Game of Thrones Withdrawal

I'm going through a mini-Game of Thrones withdrawal--no new episode this week. But soon it will get much worse--only two more episodes this season. The next episode will be devastating, yet I can't wait to see it.

I've dealt with my withdrawal by re-watching Season 2 on HBO On Demand and catching part of the Season Three marathon on Memorial Day. I've also been exploring several websites I found in the forums of TWoP.

A wiki at westeros.org has chapter summaries, character descriptions, and much more.

This site, The Tower of the Hand, cross-references and hyperlinks each page. It also has a great feature in which you set your scope, based on how many of the books you've completed. This keeps your from accidentally getting spoiled.

Here's a feminist viewpoint. It's not exclusively limited to Game of Thrones, but reviews other TV shows and books as well.

I just discovered this site. I am loving the chapter-by-chapter analysis. Each post has a brief summary, historical and political analyses, what if's, and book vs. show.

I have thought about a doing a from page to screen analysis of Game of Thrones, but it's too daunting. I've only read the books once (although I have re-read/skimmed A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings.)

Just a few stray thoughts.

One of the changes that I like best is the aging of the characters. Although I love the actors, some of them are even older than the aged characters. I fanwank that it's the different way age manifests itself in different eras (e.g. 50 is the new 30.)

Another change that I really like is the interaction between Tywin and Arya. Maisie Williams holds her own with Charles Dance and it gives Arya (and the viewers) a chance to catch up on the war news. The show also distills Arya's experiences as one of the small folks which can be repetitive in the book version.

I don't like the changes in Catlyn and Cersei. Catlyn is smarter and more politically savvy in the book than on the show. Cersei is softened with two of her horrible acts attributed to Joffrey in the TV version. These changes were unnecessary in the book to TV transition.  Rhiannon has a great post about characterizations of the women in Game of Thrones.

I'll continue to re-watch Seasons Two and Three and wait for next Sunday and the Red Wedding.