Anybody out there watch the premiere of the 5th season?

I watched the season premiere. The dragons look great.

yes

however, I'm easily confused by the many story lines and different characters

I'll keep watching until the end though

I love the dragons, Can't wait until we see Drogon again.

Peepers...I end up watching each episode a second time so I can understand the storylines and figure out all the different characters.

I have read all the books and watched every episode. The storyline is easier to follow if you've read the books. Interstingly enough, the series follows the books well enough.

I think this is the season they are planning to go 'off road' and make some significant changes between book and series.

Saturday Night Live had a pretty funny spoof of GOT with a Empire twist last week. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau was even in it.

Tinkerbell- I read the series last year and I agree that its much easier now that I've read the books. I actually re-watched the whole series after I read the books so I could follow everything better.

One of the Late Shows has a spoof where Jon Snow was a dinner guest and it was pretty funny. I forget which late show it was though.

Is it just me, or does every scene about Daenerys just seem to drag on?

Like EGB said, I understand they will wander away from the books this year. I think it will be hard to keep up with all the plot lines, and easy to forget them when they don't touch on them all each week. We had no Bran and no Arya this week, though we'll apparently have Arya back next week.

MBH - Bran and Hodor will not be making an appearance this season. Their story is pretty much done until George R.R. Martin finishes the next book

It's not a surprise that Daenery's scenes drag on. At this point in the books' storyline, she is pretty much sitting around. Her storyline goes no where in the books so far.

Arya's storyline should be pretty good this season.

I read that the series will end before the final book is out, thereby spoiling the read, so to speak. Martin said he hopes to have the next book out in 2016. He released a chapter on his website, for those who are interested. Then there will be one last book, but at the rate he writes them, it could be 2020 or beyond before the last book is out.

Well it is nice to hear that those of us who have read the books and spent years waiting to find out how all these storylines end, will get it spoiled by the HBO series. I guess I will take what I can get as I am not convinced he will ever finish the book series.

Aw, c'mon, didn't anyone see what I did there? Drag on? Daenerys, mother of ...

.....Lily and Peter?

Good one MBH

I missed what you did the first time I read your post

The first five episodes are out on the internet. Of course, it would be unlawful and unethical to watch them, and no compliance officer would ever watch them.

Next Sunday's episode begins with a close-up of ...

no laws are broken if you're not caught

And no compliance officer would ask for the link where you'd found them at.

We binged the first seasons and this is the first one we are watching in "real time" .... This past weeks episode was better but jeez if this was my first season I would have been bored to tears with the first two episodes.

They do make major turns in the characters and I love that. For instance in Seasons 1&2 I thought Sansa Stark was the most pretentious brat ever but I am now excited to see her exact her revenge on the Ramsey's at Winterfell

They've really gone away from the books with Sansa, but I think they've made a good choice. If not, she'd be on the sidelines for this season at least. I've read they realized that the actress that plays her was both talented and popular, and decided to re-write the story.

And how about Jon Snow? He's his father's son for sure - just ask Janos Slynt.

When I first read that they were going to go away from the books a lot more with this season I was disappointed but so far I'm really liking the changes they've made so far. Love the Sansa storyline. Really hoping Littlefinger has a good revenge plan for Ramsey and Roose. I would hate to see Sansa tortured by Ramsey.

The Tommen and Margaery bedroom scene was kind of weird considering he's only nine years old in the books.

At this point in the storyline, the books kind of go no where so I am glad the show is changing things up. I don't think Littlefinger has a revenge plan. He will use Sansa, Ramsey and Roose to accomplish his own goals. I just hope Sansa doesn't get locked in a room to starve.

I read an interview with the actor that plays Tommen. He's 16. Natalie Dormer is 33. He said filming that scene was "disturbing."

And how about Jon Snow? He's his father's son for sure - just ask Janos Slynt.[/quote]

I have not read any of the book so I don't want to sound silly BUT ......is Jon Snow truly Ned Stark's son? I know the show has told us he is but I have been thinking the whole way through that Ned brought he baby back to be raised by his family for safetly sake. I sort of got a feeling early on that Jon was really Robert Barathion and Ned Stark's sisters child & that the sister died in childbirth or shortly thereafter (I forget)....Wouldn't it kick Stanis in the butt if he got Jon to help him gain the throne when all along Jon is the rightful heir (as obviously none of Sircey's kids really are)