Game of Thrones 104: Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things
Disclaimer: I'm going to make reference to the books, but I haven't read past the first couple of hundred pages of book 2, so please don't spoil me for future events. Also, I haven't bothered to confine myself to episode 4, so be warned :)
Random thoughts on...
-Cersei Lannister.
Cersei is a character I've been enjoying in the books, but Lena Headey's performance really brought her to life for me. I love how sinister she is in Headey's performance. The soft-voiced threat to Ned Stark really worked for me.
-Tyrion Lannister
Peter Dinklage plays Tyrion so perfectly that I now can't picture him in the books looking any differently, mis-matched eyes and all. His accent's a bit weird (is he american?), but that said, I could listen to him talk all day.
-Jaime Lannister
I'm really loving Nikolaj C-W's reading of Jaime. It's a lot more nuanced than I expected for a character like Jaime. The extra scenes they've written in for the tv show are intriguing, too. He's coming across as unexpectedly sympathetic (esp. the scene this ep outside Robert's chamber), and I'm kind of wondering why they've taken him in that direction. (The stinging slap of Lannister pride at the end of the conversation with Jory was an incredibly well-written and well-played moment, as well).
-Daenerys Targaryen.
Daenerys's transition from book to screen has been incredibly problematic. The screenwriters took a storyline with icky racist elements, and made it not only worse in that respect, but also undermining to Daenerys as a female character. Every change they've made from the book seems to me to be to the detriment of her character and in particular her relationship with the Dothraki and her husband. The problems with the wedding night and the scenes leading up to it go without saying, but some of the things that have been bugging me have been more subtle than that. For example, when Daenerys leaves her escort to enter the Dothraki sea, in the book it's a moment of joy and connection to the Dothraki way of life, but on screen they've made it look as though she does it to escape seeing a slave being mistreated. Then, in the same scene, her decision to make Visaerys walk, and the accompanying dawning of realisation about her own power and position amongst the Dothraki, is given onscreen to one of her bodyguards. Couple all this with the removal of the scene in which Drogo gives her her horse, and the watering down of other moments of connection between Daenerys and Drogo, and onscreen, I'm getting no sense whatsoever that she's embracing the Dothraki way of life, or takes any pleasure or satisfaction from it, or has any sense of caring for Drogo besides wanting to pleasure him so that he won't hurt her so badly.
Even this episode, when Daenerys finally (finally!) stood up to her brother, the way it was presented still irritated me -- that being pregnant has made her feisty in defence of her bump! Grr, look at her mama bear instincts! I strongly dislike the implication that because she's carrying her husband's unborn son (as she puts it), only now is she worthy of proper treatment.
-Sam Tarly
I quite like Sam in the book. Well, in the sense that he's an inoffensive non-entity who moves the plot along whenever he appears. Sam in the show, however, is really quite irritating. I can't put my finger on it, but it might just be the actor.
-Sansa Stark
Oh Sansa, so delightfully teenaged. I can see a lot of my younger self in Sansa, which is possibly why I didn't like her too much right up until the end of the first book, when things suddenly changed for her. One scene I've always loved, however, and always found so incredibly powerful is the scene where the Hound tells her how he got his scars. I was so disappointed when they changed that this episode. (I actually think that Sansa/Sandor is the secret pairing of my heart in these books so far ♥)
-Arya Stark
Given all the crappy changes they've made to both Daenarys and Catelyn Stark, to soften them into proper tv-worthy women, I am so, so glad to see that they haven't touched Arya's characterisation. I love the actress playing her, and I love her scenes with Ned in particular, but also Syrio. Can't wait for… the bit where Syrio kicks ass while Arya watches :D (omg I hope they've kept that in)
In conclusion… still enjoying it, though I have to wonder how it plays to someone who hasn't read the first book.
Random thoughts on...
-Cersei Lannister.
Cersei is a character I've been enjoying in the books, but Lena Headey's performance really brought her to life for me. I love how sinister she is in Headey's performance. The soft-voiced threat to Ned Stark really worked for me.
-Tyrion Lannister
Peter Dinklage plays Tyrion so perfectly that I now can't picture him in the books looking any differently, mis-matched eyes and all. His accent's a bit weird (is he american?), but that said, I could listen to him talk all day.
-Jaime Lannister
I'm really loving Nikolaj C-W's reading of Jaime. It's a lot more nuanced than I expected for a character like Jaime. The extra scenes they've written in for the tv show are intriguing, too. He's coming across as unexpectedly sympathetic (esp. the scene this ep outside Robert's chamber), and I'm kind of wondering why they've taken him in that direction. (The stinging slap of Lannister pride at the end of the conversation with Jory was an incredibly well-written and well-played moment, as well).
-Daenerys Targaryen.
Daenerys's transition from book to screen has been incredibly problematic. The screenwriters took a storyline with icky racist elements, and made it not only worse in that respect, but also undermining to Daenerys as a female character. Every change they've made from the book seems to me to be to the detriment of her character and in particular her relationship with the Dothraki and her husband. The problems with the wedding night and the scenes leading up to it go without saying, but some of the things that have been bugging me have been more subtle than that. For example, when Daenerys leaves her escort to enter the Dothraki sea, in the book it's a moment of joy and connection to the Dothraki way of life, but on screen they've made it look as though she does it to escape seeing a slave being mistreated. Then, in the same scene, her decision to make Visaerys walk, and the accompanying dawning of realisation about her own power and position amongst the Dothraki, is given onscreen to one of her bodyguards. Couple all this with the removal of the scene in which Drogo gives her her horse, and the watering down of other moments of connection between Daenerys and Drogo, and onscreen, I'm getting no sense whatsoever that she's embracing the Dothraki way of life, or takes any pleasure or satisfaction from it, or has any sense of caring for Drogo besides wanting to pleasure him so that he won't hurt her so badly.
Even this episode, when Daenerys finally (finally!) stood up to her brother, the way it was presented still irritated me -- that being pregnant has made her feisty in defence of her bump! Grr, look at her mama bear instincts! I strongly dislike the implication that because she's carrying her husband's unborn son (as she puts it), only now is she worthy of proper treatment.
-Sam Tarly
I quite like Sam in the book. Well, in the sense that he's an inoffensive non-entity who moves the plot along whenever he appears. Sam in the show, however, is really quite irritating. I can't put my finger on it, but it might just be the actor.
-Sansa Stark
Oh Sansa, so delightfully teenaged. I can see a lot of my younger self in Sansa, which is possibly why I didn't like her too much right up until the end of the first book, when things suddenly changed for her. One scene I've always loved, however, and always found so incredibly powerful is the scene where the Hound tells her how he got his scars. I was so disappointed when they changed that this episode. (I actually think that Sansa/Sandor is the secret pairing of my heart in these books so far ♥)
-Arya Stark
Given all the crappy changes they've made to both Daenarys and Catelyn Stark, to soften them into proper tv-worthy women, I am so, so glad to see that they haven't touched Arya's characterisation. I love the actress playing her, and I love her scenes with Ned in particular, but also Syrio. Can't wait for… the bit where Syrio kicks ass while Arya watches :D (omg I hope they've kept that in)
In conclusion… still enjoying it, though I have to wonder how it plays to someone who hasn't read the first book.