Being a Game Of Thrones fan has been pretty exciting for the last few years. It’s not often that an epic, sprawling, complex fantasy series is adapted near perfectly into a TV show that transcends its initial fandom. I, like many other fans, had only tangentially heard about the Song Of Ice & Fire book series in passing, up until news of it being adapted into a TV show started to surface. Having been a staunch Hard SF advocate most of my life, fantasy fiction was something that never quite held my interest, but I decided to give the first book a go. I quickly found myself really wrapped up in it, and started watching the show while reading the book in tandem. A few weeks later the first season ended, and I found myself addicted to the novels, and read right through and up until the third.
I’ve since finished the third book, and I’ve found myself at a curious standstill, unable to continue. Watching the second season was a curious experiment, as I found myself noticing what was changed or different, rather than just sitting back and enjoying the show. Since A Storm of Swords was such a captivating book, I plan these next two seasons to be the last I spend, with foreknowledge of the novels. I’d rather be surprised by what’s happening in the show, and read the book later, and have it act as a sort of “extended directors cut” version of the story. I have books 4, 5 & 6, but for now I’m content to let them sit on the shelf, until season 4.
Well lately it seems like progress is rolling along for season 3 of the show, which will be adapting A Storm Of Swords, what is considered by fans the best entry in the A Song Of Ice and Fire series. It’s considerable length will come into factor and end up being split into 2 seasons for the show, meaning season 4 will still be events from ASoS. The sad thing is, all we have to go on right now are some meager set photos. HBO is keeping a tight ship on this season, and for good reason, as this season is packing most of the bigger wallops from the books into it, and will assuredly floor fans of the show who haven’t read the books. Everyone else who has, will get to enjoy all of their friends reactions to the twists and turns of the story, and be surprised by what new changes are made….
So while these aren’t the most exciting set photos on the planet, at this point any details of the show I’m ready to gobble up. I’m anxious to see my favorite scenes from ASoS onscreen, and even more antsy to see how horrified my friends reactions will be to what happens this season. In the future, I’m hoping we’ll get some better promo materials, or far more revealing set photos to speculate on. For now, we’ll just have to wait patiently and live with this teaser…
One last thing: For those who are looking to whet their GoT appetites, you’ll be happy to know the DVD/Blu-ray of Season 2 is now available for pre-order. As usual it’s packed with extras, bells, whistles, and comes in a delightful box to hold it in. The good folks over at [IGN] have the full list of extras:
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Blu-ray with HBO Select – includes all DVD features plus:
- War of the Five Kings – Track the claims, strategies and key players involved in the battle for the Iron Throne with this interactive guide that follows the movements of various armies detailing their victories and defeats.
- Histories & Lore – 19 animated histories detailing the mythology of Westeros and Essos as told from the varying perspectives of the characters themselves and featuring, in-part, illustrations from Game of Thrones storyboard artist Will Simpson.
- In-Episode Guide – In-feature resource that provides background information about on-screen characters, locations and relevant histories.
- Hidden Dragon Eggs – Find the hidden dragon eggs to uncover even more never-before-seen content.
DVD:
- Creating the Battle of Blackwater Bay – See how the epic Battle of Blackwater Bay was brought to life in this exclusive, in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at the climatic episode. The 30 minute feature showcases never-before-seen interviews with cast and crew.
- Game of Thrones: Inner Circle – Actors Emilia Clarke, Kit Harington, Lena Headey, Michelle Fairley and Liam Cunningham talk in detail about their experiences shooting season two in this roundtable discussion moderated by executive producers David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.
- The Religions of Westeros – Hear author George R.R. Martin, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss discuss the competing religions in the series and how they influence the various characters in Westeros and beyond.
- Character Profiles – Profiles of seven major characters as described by the actors portraying them including Renly Baratheon, Stannis Baratheon, Robb Stark, Theon Greyjoy and more.
Audio Commentaries – 12 commentaries with cast and crew including David Benioff, D.B. Weiss, George R.R. Martin, Emilia Clarke, Peter Dinklage, Kit Harington and more.
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The best thing out of all of those has got to be the audio commentaries. I remember being disappointed by the limited commentaries for the blu-ray of season 1, and wishing there were more. I can’t wait to marathon the first 2 seasons in preparation for season 3.
Grizzly Bomb 