Archive for the ‘TV’ Category

Arya Sure That’s How It’s Pronounced?

Posted: January 1, 2015 by patricksponaugle in Game of Thrones, Opinion, TV
Tags: , , , , , ,
50

This post will be talking about HBO’s Game of Thrones, but I’m pretty sure this won’t be spoilery. Unless you want to try come up with your own way to pronounce the names in the books. There are so many names.

NedReading

After He Read that Huge Genealogy Book, Ned’s Head Felt Like it was Going to Fall Off.

So. Many. Names.

I usually talk about the television show Game of Thrones, rather than the A Song of Ice and Fire series that it’s based on. I think I do that because I’d like to engage with the Unsullied show watchers who are experiencing the story as presented by HBO.

I try not to be a smug book reader, but it’s hard. Today, I will not hold back my smugness. But fear not. I’m not going to aim my smug focus on the innocent show watchers. I’ll be hitting on the book readers.

(more…)

Where are the Others? Are they LOST?

Posted: December 23, 2014 by patricksponaugle in Game of Thrones, Opinion, TV
Tags: , , ,
8

Although the Others were the mysterious antagonists on the great television show LOST, this post will be talking about the White Walkers on HBO’s Game of Thrones. It’s probably best if you’re up to date on that television show if you want to read this post and not be spoiled.

game-of-thrones-white-walker-mordor-1

Meet Up at the Glacier, the Night’s King Said. As if there’s Only One!

The winter solstice was a few days ago, ushering in the calendar’s recognition of the winter season (everyone who dealt with snow in November knows that winter’s already been here.) And we’re at that time (depending on your cultural affiliation) that children are being told that way up in the arctic, an old wizened figure is directing his fey minions in preparation for a magical trip away from the pole and into the warmer southern lands.

(more…)

Snows, Love Them or Hate Them

Posted: December 9, 2014 by patricksponaugle in Game of Thrones, Opinion, TV
Tags: , , , ,
17

This post will be discussing plot points from the first four seasons of Game of Thrones. This is your usual spoiler warning. But this is just boilerplate, because everyone’s up-to-date on Game of Thrones. Or at least all the cool kids are.

Snows

Hey! FIRE and ICE!

It’s now December, and Winter, you know, is HERE! (It would have been depressing to say Winter is merely Coming when last month I was walking my dogs in the pre-dawn sub-freezing temperatures. But you guys don’t need to hear all this.)

Anyway, I’m expecting we’ll be seeing more snowfall soon, and that made me want to write about my two favorite Snows in HBO’s Game of Thrones: Jon Snow and Ramsay Snow.

(more…)

Game of Thrones: Thanks? Thanks!

Posted: November 25, 2014 by patricksponaugle in Game of Thrones, Opinion, TV
Tags: , , , , , ,
18

This post will be discussing some of the major plot points of HBO’s excellent series Game of Thrones, a solid adaptation of George RR Martin’s unfinished book series A Song of Ice and Fire. If you’re not caught up, don’t be reading this! Go read those books, or watch the show. You’ll thank me. Or not.

121247-GRRM-my-biggest-dream-was-to-r-yDoK

When Someone Asks GRRM When the Next Book will be Out, He Kills a Stark

George RR Martin, the author of the A Song of Ice and Fire series which is the blueprint for HBO’s adaptation Game of Thrones, has been described as a serial killer of fictional characters. It’s also been said that he survives solely on the tears of Game of Thrones fans (according to some meme I tripped over, researching for this article.)

Those statements are probably not 100% correct. I think he probably supplements his diet of tears with liberal helpings of lemoncakes as well, but I’ll concede the point. Certainly, there are two demographics that GRRM doesn’t mind messing with, and those would be his characters and his audience.

(more…)

Fence Sitting: The Hazardous Neutrality of the Night’s Watch

Posted: November 11, 2014 by patricksponaugle in Game of Thrones, TV
Tags: , , ,
8

It’s November, and here in the States we just had mid-term elections, so I thought it’d be the right time to talk politics. Relax, I’m not going to blather on about American politics, I’m going to talk about politics in the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros, as shown on HBO’s excellent television show, Game of Thrones.

Specifically, I’ll be talking about that independent political entity, the Night’s Watch.

NineteenCastlesOnTheWall

This will include some plot spoilers for people who have not seen the final episode of Season Four Game of Thrones, or haven’t read A Storm of Swords (aka Book Three of A Song of Ice and Fire.)

(more…)

Shameless Promotion II: Halloween, Raising the Dead, and Television

Posted: October 31, 2014 by patricksponaugle in Blogging, Game of Thrones, Opinion, TV
Tags: , , , ,
0

It’s Halloween, when the dead rise. This inspired me to write an article about resurrection for the Film School Rejects website.

thoros-beric

A few months ago, they were cool enough to publish (and pay for) a Game of Thrones Season Four recap I wrote right after the season wrapped up, and they accepted my pitch this month for a  Halloween-relevant article about the dead rising, in Game of Thrones and other shows.

(more…)

Bran Stark: the Witch-King of the North

Posted: October 28, 2014 by patricksponaugle in Game of Thrones, Opinion, TV
Tags: , , , , ,
24

This post will be talking Game of Thrones, the Television show. It’s best you not read this unless you’re caught up on the current season, or have read the books.  Oh, I guess if there’s anyone reading this not familiar with Lord of the Rings, I’ll be spoiling a wee bit of info about that excellent fantasy series too. Just sayin’

Brangmar2

Okay, Halloween is right around the corner, with long cold nights, demanding children, and the undead. So a perfect time to talk about Bran Stark’s storyline on Game of Thrones.

He’s a Stark, Therefore AWESOME, right?

Hey, I’m all Team Stark. I’ve gone to bat for Ned, Cat, Robb, Sansa, and Arya. And especially Jon Snow. So I’m favorably inclined to Rickon’s older brother.

But, I’m worried about Bran’s future path. There’s some serious dark vibes about a child with mind-control powers being taught magic by a wizened old hermit in a cave littered with skulls. This doesn’t seem to be Hogwarts.

(more…)

Game of Thrones, Trickier and Treatier (More of that thing I posted last time…)

Posted: October 14, 2014 by patricksponaugle in Game of Thrones, Opinion, TV
Tags: , , , , , ,
4

Earlier this month, in honor of October and the imminent holiday of Halloween, I had a post rating a handful of notable deceptions and surprises in Game of Thrones. I enjoyed it so much, I decided to do another round, but focus on some of the less-amputation oriented pranks (no beheadings in this bunch.)

Oh, Spoilers for the first three seasons of Game of Thrones. Seriously.

Dagmer_4070

I’ve Got an Idea for a Laugh. Oh Yes.

I provided more details in that last post, but basically, I rated events based on three parameters: Planning, Patience, and Payoff. All on a scale of 1 to 10, and completely subjectively scored. Here we go…

(more…)

Trick or Treat; Tricks and Threats (in Game of Thrones)

Posted: October 7, 2014 by patricksponaugle in Game of Thrones, Opinion, TV
Tags: , , , ,
11

This post will be talking about details found in the first three seasons of HBO’s Game of Thrones. If you’re not caught up on the show (at least to that point) you might trip and fall over some Spoilers in this post. You’ve been warned, my friends.

Pumpkin

Happy Halloween! Or as the Dothraki Might Say: Happy Khalloween!

October is here, a solidly Autumn month. I know my daughter is looking forward for the month to fly by as fast as possible, to land on October 31st and the holiday of Halloween. Although this generation knows Halloween as mostly a costume-laden, candy-filled explosion, years and years ago the night of Halloween put just as much emphasis on the Trick part of the equation, as well as the Treat. Like I said, Autumn’s here, so Winter is Coming. A perfect time for a Game of Thrones post, and in honor of hooligans who are planning practical jokes for the upcoming Halloween, I thought I’d spotlight some of the greatest pranksters in the Seven Kingdoms. Westeros: where it’s all fun and games once someone loses a body part. Usually. (more…)

Gotham – Not the Same Bat-Time, Not the Same Bat-Channel

Posted: September 27, 2014 by patricksponaugle in Opinion, TV
Tags: , , , ,
13

gotham_tv_series_logo-999x300

Early this week, FOX television aired Gotham, a show exploring the formative years of Bruce Wayne (aka The Batman) by focusing largely on young Detective Jim Gordon, who comes face to face with the city’s established and highly organized criminal elements, the larval-stage villains who will one day battle the iconic Caped Crusader, and the corruption and cross-purposes of his colleagues in the Gotham PD.

Although I think the premiere was generally accepted as either likable or having potential, it has drawn a measure of criticism, and I don’t see why I’m any less qualified to express my opinions.

(more…)

Older Entries
Newer Entries