Chalky White

May 25th, 2017 at 11:46 AM ^

They say people who like comics, aren't into fantasy and vice versa. I know a guy who loves all Marvel movies but would never watch Lord of the Rings. If you don't like midevil fantasy and sex, you won't watch GOT. 

 

I had a free preview of HBO when GOT debuted. I saw the white walker toss that guy's head through the woods in the first episode. I was immediately hooked. I had never heard of or read any of the books before that point. I liked this show for the gore.  The sex wasn't that big of a deal for me. That's why I liked the many face man plot, hoping it would evolve into something better. 

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kehnonymous

May 24th, 2017 at 9:59 PM ^

I'm also another big fan of the show, though a lot of that is from having read the series well beforehand.

Part of the reason for the show's popularity is because it's a long-awaited adaptation of arguably the most popular fantasy series not named Lord of the Rings.  If SF/F isn't your bag that's fine, there's nothing wrong with you.I would say that IF you want to see what the show is about, you should watch through the rest of season 1 and some of the threads will start to bear fruit.  The political gamesmanship and generally strong acting make for some fascinating TV and I personally think the first book (and season) was the most masterfully plotted.  

Given the large cast, plot does tend to overshadow characters which as a self-admitted Mad Men fan might not be your thing.  The main thing to watch in season 1, if you track nothing else, is how they lay the seeds of the Stark and Lannister family conflict which informs 75% of everything else.

The other criticisms of the show being too reliant on shock value and bewbs are not entirely baseless and, yes, there are too damn many major/minor characters (this is NOT the show's fault as it's done yeoman's work in stripping down the number of peeps from the source material, but is still a valid reason to not like the show)

If you like a complex political drama that doesn't flinch at adult themes and contains a lot of dramatic plot twists (some better executed than others), then power through season 1 and see if you like it.  If you're still not convinced after 3 abortive efforts, no sweat - there'e only so much TV you can watch in your life and a lot of other good shows out there.

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Pepto Bismol

May 25th, 2017 at 10:21 AM ^

But I'd say it just might not be your thing, or you may have been crippled by expectations.

I started right before Season 2.  I had heard good things about S1 (nothing close to the hype it has now), and the wife and I figured we'd give it a whirl.  Like you, fantasy was not really my thing and I rolled my eyes at the thoughts of magic and dragons.  I've seen the LOTR trilogy - I wasn't into it at all.

I thought the first episode was great.  We immediately watched the 2nd episode the same night.  We plowed through the first season in about 4 days and were left with a month of anticipation until the 2nd season started.  We were hooked immediately. 

If that didn't hit you the same way, it just might not be for you.  I don't think it changes or gets any "better".  It is what it is.  A friend of mine tried it last year based on all of the hype and had an almost identical reaction to you.  "It's okay, I'm just waiting for it to pick up."  I don't think he'll ever enjoy it. 

On the other hand, another close friend fought it for years based on the "I don't get into dragons" theory.  He finally gave it a shot last year and fell into it hard - caught up in a matter of months. 

To each his own.

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ijohnb

May 25th, 2017 at 12:12 PM ^

don't think it changes or gets any "better."

I don't know if it gets better or not, but it certainly changes.   Season 1 does kind of bait you into thinking you are watching something different than you are if you have not read the books.  The entire narrative structure of the show changes at the end of Season 1.

(VAGUE SPOILER ALERT)  I can see how somebody watching Season 1 believes they are watching the tale of the Starks and that the Starks alone will be the dominant characters and plot.  It kind of leads you to believe you are watching a stock "good v. evil" show and that you will be following the protagonists the way you would in a standard story. 

From that perspective, I can see how people lose interest because they have preconceived notions about where the show is going to take you and may not find Ned particularly interesting because they are largely unaware of his motivations throughout the season, and assume the show is going to be fundamentally about the facts and events he is uncovering, and not what happens because of what he finds.  The events in "Baelor" (possibly the best episode of TV of all time) changed all of that in a heartbeat.

It is also impossible to foresee in the first season how you as the audience are really going to "care" about characters other than the Starks as well.  To imagine half way through Season 1 that one of the best, and devastating, scenes in the show would be a conversation between Tyrion and his father in Tywin's office would not have been remotely foreseeable.

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Pepto Bismol

May 25th, 2017 at 3:09 PM ^

That's fair, I suppose, but none of that occurred to, nor affected me. 

I was not a book reader and never heard of ASOIAF before hitting play on Episode 1.  As I mentioned, I'm not a wizards and magic kind of guy and that series kicks off with a blue-eyed satanic figure seemingly possessing children and beheading Night's Watchmen.

I appreciated the pace and tone of the show and was into it immediately. 

On a macro level, sure, you get a pretty good jolt at the end of Season 1 and your understanding of the series is turned on its ear.  But the setting, the theology, the pace, the politics, the graphic sex & violence - all of those aspects remain constant and true to the first season.  If he's waiting for the series to turn into some run-and-gun thrill ride or something, it's not going to happen.  It's about families and power and honor and everything they set up and tore down in that first season. 

I was way into the show well before the penultimate episode of Season 1 or whichever the one was where that one thing happened.  If he's not getting it yet and waiting for an accelerated pace or whatever he's not getting, I don't think a single plot twist will kick-start his interest. 

IMHO.  I could be wrong.

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SpaghettiPolicy

May 24th, 2017 at 4:57 PM ^

It gets much better. What you may not understand yet about the series is the insane depth of the world. Season 1 is building a lot of that but then again we're still discovering different parts of Westeros and Essos. Typically episodes 6-10 have a lot of meat and action, 1-5, 1-6 is more set up and that has rung true for almost every season so far. You're right on the edge of where it gets better, for season 1 anyway. I'd finish it out and see what you think from there.

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spigmoni

May 24th, 2017 at 7:10 PM ^

BEST SHOW CURRENTLY ON TV.

All Caps on purpose.  So pumped.  Usually the Thrones season is already going by now and is a good distraction from the lull that is the michigan football offseason..

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notetoself

May 25th, 2017 at 10:32 AM ^

in my opinion, the books are so much richer. inevitably, the side storylines had to be cut down for a screen adaptation, but it's always rubbed me the wrong way how they conflated storylines and characters into kind of hybrid "here's one guy to represent these 5 side characters".

also, it drives me crazy that GRRM had a bunch of hanging storylines that seemed real big (LADY STONEHEART??) that don't even exist in the show, thus telling us they have no real meaning because they didn't even bother to include them. it's like an indirect spoiler. how about the fact that Grenn isn't dead in the book yet? fml.

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JFW

May 25th, 2017 at 1:56 PM ^

and while he's made a great story, he's like a guy who's let his garden get completely overgrown. There are so many story lines, and so many times it (sounds like) he's written himself into a corner. 

I love the stories, but for me the TV show has taken over. At this point I don't know if I'll read another book unless he concludes the series. 

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LKLIII

May 25th, 2017 at 8:05 AM ^

Plus it's outstanding writing. My wife isn't a fantasy person and got into it. She loves The Imp. "How would you like to die, Tyrion, son of Tywin?"....."In my bed. At the age of 80, with a belly full of wine and a woman's mouth around my cock."



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