New Show: Game of Thrones

Thorin · April 18, 2011, 12:20:28 PM

http://www.hbocanada.com/gameofthrones/about.php

It's based on the book series that started with A Song of Fire and Ice, a mature handling of the fantasy genre. This show has been getting hyped for the last couple of weeks, but is scheduled to show on HBO (which many people don't get). I just happen to have switched to Telus recently, and that happens to include a month or three of free HBO, so...

I ended up watching the series premiere last night. It started with a gruesome, gory slaughter scene, then went to the opening credits. The show is clearly setting up the characters in the premiere, and does a fine job of it. Then suddenly bam! A bunch of nudity and sex. Yeah, so this isn't a show for the kids. But then, the books weren't really written for kids, either.

In the end, I was surprised how well the show drew me in - I think I've just seen too much about it and was expecting to get let down. It's a grittier, low-magic fantasy world, with fantastical monsters all but heard of. Nevertheless, there's a several-hundred-foot ice wall that was erected thousands of years ago by magic, and we've seen a dire wolf and dragon eggs already. There are also wild spirits that seem to inhabit dead bodies to try and kill more living beings.

All in all, I think I might end up liking this show.

Mr. Analog · April 18, 2011, 12:29:47 PM

Interesting, I thought for sure it would show up on one of the non-HBO HD channels but it didn't, oh well I guess instead of watching commercials or paying a premium for "commercial free" entertainment like it was still the 80s I'll just download it...

Melbosa · April 19, 2011, 08:27:57 AM

It is the next "Rome" for HBO, so Adult, and only HBO Original release. I too am following the series and have high hopes as Rome was fantastic.

Lazybones · April 19, 2011, 09:34:25 AM

I haven't seen it yet, probably will watch it tonight...

Thorin · April 19, 2011, 10:01:16 AM

Hmm, I didn't get into Rome. Maybe I missed the beginning so didn't follow it properly. Or maybe just it was too "real" for me, being at least loosely based on history. I dunno, Band of Brothers really hooked me, but The Pacific felt like a dud, which shows that I'm really finicky about what shows I like, apparently. (all those shows are HBO shows, if I recall correctly)

Anyway, that first episode of Game of Thrones really hooked me, though - it's like a TV show on a blockbuster movie budget, and it's a fantasy show to boot. The sets look real, the characters are diverse, there's sweeping shots of grand vistas, etc. Although when the camera tips on its side during the title sequence, that's just stupid.

One thing that really helps, if you haven't read the books, is to figure out who's who using the Viewer Guide: http://viewers-guide.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/. Especially look at the list of houses: http://viewers-guide.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/#!/guide/houses/.

Mr. Analog · April 19, 2011, 10:05:48 AM

Where Band of Brothers really worked was that you could start anywhere in the series and not feel overly lost. I know because I started in a fair bit into the series (during Operation Market Garden, can't remember the episode name). Rome you kinda had to know what was happening otherwise it was like listening to someone else's conversation without knowing who the people are or what they're talking about it's kind of hard to get interested.

Melbosa · April 19, 2011, 10:26:09 AM

Rome was a follow from beginning to end show. Band of Brothers, you could drop in, and only miss the historical character references or personality quirks, and it also worked for me. The Pacific was also a dud IMO, and I too was hoping for another BoB.

Time will tell, but like Thorin, the first episode is very much an attention and interest grabber.

Lazybones · April 19, 2011, 11:50:24 AM

Quote from: Thorin on April 19, 2011, 10:01:16 AM
One thing that really helps, if you haven't read the books, is to figure out who's who using the Viewer Guide: http://viewers-guide.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/. Especially look at the list of houses: http://viewers-guide.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/#!/guide/houses/.

Even if you have read the books, it has been so long between them and there are so many characters that it is hard to track.

George R. R. Martin has no issue with building detailed characters and then killing them, then introducing new characters... I think it ads real depth to the story. It is a brutal world these characters live in.

Darren Dirt · April 16, 2012, 04:14:49 PM

"mediocre game is coming!"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8-k_UA86O4