Just thought I'd mention I will be in King's Landing this August.

I'm heading to Croatia for a summer vacation and will be spending three days in the town of Dubrovnik, which has been used since Season 2 to shoot scenes in the Red Keep, the walls and streets of King's Landing, and Black Water Bay. Also, from there you can see Lokrum Island, which was used for the Qarth scenes. The neat thing is that they offer a Game of Thrones guided tour to all the shooting locales, and I already have tickets for it. As an added bonus, Season 4 begins shooting there in August, so I may very well luck out and actually spot some of the show's stars. How neat would that be?

P.S. I promise to push Joffrey off the wall if I see him.

Wow, thats really cool Val! Would you be able to take photos to share with us when you come back?

[quote=""Lindir""]Wow, thats really cool Val! Would you be able to take photos to share with us when you come back? [/quote]

I most certainly will.

Croatia is definitely on my "must go to" list of places!

[quote=""Darlak""]I'm honestly quite surprised that no one's made a thread for this amazing series yet.[/quote]

Someone did...four years before you started this thread. Since your thread has many more posts in it than the other thread, I'll defy convention and fold the original thread into yours, instead of the other way around.

[quote=""Valkrist""]P.S. I promise to push Joffrey off the wall if I see him. [/quote]

Yes, *please* do so.

Seriously, it sounds like a wonderful trip. I'm looking forward to your post-travel posts describing your vacation. Safe travels!

Hitler just found out about what happens to Ned Stark and boy is he not amused. Language warning!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kLSYTHQbm4

HAHA... i love those!

I just finished watching Season 3. I don't have HBO but my cousin DVRed it and I spent the last 4 evenings watching it with him. [The Red Wedding] was a real shocker, even though I knew something dastardly was going to happen. I mean, it wouldn't be GoT without something like that.

I just read this whole thread now without fear of spoilers. I find it interesting to hear about how some things deviate from the book. As main characters have been killed off in the show, I've read their bios in the Wikipedia article on Song of Ice and Fire characters and noted some differences. Of course, even for dead characters there may be spoilers, [as some return from the grave]!

I'm trying to decide who's the most despicable character in the show. Joffrey is at or very near the top. His grandad Tywin is pretty ruthless too, although his battles of wits with Tyrion and Cersei are pretty amusing. After the events of Season 2, I thought Theon Greyjoy was pretty despicable, but all he has suffered in Season 3, well, I think that was probably more than he deserved. His tormentor Ramsey is obviously a major monster.

As for characters I like who are still alive, Tyrion is at the top of that list, followed by Daenerys. True, Dany is piling up a really long list of successes, but I firmly believe she will suffer some setbacks. And true, she's got a sense of entitlement, but what heir to a throne doesn't?

In any event, it's going to be a long wait for Season 4.

[quote=""Olorin""]After the events of Season 2, I thought Theon Greyjoy was pretty despicable, but all he has suffered in Season 3, well, I think that was probably more than he deserved. His tormentor Ramsey is obviously a major monster.[/quote]

I agree with your thoughts, which is why I really didn't like the way they showed this in the series. In the books, you don't read anything about this. The torture is hinted at later in the series, never actually shown to the reader. I like this better as it still leaves the burden of redemption on Theon's shoulders, not giving him a free pass due to pity. As to whether or not he actually earns it will be different to each viewer, so we'll have to see.

[quote=""Olorin""]As for characters I like who are still alive, Tyrion is at the top of that list, followed by Daenerys. True, Dany is piling up a really long list of successes, but I firmly believe she will suffer some setbacks. And true, she's got a sense of entitlement, but what heir to a throne doesn't?[/quote]

It's really sad that HBO has biased their viewers so much. True, Tyrion is a fantastic character and Dany is a great strong female role, but it is very clear they have done research to find the viewer favorites and really lift them up on pedestals into spotlights. Dany especially has been given a 'highlights' treatment in the later episodes, really only showing her great successes and victories.


That said, I always step back and remember that if I want the actual story and characters, all I have to do it open the books (not that I have too much extra time for that). It's a decent adaptation and is much better than not having one. You just have to enjoy it for what it is...

Who will sit on the Iron Throne at the end of it all?

http://www.qwertee.com/static/images/pr ... -22506.png

Why, Sauron, of course! It matches his armor so well, too.

[quote=""RosereIII""]In the books, you don't read anything about this. The torture is hinted at later in the series, never actually shown to the reader. I like this better as it still leaves the burden of redemption on Theon's shoulders, not giving him a free pass due to pity. As to whether or not he actually earns it will be different to each viewer, so we'll have to see.[/quote]

That's a very good observation and one I would not have thought of, not having read the book.

[quote=""RosereIII""]That said, I always step back and remember that if I want the actual story and characters, all I have to do it open the books (not that I have too much extra time for that). It's a decent adaptation and is much better than not having one. You just have to enjoy it for what it is...[/quote]

Well said. That also goes for how I feel about Jackson's LOTR. It's a tremendous effort, magnificent in places, and "OMG what were they thinking" in other places. But there is always the book.

I am very torn on whether I will read the GoT books. I am very daunted by the fact that several of them are huge doorstops and the series is still on-going. Today I was talking to a friend who read them and asked, story aside, if they were an easy read. Some books have great stories but are a tough slog to read, due to the style and so forth. Others are easy to read but the story isn't that great. Occasionally there's the happy medium like LOTR that is both easy, in fact engrossing, to read, and a fantastic story. So my friend tells me the GoT books are a tough read. In fact, he stopped midway through the third book. And this is a guy who slogged through all 27,000 volumes of the Wheel of Time series, so if he gives up, that's worrisome.

Hmmm, I couldn't put those books down, reading each of them in about a week upon release. I can understand some people find the later books a little difficult; 3rd and onward, but I would definitely recommend at least reading the first book: Game of Thrones.

It's the easiest of the series (in my opinion), especially now that you've watched the show.

Yeah, that thought has occurred to me, but I have a tendency to feel like once I start a series, I have to read all of it, and if the later ones are bears, I don't think I even want to start down that path.

I came across this on google and it really tickled me for some strange reason

Ergh...

That was one of the most shocking events in the whole series so far. I felt Theon deserved a lot of suffering for what he did to the Stark family and Winterfell, but not that.

[quote=""Olorin""]Ergh...

That was one of the most shocking events in the whole series so far. I felt Theon deserved a lot of suffering for what he did to the Stark family and Winterfell, but not that.[/quote]

I hope I didn't come across as a sadistic person by posting that

But yes, I actually started to feel some sympathy towards Theon when he confessed to Ramsay about what he'd done and the mistakes he'd made. I still hate him tho

I dont think ANYONE deserves THAT! That was brutal beyond all reason!

Lol, that smile! But yea, all your reactions just enforce why I prefer the book's method of not actually showing Theon's capture and torture, instead just showing the results and hinting at what actually happened later in the next book.

[quote=""Lindir""]I hope I didn't come across as a sadistic person by posting that [/quote]

No, of course not. I was just taking the opportunity to voice an unusual emotion, pity for someone who almost doesn't deserve pity.

Just completed my GoT tour in Dubrovnik! Simply amazing and so very cool. When I get back home I will write more in length about it and post some photos. For now, I can say it was cool beyond description to stand in the exact same spot where the actors stood and filmed famous scenes. I will try and post the screencaps from the show so you can compare.

Sounds very cool. Can't wait to see your photos.

So, anybody excited about this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZY43QSx3Fk

I'm currently working my way through the Season 3 BD set, getting whetted for Season 4.

I've been excited for season 4 since the finale of Season 3!

I have yet to finish catching up on GoT, but I thought this might be fun for those who are further along...the "How would you die in 'Game of Thrones'?" quiz. Sadly, I don't know who some of the pictured characters are, and some of the references are over my head.

Fair warning, it's a bit PG13 for some of choices, so I didn't want folks to be surprised: http://www.buzzfeed.com/hbogameofthrone ... of-thrones

I am looking forward to getting caught up for the season 4 premiere though!

I did that yesterday and apparently I'd get killed by a White Walker

Apparently decapitation, which is fine with me since it only lasts a few seconds, and gives me enough time for a quick prayer in my mind.

Same here Thranduil, though I'm sure it would be in a fight, not on the steps of a sept... too soon? Come on people, that was soooo season 1!

I just finished watching Season 4. Another hum-dinger of a season! Though nothing to top the Red Wedding, I think.

It was a really good season, although a couple episodes were a bit "blah" for me.

My wife and I started watching season 1 about a month ago and watched the last episode the other night . Very good series , didn't think I would like it as much as I do . I will say though , not going to buy the weapons , no room given my current collection and I still have Hobbit items to add . Not to mention a whole other movie and Kit has hinted to having many more replicas ! ! I am considering 1 solitary item from the series , the Hound's Helm , we'll see .

Took the how would you die quiz , decapitation , nice and quick .

Just had a thought about the red god and the great other.

I've only read the first book so this isn't being backed up by anything that I've read and its just me piecing things together that I've seen and heard in the show.

Ok so Melisandre said that the red god and the great other are waging eternal war against each other. I'm assuming the great other is the leader of the Others/ the white walkers.

Now the seasons in westeroes don't work the way they do in our world where they have a set pattern. George Martin has said there will be a supernatural e xp lanation for the seasons. And my thoughts are that winter is a manifestation of the great others power and summer is a manifestation of the red god's power.

I'm thinking that the reason they can span long periods or time or sometimes short periods of time is because they're like proper physical battles between two armies. Some battles can last days, even longer and some can be very brief.

I have a feeling that is where its going. For book readers this may be more obvious to them or may just be a completely ridiculous idea

Any thoughts?

As another non-reader of the books, it certainly sounds feasible/likely to me!

I've read the books and while I don't pretend to be very well versed in the mythology and lore, I'd say I agree. (Hopefully no spoilers here as I don't detail much, but read at your own risk).

If anything, I'd liken it to the darkening of the skies before Minas Tirith to allow for the passage of the armies of Mordor. With the cold, the white walkers can move easier. With the summer, one could argue the other "side" might have an advantage. That might be tied to the dragons reappearing after being gone for so long.

I can say that five books in, this mythology has not been e xp lored or e xp lained very heavily. For the most part, the story thus far has been very much about the human element in Westeros and across the narrow sea. The battles between the various factions takes center stage for much of the books and the deeper mythology is sprinkled in lightly.

So yes, I think your theory is very likely. The seasons are likely tied to one side or the other and the various things happening more frequently, like white walkers and direwolves in the south, is likely because winter is returning to Westeros. Which one causes the other would be harder to guess, but I have a feeling we'll find out much more about this in the sixth book "The Winds of Winter", especially if the seventh book's title "A Dream of Spring" is to have any meaning. Westeros shifting back and forth between summer and winter without any real mix means that there shouldn't be a "spring" season.

Alexander "Dr. Bashir" Siddig is part of the Season 5 cast, playing Oberyn Martell's brother.

http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=879389

Here's something curious for the sharp-eyed. This photo is apparently from a GoT event held in London this week with George R.R. Martin present.

They must not have had many GoT replicas on hand for him to hold because... well, take a close look at the sword in his left hand.



If you guessed UC's MC Samwise, you would be very correct!

that axe seems photoshoped but still very funny!
speaking of funny, I saw this on Youtube and it made me laugh...
LOTR VS GOT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgqUI6e1T5E

lol... I didn't even consider those might be photoshopped but yes, the axe does look a bit fake. Still pretty funny, like you said, and Sam's sword gets a cool cameo.

As for that LOTR vs GoT video... OMG, that was funny! Got really violent there, so not for the faint at heart, but if you are a true GoT fan, all that gore is just par for the course anyway.

[quote=""EagleFriend""] that axe seems photoshoped but still very funny!
speaking of funny, I saw this on Youtube and it made me laugh...
LOTR VS GOT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgqUI6e1T5E[/quote]
I enjoyed this video very much thanks for sharing EagleFriend.

You're welcome

The cross-contamination continues!

During yesterday's Emmy Awards, Weird Al sang parody lyrics to Game of Thrones' theme music, along with costumed dancers and Andy Samberg dressed as King Joffrey. Quite amusing. At any rate, at the end Al holds up a sword and it is none other than Sting.

Edit: on a side note, tomorrow I'm going to the PNE, which stands for Pacific National Exhibition, a fair that comes around Vancouver for two weeks every summer. This year, we are lucky to be one of the very few stops for the Games of Thrones exhibit, complete with virtual ride, props, replicas, etc. Going to be an exciting day.

Here are some photos from my visit to the GoT Exhibit last week. It only stopped in 8 cities worldwide, and we were lucky enough to be one of them. The stops were: New York, Austin, Mexico City, Belfast, Oslo, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto, and Vancouver.

Lineup outside:

Arya and the Hound:

From right to left: Cersei, Joffrey, Marjorie, Oberyn, Sansa, Tyrion:

Closeup of Tyrion:

Brienne and Jaime:

Daenerys:

Stannis and Yara:

Jon and Ygritte:

Bran and Hodor:

Arya's practice sword:

The ultimate prize, the Iron Throne. There is a photo of me sitting on it, but I won't post it for privacy reasons.

Some things you could buy while there:

The "wall of death" for departed characters. There were quite a few more photos below the ones shown, but I focused on the more important characters.

Some banners: