Monday, April 1, 2013

TV Discussion Week of 3/31/2013 - 4/6/2013

Hello TV Addicts!  Here's our weekly place to discus the non-recapped shows.  I'm assuming we'll be getting into some pretty intense Game of Thrones discussions.  We have some book readers and some non-book readers.  So, we'll try to precede any book stuff with a "SPOILER WARNING".   See you in the comments!

55 comments:

Mike V. said...

Okay, so it's been a crazy holiday weekend. I did manage to watch TWD and GoT last night, but I may have been nodding off a bit during GoT. Fortunately for me, it seemed like they stuck mostly to the book. lol (Did love the shout out to Tyrion's nose by Cersei since they modified that a bit for the show. i.e. just got a scar from the battle didn't lose a nose)

Anyway, I'm going to comment on this stuff later, have a few things to do this morning first.

Also, the Walking Dead recap will be coming. Just might be a bit delayed!

Happy Commenting, I'll catch up!

Anonymous said...

Grimm,
Juliette is getting closer to finding out what is going on, asking to see the trailer. Looks like we know now what the capt. is up to.

GoT, had a lot of family over for Easter and couldn't get to it but will later.

Richard

MJ said...

Grimm - thought it was so funny when Monroe accidently admitted knowing about the trailer. And isn't Nick being a little childish about Juliette? He should be over there with her trying to help her remember like he did when she fist got out of the hsp - not waiting for her to remember on her own.

GofT was great - had heard about his nose so I also enjoyed that shout out ! In re-watching the final 3 fr last year I realized that the guy who cut Tyrion was one of Geoffry's own men ! I either did not ick up on that last year or I forgot it, so was happy to hear them mention it in the premier.

TWD - I'll come by later for the recap but i was a bit disappointed to tell the truth

Mike V. said...

Finally have some desk time so I'll get working on that recap. And will come back to discuss other stuff. But yeah with twd - I believe the exact word I used at the end of the ep was "anticlimactic" lol

Mike V. said...

Grimm - Yeah...no idea with Nick and Juliette. I figured she may have wanted her space from him too. I dunno. lol Liked the Video Game plot this week. I may have missed what Renard was up to. I know he had that dinner and he stopped that bomb from blowing up the place. But I couldn't really hear the conversation on the treadmill. Monroe spilling the beans on the trailer was definitely a good time. I guess this whole Juliette's memory thing will pretty much have taken most of the season by the time she pieces it all together. Turns out it was a good way to keep her out of the loop for one more year while getting a few more people in Nick's loop.

Mike V. said...


Game of Thrones - Yeah, it was pretty fantastic. There definitely were some book differences. But, now that it's not fresh in my head I may have to read Hibberd's recap and all of the comments to catch them all. 2 big ones though were with Sam in the beginning. I thought he sent those ravens out. And his confrontation is a little different in the book, but I think that might still be coming. It has to be. The big reveal of Barristan Selmy coming to Dany at the end was DEFINITELY different in the book. He went by a different name for the majoriy of book 3 only to reveal himself at the end. The problem with the TV show is, we can see him! there would have been the chance that most non-book readers may not remember him from season 1, but that's a stretch. So, I like how they handled it. Most of the story can still be the same, but it will just be coming from Ser Barristan Selmy instead of whatever other name he went by. I'm glad they got the same actor back for consistency. He definitely didn't have much to do in season 1, but that won't be the case now. You can already tell Ser Jorah is peeved that he's there.

Nice that we actually got to see a GIANT north of the Wall. There are tons in the book, but I thought they might skimp on that. They did a good job with it. We'll see how they keep it up. The introduction of Mance Rayder was VERY similar to the book. They did the bait and switch in the book, but since the casting news was already out there, some people probably weren't fooled. I think Ciarin Hinds is doing a great job with him so far, even if he's older than the part calls for. Hopefully, no one is confused about why Jon Snow is doing what he's doing. I know it wasn't TOO clear in the end of season 2 as it was in the books. It was probably clear enough.

Loved the Tyrion/Cercei scene. And the Tyrion/Tywin scenes. So brutal what he has to say about his son. A lot of that is from the books if I recall. In one form or another. Poor Tyrion. Saved the city, and this is the thanks he gets.

Robb being in Harrenhal is completely new. His 1st mate Roose Bolton DEFINITELY goes to Harrenhal, but Robb originally met up with Catelyn at Riverrun (where Catelyn is from). He was missing most of book 2, and showed up there in season 3 to find out that Catelyn released Jaime with Brienne to try and get the girls back. He still made Catelyn a prisoner just like he does here. But he also came back with a wife which we only heard about in hidnsight. Here we got to see him fall in love with Talisa (a different girl than in the book) and marry her. So, same concept.

All in all great stuff. I like that they didn't try to squeeze all of the actors into one episode. Maybe they learned their lesson from the BLACKWATER episode last year. The time we spent in each locale seemed longer. And I know we have 5 extra minutes per episode which will eventually add up to essentially an 11th episode. lol So, next week we'll get Arya, Bran, Jaime/Brienne. Great stories this year. Can't wait to see how they do them!

Oh yeah...And Dany and the Unsullied. Good stuff. Take note of how horrified Dany was at how the Unsullied came to be unsullied and her natural distaste for slavery. I should say "get used to it" more than take note. lol

I'm SO HAPPY that this show is back! Can't wait to watch the episode again! I think this franchise (along with the books) is my new LOST. lol Ironically, I have no interest in recapping it! But, I may as well with how much I like to write about it! Maybe we'll start doing dedicated postings to Thrones Discussions. We'll see how skewed these comments gets with it over other shows. lol

Mike V. said...

GoT: Oh yeah, loved that Winterfell was burning in the opening credits. I've been wondering about how they'd do that since I read about it in Clash of Kings. lol

MJ said...

Grimm - agree on the video game plot.

GofT - work is nuts today, been jotting down thoughts as I had them.

As a non-book reader I can say it's clear Jon is under cover spying on the Wildings - if that is whay you meant.

Also loved how in the opening they show Winterfel smoldering.

Couldn't tell if Joffrey was happy or not when Maergry was trying to be a Queen of the people with the poor.

The Onion (can"t remember his name) was pretty dumb to just say all those things in front of Melisandre after the pirate told him what's been going on in Dragonstone. And then he tries to kill her !!

Totally did not remember that Sam and the fellowship were on a mission to send an Owl - err I mean Raven, but that was Jon Snow's wolf I think. Guessing Sam finding that Dragons Glass is something I should remember ? Glad the cmdr is taking the Watch back to the Wall since that is where Bran and Rickon are heading.

Interesting that Mance Raydor was once a Nights Watch. Don't think I realized they are called Crow cause they wear black until now. LOL And how would Mance know Jon Snow is Ned Starks bastard? He knows who Jon is but not that White Walkers are back?

I do love Cersei and Tyrion conversations, but man was Tywin cold to him. True - his past is just a good-time Charlie kind of guy but Tywin doesn't even want to acknowledge him as his son ! Didn't realize that by Jamie joining the Kings Guard he gives up the rights to marriage and inheritance.

And when did this battle at Harrenhal occur? Guess off camera after Arya left there ?

That guy selling the army to Danyrius was funny - but what the hell was up with that little girl ? And very surprised to see the knight Cersei fired in season 1 or 2, and him calling Dany the Queen cause he had been her dad's Head Guard. Surprised Robert kept him around then too. Somehow missed that they were called 'the unsullied'.

Mike V. said...

GofT:

Jon Snow: Yep, that's what I was getting at. lol And he killed Qhoran Halfhand (sp) to earn that trust. (at least initial trust) Obviously, flirting with the life of free people is like being tempted by the dark side...so it could present some challenges for him. That's all I'll say. :)

I'll say this about Margery - She's barely in the books..so they're really flushing out her character in the show. She's talked about a lot, but she's not a POV character. I do like the additions though. Seemed like a 1st Lady charity mission she was on last night. Except with TURD PUDDLES. lol As for Joffrey...yeah who knows with that crazy kid? He's seemingly more smitten with her than Sansa OR his mother though!

Davos is the onion KNIGHT lol (pretty funny just calling him the onion. lol) That scene was straight out of the book...but yeah, not to bright of him. But, he is Stannis's most trusted advisor so he probably wanted to call it like he sees it. Obviously, the book benefits here by going into his thoughts. Davos is tired....he misses his family, he lost one of his sons in battle....he was sitting on that rock for a long time before Salador Sahn found him. And he knows that the Queen is getting into Stannis's head. But yeah...to come right out and say it without a plan...kinda dumb. lol

The Direwolf was definitely Ghost. He must really like Sam if he came to help him out. Sam finding the dragon glass is DEFINITELY something you should remember. No Owls...this isn't harry potter!! They send Ravens! lol But yeah....even in book 3...we come to this scene mid battle...and Sam is on a mission to send Ravens. It was his one command from the Lord Commander. But, I swear he got ravens off. I think I'm getting some of my book 3 storylines mixed up because I remembered the battle of the fist of first men differently. But things may still be coming up in that storyline that I was about to mention...so I'll shut up. :-)

They definitely mentioned Mance used to be Night's Watch. But, it was probably mentioned in passing and easy to forget if you didn't watch several times or read the books. lol Yeah...I guess that's why they call them Crow...makes sense. lol As for why Mance knows stuff about Jon? I could tell you, but I'm thinking there will be additional conversations between the 2 of them so I'll hold off! I think Mance definitely knows the White Walkers are back. Did he suggest otherwise?

Yep....King's Guard is a life of no marriage and inheritance. Definitely comes up a lot in the Jaime POV chapters that start in book 3. Tywin was never happy wtih Jaime's decision to become King's Guard. And if I'm not mistaken...I think he did it to be close to Cersei. But yeah...Tywin basically scares the begeezus out of his children. Cersei was also terrified that Tyrion was going to rat her out to him about her relationship with Jaime and the children. From reading hibberd's recap....when Tywin referred to Tyrion bringing a "lady of the night" into his bed...he's referring to ROZ....aka who Cersei thinks Tyrion has been with. Which implies that Cersei ratted Tyrion out to Tywin. He knows nothing about Shae (for now).

Mike V. said...

Yeah...Harrenhal...I guess we can assume that Tywin or someone ordered the murder of all Northmen in Harrenhal when they left the camp. This storyline is a bit different to the book. Roose Bolton (Robb's right hand man) was ALREADY in Harrenhal in book 2....He was there when Arya plotted a massive escape with Jaquen. (Weasel Soup and all sorts of fun stuff not in the TV show). But Roose HAS to be there in season 3, so this is probably how they got him there. But yeah...definitely all happened off camera.

The girl in Astaphor (Dany's story) was a warlock...Don't think that was in the book either...but I think the guy in the House of the Undying in Qarth was a warlock...so they're probably fired up with Dany and her escape from Qarth. And yes...the Ser Barristan Selmy (Commander of the King's Guard)....yeah there's a whole bunch to that story of why he stayed with Robert. King's Guard are King's Guard for LIFE. Which meant...even when Joffrey took over, he was supposed to still be there and head of the King's Guard. But, Cersei got rid of him anyway which really annoyed him. It is usually unheard of to FIRE King's Guard. They're like Maesters. Their allegiances are to the realm not to particular people. But Barristan's true allegiances were to the Targaryans. It's a shame the reveal of him couldn't be the same way it was in the book. He went by the name Ser Arstan Whitebeard for the majority of book 3 only to be revealed later on as Ser Barristan. It worked because we only read descriptions of him and the characters in the book hadn't interacted with Selmy in the first 2 books. Though Jorah did know him. He was disguised with the "WHITE BEARD" but on a TV show that would've been tough to swing.

Mike V. said...

Thrones also set a series high ratings record. Pretty huge jump from last season.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/04/01/walking-dead-finale-ratings-3/

Anonymous said...

GoT. I read that the first 4 ep were kind of slow. But, this didn't seem too slow to me. Funny when Danaerys said her dragons are growing too slow.

I knew Jaime was going into the Kingsguard, but didn't see it happen--I thought it was after his deal with Brienne--have I missed something on the TV show? The Jaime/Brienne story is in next weeks show, maybe it'll be shown there?

It didn't look like Jorah was happy with Barristan coming on board with Danaerys.

Richard

Mike V. said...

GoT: I actually heard the first 4 episodes are fantastic from TV Guide's Matt Roush.

Jaime has been in the king's guard for as long as we can remember. He was in the King's Guard for Aerys Targaryan. Hence why he has been branded with the name Kingslayer for breaking his oath to protect the King and stabbing him in the back (literally). They may dive more into that discussion with the Jaime/Brienne storyline. It certainly was covered in Jaime's thoughts in the book.

And no, Jorah was not happy at all to see Ser Barristan. Barristan may have intel on Jorah. If you recall, Jorah was giving information to King Robert about Dany in season 1 which is why she was almost killed with that whole wine tasting. Since then, he's had a change of heart and will defend Dany with his last breath. But, if Dany ever found out about any of that, there could be issues. Of course, the threat is now more immediate than it was in the book because he was outed as Barristan in episode 1 and not going under the false identity of Arstan Whitebeard. I'm interested to see how they handle that.

Anonymous said...

GoT, where is Danaerys getting her money to buy all these slaves?

I liked that the Lannisters are dependant on the Tyrrells for food.

Richard

Anonymous said...

GoT, I figured out where she got the resources. I forgot, been a while since I read it.


Richard

Mike V. said...

GoT - yeah, well in the show the ransacked Qarth's gold and stuff. That was supposed to be what they used to buy the ship. But yeah, I don't think they've discussed on the show yet what they're going to ask for in exchange for the unsullied. And, I really don't think they'll change that! :)

I think I missed the Tyrell/Food thing. It was late and my eyes were pretty heavy. But, I'm planning to watch the ep again ASAP!

Firefly - Finally got back to watching this after the holiday. I watched episode 13 which was where they were defending the "heart of gold" and the pregnant woman from LOST's Air Marshal. lol Lots of Mal/Inora stuff going on there and now she says she's going to leave even though it's obvious they both are into each other. I'm 15 minutes into the way too soon series finale. Looks like it's mainly focused on River and what she is (some kind of mind reader)....Should be finished soon and will then watch Serenity! But, I do need to rewatch Game of Thrones again one of these mornings! lol

Mike V. said...

btw..I watched Shameless and The Following also last night. Don't have time to comment right now but will later when I get a chance!

Anonymous said...

Remember the Mall/Inora stuff.

GoT, I find myself getting confused about what I see vs what I read. That's my issue with Jamie anyway--I've got it figured out. This show has a lot of moving parts over a period of time that comes and goes. Tywin did not leave Tyrion with a warm feeling--lol.

Richard

MJ said...

GofT - I'm guessing the 'flirting with free life' part that will give Jon a hard time will be Ygritte - no pun intended ;-D

Is Sakadir Sahn a char I should remember, or are we done with him ?

Yes - I felt that mance was very surprised when Jon said he saw Craysis giving the male babies to creatures or some such thing cause Mance said ' you don't mean white walkers... Just thought it odd that Mance lives in the wilds away from others, and prior to that lived with the Night Watch, and yet knew who Jon was.

Hmm - I disagree that Tywin knows nothing of Shae. When Tyriol was sent to Kings Landing to be Hand Tywin expressly told him not to bring his whore - whom we know was Shae but Tywin had no name. Once in KL Cersei incorrectly thinks it's Roz. Obviously someone reported that the whore was brought there afterall since Tywin states that Tyriol went against his demand he not bring one so Cersei is a good guess. But Tywin knew there was one when Tyril was sent to KL as hand.

You are gonna laugh but I only just figured out that the Mad King was Danyrius's father when Barristan states he let her father down and he won't let her down. I knew the targyrens had been on the throne once, knew there was a Mad King that was overthrown by Barrantheons/Starks/Lannisters - but nver realized they were the same person. LOL Doh!


Firefly - hope you have enjoyed them. i do sometimes still miss it. Such a strange blend of a western/scifi show with Japanese influences. Serenity is def a good time.


Shameless - sure Mickey, go marry the Russian but bonk your boyfriend right before hand, LOL. thought Karen was faking at first but i guess not. Surprised Frank protected Carl and took the rap for the burglary. I'm thinking Jimmy is not long for this world though. Did you see the coming attractions for the finale next week ?


Following - that was totally spooky with them walking around in that cellar-like place looking for those 3 released from the cell. And Joe watching Ryan and Molly having sex? Ewwww! Thinking Roderick is going to become a problem for Joe though.

Mike V. said...

Game of Thrones renewed for season 4! Not a huge shocker but still awesome news. So, we'll at least see the series through book 3! lol

I got a tweet about the article but will send the link once I see it on the site.

Mike V. said...

GAME OF THRONES:

LOL on "hard" time. Good times. And no comment. :)

Salador Sahn ....I dunno...he's not too major of a character I don't think. Not yet at least. In case you don't remember who he is, he's the pirate guy that Davos hired for the Blackwater battle and his men rescued Davos off of that rock.

Interesting...I really need to watch the ep again, but I'm pretty sure Mance knows about the White Walkers. And that's Crastor not Craysis. lol He could have just been playing dumb to get more info out of Jon.

I didn't mean Tywin knows nothing about Shae...obviously he knew about her out on the battlefield. But, he may not know he brought her to King's Landing. There was the whole mixup with Cersei....(which you mentioned below) and Cersei MAY have ratted Tyrion out to Tywin. Hence, why she was concerned that Tyrion may rat HER out to him too. I'm just saying what Hibberd suggested. I forget if he knew or not in the book, but James has also seen the first 4 episodes so maybe there's something coming up. Whether he knows eventually about Shae in King's Landing...well I don't want to say! :-) And of course, Roz wasn't in the books. She replaced the character Alayaya in this scenario. (and yes, that is the spelling lol or close enough!)
Naaa...it's confusing stuff (The Mad King/Dany relationship).

I won't laugh at you! It's tough enough to keep it all sorted with reading the books. I often have to consult the website. Plus, I may have messed up explaining it recently on these comments. I may have said Rhaegar was Dany's father which is totally not true. Rhaegar was Dany's brother not father! MY BAD! Aerys was the father of Rhaegar, Viserys and Daenerys. But Rhaegar had children as well. Rhaenys and Aegon who were allegedly killed in the sack of King's Landing during Robert's Rebellion. And he may have had one other child from a different mother...but that's all theories right now! :-) So no I won't laugh at you...just laugh at myself for messing up that detail!! lol

Firefly - I definitely have enjoyed it. Had a lot of potential to be a great series....but the episodes still work on their own as well. Looking forward to the movie.
Shameless - I think Frank protected Carl so he could have a warm bed to sleep in! lol But, he may have had a soft spot for the kid too which was nice to see. I did see the coming attractions...I have to think that Jimmy will get out of this somehow. But, maybe not. You just never know with this show! Good episode though. I can't tell if Karen is faking it or not. lol

The Following - Yep, I think Roderick isn't long for this world either. lol Joe doesn't seem too thrilled with the status he has risen too lately or his ego. The cellar was definitely spooky. Molly's whole end game plan of being the one to kill Ryan is pretty crazy. And Claire seemed to get one up on Joe with demanding to see her son. He looked a bit defeated. Good stuff. Ratings were down for this and Revolution last night. But EW seems to think both will be back next year. The Following was already renewed.

Mike V. said...

Renewal info for GoT:

http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/04/02/game-of-thrones-renewed-4-season/

Anonymous said...

Rhaegar was a busy guy--LOL.

Richard

Mike V. said...

Oh yes...Rhaegar had a way with the ladies. Him and his harp playing! lol I really hope they find a way to show the Tournament at Harrenhal and Robert's Rebellion (the tournament being a precursor to that rebellion). Maybe this prequel series could somehow cover it if it will exist.

There just seems to be so much important details there from the books that needs to be SHOWN to TV Viewers. Sure, it's talked about here and there, but it can get overlooked. And the tournament definitely has not come up yet.

I think the tournament discussions may have started during A Storm of Swords, so maybe they'll find a way to throw it into conversations this season. Keep an ear out for it everyone! lol

Anonymous said...

I think Robert's Rebellion was because of such a lady, wasn't it?

Richard

Mike V. said...

Game of Thrones (Vague Book discussion below - but nothing I haven't really discussed before. Still theories based on facts from the book. Most of the events are in the PAST of current events on the show)

Yes, the fact that Rhaegar Targaryan and Llyana Stark "disappeared" together was one if not the only cause of Robert's Rebellion. Robert loved Llyana and was betrothed to her. And it was Ned's sister. At least on the show in the series premiere we had the scene with Robert wanting to immediately visit her in the crypt which at least showed HIS affections for her over Cersei who he was forced to marry to unite the Lannister and Baratheon houses.

Of course, the speculation is that it wasn't a kidnapping, but rather R and L were in love. And the tournament of Harrenhal gives clues towards this. I think there's still a mystery with how Lyanna died though. We know Ned was there with her and she made him promise her something (all in the Game of Thrones novel). I sure know what I think that promise was!

Anonymous said...

Some GoT book stuff below.

Thanks Mike, that's what I thought.

The more I think of the description of how Lyanna died and where it was specifically, many women died like that back then from the same process.

The more I read, I am considering the long thought dead AT being the Azor Ahai.

But, do you think tPtwP is also Azor Ahai?

Richard

Mike V. said...

GoT - More Book Stuff (might want to avoid this if you can figure out abbreviations lol)

Ahh so childbirth...similar to Tyrion's mother. That definitely could be.

Interesting with AT being Azor Ahai.

I need to dig up a link of why it seems really clear that J is AA. I had to refresh my memory on TPTWP lol I don't have any strong feelings on if they're the same person or not. I thought I had read some convincing stuff that made it clear that J was AA, but I can't really find it now. lol Of course, R+L = J would definitely have to be true for it to be true.

I'm sure you've read these, but here are some links:

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Azor_Ahai/Theories

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/The_prince_that_was_promised

It just seems like J and D seem destined to fulfill prophecies in some way. Their overarching stories seem to be the most important overall. Of course, there is still a cliffhanger at the end of ADWD that needs to be resolved before we can even still consider J a candidate! lol

Leslie said...

The Following – Agree that Roderick kinda stepped in it with Joe. He can’t forget who’s in charge. Jacob has a new sense of confidence with his new assignment with Claire. Great line from Joe telling Claire he has a monomaniacal need to kill yet he knows she will fall in love with him again. Way to make a girl’s heart flutter! lol Ewwww is right with Joe watching the sex tape.

I was glad to hear that Ryan’s friend is gonna make it….Angel from Dexter….don’t remember his name on this show. Have we ever heard if that agent who was in the hospital ever woke up, Mike, I think?

Mike V. said...

@Leslie

The Following - Good question, I don't think we've seen Mike in a few episodes now. But, I guess realistically it would take him some time to recover. I would assume he's okay since they didn't show him flat out die. lol

Anonymous said...

I thought about abbreviating the book stuff as BS, but that just doesn't seem right on many levels.

Yes, the website for those links I think is one of the best, I love it.

Yes, J or D being AA has been and will likely be the overarching theory(s). But, something tells me that GRRM has a surprise coming and AT fits that surprise and he hasn't yet broken a vow like J(at least that I know of). And D seems like she's not going to make a good long term ruler. But, maybe AA doesn't have to be a long term ruler and AT could take over. I was really pulling for J or D, until I read more about AT.

It's interesting that GRRM had as his first qualifying question to the producers, who Js mother was.

Richard

Mike V. said...

GoT BS - I like it! lol But yeah we should spell out Book Stuff for now!

Interesting. Don't know if I read that about Weiss and Benioff qualifying. lol I have heard that they are supporters of R+L = J though. But yeah, if they answered it like the way we have discussed it, it would prove that they know the material. lol

Very true on D. Not a great ruler. Of course, I've always thought that the "Game of Thrones" to be one long waste of time that didn't matter (as entertaining as it is). The bigger issue would be the conflict with the White Walkers which would supercede all other issues...and the existence of Dragons would help in that fight. But yeah, I guess there has to be resolution after that battle is all said and done...and someone would most certainly have to rule over Westeros. lol

Have you read the rumors about Tyrion possibly being a T? Lots of people run with this theory...and of course Tywin said in the season premiere, "I cannot prove you aren't mine"....that would certainly make things even MORE interesting. lol But, maybe just a little too many T heirs at that point.

Anonymous said...

Book Stuff
I have read the rumors. Given where he's heading that would be convenient. But, that would mean his mother had an affair with a T while Tywinn didn't know. I don't think so and where things are heading, he's likely to be the only significant L left in a position to rule anything. But great to consider.

I too have viewed the Game of Thrones as almost a back drop while the real story lies with the Others, the long winter, AA--basically ice and fire related elements. One of the reasons J and D are so important. One could argue ice and fire with just those two. Which is one reason I was thinking they would eventually get together.

Richard

Mike V. said...

Book Stuff

Yeah, of course, they could be step siblings...but the Targaryans did always wed each other to keep the blood lines pure. lol

As for T being a T....I think the theory is that the Mad King is the one who had an affair with T's mother. And actually, an ADWD there are comments from a character that allude to the fact that AT II (MK) did fancy her a bit. lol And I think Tywin wasn't too happy about it either. I forget who had that information though. CONVENIENT is definitely the word. I don't know if we need to have 2 twist parentage reveals. lol But, it certainly would be interesting.

Anonymous said...

Book Stuff

Yea the Mad King with T's mother is what I was thinking, but I didn't know about Tywin not being happy about it. That would be huge, except that he doesn't really have any evidence. It would be neat if there were a genetical trait that could be identified for the Ts. T is supposed to be GRRMs favorite character. So, I suspect he'll be around to the end. His dialogue I have read is awesome with wit, etc. "Don't kill him here, she says--Don't kill him anywhere, T says"---LOL

I noticed you didn't comment on the idea of J and D relative to ice and fire.

Richard

Mike V. said...

I didn't not comment on purpose. I agree! Lol dragons vs white walkers. It's all in the same ballpark. I'll comment more later. On my phone right now!

Mike V. said...

@Richard - in the book Targaryans DO have a genetical trait. They have violet colored eyes. That didn't translate well to TV, so they didn't do it. I think T has 2 different color eyes in the book. As for Big T not being able to prove it...well, there are always people out there that know things. Just like there is someone out there that knows who Jon's mother/parents are.

Game of Thrones (TV STUFF) - I rewatched the episode. Forgot to mention that Littlefinger acknowledged that Arya was still alive. There was that scene in Harrenhal where we thought he might have recognized Arya. So, there's a chance he did. None of that was in the book, so it's purely a TV thing. lol

Also, MJ, you mentioned Craysis above instead of Crastor....but ironically, the guy who is selling the Unsullied is named Kraznys. LOL Good times. I vaguely remember these names from the book.

Episode was highly enjoyable the 2nd time too. I forgot to comment at how well they did with the wide shots this time around. Lots of scenic shots of the locales that they were at. We saw King's Landing, Astaphor, Dragonstone.....Tyrion and Bronn got to walk outdoors and we saw the water.....obviously nice shots in Iceland for the NORTH as always. Harrenhal we saw. They found ways to include people in these shots of the castles too which just made the show feel that much more lived in and less "computer enhanced". Plus, the dragons and giants looked pretty impressive too!

Justified - watched this too. Great stuff! Will comment later.

New Girl - Just an FYI, the new episode is on Thursday this week. Guess they're just testing the waters.

MJ said...

Justified - a sort of subdued finale, but I enjoyed it. Read Yost already and while I agree that the scene with Winona and Raylan was sweet - seems out of character for her. Figured her being way more mad that because of who he is and how he does things is why she was in that position.

Them bringing Sammy back and having Sammy be the one to take out Nicky was just awesome. Raylan's answer to Sammy when he's asking if he'll get in trouble for killing Nicky - 'I'm on suspension' just classic ! Raylan is shooting people a lot less this year. LOL

Boyd letting himself get conned by those rich guys from up on the hill ! Did not think that was coming. So is Boyd going to blame Raylan for Ava getting locked up? If Raylan hadn't forced Boyd to go with him then Ava would not have been alone with that body. Says alot for this show that I totally felt bad for both Ava and Boyd since they really do deserve what they get.

Glad Wynn Duffy and his crazy eye brows will be back. Surprised we will see the birth of Winona's baby though - figured it would happen between seasons.

Another season done - still do love this show.

Glad some stuff is ending, at this point I have too much stuff to watch.

Bates Motel - any one watching ? It's been decent - the young guy playing Norman is pretty damn creepy.

New Girl - not watched yet but did see it has a thurs ep too (along with Mindy Project) but thanks for the heads up. Seems like they are just burning them off now somehow.

Mike V. said...

New Girl - No, yesterday was a rerun. That's what I was saying. This week the NEW episode is on Thursday. I don't think they're burning off one of their best shows! lol

Bates Motel - Been recording. Haven't watched yet. But now that I'm done Firefly (Well still have to watch Serenity), maybe I'll do it next. Of course, I should do the Americans since I have a lot of those stocked up.

Firefly - Nice last episode. River pretending to be the ship but really in the bounty hunter's ship. Bounty hunter was a fun character too. Definitely didn't seem to have much closure, so I'm guessing that's what the movie was for....with a twist, so I hear. lol

Justified - Hmmm...subdued? Maybe. I loved it. It was actually the episode that made the most sense to me after all of that Drew Thompson business. The show this year got a lot like Sons of Anarchy. Convoluted plots, but I like the characters so much it didn't matter. lol But the plot in this one was simple. Ava was trying to stay out of prison (like she has all season) and Raylan was getting revenge. Awesome nursery scene btw.

You would think Boyd might blame Raylan for Ava. It essentially was his fault. But he can't be blamed for the situation either.

Sammy coming back WAS awesome. I forget what season he was in, but I definitely remembered him being on the show. The "i'm on suspension" line was hysterical. Agreed.

And yes, Duffy will be in a bigger role next year which is great. He definitely felt like a pawn last season and maybe a little this season. Now he'll be all badass again. lol

Agreed, great show! Can't wait for next season but I'm also glad it's over. I'll be glad that Shameless is over next week too! lol

Of course, the summer schedule is gonna be pretty packed too. I think at some point we'll have Breaking Bad AND Dexter. lol (which hopefully is its final season)

Leslie said...

Bates Motel - I've seen the first two episodes. It's okay so far. MJ - you're right, the guy playing Norman is creepy! And, his mom is just a wack job!

I'm also going to check out Hannibal which starts tomorrow. I've read a couple of good reviews.

Mike V. said...

Set the tivo for Hannibal as well. Probably won't be a "watch Thursday" show for me. lol Already watch too much!

Anonymous said...

Americans not a thriller but i like it

Hannibal - also recording that

Justified - agree on nursey scene

Firefly. loved bounty hunter one. I might have to watch Serenity this weekend, need a Mal fix now

Richard - left post a few weeks ago don`t know if you saw, Continuum season 2 will be on syfy- june i think

Mike V. said...

Serenity - Working from home today so I started it on my lunch break. The show transitioned well to the big screen! I can see why people are hungry for more. Of course, I still need to finish the movie. lol

Richard, I saw your message on Continuum...I made a comment that hopefully Netflix would pick S1 before then so I could watch. Or, maybe they'll marathon season 1 or something. lol I have on demand, but only on my small kitchen TV. Got TiVo's in the rest of the house.

Anonymous said...

Book Stuff

Ok, I'm guilty of thinking too much.
Targaryans--3 headed dragon as symbol. D, J and AT??

Rewatched Danaerys in the tower, not the visions in the book. So, hard to know where the show is headed re the visions in the book.

Good to know about the violet eyes. Tyrion having two colors, one violet makes the case stronger.

Don't the giants require awakening with a horn? So, the fact they're active in the show indicates Mance woke them up to deal with the Others?

Richard

Mike V. said...

GoT (Book Stuff) - Yeah, I've definitely read a lot about the 3 headed dragon. Definitely DT and AT. I think I've considered J as well. Maybe even T.

I think it would have been difficult to do the House of the Undying exactly like it was in the book. In the book Martin had the advantage of not having to show us EXACTLY who these people are but he could just explain scenes in words. Like RW is depicted there among other things. It would kind of spoil the TV show if they showed it. So, I thought they did a good job doing something different for television.

Hmm...don't know about the Giants being awakened by a horn. I know there is a mythological horn that will bring the wall down when blown. But, there were giants at this point in the book too. So, no idea if a horn was used for that. I'll have to look that up when I have some time. :)

Mike V. said...

Serenity - SPOILER ALERTS IF ANYONE HASN'T WATCHED AND PLANS TO!

First of all, I had to leave home because I was late for work so I still have 15 minutes of the movie left, but WOW! They did an amazing job with this movie. I can't believe they killed off Shepherd AND Wash! Right now where I am in the movie, River, the Doc and Kaylee's fates are up in the air. It looks like River sacrificed herself for her brother and the team. But, she is a badass so we'll see. lol Mal is still confronting the assasin and trying to get the message out (and I know that actor from other stuff, just can't place it). The origin story of the Reavers was pretty nuts. Actually SEEING reavers in the movie when we never got to in the show was pretty cool too.

I read that the budget for the movie was $45 million, but I'm sure that was loads more than what it cost to make an episode of the show. Just impressed with how well the effects were for such a small budget. I was impressed with the effects on the TV show too. Definitely a great little show that was gone too soon. If the movie ends with more deaths I can't even imagine how they could have made another movie or TV season. They'd need to cast some new people and that would lose half the fun of the show. This movie appears to have been intended as bringing some artistic closure to the show.

Now, I'll have to find that reunion special that aired on the Science channel!

mj said...

Firefly ugh -i was devastated with both deaths! How could they kill Wash? Poor Zoe. And Shepard Book? I so wanted (like Mal) to know how he knew so much about things. His backstory would have been awesome.

Anonymous said...

Have you seen the part were they fly past the Reavers?

Richard

Mike V. said...

Serenity - Yeah, we never got his backstory...it seemed like the Shepherd thing was just a cover for something or a new way of life. Ugh..so much unexplored terrain!

And yes, Richard...I did see that part. It was very nicely done. Flying past the Reavers to get to that planet named after a woman (Miranda??) with all of the dead people...hence learning about the Alliance's plans to keep people in line and creation of the Reavers. I love how they lured the Reavers to come with them to attack the Assasin and the Alliance. Of course, that led to Wash's sudden death. But, they all would have died without it.

So, now I just need to find 15 minutes to see how it all ends!! lol And find that reunion special. I at least do see links to the Comic-Con reunion panel from last year. That could be fun to watch.

Mike V. said...

Serenity - Okay, finally finished. Great movie, great 13 episodes of television. Definitely room for the series to have continued in movie form. I was right that River went ballistic on the reavers. Awesome scene. Mal let the assasin live which turned out to be the right move so he could call off his dogs.

Finally saw the Doc and Kaylee get together. Saw the promise of Mal and Inora.....and loved the final scene with Mal and River in the cockpit. Looks like they had a new pilot on their ship already! Good stuff.

Now, I don't know what I'm gonna tackle next. Too early to start binging Americans or Bates Motel since I would catch up before they're done. lol I was tempted to start Supernatural...but that would keep me busy for AWHILE!! :-) lol

Anonymous said...

The Mal and Inora relationship not being settled is one of the biggest disappointments which many have complained about. You say promise(and some agree with that),but many say since it was the series wrap up and nothing changed--no get together just a continuation. As far as I know, that is the single biggest complaint about the finale and if it's the only one--maybe that's not bad for a finale. But it is a big one to not be settled and so maybe they were hoping for a sequel to Serenity and that particular issue resolution would bring people back?

Yea, the Assassin ending almost made you feel sympathetic towards him. But, not really--lol.

Glad you enjoyed it.

Richard

mj said...

Firefly - Wash is forever `a leaf on the wind`. River was awesome in the movie.

Supernatural huh? Def keep you busy. B5 is another cult fave, still love it but the effects make it feel dated. Great 5 year plan type of show with great chars you invest in though.

Mike V. said...

Firefly/Serenity - Yeah, I could see that people would be annoyed at how they left Mal/Inora. But, I think it essentially was left in a place where we could assume they could get together eventually. To see it play out in a movie or tv show would be nice. But, not essential.

I think if they were able to get the crew together for one more outing there would be a bigger audience for it. Outlets like Netflix are helping cult audiences like this one grow. Case in point - Arrested Development is returning for a 4th season exclusively on Netflix Memorial Day weekend. All a precursor to a movie that is being made as well. Pretty awesome!

"Leaf on the Wind" - funny..I never heard Wash say that so I had to google it. lol Didn't realize he said it a lot on the show.

Not sure B5 is on Netflix or Amazon Prime, but I could look for it. But yeah...the dated effects could be pretty rough. I did recently watch an old Star Trek episode on Netflix and I quickly got sucked in without worrying about the datedness. lol I'm sure I'd be okay!

mj said...

B5 looks better then old star trek. Lol

Wash says it in the movie before crashing on the planet and dying. I choose to believe Mal and Inara are out in the verse and together

Happy Grimm friday

Mike V. said...

Well I would hope so!! I was using ST as an example of how datedness doesn't bother me if the content is good. lol But, I'm sure you knew that!

Yeah...I wasn't so focused on his last words at the time because I didn't know he was going to die so suddenly! lol And agreed on Mal and Inora. Seemed pretty clear to me. She didn't want to leave again...and we knew enough about their feelings from the TV show that it was inevitably going to happen.

Happy Grimm Friday indeed! Not sure when I'll watch...but Monday morning at the latest. lol