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shapinglightJust watched the ep, and ooh-boy!
Spoilers behind cut
So much happened in that. It was full steam ahead at a very fast pace, and there were only a couple of places where I felt things were getting a little ahead of themselves, principally the scene where Cersei - making that face she makes where she almost looks like she's sympathetic but you know she isn't really - orders Sansa to write to Robb, and then cut straight to Robb and the letter's already arrived.
I really don't know where to start in talking about what I loved about the ep, but perhaps I could start with Tyrion introducing his companions to his father. After doing the rounds of Shagger (?) of the Stone People son of whoever and all the others, he gets to Bronn, son of...trails off. Bronn gives Lord Tywin a sort of wry smile and says, "You wouldn't know him." I loved that. I also loved Lord Tywin's reaction. I think he sees right away that Bronn's a good man in a fight. Sadly for Tyrion, I think Bronn will be transferring his loyalties very soon. A pity, though if there is Tyrion/Bronn slash out there, I doubt it'll put a damper on it.
All the stuff at the Wall was terrific, with again the wildling girl's conversation with Bran at Winterfell as a sort of commentary on it. So the White Walkers are zombies, are they? Or they just turn people into zombies? Not clear on that bit. Anyway, I hope Jon Snow's heroics have put that slight unpleasantness with the bloke who called him 'bastard son of a traitor' into perspective. He should have kept his temper, mind you. People are so sensitive these days.
Elsewhere, Dany is coming into her own more and more, but Khal Drogo is going to have to watch it. If more Dothraki than the messily dead Mago (I couldn't watch) start thinking Dany's made him go soft (not letting us rape people? Whatever next?)he could be in big trouble.
Elsewhere, elsewhere, I'm trying to remember where I've seen that actor playing the lord who got his fingers bitten off by Robb's direwolf before. Expect he was probably playing someone northern and bluff in that too. Robb did very well in the circumstances, especially as person after person kept piling on the pressure, ending with Catelyn telling him that if he didn't defeat both Lannister armies in battle (bit of a tall order) they were all going to die. I think he gets the picture.
Saddest deaths in the episode were two heroic last stands - Sansa's governess (I can't remember her name) and Syrio - both protecting the Stark daughters, who are both now in a horrible situation. Arya is on the run, could be anywhere and has nothing to protect her except her mini-sword (hopefully, her direwolf is somewhere around), while poor Sansa has only her own innocence on her side. I think she was very, very brave in that final scene. I also think she really believes what she's saying. What a pity Ned is extremely unlikely to do what she wants him to do, and even if he did, it wouldn't make any difference. Ned just isn't a player, sadly.
Terrific ep. How many more are there?
Spoilers behind cut
So much happened in that. It was full steam ahead at a very fast pace, and there were only a couple of places where I felt things were getting a little ahead of themselves, principally the scene where Cersei - making that face she makes where she almost looks like she's sympathetic but you know she isn't really - orders Sansa to write to Robb, and then cut straight to Robb and the letter's already arrived.
I really don't know where to start in talking about what I loved about the ep, but perhaps I could start with Tyrion introducing his companions to his father. After doing the rounds of Shagger (?) of the Stone People son of whoever and all the others, he gets to Bronn, son of...trails off. Bronn gives Lord Tywin a sort of wry smile and says, "You wouldn't know him." I loved that. I also loved Lord Tywin's reaction. I think he sees right away that Bronn's a good man in a fight. Sadly for Tyrion, I think Bronn will be transferring his loyalties very soon. A pity, though if there is Tyrion/Bronn slash out there, I doubt it'll put a damper on it.
All the stuff at the Wall was terrific, with again the wildling girl's conversation with Bran at Winterfell as a sort of commentary on it. So the White Walkers are zombies, are they? Or they just turn people into zombies? Not clear on that bit. Anyway, I hope Jon Snow's heroics have put that slight unpleasantness with the bloke who called him 'bastard son of a traitor' into perspective. He should have kept his temper, mind you. People are so sensitive these days.
Elsewhere, Dany is coming into her own more and more, but Khal Drogo is going to have to watch it. If more Dothraki than the messily dead Mago (I couldn't watch) start thinking Dany's made him go soft (not letting us rape people? Whatever next?)he could be in big trouble.
Elsewhere, elsewhere, I'm trying to remember where I've seen that actor playing the lord who got his fingers bitten off by Robb's direwolf before. Expect he was probably playing someone northern and bluff in that too. Robb did very well in the circumstances, especially as person after person kept piling on the pressure, ending with Catelyn telling him that if he didn't defeat both Lannister armies in battle (bit of a tall order) they were all going to die. I think he gets the picture.
Saddest deaths in the episode were two heroic last stands - Sansa's governess (I can't remember her name) and Syrio - both protecting the Stark daughters, who are both now in a horrible situation. Arya is on the run, could be anywhere and has nothing to protect her except her mini-sword (hopefully, her direwolf is somewhere around), while poor Sansa has only her own innocence on her side. I think she was very, very brave in that final scene. I also think she really believes what she's saying. What a pity Ned is extremely unlikely to do what she wants him to do, and even if he did, it wouldn't make any difference. Ned just isn't a player, sadly.
Terrific ep. How many more are there?
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no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 01:59 pm (UTC)And poor little Rickon (the youngest Stark) has to be convinced by now that when someone leaves Winterfell they never come back.
And I thought Bronn's "You wouldn't know him" bit was hee!
As to how many eps, I don't know, but I think we're close. I can think of a few things left to go, but we're definitely barrelling towards the ending.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 02:46 pm (UTC)Yes, it was a very brave thing to do. Admit, my eyes teared up a bit. Likewise when Saepta Mordain (remembered her name) faced off against the Lannister men. Very brave woman.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 02:12 pm (UTC)I also loved Bronn's "You wouldn't know him" line. That was soooo Bronn (and not in the books!). GRRM wrote this episode himself btw.
Syrio's last stand is so incredibly sad (and badass). He's one of the characters where I still hope he didn't really die back there but escaped somehow.
I thought the scenes with Tywin and Tyrion were brilliantly acted, you can just see Tyrion becoming so much more subdued with his father present, so much more easily hurt.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 02:47 pm (UTC)Yes, I noticed that. He's writing an episode every season, isn't he? Has he written for episodic TV before, because if not that was an impressive first effort pacing wise?
I thought the scenes with Tywin and Tyrion were brilliantly acted, you can just see Tyrion becoming so much more subdued with his father present, so much more easily hurt.
Yes, indeed, along with Bronn quickly seeing where the real power lies.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 04:03 pm (UTC)Yep. He wrote quite a bit for "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Twilight Zone" back in the '80s.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 07:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 08:23 pm (UTC)At the moment he#s writing his ep for the second season and bitching about it (himself) on his blog, because they gave him a big battle scene that's incredibly hard to fit into a tv budget.
Can not say much about Tywin. They left out quite an important bit of Tyrion's backstory that he tells Bronn on the way and that elucidates a lot beween Tywin and Tyrion. I fear they're waiting to get him to an exposition whore to tell it...
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Date: 2011-06-06 08:27 pm (UTC)Oh dearie me! You may well be right, especially given Tyrion's previous history with the annoyingly ubiquitous Ros.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 08:36 pm (UTC)Maybe they'll move it to next season though, where Tyrion is a more central character and it wont drown in so many other things happening.
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Date: 2011-06-07 11:45 am (UTC)Ah, I see. I think I remember seeing someone mention a character with a different name and saying Ros had taken her story. I hope that doesn't mean literally, because I've gone off Ros so much (so she's a whore and she's feisty, we get it) I just don't want to see any more of her, not that there's anything more to see that we haven't seen already.
Maybe they'll move it to next season though, where Tyrion is a more central character and it wont drown in so many other things happening
More of a central character? Hooray! I suppose each book focuses more on the different group of characters? Does that mean there'll be less of the Starks in season 2?
no subject
Date: 2011-06-07 12:07 pm (UTC)They do have a lot of sex scenes though and I just don't see HBO doing them as intimate as they are in the book. I'm very afraid they will do exposition porn instead.
More of a central character? Hooray! I suppose each book focuses more on the different group of characters? Does that mean there'll be less of the Starks in season 2?
I think a lot of the focus is in King's Landing and usually the people there are on the center stage, which will include Tyrion for a good long while. He'll get a lot to do in the next seasons.
There is not that much of the Starks in the coming books, though they do remain major players. You'll see.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-07 01:20 pm (UTC)Given what we've seen so far, I'm afraid you may be right. :(
There is not that much of the Starks in the coming books, though they do remain major players. You'll see.
I wonder how the audience will handle it? This first season has been very Stark-centric and therefore the audience is bound to be sympathetic to their POV - not to mention the Lannisters just aren't terribly pleasant, except for Tyrion. If that changes in later seasons, those viewers not familiar with the books may end up with a 'rug-pulled-out-from-under-them' feelings, like the audience of Psycho when Janet Leigh's character is murdered.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-07 02:06 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-08 01:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-08 01:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-09 10:04 am (UTC)I suppose it's unlikely we'll come across him until the next season?
no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 02:38 pm (UTC)And Robb actually starts to become an interesting character.
And Tyrion keeps on talking himself out of situations. I guess it remains to be seen just how long he can keep that up - this latest one depends entirely on his father honouring Tyrion's promise, and he doesn't strike me as a very honourable type.
Honour and sticking to the unspoken rules really is at the heart of a lot it; Robb's scheming with the spy, Sir Whatshisface the captain of the guard (how awesome of a not-quite-last stand was that?), Sansa's bet on her father, Jon Snow's berserk button, and the eunuch commenting on how of course he didn't fight, he's not STUPID, and someone has to serve the realm. So far, the only characters who haven't completely failed are the ones who just keep their eyes on the prize and to hell with what's "right" - Catelyn's sister, Cersei, Littlefinger... Only this episode also gives us Danyrys trying to change what honour means to the Dothraki.
Also, it just struck me that the Wildling girl is Tonks from Harry Potter. Huh.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 02:55 pm (UTC)It was terrific, wasn't it? Seems like getting him to teach Arya may have been the most sensible thing Ned has done all season.
this latest one depends entirely on his father honouring Tyrion's promise, and he doesn't strike me as a very honourable type.
Not in Ned's sense of the word, certainly. However, I'm sure he'll think it's quite a good idea to bring about a change of ownership in this Vale place, so he might back Shagger Wossisface and then stab him in the back afterwards. Then no one can say a Lannister doesn't always pay his debts.
Robb's scheming with the spy
Do you think he was scheming? Did I miss something? Was it that he told the spy one thing, and they're actually going to do the other? So much was going on that I might not have got that while I was watching.
Only this episode also gives us Danyrys trying to change what honour means to the Dothraki.
Which will only work, I suppose, as long as she can wind Khal Drogo around her little finger. But maybe she'll learn how to summon dragons before he gets tired of her or dies. Then if she orders the Dothraki to become pacifist vegetarians they probably will.
Also, it just struck me that the Wildling girl is Tonks from Harry Potter. Huh.
Really? It's the same actress? Must say, just because she's a prisoner I don't see why someone can't lend her a comb.
Sorry for excessive comments, btw. I should edit before I post.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 03:07 pm (UTC)Perhaps not so much scheming with the spy as using him for his own purposes. It looks like an act of mercy and fairness, but I wouldn't be surprised if there's something else behind it; he says something along the lines of having learned from his father to be honourable when the situation calls for it, which is a distinction Ned himself doesn't seem to have gotten the hang of.
Must say, just because she's a prisoner I don't see why someone can't lend her a comb.
Yeah. It is the same actress, but they seem to have based her look here on Rik Mayall's character in Blackadder I.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 03:31 pm (UTC)No, poor bloke. He really is a bit rubbish. I'm trying to remember exactly what Robb said to the spy now. Probably, it was that he was trying to get the Lannisters to think he'll jump one way when really he plans to jump the other. But of course they might think of that, so perhaps he'll jump the way he told the spy after all? But of course they might think of that...Now I'm just confusing myself.
It is the same actress, but they seem to have based her look here on Rik Mayall's character in Blackadder I
Heh! Funny how Mad Gerald laughs just like Lord Flashheart. Only madder, of course.
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Date: 2011-06-06 03:46 pm (UTC)Yeah, if it's a bluff, it's hard to tell if it's a single or a double or a triple one. But he does say the bit about his father in front of the spy, IIRC, so it seems to me he's hoping to convince the Lannisters that he's green and stupid enough to do what his father would have done in the same situation. (Unless he really is green and stupid enough to do exactly like that, in which case the Lannisters might be betting that he isn't...)
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Date: 2011-06-06 07:15 pm (UTC)If they do, they'll be hoist by their own devious petard. :) Except that I suspect they're going to win. At least temporarily.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 04:58 pm (UTC)Do you think he was scheming? Did I miss something? Was it that he told the spy one thing, and they're actually going to do the other? So much was going on that I might not have got that while I was watching.
I think so. The spy said he'd counted 20,000 men before he stopped... except Rob only has 18,000 men in total. Also Rob was still deciding between attacking Tywin or Jaime. The spy said Robb was planning to attack Tywin... so now I'm thinking he's going to decide to attack Jaime.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 07:17 pm (UTC)It does seem like the softer option, if only slightly.
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Date: 2011-06-06 08:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-07 11:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 10:55 pm (UTC)But this time I did think of one thing to say ... :-)
and then cut straight to Robb and the letter's already arrived
One thing I noticed about the books was that we always were always conscious of how slowly news would travel across the continent. Such a huge contrast to modern life!
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Date: 2011-06-07 11:55 am (UTC)Really? That's quite a change. In the show, people send messages by trained raven and they seem to arrive very quickly. Mind you, it's never been explained how the ravens know where to go. Or who looks after them, for that matter. There should be a Lord High Ravenkeeper, or something.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-08 05:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-09 09:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-06 11:06 pm (UTC)It was Clive Mantle - Little John from Robin of Sherwood! I'd know his voice anywhere.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-07 11:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-08 12:26 am (UTC)I adore Arya - smart enough to get her ass out of there. Syrio's training has made her tough. And I'm actually finding Sansa more sympathetic than I did in the books.
As for Tyrion and his army - that was great. I remember in the book he thinks as he is presenting them to Tywin 'They followed me home, Dad. Can I keep them.' Nice maneuver with the wine - Tywin moving it out of Tyrion's reach. That little gesture show so much of their relationship.
Yeah - lot's of things set in motion. Quite certain the last to episodes will bring some interesting twists and turns!
no subject
Date: 2011-06-08 01:15 pm (UTC)I'm sure he's dead. There was no possible way he could survive.
Quite certain the last to episodes will bring some interesting twists and turns!
Yes, that's a surefire thing, I think.
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Date: 2011-06-08 03:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-09 10:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-08 05:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-08 01:13 pm (UTC)I'm almost 100% certain that he won't, poor bloke.
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Date: 2011-06-08 03:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-08 04:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-06-09 10:01 am (UTC)