Nick1Ø66

You could actually say that the "real" story hasn't begun yet and Condal has said that the pacing will be slower and more in line with GOT's pacing, without big time jumps, once the Dance begins properly. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, there was a pitch for this story by Bryan Cogman in 2016 where that pitched series begun was at a point which HOTD hasn't even reached yet so I think it's great that HBO allowed Condal and GRRM to take their time to tell the story properly with all the background and character development as "the seeds of conflict and war are often sown in times of peace", like GRRM has said regarding this.
 
Personally I could watch multiple seasons just covering the reign of Viserys but I think the way that they're doing it is the correct way to tell this story and I read an interview with Condal where you really noticed how much he knows and cares about the books and GRRM's writing. The care that goes into the decisions and following the lore and story of the books while being able to make some changes to make it work for TV is impressive. HBO got very luck with Condal (well it as GRRM who suggested him but still). A funny anecdote he told was how he made everyone on the writing team read all of the books set in Westeros (not just Fire and Blood) who hadn't read them already.
 
I would say that episode 6 was in one way a mid season premiere for the second part of the season, and given the time jump we get 2 very connected arcs in S1 where the second arc will then lead directly into S2 and the Dance of Dragons.

More's the pity. You're on your own after this season Chen. The Lord tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he's pretty sure you're f*cked.
 
 

Oh, right! And episode four had that extremly obvious homage to Apocalypse Now. Both cases violate one of the major rules of filmmaking: "Never make me think of a better movie that I could be watching instead of yours." Oh, if this series had even an iota of the gritty matter-of-fact-ness of Braveheart! 
 
I refrained from using that parallel here for being too much of a Cato, but the comparison that came to mind was that very scene in the movie with the rather-inert prologue that opens this show: Finrod has a long, flowery conversation with the KidLadriel and yet its not one bit as involving as Wallace senior's short, laconic "I know you can fight. But its our wits that make us Men."
 
It also helps that when Wallace Senior is brought back dead, the movie spends time on it (remember when movies did that?) whereas here its just a short sequence of shots of Galadriel being sad.

One funny thing I did notice, whoever wrote this episode is a fan of Braveheart...there were a few subtle nods in the episode last night that, if you know Braveheart well, you'd spot it, including a bit where Theo says to Bronwyn, "I can fight" and Bronwyn responds, "I know you can", echoing the same parent child beat with the same lines from Braveheart.
 
I mean, it wouldn't be the first time a Tolkien adaptation was inspired by Braveheart, but in this case it stood out, a least to me.
 

Good grief, that was awful.
 
The show is just full of poorly written, cliché-ridden TV tropes has little to do with Tolkien. It's getting worse, not better, by the week.  It has the same beats, and flaws, of any other average streaming show, except that it has that huge budget. And what of that budget?  Yes, the settings are spectacular and very well done. But the big, epic battle they were leading up to felt decidedly small scale, and even...amateurish. And the writing...my God...when you start having your supposedly brilliant and heroic main characters act stupidly in order to move the plot forward (e.g. the misdirection with the evil sword that was obvious from the get go) you know you've hit rock bottom.
 
I’ve seen people praising episode 6 as “one of the greatest hours of TV ever”, and to each their own, I don’t begrudge anyone enjoying the show. But to me, at this point all ROP is doing is taking away the mystery and magic of Middle-Earth by strip mining its history to facilitate made up "origin stories". 
 
If there's anything that's surprising, it's that it's even more fan fiction than I suspected it would be. The whole story is basically TV writers making up, well, everything. The show is not going to get better, the DNA on this one is coded. I might finish the season, because I hate leaving things unfinished, but after that I'm out. 

One funny thing I did notice, whoever wrote this episode is a fan of Braveheart...there were a few subtle nods in the episode last night that, if you know Braveheart well, you'd spot it, including a bit where Theo says to Bronwyn, "I can fight" and Bronwyn responds, "I know you can", echoing the same parent child beat with the same lines from Braveheart.
 
I mean, it wouldn't be the first time a Tolkien adaptation was inspired by Braveheart, but in this case it stood out, a least to me.
 

Good grief, that was awful.
 
The show is just full of poorly written, cliché-ridden TV tropes has little to do with Tolkien. It's getting worse, not better, by the week.  It has the same beats, and flaws, of any other average streaming show, except that it has that huge budget. And what of that budget?  Yes, the settings are spectacular and very well done. But the big, epic battle they were leading up to felt decidedly small scale, and even...amateurish. And the writing...my God...when you start having your supposedly brilliant and heroic main characters act stupidly in order to move the plot forward (e.g. the misdirection with the evil sword that was obvious from the get go) you know you've hit rock bottom.
 
I’ve seen people praising episode 6 as “one of the greatest hours of TV ever”, and to each their own, I don’t begrudge anyone enjoying the show. But to me, at this point all ROP is doing is taking away the mystery and magic of Middle-Earth by strip mining its history to facilitate made up "origin stories". 
 
If there's anything that's surprising, it's that it's even more fan fiction than I suspected it would be. The whole story is basically TV writers making up, well, everything. The show is not going to get better, the DNA on this one is coded. I might finish the season, because I hate leaving things unfinished, but after that I'm out. 

Good grief, that was awful.
 
The show is just full of poorly written, cliché-ridden TV tropes has little to do with Tolkien. It's getting worse, not better, by the week.  It has the same beats, and flaws, of any other average streaming show, except that it has that huge budget. And what of that budget?  Yes, the settings are spectacular and very well done. But the big, epic battle they were leading up to felt decidedly small scale, and even...amateurish. And the writing...my God...when you start having your supposedly brilliant and heroic main characters act stupidly in order to move the plot forward (e.g. the misdirection with the evil sword that was obvious from the get go) you know you've hit rock bottom.
 
I’ve seen people praising episode 6 as “one of the greatest hours of TV ever”, and to each their own, I don’t begrudge anyone enjoying the show. But to me, at this point all ROP is doing is taking away the mystery and magic of Middle-Earth by strip mining its history to facilitate made up "origin stories". 
 
If there's anything that's surprising, it's that it's even more fan fiction than I suspected it would be. The whole story is basically TV writers making up, well, everything. The show is not going to get better, the DNA on this one is coded. I might finish the season, because I hate leaving things unfinished, but after that I'm out. 

I loved how banged up and scarred the dragon master guy working with the kids was, you know that guy's seen some things

You're around the wrong people, mate.

Good grief, that was awful.
 
The show is just full of poorly written, cliché-ridden TV tropes has little to do with Tolkien. It's getting worse, not better, by the week.  It has the same beats, and flaws, of any other average streaming show, except that it has that huge budget. And what of that budget?  Yes, the settings are spectacular and very well done. But the big, epic battle they were leading up to felt decidedly small scale, and even...amateurish. And the writing...my God...when you start having your supposedly brilliant and heroic main characters act stupidly in order to move the plot forward (e.g. the misdirection with the evil sword that was obvious from the get go) you know you've hit rock bottom.
 
I’ve seen people praising episode 6 as “one of the greatest hours of TV ever”, and to each their own, I don’t begrudge anyone enjoying the show. But to me, at this point all ROP is doing is taking away the mystery and magic of Middle-Earth by strip mining its history to facilitate made up "origin stories". 
 
If there's anything that's surprising, it's that it's even more fan fiction than I suspected it would be. The whole story is basically TV writers making up, well, everything. The show is not going to get better, the DNA on this one is coded. I might finish the season, because I hate leaving things unfinished, but after that I'm out. 

Good grief, that was awful.
 
The show is just full of poorly written, cliché-ridden TV tropes has little to do with Tolkien. It's getting worse, not better, by the week.  It has the same beats, and flaws, of any other average streaming show, except that it has that huge budget. And what of that budget?  Yes, the settings are spectacular and very well done. But the big, epic battle they were leading up to felt decidedly small scale, and even...amateurish. And the writing...my God...when you start having your supposedly brilliant and heroic main characters act stupidly in order to move the plot forward (e.g. the misdirection with the evil sword that was obvious from the get go) you know you've hit rock bottom.
 
I’ve seen people praising episode 6 as “one of the greatest hours of TV ever”, and to each their own, I don’t begrudge anyone enjoying the show. But to me, at this point all ROP is doing is taking away the mystery and magic of Middle-Earth by strip mining its history to facilitate made up "origin stories". 
 
If there's anything that's surprising, it's that it's even more fan fiction than I suspected it would be. The whole story is basically TV writers making up, well, everything. The show is not going to get better, the DNA on this one is coded. I might finish the season, because I hate leaving things unfinished, but after that I'm out. 

Oh look another excerpt from Rickman's diary 
 

Oh good grief. I think this is the first time I've mentioned Bear's score (which I like) in relation to Shore's, and that was in response to another comment which was drawing a comparison.
 
And look, this is a site where we discuss film music, of course people are going to make comparisons. Especially when we're talking about two scores that are written for the same source material, and one is clearly influenced by the other. To say nothing of the fact that Shore wrote the theme for the series...Shore's music literally immediately precedes Bear's in every episode.
 
So if anyone is inviting comparisons here, it's Amazon. If Amazon didn't want such comparisons, they shouldn't have brought Shore on board. And if Bear didn't want comparisons, he shouldn't have created something so clearly reminiscent of Shore. Shore's work bears no resemblance to Rosenman's, but you can't say the same for Bear's to Shore's. So yeah, I think comparing the two works is more than fair.
 
And in any event, comparing the two scores doesn't mean you can't enjoy both. 
 
Not that you're comparing them.

It's an analogy for watching this show. 
 

Season 2 of Picard was the worst season of Star Trek ever made, IMO (followed closely by Season 1).
 
That said, I'm hearing very good things about Season 3...apparently it's almost like a completely new show...and I'm looking forward to the show and the music!
 

My favorite scores of 1992, ranked
Batman Returns, Elfman Basic Instinct, Goldsmith Far and Away, Williams Sneakers, Horner Home Alone 2, Williams Dracula, Kilar Porco Rosso, Hisaishi Alien 3, Goldenthal Lethal Weapon 3, Kamen Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Walker The Last of the Mohicans is a popular score from this year that had never really clicked with me, and I need to get more familiar with all the other Jerry scores from 1992 (Mom and Dad Save The World, Medicine Man, Forever Young, Mr. Baseball, Gladiary rejected, Public Eye rejected, and Love Field), all the Silvestri scores (Death Becomes Her, FernGully, Stop Or My Mom Will Shoot, The Bodyguard, and Sidekicks), as well as all the other Horners (Thunderheart, Unlawful Entry, and Patriot Games)...

That was a good 130th post.

For me, it's more a case of not being fun to watch.  I really don't care what happens next.  It's well made in some aspects I guess.  I like that they're not using those claustrophobic LED virtual sets.
 
If I can be honest and bare my soul for a bit.
 
I'm getting a taste of my own medicine.  I'm finally seeing what it's like to have a Star Wars project really turn me off.  I was born in 72, so up until now,  I enjoyed most all of it.  The Sequels, Prequels, spinoffs, Clone Wars, Mandoverse.  And now I'm finally getting to see what it's like to be on the other side when it doesn't fit my criteria (mostly, that it be fun).  Andor HAS to get better than the first 3 episodes, but for the time at least I can empathize with all the disappointed people over the years who felt like someone took their toys and played with them "wrong".
 
I guess I'm happy(?) that fans finally got their dark, gritty Star Wars.  But if I want to watch Blade Runner, I have two of those movies and countless imitators.
 
 

I just finished the Orville literally the day before Andor.  The difference could not be more apparent.  With the penultimate episode of the Orville, they managed to do Star Wars better than Star Wars.  Somehow the people in charge of Wars and Trek act like it's a major chore to make fun aliens and people in colorful masks or makeup.  Meanwhile the Orville is a rainbow of aliens that populate the screen.  Some used only once, but to great effect.  Admittedly the Orville aliens are often on the comedic end of the spectrum, but not always.
 
I can tell you first hand as an OG SW fan, everyone's favorite scene was the Cantina.  "Look at that guy!"  "Oh wow, look at them!"  "Hahah check out that dude!"
 
With SW these days, if there is an alien walking around in a grey generic earth planet crowd, it's usually repurposed from the stash of Sequel costumes they saved.
 
The Orville is the little show that could.  A 90-something piece orchestra, banging out music both joyful and wondrous and exciting, with legacy fan composers.  Recorded on the 20th Century Fox sound stage.  Disney can't afford that for Star Wars?  Are they all so intimidated by Williams that they just give up?
 
Aliens aside, the only thing that's gonna save Andor for me is the character that Kenner deemed too boring to make an action figure of, and instead decided her friend General Madine was the plastic embodiment of excitement.   

If you'd have told me when I was a kid that we'd have multiple Star Wars/Star Trek/Marvel/Lord of the Rings series running concurrently when I grew up, I'd have sworn you came from a future in which the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth had been firmly established. Instead, there's just emotions ranging from "that's OK" to passive disinterest to utter loathing. 

That happened to me a couple of times in the last episode. When they showed those mystics or whatever they are, and the blond emo guy who looks like a Slytherin reject, I literally just busted out laughing. Even Galadriel's constant over-earnest anger is just funny now, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes the hundredth time she made a big speech about how dire everything is.
 
And stuff that worked so effectively in the films, e.g. the slow motion walking to underscore poignancy, border on parody in this show, if for no other reason than overuse. They've even taken to copying PJ's camera angles...there are a couple shots of Halbarad that are clearly lifted from those of Aragorn, to the point where the looked just like Viggo (more so than he already, and quite intentionally, does). Those elicited a laugh as well.  
 
At this point I can't imagine any of this is working out how Amazon planned. 
 
 
Only if Helsinki is on your left.

Oh good grief. I think this is the first time I've mentioned Bear's score (which I like) in relation to Shore's, and that was in response to another comment which was drawing a comparison.
 
And look, this is a site where we discuss film music, of course people are going to make comparisons. Especially when we're talking about two scores that are written for the same source material, and one is clearly influenced by the other. To say nothing of the fact that Shore wrote the theme for the series...Shore's music literally immediately precedes Bear's in every episode.
 
So if anyone is inviting comparisons here, it's Amazon. If Amazon didn't want such comparisons, they shouldn't have brought Shore on board. And if Bear didn't want comparisons, he shouldn't have created something so clearly reminiscent of Shore. Shore's work bears no resemblance to Rosenman's, but you can't say the same for Bear's to Shore's. So yeah, I think comparing the two works is more than fair.
 
And in any event, comparing the two scores doesn't mean you can't enjoy both. 
 
Not that you're comparing them.