The only major change I don't like so far (taking as a given that the rape scene wasn't truly intended to be a rape scene, but instead edited extremely poorly. In the books, she protests at first, and then is all the way in on it. In the show, they said they were signifying that by having her lock her legs around his back) is the very end of this last episode. Through the next couple of books, we still haven't seen White Walker "culture" or whatever it is. Actually, seeing as how I believe the conflict with The Others is what the endgame will be, maybe the show is doing a better job with this than GRRM is in the books. But HBO's website accidentally, and temporarily revealed that in that final scene Spoiler the character who turns that baby into a white walker is The Night's King, aka the 13th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Brandon Stark. That brings up it's own host of questions that haven't been answered by the books yet. Like, if the 13th LC is the main bad guy, why was there even a wall built before then? Who made a Stark into the HMFiC of the white walkers? The old gods? The children of earth, or whatever they were called?
Last post about the idea of changes. Here is the thing though, that isn't a "CHANGE" per se. That could have easily happened in the books, it is just from the story telling narrative they couldn't have shown that. Just like every single Dany war scene gets "yadda yadda'd" in the books because she wasn't there, and everything happens from her point of view. It's not a "change" to have Grey Worm go in there and show us what happened. Dudes snuck in and got the slaves to turn on their masters, but we just hear it as a report to Dany after the fact. A change isn't showing us something that the books didn't. I'm excited they did this, because it doesn't interrupt anything, it is just a sneak peek of something that Martin couldn't show us without a special chapter, or somehow a report getting to someone. Which was impossible through his structure. Other shit happened in the books when the characters we were following were doing their shit. It makes sense to give this bigger picture, especially since this is TV. We knew Craster took babies to give to the White Walkers, and now we know what happens when they get picked up.
Change as in a different plotline than we'd seen before, that, in my opinion, will end up being major. Yes, I get that it could have happened off screen in the books. But as far as we know, it's still new information. That's all I meant by change, Mr. Pedantic.
I know I will probably catch shit for this, but so far the show hasn't been that interesting, thou the last show started getting better. I can see they are probably setting up story line for a more interesting second half of the season.
I thought the third episode was the weakest so far to be honest. I also agree with the person that stated they should have drawn out the whodunit killing Joffery until at least Tyrion's trial. Other than that the show has been what it's always been good damn TV.
I've been expecting that they were going to start pulling away further from the books after this season, which makes sense when you consider how poorly they were received compared to the first three. I agree that they could have waited on revealing Joffrey's killer, but I don't ever remember thinking Tyrion was actually guilty and Little Finger has essentially the same conversation with Sansa to reveal the Tyrells as co-conspirators, it just happens a bit later. Also, one thing you guys haven't mentioned regarding the changes that I'm looking forward to in the coming episodes that I suppose could fall in the 'major' category. Spoiler At the end of season 3 Asha goes off with a ship and some soldiers to rescue Theon. So far they haven't even alluded to that change of events this season. She's been perpetually on her way off screen. We might see her get it and then witness a nice addition to Ramsay's dark side(wait, is it a side if he's always a psycho?). Maybe it wouldn't be so major because while she is a POV character her actions have been mostly irrelevant. I don't think we need more of her story told in the tv show, and she's my least favorite actress. As far as I'm concerned ax the bitch. I completely support the additions regarding the others, and the lack there of in the books was one of Martin's few weaknesses as a story teller.
None of the kids are Robert's. Cersei told Ned in season 1, and Ned also read that book that said all Baratheons are born with black hair.
House Baelish, woohoo! I would enjoy a show just about Sansa and Baelish talking about how he's going to rule the world. Book Spoilerish things below: Spoiler I'm glad they're alluding to Sansa not being dumb as a fucking rock more in the show than they do in the books. She's seen some shit now, and like Arya, that's removed her fanciful notions pretty quick. Tyrion's little foreshadowing about her not being a killer, not yet, THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING FOREVER. She's going to fuck some shit up, and I'm guessing she'll be the Lady of the Vale when she does it.
So, is Sansa more or less safe now? I mean now that she's safely with in the House Of Demented Nutbags. I can't tell if the Aunt or the boy freaks me out moe. That throne room set piece is so marvellous. One of the best on the show. Holy shit did the big man kill the flying fuck out of Locke. So awesome. Glad Ghost is back too. Nice to get more swords and brutality thrown in. All around I thought it was another great episode. Maergery again is being patient around Cersei, she was slightly less cunty than usual this week.
This is coming from a non-book reader, so not a spoiler, but I don't think Sansa is necessarily completely safe. Lysa Arryn is an absolute crazy person and may present a different type of danger, especially with her paranoia over Cat Stark's hold on Baelish. Until Cersei is convinced of Sansa's innocence in some fashion, there is still danger to her in King's Landing, and I think there is danger for her in the Eyerie, but Mayor Carcetti, I mean Baelish will keep her safe as long as he is around. Related, the scene with Sansa staring horrified at the ceiling as Lysa Arryn got pounded out was hilarious. Great job by the writers keeping Bran and Jon Snow apart like book readers suggested they needed to. HODOR
So it seems that Westeros and the Island have something in common. Both don't treat the necks of people named Locke very well.
With the exception of Dany and Sansa's stuff at the Eyrie. The rest of it was not depicted in the books, it was all extrapolation from side stories etc. And I loved every single minute of it. This show freeing from the restraints of the point of views in the books makes this exciting as hell for a book reader to watch. The scene between Pod and Brienne was great, in the books he catches up with her later, but why not toss this in now? Also, the scene when Jojen is looking at his hand on fire and looking into the future was fucking bad ass. God that looked so fucking good. That's what happens when you get that Annointed One HBO money. The women stole the scene this episode. Lysa Arryn, Cersei, Margaery, Arya and of course Sansa. All great performances.
I pity no character more than Sansa, it simply never improves fir her. I'm wondering if Sophie Turner gets depressed playing Sansa. I'm sure it's a thrill being famous and all, but this is a character who has done nothing but wipe shit off her head since the first season. Beating and threats and attempted rape and shamings and humiliations and Lions and tigers and bears. Playing miserable characters takes its toll. Like Brad Pitt when he did Interview With The Vampire:
I loved the scene where Lysa was going Private Pyle on Sansa. Did anybody else notice how she played on Lysa's insecurities? That was some idiot savant shit right there. Seeing Sansa going from a sheltered girl to a callused woman has been great to watch. Sophie Turner is killing it.
Well the question is if Sansa is going to turn into Cersei 2.0? I don't mean in terms of fucking her brothers, but in terms of having a fire in her belly, and mastering the Game of Thrones. You saw that one little last glance of her before she cut away, she stopped crying PRETTY quick. It looks like she's starting to learn from Petyr. It is an exciting storyline.
I don't think Sansa has the base cruelty that Cersei has. Cersei has been exposed to Tywin's shitty treatment of Tyrion pretty much from the get go. Shitty people generally breed shitty children. Tyrion, ostracized from the start, buried his head into books and got his humanity that way. Tywin, if he didn't outright encourage Cersei and Jaime to be cruel to Tyrion, his silence on it may as well have. Sansa, on the other hand, was raised away from court intrigue and by a family unit that lived by honorable principles. She wasn't exposed to life outside Winterfell until her worldviews were formed. Sansa has absolutely suffered more than Cersei has, but that suffering came at a time when she was better equipped to deal with it. Sansa will either be another Margaery or Catelyn.
I don't think that she'll have the blind entitled ideology of 'It'll all work out as long as I'm good and my course is righteous' that seemed to plague her mother. You might be spot on however with Margaery. Not book spoiling here but I think that with the course she is on and having Baelish as her mentor, being trapped with these fucking shallow genepool nutjobs she'll have no choice but to get good at speaking out of both sides of her neck. Sansa always annoyed me with her fairytale view of the world but now holding onto that a bit while developing a thick crust will serve her well.
This is one of those areas where the age change matters. In the books, Sansa was definitely into the whole 'fairytale' thing, even forgiving some pretty awful stuff in the first book (like Joffrey having the direwolf killed). But you'd expect this with a 12/13 year old. It plays a tad differently at 16. She came across as a bit more clueless (as opposed to young and naive) in the tv series. As to the Baelish storyline, I'm really liking the way it is playing out. In the book, Sansa is definitely getting more savvy by this point, and in the tv series as well. I don't think she has the moral decay to become Sersei, and I'm not sure that Margaery is evil per se, so much as an opportunist - especially in the tv series when she had the conversation with her grandmother about Joffrey's killing. However, Margaery's character has always been a bit tough to pin down as she is not one of the POV characters in the books, so the tv series seems to really be fleshing her out more. I'll be interested to see if she really is just an opportunist, or if she is a bad guy. Overall, pretty good episode. Spoiler I'm a bit bummed that Bran's storyline was changed because the bit in the books with the tower and thunderstorm was pretty cool, as well as the Coldhands bit, but that may still be coming.
Awesome. I loved every seen in that episode. Especially between Martell and Varys, they are both amazing characters, right up until Varys betrayed Tyrion. Dinklage owned the last scene and said exactly what needed to be said since the start if the show. I think I see what's coming next, by the way Martell sat up in his chair: Tywin/ Cersei's champion will be obviously Gregor Clegane, so Martell will champion Tyrion. And that way Tywin gives Martell what he wanted. Whoever it is, duel fights are awesome on this show. I can't help but notice in the opening credits that Winterfell has been on fire for two years. What does it think it is, the Springfield tire fire? Davos may be the most likeable character on the whole show. He's certainly the easiest to root for, in spite of the company he serves.