Just watched Game of Thrones episode 1

[Devil's Advocate]

I have the series but, for one reason or another, haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

So my question, particularly to those who've read the series, is should I watch the show? I'm a little on the fence.

If I read the books first, and love them, and then feel inevitably disappointed by the fact that the show isn't as good (I think most of us will agree that books are nearly always better than their live-action counterparts), it might ruin an otherwise perfectly decent show.

Alternatively, if I watch the show then I'll more or less know everything. Any surprises, intriguing developments, etc. will no longer be surprising or intriguing when I finally start reading, so in effect the show might ruin the books for me.

Hmmmm...

 

[Gry Wnd]

I have the series but, for one reason or another, haven't gotten around to reading it yet.

So my question, particularly to those who've read the series, is should I watch the show? I'm a little on the fence.

If I read the books first, and love them, and then feel inevitably disappointed by the fact that the show isn't as good (I think most of us will agree that books are nearly always better than their live-action counterparts), it might ruin an otherwise perfectly decent show.

Alternatively, if I watch the show then I'll more or less know everything. Any surprises, intriguing developments, etc. will no longer be surprising or intriguing when I finally start reading, so in effect the show might ruin the books for me.

Hmmmm...

Read the books first dude.

HBO really isn't screwing this up (we think) But you can read the books with these characters in mind. I don't think you should just watch and hope this ends up in your top three TV series. There are better odds that the books will be in your top three book series.

 

[Devil's Advocate]

Yeah, that's what I was leaning towards, anyway.

It's gonna be annoying, though, forcing myself to stay off the series until I read the books... but you're right - considering the books are one of the best modern fantasy out there, I should stay away from anything that might ruin the experience.

 

[Chel]

Combine!

Watch the show, get hooked on the atmosphere and hints of epic storylines present in that first episode, then take two weeks off work and read all the books.

 

[The Imp]

Yeah, that's what I was leaning towards, anyway.

It's gonna be annoying, though, forcing myself to stay off the series until I read the books... but you're right - considering the books are one of the best modern fantasy out there, I should stay away from anything that might ruin the experience.

Depending on how quickly you read, you can probably finish AGOT (the book) before the third or 4 episode is aired. Even if you read really slowly, you should easily be able to get through the 4 (soon to be 5) books before the second season begins.

Without a doubt read the books now.

 

[Mouse]

Woo! Ok, finally watched the last five mins (like I said, I'm easily distracted) and even though I knew what was going to happen with Bran and Jaime, my heart still did a little skip. Good stuff.

I fancy the vid I saw was cut though, as I didn't see any Drogo/Dany lovin'.

 

[Perpetual Man]

Nah I don't think so Mouse, just finished watching it on Sky and no real loving, got cut off before anything happened. I presume that might be next week...

I really enjoyed it, and it slowly pulled Mrs Perp. away from her laptop, so it must be doing something right. Well I think that's our next 9 Monday evenings tied up.

 

[Vladd67]

Really enjoyed it, my wife got a little lost so I had to give her a quick history of the characters. But this is going to be good.

 

[Mesanna]

Do not like the guy who plays Jaime at all though. Completely wrong, too fugly. And while I like Peter Dinklage (sp?) and Tyrion, why is he doing a Richard Wilson impression?! The voice is uncanny, I'm expecting him to say 'I don't belieeeeeeve it!' at any moment. (Richard Wilson played a character called Victor Meldrew in Brit TV show One Foot in the Grave, for anyone who hasn't a clue what I'm on about.)

And how Sansa can call Joffrey handsome is beyond me! He looks about six!

Very much appreciated the half naked fellas getting their hair cut though. Jon = hot.

LOL Mouse, I agree completely with you. Jaime ain't golden enough. Jon is hot and Joff is ugly, though well cast, cos he really looks like a spoiled little ****.

Oh, and thanks putting for the Victor Meldrew thing in my head. I'm really hoping that I forget that by next week, or everytime Tyrion opens his mouth, all I'm going to hear is "I don't belieeeve it"

 

[Tonk Rivers]

The casting is great. Obviously Dinkelage and Bean, actors of some renown, do well - but I was impressed with some of the more minor characters like Benjen Stark.

Highlights

The hound riding in full armour.

Tyrion and Jon's meeting

Bran

Viserys

Sansa (so annoying, in a good way)

The opening credits. Fantastic

The weirwood looked great. Set design, juxtaposition between locations.


Lowlights

Most of the Daenerys arc. It feels so much more removed from the story.

The prologue (too visual and violent, not creepy enough. White walkers a massive disappointment.) Why change the survivor from Gared to Will. It made sense for Gared to survive in the novel, it makes no sense for Will to survive in the show.

Too much sex for one episode. I've got nothing against the amount of sex in the novels, but for a one hour episode there was simply too much. It takes away from the story telling.

Jon, Theon, and Robb need to be individualised more. Can see it being difficult for audiences to tell them apart.


I think a solid 7/10 is a fair rating. I am looking forward too, rather then dreading, the next episode, so it must have been good in one way or another.

 

[The Imp]

The casting is great. Obviously Dinkelage and Bean, actors of some renown, do well - but I was impressed with some of the more minor characters like Benjen Stark.

Highlights

The hound riding in full armour.

Tyrion and Jon's meeting

Bran

Viserys

Sansa (so annoying, in a good way)

The opening credits. Fantastic

The weirwood looked great. Set design, juxtaposition between locations.


Lowlights

Most of the Daenerys arc. It feels so much more removed from the story.

The prologue (too visual and violent, not creepy enough. White walkers a massive disappointment.) Why change the survivor from Gared to Will. It made sense for Gared to survive in the novel, it makes no sense for Will to survive in the show.

Too much sex for one episode. I've got nothing against the amount of sex in the novels, but for a one hour episode there was simply too much. It takes away from the story telling.

Jon, Theon, and Robb need to be individualised more. Can see it being difficult for audiences to tell them apart.


I think a solid 7/10 is a fair rating. I am looking forward too, rather then dreading, the next episode, so it must have been good in one way or another.

I thought that the ammount of sex they had was gratuitous and unnecessary. I suspect that we won't be seeing that every week. I guess they wanted to hook people who are looking for that kind of stuff, and knew that it wouldn't be offputting enough to drive away anyone who was already a fan.

I think we all have to remember that this was just the pilot. My expectation is that the show will get better because they will have figured things out along the way.

 

[Wiggum]

The part of the story they covered from the books simply had a lot of sex in it.

They had to at least insinuate the Targ's incestuous proclivities for future considerations, show exactly what Jaime and Cersie are to each other, start the arc of Dany's transformation, and give a glimpse into Tyrion's true character.

They have time considerations, nothing does all of the above as quickly and effectively as the boobie scenes did.

 

[digs]

I didn't mind the first episode, but honestly I'm not sure it would have kept my attention if I hadn't read the books. Then again, maybe I would have hung around for the second, since pilots are always going to have certain constraints.

I agree with everyone who said the opening credits were really cool! And Catelyn definitely grew on me - much better than Cersei or Jaime. Actually the Starks all seem really well cast (except Theon, if he counts).

 

[Tonk Rivers]

On the sex, I acknowledge they cut out the Catelyn Ned sex scene / Catelyn nudity when Maester Luwin brings news from Catelyn's sister, but i disagree that there had to be that much.

Danerys / Khal Drogo probably should have been in episode two. Tyrion in the brothel is not from the text. The only sex scene that needed to be there in episode 1 was Jamie / Cersei in the tower.

 

[woodsman]

The sex has had one good impact - the girlfriend has decided to read them post-hast. I think she's worried I have some massive volumes of fantasy erotica that I keep re-reading...

Overall I loved it and the housemates also enjoyed it enough to give another episode a try with no pre-reading, so that's good.

Lots of little niggles and more little good things so I'll focus on the positives, except;

Jamie - REALLY?? this makes me die inside a little bit
Yep that's my major complaint

Positives:

Direwolves are awesome - I can haz?

Winterfell and the Starks as a whole just feels good to me, not as I imagined it exactly, but a great representation and great casting. The North feels grim without being a caricature. Robert and Ned go well together. SEAN BEAN. Dinklage is awesome as expected, I've a feeling he'll be carrying the show.

Some good performances from minor characters as well; Royce, Benjen and Viserys I enjoyed.

Oh and the intro/credits whatever you call it was a real highlight - love what they did with that.

As others have mentioned, I think some issues are associated with it being a pilot and trying to introduce things. Once we've got the first two/three episodes out the way I think we'll really get to grips with the meat of the story, possibly with fewer sex scenes.

 

[Tonk Rivers]

From reading a few reviews it seems the pace really picks up a few episodes in. I really hope American audiences stick with it for a few weeks. I could see it being a very successful series once the hooks are in.

 

[digs]

Was no one else annoyed by Dinklage's accent? I thought it was a bit patchy at times.

 

[Lenny]

There was the odd moment where it did sound a bit strange and stretched out (in the scene with Jon, particularly).

On the point of accents, it made me happy inside when I realised that the Northerners had Northern accents (led by Bean's fantastically gruff Yorkshire accent) and that those from the South had Southern accents (even if they were strained).

Just a little thing, but I was pleasantly surprised - I guess half of me expected that it would be a hodge-podge of American, English, Australian and European accents.

 

[Tonk Rivers]

I'm not to bothered by the legitimacy of the accents to the real world, only how they work in character.

For example Ser Jorah's accent linked him with the north, which was handy.

Coster-Waldau's occasional danish drawl didn't matter too much either. Perhaps it's the fact that I'm Australian but Danish to me means 'royalty' anyway

 

[Tansy]

Overall I enjoyed it, I agree Jaime just wasn't "Golden" enough and the vast amounts of nudity and sex could turn some viewers off, but could also make some tune in I guess.

Strong similarities noticed between Jon and Uncle Benjen more so than the other stark kids and Benjen's chat to Jon about taking the black seemed more meaningful than I remember in the books

Love the Direwolf cubs, looking forward to seeing more of them

Dani looked great, but poor old Drogo

Tyrion is definitely coming through as the best character already and it will be interesting to see the views of people who haven't read the books once shocking events occur