# 1st 15 minutes of Game of Thrones pilot airing tonight on HBO **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 3, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049 "2011-04-03T16:43:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2011, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/1 "2011-04-03T16:43:42Z")
For those of you who were unaware, at 9:00 tonight they’re airing the first 15 minutes of the pilot episode. I started this thread to make sure that people knew, but also to discuss it afterwards. I’m more than a bit geeked out over this… ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2011, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/2 "2011-04-03T16:48:05Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > For those of you who were unaware, at 9:00 tonight they’re airing the first 15 minutes of the pilot episode. I started this thread to make sure that people knew, but also to discuss it afterwards. I’m more than a bit geeked out over this… Is HBO hosting the. lip online immediately after the clip airs? ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/3 "2011-04-03T16:51:08Z")
Cool. I didn’t know about this. I only just got HBO again after not having it for a couple of years. Thanks for the heads up. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/4 "2011-04-03T16:58:50Z")
I’ll miss this because the new AMC show starts at the same time, but I’ll be watching the series, for sure. Anyone know if we’ll be able to watch on line? We have cable and the picture quality for HBO sucks. I’m paying to watch _Justified_ because the cable doesn’t carry FX, and I’d pay to watch _Game of Thrones_ too. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/5 "2011-04-04T00:16:33Z")
I’m really looking forward to the show, but I don’t understand the appeal of these sneak previews. I don’t want to watch 15 minutes of the episode. I want to see the whole thing. In fact, if it weren’t for the fun of following the discussions here, I’d prefer to queue up all the episodes on my DVR and wait to watch them at my leisure. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/6 "2011-04-04T00:35:52Z")
> [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](#): > > I’m really looking forward to the show, but I don’t understand the appeal of these sneak previews. I don’t want to watch 15 minutes of the episode. I want to see the whole thing. > > In fact, if it weren’t for the fun of following the discussions here, I’d prefer to queue up all the episodes on my DVR and wait to watch them at my leisure. Yea, I think it would make a lot more sense to put the first fifteen minutes online or something, so you could try coaxing fans to subscribe to HBO. Showing it to people that are already subscribers seems pointless “you can tune in now for the first fifteen minutes…or wait two weeks and actually watch the full episode.” ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/7 "2011-04-04T01:41:48Z")
Oh man. Way too short. I’m not sure I’m glad I watched. I don’t like Ser Rodrick’s beard at all, but the rest of it looked good. The Wall is great as promised. I supposed that’s the natural ending point, but I’d have liked to see the direwolves. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/8 "2011-04-04T15:39:50Z")
Yeah, that was one short fifteen minutes. I’d have guessed it was about five, but when it ended I looked at the clock, and sure enough, 9:15. The Others are nicely creepy. I wonder if they’re going to call them the “White Walkers” throughout the series. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/9 "2011-04-04T15:41:04Z")
Probably. I blame _Lost_. [Here’s the clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9MItNxK_yY), BTW. ---
**Author:** ![NAF1138](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naf1138/32/3245_2.png) [@NAF1138](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NAF1138)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/10 "2011-04-04T16:47:10Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > The Others are nicely creepy. I wonder if they’re going to call them the “White Walkers” throughout the series. They also made Bran a pre teen, which sort of threw me a bit. IIRC he was only six when the first book started. I understand why they made the changes, but they cause me to drop out of the series every time I come across one. I couldn’t tell if they had changed Arya’s age but if they made all of the kids older is it going to change the tone of a lot of things later on. Other than that I liked it so far. It looks beautiful. ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/11 "2011-04-04T16:56:15Z")
I’m 60% through A Game of Thrones (just finished reading the Eddard chapter where he calls out Cersei on her family lineage), so I’m not sure if I should watch or wait. I first read it back in the 90s (and sort of read Clash of Kings and Storm of Swords), but this time I’m re-reading it much more carefully. I’m hoping to have it done by the 17th, and I’ve tried to avoid seeing any of the tv previews until I finish the first book (although I did read the Entertainment Weekly article this week…I had no idea Drogo would look so exotic…and I pictured King Robert as more of a John Rhys-Davies type look - not a guy with GREY hair…which is a pretty important plot point in the chapter I just finished). And, silly as it sounds, the first time I read that book, I always pictured Eddard = Ned Flanders. Has there been any word on whether or not the first season would bleed into the second book at all, similar to how Fellowship of the Rings included the death of Boromir in the first movie? …why did the TV show drop the “A” from the title??? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/12 "2011-04-04T17:00:03Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > Has there been any word on whether or not the first season would bleed into the second book at all, similar to how Fellowship of the Rings included the death of Boromir in the first movie? I don’t see why it should - the first book ends at a perfect place to close a season. ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/13 "2011-04-04T19:44:26Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > They also made Bran a pre teen, which sort of threw me a bit. IIRC he was only six when the first book started. > > I understand why they made the changes, but they cause me to drop out of the series every time I come across one. I couldn’t tell if they had changed Arya’s age but if they made all of the kids older is it going to change the tone of a lot of things later on. > > Other than that I liked it so far. It looks beautiful. Pretty much every kid is aged up about 2-3 years. It’s mainly because of Dany that they did it–even HBO can’t really show sex scenes between an adult man and a 13-year-old. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/14 "2011-04-04T21:30:18Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Probably. I blame _Lost_. Pretty sure I saw a quote from GRRM somewhere confirming this. The Others are officially called the White Walkers throughout the show precisely because of not wanting to evoke Lost. Of course now I can’t find it again, so I’m just piling on the hearsay… ---
**Author:** ![fusoya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecccb3/32.png) [@fusoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fusoya)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2011, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/15 "2011-04-04T21:46:24Z")
That’s bullshit. A Game of Thrones came out almost a decade before Lost did. They should have stuck to their guns, just like Night should have when he did the Avatar movie. Such a sad thing that evoking memories of Lost is now a NEGATIVE thing (likewise, anything related to something Night worked on) > [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > Pretty much every kid is aged up about 2-3 years. It’s mainly because of Dany that they did it–even HBO can’t really show sex scenes between an adult man and a 13-year-old. Is this why Mary is always at least 18 in film versions of The Nativity? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/16 "2011-04-05T01:04:50Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > Is this why Mary is always at least 18 in film versions of The Nativity? Except in the Nativity Story(2006), where she was 15 during filming. And then the girl had a baby in real life when she was 16/17. ---
**Author:** ![HazelNutCoffee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ac91a4/32.png) [@HazelNutCoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HazelNutCoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/17 "2011-04-05T01:20:41Z")
I thought Bran was 7 or 8 at the beginning of the series. Jon and Robb look too similar to me. In the book Robb is supposed to be burlier than Jon, I think. But on the whole the preview looks awesome. Totally psyched for the series to start! ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/18 "2011-04-05T01:26:21Z")
> [@fusoya](#): > > Is this why Mary is always at least 18 in film versions of The Nativity? I don’t think Dany is 18 in the series. I’d guess more along the lines of 16. Sansa looks 15, Arya about 11-12, Bran about 9, and Rickon 6 or 7. ---
**Author:** ![Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a88e4f/32.png) [@Eleanor\_of\_Aquitaine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eleanor_of_Aquitaine)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/19 "2011-04-05T14:06:40Z")
> [@HazelNutCoffee](#): > > I thought Bran was 7 or 8 at the beginning of the series. > > Jon and Robb look too similar to me. In the book Robb is supposed to be burlier than Jon, I think. But on the whole the preview looks awesome. Totally psyched for the series to start! Bran is 7 in the first book (I’ve just re-read it). The kids are all almost unbelievably precocious, so I expected them to be a little older in the TV show. Arya and Jon are supposed to resemble Ned Stark, while Robb, Sansa, Bran and Rickon look like Catelyn’s family, the Tullys. Family resemblances are important in the books - the Lannisters are all very blond, for instance. Are Tyrion’s eyes mismatched in the show? In the one still shot I’ve seen, they don’t appear to be. ---
**Author:** ![gonzoron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a6a055/32.png) [@gonzoron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzoron)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2011, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049/20 "2011-04-05T20:31:10Z")
I told myself to stop watching previews, but I couldn’t help it, so I watched anyway. Overall, I was very impressed, though it seemed like the opening parts dragged a bit. Maybe I was just anxious to get to “the good stuff” but there seemed to be an awful lot of “slowly wandering the snowy forest” in those 15 minutes. I wonder about how the non-readers will view it. There wasn’t much exposition about the Wall, the Night’s Watch, etc. Tough to see why the deserter had to die, if you don’t know the books. Other than that, not a flaw I could see. The cast was great, even the kids, which is rare to see. Production values through the roof. Should be an awesome show… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1st-15-minutes-of-game-of-thrones-pilot-airing-tonight-on-hbo/577049.md?page=2)