[saharen beauty]

I thought it was understandable. If your only knowledge of Westeros is through the show, it can be really hard to keep them apart, especially since Theon interacts with both.

But by the same token, the casting for Loras and Lancel was a mistake. They look too much alike, even I kept doing a double take in season 2 whenever one or the other appeared on screen.

[CHANONE]

I agree. I know plenty of people who only watch the show (ie. havent read the books) who really struggle to understand every character at times. Things like the two Mormonts being father and son, the connections between all of the Lannisters and the relationship of characters like Theon to the Starks are apparently easily missed, so I dont really begrudge any minor name changes.

[Elisabete Gaspar]

This is how ratings skyrocket, especially since even today there is still a stigma surrounding the fantasy genre.

Lets say I have a buddy who's never seen the show,

Me: "hey Jim have you seen GoT on HBO? It's a great low fantasy series with great political intrigue, ethical dilemmas, war, philosophy and it touches on certain aspects people in the Middle Ages may have felt and what they had to deal with, plus it's entertaining, funny at times and sad during others."

Jim: "uh huh that sounds like a good show."

Me: "there are boobs, naked female bodies and six in nearly every episode. There are [censored]s too, [censored]S! Even incist!"

Jim: "what channel and what time does it air?!"

So yeah it gets people's attention.

[Manny(BAKE)]

Come no, let's be honest, as simplified as GoT is compared to the ASoIaF series, it's still much more complicated than most shows out right now. I feel renaming, and completely re-imaging his sister was just for kicks. MAYBE if they simply changed her name, it'd be acceptable, but when you completely alter her appearance? That's a bit much to simply go 'Oh, well, uh, we didn't want to confuse characters.'

That reminds me, is it just me, or does Lancel's hair look a lot more brown than blonde this season?

[SHAWNNA-KAY]

So it wasn't just me that needed to watch the previous seasons again to get a better understanding of the characters. I found I was confusing several people for awhile. I think I have them all down now.

[Sebrina Johnstone]

For those who read all five books, plot understanding / speculation help :

Spoiler

Am I missing something, or does Bran's "Three eyed crow" shapes to be the Red god's unnamed enemy ? During the Bran chapters, there seems to be an insistance on the importance of "darkness". Also, Melisandre sees a wood-man and a child with a wolf heads and wonders if. Granted, she's a crappy interpreter, and anyone's who's not Rhollo is a demon in her books. But still. Not really sure either the wights are opposed to the three-eyed-crow. There's the case of Cold Hands : and the wights outside the cave didn't seem to bother them much. Buuuut the Singers have obsidian weapons, which kill the Others.

Rhollo's folks (yes, I know it's not the real name)... hmm. Want to fight the others, with dragons shaping to be the instrument of victory (+ Valyrian steel / sorcery ?). Buuuut kinda set fire to people.

All in all, supernatural battle shaping up ? It's interesting that neither the Crow nor Rhollo seem to be completely good or bad. Knowing Martin, it's probably not a question as simple as good vs evil.

Also, loving that the good ole masters seem to have a darker side. Really looking forward to learn more of Sam's adventures in Oldtown. Still not getting why a faceless man seems to have killed/replaced that Pate.

... God let's hope he doesn't take too long for book six. I am so never going to remember all that ! /tongue.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':tongue:' /> Also, cliffhangers much ? *Sad cause arrived at book five's epilogue.*

[Eibe Novy]

Spoiler

Melisandre appears to believe that Bran is the http://iceandfire.wikia.com/wiki/Great_Other.

The faceless man wanted to get a book on how to kill dragons and go with Marywn to Dany. (This is a popular theory anyway).

[Agnieszka Bak]

Hmm. I like that Lancel has that "male medieval barbie" look. Goes well with his gutless/brainless beginnings. Loras... I had to check to see if his actor and Margaery's weren't related. In that respect, I do think it's a good casting : in the books, it is commented that they ressemble each other ; a younger image of the Lannister twins (brave fighter/ambitious queen), to the point of Cersei wondering about their actual relationship.

It is strange : I'm bad at face recognition, I watch shows in english, which means some details may pass me by, I have lousy name memory, and yet GOT never put me to any trouble. There's a couple of characters I didn't quite identify (Pyp, Grenn, Hotpie...) until I read the books, but otherwise okay.



Or

Spoiler

a servant thereof, yes. *nods* Wonder how much truth there is in that ? Bran himself clearly is disquieted by the sight of Brynden, and the Reed kid seems increasingly worried.

/huh.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':huh:' />

Spoiler

I kinda got that he might be Jaqen (looks like his new face), but I don't get much that theory. That doesn't seem very faceless-ish - well, I know they're pretty anti-Valyrian, but they don't act on their own belief and preferences ; someone would have to pray and pay the price, would they not ? Who ? Varys ? Could be that while he wants a Targeryen heir, he doesn't want the risk of dragons past the point of conquests - he likes peace, and doesn't seem to see the danger of the Others.

[Tamika Jett]

Spoiler

I believe when Tyrion is thinking about how to kill a dragon he remebers reading that you cannot kill a dragon by stabbing it in the mouth. He then mentions that most of the books about dragons are kept under lock-and-key in the Citidel. Hence the theory that the alchemist ("Pate") wanted the key because it could open every door in the Citidel and allow him to retrieve the books on dragons.

As to who would want to kill the dragons? Most of the states in Essos want Dany gone (Voltanis, Qarth, Pentos, etc.). If they killed her dragons she would no longer be such a threat. The books might also tell them how to control dragons.

There's another theory that Euron paid the faceless men to kill Baelon with a dragon egg he found while sailing around Valyria. The book might say how to hatch the egg (now that the facless men have it).

[End speculation] /smile.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':smile:' />

[Kelvin]

Nice ! Thanks, enough to keep me thinking about it till book six perhaps. With the fame and the series, perhaps editors will prod him to write faster. /tongue.png' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':P' />

[MatthewJontully]

I read A Storm of Swords about two years ago and thought it was one of the most boring books I've ever read. The first two books were wonderful, had a perfect length they didn't drag on. A Storm of Swords just goes on forever and seemed to have a lot of things that didn't really matter. Martin just starts going into great lengths about what everyone ate for the day and it gets old. Seems like it has a lot of padding just to make it longer.

[Zoe Ratcliffe]

LOL, This is so true and very sad..

[Shelby Huffman]

You're trolling.

If you think A Storm of Swords is boring, you must really hate the 4th and 5th books.

[matt white]

Why am I trolling? just because I don't like a book? grow up I haven't read the 4th and fifth books as of yet, I have the 4th one but still haven't read it

[Gavin Roberts]

You are literally the first person I have ever seen on the internet say the book was boring.

[Ross Thomas]

Many people who haven't read the books seem to despise and hate Theon more so than the people who have read the books. That right there shows me the books give a much better understanding of the POV characters thoughts and emotions. Or maybe it's because I actually like Theon, he's one of my favorite characters in ASOIAF.

He is so conflicted, underestimated and misunderstood. He is as much a Stark as he is a Greyjoy, holding both of their ideals and philosophies in his mind.

[Darren Chandler]

I'm loving the HBO series so far, but it lacks the subtlety and myriad plot branches that I see in The Witcher series. I've yet to read the books.

[Johanna Van Drunick]

Yeah, agreed. The TV-series don't show his complexity (it would be hard to let all the characters really be fleshed out I guess) at all. I wonder what will happen with him in later seasons of the HBO-series.

[Siobhan Wallis-McRobert]

I actually think the TV show does a pretty good job at that. I was deeply moved by the scene somewhere in season 2,

Spoiler

where he burns the letter he had prepared to sent to Robb, warning him of his father's plans.

[Angus Poole]

True, but it will never reach the level that the books have (books are a far better medium for it anyway).

[Queen]

True of course, but that goes for every character, not just Theon.

[Trevor Bostwick]

I'm in the last half of Clash of Kings, and can't wait to get started on Storm of Swords. I heard one spoiler that makes me just eager as all hell to read it.

Spoiler

Hearing Joffrey is poisoned makes me REALLY eager to get to that point. That sadistic monster needs to die.

[Victor Oropeza]

Spoiler

Correct. I kinda felt sorry for him too because he was crying for his mother.

[Dean]

It's too bad that that part happens almost just after one of the most heart-wrenching parts in the entire series.

[Tom]

Man I liked the White Walkers in Season 1 better. The ones that appeared at the end of season 2 were pretty underwhelming in my opinion and didn't have that mysterious scary vibe that the ones in Season 1 did.