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Arya is sort of badass. Pretty sure she's my favorite character so far and she's only, what, 12?
Another character I'm growing to like is Tyrion. He might be the most sane adult in the whole show. :D
WINTER IS COMING. Okay, apparently this is a Thing. I just thought it was something someone quipped off in the first episode to be poetic or something. But summers and winters last for years? Of course now I want to know about the planet's rotation and why seasons would be variable instead of constant and if this is even Earth at all. I realize I am probably WAY over thinking this. This is simply supposed to be YE TIMES OF DRAGONS, yes? BUT PLANETARY MOVEMENTS. I MUST KNOW.
So no one thought that maybe a little fence at the top of the wall would be good? You know, where there's slippery ice and snow? It's just badass without a barrier, isn't it? SOMEONE IS GOING TO FALL OFF, I KNOW IT.
I don't quite get the whole HA HA I KILL YOU WHILE WE'RE JOUSTING/PRACTICING/PARTYING BECAUSE I AM BADASS. Like those guys killing each other at that wedding. You'd think the biggest resource a leader has is manpower, but fighters are apparently expendable. Stupid mentality. This is why I need to rule them all. First thing: fence at the top of the wall.
Speak of the wall, are the dragons and zombies and so on behind them? Or down below where they came from? It just seems like when they're up there, they're facing in the wrong direction to do any guarding. First thing, fence; second thing, turn them around.
Honestly, a lot of stuff is flying over my head at this point. There are a lot of discussions about things that happened in the past and my eyes are glazing over. I haven't kept actual characters straight yet - there's no way to keep up with "so and so's brother's cousin did this in battle to random person's friend's uncle. WE MUST BE AVENGED."
DON'T WAKE THE DRAGON. XD XD (Man, what is it about these completely ridiculous guys like him and the prince that get all entitled about ruling?)
Randomly, I really like the theme music. It's pretty.

I was so confused about all the families at first, too. I'm still a little uncertain on some people and my habit of never remembering names is causing me problems, too.

Winter Is Coming is apparently the Stark Family Motto. It's one of the reasons why it gets said so much (also, yes, I totally wondered about the planet rotation and it's orbit etc. The inner astrophysicist in me was all 'Wha...???')

But Arya is totally my fave. I want her to eventually sit on the Iron Throne (with a character who you probably aren't aware of yet).

I was so confused about all the families at first, too. I'm still a little uncertain on some people and my habit of never remembering names is causing me problems, too.

The ones that are a bit more distinctive are easier to remember, but the Stark sons all look the same to me. Forget even trying to remember their names. XD

Winter Is Coming is apparently the Stark Family Motto. It's one of the reasons why it gets said so much (also, yes, I totally wondered about the planet rotation and it's orbit etc. The inner astrophysicist in me was all 'Wha...???')

NEED TO KNOW.

But Arya is totally my fave. I want her to eventually sit on the Iron Throne (with a character who you probably aren't aware of yet).

That would be awesome!

It took me like, most of s1 to learn the difference between Jon, Robb and Theon (who isn't even a Stark so lol @ me).

Oh right! There was one dude wandering around that I thought was a son, but then he wasn't. It was probably that guy.

LOL y. There's the actual son (Robb), the bastard son (Jon) and then the... ...prisoner... hostage... guy, Theon.

Robb is the one dating the new companion, lol.

Stringy dark wavy hair, 'stache, exactly the same clothes as everyone else... These people need to wear nametags.

Or at least a little bubble over their heads with their names and how they're related. :-)

The wall keeps the zombies out. The (only currently living) dragons live in the other direction, across the sea. （≖‿≖）

It is, isn't it? I've been singing along with it ala:

lol

BWAH!!!! *PINCHES THEIR CHEEKS SO HARD*

http://hauteslides.com/2011/05/game-of-thrones-infographic-illustrated-guide-to-houses-and-character-relationships/

this is v helpful

I might have to print that out and tape it up while I'm watching! XD

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Should I be watching this? I tried the books and never got very far - when it comes to fantasy novels authors really have to hook me from the start and not bog me down with details of what the plot will be over then next 30 odd novels. I get very bored very fast.

Maybe? Be prepared for lots of blood and nudity though. :D

So ... no Goldilocks zone then? How does that wor.... never mind. I don't think I'll boggle that any further and we'll just shout TIME TRAVEL and all problems will be fixed.

YES! Ahem.

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I've never watched the Tudors, so no idea if it's similar. :\

*butts in* Unfortunately, none of the sex involves Sean Bean, and a lot of the sex isn't actually all that sexy (more disturbing and weird--on purpose, but still). I'd say about 50% of the sex is there for legitimate world/character-building. The other 50% is HBO's patented sexposition where a sex scene is used to ease the viewer through some otherwise-boring info-dump. I'm not offended or turned off by sex scenes, so I just roll with it because it's a great show in so many other ways. Game of Thrones is sort of the gritty reboot of fantasy, so the fact that it doesn't fade to black from the weird, gross sex or the violence is kind of its schtick.

Totally different from the Tudors, though, where the sex was supposed to be titillating and not really there for any other reason.

I actually love fantasy novels, but I had serious trouble getting through these, for various reasons, some of which are spoilery. The show is definitely better as they have to condense more. Of course, they also added a lot of gratuitous nudity, so. *shrug*

lol I watched the first four eps with someone who'd seen it before and I think that helped keep me straight. Now, of course, afte rhaving mastered all the s1 people, s2 introduces a billion more.

Arya is my favourite too! What a badass.

WINTER IS COMING is such a dumb, hilarious line, I laugh every time someone says it. And what a shitty family motto!

Now, of course, afte rhaving mastered all the s1 people, s2 introduces a billion more.

O_O

Arya is my favourite too! What a badass.

I think I could watch just The Arya Show and be happy.

WINTER IS COMING is such a dumb, hilarious line, I laugh every time someone says it. And what a shitty family motto!

I wonder what they say when they're in winter? XD

Me too. The Arya-heavy eps tend to be my favourite, and then you get eps where it's like... Sean Bean Talks To Other Dudes and I just get so bored. There's SO many characters, it really depends who's being focused on how much I care.

YUP. When I was watching last night there were moments of "this is probably relevant, but I am not catching any of it and I have no desire to rewind."

Arya is my favorite in the books and the show so I'm glad you agree.

The seasons are one of the few 'It's magic bitch, no explanation needed' bits of the series (for all I know there could be one eventually but five books in and there isn't).

The books have handy appendices to help you through the first couple hundred pages of name dropping and I took great advantage of them when I first read the books. The show needs an appendix like that sometimes, even as a book reader sometimes I still can't tell the difference between some of the guys on the Wall say, because they've moved characteristics around and everyone looks alike.

Arya is my favorite in the books and the show so I'm glad you agree.

She really is awesome. Arya/Swords! :D

The seasons are one of the few 'It's magic bitch, no explanation needed' bits of the series (for all I know there could be one eventually but five books in and there isn't).

HMPH.

The books have handy appendices to help you through the first couple hundred pages of name dropping and I took great advantage of them when I first read the books. The show needs an appendix like that sometimes, even as a book reader sometimes I still can't tell the difference between some of the guys on the Wall say, because they've moved characteristics around and everyone looks alike.

They should have a Popup Edition people can play on the DVDs! Stuff with arrows and things like "dude who killed that guy in ep 1" or something. :D

LOL DON'T THINK TOO HARD ABOUT HOW SEASONS WORK. But yes, they last for years and it's not on any kind of predictable cycle. The current summer has lasted for 9 years which is unusually long, so a long winter is probably going to follow. But if you try to think about that would even work in terms of like an actual planet, it'll make your brain break.

BUT.

Hmph.

This is simply supposed to be YE TIMES OF DRAGONS, yes?

I actually don't think so. I don't really think of whatever planet Westeros is on as being Earth, really. But I have a feeling that the seasons being just plain magic makes the most sense just because basic laws of physics don't really allow for any planet to have seasons of randomly varying lengths.

All the supposedly scary things are on the other side of the wall. (The irony is not lost on the narrative that really actually the "right" side of the wall is just as terrifying, just in ways that everyone has grown accustomed to.) The extreme North is where all the scary stuff is supposed to reside, though at the point of the story where you are, the zombies are only believed in by a few people and it's mainly the "wildling" tribes (barbarians, essentially) that everyone is so concerned about keeping on the other side of the wall. As far as anyone knows, all the dragons have gone extinct, but when they were still around they weren't considered scary monsters so much as machines of war controlled by those in power.

A note about Arya: keep an eye on how her ideas about how the world works mirror Sansa's. The viewer is more sympathetic to Arya's desire to throw off gender norms, but at the root of both Arya and Sansa are the same (childish, because they are both children) ideas about honour, justice and nobility. It's one of my favourite things about both of those characters.

I actually don't think so. I don't really think of whatever planet Westeros is on as being Earth, really. But I have a feeling that the seasons being just plain magic makes the most sense just because basic laws of physics don't really allow for any planet to have seasons of randomly varying lengths.

Yeah, you wouldn't think it could sustain life with variable seasons.

The extreme North is where all the scary stuff is supposed to reside, though at the point of the story where you are, the zombies are only believed in by a few people and it's mainly the "wildling" tribes (barbarians, essentially) that everyone is so concerned about keeping on the other side of the wall.

And these people must turn up fairly regularly, yes? To make being at the wall OMG DANGEROUS. (Other than falling off the top.)

A note about Arya: keep an eye on how her ideas about how the world works mirror Sansa's. The viewer is more sympathetic to Arya's desire to throw off gender norms, but at the root of both Arya and Sansa are the same (childish, because they are both children) ideas about honour, justice and nobility. It's one of my favourite things about both of those characters.

I'll keep an eye out for that. So far I'm not really interested in Sansa. I don't dislike her, she's just sort of dull so far.

And these people must turn up fairly regularly, yes?

At the point you're at, not really. The thing about the Wall and the Night's Watch is that they are seen by nearly the entire rest of the world as being this quaint relic. Maybe once upon a time it was necessary, but it's been so long since anything dangerous has threatened from the North that most of the rest of the Seven Kingdoms are like, "Meh, whatevs." That's why the Night's Watch mainly seems to recruit bastards and criminals. No one else wants to join because no one sees any point to it any more. There's no glory in sitting around freezing your ass off for no apparent reason. There's a few Northern noble families (like the Starks) who have a tradition of sending a few family members to serve, but no one else is lining up to volunteer unless they literally have nowhere else to go and it's either join the Night's Watch or be executed. It's only people who have spent a lot of time in the Night's Watch, who have ridden out beyond the wall and gotten some glimpses of what's really out there, that believe there's even a reason for still having the Wall at all. And they can't seem to convince anyone down south that they aren't just crazy from cabin fever. The Wall and all the castles along it are in terrible disrepair because they're no longer getting much money from the South because no one in the South gives a shit.

Sansa's a slow burn. She's easy to overlook because she does fulfill the stereotypical fantasy role of the courtly maiden with dreams of romance. But you've probably surmised by now that in Westeros, those dreams probably won't end well.

So far I'm not really interested in Sansa.

I wanted to smack her a lot in early S1, but in late S1 and S2 so far she's really grown on me and I like her quite a lot, for very different reasons than Arya.

I don't think I necessarily want to smack her. I sort of understand why she's done what's she's done so far - she's a kid being thrust into this political game. But...eh. I'd rather watch Arya.

Honestly, a lot of stuff is flying over my head at this point. There are a lot of discussions about things that happened in the past and my eyes are glazing over. I haven't kept actual characters straight yet - there's no way to keep up with "so and so's brother's cousin did this in battle to random person's friend's uncle. WE MUST BE AVENGED."

And just think -- the show is NOTHING compared to the books in that regard. I love the idea of a pop-up video version, though :D

And the theme music is kick-ass.

I can only imagine! It sort of reminds me of Tom Clancy's stuff - a billion different characters and plots combined with massive info dumps. :D

Yeah, and the longer the story goes on the more settings are established and the more new characters are introduced (even as old ones are knocked off).

(Sorry for the comment craziness... LJ is being stupid)

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