BBTF's Newsblog Discussion :: Game of Thrones Characters as MLB Franchises

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Saturday, January 26, 2013

Game of Thrones Characters as MLB Franchises

Jaime Lannister – Boston Red Sox
Disparagingly nicknamed the “Kingslayer,” Jaime Lannister has lived in the shadow of his father since he was born. A knight skilled in art of combat, he possesses his father’s viciousness, but lacks his tact and ambition. The opportunity to make a name for himself is ripe for the picking if he chooses to grab it. For decades, the Red Sox knelt at the feet of the Yankees as their hated rival dominated baseball. The Yankees spent more, won more and achieved royalty rarely reached. Then in 2004, the Red Sox finally usurped the crown and earned the respect they long sought.

A bit old, but season 3 is only a couple of months away…

Tripon Posted: January 26, 2013 at 03:55 PM | 114 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: baseball, tv

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1. You can keep your massive haul Posted: January 28, 2013 at 12:56 AM (#4356360)

I laughed that the A's are the Imp, and the Angels are lord Varys

2. Tripon Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:37 AM (#4356371)

The Dodgers as Pyrell is annoying.

3. Shooty would run in but these bone spurs hurt!

Posted: January 28, 2013 at 08:04 AM (#4356420)

My condolences to the Royals and Mets. Ouch.

4. Lassus Posted: January 28, 2013 at 08:08 AM (#4356421)

Heh.

5. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 09:22 AM (#4356442)

Good concept, poor execution.

The writer's obviously never read the books, either.

6. Greg K Posted: January 28, 2013 at 09:23 AM (#4356444)

Obviously written before the Jays big splurge this off-season.

Though that doesn't necessarily disqualify Brandon Stark as the mascot, the Jays are just a book or two ahead of the TV series. R.A. Dickey = Coldhands?

EDIT: Also, the Twins get Ros because of her "Twins"? The Freys get no love here? I suppose a bit dated now, but Carl Pohland could easily stand in for old man Frey.

7. Greg K Posted: January 28, 2013 at 09:27 AM (#4356450)

Ah, I see most of my complaints are addressed by #5.

8. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: January 28, 2013 at 09:31 AM (#4356456)

Dudebro fandom for Game of Thrones is so weird.

9. Lassus Posted: January 28, 2013 at 09:35 AM (#4356460)

The writer's obviously never read the books, either.

Perish the thought of him using the current widest exposure of the series?

10. Greg K Posted: January 28, 2013 at 09:43 AM (#4356465)

Dudebro fandom for Game of Thrones is so weird.

In my case it's a matter of it being bottled up for so long it can't help but burst out in embarrassing ways. For years I only knew one person who had read the series, so the vast majority of the time I had this book series I'd read multiple times and no one to discuss it with*. The advent of the TV series has been a god-send, to the point where I don't know when to stop.

*Sure I could have discussed it on internet message boards, but come on, what kind of loser does that?

11. McCoy Posted: January 28, 2013 at 09:51 AM (#4356469)

I will say HBO has done the series well so far. I still don't know if they'll do the entire book series and the next couple of seasons should be rather difficult to pull off and not get bogged down and lose a lot of stuff from the books. If the show lasts long enough I doubt they'll split the seasons up like the books were.

12. People like Zonk and Chris Truby Posted: January 28, 2013 at 09:53 AM (#4356471)

Good concept, poor execution.

The writer's obviously never read the books, either.

I don't know -- which ones are really bad calls? There are a number of franchises that are pretty much just "OK, who's left... let's just throw darts and then make up the tie-in."

Tywin/Yankees is pretty obvious... Tyrion/A's is good... I think Drogo/Rangers is a good match... I like Theon/Mariners...

13. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: January 28, 2013 at 09:54 AM (#4356472)

In my case it's a matter of it being bottled up for so long it can't help but burst out in embarrassing ways.

Unless I have vastly misread you based on our internet discussions, I do not think of you as a dudebro.

The writer of this piece, though, and the website Gunaxin (tagline: "Sports Girls Humor Media Gadgets Grub") is all about the dudebro. Did you read Bill Simmons on Game of Thrones? That was some dudebro Game of Thrones fandom, had a lot in common with this article.

14. Greg K Posted: January 28, 2013 at 09:56 AM (#4356473)

From what I understand book 3 will be split between season 3 and 4.

To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if HBO does a better job of making an interesting story out of the material in books 4 and 5 than the books themselves did.

15. Greg K Posted: January 28, 2013 at 09:58 AM (#4356476)

Unless I have vastly misread you based on our internet discussions, I do not think of you as a dudebro.

Ah, I misunderstood, mostly because I'm not entirely sure what dudebro is.

I haven't read Simmons on Game of Thrones, but if you're saying I'm not like Bill Simmons then I'll I doff my cap to you. That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me in a while.

16. JJ1986 Posted: January 28, 2013 at 10:08 AM (#4356481)

Jaime Lannister has lived in the shadow of his father since he was born

Jaime Lannister is the most famous person in Westeros at the beginning of the series. That's hardly living in a shadow.

17. The Good Face Posted: January 28, 2013 at 10:10 AM (#4356482)

To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if HBO does a better job of making an interesting story out of the material in books 4 and 5 than the books themselves did.

They're going to have to, unless they plan on spending 4/5ths of every episode depicting characters tucking into lavish feasts.

Ah, I misunderstood, mostly because I'm not entirely sure what dudebro is.

Dudebros are the target demographic for magazines like Maxim. Basically fratboys, or men who live/act like fratboys despite being in their 20s or 30s.

18. Shooty would run in but these bone spurs hurt!

Posted: January 28, 2013 at 10:25 AM (#4356492)

Dude? Bro! Du-u-u-de! Bro, man, dude!

For women it goes:

You know. Totally. Like, you know? Totally. Yeah. Like, you know.

19. Greg K Posted: January 28, 2013 at 11:00 AM (#4356511)

Hmm, I deploy "dude" at strategic moments.

For example,
On the Earl of Strafford coming to parliament in 1641: "That dude should have stayed home."

I don't think I've ever mustered a "bro" in earnest though.

For a while there I was using "It's ok" or "It's ok, I don't mind" as a response to just about everything said to me. It worked the best when my friend complained that I was getting crumbs on the seat of his new BMV convertible. He didn't seem impressed though.

20. zack Posted: January 28, 2013 at 11:20 AM (#4356523)

my friend complained that I was getting crumbs on the seat of his new BMV convertible

It seems you've known what a dudebro is all along.

21. The Interdimensional Council of Rickey!'s Posted: January 28, 2013 at 11:22 AM (#4356525)

Dudebros are the target demographic for magazines like Maxim. Basically fratboys, or men who live/act like fratboys despite being in their 20s or 30s.

So, people who do things you don't enjoy, so you mock them? How very dudebro of you.

22. The Interdimensional Council of Rickey!'s Posted: January 28, 2013 at 11:23 AM (#4356527)

I don't think I've ever mustered a "bro" in earnest though.

I use "brah" in casual conversation all the time.

23. The Good Face Posted: January 28, 2013 at 11:32 AM (#4356534)

So, people who do things you don't enjoy, so you mock them? How very dudebro of you.

Description is neither endorsement or vilification you silly boy.

24. Shooty would run in but these bone spurs hurt!

Posted: January 28, 2013 at 11:40 AM (#4356536)

Description is neither endorsement or vilification you silly boy.

Yo, chill, brah.

25. Infinite Yost (Voxter)

Posted: January 28, 2013 at 11:40 AM (#4356537)

The writer's obviously never read the books, either.

All the better for him. That's many, many hours of my life I'll never get back.

26. It's Spelled With a CFBF, But Not Where You Think Posted: January 28, 2013 at 11:51 AM (#4356543)

To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if HBO does a better job of making an interesting story out of the material in books 4 and 5 than the books themselves did.

Yeah. I can see

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

Dany's time in Mereen actually working really well on screen. It would require a lot of skill from the writers, but I already believe those chapters are better than most fans think (they're fascinating meditations on the limitations of power and the strength of entrenched institutions) and in the right hands they can make for interesting, compelling television.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

27. Nasty Nate Posted: January 28, 2013 at 12:02 PM (#4356551)

This thread is little more than a mummer's farce...

28. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 12:49 PM (#4356572)

Perish the thought of him using the current widest exposure of the series?

29. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 12:52 PM (#4356578)

Jaime Lannister is the most famous person in Westeros at the beginning of the series. That's hardly living in a shadow.

Yeah, if anything, I think the "living in his father's shadow" thing is a description of Tywin. And Cersei as well, to a certain extent - she's well-known, but only for being Robert's wife, not for anything she's actually done herself.

30. Lassus Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:03 PM (#4356589)

4.2 million households watched the recent season's finale. Estimates on the number of copies of the books vary by source, but as of mid-2011 (i.e. before the publication of A Dance With Dragons), it seems like we were talking about somewhere between 12 and 15 million copies.

I'm going to trust that the crossover between this sports website and the first two HBO series and is greater than the crossover between this sports website and the books to date. Carping on the fact that it works from that rather than adding the most recent three novels seems a bit much.

31. McCoy Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:12 PM (#4356594)

4.2 million American households and 5 books have sold on average 2 to 3 million per book.

32. Juilin Sandar to Conkling Speedwell (Arjun) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:14 PM (#4356595)

[26]: In fairness, people seem to just hate on Essos plotlines in general. Then again, what do I know? I much prefer the eastern stuff to the western stuff (making me the only person in the world whose favorite aSoIaF book is the most recent one).

[30]: As an addendum to your point, it seems pretty likely that people who've read the books (I fall into this category) have also watched the show (I personally tend to hate 99% of adaptations [can't stand Peter Jackson's attempts at LotR, for example], but have to admit this is a very well-done, relatively-true-to-the-story adaptation).

33. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:15 PM (#4356596)

I would have thought the A's would have been Gandalf or Dumbledore.

34. Fernigal McGunnigle Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:38 PM (#4356607)

(I personally tend to hate 99% of adaptations [can't stand Peter Jackson's attempts at LotR, for example], but have to admit this is a very well-done, relatively-true-to-the-story adaptation).

You have to look at movies as something based on or inspired by a book, but not simply the book translated into moving images. What I mean is that a translator has a standard of fidelity that she has to live up to, but the goal of a film adaption should be to make a good film, and concerns about trueness to the story be damned.

35. jmp Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:42 PM (#4356609)

I would have thought that the Davos thread would have turned into a GoT thread, but I guess the actual topic was too powerful of a siren song.

36. It's Spelled With a CFBF, But Not Where You Think Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:42 PM (#4356610)

[26]: In fairness, people seem to just hate on Essos plotlines in general. Then again, what do I know? I much prefer the eastern stuff to the western stuff (making me the only person in the world whose favorite aSoIaF book is the most recent one).

I think Dany tends to be a favorite character of a lot of fans, but readers who don't like her absolutely hate her. And since most of the ADWD Dany chapters focused on her thought process in relative leisure moments and not her actually, you know, doing stuff, they tend to be highly polarizing.

37. Juilin Sandar to Conkling Speedwell (Arjun) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:43 PM (#4356612)

You have to look at movies as something based on or inspired by a book, but not simply the book translated into moving images. What I mean is that a translator has a standard of fidelity that she has to live up to, but the goal of a film adaption should be to make a good film, and concerns about trueness to the story be damned.

Oh, I know, and plenty of people have wasted far too much time on me with variations of that same (very good!) argument. I'm totally willing to accept that it's on me and my inability to see past the original story - it's just one of those things that I can't ignore. It would be worse if I were one of those people who consistently got into long arguments about how one medium's version is better than another's, but I tend to try and stay out of those arguments because, as noted, it's on me and my own personal taste.

38. Juilin Sandar to Conkling Speedwell (Arjun) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:47 PM (#4356616)

I think Dany tends to be a favorite character of a lot of fans, but readers who don't like her absolutely hate her. And since most of the ADWD Dany chapters focused on her thought process in relative leisure moments and not her actually, you know, doing stuff, they tend to be highly polarizing.

This is probably true and it's made worse by the fact that I absolutely *love* meandering world-building and strings of character moments without out-and-out action (I'm probably the only person to defend most of the later Wheel of Time books, for that very reason. Except most of Perrin's plotlines, but I've heard a really good theory about that one that I can reiterate later if anyone has any interest). That means that thought processes and planning and so on don't really bug me at all - in fact, I rather enjoy them (in fact, I could go as far to say that I enjoy them over wallops of action. That could either be true or not. Depends on the mood. Enjoy them at least as much, anyway), so that would be another reason for me to enjoy aDwD. I think you're correct here, though.

EDIT: should have just edited this post into the above one <.<

39. Nasty Nate Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:48 PM (#4356617)

I am plowing thru the books and am at the beginning of the 4th one. It's a little frustrating that I can't really talk about it anywhere: I am way past anyone who has only watched the shows, but don't want to be spoiled by anyone who has read everything.

I was even scared to open this thread. So far the only un-warned spoiler is the extremely vague one in #36.

40. McCoy Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:49 PM (#4356618)

Spoiler: Everyone dies.

41. It's Spelled With a CFBF, But Not Where You Think Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:53 PM (#4356621)

I suppose that in this series, even acknowledging that a character lives to a given book qualifies as a spoiler.

42. jmp Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:54 PM (#4356622)

I am plowing thru the books and am at the beginning of the 4th one. It's a little frustrating that I can't really talk about it anywhere: I am way past anyone who has only watched the shows, but don't want to be spoiled by anyone who has read everything.

There is a forum for this specific reason

43. McCoy Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:54 PM (#4356624)

I always viewed the Dany storyline as George being stuck with the character and simply stalling for time and hoping for a miracle to get him out of a jam.

44. Nasty Nate Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:57 PM (#4356627)

I suppose that in this series, even acknowledging that a character lives to a given book qualifies as a spoiler.

Yes. But a very mild and predictable one in this case, considering what has happened so far and the title of that book. I may have to exit the thread now, just to be safe...

There is a forum for this specific reason

Thanks.

45. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 01:59 PM (#4356629)

Yeah, if anything, I think the "living in his father's shadow" thing is a description of Tywin.

That should have been Tyrion, obviously.

46. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:02 PM (#4356633)

Carping on the fact that it works from that rather than adding the most recent three novels seems a bit much.

Writing as though things that happened in the books but haven't happened yet in the show haven't happened at all is leading him astray in some of his comparisons. That's going to piss off the however-many-million people have read the books.

47. It's Spelled With a CFBF, But Not Where You Think Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:03 PM (#4356634)

I do apologize for introducing spoilers to this thread. As someone else mentioned, for the longest time this series seemed to be the province of a small group of dorks, insane sales figures notwithstanding. Seeing someone else reading one of these books was a nice little thrill. It's easy to forget, though tremendously gratifying to realize, that there's now a huge group of fans who haven't read the books and aren't up-to-date on what's happened past the second book.

It really is so cool to watch "30 Rock" or "Parks and Rec" and see Games of Thrones referenced.

48. jacksone (AKA It's OK...) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:18 PM (#4356643)

I don't know -- which ones are really bad calls?

Well, the author must not think much of the Nationals long term chances.

49. Tripon Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:32 PM (#4356656)

43. McCoy Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:54 PM (#4356624)
I always viewed the Dany storyline as George being stuck with the character and simply stalling for time and hoping for a miracle to get him out of a jam.

Yep, with Dany, its pretty clear what her endgame story is, but the rest of the story hasn't progressed to the point where it can happen. She hasn't even met her [spoilers] members yet, which is critical to defeating the terror from the North.

50. Tripon Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:34 PM (#4356659)

The comparison between the 5.4 million households vs. 15 million books, its important to note that neilsen ratings still don't take numbers from universities, and GoT is huge in universities, and all of the current merch I have seen (T-shirts, and what not) are based off of the GoT game series, and not A Song of Ice and Fire.

51. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:34 PM (#4356660)

She hasn't even met her [spoilers] members yet

Her what now?

52. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:35 PM (#4356661)

5.4 million households

It was 4.2, actually...

53. JJ1986 Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:37 PM (#4356666)

The books have been around for long enough that there are millions more people who have read a used copy or a library copy or a borrowed copy. Almost everyone who's seen the show has seen it on HBO. (They're even very serious about piracy for it).

54. Tripon Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:37 PM (#4356667)

Her what now?

If I told you, it would be a spoiler. :) Lets just say that a certain legend with dragons require more than one person riding a dragon....

It was 4.2, actually...

Ah, my mistake.

55. cheever Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:47 PM (#4356676)

The Royals as Joffrey makes little sense. Joffrey, while not the rightful king, is the king nonetheless. He is a twerp, but he is someone to be feared. No one fears the Royals. To me they're Hodor. Loveable, mentally-challenged oaf, who spends his time helping others do what they need to do to accomplish their goals.

56. The Good Face Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:50 PM (#4356681)

I always viewed the Dany storyline as George being stuck with the character and simply stalling for time and hoping for a miracle to get him out of a jam.

Yep, with Dany, its pretty clear what her endgame story is, but the rest of the story hasn't progressed to the point where it can happen. She hasn't even met her [spoilers] members yet, which is critical to defeating the terror from the North.

Martin was very clear that he originally planned on using a 5-10 year time skip following the events of the third book. In that scenario, we'd come back to find an older, wiser Dany with years of experience ruling a kingdom and full grown dragons at her disposal, ready to claim her birthright. Any necessary ancillary characters could have turned up offscreen.

Instead, he revised his plans but had difficulties maneuvering his pieces into place. Of course, if he just let other characters travel with the same casual ease as Catelyn Stark or Littlefinger, he could have saved himself a lot of trouble.

57. JJ1986 Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:53 PM (#4356683)

Spoilers for things that have not wholly been on the show yet:

The Mariners should be Robb Stark. Everyone gets incredibly excited about the new regime and they do well at first, but...

58. Bourbon Samurai stays in the fight Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:53 PM (#4356686)

I think for a long time it was the most common book series to see someone reading on the DC subway. Pretty cool.

59. jacksone (AKA It's OK...) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:57 PM (#4356689)

I'm probably the only person to defend most of the later Wheel of Time books, for that very reason. Except most of Perrin's plotlines, but I've heard a really good theory about that one that I can reiterate later if anyone has any interest

Just finished the last book. It was pretty 'eh'. Good read and all if you like the series, Brandon Sanderson was more than capable as a fill in author, but there were just too many threads to pull together. I really hope Martin pares down the story lines in The Winds of Winter so the final book can focus a bit more on the end-game.

Feels a bit odd, knowing the series I have been reading for 15 years or so is over. Long-lasting series that start in one age group/reading level/development period of one's life and end in another (Harry Potter would be another example I'd think) are tough to judge well.

60. The Good Face Posted: January 28, 2013 at 02:57 PM (#4356690)

The Royals as Joffrey makes little sense. Joffrey, while not the rightful king, is the king nonetheless. He is a twerp, but he is someone to be feared. No one fears the Royals. To me they're Hodor. Loveable, mentally-challenged oaf, who spends his time helping others do what they need to do to accomplish their goals.

I dunno. The Royals are constantly suffering from the consequences of their own bad decisions and short sightedness; they seem more like Edmure Tully to me. Hodor is a simpleton with no agency, but it's not really his fault.

61. Tripon Posted: January 28, 2013 at 03:04 PM (#4356698)

I could see the Marlins as Joffrey. Scheming and plotting to no real end other than the casual cruelty he enjoys.

62. JJ1986 Posted: January 28, 2013 at 03:06 PM (#4356700)

Joffrey Loria.

63. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 03:08 PM (#4356702)

The Royals are constantly suffering from the consequences of their own bad decisions and short sightedness...

Seems like that would make them Cersei, no?

64. Tripon Posted: January 28, 2013 at 03:08 PM (#4356703)

I'm probably the only person to defend most of the later Wheel of Time books, for that very reason. Except most of Perrin's plotlines, but I've heard a really good theory about that one that I can reiterate later if anyone has any interest

I actually think the WoT books are the next big thing to get adapted. I would have thought the Sword of Truth initially, but I just looked into it and it was already adapted into a crappy syndicated series called Legend of the Seeker.

65. The Good Face Posted: January 28, 2013 at 03:11 PM (#4356705)

The Royals are constantly suffering from the consequences of their own bad decisions and short sightedness...

Seems like that would make them Cersei, no?

I did think of that, but Cersei enjoyed tremendous structural advantages that the Royals just don't have. Cersei is the Mets.

66. The Interdimensional Council of Rickey!'s Posted: January 28, 2013 at 03:14 PM (#4356711)

I actually think the WoT books are the next big thing to get adapted.

Fantasy is the big growth market for adaptations and such, yes. Someone finally realized that the teenagers of the 1980s are now grown ups who watch comic book movies and well done serializations of their favorite books from the 1990s.

67. Greg K Posted: January 28, 2013 at 03:18 PM (#4356718)

That should have been Tyrion, obviously.

Probably, though Tywin also struggled to escape his father's legacy in his own way.

68. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 03:21 PM (#4356721)

I did think of that, but Cersei enjoyed tremendous structural advantages that the Royals just don't have. Cersei is the Mets.

OK, I can buy that.

Probably, though Tywin also struggled to escape his father's legacy in his own way.

True!

69. The Chronicles of Reddick Posted: January 28, 2013 at 03:29 PM (#4356738)

Spoiler: Everyone dies.

So just like real life then.

70. Chokeland Bill Posted: January 28, 2013 at 03:33 PM (#4356745)

I think there is a decent chance the show covers the book 4 and 5 material better than the books themselves. Not only will characters not be missing, but the need to constantly swap between characters should trim a lot of the fat.

71. The Interdimensional Council of Rickey!'s Posted: January 28, 2013 at 03:38 PM (#4356750)

Not only will characters not be missing, but the need to constantly swap between characters should trim a lot of the fat.

One assumes the episodes will be written by someone other than George R. R. Martin, which should also help.

72. jacksone (AKA It's OK...) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 03:38 PM (#4356751)

I actually think the WoT books are the next big thing to get adapted. I would have thought the Sword of Truth initially, but I just looked into it and it was already adapted into a crappy syndicated series called Legend of the Seeker.

The Sword of Truth would definitely need to be done by HBO or Showtime, too much bloody torture and sex. WoT could be done easier from a mature audience standpoint, but it would require a substantial effects department. Ultimately I think there is just too much magic action to depict on screen.

73. The Good Face Posted: January 28, 2013 at 03:40 PM (#4356753)

WoT could be done easier from a mature audience standpoint, but it would require a substantial effects department. Ultimately I think there is just too much magic action to depict on screen.

Yeah, but once you trim out all the padding from the books, you're left with maybe a 6 hour miniseries.

74. Tripon Posted: January 28, 2013 at 04:03 PM (#4356778)

Yeah, but once you trim out all the padding from the books, you're left with maybe a 6 hour miniseries.

I'd watch that.

75. McCoy Posted: January 28, 2013 at 04:06 PM (#4356783)

76. McCoy Posted: January 28, 2013 at 04:08 PM (#4356787)

Almost everyone who's seen the show has seen it on HBO. (They're even very serious about piracy for it).

I can't tell if this is sarcasm or not since the GoT was the most pirated series in 2012.

77. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 04:09 PM (#4356790)

And yet every attempt to make Dragonlance into something that isn't crap utterly fails.

You can't make chicken salad out of chicken ####.

78. The Good Face Posted: January 28, 2013 at 04:20 PM (#4356813)

And yet every attempt to make Dragonlance into something that isn't crap utterly fails.

You can't make chicken salad out of chicken ####.

Same problem really applies to the WoT series. Just an incredibly hackneyed premise that was stale back when the first book came out in 1990. A humble farmboy of obscure origins learns that he inherited great power, forges relationships with true companions, then discovers he is the chosen one(!), fated to defeat the evil god of evil. Also, he's an awesome swordfighter. Terrible, terrible stuff.

79. McCoy Posted: January 28, 2013 at 04:22 PM (#4356816)

You shut your whore-mouth!!

80. zack Posted: January 28, 2013 at 04:32 PM (#4356830)

Wheel of Time, the series would be pretty easy, since every time a female actor touches her skirt or the camera pans past an indoor scene, 70 pages fall right onto the script.

81. The Interdimensional Council of Rickey!'s Posted: January 28, 2013 at 04:45 PM (#4356849)

Same problem really applies to the WoT series. Just an incredibly hackneyed premise that was stale back when the first book came out in 1990. A humble farmboy of obscure origins learns that he inherited great power, forges relationships with true companions, then discovers he is the chosen one(!), fated to defeat the evil god of evil. Also, he's an awesome swordfighter. Terrible, terrible stuff.

Yet the same #### seemed to work well for the Harry Potter series. The reason Dragonlance has failed is the same reason the "Legend of the Seeker" series failed. They're made with the budget and production qualities of Xena: Warrior Princess. They're the fantasy genre equivalent of SyFy Original Movies.

SoFI/GoT was selected to be the big cross-over move by HBO because it's relatively easy to film. It's basically medieval war romance with a bit of magic and dragons thrown in. I doubt WoT will ever get the big budget treatment because it's simply too big and sprawling to pare down to a filmable subject matter and still hold the cray-cray devoted fan base.

Also, any big budget adaptation of WoT or anything else would be seen as a rip-off of the GoT franchise at this point.

82. The Good Face Posted: January 28, 2013 at 05:13 PM (#4356888)

Yet the same #### seemed to work well for the Harry Potter series.

Yeah, the setting and the fact that the protagonists were children were what really differentiated it. That said, the Harry Potter books were still pretty bad. People like formulaic crap; if they didn't, we probably wouldn't even have the concept of formulaic crap.

83. McCoy Posted: January 28, 2013 at 05:38 PM (#4356913)

Well, GoT could have been rather expensive to film and should get more expensive as the story goes on so it will certainly be interesting to see what kind of budgets HBO will give them. GoT on HBO works because the actors and the characters make it work. They become so large that we don't notice the missing battles or how this saga is supposed to sweep up thousands if not million of lives into its grip.

84. Zach Posted: January 28, 2013 at 05:58 PM (#4356926)

The "chosen one" stuff in Harry Potter was all a red herring, though. Harry's dead average in everything except Quidditch, which has no evil-fighting applications per se. The only reason he's special is because Voldemort keeps stalking him.

The classic "chosen one" story is narcissistic fulfilment. The guy is tapped on the shoulder, receives vast powers, and his every instinct is perfect. Whereas the Potter books are about education -- literally, in the form of schooling, and a moral education where Harry makes bigger and bigger commitments to the world around him. The final showdown with Voldemort is a deliberate anticlimax, because Harry has already reached maturity when he agreed to die in order to protect everyone else.

85. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 06:11 PM (#4356931)

Same problem really applies to the WoT series. Just an incredibly hackneyed premise that was stale back when the first book came out in 1990.

To be charitable, the reason that premise is so hackneyed is that it works. It resonates with people, and it's part of a tradition covering hundreds of years' worth of myths and culture heroes.

86. Tripon Posted: January 28, 2013 at 06:21 PM (#4356938)

With Wheel of Time, there was also that aspect of "BTW, most of the people you're trying to save will likely hate and fear you, you're going to go insane, and finally die in a ditch somewhere. Enjoy." part of the book. Rand got ###### hard by his circumstances.

87. McCoy Posted: January 28, 2013 at 07:08 PM (#4356970)

Except Harry did have power and lots of it. Rowling viewed him as a gifted wizard apprentice who either had a natural talent for magic or picked it up quickly.

88. Misirlou cut his hair and moved to Rome Posted: January 28, 2013 at 07:29 PM (#4356985)

Except Harry did have power and lots of it. Rowling viewed him as a gifted wizard apprentice who either had a natural talent for magic or picked it up quickly.

And more importantly, he was a natural leader, and could rally (or manipulate) the forces of good (and sometimes evil) to help destroy Voldemort. Sometimes it was just dumb luck, but as an example, of the seven Horcruxes that needed to be destroyed in order to kill Voldemort, Harry destroyed only one, and that before he even knew what a horcrux was.

89. You can keep your massive haul Posted: January 28, 2013 at 08:03 PM (#4357003)

Harry also had the mind connection thing going with he who shall not be named.

90. The Anthony Kennedy of BBTF (Scott) Posted: January 28, 2013 at 08:30 PM (#4357021)

GoT is running on a 60m+ production budget for 10 episodes, which is extremely expensive for television. Vlad's off on the actual number of viewers, btw. It gets 8m+ unique viewer in the United States per episode over the course of a month, and I know it also scores over 1m viewers in England. Money wise it's a tentpole show for HBO, keeping their subscriber base from leaving, and does gangbusters on DVD, so it's certainly making HBO a lot of money when overseas rights are included.

One reason why GoT works is because of the very high production values and HBOs reputation for quality television that will get non-fantasy fans (such as my mother) to give it a chance, who then realize it's awesome and continue to follow the show. You're still going to have to get over a high bar for the next major fantasy series, and there simply isn't another fantasy series that has the same level of depth as ASOIAF. Though I would be interested in someone trying to make a 2-3 season Mistborn series.

Also, put me down as someone who really likes book 5 for the reasons listed in the spoiler of #26, at both the Wall and in Essos.

91. Tripon Posted: January 28, 2013 at 09:07 PM (#4357044)

Its kinda amazing that GoT hasn't had cast issues like other shows had, specifically Boardwalk Empire with Michael Pitt (Who played Jimmy). I suppose it helps that its known as a series that can and will kill anyone.

92. bestergonomicgamingchair.com Posted: January 28, 2013 at 09:28 PM (#4357046)

Its kinda amazing that GoT hasn't had cast issues like other shows had, specifically Boardwalk Empire with Michael Pitt (Who played Jimmy). I suppose it helps that its known as a series that can and will kill anyone.

93. Crosseyed and Painless Posted: January 28, 2013 at 09:47 PM (#4357059)

No one big, but they had to recast Gregor Clegane due to scheduling conflicts (unfortunately, because The Mountain Part II is rather a disappointment) and, even more unfortunately, they're going to have to recast (or write out) Ser Ilyn Payne, who is dying of inoperable cancer.

They're going to have kiddie actor problems, aren't they? Sansa seems workable but not sure about Arry and Bran.

I also didn't realize that Boardwalk made that decision for actor reasons and not plot reasons. Is that for realz or a rumor?

94. billyshears Posted: January 28, 2013 at 10:03 PM (#4357070)

Harry Potter is a frickin' dilettante. For 7 years he's been fighting what is allegedly the greatest evil imaginable and he never expends an iota of effort refining his craft or the skills which might help hime like, defeat the evil. The series became irredeemable by the end of book 5.

95. Misirlou cut his hair and moved to Rome Posted: January 28, 2013 at 10:57 PM (#4357095)

Harry Potter is a frickin' dilettante. For 7 years he's been fighting what is allegedly the greatest evil imaginable and he never expends an iota of effort refining his craft or the skills which might help hime like, defeat the evil.

You're kidding, right? Harry takes extra lessons om Defense Against the Dark Arts. He creates a petronus in year 3, something which full grown wizards can't do. He creates an insurrection at Hogwarts, teaching others what he knows, to defend the realm.

96. bestergonomicgamingchair.com Posted: January 28, 2013 at 11:12 PM (#4357105)

NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERDS!!!!

97. Szym Posted: January 28, 2013 at 11:32 PM (#4357113)

No one big, but they had to recast Gregor Clegane due to scheduling conflicts (unfortunately, because The Mountain Part II is rather a disappointment) and, even more unfortunately, they're going to have to recast (or write out) Ser Ilyn Payne, who is dying of inoperable cancer.

He's really a guy that you can probably write out. He's a cool character and everything, but in the big picture, he's pretty minor and there's nothing really crucial to the storyline that you *need* him for. And presumably, if Martin plans on making Payne the eventual King or something in the final book, he has 20 years to change that at his pace of writing.

98. Eric J can SABER all he wants to Posted: January 29, 2013 at 12:02 AM (#4357123)

And presumably, if Martin plans on making Payne the eventual King or something in the final book

Ilyn Payne would be the perfect monarch, according to the Westeros Libertarian Party. But I suppose they'd probably accept Hodor as a substitute.

99. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Griffin (Vlad) Posted: January 29, 2013 at 12:27 AM (#4357139)

Vlad's off on the actual number of viewers, btw.

It's not my number, man. It's from Entertainment Weekly - check the link.

You don't like it, take it up with them.

100. Matt Clement of Alexandria Posted: January 29, 2013 at 07:06 AM (#4357172)

flip

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