My take on HBO's Game Of Thrones (Spoilers)

[Kira]

Also the ending of episode 2 was different from the book, at least i don't remember that in the book. Does anyone have insight into this?

It was only slightly different. I assume in episode 3 the big fight will happen, and the lord commander will be killed. Unless I'm mistaken, Jon was blacked out for most of it?

That would be a BIG change in the order of events. Mormont isn't killed until after the battle on the Fist, when they are on the run from the Others and taking shelter with Craster for the second time.

Overall I'm still disappointed with the way they're changing things around, even though I can understand most of it. Arya's premature confession to Gendry, for example, and Tyrion's making Bron commander of the city watch for the sake of not having a million and one characters to keep track of. But why change Asha's name? That really threw me off.

She was not nearly as... dangerous-looking as I imagined. Much like Craster.

Ah well. So much of book two was internal monologues anyway, Davos and Dani and Arya and everybody thinking the story, I guess it's natural to be thrown off when I start getting the story through external events only.

[mtiru]

All he gets to do is give long monologues, and is very different than I imagined him in the books, but I'm really enjoying Aiden Gillen's performance as Littlefinger. He should get a special Emmy Award for Best Sexposition.

[Evilyn]

Last night!

Lots of interesting departures from the books, or at least what I remember!

-Margaurey is no clueless pretty-face princess. Makes perfect sense considering her grandmother (I imagine the fearsome, intimidating Maggie Smith in THAT role).

-Nicely done Tyrion's "who's the asshole" cut scenes.

-I really liked the slow chipping away of Theon's allegence/love for Winterfell. In the book he suddenly became an asshole without any reservations. It's more realistic and interesting to see some kind of struggle.

-Some good stuff with Sansa. Good to see her finally lash out at somebody.

-"I hate crossbows!"

-We are all hobbits standing beside Brienne!

[littleidiot]

Brienne looks great. Even the forced perspective, she's not really that tall, effect adds to the sense of bad-assery.
Marge - works well
I agree on the handling of Theon. Much better.
I hate crossbows too.
Was wanting to see him 'baptised' properly though.

[Saif]

Brienne doesn't look quite as manly or as unattractive as I pictured her, but she does make a strong impression. I just hope she gets to do some fighting without her helmet so we can see it's actually her.

The departures are interesting... I was talking to a couple of people who were FURIOUS with the departures (what's new, right?) and are all "the producers are turning it into something else" and all, but I really think they need the departures to prune the cast down to a manageable size. And it's working.

The overall thrust of the story is on course, with deviations to make it manageable for a TV audience. This season has been just better than season 1 in almost every way. They're really found their stride, I think.

The Renly stuff is getting to be really neat, I like it in a, "aw, it's all so cute and renfairey before it all goes to shit," way. Margerie's reaction to the lack of erection was pretty amusing and her dialog is quite funny.

Do they just have one arc for Bran and Rickon? I guess they don't do a whole lot, but seeing them do the same thing over and over is getting to be dull. The Tirion stuff continues to be the best acted stuff in the game - his scenes with Cersei are some of the best acted stuff on TV.

Jon and Dany are both playing out a bit on the fringes this season... and I'm sad. This season has the potential to do amazing stuff with both of them, but I suppose they just haven't gotten there yet.

Jon needs to get to the Fist post-haste so he can fuck off and kill Halfhand which is where I guess his arc will end. Though I really do hope we get to see some of the fighting on the Fist through Sam. That should be fucking brutal. And the Zombie rider on the zombie horse killed by an obsidian blade!

And on the other hand, Dany also needs to get to Qarth so they can do all the weird stuff that happens there... the house of the undying stuff the prophecies and for Baristan Selmy to join her and. I have a sad, sad feeling Strong Belwas is going to get cut. I LOVE STRONG BELWAS!

And all that without even talking about Blackwater and the sacking of Winterfel and the war in the Riverlands and Arya in Harrenhal...

How are they going to do all this in the 7 remaining episdoes?!

[TheBauhausCure]

I must say that Renly was handled AMAZINGLY in this past episode. You really do get to see some insight on the legitimacy of whether or not his queen is a virgin or not

I was sad to not see Danny in this episode. She has a lot going for her in this book, and I hope they dedicate more time to it.

[jenskot]

I watched Season 1 without reading the book and really enjoyed it.

I've found watching Season 2 after having so recently read Book 2 to be discombobulating. Without wanting to, I keep thinking, "was that in the book", "why did they show it that way", "that's weird", "does that even make sense if you didn't read the book", "wow, they totally just skipped over the best parts" and a lot of other negativity.

But then I watch the episodes a 2nd time and I really like them.

I will say that so far I like the changes they've made (even if I don't like the parts they've shortened). The characters seems more sympathetic. Things feel slower paced in a good way. We get more reactions, more tension, and more hesitation before action.

[Deliverator]

-Margaurey is no clueless pretty-face princess. Makes perfect sense considering her grandmother (I imagine the fearsome, intimidating Maggie Smith in THAT role).

I haven't watched the show yet, but I just wanted to chime in to say that when I re-read the books last summer, I found Margaery Tyrell absolutely terrifying, simply by implication of what she might really be up to with all her marriages and stuff. Cool to hear that the show captured this well.

Matt

[Saif]

The ending of Book 4 made me a Marge fan. Holy shit.

[Herzwesten]

From the commercials, it looks like we are going to get more Dany stuff this Sunday!