(no subject)

[damselfish]

I watched Game of Thrones, and I've got this to say: HBO, what the FUCK were you thinking!?

Okay, so the books aren't exactly woman friendly to begin with, but the HBO special was worse. Way, way worse.

The scene with Dany and Drogo? In the book, he comforts her when she's nervous and gives her a massage until she consents. It's still rape since she was 1) sold into sexual slavery so she'd have to consent anyway, and 2) she's thirteen. Fortunately HBO aged her up. Unfortunately, the scene basically went:

DANY: *cries*
DROGO: *wipes away a tear* No?
DANY: *cries more* Is no all you can say?
DROGO: *rips off her clothes. When Dany tries to hold her dress up, he pries her hands apart*
Dany: *sobs*
Drogo: *bends her over*

Yup. In the books, Dany was on top after saying "yes." On screen, Dany is crying and trembling and Drogo bends her over and fucks her from behind. I don't usually feel grossed out, but that scene literally turned my stomach. Apparently GRRM felt the scene he wrote in the book was "unrealistically romantic" but for many readers, that scene was the pivotal moment in discovering who Drogo is-- one of the few decent men in all the books, and also not a rapist, which is fairly unusual in GRRM's world! The rest of Drogo's characterization is consistent with his not being a rapist of his child-bride, and generally being one of the most awesome, strongest dudes in the ASOIAF world. I-- and many members of fandom-- like that this total BAMF can be a decent human being and ask Dany for consent first (inasmuch a 13-year-old can consent, but hey, at least he didn't just grab her and shove her to her knees while she cried).

In fact, the only character who didn't have doggy style sex was Tyrion. Of course we only saw his foreplay with some whore, in a scene that wasn't in the book, but it was by far the best 'naughty' scene. The whore's happy, Tyrion's happy, and then Jaime shows up and there's a scene that sets the tenor of Tyrion and Jaime's relationship, and then more whores run in, and you know it actually made me smile? I know. Part of me felt that the angry feminist in me should be furious, but everyone was so damn happy. So it's clear from this scene that HBO can make changes from the source material that aren't horrible and rapetastic, so why Drogo?

And then why the change to Jaime and Cersei's scene? Instead of their missionary-style sex where they coo at each other about their respective loveliness, Jaime is taking her from the back. There's lots of grunting.

There is absolutely no talk of killing Robert Baratheon, which struck me as odd given that... that's the whole reason Jaime throws Bran off the tower. Nope, in the show, Bran gets chucked out the window because, oh noes, he saw some twincest. Utterly pointless scene you got going there guys. 1) it wasn't hot at ALL, 2) it lacked any of the awesomeness of Jaime and Cersei murmuring lovingly to one another while discussing regicide, and 3) congratulations, you made Cersei and Jaime look really stupid. Now how are you going to fit the "Bran heard treason" thing in?

Oh yeah, and during Dany and Drogo's wedding there's lots of "mounting random, bestial looking women like dogs" going on, but that's canon. I'd let it slide as a HBO cock-up except the scene was seriously gross, and what the hell is it with the doggy-style sex in this show?

I don't get the NYT reviewer who said all the T&A is for women viewers, because much of it is rape and all of it is from the back with women with their asses in the air. Ignoring the fact that the statement is stupid on its face (it is), there is nothing about the sex here that looks like it was made with the female viewer in mind. At all. I don't think it was made for any viewer in mind. I never thought I'd say this, but GRRM's sex scenes were actually more woman friendly.

Phew. Okay. That said, what were my other thoughts? (spoilers if you haven't read the books, I guess)

Peter Dinklage really brings Tyrion alive as King of All Awesome. Like. Goddamn. He was my favorite character from the books and Dinklage just makes him so much better, particularly since HBO changed up a few scenes. I'll keep watching the show for him and Sean Bean. I also like the lady they cast as Catelyn, she and Ned are soooooo cute.

The script is super clunky, but according to other geek reviewers, they took out some of the really clunky language from the books (and provided quotes. Yeow, I forgot how, uhm, awkward some of the dialogue is), and a lot of characters come off as being leaden (Jon's talk with Tyrion; I actually like Jon but when he talks with Tyrion you can just see that he's being out-acted). The show also moves way, way too fast. "Dire puppies! Now the puppies are big! Now we're across the sea! Now we're not!" I know it's a big book and all, but you've got a whole mini-series (full season?) and this is the first episode. Linger a little, would you? I can still barely tell Robb and Jon apart and I've read the books. How is someone who hasn't read them going to know, or care?

The speed hurts a lot of characterization, too, especially with Arya and Sansa. Arya gets off better because she's the spunky tomboy and we already know that archetype, but Sansa? I want to put my fist in her face, and I shouldn't feel that way about her (in fact, she shouldn't inspire such fury in me until book 3 or so). I liked her second appearance (in the line up) but otherwise they play up "annoying prissy status-obsessed girl" far too much, to the point where you can look at her and go "girl, you in danger." She's got a giant neon sign over her head that says she learns life's lessons the hard way, which would be obvious to people who don't know how grim and awful ASOIAF is.

In sum: thanks HBO. I feel dirty. The books were questionable enough as is, did you really have to change them and make them worse?