Previews

HBO releases three new Game of Thrones promos

Posted on by Sue the Fury

The season 5 premiere of Game of Thrones is almost here, but we’re still getting new promo videos released. Today HBO uploaded three new teasers to their YouTube, all containing flashes of new footage.

“Sinners” particularly features fighting in season 5:

“Future” features Littlefinger speaking of the past being past, and some chaotic imagery similar to the “Sinners” promo.

Update: a third promo has been uploaded entitled “Enemy.” 

Update #2: We’ve got a fourth promo video of a different sort now, courtesy of HBO Latinoamérica. Check out all the videos below the cut:

“Enemy” is heavy on the Dany footage.

There’s one more promo video of a different sort, from HBO Latinoamérica, featuring several actors from the show including new cast members Alexander Siddig and Jessica Henwick:

Sue the Fury: Season 5 is almost upon us! How will you all be celebrating the premiere this weekend? Have any parties planned?

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Sue the Fury
Susan Miller, Editor in Chief of WatchersOnTheWall.com

237 Comments

  2. Awesome but where are the season 5 character posters like the 1s we get every year … What am I gonna put all over my walls …

  8. I guess the huge burning tent (is it a tent? A house?) is from the same scene as the other shots of a burning camp (in the second trailer)… WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPING THERE?!?!
    *scared as hell* 🙁

  10. Tormund is fighting a wight…
    Also, there’s a scene that looks like a brothel in Essos

  14. Two really interesting shots in that Sinners promo.Thanks to guys at asoiaf.westeros.org
    http://postimg.org/image/qnhdlb5bt/
    http://postimg.org/image/5al491bmn/

    It looks like that Jon is on his knees and in deep trouble.Really interesting.This can’t be For The Watch.No one is around him,fog.And other Jon and Tormund running to boats most likely with bunch of a dead bodies everywhere,but we don’t know chronological order of those scenes.Hardhome will be apparently 18 mins(I guess core fighting)+some meeting with wildlings before that.This could be great.

  17. Hodor’s Bastard,

    Yeah…

    I love his character in the show. I know he’s had less to do than in the books but McE brings such presence to the role. Not to mention that he’s really into the books, knows them well, is always ready to engage with the fans. You can tell he truly enjoyed his time on the show.

    Man, why’d they have to kill him? Why, R’hllor, why!?! Sob…sob…

    ETA: Okay, R’hllor has now officially supplanted Cthulhu as the most spelling-unfriendly word in geek circles. I hate you, word.

  19. Cool promos.

    I’m currently in the process of getting the finest Dornish Red and Arbor gold for our viewing party on Sunday (read: Carlo Rossi and/or Franzia with homemade GoT labels).

    Actually, now that I’m thinking of it, anyone else try the GoT brews from Ommegang? I recently had the Valar Morghulis (Belgian Dubbel), which was pretty tasty.

  21. Jonathan Pryce has just got one of those eloquent classy voices, I could listen to him reading a phone book.

  25. I personally can’t wait for the show to charge ahead and end before the books. I don’t want to wait until 2020 to find out if R+L=J is true.

  26. Luka Nieto,

    Well…there was that amazing duel with the manticore! 🙂

    (Oops…Maybe I extrapolated a bit in my imagination to his Mad King years)

  27. dob:
    “Game Of Thrones”: HBO throws out George R.R. Martin’s books — and saves the show
    http://www.salon.com/2015/04/09/%E2%80%9Cgame_of_thrones%E2%80%9D_hbo_throws_out_george_r_r_martins_books_and_saves_the_show/

    george must be hurting looking at these words.
    I almost feel bad for him.
    its at that moment that I realize he led himself into this situation….

    Thanks Dob, I’m really looking forward to this season. TBH I don’t care if GRRM even finishes the books at this point, I prefer D&D’s version of the story so much more.

  28. Mr Fixit:
    Hodor’s Bastard,

    Yeah…

    I love his character in the show.

    I know he’s had less to do than in the books but McE brings such presence to the role. Not to mention that he’s really into the books, knows them well, is always ready to engage with the fans. You can tell he truly enjoyed his time on the show.

    Man, why’d they have to kill him? Why, R’hllor, why!?! Sob…sob…

    ETA: Okay, R’hllor has now officially supplanted Cthulhu as the most spelling-unfriendly word in geek circles. I hate you, word.

    Is it confirmed

    that he was killed? Isn’t it just speculation? I hope is the latter…

  29. Another nice review! Looks like it’s going to be quite a season.

    The best reveal is probably the bit where it turns out the Iron Bank has been keeping all of its money in Noble’s Holler.

  31. (and folks discussing other “events,” uh…maybe cover your spoilers, even if they’re just rumored spoilers?)

  34. I think I spotted Jorah wearing a helmet…. at least it looks like someone is wearing his signature yellow shirt there… who else is pumped for Mereen and Hardhome? Bring it on already HBO!!!! lol

  36. dob,

    George should relax, the middle of a book is usually slow and then builds toward a climax. Just think of Feast/Dances as the middle act in a really big book. I have read both chronologically as if they were released in one tome, with the chapters interwoven, and it reads much better that way than each separately. I hope one day the publisher realizes this and publishes Feast and Dances with the chapters moved around, they are far better books this way.

  37. Yivo,

    It’s about time he got some action.

    Let’s just hope it’s not his last. I’m thinking GW is definately in trouble down there. Selmy too but he could possibly be taken hostage. May just be wishful thinking on my behalf though.

  38. Josla,

    Yes..we are being pessimistic based on the traumatic ep 4 cliffhanger spoiler that I can’t unread. Maybe there is a chance that Ser Barristan recovers…

    I tried to be “clandestine” in my comment about it but the cat was unbagged above by the fix-it dude…although that’s nothing like what was pounded into our retinas last weekend though.

  41. Margor,

    Check the 1st trailer, where Olenna is talking to someone. Compare the background, they’re the same wall dressings, at LF’s brothel. This would be around the time of Tywin’s funeral.
    Who knows? Maybe LF’s always had a secret crush on Olenna. Stranger things happen at sea, so they say.

  42. mariamb,

    Thx…I enjoy Poniewozik’s reviews.

    The reviews over the years (positive and negative) are becoming almost as enjoyable as the show itself.

    From P’s review…
    Even bloodthirsty Roose Bolton is advising his sadistic son Ramsay, “The best way to forge an alliance isn’t by peeling a man’s skin off,” which is practically “Give peace a chance” in Bolton-speak.

    Hah! Love it!

  43. TheTouchOfFrost,

    He’s going to die. I haven’t seen the episode, but it’s going to happen. It’ll be the “shit just got real” moment for the Dany story line, like when Jory gets the dagger through his eye in “The Wolf and the Lion” Her adventures haven’t had a real cost to her for two seasons. And I’m fine with that.

  46. Yivo,

    I guess we’ll see.

    Surely GW dying would be a big enough wake up call!? Selmy could be either taken hostage (ala book Daario) or taken out of action (ala book Belwas!) so he’s no part of the Pitness! Preparing for the worst but still allowing myself a faint flicker of hope! 😛

  49. Luka Nieto:
    KrakenDaughter,

    I’m pretty sure they’re looking at Moat Cailin, just out of the shot. The swamps look exactly as they did last season in Moat Cailin.

    Wow, if you folks are right, very nice catch, sharp eyes! And it bodes well, then, for showing the devastation of war.

    (Moat Cailin was brilliantly executed last year.)

  50. TheTouchOfFrost,

    Why go to that effort to ensure Barristan survives rather than Grey Worm? There’s no reason, other than he becomes more important later in the books. But they’re cutting a shit ton of the book anyway (thankfully). Not to mention that losing Barristan is a bigger blow to Dany than Grey Worm, since he’s her principal adviser. Also, they’ve only just really started developing Grey Worm, why kill him off now.

  51. Yivo,

    While Barristan is more needed for Dany in terms of counselling, Grey Worm is needed for the purpose of having a leader for the Unsullied. If they kill him too soon, they would need to cast a new leader, which would serve no purpose.

  52. dob,

    Re: HitFlix review; So many authors and their sites continue to embarrass themselves with poorly edited articles. Why can’t we get brief writing without typos anymore!

  54. Yivo,

    I’m under the impression

    both of them are in trouble! I think the reason they’ve developed Grey Worm when he was pretty much a named extra is for the purpose of illiciting an emotional response when/if he dies. Not entirely sure they need a leader of the Unsullied or certainly not one that needs to be developed beyond a named extra. I can’t see the show taking the MissandGrey thing any further as …well where can it really go? Seeing GW get offed would have more impact on Dany as she freed him and also she’d see how it effects Missandei. Selmy doesn’t really have that closer bond with any of the other characters yet. Killing him now would be a waste IMO, especially if they’re going ahead with the Siege of Mereen. Have to see how many history lessons he gives Dany early in the show but without Selmy she’s got her boyfriend and Missandei left as advisors until others potentially show up! If GW is spared when Selmy is killed then I’d see it as a strange decision but then again we’ve seen stranger ones!

  56. Lion of Night,

    anyone else try the GoT brews from Ommegang? I recently had the Valar Morghulis (Belgian Dubbel), which was pretty tasty.

    The Valar Morghulis and Fire and Blood red Ale were my favorites. I’ve picked up the new one (Three Eyed Raven dark saison ale), but I’m saving it for Sunday @ 9

  57. TheTouchOfFrost,

    What on Earth leads you to believe they are going through with the siege of Meereen? That part of the story is long gone. Dany already has her ships(bye bye, Iron Fleet).

    If Barristan is slated to die in TWOW during the siege, then it is understandable why D&D would kill him off now, as it would really give weight to the threat that the Sons Of The Harpy are.

  58. Tyrion Pimpslap,

    I’m pretty sure that’s what’s happening.

    Before this revelation, I didn’t think such a momentous (or cinematic, at least) event would be cut, but… now the evidence is piling up.

  59. Geekfurious is coming over to watch. Prior to the premier we are going to do some maths, talk about Nielsen Ratings, and pick some back acne.

  60. mariamb:
    Have we seen the review from James Poniewozik at Time yet? Another positive one.

    http://time.com/3767866/game-of-thrones-season-5-review/

    Caution…mild spoilers.

    And now we await the review from the NY Times.

    Last years NY Times review was surprisingly lacking in its usual sexism and condescension towards the show’s fans. Let’s see if they are able to go back to their overtly prentious ways in the season 5 review

  61. They sure like that shot of Ramsay necking. Must be important. The Neck that was Promised! Wait…neck…the Neck…

  62. Are there any screenshots of the promo clips? I’m at work and forgot to bring my headphones :/

  63. Off-Topic Otto:
    dob,

    Re: HitFlix review; So many authors and their sites continue to embarrass themselves with poorly edited articles. Why can’t we get brief writing without typos anymore!

    What typos are you referring to here? I don’t see anything wrong with this review. Not to mention that Alan Sepinwall is more or less the pre-eminent television critic of our time so his opinion holds some weight.

  65. OT: HBO releases first trailer for True Detective Season 2. And they announced the premiere date of June 21st (the week after Game of Thrones airs its finale). Wouldn’t be surprised if The Leftovers is paired with this at 10PM.

    Get hype!

  66. Tyrion Pimpslap,

    What makes you convinced that it’s been completely shelved? I mean you’re entitled to your opinion and I concede that it’s quite probable but it’s quite presumptious! Seems odd that they’d cut out such an large scale battle (especially when it has all the ingredients to be the best battle they could put on screen so far) when they’d been doing their best to find them for this season. I’m not ruling it out completely yet as …well, we don’t know what’s going to happen! Doesn’t need to be the Ironfleet at the Bay for it to work either…although I, for one, think it would add an interesting dimension. Also I think it would be a suitable way for Dany to finally say farewell to Slavers Bay, finally draw a line under this plot quagmire! Guess it depends on just how much they’re going to cut from the books as it doesn’t look like Dany is getting any closer to heading to Westeros in them. In fact, she’s actually getting further away! All will be revealed this season I guess.

  68. they are REALLLYYYYYY promoting the crap outta Daznak’s Pit…. It better be as epic as I think it will

  69. TheTouchOfFrost,

    I get the feeling that in both book and show, Dany will leave Meereen in ruins, whether by battle or by implosion. I am of the mind that wherever Dany goes, chaos will follow. She is not the “breaker of chains” that she thinks she is.

    King Tommen,

    Yeah, TD and Leftovers! Happy spring, happy summer.

  70. Some awesome reviews coming in. They are extremely reassuring for me! 🙂 The SALON review especially reflects everything I felt about Season 4; so reading its views about Season 5 is great. As a show watcher who loves this show, all I want is a wonderful story to be told in the next three seasons. I don’t care one iota if Martin has a different ending to his books. I want Weiss and Benioff to have an end-point in sight and tell their own serial story. Yes!

  71. Lion of Night,

    I recently had the Fire and Blood. It was fair, but Ommegang makes much better stuff. I had previously had the Take the Black, which was OK. I’m a bit disappointed that they haven’t tried anything unusual with the flavors, just re-branded standard brews.

  73. Wow all these reviews are circlejerking hard about “EPIC DEPARTURES FROM THE BOOKS.” But hey, I genuinely hope they’re right. Especially when they see more than the first four episodes. And the season finale rolls around. And the next season.. And the next after that.. <:3

    Also

    RIP Barristan Selmy. That first teaser was his death knell.

  76. If … dies midway through this season, I’ll be sad, because I really like him. But it will then become clear that Daenerys is following the classic Hero’s Journey, losing her mentor midway, leaving her no choice but to become her own person. I would also expect Jon to lose all his mentors and grow as his own person.

  79. Cersei’s Brain,

    I don’t hate the books. I don’t know where you got that idea.

    I’m not a book purist, though. I understand that a direct adaptation from the novels to television would be utter shit, especially with the latter novels. Novels don’t make for good TV scripts; the stories in novels (and especially those of ASOIAF) are not structured in a way that leads to great films or great TV. Many of the best adaptations completely re-structure the source material, and that means big changes, whether fans of the original work like it or not.

    So, if you don’t mind, I’ll keep hoping for certain things that I think would work on TV to be adapted, and, if D&D’s record is anything to go by, I’ll continue being happy with most of their decisions. Most of all, I’ll continue enjoying the books as well well as the show, and not becoming bitter about cuts, changes, amalgamations and other techniques that must be used in any adaptation that’s done by writers who know what they’re doing instead of fanboys.

  80. I am hella salty about

    Barristan being killed too. I”ve long felt that his big moment should be a single combat with Victarion at the end of the Battle of Meereen. But if the show cuts Victarion, that is less so. Also, they wanna give Peter Dinklage more to do since he’s the big star, so it stands to reason that they will have him fill the role of Dany’s hand. I’d rather see him get it from the dragon than the Sons of teh Harpy though, the idea of the great Barristan the Bold getting killed by some shitty slaves is a real drag.

  81. Alex Stroup,

    Yup – I enjoyed them at least as much as “Clash of Kings”. Especially on second combined read. Think there is so much there that you need to read twice to absorb it all.

  82. Turncloak: Last years NY Times review was surprisingly lacking in its usual sexism and condescension towards the show’s fans. Let’s see if they are able to go back to their overtly prentious ways in the season 5 review

    Yes, I am waiting to see what tact they take this year.

    The odd thing is that they have been giving the new season a lot of coverage – three articles in the last week.

  83. Luka Nieto,

    Sorry Luka – didn’t mean to refer to you specifically. Was making a general statement. I enjoy your posts and know you are one of the good guys. Mea culpa.

  86. Alex Stroup:
    I actually thought FEAST and DANCE were decent books. A lot happened in them, but I seem to be the only one to realize that

    No, you’re not the only one. Why would you think that? There are plenty of varying perspectives here.

  87. Lion of Night,

    I have one from each of the past 3 seasons, Take the Black, Fire & Blood, and Valar Morghulis. Trying to decide if they should be consumed for the premiere or the finale…

  88. Renly’s Peach,

    This is the first time that we will genuinely see departures from the books. Up til now its been character alterations and filler arcs, that all in the end had to be spun back into Martin’s tightly knit plot…. Now they passed the first act of ASOIAF and can go into the second w/ the end game in mind and build their departures w/ a full picture and more thought.

    But I wish these critics would shut up w/ the shit they say about Martin. Its getting annoying. You can praise the show w/o beating on the genius whose mind all of this came from.

  89. Great to see Barriston bearing steel!

    Littlefinger meeting with Olenna should be revealing…. Insight into purple wedding that I don’t think has been officially spelled out yet?
    Also- cannot wait for Daznaks pit!

  90. Luka Nieto,

    Really do agree that lots of the story does not translate well to screen and generally agree with and respect D&Ds decisions. Will be interested to see about this season’s changes. Also, the added plus of having two stories to look forward to!

  91. Oh my God, I really really really hope Jorah isn’t killed! He’s my favourite and I’m bloody well not ready to be surprised by his death.
    I know he survives in Dazanak’s pit but I dont know if he survives against the sons of the Harpy!

  92. TheTouchOfFrost,

    One word: budget. You have a battle that has, at least a hundred ships, three full cgi dragons, a combined army of almost 75,000 strong (if not more, and add the horses), and the background shots of Meereen. It’s impossible to do it on a tv show. All this combined would mean a battle on the scale of Pelennor Fields.

  93. Thomas,

    The keyword is “Meereen”… Its a lot of budget for a Meereen battle… A battle that will most likely not have any impact on Westeros

  96. Hodor’s Bastard,

    I also enjoyed AFFC & ADWD. I admit there were portions that slogged a bit, but I’ve read them both numerous times, and have always been entertained.

    But I recently started the boiled leather combined reading and, let me tell you, it gives one a whole new perspective on these two books. I highly recommend it (for those who’ve already read AFFC & ADWD).

  97. Yivo,

    No

    This is still his world, his characters, and his story.

    w/o him, there is nothing.

    GOT is my favorite tv show, and the best adaption of a book series I’ve ever seen. Its still not as good as the books, nor can it be.

  98. HelloThere:
    Thomas,

    It’s also a battle that involves almost no players that we care about. Dany is sidelined so we’re left with Selmy, Grey Worm and Daario leading a nameless army against a Yunkish force with no main antagonist.

    Some people had a hard time even engaging in S4’s Battle at the Wall because of the lack of main characters there and you at least had Jon, Sam, Alliser, Pyp, Grenn, Edd, Olly, Slynt etc versus a group including Mance, Ygritte, Tormund and Styr.

    The Battle of Meereen makes very little sense to dramatize given the stakes. The main conflict is this season with the Sons of the Harpy beefed up to be the major overt threat inside the city with Dany still around and in danger while surrounded by Daario, Tyrion, Jorah, Grey Worm, Missandei (possibly Hizdahr) which culminates in a real climax at Daznak’s which will involve the dragons.

    If you wanted to put the Battle of Meereen on the screen, you’d end up with a CGI’d Unsullied army fighting random Yunkish extras. There’s a good reason why the decision was made to do away with that.

  99. Anyone have a nice .gif of the Barry segment? Abyss, oh great lord of .gifs?

    So sad to see him go. Hope he gets just a moment to shine telling Dany about Daddy Cray-cray or hacking through some slaves. :'(

    Doran’s Gouty Foot,
    Haven’t tried the Valar Morghulis. Gotta get some for Sunday.
    Just barely 3 days…

  100. Salty Dornishman,

    Though I also enjoyed reading AFFC and ADWD separately (particularly ADWD), it’s true that mixing them together makes for a much better novel. I heartily recommend this way of reading those books as well. It’s really impressive how the experience improves, and how many new things you may notice. Still, it’d be too long a novel to be published. An edited down FeastDance or A Ball of Beasts (that is, AFFC+ADWD) could be as good as ASOS, in my opinion. In a way, we’ll get that in season five.

  102. I feel like that one scen where Dany’s clapping in Daznak’s is after Jorah won a fight. Her face seems stern like she’s looking at someone she doesn’t like

  103. King Tommen,

    You are 100% right. Honestly, I should’ve seen it coming. There are no main characters there, except for Tyrion, who is not a fighter; and considering that’s the case, it’s too grand a battle to justify including it. I still think we’ll get a “battle” of sorts, though it will not be so steadily set up, so grand in scale nor will it involve so many different parties. As I believe you suggested, it may boild down to an internal affair —the climax of the civil war between Dany and the Sons of the Harpy (though I still think Yunkai may intervene, if only arming and supporting the Sons.) Probably, the “battle” will largely be done by the end of this season or the beginning of the next one.

  104. Alex Stroup,

    I think shes just upset because she never wanted the pits to open. Its one of the biggest compromises she has to make in ADWD. It looks like an establishing shot the way it pans around her, so I think its the opening of the pits

  105. Luka Nieto,

    I think what will be interesting to see is whether the finale this season deals with Dany returning to Meereen with Drogon after the events at Daznak. Will there be some kind of Dothraki encounter, will she decide to clean out the city with Drogon or will they delay that scene until the following season? Whatever happens will probably give us a fair estimation of how the Battle of Meereen wraps up in the books seeing as this will almost definitely be the start of her journey to Westeros.

  107. Did y’all see the True Detective S2 trailer?? It’s going to blow Game of Thrones S5 out of the water just like TD S1 did to GOT S4.

  108. HelloThere: Its still not as good as the books, nor can it be.

    I don’t see why it can’t be. I think the show is better, many clearly agree. I also don’t see why GRRM is to be considered above reproach for his mistakes just because he created the show.

  110. Al Swearengen,

    lets at least wait for the season to come out before making bold claims lol

    Game of thrones season 5 is getting great reviews so it no longer has anything the prove but true detectives on the other hand has to live up to the success of season 1 and do it without great actors like matthew mcconaughey and woody harrelson

  114. Al Swearengen:
    Did y’all see the True Detective S2 trailer?? It’s going to blow Game of Thrones S5 out of the water just like TD S1 did to GOT S4.

    I didn’t enjoy season 1 of TD all that much, but maybe season 2 will be better.

  115. Luka Nieto:
    Salty Dornishman,

    Though I also enjoyed reading AFFC and ADWD separately (particularly ADWD), it’s true that mixing them together makes for a much better novel. I heartily recommend this way of reading those books as well. It’s really impressive how the experience improves, and how many new things you may notice. Still, it’d be too long a novel to be published. An edited down FeastDance or A Ball of Beasts (that is, AFFC+ADWD) could be as good as ASOS, in my opinion. In a way, we’ll get that in season five.

    I plan to read Feast and Dance in Boiled Leather recommended format. I imagine it will make for a much better reading experience, thematically at least. Though I have to wonder: is the single book too sprawling? Do readers have to wait too long before returning to respective PoV chapters? In other words, do single character viewpoints get watered down, in a manner of speaking, by the sheer quantity of intervening material?

  116. Al Swearengen,

    Looked pretty shite to be honest. Vaugh and Kitsch both look comically out of place. And is Farell trying to do his best Mcconnaughey impression? pathetic

  117. God, that was too easy cocksuckahhs!!!!! Y’all need to stop being so sensitive :p

    Seriously though, the TD2 trailer was dope. Correct me if I am wrong, but will that show start as soon as GOT S5 ends?

  118. Don’t feed the trolls…some people come to this site just to piss fans off for no reason at all.

    And True Detective is my fav new show besides Thrones…I eagerly await it’s return.

    I’m curious how

    For the Watch will be handled in the show…there seems to be indication in the books that Jon will live in Ghost for some time, but the only Stark in the show with Warg powers appears to be Bran. Will Melissandre revive Jon right away? What if she is with Stannis at the Battle for Winterfell? Questions…questions…

  119. HelloThere,

    “Its still not as good as the books, nor can it be”

    You’re delusional if you don’t think its possible that season 5 can top book 4 and 5

    In fact season 5 is the only season that actually has very good shot at being better than the books they were based on lol

    Now don’t get me wrong I like book 4 and 5 but I am not going to fool myself into thinking that they were some great masterpieces that can never be topped by the show.

  120. Yivo,

    For the 4 seasons we had so far the books are better, book4&5 have so many glaring flaws , the show can easily be a vast improvement just by avoiding them .

  122. It’s pretty disappointing how a lot of the promo material this season has been recycled from the promos preceding them. It seems nobody made much effort. No character posters either. The season had better bloody make up for it. It’s been the worst promo campaign to date.

  125. Yeah, all the TV spots in every season are 80-90% re-used footage. There is a finite amount of footage they want to use for promotion given that they have a bunch of things they would prefer to keep under wraps.

    And I never knew so many people gave a shit about character posters. I mean, posters? Are you putting them on your bedroom wall like you’re 14?

  127. rex,

    I think “delusional” is going overboard
    I’m just saying that reading is how I prefer to experience a story rather than on TV.
    I obviously still obsess over the show, but its because I love the books.

  128. In the media, I have not appreciated the sneering over the books and almost boastful arrogance about ‘leaving them behind’. It feels like people are trying to ‘claim’ the mythos AWAY from the author. Does anybody else get that sense?

  129. Beacon,

    I have to agree, promo this season has been lacklustre. I mean where are my character posters?! They probably won’t be released, only a couple more days to go now.

    Everyone I know is talking about GoT, hype!

  130. King Tommen,

    I must say sweetheart that character posters are very important to me. It’s almost like each character represents a certain archetype, you assemble them together in posters or playing cards or in a collage and you essentially have the entire human experience. I love character posters for this reason and because they are a showcase for the stars who work hard to bring these characters to life.

  132. I am totally a 47 year old man living in my parents’ basement with the walls covered in GoT posters.

    Or maybe I just like looking at pretty pictures and think it’s really interesting who they choose to put on posters and what “looks” they have for each character.

  133. Beacon: I must say sweetheart that character posters are very important to me.

    That’s pathetic. Especially the use of sweetheart.

  134. King Tommen,

    Completely agree about the posters. Never got the fuss. Also, I’m happy they have restrained themselves with the content we have seen, because there will be more surprises. Besides Game of Thrones is so much part of the zeitgeist that you don’t really need to promote it that much anyway.

  135. Great promo campaigns are an artform unto themselves. I can’t tell you the amount of times I have been more thrilled and astounded by certain posters, trailers or promos than I have by the actual finished product. I understand why people crave these seemingly irrelevant things that others may sneer at. I just want to say to the people who wanted posters – I feel your pain guys! Although we know it’s not really important.

  136. PinkLipstick,

    It’d just be another chance for people to bitch about one of their favorites being excluded. I’m sure there will be something on the DVD/BR set, there always is.

  138. Yivo,

    Would you prefer I used ‘bitch’ instead? Some of us still believe in civility… and character posters!!! 🙂

  139. One entirely random question to my fellow Watchers with a better memory: Do we know if Arya is in episode 4? Because if we do, that would mean we get all (seven) storylines in this episode.

  140. King Tommen:
    And I never knew so many people gave a shit about character posters. I mean, posters? Are you putting them on your bedroom wall like you’re 14?

    To be honest, I may have been doing so well into my early twenties. :Bows head in shame:

  141. Margor:
    Littlefinger talks with Olenna? Seems like it is her. It would be an interesting scene.

    Now we finally know why he bothers to teleport to King’s Landing!

    King Tommen,

    Your point about the Battle of Meereen is made all the more if Ser Barristan and Grey Worm are killed off in episode 4. This leaves.. Daario, Jorah, and Missandei that we care about??

    RIP Ser Barristan! I hope it’s not true and he’s taken hostage as Touch of Frost has suggested..

  142. I have decided to restrict myself as best as I can to one trailer only for this show (there was more than one trailer right). And yet, I do want to click on those vids very much 🙁

  143. King Tommen:
    And I never knew so many people gave a shit about character posters. I mean, posters? Are you putting them on your bedroom wall like you’re 14?

    You don’t know my life! *runs away sobbing*

  144. PinkLipstick:
    I am totally a 47 year old man living in my parents’ basement with the walls covered in GoT posters.

    Man you have only 3 years left before you turn 50 and it it kinda gets weird and embarrassing.

    I suggest with tomorrow you start thinking about making permanent residance on the 1st floor of your parents house like normal 50yr people.

  145. Al Swearengen,

    Not one of the four seasons of GoT has come close to matching the awesomeness that are Deadwood, The Wire, and The Sopranos. TD S1 was as amazing as any of the best seasons put forth from those three, however I’d need to see how consistent the subsequent seasons are before I rank TD up there with them. I put GoT a level below and slightly behind Boardwalk.

    However my routine celebrations for each GoT episode are my favorite. It usually consists of a packed bowl, a shot of bourbon (or two), and a liter of some uppity craft beer (not Ommegang, F that noise). Sometimes I get my BF to pretend he is Jaime and I pretend to be Cersei and we make out during the theme song. One time we even made out next to our dead goldfish.

  147. Beacon:
    In the media, I have not appreciated the sneering over the books and almost boastful arrogance about ‘leaving them behind’. It feels like people are trying to ‘claim’ the mythos AWAY from the author. Does anybody else get that sense?

    While I am not a great fan of the last two books, yeah, I find it somewhat curious how vocal and unison these guys seem to be. Leavin’ the books behind, yeah, man. Good riddance! I think they may be just parroting the official line since the show crew has been talking quite a bit about this lately. Sort of how back in Season 3 there was much talk by D&D and the crew about the episode running times being so much longer that it almost amounted to an extra episode. Lo and behold, every reviewer and his aunt started remarking about how the longer episodes immeasurably helped the show… until it became obvious that the difference between S2 and S3 was around 1.5 minutes per episode.

    My opinion? Reviewers are notorious bandwagoners.

  148. Luka Nieto,

    Concur, though it still can be two novels, just mix them up chronologically, publish them in equal doses of chapters from all POV’s and re-release them as special editions. The publisher can accomplish this between the release of Winds and Spring.

  149. Rygar,

    That’s only YOUR opinion though. I care about Thrones characters a great deal more than I ever cared about characters in The Wire and The Sopranos. And yet you claim it’s inferior?

  151. Beacon,

    Correct. Pretty obvious that was an opinion. In MY opinion, the writing, directing, and some of the acting in GoT is inferior to those others. Doesn’t mean I still don’t enjoy it. And it shouldn’t make your panties bunch.

  153. TheMannis,

    Hopefully,it would similiar to the books.Jon seems to be involved with not only NW/widlings tension,but as well as with Northern politics this season.But they could’ve cut “Pink Letter” and just concentrate on NW/wildlings.Hardhome could be a big disaster,letting widlings south of the Wall maybe enough for stabbing.
    If Pink letter is in,then I am a bit sad that they’ve changed fArya to Sansa.Besides other facts Jon/Arya dynamic is key in these,but D&D somehow overlooked it on the show.There is only one person Jon would to war for and that’s Arya.Needle on the other keeps Arya from becoming No One(it’s Jon’s smile,Winterfell,her family,live as Arya Stark).
    I am really scared,because Ghost or more likely Shireen will serve as some kind of a sacrifice for Jon.Mel learned a little bit about ressurection from Thoros+that scene from last season with Selyse about her(Lord needs her).Given the fact,that Shireen will have “heart to heart moment” with Stannis.It doesn’t look good for her. 🙁

  155. King Tommen:
    And I never knew so many people gave a shit about character posters. I mean, posters? Are you putting them on your bedroom wall like you’re 14?

    I’m an architect and I’m not the type to hang posters in my bedroom.. but I would be proud to hang posters of game of thrones on my bedroom walls ……….. If I had the time to do that.

  156. Oh,some book purist is mad that the critics tell it like it is . The fact is they are right,both AFFC and ADWD are pieces of shit that don’t deserve to be adapted as as the book before because they are very bad .

  157. Beacon:
    In the media, I have not appreciated the sneering over the books and almost boastful arrogance about ‘leaving them behind’. It feels like people are trying to ‘claim’ the mythos AWAY from the author. Does anybody else get that sense?

    Many readers love the books , but don’t like GRRM. There are many reasons for that.

    This is a kind of “revenge”. They want to tell him: “you are no longer relevant, you betrayed our trust, we waited too long, and now there is someone who will give us the conclusion of this story before we all die”

    On the one hand he wrote 3 great books, but many think that he is arrogant and that he has no respect for his audience.

    You can love or hate D&D and HBO, but they give what they promise. You can feel passion in them. They are really trying to give maximum to their audience.

  158. Mr Fixit,

    That is one of the criticisms of the boiled leather combined reading, that it takes too long to get back to a POV. I believe that’s why one shouldn’t recommend the BL list until after one has read both individually. After one has read AFFC & ADWD, and experienced the *really* long wait for a POV to return (five years, was it?) a few chapters isn’t as big an impediment as one might think. I recommend trying it!

    My only problem was it required me to buy the paperbacks. I own the hardcovers & the e-books, but trying to toggle between the hardcovers (let alone lug them around) or trying to navigate the screwed Kindle bundle proved too difficult, and I broke down & bought the damn paperbacks. Nevertheless, I still recommend trying it!

  159. I think what many reviewers are referencing with the “leaving the books behind” is since the beginning, it has been extremely difficult to evaluate the show as its own entity as opposed to a constant comparison to the books.

    The TV reviewers (even those who have read the books) are trying to evaluate what is on the screen and whether or not the stories work and connect with the audience in the TV medium. Adding the baggage of comparison to how the books did this and whether or not the adaptation choices would please the hardcore book audience was something that hung over this analysis constantly.

    There is a certain freedom that exists in the show being able to be judged without this baggage intact and so it can be enjoyed and evaluated on the way its telling its story in its chosen medium. They aren’t sneering at Martin or the books, they’re saying that watching the show as an endless adaptation exercise could be a tedious endeavour and that this new evolution of the show opens up a ton of possibilities for fans and critics.

  161. Oh no. I gave into temptation and watched one of them, now I wished I’d hadn’t, way to much spoilery information.

  162. Jaime’s girl:
    King Tommen,

    To be fair, the decision to possibly kill off Barristan and Greyworm in mid-season would be made as a result of the conclusion that they don’t need the Battle of Meereen. I would extrapolate that to mean that these characters may not make it out of the Battle in the books. If you know that’s the case, you would need to find a reason to remove them earlier in the story and having the Harpy threat elevated by making them dangerous enough to take out Dany’s most trusted allies seems like a good way to do it.

  164. Abyss,

    We’ll expect you to address the previews throughout the season as well. 🙂

    (Thx for your efforts, kind ser…although some of those gifs are epilepsy-inducing!)

  166. So thoughts on LF talking to Olenna…

    So from last season, we know that LF and Olenna are in cahoots. Could he be planning something with her? Maybe….

    – LF is discussing his plan for the North and Sansa, and he is asking her for Highgarden soldiers? And, this is a stretch, but maybe Olenna is appalled at Sansa being married to a Bolton and her threat from the first trailer is to LF?

    – Or possibly LF is plotting the downfall of Cersei with Olenna? I would kind of love it if Olenna, LF, Marge were plotting Cersei’s downfall while she plotted theirs.

  169. I wonder if that tent going up in flames is

    in Yara’s camp?

    Anyone working on some screenshots?

  170. Thanks to everyone for this addictive site. I can’t wait for the premiere, but I’m concerned as to why Impsgramma hasn’t posted here in a while? Maybe I missed it?

  174. Stark Fan,

    Hey, hey, hey! Penny Dreadful was, for me and my watching circle at least, a very pleasant surprise. Did not expect that show to be so good. Timothy Dalton and Eva Green for the win! Also yay for the gay werewolves!

  177. Stark Fan:
    Al Swearengen,

    This guy watches black sails and penny dreadful so I don’t take him seriously anymore.

    I love the books, love the show, AND I really enjoyed Penny Dreadful & Black Sails. I am also loving Outlander (read those too). But you know what I could never get into: The Walking Dead.

    Just goes to show you that opinions are like… well, you know – you were replying to Al, after all :-/

  178. Rygar:
    Al Swearengen,

    Not one of the four seasons of GoT has come close to matching the awesomeness that are Deadwood, The Wire, and The Sopranos.TD S1 was as amazing as any of the best seasons put forth from those three.

    Pfftt. You lost me there.

  179. Hodor’s Bastard,

    Perhaps that’s why they’re doing the Pit the way they are doing?
    Luka Nieto,

    If they want to take more bits from the books then Yunkai would be joined by Qarth and New Ghis (who I don’t think have been mentioned in the show?). Obviously that’s all cuttable but there does seem to be hinted at unfinished business with the warlocks. I can see why it may well be being left out but it’s a shame as I think it would have made fantastic television. I think with Jorah, Tyrion, Selmy, Missandei, Hizdahr, and potentially a face for the antagonists (I’d go for a returning Xaro myself) and a Greyjoy there would have been plenty of characters to hang the story around. Guess I may just have to wait for the books to see that though! Are we to assume that Dany encountring the Dothraki again is a goner too? By the end of this season I guess we’ll have a better idea.

    Mr Fixit,

    Another Penny Dreadful fan here. I’m a sucker for anything set in that period and setting though especially if it features the science clashing with religion/mysticism premise. Plus, ya know, Eva Green 🙂

  182. I say let them save the budget for

    The battle of Winterfell. Since we never saw any battles in Robb’s campaign I think it would be nice to see a proper northern battle on a massive scale. It would also have a lot more well-known characters involved in it on both sides.

  186. Rygar,

    Game of thrones is deffinatly better than the wire and the sopranos , my itallian godfather who is all about anything that’s at all like that and all his friends all think game of thrones is the best show out there

  187. One of Roose Bolton’s leeches,

    Think I’d take Mereen over Winterfell but would be interesting to see what they do with it as it’s a pretty blank slate…until we find out exactly what happened there. Not sure about the more familiar characters bit though as I can only think of

    Stannis, Roose and Ramsay

    who’d be involved directly.
    I agree it’s a shame they didn’t have as many battles in the earlier seasons. Would have like to have seen the Whispering Wood, if only for Jaime’s last stand. Would have given greater significance to his de-handing if you got to see just how great he was with it.

  188. I dont understand the this show is better than that show argument when ALL those shows are equally awesome!! Also is there any truth these barristan rumors??

  189. WunWun,

    Some people just don’t seem to be able to love more than one thing. Whether it be more than one show or the book version and the show version. Leave them to it I say. They’ll miss out on all the awesomeness scattered about the place!
    On the Barristan rumours, it’s not sounding good for him at all but I don’t think it’s 100% nailed on yet.

  190. Not sure if this was ever posted but I read on IGN that the old Dario left to player the main guy in the Transporter movie reboot.

  191. They are placing so much emphasis on Hardhome. I am very much starting to think that

    ‘For the Watch’ and Hardhome will be combined somehow. In fact, it seems so much more naturally dramatic I’m pretty sure it’s inevitable. Anyone else agree?

  192. outdoorcats,

    I really hope they don’t have Jon “murdered” by wildlings or by white walkers…. There was something so powerful and sad about the way he was betrayed in the books.
  193. Dammit, Barry!

    I sure hope they do more with Arya’s storyline than indicated by promos (which makes sense). They really love that Brienne/Pod scene!

  194. outdoorcats:
    They are placing so much emphasis on Hardhome. I am very much starting to think that

    Based on leaked spoilers, I can assure you this will not be the case.

  200. Kay,

    Dany hasn’t had anyone to give advice as a Hand would. This is one reason I’m looking forward to see how Tyrion interacts with Dany.
    I think her ‘Breaking Wheel’ speech is garbage given that she doesn’t have a clue what really is going on across in Westeros. Here’s an instance where Tyrion can set the record straight, if Dany’s got ears to hear. Her family were the real cause of all the chaos that follows. Smug Targaryen.

  204. ZappaCreed, I’m a show watcher, and I have radically different views to yours about Daenerys, or her speech being “garbage” or about her being a “smug Targaryen”, and her family being the cause of all the chaos. We will see – approximately mid-2017? – how the story unfolds. 😉

    Oh, and I like Tyrion a lot. A whole LOT. Sadly, he is very depressed right now, with having killed the head of House Lannister and his lover. In no position to act as Hand right away. Hopefully later, though. And also looking forward to him taking Viserion in hand…. 🙂

  205. One of Roose Bolton’s leeches,

    Yep. I’m kind of hoping they save the Battle of WF for season 6, and have it take up most of episode 2 or 3. Especially since

    Sansa, Ramsay, Roose, Theon, Brienne, Pod, Stannis, Davos, Melisandre, LF, Yara, and maybe even Jon/Nights-Watch could possibly be involved in some way.

  206. Abyss:
    Hodor’s Bastard,

    First on up, others coming. – Good point about the epilepsy thing, I think I will puta warning up to ensure nobody get’s hurt, it’s better to be save than sorry with that kind of things.

    The gif named “fighting” under the title “sinners” is Jorah wearing a helmet, is he not

  207. Yivo:
    That shot of Barristan in the catacombs is beautiful

    Yeah really looking forward to his fight scene

    Sadly I suspect he is one of the characters killed off this season but as long as he gets the fight scene his character deserves and he goes down fighting is all that matters

    More than it seems Mance will get despite the fact “the Mance” as some call him for a reason is a top notch fighter

  208. ZappaCreed:
    Kay,

    Dany hasn’t had anyone to give advice as a Hand would. This is one reason I’m looking forward to see how Tyrion interacts with Dany.
    I think her ‘Breaking Wheel’ speech is garbage given that she doesn’t have a clue what really is going on across in Westeros. Here’s an instance where Tyrion can set the record straight, if Dany’s got ears to hear. Her family were the real cause of all the chaos that follows. Smug Targaryen.

    In itself it seems irritating if the Showrunners are turning this into a cartoon where she is some kind of “good guy” on a pedestal above everyone else

    In reality she is a player like everyone else with their good and bad points

    What I’ve enjoyed about the books is it is a great exploration of power

    It sounds like “Yunkai” is giving into their demands, this is dissapointing because the Astapor versus Yunkai conflict strips all romance out of this whole “liberty on the march” nonsense, and it shows that power merely transfers from one demographic to another and far from “saving people” all she really did was collect an Unsullied army, create a power vacuum and sow chaos.

    I can understand if they are cutting Battle of Mereen for budgetary reasons, as long as they honour the basic premise, which they may be doing just through a basic Harpy’s insurgency. They seem to start covering it last year which was good

    I still hold out hope the so-called “badly acted scenes” like the “I will rule” and now this “wheel” speech aren’t actually “bad” at all, rather it correctly comes across as try-hard because it isn’t what Dany is really about (Viserys dream).

    She did well in S1 when arguing against Mago + Krasnyz for example so I’m looking forward to the real Targaryen Fire and Blood in books and hopefully TV show where all pretense at being a wishy washy humanitarian and poltician are thrown out of the window (which is where the wheel speech will work out well for its irony, similar to the Sept scene having its twin in the White Tower in S4)

    Just depends how much the Showrunners are deviating, I can understand adaption decisions but when they start getting cartoonish and pandering to traditional TV stereotyping is when this gets truly irritating and in this respect “leaving the books behind” isn’t necassarily a good thing (remember how weird Crasters seemed, I can see the sense but it had TV cliche written all over it).

    They have to also put aside people adopting families like sports teams too, it’s good for HBO Marketing and I’m a Stark fan myself but it has to be remembered that ultimately it’s about the interaction of different forces (predominantly Ice and Fire) and the exploration of power which should “not be left behind” even if they are having to deviate quite significantly from the books in terms of storytelling

  209. Another thing is, some of the snide could be down to the fact that some bookreaders have been spoiling the plotlines for TV only viewers for a long time so now there is about to be something of a reversal with the tables turning, probably more S6 onwards though

  211. Stannis the Mannis,

    Whoa….thx! More scenes! Also, Seth Meyers had Carice Van Houten (Mel) as a guest on Late Night tonight. He showed a new clip (at least for me) from the 1st ep of Jon and Mel riding up the CB elevator with some non-traditional elevator discussion. I’m sure the vid link will be posted later. Seth Meyers is such a cool GoT fan.

  212. Regarding Dany, I’ve always thought her arrogance was featured on purpose. There is an obvious irony behind the wheel speech and I don’t understand why most of the commenters here think the writers aren’t aware of this. Sure, it’s in the trailer as a “badass” speech, but in context, it will show that Dany thinks she’s better than she actually is.

    To me this is setup for Fire&Blood destructing Dany that will come in season 6.

  214. After watching that first video I want to start a trending hashtag:

    #FearForSelmy :'(

  219. Ghost’s Lunch,

    I dunno, I think the fandom on a whole have been pretty restrained with spoilers from the books. I know personally, I have remained tight-lipped even when pushed on subjects/characters by my friends who haven’t read them.
    This whole book vs show thing annoys the hell out of me partly because it seems to have been manufactured by a moronic minority. No need to create tension where there is none. If anyone has purposely read through the books just so they can spoil it for other people or ‘know what’s going to happen’ then they’ve not read them for the right reasons. Sitting back and enjoying the ride in both the book and show makes for a much more enjoyable experience. Similarily, any show watchers who are taking pleasure in changes just because it will ‘piss off book readers’ don’t get it either. Thankfully, both seem to be in the minority both on here and in the real world. Let’s keep it that way.

  220. KG,

    She needs a faithful advisor type still as I think that Daario is a wrong ‘un and will turn!

  224. Rygar,

    Yeah, using Arya’s friend / Robert’s son for blood magic against Robb is not something the Starks will appreciate, if they ever find out. Robb was obliged to bend the knee though. His father did. How do we appraise Melisandre and R’hllor after this season’s carnage? Do ends truly justify the means? Harry Truman thought so, as does the typical human when the stuff hits the fan.

  227. The “Sinners” promo is great.

    There’s one more promo video of a different sort, from HBO Latinoamérica, featuring several actors from the show including new cast members Alexander Siddig and Jessica Henwick

    Proof that the GoT cast has the best voices in the business. They can read the phone book and make it sound good.

    Just two more days!

  228. Maybe Sansa’s ambiguous ending will be her opening the gates to Stannis, expecting to be recognized as Lady of Winterfell having established herself as a valuable ally already in control of the castle rather than Sansa Lannister appealing from the Vale… only for Stannis to arrive with Rickon retrieved from Last Hearth by Davos.

  229. SteveD:

    Maybe Sansa’s ambiguous ending will be her opening the gates to Stannis, expecting to be recognized as Lady of Winterfell having established herself as a valuable ally already in control of the castle rather than Sansa Lannister appealing from the Vale… only for Stannis to arrive with Rickon retrieved from Last Hearth by Davos.

    Exactly. Stannis would not recognize Sansa as heir. He’d follow the male line of succession, so yeah, Rickon would be Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. And anyway, Sansa is tainted by her association with the Lannisters.

    TV Littlefinger really doesn’t know what Stannis is like at all or how he operates – he assumes he’s like the people of King’s Landing. This will probably be his biggest mistake.

    I do wonder what Sansa would do when Stannis rejects her claim. All that effort for nothing.

  230. As far as TV Littlefinger knows, though, Rickon and Bran are dead and Sansa really does have the strongest Stark claim to Winterfell.

  231. SteveD,

    Stannis will never accept Sansa as heir, even if Bran and Rickon are dead. Her association with the Lannisters and Littlefinger, in his mind, means she’s untrustworthy. Stannis will probably choose the closest Stark relative to take over Winterfell.

    Also, TV Jon knows Bran is still alive. If he tells Stannis this, Stannis may decide to send a search mission to find Bran, and that will lead to Rickon.

    I really hope I’m wrong, though. If I am I’d be really happy. It would be great to see Sansa as Warden of the North. But, knowing Stannis, I don’t expect it.

  232. Flora Linden,

    I dunno. I think Rickon deserves a bit of action! For all my trying I can’t get away from the fact I find Sansa pretty dull as a character.

  234. Sue the Fury: How will you all be celebrating the premiere this weekend?

    Took Monday off & doing it up Rygarstyle.

  235. Somehow, knowing the ones we’ve lost to the end of Episode 4 so far has only made me MORE paranoid about my other favourites, not less. Gahhhhhhhhh.

  236. HelloThere,

    It already was 1.5, pretty much, not two full seasons devoted to ASOS, since season 4 had a lot of AFFC and ADWD. Half of Daenerys’s season (since she takes Meereen) was ADWD, and all of Bran’s and Theon’s and the Boltons’ was from ADWD; Sansa’s last appearance dispatched with her two AFFC chapters; Brienne’s three episodes on the road effectively adapted 7 of her 8 AFFC chapters; and then some individual scenes from latter books are also brought forward, such as Jaime training with a discrete sword partner (Bronn instead of Illyn Payne); Stannis coming to an agreement with the Iron Bank, which happens in the unreleased TWOW; and Cersei consenting to Qyburn treating the Mountain.

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