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Original poster

To think that Game of Thrones (the TV version) is over-rated tosh?

110 replies

kalidasa · 23/04/2013 11:59

I concede that it is strangely compelling, but on the downside: horribly misogynistic, eye-wateringly racist (orientalism anyone?), woodenly acted (with a few honourable exceptions, and the children are good), the scripts are really terrible, every plot twist is heralded practically with trumpets, and the exposition is plodding.

I like the music and the map with cogs at the beginning though.

Am I missing something or are we just meant to classify it as enjoyable rubbish (like "Revenge") and get over it?

Cheerfully expecting to be destroyed on this one but would be nice to know I'm not completely alone.

OP posts:
Fillyjonk75 · 23/04/2013 12:50

I thought there was a lot of misogyny at first when I read the book and nearly went off it after the first book, but GRRM actually writes a lot of strong female characters. In a fantasy setting, where people are idealised, that is.

YANBU to not like it though, if you don't like it don't watch. I am a year behind with the series as I refuse to get Sky.

squoosh · 23/04/2013 12:52

NotYoMomma Robb isn't bad but I'd get irritated by his mother always hanging around.

Love Tyrion and also love Tywin although he's a bit of a meanie.

Fillyjonk75 · 23/04/2013 12:52

I would almost watch it for Nikolaj Walder-Costau alone.

Fillyjonk75 · 23/04/2013 12:54

love Tywin although he's a bit of a meanie

Only a bit? Perhaps only a bit compared to Joffrey. Smile

Fecklessdizzy · 23/04/2013 12:55

ophelia He does have a certain something, doesn't he? Grin

GOT has loads of strong female characters - unlike Tolkein who couldn't do a good one to save his life!

BegoniaBampot · 23/04/2013 12:55

Husband and I are hooked after racing through the first two seasons in a few weeks. The nudity is very one sided though but the female characters are great.

squoosh · 23/04/2013 12:55

He's bloody gorgeous isn't he although I was vvvvvvvv shocked at his actions in the last episode I watched. Towards his cousin. Am only on series 2.

My face was properly Shock Shock Shock Shock

TheFallenNinja · 23/04/2013 12:56

Half man with his axe. True force of nature.

UserError · 23/04/2013 12:58

Very very very very very unreasonable. My DP, who does NOT 'do' reading, loves the show so much that he's ordered the box set of the books so far and is doggedly plodding through them.

Original poster
kalidasa · 23/04/2013 12:59

So setting aside the misogyny issue (which I can see no-one agrees with), is no-one with me on the scripts/acting?

I do think it's very watchable (we are into the second season after all), just surprised that it is so much less good than I'd been led to expect.

OP posts:
Fecklessdizzy · 23/04/2013 13:01

So why are you still ploughing through it if you think it's badly written, badly acted and sexist?

Tee2072 · 23/04/2013 13:03

Trying watching with a person who grew up where it's filmed.

If I hear 'I know where that is! We used to drink there!' one more bloody time....

Of course, if you come visit me, I can take you to where the cast goes drinking...

squoosh · 23/04/2013 13:05

I know someone who works on the show. Forget six degress of separation I think everyone in the world is probably connected to GoT by three degrees.

Tee2072 · 23/04/2013 13:06

There is a statistical probability that everyone in the UK will be in GoT at some point...

Original poster
kalidasa · 23/04/2013 13:06

Well DH is enjoying it a bit more than me and it's becoming a running joke that we are actually watching it. And then I get to choose what we watch next. We have a small baby so don't really watch TV, only DVDs that we can pause.

I do enjoy bits of it - as I said there's something compelling about it - but it's a bit like junk food where you feel sort of ill and guilty afterwards . . .

But apparently I am (almost) alone on this one.

OP posts:
squoosh · 23/04/2013 13:08

Khaleesi gives me a pain in my hoop.

She comes out with the boring 'I AM KAHLEESI MOTHER OF DRAGONS, CHILD OF FIRE' far too often.

JazzDalek · 23/04/2013 13:11

I think you have a point about the male-gaziness of the televised version - it definitely has an element of that to it at times. And I also agree that some of the acting is wooden, certainly in the first season, anyway Jon Snow
The writing, I think, is at worst adequate and at best quite brilliant; bear in mind that the writers are having to condense a fabulously detailed, heavy, complicated book series about a fully-realised world into twelve hours of television per season.

But neither of these impede my enjoyment of it. Can't help myself. I love it to an unreasonable degree Grin last night's episode was incredible!

RatherBeACyborg · 23/04/2013 13:15

I've read the books and they are fantastic. Like others have said, there are a lot of strong female characters.

From what I can gather, GOT the series, is beard porn. I like big beards, I cannot lie. So I'm in!

DragonMamma · 23/04/2013 13:19

YABU

It's brilliant. I think Daenerys is badass, especially after last nights episode.

Original poster
kalidasa · 23/04/2013 13:20

Thanks for measured response JazzDalek. I was thinking more of the script in terms of individual lines (since I haven't read the book), which honestly don't ever seem very good to me, and sometimes really bad, rather than re: the technical challenge of reducing a very large amount of material into watchable TV. But thinking about it I agree on those grounds they have done a good job: I haven't got lost at any point, for instance, in contrast to e.g. Parade's End which I thought had a fantastic script in that it was beautifully written BUT ultimately was just too dense so felt confusing unless you had read the books recently or rewatched the episode.

We are three episodes into series 2 and I hadn't really considered whether the proportion of painful plank-like acting had diminished since the first season. It hadn't struck me as much better but I'll bear it in mind!

OP posts:
Brodicea · 23/04/2013 13:37

It is very very silly, not sure why a lot of people take it seriously (as in the same league as The Wire or Sopranos). I quite like it for what it is though - although I would prefer to see less swinging breasts and more swinging schlongs
Wink

squoosh · 23/04/2013 13:39

With The Wire and The Sopranos I felt I should like them rather than actually liking them. But with GoT I just really enjoy it.

squoosh · 23/04/2013 13:45

In fact if I come across one more who says 'If Shakespeare was alive today he'd be writing the Wire' I'll.................roll my eyes and mutter under my breath.

Original poster
kalidasa · 23/04/2013 13:48

Never saw The Sopranos, but did love The Wire. Agree it is not remotely comparable.

We recently watched 'Breaking Bad' though and I think that is a reasonable comparison (pure entertainment, ridiculous plot, violent) but BB just seems a lot better to me.

OP posts:
Original poster
kalidasa · 23/04/2013 13:52

I suppose it's true in the sense that successful commercial writer of drama is likely to = writer for TV these days. Though Shakespeare did a lot of acting too. So he'd be writing The Wire, but also in The Sopranos . . .

OP posts:
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