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roginOk, good stuff! Don't know how the people new to this are seeing it but I thought this was the first episode, where we seemed to be past introductions, where we start to see layers of the characters and also where some meta messages are served.
Ned and the girls arrive in King's Landing and it's really hard not to pitty Ned a bit. First off Jaime reminds him that he's in a pool of sharks where his father and brother died, then he gets told by the people who actually run the realm that the crown is in million deep depth to the Lannisters and finally his daughters want to kill each other. Shit first day if someone every had one, but interesting too and at least Catelyn drops by to tell him about the attempt on Bran's life.
Jaime and his killing of the mad king are pretty interesting. Jaime putting it as if he stabbed Aerys to restore justice to the realm and Ned putting it like he was a turncoat coward for doing it. Both views are not entirely true. Sure Jaime didn't do it to avenge the Starks, he did it for his own families benefit and because Aerys was a lunatic. But to call it cowardice is not true either, things could have gone bad for Jaime too and he did what non of the others really wanted the disgrace to kill an old man, they had once sworn to serve. They are somewhat happy with looking down on the kingslayer for that.
Then with the counsel a few of the coolest characters in the books make an appearance. Petyr Balish aka Littlefinger who his is brilliantly portrayed and very much like I imagined him from the book. Not stupid, super ambitious and kinda small minded and mad all in one package. The way he talks about and with Catelyn is so cringeworthy. He's like the nerdy kid who went and became a software millionaire, tells everyone how grown up he is now but still sucks at the basics of human interaction.
Balish is much better at the intrigue game than Ned would ever want to be, but he's still a somehow not likeable dork in how he shows affection for Catelyn. The whole "see how clever I am to hide you at a whore house" piece is eyeroleinducing. Yet Littlefinger is someone who did outgrow his beginnings and stops at nothing, contrary to Ned, who is honourable but also comes from a place of privilege. Ned can afford morals. Or thinks he can.
Varys and Renly show up too, but they don't really leave that much of an impression, unless you count the eerie habit of Varys to know everything going on.
Petyr claims to have lost the weird murder knife to Tyrion Lannister. Which is of course crap. But I do remember that back when I read the books I was in the end really surprised that it came from Petyr himself. Yeah, of course it wasn't from Tyrion, he would never be that stupid and send someone with such a flashy blade if nothing else. But somehow Petyr Balish, with all his clumsyness and dorkishness faded into back in the books and Cersei and Jaime were so much stronger suspects. I wonder what the people think who have not read the books.
On the wall meanwhile there is more Jon and Tyrion. Jon is in a position he never was in before. Here he's the privileged one here and he has to deal with that. mixture of power and still being resented. Once again similar to Tyrion, who is the kings brother in law and still but would probably have been drowned as a baby if he had not been born rich. I also loved his scene with the nightswatch men. Tyrion is a cynic and very honest at times, but contrary to his siblings he's not without compassion at all. Or without a sense of wonder. Favourite character all the way.
Which brings me to my second favourite character, Arya, who got to act all those lovely scenes around her first dancing lessons. Loved her talk with Ned, and that he doesn't try to press her back in some box but gets her a teacher that suits her skills. His look in the end is heartbreaking though.
Meanwhile with the Dothraki Viserys gets his first smackdown and I really like Jaquaro. Dany is pregant and is more and more realising her own power. By the way the exiled knight that is with them is the son of the old commander of the nightswatch Tyrion is talking to.
Dany and Drogo are not sold as the couple in love they are in the book, which is fine by me but I wonder how they will deal with the ending. Why Dany would go suicidal over Drogo's death, maybe because she knows she might be enslalved now, or something.
Ned and the girls arrive in King's Landing and it's really hard not to pitty Ned a bit. First off Jaime reminds him that he's in a pool of sharks where his father and brother died, then he gets told by the people who actually run the realm that the crown is in million deep depth to the Lannisters and finally his daughters want to kill each other. Shit first day if someone every had one, but interesting too and at least Catelyn drops by to tell him about the attempt on Bran's life.
Jaime and his killing of the mad king are pretty interesting. Jaime putting it as if he stabbed Aerys to restore justice to the realm and Ned putting it like he was a turncoat coward for doing it. Both views are not entirely true. Sure Jaime didn't do it to avenge the Starks, he did it for his own families benefit and because Aerys was a lunatic. But to call it cowardice is not true either, things could have gone bad for Jaime too and he did what non of the others really wanted the disgrace to kill an old man, they had once sworn to serve. They are somewhat happy with looking down on the kingslayer for that.
Then with the counsel a few of the coolest characters in the books make an appearance. Petyr Balish aka Littlefinger who his is brilliantly portrayed and very much like I imagined him from the book. Not stupid, super ambitious and kinda small minded and mad all in one package. The way he talks about and with Catelyn is so cringeworthy. He's like the nerdy kid who went and became a software millionaire, tells everyone how grown up he is now but still sucks at the basics of human interaction.
Balish is much better at the intrigue game than Ned would ever want to be, but he's still a somehow not likeable dork in how he shows affection for Catelyn. The whole "see how clever I am to hide you at a whore house" piece is eyeroleinducing. Yet Littlefinger is someone who did outgrow his beginnings and stops at nothing, contrary to Ned, who is honourable but also comes from a place of privilege. Ned can afford morals. Or thinks he can.
Varys and Renly show up too, but they don't really leave that much of an impression, unless you count the eerie habit of Varys to know everything going on.
Petyr claims to have lost the weird murder knife to Tyrion Lannister. Which is of course crap. But I do remember that back when I read the books I was in the end really surprised that it came from Petyr himself. Yeah, of course it wasn't from Tyrion, he would never be that stupid and send someone with such a flashy blade if nothing else. But somehow Petyr Balish, with all his clumsyness and dorkishness faded into back in the books and Cersei and Jaime were so much stronger suspects. I wonder what the people think who have not read the books.
On the wall meanwhile there is more Jon and Tyrion. Jon is in a position he never was in before. Here he's the privileged one here and he has to deal with that. mixture of power and still being resented. Once again similar to Tyrion, who is the kings brother in law and still but would probably have been drowned as a baby if he had not been born rich. I also loved his scene with the nightswatch men. Tyrion is a cynic and very honest at times, but contrary to his siblings he's not without compassion at all. Or without a sense of wonder. Favourite character all the way.
Which brings me to my second favourite character, Arya, who got to act all those lovely scenes around her first dancing lessons. Loved her talk with Ned, and that he doesn't try to press her back in some box but gets her a teacher that suits her skills. His look in the end is heartbreaking though.
Meanwhile with the Dothraki Viserys gets his first smackdown and I really like Jaquaro. Dany is pregant and is more and more realising her own power. By the way the exiled knight that is with them is the son of the old commander of the nightswatch Tyrion is talking to.
Dany and Drogo are not sold as the couple in love they are in the book, which is fine by me but I wonder how they will deal with the ending. Why Dany would go suicidal over Drogo's death, maybe because she knows she might be enslalved now, or something.