Game of Thrones: Episode 9 'Baelor'

SPOILERS:

When I first read Game of Thrones I was 16 and spent a lot of time reading fantasy novels. Fantasy is a fun genre but it tends to follow a predictable formula. The farm boy turns out to be destined for greatness and overcomes all odds to triumph against insurmountable odds OR the noble soldier defeats the wicked queen with grit and a bit of luck.

With the death of Ned Stark George RR Martin announced to the fantasy world that he would not be bound by convention. A Song of Ice and Fire really serves a rejection of all the familiar fantasy clichés and archetypes. When they announced the HBO series the death of Ned immediately became my primary concern. It works well on the page and in the scope of a 5000+ page narrative but could it work for TV? HBO built the marketing campaign around Sean Bean and he is easily the most recognizable actor. I can not think of any precedent for a TV show killing of the male lead 9 episodes into the story. Will this turn off fans of the show? Will viewers not familiar with the books leave en masse because of the development? It will be interesting to see. Let me know how you are feeling about it I am curious.

Final thought, I thought the scene itself was perfect. The staging and cinematography were beautiful, I think it surpassed the execution scene in the book which is told in a very sterile matter of fact tone.

OTHER LOOSE GOT Thoughts:

PROS:

Visually stunning, The Eyrie, The Wall, Winterfell

Well acted (Bean, Dinklage, Emilia Clarke, Maise Williams) All smaller roles as well (Maesters, Bronn)

Well written, they capture all the big moments. Big deaths, duels, cliffhangers etc.

CONS:

Pacing, only 10 eps left things rushed.

Sexposition: Huge data dumps mixed with gratuitous sex usually with whores. I love tits but it was off putting at times.

Dothraki: Unfortunate nobel savage feel.

Concerns for the future:

Scope only gets larger and more ambitious can constraints of TV manage it. CGI Direwolves, battles etc.

My wife is smart

I was struggling to understand the purpose of the Ground Zero ceremony that occurred yesterday. What exactly were we celebrating? The death of Osama Bin Laden? Justice for those who were killed on 9/11? Certainly not the end of the war on terror.

My wife put it another way, that I find much more satisfying. What we witnessed was America's funeral for Osama bin Laden. As strange as it sounds it makes perfect sense.

Something I have noticed

Every ideologue views themselves as the underdog. Facing a ruthless and organized opponent their movement is always teetering on the brink of destruction. Our very way of life is threatened by Christian Fundamentalism or European style Socialism.

Further, the partisan must protect the movement from dangerous appeasers, who would bend the knee for crumbs. Litmus tests are established to determine the purity of ones belief in the cause.

This can extend beyond politics to any dedicated sub culture.

Restaurant Review: Dozzino - Hoboken, NJ

Dozzino an artisinal pizza shop in Hoboken is a great example of a half baked idea. The concept is simple; serve thin crust pizza, made from fresh local ingredients, cooked in a wood burning stove. The minimalist rustic decor is casual and includes an outdoor patio complete with bocce court. Dozzino does not have a liquor license, but BYOB works well with the casual vibe. Knowing about all these elements led me to be very excited about Dozzino, however the actual experience was a bit of let down.

My wife and I arrived at Dozzino at around 7pm on a Saturday. The restaurant was about half full but we were forced to eat at the "bar" because all the available tables were for parties of six or more. In fact, of the 12 tables at Dozzino only four are two tops. Dozzino has a lot of open empty spaces, they certainly could add more tables and it might a good idea. During the course of our meal at least three couples walked out because they could not be seated.

Once seated our server attempted to open our bottle of wine, after destroying the cork he passed us two mason jars and walked away. Earlier I had wondered why a couple walked in with their own wine glasses, I presumed they were the pretentious sort that refused to drink out of anything but Riedl. Now I understand the only glasses Dozzino has are 6 ounce mason jars. The glasses would be cute if I were drinking an orange juice with brunch, but I was drinking wine and I wanted a wine glass.

We ordered Crostini with baby spinach, walnuts, and pecorino romano. They were promptly served but they were rather dry and flavorless. The walnut pieces were too big while the spinach was bland and the romano was hard to identify on the palate. We tried two pizzas the Diavola(Fior di latte, tomato, red pepper, calabrese salami) and the Tomato(Fior di latte, fresh grape, tomato, basil). The pizzas were very good although I would prefer if they were served piping hot. The Diavola is advertised as being spicy and it lived up to its reputation. The salami was really flavorful and I loved the crust which was crisp but not dry. The Tomato was not my cup of tea, I prefer my pizza with sauce. However it was mild alternative to the Diavola.

During our meal we overhead a fellow customer telling the proprietor that the pizza was even better then Grimaldi's. I disagree, Grimaldi's will always be the measuring stick for pizza in Hoboken and I can say with confidence that Dozzino's is no threat to the crown.

The menu at Dozzino is limited to Pizza a few varieties of crostini and a green salad. This is a problem for anyone with a gluten or lactose allergy. A salad with grilled chicken would remedy that gap, but I don't think the folks at Dozzino are looking to serve a wider audience.

While the food was served quickly the service was rather indifferent. I had to ask for our water glasses to be filled and we had to pour our wine. Perhaps that is part of the laid back aesthetic that Dozzino is trying to achieve. However, I have the sense that the young hipster staff at Dozzino's just don't have any experience in the food service industry. They spent a lot of time milling around the kitchen and talking to each other while looking forlorn.

The Yelp reviews include more stories of inexperience/incompetence including an instance when they ran out of silverware and plates. I also learned that if you want to chill your beer or white wine at Dozzino bring your own ice, because they don't have a freezer. Cash is also a must at Dozzino, they except credit cards but the transactions are run through an ipad which charges the card holder an additional $8.50.

All that being said, I would go back to Dozzino under the right circumstances. On a nice summer evening make a reservation for a big group and request a table outside. Bring your wine(and perhaps your glasses) play bocce and order up a variety of tasty pizzas.

Revenge served cold: The death of Osama Bin Laden

I don't believe in closure. Life carries on, no one gets to start over. That being said the death of Osama Bin Laden is a moment of national catharsis.

I had long been a proponent of the theory we missed our chance in Tora Bora and that Bin Laden died quietly in the Afghan hills. I feared that without a confirmed death Bin Laden would live on as a mythical character. Thankfully we were spared that fate but I feel an emptiness inside that is nothing like satisfaction or closure.

I remember how angry I was after 9/11 and how it colored my thinking on all things for a number years , and I can't help but wonder; is this it?

It is not fair to judge how anyone will react in this situation, but I have found some of the jubilation to be misplaced if not inappropriate. Certainly a smile or a toast shared amongst friends and family is warranted, but celebrating in the streets? Please remind me what we have won? What is our great victory?

When I reflect upon the last ten years I think about all the lives lost on 9/11, as well as in London, Madrid, Afghanistan and Iraq. Can one mans head pay for all that? Can one mans death pay for the trillions of dollars we have spent and will continue to spent in pursuit of an amorphous and unknowable enemy? This was not VE day. The war continues, the spector of terrorism remains, and the shining city on the hill will forever seem less bright.

Things I know to be true...ctd

If you are the drunkest guy in the bar you are going home alone, if you are the drunkest girl in the bar you probably aren't.

Things I know to be true

Don't trust people with over 1,000 Facebook friends*

*excludes people born after 1988**

**you probably shouldn't trust someone born after 1988 either

The secret to my success

I have lost 35 lbs in less then four months. Amazing, I know. The secret to my success is that I work out 6-7 hours a week and I eat less then 1800 calories a day. So that is really not much of a secret, but it works. Diet is 75% of the battle. You can work out all you want but if drink and eat crap you are not going to make any progress.

In case you didn't know

When seeing a band live its always better to be familiar with their music. It will make the experience much more enjoyable.

Easter weekend

A few thoughts:

I can't eat lamb and drink wine, why do I always forget this...

"Get him to the Greek" was a boring unfunny movie.

The Mets are winning again, Jason Bay makes a huge difference in the line-up.

The second episode of "Game of Thrones" was really good. I was pleasantly surprised since I have read that episodes 2 and 3 are the weakest of the first 6. In my opinion this was a far better episode then the pilot.

Panda Bear "Tomboy"

Finally, had the chance to spend some time with the latest Panda Bear album, a few thoughts:

- It is a departure from Person Pitch and Merriweather, which is expected but I love both of those albums so I can't help but be disappointed

- Its been noted elsewhere but some of the sounds have a real church choir vibe. I imagined vast empty cathedrals filled with the sound of young voices.

- Last night at the Jetty has been stuck in my head all day...

- When I saw Panda Bear at Governor's Island last September he opened with Drone which is a good song but it is certainly the albums least accessible. That tells you all you need to know about Panda Bear. Can't wait for AC in Brooklyn this coming July.

Episode 1 "Winter is Coming"

I have now watched the premiere episode of Game of Thrones three times. As a devoted reader of the books I had very high expectations and the final product left me wanting. However, I am encouraged that the show is laying a strong foundation and will only get better as we move forward.

The saga starts above the Wall as three men of the nights watch are ambushed by supernatural creatures. These scenes are perfect, the mood is dark and frightening. We also get our first view of the Wall which lives up to my expectations.

Then we come to the opening credits, and they are fucking awesome. The camera descends on a map of Westeros that comes to life before ours eyes as the major locales are animated like pieces of the worlds most elaborate clock. Best of all the intro will change from episode to episode depending on where the action is taking place that week.

We first meet the Stark family in Winterfell, this scene is not from the books. It does a reasonably good job of introducing the members of the family. Maisie Williams is strong as the Tomboy Arya. We also get our first "Winter is Coming" reference. I like Michelle Fairley as Catelyn but my wife mentioned that she seems too old for Ned and I have read the same on various message boards.

Next, we come to the beheading of Will from the nights watch. Good scene but I have seen it thirty times over the past few months so it didn't have much of an emotional impact. Isaac Hempstead-Wright is really good as Bran, this is a bit more challenging then your typical child actor fare.

The direwolf scene is first time I had a problem with the pilot. I can't describe the feeling other then what I saw in my head when reading the books was a lot cooler then what I saw on the show. Perhaps its because they are all standing around a giant direwolf prop that makes it feel a bit cheesy. I suppose that is one of the challenges of bringing an epic fantasy book to a visual format. The writing is a bit stiff here as well and I didn't love the long awkward pauses. As far as departures from the book are concerned, Theon Greyjoy is written a bit differently but he still comes off as a prick so that's good.

Are the direwolves going to work in general? I don't know. These dogs should work for season one but what happens when they are supposed to be 300 lbs and ripping knights off of horses. Can we get James Cameron involved? Is their anything worse then TV budget CGI?

Next, we have a gorgeous shot of Kings Landing, our first shot of the iron throne and the introduction of the Lannister twins. This scene is not from the book, and I am a bit concerned about how the Lannisters are portrayed at this point in the narrative. In the first book they are clear villains, but over the course of the series they become more sympathetic. However, on the show I worry that the producers are going to try and establish an opaque morality early on, which may cause newbies to ask "who am I rooting for again?".

Lena Headey is not pretty enough to Cersei, but she plays the role admirably. Nickolaj Coster-Waldau (NCW from now on)is great as Jaime and I look forward to seeing his story progress.

The action returns to Winterfell and we see Ned polishing Ice under the weirwood. The imagery here is lush and matches up with this well known painting.

After a few quick scenes depicting the preparations for King Roberts arrival, we see young Bran climbing the walls of Winterfell. Here is a good rule of thumb for all you aspiring showrunners, if something looks like it was filmed in front of a green screen it is crap and you shouldn't use it.

King Robert makes his entrance at Winterfell and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised with Mark Addy's performance. All I really know him from is the Full Monty and I was worried he would make Robert into a buffoon but he has enough gravitas. The scene also included an really annoying voice over conversation between Sansa and Arya identifying Jaime Lannister. I hated this, it was forced exposition and it was really clunky. I am hoping that after a few episodes we don't have to do this sort of thing and we can just tell the story.

The next scene in the crypts was one of my favorites of the episode. We get to see the bond between Ned and Robert and while the conversation informs it is still rather entertaining. "You remember me at 16? All I wanted to do was crack skulls and fuck girls." Not from the books but it should have been.

I don't think Winterfell actually has whore houses but that departure from canon is acceptable in servicing the introduction of the great Tyrion Lannister. Peter Dinklage is going to devour this role, and I can already tell he is going to have all the best lines.

The story shifts across the Narrow Sea to Pentos where we are introduced to the Targaryens, Daenerys and Viserys. Harry Lloyd as Viserys is a total creep, which is what he is supposed to be. In this episode Emilia Clarke isn't asked to do much but stare into the distance so I will have to see how she does as the story progresses.

The scenes in Pentos are the weakest in the pilot. The writing is stiff and lacks humanity. Roger Allam is serviceable as the merchant Illyrio but writing doesn't offer him much to work with.

Back in Winterfell, Sansa still sucks..."please, please its the only thing I ever wanted." ugh

I loved Joseph Mawle as Benjen Stark, his scenes with Jon Snow and Ned at the feast are really strong. Speaking of Jon Snow, his scene with Tyrion was fantastic and I look forward to see their interaction the next few episodes.

I hated the Dothraki wedding. Again the Pentos scenes have stifling dialogue and I don't like how the Dothraki are portrayed as generic brown people. In the books the Dothraki horde are based on the Mongols, here they just look like savages. Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo looks good, but the dothraki as a whole don't feel right. The sex, nudity, and violence at the wedding is right from the books but its one of those things that reads better then it looks. Jorah Mormont is far too good looking but he has a nice presence although he is awkwardly introduced at the wedding.

The consumation scene is not faithful to the books and takes on a bit of a rapey feel, although I am not nearly as upset about this as some commentators.

Finally, we see Bran climbing up the old tower of Winterfell to discover the queen and her twin brother fucking. A couple things with this scene. First of all did we need more doggy style? I have always imagined Jaime and Cersei to be standing with Jaime fucking her up against a wall with his back to Bran, Cersei opens her eyes and screams...The other I have with this scene is the amount of time it seems to take. In my mind the the push and the "What I do for love line" is delivered impulsively by Jaime. A quick decision by a man who has survived by being brash. Here it seems to linger and last forever.

Final thoughts:

I enjoyed this viewing more then any others. I don't know exactly why. Perhaps I am starting to rationalize the things that I don't like?

The Good: The visuals are fantastic, if a bit too airbrushed at times. The atmosphere in general was a real strong point, particularly at Winterfell and beyond the wall. One early thought, scenes outdoors during the day seemed a bit artificial.The opening credits are so much fun to watch, and I have watched them about a dozen times.The acting is really top notch Sean Bean as Ned of course, all the children are really strong as well the actors overcame some writing that was heavy on the pronouns. Say Robert Baratheon five times fast.

The Bad: Too much clunky exposition, I expected this but it still was a little bit much. I worry that this is going to turn off people who just want to get into the story. Hopefully by episode four it really starts to get cooking.

The Ugly: I am worried about overt fantasy elements being cheesy. I mentioned the direwolves earlier but lets just say they are the least problematic of the fantistical creatures that show up. When the overt fantasy takes place it really doesn't play well on TV. Lets be honesty fantasy is a little cheesy. But in the minds eye you can gloss over the more ridiculous aspects of it, but when you see it on the screen their is nowhere to hide.

Game Thrones episode 1 "Winter is Coming"

I first read George RR Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" when I was 16 years old. I am a huge fan and needless to say I have been eagerly awaiting the HBO adaptation. I watched the first episode twice yesterday and I have mixed feelings. I am not watching it for a third time and will be posting some impressions.

Long awaited update

What am I doing these days? Good question, glad I asked. I have been working my ass off at the office. We just purchased a new car for Kelly so she can start a new job in New Jersey. Music is about the same as its been (LCD, AC, The Strokes, Kanye etc.)

I plan on getting writing a lot of Game of Thrones thoughts here. Be prepared.