# Game of Thrones 2.01 "The North Remembers" 4/1 - ZERO SPOILER Discussion Thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 26, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885 "2012-03-26T22:11:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2012, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/121 "2012-04-02T23:54:57Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I have to give credit to the kid who plays Joffrey - what a perfect little tyrant shit. I speculated last year (I think it was me, anyway) that when they did the casting for him, they found the douchiest kid they could find and told him he was going to be the star of the show. According to several actors’ comments on the DVDs, off camera he is one of the nicest people you could meet and a perfect gentlemen :). I also recall someone mentions that in the scene where he is attacked by Arya’s wolf he refused to use the C-word until the actual take as he couldn’t bear to call the actress such a word. So even more credit to him as an actor! ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/122 "2012-04-03T00:09:21Z")
I was going to say i hope he doesn’t get teased about it but he doesn’t look all that young anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/123 "2012-04-03T00:31:36Z")
Whenever I see him I still can’t help thinking of him as the kid from _Batman Begins_. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/124 "2012-04-03T01:21:32Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > When Renly talked to Ned, he tried to make a case that Stannis wasn’t a good leader - that he was too harsh, the people didn’t love him, that he wouldn’t make a good king. But Ned pointed out that he was a successful military commander, and of course, the rightful heir. Wasn’t there some other dialog about Stannis from last season that dealt more specifically with his relationship with the mystical chick and/or the heresies inherent in that relationship? I haven’t rewatched S1 in a while, so it could be a false memory, but the vague memory I do have is that it was a short offhand remark about Stannis and his heretical beliefs making him an unsuitable heir. Yeah, I’ve gotta do a full rewatch… ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/125 "2012-04-03T02:11:01Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Sir Barriston, I think his name was. I’m not sure exactly what his function was, but he seemed like he was basically head knight. I guess maybe he was head of the kingsguard. I must have confused Barriston with Baratheon and thought he was the king’s brother. This show does have a ton of people with similar looks and similar names. Even after watching the first season twice, I’m still having trouble keeping track of everyone. I honestly didn’t realize there was a younger Stark boy until I started reading the first book. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/126 "2012-04-03T12:16:09Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Wasn’t there some other dialog about Stannis from last season that dealt more specifically with his relationship with the mystical chick and/or the heresies inherent in that relationship? > > I haven’t rewatched S1 in a while, so it could be a false memory, but the vague memory I do have is that it was a short offhand remark about Stannis and his heretical beliefs making him an unsuitable heir. > > Yeah, I’ve gotta do a full rewatch… I just finished watching S1 again. The worst remark about Stannis that I remember was when Renly accused him of having the personality of a lobster. The fact was, if Cersei’s children were all her brother’s, Stannis _was_ the next one in line for the throne. Remembering the the bloody war that ended the Targaryen dynasty, Ned wanted to follow the rules–not make the royal succession into a popularity contest. Or another bloody war… ---
**Author:** ![Cowboy8467](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b5e925/32.png) [@Cowboy8467](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cowboy8467)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/127 "2012-04-03T13:50:23Z")
> [@Furious\_Marmot](#): > > Speaking of similar-looking actors, did anybody else think that the Lannister cousin who was going to be sent back with Robb’s terms for peace looked a lot like Robert’s armorer bastard son? I did a double take when I saw that scene because they are very similar looking. I had just gotten done re-watching the first season so what Gendry looked like was still fresh in my mind. I wonder if maybe the actors are brothers. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/128 "2012-04-03T15:52:58Z")
> [@Cowboy8467](#): > > I did a double take when I saw that scene because they are very similar looking. I had just gotten done re-watching the first season so what Gendry looked like was still fresh in my mind. I wonder if maybe the actors are brothers. Maybe the Lannister cousin isn’t a Lannister… ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/129 "2012-04-03T16:20:36Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > So “Rasputina” is one powerful chick. (Does she have a name, yet?) **Melisandre** , according to IMDB. I’m going to think of her as Rasputina now, though. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2012, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/130 "2012-04-03T18:32:50Z")
3.9 million viewers for the season premiere, up 74% from the series premiere. Link[here](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/game-thrones-season-2-premiere-ratings-307303), nothing spoilery on it. ---
**Author:** ![Annie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@Annie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/131 "2012-04-04T03:01:06Z")
> [@Tangent](#): > > Whenever I see him I still can’t help thinking of him as the kid from _Batman Begins_. Hell, I can’t see _Batman Begins_ without thinking of Christian Bale as the dead kid Henry V lugs across Agincourt. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/132 "2012-04-04T03:14:45Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > 3.9 million viewers for the season premiere, up 74% from the series premiere. Link[here](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/game-thrones-season-2-premiere-ratings-307303), nothing spoilery on it. Good to hear, but I can’t help but imagine that in a year or two all the major networks are going to be trotting out “epic medieval fantasy” shows in the fall line-up. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/133 "2012-04-04T05:18:49Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > 3.9 million viewers for the season premiere, up 74% from the series premiere. Link[here](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/game-thrones-season-2-premiere-ratings-307303), nothing spoilery on it. Wow, that’s…pathetic. An apt comparison in terms of budget and genre would be HBO’s Rome, which [according to wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome_(TV_series)#Broadcast_and_DVD_releases): > [@](#): > > According to the Nielsen ratings system, the pilot was seen by 3.8 million viewers, ultimately attracting more than 8.9M over eleven broadcasts, and achieved a 9.1 household rating for Sunday primetime.[16][17] After the broadcast of only three first season episodes, HBO announced plans to produce a second season of Rome in 2006, for release in March 2007.[18] By the end of the first season, the series gathered more than seven million viewers per week.[19] The second season premiered in January 2007, with the first episode attracting 7.5 million viewers. ---
**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, 2012, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/134 "2012-04-04T13:35:07Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Wow, that’s…pathetic. > > An apt comparison in terms of budget and genre would be HBO’s Rome, which [according to wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome_(TV_series)#Broadcast_and_DVD_releases): The 3.9 is for one broadcast only and also does not include their streaming service (which did not exist when Rome was out). It had over 6 million for the night. Game of Thrones averaged like 9 million viewers per episode in the first season and is HBO’s second most watched show. I don’t know of anybody that’s disappointed in the numbers. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/135 "2012-04-04T14:00:52Z")
Remember that HBO had a ton of free previews running the weekend it achieved 3.9MM. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/136 "2012-04-04T14:12:32Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Good to hear, but I can’t help but imagine that in a year or two all the major networks are going to be trotting out “epic medieval fantasy” shows in the fall line-up. Hmmm… that would be awesome right? ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/137 "2012-04-04T14:26:12Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Wow, that’s…pathetic. > > An apt comparison in terms of budget and genre would be HBO’s Rome, which [according to wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rome_(TV_series)#Broadcast_and_DVD_releases): Actually, it would not be an apt comparison in terms of budget, according to DigitalC’s post (number 55) Rome had roughly twice the budget of GoT: > [@DigitalC](#): > > Season 1 cost 60 mil apparently, which was less than other comparable HBO series (Rome cost 100-120 mil per season, a big factor in its cancellation). Season 2 got a bigger budget because of the massive success of season 1, but i have no idea how much bigger it actually is. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/138 "2012-04-04T14:27:34Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Hmmm… that would be awesome right? Just like Pan Am and The Playboy Club were as awesome as Mad Men? ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2012, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/139 "2012-04-04T14:37:37Z")
> [@AlsoNamedBort](#): > > Just like Pan Am and The Playboy Club were as awesome as Mad Men? What’s your point, exactly? Did _Pan Am_ and _Playboy Club_ make _Mad Men_ worse? ---
**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, 2012, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885/140 "2012-04-04T14:52:23Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > What’s your point, exactly? Did _Pan Am_ and _Playboy Club_ make _Mad Men_ worse? His point is to directly rebut **DigitalC’s** assertion that more epic fantasy shows would be awesome. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-2-01-the-north-remembers-4-1-zero-spoiler-discussion-thread/616885.md?page=8)