A Game of Thrones - TV Show Discussion Thread

[Robert]

They can change their appearance at will. - as described in the books and demonstrated at the end of the TV show.

You obviously missed the episode where the faceless man changed faces.

Spoiler:

you have read the chapter in Dragons where Arya changes her face? Then after all it's not so magically anymore. It leaves some question though on how Jacq H'gar could do is so quickly but perhaps that's just a matter of training... but still, Arya is teached in the temple that it's all about controlling all muskles in your face. combine that with the literal face changing.... and it's still fantasy but also something done by people and not by gods

[MikeH]

Spoiler:

For me there was a definite difference between what Jacq H'gar did and what Arya was learning. She was learning the most basic skills.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Edit: spoiler'd because Imran suggested it, sorry guys

Spoiler:

I think they're all real, right? The magic trees have superpowers or something that Bran can use, doesn't that fall under the old gods?

Spoiler:

The magic of the North is definitely apparent, but it seems like a pantheist thing - where all nature is God-like. It seems like that's what the 'old gods' mean - at least in my opinion. But definitely magic.

[Dinner]

We're about seven weeks away from the season 3 opener on March 31st and there is some new information on the TV show. They've finally released the TV guide summary of season 3 episode 1:

Episode #21: Jon is brought before Mance Rayder, the King Beyond the Wall, while the Night’s Watch survivors retreat south. In King’s Landing, Tyrion asks for his reward, Littlefinger offers Sansa a way out, and Cersei hosts a dinner for the royal family. Arya runs into the Brotherhood Without Banners. Dany sails into Slaver’s Bay. (Written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss; directed by Daniel Minahan)

It will be interesting to see if they keep changing the books as radically as they did in season 2 or if they try to get back to the real plot line. If they don't then by season 7 we could be talking about some very different beasts/plotlines especially since the TV show has already killed characters we know are important further on in the series. Lastly, HBO has released a bunch of new photographs from season 3 as a kind of teaser.

http://www.wired.com/underwire/2013/01/game-of-thrones-season-3-photos/

[Hauldren Collider]

The second season is finally coming out on Amazon in a few days...

[Dinner]

Hmm, this seems like bad news for SoIaF fans.

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2013/02/george-rr-martin-signs-deal-to-develop-new-hbo-series-when-will-he-finish-a-song-of-ice-and-fire.html

Martin has now signed a contract to write a second series for HBO (no info on what that series will be) so that adds yet another large project he has to do before he finishes the final two books. Worse, he's now hinting he might take it to three more book. More content is great if he finishes it but it took him 5 years to write the last one and 7 years to write the one before that so if he averages 6 years per book that would be 18 more years to finish the series. He's already 64 and famously over weight so does anyone think an obese guy stands a good chance of living to 82 (his generation is expected to average 78-79 but he's pretty over weight so probably won't beat the average by much).

The guy needs to get writing if he ever wants to finish the series.

[Guynemer]

\
It will be interesting to see if they keep changing the books as radically as they did in season 2

I think you may have a different definition of "radically" than, say, the actual definition.

Changing details is not a radical change. Now, Renly not getting killed by Mel's vagina monster, and still fighting the war? That would be a radical change. The only thing even close to a radical change were the events in Qarth, and we still got to more or less the right place in the end.

I am hopeful to see the return of Barristan, as well as very excited to see Ciaran Hinds as Mance.

[Dr Strangelove]

Is there anywhere this can be watched without having HBO?

[Guynemer]

DVD? I dunno if it is on Netflix or not.

[Imran Siddiqui]

HBO does not allow Netflix streaming, but Netflix does have the discs of Season 1. Season 2 hasn't been released yet on DVD.

[Dinner]

OK, not radically different but details and characters were changed and some characters were even killed off while entirely new characters were made up.

[Hauldren Collider]

I think the books need to hurry up and tell us what the ****ing hell the White Walkers/Others are. Seriously, just, what the **** is going on.

[Dinner]

GRRM has said he likes to keep readers in the dark and not really sure exactly what is what and where they come from. It's part of the story telling process. Though he has written a number of stories set in the same fantasy world (but at different times in the world's history) where hints have been dropped. Check out the Dunk & Egg novellas. If you really want to know more check out the wiki entries:

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Others

http://iceandfire.wikia.com/wiki/Others

http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/White_Walkers

[Hauldren Collider]

He's written five doorstopper books and not one of them has addressed the main villain of the plot. Not one. Not one has even begun to elaborate on "winter". That's beyond keeping readers in the dark.

[Imran Siddiqui]

They are the villain in the background, while the rest of the world is concerned with more mundane things like who gets to be King of Westeros.

I think its perfectly fine that GRRM has decided to keep the Others mysterious. He's dropped hints and clues that they are coming (and that most of the world is unprepared for them). In fact, I prefer it this way. Too many authors feel the need to explain everything way too early.