Anyone catch "Chuck" on Monday? His opening line: "Eddard, don't give your children direwolves. That's crazy!"

Must have missed the opening line...that's awesome though!!

Wow, really? lol...that's great. What was the context?

He was reading a book (apparently the first one, they don't really show) and just blurts out the comment to Sarah.

T-minus 7hrs 56mins

2hrs 19mins till the 15 minute pre-show (whatever that will include)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CANNOT WAIT!!!!!!!!

I have heard mention of "A Song of Ice and Fire" on this board before but assumed it wasn't for me. However on Twitter this morning I noticed A Game of Thrones as a trending topic and decided to investigate it. I stumbled upon a preview of the show on HBO.com and was immediately drawn to the show.

Wikipedia was then my next destination where I did some background on the show in order to get familiar. I am eager to watch this show as HBO has always had my respect with regard to their series. With all of that being said you can count me in as one who is excited and will be following faithfully.

I will give my thoughts on the first episode Monday or Tuesday depending on work.

Noop

Cool - the show is attracting non-core fans!!

13:30...

3:30!!!!

GAME ON!!!!

Poor Jon Arryn

Viserys is spot on

Seriously.

Wondering what the hook at the end of the first episode is going to be to entice people to tune in next week...

Sean Bean has done great in making me forget that he was Boromir. Damn damn good.

Really? They're going to shoehorn this into the last 4 minutes of the first episode? Wowsers. Makes sense, but I didn't think they'd get to it...

I thought that was well done, to end it like that.

Oh I thought it was well done too, and it makes sense in terms of like, ending a very exposition-heavy episode with some action and a "WOW" to get people to tune in next week...I was just looking at the time and figuring there was no way they were going to get to it -- very impressed with the script that they managed to get to it and also introduce so many of the characters in that period of time.

That was my first "hook" for the book, so I assumed they'd end it with that this week. Good show.

Actually, just like the book, that's a very good hook. You're set up in the book (and in the show) to like Bran; he's a very likeable character. An ending like this is the first clue for those not familiar with Martin's novels of his calling card--his seeming willingness to kill off, maim, hurt or change just about any character in his story, regardless of importance to the reader's feelings.

Dude - you're misunderstanding me.

I agree that it's a great hook.

I was just saying that I was surprised that they managed to fit it in the first episode is all. Seemed like time was flying by. That's all.

Oh, no, I don't misunderstand you. I was just making another statement on top of yours. Not meant to contradict.

It's 10 episodes, I believe, too--even with as relatively short as AGOT is, they're going to need to squeeze in a lot each episode.

BTW, I was surprised (unless I missed it) that Rickard was never mentioned or shown, so much as I recall. I realize he is little more than a baby at this point, but I would have thought we would at least see him.

I think the only reference to him even in abstract was Jon speaking of the 5 (legitamite) Stark children at the direwolf scene.

He was seen - wasn't that him sitting on the beam when Bran was shooting arrows?

Overall, I enjoyed it. I think they did well with casting for the most part. I don't like the casting of Cat (too old. She was supposed to be still on the edge of child-bearing, and she is about 50 on the show), and not very attactive. Dany is also worrying me a bit. She looks the part, but the acting was very stiff. Her character is so important that I hope it was just that she was trying to play scared, and she'll be able to not be robot-like as the show goes on.

I hope that people who haven't read the books don't get lost as it goes, because there isn't going to be a whole lot of time to flesh out the plots and motives going on. I imagine there are somethings that will be cut off and simplified, but still there is a lot of moving pieces in this story to keep up with.

Was it? I'll need to watch again and see.

Yes.

Yep, and it's his hair Robert ruffles when he's saying hello to the Starks

Oh, and the magister is supposed to be fatter than the king. I guess they went another direction with that.

Fatter than Robert?? I'm not sure such a thing is possible. Dude is hefty!!

Speaking of Robert, Mark Addy may not be as tall as Robert is in the books, but I love him in this role. Honestly, I thought he stole his scenes with Ned.

Great episode. Joffery didn't say anything during this episode, but I certainly wanted to smack his face. I didn't see Tommen either

He wasn't there when they got out of the carriage? Thought he was, right next to Myrcella...

He might have been, just didnt notice him then

My impressions, in no particular order...

• The woman playing Catelyn is too old.
• Khal Drogo, Arya, Viserys and Petyr Baelish are simply fantastic. Spot on with the casting there.
• I love the actor who is playing Robert, but I was disappointed to see him wearing a sword at Winterfell. Also, his hair seems like it needs to be a darker black - that is sort of the main calling card differentiating his bastard children from Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen.
• I was quite disappointed that Cat wasn't pushing Ned Stark to accept the position as Robert's Hand. It's mostly cosmetic, but it didn't feel right.

Very impressed with the show, and am really excited about forthcoming episodes.

Everyone's saying Cat is too old, but I don't buy it - frankly I just think it's sexist.

Ned in the books is 35 and is being played by 50 year old (and wrinkly) Sean Bean. The kids are all aged up a few years too. No reason Cat shouldn't be aged-up to 50ish also, and the actress looks fine for that age.

I agree, I like Catelyn just fine.

Okay, I know I missed Rickard. How did I miss Baelish? Which scene was he in? I can't recall if he made the trip north to Winterfell in the book, and I wasn't even thinking of him while watching the show tonight.

Does EVERYONE except mer have HBO? :(

I'm really impressed with some of the cast so far. Bean is a gimme to put in a fantasy king thing thanks to Boromir. Peter Dinklage is AWESOME! He's amazing in everything I've seen him in, especially The Station Agent.

Mark Addy too is great. He's wasted on Yes, Dear or whatever. He was better in The Full Monty.

I haven't read the books, but enjoyed the premiere. My favorite part of the night, though, was the commercial for HBOGo. Every episode of every series streaming!

Baelish shouldn't have been in it, he didn't go to Winterfell. I didn't see him last night...did somebody say he was in it?

He wasn't on the show last night. Someone was projecting I believe. The problem with Cat is, she is supposed to be a rival of Cersi. A little older and not quite as beautiful, but she is supposed to be more of a contemporary. This actress looks more like her mom. That is not sexist, it changes the dynamic. I also agree that I wish they hadn't changed the fact she pushes Eddard to take the job of Hand. It makes you wonder if they are going to change her character completely. At least her little look at Jon suggests she might still show him disdain.

I enjoyed it. There was a hell of a lot of nudity though. I wasn't really expecting it to be such a near-constant thing. They didn't have to be so explicit, though I guess there is a place for that kind of thing in the book.

Blah, sorry to hear this.

May sound silly to say that, but my wife isn't big on nudity/sex in shows, so likely I'm going to have to watch this solo. Was really hoping it would be a show she would enjoy.

Yeah, I agree that there was more nudity than I was expecting, though I know that the "sex/gore" angle is something that HBO is using to sell to certain groups in order to attract viewers. I thought it didn't detract from the story, but I would have preferred less.

Wade: There are at least two scenes that show sex in a pretty savage fashion (there's an orgy scene) and probably 5 or 6 that have some combination of topless women and bare ass. You probably see 15 different women topless throughout the episode. Definitely not the kind of thing you'd want to watch with someone who doesn't like seeing partial nudity and sex in movies.

Does anyone know when we might have rating numbers? I want to know when I can start getting my hopes up for a 2nd season

Yeah, and we're not even close to some of the stuff with Dany obviously.

Ahwell, such is life.

Deadwood got to be too much for her, so yeah, I'll be watching solo.

What?!?! I must have missed that.

As far as someone who hadn't read the books - how well did you find yourself following everything? I started thinking when I woke up this morning that maybe the book needed a voiceover/flashback to quickly summarize the history of say the Rebellion & the Targaryn's in exile and stuff. Be curious to hear if you felt like...lost with anything?

He was in the "this season on GoT" bits though...