Game of Thrones (HBO)

salwon · 2011-06-21T07:12:57.000Z

Peter, assuming you’ve only read the first book, get out of this thread now. Seriously, it’s for your own good.

Mike_O_Malley · 2011-06-21T07:13:00.000Z

edit: whoops, dupe

Mike_O_Malley · 2011-06-21T07:13:23.000Z

Trey:

Cersei bedded Lancel in the books, just not in anyone’s POV. Tyrion correctly guesses that it’s going on and blackmails Lancel into telling him all of her plans in CoK.

Oh now you’ve gone and done it.

Trey · 2011-06-21T07:40:29.000Z

Wait, what? This is not the no-spoiler thread. Right? I think I’m ok.

Tin_Wisdom · 2011-06-21T07:42:33.000Z

Rywill:

The way they played it, it’s possible they’re changing Tywin from the book. It’s possible that when he says he always blew off Tyrion as a fool and now realizes Tyrion is a good strategist (getting out of the Aerie, co-opting the hill clans, and now hearing his take on stuff during strategy sessions), he is telling the truth. It’ll be interesting to see what they do with it next season, whether they play it as “Tywin was just stroking Tyrion’s ego because he needs to repair relations now that Jaime is lost”; or “Tywin genuinely appreciates Tyrion now.”

I don’t think they changed that scene much from the books – Tywin acts identically, though I think the comment about Tyrion’s strategic cunning was new. In the book the encounter is seen through Tyrion’s POV, and because Tyrion is so full of self-loathing, he can only interpret the assignment as a sign that his father has already given Jaime up for lost and is “settling” for the dwarf. The truth (in the book) is of course between the two extremes: Tywin uses the best of what tools are available at the time; he despises Tyrion for what he is, but recognizes that he’s the best/most trustworthy man for the job. The irony is that if Jaime had been available, Tywin would still probably chosen Tyrion because he recognizes that Jaime is far too impulsive to act as Hand.

Mouzone · 2011-06-21T08:17:45.000Z

The thing I don’t get is everyone else seems like they have plans for what Jaime should do but isn’t the kings guard a position for life? Even before the selmy left it seemed like everyone assumed jaime was going to leave at any moment.
Although it is wierd how Jaime left after attacking Ned - would he be considered a deserter at that point and only get reinstated after joffrey became king

Equis · 2011-06-21T08:45:58.000Z

Mouzone:

The thing I don’t get is everyone else seems like they have plans for what Jaime should do but isn’t the kings guard a position for life? Even before the selmy left it seemed like everyone assumed jaime was going to leave at any moment.
Although it is wierd how Jaime left after attacking Ned - would he be considered a deserter at that point and only get reinstated after joffrey became king

They actually made me Lord Commander of the Kingsguard in absentia. (THIS WAS IN THE SHOW, NOT JUST THE BOOKS!)

Charlatan · 2011-06-21T09:22:28.000Z

Equis:

They actually made me Lord Commander of the Kingsguard in absentia. (THIS WAS IN THE SHOW, NOT JUST THE BOOKS!)

NEVER MENTION THE BOOKS!!

oh wait, wrong thread.

Tin_Wisdom · 2011-06-21T10:06:16.000Z

Yeah, the whole “Kingsguard for Life!” thing is pretty much shot to hell by Cersai when she dismisses Selmey. It gains a few new holes when Tyrion dismisses a couple KG, and then Tywin reinstates them later on. Then you’ve got Sandor Clegane and Osmund Kettleblack, who are steadfastly not a knight and a knight of dubious provenance, respectively, being added to the knightly order. Finally, you’ve got the guy who actually killed the king he had sworn to defend named as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard.

All in all, it seems like the sacred vows and duties of the kingsguard are treated as mere guidelines in the Lannister reign.

Athryn · 2011-06-21T10:16:10.000Z

Yeah, the Kingsguard started going downhill the moment Jaime lopped off the Mad King’s head.

Or stuck a sword in his gut, or however it is he killed him (been a while since I read them.)

Incendiary_Lemon · 2011-06-21T11:17:32.000Z

Tin Wisdom:

All in all, it seems like the sacred vows and duties of the kingsguard are treated as mere guidelines in the Lannister reign.

Which undermines the institution and its value, certainly a lesson in short term expedience versus long term gain.

Cormac · 2011-06-21T11:57:44.000Z

Anyone find it funny that Dany’s whole speech was done in the common tongue and not dothraki? Besides Jorah who was even that could understand her?

Steel_Wind · 2011-06-21T12:24:02.000Z

Mouzone:

So I got a $50 gc from amazon and I was thinking of getting the audiobook mp3 of dance of dragons. However there doesn’t seem to be an mp3 version available for sale - they only have a CD version as far as I can find. Does anyone know how audiobook mp3 sales work? Do they only go on sale after the book is published? I don’t really want to wait long after the book is released for it to go on sale? Should I just pre-order the Audio CD now and deal with the ripping CDs or will there be a good chance that a digital format will be available on July 12th?

Also what pricing should I expect for the mp3 version around the same as the CDs or is there any significant discount? The Audio CDs now are about$30 off I just hope they don’t list the mp3s at full price.

The downloadable version of the audiobook will be available on July 12, 2011, although Audible does not yet know WHEN on July 12, 2011 it will be available. Please write Audible customer service and inquire about a midnight release. I’ve already done so and if a few more people do – I expect they will accommodate us in the same manner that Amazon Kindle will be releasing at midnight.

Random House confrims the downloadable version will be available on July 12, 2011 [here](http://www.randomhouse.com/book/108334/a-dance-with-dragons-by-george-rr-martin/audiobook)and has a sample of Roy Dotrice reading from ADwD as well, available here.

The suggested list price is $51.00. You should estimate a price of $40-45 for the downloadable version as a one-off purchase. Audible.com has various pacakges and memberships options which should cut that cost in half.

Guido_Jones · 2011-06-21T12:54:21.000Z

Her bloodrider, maybe (he was speaking a bit of common earlier in the season), and that one handmaiden. But you have a point :)

Tin_Wisdom · 2011-06-21T12:54:42.000Z

Cormac:

Anyone find it funny that Dany’s whole speech was done in the common tongue and not dothraki? Besides Jorah who was even there that could understand her?

Heh, I hadn’t noticed that. I guess a couple of her servants spoke common… so a total of four.

wisefool · 2011-06-21T13:04:21.000Z

It’s not possible - IIRC that speech was in English.

A whole bunch of the slaves wandered off once she said they were freed, so it must have been a language they understood.

Tin_Wisdom · 2011-06-21T13:06:42.000Z

An interview with Benioff on the last episode and next season:

According to Benioff “Ultimately we had to make some really tough decisions. We much rather have a great scene with our characters than a crappy version of the battle, we want to have some great battles, we’re working very hard to have great battles in season two. We’d like to have more direwolves too.”

Weiss added: “There’s so many things we can do so much better than films. But there are a few things like battles and creatures where there’s a brute force financial component to doing those well, and it involves being very creative and selective about how you show those things to make them achievable. We don’t want them to look like a PlayStation 2 game, we want it to look at the same level as the rest of the show.”

Jason_Townsend · 2011-06-21T13:59:41.000Z

Those looked like very realistic, big-summer-movie-quality dragons. How are you going to afford to keep doing that though season two?

DB: I have no idea. It’s going to be a season of tough choices. We have dragons, we have direwolves growing, we have massive battles. Despite the various character deaths, we have a growing cast of characters — all this with the same amount of time to shoot it.

DW: There’s going to be a lot of smoke.

Eeek.

Tracy_Baker · 2011-06-21T14:42:54.000Z

Jason Townsend:

Eeek.

They should throw Season 2 funding up on Kickstarter to see how many geek dollars they can pull in. Think of the insane reward tiers they could offer.

Telefrog · 2011-06-21T14:52:03.000Z

Top level contributor - Be an extra in a sexposition scene!