[tv trailer] Game Of Thrones - Series 8

[LeMarchand]

The construction workers in King's Landing sure built those crossbows quickly! Also, I know Varys hasn't been in the city for a while, but have all his "little birds" stopped reporting back? You'd think someone might have noticed those honking big weapons being deployed.

[FishCustard]

The construction workers in King's Landing sure built those crossbows quickly! Also, I know Varys hasn't been in the city for a while, but have all his "little birds" stopped reporting back? You'd think someone might have noticed those honking big weapons being deployed.

 

Would've been cool if Qyburn had "enhanced" the construction crews with some of that mad science to explain that...

[sonofsanta]

I'm less concerned by how quick they built the bolt throwers--they've had a few weeks, and the Northmen built trebuchets faster (only to deploy them in front of their infantry, fire them once while their cavalry was already charging, and then, uh abandon them?)--than by how bloody quickly they could reload them, given that there was enough tension in them to punch through a dragon. And their accuracy! It's hard enough hitting a plane from a stationary AA gun on the ground; pretty bloody certain you're not going to hit a less-predictable dragon from a moving ship on a windy day with every bloody bolt you fire.

 

So much of what's happening now is happening because the plot demands it and they want the story to go a certain way, rather than because it makes sense for the characters to act that way. It's never been quite as good as it was since they went past the end of the books, tbh; they've fallen into fantasy cliché and predictability, and there seems to be a lot of plot armour keeping characters alive these days :/

 

And I'm really angry at Jon for sending Ghost away without even a hug. He only did it so they could save on the CGI budget! Ghost is such a good good boy and he deserves better than this

[LeMarchand]

Yep, Jon Snow seems to "know nothing" about tactics.

 

I think the worst thing about "overtaking" the books is that GRRM would now seem to have little motivation to finish the books .

 

Yep - and poor Ghost. He seemed to have shrunk as it was, surely a little interaction or even a few words from Jon couldn't have been that expensive?

[FishCustard]

I'm guessing they blew the CGI budget on the Battle of Winterfell (which was, let's be honest, spectacular). That said, a few extra grand for a proper goodbye scene couldn't have been that hard to find for an org like HBO surely?!

[LeMarchand]

I'm guessing they blew the CGI budget on the Battle of Winterfell (which was, let's be honest, spectacular). That said, a few extra grand for a proper goodbye scene couldn't have been that hard to find for an org like HBO surely?!

 

They saved a load by sending the cavalry out first, which was both a great visual and less costly than actually seeing the clash.

[FishCustard]

So much of what's happening now is happening because the plot demands it and they want the story to go a certain way, rather than because it makes sense for the characters to act that way. It's never been quite as good as it was since they went past the end of the books, tbh; they've fallen into fantasy cliché and predictability, and there seems to be a lot of plot armour keeping characters alive these days :/

 

Yep. Plot-driven writing is fine, but they've clearly got an endpoint in mind and are shoving things into molds in order to reach it quickly.

 

I think that's got less to do with overtaking the books (GRRM is still involved), and more to do with trying to wrap up a very complex story in a nice "TV friendly" ending. They've had trouble with adapting things too (picking the 'wrong' storylines for instance - Dorne vs Lady Stoneheart).

[sonofsanta]

Oh man, Lady Stoneheart. I thought we'd at least get a reference to her when the dead in the crypts inevitably woke up (genius tactic btw lads, stick your most vulnerable in a room full of the dead before you fight a necromancer, brilliant, love it), but they couldn't even give us that, the cowards

[FishCustard]

Oh man, Lady Stoneheart. I thought we'd at least get a reference to her when the dead in the crypts inevitably woke up (genius tactic btw lads, stick your most vulnerable in a room full of the dead before you fight a necromancer, brilliant, love it), but they couldn't even give us that, the cowards

 

I can understand adapting her out (only so many hours to play with), but in favour of the rubbish Sand Snakes?

 

And yeah, the whole crypts thing was stupid on so many levels. How could the wights break out of those sarcophagi? Would've been better to just have them rattling inside - much creepier.

[mikeprice]

Yup - plot is getting a bit dodgy - the 'artillery' only firing one shot was just silly.

However as far as building the massive anti dragon cross bows is concerned - they had all the time it took Jon Snow to march an army from Winterfell to Kings Landing - which would be a long time as armies don't march all that fast due to logistics etc etc - the seasons didn't seem to have changed much in that time though

 

However hitting a dragon several times with the first few shots was dodgy - at least the night kings spear could be assumed to be infused with magic - the crossbows would only be likely to hit if they were firing in large volleys when the dragon flew across a pre-determined piece of sky.

 

I suspect the plot holes will get worse as well - still we are all accepting the dead rising, white walkers, whatever Bran is now and dragons so I guess we will just have to keep suspending belief and refrain from pointing out the holes to any nearby wives during the show - or we will get into trouble.

 

Apparently the forthcoming book(s) will have a different ending - so hopefully it will be better thought out

[sonofsanta]

...I don't think the books will ever be finished. Book 5 came out alongside Season 1, and yet we still haven't got Book 6. I think we'll get that one, but then the pressure/scale of Book 7 will mean it's never done before he dies.

 

Which probably means someone else gets the job to finish it like Brandon Sanderson did with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, because $$$, but that's never the same.

[caffrey]

I doubt GRRM will finish at all, he's probably sitting on a huge pile of cash and he's late in his years (He's 70) - he can just sit back and not care. I know I would

[LeMarchand]

Apparently the forthcoming book(s) will have a different ending - so hopefully it will be better thought out

 

...I don't think the books will ever be finished. Book 5 came out alongside Season 1, and yet we still haven't got Book 6. I think we'll get that one, but then the pressure/scale of Book 7 will mean it's never done before he dies.

 

Which probably means someone else gets the job to finish it like Brandon Sanderson did with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time, because $$$, but that's never the same.

 

Have to agree that GRRM seems unlikely to finish the series. The weight of expectation is just too great, and it's not as if he'll be destitute if he doesn't churn them out.

 

Given the failure of Nightflyers, I wonder if the Wild Cards show will be killed off and if anything else by GRRM that isn't GoT might be given short shrift. I think Dying of the Light might be an interesting (but expensive) limited series and, most of all, I'm still amazed that no-one has tackled Fevre Dream.

[sonofsanta]

I'm still amazed that no-one has tackled Fevre Dream.

 

I would love a Fevre Dream mini-series. I suspect you'd have to tweak the ending, because an 11 year gap to the last 10% of a book sure is a thing, but I adore the atmosphere and ambience of that story. The version on Audible is read by the guy who played Rodrik Cassel (he of the great whiskery sideburns up North) and it's bloody marvellous.

Edited May 9, 2019 by sonofsanta
typo

[LeMarchand]

I would love a Fevre Dream mini-series. I suspect you'd have to tweak the ending, because an 11 year gap to the last 10% of a book sure is a thing, but I adore the atmosphere and ambience of that story. The version on Audible is read by the guy who played Rodrik Cassel (he of the great whiskery sireburns up North) and it's bloody marvellous.

 

He looks like he'd make a good Abner Marsh!

 

2 short seasons or one season with a built-in break?

[sonofsanta]

He looks like he'd make a good Abner Marsh!

 

2 short seasons or one season with a built-in break?

 

I suppose that, instead of tweaking the big gap, you could beef up the final part of the series and have a break there--be a bit of a downer ending for S1, but that's rather fashionable right now, isn't it?

 

And he'd be perfect for Abner, look and voice and everything. Who would you have as Joshua, though? Tom Hiddleston would be tempting tbh--halfway between Loki's charm and the Night Manager's righteousness. A showdown between him and Ron Perlman as Damon Julian would be a magnificent thing...

[LeMarchand]

I suppose that, instead of tweaking the big gap, you could beef up the final part of the series and have a break there--be a bit of a downer ending for S1, but that's rather fashionable right now, isn't it?

 

And he'd be perfect for Abner, look and voice and everything. Who would you have as Joshua, though? Tom Hiddleston would be tempting tbh--halfway between Loki's charm and the Night Manager's righteousness. A showdown between him and Ron Perlman as Damon Julian would be a magnificent thing...

 

Have just read that apparently GRRM himself is keen on Ron Donachie (Ser Rodrik) for the part - apparently RD took the GoT part because he's a fan of Fevre Dream. That said, Kevin Chapman (Person of Interest's Det. Fusco) popped up on a list somewhere and seems a good fit. It's been a long time since I read the book, but numbers 2 to 4 on this list seem interesting choices: https://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/151797-fevre-dream-fancast/

[phreak]

Yep - and poor Ghost. He seemed to have shrunk as it was, surely a little interaction or even a few words from Jon couldn't have been that expensive?

 

I must admit that this annoyed me at the time more than anything else. Ghost has been there since he was a bloody child and he sends him away possibly forever with a nod!!! Sam comes along and he gets a great big hug.

 

Jon doesn't deserve Ghost!

 

And yes, I have heard the explanation that it was because of CGI that he didn't hug him, but they could have used a puppet or something.

 

As for the plot holes, yes, I suppose now is the time that we have to just go with it. With only 2 episodes to go it is better to savour them than pick/spot holes.

[FishCustard]

And yes, I have heard the explanation that it was because of CGI that he didn't hug him, but they could have used a puppet or something.

 

The more I think about this, the more like total carp it seems. They can have people riding dragons, but hugging a large wolf is "ooohhhh no we don't have the budget".

[caffrey]

The more I think about this, the more like total carp it seems. They can have people riding dragons, but hugging a large wolf is "ooohhhh no we don't have the budget".

 

Isn't that the same as school budgets ?

[mikeprice]

Isn't that the same as school budgets ?

 

So - riding dragons is like ipads - essential

 

Hugging a dire wolf that has been your closest friend since childhood and you may never see again is like a server upgrade - not shiny so don't bother??

[XiJ]

So episode 5. Seen a few things throughout the day that said it was awful and was rated the worst ever GoT episode.

 

I loved it. And it leaves just enough to wrap up next week.

[Shadow_Walker]

So episode 5. Seen a few things throughout the day that said it was awful and was rated the worst ever GoT episode.

 

I loved it. And it leaves just enough to wrap up next week.

 

Won't give any spoilers away but it feels too rushed! Feel like we needed two more seasons for both main battles to be done right.

[XiJ]

Yeah I can see that. Feels 2-4 episodes short to me. But sure what we’d have 2 more seasons of tho. We know it’s coming to a head. And isn’t it just.

[mikeprice]

Just seen it - good episode!

 

 

Seriously running out of main characters now so it's a good job we are near the end

 

Pity we don't know more about what was done to Ser Gregor - still better him than me!!

(maybe I'm just too inquisitive about the wrong things!)