Game of thrones series 4: SPOILERS ALLOWED

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Book and tv series spoilers allowed.

See, this is why I'm very pleased with myself for watching the last two episodes of series 3 while trying to stay up until 2am! Cos I wouldn't have remembered little details like that either.

Did I imagine the fact there weren't any ad breaks - or was I in a daze whilst FFWing ? If so, that's a great improvement 'cos it really used to annoy me in previous series when you'd just be getting into it and then were snapped back into reality as it were.

Thought the scenes between Bronn and Tyrion were great - but then they always were. (I do luffs Jerome Flynn in all his GoT gear ...). Also the grudging respect Ayra is beginning to show the Hound (so it seems). All round a good start to S4 as you saw a bit of most people.

Apparently they did a one-off without ad breaks because it was simulcast here and in the US, and it would have been too complicated to co-ordinate the ads.

Having only ever watched on BlinkBox, so ad free, I'm not looking forward to having to deal with ads.

Download episodes instead of recording them and you get no/less ads. I alway record though just incase!

Daario's blue rose thing is a book reference, but it doesn't work so well with his TV persona. I'm also glad they kept in Oberyn's bisexuality.

I actually felt like the show jumped around a lot between characters, making sure to re-introduce as many as possible in this episode. I understand why they do things like that on the TV show, and I did mostly enjoy the episode.

I do think they have made a mistake returning Jaime and Brienne to King's Landing earlier than in the book time line, but only time will tell. I didn't like Jaime in the show as much as I like him in the books at this stage, but obviously in the books we get a lot more of his internal monologue and understand his thoughts and feelings. I think his character will be impacted by this in the same way that other introspective characters (e.g. Sansa) also can get short changed by the show.

That said I actually liked Sansa's scenes this evening.

I'm not sure what's going on with Shae and Tyrion. Show!Shae is so much more likeable than Book!Shae, so it will be interesting to see what happens with her future storyline this season.

Also the Thenns were properly terifying!

I'm feeling more positive about this series than series 3, though, and I'm really looking forward to the next episode.

So you think that the blue rose is just a nod for the readers? Like the mention of Ser Duncan? I think it's more than that, it's such a clear symbol for Lyanna and was really flagged up.

I am rusty on the books, but thought that the Thenns were the more technically advanced of the Wildlings? Cannibalism doesn't really fit that.

I thought it was a great episode, and brilliant to watch with no ads, even though I record and FF through them.

Just watched it, marking my place!

Loved the hound and arya at the end, that was the best bit for me.

Why is Dario played by a different actor do we know? Any reason?

The only down side for me (in the last series) was theon/reek and Ramsey Bolton, it wasn't as shocking as in the book in my very humble opinion. I was skipping chapters to find out what happened to reek when reading the book, I thought it was the weakest bit in the series. Could just be me though :)

Watched it last night, loved it. Sadly I got the ads which were very disruptive and long.

I think the other actor left so they had to recast Daario Naharis, I don't mind though, this one is much nicer!

I thought there was a noticeable lack of nudity and sex in this episode, other than the brief brothel scene. Weird.

oh found you - sorry about the confusion. Have requested that my post be removed form other thread and reposting it here:

just watched the last few episodes of series 3 and think I may need counselling after the red wedding - I have never seen anything like it! shocking. I think the most graphic scene of all episodes so far

Some questions I just cant work out:

Who has Theon and why? (Looked this up on some wiki game of thrones site but the books are obviously so different and detailed to the series that I cant follow it at all)

What does this comment mean on the thread? : Enjoyed Queen of Thrones' reaction to Brienne.

what are all the references to Jon Snow NOT being Ned Starks son?

Am I right in thinking that the books are very very different to the shpw - I adore the show but suspect it has been dumbed down a lot for tv as it is just too complicated to explain it all in a 50 min show.

Here are my personal thoughts, hope that others amend and correct as they see fit.

Who has Theon and why? Roose Bolton's legitimised son, Ramsey Bolton aka The Bastard has him. He's a sadistic rapist and murderer with no redeeming features. He tortures Theon because he can.
Theon is his prisoner because Ramsey tricked him. We are not sure where they are - Winterfell or the Dreadfort or somewhere else?

Who are Jon Snow's parents? That he is the illegitimate son of Ned Stark is hotly contested. The most popular theory is that he is actually the son of Ned's beloved sister, Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. This theory is referred to as "L+R=J".

I think that the show does miss out a lot of detail by necessity, but it also misses a lot of the boring and badly written stuff, imho.

It was the queen of thorns, not thrones. Olenna tyrell, aka dame Diana rigg.

I think the show does a good job of not dumbing down too much. However, it does skip some detail and some characters are merged etc but really doesn't affect the quality of the story. I thought they did a fab job on the red wedding and even though I knew it was coming, I still found it shocking.

Also, most of the casting is spot on.

So, Jon Snow would be able to ride and control the dragons then?

Why do you think that? Dany can't control them.

Assuming that R+L=J (which I do), there are 3 dragons. Who would be riding the third? As was mentioned, they don't need to be Targaryens, just have Valyrian blood.

Actually, as a book reader, I know that a third candidate does show up later, but I personally always hoped that Tyrion would get a dragon. He is fascinated with them and he's had a hard time, so I think he deserves one!

All the Starks are wargs apparently, just Bran is the strongest. Hence Arya's 'dreams' about Nymeria and the theories when Jon 'dies' and goes into Ghost.

My pet theory is the dragons won't be literally ridden, but warged into. I definitely have tickets on Bran, but who else? I am unsure. I also have theories that the dragons may actually be a very bad thing and Westeros ends up needing to fight them with The Others, which would be a cool twist. I think Dany will go mad. It's not really in the show but all her ranting and ravings about the 'Westorosi usurper dogs' are a hint to her family illness.

Well, I have a lot of theories and they all contradict each other!

I am going to miss Joffrey after next week, crazy as it sounds. Jack Gleeson just truly brings him to life. I expect nothing but the best on his send out.

Not looking forward to Ramsay and Reek 'hunting' though. :(

Remember, The Targs weren't the only dragon riders, just the best because they had the magic to bind them. We've seen the dragons can become friendly with who they choose. (Brown Ben was one of them wasn't he?) So I think there are hints there that the dragon riders could be anyone. Dany doesn't have any magic to control them, which is why I think warging makes more sense.

I'm not sure about Bran and dragons. The warging thing makes sense, but to me the Starks are just about as far as possible from having Valyrian blood as can be. If just anyone can 'ride' them, why would they have made a point of mentioning this in the show?

I'm very worried about poor Jon, as I think that a lot of effort has gone into introducing the idea of wargs living on in their animals. I just don't want this to happen, although at least it would save him from having to marry Auntie Daenerys, which I wouldn't wish on anyone! She's already completely useless, so why not mad as well!

Joffrey is one of the few characters who's completely black or white, rather than a varying shade of grey, and has been portrayed beautifully. He's kind of fascinating to watch, and I'll definitely miss him!

Nice nn, by the way, freypie

Heard yesterday that there is going to be 2 more series.GRRM better start writng again. Have been reading books since 1996 and we are only on book 5.
Hope catelyn isn't dead cause she is mad for revenge in books.
That's my theory too about jon parents.

Was the blue rose part of the vision Dany had in the house of the undying ? There have been so many prophecies, visions and crackpot theories that I can't keep track of them all.

Not sure about the rose, but did anyone else notice Oberyn said 'Rhaegar left her for another woman?

Where is Joffrey going