Game of Thrones begins....

[Berkut]

It is much better explained in the books, or at least more thoroughly reported. I still thought it didn't make much sense though - it requires the Nights Watch to be almost suicidally obtuse.

[The Larch]

It is much better explained in the books, or at least more thoroughly reported. I still thought it didn't make much sense though - it requires the Nights Watch to be almost suicidally obtuse.

Oh, they were obtuse indeed, but at least it got a proper development.

Also, did Melissandre run off with the last horse from Stannis' camp?

Edit: 2nd also, what about Stannis' reputation as an excellent commander? He got caught by the Boltons with his pants badly badly down. So much for him being a kick ass general.

[crazy canuck]

I didn't even think this part of the story worked very well in the books, much less the show.

I disagree.  In the books Jon had much more support and it is really a disaffected minority that does him in.  The show portrays it as an all out mutiny.

[Martinus]

I think I am going to give up on this thread in the next season. It seems there is a group of maybe 3 or 4 posters who are clearly not enjoying the show but are bent on ruining it for everyone else by nitpicking every single perceived flaw. I hope you find some sort of interesting stuff to do with your private lives, gentlemen.

[Josquius]

Stannis- Well, that battle was an anti-climax.
It just looked to be getting good then suddenly  cut to the end, Stannis has lost.
I thought it would continue longer and we would see one of the northern flanks turning on the Boltons.
I suspect here they've diverged from where the books are heading to try and cut off a unnecessary thread.

Arya- when did she learn to do that? That came on quick!
Though I do wonder why she needed the disguise...she is a young girl herself afterall.

Dorne...feels a bit pointless. Such a big deal was made of introducing the sand snakes too.

Tyrion- way too much of a setup for the next series. Almost looked like they're setting up a spinoff even, Tyrion the Mayor...

Jon- Seems the theory that he will be resurrected and thus released from his vow is going to come true. The timing of showing Mel entering followed by the Caesering was clear.

[Berkut]

I think I am going to give up on this thread in the next season. It seems there is a group of maybe 3 or 4 posters who are clearly not enjoying the show but are bent on ruining it for everyone else by nitpicking every single perceived flaw. I hope you find some sort of interesting stuff to do with your private lives, gentlemen.

Your inability to comprehend people discussing a show they love critically probably suggests that you should avoid this thread in the future in order to protect yourself from such unpleasantness.

[Berkut]

I didn't even think this part of the story worked very well in the books, much less the show.

I disagree.  In the books Jon had much more support and it is really a disaffected minority that does him in.  The show portrays it as an all out mutiny.

Hmmm, that could be right - I honestly don't remember enough from the book as to how exactly it went down.

Certainly in the books the process of them becoming unhappy took MUCH longer. The wildlings were through the wall for months, right?

[Admiral Yi]

Marty rage-quits the GoT thread. 

[Zanza]

I wonder why they did the Dany end scene without the dragon. In the books, the dragon is next to her when the riders arrive. Which gives a completely different look to the whole scene.

[Josquius]

In the book wasn't there also some ambiguity over whether the riders (not so many of them iirc) were hers or another khal.

[Zanza]

She didn't have a khalasar in the books anymore. The khalasar in the books is one of the splinters of Drogo's khalasar. It's not clear if they would respect her as their former khaleesi though. Unlikely considering their traditions which would have required her to go to Vaes Dothrak as a widow. But then the dragon makes all the difference. And it is missing in the TV show...

[Josquius]

She didn't have a khalasar in the books anymore. The khalasar in the books is one of the splinters of Drogo's khalasar. It's not clear if they would respect her as their former khaleesi though. Unlikely considering their traditions which would have required her to go to Vaes Dothrak as a widow. But then the dragon makes all the difference. And it is missing in the TV show...

She still had a few guys.

[Zanza]

With Stannis death, the first of the great houses is completely wiped out.

Quentyn Martell surely is in deadly danger on that ship now, Doran is not shown to have any other children (unlike the books).
The Arryns have one sickly boy left.
The Tullys have an imprisoned lord, but no heirs.
The Tyrells have a gay heir who is in the hands of religious fanatics awaiting trial.
The Greyjoys have a disawoved heir who will not have any more heirs.
The Lannisters have King Tommen left, but at least for the time being, he has no queen. They also have Tyrion (kinslayer), Jaime (kingsguard) and Lancel (fanatic), but all of these are unlikely heirs to their House.
The Targaryens have a queen, that is likely barren left.

The Starks have four children left alive with Arya, Sansa, Bran and Rickon. Who would have thought that they might end up in the most likely position to continue to exist as a great house after this war.

[The Larch]

I didn't even think this part of the story worked very well in the books, much less the show.

I disagree.  In the books Jon had much more support and it is really a disaffected minority that does him in.  The show portrays it as an all out mutiny.

Hmmm, that could be right - I honestly don't remember enough from the book as to how exactly it went down.

Certainly in the books the process of them becoming unhappy took MUCH longer. The wildlings were through the wall for months, right?

In the books there was also the factor of Jon Snow apparently to the eyes of many in the Watch throwing his lot with Stannis in the struggle for the North, with Selyse, Shireen and Melissandre staying in Castle Black. Of course this is not so clear cut in the show. In the book there was also much more mingling with the Wildlings, even to the point of Jon arranging a political wedding for a wildling leader (a Thenn, IIRC) to a runaway northern noblewoman, so his lot was also thrown much more with the wildlings then. The tipping point seems to be Ramsay's "letter", which apparently makes Jon want to ride down to Winterfell, and it's at that point that he gets Caesared.

[The Larch]

With Stannis death, the first of the great houses is completely wiped out.

Quentyn Martell surely is in deadly danger on that ship now, Doran is not shown to have any other children (unlike the books).
The Arryns have one sickly boy left.
The Tullys have an imprisoned lord, but no heirs.
The Tyrells have a gay heir who is in the hands of religious fanatics awaiting trial.
The Greyjoys have a disawoved heir who will not have any more heirs.
The Lannisters have King Tommen left, but at least for the time being, he has no queen. They also have Tyrion (kinslayer), Jaime (kingsguard) and Lancel (fanatic), but all of these are unlikely heirs to their House.
The Targaryens have a queen, that is likely barren left.

The Starks have four children left alive with Arya, Sansa, Bran and Rickon. Who would have thought that they might end up in the most likely position to continue to exist as a great house after this war.

Balon Greyjoy has several brothers and a daughter still around. Blackfish Tully is somewhere, I guess. The Lannisters have Kevan and a brood of cousins and cadet branches around.

As for the Starks, I can't see Bran doing much in the heir producing business.