Game of Thrones begins....

[Eddie Teach]

LOL! grumbler has still got it.

[KRonn]

I thought it was a good choice from the perspective that they need to cut some content, and while the content there was pretty damn well done in the books, you could pretty much just skip it.

Agreed, and why I raised the issue some time ago: HBO could have gotten some "cheap thrills" by dwelling on the sadism of Gregor Clegane and his men, but that wouldn't have advanced the story much.  I am perfectly happy with that situation.

Agreed. It was a nasty part of the story, all the pillaging and raping they did. Gave additional sense of the type of war they were waging, and good reason to hate on Gregor and crew, but it didn't need to be in the movie if deciding what to cut and what to leave in.

[grumbler]

I edited your quote grumbler.

So did I.  Sorry about that.

[Faeelin]

Do we ever learn why the Greyjoys didn't rise up during the war between the Baratheons and Targaryns? As opposed to waiting for Westeros to be united?

[Grey Fox]

I'm sure it must be cool and awesome in the books but Vagina Black Mist Stannis is fucking stupid.

[Viking]

Do we ever learn why the Greyjoys didn't rise up during the war between the Baratheons and Targaryns? As opposed to waiting for Westeros to be united?

Balon Greyjoy is fucking stupid acting on motives of honour rather than acual reason. Best example is his war against Robb Stark when he is trying to achieve independence from Joffrey on the Iron Throne.

[grumbler]

I'm sure it must be cool and awesome in the books but Vagina Black Mist Stannis is fucking stupid.

Disagree.  They did that about as well as it could be done.

The direction in this TV series is really excellent.  HBO has a tradition of excellent direction, but this is good even for them.  I'd say it is movie-quality, and movie directors are expensive.

Casting is movie-quality as well, but that's not so rare.

[grumbler]

Do we ever learn why the Greyjoys didn't rise up during the war between the Baratheons and Targaryns? As opposed to waiting for Westeros to be united?

Balon Greyjoy is fucking stupid acting on motives of honour rather than acual reason. Best example is his war against Robb Stark when he is trying to achieve independence from Joffrey on the Iron Throne.

Agree, but that's Martin's problem - he wants things to be as bleak as they could possibly be.  That gets old.

As for Faelin's question, I think that the Greyjoys sat tight hoping that the two sides bloodied themselves into exhaustion, at which point rebellion would be more likely to succeed.  In fact, I think that Balon Greyjoy assumed that this was in fact the case, else his rebellion made little sense.

[Grey Fox]

I'm sure it must be cool and awesome in the books but Vagina Black Mist Stannis is fucking stupid.

Disagree.  They did that about as well as it could be done.

The direction in this TV series is really excellent.  HBO has a tradition of excellent direction, but this is good even for them.  I'd say it is movie-quality, and movie directors are expensive.

Casting is movie-quality as well, but that's not so rare.

Oh, I'm not knocking how they did it. I'm knocking Martin's stupid idea of a Vagina Black Mist Stannis.

[grumbler]

Oh, I'm not knocking how they did it. I'm knocking Martin's stupid idea of a Vagina Black Mist Stannis.

I'm not sure what you are knocking.  The idea that Stannis's religious adviser is one of the first ones who realizes that magic is back is great, as far as I am concerned.

I understand that Martin-bashing for the sake of Martin-bashing is all the rage, but this wasn't one of the things I think he is rightfully bashed for.

[spoiler]The trivial reanimation of dead people is worth the bashing.[/spoiler]

[Grey Fox]

Oh, I'm not knocking how they did it. I'm knocking Martin's stupid idea of a Vagina Black Mist Stannis.

I'm not sure what you are knocking.

Did it really need to come out of her vagina tho?

[katmai]

Why are you so afraid of things coming out of vaginas grey wolfe?

[Habbaku]

Oh, I'm not knocking how they did it. I'm knocking Martin's stupid idea of a Vagina Black Mist Stannis.

I'm not sure what you are knocking.

Did it really need to come out of her vagina tho?

Yeah, would've been better if Melisandra had just given Stannis head and vomited up the shadow.

[Eddie Teach]

Why are you so afraid of things coming out of vaginas grey wolfe?

He did recently have a child. 

[katmai]

Which should have made him more ready for the horrors that can come out of there!