Yes, this was much better than most Pilots, including GOT. Like you, I was really lost watching the first episode of GOT and almost didnt keep watching. HOTD did a really good job of connecting with the GOT story line and pointing out timelines as well as the Family houses. If I remember correctly HOTD takes place 173 years before GOT.
That is great news. IIRC it was season five before I watched GOT for the first time. I'm just not into fantasy involving magic and dragons. Had I not been warned that the pilot was horrible but the rest of the episodes were totally different, I would have not made it past John/Theon/Rob haircut scene. I expect a pilot to be a bit slow to start, just to establish the characters but GOT was far worse than that. With all of the Easter eggs from the GOT, I expect HOTD to be very good at least.
LOL, I was watching the GOT pilot yesterday to get primed and thought the exact same thing about the haircut scene
It took me several attempts to get into GOT but I am glad I stuck with it.
Wow, I totally missed that! Otto is actually the first character Im really suspicious of.I enjoyed it. Like any first episode like this, there was a ton of explaining backstory and building the plot, foreshadowing etc.
This is pretty on par for GoT type shows the first episode is usually a little lack luster in action but built around setting up later episodes.
For those of you that prefer football to these kinds of shows. I offer you, that one of the main characters in the show, is the 'wirey' kicker from "The Replacements"
You should be
You should be
Basically the story line is going off the plot of the Targaryn civil war. And there was foreshadowing everywhere.
2 big instances of it, was Otto's daughter wearing the 'green' dress, and the king back wound and cutting his finger after talking with his brother.
I have not read any of the books and am not as well versed as some in all things GOT, so Im trying to piece together what little I can
I am sure there are youtube channels that will offer spoiler / easter egg breakdowns. Things to watch out for kind of thing. But so far it is pretty cool. I mean compared to the last GoT type show episode we ever saw, literally 2 girls 1 cup would be an improvement
I am trying to stay neutral but undecidedly don't like Otto at all. I will be surprised if he doesn't kick off the civil war by spreading more half-truths. Daemon doesn't appear to be a power-hungry monster just yet but power is not up for grabs yet either.
I forgot about Dunk and Egg. I still laugh about how many pissed off moms have to call their daughters Dani.