In a long overdue move, HBO is expanding its weekly coverage of Game of Thrones with a new addition its lineup.
HBO has announced today that they’ll be teaming up with Bill Simmons for After the Thrones, a weekly show that “takes a lively, humorous and sophisticated look at” Game of Thrones. It will debut this month, with the first episode premiering on April 25th, the day after GoT’s season 6 premiere.
After the Thrones will be hosted by Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan from The Ringer.
HBO says that each new weekly episode of After the Thrones will be available on Mondays on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand, as well as other affiliate portals. Playdates on the HBO channel itself will be announced as they are confirmed in the future.
The show will includes recaps of the latest episode, along with info “explaining the who, what, when and where, exploring the complicated politics and history of Thrones, and offering absurd and not-so-absurd theories about future episodes.”
Greenwald and Ryan have experience covering Game of Thrones– they previously hosted Grantland’s Watch the Thrones podcast, and currently host The Watch on Channel 33’s podcast feed.
Launching a recap show to supplement Game of Thrones is a great idea, and it’s something I would’ve expected years ago from HBO. It does seem odd that After the Thrones won’t air until Mondays though- GoT is such an immediate water-cooler type of show, that by later on Monday, people will have gone elsewhere for their recaps and discussion. It would’ve been great if HBO had tried something more in line with AMC’s Talking Dead program. That said, I’m looking forward to seeing what After the Thrones produces.
hodor
Of all the awesome recappers available to HBO on the Internet…
No idea who these people are. Will watch to see if it’s any good.
Mihnea,
same!
with occasional guesting of Maester Jason Concepcion I bet
Brilliant, I watched Grantland’s Watch the Thrones after every episode last year and loved it, especially in tandem with Greenwald’s reviews. When he and Chris Ryan left Grantland I thought that would be the end of their show, so this is great!
They did a great job on Watch the Thrones on Grantland. Hopefully they can tag in the experts from The Ringer as well.
Awesome choice on the hosts…their weekly recaps on Grantland.com were my favorites only behind the slashfilm podcasts
I hope its going to be as good and informative as the Watch the thrones podcasts they did in the past.
Hmm… well, I’d have preferred some of the WotW crew doing the show, and definitely a woman on the panel but I’ll try it out. I hate Talking Dead (and after last night, I hate the show it’s based on as well) so I hope they do something different. I agree that having it a day later is a bit of WTF? Ok, now that I think about it, this is a weird idea. It’s not like HBO to copy “lesser” channels – they are usually the innovators.
My first thought is that this means a bigger pool of potential leak sources just before and during the season. That’s assuming that these hosts and their staff are not going to be merely commenting with off-the-cuff first reactions, but will instead get pre-screeners and more than a day to write, rehearse and block out the show.
Anybody here familiar with Greenwald and Ryan? Are they any good?
I like these guys, quite enjoyed their show.
Though I wonder how this will work. Greenwald can be quite critical, particularly of the darker elements of the show. Hopefully HBO won’t stop them from expressing negative viewpoints if they wish, don’t want constant fawning like the Talking Dead.
I always wondered why there wasn’t an after-show for Thrones … so I’ll be watching to see how it goes.
I’ve been having a hard time lately with The Walking Dead, feeling like every episode is more or less the same, and then scratching my head watching people on Talking Dead treat it like it was Shakespeare or something …
Never heard of these guys but an official Thrones discussion show sounds interesting and I will watch it.
I also like these two and listened to their podcast last year. But it seems tone deaf for HBO to not have at least one woman on this show.
Does a tv show really need an after-show? That’s too indulgent.
We already have ‘Thronecast’ here in the UK, which is very much like Talking Dead, so I’ve never had to look elsewhere for a recap show. Love Jamie East, so I hope they give Sue the boot this year and bring him back!
I hope his drives WICnet’s live show out of business. Poetic justice.
Demonmonkey,
Mallory Rubin is a frequent contributor.
Their podcast last year was awesome, and Greenwald mentioned on Twitter that both of their additional contributors, Jason Concepcion and Mallory Rubin (who have also both read the books), will still be involved, so I’m really psyched!
cosca,
I only see two men listed on the credits (and on the poster) for this specific show. I’ll withhold giving them credit for having a woman on the show until I see it happen.
Greenwald is great. His written reviews of GoT and Mr. Robot were always my favorites. He’s eloquent, and smart.
I’m very excited for this. Andy Greenwald’s probably my favorite TV critic (even if he’s not writing much now). He was also far and away the best GOT recapper for the past few seasons – Unsullied or otherwise. His Watch the Thrones podcast with Chris Ryan was a ton of fun last year, and this looks to be the spiritual successor to that show.
I know that the immediate instinct with this kind of post-show is to compare it to AMC’s Talking Dead (particularly since these guys will now be operating inside the HBO family). But honestly, I’ve been listening to Greenwald and Ryan talk about Game of Thrones – and many other shows – for a long time. They’re better than that. Greenwald, in particular, isn’t afraid to be critical – although his generally relentless enthusiasm for the show is part of what makes him so fun to listen to.
As for why this show isn’t airing on Sunday nights, I can think of a couple reasons. One, HBO probably doesn’t want to mess with their golden Sunday Night spring line up: Game of Thrones, Silicon Valley, Veep, Last Week Tonight, Game of Thrones again I support that – my favorite three-and-a-half hours of TV anywhere. Even if it was an HBO Go/Now exclusive that went up on Sunday nights, I personally wouldn’t get around to watching it until Monday anyway.
HBO is also being absurdly careful with the episodes this year. Since these guys are HBO-affiliated, maybe they’ll be one of the few people on the planet that are allowed to view advance screeners. But even then, I doubt the privilege would be extended to their guests, That would complicate things, even if they all sat down in the same room to watch the episode together live with everyone else.
Doing the show on Monday will allow them to process the episode more, maybe even rewatch it to pick up on things they might have missed. That should result in a more thorough and informed discussion than just “That was awesome” or “That was weird.”
Something like this should have started by season 2.
Greenwald was a monthly call-in guest on one of my local morning radio shows until Grantland was shut down. They’ve resumed that in his new position the last couple of months. He’s a huge GoT fan like one of the hosts of the station. Most of the time when he was on during the GoT season they’d spend all of the time on it.
It would be nicer to have it immediately following the episode but I suppose they don’t want to displace VEEP and/or Silicon Valley. Sticking it on a secondary HBO channel would have worked for me as well. Still, the more GoT talk the better, so whenever it airs I’m in. I’ve never been a big enough fan of TWD to watch more than a few minutes of Talking Dead but I’ve always seen the attraction for major fans.
This is a good point. They’ll also be able to get an idea of what episode elements are the ‘hot topic’ with viewers and how they’re being discussed in places like this online.
Demonmonkey,
As cosca said, Mallory Rubin (who works with Greenwald and Ryan at The Ringer) was a guest on every single episode of “Watch the Thrones” last year. She just tweeted out that she’ll be part of “After the Thrones” as well.
https://twitter.com/MalloryRubin/status/717038170798317568
Rubin’s also a big fan of the books (as is Jason Concepcion, their other permanent guest). Greenwald and Ryan are both Unsullied, so she brings a fresh and interesting dynamic to the show, in addition to being every bit as genuine and enthusiastic in her fandom as they are (if not more).
I do understand the criticism – perhaps it would have been a good idea for HBO to add her or another woman as an official host. But Greenwald and Ryan are about as far from a pair of tone-deaf dude-bros as it’s possible to get. They’re both extremely smart, thoughtful, and socially conscious. They also co-host a podcast together and have a well-established rapport. I’m sure that in addition to Mallory, they’ll have several other female contributors to the show as well. God knows there are countless worthy candidates out there, be they critics, celebrities, or just friends who are also dyed-in-the-wool fans of the show.
Should go well as long as they continue to bring in Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion, like they did on Watch the Thrones. Both are also employees of The Ringer, so I’d call it pretty likely they’ll be involved.
Ryan and Greenwald on their own are still good as TV critics, but Mallory and Jason have a much deeper knowledge of the world. It’s made for a good balance of different viewpoints in the past.
Firannion,
I tend to think they won’t get the episodes in advance. Partly because of fear of leaks. But also because a lot of the charm of their recaps/discussions in the past has been how in-the-moment and surprised they are by it all. As a critic, Andy used to get the advance screeners and I always thought he was better once week 5 each season rolled around and he hadn’t had as much time to process what he saw (Chris didn’t see the screeners). And wasn’t as concerned about spoiling something by accident.
I really like their coverage, and ever since Jason and Mallory became regular contributors (who are both mega-fan book-readers, but very positive about the show), they’ve done a good job striking a balance of having knowledgeable discussions without getting overly bogged down in details and missing the big picture.
Also, Jason and Mallory are both The Ringer employees like Andy and Chris are and have been on the new podcast. If Andy says they’ll both be involved in the show, I trust that they will be; just not as hosts, which is probably why they aren’t on the art.
Amazing news! Of course, provided that Andy and Chris are actually allowed to express critical opinions too. I have no wish to see another Talking Dead. I really, really want Mallory and Jason included in this as well, because let’s be honest, they bring the much needed ASOIAF perspective to the discussion. I was really looking forward to Watch the Thrones this year, so hopefully After the Thrones will be just as good. Here’s a link to the newest (I think) Watch the Thrones podcast (season 6 discussion), if someone wants to see what we can (hopefully) look forward to: https://soundcloud.com/channel33/ep-63-the-watch-got-edition-with-jason-concepcion-and-mallory-rubin
Jared,
Perfect comment, Jared. I enjoy them so much, I’m almost worried for them as this larger platform will expose them to more crazy internet trolls with fiery hot GoT takes than they already deal with.
If anyone wants to get familiar with these guys ahead of time, check out the old Soundcloud:
https://soundcloud.com/watchthethrones
I’m so excited for this show. IMO these guys are the best when it comes to Game of Thrones coverage. And to echo what others have said, Mallory Rubin is sure to be a weekly guest and she is top-tier.
Firannion,
They’re pretty great. They’re not fanboys so their initial impressions are often very fresh. They usually have two other podcasters from Bill Simmons’ network on the show who are book readers to enlighten them on the nuances of the show. I’ve been a huge Bill Simmons fan since deep in his days with ESPN and he’s A+ quality and surrounds himself with the best people. That’s why he had to leave ESPN – things got t0o corporate and micro-managed by the suits.
Great news! I really like these guys and Andy’s recaps are smart, articulate and insightful. I’m sure the show’s going to be great if they’re allowed to criticize GoT. Expect a lot of laughs, Andy and Chris are hilarious. I think I might be more eager to see this recap show than season 6..
Sue the Fury,
Here you go Sue:
https://twitter.com/MalloryRubin/status/717038170798317568
Red Viper,
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
I didn’t listen to the orignal podcast but Andy Greenwald wrote some really thoughtful reviews of GoT on Grantland so I have high hopes for this show.
Between Watch the Thrones and Game of Owns, and now After the Thrones, I will be feeling well-satiated during the season. So excited about every thing GoT-related right now! Deepwood Motte this year!!!!!!!!
Yep. Why not Linda and Elio ? Much, much better !
They are great! This is great news!
They were the best GoT podcast.
I love them even when I disagree with them sometimes.
Ace of Mace,
Yeah he’s a very intelligent critic. I often disagreed with his opinions because I’m not particularly criticial of storytelling, but I always read his reviews of different shows anyways because I respect his take so much.
And Greenwald’s interview with D&D after S3 was great as well. He really knows how to ask the right questions, not some boring bulshit we hear every time.
He is really interested in the way the writer creates his work. His interview with Mr. Robot’s showrunner was great as well.
This is something they should have had since season 1 (especially the explanations about who is who and clarifying various things about the world and backstories).
Anyway, now that we’re no longer in book territory, I imagine this it will be very censored and they’ll have to play dumb a lot. I also don’t expect much constructive criticism. I’ll be pleasantly surprised if they openly discuss certain theories about a certain character. Disappointed by the lack of women on the panel.
Flayed Potatoes,
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
a recap show hosted by somebody i actually like? i didn’t think it was possible…
If the past is any indication I doubt highly a site like this will like some of what they have to say…
Ser Roger Sterling,
*squints suspiciously*
red,
Well we’ve linked to Greenwald’s reviews since our inception and we did at WiC for years, so I doubt there’s anything he can say that will surprise me.
LOVE this news. Greenwald is great, and it will be really fun to watch it on HBO and relive the episode again!
(Also looking forward to the What The Flick reviews on YT as usual!)
Would be great if they did it with cast members
I hope D&D, Cogman and the cast will now be available to them for interviews.
Sue the Fury,
Haha. Hey if you really are suspicious and have 43 mins to listen to a podcast, they just released an episode less than two hours ago where they address the announcement at the beginning of the podcast. They talk about some other things afterwards, so you can get a nice little simple of these guys. Free to listen on iTunes. You can search ‘Channel 33’ or ‘The Ringer’ to find it.
Huge fan of Chris & Andy, their “Watch the Thrones” podcast was a hit on Grantland before ESPN’s fall out with Bill Simmons. I’m looking forward to watching both of them. You can check out their current work on the Channel 33 podcast network.
I like the idea – never heard of the hosts, but given the thumbs up the folk here are giving them, suspect it will be interesting to watch. As for interviews with cast – I almost wish they wouldn’t. We already get a lot of that, and suspect they’ll be little new here, and take away from the hosts’ perspective. Anyway, Looking forward to this!
Why?
GoT Power Plays starts tonight!
Send a raven.
The #GoTPowerPlays marathon begins tonight at 10PM on @HBO2 with #HouseStark’s most memorable moments https://amp.twimg.com/v/4526c258-15d6-4896-9410-1199cb831995
Jack Bauer 24,
Well, not sure exactly what Red means, but I do know these guys won’t shy away from criticizing the show if criticism is indeed deserved, so maybe a lot of hardcore fans won’t like that? But Chris Ryan and Andy Greenwald (and even Bill Simmons, who I’m sure will make a guest appearance at some point) do genuinely enjoy GoT and get super excited every year the show comes back.
So basically HBO is now admitting defeat and accepting that Game of Thrones has now become popcorn TV instead of the genre breaking classy show it use to be. What a shame 🙁
Should make Mr. Martin´s life easier while novelizing the show.
Love their pods and Greenwald’s reviews. Greenwald was critical about the show on several occasions, so I assume he won’t be censored in that regard, as long as it is constructive. Looking forward to this, was sad about Grantland’s fate.
They probably didn’t want to air it directly after because Silicon Valley/Veep.
So, Chris Hardwick was busy??? Does he know about this?? Anyone call him and ask permission to jump on his bandwagon??
I’ve read the recaps/critiques on Grantland before, and thought they were hilarious. I’m excited to see how they do in a talk-show format on the actual network themselves. (ie-paid by the network to generate buzz).
And, I might actually participate in a GoT quiz. . “4-5-3-2-1-QUIZ!”
Ser Roger Sterling,
There is also the fact that Greenwald and Ryan are both Unsullied fans, so their criticism is from the standpoint of television critics, not fans of the books- hardcore show fans may not agree with their take, but no one can throw the “asshole book purist” knee-jerk at them either. They really do love the show, but they also recognize when it’s not up to par from a pure TV standpoint.
Demonmonkey,
As someone else pointed out, Mallory Rubin will probably make frequent appearances on the show and she is a woman. But given that Andy and Chris have done a two-person podcast together for years and apparently have also been best friends for most of their lives, should they really be required to add a third host who might not mesh with their established chemistry just because it’s un-PC now to have two white men host?
Based on past podcast discussions Chris and Andy are very much supportive of progressive causes as well for whatever that’s worth.
What? Lol. Game of Thrones can’t be both? Get outta here.
Ffiferoo,
Exactly. And hardcore book purists should still enjoy this if they continue to have Jason Concepcion and Mallory Rubin join them weekly, which all indications point to yes.
I love this. Andy and Chris are hilarious , exactly what I need after a traumatic GoT episode. They’re show only, but they’ll have Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion on as the experts. If it’s as good as their Grantland Thrones podcast count me excited!
Never heard of these guys, but I will definitely be checking out the show. I really hope this doesn’t mean they will be doing away with Inside the Episode, since it is our only insight into the creators’ minds regarding each episode, and of course the clips with GRRM thoughts on things are the best.
Ravyn,
They did a special GoT episode on there Channel 33 ‘The Watch’ podcast back on March 14 with Jason and Mallory. Kind of a pre-season episode and of course, it was great.
oh God that show is awful. I mean, they seem like really nice people but the conversation is so bland and rehearsed. They had a guy on last year who I swear has never seen the show, as his opinion was almost always, “I’ll agree with what you said.”
Hehe… Thronecast (the UK after episode recap show) had that pair doing a spot for the first three seasons, but not for S4 and S5. Now, I wonder why that was? (said with tongue in cheek) 😉
Just adding to the pile my excitement at this announcement. Andy and Chris are former music journalists and have a huge knowledge of pop culture and modern literature as well which they refer to in their discussions. As mentioned, they have been very critical when they felt it nessesary such as the Crypt scene last year and excellent analysis from a storytelling viewpoint.
Malory and Jason are great, and the format of having them come on as Maesters to clarify plot points to the unsullied Andy and Chris works surprisingly well. I also don’t really need cast on like TD as this leads to too much polite discussion.
Will Andy mention that The Americans is the greatest show on TV like he usually does? Love Thrones but he’s right!
Another guest they should get to add some fun and an additional woman’s perspective would be Laura Stone (Hey, Don’t Judge Me).
Ffiferoo,
I agree. But their criticism has nothing to do with Bad pussy, 20 good man, character assassination, etc… so they were never accused of being a book purists.
As I recall Andy Greenwald’s main criticism of the show always was about too dark story sometimes. He sometimes thinks that the show is too much using “if you think this has a happy ending you haven’t been paying attention” agenda.
Before E10 when he spotted foreshadowing of Jon’s death, he was a against that, because he thought it will be RW 2.0 just for the sake of it, but after E10 he became a great fan of Jon’s death because he realised how much storytelling potential that has, after Jon’s resurrection.
mau,
For all the points Andy and Chris get for their humorous easy rapport they can actually have incisive discussion when it’s necessary. They had a really good discussion about Shireen’s death. Andy was troubled by it and Chris wasn’t. The other thing to look for: According to Mallory, Bran’s story “stressed out” Andy and this is a big season for Bran.
So this is what Simmons is up to now that grantland is done for
Wow thats actually pretty cool.
I wanted something like this for a while now, since The Walking Dead already has its own recap show.
Demonmonkey,
Malory Rubin is going to be consulting they’ve said (love them)
Good luck to them, but I just come here or go to /r/asoiaf immediately following a new episode. I subscribe to a few channels on youtube for even more theory and tinfoil.
If it’s compelling I’ll watch it. A lot of people talk about their previous work, it managed to fly under my radar until now.
Al Swearengen,
For having some dudes in a room discuss the episodes the next day? Big effing no lol There are already many podcasts and recap shows for GOT. Now HBO will have its own.
I don’t think it will matter too much to you guys having to wait a day to watch this show!!! in the UK thronecast is on right after the episode but I personally jump straight on WOTW after watching then I watch the thronecast later in the week and listen to the podcasts I like. It normally takes me around five days to read all the comments here and watch and listen to all the GOT stuff I like
HBO really missed out on a golden opportunity by not having Elio and Linda host it. It would be hilarious to actually witness the meltdowns. Almost as entertaining as the show itself.
what a shitty weekend it’s been.
Agreed. It should be on immediately following every episode of Thrones, not 24 hours later. On a side note, for all the book readers, or those who are interested in the books but don’t want to read them, may I suggest http://radiowesteros.com/
cosca,
Good point. I’d forgotten about her. Do we know if she’ll be doing the show as well?
Can’t wait – these guys are great. And with the addition of Mallory and Jason, should be really fun.
Nice to see Mallory involved but I would watch even if it was just two guys. Doesn’t matter to me. A woman’s perspective is nice but it doesn’t make or break it. And criticism is welcome because it would be boring as hell if it was a half-hour/hour of nothing but fawning. That’s what I come to message boards for.
I would love to see some of the regulars here contribute (looking at you, Sean C.). Even though I don’t always agree, so many thoughtful posters here.
What happened? We’re almost at 19 days until the premiere!
Nothing. That’s the problem.
I know, but all I wanted until then, to chew on, is the names of the fuckin episodes at least 😀
Exactly!
Be careful what you wish for …
(mark the tape)
They already do a show in UK clued thronecast on sky Atlantic after each show have loads of the cast on all the time and loads of the swords and an iron throne!! US just catching up.. easier to get the actors though because most are based in UK.
True, but at this point i don’t see much more happening. They’ll continue with the #GoT50 and the GoT Power Plays and then it’ll be 4/24.
Red Carpet is Sunday, which should be fun. We’ll get a ton more Jon Snow questions there, but hopefully we’ll at least get some non spoilery impressions since they’ll he an NDA.
AMAZING! Andy Greenwald has easily the best GOT reviews. Him and Chris Ryan have great chemistry. Can’t wait to see them and ofcourse Jason Concepcion and Mallory Rubin who always talk about the show together.
Is Bill Simmons still doing that thing where every single topic comes back to how he loves the New England Patriots? I stopped taking that guy seriously as a sports journalist what feels like a decade ago. Some article about a bird shitting on his jersey meaning he knew the Pats would with the Super Bowl and I was done.
I also want at least one if not two female panel members per episode.
Andy and Chris are FANTASTIC, and after listening to today’s podcast, I think it’s a foregone conclusion that Mallory and Jason will be regular guests. This is the best news I’ve heard in ages, so pleased about this!!
flintstonewielder,
Because Linda and Elio have ZERO broadcasting chops or charisma. They are long-winded and excruciatingly dull. Also, do you seriously think HBO would hire frigging LINDA to comment on the show? Get real.
HotPinkLipstick,
Yes. Yes he still does.
Falling Skies had an aftershow (with Wil Wheaton) before Talking Dead, I believe, and it was much better. Talking dead is 100% fluff from the few I have seen. As others have said I think these hosts will bring more to the table. Also, did anyone else think that was Phil Coulson on the poster?
Great to see the show still growing its audience base.
I think you are totally wrong on that account. Linda and Elio would absolutely nail it and enrich the GoT experience in ways never seen before.
*twinkle, twinkle*
Should be great fun perusing all the video and written recaps this season, without many book comparisons to expect. It’ll be a whole different GoT experience for me and many, I’m sure, since I (overly optimistically) expected to have TWoW in hand by now. I’ll admit I am a bit anxious about it…but I guess that is a good thing. The great WOTW GOT50 recaps and speculation have put me in a calm, accepting, non-combative mood. 🙂
I also must state that the ramp up to GoT S6 has been made easier given the distractions of other decent shows, including Vinyl, Better Call Saul, The Americans, The Good Wife (heck, even Grimm and OJ), hitting their stride. Almost one interesting show per night. 🙂
I like Thonecast when they interview cast, but I have no use for Unsullied opining. This is the only recap I watch:
I have the HBOnow app on iTunes but cant figure out how to use it. Is anyone successfully using hbonow on iTunes?
lp,
Yeah, so basically it’s another Simmons platform to fellate the Pats. No.
There’s an HBO2? How have i not heard of this….
Lol, im keeping my name the same.
A Man Grown,
This to a T. Was getting a little frustrated with all the ‘No women’ complaints as it brings an issue to something that wasn’t there. As it has been mentioned Mallory will most likely be on most episodes and she is great.
Please stop with all this PC stuff when it is really unnecessary especially in this regard as the hosts have such history and know how to play off each other extremely well. I would have thought adding a female host on the show ‘just because there isn’t one’ would be insulting in itself…
Though I do hope both Mallory and Jason are on most episodes because they are both great in their own right.
Cersei’s Wine Goblet,
E’s voice is unbearable.
I think you mean – Thronecast HAD Elio and Linda on the show? For the first 3 seasons yes, but not since.
I must admit, back at the time I thought they were OK. That was until I went to westeros.org and watched some of their hour long videos! I never had a problem with Elio, but soon discovered Linda was full of vitriol regarding the TV show, D&D and many of the cast, etc. and how the HBO show had deviated from the books which really pissed her off 😉
TBH, I’m surprised GRRM still has anything to with them! Its pretty obvious to anyone half normal, that for HBO to produce a TV show which followed the books down to the ‘nth’ detail is impossible. Not unless GoT runs for 20 years, with a cast of thousands and a budget of $billions !!
I bet they’re really pissed off that WoW still hasn’t been finished and that her and Elio are in the same boat as the rest of us regarding S6. However, one can be rest assured that as soon as WoW gets released, they’ll (i.e. Linda) will be pulling the TV show apart 😉
I loved their Grantland show. They were pretty articulate and good-humored in their exasperation with Season 5. I wonder if being produced by HBO will make them tone down direct criticism.
The Talking Dead makes me feel like I’m watching a football after-show, where your love of the thing is presumed. The pleasures of Watch The Throne were sometimes what Andy Greenwald didn’t connect with.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVJkG6XXaoQ
for anyone looking for a good laugh.
I use HBO Now through iTunes. It’s pretty simple. You subscribe on your computer (you don’t even really have to download the app) and they charge your iTunes account the $15 a month until you go to your account and deactivate it. After subscribing, you go to HBONOW.com and on their log in page, you type in with the same info you use to log into your iTunes.
Euron stuff aside, we’re all Unsullied this season.
HBO should concentrate on getting a next great story to tell for after Thrones is done. Their recent new offerings all failed flat by me.
I don’t think I’ll be watching this. I always thought it was a bit much for shows like Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and Walking Dead to have post analysis shows. Even with GoT being a much much deeper and more nuanced offering than those shows, I still think it’s overkill. And Bill Simmons and his crew offering their annoying unfunny pop culture references and turning everything into a meme / running joke will just ruin it for me.
Westworld should be awesome.
And Vinyl has been very good. Unless of course you’re a millennial. If so, you might want to watch it with a friend or at least keep your phone near by in case you need to call for help.
It’s kind of an awkward time for book lovers / show haters. Their play book has been to pretty much crap on anything that D & D do that isn’t verbatim from the book. I hope these people are now caught on record with their opinions of the show as they won’t know if it’s from the book or not. Make them evaluate the show without having that crutch to fall back on to “validate” their opinions.
Yaga,
I thought “Show Me A Hero” was great, but that was just a mini-series. I’m actually liking “Vinyl”, but it’s not a game changer and I don’t see it sticking around for a long time. We’ll see what happens with “Westworld”. All those production problems has me spooked, but it could turn out to be good. Overall, I see your point. Outside of THRONES, John Oliver is probably their buzziest show. HBO’s got a lot of competition right now, and they’re losing a lot of shows to other networks (I think “Transparent” was one they really wanted, but Amazon got it). Uncertain times for the network, and having “True Detective” come off a disastrous second season doesn’t help.
Ser Roger Sterling,
He’s a troll. A known one. If this isn’t proof then I don’t know what is.
LatrineDiggerBrian,
We know how they’re going to be this time. We’ve already seen it with Stannis. That is, this would never happen, Martin would never write it, it’s fanfiction, it won’t be like that in the book, or it may be but will happen differently, be better written, more intricate, better justified etc
The following evening is too late. Everything will have already been said. Plus that name and promo poster are bloody awful. Lazy at best. Idk why anyone would want to watch crap like this lol. We have something similar on Sky and it is seriously uncool.
phantomstrife,
They already started.
They changed their views from: ”Stannis won’t die, nor kill Shireen!!!!” to ”It will be better in the books!!!!”.
Ser Roger Sterling,
Why are we so NEEDY? Lol. Isn’t the discussion at this forum and places like You tube etc enough?
phantomstrife,
I’m really looking forward to that inevitable situation when they decry some plot point or spoken line, only to get it the same way in the book later.
Ravyn,
Yeah, you said it better that I did. Although I’m just not that interested in the majority of new programming in general. Maybe I’m getting old…
I’d love a GOT but set in a fantasy equatorial Africa (and based on those beliefs). Werewolves? Give me cannibalistic wereleopards.
You’re probably right, there is no winning with these people.
Really surprised that the USA has only just got this, we’ve had Thronecast in the UK since Season 2 I believe, Linda dn Elio from Westeros.Org used to be guests every week on the show but stopped last season (thronecast also dropped significantly in quality). The good thing is, given the vast majority of the cast are European, is that they regularly have a couple of actors on each week and get some spoilers too.
Meh. Still won’t be as good as Gay of Thrones. Now THAT’s a recap show 😉
Black Raven,
Elio and Linda did Season 4 also, they were really disappointed that Stoneheart did not appear at the end. Always felt that Elio handled himself well on that.
It was only last season they did not appear and they changed some of the presenters too, bringing in an audience as well – which didn’t appeal to me at least.
I saw that Jon and Ygritte are actually seriously dating in real life. I wonder how many times a week he gets the ‘you know nothing….’ quote?
SimpleWatcher,
Hold up here. It’s not about ADDING women to an existing show to pander to gender equality. It’s about creating a brand new show and understanding that in this day and age gender equality is important to produce good, balanced work.
Let’s start it off right rather than than set it up to have problems.
They decide to hire in-house with a group that has great chemistry that show watchers will love and won’t alienate book readers? What a shocker!
HotPinkLipstick,
I Agree. The role and status of woman in the GoT is so varied and important that not having that perspective on any panel is just stupid.
It is a really odd decision not to air it straight after the episode. The only reason I watch Thronecast in the UK is because I’m “in the moment” having just watched the episode and the recap show helps you to take a collective breath and reflect on what you’ve just seen. I don’t think I’d tune in 24 hours later.
And Thronecast has taken a few seasons to get it right; I thought the first couple of seasons were pretty terrible. Even now it’s pretty naff and very hit and miss (to be fair a lot hinges on the quality of the guests and how knowledgeable they are about the series in general). I do like having a female presenter in Sue Perkins – she is the right mix of knowledgeable and geeky while still being able to poke fun when needed.
Andy Greenwald Top 10 shows of 2014:
1-The Americans (FX)
2- You’re the Worst (FX)
3- Transparent (Amazon)
4- The Honourable Woman (Sundance)
5-The Knick (Cinemax)
6- The Bridge (FX)
7- Game of Thrones (HBO)
8- Veep (HBO)
9-Banshee (Cinemax)
10-Too Many Cooks (Adult Swim
In his opinion True Detective S1 and Fargo S1 “weren’t good enough”
O my…
HotPinkLipstick,
Having an HBO-sponsored recap show on HBO Now is technically new, yes. But Andy Greenwald and Chris Ryan doing video podcasts together is not new at all. They’ve been podcasting together for years, they’re best friends, and they already did a trial run for this new show last year called “Watch the Thrones” on Grantland that frequently featured book experts Mallory Rubin (a woman, and she’s awesome!) and Jason Concepcion as contributors.
Do you really want HBO to throw all that out and come up with something new from scratch, just because having the two main hosts be men is somehow offensive?
As others have said I do hope HBO will let Andy et al. react however they want and criticize aspects of the show when they feel it’s warranted. HBO seems to be proud to give creative freedom to people so I expect they will to some extent.
A Man Grown,
Why choose these two presenters at all? They are coming from Grantland, which we should all be able to agree had some serious problems, starting with Bill Simmons. As an employer, I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable hiring Simmons, or people who had worked for him in the past. He’s not exactly a trustworthy employee.
I just don’t agree with starting a project off on unequal footing.
And Mallory Rubin, “she’s a woman and she’s awesome!” as if being a woman and being awesome at the same time is such an anomaly. So…why not make her the main host and everyone else the guests?
No. What is insulting to women is the knee-jerk label of “PC” being applied anytime we point out that we (or any other group other than white straight Christian males, really) want our views represented anywhere.
I feel heartened by all the praise being heaped upon these two planned hosts by posters here who are familiar with their work, and am certainly willing to give them a try. But I think that the lineup from the get-go NEEDS to include a female host – not just a regular guest. Her input would help to shape the way that each episode is analyzed and ensure that a broader range of values and interests goes into the mix, which should make the discussion deeper, more nuanced and interesting for everyone watching. What law decrees that the hosts have to be a two-person panel, rather than three (or four or even more)?
And I’m not just talking about discussion of “controversial” scenes like Sansa’s rape, or the scenes that cater to the basement-dwelling male segment of the audience (like Littlefinger giving his brothel employees lessons on how to fake orgasms). I think that women generally approach broad narrative themes like justice, mercy and vengeance from a different angle from men, and would have different things to say about, for example, where Arya’s arc is headed. Anticipating that Ms. Hypothetical Third Host is going to jump in with an angle that they might not have considered would steer Greenwald and Ryan toward including that angle in their own thinking, and in my opinion take the discourse to a higher sociological level. Everybody wins.
I know there are a ton of female viewers, but ultimately, the majority of viewers are still male and I bet you it’s not even close (at least 2 to 1). Wanting female representation for the hosting of this show is like me wanting male representation on a Sex in the City after show. And who cares what the gender is as long as they do a great job?
This is incredible news! Andy Greenwald is a great TV critic, who will analyze the show first and foremost as to how it works as a TV show. Even though he is a big fan of the show, he isn’t afraid to be critical of it where it does something that doesn’t work well for TV or isn’t properly executed. For instance he was a vocal critic of how the scene of Cersei getting raped by Jamie was filmed and particularly how the show refused to spend time on the implications of such a scene. He doesn’t care whether something was written by Martin or by D&D – he will give his honest opinion on it and I hope that doesn’t change with the show. The fact that HBO hired someone like Andy (and Chris, who is a noted critic in his own right) to recap the show is remarkable and a sign of HBO’s confidence in GOT; these aren’t just fanboys, they are people who appreciate the show but will not pull any punches in critiquing it.
Moreover, Andy and Chris had a successful and well-executed podcast on GOT already. What I loved about that podcast was that it combined the perspectives of two unsullied yet experienced TV critics (Andy and Chris) with the perspectives of two extremely knowledgeable book fans (Jason Concepcion – aka the Maester – and Mallory Rubin – aka the Mother of Dragons). I’ve read the books and yet I regularly learned new things just listening to Jason and Mallory. And they have already established that Jason and Mallory will be regular guests on the show.
All in all this is fantastic news for anyone who is a fan of GOT and wants to get an entertaining, informative, and nuanced take on an episode of GOT.
LatrineDiggerBrian,
Oh, you silly goose. That trite tired “mostly men watch the show” argument was debunked four years ago, when the show as at 42/50 female to male, and internet activity regarding the show was equal.
While total viewership has increased, it seems likely that as the show has expanded beyond a niche fantasy show initially promoted by book readers, the female viewing population has expanded.
You really need to view this logically and step away from your instinctive emotional response.
Sue the Fury,
Greenwald has confirmed both Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion will be involved via Twitter. Here’s to hoping that’s onscreen! Both have been featured weekly in the past as guests on their podcast due to their extensive book knowledge and insight. Both Ryan and Greenwald are active television critics and haven’t shied away from negatively evaluating the show in the past – should be interesting to see the level of praise and criticism they’re allowed.
Firannion,
I get where you are coming from with needing a female perspective, but at least I can assure you that Andy Greenwald has delivered loud and powerful criticism of scenes like the rapes of Sansa and Cersei, the burning of Shireen, the gratuitous scenes in Littlefinger’s brothel, and many others.
If the show runs anything like their podcast, they will begin by analyzing what they saw as a TV show (direction, writing, acting, story choices, etc), which they do a good job for because they are both experienced TV critics who know the medium and the tv industry well. Then Jason and Mallory will get their own segments where each of them talk about what they liked/disliked, answer questions from Andy and Chris, and give some of the backstory for the episode from the books without spoiling anything for the unsullied. It works really well because you get analysis from professional TV critics (instead of just fanboys/fangirls like most of the other podcasts) and perspectives from both unsullied and book readers.
Ace,
Because the only time a female perspective is important is when it comes to rape.
*rolls eyes*
42/50? What were the other 8%? Hermaphrodites? Where are you getting this number? I seriously doubt the viewership of GoT is any different from the sci fi / fantasy communities which have a lot of women, but still are majority male.
Personally, I don’t care if it’s 2 women, 2 men, or 2 tranny’s, as long as they are intelligent people who are good analysts, are unbiased, and are entertaining. I don’t really get the whole women’s perspective thing. As if the two guys are going to talk about all the nude scenes and action scenes? As if the woman that gets brought on is going to bring some perspective that the men can’t see?
HotPinkLipstick,
That’s not what I was saying. I said I understand (and agree with) the desire to have a female perspective, but with regards to some of the scenes that the poster mentioned, Andy Greenwald has at least been very critical of them too. That doesn’t make up for not having a female perspective but at least it shows that Greenwald is a thoughtful writer who considers the implications of some of these scenes and isn’t afraid to say what’s wrong with them. And he has even gotten grief from the GOT fans for these criticisms.
LatrineDiggerBrian,
I typo-ed. It happens. 42/58. Uproxx, known for being just so woman-centric. It’s practically teeming with estrogen.
http://uproxx.com/tv/women-who-like-game-of-thrones-statistics/
Yes. That’s exactly it. You finally get why we need female perspective. Men can’t see things from a woman’s POV.
Again, step away from your knee-jerk emotional reaction and look at things logically.
Ace,
I don’t care if Andy Greenwald quotes Gloria Steinem. And female perspective is not this narrow idea that women are looking to criticize the show based on the rape scenes. Women have thoughts on things like fight scenes, battle scenes, politics, acting, set design, cinematography, costuming, props, lighting issues (I once wrote a 4K article about the lighting in one scene of a TV show, not GoT) and so on that provide a different and important perspective.
HotPinkLipstick,
My point is that it shouldn’t be an issue at all… Yet is being made one. Yes in this day an age you obviously should be mindful of equality yet I am pointing out that in this case it isn’t an issue. Just because it is a new show that hasn’t chosen a female presenter as a named host doesn’t mean anything about equality to be honest. They are both honest presenters that have given some great critical opinions on episodes (including the Cersei and Jaime rape scene) and will be having guests, at least one of which will be a very well informed female who will bring great insight into the show.
Thus please don’t make an issue that is not there as just because a show doesn’t have a female named presenter doesn’t mean it’s against equality… Both presenters have great chemistry and history together and adding another named presenter (male or female) would take away from what the show would bring and still allows guests to come on the show (I reiterate both female and male) when they need more perspective.
Once again I would just like to reiterate that please stop inserting gender issues into topics that really don’t warrant such inclusions. Also if you would like to find a female perspective there are many podcasts hosted by women or even on this forum alone that are knowledgeable and would probably love to have a chat.
Once again I would just like it to stop becoming “This show doesn’t have a female named host it must have equality” as there actually are other reasons besides gender in picking presenters of a show.
SimpleWatcher
SimpleWatcher,
If there are these wonderful female podcasts, why not just make them the hosts and have these other guys just guest? Why shovel women off into niche shows? Why not have a show with an appropriate gender balance from the start? Why do you find that so offensive?
I don’t know how many times I can repeat it, but you’re coming at this from this emotional place where you feel your masculinity is attacked when a woman talks about the importance of equality. I mean, I provide you with clear, empirical evidence and you ignore it. I don’t think we can go any further with this conversation because you just can’t get past those defensive feelings.
I think you are confusing being a woman with being a person. That’s great you wrote a 4k article on lighting, but I doubt you being a woman added anything or subtracted anything from the article. Your knowledge of the issue, your writing skills, your intelligence, your analytical skills, the amount of time you put into it is what defined the quality of the article, not your gender.
And my goodness, why do you keep personal attacking people for challenging your point? i.e. accusing people of having knee jerk emotional reactions when they are presenting rational points? Assuming that I think my masculinity is being attacked? Not the case at all. I’m just challenging your point which isn’t making much sense at all.
Thanks for the correction. I thought the ‘Dynamic Duo’ had dropped out of Thronecast after season 3. I agree, Thronecast is not as good as it was since they brought in an audience.
I always enjoy it when they bring in one of the actors to interview, but some well known ‘dedicated fan’ not so much? One glaring example being Jonathan Ross who I can’t stand. The guy is an arrogant loud mouthed dickhead 🙁
As for Elio and Linda being upset about not bringing LSH into the TV show, I can agree with them on that point. However, maybe – just maybe – she’ll make an appearance in S6? If so, it will be the best kept secret ever for HBO’s GoT and it would break the internet for sure 😉
HotPinkLipstick,
Lol. I only added the “she’s a woman and she’s awesome!” paranthetical because you’re so hyper-concerned about gender. I never gave a shit about her gender while listening to Watch the Thrones last year, I simply enjoyed her contributions.
It isn’t an issue for you, because you don’t feel unrepresented, cut out of the dialogue. The fact that enough female fans of the show are already bringing up the fact that they’re uncomfortable with the “official” HBO commentary having only male mouthpieces should indicate pretty clearly that it is indeed an issue. We shouldn’t have to wait for an outcry after somebody says something insensitive for the producers to get it through their heads that women’s perspectives on GoT are just as important as men’s, and shouldn’t be relegated to a “niche audience” sidebar.
Underrepresented in a sample size of 2? Does HBO strike you as a network that is unfair to women? I doubt when they went searching that they set out to find two guys and to exclude women. Those two guys just happened to be the best fit for what they wanted.
I personally enjoy post show recaps. They do their show immediately after the ep airs, it’s consistently around an hour long and the 2 ppl that run the show are very good imo. I’m not sure if they both read the books, but analysis of the show is on point
Ravyn,
I don’t care about the opinions of those who avoid spoilers.
Rygritte,
lol
I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing or reading anything from either of these men before but I’m looking forward to checking out the show none the less. Its Game of Thrones related and extends the viewing experience, hopefully in much the same way Chris Hardwick has been doing for The Walking Dead.
Still no damn titles. Why so secretive about them? They can’t be that spoilery. I mean it’s not like they’re Episode 1: ‘Jon Snow’s still really dead’. Episode 2: ‘Resurrection Ahoy’ (…) Episode 5: ‘R+L=J’.
HotPinkLipstick,
You might not have seen the news, but HBO has already gone all-in with Bill Simmons. They’re bankrolling his new media enterprise, The Ringer, and he has a deal with them for his own TV show starting sometime in the Spring and to be heavily involved with HBO’s sports programming, including their documentaries.
This Game of Thrones recap show is big news on our end, but is a very small part of the overall deal HBO has with Simmons. This wasn’t even one of things mentioned when the deal was announced last Fall, this is one of those “and we look forward to working with Bill Simmons on other projects as well” (paraphrasing) things from the big press release back then.
Simmons mostly hired his ex-Grantland staff for The Ringer, so whenever HBO and he started talking about doing a Game of Thrones recap show, it makes sense that he’d immediately suggest that his main two writers/editors/podcasters on the Game of Thrones beat get the hosting gig.
phantomstrife,
Hahaha they really should make the actual premiere title “Jon Snow is really really really really dead.”
Off-topic: there are two new interviews with Isaac talking a little about Bran Stark in Season 6.
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/expect-lots-of-magic-from-bran-stark-in-game-of-104708484.html
http://video.toggle.sg/en/clips/when-is-issac-hempstead-wright-s-worst-days-on-set/389767
I am confusing you all. You all look alike to me. But are you the one who made the inane comment about the 2-1 male to female viewer ratio? Who then ignored the study I presented and argued from a place of emotion? Because that is a knee-jerk emotional reaction rather than a logical assessment of the facts and the importance of representation.
Preach. Representation is important.
I’m not hyper-concerned with gender. You seem to be though. I’m interested in equality. Do you have a problem with equality? Is being concerned with equality somehow a negative trait? I just don’t understand the overly defensive reaction.
Black Raven,
I totally agree I like the books I like the show but they are different entity’s entirely. Elio and Linda are too stuck in their ways, on YouTube I find their video’s boring and they go on and on about the difference’s too much.
Also at least with the show we are at last about to get some of the obvious answers we want! That as a book reader from the 90s I have been waiting a long time/eternity for George to pull his finger out and boot up his pc and crack on with writing on wordstar or whatever he uses.
I’m not saying anything bad about grrm before I get hung from the rafters without him we wouldn’t have this saga at all but time is ticking and people will become more dissolusioned with the books if he is not careful by taking so long. But I will read the book when it comes out and I can’t wait for the show.
Also there are far better got video’s on YouTube than those pair I personally like emergency awesome he is great. And comicbookgirl19’s epic histories are really good but alas she went the way of Linda too…
Great news, I was worried they may not be able to do anything at all after the whole Grantland thing (or at least not with Mallory and Jason) and now they get their own TV after show! I’m sure they won’t hold back any criticism, although I can imagine they’ll shift their focus slightly away from reviewing/critical analysis as that isn’t the best fit for TV.
I’m glad they can continue to do it in video form, as I just have a hard time listening to podcasts (my eyes need to do something and then I always forget to listen to the podcast, dammit!).
I don’t really get why they would absolutely need to add a woman to the show. I can understand that women would want a female perspective on an official show, but they already have Mallory and adding another regular host may not be beneficial for the existing product and feel more like a fifth wheel. I assume there will be guests, too (the four of them or even just Chris and Andy could easily fill an hour on their own, so it’s not really necessary, but it would be kind of weird if the official after show didn’t have guests), so you could always take care of it that way, especially if Mallory isn’t in an episode.
Sue, you should ask to be a guest!!
HotPinkLipstick,
I won’t continue this conversation as honestly and no offence but reading through your responses to many other people you seem like the one that is taking an emotional stand point and thus being very hypocritical…
I gave an unbiased unemotional response and others have as well. I also would ask you to refrain from such comments “I care about equality, do you care about equality?” No offence but just because someone doesn’t agree with your view doesn’t automatically mean that they hate equality…
Alas even though you say you are not concerned with gender and only want “Equality” it is obvious that you do deeply care about gender and thus I dont see you being able to take a reasonable view on this topic. Equality is for everyone and thus if Hbo decided (as someone said it was part of a bigger deal) that they wanted to hire 2 male hosts on a show then they are perfectly in their rights to do so, as equality is for everyone and if they were the best candidates for what Hbo were looking for (again with other factors) then they should get the job… It’s pretty simple really.
I have spent enough time on this and I would just say that you think a little more before typing as I personally (and I have spoken to others as well) get offended when individuals like you use Equality like it is a weapon. Also a final point please don’t brandish a study and use it as doctrine fact… As a criminology 101 student could tell you that most studies are actually not accurate and generally don’t control properly and are coming for a generally obvious bias.
Once again though you will probably just say that this is a “Knee-jerk emotional reaction of men trying to defend their masculinity” which actually seems like you are having the “A man is not agreeing with me he must hate women and equality” emotional response… But you are most emotional… Or so you have stated time and time again. I guess if you tell yourself something enough then it may eventually come true.
P. S. Please think before you type, as you have implied throughout your article that you are the ‘Champion of Equality’ and yet you only appear to really care about one area of the population. Step back, take a breath, and see that not every man hates equality like you have implied, and yet adding a female in a two person group that have years of experience and chemistry together just because there isn’t one is not equality… It is just pandering.
A non “Knee-jerk” response of a SimpleWatcher
SimpleWatcher,
Hahahhahaha. That’s cute.
Let’s see…what’s most amusing. I’ve not made one emotional argument. So, well. No. You’ve argued that you don’t like PC stuff and you find it annoying. That’s not working.
No one ever argued that HBO didn’t have the right to hire who they wanted. FOX has the right to hire racists and misogynists. No one is telling them they can’t. So this is a pretty obvious misstatement of the argument. The point is that it’s a bad decision. So that one fails too.
Then we get into “my circle of friends” anecdotal evidence. Ugh. No.
I have no idea what criminology 101 has to do with understanding the basis of statistics. That’s like saying I learned about biology when we covered Darwin for fifteen minutes in history class. But …okay. There is nothing deceptive about a basic study of viewer demographics based on gender. That certainly isn’t working for you as an argument and made me actually giggle. So I’m calling that paragraph a total hilarious win.
I never said that men hate women or that men hate me. In fact, I hate to brag, but I’m rather well-liked by men who know me. And women too! It’s shocking. And I like men. Oh wow do I like men. I like how they smell and feel and kiss my neck and I like watching them shower, especially two of them showering together. God Almighty do I like men.
And now, the “pandering argument.” Seriously. When something is designed to appeal to all races and genders, it’s pandering to women and minorities. When something is designed to appeal to white males, that’s just the way it is and we should all accept it. That argument doesn’t work either.
If I’m a champion of equality (I like it when you call me that, makes me feel special) wouldn’t it make logical sense to push forward those whose voices have been denied and argue that the ignored and dismissed should have greater representation? Just because I’m only protesting to save the rain forest doesn’t mean I don’t care about all the trees. It means the rain forest is the one in danger. Women’s voices are the ones being ignored.
Look. We aren’t going to agree. But next time you write an argument, do better. I’m going to be busy earning $.23 less on the dollar today, paying a pink tax for my deodorant, having my voice ignored and still doing a better job than my colleagues. It’s going to be a busy day for me and I’m not going to spend any more time defending against silly, silly arguments.
Just seen your reply. There is so much stuff posted daily on WotW its takes me ages to get around to seeing if anyone has replied!
Although I have never read the books, I do feel sorry for those do and who are still waiting for GRRM to finish WoW. Its pity Season 6 will be aired before the book is published, but George never expected HBO’s GoT series to have caught up with him! However, as you say, the books and the TV show are different entities and I hope for the sake of the book readers, the TV show doesn’t spoil things too much for them.
As for Elio and Linda (especially her) Season 5 was the last straw and the pair said they wouldn’t be doing any more after show videos, but I don’t believe that for a minute! After the first episode of Season 6 airs, I bet they will not be able to resist ‘putting in their pennies worth’ and pulling it to bits (with or without the books for source material). A man says…. We shall see 😉
Or never again afterwards 😮
Yes I agree 100% with your comments. This season both the sullied and the unsullied among us will all be in the same boot and paddling up shit creek with little idea of how things are going to pan out. It should be an interesting trip all the same 😉
HotPinkLipstick,
I sense a lot of angst 🙁 Of course, I don’t know where it’s coming from cause I haven’t walked in your shoes, you could have reasons. Please tell me if I’m reading things wrong…. Your argument is that you want to hear a woman’s perspective on a show, which is fine in and of itself, but when a man responds from his understanding (perspective if you will) that presents with an underlying assumption of what he thinks is the logical reason as to why a woman would need a female perspective, why would issue be taken with it? If you are agreeing that a woman’s perspective is different than a man’s, why be on the offense when a man gives his own perspective, given that he is just making an attempt to understand yours. My own perspective is that first and foremost we are all human, and if our gender individuate becomes a preoccupation in such a way that it takes precedence in thought over the collective commonality to the extent that when the topic at hand does not distinguish itself as one that would/should likely introduce the thought into one’s mind, then the world is being viewed through a narrower lens than is needed, and if allowed to flourish I don’t believe that is necessarily a profitable thing. Then again, maybe I’m just jaded. 🙂
HotPinkLipstick,
Wow, you sure know a lot about me. Nice mind-reading powers.
If HBO were to not be allowed to have a show with two male hosts, would that really be “equality” in your eyes? If so, would HBO in turn be allowed to have a show with two female hosts and no male?