A GAME OF THRONES (HBO) -- POSSIBLE SPOILERS

Parametric

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It's money - the show is already staggeringly expensive to make. They can't afford to make more episodes per season. They're splitting A Storm of Swords into two seasons for that reason.
 

thothguard51

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I have a question about terminology used in AGOT.

The word Maester. I assumed to be old English or there abouts. I suspected it was not french. The American Heritage dictionary does not even list Maester and Websters list the meaning as thief, liar, douchebag and a few other choice meanings.

I like Martins use of the word as it seems devoted to one who specializes or is highly educated. Hell, I have even seen Bernard Cornwell use it a few times in his stories.

So where does Maester come from. If anyone knows, I am sure it would be or dear, sweet, Medievalist...
 

Parametric

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I think it's just the word Master with an ae to make it sound more fantasy-like. :tongue
 

thothguard51

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That is what I suspect. I was thinking about using it in one of my stories, but if you google the word Maester, nothing but GRRM references come up and I sure as hell don't want to tangle with his lawyers.
 

maxmordon

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I think "Master" derives from "Magister", Latin for "Teacher". This has survived in Spanish (and probably in other Romance languages as well) whereas "Maestro", "Maestre" and "Maése" (all derived from Magister) implies eather a teacher or an expert of a craft. For example, a teachers' guild in many Spanish-speaking countries is called a "Magisterio".
 

thothguard51

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While looking up Master, I found references to Magister so I am aware there is a connection between Master and Magister. But I have been unable to find any references showing Maester as a teacher or someone skilled in a particular field.

Like I said, the only definition for Maester I have found are not what I would use to signify a Master...
 

BunnyMaz

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As someone who hasn't read the books, I thought last night's episode was both awesome and a bit hard to follow. I'm still not sure why the Lannisters rounded up Arya and the gang headed to The Wall to torture them. What information did they expect to get out of them? Nor could I figure out where Mellisandre was supposed to be going. I guess she's up to some mischief against Renly?

But both of the above were spectacular to watch. Just could use some contextual clues.

Picky points - it's getting a little dicey how much power Tyrion (and Cersei) have in the midst of Joffrey being King. For the sake of humanity, I'm glad Joffrey's not the only one running things, but the lines aren't clear, and Tyrion especially seems to be getting away with a lot as just the Hand.

They could definitely do with making the setting clearer for people who haven't read the books. Arya and the others weren't taken to the Wall - nowhere near it in fact - they were taken to Harrenhal, which I think is [NOT SURE IF SPOILER]owned by The Mountain at this point in the story, and his army of rapists and murderers that he was merrily rampaging about, destroying villages with in the first book. Remember when Stark called for the arrest of The Mountain in season one. The torture wasn't really anything to do with wanting real information. No one really cares if some piss-poor village near Harrenhal has gold or jewels. Torture was just a way to pass the time.[/POSSIBLE SPOILER] [DEFINITE SPOILER BUT NOT REALLY SPOILING MUCH] In the books, the kids escape for a while after their caravan is attacked, hide out in the woods, Arya shows off her tough willingness to eat bugs to survive, and they come across a village which they initially hope to get help in. When they get there, the village has been attacked by The Mountain's men on one of their rape-and-pillage parties, and the kids are captured, mistaken for villagers, and locked up with them. [/SPOILER]

It doesn't help that in the books the people that attack Arya's caravan-to-the-wall and the people that capture them and take them to Harrenhal are completely different people. It doesn't really make sense for the Kingsguard to take a diversion to Harrenhal, when you'd expect them to return straight to King's Landing with what they believe to be Gendry's corpse.
 

maxmordon

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Something I always found interesting was the use of names in Westeros to point out the different cultures of Westeros with the Targaryen having Latin-based names, the people from the North with a mix-mash of Germanic and Celtic and the Vandal-descended people with more modern English and French names.

I know, it's a simplificaction of the Celts, the Anglo-Saxons and the Normans but I like the touch.
 

Parametric

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I think it hangs together in the show, albeit differently than it does in the books. In the show the goldcloaks from King's Landing recruit some nearby Lannisters to help them search for Gendry - that's what Ser Amory Lorch says when he shows up. So I think it makes sense that the Lannisters then bring them back to their base at Harrenhal.
 

maxmordon

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While looking up Master, I found references to Magister so I am aware there is a connection between Master and Magister. But I have been unable to find any references showing Maester as a teacher or someone skilled in a particular field.

Like I said, the only definition for Maester I have found are not what I would use to signify a Master...

Yes, I guess is a bit tweaked to give it a medieval air. Like "Ser" instead of "Sir" and "Eddard" instead of "Edward".
 

BunnyMaz

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I think it hangs together in the show, albeit differently than it does in the books. In the show the goldcloaks from King's Landing recruit some nearby Lannisters to help them search for Gendry - that's what Ser Amory Lorch says when he shows up. So I think it makes sense that the Lannisters then bring them back to their base at Harrenhal.

Ah, that makes more sense. I suppose then the Goldcloaks can head off home with their boy-corpse without having a load of prisoners to bother with.
 

thothguard51

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Basically, the series skipped chapters in Arya PoV by having the caravan attacked and the kids captured by the same people. This I don't mind, though we do miss a lot of Arya's character building.
 

MttStrn

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I think the main character building for Arya will occur with what happens while in and when they leave Harrenhal if that part of the plot is kept intact.
 

CrastersBabies

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I agree. Arya's storylines got tedious in Clash of Kings and Storm of Swords (at least until the end of SoS). I'm glad they're cutting some of that out. We'll get plenty of "Weasel stew" at Harrenhal.

I thought this last episode kind of returned to the shorter scenes, a lot of material crammed into an hour format. It actually felt shorter.

Highlights for me:
  • Tyrion, obviously. Love watching him maneuver and work his magic.
  • Stannis and Renly's meeting. I know it was different than in the books, but I really enjoyed this part.
  • Catelyn and Littlefinger's interaction. Good on that as well.
  • Margaery. I love the small moments we see with her--things that weren't in the book. I wonder if we'll ever get her POV. :)
  • Shadow thingy from Melisandre's womanly parts. Oh yeah! That was excellent! They sure left that on a cliffhanger.
  • We finally got to see Tywin! I just loved that section in Clash of Kings, when Arya became his "page," completely unaware that that grubby girl was, in fact, Arya Stark. Always made me snicker.

Things I'm wondering:
  • If the chick that gave Robb a hard time is the "Jeyne" character from the books.
  • If they'll beef up Dany's time in Qarth. After she.... >>>> visits the House of the Undying, I'm pretty sure she has to leave pronto, right? <<<<
  • On Arya and Nymeria.... >>>> Didn't people start to hear about Nymeria tearing stuff up by now? Maybe not. I remember the she-bitch direwolf leading a pack of other wolves . . . <<<<
  • I really want more Davos. I love the actor playing him.
 

MttStrn

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We finally got to see Tywin! I just loved that section in Clash of Kings, when Arya became his "page," completely unaware that that grubby girl was, in fact, Arya Stark. Always made me snicker.

I think you mean Roose Bolton, right? I don't think Tywin would be walking and taking with Robb so friendly like. :)

>>>>> that scene is interesting considering what happens at the Red Wedding<<<<<
 

JohnnyGottaKeyboard

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One thing that I wasn't certain about: was it clear where Davos (the Onion Knight) had taken the Red Woman? In the books, it's in his POV, so it's very clear. But what about in last night's episode?
Oh, you silly book people. I asked around here (all non-bookies) and everyone assumed they had slipped underneath Renly's camp. Interestingly, both here and elsewhere among my nonbookie pals, the sudden explosion (seepage?) of dark magic in this episode was something of a WTF in a series which has been very subtle with its magicks. Other than cute baby dragons, a couple of long shots of some white walkers, and an (is it a dream?) episode of Bran inside his wolf's head, there hasn't been much magic. And then out pops a Heartless from that red-haired chick's lady parts.

But honestly, perhaps due to the fact that I watched the first season on DVD, this episode thing is really not working for me. Each hour feels too short, and seems to just gather narrative momentum when the end credits pop up!
 

Parametric

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I love how wtf everyone is about the shadowbaby. :tongue
 

theorange

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I'm wondering, though I read the first couple of books a long time ago, whether Stannis's son was the shadow baby or whether Melisandre is still pregnant separately and apart from that.
 

CrastersBabies

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I'm wondering, though I read the first couple of books a long time ago, whether Stannis's son was the shadow baby or whether Melisandre is still pregnant separately and apart from that.

I'm pretty sure that was his baby because her stomach looked flat afterwards. Poor Stannis. Wanted a real baby and got a shadow-man instead.
 

thothguard51

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I have serious doubts that was Stannis's son vs a demon summoning. Reason, its never talked about again in the books...
 

MttStrn

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I think you mean Roose Bolton, right? I don't think Tywin would be walking and taking with Robb so friendly like. :)

>>>>> that scene is interesting considering what happens at the Red Wedding<<<<<


That's what I get for commenting before I finish the episode. That was Tywin that just rode in, taking Roose Bolton's place from the books.
 

MttStrn

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He did show up talking to Robb. He was the guy who wanted him to start torturing people. That's what confused me since in the books he's the one who makes Arya his cup bearer.
 

Parametric

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Roose Bolton has an awesome voice. I could listen to him reading a shopping list.
 

thothguard51

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I must have blinked during that scene.

As to Arya, Roose never met her and in the books she uses a different name. He just does not connect the dots.

Theon on the other hand, he knows...