I just caught up. I had to do a double take when Margaery Tyrell was sitting there at the fighting competition.... Played by Natalie Dormer, who was Anne Boleyn in The Tudors. (You would probably not recognize this show unless you are British or Canadian.)
I think Theon has always been the character right after Joffrey (of the ones introduced in the TV series thus far, anyway) I would most like to have DIAF. He's vain and insecure, arrogant and whiny, acts like a know-it-all but is completely clueless all at the same time. (Much like Joffrey, come to think about it). In a way, he's worse -- Joffrey has the excuse that he has had sucky parents and grew up in an environment where he was bound to be spoiled rotten. Theon was raised by the Starks and shown love and taught about honor (presumably). One of the things I'm trying to figure out is whether Balon had been preparing to attack the North from the get-go, or if he decided to on receiving Robb's offer and getting indignant about it/realizing that it meant Robb was vulnerable.
I've finally ordered HBO and now I need to catch the first three episodes in repeats before i can start watching the new episodes on Sunday night. I have some catching up to do!
Right now HBO has the first three episodes of this season and all of last season available On Demand.
I won't read the thread because I'm not up to date. However I'm catching up on series One right now and will soon be with everyone else. They film Game of Thrones in the north of Ireland, and I know a guy who has apparently got a singing role in an upcoming episode.
It certainly is nice that Mace Tyrell has backed Renly in his claim for the throne. It almost seems to me that Loras actually put the idea of kingship in Renly's head. I wonder what they want...
Well, even without revealing any spoilers that's just politics - Renly is the youngest Baratheon. For his claim to win true, Stannis would have to be dead. Robert is already dead. And Renly is married to a Tyrell and in love with one. Basically they become what the Lannisters were - the power behind the throne - and if Renly passed after having a child with Margeary, they'd control it.
OK, don't spoiler this by actually answering my question--it's more rhetorical to express shock... WTF was up with that last scene in the latest episode?!?!?!?
I was hoping that they'd keep the "supernatural" out of this other than references to the many "gods" that the characters have talked about.
I've not seen the last two episodes but I'm assuming that you're talking about the priestess who hangs out with Stannis. That thing that came out of her cooter is is a big part of the books. One of the themes of the book is that as the Dragons and the Others come back to life in the world magic is also coming back to life. It seems that they are a part of each other. Dragons/Others extinct = Magic extinct Dragons/Others alive = Magic alive
^^^ reasonable, I suppose, but that was just...CREEPY!!!! I don't want to see black smoke comin' out of some chick's vajayjay! Unless... hey, maybe it's the Smoke Monster from LOST...!!!
All that is true. But maybe a little part of me is naive enough to believe that they may think as I do. Namely, of the three main contenders to the Iron Throne at this point (Joffrey, Stannis and Renly -- I don't count Robb because he simply wants to be King in the North, and I don't count Dani, since she's across the Narrow Sea and doesn't have a significant following), Renly is the "best" candidate. Joffrey is an immature sadist bastard who has no real claim to the throne, no ability to lead and no battle experience. Stannis has plenty of battle experience but does not know at all how to be kingly, in terms of inspiring the rank and file. Also, he would last almost no time in Kings' Landing amid the intrigues of the court. Also, his embrace of the Lord of Light would probably not sit well with the majority, who worship the Seven, or those who still worship the Old Gods in the North. Renly seems intelligent and graceful, and a good midpoint in terms of being savvy in the ways of war, court and people.
I think the guy playing Stannis is awesome. And the kid playing Joffery is good too. When I saw Brienne I said "Holy Shit it's Starbuck!!" And damn she is tall. I mean tall. I can't remember if Margaery Tyrell knew in the books that Renly was into men......
Oh and the good thing about the show vs the book In the book George Martin just writes and writes and writes..... it can almost bore one to tears (especially book four) dragging out scenes. The TV show just compresses everything. The scene with Ayra and the Nightswatch guy? Multiple chapters in the book. TV show? Done in five minutes.
Pretty sure that there was nothing as explicit as Sunday's episode, where she was just like "If it helps you to pretend I'm Renly, or if you want Renly to help out, let's do that." But then, my recollection is that the books did not make it as explicit as the show that Renly and Loras were doin' it. The scene from last season where Loras sucks Renly into vying for the crown is an original creation of the show, IIRC. One of the things that is in the books that hasn't been developed in the show is that Renly's Kingsguard was called "the Rainbow Guard," which I took as a hat tip to him being gay.
The books made it pretty explicit. There were bedroom scenes with Renly and Loras. Just no sex part. And it seems lots of people know Renly is gay. Those two guards at the Lannister camp before the attack talked about Loras stabbing Renly with a sword but Renly wouldn't die and laughing about it. Clearly they were thinking about a different type of sword.
Given that there was no sex, that is not what I would consider "pretty explicit." There obviously was subtext in the books that Renly and Loras were an item, but from my recollection of the books, there was nothing that said the two kissed, dated or acted on any attraction. Yep. But that was in the show, where they have decided to make it clear that the two of them were doing it. I don't think there was a corresponding scene to the Lannister guardsmen joking about their sexuality in the books.
I don't remember it being very clear from the books whether Renly and Loras were an item. The only hint I remember from the books toward Renly's sexuality were the rumors that he and Margaery never consummated their marriage, as well as the whole "Rainbow" Guard thing. And even then, I read the books after having seen the first season when it's established he and Loras are having sex, so I probably had that preconception about his character going into the books. Then again, the books are so damned long that I may be forgetting certain parts. I certainly don't remember there being a bedroom scene between Renly and Loras, I thought that was just an invention of the TV show. Also, Margaery Tyrell is a way more impressive character at this point in the TV show than she was in the books. I cannot wait to see more of her.
