HBO: Game of Thrones (Song of Ice and Fire)

[BurtReynolds]

It was great at first, then it sucked for awhile, now it's good again.

[Norah]

The last two seasons have been fucking awful.

Let's avenge the death of Oberyn, his sister, and his niece and nephew by murdering his brother and other nephew!

[Monkey_Driven]

Last season was uneven, but the highs were incredible. They've been skipping out on some character moments for spectacle. They also totally botched the Kingsmoot and undeveloped the Euron character. Dorne was a fiasco too. Arya as a superhero after getting stabbed was groan inducing as well.

[Simple Torture]

I'm perfectly fine with treating the show and the books as separate texts. The books are a tightly woven encyclopedic narrative, as far as I'm concerned. The show is full of thrills and chills and memorable characters, but it's never going to reach that height (I don't think TV can even do that). I still look forward to every episode, and it's probably the only TV show (besides baseball and RuPaul's Drag Race) that I watch live.

[epilogue]

I'm old and behind on these things. Has Game of Thrones hit the tipping point yet where the cool people start lashing out at it because it's too popular, or has that already happened? I still thoroughly enjoy this show, for the record.

I'm not "cool" but I fucking LOVE this show still. I thought last season was one of (if not THE) strongest so far. I'm also a book reader, fwtw.

[Norah]

I'm perfectly fine with treating the show and the books as separate texts. The books are a tightly woven encyclopedic narrative, as far as I'm concerned. The show is full of thrills and chills and memorable characters, but it's never going to reach that height (I don't think TV can even do that). I still look forward to every episode, and it's probably the only TV show (besides baseball and RuPaul's Drag Race) that I watch live.

Through Tywin's death the show was doing a pretty damned good job of living up to the text.

[epilogue]

I'm perfectly fine with treating the show and the books as separate texts. The books are a tightly woven encyclopedic narrative, as far as I'm concerned. The show is full of thrills and chills and memorable characters, but it's never going to reach that height (I don't think TV can even do that). I still look forward to every episode [...]

This guy gets it.

[Simple Torture]

I'm perfectly fine with treating the show and the books as separate texts. The books are a tightly woven encyclopedic narrative, as far as I'm concerned. The show is full of thrills and chills and memorable characters, but it's never going to reach that height (I don't think TV can even do that). I still look forward to every episode, and it's probably the only TV show (besides baseball and RuPaul's Drag Race) that I watch live.

Through Tywin's death the show was doing a pretty damned good job of living up to the text.

Yeah, there was something special about seeing scenes from the books on screen that matched your reading of the text. I wasn't all caught up in the books until Season 4 started, so I saw most of the iconic scenes on the show first.

[Norah]

I'm perfectly fine with treating the show and the books as separate texts. The books are a tightly woven encyclopedic narrative, as far as I'm concerned. The show is full of thrills and chills and memorable characters, but it's never going to reach that height (I don't think TV can even do that). I still look forward to every episode, and it's probably the only TV show (besides baseball and RuPaul's Drag Race) that I watch live.

Through Tywin's death the show was doing a pretty damned good job of living up to the text.

Yeah, there was something special about seeing scenes from the books on screen that matched your reading of the text. I wasn't all caught up in the books until Season 4 started, so I saw most of the iconic scenes on the show first.

Me too.

[Monkey_Driven]

I'm perfectly fine with treating the show and the books as separate texts. The books are a tightly woven encyclopedic narrative, as far as I'm concerned. The show is full of thrills and chills and memorable characters, but it's never going to reach that height (I don't think TV can even do that). I still look forward to every episode, and it's probably the only TV show (besides baseball and RuPaul's Drag Race) that I watch live.

I agree with this.

[@SkitchP]

I'm perfectly fine with treating the show and the books as separate texts. The books are a tightly woven encyclopedic narrative, as far as I'm concerned. The show is full of thrills and chills and memorable characters, but it's never going to reach that height (I don't think TV can even do that). I still look forward to every episode, and it's probably the only TV show (besides baseball and RuPaul's Drag Race) that I watch live.

Through Tywin's death the show was doing a pretty damned good job of living up to the text.

Yeah, there was something special about seeing scenes from the books on screen that matched your reading of the text. I wasn't all caught up in the books until Season 4 started, so I saw most of the iconic scenes on the show first.

After I saw Logan that's how I decided to treat the X-Men movies. Instead of worrying about the details that make no sense together, just view them as fun stories set in the created universe.

[E.H. Ruddock]

I'm perfectly fine with treating the show and the books as separate texts. The books are a tightly woven encyclopedic narrative, as far as I'm concerned. The show is full of thrills and chills and memorable characters, but it's never going to reach that height (I don't think TV can even do that). I still look forward to every episode, and it's probably the only TV show (besides baseball and RuPaul's Drag Race) that I watch live.

Through Tywin's death the show was doing a pretty damned good job of living up to the text.

Yeah, there was something special about seeing scenes from the books on screen that matched your reading of the text. I wasn't all caught up in the books until Season 4 started, so I saw most of the iconic scenes on the show first.

After I saw Logan that's how I decided to treat the X-Men movies. Instead of worrying about the details that make no sense together, just view them as fun stories set in the created universe.

[Chris_H_2]

i can't wait until GRRM dies before finishing the books

[Mecca]

i can't wait until GRRM dies before finishing the books

http://www.theonion.com/graphic/suppose ... -boo-52942

[Bammer]

I'm perfectly fine with treating the show and the books as separate texts. The books are a tightly woven encyclopedic narrative, as far as I'm concerned. The show is full of thrills and chills and memorable characters, but it's never going to reach that height (I don't think TV can even do that). I still look forward to every episode, and it's probably the only TV show (besides baseball and RuPaul's Drag Race) that I watch live.

Through Tywin's death the show was doing a pretty damned good job of living up to the text.

Yeah, there was something special about seeing scenes from the books on screen that matched your reading of the text. I wasn't all caught up in the books until Season 4 started, so I saw most of the iconic scenes on the show first.

After I saw Logan that's how I decided to treat the X-Men movies. Instead of worrying about the details that make no sense together, just view them as fun stories set in the created universe.

This drawing is perhaps RM's greatest achievement.

[Monkey_Driven]

Been rewatching Season 6. God damn, the Door episode still floors me. For as many missteps as the show makes they make up for it with just incredible filmmaking.

[Revelator]

Battle of the Bastards is one of the few episodes of any show on TV right now that I could watch over and over.

[Mecca]

Battle of the Bastards is one of the few episodes of any show on TV right now that I could watch over and over.

do you like feeling suffocated?

[Revelator]

Battle of the Bastards is one of the few episodes of any show on TV right now that I could watch over and over.

do you like feeling suffocated?

Only when I'm masturbating

[Simple Torture]

I've been catching up on GOT podcasts and detailed picking-aparts of the most recent trailers, and these questions are sticking in my mind; wondering what everyone else thinks.

1. Is there going to be an actual solution to the conflict that's brewing in the South? That is: Dany's host (Unsullied, Dothraki, dragons, Dorne, Reach, Theo+Yara) vs. Cersei and (probably) Euron. When I say a "solution," I mean: does one side get defeated this season or ever?

2. Does the Wall either come down this season or get crossed by the Others and their army of the dead?

3. Sort of an open-ended question: which major characters die this season?

My answers (no real spoilers, all speculation):

Spoiler: show

1. No--I don't think there's going to be a definitive stamp put on this brewing conflict this year. My prediction is that there's going to be some back-and-forth, some victories for each side, and then before this season ends it has to be put on hold as eyes turn north towards the White Walker threat. I wouldn't even be surprised is Cersei and her forces are completely hemmed in and then Dany's side has to let up at juuuust the last minute because there are more important things going on someplace else. I think that after the threat in the North is neutralized (if it ever is), that the series doesn't end with an all-out war, but some sort of uncomfortable peace between the sides. Still a lot to be worked out there, though.

2. I think that the wall coming down (or even just a portion of it coming down) would immediately become one of (if not the) most iconic sequences in the entire series. I also think it'd just be more stunning and impactful if the wights and walkers swarm through a gigantic hole in the wall than if they trickle through a tunnel. Certainly, Bran's contact with the Night's King set this up somehow--i.e., that it'll break the magic built into the Wall. I was on board with this happening at the end of last season, and it's got to happen eventually, so I'm guessing this season again.

3. At least one of the dragons has to fall this year--they're just such a trump card that they have to be seen as mortal for the final season to carry any dramatic tension. Lots of fan theories about them being killed and then resurrected by the walkers, but I think it'd be just as impactful if the Lannister army took one of them down with conventional weapons. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the 2nd-tier fan favorites had a rough year--think Bronn, Brienne, Tormund, and so on--but I don't think many of the main characters will eat it until the final season. Except for Little Finger; I think this season is it for Mayor Carcetti of the Vale.