KushanMadman: I believe we've seen the skulls in the series, actually. Well, and the eggs, but those could conceivably be the combination of odd rocks and wishful thinking.

Dinosaur skulls and carved rocks.

Look, obviously this story if fantasy. That's how its set. All I'm saying is that based on on the 7 episodes we've seen so far, if someone is coming into this series new, they aren't going to go "holy shiat this show is way too fantastic and outrageous for me!"

Game of Thrones is about .001% more fantastical than The Sopranos at this point.

DamnYankees: Well, maybe they simply haven't shown up yet in the show, but I don't believe we've met a single person in Westeros who actually still supports the Targaryon claim to the throne.

I'm in the middle of the fourth book right now and I don't recall anyone's explicitly stating that they'd support a Targaryen return. Of course, very few people even know that Danaerys is even alive, so there wouldn't be much public conversation about it.

Dinobot: Actually, it is explicitly told that there used to be dragons in Westeros. That's how the Targaryen came to power in the first place. Aegon the Conqueror used the dragons to submit 6 of the 7 high lords, the 7th one was won by political marriage (and yes, it's not a spoiler -- by this part, in the first book, all this has been explained)

Sort of like how Rome was founded by children raised by Wolves, Egypt was created by a god ejaculating it into existence, and the Norse world was based on Yggdrasil?

The point is, the character in Game of Thrones believe in myths just like we used to. That doesn't make them true. Vasyris Targaryon telling a whore that there used to be dragons doesn't mean there actually used to be dragons. Just that he believes there was.

MisterBill: DamnYankees: Well, maybe they simply haven't shown up yet in the show, but I don't believe we've met a single person in Westeros who actually still supports the Targaryon claim to the throne.

I'm in the middle of the fourth book right now and I don't recall anyone's explicitly stating that they'd support a Targaryen return. Of course, very few people even know that Danaerys is even alive, so there wouldn't be much public conversation about it.

Dude. Come on. I know you think that's inoccuous, but think about what you just said. That's a massive spoiler. You've basically just told me that Dany and Drogo won't be invading, at least through the first 4 seasons. That's a pretty huge spoiler.

It's not that hard to avoid spoilers, just need to think it through.

Dinobot: They showed the giant skulls... u know, the equivalent of a T-Rex! >.>

Yes. The equivalent of a T-Rex.

DamnYankees: MisterBill: DamnYankees: Well, maybe they simply haven't shown up yet in the show, but I don't believe we've met a single person in Westeros who actually still supports the Targaryon claim to the throne.

I'm in the middle of the fourth book right now and I don't recall anyone's explicitly stating that they'd support a Targaryen return. Of course, very few people even know that Danaerys is even alive, so there wouldn't be much public conversation about it.

Dude. Come on. I know you think that's inoccuous, but think about what you just said. That's a massive spoiler. You've basically just told me that Dany and Drogo won't be invading, at least through the first 4 seasons. That's a pretty huge spoiler.

It's not that hard to avoid spoilers, just need to think it through.

We are talking about a George R.R. Martin book here. The man takes 30 pages just to wipe his ass.

Zulu_as_Kono: What about the kid with the glowing eyes, who'd recently appeared staked to a tree, and her giant friends?

You know, from the very first scene?

If only I had specifically excluded that scene from my claims then perhaps I would have avoided such...oh wait. I did do that? Oh, well then. Nevermind.

ninjakirby: There isn't a lot of exposition in the show

Umm...what? I don't think I've ever seen a show with more blatant exposition than Game of Thrones. And its great; I happen to like hearing people explain stuff. But there's a ton of it.

ninjakirby: They take no land, have no wife and live only to protect their King. And Jaime killed him - with a sword through the back.

It's not that he killed the Mad King that gets people, it's that his honor is so openly forsaken and his word so openly useless.

I understand that, it just seems a little ridiculous. All these people are trying to kill this insane King, the King is about to destroy the capital city, and Jaime does the sane thing and stops him. Dude is a hero.

DamnYankees: ninjakirby: There isn't a lot of exposition in the show

Umm...what? I don't think I've ever seen a show with more blatant exposition than Game of Thrones. And its great; I happen to like hearing people explain stuff. But there's a ton of it.

ninjakirby: They take no land, have no wife and live only to protect their King. And Jaime killed him - with a sword through the back.

It's not that he killed the Mad King that gets people, it's that his honor is so openly forsaken and his word so openly useless.

I understand that, it just seems a little ridiculous. All these people are trying to kill this insane King, the King is about to destroy the capital city, and Jaime does the sane thing and stops him. Dude is a hero.

Someone has been reading spoilers. Jaime hasnt said anything about the king destroying the city yet...

kronicfeld: Someone has been reading spoilers. Jaime hasnt said anything about the king destroying the city yet...

That is something I have unfortunately read, but I thought they did mention it in the show. Is it a big reveal in the books, something which makes you re-evaluate Jaime once you learn it?

ninjakirby: DamnYankees: kronicfeld: Someone has been reading spoilers. Jaime hasnt said anything about the king destroying the city yet...

That is something I have unfortunately read, but I thought they did mention it in the show. Is it a big reveal in the books, something which makes you re-evaluate Jaime once you learn it?

To answer that fully is close to spoilers, but Jaime becomes a POV character later and we learn a bit more about his motivations.

Fair enough. I was just wondering if knowing that is a huge reveal. Like, there's a scene with Jamie and someone else that goes like this:

Jamie: I did what I had to do.
Other guy: You're a coward and a liar.
Jamie: You have no idea what your talking about.
Other guy: Interesting sentiment coming from a man with no honor. You betrayed your oath.
Jamie: I did what I had to do.
Other guy: Oathbreaker! Go back to farking your sister while you shirk your duties. Tywin would be ashamed.
Jamie: He would be proud.
Other guy: Proud, of a Kingslayer? An oathbreaker? Who the hell do you think you are?
Jamie: I'M THE MAN WHO SAVED YOUR LIFE! Do you have any idea what would have happened had I not killed that man. He gave an order to burn the city. 500,000 dead. Yes, I broke my oath. And every morning you should wake up and thanks the Seven that I did.
Other guy: :silent in the face of such a revelation: The king ordered what?

And...scene!

Am I close? Simple yes or no will suffice.

Dinobot: DamnYankees: Dinobot: Well, he puts honor before reason, which is what gets him in trouble.

I agree - but that's not the same thing as being dumb.

Ok, he's not genre savvy then, or wrong genre savvy -- being honorable might work in disney works, but doesnt work in the sopranos.

And I agree with others regarding Tyrion/Peter Dinklage, he's my favorite character from the book, and Peter is just making me like him even more.

Sorry for disappearing for so long after dropping that "Ned's an idiot" thing. And I really wasn't trolling, either. I'll agree he's not a TOTAL moron but, really--at some point you'd think he'd freakin' catch on. And there's no way you can just overlook his dismissal of Arya telling him she overheard people plotting his demise. It's stuff like that, even when I read the books, I would just throw my hands up in disgust.

Yes, he's uber-honorable. But at some point, you'd think he'd come to realize that King's Landing is NOT Winterfell. Sticking to his Northern honor successfully alienated his older daughter, got half his household guard killed, and earned him a spear through the leg. You'd think at some point he'd have wised up.

I think Ned is Martin's way of telling us that the heroes we're used to in fantasy works most likely just wouldn't cut it in a realistic medieval setting.

bobbette: "SURROUNDED BY RUTHLESS ENEMIES

WHY BOTHER TO PROTECT MYSELF?"


Surrounded by The Kingslayer and a score of armed guards who confront you about your wife kidnapping his brother?

CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY

Again, there are certainly better ways to handle that situation that WON'T earn you a spear through the leg.

brigid_fitch: bobbette: "SURROUNDED BY RUTHLESS ENEMIES

WHY BOTHER TO PROTECT MYSELF?"


Surrounded by The Kingslayer and a score of armed guards who confront you about your wife kidnapping his brother?

CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY

Again, there are certainly better ways to handle that situation that WON'T earn you a spear through the leg.

That symbolism in the final scene was a little much.

Oh look - Ned Stark is on his last leg!

andrewabc: Please no spoilers, but a question:

Is there magic in the books? (I havn't read any).
So far in tv show havn't seen any, but a guy did mention want to be a wizard. I see there were dragons. But magic doesn't seem to be around much if at all (like LotR).

Not LoTR-like magic in any of the 4 books out so far and no Gandalf-like wizards yet. But there's a steady increase: The "White Walkers" in the show. Bran's dream of the 3-eyed crow. Later on, you'll see this universe's equivalent of alchemists comment on their ability to create items they haven't been able to create in centuries. Weird glass candles that the Maesters haven't been able to light in millenia start glowing. Astral projection that allows people to inhabit other creatures' minds. There's more but I don't want to post any huge spoilers.

Basically, Winter is coming. And with this Winter comes stuff that hasn't been seen in thousands of years.