I was trying to watch it with the mindset of someone who hadn’t read the books (I have, but I was trying to objectively gauge how much I would know without that), and while I think some things were confusing, and there were a lot of characters to keep track of, that the exact relationships and connections did not seem so important yet, as the individual scenes and characters were engaging enough. Ice and Fire virgins will be able to figure out the connections as the show goes on. It’s not really about diagramming all that stuff anyway. I’ve read ythe books and I still get confused about some things. People get engaged in their favorite chracters and storylines, you know. It’s like a soap opera.
As someone who read the books it was not confusing to me at all. I can see how confusing it could be to someone who hadn’t read them. Sort of how I felt about Band of Brothers. Then I watch it many times and read the book.
Does anyone know if the first season (10 episodes I understand) covers the first book or only part of it?
The whole thing. The last scene is perfect for a season ending.
supervenusfreak and I were just talking about this tonight. I’m not sure, with only 10 episodes, how they’re going to manage the whole first book. And it’s only going to get worse as the books get longer. Game was 704 pages, Clash is 784, Storm is over 1000, Feast is 784 again, and at last count Dance was over 1000.
Catch me up. The last scene of Game is
the dragons hatching, right?
The mumblings are that SoS would be two seasons. HBO has said CoK will be 10 episodes, but we’ll see.
Big spoilers:
[spoiler]
I am a bit worried about it. Next week we’re already going to have direwolves large enough to kill.
The episode titles are:
Winter is Coming
The Kingsroad
Lord Snow
Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things
The Wolf and the Lion
A Golden Crown
You Win or You Die
The Pointy End
Now, if you think about what’s likely to take place in each episode, that’s pretty fast. The last two episodes will be frantic. George wrote the last one. I imagine it begins right after Ned’s execution? Battle of the Whispering Wood, Arya’s murder, Drogo’s funeral, etc. If they try to get Ned in the last episode, that’s even more jammed.[/spoiler]
That, which is Drogo’s funeral. Also, Robb gets crowned king in the north. I’m pretty sure it’ll fade out at the “and for the first time in hundreds of years, the night came alive to the sound of dragons.”
Interesting. Those familiar with the books (which seems to be most of us here) should have no trouble guessing what’s going to happen in those episodes. I can’t wait for “A Golden Crown.” One of the most gratifying events in the books. Too bad the most satisfying event (for me), doesn’t happen until the second book.
Little help?
For me:
[spoiler]Joffrey’s death in SoS had me fist pumping.
I don’t recall anything in CoK being super gratifying. Tyrion, Jon, and Dany all have great stories, but they lack the defining moment for me.[/spoiler]
You got it in one.
That’s only 8 episodes. I thought they were doing 10 this season.
Book 3 is FULL of satisfying moments. Easily my favorite book so far.
I don’t think that’s really a spoiler. 
Hmm, yeah. I didn’t count them up when I saw the list. I guess the episode names for the last two haven’t been announced? That assuages my fear a bit. I was wondering how they were going to fit things in.
Yeah, looking on IMDB, it looks like they haven’t titled the last two yet…they show up as #1.9 and #1.10.
Glad to see it’s been renewed for a second season - woohoo!
Meant to ask… how legit was Robert’s claim to Iron Throne back in the day? Was it purely by right of conquest, or did he have some pre-Targaryen royal blood, or even some Targaryen blood by marriage?
re: Robert’s claim to the throne
I’m re-reading Clash of Kings right now and Cat is off at Renly’s trying to treat with him and Renly mentions how (to paraphrase) the maesters more or less pulled ties by marriage between Baratheons and Targaryens to bolster Robert’s claim, and only the maesters believed it really. So it was his by conquest, that’s about it I believe.
Specifically, his grandmother was Rhaelle Targaryen, daughter of Aegon V, aka “Egg”. And, as far as it looks, he actually is, after Viserys, Daenerys, and Maester Aemon (who renounced his claim), the legitimate heir.
Ah, I’d forgotten King Robert’s tie to Aegon V! That’s a nice link to GRRM’s Dunk and Egg short stories, then.
Let’s just say that he had a better claim than, say, Henry Tudor or George of Hanover.
Non book reader here…
As another poster mentioned, I also watched it for the yummy factor of Sean Bean, along with a double scoop of Jason Mamoa.
I didn’t expect to be able to follow the plot right away. So I’m not too concerned about that, and expect to have it more understandable in future episodes.
My biggest question, was the identity of the blonde siblings. But, I’ve figured that out by looking at the family tree link.