You Keep On Completing Me

Last year around this time, I posted this blog entry about a severe increase in visitor stats to The Bimillennial Man. At the time, I had gone from having unique visitors in the 10s and 20s per day, to over 60 and even nearing 100 each cycle.

Many of you had kind words of encouragement then and congratulated me on this progress. And I, in turn, thanked you all for making it possible. And, of course, for taking the time out of your busy schedules to stop by once in a while.

Now, a little over one year later, that sentiment still stands. Thank you all for remaining loyal visitors to this humble blog. And to those of you who only lurk, my heartfelt thanks goes out to you as well. Trust me, I know who you are. I can see your IP addresses!

But I thought I would update you all on the state of things now. Yes, I haven't been able to blog as much this year as I'm accustomed to doing. Some of that was intentional, while most of it was not and was due to circumstances beyond my control. And yet, despite it all, I have to say the numbers have been crazy this year! Looking back, I scoff at thinking I was anything special with a mere 80 unique daily visits. Wow, cool dude. That's awesome!

But now, everything has changed. Things are starting to get serious. At the start of the year I saw the blog's stats double. Whoa! And as the year went on, it just got even more bizarre, increasing more than 400% over last year's numbers. And these past several weeks in particular have seen the site's traffic reaching stratospheric heights! Here's a snapshot of the chart, provided by Blogger's new built-in tracking system:

That's well over 400 hits each day! Now, because this is a new tracker over the one I used last year, I can't rule out that the numbers might be slightly skewed here. I do know that you can get wildly different results from one tracker to another. Alas, my old tracker is a buggy piece of crap and can no longer be relied upon. Also, while I am still not including my own visits to my blog, I can't rule out the fact that a good portion of these numbers are from people who are not truly landing on my page, per se, but instead retrieving my pics through Google Image Search. Let's face it, I put up a lot of pics--particularly in my Game of Thrones reviews which, just like last year, continue to be the prime generator of around 80% of the traffic this blog receives daily. Sheesh! People are going absolutely bananas for this show!

To clarify, I went from receiving 60 to 100 daily visitors last year to now averaging between 380 and 680! Last Sunday alone saw me reach a site high of 730 unique visitors in a 24-hour period. Wow! I'm guessing I have the Thrones' season 2 finale to thank for that! If I expand the chart to cover my yearly numbers since this blog opened back in 2008, you can get a better sense of just how rapid the increase in numbers has been over the past 4 years:

That's what I call progress!

Now, let me make something clear. I am not sitting here thinking that I'm something special. I'm well aware that I have the tv show to thank for most of this. You pick something wildly popular to write about on your blog, and chances are your numbers are going to skyrocket. Also, I'm well aware that quite a few of my regular commentators here have blog numbers that far trump mine. After all, some of you have dedicated followers alone numbering in the hundreds. I only have 30. And it's my fault, too, that. I really need to get out there in the blogosphere and meet more of my fellow bloggers. I know, I know.

And yet, I can still feel a sense of achievement with these numbers. Maybe you only like me for my screencaps, maybe you like me for my non-Thrones content. But whatever the case may be, I appreciate the hell out of you all for visiting me here. Ya'll are the best.

'Nuff said!

This Week's Quick Thrones Funny

The mid-season finale of South Park aired this past Wednesday, and what a pleasant surprise it was to find a Game of Thrones reference thrown in there:





So I guess this confirms that Trey Parker and Matt Stone are Thrones fans. Kewl! And is it just me, or did anyone wish that Cartman would just shut up and let Mr. Garrison carry on with his lecture in peace? It was certainly a more entertaining history lesson than I ever remember receiving in primary school.

On a side note, please excuse the bizarre sound quality. I don't know how this guy recorded this clip, but the voices are a bit off. Also, I would imagine this will be taken down from Youtube in short order, so get in while you still can--and enjoy!

Another "Game of Thrones" Trailer

Sick of my endless promotion of this series yet? Heh, heh -- TOUGH TITTY, as my mom used to say, because I'm not! :)

And so I present to thee the latest awesome trailer to come out for the second season of Game of Thrones. This one comes by way of James Hibberd over at EW.com, and is called the "Seven Devils" trailer. You'll know why once you hear the song HBO's PR department chose for accompaniment to the amazing new footage we're seeing:





Wow, FANTASTIC! I love the close-up of Arya Stark, chopped hair and all, as she masquerades under her new secret identity this season as "Arry."

And that chilling promise Tyrion makes to Cersei is so damn cool and straight out of the second book:

“I will hurt you for this. A day will come, and your joy will turn to ashes, and you will know the debt is paid.”

I'm not going to say any more, but if anyone has questions about what you're seeing in this trailer, ask them in the comments section and I'll try my best to elucidate.

Oh, and in case you wanted to know, the song is "Seven Devils" by the indie group, Florence + The Machine. You can see the official music video by clicking here. It's a great song, in fact. Perfect for this trailer and the ongoing theme for the second season, I think.

Almost There . . .

As we get nearer and nearer to the April 1st season 2 premiere of Game of Thrones, more and more glimpses into what's in store for us fans are starting to leak out. Case in point, this awesome behind-the-scenes invitation which aired last night. Watch it below and weep, then dry your tears (of pure joy, of course!) and read what it is about this clip that makes me so giddy like a schoolgirl:

Well, well. Ain't that just something? I mean, WOW! There's so much awesome jammed into such a short video that I don't even know where to start.

It goes without saying that many of the reveals to geek out over in this clip only have real weight with those who have read the second book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series, "A Clash of Kings." But since I know so many fans of the show have not in fact also read the books, I will refrain from going into spoilery detail about what it is we're seeing. However, I will run down a list and commentary of all the cool character moments to be found in the clip:

1) Early on right off the proverbial bat, at the 0:12 mark, we see slain King Robert's youngest brother, Renly Baratheon, alongside his new bride Margaery Tyrell (played by Natalie Dormer of The Tudors fame). Renly was briefly shown a few times last season as part of King Robert's Small Council, but remembered most scandalously for his steamy spa, shaving, and "happy ending" scene with the dashing Knight of Flowers, Ser Loras Tyrell (Margaery's brother). So, um, needless to say this is going to make for one thorny situation should the wrong people learn of certain details. Add on top of that the little matter of Lord Renly vying for young King Joffrey's throne while insinuating that the little brat is really the product of his mother's incest, and . . . well, you'll see!

2) At the 0:42 mark, we briefly see Arya Stark sitting atop the battlements of Harrenhal. If you recall last season, Arya goes by the name "Arry" now and has disguised herself as a boy to escape the Queen's men who are searching for her. Yoren of the Night's Watch is leading her and a bunch of dungeon-scraping criminals north to serve on the Wall, accompanied by King Robert's bastard son, Gendry, who is himself being smuggled out of King's Landing to escape the Queen's wrath. And oh what a tangled plot we weave!

3) @ the 1:18 mark, we get our first and very brief glimpse of what I believe is Craster's Keep north of the Wall. This location plays a pivotal role in the future of the Night's Watch and the safety of its Rangers being led by Lord Mormont as they traverse through Wildling territory. Of course, all you really care about is that this location should feature lots of Jon Snow and Sam! Who doesn't want more Jon and Sam adventures, I ask you? While most of what goes on north of the Wall this season was filmed in Iceland, Craster's Keep itself was filmed in Ireland in pretty much the same location as the opening scene of last season's first episode. Iceland has no trees, and Craster's Keep would not be filmmable without them.

4) We get a quick glimpse of Davos Seaworth--aka, the "Onion Knight"--at the 1:34 mark. This is another new character to the show, and is Stannis Baratheon's right hand man. Which is funny since Davos is missing a few fingers on his own hand. Which is even funnier when you discover that it was Stannis himself who deprived him of those fingers. He's going to be AWESOME! Just take my word for it.

5) 1:36 gives us a very far away shot of Brienne of Tarth. Everyone's been waiting to get a glimpse of this character, as she is also new to the second season and is one of the few highborn ladies in the books who actually dons armor and kicks much ass! She's also being constantly ridiculed by everyone for not only fighting like a man, but looking like one as well. Let's say Brienne spends a lot of time getting shit on for her looks and demeanor, and this has not made Brienne a very happy lady Knight at all. Not at all. She's also in love with Lord Renly, whom she has sworn to protect. And oh yeah, she looks GREAT, btw! Spot-on as in the books! :)

6)  We get another glimpse of Melisandre, the Red Priestess, at the 1:38 mark just after Davos and Brienne. She's a bad mama-jamma, I'll just say. She's Stannis Baratheon's mysterious new adviser, bringing with her promises of the Iron Throne along with a new religion from the East. She'll also be responsible for some of the more scarier dark magic moments this season if they pull off a certain pair of scenes just right, I'm thinking. But I've already said too much--shhhhh!


7) We get to see the man himself, Lord Stannis Baratheon, at the 1:50 minute mark. The middle brother of the Baratheons, he holds the castle of Dragonstone after proving himself a formidable commander under his kingly older brother against both the old Targaryen Dynasty as well as Balon Greyjoy's failed rebellion a few years later. Now that Robert is dead, he believes that he himself, and not Lord Renly, is the rightful heir to the Iron Throne in light of current King Joffrey's illegitimacy issues. In addition to marshaling his forces against House Lannister and King's Landing, Lord Stannis must also contend with his younger brother's forces. Hence why the second book in this series is called "A Clash of Kings." There are many kings in this chapter, and they WILL be a-clashing!

8) Speaking of more kings . . . the King in the North, Robb Stark himself, can be glimpsed staring fondly at Jeyne Westerling @ the 2:03 mark. We only see the back of her here in this clip, but know that she will play a very key point in Robb's quest to gain support for his own campaign against the Iron Throne. He has the Kingslayer, Jaime Lannister, as his captive, and you best believe he intends to get satisfaction after what the Lannisters did to his father, Ned, in the first season. In fact, the very first episode of season 2 will be titled: "The North Remembers." Oh yes, that they do. And it is a very looooong memory.

9) And perhaps the most geekgasm moment of the entire video happens @ 2:15 -- Tyrion fucking Lannister holding up a vial of the volatile pyromancer's brew known as "wildfire!" Fans of the books know exactly where this will be going, and I really can't say anymore for fear of spoiling the awesome. But just know it is that, awesome!

"I have dreams of this show, you know? It's created a world in my head, it's . . . that I can't shake. Which is a testament of how good the show is."                                                                          -- Peter Dinklage

What an awesome quote to end the video with, eh? This is why Tyrion is the dude, because of this man right there! I've said it before but it bears repeating: look for Tyrion to have a much larger, intricate, and awesomer role this season. If you loved him last year, you should pretty much get double your fun this time around. I think the Emmy's and Golden Globes' folks are going to shit the proverbial brick when they realize they're just going to have to honor this actor a SECOND time all over again.

This is going to be fun!

And there you have it. Excited yet?

Well as if that isn't enough, we're almost at the point when the entire season 1 will be released to home video. In 2 weeks, as a matter of fact -- March 6th! I've already pre-ordered the Blu-rays long in advance, and so that weekend is going to involve a rewatching of EPIC proportions at my house. Oh how the walls shall shake!

And if you're thinking of getting the DVDs, fine. But just know that you might want to invest in a Blu-ray player instead. Click on this link and you'll find out why. Let's just say the Blu-rays give you a whole lot more bang for your bucks.

VALAR MORGHULIS!

April Is Coming!

Yes sir! A full teaser trailer for the 2nd season of HBO's Game of Thrones aired last night before the premiere of their new show, Luck. And here it is below for all your viewing pleasure:




(If the above clip is too choppy or cannot be viewed properly, click on this link for the YouTube version.)

How stoked are you now? If you're like me, then the answer is: FLLBBPT@$!#!!!! Oh, sorry about that. It's hard to talk when you're drooling so much. But BY THE SEVEN! That looked friggin AWESOME! I love how that sneaky fat eunuch, Varys, can't help himself from hinting at what's really going on behind the scenes of this continents-spanning game of power. But if he thinks Tyrion is one to be cowed or awed by such hintings, then the Master of Whispers has seriously underestimated the dwarf. Or has he?

Although this next season will only cover Book 2 (and perhaps even parts of Book 3, I hear), Varys' words in this trailer echo some pretty amazing plot turns that occur much later in the series. If you haven't read as far as Book 5 yet, not knowing what I'm referring to won't be a big deal. Although, I do have to say that inklings of the spy master's true role in all the political machinations afoot in this series has already been revealed in the first season. So it's probably no surprise to anyone that the bald fucker has more of a hand in things than someone of his station should. And if you've read Book 2 already, you know he and Tyrion will make for interesting "bed fellows" during the full-on shit storm to come this season.

Oh, trust me: It's going to be glorious! :)

Season 2 of Game of Thrones will air Sunday, April 1st, only on HBO!

A Brief History Lesson, Game Of Thrones Style!

So how was your weekend? Mine was fine, filled with a lot of writing done on the ongoing practice novel . . . but also much wailing and gnashing of teeth over the performance of my NYC-area NFL teams. Grrrrr! Way to eff up my Sunday, Giants and Jets! But at least I got to see the Pats embarrass the Broncos. Was looking forward to that the most, actually. And Tom Brady delivered!

Anywho . . .

Got a nice surprise over at Winter Is Coming.net this morning. Seems they received a specially made press-kit from HBO bearing the sigil of House Stark, and packed with all sorts of goodies for the upcoming home video release of the 1st season of Game of Thrones.  You can click on the link to see what was in the kit, but I'm going to embed a special video below which was taken from the Blu-ray box set. The clip is part of one of the many special features, this one consisting of 24 videos pertaining to various aspects of Westerosi life, culture, and history -- and each containing sketch-art animation with narration provided by various members of the show's cast. This particular one details the religious institutions of Westeros, and is narrated by both Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark) and Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran Stark). This brief history of the dual religions which came to dominate Westeros is information that was spread out in bits and pieces throughout the books, but which is very handy for newcomers to get all in one place like this. Watch for yourselves and enjoy:





I'm impressed. And also, highly excited to get my hands on my own Blu-ray set this March! I'm going to watch all 24 vids as if they're a History Channel doc. It's going to be AWESOME, I just know it!

Winter Is Still Coming . . .

. . . And the Cold Winds are Rising.

Eh? Not as strong a tagline as I would have liked, but I'll take it. Even if it was never uttered in the books. Anyway, THE DAY HAS ARRIVED. Finally, after so long a wait, the first teaser with any actual footage has been aired for the next season of HBO's Game of Thrones! It aired just before the season finale of Boardwalk Empire last night, and it was GLORIOUS!

Watch it for yourself below, and I'll comment afterwards:




“My brother left no trueborn heirs.
By right, and birth, and blood,
I do this day lay claim,
To the Iron Throne of Westeros.
Let all true men declare their loyalty.
The Iron Throne is mine by right.
They will bend the knee,
Or I will destroy them.
The cold winds are rising.”


Whoa! We only get to see a small amount of new footage, but it was enough to whet this fan's appetite. How about you?

I feel I need to provide a little context for what was just seen, though, as I think it might be difficult to follow for those who are not readers of the books. Or for those to whom the last season is a barely remembered blur. Heh, heh . . . it happens.

First off, the man you hear talking is Stannis Baratheon, younger brother to King Robert (who died in the first season), and older brother to Renly. Renly, if you recall, is the guy who served as King Robert's Master of Laws on the Small Council, and who urged Ned to seize the throne before Queen Cersei could place her illegitimate son on it. Ned, of course, refused and Renly fled King's Landing to marshal his own forces. Both he and Stannis lay equal claim to the Iron Throne now, under the pretense that the new King Joffrey was no seed of their brother Robert. The two younger siblings, in turn, hate each other and seek to eliminate their rival despite the blood they share.

Yeah, it's getting positively Shakespearean up in this piece!

Although it is Stannis's voice you hear doing the narration (acted by the talented Stephen Dillane), the first person you actually see in the clip is Renly Baratheon, astride a horse and wearing the stag crown of his noble house. The next scene--a night time one--shows Stannis himself, accompanied by his wife Selyse and a host of soldiers. These two are new to the show, and were never seen in the first season. Stannis was only ever mentioned by name on several occasions, including once during that now infamous grooming/blowjob scene between Lord Renly and his buddy, Ser Loras Tyrell--aka, the Knight of Flowers.

You remember THAT, now, don't you?

Next we get a series of one-shots featuring many faces you should all be familiar with by now. Of particular note is the quick shot of a short-haired Arya Stark, who should have a sizable role this season if they are closely following the book. Yay!

Pay particular attention to what you're hearing near the very end of the clip (at the 0:30 mark). That's three horn blasts from the top of the Wall. This is significant, if you don't know. One horn blast means a Ranger of the Night's Watch is returning from patrol beyond the Wall. Two blasts means a Wildling attack is imminent.

But three blasts . . . well, that means the White Walkers are approaching. *shudder*

Damn, this season is going to be BAD ASS! Are you as excited as I am?

Game Of Thrones For Dummies, Ep. 10

About a month ago you may recall I posted up this blog entry about a Youtube web series, "Game of Thrones For Dummies," presented by one super fine SF geek, Simone Boyce. Well, I thought that in the spirit of closure I'd embed her latest installment covering the final episode. I'm going to miss these . . . at least until next Spring.





LOL! Girl power indeed! I just love her bit with the plush dragon toy on her shoulder at the beginning. Simone ROCKS!!!

Ep. 10 Reactions: "Fire and Blood"

So this is it, the season finale. I can't believe how fast time has flown! This is such a bittersweet moment for me. I always knew the day would come--and quickly with a 10-episode season at that!--but this is what I've been dreading since April. The day Game of Thrones would come to an end for the year.

The title of this final episode is "Fire and Blood" with good reason. But to speak more on that would give certain things away, so for now I'll keep a lid on it and await to see if HBO can pull off greatness here. You'll be getting my honest reactions as they occur throughout the episode, along with some clarifications and background info gleaned from the books when I deem it necessary.

So, won't you join me as a I settle in for what promises to be a night of television I'll likely won't forget for some time? But before you do, please take a moment to check out my previous episode reactions by clicking their appropriate links below:


Episode 1: "Winter is Coming."
Episode 2: "The Kingsroad."
Episode 3: "Lord Snow."
Episode 4: "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things."
Episode 5: "The Wolf and the Lion."
Episode 6: "A Golden Crown."
Episode 7: "You Win or You Die."
Episode 8: "The Pointy End."
Episode 9: "Baelor."


And now, lets us begin . . . the end.*

*(Until season 2 next Spring, that is.)

Ep. 9 Reactions: "Baelor"

Well, here we are. The penultimate episode of Game of Thrones in what has been a fulfilling season far exceeding expectations. And yet, sadly for those of us who have read the first book, the title of tonight's showing clearly brings home a certain fateful event that will transpire. One which, to this viewer at least, lends me a heavy heart in anticipation of what's about to come.

But as the British say: stiff upper lip, ol' chap!

And so, mentally fortified, I pick up the remote and switch to my trusty Tivo HD box where tonight's episode is already queued up. But before I do, please take a moment to check out my previous episode reactions by clicking their appropriate links below:


Episode 1: "Winter is Coming."
Episode 2: "The Kingsroad."
Episode 3: "Lord Snow."
Episode 4: "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things."
Episode 5: "The Wolf and the Lion."
Episode 6: "A Golden Crown."
Episode 7: "You Win or You Die."
Episode 8: "The Pointy End."


And now . . . the show must go on.

Ep. 8 Reactions: "The Pointy End"

To say I've been waiting quite a while for this one episode is a severe understatement. I'd known that the book series' author, George R. R. Martin, would be writing ep. 8 since the middle of last year. Needless to say, us book fans have been up in a lather to finally catch this climactic turning point in the first novel that this season is based upon.

And now, the time has finally come. I'm literally bouncing in my seat to get this show cued up and ready to go! But before I do, please take a moment to check out my previous episode reactions by clicking their appropriate links below:


Episode 1: "Winter is Coming."
Episode 2: "The Kingsroad."
Episode 3: "Lord Snow."
Episode 4: "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things."
Episode 5: "The Wolf and the Lion."
Episode 6: "A Golden Crown."
Episode 7: "You Win or You Die."


And now, let us begin the show!

Preview For Tonight's Episode

Because ep. 8 of Game of Thrones tonight is going to be so awesome (it is known!), I've decided to post up a preview clip while we wait. I don't know about you, but watching this just gets me all sorts of excited! As I mentioned many times before, this episode is written by the author of the book series himself, George R. R. Martin! He used to be a tv screenwriter back in the day, so he does know his way around an episodic plot or two.

Anyway, take a peek below if you will:





Oooh, so much going on this ep -- I can hardly contain myself! Only 8 more hours to go . . .

Ep. 7 Reactions: "You Win or You Die"

Okay, things are really getting interesting in Westeros. I'm so excited to get started on this episode that I'm just going to dive right in. Clicking on the trusty ole Tivo now. Selecting Game of Thrones, Episode 7 . . .

Oh, but before I do, please take a moment to check out my reactions to previous episodes by clicking their appropriate links below:


Episode 1: "Winter is Coming."
Episode 2: "The Kingsroad."
Episode 3: "Lord Snow."
Episode 4: "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things."
Episode 5: "The Wolf and the Lion."
Episode 6: "A Golden Crown."


And now, let us begin the show!

Game Of Thrones For Dummies

So, yeah, as you probably gathered from that last blog entry . . . I've gone a little Game of Thrones Youtube crazy. In my browsings there, I came across this wonderful web series by the very talented and lovely Simone Boyce. She's a huge fantasy geek and so, naturally, is very much addicted to the Song of Ice and Fire series. My god, where has this woman been all my life???

LOL! I jest, of course. But if I weren't already taken . . . hmmmmm. Would it be a joke then? Perchance not, my friends.

Anyway, upon seeing how confused some of her friends were after the first episode of Thrones aired last month, she started up the "Game of Thrones For Dummies" series on Youtube.

I'll post up the first video, but you can click on the links which follow to watch later episodes at your own leisure. I imagine these brief 6-minute breakdowns of each episode might be of enormous help to those of you who are either casual watchers of the show, or who have not even started watching due to feeling daunted by the wealth of back story involved.

No, that doesn't make you a "dummy" at all. Just fictionally challenged, let's say. :)

Seven hells, even if you don't have any interest in the show, check out the clip anyway because Simone does an outstanding job writing, performing, and editing these vids herself. To be honest, I'm quite awestruck by how good she is. Wow!

Geek girls RULZ!!! \_ _/





GoT For Dummies -- Episode 2
GoT For Dummies -- Episode 3
GoT For Dummies -- Episode 4
GoT For Dummies -- Episode 5
GoT For Dummies -- Episode 6

Someone Put Out An APB . . .

On my free time, that is. Because something tells me it's about to vanish without a trace.

So, got a long 3-day holiday weekend ahead and it's come to my attention that I should probably crack open L.A. Noire for the PS3 at some point. So, yeah, I think that's what I'll be doing. If you don't hear from me for a while, then you'll know why.

You Complete Me

Yes, that's right. YOU DO!

This is just a huge shout out/thank you to all the fabulous folks who have greatly increased my site's traffic within, literally, only the past couple of months. Not everyone is commenting in the comments sections--although those of you who do, I'm eternally grateful for--but I understand the appeal of lurkdom.

When I first started this blog back in late 2008, at best I would get 3 to 5 unique visitors every few days. Most days I would get zero. In 2010, the average was about 5 to 8 EVERY day, with sporadic spurts here and there. My Self-Guided Highlander Tours of Paris, part 1 and part 2, were the biggest generator of most of this new found traffic (for obvious reasons), while my book and movie reviews consistently garnered no attention whatsoever. Hence why I ended up dropping those. Let's face it: in the great blog-o-sphere, no one really cares what your own personal opinion on pop culture is. We all have such varying tastes, after all.

This year, however, things have changed. My unique daily visitors tripled to the double digits--mostly in the teens and twenties--at the start of 2011, thanks in large part to the addition of some very cool daily followers whom I cherish as good friends now (Yvonne, GYSC, Jen, Frisky, Watchtower, Shin Loo, Nicole, KLo, etc -- you know who you are!) In addition to my old time regulars from the early days of this blog (Tarrell, Rodney, Kim, Ian, Cindy, Sarah), you guys have made this a "happening" place to be! :)

However, nothing has prepared me for the traffic I've been getting since around late March, early April, here. I guess I have Game of Thrones to blame thank for the sudden popularity. These days, it's a regular occurrence for me to get visitor counts in the 50s and 60s range. In the past month, even up to the 80s and--YIKES!--a handful of 3-digit days every now and then! Are you kidding me? Seriously???

Anyway, you don't have to take my word for it. Here's a glimpse at the latest weekly count chart breaking down the numbers, courtesy of my stat counter site BlogPatrol.com:

And, yes, I do remember to exclude my personal IP addies from the count. I'm not completely clueless.

But pretty crazy figures, huh? I'm sure some of my more popular blog buddies snort at these numbers, but they're great to me. Especially considering where they were prior to 2011.

Needless to say, all the tireless work I've been putting into promoting the Game of Thrones show on HBO is paying off! My episode reaction posts in particular bring in the lion's share of all that traffic. I'm sorry, I meant the "Lannister's share," as we're wont to say in Westeros.

So, to all of you out there who take time off your busy lives to check in on me here at The Bimillennial Man -- thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

And now . . . let's party, PEANUTS style!





(Hey, be glad I didn't say "DIREWOLF" style!)

Ep. 6: Reactions: "A Golden Crown"

After the high octane action of the previous episode, I've been chomping at the bit all week to tear into episode 6. And now it has finally arrived. So let's . . . get 'er done!

But before we do, please take a moment to check out my reactions to the previous episodes by clicking the appropriate links below:


Episode 1: "Winter is Coming."
Episode 2: "The Kingsroad."
Episode 3: "Lord Snow."
Episode 4: "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things."
Episode 5: "The Wolf and the Lion."

And now, let us begin the show!

Ep. 5 Reactions: "The Wolf and the Lion"

It's been a fun 4 weeks leading up to this 5th episode, but now it's time to get serious! If I'm remembering the books correctly, this is where the story starts to get really intricate. Yeah, you heard right. If you had trouble following all the plot points before, well then you better buckle yourself in for a bumpy ride. Because, honestly, things are going to start coming at you fast and furious now.

Before I start up the episode on my trusty ole DVR, however, I would like to take a brief moment to remind you all why I write these detailed reactions. Primarily it's to have fun sharing my most private geek out moments with you all as I experience a show based on a book series I hold in very high esteem.

But, also, I do this so that those watching the show who have not read the books can keep track of all the names and various plot points, and even hint at how everything eventually ties together. Ideally, you should watch the episode and then come here to make sure you didn't miss a little clue here, or a plot crumb there, that might otherwise hinder your maximum enjoyment threshold of the show.

Yes, I just used "maximum enjoyment threshold" in an actual sentence.

Hopefully, reading these scene reactions will help make sense of some of the more confusing elements of the show, particularly all the many characters and their precise relationships with one another. Because even if you read the books this stuff can be quite a bit much to swallow. So, who better to point things out than your resident A Song of Ice and Fire nerd?

So, you see, this is my civic duty to y'all. Don't forget it! And in the meantime, if you would like to check out my reactions to any of the previous episodes, feel free to click on the appropriate link below:


Episode 1: "Winter is Coming."
Episode 2: "The Kingsroad."
Episode 3: "Lord Snow."
Episode 4: "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things."


And now, let us begin the show!

Ep. 4 Reactions: "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things"

We're now well under way into the very first season of HBO's Game of Thrones series. It's been a mostly spectacular ride up to this point, with only a few minor quibbles here and there. Mostly due to the amount of back story they've had to cram down our throats to truly get this story rollin'. But it's really a lot of ground to cover from the book, so it's to be expected if not completely accepted.

Anyway, this Sunday we get the airing of Ep. 4, "Cripples, Bastards, and Broken Things." Looking at the title alone, it's kinda hard not to figure out what the focus will be on this time around. If I were to hazard a guess . . .

But, then, I've read the books so it really wouldn't be fair now, would it?

As I get the episode primed to run on my Tivo HD--along with two good friends to watch it with; one a reader, the other a non-reader of the books--I find myself once again at the edge of my seat waiting to find out what's in store for us now.

But as always, before I start writing off my scene-by-scene commentary as the action occurs on screen, please take a moment to read up on all my previous episodic reactions below. Trust me, you won't regret it:


Episode 1: "Winter is Coming."
Episode 2: "The Kingsroad."
Episode 3: "Lord Snow."


And now, without further ado, let us begin the show!

Oh, My Sweet Summer Child . . .

"What do you know about fear?"

I'm reposting this video of an earlier Game of Thrones teaser trailer simply to hear Old Nan's awesome voice-over as she tells Bran what it truly means that "Winter is coming!" If you remember, at the very end of my Episode 3 commentary roundup yesterday, I mentioned that the actress playing Old Nan recently passed away. Which is much to the anguish of many fans who, like me, thought she was just the most PERFECT person to play her. Her lines are only at the beginning of this clip, but it still sends goosebumps up my arm.





Also, I thought it would be nice for some of you who have already seen a few episodes to take a second gander at this trailer and notice how it's all starting to make sense now. Cool, eh? Almost every shot in here is from the first 3 episodes, which have already aired.

I'm still trying to find a clip of just the Old Nan scene in Bran's bedchamber. Just that one part alone and nothing else. Preferably with impeccable sound so that I can savor the rich timbre of the actress's amazing delivery. But so far I've been digging up blanks.

This will have to do for now, I suppose.