Welp.

[rogueslayer452]

++ Welp, we just got confirmation from the writer's of Game of Thrones themselves how they are basically talentless hacks. I mean, we been knew for a long time, but the fact that they openly and proudly admitted to their incompetence is astounding. Definitely read through the whole thread completely because it just gets worse and worse. I'm not surprised, but it is rather shocking that they would be so blase in their answers and the fact that they even still have careers. It's unbelievable that anyone would want to work with them after what was revealed here.

++ In other news, it appears that Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Legacy series may be in talks of getting an adaptation on STARZ.

I tried reading the first book, Kushiel's Dart, many years ago and I just couldn't get into it because the writing style was difficult for me to get through. But I do know that the series came highly recommended and many seemed to like it, and if it gets adapted into a television series it might translate a bit better for someone like me to understand. This, of course, depends on the right person who understands the source material to translate it from page to screen, as usual. Although I will say that my fancasting for Phèdre nó Delaunay was always Morena Baccarin, even though I know she's not the correct age especially now many years later. But still, that's how I always kind of envisioned her. And if this is to be on STARZ and we know how television casting works, they will most likely age up the character, or at least have an older actress portray her.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_profiterole_/]

Oh, I hadn't heard about Kushiel. I haven't read these books, but I enjoyed Santa Olivia & Saints Astray by the author.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I haven't read anything else by her, I just tried the Kushiel's series.

[violateraindrop]

I saw an entry on ONTD about that Twitter thread. I don't watch GoT, but I can't believe what I read. How they did even get this job? Why would HBO throw that much money at them? Showrunners are replaced all the time. This seemed like such a risk. It paid off, but still.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

That's what so baffling about this whole thing, like just based on what was said they just didn't really care at all, or even bothered to give any effort whatsoever or work hard enough with other people. They really should've been fired from day one if they were that bad.

(At least, as from what I've learned today, that they've exited the Star Wars deal they previously made, so that's a plus.)

[violateraindrop]

I just saw that they exited Star Wars! I actually looked it up when making my original comment, because I wasn't sure if they were still doing that. The news must have come out shortly afterwards. I honestly can see Disney not being happy with these things coming out now or how bad the last season of GoT was received.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

They claim that its due to their Netflix deal that they want to focus more on or something, but seriously it's kind of hilarious considering many saw them rushing the final season of GOT was so they could go forward with Disney/Star Wars, and now it's all for naught, lol. Not that it would've done much good anyway for the downward spiral of GOT, but y'know. Either way, I'm glad they're no longer attached.

[nemophilist.livejournal.com]

That whole interview just affirmed my validation for quitting that show.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Same. I'm just so baffled at reading what they were saying, yet it really confirms what the rumors were regarding them.

[icecoldrain.livejournal.com]

I was reblogging so much from that GOT showrunners/writers twitter thread that I had to get off twitter before I clogged up everyone who follows me feeds with GOT stuff lmao. It's amazing how entitled they are down to them being two white guys but *gasps* one of them is of Asian descent from many generations ago so it's okay they never got a writers room full of anyone who wasn't them and wasn't white!!! I was like... I... have no words. I still don't right now.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Just reading it all through it got more and more insulting. Like, did they even want this job? Were they even fans of the books? It's just so baffling at how entitled and arrogant they come across, just not giving a damn. I mean, it further confirms what many suspected all along that they were talentless and unprofessional hacks, but still, you'd think that they would've practiced a little bit more tact than this. And yet here we are. The racism, the sexism, the incompetence, it's astounding.

[verdande-mi.livejournal.com]

Welp indeed! I don't remember now during which season I stopped watching, but I just didn't want to be on the ride anymore.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

I can't remember when I stopped watching, either. It was definitely early on. But I guess that's what happens when you know what's going on via gifs and things which essentially is like watching the show anyway, lol. Either way, I'm glad I stopped watching because I couldn't deal with its bullshit anymore.

[perpetual.livejournal.com]

Granted I haven't seen the final season yet, but I don't get why everyone's so disdainful of the writers. The industry's bottom line is success, and Game of Thrones was extremely successful. They were doing something right.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

It was everyone else around the writers -- actors and production crew, etc -- that were doing great, but the writers themselves were awful. Even if the actors did the best they could with the material they were given, the showrunners/main writers were just not good and it got worse and worse as the show went on. The last season is especially proof of this, as plenty of other examples throughout the years.

I would say the reason why Game of Thrones was successful was because of everyone else except for the writers.

[perpetual.livejournal.com]

I don't really think that's possible. They weren't the best, but shows with outright terrible writers don't survive. The show gets cancelled or the writers get replaced.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

Normally that would be true, about them being replaced since it does happen all the time in television, but for whatever reason that wasn't an option. Benioff and Weiss wanted full control of things and it was either their way or the highway (ex: they delayed the final season and wanted it shorter so they could move onto other things, HBO/GRRM begged for more with an unlimited budget or to hand the show to someone else to take over, but they flat out refused). There were just so many things wrong with the way they handled things, not just with the writing but with the actors, the crew, etc.

I think GOT is a unique case all on its own. It's the fault of the showrunners/writers, it's the fault of HBO for going through with the show if they hated the script they provided for the pilot, it's also GRRM fault for hiring these two inexperienced and incompetent people to begin with. I just think, overall, while the show had good moments and didn't start off so terribly, it definitely went downhill fast and should serve as a cautionary tale.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

The problem is, the weakness of D&D's own writing only became this apparent late in the game. The best parts of Game of Thrones had always been adapted from the books. D&D's fumbles had been noted by fans before (changes to the Shae and Dorne storylines, for instance), but hadn't been able to accumulate too much. And they rushed this last season to a conclusion.

I can write (and am writing) a document's worth on all the non-subjective writing fumbles and failures of logic of this last season. One problem seen with every character in the season is the utter lack of allowing them to have character development. Everyone became one-note simplified versions of themselves like you would see in a fanfic.

[perpetual.livejournal.com]

The show was never going to be as good as the books. People watched it for the eye candy and the soap opera drama, so it's not a surprise (or even a fault, in my opinion) that the showrunners leaned into those aspects rather than attempt the intricacy of GRRM's writing.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

I mean not even the minimum amount of character development you see in any typical TV show. Regression, even, where what evolution they had already had wasn't allowed to stick. It's beyond the norm and violates the core tenets of good writing.

[perpetual.livejournal.com]

Well, the DVDs are out in December, so I suppose I'll find out soon. Since I've always viewed it as more of an illustration than a story of its own, though, I doubt I'll be very disappointed.

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

To quote Daenerys about the Army of the Dead in Season 7, "You have to see it to know."

[noybusiness.livejournal.com]

especially now many years later

She's immune to aging, though.

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

That she is, indeed. :)

[silverusagi]

I can't believe how terrible that interview was. The success of GoT seems like a total fluke. Usually everything has to be in alignment to produce a cultural phenomenon, but it seems like GoT was successful in spite of the writers. Why did they even want to make it? Why did they rush the end? Why didn't they learn anything along the way?

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

but it seems like GoT was successful in spite of the writers.

That's exactly what it was. It's interesting seeing the defense of them being like, "well if they're so bad why was the show incredibly successful", but that's the thing. The show was successful not because of them but because of everyone else who actually cared. A show can be successful while the showrunners/main writers are horrible, and GOT was a unique example of this.

Why did they even want to make it? Why did they rush the end? Why didn't they learn anything along the way?

These are all good questions. I know they rushed the ending because they wanted that Disney money for that Star Wars deal (which they have now stepped away from, making the rushing of the last season and their lack of handing it off to someone else pointless), but aside from that I think it just boils it down to: they just didn't care. They obviously weren't fans of the books, they seem entirely ungrateful for the opportunity that they were presented, didn't take it seriously, and their nonchalant answers exposing themselves as being incompetent hacks just proves the rumors that were circulating for years how unprofessional they were.

[sakuraberries]

re: Game of Thrones writers, the way we continue to reward the mediocrity of white men will never cease to astound me.

I had a similar experience with Kushiel's Dart! I think I got around 200 pages in - I actually really enjoyed the writing, but I struggled with the plot, in that I thought it was weirdly paced and dragged quite a bit. So I ended up DNF'ing. It would be a beautiful series, though, and STARZ is the perfect channel for it. I'd love Medalion Rahimi as Phedre!

[rogueslayer452.livejournal.com]

It's a "shocked but not surprised" at this point, tbh.

I just couldn't handle the writing style, which is an issue I have with fantasy books that write this way. It has nothing to do with the story, which I didn't get that far to judge on the pacing or plot, but more that my brain couldn't really compute what was being said on the page. But for a television series, if you get the right people involved, it can be beautifully done for sure!