Game of Thrones

[Mr Pee]

Am I the only boardee who is hooked on this incredible series? Last week's episode, the penultimate one of Season 3, was described by Entertainment Weekly as containing "probably the most brutal and devastating scene in TV history". And I would agree. There is not much on TV these days that really knocks one for six, but that episode did. I could barely sleep afterwards!

A fine cast, spectacular locations, cinematic levels of special effects and plot lines that rarely go where one expects- and the knowledge that no character is safe from a sudden and brutal end, however heroic and well established they may be.

As the tag line goes, "In the Game of Thrones, you win or you die".

The season Finale is tomorrow night at 9pm on Sky Atlantic...then we have about a year's wait for Season 4, unfortunately.

[VodkaDilc]

I've certainly read good things about it, but have not been following it myself.

However I am gearing myself up for the return of The Borgias, on the same channel. Historically, (like The Tudors) it's wide of the mark, but it's wonderfully addictive rubbish, with Jeremy Irons camping it up and enjoying every moment.

[Nick Armstrong]

Am I the only boardee who is hooked on this incredible series?

Wouldn't say 'hooked' but with great enjoyment I am working my way through Series 1 with Series 2 up and waiting. I watch on DVD... Great production values and some good turns from the very good cast.

I especially like Charles Dance doing 'villainous'- huge treat!

[Mr Pee]

I've certainly read good things about it, but have not been following it myself.

However I am gearing myself up for the return of The Borgias, on the same channel. Historically, (like The Tudors) it's wide of the mark, but it's wonderfully addictive rubbish, with Jeremy Irons camping it up and enjoying every moment.

Oh yes, I'm looking forward to the Borgias as well. It is all ridiculously OTT, not least Jeremy Irons's performance, but it's done with such panache that one can't help but enjoy it.

Wouldn't say 'hooked' but with great enjoyment I am working my way through Series 1 with Series 2 up and waiting. I watch on DVD... Great production values and some good turns from the very good cast.

I especially like Charles Dance doing 'villainous'- huge treat!

Stick with it, Cali, and you're in for quite a ride!!

And I'm with you on Charles Dance- he does villainy very well, although Jack Gleeson as Joffrey is surely one of the baddest TV baddies for a very long time. You will find though that as the show progresses the lines between the good and the bad become increasingly blurred- another of the things I like about it!

[Nick Armstrong]

I've managed to get right up to date with this series...

I would advise some caution and an empty stomach before watching the last few moments of Season 4, episode 8...

[Jonathan]

We have series 1 and 2 boxed sets which my brother bought us for Christmas. One of ours friends said to us in the pub "what are you doing here then - go and watch it!"

We ignored him but hope to get round to watching it soon...

[Nick Armstrong]

We have series 1 and 2 boxed sets which my brother bought us for Christmas. One of ours friends said to us in the pub "what are you doing here then - go and watch it!"

We ignored him but hope to get round to watching it soon...

Funnily enough, I started quite slowly. It wasn't till I watched season 3 that I concluded that 1 & 2 are a rather long introduction to the real action which starts in 3 and continues in 4. Wagnerian scope, one might say

[Demetrius]

Funnily enough, I started quite slowly. It wasn't till I watched season 3 that I concluded that 1 & 2 are a rather long introduction to the real action which starts in 3 and continues in 4. Wagnerian scope, one might say

Sadly, they started a bit early - the author is a notoriously slow worker, the 6th book will not come out before 2015; The projected final volume will at his pace (the books are doorstoppers, mind you) not be finished before 2020. The series on the other hand will run out of material long before that. Besides, the children in the series are core characters and the actors are outgrowing their roles. I stalled the series until I get a notion how they will handle these problems.

The books are brilliant, however (as long as you like convoluted political plots with a myriad of characters and stories without the usual good/bad morality of fantasy books.) What I have seen of the first season is incredibly faithful to the books, one of the rare cases were a TV adaption equals its source.

[richardfinegold]

I watched a few episodes at the urging of my daughter. My wife and I are still trying to recover from finishing Breaking Bad, and I am just not feeling like getting that emotionally involved in a series just yet.

[Nick Armstrong]

I watched a few episodes at the urging of my daughter. My wife and I are still trying to recover from finishing Breaking Bad, and I am just not feeling like getting that emotionally involved in a series just yet.

Two or three seasons left to see in Caliban Towers! Terrific stuff!

Isn't 'Gustavo Fring' from Los Pollos Hermanos just one of the most mesmerising characters and performances (Giancarlo Esposito) of all time ???

[Stunsworth]

Two or three seasons left to see in Caliban Towers! Terrific stuff!

Isn't 'Gustavo Fring' from Los Pollos Hermanos just one of the most mesmerising characters and performances (Giancarlo Esposito) of all time ???

The Wire, The Sopranos and Breaking Bad, three superb TV series. It's interesting that they all deal with the 'dark side'.

If you have three series of BB to watch, you're in for a treat. Has Lydia made an appearance yet?

[richardfinegold]

Two or three seasons left to see in Caliban Towers! Terrific stuff!

Isn't 'Gustavo Fring' from Los Pollos Hermanos just one of the most mesmerising characters and performances (Giancarlo Esposito) of all time ???

Wait until Gus makes his Grand Exit...I don't think that Lydia appears until that occurs.

[Nick Armstrong]

Wait until Gus makes his Grand Exit...I don't think that Lydia appears until that occurs.

Yep been there! And Lydia has indeed appeared. That said there's been a break of a few months in watching it. It shall be resumed 'ere long...

[Sydney Grew]

. . . described by Entertainment Weekly as containing "probably the most brutal and devastating scene in TV history".

Why do people watch such dreadful things, and think of them as "entertainment"? The circuses part of bread and circuses I suppose. The same in Shakespere's day. Actually I think such programmes - which I would never watch - are part of a plot by the powers that be (or the powers that know) to soften up the population and prepare them for some future time of war and extinction. You will rarely if ever see an erect penis on the tele-vision, but brutality and devastation are constantly exhibited.

[Nick Armstrong]

Perhaps you are not looking ...hard enough, Syd