Newcomer to GoT, love it!

[Filmfan93]

I know I'm a bit late to the party, but I just started watching the show a few days ago. We finished Season 1 yesterday and will start Season 2 today.

We tried to get into it last year, but we were confused by all the characters, weren't invested and couldn't make it past Episode 4 of Season 1. However, I am very glad that we gave it a second chance, the show is seriously awesome!

I still find it a bit confusing to remember all the names and family trees, especially of secondary and tertiary characters. However, this time I listen and watch carefully and it pays off by hooking me to the show!

I only have one question - will it get more complex as the show goes on? I mean, will the show introduce many other characters and does the story become difficult to comprehend and easy to lose?

 

[Pink Ranger]

I'd say that A) it does become more complex, but B) it also becomes easier to follow, because you become more familiar with and become invested in the core characters, so it is easier to discern their motivations and actions.

 

[Fist of Khonshu]

Hi Venom and welcome to the party!

It is a rich and complex world but that's what makes it so great! Don't feel overwhelmed, just enjoy the ride and trust that you are being given exactly what you need one episode at a time.

After you've finished Seasons 4 or 5, go back and re-watch season 1 -it will make more sense within the grand picture that's unfolding and you'll catch lots of details that were missed in the first run when you were just getting used to the characters.

And yes more characters are coming, and some which have seemed to be in the background will become more prominent, and of course as you've seen with the deaths of King Robert and Ned Stark -nobody is safe from fatal exits from the series too --perhaps to keep some balance in the cast size!

There are several resources which can help. You can Google some Game of Thrones family trees or character profiles and study them or print them.

Most useful for me were various maps. Once I knew where characters were, and where certain families belonged, things made a lot more sense!

Large map of that world:

http://winteriscoming.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Official-Map-A-Song-of-Ice-and-Fire.jpg

I think there is a map showing character journeys with lines too somewhere.

These political maps collectively tell you what belongs to who and even their symbols:

https://i.warosu.org/data/lit/img/0061/34/1423787222663.jpg

http://s3media.247sports.com/Uploads/Assets/504/509/509504.gif

http://t01.deviantart.net/dnCoRRroqvMJkf_QU-riv_x9quI=/fit-in/300x900/filters:no_upscale%28%29rigin%28%29/pre06/26f5/th/pre/f/2012/147/3/4/rough_political_map_of_westeros_by_lamnay-d5172ex.png

There are other maps that zoom in on areas, like one that shows all 19 castles (only 3 are occupied, rest are ruins) along the Wall if you search for them.

 

[Filmfan93]

Thank you for all the info! It is very useful.

Is it absolutely necessary to go back to Season 1 after 4 and 5 and before diving into Season 6? I am just asking, as I really want to watch all the show at once! Will Season 6 make sense without re-watching the first one?

 

[Fist of Khonshu]

Thank you for all the info! It is very useful.

Is it absolutely necessary to go back to Season 1 after 4 and 5 and before diving into Season 6? I am just asking, as I really want to watch all the show at once! Will Season 6 make sense without re-watching the first one?

You're welcome. No it's not critically-necessary but revisiting the first couple of seasons later will improve your understanding (and appreciation) of them and how they relate to the overall story.

I think the series also has a good replay value. I've watched every episode several times, and certain ones, or favorite parts of some, more times than that!

 

[Victarion]

Be careful of online wikis, and if you get the chance - do go and read the books. I was kind of worried I'd have this issue where I kept seeing stuff from the show despite the books' descriptions. It wasn't an issue. Likewise there's enough in the books that was passed over in the show that you really haven't spoiled yourself by watching the show beforehand.

 

[Fist of Khonshu]

The OP states that he's overwhelmed by all the characters and complexity. The books include dozens more not even in the shows and are 1000 page reads a piece. This is not a solution for understanding the show IMO -especially in the midst of binge-watching it.

 

[Victarion]

I didn't think the books were all that complex, though here I'm talking about reading for leisure rather than as a companion for the show. Plus the appendices gives you a set of quick references if you need them while you're reading.

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

I'd say that A) it does become more complex, but B) it also becomes easier to follow, because you become more familiar with and become invested in the core characters, so it is easier to discern their motivations and actions.

Yeah, I found it easier to follow once I knew who the main players were, which took 3-4 episodes. After that new characters/factions tend to be introduced more gradually so it is less to digest at once.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I know I'm a bit late to the party, but I just started watching the show a few days ago. We finished Season 1 yesterday and will start Season 2 today.

We tried to get into it last year, but we were confused by all the characters, weren't invested and couldn't make it past Episode 4 of Season 1. However, I am very glad that we gave it a second chance, the show is seriously awesome!

I still find it a bit confusing to remember all the names and family trees, especially of secondary and tertiary characters. However, this time I listen and watch carefully and it pays off by hooking me to the show!

I only have one question - will it get more complex as the show goes on? I mean, will the show introduce many other characters and does the story become difficult to comprehend and easy to lose?

The writing starts to decline in quality towards the end of season 4, and really declines in 5 and 6. So it actually gets easier to follow. Those shades of gray just go away. Also they start forgetting about characters, or dropping them entirely.

Enjoy season 3!

 

[Reek]

Thank you for all the info! It is very useful.

Is it absolutely necessary to go back to Season 1 after 4 and 5 and before diving into Season 6? I am just asking, as I really want to watch all the show at once! Will Season 6 make sense without re-watching the first one?

venom0706 listened to Reek.

Reek is good.

You will do as Reek says now.

 

[Sterling Archer]

This may be blasphemy but I actually think watching the show first made reading the books easier. It helps to picture what you are reading and also it's easy to keep track of the general plot because you already know the cliffsnotes version.

 

[Reek]

This may be blasphemy but I actually think watching the show first made reading the books easier. It helps to picture what you are reading and also it's easy to keep track of the general plot because you already know the cliffsnotes version.

after watching the first season i read the books... it does help to put faces to names, helped with Harry Potter as well.

 

[DACrowe]

The writing starts to decline in quality towards the end of season 4, and really declines in 5 and 6. So it actually gets easier to follow. Those shades of gray just go away. Also they start forgetting about characters, or dropping them entirely.

Enjoy season 3!

Season 4 is almost as good as Season 3 in my opinion. Not sure why you are shading that.

Season 5 is a bit of a slog, but so were the fourth and fifth books, so I am not so quick to condemn the show, which appears to have rebounded from the unending grimness quite well in Season 6. Though I will agree I worry about the pacing issues (and Dorne).

 

[Reek]

So far, IMO..

Seasons 1>3 (almost equal) >4>2>5

6 so far is around 4 levels.

 

[DACrowe]

after watching the first season i read the books... it does help to put faces to names, helped with Harry Potter as well.

I will confess that too. Loved the books and powered through them (the fourth one less so though). However, it only happened after I'd seen the first season, which gave me an idea of the general dynamics of Westerns. Then afterwards I went back and watched the first season again before Season 2 started, and it was much more rewarding.

 

[Filmfan93]

I am currently halfway through Season 2 and the story goes... all over the place! Everyone is fighting everyone. Easy to lose the trail. Doing my best to listen and watch carefully and not miss anything.

 

[Marvolo]

Glad to have you aboard.

 

[Reek]

I am currently halfway through Season 2 and the story goes... all over the place! Everyone is fighting everyone. Easy to lose the trail. Doing my best to listen and watch carefully and not miss anything.

You'll figure it out more and more... fanart, wikis, a lot of things can really show you the entire picture... it can be overwhelming, but once you dive it, you can't get out

 

[Marvolo]

Id recommend the book

The World of Ice and Fire The Untold History of Westeros and the Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire) - by George R. R. Martin and Elio Garcia and Linda Antonsson

https://www.amazon.com/World-Ice-Fi...GMGGVK?ie=UTF8&btkr=1&ref_=dp-kindle-redirect

Its an official canon history of the world, filled with beautiful artwork and a lot of backstory and info that will help you orient yourself in the world George Martin created. And it wont spoil anything in the show for you.

Or if you dont want to spend the money you can check out:

Huge wiki database for the books:

http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Main_Page

Or

Wiki fpr the show:

http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Game_of_Thrones_Wiki

 

[Filmfan93]

Thank you for the links, Marvolo! It's good to be here

One question, if I forget something (let's say a name or someone's story), will I still enjoy the show furthermore? I mean, if I only forget a place name or a side character's name, but still follow the main story?

 

[Reek]

Yea you'll still enjoy it... but you'll find yourself digging into the links Marv just shared and getting more invested

 

[Drz]

Though I will agree I worry about the pacing issues (and Dorne).

Oh you're in for a ride.

 

[Reek]

anyways.

how's it coming, venom?

 

[Filmfan93]

anyways.

how's it coming, venom?

Almost finished Season 2 (2 episodes left) and so far it is amazing! However, I noticed that this season is more about "civil war" and inner conflicts, compared to setting up these characters in Season 1. Are Seasons 3-5 the same quality?