Is Game of Thrones worth watching?

[Bubo]

Whatever mate.

 

[One]

Whatever mate.

Do you need a tissue?

 

[Camalot]

Well back on track then!

Finished season 1. Can understand why so many people like this. There isn't really any action and is mostly just all talking. There was one bit where i was dying for a bit of sword play, but it just ended up with the guy being passed out and the next scene picked up and its all over, VERY disappointing.

It is addictive to watch though, and a few episodes did make me want to watch the next. Season 1 ending raised a few questions in my mind

The way i feel about this is, its good, but i am in no rush to get hold of season 2 or 3. It seems like a good series but in no way i could ever class it as "the" best series ever

I'll most likely get hold of season 2 next week as have nothing else to watch, but if i did, i would just leave it, as it hasn't grabbed me enough to "want" the next season badly.

 

[regulus]

Watched the first few episodes and didn't do anything for me. Think I'll give the books a go. Prefer reading over watching any day.

 

[arknor]

I thought season 2 was better than one there's not many battles though.

the best battle so far is probably a 1v1 in season 3
I think there's only one proper battle in the series that you actually see ? in S2

I doubt most people watch it for the fights anyway the same as "rome" one of the greatest series of all times but not really full of big battles

 

[Andrew_McP]

I thought season 2 was better than one there's not many battles though.

There never are, because battles are very, very expensive. There's some fascinating insight into a lot of the decisions in one of the DVD commentaries.

But the important action in GoT is nearly always on a much smaller scale. Lots of intricate dramatic built up, which can be hard to follow if you're not caught up in the plot enough to focus, and brief explosions of intimate danger and excitement. It's a very human scale drama in many ways, which is why so many of us have been totally swept away by both the books and the TV series.

 

[DampDog]

But the important action in GoT is nearly always on a much smaller scale. Lots of intricate dramatic built up, which can be hard to follow if you're not caught up in the plot enough to focus, and brief explosions of intimate danger and excitement. It's a very human scale drama in many ways, which is why so many of us have been totally swept away by both the books and the TV series.

That's it in a nutshell, the series has an intensity that's isn't derived from full on battles. It's the suggestive look in the glance of a character or undertones of a conversation. When there is a "battle" or fight it's the intensity of it, not the scale that tell the story. I had series 1 as a Xmas present so am just revisiting it and there's so much in it that I'd missed or forgotten I'm really enjoying it again from the beginning. Mark Addy, as the King was a cracking choice.

 

[Richdog]

I have never watched an episode and I'm not sure it's the sort of show that I'd enjoy. But is it good? Am I missing out?

As f you didn't fully know the answer to his before making the thread... the forum has several existing threads full of chat about it, and the series is universally praised by critics and normal viewers alike. It is impossible to do even a small search or Google without seeing this. Feeling a little attention-starved were we?

 

[Raymond Lin]

There never are, because battles are very, very expensive. There's some fascinating insight into a lot of the decisions in one of the DVD commentaries.

You mean they made scene choices out of financial constraints, not by artistic choices.

Which is why I said I think they keep padding things out. A bit like

"we could shoot a new scene with these battles or may be develop this plot line from the book that would give the series so much more depth.... "

but narhhhhhhhh, instead....

"Lets shoot Theon getting torture for the 3rd time, fill the screen 10 minutes each for 2 more episodes, tell the audience what they already know, so not moving the plot along any further, just tell them his penis is cut off, again and again....the audience is too stupid to realise what they are being fed anyway and it will saves a butt load of money.

win. win. win."

But the important action in GoT is nearly always on a much smaller scale. Lots of intricate dramatic built up, which can be hard to follow if you're not caught up in the plot enough to focus, and brief explosions of intimate danger and excitement. It's a very human scale drama in many ways, which is why so many of us have been totally swept away by both the books and the TV series.

Thus why I said it is medieval Eastenders, they talk, a LOT, in medieval times.

You understand the reasoning right?

 

[=XDC=FluphyBunny]

Scene choices in TV series are always out of financial constraints. Could you imagine the cost of full on battles every episode! The program would be cancelled before that happened.

Having said that, there's no reason they couldn't cut out the pointless bits that add nothing and just move on with the story line.

Still a must see for me but very much aware of how slow The Walking Dead became and do worry if the lack of pace will see this cancelled before it is any where near finished.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Scene choices in TV series are always out of financial constraints. Could you imagine the cost of full on battles every episode! The program would be cancelled before that happened.

But they make it too damn obvious when they repeat stuff.

At no point from watching or the West Wing or Gilmore Girls (yes, Gilmore Girls !) in 7 seasons have I once thought they are being held back by finances, because the plot moves along.

Plus there are 22 episodes a season, more than double the episodes in GoT. I already feel like they are padding things out with 10 episodes a season, so I can't really understand how people can say they have material to shoot a full 22 episodes a season with these financial constraints. What you will get then is about 5 hours more of Theon getting his penis cut off, may be if you are lucky they can afford a razor and you see them shaving his butt.

 

[Tombo]

How can you say you understand the budget prevents them from filming a lot of thing and then complain there's not enough content for more episodes?

Think you're also missing that Gilmore Girls and West Wing don't really have anything that would cost that much, it costs a lot of money to do "period" which is essentially what this is, a fantasy period drama.

 

[Raymond Lin]

How can you say you understand the budget prevents them from filming a lot of thing and then complain there's not enough content for more episodes?

Think you're also missing that Gilmore Girls and West Wing don't really have anything that would cost that much, it costs a lot of money to do "period" which is essentially what this is, a fantasy period drama.

Because they spend all this money to make it look pretty but not enough money to shoot more content.

 

[arknor]

Because they spend all this money to make it look pretty but not enough money to shoot more content.

have you watched the cgi breakdown videos on youtube for game of thrones?

the show would look naff if they didn't use so much cgi , nearly every scene seems to have cgi backgrounds overlaid to make the onset locations look more real and of a different age

 

[Raymond Lin]

have you watched the cgi breakdown videos on youtube for game of thrones?

the show would look naff if they didn't use so much cgi , nearly every scene seems to have cgi backgrounds overlaid to make the onset locations look more real and of a different age

Doesn't that support my point?

 

[johnny cass]

Epic series.

 

[eggyoke]

Not a fan of this, barely got through season 3. I thought season 1 was good, it felt like it was going somewhere and had good characters but... by god

Spoiler

they really like killing off the relatable characters . Honestly there are now literally 2 characters left who I'm somewhat interested in; Arya and Tyrion. Everyone else is just pure insane or psychotic. I would care for Sansa but the show has spent 3 seasons now having her as nothing but a victim of abuse and psychological torture. It reminds me of watching movies like SAW or the Human Centipede but in an emotional way. Watching mindless abuse being played out for abuse sake is not my idea of good television

Also they had a good plot going with Jon Snow, but then... what? What actually happened beyond seeing him stumbling along in the snow and then stumbling his way back at the end? Was this just used as an opportunity to show him getting his end away with a red head? Also was it just me or was the whole Rob Stark marrying that complete random field-nurse during the middle of his important war a bit too... tacked on? You know considering the responsibility on his head, he honestly couldn't have put one complete random strange girl to the side for the sake of his entire kingdom and the atrocities performed on his family by his enemy?

The series was really good in parts, but it focussed too much on sex. It thinned out the story for me, as if the plot was engineered just so they could get the characters kit off.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Haha,

Spoiler

i said the exact same thing in another thread about Sansa, the red head, being crying for 2 seasons of television and how if characters need to move on from their grieve in about 2 episodes before the audience starts to stop caring for her and starting to resent her.

As for Robb stark getting killed, I was glad because partly of what you said, the guy is an idiot and also a waste of on screen time as all he did this year was playing battlefield chess in a tent and talking big and doing nothing. It's obvious he isn't going to amount to anything so best get rid of him sooner the better.

 

[Simi]

Spoiler

Arya, Tyrion, The Hound (I really like his new story arc) and Daenerys are definitely the best characters left in the show; in my opinion, of course.

I'm currently reading the books (well, listening to the unabridged audio books while walking the dog) after I've watched the corresponding season. I know how odd that sounds but it works for me as rather than getting show spoilers, the books add more to the story.
All in all I think it's a great show although the politics and double dealings aren't as clever as the writer seems to think they are, but still compelling viewing.

 

[Cuchulain]

When it was first advertised on Sky Atlantic I assumed it'd be a tedious period drama so I put off watching it, after watching 1 episode I ended up pulling several near all-nighters to watch both first seasons.