S01.E01: Winter Is Coming

[Meredith Quill]

Episode Synopsis:

 

Ned Stark, Lord of Winterfell learns that his mentor, Jon Arryn, has died and that King Robert is on his way north to offer Ned Arryn’s position as the King’s Hand. Across the Narrow Sea in Pentos, Viserys Targaryen plans to wed his sister Daenerys to the nomadic Dothraki warrior leader, Khal Drogo to forge an alliance to take the throne.

 

Reminder: This is for discussion of the TV show only, no book talk allowed - including saying "but it's different in the books". Any spoiler from outside the books (i.e. previews) should be in spoiler tags.

[BizBuzz]

I was finally talked into watching this.  Yeah, it took almost 2+ years.

 

I am not one for hype.  I tend to go to around the bend to be apart from whatever is the new thing.  I am not a fad follower.

 

However, I just want to be able to say, hush already, I have seen it, are you happy now?

 

::giggle::

 

If you want to know the truth, I don't have HBO, and where I live, I have no choice in the matter.  I have Amazon Prime, and it has GoT but for like $40 a season, so I went ahead and did what I have been threatening to do and upgraded my Netflix account to do DVD's as well as streaming and felt this was as good a time as any to start watching this series.

 

I got my first two discs today, and promptly set myself up to start watching.  I asked SilverStormm to please start a per episode thread so that I had someplace to go to talk about my adventures with this series.

 

I am not a book reader when it comes to fantasy, so I have absolutely no idea where this is going.  I am coming into this series brand spanking new, with only the advice from friends that I really must become a GoT-ite.

 

I am hoping that I will have some people joining me, maybe for them a re-watch, and who knows if we might garner some interest in getting more and more peeps interested in seeing this for the first time.

 

I love anything fantasy, I love anything that has similarities to the Dark Ages, and I love anything British (I love the way they talk), so this just might prove to be right up my alley.

 

I watched my first two episodes today.

 

Am I in love with it?  I wont say that so far.  But I will say this.  The writer knows how to capture my attention.  He is awesome at leading me down a path and then pulling the rug out from under me.  I yelled at my television on more than one occasion, and I have been told that this is a sign that I am invested. 

 

Invested is a word I will use and agree to.  I am looking forward to watching the next episode.  So far, he has me hooked.

 

For a first episode, I felt it did a great job introducing me to the various characters.  At the end of this episode I was just a bit pissed, who am I kidding, I was a LOT pissed.  And I was grossed out, on a couple of occasions.  Hmmm, more than a couple. 

 

I figured out before the opening credits (OMG, they were awesome!) that I shouldn't get attached to anyone because more than likely, they are going to die.

 

There was a lot of story to take in, so I am going to probably sit with it for a few and see how this thread pans out.  Looking forward to spending time with you all! 

[Holmbo]

It's always fun to see new people getting into the series. What was the reason you hesitated to watch it? Only because it's popular?

I have watched the whole show many times but I'm doing a bit of a rewatch in that I'm watching it all through with my dad. He wanted to watch a series so he recorded season 4 from tv and was about to start watching it before having seen the earlier seasons. Which I thought was a bad idea so I'm watching the whole thing from the start with him.

We're already at season 2 but I can share his comments about this episode. He said they're trying very hard aren't they? Also a few episodes in I asked him who he's favorite character was and he said that he felt you're not really supposed to like anyone

[BizBuzz]

It's always fun to see new people getting into the series. What was the reason you hesitated to watch it? Only because it's popular?

I have watched the whole show many times but I'm doing a bit of a rewatch in that I'm watching it all through with my dad. He wanted to watch a series so he recorded season 4 from tv and was about to start watching it before having seen the earlier seasons. Which I thought was a bad idea so I'm watching the whole thing from the start with him.

We're already at season 2 but I can share his comments about this episode. He said they're trying very hard aren't they? Also a few episodes in I asked him who he's favorite character was and he said that he felt you're not really supposed to like anyone

 

The main reason is that it is on HBO - I don't have HBO, and I have no control over my cable, so until things get on DVD or either Netflix, Amazon or Hulu, I don't watch.  It's been on Prime, but like at $40 a season, and I am just not doing it.

 

I  have been considering for awhile to upgrade my Netflix to do DVD's as well as streaming, so that is when I decided to watch.

 

I am with your Dad, they are trying hard, and about not liking anyone.  Already, I am scared to have a preference.  ::giggle::

[Holmbo]

The main reason is that it is on HBO - I don't have HBO, and I have no control over my cable, so until things get on DVD or either Netflix, Amazon or Hulu, I don't watch.  It's been on Prime, but like at $40 a season, and I am just not doing it.

Ok I assumed every country got it on some other channels after a while. In Sweden one of the public service channel airs it a while after it's been on HBO.

[Constantinople]

Talk about setting a tone. If memory serves, in this episode alone there were

An unknown number of wildlings killed by a White Walker, including one young girl who re-animated as a wight (although the killing actually occurred before the start of the episode, I'm counting it since we saw their bodies).

2 killings: 2 of the 3 rangers killed by White Walkers

1 execution: the 3rd ranger, executed by Ned Stark for deserting the Night's Watch (not to be confused with being executed for serving as the Night's Watch pastry cook).

1 possible murder: Jon Arryn, the King's Hand

1 attempted murder: Jaime pushed Bran out of the window

1 duel to the death: D&D's wedding reception (hope at least 2 more perished off screen or it would have been "a dull affair")

1 animal death: Stag kills Direwolf

[Lady S.]

1 animal death: Stag kills Direwolf

The wolf killed the stag too, they found that corpse first.

[Constantinople]

The wolf killed the stag too, they found that corpse first.

 

Good point.

 

2 animal deaths.

 

Or perhaps 2 duels to the death:  1 human (Dothraki vs Dothraki) and 1 animal (stag vs direwolf)

[SlackerInc]

I just rewatched this for the first time since the series started.  Pretty wild to see

Spoiler

how many people have died.

When they find the direwolf pups, Jon is the one to convince Ned not to let Theon kill them all. He says "Lord Stark, there are five: one for each Stark child. It's meant to be." (Then at the end of the scene, he finds one more, "the runt of the litter", that he keeps for himself.) 

But Theon's not a Stark, he's a Greyjoy. To my mind, he was even further from being a Stark than Jon was, even if we don't take into account everything that has happened since then. What gives?  Did the writers really make that egregious an error?

[RyansGangy]

No mistake.  Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon.  No wolf for Theon.

[Mooks]

No Wolf for reak, the damn traitor.

[Lady S.]

Obviously Theon wanted to kill the pups just because he was jealous there was no pet kraken around for him.

[HoosierJen]

Is there anyone out there watching this for the first time? I'd never watched it or really knew anything about it other than the following: there's a character named Jon Snow, and a lot of people die. That's it. So last night I wanted something to watch and I decided to jump in and see if it was any good. I downloaded the first season and watched the first two episodes -- holy crap, I'm hooked! Now, the problem is that I need someone to discuss these episodes with, but everyone else is seasons ahead.

So, my first impressions (and I'm aware that my feelings will likely change, but this is how I feel right now): 

1. There's a lot of sex in this. 

2. And violence....holy cow. 

3. I like: the Stark guy (Ned?), his youngest daughter, his young son (Bran?), his son Jon, the queen's brother who sleeps with all the prostitutes. That's about it. Oh, and I like the wolves.

4. Dislike: the queen, the brother she's banging, her jackass son (really, I'd like to punch him in the face), Ned's older daughter, Ned's wife. Also, the blonde guy who married his sister off in order to gain an army. 

[Meredith Quill]

@HoosierJen Welcome to the party. Please do continue to post your thoughts as you watch, we always love to read about the reactions of new viewers!

[Dobian]

Having just wrapped up season 7, I had to go back and watch the first season again.  I haven't seen the first episode since the night it aired.  What a difference a sense of perspective makes!  Knowing all these characters now, their histories, how they are connected, when I didn't have a clue to about 97% of what was going on the first time through.  Seeing Jon Snow with Robb and Bran.  Sansa, Arya, and Bran standing in procession as young kids.  Theon at Winterfell.  Benjen and Jon.  The dire wolves as pups!  Jorah meeting Dany for the first time at her wedding feast with Drogo.  The three dragon eggs!  Jon and Lyssa Arryn, who while not on screen played a big role in setting specific events in motion.  Tyrion blonde and clean shaven.  Bran's fateful encounter with Jaime and Cersei.  And of course the White Walkers, whose presence was established from the opening moments.  Can't believe that was over six years ago.

Edited September 5, 2017 by Dobian

[spaceghostess]

I'm going to be starting a re-watch soon. Problem is, I want to spread it out over the year-plus until season 8 starts, but can't figure out how to prevent myself from madly bingeing it in a matter of weeks.

[whoknowswho]

On 9/5/2017 at 1:24 AM, spaceghostess said:

I'm going to be starting a re-watch soon. Problem is, I want to spread it out over the year-plus until season 8 starts, but can't figure out how to prevent myself from madly bingeing it in a matter of weeks.

I've watched the entire series twice, start to finish in the past month. I watched a second time because there were so many characters, I found it hard to keep track.

I admit that I have not loved season 7 nearly as much as the previous seasons. 

[galaxychaser]

Just watched the first 4 episodes last night.  It’s pretty violent.