# Game of Thrones, Fire and Blood, 6/19/11 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 19, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068 "2011-06-19T21:57:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/201 "2011-06-22T14:47:07Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > “Ultimately we had to make some really tough decisions. We much rather have a great scene with our characters than a crappy version of the battle,” Benioff told EW. Bravo! Would that more filmmakers and TV producers display this attitude. > [@](#): > > I figured throwing that title out there when it was never even mentioned Dany was born during a massive storm that sank most of the Targaryen fleet would confuse people. Daenerys stormborn is what she goes by in the books for the most part. As someone who hasn’t read the books, Dany’s full name didn’t confuse me - at least, not in any way detrimental to my understanding of the show. I just assumed it was a cool name she got based on something I didn’t yet understand, which would be explained in due course if it were important. Not everything needs to be spelled out in detail for those of us who haven’t read the books (and if that means less Rosxposition, all the better ;)). ---
**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:** [June 22, 2011, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/202 "2011-06-22T15:21:20Z")
The stuff in the books isn’t laid out in logical order, either. There’s some exposition, but there’s also a lot of following along with the story & figuring out character & background details as you go… ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/203 "2011-06-22T15:24:56Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > All hail Cersei the brother-fucker! You execute all your enemies and do they remember that? No. You marry a king, and do people remember that? No. But you fuck one brother… -Joe ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/204 "2011-06-22T15:30:37Z")
> [@Merijeek](#): > > You execute all your enemies and do they remember that? No. You marry a king, and do people remember that? No. But you fuck one brother… > > -Joe And a cousin! ---
**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:** [June 22, 2011, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/205 "2011-06-22T16:53:48Z")
Great battle scenes are an important part of sword and sorcery stories. GoT is making a huge mistake if they think they can leave out the battles. ---
**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:** [June 22, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/206 "2011-06-22T17:36:28Z")
Well, the link I posted indicated the producers want to include battles–if they can afford good ones. Is Game of Thrones your standard “sword & sorcery” tale? I’d prefer to skip crap CGI. And even the best battle shouldn’t take up too much time. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/207 "2011-06-22T17:39:44Z")
If they’re going to do it, they should - and I hope and expect, will - do it right. But they have to try. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/208 "2011-06-22T18:37:13Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Great battle scenes are an important part of sword and sorcery stories. GoT is making a huge mistake if they think they can leave out the battles. Judging by the series so far, i’m not sure you could really call it a “sorcery” series. Beyond that, i’m not sure i’d really pigeonhole GoT as a sword and sorcery story anyway. But I do agree. Hopefully they’ll have a budget next season - plus whatever stuff they had to pay for last year that they don’t have to this year kept aside - so that they can put on some good battles. I’m going to have to re-read Clash of Kings to try and remember whether there are any particularly important or impressive battles they should do. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/209 "2011-06-22T18:38:53Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Somehow I can’t believe that all of a sudden now Tywin realizes that Tyrion’s got some intelligence. That happened a little too suddenly. > [@DigitalC](#): > > I think it was more that he realized that he might be his only son left. I agree with DigitalC. I don’t think Tywin thought that Tyrion was unintelligent, I think he was always just dismissive of Tyrion because he’s a dwarf and because Tyrion prefers partying and making snarky comments to serious work. I think Tywin realized that he may very well have lost one son, so he decided to see what he could make of his less favored but remaining son. ---
**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:** [June 22, 2011, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/210 "2011-06-22T18:41:07Z")
> [@Revenant\_Threshold](#): > > …I’m going to have to re-read Clash of Kings to try and remember whether there are any particularly important or impressive battles they should do. I’m not sure how to do spoilers in this non-book thread. However, even I (who isn’t nuts about battle scenes) thinks [this one](http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Battle_of_the_Blackwater) is worth some bucks. And screen time. _(Don’t click if you’re one of The Unsullied!)_ ---
**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:** [June 22, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/211 "2011-06-22T18:50:45Z")
(Alas, I type faster than **I think**. I who “isn’t” nuts?) ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/212 "2011-06-22T18:58:32Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > GoT is making a huge mistake if they think they can leave out the battles. I agree. In fact, I predict that no one will tune it to GoT for at least 9 more months because of it. ---
**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:** [June 22, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/213 "2011-06-22T19:13:29Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > I’m not sure how to do spoilers in this non-book thread. However, even I (who isn’t nuts about battle scenes) thinks [this one](http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Battle_of_the_Blackwater) is worth some bucks. And screen time. > > _(Don’t click if you’re one of The Unsullied!)_ I actually don’t know how they can avoid that one. It’s too big and too important. Too much story happens in the middle of it. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/214 "2011-06-22T19:17:36Z")
Well they already announced Martin is directing an episode next season called Blackwater so that is a good sign they are not avoiding it. ---
**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:** [June 22, 2011, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/215 "2011-06-22T19:18:34Z")
> [@NAF1138](#): > > I actually don’t know how they can avoid that one. It’s too big and too important. Too much story happens in the middle of it. Yup. The link I provided on the previous page said the producers _are_ planning for sufficient budget to pay for battle stuff (& direwolves!) without letting other aspects of the show suffer. ---
**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:** [June 22, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/216 "2011-06-22T19:27:27Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I agree. In fact, I predict that no one will tune it to GoT for at least 9 more months because of it. No viewers for nine months? That seems quite farfetched! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/217 "2011-06-22T19:37:36Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > No viewers for nine months? That seems quite farfetched! 😉 I wouldn’t go that far, either. I’m sure the DVD set will come out within that time, and HBO will soon after get a pretty good idea of how much money they can rake in on those. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/218 "2011-06-22T19:38:32Z")
May it be a fortune worthy of the Lannisters. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/219 "2011-06-22T20:58:23Z")
> [@Bridget\_Burke](#): > > Yup. The link I provided on the previous page said the producers _are_ planning for sufficient budget to pay for battle stuff (& direwolves!) without letting other aspects of the show suffer. Maybe they are using Sean Bean’s salary to pay for the CGI. ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068/220 "2011-06-22T21:12:22Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > May it be a fortune worthy of the Lannisters. Ah, but does HBO always repay its debts? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/game-of-thrones-fire-and-blood-6-19-11/586068.md?page=12)