"Game of Thrones" Season 2 on HBO Coming This Sunday!

Season 2 Tease: Nowhere to Hide

To get you into the proper mindset for the continuation of its spectacular epic series Game of Thrones, HBO has created a twenty-two minute special which you can watch right here on The Flaming Nose.  Season Two premieres this coming Sunday, April 1st at 9pm. 

Full-Length Special: You Win or You Die

HBO also offers a catch-up guide for Games of Thrones here; highly recommended if the details of all the elaborate goings-on in the complicated worlds of the various Houses of Baratheon, Lannister, Greyjoy, Stark, Taragaryen and Tully have grown a bit dim in your head.  All I know is that two of my favorite characters from the first season are no more.  The virtuous Ned Stark (Sean Bean) and the swarthy leader of the horse people Khal Drogo (played by Jason Momo) met their ends in the first season, more's the pity.  (Perhaps even more dastardly was the quick box office death last year of Momo's feature film Conan the Barbarian where he played the title role!)

 

Season 2 Trailer: Seven Devils

At least we have the Emmy Award-winning Peter Dinklage back as Tyrion Lannister!  He's always a delight, a treacherous, lecherous, rapier-witted force who makes every scene he's in a treat. 

Don't miss Games of Thrones as it begins its new season, beginning this Sunday on HBO!

A Little More Flaming Nose Love for HBO's "Game of Thrones"

There's nothing like sitting down to a mini marathon of a series to either clinch the deal or make you turn it off forever.  I resolved to watch the first two episodes of HBO's fantastical new series Game of Thrones to see if I could swallow this new outing or if it was just too elvish for me.  Those of you who love the genre -- and probably those of you who hate it -- know what I'm talking about.  There's a point where these imaginary worlds can get just too involved and a mite off-putting -- what Jane here accurately termed "beards and bathrobes" as in video games in the same genre -- and I feared I'd be shaking my head more than nodding approvingly.

I'm pleased to report that so far I think my instincts were off; Game of Thrones is plenty exciting, not too weirdly complicated to make you throw your hands up and toss it back, and has a bit of something for everyone.  You might be bored by one storyline and set of characters, but there are so many swirling allegiances that somebody's bound to come along who pushes your particular buttons.  I've found a few of my own.

In addition to Sean Bean in the lead -- we've written about him before -- I'd put Nicolaj Coster-Waldau and Lena Headey as an ambitious brother-and-sister romantic team in the forefront.  Treacherous and good-looking, both of these two dynamic forces from the House of Lannister (see, this is where it gets a little too much, all these Houses of this and that, so I won't even mention that stuff anymore...boring!) are dynamic and watchable.  Definitely dangerous and with a big dose of creepy, too, with that incest thing.  And the woman is wife of the King, so how do you like that!  Takes balls!

Young Jack Gleeson as the sloe-eyed Prince Joffrey, is a right little shit, son to the incestuous Queen described above, and always captures the attention.  He's a snotty royal, a spoiled brat who likes to taunt the peasants and then lie about it.  We're already hoping for a comeuppance, and we're only up to Episode 3!



Peter Dinklage, of course, as the dwarf brother of the treacherous incestuous Lannister duo.  Sometimes in a generation a beyond-amazing small-stature actor is born -- I offer up the unforgettable and brilliant Michael Dunn as Dinklage's acting equal in that category -- and Dinklage dominates every scene he's in and you can't wait for the next one.  Absolutely riveting, amusing, attractive, and he's mesmerizing enough to make intelligence cool again. 

How about the near-albino brother and sister Targaryens, children of the previous murdered king?  Intriguing, also kind of a whiff of incest-y interest on the part of the brother to the sister, who has been married off to a perfectly divine barbarian warrior leader named Khal Drogo.  Jane accurately termed him a "Klingon" and he's wonderful, played by Jason Momoa who is going to be the next Conan in the movies.  Ultra-masculine and sexy, he's obviously going to be falling for his pale missus in a big way -- she introduces him to the modified missionary position, a step up from the doggy-style evidently customary in their world -- and much ado will undoubtedly come from that whole alliance.  Also, Drogo seems to have at least three as-yet-quiescent dragon eggs incubating in his tent, and I sure hope that they get a little to close to the campfire and start cracking open sometime soon...should I put money on that? 

Here's the preview for tonight's episode:



I have to admit I'm really looking forward to tonight's episode.  This is the word from somebody who hasn't read the books, doesn't want to read the books, but I'm glad they spawned a so-far terrific new TV series!  The book series, btw, is by George R.R. Martin, who in addition to the incredible success of the sequence of novels that spawned Game of Thrones, has been a prominent science fiction and fantasy writer for decades, including penning a bunch of episodes of the memorable series Beauty and the Beast back in the 1980s.  Gotta love that!

Check out HBO's Game of Thrones website for more coats-of-arms and background information than you can shake a broadsword at!  Game of Thrones new episodes premiere Sundays at 9pm on HBO.

Also, there's a three-episode marathon of all episode so far coming up this Wednesday, May 4th beginning at 8pm.  It's a great way to get up to speed in one evening, or of course you can get the latest episodes On Demand.  Enjoy!

Game of Thrones: Save Me a Seat!

If I wasn't terribly excited by the buzz for HBO's Game of Thrones before it debuted last Sunday, blame promotions like the one in this picture. It evoked for me the same feeling of dread I used to experience when my son was younger and demanding a new video game that would lighten my wallet by $60.00. What was the Game of Thrones, I wondered? Was it a video game (no thanks)...a beards and bathrobe epic?....Vikings?....Swords and suits of armor? Lisa had a post for Game last week, and even that platinum endorsement didn't make me want to rush to the premier.

Now that I've finally gotten around to watching the first episode On Demand, I still don't know what it is. And frankly, I don't care. Because Game of Thrones has all the essential elements to become the latest Flaming Nose obsession.

How could you not love a series that features a handsome dwarf (Peter Dinklage), a vicious white haired prince (Harry Lloyd) and his luminous twin sister (Emilia Clark), plus a pack of baby wolf cubs. Oh and there's a giant half naked Klingon (for lack of a better term) played by Hawaiian hunk Jason Momoa. As if that wasn't enough, there are liberal helpings of the trademark HBO gore (buckets of beheadings) and TV-MA nudity. It's not for the faint of heart or for anyone under...ummmm let's say 20 years of age.

I'm not the biggest fan of medieval fantasies, but this one has superb acting, writing and enough plot twists and cliff hangers to make you pass the DVR button and watch it in real time. That's what I plan to do, especially after the first episode ending which had me gasping out loud. I'm also transfixed by the stark, gorgeous background scenery. Game of Thrones is shot mostly in Northern Ireland and Scotland, so if Celtic looking fantasies are your cup of tea, you are going to want to drink quite a bit of this new HBO treat. And there will be plenty of it, as HBO has already renewed a second season. Based on the best selling book series (A Song of Fire and Ice) it's certain to attract print fans as well as new people like me.

Did I mention there might be dragons? Yes, dragons. Last week's episode featured dragon eggs as a wedding present and they were really pretty. Just plug it all directly into the pleasure center of my brain.