Game of Thrones begins....

[jimmy olsen]

"The background" 

Can you be more specific? There are plenty of angles there, you know.

It's a tapestry of Robert defeating Rheagar at the Trident.

[The Larch]

"The background" 

Can you be more specific? There are plenty of angles there, you know.

It's a tapestry of Robert defeating Rheagar at the Trident.

Yes, that tapestry, my hunch is that it's based on "The Battle of San Romano" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_San_Romano).

Edit: Ok, it's a screencap like this. Would be great if the scene had more lighting:

[BuddhaRhubarb]

I'm really digging this show. never read the books, though now I guess I'll have to.

[Josephus]

I'm gonna start reading the first book this weekend.

[viper37]

I'm really digging this show. never read the books, though now I guess I'll have to.

since before or after the gay scene? 

Seriously, you don't need to read the books.  After 5 shows, I know where this is going and I haven't read the books:
Robert will be killed by his wife, civil war will ensue, all current protagonists will be killed over the course of the war, the victorious side won't be for long.
The Wildlings will wage some form of semi war in the north against the barbarians beyond the gate.
The nightwatch is undermanned and underfunded, so it will crumble.
The Eastern princess will re-awaken her dragon eggs somehow and use the dragons to forge an empire in the east.
Once it's done, she'll invade the West lands, pick a fight with whatever force is left and eventually marry Robert's bastard son, the blacksmith to sit on the throne and unite the realm.

Easy to predict.  Still a good show.

[The Larch]

You know nothing, Jon Snow...

[Berkut]

Someone read wiki and thinks that makes them clever. Cute.

[Valmy]

Seriously, you don't need to read the books.

I am not aware of a circumstance where you need to read a work of fiction,

I guess since I suspect Sauron will lose I shouldn't read LOTR eh?

Is the only reason to read fiction is to discover the ending?

[The Minsky Moment]

Damn spoilers.
It's just like the time I was halfway through War and Peace and some jerk told me Napoleon loses in the end.

[The Brain]

Damn spoilers.
It's just like the time I was halfway through War and Peace and some jerk told me Napoleon loses in the end.

Which edition are you reading? It's just possible that vampire zombies will save him before the end.

[grumbler]

Damn spoilers.
It's just like the time I was halfway through War and Peace and some jerk told me Napoleon loses in the end.

Pity they didn't tell you that before you started.  One of the most over-rated books ever.

[Josephus]

Damn spoilers.
It's just like the time I was halfway through War and Peace and some jerk told me Napoleon loses in the end.

You BASTARD. I've spent the last six months reading that, haven't gotten to the last chapter yet.


The dragon thing is the easiest thing to figure out, I think. They keep repeating, in the show, ad nauseum, how the horses can't cross rivers. Hmm, if only they had something that can breach that river somehow. 

I haven't read the boosk yet, though, so I may be off.

[The Minsky Moment]

Damn spoilers.
It's just like the time I was halfway through War and Peace and some jerk told me Napoleon loses in the end.

Pity they didn't tell you that before you started.  One of the most over-rated books ever.

yeah but compared to Martin, Tolstoy is terse

[Richard Hakluyt]

Yep, Martin probably thinks that War and Peace is pretty good for a short story 

[Josephus]

And at least Tolstoy finished the damn thing.