Rewatching Game of Thrones

[DaaaaB's]

I remember hating Stannis before, but I kindve respected him this time around until he had Shireen burned alive. What an awful scene to watch. He deserved to lose after that. Still, it was nice to have an "all duty" type of character around. Without him saving the wall, the wildlings would never have joined John Snow. So in a way his actions were pretty important to humanity surviving.

Maybe my least favorite season of the show so far though. The dialogue and storylines are still good and above most other shows for me. But they clearly dipped in season 5 imo.

I actually really liked Stannis when I first watched GoT partially because of the actor being so good. Him having to be dragged away by his men from the Battle of the Blackwater was classic. But yeah once he burned Shireen alive he had to go. I remember him being less likeable in the books.

 

[Cas]

I actually really liked Stannis when I first watched GoT partially because of the actor being so good. Him having to be dragged away by his men from the Battle of the Blackwater was classic. But yeah once he burned Shireen alive he had to go. I remember him being less likeable in the books.

I would have to disagree - Stannis is far more likable in the books, because he's actually a character instead of a mangled caricature used as a strawman by showrunners who didn't understand the books (which aren't even that difficult).

 

[DaaaaB's]

I would have to disagree - Stannis is far more likable in the books, because he's actually a character instead of a mangled caricature used as a strawman by showrunners who didn't understand the books (which aren't even that difficult).

He definitely has a lot more depth in the books and it's been so long since I've read them that I actually forgot he doesn't burn Shireen in them. That alone makes him more likeable in the books I suppose. I do think the actor played the role well though.

 

[RandV]

He definitely has a lot more depth in the books and it's been so long since I've read them that I actually forgot he doesn't burn Shireen in them. That alone makes him more likeable in the books I suppose. I do think the actor played the role well though.

Yes and one of the big mysteries left over by GRRM not being able to finish book six. Lots of 'book spoolers' below but I don't think it really matters much anymore.

In Dance of Dragons Stanis takes Jon's advice and takes the long way down to Winterfell, to bolster his numbers by recruiting the isolated hills people along the way. Shireen and Melisandre are still back at the wall. Meanwhile inside Winterfell, people are being murdered there's something readers on 'theory' forums have dubbed the 'Great Northern Conspiracy' where it seems some retainers are still loyal to the Starks and plotting against the Bolton's. Arya's Frey meat pie thing later in the show was taken from here, as the Lord of White Harbor appears to have killed someone loyal to Bolton's sons and put them in the meat pies at the wedding feast(?).

So in Dance the last Stannis chapter, he's camped out in some fortifications and/or by a lake near Winterfell and appears to have some sort of strategy in place to defeat Bolton- still Roose at this point, not Ramsay. Somewhere in between Theon takes Ramsey's wife 'fake Arya' and jumps off the walls of Winterfell to escape. Then the chapters jump around to other characters and the final (?) chapter goes back to Jon at the wall getting a shit talking letter from Ramsay saying something like 'I killed Stannis I want my wife back and I'm coming for you'. Jon flies off the handle, starts preparing the Nights Watch & allies to march on Winterfell: totally against everything the watch stands for, and that's when his men stab him and the book ends.

So from a readers perspective, on the Stannis question there's a number of ways you can spin it but the main one is you get the impression that Roose has been defeated in he's pulled some ruse leaving Ramsay - still holed up in Winterfell, to think he's dead. In the latter books GRRM became the master of leaving off chapters in misleading cliffhangers, to the point of being almost annoying, which leaves you skeptical of taking what appears to have happened at face value.

 

[Cas]

He definitely has a lot more depth in the books and it's been so long since I've read them that I actually forgot he doesn't burn Shireen in them. That alone makes him more likeable in the books I suppose. I do think the actor played the role well though.

"Pray harder."

 

[LarKing]

I would say GoT is "better" than HOTD in the same way a buffet is better than ordering off the menu...

That's not to say the buffet food is of greater quality, there's just more of it to enjoy

It's like a niche within GOT. Some may very well like that niche better and that's fine. But for me, I prefer the whole thing. And again, I love HOTD. It's better than I hoped for. I hope this doesn't come off as if I don't.

 

[LarKing]

I actually really liked Stannis when I first watched GoT partially because of the actor being so good. Him having to be dragged away by his men from the Battle of the Blackwater was classic. But yeah once he burned Shireen alive he had to go. I remember him being less likeable in the books.

I really liked the actor too. He does a great job in such a serious role. His scenes with Shireen get better and better until the end of course. I was almost sad to see him die just because he's one of the best characters/actors on the show imo.

 

[Neutrinos]

Just about every role in GoT is perfectly cast...

The only 2 roles I thought were miscast were Robert Baratheon and Janos Slynt

I thought the actor playing Slynt was too theatrical (at times) as if he were performing in a play, and Mark Addy's Santa Claus energy as the great hammer-wielding Robert Baratheon just never quite felt believable... plus he was never right physically for the part

 

[Primary Assist]

Just about every role in GoT is perfectly cast...

The only 2 roles I thought were miscast were Robert Baratheon and Janos Slynt

I thought the actor playing Slynt was too theatrical as if he were performing in a play, and Mark Addy's Santa Claus energy as the great hammer-wielding Robert Baratheon just never quite felt believable

I respect the opinion, but I loved Mark Addy as King Robert. He nails the portrayal of how far Robert had fallen from hammer wielding Usurper, to Santa Claus-esque ho-ho-whore chasing lush. The Kingdom had grown fat, happy, and helpless - just like its King. No wonder Cersei hated him.

The casting is almost too good to be true. I don't think there's an actor alive who could eclipse Rory McCann as the Hound. The speech Sandor gives when he's pleading his case in the Hollow Hill against the Brotherhood is some of the best TV acting ever. Flawless monologuing, along with perfect physical acting. The man is tied up and surrounded by warriors but he is still the most intimidating presence in the room - for good reason too, as he demonstrates in the very next scene during his "trial"

Man... Now I'm thinking about how incredible those early seasons really were. That's my favorite scene in the show, but it may not even be the Hound's best scene. And he's a freaking side character!

 

[#37]

I respect the opinion, but I loved Mark Addy as King Robert. He nails the portrayal of how far Robert had fallen from hammer wielding Usurper, to Santa Claus-esque ho-ho-whore chasing lush. The Kingdom had grown fat, happy, and helpless - just like its King. No wonder Cersei hated him.

The casting is almost too good to be true. I don't think there's an actor alive who could eclipse Rory McCann as the Hound. The speech Sandor gives when he's pleading his case in the Hollow Hill against the Brotherhood is some of the best TV acting ever. Flawless monologuing, along with perfect physical acting. The man is tied up and surrounded by warriors but he is still the most intimidating presence in the room - for good reason too, as he demonstrates in the very next scene during his "trial"

Man... Now I'm thinking about how incredible those early seasons really were. That's my favorite scene in the show, but it may not even be the Hound's best scene. And he's a freaking side character!

This scene, for me. (NSFW)

 

[Neutrinos]

I respect the opinion, but I loved Mark Addy as King Robert. He nails the portrayal of how far Robert had fallen from hammer wielding Usurper, to Santa Claus-esque ho-ho-whore chasing lush. The Kingdom had grown fat, happy, and helpless - just like its King. No wonder Cersei hated him.

The casting is almost too good to be true. I don't think there's an actor alive who could eclipse Rory McCann as the Hound. The speech Sandor gives when he's pleading his case in the Hollow Hill against the Brotherhood is some of the best TV acting ever. Flawless monologuing, along with perfect physical acting. The man is tied up and surrounded by warriors but he is still the most intimidating presence in the room - for good reason too, as he demonstrates in the very next scene during his "trial"

Man... Now I'm thinking about how incredible those early seasons really were. That's my favorite scene in the show, but it may not even be the Hound's best scene. And he's a freaking side character!

I've not read the books, but according to Wikipedia, Eddard estimated Robert's height to be "six and a half feet"

Addy is under 6 feet, so I just never bought into him being a beast of a man capable of caving in a man's breast plate with a single blow

The Hound is 6'8 in the books, so McCann's nearly 6'5 frame is close enough to play the role convincingly. If McCann were 6'1, he wouldn't have nearly the same onscreen presence, and his scenes would be far less impactful because of it

 

[x Tame Impala]

Robert is supposed to me some ultra-jock and Addy doesn’t quite pull it off. Great actor and he did a great job, but I agree he was a little miscast

 

[Jovavic]

Wasn't the rebellion like 20 years before the start of GoT? We've seen some athletes:coughKEITHTKACHUNKcough: really lose themselves after retiring, so him going from 25 something buff dude leading the rebellion to 45 year old dad bod isn't that big of a stretch if the kingdom was pacified where he felt comfortable not being in "fighting shape" anymore.

 

[Shareefruck]

Its one of the most overrated TV shows ever, even though its still pretty entertaining, particularly during the early seasons. Still GoT doesn't hold the jockstrap to really great shows such as Twin Peaks, The Wire, Sopranos, The Shield, Rome, Veronica Mars, Curb etc. The World building isn't that creative either if you know a thing or two about history. Then you have the botched end as well which just sours the overall impression of the show.

I'd agree with this. I think the peak seasons are genuinely "good" but I wouldn't consider them flawlessly crafted masterpieces or anything. Even if every single season was hypothetically to the quality of Season 1, 3, or 4 (whichever you would consider best), it still wouldn't be in the all-time-great conversation for me (to me, the first season is the most thematically focused and impressive).

The quality of the plot threads are generally very inconsistent and awkwardly paced to fit one another, IMO. You'd get one or two really compelling plot threads that makes it a strong show, and then side stories that meander and seem to need to be occupied with weaker material because it can't get to the next big plot point until everything else catches up. That's what a lot of the experience feels like to me. The way everything's balanced doesn't feel too elegant.

From word of mouth, it kind of sounds like House of the Dragon is less fun/entertaining/packed, but more cohesive/tight, maybe more room to breath and explore? Is that a correct perception?

---

Side note, I have very mixed feelings about Stannis-- I like the character but he also feels like a lot of squandered potential. I think the IDEA of Stannis is a really interesting character that I relate to and haven't seen portrayed much to the extreme that seems to be promised (sort of the mythology that you're told about how his mind works going in, how he's pure stubborn principle over pragmatism/compromise, which makes him lack personable tact and willing to die on any hill simply because it's true/right-- not even necessarily because he cares on any empathetic emotional level, but because he cares about rightness for rightness' sake), but when you're first introduced to him, he's already well into unraveling and compromising in a way that either doesn't feel properly communicated or believable given what we're led to believe about him. It would have been nice to see that transition unfold more organically and convincingly.

It's especially jarring because they do such a good job of the same thing with Ned (but with honor instead of principle).

 

[BrindamoursNose]

Just about every role in GoT is perfectly cast...

The only 2 roles I thought were miscast were Robert Baratheon and Janos Slynt

I thought the actor playing Slynt was too theatrical (at times) as if he were performing in a play, and Mark Addy's Santa Claus energy as the great hammer-wielding Robert Baratheon just never quite felt believable... plus he was never right physically for the part

Aside from his hide, Robert Baratheon was cast pretty brilliantly. He's described as a guy who hates ruling, has a big appetite for stuff he likes (women, food), doesn't care about money, and is great in battle.

Basically I think they nailed it. He's just not as tall as in the show, and that isn't a very big deal IMO.

I'd agree with this. I think the peak seasons are genuinely "good" but I wouldn't consider them flawlessly crafted masterpieces or anything. Even if every single season was hypothetically to the quality of Season 1, 3, or 4 (whichever you would consider best), it still wouldn't be in the all-time-great conversation for me (to me, the first season is the most thematically focused and impressive).

The quality of the plot threads are generally very inconsistent and awkwardly paced to fit one another, IMO. You'd get one or two really compelling plot threads that makes it a strong show, and then side stories that meander and seem to need to be occupied with weaker material because it can't get to the next big plot point until everything else catches up. That's what a lot of the experience feels like to me.

From word of mouth, it kind of sounds like House of the Dragon is less fun/entertaining/packed, but more cohesive/tight, maybe more room to breath and explore? Is that a correct perception?

HOTD isn't nearly as fun as GOT, but that's probably because it's a show about warfare basically all the time in 1 storyline. GOT had a few storylines going where some time could pass between major conflicts, adding a little more levity to the situations.

There's certainly no character like Tyrion or Bronn!

 

[HanSolo]

Robert is supposed to me some ultra-jock and Addy doesn’t quite pull it off. Great actor and he did a great job, but I agree he was a little miscast

Have you seen jocks that let themselves go?

 

[TheAngryHank]

Just finished season 4. Wow what a ride. You have the fallout from the red wedding happening then Joffrey dying at his own wedding shortly after. Having already watched it once, I could really see where the pendant off the necklace was taken and how everything occurred. Such a well done poisoning.

This season also had the best Lannister family dynamics. Tywin hates Tyrion but respects his knowledge. Cersei just outright hates him. Jamie loves his brother but also feels a sense of duty to Tywin and his love Cersei.

Oberyn was such a great character. A bisexual badass looking for nothing but revenge. I was sad to see him die by a trick he probably should've expected though. Even worse, we all know the Mountain comes back.

I really enjoyed the stuff with Bran going to the tree in the north. Not being able to see his brother when they were so close to being united was hard to watch.

Arya going through a similar journey just missing her family at the red wedding and then arriving a few days too late to meet with her aunt. Her and the Hound's travels were both tragic and humorous at times. The chicken scene especially.

Somehow I missed this or maybe just didn't remember about the part where Lysa reveals she and little finger were behind jon Arryn's death and writing the letter to lure Catlin to go to Kings Landing. Very f***ed of her and she got what she deserved in the end. You can really see Sansa starting to understand the game at this point, coming into her own a bit.

The battle at the wall was just incredible. Maybe my favorite battle of the whole show. The did well to hold for the first night. Then Stannis saved them the second day. The part with Ygritte dying was so sad. John just taking Ls at every turn. Oh and the part with the 5 men in black saying their vows as the giant gets closer and closer had to be one of the best scenes of the entire show for me. I really enjoy how the show shows you that even the brave are terrified of dying. As much as you want to see the action, it feels so realistic to the point where it can be hard to watch.

Then of course you have Tyrion's trial. That whore betrayed him when all he ever wanted was her safety. Tyrion saying they all deserved to die at the end of the trial was so satisfying. He has a great way of joking but also being right. Him getting revenge on Tywin was so satisfying. He had everyone else under his control but not his two sons.

Overall, probably my favorite season of GOT so far. I think I'd rank them 4, 1, 3, 2 so far. Looking forward to starting season 5 tonight.

The chicken was probably the greatest 5 mins in television history ,even before they entered the tavern..
Side note I also loved when breanne kicks Aria to the ground while training and that music kicks in...epic.
Lord Mance is great ..
I totally can't watch one scene with stannis and Malasandre and a fire,I just skip that part.Season 4 hits hard.

 

[TheAngryHank]

Just about every role in GoT is perfectly cast...

The only 2 roles I thought were miscast were Robert Baratheon and Janos Slynt

I thought the actor playing Slynt was too theatrical (at times) as if he were performing in a play, and Mark Addy's Santa Claus energy as the great hammer-wielding Robert Baratheon just never quite felt believable... plus he was never right physically for the part

Ramsey was an excellent casting...Dude is just straight greasy.

 

[Neutrinos]

Ramsey was an excellent casting...Dude is just straight greasy.

Actually, I thought the character was a little over-the-top at times bordering on cartoonish villainy

IMO, Jack Gleeson as Joffrey was a much better prick

 

[Neutrinos]

Wasn't the rebellion like 20 years before the start of GoT? We've seen some athletes:coughKEITHTKACHUNKcough: really lose themselves after retiring, so him going from 25 something buff dude leading the rebellion to 45 year old dad bod isn't that big of a stretch if the kingdom was pacified where he felt comfortable not being in "fighting shape" anymore.

Have you seen jocks that let themselves go?

Keith Tkachuk gained weight, but he didn't lose height... he's not walking around at 5'7 these days

 

[Neutrinos]

I think a plumped up Gerard Butler would've made a great Robert Baratheon...

 

[x Tame Impala]

I respect the opinion, but I loved Mark Addy as King Robert. He nails the portrayal of how far Robert had fallen from hammer wielding Usurper, to Santa Claus-esque ho-ho-whore chasing lush. The Kingdom had grown fat, happy, and helpless - just like its King. No wonder Cersei hated him.

The casting is almost too good to be true. I don't think there's an actor alive who could eclipse Rory McCann as the Hound. The speech Sandor gives when he's pleading his case in the Hollow Hill against the Brotherhood is some of the best TV acting ever. Flawless monologuing, along with perfect physical acting. The man is tied up and surrounded by warriors but he is still the most intimidating presence in the room - for good reason too, as he demonstrates in the very next scene during his "trial"

Man... Now I'm thinking about how incredible those early seasons really were. That's my favorite scene in the show, but it may not even be the Hound's best scene. And he's a freaking side character!

The Hound is my favorite character by far. He’s such a pragmatist in a cruel world. “Trant had armor, and a big f***ing sword” personified him completely. Amazing amazing job.

 

[LarKing]

Just finished season 6 episode 9 "Battle of the Bastards". I'll probably add a bit more after watching the finale but I've gotta post my thoughts now on the season while I'm on this GOT high.

They really loved to make episode 9s of seasons the big climax type episodes. I enjoyed this season so much more than season 5. Probably because we got the payoff of multiple storylines that were mostly building up the last few seasons.

There's still the crown militant stuff going on in KL. It feels less focused on this season which I liked. I forgot Tommen joined their side surprising Cersei, Olenna, etc. The actress who plays Olenna is fantastic. I didn't read the books but I love her "take no shit" character. Margaery is great as well.

Jamie's plot line with the Blackfish and the Freys at Riverrun was fine enough. I enjoyed the dialogue with him and the Blackfish's nephew. It was a smart plan to retake the castle without losing a lot of his men. I will say I was a bit disappointed we don't get to see any of the blackfish in action after all the hyping up they did with him.

Arya's no one storyline finally goes somewhere. Her getting revenge on the faceless woman after she was abused for a while was satisfying. Her taking multiple stab wounds in the stomach and surviving was a little difficult to believe but I suppose other characters came back from similar or worse. I remember hating this storyline when it first came out but being able to watch it without waiting for weekly episodes made it a lot better for me.

The return of the Hound. YES. f*** YES. I remember being so happy he was back on my original watch. Same with this time. His little group being slaughtered had me so pissed. The leader, whose name I forget, really had an impact on the Hound and it showed. Perhaps the first person who thought of the Hound as a person/friend in the show. Such a great character I'm happy they brought back.

And finally the North storyline. With Tywin dead, the North plotlines are the best in the show imo. Finally the Starks get some vengeance after being f***ed over for 5 seasons. I remember at the time, people were a bit upset the knights of the vale saved John's side because it was pretty predictable. They literally show Sansa writing to little finger though. I think part of the issue with this show watching originally was that it was so nitpicked and scrutinized that there couldn't really be any twists that hadn't come up already. So yeah the Vale saving them was predictable but it made sense. Watching Ramsey die to his own dogs was very satisfying. RIP the giant who gave everything so they could retake Winterfell. Poor Rickon dying right before he could get back to John. But it did give us one of the best shots in all of GOT imo. John unsheathing his sword and accepting his fate then being saved by his troops last second was just so good. The piles of bodies in that fight were hard to stomach looking at. Such a brutal fight.

Overall, a really good season. I just realized I forgot the Mereen storyline. I'll add that after I watch the final episode. Sorry for the essay. Caffeine with the battle of the bastards is a hell of a drug.

 

[NyQuil]

The only 2 roles I thought were miscast were Robert Baratheon and Janos Slynt

The only role I really had a problem with was Renly Baratheon.

My impression (from the books IIRC) is that he was meant to represent Robert in his prime, charismatic and larger than life, only instead of martial pursuits, his interests were more decadent.

I dug up his physical description from the book wiki:

Renly is described as a powerful man[6] who is lean and lithe.[7] He has a handsome, clean-shaven face.[6] Renly greatly resembles a young King Robert I Baratheon,[8] being near as tall as his eldest brother had been.[9] Like Robert, Renly has an easy smile.[8][9] He is taller and broader in the chest than Ser Loras Tyrell.[10]

Renly's thick[11] hair is described as black as jet[6] and coal.[9][7] His fine and straight[9] hair currently falls to his shoulders,[6] although Renly has sometimes kept it short or tied it behind his head with a golden ribbon.[7] He always keeps his hair clean and combed.[7]

Renly on the show is not very impressive at all.

I remember that HF did a casting draft for GoT awhile back, I can't seem to find the thread, but I did find my picks:

1. Andy Serkis as Tyrion Lannister
2. Emily Blunt as Cersei Lannister
3. Alan Rickman as Tywin Lannister
4. Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Jon Snow
5. Chloe Grace Moretz as Daenerys Targaryen
6. Clive Owen as Stannis Baratheon
7. Cilian Murphy as Ramsay Bolton
8. Robert Downey Jr. as Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish
9. Hugh Jackman as Eddard Stark
10. Ian McShane as Barristan the Bold
11. Karl Urban as Jamie Lannister
12. Jennifer Connelly as Catelyn Stark

 

[JohnC]

Of the bad seasons, 6 was definitely the best.

A month or two ago I rewatched for the first time since the show ended and it was jarring how bad season 5 was. It felt like it took me weeks to watch it because of how slow and uneventful it was.

I hoped that binge format would make the final seasons better but I was dead wrong. Still the same rushed plot with poor dialogue getting propped up by the stronger members of the cast (Emilia Clarke’s acting throughout the show hasn’t aged very well IMO and she was particularly bad toward the end).