Game of Thrones 1.2 + brief musing on current US costume dramas

[meganbmoore]

It…it’s wrong to watch a dwarf hit a 13-year-old boy and be going “do that again!” isn’t it? Like, on multiple levels. I just can’t help it. I hate that abusive little creepster so much. Though I’m glad they gave Tyrion some, you know, depth and personality beyond “Drinks a lot. Likes brothels.” Because, really.

So, in and of itself, I like the

Comments

[morwen_peredhil]

If this is wrong, I don't want to be right:

[meganbmoore]

I love how Sandor (who I initially didn't realize was Sandor due to, you know, only having a few scars) is all pretending he doesn't notice but kind of enjoying it in the background.

[meganbmoore]

Episodes 3 and 4 actually have Morgan going "Ok, working with men suks. Time to surround myself with an army of women!" and so we are starting to have some significant interaction between women, and the only men around in those scenes are some of her flunkies with no lines, but, well, we're still supposed to root for Artgur and Merlin. And you know, when they flipped Morgan's parentage so that Uther is her father and and he married Ygraine (which she's stated she only did because she thought he'd kill her if she rejected him) after murdering both their respective spouses, I think the intent was to get to explore Morgan being an ambitious woman in a society that doesn't reward that and also have Ygraine actually have a role in Arthur's story beyond giving birth to him, without forcing her to choose between her children. They just fidn't think about the larger implications on the plot.

I'm still watching for Morgan, Ygraine and Vivian, but...

[rosehiptea]

The discussion made me feel guilty because battle scenes tend to bore the hell out of me. One on one (or one-on-more-than-one) fights I can handle if they're done well but put two armies on the screen and my eyes start to glaze over. So I feel like I'm proving someone's point with that as I'm a woman. (Even though throwing romance/sex into something is no guarantee I'm going to want to watch it either.)

Sorry, maybe I'm getting the whole discussion off track with that. Especially as I'm not watching Game of Thrones. (I read the book and said "Great writing but I don't want to see these people go through a bookshelf full of more horrible shit, so no more.")

ETA: I wish George R. R. Martin would go back to writing science fiction short stories instead of huge fantasy epics. But I guess that's just me.

[meganbmoore]

I prefer "skilled fighter vs skilled fighter" scenes myself (and this is actually true of most I know of both genders who have stated a preference) though all out melees can be good if well done.

I...really have a very unfortunate weakness for fiction where characters suffer enormously.

[rosehiptea]

I'm not the type who wants everything to be sunshine and rainbows, or even the type who insists on a happy ending. (I'd never have made it through Certain Video Games otherwise...) But I guess one book full of enormous suffering was enough for me in this case.

Also I felt like some of the characters sacrificed a lot and it still turned out to be for nothing -- not just for them but it was just futile -- and that kind of got to me. Though since I can't even remember their names by now it's better if I don't get into a discussion.

[maxineofarc]

I do think there are a number of Sexytimes Onscreen cable shows that are not historical... True Blood, Californication, Shameless. I don't have cable but those three jumped into my mind- not sure how their viewership skews along gender lines though.

[meganbmoore]

I think Californication was mentioned as an exception? True Blood may have come been lumped in since it's genre, and the discussion centered around women not liking genre/period dramas of this variety. I have no idea what Shameless is though.

[maxineofarc]

I'd be surprised if True Blood didn't draw a significant female audience. Shameless is, if I understand correctly, a Showtime show about a wildly dysfunctional family headed by drunk William H. Macy. Based on the recaps I have read there is quite a lot of sexytime considering.

[kirarakim]

Though I’m glad they gave Tyrion some, you know, depth and personality beyond “Drinks a lot. Likes brothels.” Because, really.

So are you also enjoying Tyrion more in the TV series? I thought I was the only one. I always found Tyrion's POV so crude in the books but here Peter Dinklage really brings out the charisma of the character. Best casting decision in my opinion.

In all three, the storylines for the women are focused, to varying degrees and with varying success, on the idea of women trying to get by and not get crushed or thrown aside in a patriarchal society that sees them as secondary/chattel/adornments

I am only watching GOT but yes this is how I would describe the situation of the female characters. Still many of those female characters definitely stand out in the story.

[meganbmoore]

i enjoy Tyrion in the books after a while. (Not much at first, but more as time went on.) But mostly, i was really put off in the first episode with how they basically played him as a drunken lecher and ignored his loyalty to his family and his intelligence, so I was happy those were in this episode.

And, well, he slapped Joffrey around.

I am only watching GOT but yes this is how I would describe the situation of the female characters. Still many of those female characters definitely stand out in the story.
It's actually always been on of my main interests in the series? For the 3 TV shows, I think Borgias actually does the best job of this so far. Right now, I think they're mostly showing it with Danaerys, but there are glimpses with Cat and Cersei. Also, Sansa, particularly when she's put in the position of either telling the true or calling the crown prince a liar, and that either "side" she chose would be saying "Oh yeah, and my kid sister physically assaulted THE CROWN PRINCE." (Our modern minds may cheer over Arya's