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Post 02 May 2011, 1:01 pm

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to sit down and watch this yet. I am recording it, though, and I am reading the books (2/3 through the third book). I have seen a number of reviews/opinions, most of which have been good, and nearly all have been from people who also read the books. I am glad to hear from someone who hasn't that they liked it. Are you still watching, and are you having any trouble following it? That was one of the concerns critics of the show had.
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Post 12 May 2011, 5:49 am

Well, I was finally able to watch the first episode. They made a couple of minor changes that really don't affect the story, but if you had read the book you'd notice it. I think the concern over being able to follow it isn't so much that its being done by HBO, but that the source material is fairly complicated. In fact, some of the criticisms of the books is that it can be hard to follow, though that's probably why he lists all the characters attached to each house at the end of every book. For the most part, I'm not really having trouble following, though I do occasionally forget some of the more minor characters' names.

In any case, my only criticism of the first episode would be that it was a little too fast paced for my liking. I saw somewhere that episode 3 slowed down a little bit, so maybe its just that they wanted to get through the set-up quickly so that they could get to the meat of the story. In any case, I will try to find more time to sit and watch the series. I'm sure its quite good.
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Post 13 May 2011, 8:53 pm

As a formerly devoted reader of Game of Thrones, I have to say I'm happy with how they've adapted it. My roommates are not fans of fantasy and they like it as much as I do, and thats a credit to the producers. My issue with the show isn't how they've handled it, but on the more basic level that if they're even remotely true to the story, the show will flop.

Not to spoil anything (fair warning, folks who don't know the plot), but if you kill off every likeable protagonist, the show just won't be interesting. I can't help but view everything through the disillusioned lense of foreknowledge, and its ruining it. I loved GRRM's prose and storytelling, until I realized that his pursuit of having characters die off in a realistic manner was ruining the story. I don't want every character I like to die or be mutilated. I read fantasy for the escape and the story, not because it seems real. I just don't see how the show can follow GRRM's admittedly intricate and brilliant plotline without sacrificing a number of absolutely crucial elements of the story.

But so far... HBO has done an exemplary job.
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Post 18 May 2011, 4:59 pm

SPOILERS AHEAD. I'm referencing stuff from the whole series.

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Don't say you weren't warned.

In response to Ozymandias, It may SEEM at times all the ostensible protagonists are dead, but that's really a fallacy that's promoted by the imperfect knowledge of the characters in the story, (Everybody THINKS all the Starks are dead, including all the surviving Starks) and the general turn of fortune that's befallen House Stark the "good guy" house, so to speak. As of the latest book, only a few of them are dead, while the rest are scattered across the whole damn continent.

Plus, In my opinion there's plenty of likeable characters, even if they're not technically "protagonists." Tyrion's my favorite character by far, and Danaerys isn't far behind. Even Jaime's a guy you love to hate, and over time, his possible redemption will make for riveting TV. That's the great thing about the Game of Thrones: even the villians make great protagonists.

And it's not without precedent. Vic Mackey on the Shield was a dirty cop who blew his partner's head off in the first episode, and audiences rooted for him for 7 years. Boardwalk Empire and the Sopranos revolve around violent criminals and thugs as the leads, and both shows are big hits. God, I can't think of a single decent human being on OZ aside from the nurse, and that show was amazing.

I'll admit that having read the books, there isn't a whole lot of suspense while watching the Game of Thrones, but I'd read the Lord of the Rings, and I still love those movies. And for new viewers, I expect that the level of characterization and complexity will pull them in just fine.