Oh, I don't know about that. I felt like they were so busy trying to touch on absolutely every character for the first episode that it fell kind of flat. They never stayed with one character group long enough to get much momentum going. I also didn't like the new scene with Littlefinger and Cersei at all. It seemed very out-of-character for Littlefinger to be that ham-fisted with threats. He's not a guy who makes mistakes like that.
I enjoyed it but it felt rushed and I don't think the production was as high quality as season 1. Season 1 felt like a well made movie while the 1st episode Of season 2 felt almost b grade. And at least through episode 1 they did a much better job of following the book. Danny's horse did not die and she was at the white city when she sent out Out the blood riders in search of cities. The scene between Cersie and Little Finger was great I thought but I don't recall that in the books. Nice addition though. Shae did not make it to the tower of the hand until latr in the series. Little things I know.
There wasn't much that was EXACTLY like it was in the book. The tourney on Joff's name day was a joust and not hand to hand combat and the Hound didn't participate. Doesn't really make a difference, the scene was really all about Ser Dontos and Sansa convincing Joff to spare his life and make him a fool. IIRC, the Stannis/Dragonstone scenes were consolidated quite a bit. Maester Cressen tries to poison Melisandre, fails and dies in the prologue. The burning of the "The Seven" and the writing of the letter denouncing Joff's claim to the throne happened later. The Shae thing I found odd because Tyrion wanted/needed to keep her a secret. The last thing he wants is Cersei to find out. Bringing her into the city, let alone his bed chambers, makes little sense.
Yeah I envisioned the tournament on the same grounds as the tournament of the hand in GoT. In the book Tyrions entrance into the city was much more epic, in the episode it was as if Tyrion was just walking up from around the corner. I think the show did no justice to Maester Cressens death. It's not clear at all wht exactly was happening when he died where as in the book it was very clear that he poisoned the drink and drank it knowing that it would kill him in order get Meisandre to drink.
I liked all the Cersie and Tyrion scenes. I can't wait for the interaction between the two during this season.
I didn't have much problem with it. I think if they had just showed him put the pill in the wine, it might have been somewhat confusing, but with Davos quietly telling him "Don't" it seemed pretty clear what was happening. But then I have read the books. Maybe to someone that didn't already have the info it might have been unclear.
I didn't get that scene. He drank it...he died. She drank it...nothing happens? It's like she knew but why did she drink and then why didn't she die?
There was something glowing in her neck. Maybe she is a witch? Maybe a Targaryan on whom apparently poison may have no effect?
I pondered on it for a second, then I remembered the previous scenes I saw with baby dragons, a chick who can't get burned by fire and a boy who dreams about wolves. Then it made sense.
I watched with my wife, who has not read the books. She was able to come to the same conclusion, but then again I explain to her about the Lord of Light, etc.
It's been a long time since I read Clash, but that Littlefinger scene with Cersei really stuck out. I'm ambivalent about the scene for the reasons already stated, but I found it interesting nonetheless. Overall, I enjoyed the episode as a starting point and suspect that future episodes will help expand the feeling of epicness and grandness that season 1 built toward.
Well then you pretty much get it. Cressen was the prologue POV character so after he dies, there's no real explanation though it's suggested that her God kept her alive. Another difference from the book is that she drinks first and then hands the last of it to the maester. I think they switched it so as to make it more obvious that she had full knowledge that the wine was poisoned as well as that he was willing to poison himself to stop her. Cressen was already grunting and bleeding from the mouth by the time she drank.
So I hear this show is kind of a big deal. I guess I'll read the books when the season is over so I can watch 2 straight seasons and not have to wait in agony for new episodes.
It was obvious in episode 1 that something bad was happening to Cressen prior Melisandre drinking from the cup. I believe in the book Melisandre drinks from the cup before Maester Cressen ever shows a sign that he is poisened. In the book they make it clear that Melisandre claims she was protected by Rhillor the god of light which is why the poison had no effect on her. There is never any other explination as to why she survived the poison.
