Show To Diverge (even further) From Books. No content spoilers in the OP, but who knows...

[Boaz]

A coworker asked me if I'd heard of characters dying in season five who were still alive going into book six. I hadn't but, I just found this on the web.

Here's GRRM's first quote...

“People are going to die who don’t die in the books, so even the book readers will be unhappy. So everybody better be on their toes. David and D.B. (David Benioff and D.B. Weiss co-creators of ‘Game Of Thrones) are even bloodier than I am.”

I wonder will this fundamentally change the story on the show or allow the show to be more streamlined and focused going forward?

Martin continues...

“ Not really certain yet. This is the fifth season, the sixth season HBO picked up last year. We will have a 7th, 8th or 9th, no one knows. They only renew one or two seasons at a time. After we do season 6, maybe we’ll get a renewal for 7th and 8th. That all depends, Television is a very changeable medium.”

“Yeah, it’s the hottest show on TV now, but will it be the hottest show on TV two years from now? Hot shows come and go and television changes, and I’ve lived through that before. I certainly hope that we get to tell the entire story. Because whatever happens with the show I’m going to finish the books, it will be seven books. But each of these books are 1500 pages long and they each have enough material in them for several seasons. I have two more books, the one I’m writing right now, ‘The Winds Of Winter,’ and after that the last book, ‘The Dream of Spring,’ so those will be the two final books. But we’re talking 3000 pages of material. How many seasons that translates too? That’s up to D.B. And David.”

What does this mean for seemingly redundant characters? I mean BFS (that's Barristan Freaking Selmy for those of you who don't read the GRRM forum) and Jorah Mormont both give us Dany's POV. Does that mean Iain Glen (Jorah) may not be in the last two seasons since his character tells the same story as Ian McElhinney (BFS)? Does that mean Jon Snow could actually die because Kit Harrington's career is taking off? Don't even tell me Peter Dinklage (Tyrion) will not finish the series!!!!!!!

I've been saying that I will not watch season seven until I've read book seven, but... I'm going to start thinking about adopting a wait and see attitude.

 

[DisapprovingOwl]

Very interested to see the ways in which this season diverges from the books - I caught up with the books just prior to Season 4, so that was quite a different viewing experience to the first three for me. We've already had some slight divergence by this point, but I hope they really grab the concept by the horns and know where they're going with it so that it eventually builds to a satisfying conclusion.

The first four seasons have been incredibly watchable - when catching up on seasons 1-3, me and my fiancée found ourselves consistently watching the final 3 episodes of each season back-to-back. Let's hope the writers can continue this trend in Season 5 as it starts to carve its own path away from the one established by the source material.

 

[Anushka Mokosh]

A coworker asked me if I'd heard of characters dying in season five who were still alive going into book six. I hadn't but, I just found this on the web.

Here's GRRM's first quote...



I wonder will this fundamentally change the story on the show or allow the show to be more streamlined and focused going forward?

Martin continues...





What does this mean for seemingly redundant characters? I mean BFS (that's Barristan Freaking Selmy for those of you who don't read the GRRM forum) and Jorah Mormont both give us Dany's POV. Does that mean Iain Glen (Jorah) may not be in the last two seasons since his character tells the same story as Ian McElhinney (BFS)? Does that mean Jon Snow could actually die because Kit Harrington's career is taking off? Don't even tell me Peter Dinklage (Tyrion) will not finish the series!!!!!!!

I've been saying that I will not watch season seven until I've read book seven, but... I'm going to start thinking about adopting a wait and see attitude.

This is a terrible spoiler, and I'm so sorry Boaz, but in season 5, episode 4, according to spoilers I've come across,

Spoiler: I am so sorry for posting this

Barristan Freaking Selmy
dies. And I watched the clip. It is the end of the episode, but it really seems so.

 

[Culhwch]

Srylanna, just to let you know, I've moved your spoiler tags to further conceal your spoiler - the way you had it didn't leave very much mystery as to what your spoiler was, to be honest.

 

[Anushka Mokosh]

Srylanna, just to let you know, I've moved your spoiler tags to further conceal your spoiler - the way you had it didn't leave very much mystery as to what your spoiler was, to be honest.

Okay. Sorry. xD Though, could imply any divergence from books in my defence. XD

 

[Culhwch]

Well, only a terrible one with that intro, Srylanna! I immediately knew what was going to be in that spoiler tag before I clicked on it. You're right, it could have been something else, but with that lead in it wasn't likely. I think it's good practice to use spoiler tags very liberally, especially if in doubt. If you do want to name the character it is about, then be as neutral as possible. For instance, 'I've heard this spoiler about Character X: [ spoiler ].' If someone wants to click on it then it's their choice.

 

[Anushka Mokosh]

Well, only a terrible one with that intro, Srylanna! I immediately knew what was going to be in that spoiler tag before I clicked on it. You're right, it could have been something else, but with that lead in it wasn't likely. I think it's good practice to use spoiler tags very liberally, especially if in doubt. If you do want to name the character it is about, then be as neutral as possible. For instance, 'I've heard this spoiler about Character X: [ spoiler ].' If someone wants to click on it then it's their choice.

ahahah I know. XD Sorry. Won't happen again. I have a penchant for drama. XD

 

[Koopa]

I read some of the spoilers, and i must say HBO is doing some very creative writing so as to make certain stuff happen, whilst leaving some other stuff out. I fear it's not for the best for the characters involved. Making them act different then uyou would expect from them. I wonder if this is AFFC/ADWD books fault for being so slowpaced or just bad editing on HBO. I fear the show is def. gonna suffer from it.

 

[Culhwch]

I read some of the spoilers, and i must say HBO is doing some very creative writing so as to make certain stuff happen, whilst leaving some other stuff out. I fear it's not for the best for the characters involved. Making them act different then uyou would expect from them. I wonder if this is AFFC/ADWD books fault for being so slowpaced or just bad editing on HBO. I fear the show is def. gonna suffer from it.

I'm actually of the opposite opinion - I think the show can only improve on a lot of the stuff that's in aFFc and aDwD especially. And by leaving things out (Quentyn, Stoneheart, Tyrion's various travelling companions) I think they are actually doing some addition by subtraction. I have stayed clear of spoilers, though, so I can only speak episode-to-episode so far this season, but I much prefer the show when it goes off-book. I don't mind if the characters act differently - I just think of them as a new interpretation of an old character, and don't hold them to the written word.

 

[Koopa]

Thing is ,even in the show they have by now established the behavior of certain characters. Some of them are acting differently then their natural behavior in previous seasons, because of the changes made, whilst trying to cling on the character's pattern from the previous seasons. Not sure if you understand what i mean, cause i'm not explaining it well.

 

[Boaz]

I get you, Kiwi.

Sry, that character was never going to live through the ending.

Cul, nice new avatar.

 

[Anushka Mokosh]

I get you, Kiwi.

Sry, that character was never going to live through the ending.

Cul, nice new avatar.

Spoiler

But it was too terrible. Fodders killed him. It is like crème de la crème of the Jedi is felled by some random Stormtroopers. I laughed and wept at the same time.

 

[Culhwch]

Thing is ,even in the show they have by now established the behavior of certain characters. Some of them are acting differently then their natural behavior in previous seasons, because of the changes made, whilst trying to cling on the character's pattern from the previous seasons. Not sure if you understand what i mean, cause i'm not explaining it well.

No, I understand, and that's a fair criticism. I can't think of any examples off the top of my head, but I feel like I may have noticed that myself to some degree.

 

[Anushka Mokosh]

No, I understand, and that's a fair criticism. I can't think of any examples off the top of my head, but I feel like I may have noticed that myself to some degree.

Example for what @Koopa said: Tyrion.

 

[Culhwch]

In what way? Tyrion certainly does some stupid things, but I can't think of any instances where he has necessarily acted against the character that has been established.

 

[Anushka Mokosh]

In what way? Tyrion certainly does some stupid things, but I can't think of any instances where he has necessarily acted against the character that has been established.

Spoiler

When he refused that prostitute. Tyrion was pretty much established as "gotta f*ck them all" and he was established as someone who deals with emotional turmoil by seeking pleasures of the flesh. Yet, he doesn't do it.

Another issue is, Tyrion didn't burn the bridge with Jaime and now he'll be working to bring Dany back and Dany will pretty much be looking to kill Jaime. Tyrion doesn't really know the background regarding the death of the Mad King that would excuse Jaime and his bond with Jaime was nothing but reinforced at the end of Season 4 (remember, there is no Tysha reveal). Is Tyrion really a person who'd have Jaime, only person to never betray him and to stand by him and save his life ultimately, as a collateral in his revenge against Cersei?

 

[Narkalui]

HAH! Gotta **** 'em all, funny!

 

[Judderman]

I wonder will this fundamentally change the story on the show or allow the show to be more streamlined and focused going forward?

So far I think it is working great at streamlining the story. A too large cast of characters and viewers could get totally lost watching the series. Some of the character merging has been done very well.

 

[Koopa]

Some character merging i was kind of surprised by was the extent they merged Jeyne Poole's Winterfell story arc with Sansa her story arc.

Call me naive, but i wasn't expecting the wedding and the subsequent bedding to actually take place. Perhaps i didn't expect that, cause in the books Sansa remains a maid. I guess they did decide to go light on it, since Theon 'only' had to watch what happened to Sansa. This HBO adaptation makes you feel bad for Sansa, far more so then for the Sansa in the books.

 

[Brian G Turner]

I'm just glad I stopped watching the TV show - it's focus on torture and sexual violence got too much for me already in the previous season. And yet they were already in the books, just in the background, and I feel somewhat ashamed that never came to my attention so much.