2.04: Game of Thrones - Garden of Bones

[ctg]

Tyrion attempts to restrain Joffrey's cruelty, while Catelyn tries to brokerr a peace between Stannis and Renly. In the meanwhile the Queen of the Dragons arrives to the great city of Oarth in a hope find refuge from there. But is there such a thing for Arya and Gendry at the pits of the Harrenhal?

Written by: Co. Exec. Producer Vanessa Tayler
Directed by: David Patrarca

 

[Mouse]

Thank you, ctg, I watched the ep earlier today and was going to create a thread then got distracted. Sorry about that, I know you didn't want to be doing it all the time!

Anyways, much better ep, I thought. I even didn't mind Tyrion in this one. Still love Bronn. Hate Joffrey! Wanted to punch him right in the fizzog.

The Melisandre stuff makes me sad because I know what's going to happen next. I'll never forgive GRRM for that.

Spoiler: I'm disappointed that we get so little of Renly, as I presume he's going to get it in the neck next episode. I'll just have to hope for more Bronn as he's the only other character I'm fussed about.

Dislike Stannis. Not sure why people think he's so fantastic especially after certain things he does.

Still liking the Arya/Gendry stuff. Um... what else. I can't remember. Frustrated that Dany didn't just show matey her dragons and get on with it, but then, I can't remember what she did in the books.

 

[ctg]

This series is going forward in such a pace, that I'm afraid they are losing audience along the way. And only if they could give it a couple of more episodes they could slow down the things and let the audience to savour the fine detail GRRM had breath in this world. It's so full of it. And to me that is the thing this episode brings in to the audience, when it shows two new, previously unseen places.

The other one is the great walled city of Quarth and the other, the pits of Harrenhal - the home castle of the clan Lannisters. And they are like two sides of one coin, where one is an oasis and the another, a hell carved from the belly of the Westeros. Still, Harrenhal feels home to my European eyes, where as Quarth a paradise full of snakes.

We see which is which, don't we? Although I suspect that most of you wouldn't feel so comfortable among the rats of Harrerhal, and you could image yourself sunbathing at the rooftops of Quarth palace, wouldn't you?

But not for once would yoube wanting clicking your pints with the ******* son of Lannister's, would you? Joffrey is absolutely horrible and I for one, would want to see him being sent to face a certain doom in the hands of Harrenhal's half-witted and mostly bored torturers. We see if my wish is going to be granted and I only suspect that his death isn't going to be as painful and horrifying as what I'd like it to be.

Then again I can only can start to imagine what sort of terror that shadowy monster, we saw at the end of the episode, is going to cause at the ranks of Renly's men. My suspicion is that it's going after the king himself.

 

[Mesanna]

I hate Joffrey. I absolutely hate him! Bron, on the other hand (despite huge misgivings about his initial casting), I absolutely adore. "There's no cure for being a c*nt". And that's his King he's talking about! Bronn, you tell it how it is my man!

Harrenhal was pretty horrible, but I was glad to see Tywin back on screen. It's been a while since we saw him. I was a little worried about Gendry, but he lives to fight another day!

I did enjoy the shadow baby scene. The night definitely is dark and full of terrors.

I feel like I can't say too much for fear of spoilers.

 

[Culhwch]

....the pits of Harrenhal - the home castle of the clan Lannisters...

In what perhaps may be an indication of how the series is losing (or confusing) viewers who haven't read the books - Harrenhal is not, in fact, the seat of the Lannisters. That would be Casterly Rock, on the western coast. Harrenhal is in the Riverlands, ancestrally home to the (long dead) Harrens (they had a dragon problem), but most recently seat of Janos Slynt and subsequently offered as a prize to Littlefinger.

 

[svalbard]

I thought the pacing was good with only the Dany story jarring(as it did in the books for me).

Harrenhal was excellent. Was that Polliver in the torture scenes?

I always imagined Roose Bolton as someone paler, but we shall wait and see how his character pans out in the series.

The viewing figures are holding steady, although down slightly on last week. The show is still trouncing all it's other rivals on Cable TV.

 

[Culhwch]

I believe Polliver is the one who has Needle.

 

[Bugg]

I thought it was the best episode of the season so far. Could have done without the scene with Joffrey and the prostitutes, tbh, but the rest was excellent. I thought the last scene was fantastic, I'd been waiting for it to happen.

Funny how they seem so reluctant to show the dragons. I guess this week's FX budget went on the Shadowbaby scene and the shots of Qarth.

Quite happy at some of the stuff they cut out, too. The way the first three episodes had been so exposition heavy I thought they were getting bogged down. The pacing has been too slow for me, in the first three episodes, but some good choices about what not to include meant they finally got all the main storylines moving.

I'm sure Pyke was shown on the map in the opening credits, but none of the episode took place there, did it? Strange mistake, if so.

 

[Warren_Paul]

Anyways, much better ep, I thought. I even didn't mind Tyrion in this one. Still love Bronn. Hate Joffrey! Wanted to punch him right in the fizzog.

how can you not like Tyrion? He's the man! He makes a brilliant Hand imo.

Oh well, guess we all have different tastes. I for one don't care much for Renly, but I like Margaery Tyrell. I think she is going to be great.

Bronn is awesome too, and I think they want us to hate Joffrey, so you're not alone there.

I disagree Bugg, the scene with Joffrey and the prostitutes wasn't out of place at all. It shows just how much of a sadist he is, and I felt it was quite toned down compared to what I remember of such scenes in the books. I didn't like him with the crossbow pointing it at Sansa though.

 

[Bugg]

I disagree Bugg, the scene with Joffrey and the prostitutes wasn't out of place at all. It shows just how much of a sadist he is, and I felt it was quite toned down compared to what I remember of such scenes in the books. I didn't like him with the crossbow pointing it at Sansa though.

I didn't say it was out of place, just that I could've done without it

 

[Bugg]

I disagree Bugg, the scene with Joffrey and the prostitutes wasn't out of place at all. It shows just how much of a sadist he is, and I felt it was quite toned down compared to what I remember of such scenes in the books. I didn't like him with the crossbow pointing it at Sansa though.

Fair enough, I just could've done without it, personally.

 

[Warren_Paul]

Fair enough, I just could've done without it, personally.

Oh right, well that's fair enough too.

Personally I could have done without the Renly/Loras scenes, but others might strongly disagree with me there.

My reasoning is that it's only vaguely implied in the books, yet HBO jumped on it, and expanded the scope of the situation, to appeal to the members of the audience who are interested in such things.

 

[Mouse]

Right. Angry Mouse.

First of all I keep getting logged out. Secondly, I'm stuck at work and have just had a fight with a badge machine.

If I hear anybody else whinge about Renly and Loras I'm going to have some sort of rage blackout. Seriously. And this isn't aimed at you, Warren, it's aimed at the dimwits on Facebook who keep posting 'OMG why do we need to see gay men OMG OMG' or however it is young people write nowadays.

As far as I'm aware we haven't seen any EXPLICIT Renly & Loras scenes at all, have we? No. We've seen them kiss. Everything else has cut away, or as in this ep, Loras turned him away.

Now come on! We see Theon banging some woman every week and we don't get half so much complaining. We have those two women, not even characters we know, doing it and again, hardly anybody bats an eye. Yet, shock horror, two men KISS and, my god, let's freak out. Must burn mine eyes out for I have seen two adults kiss.

Get. The hell. Over it. Seeing two men together isn't going to make you gay, you can stop panicking.

 

[Mesanna]

Well said Mouse! Well said indeed! I couldn't agree more. If homosexuality offends some people so much, those same people should be objecting to the scenes with two women going at it. And I'm not talking about whether these scenes capture the spirit of the book or whatever. Why aren't those who object to Loras & Renly shouting from the rooftops about how disgusting it is to watch two women getting it on. Because it's utter hypocrisy otherwise.

PS Your last paragraph made me chortle into my coffee!

 

[Mouse]

Heh heh. Thanks.

Probably should've ranted over on FB but don't fancy getting attacked by homophobic Neanderthals.

Too busy ranting, I missed this:

how can you not like Tyrion? He's the man! He makes a brilliant Hand imo.

I like book Tyrion. TV Tyrion just grates on me, part of it is his smugness and part of it is that everybody keeps banging on about how awesome he is.

 

[Warren_Paul]

For sure, half of the sex scenes with woman could have gone safely too. We didn't even need the character of Meg - I believe that's the prostitutes name? - in the story, she wasn't in the book.

90% of Petyr's brothel scenes were not needed, the only bits that were was Cat hiding out there, and coming to kill the baby - although the connection of why wasn't made very well.

We certainly didn't need Theon's sex scene on the boat, that was just horrible. We didn't need Pycelle's rambling after having sex with the prostitute in the first season either.

The only added sex scene I actually somewhat approve of is Millisandre and Stannis, even though it too was only implied in the books, if they hadn't had it in there, many viewers would never have made the connection. I think the biggest complaint is that it misrepresented Stannis's character to a certain extent.

EDIT:

Just so you know, Mouse, I don't have a problem with homosexual characters in stories. There are many authors (Kate Elliot, Lynn Flewelling and Tad Williams to name a few) and some shows I actually approve of it - like True Blood - or at least don't have any problem with. My complaint is exploiting subtext for the sake of ratings. And it doesn't matter if it's two girls, or two guys, they are all under the same umbrella for me.

 

[svalbard]

EDIT:

Just so you know, Mouse, I don't have a problem with homosexual characters in stories. There are many authors (Kate Elliot, Lynn Flewelling and Tad Williams to name a few) and some shows I actually approve of it - like True Blood - or at least don't have any problem with. My complaint is exploiting subtext for the sake of ratings. And it doesn't matter if it's two girls, or two guys, they are all under the same umbrella for me.

This is the rub. Sex and violence sells. HBO knows this. To make AGOTs a going concern they have to accentuate the more lurid parts of Martin's tale. I for one do not have a problem with this as long as they stay true to the heart of the story. So far I think they have and I am willing to forgive missing characters and added scenes as long as it makes sense and draws more people to this wonderfully realized world that is Westros.

 

[Brian G Turner]

This series is going forward in such a pace, that I'm afraid they are losing audience along the way. And only if they could give it a couple of more episodes they could slow down the things and let the audience to savour the fine detail GRRM had breath in this world. It's so full of it. And to me that is the thing this episode brings in to the audience, when it shows two new, previously unseen places.

I'm actually enjoying the TV series more than the books, precisely because the breadth of detail could easily bog down the reader. I think the pacing is working well.

 

[Boaz]

I just watched this episode tonight. That final scene with Mel is soooooo messed up! I don't watch horror movies, but I cannot even compare it to anything I've ever seen on TV.