Tag Archives: Game of Thrones

Playing The Game of Thrones With Season 2: Ep. 1 – A Review

Episode 1: The North Remembers

Rachel: How does it feel to be back in Westeros? Enjoying a bigger budget and critically acclaimed actors?

Elena: It feels GREAT to be back in Westeros! Damn. I was definitely starting to feel like I could get back into playing the Game of Thrones before the season started, but pretty much from the rundown of the most salient points of last season I was thinking fuck yes. It’s just…so devious! And so dangerous! And there are so many beautiful men; I just don’t know where to look. I feel like Mozart in Amadeus: “They’re all so beautiful! Oh, why don’t I have three heads?” Except that usually there is only one on screen at any given time, so, you know, I get by with just the one. And the costumes are looking sharper, and the scale seems bigger, and we have gotten to see that the pretty excellent dragon effects from last season were not a fluke. Pretty much the first episode was everything I hoped it would be.

This is also the first season I’m watching with no idea where the story is going or who any of the new characters are (other than those I can identify by name or prior reference, such as Asha “Yarra the Pirate” Greyjoy or Stannis Baratheon). I actually think it makes it more fun for me, because then I can discover the story and have the insane reactions to events that all the non-book-readers enjoyed last season.

…If I’m being honest, I have to admit I am enjoying the show more than I enjoyed the part of the first book I read. I think the reading speed I was limited to made a difference—this show just seems to move so much faster than the book did (whereas if I had been reading the books at a normal speed I probably wouldn’t feel like it was THAT big a difference, because I would expect the book to be a 10-12 hour read straight through).

At this point I am planning to just let the series ride and go read the books after the show is done. However…I reserve the right to change my mind if at the end of this (or any future) season I can’t stand not knowing what happens next! I think the lack of a final book in the series will hamper that impulse, though…if I have to wait one way or the other, why not just pace it out with the show?

Rachel: The first episode opened with Joffrey! He’s your favorite! Do you think Sansa is doing well?

Elena: HA! Your assessment of Joffrey in the anticipation post, that he is the one character we are meant to hate unequivocally and as such should be cherished, really helped me with him. Now I can revel in his bastardry (heh—literal AND figurative) and not have to worry about keeping an open mind on him or whether I’ll have my mind changed when I see his point of view the way I’ve heard happens with Cersei/Jaime in later books.

Sansa is…surviving. And for that she gets serious props. She has been thrust into a shit situation (okay, she also thrust herself into it BUT she didn’t really understand it and, while, WELCOME TO REALITY, WHERE ACTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES, PRINCESS…she is also a sheltered young lady who is being abused, threatened, and is living in fear of her life). And yet she is still alive, and more than that, she is not just looking out for herself or trying to become like her keepers, but in her own way is still exercising her own will. Saving that man? That was ballsy.

Show Sansa is actually kind of admirable. I don’t want to emulate her, but I like what she is doing. My problem with book Sansa was that I got her point of view, not just her actions, and her point of view convinced me she was functionally retarded…some kind of daydream savant or something. If I don’t have to see her FUBAR point of view, I can project some kind of practicality and shrewdness behind her behavior here. Yay, Show Sansa! You might make it to the end alive!

Rachel: Thoughts on new characters? Stannis, Davros, Melisandre, Craster?

Elena: Stannis kind of disappointed me. He was so…uncharismatic. Definitely not like either of his brothers. And we thought Ned Stark was inflexible? Shit. Stannis makes Ned look like an anti-hero of ambiguous morality. “My brother rebels? Kill him for a traitor. Dead Ned Stark’s son rebels? Kill him as a traitor.” Stannis does not play the Enemy of My Enemy Is My Friend Game. He only recognizes enemies.

Melisandre is really interesting to me because she is the first female we have met who is gaining power through her own agency (as opposed to who she was born or whom she married). I also reveled in her unspoken Princess Bride reference: “I’ve spent the last three years building up an immunity to iocane powder.” In our Skype discussion Rachel asked me if I thought she had done some subterfuge like that or if she is protected by her god. I vote that she is not touched by the divine but is simply a master manipulator. I think it would be more interesting, narratively speaking, if she DOES have the backing of a god whose power she can call forth at will…but I have yet to see any damn evidence of any god manifesting in the world, and so for now I am taking the cynical view on her.

Craster is…the fundamentalist who marries his daughters and wants to bang Jon Snow, Who Knows Where to Put It, because Jon is prettier than half his daughter-wives? Yeah, that guy was crazy. I hope his daughter’s riot over Jon Snow when he leaves. Lol.

Rachel: Five kings (ok, 4 and a queen). Place your bets! Stannis or Renly? Is Dany doing it with her bloodriders? Did you like Robb’s decision to send Theon to the Iron Islands?

Elena: Stannis lasts longer than Renly—because Melisandre is going to give him an army of true believers, and that is going to trump gold and political ideology/hero worship.

I think Dany is about to start doing her blood riders…menstrual days give the term a whole new meaning (…I know. ICK. Sorry. Had to!)

Robb is entering a world of pain with that choice. YOU ARE KING IN THE NORTH, SO STAY IN THE NORTH. DUH. I understand Theon’s point that if you want to win the war you have to take King’s Landing. The thing is…Robb doesn’t need to win the war. He needs to not lose the war until the south gets tired of fighting the north. No one can get behind him the way they can in the south thanks to the bottleneck on the continent. Winter is coming, and he and his men know how to survive in the winter better than any of the thin-blooded southerners. They are all about to start infighting. All he has to do is make the conflict with his army last so long and be so costly they give up. Eventually even the Lannisters would if Robb can make the costs outweigh the benefits.

Rachel: Next week will probably be more Ayra and Renly, less King’s Landing. What are you hoping for next episode?

Elena: More of the same! And a Nymeria/Arya reunion!

Tyrion’s Axiom of the Week: If I were capable of tricking father, I’d be emperor of the world.

Elena: What did you think of the new-to-show characters–Melisandra and Stannis & co, and northern hut guy?

Rachel: Seeing as I’ve read the books I’m more interested in seeing side characters that I love hit the small screen (Davros! Dolorous Edd! Gilly! Ser Dontos (that Elena called “that man” LOLZ)), but I’m also really really excited for Team Stannis. Because as Elena has said, Stannis is the wet blanket of Westeros. You can always count on him to come in and ruin your day. He IS worse than Ned. He’s totally and absolutely unforgiving. There’s the right way to do things and the wrong way to do things. Stannis is the arbiter of right. It makes him so interesting to me. You can tell in his intro scene with the burning of the Seven and Melisandre telling him to draw out the burning sword, that he might not give a shit about any of it. When he is finished with the ceremonial duties of Melisandre’s R’hllor show (that is the one true god’s name btw, R’hllor) Stannis just leaves the sword on the beach and marches his uppity butt back up to Dragonstone to write a snippy letter. You get the feeling that Stannis does not put up with any nonsense, and yet he’s putting up with all KINDS of nonsense with this R’hllor business.

Which is exactly why I asked Elena if she thought Melisandre had magic/god on her side. Those of us who have read the book tend to say Melisandre definitely has some magic. She does some crazy shit! We’re hoping she can pull off another piece of magic in the next book (c’mon George!). I can’t wait for that thing that is going to happen just to get Elena’s reaction. I predict lots of fuck words.

Elena: Any changes from the book that you found significant, even if the change itself isn’t that big?

Rachel:I think it is significant that Littlefinger is so confrontational. The Littlefinger in the novels is much slyer, to the point where any commotion he causes makes me think he is trying to distract those he confronts from juicier meat. I LOVE the scene between him and Cersei, but it also comes off (like the monologue with the prostitutes from Season 1) as something Littlefinger just wouldn’t do.

The rest of the episode remains a set up and introduction of new characters. I have no complaints whatsoever. As I say in the podcast – television might actually be a better medium for this story.

Elena: Who’s winning the badass CG/CG enhanced pet war, direwolves or dragons?

Rachel: Definitely the dragons! The direwolves look great, Grey Wind was all huge and wolfy, but he also looked slightly like he’d been pasted over Robb and foreshortened. I was hella impressed with the dragons. Not only do they look like they have weight and leathery texture, but they also look great in the full sunlight of the red waste. That’s hard to do with CGI.

I’m sad because it also looks very expensive so I don’t think we’ll be seeing too much of the dragons or all three at once. HOWEVER, we can tell that the budget has been increased. The costumes are richer, there’s more location shooting, the CGI is def. better and most importantly the Wig Budget has been raised! YES!!!! Cersei is free of that horrible contraption they had on her head! It’s amazing! She looks soooo much better!

Elena: Now that Martin’s got 2 books left, any thoughts on what happens when the show catches up to him? Or do you think he can pull off a book every 2 years to stay ahead of the series?

Rachel: Here is where I defend myself with regards to my previous statement.

I was talking about the show with a friend, and they made a very valid point. The show definitely takes advantage of the fact that GRRM is a screenwriter. He is extremely aware of how his work would translate visually. Game of Thrones is great television, period. The New York Times can suck it. It has fewer characters than most soap operas and more drama. There are teams and individuals that viewers can root for. There are vistas and clothing and food and magical animals and bawdy jokes. It’s television! What the show does BETTER than the novels is cut the bloat. It gets rid of all the stuff we don’t need. That stuff might be nice to read, but it would be hell to sit through, and so it gets cut.

We know book 3, A Storm of Swords, is being cut into two seasons. Fine. A very lot happens in that book, plot wise. I don’t think you can say the same for Feast or Dance but it’s arguable due to the amount of characters involved that they too can be cut into multiple seasons. Cool. Let’s say we DO catch up to Dance with the series. If George maintains his 6-year time frame for writing the novels…we might catch up with him for the last novel. This could happen. George has a lot of demands on his time now that the books have gotten so popular and the TV show requires his attention and screenwriting on occasion, plus his other projects and tours and conventions. He could very well take 6 years to write the next book. Will the show then become canon?

He’s told Benioff and Weiss the ending. Presumably because HBO wouldn’t sign on to a project they didn’t have a full outline for. So if they follow that overall plan will George then produce the exact opposite in his novels? JUST TO SCREW WITH US? Who knows!?

Honestly, I don’t think it’s something to actually worry about. But it does make for nice conversation – books vs. the show: what is canon?

Can’t get enough of us? Then listen in on our brainstorming conversation for this episode! The podcast is back…well, like a White Walker it has come back from the dead as a less formal but more lethal version of its former self. No guests. No structure. Just Elena and Rachel discussing the episode over drinks. More wine, sir?

Game of Thrones Refresher Course: Notable Characters

Leave a reply

Yesterday I covered the two major warring families, The Starks and The Lannisters. But there are a lot more characters at play that don’t belong to either one of those families. You can see some of the notable characters from season one below.

:::Note: There might be spoilers ahead if you haven’t finished season 1, or read the novel series by George R.R. Martin.:::

Daenerys Targaryen: The exiled princess of the Targaryen dynasty. “The Stormborn” Sister to Viserys. She and her brother were smuggled to Essos during the end of Robert’s Rebellion. She spent 17 years under the care of her brother, only to have him marry her off to the powerful Dothraki warlord, Kahl Drogo. Even though she is first afraid of her new husband, she learns their ways and their language; she genuinely falls in love with him. The more she embraced the Dothraki culture, the more powerful and courageous she became and later rebels against her brother who is still trying to control her. She becomes pregnant, and her baby is prophesized to be a conqueror that will unite the world. Unfortunately, she loses both her husband and her unborn child due to the tricks my Mirri. In revenge she kills Mirri by burning her into a pyre, but this ends up hatching the three dragon eggs Daenerys carries with her.

Played by Emilia Clarke.

Viserys Targaryen: The exiled prince and heir to the Targaryen dynasty. People call him the “Beggar king” because of his search for an army that will help him reclaim the throne. He is incredibly arrogant, and self-centered and abusive both physically and mentally to his sister. He marries his sister off in exchange for an army to recapture the throne but the Dothraki are less than receptive to his disrespect of their culture and their new queen, his sister. In a drunken rage he threatens Drogo and Daenerys. Drogo kills him by pouring melted gold over his head; giving him the “golden crown” he always wanted.

Played by Harry Lloyd.

Petyr Baelish: The Master of Coin in King Robert Baratheon’s Small Council. He grew up with Catelyn Stark and had actually fought Ned’s brother for her hand in marriage. He knows most of the ongoing affairs across the Seven Kingdoms because of several of his spies. Petyr is initially thought to be an ally of Ned, but he secretly resents him for marrying the love of his life Catelyn. He also aims to take the Iron Throne and punish the powerful nobles who look down on him.

Played by Aidan Gillen.

Jorah Mormont: An exiled knight I service of Daenerys. In order to fund his wife’s lifestyle of the wealthy, he sold poachers on his land to slave traders, which is illegal. Instead of being punished, he fled to Essos where he banded with the Dothraki. They know him as Jorah the Andal. He also serves as an advisor and translator for the Targaryens for all things going on in the kingdoms. Jorah is actually a spy for lord Varys in exchange for pardons on his crimes. But he falls in love Daenerys and ultimately decides to help and protect her.

Played by Iain Glen

Theon Greyjoy: A hostage and ward of the Starks stemming from a failed rebellion. Despite this, he is loyal to Ned and is good friends with Robb and Jon. He never questions his position until Tyrion tells him he nothing more than a servant. Nevertheless, he remains loyal to Robb when he goes to war against the Lannisters and supports the decision of succession.

Played by Alfie Allen.

Robert Baratheon: Former king of the Seven Kingdoms. He was originally meant to marry Ned’s sister Lyanna, but she was killed and he entered into a political marriage with Cercei Lannister. He becomes deeply indebted to Cercei’s family during his reign. He is killed while hunting, and unknowingly leaves no rightful heir.

Played by Mark Addy.

Renly Baratheon: The Lord of Storm’s End. He is the youngest brother of King Robert and Master of Laws in the Small Council. He is handsome and well liked among the people. He is also secretly the lover of Ser Loras Tyrell, the Knight of the Flowers. Renly challenges his nephew, Joffrey’s, claim to the throne.

Played by Gethin Anthony.

Tywin Lannister: He is the Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport and Warden of the West. He was the former Hand of the King to King Aerys II. He is also the father of Cercei, Jaime, and Tyrion. He given the Hand of the King position again by Joffery, but after Ned is executed, and Joffery’s claim to the throne is questioned, Tywin decides to remain in the field commanding forces.

Played by Charles Dance.

Game of Thrones Refresher Course: The Lannisters and The Starks

Leave a reply

The politics between the two major families of HBO’s “Game of Thrones” can get a little confusing. You can see a breakdown of the major characters from both families below:

:::Note: There might be spoilers ahead if you haven’t finished season 1, or read the novel series by George R.R. Martin.:::

The Lannisters:

Tyrion Lannister: A dwarf nicknamed “The Imp”. He is the younger brother of Cersei and Jaime Lannister. He was blamed for the death of his mother during childbirth. He described as being the “cunning” brother and often uses his wits and quick thinking to his advantage when in tight situations. Unlike the rest of his family, he initially does not hold any ill feelings towards the Stark family. That does change when he is wrongly captures and imprisoned by Lady Catelyn. He is later sent to rule as Hand of the King.

He is portrayed by Peter Dinklage.

Cercei Lannister: Queen of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the wife of King Robert Baratheon. Despite being married to the king, she has carried on a lengthy incestuous affair with her brother Jaime since childhood. She does claim to have loved King Robert once, but due to his never-ending love of Lyanna, she grew to hate him. Her current three children are actually she and Jaime’s. She wants nothing but her family to be all-powerful.

She is portrayed by Lena Headey.

Jaime Lannister: A member of the Kingsguard and the Queen’s twin brother. Spent his life having an incestuous relationship with her and fathered all three of her children. He is nicknamed the “Kingslayer” because he killed the previous king, Aerys II, even though he had sworn to protect him. He truly hates the fact that no one feels he deserves his rank and position. Despite the constant animosity between Ned and Jaime, Jaime does respect him. He considered Ned to be a great warrior and his equal. Unlike his father and his sister, Jaime cares a great deal for Tyrion. Going so far as to attack Ned when Tyrion is imprisoned. Jaime later joins his father’s campaign at the Riverlands but is later made a prisoner of the Starks.

He is portrayed by Nikolaj Coster-Waldau

King Joffrey: Eldest son of Cersei and her brother Jaime. Even as a child he is vicious and cruel and will lie and cheat to get what he wants or get out of trouble. But when someone actually confronts him he is a coward. He does not know that Jaime is his real father. He is made king, against his father’s will. He is a puppet king, taking orders from his mother. His downfall begins when he refuses to honor the promise of sparing Ned’s life and instead has his executed. His kinghood is threatened when Jaime is captures by the Starks and his uncles Renley and Stannis challenge his claim to the Iron Throne.

He is portrayed by Jack Gleeson.

The Starks:

Catelyn Stark: The Lady of Winterfell and wife of Lord Eddard. She had figured out that the Lannisters were to blame for the attempts on her son, Bran’s life. During a chance encounter with Tyrion, she arrests and imprisons him. After Ned is arrested and her eldest son Robb goes to war, she joins her son’s war council. After learning Ned was executed, she vows that the Lannister family will pay for the act with their lives.

She is portrayed by Michelle Fairley.

Eddard “Ned” Stark: The Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. Serves as The Hand of the King after Jon Arryn’s death. His sister Lyanna was kidnapped during Robert’s Rebellion. Ned cares little for politics and prefers to rule with honor and law. While investigating the death of Jon Arryn, he uncovers that all of the Queen’s children were fathered by her brother. When he confronts her about it, he gives her a chance to flee before telling the King. Instead she imprisons him and accuses him of trying to steal the throne from Joffrey. After being promised e would serve on the Night’s Watch, Joffrey has him executed.

He was portrayed by Sean Bean.

Bran Stark: The second son and fourth child of Ned and Catelyn. He called his direwolf Summer. He accidently catches the Queen and Jaime during a romp, and Jaime then shoves him out the window almost killing him, and ultimately crippling his legs.

He is portrayed by Isaac Hempstead-Wright.

Robb Stark: The eldest son of Ned and Catelyn and the heir to Winterfell. He named his direwolf Grey Wind. Robb becomes involved in the war against the Lannisters after he father is arrested for treason. He called upon his father’s bannerman and his mother’s allies to lead a war effort against the Lannisters and they successfully capture Jaime. After Ned is executed, the North and the Riverlands declare independence from the Seven Kingdoms and proclaim Robb as their new King.

He is portrayed by Richard Madden.

Sansa Stark: The first daughter and second child of Ned and Catelyn. She is set to become the future bride of Joffrey. She named her direwolf Lady. Sansa lives in a world of naiveté and fairytales. She is unwilling to see the harsh realties of the world around her especially in regards to the politics and rivalries forming. Her world first begins to shatter when Lady is killed and her father is arrested. She becomes a hostage to the Lannisters in order for them to have a claim to the North. She finally sees the world and Joffrey for what it is after he executes her father despite promising her he would spare him. Sansa plans to kill Joffrey to avenge her father.

She is portrayed by Sophie Turner.

Arya Stark: The youngest daughter and third child of Ned and Catelyn. A tomboy through and through. She would rather train with weapons than sew or worry about who she will marry. She named her direwolf Nymeria. She takes sword-fighting lessons from her “dance” teacher Syrio who later manages to help her escape the Lannisters. She disguises herself as an orphan boy by a Night’s Watch recruiter, Yoren, in hopes of getting back to Winterfell.

She is portrayed by Maisie Williams.

Jon Snow: The bastard son of Ned. He joins the Night’s Watch. Ned claimed that his mother was a wet nurse named Wylla. He named his direwolf Ghost because of its albinism and quite nature. He also has the best hair ever seen.

He is portrayed by Kit Harington.

Game of Thrones Refresher Course: The Complex History of Westeros

Leave a reply

The history of Westeros appears to have been going on at least 12,000 years, give or take a few hundred years. Beginning with the time that the First Men appeared with their bronze weapons and their relatively domestic horses.

As always there was a war between them and the Children of the Forest, a diminutive race who lived in harmony with nature and employed powerful magic. However this was resolved when the Pact of the Isle of Faces was created with the First Men taking control of the open lands and the Children remaining in the forests, allowing peace between them for 4,000 years.

Unfortunately, The Pact was weakened after four thousand years by the emergence of the Others, an enigmatic race from the furthermost north, who swept south into Westeros and caused great death and destruction, bringing about a night that lasted a generation and a winter that lasted decades.

Then, as it always happens, the Andals came (roughly 6,000 years ago) and they brought deadly iron weapons, and a brand new religion and with that the slaughtering of children and even more despair.

It is believed that the six southern kingdoms during that time fell to the Andals while the North as we know was not overrun.

Over time six great and powerful kingdoms were forged across Westeros: the Kingdom of the North, the Kingdom of the Iron Islands, the Kingdom of Vale and Sky, the Kingdom of the Rock, the Kingdom of the Storm Kings and the Kingdom of the Reach. A seventh kingdom—that of the Riverlands—was repeatedly conquered by its neighbors and eventually destroyed altogether, while the small desert kingdoms in the far south of Westeros were divided by constant war.

Five centuries later, the expanding Valyrian Freehold had reached the east coast of the Narrow Sea and established links with Westeros, using the island of Dragonstone as a trading port. A century later the Valyrian Freehold was destroyed by a cataclysmic disaster of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes, known as The Doom of Valyria, and resulting in a smoking unstable wasteland of ghosts and legends. The Valyrian family that controlled Dragonstone, the Targaryens, spent a further century in preparing their forces, and then launched a devastating invasion of Westeros under Aegon the Conqueror. Although their forces were small, they had with them the last three dragons in the western world and they were able to use these to overtake the continent. Six of the Seven Kingdoms were conquered in this initial war, but Dorne resisted so fiercely that Aegon agreed to let them remain independent. The Targaryens adopted the native Faith of the Seven (although they still married brother to sister in the ancient Valyrian tradition in defiance of the Faith’s teachings) and Westerosi customs, and within a few decades had crushed all resistance to their rule. Dorne was eventually absorbed through marriage-alliance. The last dragons died out a century and a half into the Targaryen rule, but by this time they had become the ruling power on the continent and their rule was not challenged.

It is said that after the Andals, things in the world began to settle, and became more strictly recorded creating the accepted history.

The oldest histories we have were written after the Andals came to Westeros. The First Men only left us runes on rocks, so everything we think we know about the Age of Heroes and the Dawn Age and the Long Night comes from accounts set down by septons thousands of years later.” (A Feast for Crows)

It should be noted that since the oldest parts of the history were written after the Andals, that everything known before than is merely rumor and hearsay. Legends and stories, and oral histories are what make up the tumultuous years before.

This opens the history up to questions, which does happen with Samwell, who is the first to begin questions the truth behind what is claimed to be history. While pre-Andal history is more than murky and questionable, even the post-Andal world is uncertain when it comes to certain dates and events.

Another problem with the complicated history is that much of the popular history comes from oral stories passed around from troubadours, to travelers, to gossipers all over the world. Did the singers take Aegon the Unworthy’s innuendos about his siblings the Dragonknight and Naerys and turn them into one of the great romances of the Seven Kingdoms? It is probable. While this form of storyteller is quite magical and attention catching, it doesn’t help that things are often exaggerated, and misunderstood which in turn creates a new story for history.

While there is no answer, yet, about why all of a sudden the commonly accepted history is now being questioned, I think we can reasonably assume that this will come up eventually and probably affect everything we have come to accept about the setting of A Song of Ice and Fire.

“Game of Thrones” Refresher Course: How The Seasons Work

Leave a reply

For new fans of the hit HBO series, “Game of Thrones” things might be a little confusing at first. Everything is foreign (unless you have read the series by George R.R. Martin) and you might need a refresher course on the series.

So, for those who need it: How the seasons work in the world of “Game of Thrones”

The weather is one the first things anyone ever mentions when describing the setting of the book or the series. This is mainly because the weather and seasons of the world plays such a huge role in the lives of everyone who lives there. “Winter is coming” is not merely a weather forecast by House Stark, but a phrase of foreboding and even terror for those who have never seen a winter.

The problem comes with that fact the seasons are hardly predictable. What we do know is that when it is summer in Westeros it is also summer for the rest of hemisphere. The southern hemisphere however, will experience the opposite.

It is unclear what causes the wild unpredictable seasons in the world but with the several theories out and about in the forums, the author of the series has stated simply that it is magic. It seems that magic causes some sort of planet wide force that affects the tilt of the earth or manages the seasons in erratic ways. While many dislike this answer, it is about the best we get for explanation.

When talking about the seasons of the world, the question of measuring years always comes up. Martin has stated that since a year is related by the completion of one revolution around the sun and the seasons are just a minor effect. It is reasonable to assume the Masters of the Citadel are doing a good job keeping up with time using their observations and data using the stars. While this is most definitely a daunting task, it makes sense since the Conclave of the Citadel goes over amassed records before they declare the start of a new season.

Another one of the most popular questions asked is how people are expected to survive a TEN year winter. And even more, how did people previously survive the Long Winter, which was rumored to have lasted a generation? It seems that we won’t know those answers. For starters we don’t know how long the Long Winter really was, but we do know for sure there have been several years long winters in recent memory not to mention they southern hemisphere is experiencing one currently in the series.

However, it seems unlikely that those of the poorer regions, would be able to survive without food stores that could last that long (considering even grain can only be stored for roughly 3 years), or get the proper vitamins and nutrients they need in years and years of winter. The rich and well off could make it, given that they have the resources in place for such winters. But maybe the easiest answer is just to say once again it is magic.

Basically, the famous phrase “Winter in coming” is a terrible omen of the hardships that are to come. Also don’t think too hard about the actually mechanics of the seasons, remember: It’s magic.

“Game of Thrones” Showrunners Talk Season 2 and Plans For Season 3

Leave a reply

The wait is ALMOST over for the return of HBO’s hit series “Game of Thrones.” It returns tonight with the highly anticipated season 2.

In a recent interview, the showrunners, David Benioff and Dan Weiss, for the series revealed some information fans can expect in the new season such as which characters will get more screen time, the truth behind shooting the scenes with dragons, and some of the changes they made from the George R.R. Martin book series, “A Song of Ice and Fire”. He also revealed the preliminary plans for the third season.

Weiss and Benioff talked about some of the difficulties they encountered when creating season 2. They talked about keeping veteran characters vibrant for fans but also introducing new characters into the season.

Weiss stated,

It’s a bigger fish to fry. It needs to be real battles and dragons and direwolves. And we’ve got all these characters that you’ve hopefully have fallen in love with that we need to keep vibrant. We’ve got all these new people who hopefully will be equally compelling. The way George has dealt with that challenge is to start making the books longer. We will have that luxury if we’re lucky enough to be allowed to continue making the series. But in terms of each season, we got 10 episodes, and that’s literally all that’s conceivable to [produce] of this particular show.”

Benioff added,

You know, what was scary during the first season is you’re doing all this work and you have no idea if it’s just gonna sink into the ocean without a trace. At least knowing that there’s a fan base out there that’s waiting for these shows … that helped a lot.”

The showrunners also talked about problems they had while filming in Iceland. While filming there was a major blizzard that they had to work through, the actors remained professional.

Benioff said,

There was a blizzard. There was a shot where Samwell’s talking to Jon and he looks normal. You cut to Jon, then you cut back to Samwell and he looks like Father Time — like with the snow and the ice just frozen onto his face in just a matter of seconds. It’s really hard to do continuity. [But the actors] never complained once.”

Weiss reminiced on a conversation he had with actor, Kit Harington regarding the blizzard.

I knew it was gonna be pretty rough [on Kit Harington] and there’s no shelter out there for six, eight hours in very cold conditions. And I went up to talk to Kit on his first day of shooting and asked, “How you doing?” He said, “I’ve never ever had a day of shooting that I loved as much as this.”

Oh, and in case you were wondering, they did confirm that fans will see a character from season 1 do their first nude scene, but they aren’t saying who.

Not to ruin anything for people who haven’t read the novel, but there is a major battle scene coming up in season 2. Benioff described how tough it is for actors to film those scenes.

It was pretty much a month straight of night shoots, which is just tough for anybody unless you’re a vampire. It’s Belfast nights, which means it’s cold and it’s usually wet. There was an incredible amount of mud. It’s tough for the crew, but then when you see it on screen and see how good it looks, you see the way the weather affects people. You see the wind blowing their hair and the rain coming down. None of that’s faked.”

Wiess also talked about incorporating dragons into the realistic world they have created within the show.

Ideally you have enough of them and not too much of them. If you’re in a scene where you and I are talking and there’s a dragon sitting next to my water bottle, then you may as well be talking gibberish because no one’s going to see anything except the dragon. You have to be careful with that stuff and not use it when it’s going to be detrimental to what you’re trying to put across.”

It was also confirmed that season 2 will have more deviations from the book, but that the changes are neccessary.

Weiss said,

Definitely more, only because there are characters who are off screen in the book. A lot of the changes keep people front and center who are very important characters.”

Benioff added,

We’re adapting “A Song of Ice and Fire.” So we’re bringing in elements from [Book 3]AStorm of Swords. We don’t think of this season as being strictly an adaptation of A Clash of Kings, it’s really a continuation of our adaptation of the series as a whole. For our purposes, moving some stuff forward helps a lot and pushing some stuff back helps us a lot.”

Season 2 premieres tonight on HBO.

In March 2012, HBO ordered the production of a third and fourth season, which are to cover the third novel in the series, A Storm of Swords, and which are to be filmed concurrently in Northern Ireland from June 2012 to about February 2013.

WAR IS COMING – The Ladies of Ice and Fire Anticipate The Upcoming Season of Game of Thrones

Leave a reply

Game of Thrones will begin its second season on April 1^st. Rachel and Elena are super-excited to be back in their respective courts of fire and ice. Below they discuss their anticipations about the upcoming season. This particular post is relatively spoiler-free (character names are used, but nothing else). Be warned – episode-by-episode discussions will not be spoiler free through the currently aired episode, and Rachel’s reactions will not be spoiler-free through A Dance with Dragons.

Elena will be watching with the fresh eyes of a summer child, while you may regard Rachel’s viewpoint as that of the grizzled veteran with missing limbs.

Elena-

So I guess Game of Thrones is about to start back up on HBO, huh? I…think I’m ready for that. I gotta be honest, last year I suffered from ATF (Acute Throne Fatigue) what with having spent over a year reading the damn first book, writing up a chapter by chapter reaction, and having my opinions of it vivisected…and then podcasting about every episode…and then jumping into the fandom mash-ups. Fun as all of that was, it was exhausting, and I really just hit a wall—The Wall, if you will—with the series.

About the time comments on the first trailer for the new season hit my Facebook wall, though, and I was reminded that April wasn’t all that far off, I thought…hey, maybe I should go finish the first book. (For the record: I have not acted on this thought. I am not sure where my copy is. Buried under mastiff direwolf hair on the back floorboard of my car, perhaps? But I thought it, and as we all know it is the thought that counts, right? RIGHT?!?)

And I also thought…I’m kind of excited about new episodes of this series. I’ve actually re-watched a few episodes of Season 1 since then, if I happened to turn on the TV and one of my favorite episodes—or just scenes, in some cases—was on.

I have not watched any trailers for the new season. I don’t know if I want to. I have managed pretty well to avoid spoilers so far, and while I’m sure HBO is careful not to spoil any real plot points, I’m afraid of seeing something that I might be able to pair with some other not-on-its-own-a-spoiler information I have and put two and two together. And the thing is, I don’t need to see the trailers to know I’m going to keep watching the show. I’m excited about it based on the fact that I loved the first season. The production was quality, and the story and characters hooked me, so really I’m just ready to keep rolling down the midnight highway that is ASOIF without any LED-billboards up ahead breaking up the darkness.

Also, I heart Bronn and Lancel. The scenes I re-watched made me realize they are my favorite minor (?) characters from Season 1. TEAM BADASS FTW! And also yay whatever team Lancel plays on. Team More Wine, Sir?, perhaps? YES. As a resident of New Orleans, I can get behind that team!

Rachel:

Those of you who follow me on Twitter know that I am READY for Season 2. I’M SO READY, YOU GUYS! Every time a cab passes me with a “War is Coming” ad on it I think to myself, “Self, you should get in that cab because that cab is as excited about Game of Thrones as you are.” I know this isn’t true, but I’m particularly vulnerable to fandom-based marketing.

Despite the fact that there hasn’t been a lot of physical marketing for Season 2 (no food trucks! A constant source of depression for my friends and I), I think HBO has firmly cast its lot with the Game of Thrones fans (seriously, I am not calling myself a “Thronie,” wtf is that?) The “fan” t-shirts and posters are great (the new design for the Stark t-shirt, THANK YOU!) and the “The King can do as he likes” poster and booth that they debuted at Wondercon…that right there is proof that if you market to fans in a non douchebag corporate way – you win!

The character featurettes that have been posting all on HBO.com are wonderful! They introduce lots of new characters without spoiling any of the incredible storyline that is coming at us come April 1^st.Plus I get to enjoy all the manips and gifs hitting Tumblr, and that just makes me even MORE excited (warning, the Game of Thrones tag on Tumblr is probably not safe for those wishing to remain unspoiled). I’m not sure if the digital media only advertising track is going to bring in new viewers, but at this point word of mouth might just be HBO’s greatest hope on that front. Even if the “War is Coming” fist poster looks more like “Angry Jesus is Coming” than “Baratheon Boys gonna FIGHT”. It does. Don’t even bother getting grumpy about it. It could easily be mistaken for an evangelical billboard of doom.

Also, judging from those character featurettes, not only will we be enjoying some awesome new characters (Lobsterking! Delicious Knight! Weirdly evangelical sexy lady! Lady Knight! The Brother Taunter! The Girl Who Knows Everything!) We’ll be getting expanded content of some already established characters. (I’m looking at you, people of Highgarden!)

Whose storyline are you most excited to pick up again?

Elena-

Hm. Tough one here. Probably Arya’s, just because hers has the most likely chance of immediate resolution. I mean, she is currently on her way to The Wall to be reunited with her bestest brother evah, Jon Snow, Who Knows Where To Put It (that is officially his name now. Does it make an easy acronym the way ASOIF does? JSWKWTPI. No. FAIL. Oh well, I’ll just type it out every time then). So, either she gets there and goes on ice as a character the way Jon has (heh, on ice…at The Wall made of…ice. Yeesssssssssss), or she doesn’t get there. Either way I think it will wrap up quickly? Or she’ll spend the entirety of Season 2 traveling, in which case her story will be almost as boring as Dany’s was last season!

This is not to say I am a Dany-hater—the horse-heart-chomping convinced me on her—but her story? Way too drawn-out, at least in the books…it might have played better on screen, but after 8 months I am conflating my multi-media experience of Season 1. Also I am getting off topic. So, yeah, Arya’s whom I want to pick up with the most.

I am also excited to see more of Rob King In The North Stark but that’s really more because he makes my eyeballs steam. More of that please!

Rachel-

In an attempt to keep at this anticipatory post as spoiler-free as possible I will say that I am excited to see Jon Snow’s story-line for obvious reasons if you have read A Clash of Kings and if you haven’t well…stuff. Reasons.

I’m also excited for the Blackwater and for Baratheon against Baratheon shenanigans. Also Robb Stark and King in the North stuff!

Character you are most excited about in Season 2?

Elena-

For me I’m actually going to go Dany. She ended last season in a literal conflagration of all that her life had been. And she walked out of the ashes with dragons. DRAGONS, you guys! That’s a pretty blank canvas for her to repaint herself and her life with. Rachel has laughed wickedly at me for intimating I thought her book/season 1 arc was slow-paced, so I am not sure I have huge expectations for her…but I am really excited to see where she, in particular goes, because I think right now she is the most dynamic character—the one who is in a state of change.

If I knew nothing of the books I would say Sansa as well, but the Sansa I know from the first book is functionally retarded, and so I have no hope of her ever doing anything except sucking more than she did before. So instead I’m going to say TYWIN LANNISTER as my #2. This guy has three extremely interesting (and possibly FUBAR) kids; he is obviously a politicker par excellence, and kind of a badass. I want to see more of him.

Rachel-

Probably Jon. But I’m also excited to rejoin the Lannisters and Renly and all that. It’s hard to say, “I am most excited about this character” without telling you why and spoiling everything. I’ll spoil everything in the episode recaps under giant SPOILER WARNINGS. Promise.

Character you most want to see die in Season 2?

Elena-

JOFFREY. Oh my god, Joffrey’s sanctimonious little tyrant ass would be such a sweet assassination. I do not expect this to happen—mostly because Martin killed of Viserys in the first book, and you can only kill off the single most obnoxious character in the book once before it becomes a pattern—but I would LOVE to see it!

And I would be hella impressed, if he does die, if it’s in such a way that I feel sympathy for the little shit.

Rachel-

Everybody wants Joffrey to die, Elena! Jack Gleeson has done such an amazing job of providing us with a truly evil character to hate in a cast of characters neither good nor evil. It’s Joffrey who is our shining white knight of douchebaggery! HUZZAH! Long live the king, and stuff!

And boy is going to be even more douchey! Get ready!

This question relates to my ongoing attempts to create a Game of Thrones drinking game with my friends. We’ve pretty much settled on shots every time someone dies, but perhaps certain characters should get different drinks. Suggestions?

Elena-

If a major character dies drain your whole glass/bottle/can? If Joffrey dies drain two?

Is there a new character you are particularly excited about?

Elena-

Not exactly…I mean, for one thing I don’t KNOW any characters to come other than those mentioned off-screen last season, like Stannis Baratheon. But I have seen from casting announcements and Rachel’s FB/Twitter that we’re getting some new females who at least some in the fandom love, so I’m excited about that. I don’t know who any of them are except Asha-Not-Yarra Greyjoy. I’ve seen other names but couldn’t place them in a context. Let’s just call it as “New Women of Westeros.”

Rachel-

Hmmm, I don’t know if it is a good idea to skip all of the featurettes. There are a whole lot of new characters coming at us in the new seasons. The story lines will be effectively doubled, and sometimes the connections between characters gets muddled. I think it was smart of HBO to release these little featurettes to help fans who have not read the books keep everyone straight. Not that I don’t have complete faith that all the new people will be effectively introduced to the audience. I just know that I watched the show with people who had not read the books last season and I often had to answer “who is that again?” questions.

Saying that:

Melisandra, Jaqen H’ghar, Asha-not-Yarra, Margaery Tyrell, Ygritte, Brienne, Stannis and Davos, Roose Bolton. So many crafty people coming at us you guys! SO MANY CRAFTY BITCHES! (I’m looking at you, Stannis.)

Any fandom you’re particularly excited for?

Elena-

Well, of the GOT Tumblrs my favorite is probably Arrested Westeros, simply because I love Arrested Development so much. But in this case, the fandom I’m most excited about is my work family! I have changed jobs since Season 1 was on air. At my old job, no one watched the show, and if I brought it up they gave me the skank eye for being so weird and nerdy. At my new job, EVERYBODY watches GOT! Fuck yeah Monday morning dissections! Also this will obviously force me to watch it every Sunday regardless of what else is going on in my life, else risk having the episode completely spoilered for me at work. The good news is, none of the coworkers read the books, so I can have my fellow newbie/TV-only reactions and speculation with them, and then my evil laughter/cryptic remark-dropping dissections here with Rachel. Win-win!

Also, if you did not catch the “here” part of that, Rachel and I will be discussing every episode here at Optionated!

Rachel-

I feel like the fandom is super healthy. It’s always nice when you’ve got new things to anticipate, but Game of Thrones fans have been keeping a hilarity-driven fandom going through the long waits between books for years now. (For example, there is an 8-second video on YouTube that has been around for a long time that shows a wine glass and a golden hand knocking over the wine glass that pretty much puts me into hysterics.) The show has just given us pretty pictures to manipulate. Which I’m going to say, does have its advantages. I have even done my share of stupid mspaintery.

Behold:

I thought that Roose needed a little help. So I helped him.

But I think my favorite little fandom nugget is the following, which I am using because I actually know the person who made this but I only found this out recently. That’s how the Internet works sometimes:

BECAUSE ONIONS! LoL This never fails to make me laugh hysterically.

This person that I know is known as SwordintheDarkness on Tumblr. But be warned – she is super spoilery, and her GoT knowledge is incredible. She can remember the PAGES that shit happens on. So if you have read through A Dance with Dragons I recommend her Tumblr.

I also can’t promise that my own twitter (@DarthRachel) will be spoiler free. Sorry. There’s nothing I can do about that. In fact, as I am the spoilery side of these Episode discussions you should just beware me all together.

I’m the Shaggydog of Optionated.

No, I’m not. I’m not that cool.

Elena-

Well, if you’re Shaggydog then I’m Rickon. Always in the background, never in the know. I am the sweet summer child slowly losing my innocence under the shadow of war.

WAR IS COMING, Y’ALL!

Fuck yeah.

New Game of Thrones RPG Trailer Revealed

Leave a reply

A new trailer has been released for the upcoming Game of Thrones RPG. This time it focuses more on how the combat system will work and what we can expect in player controls.

Official Press Release:

Today Game of Thrones RPG opened its official website, showing off the combat system with an exclusive narrated video trailer that details the gameplay mechanics. This role playing game for PlayStation® 3, Xbox 360® and PC, based on the famous universe from George R.R. Martin’s saga and the HBO television series, should please all RPG players who seek perilous quests, compelling stories and epic battles! Discover today the very first look at its combat system, promising tactical and spectacular battles!

Today’s new video will immerse players into the combat system of Game of Thrones and its bloody battles. All along your adventure, numerous enemies will challenge you. To defeat them, you will have the ability to slow down time during combat to analyze, anticipate and adopt the best strategy to attack or defend yourself. You can plan multiple special attacks for each of your playable characters and activate them at the right moment to amplify their effect. A large selection of armor, weapons and skills will be at your disposal, based on the choice you made for each of your character’s classes and abilities.

…

Game of Thrones is a big role playing game developed by Cyanide for PlayStation® 3, Xbox 360® and PC. The game is based on the famous series of novels A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin, which has already sold over 15 million units around the world, and which HBO® has recently adapted into the critically-praised TV series Game of Thrones.

This is the most ambitious project of Cyanide Studio. Developed on Unreal Engine 3 and written under the supervision of George R.R. Martin, Game of Thrones will allow fans of the series, and more generally adepts of role-playing games, to live an exceptional adventure in one of the most finely-worked universe from the medieval fantasy literature.

Along the 30 hours of gameplay offered by Game of Thrones, play as Mors, sworn brother of the Night’s Watch, and Alester, a Red Priest in search of redemption who is back to Westeros after a long exile. The Hand of King Robert Baratheon has just passed away, and these two charismatic heroes will find themselves dragged in a grand quest that will lead them through familiar and gorgeous places of Westeros, such like the Wall and its region, or the famous King’s Landing. In this grand adventure, they will meet famous faces: Queen Cersei, Varys the Spider or Jeor Mormont, the Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch faithfully reproduced from the TV series.

In Game of Thrones, you will choose the class of your characters, find your fighting style, reach a good balance between your strengths and weaknesses, and get ready for epic battles! Find, buy or loot new equipment and weapons to fit your approach of the fights, and gain experience to improve your skills or learn new ones. Slow the time down during battle to analyze the situation and choose your next moves. In game of thrones, political skills can be as lethal as a sharpen sword, so never underestimate the power of a silver tongue to solve a critical situation!

Watching the game play trailer, it definitely shows that time has not fully stopped. I think I saw an axe blade make it’s way towards Mors’ neck as the player tried to make decision in time before getting chopped. It’s pretty interesting that it allows these kind of mid-action changes, but it would probably help if it allowed the player to modify the characters decision making tree. Such as, “Attack the weakest opponent first.” “Run for safety if you fall below 25% health.” and, “Push curious boys off of window ledges if spied upon.”

The skill tree system reminds me a lot of D&D. You can focus in a single class specialization, or divide up your skill points into various classes; but for less oomph as you’ll never fully be able to master all classes one should think. It’s this kind of balance that makes this game sound like an RPG that we can all be familiar with, plus with more game friendly controls.

ATLUS, in collaboration with Cyanide Studios has also unveiled a limited pre-order bonus art book for the game. The bonus art book offers sixty-four full color pages that include sketches, concept art, photos, screenshots and renders from the game, complete with DVD Commentary like text from the game’s developers. The package will also include behind the scenes materials, like a special message from Martin; possibly telling us to drink more Ovaltine; and a portrait of the development team. That’s what I’m missing from my life, more portraits of development teams. The bonus book measures at 8.5″ wide and 11″ tall, hardbound and printed on the most premium of stock papers. You know, the hard glossy kind that resists fingerprints and could kill children with paper cuts.

I sure can’t plum wait for this game to come out. Everything looks so great.

What do you think about this combat-system for an RPG?

Visit the official website here for more information about the upcoming game.

Check out the Game of Thrones Combat-system trailer below

Exclusive Game of Thrones Philosophy Book Giveaway

Leave a reply

Optionated is incredibly excited to offer our readers a chance to win this fantastic companion book to the “Game of Thrones” television series and book series. If you are a fan of either you do not want to be without a copy of Game of Thrones and Philosophy: Logic Cuts Deeper Than Swords (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series.)

The book is an in-depth look at the philosophical issues behind HBO’s Game of Thrones television series and the books that inspired it.

What You Get:

5 winners will receive a free copy of Game of Thrones and Philosophy: Logic Cuts Deeper Than Swords (The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series).

About the Book:

George R.R. Martin’s New York Times bestselling epic fantasy book series, A Song of Ice and Fire, and the HBO television show adapted from it, have earned critical acclaim and inspired fanatic devotion. This book delves into the many philosophical questions that arise in this complex, character-driven series, including: Is it right for a “good” king to usurp the throne of a “bad” one and murder his family? How far should you go to protect your family and its secrets? In a fantasy universe with medieval mores and ethics, can female characters reflect modern feminist ideals?

Timed for the premiere of the second season of the HBO Game of Thrones series
Gives new perspectives on the characters, storylines, and themes of Game of Thrones
Draws on great philosophers from ancient Greece to modern America to explore intriguing topics such as the strange creatures of Westeros, the incestuous relationship of Jaime and Cersei Lannister, and what the kings of Westeros can show us about virtue and honor (or the lack thereof) as they play their game of thrones

Essential reading for fans, Game of Thrones and Philosophy will enrich your experience of your favorite medieval fantasy series.

How To Enter:

Please send an email with your name and shipping information to contest@bsckids.com with the subject stating Game of Thrones. If you follow us on Twitter (@optionated_) or like us on Facebook, you get two entries to win! Winners will be announced on March 26^th, just in time for the premiere of season 2!

Good Luck!

Giveaway items provided by Wiley Publishing

Two More Game of Thrones Trailers Released

Leave a reply

The popular HBO television series based on the books of George R.R. Martin will begin anew come April 1^st. With this rapid approach of the season 2 premier of Game of Thrones, we can watch online as marketing gears up for the upcoming coming war.

No, not the war depicted in the storyline, but the war for our consumerist souls. HBO at this point expects a huge viewership turnout for the season premiere, but it wants more. AMC’s The Walking Dead broke cable rating records simply with a mid-season premiere. From what I can tell, the success of this was based on the infectious nature caused by the season 1 fanbase, trailers, teasers, stills, and rocking posters, exactly like what a movie production does. So HBO’s marketing team must have noticed this because it’s seems to have revved up their campaign as of last month.

Since December, we’ve seen multiple production trailers shot at exotic locations; anywhere beyond the city or town you live in is exotic really. Lots of behind the scenes talking to the cast either enjoying their lovely stay in tropical where ever, or freezing their butts off in depressive Iceland.

Then after The Walking Dead did it’s thing on television in February, we got hit with Game of Throne teaser posters, tag lines “War is Coming!”, stills and the release of the first full trailer for season 2, which they call Power and Grace. Yes, they even named their trailers.

Of course, there’s a reason for going to all this trouble. It’s because HBO stands to make a lot more merchandising. There’s the HBO branding and their affiliated products; like online players; DVDs, props; I’m sick of seeing these GoT swords everywhere. The new hot button item that’s going to come out are the two new GoT video games. One of them which is a massive multiplayer online role playing game. Sure it’s free to play now, but how much would a hardcore GoT fan pay for their own dire wolf? A dollar? Ten? How about a hundred?

Not to be outdone by The Walking Dead, HBO’s marketing team has gone a step further and released two new trailers, more hip and cool than the last. One trailer is called The More You Love, which examines the theme of love and how all characters entwined to it seem to walk a path of death and agony in the GoT. It’s loaded with imagery combined with intense words and phrases, like the image of a shadowy Arya Starks simply stating, “Anyone can be killed.” The trailer ends with a jaded viewpoint, “The more people you love, the weaker you are.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if the HBO marketing team was split into two and pitted against each other. Their task, to create a better trailer, because the second trailer takes an entirely different path in drawing attention.

The second trailer is called Seven Devils, and like really good trailers for movies, has a really cool song attached to it. It’s exactly like an Apple commercial at this point. It has lodged an annoying catchy songs in my head and I can’t stop hitting repeat on my music player. The song is also called Seven Devils and it’s by an English indie pop band called Florence + The Machine. So there isn’t a mainstream saturation of this song; yet. If this band wasn’t popular before, I would not be surprised if this trailer puts the band on the map or on the charts.

The sound of this song has the biorhythm beats like early Sarah McLachlan, vocals like Annie Lennox, mixed with the primal sound of a shaman’s drum. It’s the the touch of Celtic that makes the entire trailer and actually makes me excited to watch the Game of Thrones for once.

Check out the latest Game of Thrones trailers below and judge for yourself.

Trailer #2: Seven Devils

Trailer #3: The More you Love.