UNCUT REACTION - Game of Thrones S1E3 - Lord Snow

3:10 My grandmother was 16 when she got married and started popping out children. It wasn't that long ago. The sensibilities you speak of are a pretty recent invention in society.

Now I watched this entire vid. You guys have a view on characterization I don't really subscribe to in that you do indeed and have said on your videos you don't want plot/story interrupting the characterization. Of course, hopefully, you don't mean that literally. I'd say that should be impossible because characterization should come within the story. Story must be paramount and how a character reacts to the story is the best characterization, be it "shit, this kid saw us, out the window I guess." here, or in Trek something like Kirk fighting the spores from the flowers because he loves the ship while everyone else succumbed. That paints a more vivid picture than crying scenes with long monologues. "Show me, don't tell me". You guys seem to like "tell me" a lot. Different strokes.

it would kind of be like if in star wars, we're shown proof at the beggining the force is real, then the politics go on while we slowly hear more about the jedis and their story grows in importance

I really disagree. Theres a point to mentioning them, and it would be weird if there was nothing supernatural in the show and then they were revealed. Them being mentioned is establishing they are seen as a myth, and history and myth are essential to this story, even more so in the books. The entire reason the wall and the Night watch exists is according to legend to keep out the whitewalkers. The mentions tell us the history, which they think of as mythical, but we as the audeince know its not a myth. It builds the mystery and the threat as things are revealed slowly. In general, this show builds its mythology and backstory slowly in bits and pieces, and the looming threat of the whitewalkers, mostly heard of as myths and legends, grows slowly as we start to comprehend what's really going on, which ties into the history and everything that happens in the north.

the whole, "here's this looming threat north of the wall that makes all of these politics small beans in the grand scheme of things" is a MAJOR aspect of the show, the disconnect between those plots until..... well, winter is coming

On the whitewalkers- I think thats the whole point. Everyone thinks they are a myth because yes, they havent been seen in over a thousand years, whereas people know dragons existed because the last dragons existed only a century before and are still a matter of historical record.

The show arguably did this better then the books, though some things were sacrificed. A common complaint about the later books is the world got too big, it kept expanding and got bogged down in subplots which readers enjoyed but felt like the main characters stories were moving at a glacial pace. And of course the problem that though Martin knows how he wants to end his story, he seems to just keep expanding and filling out history as each book was longer then the last and he keeps writing side books instead of finishing the main story. This isn't a problem for the show... but as it goes on it deviates more and more from the books to make the whole thing maneageable.

And there will be many, many more characters. But it never really gets confusing, the show does a good job of growing its world so you can follow who everyone is and get a sense of the larger world and map as your awareness of it grows. The show also had resources to help people follow online, maps and some background history connected to those maps.

"I forgot about the first scene" You will continue to forget. George wrote it that way as well. You saw it, it's real. But if they instead leave the reveal for some season x cliffhanger it would feel like bs that came from nowhere. Not so now.

Yes, seasons vary in length, sometimes wildly. Is it some otherworldly planetary mechanics, or perhaps the work of the gods? And... Does it matter? You mentioned General Veers. Julian Glover was also (among many other things!) Kristatos in the Bond film For Your Eyes Only, Walter Donovan in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and he is the voice of Aragog the Acromantula (giant spider) in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. He also guest starred in an excellent episode of Doctor Who called City of Death, as Scaroth, last of the Jagaroth (meaning nothing to you lol!), being the first episode of that show filmed outside London - in Paris in fact. (John Cleese has a Cameo in that ep too)

So MANY characters! And, well, so many MORE to come... IDK if a list will help you - or hinder you, but these are the people you have met so far (I'll edit in if I realize I miss someone): WINTERFELL- Eddard 'Ned' Stark - Lord of Winterfell, Warden of The North Catelyn Stark - Lady of Winterfell, 'Cat' Robb Stark - eldest son, Ned's heir Sansa - eldest daughter Brandon or Bran - son, paralyzed in fall from the Broken Tower Arya - daughter, good archer, has a slim sword 'Needle' Rickon - youngest (hardly seen yet, blink and ya missed him) Jon Snow - bastard son of Ned Maester Luwin - healer, advisor, teacher, historian, scholar Ser Rodrick Cassel - Master-at-arms, military advisor Jory - Capt. of Ned's household guard, Rodrick's nephew Theon Greyjoy - Ward of Ned Stark, last son of Baelon Greyjoy Old Nan - (oldest?) Servant woman, storyteller Roz - redhead whore liked by Theon (above) and Tyrion (below) CASTLE BLACK- Benjen Stark - First Ranger, Ned's younger brother Lord Commander Jeor Mormont - head honcho Ser Alliser Thorne - Master-at-arms, trainer Maester Aemon - The Maester of Castle Black is blind Grenn - recruit - Jon broke his nose Pyp - recruit - skinny lad, moves too much Rast - recruit - has a beard, surly fellow KING'S LANDING- King Robert Baratheon - Led a rebellious war to gain the throne Queen Cersei Lannister - Mother to Joffrey, Myrcella & Tommen Ser Jaime Lannister - Twin bro of Cersei, the Kingslayer Tyrion Lannister - The Imp, Halfman, brother of Jaime and Cersei Renly Baratheon - Youngest brother of King Robert Lord Varys - Master of Whispers, bald eunuch, 'The Spider' Lord Petyr Baelish - Master of Coin, 'Littlefinger', loved Cat Grand Maester Pycelle - Highest ranking Maester in King's Landing Ser Barristan Selmy - Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Lancel Lannister - King Robert's squire The Hound - Sandor Clegane, Joffrey's bodyguard, burnt face Ser Ilyn Payne - Royal executioner, mute knight ESSOS- Viserys Tagaryen - Son of the 'Mad King' Aerys and 'rightful' heir to the Iron Throne Danaerys Targaryen - Youngest surviving Targaryen, now wed to Khal Drogo of the Dothraki (nomadic horsemen of northern Essos) Ser Jorah Mormont - Originally from Bear Island in The North, now outlawed, wishes to serve the 'rightful' King of Westeros Illyrio Mopatis - Wealthy Magister in Free City of Pentos, hosted Dany's wedding to Drogo Khal Drogo - Chieftain of a Khalassar of Dothraki horsemen/warriors; weds Danaerys to make her his Khaleesi (I first posted without anyone from Essos - duhhh) That is 38 already, if I didn't miss anyone! I didn't include the 3 Rangers who died in ep1, nor Mycah the butcher's boy, nor any other Dothraki. Some of the above you'll hardly see again, others will go on 'til they die or the show ends lol. And many more will follow.

Just listened to the takes. GoT took some criticism for degrading women, not giving them agency and so on, but just looking at these first few episodes it is Kat who is the one in charge of getting the story going and even realizing there is a problem or conflict and getting all the men around her on the same page. Robb and Ned might be the men of Winterfell but were just passive bystanders who didn't realize in the first couple of episodes they were starring in a story. And Kat is not nearly done driving this bus. Marvel traded in Agent Carter, a great character, for an army of women where the writers thought the best way to write women was to write them like men.

Between GoT and BSG this patreon has morphed into a channel examining the best that TV has to offer. Walking Dead is one that belongs with these two, but it might be time to add The Wire into the mix. I had been teetering between leaving and staying but now there is just as much good content as not.

Josh you are doing a good job keeping up. I think people appreciate the character stuff in this more than in Trek. I can say watching Trek as a kid most of the character stuff flew over my head and I got to rediscover those scenes as an adult.

Just to expand on the discussion at the end, I do love character scenes and having good characters in a show is important, but I do get very heavily invested in the themes and events of a show too, if the characters or acting are just okay, but the story itself is interesting, that I can enjoy quite a bit. Basically, good characters / acting can carry an episode or show for me, but so can a good premise in of itself (as long as the acting isn't atrocious).

I'm enjoying these reactions at the moment even more than the Star Trek ones.

Oh! Already? I thought it wouldn't be until next week until the next upload. Pleasantly surprised :)

I'd describe what you guys appreciate is character driven plot, as opposed to plot that happens just because it needs to for the story to happen. The strongest feeling this show gives me most of the time is how what happens is inevitable because of who these people are.

I almost feel like it could be a good idea to take notes for shows like this and House of the Dragon; there's just so many characters and positions and titles and relationships that you can easily get bamboozled if you aren't paying close attention.

Did they seriously just describe Sir Elton John as "the Kingsman guy"?!?