[Jimi Haze]

There's not much more nudity than there has been in other HBO shows such as Boardwalk Empire and even the Pacific.

I think it's shaping up to be a cracking series, admittedly I've never read the book(s) so it's all surprising what's coming up next.

[Joshalos]

People are probably being over the top about the nudity because people who have never read the books probably expected this to be a bit more' Lord of the Rings' based fantasy.
To be honest, this is just following the book very well by including all the sex scenes and everything. After all, sex is pretty much what Dothraki do.
If you thought Daenerys and her handmaid was a bit OTT, wait until you see what happens with them when Drogo isn't around.


I must say that I love the opening sequence the made for the series. The way the seven kingdoms unfold on the map, like a playing board is fantastic. The cast are brilliant too - especially Cersei, Arya, Tommen and the direwolf pups ;D

[NW86]

To be honest I thought the first 5 minutes of episode one were pretty good. The stuff with Sean Bean in Winterfell wasw average, and then it turned into a channel 5 xena warrior princess absolute **** fest with that nonsense on the other side of the ocean

[Fuzzpig]

The books just made me...


I need to see this, but I don't think I can!

[Phalanges]

(Original post by Aphotic Cosmos)
Didn't really get that sense here TBH. The only character I would pin down as evil at this point is Viserys (Harry Lloyd) - I mean prostituting your sister is low, man.

Every one of the Lancasters seem to be ridiculously evil just for the hell of it.

[Christien]

(Original post by Phalanges)
Every one of the Lancasters seem to be ridiculously evil just for the hell of it.

I haven't read the books, so I can't comment too much on this, but according to people who have read them they get better characterization later on, blond guy in particular. Also, the little dude isn't really evil, just hedonistic.

Anyway, it's only been two episodes. It's kind of hard to properly judge characters on that, and a big, expansive series like this will inevitably take some time to establish itself. Nobody I know really liked the first few episodes of The Wire.

[Phalanges]

(Original post by Ape Gone Insane)
Lannisters?

They're not all bad, and they develop and change.

(Original post by Christien)
I haven't read the books, so I can't comment too much on this, but according to people who have read them they get better characterization later on, blond guy in particular. Also, the little dude isn't really evil, just hedonistic.

Anyway, it's only been two episodes. It's kind of hard to properly judge characters on that, and a big, expansive series like this will inevitably take some time to establish itself. Nobody I know really liked the first few episodes of The Wire.

Ah, is that what they're called? I haven't learnt any of the names, to me they are Queen Bitch and The Brat.

Things may well improve in time, but I don't think that should be used an excuse. We're already two hours in by now, and that's a fair chunk of time. The lack of complexity of the characters coupled with how many strands that feel really disjointed are two big weaknesses of it so far for me. It's enjoyable enough, but it's not as memorable as I was expecting.

[Christien]

(Original post by Phalanges)
Ah, is that what they're called? I haven't learnt any of the names, to me they are Queen Bitch and The Brat.

Things may well improve in time, but I don't think that should be used an excuse. We're already two hours in by now, and that's a fair chunk of time. The lack of complexity of the characters coupled with how many strands that feel really disjointed are two big weaknesses of it so far for me. It's enjoyable enough, but it's not as memorable as I was expecting.

I appreciate that it must be frustrating at the moment, but I think it's a perfectly valid excuse. Two hours in is nowhere near enough to judge a series, and Game of Thrones is very much in its infancy. Seinfeld took a good three seasons to find its voice, the first season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was faintly terrible compared with what came after, the initial episodes of Deadwood were somewhat clunky, and there is the aforementioned example of The Wire, along with countless others. Conversely, series that start strongly often only get worse over time; fans of Heroes, Lost, Sopranos etc. will attest to that.


Anyway, this review was quite handy. It may not fill you with confidence, but it does reassure the reader that while Game of Thrones starts pretty poorly, it gets much better as it goes on. Also, it's the AV Club, and the AV Club is great:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/winter-is-coming,54682/

[Rant]

(Original post by riotgrrl)
I would contest this, but I'm actually in the middle of watching X-Men cartoons right now

Seriously though, I've generally got no problem with sex on tv, I just didn't expect to have boobs in my face every five minutes or so (probably because I haven't read the book!) and to me, it seemed somewhat gratuitous. Yes, yes, her brother is pimping her out, but did we need her to be undressed and felt up by her brother, dressed in see-through clothing through most of it, watching writhing naked people at her wedding AND see her with her husband on the wedding night for that point to have been made? In fact just the line about 40,000 dudes and their horses shagging her would have made it explicitly clear.

The books are much, much more explicit.

The TV show, like the books, is aimed at adults.

[Antonia87]

Its crap. And I was hoping it wouldnt be.

Its just doggy-style sex and violence, like Rome, like Spartacus, like all these shows. Disappointing.

[a_t]

it was so awesome

[QwentyJ]

(Original post by Antonia87)
Its crap. And I was hoping it wouldnt be.

Its just doggy-style sex and violence, like Rome, like Spartacus, like all these shows. Disappointing.

First time I've ever disagreed with you. Disappointing.

[Antonia87]

(Original post by QwentyJ)
First time I've ever disagreed with you. Disappointing.

Lol. Had to happen sometime I guess...

But do you like Dexter? Cos if you dont...

[Rant]

(Original post by Antonia87)
Its crap. And I was hoping it wouldnt be.

Its just doggy-style sex and violence, like Rome, like Spartacus, like all these shows. Disappointing.

Have you actually read the books?

[Antonia87]

(Original post by Rant)
Have you actually read the books?

No. Probably not going to now, if the show is accurate.

[riotgrrl]

(Original post by Rant)
The books are much, much more explicit.

The TV show, like the books, is aimed at adults.

Being aimed at adults doesn't have to automatically equal sex in every scene, y'know

Anyways, I saw the second episode and I liked it a lot more than the first. I've got a handle on who everyone is now and HBO even passed up the opportunity for gratuitous boobs by letting blondie have sex with her (not even see-through!) dress on. Progress!

[The Rusty Spork]

I enjoyed both episodes but didn't think they were anything special. As with the book I found there to be just too much going on, not giving you a chance to 'know' any of the characters. I gave up with the book because of this but I am willing to give the show a better chance and then maybe try the audiobook and see how that takes my fance

I KNEW it was Roxanne Mckee as well!

[QwentyJ]

(Original post by Antonia87)
Lol. Had to happen sometime I guess...

But do you like Dexter? Cos if you dont...

I watch it occasionally!

[Rant]

(Original post by Antonia87)
No. Probably not going to now, if the show is accurate.

Does it offend your delicate sensibilities?

[Phalanges]

(Original post by Christien)
I appreciate that it must be frustrating at the moment, but I think it's a perfectly valid excuse. Two hours in is nowhere near enough to judge a series, and Game of Thrones is very much in its infancy. Seinfeld took a good three seasons to find its voice, the first season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was faintly terrible compared with what came after, the initial episodes of Deadwood were somewhat clunky, and there is the aforementioned example of The Wire, along with countless others. Conversely, series that start strongly often only get worse over time; fans of Heroes, Lost, Sopranos etc. will attest to that.


Anyway, this review was quite handy. It may not fill you with confidence, but it does reassure the reader that while Game of Thrones starts pretty poorly, but gets much better as it goes on. Also, it's the AV Club, and the AV Club is great:

http://www.avclub.com/articles/winter-is-coming,54682/

I disagree. Just because a lot of other shows do the same thing doesn't excuse it, or stop you being able to judge it so far. If you compare it to something like the entrance of Lucas North on Spooks, by two hours they hadn't really told you all that much about him but you felt so much more attached to the character. Because there's so many different things happening in this it feels really distant and a lot less unconnected.