Off Topic The Goodhand Arms

Well many happy returns for tomorrow LTL, let's all have a party!

 

This is part of the report on BBC news about the fire on board a ship in the North Sea:

The 192m-long (16ft) ship had been heading from Immingham on the north-east coast of England to Brake, south of Bremerhaven, when it caught fire.

 

I think someone ought to come on here and give us the reasons why GOT is so good, because for the life of me, I can't see it yet. I'd love to like it, but I don't care about the fortunes of the characters, and if you don't do that, what hope has it got for gripping you..? Tell you what, I'm going to watch it properly again from the start. Let's see if I come back converted, or wishing that there had been some newly applied Dulux to gaze at in the meantime.

 

People like different things. It may not be your bag TSS, but that doesn't necessarily make it bad, just not for you. It's dangerous to suggest something is good just by strength of numbers, but it's popularity would indicate it's not a bag of nonsense. On the flip-side, Fran likes Mrs Brown's Boys which to my mind is the most intolerably awful thing committed to celluloid, but it's horses for courses!

Still, none of it beats The Wire (though I'd be completely unsurprised if someone on here thought that was bunk too (yes Wire fans, pun intended)).

 

Oh, I'm not falling into the trap of saying it's bad. I would never be that parochial. You should know that by now. I just would like someone to explain to me what the attraction is. Surely it is not beyond the wit of so many to know that..?

 

Boobs.

 

Sex, violence and mother ****ing dragons.

 

I'll try to keep this relatively short as i don't want get caught in miniscule details.

Basically its interesting because it doesn't deal with the usual staple of good vs evil. Every character/faction on the show has their own motives, schemes, morals and end goals and will try to achieve those by their own means and using various erstwhile allies who in-turn also have their own motives etc so its very intricate.

The show also actively tries to undermine various tv tropes by taking turns and having things happen that break the rule of 'normal' tv. No-one is safe and nothing is certain.

Its also a very densely filled world with everything from ancient history through to the music and art style added. Add to that the high production values and excellent cast and you have a very rewarding show that's not afraid to take unexpected turns

Also: Breasts

 

Thanks for taking the trouble with that Tommono. I can see where that might attract certain people. Personally, I am not attracted by struggles for power, or watching people trying to achieve goals by any means possible. I don't enjoy the coldness [or perhaps, lack of warmth] and cynicism that pervades the show, or the way women especially are perceived and used as little more than titillation [so far]. This may or may not be historically accurate [obviously the story is fictional] but it's not for me. I started again from the beginning and watched the first episode with as much concentration as I could muster and at least I know now that I don't like it at all, despite the obvious excellent production values and the very good cast. Carry on.

 

It really isn't for everyone. The fantasy setting alone is a bit of a put off for some people and then its rather grim visuals and grimmer depiction of life in those times (although fantasy, the struggles of smallfolk were pretty real back then.)

I should add though that its often joked that the show has a nudity quota it has to fill there are a fair few women who are powerful and competent and act as such, having a massive impact on various stories, so they're not just titillation

All in all like you said, not for everyone...i'll just add that it really is best watched in a marathon. Watching sporadically kinda ruins the flow and takes you out of the setting making it harder to follow and get into.

 

Well that's a start, but it's not the only thing by a long way! I was hooked before the TV show started, as I had read all the books. Having been brought up on Tolkein, E.R. Eddison, the Dragonriders of Pern books by Anne McCaffrey, and later sagas like the Memory, Sorrow, and Thorn series by Tad Williams, I was immediately drawn into the original Game of Thrones novel when it appeared on my Kindle. The size and scale of Martin's universe, and the vast array of different characters, admittedly takes a while to get your head around, but was worth the effort. When I heard the books were being televised, I was anxious that we would see a whittling-down of the story like Peter Jackson did with the LoTR trilogy, but the fact that George R. R. Martin was on the scriptwriting team allayed those fears. Then, the first series finally went to air, and the brilliant casting and acting, not to mention the wonderful choice of locations and the stupendous production (and the astonishing amount of nudity) were all revealed, and I, amongst millions of others, couldn't get enough. The reason it takes so long to get going, especially if you haven't read the books, is that there are so many different strands and sub-plots to introduce, that the first series is mostly taken up with simply bringing all the cast on stage. This is why I urged TSS to stick with it. Once you've met them all, and you have a grasp of the multifaceted plot lines, I guarantee you'll find something to enjoy.

 

Anyone going to the Isle of Wight festival this year?

 

Yes agreed Chilco. I've read all the books too and am finding it gripping (though this current season, much like the book, is a bit of a slow-burner).


And boobs.

 

Agree 100%. Arguably the most powerful and compelling characters in the whole series: Cersei, Daenerys, and later Mellisandre and Brienne, are all women, and the men are to some extent subservient to their machinations.

 

Reading the books first can obviously make this sort of thing much more approachable. The only mythical books on this scale that I've ever read were LOTR and associated stories by Tolkien, and by the end of those, that was enough for me. So, sorry mate, I give up. I'm moving on to Breaking Bad, and I have a strange feeling [after watching half an episode] that I'm not going to like that either. I'm very picky with TV. My default stance is [as I keep banging on about] is that I'd rather go and do something else.

But I won't be going to the IOW festival, LTL. Did you know there was one on in Southampton over last weekend.?

 

I did hear, yes. There's one called Blissfields somewhere or other in Hants coming up on July 3rd too. I should probably find out where seeing as we're playing!

 

It's Winchester isn't it?

 

I had heard that !!!

 

That big bowl by the a272

 

Wow, game of thrones is getting pretty exciting now. Robert's just died and the excrement is about to hit the fan.