Game of Thrones.
- Thread starter Kaeb
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Sucks that Episode 2 was released early. Now I have to wait longer for the new one. First world problems I know. Summer is coming. Maybe I'll take up reading the series.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBKyLjvrmg8&feature=fvst
Watch it, realise who it is then laugh your cock off.
Watch it, realise who it is then laugh your cock off.
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Good lord.
Pornstar irl
:CShock
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The actress in question actually starred in a pretty decent --if somewhat smutty- film about gender violence, etc. in Istanbul, IIRC. Texturally similar (if less competent) to The Accused, with a general feel for the "social expose genre." She's actually not a bad actress, IMHO. Just doesn't seem to be clicking with the character. Shae has always been poorly written, even in the novels, so that may have come into play as well.
Anyhow...
Stray observations:
- Good to see Tyrion establishing himself as a far, far wilier Hand than poor Eddard, and letting audience know that he'll be competent enough to play with the likes of Varys and Littlefinger. Better acting (generally) this season from Lena Headley (there are exceptions, like that great scene where Cersei and King Robert are discussing their tired bitterness at their marriage.) She's a good actress and they're giving the character more to do than spout that amused quizzical pouty expression she had glued on for the first season.
- Speaking of Cersei, I do like some of the shading they're doing to her in the series. In one respect, the lack of a POV function (like in the books) makes her more interesting, as while she is out of her depth compared to her cunning brother (Peter Dinklage continues to just own the role), she has the advantage of mystery. Whereas in the books, she became far less interesting once she became a comparatively vapid POV character.
- Needs more Charles Dance. Sorry, that dude is just awesome.
- Alas, poor Yoren. We knew him... not well. Anyone who's read Martin's works knew this was coming and knows the author's penchant for giving characters these neat little bookends. That little monologue about the boy who murdered his brother was by turns brutal, heartfelt, and wry. Great set up for Arya's continuing arc.
- Speaking of Arya... May I just say that this show has done a great job with its child actors, but Maisie Williams is singularly impressive to me. Feisty without being cutesy, strong yet still naif and waifish, and perfectly loyal to the character. Fantastic job, and I think she has a great future. I can recall few comparable introductions to the screen from child actors; Steinfeld, O'Neal, Blair, etc.
- Great introduction to Brienne. Didn't get many lines, but nice feel to the character.
- No punches pulled in the Renly arc. They're being quite a bit more explicit than the books, and while the series does have a tendency to sometimes throw nudity/sexytimes at the screen to see what sticks, it generally worked here. Good turn from newcomer Natalie Dorner as Margaery. They're setting her up as a good foil to Cersei Lannister.
- I haven't been as huge a fan of the Night Watch stuff as some. Harrington is a fine actor, but he's been merely okay as Jon Snow, and they really are having some pacing issues with his hero's journey, but the side-cast from the Night Watch tends to pick up the pace. Mormont's speech about necessary evils, was I thought pretty great, and sort of neat to contrast with Jorah's quiet (and almost dignified) debasement.
- Good to see Tyrion establishing himself as a far, far wilier Hand than poor Eddard, and letting audience know that he'll be competent enough to play with the likes of Varys and Littlefinger. Better acting (generally) this season from Lena Headley (there are exceptions, like that great scene where Cersei and King Robert are discussing their tired bitterness at their marriage.) She's a good actress and they're giving the character more to do than spout that amused quizzical pouty expression she had glued on for the first season.
- Speaking of Cersei, I do like some of the shading they're doing to her in the series. In one respect, the lack of a POV function (like in the books) makes her more interesting, as while she is out of her depth compared to her cunning brother (Peter Dinklage continues to just own the role), she has the advantage of mystery. Whereas in the books, she became far less interesting once she became a comparatively vapid POV character.
- Needs more Charles Dance. Sorry, that dude is just awesome.
- Alas, poor Yoren. We knew him... not well. Anyone who's read Martin's works knew this was coming and knows the author's penchant for giving characters these neat little bookends. That little monologue about the boy who murdered his brother was by turns brutal, heartfelt, and wry. Great set up for Arya's continuing arc.
- Speaking of Arya... May I just say that this show has done a great job with its child actors, but Maisie Williams is singularly impressive to me. Feisty without being cutesy, strong yet still naif and waifish, and perfectly loyal to the character. Fantastic job, and I think she has a great future. I can recall few comparable introductions to the screen from child actors; Steinfeld, O'Neal, Blair, etc.
- Great introduction to Brienne. Didn't get many lines, but nice feel to the character.
- No punches pulled in the Renly arc. They're being quite a bit more explicit than the books, and while the series does have a tendency to sometimes throw nudity/sexytimes at the screen to see what sticks, it generally worked here. Good turn from newcomer Natalie Dorner as Margaery. They're setting her up as a good foil to Cersei Lannister.
- I haven't been as huge a fan of the Night Watch stuff as some. Harrington is a fine actor, but he's been merely okay as Jon Snow, and they really are having some pacing issues with his hero's journey, but the side-cast from the Night Watch tends to pick up the pace. Mormont's speech about necessary evils, was I thought pretty great, and sort of neat to contrast with Jorah's quiet (and almost dignified) debasement.
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George's writing for secondary characters has always been largely inconsistent throughout the novels, on the one hand you've got fantastic characters like Brienne or Jorah, while on the other you have talking heads reduced to plot devices like Bran and Shae. I feel like she should've been portrayed in one of two ways on the show.
Either diminish her to nothing but a talking head that we barely see, or make her likeable enough that we can route for Tyrions feeling towards her. If she's constantly annoying and played horribly by a dull actress then as an audience we question why Tyrion loves her and why he would allow such a weakness to come with him. But if she was likeable, we wouldn't feel that way. That's why George diminished her role in the books I think, without expanding on her too much, she was just a plot device to keep Tyrion on his toes and to be more wary of his enemies. I will admit though, you're the first fan I've encountered whose said she's a capable actress, I just don't see it I'm afraid.
In regards to everything else you've said, I find myself largely agreeing with you although I am an avid fan of what goes on beyond the Wall.
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The way I see it, I feel we know enough of her to keep her interesting as a curiousity (if nothing else), but not enough to satisfy that curiousity of her. As it stands at the moment, her enigmatic nature works for her. Whether or not it continues to do so remains to be seen.
I'm not curious about her at all, so she's not a typical prostitute and Tyrion has a soft spot for her....so what? But if she was well written or if the actress found away to play her in a way that was inherently interesting then maybe I'd care.
For example, Viserys in the books was quite a one sided evil character, but the actor who plays him managed to make him a tragic almost likeable character. One who was forced to be the way he is because he's been expected to rule since he was a boy. You dont get that in the books. You almost pity him. This happend with the actress who played Osha as well, a character who I find infinitely more interesting.
In all honestly Boli, it felt like you were describing HER for a minute and not Shae.
For example, Viserys in the books was quite a one sided evil character, but the actor who plays him managed to make him a tragic almost likeable character. One who was forced to be the way he is because he's been expected to rule since he was a boy. You dont get that in the books. You almost pity him. This happend with the actress who played Osha as well, a character who I find infinitely more interesting.
In all honestly Boli, it felt like you were describing HER for a minute and not Shae.
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Even I enjoyed that.
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Like I said, with regards to the actress, see her in other stuff. I tend to believe that no matter how good an actor is, he or she can only do so much with poor writing. Mind you, some actors are good enough to make even a bad part watchable, but I don't believe that Ms. Kekilli is that good. She is however, relatively skillful at her craft and was saddled with a rather poor character. I tend to agree with you Shae-wise.
Of course, sometimes an actor can elevate a part. There's Viserys, whose actor you mentioned, though the tale of an addled heir who lost his throne has Shakespearean traits and there's enough of a hook in there that you can interpret Viserys at least with some empathy if not sympathy.
I will agree with you on Jorah. He's always been well-written, but I will also note that Iain Glen is doing a fine job elevating even that. Whenever I see him in the Dothraki lands, he seems to be channeling Peter O'Toole (a la Lawrence of Arabia) and Alec Guiness (in The Bridge on The River Kwai) leavened with some of the weariness that a reluctant man caught in someone else's epic might feel. You can actually feel all the doubts he has every moment on screen and his determination (laced with a growing love) to help Daenerys. Ironically, he sort of reminds you of Eddard, a good man caught in a situation now beyond his ken.
But back to Shae...
In a lot of ways, Shae could have been built up as an interesting foil and ironic contrast for Tysha. Make her likable and interesting enough that she could have been a courtesan in her own terms. Perhaps in the lands where she hailed from, she was almost akin to a geisha. Make her by turns calculating and yet vulnerable, almost sort of like what Headey is doing with Cersei Lannister, to where we're not sure to what degree she has feelings for Tyrion. She inevitably betrays him, of course, as she's ultimately there to drive the final nail into his relationship with his father, but one should never write characters as mere gears that help keep the plot cog moving.
With regards to the Night's Watch stuff, it's all been well-crafted, The Wall looks fantastic, and there are no real weak links in that ensemble, but Jon Snow's story is easily the most Campbellian of the whole lot. Hero's Journey and all that. It doesn't have the twists and turns that others do. I do get why they're stretching it out via episodes, but I feel the show would be better served if we got more condensed Night's Watch stuff at a lesser clip. It would even work as a whiplash between the increasing futility and frivolity of everything going on for the Iron Throne, and all the bad voodoo we know is coming.
One thing I forgot to mention...
I was never a huge fan of the Theon Greyjoy story in the books. It was supposed to guarantee automatic (if sometimes unearned pathos) but ended up being diluted by Theon's weakness as a tragic character, and the poor writing which serviced him in the first book. To its credit, the show has handled him a bit better, and Alfie Allen has done a good job conveying both a very particular sort of honor (inculcated no doubt, as the series points out, by the Starks) whilst keeping a core of pride there that makes this arc work. We've seen him jealously defend his heritage as one of the Great Lords of Westeros; have been treated over and over again to the theme of familial loyalty above moral concerns (the Lannisters), and seen some of the rifts between him and the Starks, no matter how much affection is there.
Even so, I have to take some issues with this arc in the last few episodes. Pacing has still been off a bit, and I thought it might have been better to condense some of that stuff, or even add a scene or two to make it a better transition. We go from his (well-done) confrontation with his father about how he was essentially a hostage, to him writing (and then destroying) a letter to Robb. Why? What precipitated these decisions? We can guess his state of mind, sure, but we're never convinced. And mind you, this doesn't require very lengthy scenes. All the characters in the show have doubts, but the show does take great pains to let us into their thought processes with some clever devices.
Daenerys comes to mind. When she was with Drogo's khalasar, you can feel her doubts on screen. But she's always anchored by what she is, by her promise, etc. as represented by the dragon eggs. Now, Theon has a less clear identity --indeed, his is a case of a less clear cut identity-- but you can't deny his character agency by saying that he does not have very clear aspirations. He wants to be a Lord. A Lord needs symbols, things that are important to him, things that motivate him. Theon... still does not haveit.
Even so, I have to take some issues with this arc in the last few episodes. Pacing has still been off a bit, and I thought it might have been better to condense some of that stuff, or even add a scene or two to make it a better transition. We go from his (well-done) confrontation with his father about how he was essentially a hostage, to him writing (and then destroying) a letter to Robb. Why? What precipitated these decisions? We can guess his state of mind, sure, but we're never convinced. And mind you, this doesn't require very lengthy scenes. All the characters in the show have doubts, but the show does take great pains to let us into their thought processes with some clever devices.
Daenerys comes to mind. When she was with Drogo's khalasar, you can feel her doubts on screen. But she's always anchored by what she is, by her promise, etc. as represented by the dragon eggs. Now, Theon has a less clear identity --indeed, his is a case of a less clear cut identity-- but you can't deny his character agency by saying that he does not have very clear aspirations. He wants to be a Lord. A Lord needs symbols, things that are important to him, things that motivate him. Theon... still does not haveit.