DIREWOLF PUPPIES FOR EVERYONE! After just one episode, “Game of Thrones” has already been renewed for a second season. The quick turnaround is the same model HBO employed when it 
though “Thrones” had a markedly smaller debut audience (about 4 million total viewers compared to “Boardwalk’s” 7 million). Alan Sepinwall writes:
The early spin I’ve seen is that “Boardwalk” was promoted all summer during HBO’s biggest hit, “True Blood,” where “Game of Thrones” was immediately preceded by the low-rated “Mildred Pierce,” and before that by the limping final season of “Big Love.” And also that “True Blood” started even smaller, with 1.4 million viewers, before growing into the channel’s biggest hit, and that perhaps “Thrones” can similarly grow.
Of course, this whole disappointing-compared-to-”Boardwalk-Empire” reasoning falls apart when you consider that “Treme” — which pulled less than half the audience of “Thrones” — was also renewed after one episode. So let’s do away with the super-boring discussion of numbers, and focus on what really matters: another season of wolves, tits, and disemboweling. HOORAY!
(If you’re one of the people who prefers breasts to puppies, you can see Emilia Clarke topless here – NSFW, obvs.)
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Great news- so will each season be one of the novels?
@Chazz — It appears that’s the case, yes.
I hope if they intend to have each season cover a novel, they add more episodes per season. 10 episodes is tight for the first novel and they’re going to have to cut a lot for the 2nd and 3rd novels if they try it with 10 episodes.
I know George RR Martin has stated he hopes his later novels each get 2 seasons per novel so that the story isn’t gutted.
I think Treme was renewed on the principle of “It’s David Simon. What are we, fucking idiots?”
god that is some hardcore pupography.
I know nothing about these books, have no interest in the genre, and yet last night, based solely on your recommendation, I tuned into an encore showing… and immediately saw a naked chick blowing a dwarf.
You (and HBO) really know my interests, I tells ya.
I’m hoping for the wolf puppy to avenge his 10 year old owners death by chomping the balls off of the guy that pushed him out the window.
@UU – I think the kid fell on the wolf puppy. Did you hear a squishy sound?
Matt, where is Lord Pantsalot?
Did anyone else read this?
[tv.nytimes.com]
Being a girl who likes this whole genre, I really want to punch this writer in the face.
@Smello: There’s a good response to that piece (and dipshit Troy Patterson’s Slate review) here:
[www.salon.com]
@Smello I also read that review of the show by Gina Bellafante , and good GOD I would like nothing more than to punch her in the face too. Being a girl, aged 25, I found that review so offensive. I have been reading fantasy books since 4th grade, and have mannnnnnnnnnny other female friends who have been reading them from a young age too. Sorry if not everyone worships the ground that Oprah and her book club suggestions walk on.
@Matt that was a good comparison and subsequent tearing down of the two reviews. Both awful, biased, and clearly written by people who have no idea what they are talking about. The show was amazing, and pretty darn accurate to the book, as much as I can remember. It’s probably been about 10 years since I read it though.
I agree that they may need to stretch the episodes out as the seasons / books go along but devoting multiple seasons to each book might be overkill. I’m also curious to see how the audience who don’t consider themselves a fan of genre hold up into season / book 2.
@ Otto: That’s a good theory but I think Treme was renewed on the principal of white guilt.
Thanks, Matt. That actually calmed me some. Critics don’t have to like everything I like, but let’s avoid the sweeping and condescending generalizations, shall we.
Holy shit, that NY Times article review is an example of everything that just makes me want to bury a hatchet into every Times’ writer’s skull.
Seriously, making this into a global warming allegory? Can’t we just enjoy our disembowellings and dwarf sex at face value?
I prefer to enjoy my disembowelings and dwarf sex at face level.
Great first ep – AWESOME opening. I had no idea there were going to be snow zombies in this show.
I dont get it…. it wasn’t that great. Yes, tits… yay, we all love tits. But besides that… it wasn’t great.
Spoiler alert, if they go by the book, the cute wolf-puppy kills an assassin later by tearing out someones throat.
I’m semi-watching, only because Sarah Connor is on the show.
the white pup hes holding aka ghost or aka the runt of the litter is my dog shyla she was bread specifaccly for the series then when she ws to big for the next episodes no one wanted her and we managed to meet the breeder of the pups and decided to give ghost a home