Game of Thrones (Season 3)

[[ETM]]

If this is uneventful, then I'm down with no events, forever. I love watching GoT with my girlfriend because even when it's just a conversation on screen, there's so much there to see - costumes, set design, cinematography, and we're both into all of that... it's a treasure trove, every episode, and I simply can't get enough of it.

[slqrick]

I feel like they really stepped it up a notch in that premiere in terms of CGI for some of those settings. Maybe it's just that they used the money on that episode to establish those places for the rest of the season, but even King's Landing had a much more sweeping, widescreen feel to it. Even small moments like Bronn and Tyrion walking around and talking.

[[ETM]]

Almost all of the external shots in King's Landing were done on location in Dubrovnik, so it has to look authentic.

[Dukefrukem]

90944 seeders on PB. Holy crap.

[Dukefrukem]

Yup. Uneventful. Glad I watched Walking Dead over this last night. I will probably let a few of these queue up until MC says tells me some crazy ass shit is happening. I think I went through the first two seasons in less than a week. Wish I could tear through this season too.

[Watashi]

We can't have shadow demons coming out of vaginas in every episode.

This is the first time I'm going into a season blind. I've been reading each book before the season started, but decided to watch the show first before I started the 3rd book because I want to be surprised when all the "oh shit" moments happen.

I liked this episode. Sansa looks like she grew even taller.

[Derek]

I have nothing of use to say about tonight's decent pipe-layery, so I'll just say that I want Jon Snow and Danaryes [sic] to get married and have fire-and-ice babies.

There's a pretty solid theory out there that Jon and Daenerys are brother and sister. I think the show has just the right amount of incest already.

[Derek]

Sansa looks like she grew even taller.

I enjoyed my friend's groan when Sansa finally showed up. That is the correct response.

Can't wait for Arya and the Jaime/Brienne story to take off so people can see what an awesome character Jaime really is.

[Kurosawa Fan]

I enjoyed my friend's groan when Sansa finally showed up. That is the correct response.

Ain't this the truth. I dread her scenes. Petulant, sniveling brat.

[Raiders]

I see nothing wrong with the episode at all. There has to be discussions and maneuvering so that big events can happen. If you just had each episode be some kind of "event" then pretty soon it would seem boring and monotonous. It's the life each of these characters lead and how each of them is on their own seemingly disconnected tale that makes it such an excellent series; they really give the breadth of the land and the different points each character is in for their particular tale.

Plus, the dialogue and characters are so expertly made and the show wallows so little in contrived drama that it feels very refreshing. Too many series find the need to get all their characters together and have little self-contained stories to give DRAMA each week. This is one of the few that takes its time and pleasure in having each episode be just another piece in the overriding arc, filled with short character moments that come to paint a very defined and specific view of the story that is unfolding.

This is why something like "Blackwater" was so momentous last season. It had been building over episodes and short dialogue scenes and when it hit, in its uninterrupted battle, it was gloriously cathartic to the build-up that had been sustained.

[[ETM]]

Sansa looks like she grew even taller.

She's taller than Littlefinger.

[Dukefrukem]

Season IV picked up.

[Lucky]

Not that the show was in jeopardy of cancellation by any stretch of the imagination, but knowing how this season will end would have made it a terrible ending to a show had it been axed.

[Lazlo]

Really enjoyed this episode. The new characters (Olenna, the Reeds) were handled great and catching up with Arya was kick-ass as usual.

The most impressive moment was even a departure from the book: Catelyn's speech about [

Show Spoiler

Jon

] was incredible. Great work by Fairley, strong writing; really opened a different emotional window through which to look at the character.

[[ETM]]

Agreed, splendid character work. Other departures from the book were also handled well, like the introduction of the Reeds.

[Kurosawa Fan]

The most impressive moment was even a departure from the book: Catelyn's speech about [

Show Spoiler

Jon

] was incredible. Great work by Fairley, strong writing; really opened a different emotional window through which to look at the character.

YES, which was definitely a nice surprise since Catelyn in A Storm of Swords was sort of insufferable and unlikeable.

[Wryan]

Heh, that's funny, because I've seen/heard a few people who hated that speech and the changes they are making to her character. Granted, fuck all do I care since I haven't read the book. I think she's allowed to have conflicting feelings inside her about that character. The first/second season already established some of the reasons why she would feel negatively, so I thought it was fine to see the more positive side.

Also, I really liked this episode. The bridge sword fight wasn't the most accomplished I've ever seen, but it packed a whallop because of the characters.

[Wryan]

Still one of my favorite scenes in a show filled with amazing scenes:

[Raiders]

Good episode, and yes, good speech by Catelyn. The Shae / Tyrion scene was painful though. It served ultimately no purpose other than Shae being concerned and made weird accusations toward Tyrion that just seemed bizarre (and knowing the books makes it seem weirder), and jealous is not a good color for Shae. Didn't seem very sincere.

[Wryan]

Okay, what's going on with YouTube embeddings? Sometimes I see them work on messageboards, and sometimes they just seem to be frozen images, nonclickable. It seems (to me, on my screen) that my video above is not embedding from YouTube. Anyone know what's going on or how to fix it?

[Kurosawa Fan]

It's working fine for me. You are using the [video] tag and not the [youtube] tag, correct?

[Kurosawa Fan]

Good episode, and yes, good speech by Catelyn. The Shae / Tyrion scene was painful though. It served ultimately no purpose other than Shae being concerned and made weird accusations toward Tyrion that just seemed bizarre (and knowing the books makes it seem weirder), and jealous is not a good color for Shae. Didn't seem very sincere.

TOTALLY agree with this.

[

Show Spoiler

It's such a telegraphed moment, but it also brings a heavy dose of creepiness from Tyrion for what's to follow. Bizarre choice when Catelyn was handled so well.

]

[Wryan]

It's working fine for me. You are using the [video] tag and not the [youtube] tag, correct?

You can click on it and it plays? Well, what the hell? Yeah, using the video tag. Hmmm...I really dunno.

[Kurosawa Fan]

You can click on it and it plays? Well, what the hell? Yeah, using the video tag. Hmmm...I really dunno.

Yep, plays just fine.

[Fezzik]

In both previous seasons, Episode 9 is when the hammer has dropped.

This season, Episode 9 is entitled "The Rains of Castemere"

I'll leave it at that.