Poll: Winter Is Coming - HBO's A Game of Thrones [READ WARNING]

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Who will rule Westeros?


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Have to say I've felt the last two episodes have suffered for not following the book(s) closely enough.

If we take last nights episode the battle sort of fizzled along compared to the book. In the book there was a real war of attrition on the gate until they managed to fend them off, where as in the TV episode the onslaught (given 100,000 men) was half a dozen men, in one attack on it?

And then, it didn't make sense? Even though they have the gate open (the giant was opening it) no one else went in? Great plan! in the book they sent in giants, mammoths, turtles (men under giant wooden shields with rams) etc... And time after time the Brothers just managed to fend them off.

Sorry, not overly impressed with the adaptation as it felt flat IMHO.

And they've rushed/missed a great piece of drama surrounding John Snow's reason for going out on his own too! I was looking forward to that scene too!
 
If we take last nights episode the battle sort of fizzled along compared to the book. In the book there was a real war of attrition on the gate until they managed to fend them off, where as in the TV episode the onslaught (given 100,000 men) was half a dozen men, in one attack on it?

Sorry, not overly impressed with the adaptation as it felt flat IMHO.

Was going to say, coming from not reading the books, they kept going on about 100,000 men this and 100,000 men that, and like 12 guys knocked on the door then ran off?
 
Was going to say, coming from not reading the books, they kept going on about 100,000 men this and 100,000 men that, and like 12 guys knocked on the door then ran off?

Yes... Too daft for me to ignore I'm afraid. They should have had a couple of attacks, each being fought off. Just like the book! IMHO

And then as regards the men climbing up the wall? Why not do that (safely) 200 yards to the left or right?

It almost feels like the last couple of episodes have been adapted by different people to the norm, because it feels a tad lazy.
 
It's all budget as usual. They did the best job with the money they had.

I'm just ecstatically glad that the budget was considerably higher than the Battle of the Blackwater (which I hated - it had all of the epic scope of a theatre production). Sure, it wasn't what it should have been, but it was a very serviceable job.

The only way they are going to get movie sized budget for these battles is if they start releasing them as movies, i.e. this episode becomes 'Episode 11' and is released in to cinemas (and maybe Pay Per View TV) a week after Season 4 finishes. Personally, I'd be happy with that. I'm not sure everyone would be though.
 
Sound tactics from the wildings. Divert with an attack on the wall and attack castle black. Take the castle and the wall is irrelevant. Should have taken more men imo. But still a quality ep.
 
Was going to say, coming from not reading the books, they kept going on about 100,000 men this and 100,000 men that, and like 12 guys knocked on the door then ran off?

That's been the theme of the show from the beginning really, build up the expectation and then when it comes to execution, it's pitched much lower.

I don't think it is budget or even time constraints, they have the entire episodes to themselves last night, that is an hour of screen time. In movie terms, that is half a movie dedicated to a single battle which is plenty.

Most of the cast are faceless so they could do waves of attack without hiring any more extras and just the same people. Just use the same guy defending the wall, put them in different outfit and get them to run alongside the giant into the wall. How hard can that be?

That said, it was cool but there are lots of flaws when you look at it closely.
 
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Its the first episode which I both enjoyed and hated in equal measure.

Loved the giants, mammoths and the scythe :cool:

Hated the un-epicness of the attack and the lack of numbers of attackers.

Having never read the books I cant help but think that the battle should have been bigger and more significant.
 
Having never read the books I cant help but think that the battle should have been bigger and more significant.
As I mentioned earlier, in the book the battle was more epic (& realistic). There were a number of attempts on the gate, all being fended off (just).

IMHO it all fell a bit flat. Still enjoyable... but flat!

Loads of nice logical attacking of the gate and counter attacking was completely missed. Instead, a dozen men attack... three barrels are dropped... Hardly epic or clever!
 
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Was going to say, coming from not reading the books, they kept going on about 100,000 men this and 100,000 men that, and like 12 guys knocked on the door then ran off?

I assumed it was just a quick attack to test them, before coming back with a full scale attack later on. I don't think we're done with it just yet.
 
I assumed it was just a quick attack to test them, before coming back with a full scale attack later on. I don't think we're done with it just yet.

I got that it looked like an initial attack. But a line of people about 5 miles long and they attack/climb in the one spot that is defended? :P

I can't see them winning any war.
 
And yes, why do they just attack Castle Black, they could surely just get through the wall elsewhere and cause havoc.

Not taking Castle Black would leave the Wildlings trapped between the Night's Watch and the army they probably assume would be sent by various Northern lords to defend their land. Not great.

It's one thing sending 50 warriors over the wall; quite another to get 100,000 men, women, and children over with their belongings and livestock. This is a migration, not just an invasion.
 
Its the first episode which I both enjoyed and hated in equal measure.

Loved the giants, mammoths and the scythe :cool:

Hated the un-epicness of the attack and the lack of numbers of attackers.

Having never read the books I cant help but think that the battle should have been bigger and more significant.

:confused:

So if you were commanding the wildlings you would have sent all 100k of them to stand around under the gate while getting rained on by arrows, burning oil and rocks?
The northern attack was largely a distraction from the real attack which was the attack from the south.
 
Amazing episode. Had me glued from beginning to end.

And seriously, book readers..... **** off with your elitist attitudes. Jesus Christ. Was a fantastically well directed episode that I'm sure 90% of watchers thoroughly enjoyed. Roll on next week!
 
Giant with the Bow was the highlight of the episode.

The attack felt really anti-climactic; LOTR Helm's Deep was done in less than this episode and that felt awesome (and left you feeling awestruck at the spectacle).

They also miss other parts of what happened too:

- How did John Snow's friend and his guys manage to deal with the Giant?
- Why didn't his Direwolf go through the tunnel with him?
- Why did the Direwolf kill one Wildling then stop and eat, and I assume nobody attacked it or anything?
- Ser Alliser took a hit, but then got carted off whilst bellowing orders - what of him? Snow is in charge, so that implies Alliser died?

Episode 7 and 8 were awesome, but this episode focused too much on the wall and pointless little stories. I don't think GoT has focused on one area in one episode before? Don't think it worked well.
 
Giant with the Bow was the highlight of the episode.

The attack felt really anti-climactic; LOTR Helm's Deep was done in less than this episode and that felt awesome (and left you feeling awestruck at the spectacle).

They also miss other parts of what happened too:

- How did John Snow's friend and his guys manage to deal with the Giant?
- Why didn't his Direwolf go through the tunnel with him?
- Why did the Direwolf kill one Wildling then stop and eat, and I assume nobody attacked it or anything?
- Ser Alliser took a hit, but then got carted off whilst bellowing orders - what of him? Snow is in charge, so that implies Alliser died?

Episode 7 and 8 were awesome, but this episode focused too much on the wall and pointless little stories. I don't think GoT has focused on one area in one episode before? Don't think it worked well.

I actually thought it was more effective in a way that you only saw the aftermath of the fight with the giant in the tunnel one of the few cases where I think it probably did it more justice left to the imagination.

It did leave me going wtf when I noticed him walking out without the direwolf though that didn't make any sense at all - I'm guessing an oversight.
 
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