Game of Thrones: Season 4

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So great. The moment those of us in the know have been waiting for. Unfortunately for me this is the point where the storytelling goes downhill. I am hopeful that the show can grab me where the books didn't from this point on.
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A system of cells interlinked
Although I still enjoyed the material after this point, I agree with Seanc to some extent. It;s still good, and some sections most certainly reach the levels we have seen previously, but I ran into much more filler in books 4 and 5, and the narrative isn't as well done overall. Still, I look forward to continuing Arya's line, as well as characters like Brienne, Jamie, and Tyrion.
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This is my guess who did it
WARNING: "This is my guess who did it" spoilers below


At first I thought it was Sersi because Tyrion took the new queens cup to give to Joffrey, and Sersi abhors her and has poisoned before. Thing is when Joffrey started choking she would have immediately knew which cup he drank, and I dont think she could make that composure check.

Old Lady Tyrell was too insulted on too many fronts by Joffrey. The Fool, formerly Ser Duncan, got Sansa the hell out of there so he was in the know. Old Lady Tyrell probably saw the former Ser Duncan and how he was being treated and enlisted him.



^^^ I made some corrections in my spoiler box above, but I still think that person did it.



A system of cells interlinked
I'm not telling!

Here's a quick tidbit from Jack Gleeson in regards to his retirement from acting at age 21:

" I’ve been acting since age 8. I just stopped enjoying it as much as I used to. And now there’s the prospect of doing it for a living, whereas up until now it was always something I did for recreation with my friends, or in the summer for some fun. I enjoyed it. When you make a living from something, it changes your relationship with it. It’s not like I hate it, it’s just not what I want to do."



I'm not telling!

Here's a quick tidbit from Jack Gleeson in regards to his retirement from acting at age 21:

" I’ve been acting since age 8. I just stopped enjoying it as much as I used to. And now there’s the prospect of doing it for a living, whereas up until now it was always something I did for recreation with my friends, or in the summer for some fun. I enjoyed it. When you make a living from something, it changes your relationship with it. It’s not like I hate it, it’s just not what I want to do."
What a refreshing perspective from an actor. He was great at his job as he seems as decent in real life compared to the horror that he played.



In the Beginning...
Originally Posted by Sedai
Although I still enjoyed the material after this point, I agree with Seanc to some extent. It;s still good, and some sections most certainly reach the levels we have seen previously, but I ran into much more filler in books 4 and 5, and the narrative isn't as well done overall.
I've heard a lot of people say the same, and I do get it. I guess I'm just a bit more forgiving. The third book absolutely feels like a dead sprint, and everything in it is both exciting and important. The following two books slow down considerably, with spikes of excitement toward the end of the fifth book. But I rather like how Martin allowed himself to slow down and continue cultivating his world, where an inferior writer might have sped to a hasty conclusion (even though I do think Martin has got things a bit too overstretched in some areas).

Either way, great swan song for Joffrey, and much kudos to Jack Gleeson for his portrayal. Aside from bringing that character to the screen perfectly, all accounts are he's a wonderful, pleasant, jovial, intelligent human being, and it's a shame he'll probably always be associated with this monster. I hope he hasn't had to endure undue nastiness on the street from people who can't separate fiction from reality.

Also, I was wondering why they decided to swap Ser Ilyn Payne (the king's tongue-less headsman) for Bronn as Jaime's sparring partner. I figured it was to get Bronn more involved and have some nice banter between the two, which would have been impossible with Payne. But I did some reading, and it turns out that Wilko Johnson (who's something of an old rockstar in England) has terminal cancer and won't be seeking treatment.



I think the pattern to those choices is pretty clear: it's almost always a secondary character taking over something done by a tertiary character, which is a call a good showrunner is going to make pretty much every time in a story this sprawling. Lower budget, fewer characters to keep track of, and a way to get those sporadic secondary characters more screen time. They've done it a handful of times and I think it's been a really smart way to reign things in.



In the Beginning...
True enough. Even so, it's fun to spot characters from the books in the background who aren't mentioned by name and/or have no speaking parts. Fat Walda, for example, was in last night's episode, and the Damphair appeared in an episode way back in Season 2.



TONGO, I agree with your spoiler, maybe because of things I may or may have not have heard...I'm not saying either way.

And I'm pretty sure where Sansa is being spirited off to, but I'm not saying that either.

First off, I again want to give kudos to my nephew for begging me to watch GoT, despite my resistance to adding another television program to my already full plate. How glad I am I gave in. Also, and this may seem off-topic but it's not in my warped mind, I applaud my nephew for first introducing me to The Rock aka Dwayne Johnson back when he was wrestling. On one show, The Rock got the opportunity to face off against long-hated opponents and grabbed the microphone and said in his best low growl, "AT LASSSSTTT!" That's exactly what I said when our hated villain bit the big one last night. So I doubly thank my dear nephew for his great taste.

Yes, I also despise Ramsay Snow, and I this is mostly due to the actor's fine acting, much like Jack Gleason as Joffrey. I loved Lena Headey before this show and I thought she was brilliantly bad last night, going around sniping at people and threatening them. And then she gets some barbs thrown back her way from Oberyn who keeps calling her the "ex-Queen Regent." I was laughing at that. And making thinly-veiled threats about her daughter in Dorne. Yikes! And then Oberyn jabbing at Tywin, who seemed not at all concerned by Oberyn. Love Charles Dance, however evil his character is...he's just too cool for school.

Poor Tyrion, suffering so many indignities at the hands of Joffrey, it's no wonder he's #1 on the suspect list. Kudos to Dinklage for a fine job of showing the Uncle barely controlling his rage, but somehow keeping it in check.

Having not read the books, I was surprised when Cersei threw out the taunt at Lady Brienne for being in love with Jaime. I thought she just considered him a friend.

I wonder who gets the "Widow's Wail" now that the KIng no longer needs it.

Great episode, one of the best.
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In the Beginning...
Curious note: in A Storm of Swords, Jaime and Brienne don't actually attend the Purple Wedding. They don't arrive in King's Landing until after it's over and the king is already dead.

But I have to admit, it was rather interesting to see that the first two people who rushed to Joffrey's aid in last night's episode were Cersei and Jaime... his parents.



But I have to admit, it was rather interesting to see that the first two people who rushed to Joffrey's aid in last night's episode were Cersei and Jaime... his parents.
When Cersei said "my son" I thought that Jaime was going to say it too.



Must be doin sumthin right
Curious note: in A Storm of Swords, Jaime and Brienne don't actually attend the Purple Wedding. They don't arrive in King's Landing until after it's over and the king is already dead.

But I have to admit, it was rather interesting to see that the first two people who rushed to Joffrey's aid in last night's episode were Cersei and Jaime... his parents.
Makes Jaime The One-Handed Lord Commander of the Kingsguard look pretty incompetent to have his king get killed right in front of him like that



Makes Jaime The One-Handed Lord Commander of the Kingsguard look pretty incompetent to have his king get killed right in front of him like that
Too bad, two of the best characters are going to pay for the death of that spoiled psychopath boy.

Btw, I have to say that I'm gonna miss Joffrey all the same.



Too bad, two of the best characters are going to pay for the death of that spoiled psychopath boy.

Btw, I have to say that I'm gonna miss Joffrey all the same.
Great. Another "innocent & unintentional" spoiler remark. Im making a thread for the TV viewers only.



Must be doin sumthin right
Great. Another "innocent & unintentional" spoiler remark. Im making a thread for the TV viewers only.
To be fair I've read the books and have no idea who he's talking about.



A system of cells interlinked
Great. Another "innocent & unintentional" spoiler remark. Im making a thread for the TV viewers only.


This isn't a spoiler.

Also, this:




In the Beginning...
I saw that on Facebook just a minute ago. Pretty much what I've been saying all along. People say, "I want to know what happens, but I don't want it spoiled!"

Oh yeah? Then read the books.