Game of Thrones begins....

[Tamas]

That's how I remember the book, but I can't say I really care either way.

[Berkut]

That's how I remember the book, but I can't say I really care either way.

IIRC, in the books they kept him hidden away pretty much all of the time, didn't they?

[Habbaku]

In the books, he is fairly public as well, but the secret of his identity is held more by a conspiracy of silence than anything.  Many people (Kevan Lannister, for instance) suspect who he really is, but keep their mouths shut due to the need for Cersei to win her trial by combat.  I think it's a bit less obvious in the books that he's a zombie--in the show, the armor they have him in deliberately allows the audience to see his eyes and the creepy skin-tone he's sporting to make him more menacing.

[Brazen]

One theme I picked up on is that we now have at least two formerly dead (not zombified) characters brought back to life by crap magicians who thought their power was on the wane and seemed surprised by their own success. Is magic getting more powerful because Winter Is Coming or White Walkers or Dragons? Is the fact dragons are back due to the increased magic, whatever the cause? Was there someone else present at the resurrections actually doing the magic?

I suspect these less dead than they were individuals will prove critical - immune to White Walker touch for example. As will the wielders of Valyrian steel and dragonglass weapons.

[Solmyr]

On the show they pretty obviously know that he is The Mountain, as they called him that several times. There's no "Robert Strong" on the show.

[The Minsky Moment]

One theme I picked up on is that we now have at least two formerly dead (not zombified) characters brought back to life by crap magicians who thought their power was on the wane and seemed surprised by their own success. Is magic getting more powerful because Winter Is Coming or White Walkers or Dragons? Is the fact dragons are back due to the increased magic, whatever the cause? Was there someone else present at the resurrections actually doing the magic?

I suspect these less dead than they were individuals will prove critical - immune to White Walker touch for example. As will the wielders of Valyrian steel and dragonglass weapons.

Not so much magic getting stronger as plotting ability of writers (book and tele) getting weaker.

[Habbaku]

   How is resurrecting Jon a sign of the plot getting weaker in the books?

[grumbler]

  How is resurrecting Jon a sign of the plot getting weaker in the books?

Agreed, especially when Jon joined the Night Watch in Book 1/Season 1, and thus was planned to die and be resurrected from the get-go (as the only means by which he could get out of his Night's Watch obligations).

[The Minsky Moment]

Killing and resurrecting anyone is suggestive of dubious writing.  It's a way to get the dramatic effect of a death without the cost of losing the character.  Doing it once gets a pass.  More than once, not so much.

[Zanza]

It's a clear theme in the books that magic is making a comeback in the world. It is stated as such by one of the Maesters of the Citadel, by Melisandre, IIRC by Euron (?), by someone in Qarth, etc. It has always been one of the overarching themes of A Song of Ice and Fire.

[Siege]

That's how I remember the book, but I can't say I really care either way.

IIRC, in the books they kept him hidden away pretty much all of the time, didn't they?

But in the TV show, just because the audience can see his zombie eyes in a close up take doesn't mean the characters in the show can see it.

[Siege]

I like to think of all magic as misunderstood technology.

[viper37]

One theme I picked up on is that we now have at least two formerly dead (not zombified) characters brought back to life by crap magicians who thought their power was on the wane and seemed surprised by their own success. Is magic getting more powerful because Winter Is Coming or White Walkers or Dragons? Is the fact dragons are back due to the increased magic, whatever the cause? Was there someone else present at the resurrections actually doing the magic?

I suspect these less dead than they were individuals will prove critical - immune to White Walker touch for example. As will the wielders of Valyrian steel and dragonglass weapons.

in the books, they link it to the arrival of the dragons.

[viper37]

I like to think of all magic as misunderstood technology.

Are the Gods a misunderstood technology?

In the show, Melisandre has hinted that most of what she does are tricks and potions.

[garbon]

Killing and resurrecting anyone is suggestive of dubious writing.  It's a way to get the dramatic effect of a death without the cost of losing the character.  Doing it once gets a pass.  More than once, not so much.

Yeah, I thought that was a known weakness in the book series.