Thank You to David & Dan

This was a post that I had meant to write immediately after the season ended. But things got busy and then too much time had passed. But now, with season two filming beginning today and all the positive fan vibes from Comic-Con this past weekend, it seems like a good time to officially pen a thank you letter to the two guys who have made all this possible: David Benioff and D.B. Weiss.

These guys took these books, literally written to be “unfilmable”, and have spent the better part of the last 5 years getting them on-screen. From the first, they knew that doing this as anything but an HBO series would be nigh impossible. They were the ones who first suggested the idea of HBO to George R. R. Martin (who, as it happened, had always believed this would be the only way to do it). They were the ones who pitched it to HBO and somehow convinced the network to go outside of their comfort zone and take on this hugely ambitious project. They were the ones who worked almost around-the-clock, while learning on the job, during the pilot shoot. They were the ones who spent much of last year away from home, in Belfast and Malta, working on season one. And now they are doing the same for season two.

They have also been great with the fans, including them from the very beginning. Whether it be soliciting (and using!) fan suggestions on casting or greeting this writer with a warm handshake and a smile, they have been appreciative of the fans’ role in the whole process. Hell, they flew halfway around the world for a day and a half, right when production was hitting its peak, just to spend time with the fans at Comic-Con. That is dedication.

And the show they have produced is nearly perfect. Both as a TV series and an adaptation of beloved books. To finally see on screen what had been playing out in my head for years was thrilling. Since that first announcement over 5 years ago, I had gone over and over in my head what it would be like seeing this story come to life on screen. Imagining my favorite characters and moments acted out never failed to get me excited. I had very high expectations that only got higher with the release of each new trailer and promo shot. And despite all those soaring expectations this first season was everything I had hoped it would be and more. And much of that was due to David & Dan’s hard work and desire to honor the source material.

So, House Gatewatch thanks you, David & Dan, for all the hard work you have done and will do on this show. For being gracious and appreciative of the fans. And for adapting this series, not as some know-it-all Hollywood hotshots, but as genuine and true fans of the books. Our hats are off to you, sers.

Now you better not screw up season two!

• Published on 07/25/2011 at 4:48 PM CDT
• Last updated on 10/20/2016 at 6:03 PM CDT