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Paul Tassi reports at Forbes that the first four episodes of the new season of Game of Thrones, nearly half of the ten total episodes, have been leaked online to various torrent sites. The four episodes appeared to come from a screener sent to reviewers with the digital watermark blurred out and are in 480p resolution, equivalent to standard-definition TV, not HD. The episodes have already been downloaded a million times, and that figure is expected to climb by the season 5 premiere. Game of Thrones has consistently set records for piracy, which has almost been a point of pride for HBO. "Our experience is [piracy] leads to more penetration, more paying subs, more health for HBO, less reliance on having to do paid advertising... If you go around the world, I think you're right, Game of Thrones is the most pirated show in the world. Well, you know, that's better than an Emmy."
How the leak happened isn't a mystery. Television critics typically receive the first four episodes of an HBO show before its season premiere, and Game of Thrones is no exception. HBO could not immediately say whether the leak could be traced to screener copies of the show. "I suspect HBO may be a bit more restrictive about handing out Game of Thrones screeners to press, given the event-like nature of the show and its reliance on keeping spoilers close to the chest," writes Tassi. "I really don't see why commentary like that needs to exist in the first place." The network can take solace in at least one thing, though. Episode four ends on a heck of a cliffhanger, and those who pirated the episodes will be in the same boat as those of us who received them legally — waiting until May to find out what happens next. "I would imagine it's more fun to just spend the next month watching week to week as nature intended, even if you are watching illegally," concludes Tassi. "Game of Thrones is one of the last true "event" shows where it's something you want to talk about Sunday night or Monday morning with friends and strangers alike."
(Score: 1) by wisnoskij on Monday April 13 2015, @09:32PM
I would of agreed with you, but I just got well into Season 2.
Spoiler Alert: The action adventure prequel to Treasure Island, is in fact just a gay pirate romance, where all of the protagonist's actions are because of the loss of a gay lover he had a two week fling with a decade ago.
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Tuesday April 14 2015, @10:43PM
Hm. interesting that all the explicit gay ( female) pirate action in season one didn't turn you away, it's only when two guys briefly kiss in season two you decide to write it off as a 'gay pirate romance'. The fact that part of one character's motivation is the loss his same sex lover takes nothing away from the series.
Oh, and he's clearly bi, not gay.
(Score: 1) by wisnoskij on Tuesday April 14 2015, @10:57PM
It is not the gay sex, actually I do not remember any gay kiss up to where I had watched (The only kiss I remember was when he was trying to create the rumor that we was having sex with his gay lovers wife), just the knowledge that an affair happened. Look at my other comment, I am recommending Spartacus which contains loads and loads of explicit male on male sex scenes and it was a far better show than either BS or GoT. It is the fact that it is the corniest, most ridiculous, stupidest backstory and reason that could of been devised. The entire motivation of the show is based on this guy's 2 week affair. It takes everything away from the series.
(Score: 2) by GreatAuntAnesthesia on Tuesday April 14 2015, @11:36PM
Didn't know anything about Spartacus,sorry about that. The affair (probably not the right term since the wife was very much in on it, but anyway...) is just a part of his motivation. He is also motivated by a desire to legitimise nassau. Besides which, I never about the impression it was a two week fling. At one point he is described as his true love. Also, what happens is more than just the loss of a lover to flint, it's proof that the society and civilisation he has been fighting for can be as cruel, merciless and arbitrary as the pirates, and that men who feel the way he does about other men aren't welcome. In that context I don't think his actions are particularly unrealistic. Bear in mind also that he was being publicly shamed for his sexuality, and could easily have faced the gallows for it. Running off to sea and becoming a pirate doesn't seem unlikely at all.
(Score: 1) by wisnoskij on Tuesday April 14 2015, @11:53PM
"men who feel the way he does about other men aren't welcome"
I really wonder if you watched that particular scene all that closely. All of that happened because he was publicly thought to be having an affair with the wife in that powerful man's (the father I believe of his gay lover) house where he also insulted him and asked him to leave.
"At one point he is described as his true love."
Which is the problem. It is obvious that they did not take years to devise the plan, "lets get some ships, invade and get back our colony". If they started the affair on day one I imagine that at most they had a month, probably far less. And it is very obvious that his obsession with turning Nassau around is because of his lost "love".
(Score: 1) by wisnoskij on Wednesday April 15 2015, @12:12AM
hmm. Rewatched it right not it is not obvious. No one ever says what the horrible thing he did was. I would think sleeping with the wife and insulting the Lord in his own house would be more than enough to be discharged. And they spread the rumor of that affair so it would obviously be more easy to find out. That said If they had found out the homosexual affair that would seem to be more fitting with the exact words used to reprimand him with. So maybe you are right.