1741

Speaking of showing scenes out of sequence, I hope they dramatize the scene where Eddard finds Jaime sitting on the throne after having killed Daenerys’ father. That would be a terrific flashback to actually show the audience.

1742

This will already happen with the Greyjoys and Martells though I don’t agree with cutting Dany out of book 1. I don’t think they’ve even named Theon two episodes in so most viewers have no clue who he and his family are.

1743

The Greyjoys will be there. They’ve got Theon for a reason. And House Greyjoy is fully mapped out in the viewer’s guide.

1744

I just meant that the Greyjoys are a faction that are introduced later in the series, like the Martells. Looking forward to seeing how they bring Pyke to life in season 2!

1745

Sansa is an unsympathetic character in this TV series. She kinda comes across as a mini Cersie. In the books the reader was clearly supposed to take Aryas side against Sansa, but it was also clear that Sansa was just a naive girly girl with starry eyed ideas about princes, knights and the big city. In the books theres more time to show Joffrey playing gallant to Sansa, without losing the overall impression that Joffreys a spoiled brat.

The only place they got to show it was when Joffrey “saved” Sansa from a frightening encounter with the Kings executioner. But it just came off as a “heres another character we don’t have time to cover so we’ll just give him 20 seconds of screen time”.

The second episode was better than the first. I’ve just accepted its never going to measure up to the novels so I’ll try to enjoy it for what it is.

Tony

1746

None of those characters show up with an army of dothraki screamers, slave warriors and mercenaries lead by three dragons. We don’t need to see them developed the way we do with Dany.

Edit: And more specifically when these people, the Iron Men and the Dornish, start becoming interesting and vital to the plot is when we start learning about them. Balon Greyjoy is sitting on the Seastone Chair and thinking about the glory of the old ways in the first book. It isn’t until the second when we learn he’s making the changes to the status quo of his people that will lead to the action that occurs in ACoK and later. All anyone needs to do is mention the Iron Islands and what’s going on up there and that’s all the information we need to know for now, since it’s all pretty standard. It would be a lot harder to ask the audience to just accept ‘oh and the exiled princess across the Narrow Sea got married to a Dothraki khal who died and now she has her own army and dragons and she conquered some slaver cities and won a mercenary band to her side and then she suddenly shows up in season 7 to wipe the board clean’. People might be bored with her story now and I appreciate that, but what’s happening with her, what will happen with her, is important enough that spending a few minutes every episode on her side of the sea is vital to the story.

And while people in here bagged on her story in ACoK, which is understandable since she only had five chapters and not much action occurs, if the HBO showrunners intend on clinging to the magical backdrop of ASoIaF the stuff she sees in the House of the Undying is very important.

1747

Then why write no other TV show has ever introduced characters after the pilot? Are you talking later in the season or immediately after the first episode?

1748

Stannis was also a mystery before book 2.

1749

I could agree if Dany was introduced in episode 2, however this would work better as 12 eps. And anyways, I think HBO was keen on getting Dat Gratuitous Ass into the pilot, so as to get the four heterosexual Spartacus viewers locked in.

1750

Later in the season.

1751

Sansa wasn’t a particularly sympathetic character for a long time in the books, either. I mean, sure, she’s naive and starry-eyed, but she’s also spoiled and petulant. My recollection is somewhat dim, but I also don’t recall her exactly rolling with the punches life throws at her in the way that almost every other member of her family does to one degree or another, at least not until book 2 or 3, minimum. She does eventually come into her own, don’t get me wrong. But that’s quite a ways off.

1752

So tonight we finally get to see Castle Black and The Wall as well as King’s Landing.

This should be the last episode where exposition will rear its ugly head.

1753

Tryion and Arya continue to shine. Dance lessons were great.

1754

I could watch a show focused on those two alone. I love their storylines in the books and am actually looking forward more to Season 2 that the current season.

1755

I find it amusing that people unfamiliar with the books think the Targaryren’s are elves. Unless I missed something in the books, I guess blame can be laid at the feet of Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings movies. It’s a little less frustrating than them confusing Tyrion for a Tolkien dwarf, but it shows how much people infer from the images and setting (even when it isn’t there).

1756

Damn, I was grinning throughout the entire dancing lesson. I also loved Arya stabbing the table.

1757

For what it’s worth I don’t think they’re literally elves. I just think they’re refined/effete/pale/delicate people compared to the others shown so far who are darker/hairier/heavier built, etc. “Elf” is just shorthand for their overall aesthetic affect.

1758

Edit: Nevermind. I misread it as you having read the books, but instead are talking from a point of being unfamiliar. Sorry if any of that was a spoiler and my terrible reading comprehension. But fair enough on your point.

1759

I liked the character change for Yoren (he’s awfully dour in the books), I think it’ll help improve the emotional connection in upcoming episodes (and next season even).

1760

I loved Nan mentioning Duncan the Tall as Bran’s favorite stories.