I've been waiting for this for months and I'm on a freaking redeye to NY that night. Well, its not like the plot will be ruined for me....
I think I'm as interested in how people will react to the Spoiler incest as much as I am in finally seeing this show. I can't think of any other major television show that had that element as an important factor in the narrative...I'm really can't decide if people will tolerate it enough to make this show as popular as it needs to be to justify the money they have spent on it.
There were a couple of gasps in the theater, but everyone was pretty ecstatic to start the 2nd episode.
I'm curious as to the impressions of viewers who have not read the books. Reviews seem mostly positive so far, but I would love to hear your thoughts in comparison to Ryan McGee's review; a critic who has not read the books: www.winter-is-coming.net/2011/04/ryan-and-ryan-talk-thrones/ The written review comes across as rather negative, while I don't really get that sense in the podcast. Granted he is one of several people in the podcast, all the rest of whom are fans of the books who have seen the first 6 screeners and like/love what they have seen so far.
I tried to watch it as someone who had not read the books (which was admittedly difficult while trying to to be a fanboy at every scene, location and character) and I will admit that it may be too many characters too fast for a newcomer. But by the end of the 2nd episode, they should be hooked. I can't argue with Ryan McGee's review too much. But some things are lost in translation. If the characters just went into babbling back and forth about the history of the land, it will probably lose some viewers who feel that it is too much info at once. So, a little here and a little there as the series progresses is probably much better for television. I'm not a "purist" and I'm not going to whine every time two words of dialogue are changed from the book. But I know there are a lot of guys out there who will.
They don't even provide that much backstory in the novels that quickly. Part of a good storytelling is providing the details in a natural fashion as events transpire. People will have a good feel for Westeros in good time and in order to provide people new to the world with the kind of comfort they might want in order to understand everything and everyone in the first episode, then half the damn thing would be voice-over and that's just bad writing. I haven't seen it yet, but I predict people will come to understand enough to keep watching.
Kind of how I feel. Although, these guys saw the first 6 episodes. I only got to see 2. Which I'll take every time.
Desperately trying to finish this before the series starts Sunday. Fortunately, the story is rocking along so its becoming "non-putdownable" (is that a word? No? Oh well...it works). Page 568....290 pages to go. Ack!
Ton of postive reviews including an A- from Entertainment Weekly! http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/04/the-reviews-keep-on-coming/
Well I've reread all the books, watched the 15 minute sneak preview, and set my DVR for the episode AND the countdown show beforehand. I think I'm ready for it.
