Breaking Bad
The League

dont see much else that compares

Well, it's not an easy show to follow. I've read the books and loved them, the show keeps me interested because it diverges from the books in little ways, which I like.

My wife is watching the show and did not read the books and you're right - she constantly has questions about what is going on. She's not a good example though because she never gets too deep into backgrounds or even pays that much attention, but I would think other people may very well be doing a better job at it. The side stories, backgrounds, and the large houses of nobility and their vassals especially are the parts that are hard to understand without reading the books.

Even with all that, the show is hugely popular by the people who've read the books and those who have not. I would agree with it being difficult to follow, but no where near unwatchable.

Unwatchable is maybe an exageration. But season 2 has not been (for me anyway) an enjoyable watching experience. Last nights episode (Blackwater) was easily the best episode this season. But unlike every other episode this season it was totally focused without a bunch of other sideplots derailing it.

I just don't think the rambling plot of Martin translates well to the screen. Book one/season one translated very well because the story didn't get too complex yet. But from here on out its just gonna be a total mess and be very difficult to portray on the screen.

Yes.

I didn't think I'd like it either, have absolutely zero interest in fantasy, (I haven't even watched Lord Of The Rings fully, I'm ashamed to say), and avoided GOT up until a month ago but Game Of Thrones really is superb. It's more a political/power struggle show than anything else, and while it can be difficult to follow, it's very rewarding like all good TV should be. I marathoned the first like 15 episodes over a weekend so caught up very quickly, which made it easier to follow.

lol

Game of Thrones is excellent

Season 1 was but season 2 is a trainwreck. Last nights episode excluded because it was fantastic. It was focused and didn't meander around 5 different hard to follow plot lines like every other episode this season. But with even more characters and plotlines coming its just gonna get worse. There will be a few key events next season that I won't spoil here that will be great if they handle them like the Blackwater episode. But there are just too many simultaneous stories and plotlines going on for this thing to be an effective TV vehicle.

Season 2 has been damn good and sure as **** not a trainwreck.

Yes, I think season 2 has been better than season 1.

Agreed. But still lol at that guy DUCY?

Justified, Game of thrones and Homeland are my three favorite shows right now.

It seems the high fantasy genre is met with a lot of skepticism by much of the public. Indeed a person I work with was very much against it because he didn't like "dragons and magic", which he viewed as childish. I told him to simply watch the first episode and see how he felt. When I saw him a few days later he said he watched the entire first season in 2 days, and he absolutely loved it. There really isn't that much "fantasy" in the series, it's much more about the relationships between characters.


Funny but I was reading the wikipedia entry on season 2 and came across this. Interesting perspective in light of what some people here think about season 2.

Critical response

Several media reviewed the season's first four episodes before they were broadcast, and rendered almost uniformly positive verdicts. The season holds a Metacritic score of 88 out of 100, indicating "universal acclaim".[50]

Entertainment Weekly rated the new season "A-" and praised the "vivid, vital, and just plain fun" storytelling. In the reviewer's opinion, the greatly enlarged cast did not feel like bloat and the show remained accessible to those who had not read the novel.[51] The Huffington Post called the start of the second season "far more elegant and engaging" than that of the first, and appreciated the show's maturation, increased assurance and momentum as well as the visually improved settings and the new actors' performance.[52] Newsday's review gave it an "A+", calling it the "best show on television" and warranting the preparation required by viewers.[53]

The Hollywood Reporter also wrote that Game of Thrones made a "strong case for being one of TV's best series". Impressed that the series continued to improve in quality as it breathed life into its vast web of interconnected storylines, the reviewer considered that, unlike other genre shows, Game of Thrones had gravitas such that it should not be considered dramatically inferior to shows like Mad Men or Breaking Bad.[54] HitFix's Alan Sepinwall gave the new, "bigger and better" season an "A", praising its increased confidence and smoothness despite its even greater use of "sexposition".[55] New to the series, the Chicago Sun-Times's reviewer found the season premiere "engrossing" and praised the "top-notch" acting, writing, sets and storytelling.[56] The New York Times was the only major publication to publish a mixed review. It criticized the lack of complexity in the characters apart from Dinklage's, the confusing multitude of characters and the meandering plot.[57]

No. Am I missing something?

lol, do you watch television shows? I'm inclined to think that this must be the very first show you've ever seen. Because its better then everything thats on right now and its not even close.

maybe you should just go back to watching '2 in a half men' and ' Burn notice', the storylines will be a little bit easier for you to follow.

Damn dude. Take it easy.