What Will My Poor Savage Father Say?
May. 15th, 2012 12:02 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
netgirl_y2kSo I spent the evening drinking strawberry and lime cider (not on purpose, I wasn't paying enough attention in the supermarket; also, strawberry and lime cider is a thing now?) and watching Game of Thrones. You know, I find it much easier to talk about the things I don't like than the things I do. What happened to those extraneous brothel scenes I could bitch about, show? Because this episode was comprised almost entirely of things I loved.
There has been some discussion recently of how much the show is diverging from the books, especially with regard to Jon and Dany's stories, I have thought about it and decided that, actually, I approve. So, you know, showrunners, you can relax.
With Jon, there's a limit to how much I care about Lord Emo Face at the best of times, but I would watch episodes upon episodes of him wandering lost over a glacier being epically trolled by Ygritte. Who, by the way, is perfectly cast, even if the actress's voice is so distinctive that every time she speaks I go, Why is Gwen from Downton Abbey on a glacier?
With Dany, I've said before that I think her story flounders after her dragons are born. In book one she has a clearly defined arc. Okay, it's the old female character gains strength through trauma chestnut, but it's done well and there are some wee baby dragons at the end of it. But then after that, she's in a sort of holding pattern? I think, until whatever point she's due to re-enter the action in Westeros. So I appreciate that there's a bit more drama to her story in the show.
Also, I was thinking when I was rewatching S1 on DVD, the first series is incredibly faithful to the books, incredibly faithful, it was word for word in a lot of places. And that was great, watching the world come alive. But there's a point with an adaptation where you want it to do more than that, you want it to adapt. And when Xaro tried to crown himself king of Qarth, and when Ygritte escapes the second time, I didn't see it coming and it was great.
Also, I forget who suggested it last week, but I now agree that whoever took the dragons also took Doreah to try and keep them calm. My ship lives! At least, for a week.
Other things I loved, Sansa & Shae. God, can we have some more of that relationship please? Shae protecting Sansa even though every cell in her body must be screaming at her not to. Speaking of massive improvements the show makes on the books, Shae, just Shae.
I think there was some controversy over the Tyrion and Cersei scene at the end, but I adored it, partly because Lena and Peter play magnificently off each other, and partly because it fits perfectly into my Cersei headcanon. She knows what Joffrey is, she's not an idiot. She's his mother and she loves him, which was the point she was trying to make to Sansa earlier, but she knows.
And part of the reason I've been waxing lyrical about changes the show's made is that the truly important things it keeps the same; see Jaime's speech about the difficulty of keeping oaths.
And, one more thing, while I am enjoying the Tywin & Arya scenes, if they go on much longer he's got to figure out she's Arya Stark. I mean, how many little highborn northern girls who don't want anybody to know who they are and whose fathers dies of an overdose of loyalty can there be running around the Riverlands?
There has been some discussion recently of how much the show is diverging from the books, especially with regard to Jon and Dany's stories, I have thought about it and decided that, actually, I approve. So, you know, showrunners, you can relax.
With Jon, there's a limit to how much I care about Lord Emo Face at the best of times, but I would watch episodes upon episodes of him wandering lost over a glacier being epically trolled by Ygritte. Who, by the way, is perfectly cast, even if the actress's voice is so distinctive that every time she speaks I go, Why is Gwen from Downton Abbey on a glacier?
With Dany, I've said before that I think her story flounders after her dragons are born. In book one she has a clearly defined arc. Okay, it's the old female character gains strength through trauma chestnut, but it's done well and there are some wee baby dragons at the end of it. But then after that, she's in a sort of holding pattern? I think, until whatever point she's due to re-enter the action in Westeros. So I appreciate that there's a bit more drama to her story in the show.
Also, I was thinking when I was rewatching S1 on DVD, the first series is incredibly faithful to the books, incredibly faithful, it was word for word in a lot of places. And that was great, watching the world come alive. But there's a point with an adaptation where you want it to do more than that, you want it to adapt. And when Xaro tried to crown himself king of Qarth, and when Ygritte escapes the second time, I didn't see it coming and it was great.
Also, I forget who suggested it last week, but I now agree that whoever took the dragons also took Doreah to try and keep them calm. My ship lives! At least, for a week.
Other things I loved, Sansa & Shae. God, can we have some more of that relationship please? Shae protecting Sansa even though every cell in her body must be screaming at her not to. Speaking of massive improvements the show makes on the books, Shae, just Shae.
I think there was some controversy over the Tyrion and Cersei scene at the end, but I adored it, partly because Lena and Peter play magnificently off each other, and partly because it fits perfectly into my Cersei headcanon. She knows what Joffrey is, she's not an idiot. She's his mother and she loves him, which was the point she was trying to make to Sansa earlier, but she knows.
And part of the reason I've been waxing lyrical about changes the show's made is that the truly important things it keeps the same; see Jaime's speech about the difficulty of keeping oaths.
And, one more thing, while I am enjoying the Tywin & Arya scenes, if they go on much longer he's got to figure out she's Arya Stark. I mean, how many little highborn northern girls who don't want anybody to know who they are and whose fathers dies of an overdose of loyalty can there be running around the Riverlands?
no subject
Date: 2012-05-15 12:47 am (UTC)YES. OH GOD YES.
I don't mind most of the changes, but I'm still SO UPSET with them killing off all the Dothraki that don't die in the books and that the audience is connected to, thus severing Dany's communication to be only with Jorah and maybe Doreah if they keep her around for faux-lesbian titillation (JUST BECAUSE I SOMETIMES LIKE IT TOO DOESN'T MEAN IT DOESN'T PISS ME OFF).
That Cersei/Tyrion scene... I just... it's not that I don't agree with everything they said (except Robert not being needlessly cruel, I mean, come on, although I guess I should just be happy Tyrion said his line about Joffery being more Robert than Jaime)-- Just, I feel like if they don't have something else happen between them to put them back to where they were, their entire plots aren't going to work. Tyrion's entire plot revolves around how he completely misunderstands Cersei and screws up. And Cersei sees villains all around her, especially Tyrion... so it's like... wat.
I mean I WISH they'd gotten along like in that scene, but I can't wrap my head around the rest of the plot working unless they're really going to change things.
I also preferred Cersei's talk with Sansa over to her talk with Tyrion, because her denial about Joffery was one of her biggest things and it had a lot to do with why she went a bit batty after you know.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-15 01:07 am (UTC)I loved Tyrion's line about Joffrey being like Robert, because I do think part of what Joffrey becomes is a result of identifying with the abuser. But, yeah, I agree that if they aren't planning to change up Tyrion and Cersei's respective stories significantly then they're going to have to walk a lot of that scene back. Which is a shame, because it was a great scene.
Cersei's scene with Sansa was fabulous too, which I didn't talk about only because I've basically been reduced to writing sonnets about Sophie Turner's face every time she appears onscreen.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-15 05:04 pm (UTC)I think a fair bit of the King's Landing plotline works if Cersei is in somewhat reluctant sympathy with Tyrion, so long as Joffrey's running rampant doing stupid and horrible things with Cersei unable to control him. If Cersei starts to almost appreciate Tyrion, it'll make her eventual sense of betrayal all the worse. (There's been no mention on the show of the prophecy that had book!Cersei so convinced Tyrion meant her downfall -- I wonder if they're going to entirely leave that bit out?)
As for Tywin and Arya, pretty sure her escape from Harrenhal comes up in the next episode or two. The teasers hinted at it, but more to the point she's down to her last name for Jaqen.
And I agree with the premise that Doreah may have been taken as a dragon!keeper -- and now they need Dany because Doreah by herself isn't doing well enough.
My mother was wondering about Ygritte because the actress was so familiar -- I'll have to tell her she's from Downton Abbey. (I didn't recognize her voice, just could tell she looked vaguely familiar.)
no subject
Date: 2012-05-15 05:27 pm (UTC)I hope they're leaving the prophecy out, but I'm biased because I hate prophecies as a narrative device in general, and I really hated that one in particular.
I'm increasingly convinced that Doreah is with the dragons, especially with Dany's line about how the dragons like her. The only question is whether she was grabbed or went voluntarily.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-15 10:17 pm (UTC)I think I feel like there'll be even MORE backlash when Cersei "betrays" Tyrion, because of that scene if they don't add something else to balance it out, which I can't see them doing judging from the previews of the next episode.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 02:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 02:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 03:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 03:35 pm (UTC)They very well could have them get along until the THING that breaks Cersei happens (which I think might not break her if they don't establish the relationship between her and Joffery or at least her willful ignorance of his actions, IDK).
Either way I hate them and the show for acting like the stuff he did to the whores Tyrion gave him was just "OH LOL BOYS"
UGH.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 08:12 pm (UTC)And all of these strike me as still being workable on the show -- Joffrey seems to have more power than I recall him having in the books, and Cersei knows better what he's like but can't control him at all. (Also TV!Cersei seems better grounded in political realities than book!Cersei, which I kind of like but does kind of require that she be more powerless so that the bad decisions that cost the Lannisters are still being made, just not by her.) We've established that she loves her children, very much, so even having a clearer view of what Joffrey really is, I still think she'll be broken when what happens, happens.
The show didn't act like what Joffrey did to Ros and that other whore (whose name I can't recall) was a bit of harmless mischief -- it was a horrifying scene, and I think Dinklage did a good understated job of indicating his regret at having so misjudged Joffrey as to put those women into his hands, even if he wasn't going to make a big deal of it to Cersei.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 02:40 pm (UTC)I like that thought, of Doreah being smart and practical enough to announce she's needed to tend the dragons and get them to eat, making the attackers keep her alive when all the other Dothraki were being cut down around her.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-15 10:15 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-16 02:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-05-15 05:14 am (UTC)And yeah, I'm definitely liking Dany in the show better, mostly because of Emilia's face, but also this new direction they're going.
Oh, but how I mourn Rakharo :(
Honestly, it's like Sophie Turner can do no wrong. Both she and Maisie have been absolute perfection for two seasons now and they're not even 17 years old. It's kind of ridiculous.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-15 04:01 pm (UTC)As, hopefully, does Doreah.
Dany in the books is a character where I love the idea but not so much the execution. But in the show I adore her, I blame Emilia Clarke's face.
I'm assuming Dany's remaining Dothraki bodyguard is Aggo or Jhogo, but dammit give the poor boy a name!
There's a great bit in the DVD commentaries where they're talking about Isaac and how he's such a pro that they'd all forgotten how young he was until they looked over between takes and he was whacking a tree with a tick. Just. These kids.
no subject
Date: 2012-05-15 10:31 pm (UTC)Emilia Clarke's face takes a lot of blame. As it should.
All the awards for all the kids on this show.
Seriously