Game of Thrones

[Diff-chan]

Yea, that kid had a major growth spurt last year. He was ready to try out for the Mole Town basketball team.

[Calliander]

That's what sucks. The Greyjoys / Ironborn are the most badass family in the books in my opinion, and show watchers only really get introduced to Theon/Reek, which really cheapens the whole bunch. I mean, it's The Game of Thrones, and the Greyjoy's are definitely a viable candidate for the Iron Throne, why cut them out so drastically?

The only piece of information the show has given about them was that Stannis defeated them. So in the show world, I guess they figured, "If Mannis put the smack down on them, we should probably just focus on him and not introduce any of those Ironborn." But yeah, Theon is his own "family" if you will - because he was raised by the Starks and his growth is entirely independent of anything his uncles do.

That said, I'm hoping that they keep Balon being offed by a FM, hired by Euron, but they switch it up to make it Arya and that's how they get her back to Westeros in season 6 - she could run into Nymeria and have that jog her memory after all the FM brainwashing. Wrap all that up nicely for the show.

But like, who cares how closely the show hews to the books?

At this point I'm more annoyed regarding anything that's cut or changed by the clear implications for the rest of the books.

I vacillate between these two feelings. The show is its own entity but if we're adapting the work the key plot points should stay but that spoils the books (see Ironborn/fAegon/etc.) but the show is its own entity so it isn't really spoiling the books. I didn't read ADWD until after the end of the fourth season and though it was almost as bad as AFFC it helped me realize what the important things are for the show.

At first, I was bothered by the removal of the Tysha reveal when Tyrion escapes. After ADWD I'm glad we won't have Tyrion asking everyone and their mother where whores go (and thinking about it when not asking anyone). Him parting on good terms with Jaime slims a lot of the unnecessary other grousing he does and allows him to feel remorse whenever Jaime bites it in the show.

I was also bothered by no Stoneheart but Jon's last chapter sealed my feelings there for the show.

What it comes down to for me: Us book readers have those really good Davos chapters - Wyman Manderly, Frey pies, Rickon - and the show watchers will never get them. They won't get Vic & Moqorro, Quentyn, fAegon, Varys supporting fAegon, JonCon, Stoneheart, etc. While it's kind of crappy we won't see that stuff on TV it's information we have that they don't. We have the richer story, and the show is its own thing for the most part.

As far as Bran goes, I'm pretty sure they've stated he won't be in this season at all. Which makes sense, the kid playing him is going to be 32 any day now, and they can just CGI the shit out of him next season when he becomes EntBran.

Yeah, Kristian and Isaac both said in interviews that he won't be back until season 6. I like it - he's just been greenseeing all of season 5 and becoming skilled, and now he can call up flashbacks at will since the show runners changed their minds. If R+L=J matters at all to the Azor Ahai/Prince Who Was Promised or whatever, Bran can dump the Tourney of Harrenhal and Tower of Joy along with whatever other details are needed.

[A Robot Bit Me]

But like, who cares how closely the show hews to the books?

Wise words from a wise man.

You still have the books for the stuff in the books. Why would you want another books? The show won't burn them off of your shelves and e-shelves. I promise!

[Mzo]

As the story gets more and more fantasy I like it less and less.

[bbobb]

I like you less and less

[kingoffighters]

As a whole, I enjoy the TV show way more than the books. The last 2 books were boring and tons of pointless meandering. TV show trims most of the fat and gets to the point. I have no faith that GRRM will ever finish the books, given his age and commitments to everything non-book related.

[Rumpy]

He canceled a few appearances and writing for the show to finish the current book. Sounds like he's feeling the pressure now.

[YellerDog]

[Frogacuda]

As the story gets more and more fantasy I like it less and less.

I always felt this way about Berserk, although I still love Berserk.

[Anthony]

Wise words from a wise man.

You still have the books for the stuff in the books. Why would you want another books? The show won't burn them off of your shelves and e-shelves. I promise!

I mean, you care because its possible the writing won't be as good without being linked to the source. I felt a DEFINITE change between seasons 1-4 and this. Which loosely corresponds to them going off the rails from the books?