Game of Thrones ep 3 (the clueless about the books POV)

[shapinglight]

So, I watched Game of Thrones ep 3 this morning.

Spoilers within.



I enjoyed it very much. For one thing, it could be subtitled: Brit Character Actors 'R' Us. You can't move for said character actors, all using their own accents and not having to be villains - at least, not always. I couldn't remember their names quite often. Was reduced to saying, "Oh, it's that bloke off that program!" etc, etc. But Julian Glover? Blimey! And doesn't he look old now?

Speaking of character actors, the first Big Scene in the ep, the confrontation between Ned Stark and Jaime Lanister was just delicious. The two actors managed to convey a big boatload of exposition (your dad killed my dad-type stuff) the short version of which was, "I don't like you!", without it once getting boring.

That said, things livened up even more when Aiden Gillen turned up (can't remember the character's name). He and Tyrion Lanister (can't remember the actor's name) between them kept me vastly entertained the whole way through the episode. I'm left wondering if Aiden Gillen fingered Tyrion as the owner of the dagger because it was true, or because he has a vendetta against him, because you know that he has to have an angle, and Catelyn telling Ned he would never lie to her pretty much confirms that.

In fact, the only time I found myself thinking bloody get on with it! was during the Be Rude to the Minions scene featuring King Robert and various Lanisters. He doesn't come across well, does he, King Robert? Poor old Ned! This King's Hand thing seems a bit of a thankless role. Basically you do all the work and the king gets to lounge around doing bugger all (except be rude to the minions and drink).

Other characters were also on-form - the evil queen and the slappable bratty prince, Tyrion at the Wall (and boy were those scenes atmospheric with all the snow), and Jon Snow sort-of beginning to find his feet there and make friends, or at least allies, and lots of doom-mongering from the old codgers in the Nightwatch and poor little Bran's nurse (terrific turn from that actress). Loved it.

I do wonder what the Nightwatch have against these wilding people, though. Surely, if the wildings are skipping about on the far side of the wall they're not doing any harm? Why does anyone care enough to kill them?

Elsewhere, I even got my wish re: Dany and Khal Drogo, since Drogo actually managed to formulate a whole sentence in this episode, which constitutes considerable progress from ep 1. It's still impossible to tell if anything else is going on inside his head beyond, "Food!Sex!Kill!" but still....

Of course my favourite scene of all was Arya's 'dancing' lesson, which was just superb. Something tells me too that down the line she'll be glad she knows how to fight and maybe other people will too.

So all in all, lots of terrific new characters (the King's Hand's council are a laugh riot), especially Aiden Gillen (who is he meant to be again?) and some lovely set pieces, particularly the scenes on the wall and that last one, the dancing lesson.

Jon Snow's direwolf is still AWOL, though. Wonder where it's got to.

Comments

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

I loved the nurse too. Do you think she'd come and tell me stories.

It seems to me that the real players in this will be the kids.

[shapinglight]

Do you think she'd come and tell me stories.

I don't see why not, seeing as Bran doesn't want her. :)

I'm sure you're right about the kids. Am wondering how long before they get replaced by older actors and we're told it's '10 years later.'

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Am wondering how long before they get replaced by older actors and we're told it's '10 years later.'

Never, if they stick to the books. No skips in time.

[shapinglight]

Really? So we get to see them grow up in real time, a bit like in Harry Potter?

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

If they stay true to the Books? Pretty much. That's how they are aging in the books - in real time. No skipping ahead.

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

Next season maybe?

[shapinglight]

Apparently not, according to shadowkat67. If HBO are being true to the books, the kids will grow up in real time, like in Harry Potter.

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

Oh. The focus on them does rather imply otherwise.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

It's why the casting was so key for the kids. They had to get really good performers...because well, it's just like Harry Potter. Screw up and you're stuck. And you can't screw up on those kids - they are major characters.

[shapinglight]

Well, they certainly seem to have cast well. In fact, I'm very impressed with the whole cast.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Right there with you. I wasn't sure about a couple of people - when they were announcing it the cast about a year or so ago. Nicolas Costa Walder (I'd seen in New Amsterdam but that was a fairly weak show), and Lena Headley was Sara Connor - neither quite fit the image of Jamie and Cersei in my head based on what I'd seen them in. But
they've managed to surprise me - both are pitch-perfect in the roles.

This is a bit like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Hunger Games - if you screw up the casting - the audience simply won't watch it. Casting is 75% of it. And the fan base for GRR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire is fairly intense one. It helps a great deal that the producers and head writers are huge fans of the books, and the author of the novels in which it is based is an executive producer and has a lengthy background of experience in television producing (Beauty and the Beast), writing, and casting. He was allowed to participate in choosing the cast and will actually write an episode of the series each year.

[shapinglight]

Well, they seem to have done a lot of trawling this side of the Pond. Haven't seen so many well known Brit thesps in a production since Rome.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Martin planned to do a skip after the third book, but it became impossible plotwise, so in the show most of them start out a little older. I doubt there will be skips. they can be glad if no one grows up too fast.

[shapinglight]

they can be glad if no one grows up too fast.

I'll be glad too. The casting of 'grown up' Octavian ruined season 2 of Rome for me. I didn't like the actor at all and couldn't see 'child' Octavian growing up to look like that.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Oh god yes. Kid octavian was so brilliant and grown Octavian so bland in comparison.

In Game of thrones that should not become and issue. Sansa's actress is on the virge of growing up just as Sansa is and the others also fit nicely.

[shapinglight]

They do. Poor girl! I really feel for her. I hope she gets out of marrying the horrid prince somehow (without dying).

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Sansa is a character that's really interesting in the books because she grows immensely during the series. Sansa is totally the Twilight fangirl of Westeros. Only that it's noble (and handsome) knights all the way for her. She's caught in this romantic fantasy of fairy tail princes that massively conflicts with the reality of the likes of Jeoff.

But though she comes of as naive in the beginning, it's never I don't know, looked down on? She learns a lot, changes a lot, grows up a lot. I like that he shows a transition from a maybe silly teenager to an intelligent young woman.

[shapinglight]

Yes, that's good to know. Also, I would think it'd be hard for her to retain any illusions about the Spoiled Brat after what happened in ep 2.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Thanks for this. Can answer some of your questions without spoilers for what happens later.

especially Aiden Gillen (who is he meant to be again?)

Littlefinger. Pivotal Character. This is the guy who basically
controls the money and handles expenses. He was in love with Catelynn and challenged Ned Stark's brother Brandon to a duel to win her. Catelynn was promised to Brandon Stark, when Brandon was killed, she wed Ned instead. Littlefinger may well be the smartest character in King's Landing.

Tyrion Lanister (can't remember the actor's name)

The brilliant Peter Dinklage. Been in several films. Notably Willow, but others as well - best film to date was The Station Agent.

He doesn't come across well, does he, King Robert? Poor old Ned! This King's Hand thing seems a bit of a thankless role. Basically you do all the work and the king gets to lounge around doing bugger all (except be rude to the minions and drink).

A lot was actually revealed there - that the Kingdom is in serious debt to the Lannisters. Robert resents the Lannisters
and they know it. (Mutual hatred there brewing just below the surface and has been for quite some time.) He's basically poking a hornets nest and running off.

(you dad killed my dad-type stuff)

Actually Jamie didn't kill Ned's father and brother. The old King did. Jamie stood by and watched along with the rest of the Kingsguard - 500 men strong. He had no power. You see that in the above scene as well - that even though Jamie is the best fighter - he has no real power. He killed the old King, but everyone hates him for doing it - even though they wanted the old King dead. You see that in both scenes - Robert and Ned both accuse Jamie of killing the old King, yet they hated the old King. They felt the killing was dishonorable. And it wasn't Jamie's place.

[shapinglight]

Actually Jamie didn't kill Ned's father and brother

Yeah, I didn't mean that literally. Sorry if it came across that way. I just meant it as sort of flippant shorthand for 'these two have issues with each other.' But then everyone has issues with almost everyone else in this. It's one of the the things I like about it.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

That said, things livened up even more when Aiden Gillen turned up (can't remember the character's name). He and Tyrion Lanister (can't remember the actor's name) between them kept me vastly entertained the whole way through the episode. I'm left wondering if Aiden Gillen fingered Tyrion as the owner of the dagger because it was true, or because he has a vendetta against him,

This was the character that I said hadn't yet been introduced who was deliciously sarcastic. As to his motives, I think 'Byzantine" may be the appropriate description.

And Arya is a tough little girl. She'll need that.

[shapinglight]

As to his motives, I think 'Byzantine" may be the appropriate description.

He even looks a bit Byzantine, or his brothel house does. Very interesting character anyway. I also like that Kingslanding looks so different to Winterfell. It has a nice Mediterranean feel.

Also, I suppose the countries further south probably aren't that bothered by this whole 'winter is coming' thing?

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

More or less. The way that it's described in the books, it works like most planets. Winter is worse the closer you are to the poles.

Winterfell is, I guess, Canada or the USSR. Pretty far North. They glossed over it a bit but I noted it at the white tree with the red leaves, but the Castle of Winterfell is built on hot springs and hot water is run -- radiant heating-like -- through the walls and floor. That's part of what keeps them from freezing when winter comes. They mention that it takes things like that in order to survive in the North come winter, and that the people who lived in castles that didn't died long ago. That's why Winterfell (as a region) is far more sparsely populated than the areas to the South. (They also mention, but it's never been shown in the show, that Castle Winterfell has elaborate greenhouses).

Throughout Westeros, they're supposed to be keeping food stores for winter, but also that places like Riverrun (which is sort of halfway between Winterfell and King's landing) depend heavily on trade with Southern regions for food during winter. Winterfell, being so much further north, has a much more difficult time depending on trade.

So, long story short, yeah, the equitorial regions are not hit anywhere nearly as badly as Winterfell by winter.

Buttttt... weather is almost metaphorical in the book. The worse the situation becomes politically the 'colder' things become. They've had years of relative peace (aka the long summer) but it's coming to a close (it's the waning days of summer), and I suspect (I haven't read that far) when things begin going seriously pear shaped, winter will come, and the wildings and the white walkers will spread beyond the wall.

[shapinglight]

Thanks for that explanation. I did think that it would only make sense in a world with such long, and apparently erratic, seasons, that people would spend most of the summer - no matter how long it lasted- storing up food for the winter. Otherwise they would all die.

I like that weather is semi-metaphorical, though. That works really well.

Can you tell me why people this side of the wall have such a downer on the wildings, given that they admit they're the same as they are.

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

Can you tell me why people this side of the wall have such a downer on the wildings, given that they admit they're the same as they are

Not really.

The explanation has a bit to do with their own Westeros mythology/religion (and I could well be misremembering part of this). Westeros once belonged to 'The Children of the earth' and the Wildlings lived there. Then the Andals or perhaps it was 'the first men' came from across the sea (I forget which was which). There were wars between the Children, the Wildlings, and the Men/Andals (one or the other.. They ended up pushing the Children and the Wildlings North before a peace was brokered between them. The reason Ned, Jon, etc worship different gods than the Lannisters is because they come from this first group of invaders. This group adopted 'the old gods' and worship in the forests (at the weirwoods, the white tree with the red leaves you see at Winterfell). Then a second invasion came, all but eradicating the Wildlings and destroying the Children. There are no weirwoods south of Winterfell and those in the Southern regions worship The Seven, an entirely different religion.

So, part of it is simply culteral. The Wildlings are part of a 'savage' (to the Westerosi) culture, and it was the Westerosi who invaded and took their lands (see: Celts and Angles and Saxons, or see Native Americans and Eurpoean 'discovery'. The Wildlings are the native peoples and culture that was mostly eradicated hundres -- perhaps a thousand -- years earlier.)

Part of it is superstitious. The Children knew magic and are to be feared.

The only Wildlings that I've come across in the brief part I've read were part of a band of raiders, one of which was taken to slave. She's spoken of magic and the old gods.

Beyond that, why they are hated, I don't know.

As was made clear from the premiere, however, there is magic (or at least zombies) in this fantasy world so not all of their fears of winter and of what is North of the Wall is unfounded. There's something supernaturally (or apparently so) up there.

[shapinglight]

Thanks for the explanation. Are the Children of the Earth different to the wildings, then?

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I gather so. I'd say that the Wildlings are perhaps somewhat akin to the Celts while the Children of Earth might be somewhat parallel to the Druids, so while not a distinctly separate group, are a more 'mystical' fantastical, magical subgroup.

But, honestly, I'm a bit unclear about this. It was presented through the memory of one of the characters and thus unreliable narration of something that even to them is ancient. Plus, I could be misremembering parts. It was more just a bit of expositional fantasy history, and the books are full of that sort of thing.

I'm unclear because it hasn't been explained in detail yet in the books, but it's also possible that the 'Children' was that glowy blue-eyed thing that killed the guy in the opening sequence.

I figure Bran (or another character who has yet to be introduced -- yeah they're still introducing characters -- but who kind of reminds me a bit of early Wesley Wyndam-Pryce... but with an entirely different physical description) will learn more eventually. They seem to be setting Bran up to possibly/potentially learn magic and lore which would make sense for his character given his disability (and the other Wesley-ish character is apparently being set up to learn more about the 'dark times'/history from a cache of very old books that he's found in a half-forgotten library).

[shapinglight]

Thanks once again for the explanation. I thought the glowy eyed thing was one of these White Walkers (ie. a zombie), but I would imagine it could still be the same thing. Or are the White Walkers zombies created by the glowy eyed thing?

I'm confused (and clearly need to read the books at some point).

[shipperx.livejournal.com]

I'm a bit unclear on which is which myself, other than there are definitely zombies involved.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed it, I love how things deepen now and how different sides of the different people become visible.

I liked the confrontation between Jaime and Ned too. It's such a clash of histories

Aiden Gillen's character is Peter Balish, called Littlefinger. Important character, same as Varys (the bald guy).

I of course also loved the dancing lesson and how it is set up. Usually tomboyish girls like Arya are set against the whole world. I kinda like it that in this, her father doesn't try to make her different.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

My theory on the wolf is that they want to show it again when it's a grown CGI monster.

[shapinglight]

You could be right, but I hope they'll explain where it's supposed to have been in the meantime.

[shapinglight]

Aiden Gillen's character is Peter Balish, called Littlefinger. Important character, same as Varys (the bald guy).

I liked them both. They were interesting. I'm so impressed by the calibre of the cast in this. They're all very good actors. I kinda like it that in this, her father doesn't try to make her different.

I kinda like it that in this, her father doesn't try to make her different

I like that too, and that he's taken the trouble to find a teacher who will take Arya seriously and teach her skills that will be useful to her. Hack and slash isn't going to do her much good. I also like that it's obviously cost him. The look on his face while watching her...

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they made it immediately clear that King's Landing is a place with lots of pitfalls and there are several scenes with both of them I can't wait to see acted out.

I also like that it's obviously cost him. The look on his face while watching her...

I tend to think he's really worried that she might need it someday.

[shapinglight]

Yeah, that too.

[queenofthorns.livejournal.com]

Just FYI, I posted my spoiler-free recap of the episode, so hopefully that will help with the names a bit!.

(Also, please let me know if I'm spamming with these recap things. :D)

[shapinglight]

I enjoyed your recap very much. Certainly not spamming. Also, I'd thought that Varys was supposed to be a eunuch and was a bit puzzled by it. It seemed culturally at odds with the 'mediaeval Europe' vibe of Westeros.

[queenofthorns.livejournal.com]

Awww, thanks so much! Varys is actually not a native of Westeros originally (although there were certainly eunuchs in medieval Europe and later - there was an extremely famous opera singer in the 18th century called Farinelli, for whom Haendel wrote many parts in his operas, who was a castrato i.e. eunuch. And the counter-tenor parts in lots of music from that period and earlier were basically written for the voices of castrati.)

[shapinglight]

True.

[caliente-uk.livejournal.com]

I loved the episode, too. And like you, I love the fact it has so many Brit character actors in it. Aiden Gillen is a definite highlight, and I'm still loving Tyrion a great deal too. The child actors (particularly the little girl playing Arya) have also been fabulous so far.

I need to find some icons of this show! I can see it becoming a firm favourite before long. And my husband loves it too, which makes a nice change. Other than both liking True Blood and Fringe, we don't usually share the same taste in TV shows.

[shapinglight]

It's nice to have a new show to obsess about, isn't it, Cal?

queenofthorns has made some lovely icons. There's also a comm, gameofthrones_i.