Thankfully I'm ahead of the TV show with the books which are a hell of a lot more detailed in terms of characters and relationships. Difficult to replicate it on screen though as the structure means a lot of things are going on at once.
The novels are mammoth pieces of works but definitely worth a read.
someweeks i'm into it and others I pick up the laptop mid episode. depends which family its more about that episode. Sometimes its a bit too violent for my liking and I hide my eyes. understood it all a lot more once I read that website that has the family trees and everyones name on it. Would be simpler if they all had normal names.
It's very good but I think the second series has suffered because there are just so many plt lines going on. I've read the first three books twice so know what's going on but it must be confusing if you haven't.
The last episode shown concentrated on just one plotline and was easily the best of the series so far.
The show is starting to deviate more and more from the books, hopefully recognising that the 4th and 5th of the are sadly not up to the standard of the first three.
The last episode shown concentrated on just one plotline and was easily the best of the series so far.
After reading the book I was really looking forward to this episode but was pretty disappointed.
The battle was epic in the book in the way it was described, but I thought the screen version was very much watered down. I know they can't fit everything in but I think it should've been ramped up a few notches.
The last episode shown concentrated on just one plotline and was easily the best of the series so far.
After reading the book I was really looking forward to this episode but was pretty disappointed.
The battle was epic in the book in the way it was described, but I thought the screen version was very much watered down. I know they can't fit everything in but I think it should've been ramped up a few notches.
I was just pleased that they did a battle at all - they'd dodged the earlier ones.
I didn't think the battle scenes were all that, but it was really well directed and the tension ramped up nicely. Cersei was particularly great in this episode.
I'm watching it after reading the books - i have to say that i have been slightly disappointed with some of the changes in the story - but i can't imagine the series would do too well if they tried to fit everything in. Still a fantastic series.
I think i would have prefered it if i had not read the books first. Tyrion is great, but not what i had expected after reading the books - but then again, they are unlikely to cast someone who is as ugly as he is portrayed in the book - they even manage to make the hound look pretty good compared to what i was thinking.
I think in the books, maybe they introduce a few too many characters, and they have gotten around that in the tv series. Some of the selections of actors have not quite lived up to my expectations, for example - the mountain (gregor clegane) - he's just not scary - i presume this is because a) it is hard to find a 7ft actor, and b) one of the ways to reduce the importance of certain characters.
Anyone here read all the books? I am about a 1/3 of the way through the fifth book and really enjoying it. I thought the first to third books were also excellent, but what happened in book 4 - dragged so much!
I don't think 'would ya' questions cut it for this series - maybe 'wouldn't ya'?
I've read all the books, got into the them years ago. Meaning I'm one of the fanboys the producers had to impress with the tv series. So far so good. Most of the casting is excellent. All the Stark kids are spot on really, as well as the Lannisters. I only watched half of the 1st series because I had just reread some of the earlier books and I wanted to finish them all before watching. But from what I have seen they do seem to be sticking to the books well. Of course there is so much more detail in the books, but that is usually the case with these things. Think I will start series 2 today.
After LOST ended I didn't think I'd find a show for a while that I would look forward to on a weekly basis - but this is doing it. I'd tune in for Tyrion alone.
Re. the quality of this week's coverage of the battle - it's easy to forget it's a TV show on a (relatively) tight budget. And the explosion alone must have cost a pretty penny to depict. I thought they did it pretty well, although the books remain unwrapped under my desk so don't have any expectations to compare it to. Every time they refer to an occurrence in battle, as opposed to screening it, they save a couple of hundred grand!!
Besides, comparing to books is redundant to me - apples and oranges etc. - no reason why we can't enjoy both! Except I find the pile of books too daunting!
I love it. Best thing on TV at the moment. Finished the first series and rewatched it again. Am waiting for the 2nd series to finish before starting on that. Probably watch the first series again before that.
Great show, started watching it first and then started reading the book about two weeks back and just finished the first one. Best thing I've seen since The Sopranos.
After LOST ended I didn't think I'd find a show for a while that I would look forward to on a weekly basis - but this is doing it. I'd tune in for Tyrion alone.
Re. the quality of this week's coverage of the battle - it's easy to forget it's a TV show on a (relatively) tight budget. And the explosion alone must have cost a pretty penny to depict. I thought they did it pretty well, although the books remain unwrapped under my desk so don't have any expectations to compare it to. Every time they refer to an occurrence in battle, as opposed to screening it, they save a couple of hundred grand!!
Besides, comparing to books is redundant to me - apples and oranges etc. - no reason why we can't enjoy both! Except I find the pile of books too daunting!
With so much plot to cram into 1 hour a week, I'm glad they don't waste time depicting every single battle. This weeks episode was fantastic but if all we saw every week was fighting it'd get pretty tedious imo.
As it is, it's putting in a very strong bid for my all time favourite TV show - it's pretty much perfect imo.
The only thing that worries me is how long it takes the author to write the books. Last one came out September (I think) last year, but it was months overdue. There was 6 years between it and the one before. They could end up running out of books to film!
The only thing that worries me is how long it takes the author to write the books. Last one came out September (I think) last year, but it was months overdue. There was 6 years between it and the one before. They could end up running out of books to film!
I'm about halfway through 'Feast for Crows' which is the fourth volume but the fifth book because the previous volume stretched to two books (at least in paperback.) When I finish the Feast then I will move onto volume 5 (A Dance with Dragons) which also comprises two paperbacks (similarly huge ones.) Anyway I listened to an interview with George Martin (the author not the 5th Beatle) on my iPad (just to taunt those Apple detractors) when he visited the UK a few months ago and he speculated that the next and penultimate volume (which will also extend to two paperbacks) might be out in 2014/2015 !! At this rate we might expect the final volume just before Zager & Evans' only hit returns to the Radio One playlist. Interestingly George Martin has already developed the whole storyline but Obviously hasn't covered the finer detail and dialogue in the books yet. As he's presently 63 years old part of the deal with HBO, who produce the programme, involved Martin informing the show's producers of the entire storyline just in case he does an Eddard before the complete works are published.
Books and tv series very high up my respective 'favourite ever' lists. I had actually had the first book for donkey's years before the show came out but got scared off by the size of it, watched the first episode and now I'm hooked on both!
The only thing that worries me is how long it takes the author to write the books. Last one came out September (I think) last year, but it was months overdue. There was 6 years between it and the one before. They could end up running out of books to film!
I'm about halfway through 'Feast for Crows' which is the fourth volume but the fifth book because the previous volume stretched to two books (at least in paperback.) When I finish the Feast then I will move onto volume 5 (A Dance with Dragons) which also comprises two paperbacks (similarly huge ones.) Anyway I listened to an interview with George Martin (the author not the 5th Beatle) on my iPad (just to taunt those Apple detractors) when he visited the UK a few months ago and he speculated that the next and penultimate volume (which will also extend to two paperbacks) might be out in 2014/2015 !! At this rate we might expect the final volume just before Zager & Evans' only hit returns to the Radio One playlist. Interestingly George Martin has already developed the whole storyline but Obviously hasn't covered the finer detail and dialogue in the books yet. As he's presently 63 years old part of the deal with HBO, who produce the programme, involved Martin informing the show's producers of the entire storyline just in case he does an Eddard before the complete works are published.
In all honesty, even that's hopelessly optimistic. Both Feast for Crows and Dance with Dragons were at least 3 years later than Martin initially promised. And to be IMO they weren't worth the wait. I'd be really surprised if he next one comes out much before 2018.
Books are brilliant, though they do get SOOO bloody confusing at times, i'm currently on A dance with dragons and i have to keep looking at the index of people at the back to remember what's going on!
I'm gonna be gutted when i've finished all of volume 5 and i have to wait god knows how long for the next one
Will have to start watching the series then i think. I've seen bits of series 1, it does look decent but obviously lacking so much detail compared to the novels.
Comments
Tyrion Lannister is quality.
Tyrion Lannister is quality.
Thankfully I'm ahead of the TV show with the books which are a hell of a lot more detailed in terms of characters and relationships. Difficult to replicate it on screen though as the structure means a lot of things are going on at once.
The novels are mammoth pieces of works but definitely worth a read.
someweeks i'm into it and others I pick up the laptop mid episode. depends which family its more about that episode. Sometimes its a bit too violent for my liking and I hide my eyes. understood it all a lot more once I read that website that has the family trees and everyones name on it. Would be simpler if they all had normal names.
The last episode shown concentrated on just one plotline and was easily the best of the series so far.
The show is starting to deviate more and more from the books, hopefully recognising that the 4th and 5th of the are sadly not up to the standard of the first three.
The battle was epic in the book in the way it was described, but I thought the screen version was very much watered down. I know they can't fit everything in but I think it should've been ramped up a few notches.
Sometimes forget the names but can still follow it.
I agree with Zinedine, Tyrion is brilliant.
Looking forward already to series 3.
And while we're on series 3s can't wait for Walking Dead.
Feel sorry for anyone on Virgin as they can't get Sky Atlantic.
I didn't think the battle scenes were all that, but it was really well directed and the tension ramped up nicely. Cersei was particularly great in this episode.
I think i would have prefered it if i had not read the books first. Tyrion is great, but not what i had expected after reading the books - but then again, they are unlikely to cast someone who is as ugly as he is portrayed in the book - they even manage to make the hound look pretty good compared to what i was thinking.
I think in the books, maybe they introduce a few too many characters, and they have gotten around that in the tv series. Some of the selections of actors have not quite lived up to my expectations, for example - the mountain (gregor clegane) - he's just not scary - i presume this is because a) it is hard to find a 7ft actor, and b) one of the ways to reduce the importance of certain characters.
Anyone here read all the books? I am about a 1/3 of the way through the fifth book and really enjoying it. I thought the first to third books were also excellent, but what happened in book 4 - dragged so much!
I don't think 'would ya' questions cut it for this series - maybe 'wouldn't ya'?
So far so good. Most of the casting is excellent. All the Stark kids are spot on really, as well as the Lannisters.
I only watched half of the 1st series because I had just reread some of the earlier books and I wanted to finish them all before watching.
But from what I have seen they do seem to be sticking to the books well. Of course there is so much more detail in the books, but that is usually the case with these things.
Think I will start series 2 today.
And I will be on my best behaviour spoiler-wise!
Re. the quality of this week's coverage of the battle - it's easy to forget it's a TV show on a (relatively) tight budget. And the explosion alone must have cost a pretty penny to depict. I thought they did it pretty well, although the books remain unwrapped under my desk so don't have any expectations to compare it to. Every time they refer to an occurrence in battle, as opposed to screening it, they save a couple of hundred grand!!
Besides, comparing to books is redundant to me - apples and oranges etc. - no reason why we can't enjoy both! Except I find the pile of books too daunting!
As it is, it's putting in a very strong bid for my all time favourite TV show - it's pretty much perfect imo.
They could end up running out of books to film!
Anyway I listened to an interview with George Martin (the author not the 5th Beatle) on my iPad (just to taunt those Apple detractors) when he visited the UK a few months ago and he speculated that the next and penultimate volume (which will also extend to two paperbacks) might be out in 2014/2015 !! At this rate we might expect the final volume just before Zager & Evans' only hit returns to the Radio One playlist.
Interestingly George Martin has already developed the whole storyline but Obviously hasn't covered the finer detail and dialogue in the books yet. As he's presently 63 years old part of the deal with HBO, who produce the programme, involved Martin informing the show's producers of the entire storyline just in case he does an Eddard before the complete works are published.
I'm gonna be gutted when i've finished all of volume 5 and i have to wait god knows how long for the next one
Will have to start watching the series then i think. I've seen bits of series 1, it does look decent but obviously lacking so much detail compared to the novels.