episode reaction : tell me how you feel.

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

After you have watched-along at our flawless affy comms (give some love to ontd_asoiaf and game_thrones!), come share your thoughts about Renly and/or Loras scenes and developments in this episode:

~1x07 You Win or You Die~



I will go first (because I have no willpower and I have already seen it last week)!

Gethin was amazing, all Renly's insecurities and convictions were all over his face. I was so PROUD of Renly's speech to Ned. He started out really nervous but then he went from zero to hero. "Stannis is not a king. I AM. Do you still believe good soldiers make good kings?" (finally, Loras' subliminal suggestions pay off!) YOU GO RENLY COCO. I'M PROUD OF YOU. LORAS IS PROUD OF YOU. EVEN LITTLEFINGER IS PROBABLY PROUD OF YOU SOMEWHERE AS HE PINES FOR NED'S WIFE WHILE DIRECTING A PORN MOVIE.

Sans Ned bashing (I love my Starks!), his dismissal of Renly was one of his biggest tactical mistakes. Clearly, the hands-on war experience doesn't live up to its hype when it comes to battles of another kind. All he did was to eyeroll as if Renly was a child speaking out of turn. THWARTED BY DOUBLE STANDARDS AGAIN, NED. If this were an episode of Survivor, you would have already been voted off the island!

MOST IMPORTANTLY, WHERE THE HELL IS LORAS? Gathering the rainbow posse? Sending ravens to Papa Tyrell? Recovering from the reunion sex? DISCUSS.

Tumblr's best:


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Comments

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

Well, Petyr pines with his penis, so it's an obvious mistake to make :))

I am sure that Renly would have been quite happy not to be King as well and just have funtimes with Loras and sit on the Council but someone had to step in to save everyone from Stannis.

You will adore Renly in these last two episodes. He has great moments with Robert and with Ned.

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

My least favorite ship is Joffrey/Oxygen (totally stole it from someone somewhere but so true!). And I am positive that Robert/Lyanna marriage would have failed miserably as well and I would have wanted to see Ned try to pick a side there.

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

Of course he would! The irony of this is delicious and this is partly why I love GRRM books, there are often two sides to any story.

Sorry, I am jumping all over the place here but! Can't. Stop. Laughing.



(textsfromwesteros on tumblr. i think.)

ALSO YOUR COMM, I'M THERE. Robb is wonderful.

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

I'm rolling in it :) It's beautiful and everyone's floppy hair is floppier in HD :) IT IS KNOWN.

[peripety]

LOL!!

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS STRAIGHT MEN, JUST MEN WHO HAVEN'T MET LORAS.

SPOILERS FOR WHOLE EPISODE

[aurelminuial.livejournal.com]

EVEN LITTLEFINGER IS PROBABLY PROUD OF YOU SOMEWHERE AS HE PINES FOR NED'S WIFE WHILE DIRECTING A PORN MOVIE.
OOOOOOOOOOMG That was such a strange scene! Him talking about such things while directing two women on how to please their payers! haha He really is a pervie pervXD

All he did was to eyeroll like Renly was a child speaking out of turn.
Well, he kind of really is a child speaking out of turn in Ned's eyes. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have the right, and a damn fine point to make^_^

(Personally, I'm just glad that we get to see Jon Snow and the happenings on the Wall in this episode. I've missed him!)

Also, Robert's death is REALLY sudden, and goes by REALLY fast... it irked me. Does it work that way in the book, too? I haven't gotten that far.

I hate how this episode ends, btw. Littlefinger! GAH! This show is too good at these cliffhangers u__________________u

Re: SPOILERS FOR WHOLE EPISODE

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

Robert's death was even shorter in the books! And rather matter-of-hand. Two-three pages from the time Ned learns about it till Robert dies in his sleep.

What the show cut was that a couple of days ago, while Renly was hunting, Loras had wanted to go on a hunt of his own - for Ser Gregor - but Ned refused him because it wouldn't have been justice but vengeance. And sent someone else while disapproving of Loras' flawless fashion sense. Varys eyerolled about how Ned fails at basic politics - making enemies of the Lannisters while making no friends with the Tyrells.

GAH, ASOIAF CLIFFHANGERS, I can't handle them. I also love Jon and his wall posse, his presence makes up for Loras' absence!

Re: SPOILERS FOR WHOLE EPISODE

[alishatorn.livejournal.com]

They should *not* have cut that scene out. I can totally imagine Loras stepping up for that quest and Ned shooting him down (in typical Ned fashion).

I'm also loving Jon and the wall guys. I look forward to his scenes every ep, haha.

Re: SPOILERS FOR WHOLE EPISODE

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

Speaking of Finn's twitter, it's getting famous:


c (http://aviateurs.tumblr.com/post/5968396045/foreshadowing-via-twitter)

[ereini0n.livejournal.com]

The Tyra Banks speech is beyond cool!

:D

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

It's hysterically fitting, too! Tara could be one of Renly's spirit animals. This is what I imagine he tells Stannis in the next book:

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

his dismissal of Renly was one of his biggest tactical mistakes.

I think so too, but Ned is not about tactics, he is about honour. ** Sigh ** As much as I am sad about what is happening to Ned, everything is so logical.

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

I am actually REALLY fond of Ned, as much as he frustrates me. I was devastated when-- you know. WHEN LORAS YELLS LIKE THIS, IT'S BECAUSE HE LOVES ME - this is where I'm coming from. It's part of the beauty of the books, you can always see where everyone's coming from and where they're heading like a fast train to nowhere, and there are always two, three sides to every story and almost everyone's moral outrage is relatable. I AM STILL ROUTING FOR YOU, NED.

[peripety]

Ned is maddening - maddening! If only he'd listened to Renly he could have at least have had a shot at holding the Seven Kingdoms together.

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

WAIT TILL YOU READ THE NEXT BOOK FOR THE DEFINITION OF MADDENING and you see Renly and Stannis meet, all their faces of brotherly love. And some sassy peach eating (this will all make sense!) I seem to communicate in Tumblr lately but this is Ned, the Purveyor of Bad Decisions:


c (http://toughbeingastark.tumblr.com/)

[lcacbc.livejournal.com]

God, Ned should have listened to Renly. He was perhaps his only genuine ally in Kingslanding and he refused him! And the penny really should have dropped when Ned found out that Renly had fled - that's telling you something Ned! *facepalm*

I was so hoping to get a shot of Loras in this ep, maybe making his getaway with Renly, but noo :( And we're not going to see either of them until series 2 now, right?! Devastated tbh

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid you're right :/ For sure we won't see them in The Pointy End, as it is a GRRM episode (right?) and he wouldn't take any creative liberties with his own writing. You'd think that HBO would try to recap the major S2 pretenders in the finale, so maybe we would get a glimpse of Renly and Loras in Highgarden!

GAH, NED, I LOVE YOU BUT LOOK AT YOUR LIFE, LOOK AT YOUR CHOICES. Tbh I gave Catelyn's POV a lot of side-eye in A Clash of Kings when she blamed Renly for deserting Ned and ultimately, Ned's death. Renly just gave up trying to save Ned from himself! I always feel that the narrator's eye on Renly is a little judgy; it's the show that has turned him into a far more engaging and current character, a politician rather than a party boy.

WANT MOAR SCREENTIME. This is going to be a long wait.

[lcacbc.livejournal.com]

IKR. But honestly, I never thought Renly was as much as a fool as he seemed. He was obviously aware enough to flee Kingslanding when he had the chance, unlike someone else I could mention. I don't see why Renly should be blamed for poor Ned's stupidity - Renly offered to help him (and in the book with no seeming ulterior motive) and yet Ned refused him. Renly was saving his own skin, to which I don't blame him. There's no good in both their heads being on pikes.

I WANT/WANTED SCREENTIME TOO. People bitched about the shaving scene, but it makes a lot of sense now Renly went to Ned - it would have come completely out of nowhere otherwise.

I hope we see them at Highgarden too. But they haven't cast Stannis yet, so I don't know why they would flash to Loras/Renly without showing all the players. :(

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

You're right tho :/ No Stannis means no Renly. I have been wondering how they can stuff all the plot in the next non-elastic three hours...

So hyped for Stannis though. (still trying to make that Christopher Eccleston rumor happen!) That ACofC scene between Renly and Stannis and the giant peach (that came from Loras, IT IS KNOWN) just owns me, it was so obvious that Renly was >>>> than his brother. Smarter, KINDER even. Okay, so he wasn't humble but you're running out of arguments when this is all you can fault a guy with. Cat was just grieving and blaming everyone for Ned's death by this time, I GRUDGINGLY GUESS.

I think that people who bitched about the shaving scene have been too deafened by their homophobia to listen to the actual majorly important dialog. This wasn't gratuitous Littlefinger porn, this was a character defining moment cleverly disguised as manscaping. And you could see that Renly was drawing on Loras' faith in him, in the scene with Ned. Pfffft :))

OMG HOW HAVE I TURNED INTO SUCH A RENLY STAN.

[lcacbc.livejournal.com]

**BOOK SPOILERS***

I can't wait for Stannis either - whether I like him or not (which I don't, cos of what did to Renly), he is still a BAMF. A very interesting character, and I can't wait to see what they do with him. Christopher Eccleston would be a very good choice. And yes, I was and still am Team Renly for King. Loras was right: he was the best of them.

Exactly. People complaining about the sucking sounds are just complaining to complain. I was disappointed it wasn't MORE explicit lol - but I guess that would have given some viewers heart attacks.

You could practically see Loras's words coming out of Renly's mouth in that scene, it was so sweet. I will die a bit inside when IT happens *nudge nudge wink wink* - altho I want to see Loras's reaction more than anything.

I STAN. RENLY IS A FLAWLESS SASSY GAY FRIEND. Sorry, this turned into an essay XD

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

Oh no THANK YOU FOR TALKING TO ME. I. can't. shut. up. about Renly and Loras. And to think that for the last few months I've been whining that I can't get excited about fandom anymore. FAMOUS LAST WORDS.

Haha, my straight male viewer had a heart attack at the sound effects but it's not like he couldn't get over it five seconds later. Welcome to HBO, you know. Wear a seatbelt if you live a sheltered life.

I have been super intrigued by how Loras got his lobster impression of Stannis - and you know from Stannis' words that he knows which Tyrell sibling Renly really married - and so in my elaborate and delusional headcanon, they've met pre-series. Renly trolled, Loras snarked and flipped his flippy hair, and Stannis judged, while Robert whored, obliviously. Some uncomfortable Baratheon family dinner or three there, probably.

You can tell that the show loves Renly as he is a perfect way to update the themes - I think he has the majority of new-to-us scenes, so the second season is OURS. And that tourney where we meet Brienne, SO MUCH LORAS TIME AHEAD :)) We neeeeeeed to get a kiss, too :)

[lcacbc.livejournal.com]

**BOOK SPOILERS***

LMAO I cannot contain my excitement about them either. But every time I try to flail, my friends are like, WTF are you talking about lol.

'Renly trolled, Loras snarked and flipped his flippy hair, and Stannis judged, while Robert whored, obliviously.' - AHAHAHA. This would be beautiful. There needs to be fic of this. I do wonder what Stannis and Loras would have made of each other.

I can't wait for Loras to be a flawless BAMF in series 2, even if he does lose in the tourney. Renly must console him with many kisses. Maybe we'll get a love scene for the night they 'pray' together, and that way the death will be even more profound. Even when I read bits about Loras in the books after, I always feel so sorry for him, because he's obviously still affected by it - joining the KG, being celibate, burying Renly himself etc...

I NEED TO START WARNING ***FOR BOOK SPOILERS***

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

Oh I know! I have next to zero interest from my flist towards the show, forget about Renly and Westeros political factions. Or Loras and the fine points of being a prettier but not necessarily a weaker half of a powercouple. I flail and everyone gives me an OKAY THEN look. Good thing I discovered the friending memes :))

SOMEONE WRITE FIC OF ANY KIND, PLEASE. (I'm planning a rec post here!) I am looking forward to writing some later, during the hiatus. With plot, hopefully, but it will probably ALL descend into pages of porn until I porn it out of my system.

Bah, Loras has won enough tourneys and blue ribbons as it is and he isn't a sore loser. In the end he is Renly's champion and I bet he wouldn't have it any other way. FLUFFY COMFORT SEX, LE SIGH. They better give us some amazing romantic scene before Renly is gone. I WANT CANDLES AND PET NAMES, BELLS AND WHISTLES, THE WHOLE THING.

Our poor Loras, and the way the Lannisters used his grief. I was just re-reading the chapter where they are rubbing their hands about how they could ally with the Tyrells now because Loras would want vengeance. All his life has always been told, very matter-of-factly, by people who don't care about him. This is why we want fic, you know? Where the narrator GIVES A DAMN. And I hope that the rumors of Loras getting POV in the next book are true.

Re: I NEED TO START WARNING ***FOR BOOK SPOILERS***

[lcacbc.livejournal.com]

There so needs to be more fic. I was surprised that there isn't very much :( But now people are watching the show I'm sure the fandom will expand. I'm thinking of writing some as well XD

We better get a romantic scene before Renly's untimely end, or I will cut a bitch :P It would be tragic goodbye sex.

Urgh, the Lannisters. When they were all plotting over Loras's grief I was just like, back the hell off my poor bb! He's still a kid, and I think that's why I love him so much, even in the books - he does act like a little brat sometimes (aka with Jaime) but he lost the love of his life. And now he might be burnt, I hate myself for saying it, but maybe he should just be killed off to end his suffering. I don't want to read about him angsting for the next three books - my heart will not be able to take it. )':

But yeah, I heard he may be a POV too! That would be great to finally get some insight to what's going on in his pretty little head. He deserves some attention, he's been in the background for way too long.

Re: I NEED TO START WARNING ***FOR BOOK SPOILERS***

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

You know GRRM's stance on it... I respectfully disagree with him and especially, in the current context of HBO revamping his characters (like Renly or Drogo) or introducing an OFC like Roz. We've crossed into the no man's land here and my perception of things is colored by the show, not by the subtext of his books. SO, LET'S FIC AWAY.

I"m sure that Loras' pretty head is smart, too. He's always been ambitious without being a jerk about it. Gah, from what I've read on wiki, it is time for Loras to either move on or move out, so to speak. There is no need to take away the torch away from him but the grieving process involves healing, too, and moving on and dating other people.

So it IS true that Cersei hears that he has been disfigured by the burning oil? SANSA AND I WOULD NEED THERAPY AND WE WILL SEND GRRM THE BILLS. Unless the book addresses how someone who used to rely on his looks all his life would deal with it. HINT FOR A SATISFACTORY ENDING: SOMEONE WOULD LOVE HIM ANYWAY.

Re: I NEED TO START WARNING ***FOR BOOK SPOILERS***

[lcacbc.livejournal.com]

I don't know why he has an issue with it, it's just people trying to fill in gaps he may have missed in the books. Like the 'praying' scene ;)

Yeah, that's why I love both Loras and Renly. They both look after their own interests, but neither of them are cruel or unnecessarily evil, which is rare in Kingslanding.

I don't think he can date other people now that's he's joined the KG - they require celibacy. So I'm thinking he probably will be killed, maybe as soon as the next book, if his wounds are severe enough :( I think there's going to be a Tyrell death soon, regardless. All of them have survived so far, so I'm fearing for poor Loras. GGRM likes to kick people when they're down. :/

Re: I NEED TO START WARNING ***FOR BOOK SPOILERS***

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

Oh you make me worrrrrrrrry here.

Not that I am only here for R/L, my favorite book characters have always been Jon and Dany, so I will have a reason to stick around but urgh, don't kick me when I'm as down about Loras as it is. My pipe dream is - don't laugh, I know it's pathetic - Loras and Sansa storylines would merge and I want to see them both deal with the loss of Loras' looks. He has always been Sansa's fantasy, she always goes on and on about her fantasies about running her hands under his shirt and whatnot, so I would love to see that explored. Like is beauty really skin deep. I really don't think it's going to happen tho :/

Re: I NEED TO START WARNING ***FOR BOOK SPOILERS***

[lcacbc.livejournal.com]

SORRY. I'm probably being paranoid! GGRM tends to kill off people I like so I get nerves for Loras, who's in the snake pit, as it were.

But that would be such a good idea actually. I love her describing him, because it's almost exactly what I'd be thinking if he touched/looked at me, LOL - because I'm obviously still a 13 year old girl at heart. That would be a good way to advance her character though - especially as she has to deal with her marriage to Tyrion.

[roboticduck.livejournal.com]

I just rewatched the scene where Renly is trying to talk some sense into Ned:

"we all know what Stannis is"
A LOBSTER!

Seriously though, the speech builds up, he's giving such good tactical options, not just for his own sake, but looking out for the welfare of the kingdom, when Renly does say "He's not a king. I am" I totally bought it. Here's the political savvy that both Robert and Ned lacked.

Loras' subliminal suggestions
That makes me think Loras used ~pavlovian methods~ XD

No Loras sighting, but I did like how Varys specifically mentioned that Renly had fled with "Ser Loras Tyrell" because we needed to know!

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

"we all know what Stannis is"
A LOBSTER!

BAHAHAHA!!! Another well-kept Baratheon family secret.



I love the HBO/Gethin's slant on Renly, who was nowhere near as engaging at this point in the first book. This gives the show a contemporary edge, you can't just throw endless porn on people. I am genuinely enjoying this.

There was nothing non-Pavlovian about Loras' methods! Become a king, get a lifetime of blowjobs. He is such a motivational speaker.

Varys is an honorary member of this community tbh. The WAY he said it... I'm sure he doesn't use his spies just for the boring political purposes. He has the sex tapes.

[roboticduck.livejournal.com]

omg, I read the italics as "we all know what lobster is" D: My mind is playing tricks on me! Why will this never not be funny to me?

Renly, who was nowhere near as engaging at this point in the first book
Oh good! I thought it was just my memory fading from reading the books a few years ago, but yes, Renly is standing out earlier on, thank you HBO!

I SEE IT ALL NOW: King?? *blowjob* King. *blowjob* KING!!

The WAY he said it
YES. Varys easily could have said oh, he left with like 50 peeps, but nooo, it was Renly, Loras full title and then some randoms.

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

I SEE IT ALL NOW: King?? *blowjob* King. *blowjob* KING!!

*DEAD!!!*

I don't understand how such a tragic book can turn into such hilarious show. Is it us? Is it them? Is it the horse that Loras rode in on?

I have been refreshing all Renly's earlier book scenes and you can't even tell what drives him to put forth this claim. He just likes to party with Ser Loras, swords out uhm lol, and suddenly, he decides to leave this life of fun and games, kidnap his nephew for whom he has shown no respect to date, and become king. It's almost ~CURSE YOUR SUDDEN AND INEVITABLE BETRAYAL. By the second book, in his scene with Stannis, it is a Renly we (and Loras!) know and love, even if you feel the ever ~disapproving eye of the narrator who thinks that it's all a big game for Renly who does it for shits and giggles and a knee-jerk chivalry. I sincerely hope HBO will rewrite.

Have you watched Gethin's interview yet? Fantastic Renly meta!

[roboticduck.livejournal.com]

I figure it's the ONTD-trademarked snarkability to trololol anything :D

You have a swordsman!icon already, BWA it is beautiful in its double entendre!

OH RENLY WITH HIGHLIGHTS IN HIS HAIR!! Wait, or is that just the shine of the light? I am getting distracted by his lovely raven locks O_O I love that he mentions Westeros lacks affection, so the encouragement that Loras offers is that much more powerful. D'aww!

[bond-girl.livejournal.com]

I have never actually thought of that, that some men value affection more than others, and how Renly's life has been severely lacking in it. Considering that he almost never knew his parents, if I remember the timeline correctly, AND considering what he had for brothers.

If I can stop LOLing for a moment about Loras' impressive sword skills, - wait, BAHAHAHAAHA again - Gethin makes an excellent point. He doesn't discuss this relationship as gay at all! He explains why one person likes another person - they are pretty and they can do cool things.

Oooh you are the second person to make a welcome post <3. TEMPTING.