Game of Thrones Season 5 Ep 1 (the clueless about the books POV)

[shapinglight]

Thought I might as well carry on with these reviews, even though there's no one much on LJ to talk about the show with any more. :(

Okay, I know that the first four episodes have leaked all over the 'net, but I'm just going to talk about episode 1, as that's all I've had time to watch so far. In fact, over the next three weeks, I won't talk about anything that's not been in the already aired episodes.

So, episode 1: first up, a very odd thing indeed...

spoilers behind cut obvs.



...is that, though there was the customary GoT ripping off of clothes, for the first time in the show ever, the female nudity was less, or equal to, the male. Unless I've forgotten something, I counted three half-naked girls in one of the Meereen scenes, and three - yes, three! - naked men.

What is going on?

Ah, I expect it's just a one-off - a bone thrown to any female viewers who might have moaned off at the producers about female characters in the show getting their kit off at the least provocation (or no provocation at all), and the lack of male characters doing the same.

Apart from that, the episode was pretty much a combination of finishing off stories from the end of the previous season (the scenes at the Wall and at Tywin's lying in state in Kingslanding) and scene-setting for what's to come - the Dany and Tyrion scenes, also those featuring Sansa and Littlefinger.

God, Littlefinger's creepy. He always has been of course, but it didn't escape me that, by dyeing Sansa's hair black to disguise her, he's made her look more like her mother. So he's got himself his perfect woman - Catelyn when she was young. Sansa looks very hard-faced now. I can only cross my fingers and hope that somewhere down the line she'll stab Littlefinger in the back - maybe if he lets slip that he betrayed her father to Cersei.

Other characters haven't changed much either. Melisandre is still setting fire to people at the drop of a hat, and Stannis's nutty wife is still getting off on it (even more than Melisandre, it looks to me). I just hope that one day down the line Melisandre will try to set fire to Dany, because I really, really want to see the look on her face when Dany just shrugs and complains that it tickles.

Speaking of people getting their comeuppance, I know the books aren't big on that, but since the show has now gone off-piste from the books (as it were) I hope we're going to see some. I, for one, cheered when Stannis said he was going to kill all the horrible Boltons. God, I hope that happens.

Part of me wants to see Cersei get her comeuppance too (and it looks like Margaery definitely plans to make that happen) but I sorta kinda like her, even though she's so awful.

As for Dany, I'm still cross with her for driving Jorah away, so she deserves her teenage dragon troubles (not so much stroppy teenagers now, in fact, more like juvenile delinquents with a string of ASBO's), and I'm sure she'll sort it out in the end anyway.

So, nice to see the show back. A solid start, and it doesn't hurt at all (as far as I'm concerned) that the episode was fairly short on violence as GoT goes. Nobody actually got burned to death in the end after all.

Doubt it will last, though.

Hmm, suspect there won't be much in the way of icon-making for this series since so many fans have decamped to Tumblr (meh!) and no one uses them there. I may have to make my own.

Comments

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

I watched the first two episodes together so they kind of merged into one. I feel quite desensitised to the nudity and violence now, so I'm not sure I'm a good judge, but I thought it was a little toned down too.

No Arya in this one. :(

I can make you an icon if you tell me what you want.

[beer-good-foamy.livejournal.com]

I just hope that one day down the line Melisandre will try to set fire to Dany, because I really, really want to see the look on her face when Dany just shrugs and complains that it tickles.

Heh. Doesn't really strike me as something that would happen on GoT, sadly, but it's a beautiful image nonetheless.

I'm really looking forward to seeing Dany and Tyrion interacting. While Varis tries to coach both of them.

[shapinglight]

but I thought it was a little toned down too.

Maybe they had too many complaints about the scene where Prince Thing-y of Dorne got his face bashed in?

Or maybe they're just trying to lull us into a false sense of security, who knows?

I can make you an icon if you tell me what you want.

I'm not sure I know yet. I'll have to have a think. Also, I found some nice clear caps so I may have a go at making a few myself too. If they turn out horrible, though, I'll ask you, if that's okay?

ETA: I've managed to make myself a few icons, btw. This is one. What do you think?

[shapinglight]

I do hope that happens at some point.

From what I understand from book readers, Dany's story in later books is bitty and boring, so I hope they've changed it radically.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Glad to read from you. LJ is a dying a slow death. It's a pity. I don't really feel at home in any other format. Tumblr is terrible for anything nonvisual and facebook is horrible.

I'm really looking forward to this season. They are changing so much from the books now, that I have no idea anymore, what is going to happen and I really enjoy that.

Especially the Sansa plot is totally new and I hope she finally gets to do something about her fate.

I had the same thought about the red priests and Dany. This burning of royalty meight go off script with her. :)

I love Margaery on the show. I think the face off between her and Cersei will be worth remembering.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

It's not so much boring as too drawn out. The series is going at a much higher pace with her and that massively improves her story without even changing so much.

[shapinglight]

That's good. I suppose in some ways they had to wait and see which characters would really catch fire with the audience before deciding which they would focus on? Also, of course, they're paying these actors and therefore have to use them.

I mean, I know that Dany's important in the books, but my impression is that the show has focused on her a lot more.

[shapinglight]

I love Margaery too. She's sly and scheming, but she's also not horrible. She told Littlefinger she wanted to be the queen, not a queen. I kind of want her to be the queen too.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

I think it's pretty similar as in the books. She is very clearly presetend as the actual King Arthur like fingure around. I'm not sure though if precicely that doesn't make it unlikely that she will end up being queen in the end.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

That's a thing I like about this story so much, that scheming is like any other power, it can be used for good and evil. And some good characters like Varys are massive schemers.

[shapinglight]

Well, from what I do know of the books, that would seem a very GRRM-like trick to pull.

Everyone is expecting it to end with Dany and Jon (is my impression); ice and fire.

So it will probably end some other way.

[shapinglight]

Yes, and it's hard to say he's evil. He really does just seem to want what is best for the country (in his subjective opinion).

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Echoing that. Also needlessly frustrating. You keep hoping these characters will hook at certain point for it to matter in the books - nope.

For example? In the books, Jamie gets back after Tyrion's trial. Brienne never meets up with Ayra. And it doesn't look like Tyrion and Dany are ever going to gaze on each other - per the books.

Which may explain why they went off book after a certain point. Dance of Dragons and Feast of Crows meandered and were at times, highly frustrating reads. Lots of characters wandering about, but not accomplishing anything. The television series in that respect at least is far tighter and more satisfying.

I've also read that the television series plans on killing off characters, Martin didn't kill, and keeping characters he did. So at this point...even the book readers are clueless as to what they'll do next.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Speaking of people getting their comeuppance, I know the books aren't big on that,

Not exactly. The characters do get their comeuppance - it's just usually not what you'd expect or when it happens, you either don't care any longer or have forgotten why you did.

Example - Theon. I could have done without Theon's comeuppance.

So, no, everyone in the books pays for their sins. Martin writes a very karmic world. It just takes a long time for it to happen.

[shapinglight]

I really wish the show had not killed off Prince Wotsit of Dorne. He was such a good character and my impression is that the audience really liked him.

Seems to me they could have kept him and only didn't because they wanted to film that gruesome death scene.

[shapinglight]

Well, I'm still waiting for something nasty to happen to Walder Frey after the Red Wedding. It's been two years now.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

You and me both.

There's a list of characters that you desperately want to see "get it" and don't, forever.

Not sure what the television writers are planning.

Can't remember if anything happened to him in the books. It was awhile since I read the last one. And there are lot of Freys. Also by the time something happened, it was 3000 pages since the Red Wedding, and about 10 years had passed since I'd read the Red Wedding. By that time, I didn't care. LOL!

That's the problem with the books - takes way too long for things to happen.

[makd.livejournal.com]

Still watching - The Spouse is a bigger fan, though I enjoy the series quite a bit.

I was really glad to see some male nudity - not only because I'm straight, but because I'm tired of seeing so very much female T&A, and so very little male nudity.

Interesting about those dragons - they've clearly forgotten how much they adored Dany in their childhood. (How adolescent of them.)

Lastly: I'll be here on LJ until I die - and I hope that won't be for a LONG time. I've tried tumblr, but it bores me because it's all visual. I don't like FB, though I caved for a RL friend and family. I don't really get it, and think of it as a pain in the neck.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Well that and it is actually a major plot point in the story. He sort of had to die for various other stories to work. (example? Tyrion's. Also there's the Dorn story...and their hatred towards the Lannisters, which while it has reportedly been changed, they've kept some of the major plot points.)

They couldn't keep him alive any more than they could keep Ned and the folks at the Red Wedding -- would sort of change the plot in some major ways. (Although they don't seem to mind changing other plot-threads.)

No, so far every character who died has furthered the plot.

[bogwitch.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that was my limit.

The icon is pretty good, though perhaps it could be sharper.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't put it past GRRM, but somehow I think if there is some final powercouple it will not be incestous.

I honestly have no idea.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Also Sam in a way. In the books he is a bit better at it than in the show. And he is one of the few honest to god good characters of the book.

[shapinglight]

I did sharpen it a bit. Do you think it should be sharpened more?

The only icon-making program I have is Photofiltre (as per Kazzy's tutorial years back). If I sharpen it again it may possibly look a bit odd.

Will try it, though.

[shapinglight]

Er...you're not trying to hint that Dany and Jon are really brother and sister, are you?

[shapinglight]

Oh well. I still think he was too good a character to waste like that.

[shapinglight]

Yes, I love Sam. In fact, he might well be my favourite character.

Which probably means that ultimately, down the line, something horrible will happen to him. :(

[shapinglight]

I do rather suspect that GRRM wishes he'd never started the series. It probably feels a bit like a millstone around his neck by now.

[shapinglight]

I was really glad to see some male nudity - not only because I'm straight, but because I'm tired of seeing so very much female T&A, and so very little male nudity.

Yeah, it's been pretty unequal so far, hasn't it?

I so agree about Tumblr. It bores me too, and when I do see a post about BtVS, for instance, it's always people spouting off about stuff we all used to talk about years ago as if they thought they were the first ones ever to say it.

Which fair enough, I suppose. There are very few of us left who remember all that fandom history now.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

No, not brother and sister. I don't know if it really counts as a spoiler, since it is only a popular theory. In the books there are some hints at this point, but no evidence, about who Jon's parents were.

In the show the hints were already brought up in the first season, but they were very easy to miss, if you did not know what you were looking for.

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

Well, he can't kill off everybody can he? And you have to admit that the traditional hero types have a way higher mortality rate than the unlikely heroes. :)

[shapinglight]

I think I do know what you mean.

It's that Jon's father was actually the same as Dany's, or her uncle, or something? I can't remember which.

[shapinglight]

That's true - though I'm not so sure he can't kill everybody. ;)

[flake-sake.livejournal.com]

It would be Dany's older brother, the crown prince Rhaegar. Robert talks about it to Ned in the first season. That Rhaegar abducted Lyanna Stark and raped her and probably killed her too (that is left unclear?).

Ned already looks at him like he's living in a massive bubble.

And whenever people who knew Rhaegar (aside from Robert) talk about him he's THE ultimate shining good knight. A really descent man. Aside from cheating on Oberyn's sister.

So the theory is Lyanna eloped more than willingly with him. Jon might be the result and Ned promised to take care of him after Lyanna died (how is not clear).

[shapinglight]

Ah, okay. So, if true, that would make Dany Jon's aunt.

So I suppose it would be an incestuous relationship.

[shadowkat67.livejournal.com]

Agreed. That's actually one of my difficulties with the books, the characters I despise stay around while various characters that I find interesting get killed. Seriously, the Boltons and Freys are one-dimensional characters. While the Hound and the Viper were rather complex.

[sibilant.livejournal.com]

Glad to see GoT back, though G is more smitten than me. My favourite couple got some airtime - Tyrion and Varys - so I was satisfied. And I rather like Dany's dragons being so recalcitrant. That whole 'Mother of Dragons' bit was a little too pompous for republican me. Don't get me wrong - I love a good dragon, and the more evidence of faerie and witchcraft in the series the better. Dany is just a bit too pleased with herself these days. But then, everyone in GoT with a smidgen of power is, it seems...

[makd.livejournal.com]

ITA. I know that we not only remember it, but cherish it. :-) ::hug::

[shapinglight]

Well, if you've seen episode 2, you'll know she's not quite so pleased with herself now. ;)

To which I say, good. She was horrid to Jorah. I haven't forgiven her yet by a long chalk.