Game of Thrones Season 8 (2019) (1 Viewer)

[Scott McGillivray]

My prediction is that George does not finish the series and the aforementioned Brandon Sanderson has to step in to complete it, just like he did for Robert Jordan.

 

[Tommy R]

I have attempted to read the first book a couple times and couldn’t get past maybe the first 30 pages. I’m no literary critic but I found his writing style dreadful. I’ve recently thought of giving it another try, but might wait a few years to see how close to the final book’s publication we actually get. I’m not going to start the series if there’s going to be another decade or more until the final book.

But how good are the books anyways, if anyone on here has read them? There are quite a few bad reviews on Amazon for books 4 & 5. The general consensus is that the first three are “the good ones”.

 

[Scott McGillivray]

I thought the first three books were spectacular. Book 3, in particular, was amazing. Then came book 4. He screwed it up. He had planned a 5-year gap for the characters between books 3 and 4. Then he changed his mind and the book grew to be monstrously huge. So, he split the book into two parts...sort of. Book 4 wound up being only half of the characters' stories. Plus, he introduces a bunch of new characters whose stories really didn't go anywhere. Book 5 comes out YEARS later and covers the other half of the characters for about 2/3 of the book and then progresses all the characters forward a bit. Plus it introduces even MORE characters and just becomes less, I don't know, detailed? Mature? Can't say for certain, but the quality has certainly waned from the first three. I could accept it a bit if they came out every year or something, but taking 7 or 8 years per book...there is no excuse.

 

[Charlie Campisi]

Thanks for all the in depth commentary on GOT. It certainly augments the experience. Random thoughts:

• I’ll reiterate my point about S1-6 and S7-8. The latter seasons lacked the detail of the former, almost certainly because D&D were multitasking producing the show while also trying to write scripts. It was that lack of detail that caused the symptoms of the hurried pacing and some seemingly disconnected actions of some characters to their pasts.
• How did they know it was Jon who killed Dany? I think he confessed. He’s very much Ned Stark’s (adopted) son, noble to a fault. He justified killing the woman he loved for the good of the 7 kingdoms and then owned it.
• Why didn’t Drogon roast Jon? Maybe because he is Targaryen, though Viserion and Raegon knew to not roast Tyrion. Unlike the lack of evidence of how much fire is in the belly of a dragon without ‘reloading’ (thanks for that entertaining 2 day debate!), I’m fairly certain that both in the books and in the show, someone (Tyrion maybe) says that dragons are said to be as smart as people. They are also very perceptive. If you accept their intelligence as being that of a human, it changes how you look at Dany causing Drogon to roast the citizens. Drogon obeyed his mother, but knew the action was wrong and therefore maybe understood what Jon did and why he did it. (Drogon also knew that Dany and Jon loved each other, potentially helping him see Jon’s pain in killing his love.)
• I think it’s possible that ‘seeking likes’ causes some people to race to post criticisms. I also think the criticisms can be fair. We are living in a golden age of serial television. It’s nothing like what we watched in the 50’s or 60’s or even the 90’s. Much of television is better than movies because of the ability to tell a story over tens of hours, and the budgets and freedom from censorship of networks like HBO has made it an artist’s dream. Television is awesome today. What comes with that awesomeness is being held to higher standards. I think the petition people are out of their mind, but there is a pretty sizable group of viewers who think the series could’ve been better and shouldn’t be lumped all together and dismissed as ‘wouldn’t have been happy with any ending.’
• When Bran returns to Winterfell, Sana’a tells him he is lord of Winterfell as Ned’s oldest heir. Bran says he is no longer Bran, he is the 3 eyed raven and can’t be lord. But he’s king? I didn’t like that.
• Ending on a good note, I loved Brienne writing Jaime’s final entry in the book of the Kingsguard. In the book, Jaime obsesses over his legacy and the empty page following the description of his broken oath. He reads about Barristan Selmy and other great kingsguard. His thoughts around his actions consume him and Martin makes you like him after hating him in book 1. It was a very fitting tie up.

 

[RobertR]

I thought the first three books were spectacular. Book 3, in particular, was amazing. Then came book 4. He screwed it up. He had planned a 5-year gap for the characters between books 3 and 4. Then he changed his mind and the book grew to be monstrously huge. So, he split the book into two parts...sort of. Book 4 wound up being only half of the characters' stories. Plus, he introduces a bunch of new characters whose stories really didn't go anywhere. Book 5 comes out YEARS later and covers the other half of the characters for about 2/3 of the book and then progresses all the characters forward a bit. Plus it introduces even MORE characters and just becomes less, I don't know, detailed? Mature? Can't say for certain, but the quality has certainly waned from the first three. I could accept it a bit if they came out every year or something, but taking 7 or 8 years per book...there is no excuse.

Spot on analysis of the books. I particularly agree with the criticism of Martin introducing WAY too many characters, and losing focus on the main story and characters. As much as people have criticized the show, it's much better in this regard.

 

[Josh Dial]

Plus, he introduces a bunch of new characters whose stories really didn't go anywhere.

Unlike Robert, I don't agree with your analysis at all. In fact, I think the above quote is objectively incorrect. There are almost no new characters introduced. While some characters are brought to the forefront, almost all of them appeared in the previous books. I'm not sure which "new characters" you are referring to, nor which stories you think didn't go anywhere.

Damphair appeared in book 2, and had a POV in book 4, with another POV in book 6. He is a key architect behind the kingsmoot.

Victarion appeared in Book 3, is a POV character in 4 and 5, and is set to appear in 6. He is a major character and his story serves obvious purpose (the dragon binding horn that "appeared" in the show but was of course abandoned, and to court Dany for Euron).

Euron is definitely new in book 4, but I think it's fair to say he'll likely have more purpose going forward.

Arys has been in the books since the start. His story line and fate is tied directly with Myrcella and the Dornish attempt at crowning a queen. having his story in book 4, along with Arianne's story, is the best (and really only) way to tell the Dornish side of things. Areo Hotah is new, but his story clearly continues (along with Arianne's story) and has purpose. While I could understand not liking the Dorne stuff (many don't--I'm really only a fan of Areo), I don't think it's correct to say it has no purpose.

Jon Connington is undoubtedly new in book 5, but his story line (protecting Young Griff and taking Storm's End) is monumentally important. The Jon and Young Griff story is poised to be one of the major plot points for the rest of the series, and, in my opinion, its exclusion from the show is what partly made the last few seasons make no sense and feel rushed. For example, Dany's turn against King's Landing would make much more sense if the citizenry was supporting Young Griff and not Cersei.

In the end, I think it was the show's apparent refusal to introduce new characters that adversely affected the quality. Too many characters were merged into one, too many characters were jettisoned completely.

The books' additional characters are a positive, not a negative.

 

[Wayne_j]

I've read a lot of books but I always get stuck about a couple hundred pages into the first game of thrones book.

 

[Malcolm R]

I've read a lot of books but I always get stuck about a couple hundred pages into the first game of thrones book.

It didn't really click for me until about halfway through the first book. The second and third books are better. I haven't yet started the fourth.

 

[Michael Henry]

My coda:

The camera pans way up North, passed the wall and keeps going until we get to an ice village where many ice people and creatures have gathered.

There is a stone table where everyone has surrounded a lifeless figure.

There is...a dragon off to the side - obviously in mourning.

Then an Ice Prince steps to the figure and touches her face.

Dany's face is shown and her eyes abruptly open revealing the blue tint.

Credits.

The story has basically started over - this time with an Ice Queen.

 

[Sam Posten]

The story has basically started over - this time with an Ice Queen.

 

[Carlo_M]

My coda:

The camera pans way up North, passed the wall and keeps going until we get to an ice village where many ice people and creatures have gathered.

There is a stone table where everyone has surrounded a lifeless figure.

There is...a dragon off to the side - obviously in mourning.

Then an Ice Prince steps to the figure and touches her face.

Dany's face is shown and her eyes abruptly open revealing the blue tint.

Credits.

The story has basically started over - this time with an Ice Queen.

For those who have not read the long Stephen King series (or are currently reading it), I'll spoiler it what I'm about to say. But if they did as you suggest, it would be reminiscent of:

Spoiler

Stephen King's Dark Tower series...which coincidentally is also 7 books and took decades to finish. At first I was like WTF when I finally finished it (I had been reading it since the early 1990s) but have grown to greatly appreciate King's ending. That series really would be served well by a GoT style of episodic series vs. the film they made recently.

 

[Greg.K]

This was pretty funny.

Game of Thrones Season 8 Pitch Meeting

 

[The Drifter]

Obviously, there are a lot of GOT fans who never read the books - and I'm one of them. In my case - I never plan on reading them. I myself became a fan of the show only because of the positive "buzz" that I started to hear around mid-2012, well before it got "huge". I intentionally passed on the books because:

1) I didn't/don't want to take the time to read them; I have a huge back-log of things to read as it is.

2) I didn't want any key plot-points on the show to be ruined by the books, since I wanted to be genuinely surprised when watching the show. So, when I saw the "Red Wedding", the scum-bag King Geoffrey's death by poisoning, etc. I was completely floored - which is what I wanted. Though the books may have had some differences vs. the show, I know some things stayed the same (or were at least similar).

3) I didn't/don't want to compare the books to the series, and feel the show should stand on it's own.

 

[RobertR]

There is nothing "better" for me about being floored by plot developments from watching a TV show vs reading a book. Yes, I knew what was going to happen on the show, but I STILL had the emotional reaction from reading the books, so it's not as though reading the books "ruined" anything for me.

I would never refuse to read a book simply because it was made into a movie or TV show that I watched.

 

[KeithDA]

This was pretty funny.

Game of Thrones Season 8 Pitch Meeting

Best comment to this was: John Goes North, Drogon goes East, Arya goes West and the show went way South.

 

[Malcolm R]

Obviously, there are a lot of GOT fans who never read the books - and I'm one of them. In my case - I never plan on reading them. I myself became a fan of the show only because of the positive "buzz" that I started to hear around mid-2012, well before it got "huge". I intentionally passed on the books because:

1) I didn't/don't want to take the time to read them; I have a huge back-log of things to read as it is.

2) I didn't want any key plot-points on the show to be ruined by the books, since I wanted to be genuinely surprised when watching the show. So, when I saw the "Red Wedding", the scum-bag King Geoffrey's death by poisoning, etc. I was completely floored - which is what I wanted. Though the books may have had some differences vs. the show, I know some things stayed the same (or were at least similar).

3) I didn't/don't want to compare the books to the series, and feel the show should stand on it's own.

I can understand this to an extent, and I know the books are so huge that they're rather intimidating (to me, anyway). But I'd think if you enjoy the world-building, characters, and story, that you would want to experience the creator's original vision, rather than simply the variation created by a third party for a different medium.

 

[JimmyO]

That two hour special was quite good. Helps you get an appreciation for just how much goes into making a show like GoT. Enjoyed thoroughly. It's too bad though that they weren't given access to more of the top cast members.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

I enjoyed the approach of the two hour documentary which was to showcase and follow several of the production crew as if they were miked players in an NFL game. You really get a sense of the fatigue and wear and tear and dedication of these no glory players. And for those who criticized the abbreviated last season (myself included), don't think the producers didn't take the attitude and condition of these unheralded MVP production crew into consideration.

The best part of the documentary was the table read and seeing several of the actors react to their fates (Varys, Dany, etc.) Harrington crying when he reads the part where he kills Dany. And Maisie Williams surprise and exaltation when they read the part where she kills the Night King.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I enjoyed the approach of the two hour documentary which was to showcase and follow several of the production crew as if they were miked players in an NFL game. You really get a sense of the fatigue and wear and tear and dedication of these no glory players. And for those who criticized the abbreviated last season (myself included), don't think the producers didn't take the attitude and condition of these unheralded MVP production crew into consideration.

The best part of the documentary was the table read and seeing several of the actors react to their fates (Varys, Dany, etc.) Harrington crying when he reads the part where he kills Dany. And Maisie Williams surprise and exaltation when they read the part where she kills the Night King.

It was an excellent documentary and I urge all fans to watch it.

I was very impressed with the approach the filmmakers took in glorifying "the little people" who were behind the scenes and made the show the success it was. In particular, they followed an "extra" who had been with the series since the beginning.

Yes, the table reads were very revealing as to how the actors felt about the fate of their characters.

 

[Hollywoodaholic]

It was also very amusing to see the show's stunt coordinator who got to play the Night King discover how boring it is to be an actor, as you spend 90% of your time either in make up or waiting in a trailer for the ten minutes you actually get to do your scene. He was used to actually doing stuff all day choreographing or creatively designing and rehearsing stunts.

It was also a riot to see how he got to bask in a little of an actor's glory as he met with fans outside the hotel in Spain, where he was brought over just as subterfuge to confuse press spies or fans who would wonder how he was a part of the Spain shot sequences (which his character had no part in).