I agree. Looking forward to next week already as well. I was not expecting the series to move through the chapters this fast.

Wow - that looked amazing. The stes and teh cast were spot on. HBO must have spent a boatload to amake this. Gotta hope the buzz stays positive to justify the expense. They seem to be getting a lot of attention at the moment and apart from yesterday's NYT (what? do they review thinsg two ro three times?) every thing i have seen has been positive - with the caveat that its plot-dense and not easy to follow the cast of characters.

So far the non readers I have spoken to ahev a snese for the three families, Stark, Lannister and Targaryen and have a sense that the kids will eb the focus. And that the Lannisters are scum. so far so good - I think that's all the series needed to establish in teh pilot. The one thing i have heard a couple of items already is bascially "WTF are the white walkers and what was that at the beginning".

Very well done. More nudity and brother/sister issues that I was expecting (putting Jaime/Cercei and Vis/Dany in the same 1 hour was a little crazy), but overall amazing. The Wall was done VERY well, and the casting was great (other than Illyrio who should have been fatter and WAY more creepy).

It was good, but honestly, I've seen much better pilots/first episodes. Don't get me wrong, the quality was amazing and I enjoyed it as a lover of Thrones, but the show started jumping around too much after Eddard "swings the sword."

You could tell there was a lot of post-production edits as the camera is at some points constantly panning between characters in single second intervals. The camera would just pan to characters like Theon and Luwin for a second for no reason. They have zero character development, yet the show is telling us to look at them anyway.

I also found some scenes, like the Tyrion ***** scene, to be unnecessary. At least, I thought the five minutes it took to show that could have been used to better develop other characters or other important one-shot scenes such as the direwolf scene. It's not as if we aren't going to see Tyrion with whores again.

Much of the show just felt very disconnected. Instead of slowly developing the characters, it rushed to explain everything as once. If I hadn't read the books, I probably would have been confused or at least had difficulty following and processing everything. Considering HBO was showing the show 3-4x back to back, I don't see why they couldn't have made a longer episode. 15 extra minutes or so would have probably done a lot.

Hopefully a rushed first episode will mean more thoughtful and slower subsequent episodes. I just don't like it when shows rush into plots without fully developing characters. (Don't know if others have seen the The Walking Dead on AMC, but I was blown away by its pilot -- it made sure you understood the characters before moving along the plot, but then they screwed up the rest of the season by rushing the plot while leaving character development behind; probably a consequence of only having half a season to do a full season.

Maybe I'm biased because I know what happens in the books, but putting aside the show's physical quality (i.e. sets, costumes, etc.) I thought it could have been told in a much more cohesive and coherent manner.

rings said:

rings said:

Yeah, I could handle Robert being less fat, but Illyrio should have been a blimp.

And it worked well for the medium, lots of teasers of what is coming up, and BOY are people really going to get frustrated over the White Walkers. A prologue that hints at the true threat, and takes forever to be realized. I wonder if, like many others, people will forget the true threat until it is too late.

Fatmouse, yeah, they really rushed things, but they HAD to introduce so much in the beginning (and TV/Movies are sucha different medium than books) that they had to get right down to the crux of the characters in the opening pilot. Also remember that they had to refilm all the scenes with Cat and Dany since they changed actors from when they filmed the pilot over a year ago and them recast the actors for the regular series. Which is another reason why I am anxious to see what else gets added to the show. And I agree, another 15-30 minutes would have been acceptable, and welcome, to fill things out more fully.

Stags, I heard they spent $45 million on the series (and prob anopther $5 million in promotions lol). And it look slike it. Top notch, and can't wait for the next parts!

JerusalemJones said:

Most quotes on budget are saying they spent $60, but many people think the total cost is closer to $80 million.

JJ and Dobbs: yeha - most fo teh reviews i am reading today are saying 60 million. Jesus - if they spent 80 million I really hope htey keep momentum going - because HBO has a record of killing pricey shows that don't hit expectations.

But I'm also reading in a lot of places that there will be a Season 2. Is this official?

$80 million is probably unlikely. At least Martin said in an interview that while HBO has a serious budget, TV will never have the same budget as movies. He said don't expect LoTR, which had a budget of ~$93 million for it's first movie. 13 million dollars is a big difference, he just made it seem like the gap was much larger. Maybe with promotions and all, they've spent $80 million. Regardless, they are spending a lot of money

I think they did about as good a job as can be expected fitting 9 chapters into one hour of TV. There were minor things I would have changed here or there, but a lot of the changes are due to the lack of inner monologue that fills a huge portion of each book. I watched with 4 other people who have not read the books and they all were intrigued and wanted to watch more, and seemed to follow most if not all of it just fine. They did a good job in not overwhelming new viewers with too many names at once despite the huge cast. Most of the critics who have seen the first 6 episodes say the best 2 episodes so far are 5 and 6 where the character introductions and background history is mostly complete and you are focused on the story. I suspect they will announce season 2 very soon, as the international sales for episodes are the best for any HBO show in history already.

EW has a pretty entertaining episode recap:

http://tvrecaps.ew.com/recap/game-of-thrones-season-1-episode-1/6/?order=ASC&page=1#comment-app

and the HBO viewer guide has been updated with a brief interactive summary of episode 1 which zooms the map when you click on the locations which will be useful to new viewers who want more info:

http://viewers-guide.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/#!/map/

Karazax said:

You do have to hand it to the ending sequence, though. This is Martin's world in a nutshell - beautiful people push small kids out of windows here. Characters with names and serious screentime die. Maybe even in the first episode.

I enjoyed it - but I am extremely concerned about how much this cost, and how popular it will have to be to keep around for multiple seasons. It looked great, but if it would've made it cheaper, I could do without the metalwork to put wolves on shields or creating a Dothraki language.

LordofBrewtown said:

We're thinking alike here. i lvoe it - I really do, but I'm worried its going to turn out like the Watchmen Movie: a slavishly faithful adaptation of a licnesed property, with little cross appeal to the non fan boy market. As long as the media reviews and (later) the blogs keep shirpring approvingly -it shoudl keep tis momentum going. if it fades into the background and doesn't become appointment TV - I worry, given HBO's history with expensive shows.

I am not a huge fan of a narrative or beginning monologue or whatever you call it (obviously, film school I didn't not attend), but here it migth have been worth a quick LoTR-ish 5 minutes to explain the world (longer summer/winters, a short history of the 7 kingdoms and how they were united) and major people (a quick scene of the Rebellion and Robert winning). I am sure there will be some flashbacks later, but the folks who watched with me who hadn't read the books were a little too lost.

LoTR did it really well at the beginning of #1 (and #2 and #3 really) and it helps establish the basic storyline.

Stag Lord said:

Stag Lord said:

But in it's own way, all this attention to detail is what could also bring people to the show. It doesn't feel cheap, and cheap has killed more shows than it has saved.

Rest assured, HBO will release this series on DVD/Blue Ray, so the next best way to save to show is to buy it on personal media. As long as HBo is making money from the show, they will continue to make it.

At the cast shouldn't be costing them too much money, since with a few exceptions they are mostly unknowns. Much of the setup costs have been invested.

I'll also add that the Khal Drogo/Dany love scene didn't help the feminists . Sure, Dany was scared in the books, but Drogo didn't immediately take her. He was much kinder than Dany ever expected; making sure she was "in the mood" before actually "doing" anything.

The show also failed to portray the significance of her getting such a fine horse from Drogo and getting to keep it, just as she was able to keep all of her other gifts. Normally it's Dothraki custom from a bride to give all her gifts to her husband, but Drogo didn't do that. Not sure why they couldn't stick Illyrio in for a minute or two explaining these aspects of Dothraki culture. I guess we'll see the more respectful side of Drogo in upcoming episodes.

I have this feeling that they'll develope the "softer" side of Drogo in upcoming episodes. Portraying Drogo as a dominant god-king sets a good stage for allowing Dany to change him, showcasing her leadership and charisma. And also helps set the stage for happens in the later half of the story. Although I was disappointed that it did happen as fast and aggressive in the show, as compared to the books. I was disappointed that we didnt' see her undo his braid, though again this could be something they are saving for a future epsiode. If enough emphasis is put on the dothraki braid, by unweaving it this could allow for a much stronger visual of their love and growth as a couple than words could ever convey.

Cripes, now I'm starting to sound like I should have a romance blog, or something.

I think they had to change the wedding night for non-readers, or they would have to change all the times Drogo takes her against her will after the wedding night (chapter 24) to the point that she considers suicide. Given the time restraints they are working with and the lack of being able to hear characters thoughts, they have to keep the characters primary feelings and situations as clear as possible. Considering how little time we get with Dany and her reluctance and fear leading up to that event, I think many non-readers would find her saying "yes" as more unbelieveable. So strictly in the context of the show I think it works.

As for cost of the show, HBO has since said they regret canceling Rome. When the BBC dropped their financial support for the show they panicked, but in retrospect they said with DVD and blu ray sales the show was much more profitable than expected. Early reviews and support for Game of Thrones is extremely high, and season 2 should be announced very soon.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HBO’s foray into the fantasy world of George R. R Martin is paying off for the premium cable network. Game of Thrones (which premieres in the US on April 17th) has already become HBO’s best selling series abroad… ever. At 2.5 million dollars an episode, Game of Thrones sells for almost 50% more than an episode of The Sopranos.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So as the following article explains, they are already making tons of money off the show internationally before considering DVD, blu ray, netflix, ect which will come after the season ends.

http://hbowatch.com/game-of-thrones-is-hbos-best-selling-series-abroad-ever/

FATMOUSE said:

While I definitely enjoyed the show, I was also a bit disappointed (too high expectations probably). I think this post is absolutely spot on and I agree completely with everything you said FATMOUSE.

----------------

I've now watched it twice (once with two friends that hadn't read the books or had any prior knowledge and once by myself). My friends who hadn't read the books were a little too confused and lost after Eddard "swings the sword". I think the premier could have benefited tremendously from having some narrative explaining the basic world and background better. To the non-reader it was not the easiest pilot to follow along with (good comparison to The Walking Dead). With all the inner thoughts of characters being left out (no thought bubble style comments) I think the show really needed some narrative and explanation at the beginning. It would have helped to know more about the background at the start to get new viewers into the storyline and understanding there are no "good guys" and "bad guys" but rather different Great Houses vying for power and the throne.

Along with the high expectations I was not a fan of the music score. I think I was expecting a classic John Williams or Danny Elfman type of soundtrack and that is probably unrealistic given the nature of a TV show rather than a big budget 2 hour movie but the whole scene of Robert's party arriving from Kings Landing would have been much better if they used narrative to explain things rather than what I viewed as a little too stereotypical "fantasy" type of soundtrack. Personally I would rather they spent the money getting John Williams or Danny Elfman to do the musical score rather than invent a Dothraki language but that could just be my personal preference and expectations.

Also as an amateur dabbler in Autodesk Maya and 3dsMax and having dated the daughter of a Hollywood movie costumer in the past I thought the costumes and CGI were hit and miss. While I absolutely loved the Wall and the costumes of the Starks and Nights Watch, I thought Pentos looked and felt "low budget" and was not how I imagined it at all. I really didn't like the look of Khal Drogo at all whose eye liner and blue stripes on chest looked cheesy to me. I was not a fan of the backdrops they used in Pentos either which to me did not look realistic but again too low budget. That said I was happy with Daenerys even though I think they played up the nudity and incest angle a little too much (not that I mind seeing Emilia Clarke naked but that could have waited an episode or two).

What it makes me worry is the lack of "cross-over appeal". I think to get into the show with not having read the books a viewer must be open to both Fantasy genre and Drama genre. Both fantasy and drama have people that get into them (like myself) but other people that just can't sit through fantasy or drama.

JerusalemJones said:

I'd read that! Please explain how quickly you have to call a ***** if you have fallen in love with her and you are a dwarf...

In Film and Television the introduction segment (first 15 min. in film, first episode in show) has to explain to the viewer everything they can expect and who the characters are.

1.) Tyrion's ***** scene is needed to establish that Tyrion frequents brothels. At the same time the mention of candles because he reads establishes that he has intellignece.

2.) Dany/Vis Jamie/Cercei establishes a contrast and comparison of Queen's. Having the incest reference will make the viewer see them as two sides of a coin... and so will be able to handle the fact that Bob abuses Cercei as much as Drogo does for Dany... and then make their divergence (Dany and Drogo come to love each other... while Cersei spits on Bob's grave) more meaningful.

3.) Must have nudity in first episode so the viewer can expect nudity in the later series. If we waited til episode 2 some viewers would be shocked.

4.) Having shots of Theon, Myrcella, etc establish their existence and tells the viewer that they will be doing things in the future. (And is a fun where's waldo for fans).

5.) In order for Dany to say "Yes" and have it make sense... one would have to explain to the viewer how one breaks a horse (which is what I got out of Drogo's gentleness in the book... he was breaking a horse.)

My review of the first episode: Yawn. I can't imagine this series generating substantial viewership beyond fans of the novels. It just seemed so very dull.

Another thing: for all the much vaunted spending of resources on art direction, I think they failed at least with Winterfell. Yes, there is a grimness, but where is the beauty? They made Winterfell look like a pig farm. There should have been much more white in the color palette. Everyone looked too sweaty and dirty. These are the Starks we're talking about.There should be a degree of pristine dignity. Oh, and Catelyn isn't pretty enough.

Tyrion and Jaime were good.

FATMOUSE said:

I'm right here with you. Lots of spots where I was like oh thats good, but if i didn;t know the books I would have been like What?

As a for instance when Ned fist said Winter is coming, my girlfriend was like What the hell does that mean? THere were a few spots were I just paused to give a brief background most notable when robert was blubbering over a statue and when danny and vis first show up.

Dang I just read that the actress who was slated to play Old Nan (Margaret John) passed away in February. I thought her voice was perfect for narrating in one of the previews and that was something I was looking forward to seeing in the pilot but never appeared. It appears the producers might have edited out Old Nan (not sure if they are looking for a replacement). That really saddens me as I was just thinking how perfect Old Nan 'telling stories' would have been for narrating the background and basic info and making the complexity more accessible to new viewers.

RIP Margaret John (Old Nan).

I really enjoyed the show and felt at home immediately; however, this comes from a big fan of the books.

Maybe someone not as familiar with the source material might indeed not get all the tension that already exists in the story right from the beginning. The first episode does address the conflicts existing between many major characters, but at this point only in short conversations, gestures and glances, which might be overlooked by someone who is still trying to find out who is who exactly. We are mostly shown people meeting with each other and talking and if the unfamiliar viewer does not pay close attention to the relationship between the characters, he might not realise that everyone already sits on a powder keg that can explode any time (and will sooner or later ;-)).

For myself, can´t wait for the next episode !

It has already been picked up for season 2. EW.com article here .