Game of Thrones: House of the Dragon!

[The Captain]

Dorne was one of my favorite set pieces. I loved the oasis in a desert type of look, and there was a lot of fun scenes back when Jaime and Bronn went in to infiltrate. A lot of people were bummed we didn't get to spend as much time there as we would have liked, and didn't like some character motivations, but I think the actors did a great job with what they had to work with. So hats off to these ladies..

Really? I think most people were very disappointed by the Dorne scenes, especially in the fact that they essentially characterized the Sand Snakes as: the one with a whip, the one with a spear and the one who gets naked and has a knife. In the books, there was much more in-depth info, but I definitely felt the show gave them the shorter end of the plot development. Frankly, I don't blame them per se either since with TV you have a limited time and can't go everywhere but seeing as how Prince Oberyn was one of my all-time favorite characters, it still kind of stunk that Dorne ended up being lame.

I started to watch Episode 4 but it was in such low res quality that about 5 minutes in, I just decided to be a good TV viewer and wait for tonight's proper high def screening. Very excited!

Take care all.

[Psychotic]

Not just Dorne, really, all of the A Dance With Dragon book arcs got cut out. Jon, Tyrion and Daenerys all had significant amounts of their character growth removed. For example Tyrion's depression basically becomes Varys going "lol get up u silly bugger time for an adventure".

Then again, ADWD while an awesome book would be television poison if you actually faithfully adapted it.

[Jinx]

Dorne was one of my favorite set pieces. I loved the oasis in a desert type of look, and there was a lot of fun scenes back when Jaime and Bronn went in to infiltrate. A lot of people were bummed we didn't get to spend as much time there as we would have liked, and didn't like some character motivations, but I think the actors did a great job with what they had to work with. So hats off to these ladies..

Really? I think most people were very disappointed by the Dorne scenes, especially in the fact that they essentially characterized the Sand Snakes as: the one with a whip, the one with a spear and the one who gets naked and has a knife. In the books, there was much more in-depth info, but I definitely felt the show gave them the shorter end of the plot development. Frankly, I don't blame them per se either since with TV you have a limited time and can't go everywhere but seeing as how Prince Oberyn was one of my all-time favorite characters, it still kind of stunk that Dorne ended up being lame.

I started to watch Episode 4 but it was in such low res quality that about 5 minutes in, I just decided to be a good TV viewer and wait for tonight's proper high def screening. Very excited!

Take care all.

Agree with LWL that the stuff between Jaime and Bronn was fun. But mostly I think he was saying that Dorne was gorgeous, and it absolutely was. Every time it showed up on screen, I would say, "Ugh, it's so beautiful!" I think they shot it in Spain? Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but wherever it was was stunning.

[Jinx]

Not just Dorne, really, all of the A Dance With Dragon book arcs got cut out. Jon, Tyrion and Daenerys all had significant amounts of their character growth removed. For example Tyrion's depression basically becomes Varys going "lol get up u silly bugger time for an adventure".

Then again, ADWD while an awesome book would be television poison if you actually faithfully adapted it.

Yeah, with so much inner dialogue, it'd be boringish on screen. Also, just take forever.

I used to get really upset about the discrepancies between the books and show. Finally I learned how to love the bomb and just accept, while different, it just means we end up getting two really fun (at times good) stories.

[The Captain]

In keeping with the books and show being different, what exactly does everything think is the reason that Beric and the Brotherhood are still around? It's just a bit different than the books...

One interesting theory I heard was: (SPOILER) That Beric would need to give the last kiss to revive Jon again after he ventures North since we probably are never getting Lady Stoneheart and Beric's fate seems tied into doing something like that.

Still, with so few episodes left and time being so precious, clearly they are being set up for something important and not to just go North and become cannon fodder.

Thoughts?

Take care all.

[Psychotic]

I used to get really upset about the discrepancies between the books and show. Finally I learned how to love the bomb and just accept, while different, it just means we end up getting two really fun (at times good) stories.

I agree, they're both good in their own right but you have to treat them as separate things. There's one discrepancy that I find really, really hard to apply that rule to though. Stannis, and in particular Stannis being killed by Brienne as she prattles on about Renly.

Renly's whole clam to the throne was that he's more likeable than Stannis when he really smurfing isn't. Renly is actually an arsehole. He mocks Shireen and indeed Brienne for their physical appearance behind their backs, whereas Stannis steps up to bat for the likes of Davos (lords don't like my Onion Knight? too bad, piss off) and who couldn't love his love for Proudwing?

With that said, Show Stannis deserved to die. He didn't deserve to die for offing that trouthead Renly though, he deserved to die for what he did to Shireen. imho the show would've been a thousand times more powerful if it had been Davos who did it to the man he viewed as a god as justice for Shireen, not the Renly bollocks we were served up.

[Jinx]

Does it bother you that he was killed by Brienne, or that he was killed by Brienne to avenge Renly?

Because if it's the former, you can't really be mad (as we haven't gotten to that point in the books yet, it very well may happen that way).

I agree with you about it needed to be Davos who killed Stannis, though. He respected and idolized him so much, seeing his hero and savior were neither of those things would've been a lot more powerful. And for Brienne, I think the more powerful narrative is her holding to her oath to Catelyn and watching out for Sansa.

[Psychotic]

Very much the latter. I like Brienne, and she deserved (and indeed found in the likes of Cat, Jaime and Pod) better than Renly, who only put her on his Kingsguard because Barristan was AWOL.

[Loony BoB]

As much as it might have been interesting to see Davos kill Stannis, I prefer how things turned out. I just don't see him as a murderer. Perhaps it would have been cool if, upon finding out what happened, Davos confronted and then attacked and killed Stannis, I guess.

Davos is too cuddly to be seen killing too much <3 Brienne was the better choice, I felt, despite the poorer background.

Curious, hopefully someone can answer before the next show airs: Who is in charge of Tyrell/Martell now with the recent deaths we've seen? Anyone? Or have the Lannisters now added even more songs about rain?

[Slothy]

I'm gonna go ahead and guess whoever is in charge of the Reach is either a Lannister or Lannister ally. No point in taking it just to let it go back to a member of the family that turned on them. As for Dorne: who the hell knows? My guess is power vacuum. I mean Oberyn's daughters are all dead, Doctor Bashir and his kid are both dead, so either some distant family member steps up and bends da knee to Cersei because they are weak and don't want to die or it's pandemonium as people fight to take control.

[Loony BoB]

Ah, you replied just as I was editing my post. xD I should have said House Tyrell/Martell, not The Reach/Dorne.

A bit of (very brief) research online suggests both houses are now potentially extinct.

[Slothy]

In that case I'd bet they're either all dead or so close that in 15 years we'll get a Martell invading from another continent with an army of giant cobras.

[The Captain]

What are the odds that by the end of this show MOST of the prominent houses are extinct? The Freys are essentially gone, as are the Tyrells, the Martells, the Baratheons (Where is GENDRY!?) and a bunch others.

If memory serves, aren't the Tarlys now in charge of the region, since they sided with the Lannisters against the Tyrells?

Take care all.

[Lone Wolf Leonhart]

Agree with LWL that the stuff between Jaime and Bronn was fun. But mostly I think he was saying that Dorne was gorgeous, and it absolutely was. Every time it showed up on screen, I would say, "Ugh, it's so beautiful!" I think they shot it in Spain? Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but wherever it was was stunning.

Yeah, you nailed it.

I basically meant to say that Dorne was beautiful and a few of the scenes there were fun, but it was largely underwhelming. But it wasn't the actors fault they got so little screen time or weird character motivations (ie: Kill your lover's brother and his son), so I just wanted to give credit where credit was due.

[Jinx]

As much as it might have been interesting to see Davos kill Stannis, I prefer how things turned out. I just don't see him as a murderer. Perhaps it would have been cool if, upon finding out what happened, Davos confronted and then attacked and killed Stannis, I guess.

Davos is too cuddly to be seen killing too much <3 Brienne was the better choice, I felt, despite the poorer background.

Curious, hopefully someone can answer before the next show airs: Who is in charge of Tyrell/Martell now with the recent deaths we've seen? Anyone? Or have the Lannisters now added even more songs about rain?

Just because you've killed someone doesn't necessarily mean you're a murderer. Davos killing Stannis because he lead thousands of men to their deaths and actually DID murder his daughter would be justice, not murder.