Game of Thrones (HBO) - Time to jump on board

No. This particular payoff (something specific) was not in the (published) books yet. It's in a chapter for TWOW. Yes, that overall scene is in ASOS. But the Hound killed Polliver. Arya killed the Tickler at the Inn. (Which they couldn't do since they had Jaqen H'ghar do it on the show already).

Could be a case of GMTA, but I think they used it knowing he was doing it in the next book since the particular circumstance likely won't arise on the show.

If you really want to know, and don't mind reading a chapter from TWOW early, I've included a link to the preview chapter. It's nothing earth shattering (what they did on the show). But it IS the first time we've seen them do something on the show before the books did.

(Hint: Polliver didn't kill Lommy in the books)

MASSIVE SPOILERS WARNING (even to readers. The chapter is awesome, BTW. As are all of the preview chapters. Makes me think TWOW might surpass ASOS as the best book in the series... until ADOS at least. )

http://www.georgerrmartin.com/excerpt-from-the-winds-of-winter/

 

[tweet]455524398607634432[/tweet]

 

Ahhh... I was wondering if they would get to "the deed" in this episode, or make us wait for another week. I'm getting married in June, and I certainly don't want a Westerosi style wedding!

 

Oh, I'm not even referring to her killing anyone. (Not exactly anyway) And even the show had her kill the stable boy right when she should have (her first kill). I wish they had left in the "coin trick kill" from Harrenhall in season 2 rather than have JH do all the killing.

Like I said, it's innocuous overall. Only a bit of dialogue. Just struck me as odd that it would show up on the show not even 2 weeks after that preview chapter for book SIX was released.

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Back to the show...

Big applause for Jack Gleeson. I hated this Joffrey even more than the book version (and we had even more reason to hate Joff in the books). That's as big a compliment as I can pay the actor. But hooray for Joff's death. (I wonder if we'll get youtube reaction vids for this one. LOL)

And I've heard from book fans before, so I'm sure some show fans will say the same "I wish his death was more brutal." I disagree. He went out in one of the most horrible ways you can IMO. Talk about real phobia material. Although it would have been good to see his eyes bulge out and his desperately clawing his own neck to shreds trying to get any air he could. I guess they had to pull it back a tad.

Is it me? Or did Tommen age 5 years overnight???

I'm still not happy with their presentation of Stannis. While an acquired taste in the books, he did have some likeable qualities. This guy is a milquetoast. I know the show's producers and writers are huge fans of the books. But when it comes to Stannis, I wonder if they read his chapters at all... Then again, he didn't really become even remotely likeable until after an upcoming event, so maybe I should be patient.

So many great lines at that wedding. I'm waiting for a mashup of Tyrion giving his speech to Joffrey saying he should go fight the dwarves and Joffrey's confused reaction. Reminded me of this scene:

[video=youtube;CmY5y7Xs3WY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmY5y7Xs3WY[/video]

 

Hahahaha

 

Nope. :-D

 

I was surprised that they delivered the entire "Purple Wedding" in one episode like that, but I thought it was well done. I especially liked the dwarf show. It's rare that a show or movie gives a better rendition of a scene from a book, but that did IMO.

I was looking forward to something in Jaime's timeline, but how they changed it made sense.

 

Really miss Strong Belwas after this episode.

 

Agreed. It was still a pretty cool scene, though I have to admit that I like the previous casting of Dario better.

 

New Geico commercial.

"People who switch to Geico sure are happy."

"How happy?"

"Happier than the Hound with chicken."

 

Well, that was different. I swear GRRM is just using HBO to write his own fanfic.

 

Which part?

GRRM doesn't even write the show (save one episode per year, which usually is the best one). He doesn't even have veto rights for when they change whole aspects of the story.

Last week was a HUGE difference that even he didn't appreciate if you read between the lines. Some of the characterizations on the show make me question at times if the writers even read the books. Not tonight. Tonight was fine for me. A little abridged and altered for time (GRRM can sometimes take a long time to make a point. The show doesn't have that luxury), but fine otherwise.

Yeah, the whole thing at Crasters is a huge deviation but I'm waiting to see where that goes before I place judgement.

Or do you mean the ending? Yeah... that's new. I'm worried that since they know the end, they may start spoiling the books little by little. Did that scene? I have zero idea.

But come on. Tonight was exciting! We got to see Ser Pounce!

 

It sounds like you thought I was being critical. I didn't say I didn't like it, it was just...different. I actually liked the differences last night. I thought the take on what The Others do with the babies was pretty cool.

I know he doesn't write more than an episode a season (though, I believe that is going to change, no?), but I've always believed (perhaps incorrectly) that he is more involved creatively than is let on.

 

Well, he did write the source material. And he has laid out the broad outline for the entire saga to D&D. They've even read the manuscript for what of TWOW has been written already. He HAS urged them not to make a change here or there for danger of the "butterfly effect." Sometimes they listen. Often they don't. (Like Jaime's "rape" of Cersei. Read between the lines of GRRM's press release and he wasn't happy about that at all. But he seemed to lay blame not on changing the scene. But being forced into doing it that way due to prior changes.)

In the end, D&D are not beholden to GRRM. And if they wanted to have Ser Pounce transform into a Dire Wolf / Dragon hybrid and swallow King's Landing whole, they could. (Tried to think of an example that would be so ridiculous it couldn't possibly be a spoiler. )

That last scene has been speculated for years about what was happening to Craster's sons. There's even a hint about it in the books IIRC. One of Craster's daughter-wives referring to the Others as a baby boy's "brothers." But it has never been confirmed until now. Not so troubling if it does spoil future books on that point. I'm more troubled that we seem to have glimpsed the Land of Always Winter and the Others Hierarchy. HBO even went so far as to identify the one who transforms the baby (http://i.imgur.com/G1pdcan.png). THAT is HUGE spoilers if true. And what it may imply is a bit mind boggling.

 

Yes, we're aware of his tale even going back (I think) to the first book. But not that he's still active or was in any way an Other himself.

He was supposedly defeated by the Stark in Winterfell and Joramun the King Beyond the Wall.

Note the other 12 figures with him all appear to be wearing the garb of the Night's Watch as well. The Night's King was the 13th Lord Commander. Hmmmm....

(and again, all huge spoilers of the books if the implications are true)

P.S.S.

(of course, HBO has since pulled that reference down. Either they made a mistake and that's wasn't who he was supposed to be, or they were warned about it being way too spoilery)

 

I'm going to have to refresh my memory about the Night's King from the books. That scene was pretty awesome to me, but that is not what I pictured the Others doing with Craster's sons. It will be fun to see how Bran escapes from Craster's Keep. My guess is that Jon, The Goat (can't remember his new name), and co. will arrive after they've escaped.

 

A quick Tower of the Hand synopsis:

The pale lady was always assumed to be an Other / White Walker. Old Nan told that story to Bran once and told him that different versions of the story had the Lord Commander hailing from this house or that. But she said with certainty he was a Stark. Maybe his name was even Brandon...

Locke is the new "Goat." Kind of a combo of Armory Lorch and Vargo Hoat - but his story has gone way off the rails for even them now, so all bets are off.

I do HOPE that Bran and co. are all gone by the time Jon gets there or we have a big problem on our hands. There's no way in hell Jon would let Brandon continue north. For that matter, the Night's Watch should have gathered up the remaining towns far north to them for protection by now (<cough>Moles Town<cough>). Or are the writers going to urinate all over another storyline coming up in a season or so? IDK that said storyline is ultimately important... but it seems to be so far. Ok, ok. We really only need one of the 2 people for it really.

Westeros.org has a few fun threads for what the call "Crackpot theories." Theories so off the wall they surely must not be true, but what if? A few years ago, there was one where the guy theorized that MEN did NOT build the wall. The Others did (to keep men OUT. Or as a marker, your side / my side). I can't remember how the whole theory went, but it was so crazy, it just might work. But surely it wasn't actually true...

I'm starting to wonder if he was onto something.