tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post3149298937679455028..comments2023-11-03T06:02:02.128-07:00Comments on By Ken Levine: The clueless guide to watching GAME OF THRONESBy Ken Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17305293821975250420noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-3278308281282370672016-03-13T17:48:14.732-07:002016-03-13T17:48:14.732-07:00I love how smug the people who read the books are....I love how smug the people who read the books are. Do you realize that you read the Game of Thrones books? We're not talking Faulkner here, so get off your high horses!Donhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12339133893115221944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-50002243251219222192012-04-14T20:56:44.275-07:002012-04-14T20:56:44.275-07:00DO NOT MOCK THE SMOKE MONSTERDO NOT MOCK THE SMOKE MONSTERPALGOLAKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14130401987893732346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34298198077740779592012-04-14T14:19:11.013-07:002012-04-14T14:19:11.013-07:00Watch the pilot for season one first, and then dec...Watch the pilot for season one first, and then decide if you want to make the committment. If you're not hooked by the end of the pilot, and I think you will be, then it's not for you.<br /><br />Full disclosure: I enjoy neither fantasy nor swordplay. I'm not into medieval times. I haven't read the books. I gave Thrones a try based on Alan Sepinwall's high praise, expecting to dislike it immensely. I freaking love it. <br /><br />There *are* a lot of characters, and there seems to be a big pile-on of more in season two.Little Miss Smoke and Mirrorshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03929842073300471147noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-16772640719839205382012-04-12T18:17:12.950-07:002012-04-12T18:17:12.950-07:00thank you, that's exactly what I thought! The ...thank you, that's exactly what I thought! The Tudors was much better.cityslkrzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02219741224566984854noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-39060430727390100442012-04-12T16:19:36.744-07:002012-04-12T16:19:36.744-07:00In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts in...In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion. Please, don't feed the trolls.Christophernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-86501146653476775292012-04-12T13:15:11.375-07:002012-04-12T13:15:11.375-07:00I just recently began watching Game of Thrones, an...I just recently began watching Game of Thrones, and all I can say is "wow." I'm a huge fan of fantasy settings in film and television, and Game of Thrones really satisfies the lack of any good fantasy as of late. I'm only on the 5th episode of the first season, but I'm hooked; although I have to admit, it certainly is a bit confusing at times.jjhellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02538162600103616174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-66781692962755118862012-04-12T12:46:13.838-07:002012-04-12T12:46:13.838-07:00"Christopher said...
D. McEwan said... Ah, so...<i>"Christopher said...<br />D. McEwan said... Ah, so your point is: don't be afraid of reading his big old books in a genre you may find boring because he's a good writer because he used to write television!<br /><br />So did Dickens only become worth reading when they began adapting him for TV? A bridge is missing it's troll:'("</i><br /><br />Ow. I'm stung to the quick by that witty retort. Oh snap. How many hours did you spend coming up with those six words? If I were only seven years old, I would be <i>devastated</i>.D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60268581833079089332012-04-12T03:01:58.030-07:002012-04-12T03:01:58.030-07:00I love it, but I will admit... I am COMPLETELY LOS...I love it, but I will admit... I am COMPLETELY LOST! Apparently while in Afghanistan last year, I missed a few of shows of the first season. I'm hoping to find time to re-watch it all.RevChris01https://www.blogger.com/profile/00515152604065611302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-32133101685688019582012-04-11T21:58:28.061-07:002012-04-11T21:58:28.061-07:00Having read Gregory of Tours some years ago, I fou...Having read Gregory of Tours some years ago, I found GOT rather dull. And the fantasy stuff ludicrous.Dalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09092985199027690430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-34181586901616886832012-04-11T19:52:42.225-07:002012-04-11T19:52:42.225-07:00D. McEwan said... Ah, so your point is: don't ...D. McEwan said... Ah, so your point is: don't be afraid of reading his big old books in a genre you may find boring because he's a good writer because he used to write television!<br /><br />So did Dickens only become worth reading when they began adapting him for TV? A bridge is missing it's troll:'(Christophernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-46573093670471683102012-04-11T14:35:24.867-07:002012-04-11T14:35:24.867-07:00"404 said...
D. McEwan--to clarify, I underst...<i>"404 said...<br />D. McEwan--to clarify, I understand why someone would want to write real history about real facts and people, etc. However, my point was that George Martin didn't sit down to write a real history, so why would he? He wanted to write his own characters in his own setting, and it seems you just dismissed it out of hand as an automatically inferior idea. By that logic,then, nothing fictional would ever be created or as good."</i> <br /><br />I'm a published novelist myself, with two more novels coming out this year. I said History is important and fiction "trivial". This is true. Yet I write fiction. Why? Because Life requires trivialities.<br /><br />You write: "By that logic,then, nothing fictional would ever be created or as good." As good as what? You have confused "importance" with "quality." Obviously it is possible to write history poorly. Look at most any high school history textbook and you can see lots of insuffereably bad writing. Certainly a well-written novel can be superior in quality to a badly-written non-fiction book.<br /><br />But history is important. Fiction is for fun; it is, by nature trivial.<br /><br />And lastly: <i><b>YOU</b></i> asked the question: "Why would the author want to write an in-depth account of real history?" I answered it. That you meant to ask something else and wasn't clear in your question doesn't make my answer to what you <i>DID</i> ask wrong. In fact, it's still right.<br /><br /><i>"Christopher said...<br />Ken as someone who's not really into fantasy (D & D , Warcraft etc.) all I can say is read the books. G.R.R. Martin used to write for television (Beauty and the Beast). The Game of Throne books always reminded me as if they were written for the screen."</i><br /><br />Ah, so your point is: don't be afraid of reading his big old books in a genre you may find boring because he's a good writer <i>because he used to write television!</i><br /><br />So did Dickens only become worth reading when they began adapting him for TV?D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-37692426615366980892012-04-11T05:07:55.018-07:002012-04-11T05:07:55.018-07:00This might be a help to you, Ken:
www.ew.com/swee...This might be a help to you, Ken:<br /><br />www.ew.com/sweeps<br /><br />It's for a sweepstakes where the grand prize is a trip to this year's Comic-Con, featuring a GAME OF THRONES Panel. Maybe they can explain things for you.<br /><br /><br />Also, isn't one of the kings there Mark Addy, from THE FULL MONTY and STILL STANDING?Paul Ducanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-83687522305419107212012-04-11T03:08:38.204-07:002012-04-11T03:08:38.204-07:00Ken as someone who's not really into fantasy (...Ken as someone who's not really into fantasy (D & D , Warcraft etc.) all I can say is read the books. G.R.R. Martin used to write for television (Beauty and the Beast). The Game of Throne books always reminded me as if they were written for the screen. Each chapter is labeled with a characters name and dwells on their point of view. I love them so much it really didn't seem like ten years since the last book with the Imp in it came out, not really ten years more like only nine.Christophernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-87066034213960597422012-04-11T00:38:47.106-07:002012-04-11T00:38:47.106-07:00i watched S1 episodes 1-3, or maybe 4 and gave up....i watched S1 episodes 1-3, or maybe 4 and gave up.<br /><br />Too many characters who each get far too little story time, so the whole thing move at a glacial pace, and there's no reason to care about most of them.<br /><br />And I felt very bait-and-switched. The prolog to Ep1 had freaky mysterious monsters and if you're going to open with monsters I expect to see some sign of them again by hour three.<br /><br />Peter Dinklage though, boy, does he make he screen light up or what?<br /><br />ddaznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-59645808484674431142012-04-10T22:53:22.178-07:002012-04-10T22:53:22.178-07:00D.McEwan: I'm sorry. It was a dumb, unnecessa...D.McEwan: I'm sorry. It was a dumb, unnecessary comment. I need to work more on impulse control.<br /><br />My apologies also to Ken, and all the people who read these comments, for creating an unnecessary diversion.<br /><br />The blog is great, and so are many of the comments. My stupidity brought it down a notch.<br /><br />_ Braveheart who... etc a.k.a Chicken Liver.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-75916065228644808502012-04-10T20:20:04.651-07:002012-04-10T20:20:04.651-07:00Maybe this will help:
http://www.vulture.com/2012/...Maybe this will help:<br />http://www.vulture.com/2012/03/game-of-thrones-refresher-course-hbo.html#photo=1x00006<br /><br />I watched S1 in two weeks. It's only ten eps so very easily done!xjillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-76932498345329087222012-04-10T16:50:20.699-07:002012-04-10T16:50:20.699-07:00D. McEwan--to clarify, I understand why someone wo...D. McEwan--to clarify, I understand why someone would want to write real history about real facts and people, etc. However, my point was that George Martin didn't sit down to write a real history, so why would he? He wanted to write his own characters in his own setting, and it seems you just dismissed it out of hand as an automatically inferior idea. By that logic,then, nothing fictional would ever be created or as good. That was my point.404https://www.blogger.com/profile/00064577649967514295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-14064629458369237542012-04-10T16:27:47.829-07:002012-04-10T16:27:47.829-07:00I really do enjoy "Game of Thrones"; it&...I really do enjoy "Game of Thrones"; it's (not surprisingly, I suppose) structured more like a novel stretched across a season than a series of episodic teleplays. This has its downsides, but it's worth it in this case.<br /><br />However, I <i>have</i> noticed over the last few years that it seems it's become impossible to write a drama series without throwing in an arc story, usually involving an ever-widening conspiracy. Maybe it's just me, but wasn't "Will Beckett and Castle get together and will the show collapse as fast as 'Moonlighting' if they do" enough of a hook? Couldn't Wo Fat have been just a recurring villain? If you build a Huge Thing The Characters Must Resolve into your premise, then your series <i>ends</i> when the Huge Thing is resolved, and--at least it seems to me--the only way you can keep it from being resolved is to make it progressively more convoluted. And ludicrous.<br /><br />Props to "Hawaii Five-0" for dispensing with the buildup and charging out of the gate at full-on Dan Brown level, I suppose, but even so.Wattshttp://tracks.ranea.org/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-65684823833039190422012-04-10T16:26:53.537-07:002012-04-10T16:26:53.537-07:00My brother and I were discussing the "jumping...My brother and I were discussing the "jumping in" problem only yesterday. He noticed the entire set of <i>Lost</i> DVDs on a shelf in my living room, and said how he could never get into it despite hearing how great it was because whenever he tried watching a pretty-much randomly-selected episode, he didn't know what the hell was going on. I said: "Well, if someone picks up <i>A Tale of Two Cities</i> and begins reading in Chapter 27, they're not going to really get it either."<br /><br /><i>"Anonymous said...<br />Unfortuately, D. McEwan is beginning to sound just like him. Too long, too boring, too much me, me, me...<br />He had some good stories, and now he is in danger of becoming merely a bore.<br />....Cheers<br />..Braveheart who does not leave his name."</i><br /><br />When, by which I mean "if," you ever get the balls to sign your comments, maybe your opinions will begin to have merit, but until then, comments from Anonymous Cowards are of no more value than the hooting of owls in the dark. "Braveheart"? Hardly. More like "Chicken-Livered."D. McEwannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-13845784809598161812012-04-10T15:32:24.095-07:002012-04-10T15:32:24.095-07:00"A horse dies. Am I watching Luck?" Da..."A horse dies. Am I watching Luck?" Damn, Ken, warn me when you're going to do that.<br /><br />You had insufferable music prodigies? Ours were okay, but the Drama Club gang were completely annoying.Refnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-12161328396383100522012-04-10T14:47:29.857-07:002012-04-10T14:47:29.857-07:00tb is right. It also bugs me when I walk into a mo...tb is right. It also bugs me when I walk into a movie 20 minutes after it started and don't understand everything that's going on. Very rude of the director, and I wish there were something, somewhere, that would allow me to quickly and painlessly research so I could get up to speed on what I was watching. Or, barring that, something else that was interesting so I could watch it instead and not get all fussy about other people enjoying it at my expense.Derryl Murphyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00770159992186256355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-19143299172686447582012-04-10T14:10:24.187-07:002012-04-10T14:10:24.187-07:00One of those "few bare breasted girls" h...One of those "few bare breasted girls" has written a blog about her experiences, and even being there she reckons <a href="http://masiedeehasablog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/game-of-thrones-2.html" rel="nofollow">The freaky doll they had though was HORRIBLE!</a>. <br /><br />Note that her profile reads "As a porn star I get to do ....." so you might come across some naughty stuff that could displease your boss.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-60808798414896934472012-04-10T14:02:05.998-07:002012-04-10T14:02:05.998-07:00I have no real interest in watching the show. The ...I have no real interest in watching the show. The first episode of season one was such a load of fanservice, e.g. tits, blood and foul language (and a hint at dragons) that I just sat there thinking "This is porn for LARPers, especially the female ones".<br /><br />I know a couple of those types who dress up as elves and rangers and run through the woods.<br /><br />So of course I immeadiately bought the first Season when it came out. You know. Just in case *smirk*Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01936042470523695383noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-36423650112480125282012-04-10T13:40:16.611-07:002012-04-10T13:40:16.611-07:00A couple of years ago, there was a guy who used to...A couple of years ago, there was a guy who used to comment on this blog, calling himself 'A Buck (too) (?) Short'. <br /><br />Unfortuately, D. McEwan is beginning to sound just like him. Too long, too boring, too much me, me, me...<br /><br />He had some good stories, and now he is in danger of becoming merely a bore.<br /><br />....Cheers<br /><br />..Braveheart who does not leave his name.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19336675.post-73332529372007633612012-04-10T13:39:31.600-07:002012-04-10T13:39:31.600-07:00I was debating whether to watch this, I instead we...I was debating whether to watch this, I instead went with Spartacus on Starz. It sounded a lot simpler and Lucy Lawless gets naked fairly often. It's mindless entertainment, easy to watch and it's not shy about depicting gratuitous sex and violence. <br />As far as period pieces involving a lot of swords you can't go wrong with HBO's Rome, I recently rewatched it for the first time, it is still so f*cking good.Kevin Jqnoreply@blogger.com