivation, because whatever it is, it’s fucked

although the entire confrontation with her back home was very close to a “you need a snickers” commercial

Think of all the kids whose parents named them Daenerys or Khaleesi

boo fucking hoo, my name's still theon