Game the Thrones: Finale, episode 10.

[alexandral]

I am feeling extremely rambly and happy. This was such a good finale! Dragons were so awesome , but I was glad that the scene with Dany breastfeeding the baby dragons was omitted. I woke up an hour earlier , so that I can watch the finale before going to work. I don't quite share the doom and gloom, and "what am I going to do now???" mood. Now the first season is over, but I can always :

a) re-watch, so that I notice some things that I haven't. For example, I still want to know where is Roose Bolton (he has to make it into the show, right? Who is going to take over Harrenhal?)
b) re-read. I have just finished Game of Thrones re-read and started A Clash of Kings re-read.
c) Read the new book that is out in July!

Trying to do a little bit of post-show analysis, I must point a couple of flaws in the show that I have noticed:

1. Uneven pace and odd editing in the first few episodes

2. Sexposition scenes with Ros-the-whore, which, as lage_nom_ai noted, is just an example of lazy writing, and an aesthetically disgusting example at that. As a math-freak I am, I added all the time of sexposition scenes in the first season, and it adds up to between 20-30 minutes. 20-30 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Imagine 20-30 minutes of other good things instead!

3. Some important material didn't make it to the show.
Everyone probably has their own scenes they think should have made it into the show. For me, it was the Little Bird scene between Sansa and the Hound, which was a very important one for both of these characters. Also the scene was important because of "There are no true knights" message that it conveyed.
But for someone who does not care for The Hound at all, may be there is another scene that they think should have made it into the show. The missing direwolf scenes should have been there, for sure!

But , after all is said and done, I have not been obsessed with anything as much as I was with "Game of Thrones" for ages. Not since "Chuno"(Slave hunters), and this was over a year ago. The obsession has to count! I love the show!!!! And there is a huge list of good things I can write about it, a list that will be much longer!

The rest of the post is my Sansa/Sandor inner shipper talking, spoilers for the episode 10, no book spoilers.

I loved the scene where Joffrey shows Sansa the head of her father. Sophier Turner was magnificent and so was Jack Gleeson. I also was really pleased how the little scene between The Hound and Sansa played out. I was so pleased that I have almost forgiven the creators the missing Little Bird scene. It seems I am beginning to understand the show's version of The Hound. They made him much softer, and I like it. This is may be why they had Littlefinger to tell Sansa his story. Thinking back, it felt as one of those things that Littlefinger likes to do for fun: make Sansa so scared of The Hound, where in reality Sandor Clegane is one single decent person in that nest of vipers that Joffrey's Kingsguard is.

So I was making noises of "AWWWWWWWWWWWWWW" during the scene of the Hound saving Sansa from trying to grab Joffrey and committing murder/suicide (as much as I hate Joffrey, I do want Sansa alive). The part where The Hound gave her a hankie and his hands were SHAKING was fabulous. I don't know if I said it before, but I like Rory McCann, I like him a lot, especially his voice. What is definitely good in this show is the choice of actors.



Please help, I am curious about one small detail. This is something we discussed with lydzi. Please check the screencap above. What does the Hound give to Sansa? A lace handkerchief or a rough piece of cloth? It looks like a dirty piece of cloth to me, which made me giggle a bit. I imagine this is not the last time we see this piece of cloth too.


There is also a video where David Benioff talks about the Hound and Sansa (please see the video below, shamelessly stolen from sunnytyler001). I am so impressed. He gets the relationship perfectly!! And speaking of what David says, the part where everybody always have looked away from The Hound's face? There was a moment where Sansa actually looked straight at the Hound, and this was lovely.

Also - Joffrey looked rather shocked at Sandor's gesture. There is a passage in Cersei's POV chapters where she remembers how lonely Joffrey has always felt and how he was looking for a father figure, out of all people, in the Hound.

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There is something I noticed as well, just a little thing. Sansa took off Joffrey's locket, and put on her dragonfly necklace again, the one she brought from home. I have a necklace just like that one! (I got it at a craft fair last year):



PS: I have a question for book fans: What scene do you think should have been in the show, but wasn't included for some reason?

PS2: How badly do you wish a slow and painful death to Joffrey?

Comments

[queenofthorns.livejournal.com]

All that stuff about "Widowhood becomes you" , not long after Ned's death, did he say that? But in the book, because it comes much later, this won't feel as evil anyways, I guess.

Yeah, he says it early in the scene, but he's been in a dungeon for a year and is kind of bitter and he actually apologies to her and says his courtesies have grown rusty. So ... it comes off a bit differently.

I really do think he was trying to provoke her into killing him outright because he knows they won't trade him now that Ned is dead. But it just came across wrong.

I'm pretty much unhappy with every new Jaime-related scene at this point. The only scenes I liked were when he and Cersei were talking in episode 1, the "war for Cersei's cunt" scene (which actually is from the book) and the Jaime and Tywin scene. Everything else was not as good as in the books. He really is less sympathetic on the show than in the books, and I thought that was IMPOSSIBLE!

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I think this kind of thing can be excused after a year in a dungeon, but on the same day (or very near) of Cat's finding out about Ned's death - this is a totally different kettle of fish.

Yes, this is how it felt to me too: he wanted her to kill him.

You see, i think this is a problemm with added (or taken out context) scenes. They are sometimes a hit, but mostly they are a miss. As you, I think I can count the added scenes that I liked on my fingers.

But I see so many "OMPH! Jaime is so hot!" posts and comments (I have noticed some Lannister hate too, but this is to be expected right now). I have seen so much fan art too. Everything will become right when we actually get to the books where they don't need to add any of his scenes!

[queenofthorns.livejournal.com]

I thnk this kind of thing can be excused after a year in a dungeon, but on the same day (or very near) of cat's finding out about ned's death - this is a totally different kettle of fish.

Exactly! He sounds like Theon this way, crude and rude and just disgusting. And in the book, he actually apologizes to Catelyn for what he said, which he doesn't do here.

I feel like it may be too late for people to board the Jaime train, honestly. There are even book fans who still hate him after four books two of which I find very sympathetic to Jaime, so the TV fans who've seen him be arrogant, taunt Catelyn after her husband's death, and be proclaimed a coward by Ned Stark are not going to be too susceptible to believing in his changes either, IMO. A lot will depend on Brienne, of course, but what if the audience doesn't like her? Or what if they do like her and Jaime just spends next season saying nasty things to her? Hard to like him then, no? (Don't mind me! I am way to overinvested in the world liking Jaime as much as I do :P)

Sigh! Maybe I need to go make some Dirty Jaime icons, just to relieve my feelings :P

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

he does look extremely hot when dirty , though, no?

You do not mean that Jaime is going to die again, do you? I think he will be one to survive!

And there are book fans who hate everyone. So many charcters are not-black-and-white, so why not? Everyone likes Jon, Arya and Dany and the rest - there are haters for eveyone! (I am surprised that there isn't more Jon haters after the recent developments in his story, though).

I think you are right in saying that everything depends on Brienne. I am so wworried about Brienne's casting, I can not even tell.

You know that I like Jaime too, and I also don't like everything they did to him in this season, but for me he comes across as much more likable in the show than I remember him from my book 1 reading. Honestly.

Yesssssssss! to dirty Jaime icons!!

[dianora77.livejournal.com]

It is a true testimony of my shallowness that I liked the Cat/Jaime scene. I'll even go so far as to say that it kinda made me ship them. LOL I thought those two actors had a weird, twisted chemistry, but maybe it was just a projection of my own weird, twisted mind. I did realize that it was a scene that happened in the second book... Perhaps they'll include Jaime's speech in the next season in the actual dungeon scene. I also don't remember him being sympathetic in the first two books. I didn't find him so until he got his POV chapters, and started caring about Brienne.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I was shallow right there with you.But I didn't think it was a very good characterisation for Jaime - it was really weird what he said.

I felt Jaime/CAt chemistry in the books too. I never understood why she decided it is all JAIME's fault when she became undead.

I was the same about Jaime. Didn't care for him until his POV. I bet you my bottom dollar he will become the top favourite in season 3.

[queenofthorns.livejournal.com]

Oh, I think the chemistry is there in spades in the book scene too. She even thinks "was there ever a man so beautiful or so vile as this one"? :P And that's after he's been in a dungeon for a year, sleeping next to his own shit, so he's remarkably beautiful :P

I never understood why she decided it is all JAIME's fault when she became undead.

Well, because Roose Bolton says "Jaime Lannister sends his regards" just before he plunges the dagger into Robb. And because she thinks that the Red Wedding only occurred because she released Jaime so the Starks/Tullys didn't have that hostage any more. (Of course, she doesn't know Tywin; I think the RW was happening even if it meant Jaime's death afterwards. That entire episode took a lot of planning!)

I bet you my bottom dollar he will become the top favourite in season 3.

If there IS a season 3. And if he doesn't keep getting "let's make him even worse than he is in the books" treatment that he got on the first season.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

Cat has some good taste. :D I hope we have that scene (or similar) in the season 2.

Well, because Roose Bolton says "Jaime Lannister sends his regards"

Oh, I forgot about that. I have just re-read AGOT but I am shaky on other books. Typical of Cat to believe it, though.


If there IS a season 3. And if he doesn't keep getting "let's make him even worse than he is in the books" treatment that he got on the first season.

I keep reading everywhere how good the show did ratings-wise. The ratings were going up and up as opposed to Broadwalk Empire where the ratings were going down (here you can see the acticle : http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/06/19/game-of-thrones-ratings-season-one/95990/). So I am very optimistic for many seasons ahead.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

And if he doesn't keep getting "let's make him even worse than he is in the books" treatment that he got on the first season.

I am sorry! I was griping in the middle about Sansa/Sandor, so i feel your pain. But he seems to be so popular!!! I must say that Bolton killing Rob when saying Jaime's name, this might not work too well. I am still wondering why Robb is so popular.