A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones (Spoilers) (Merged)

[terranova]

I read the books a couple of years ago, but can't remember the time line of events.

When does...

Tyrion kill Tywin? It must be soon. I can't wait to see that on screen!

[SpeakNow]

I read the books a couple of years ago, but can't remember the time line of events.

When does...

Tyrion kill Tywin? It must be soon. I can't wait to see that on screen!

It happens...

after the trial when Tyrion escapes from imprisonment

[donks]

Ok it's driving me CRAZY. I sit through the 1 hour episode each week, and I've never had 1 hour seem more like 10 minutes!

Gonna go buy the first book tonight!

[Vivi_music]

Ok it's driving me CRAZY. I sit through the 1 hour episode each week, and I've never had 1 hour seem more like 10 minutes!

Gonna go buy the first book tonight!

Do it! :dance: :dance: The books are even more addictive than the series.

[LilMissMetaphor]

SO stoked for tonight! Anyone else watching? :redwine: :margarita:

[karen77]

I watched of course!!! Super excited for the season!

It'll be interesting to see how they play it out on screen, since it was a bit different from the books already.

[CallmeChaCha]

I binge-watched all four seasons in December and have been eagerly awaiting the season premiere ever since then! I think I might have to watch last night's episode again because, like other posters, it didn't feel like it was an hour long and I feel like I missed something lol.

[Vivi_music]

Alright! So, after having dropped the show during season 2, I decided start watching again. I saw episode 1 and 2. Overall, it was good. Certainly better than what I remembered. Some things seemed a bit strange to me and I really don't know where they are going with it.

For example: Brienne meeting Sansa and LF on the road, having no Lady Stoneheart, and killing Mance Rayder! I don't understand those scenes (or lack of, in the case of Ladystoneheart)

I think most book readers might be wondering how the creators of the show will make it work. Or maybe they will just change from the books completely. Which wouldn't really bother me either. In the end, I think you need to see the series as a being inspired by ASOIAF and not a direct ''adaptation'' of the books. It's a completely different body of work and it's cool too.

Otherwise, I was okay with most of the other changes. Still, I'm not certain I will watch the rest of the series. I heard that Benioff and Weiss might advance a few of the characters storylines further than the book series does (Martin actually told them spoilers!). So I think I prefer to stop now. :)

[CommanderShepard]

Book reader and show watcher here.

They've definitely heavily deviated from the books this season and for the most part I'm alright with it. The changes they've made are going in interesting directions (especially what's going on in Winterfell!) and it's kind of nice to not know exactly everything that is going to happen. IMO any book reader who gets super bent out of shape about the show changing the stories needs to realize that the world that GRRM created is really far too big to translate well for TV. Yes there are so many awesome side characters and storylines that I do miss (WHERE ARE THE IRON BORN?) but trying to go into every detail would leave us at season 5 but probably barely in book 2. I just think of it that Book Westeros and Show Westeros are just two separate universes that are both good in their own ways. I'm really excited to see where this is going.

Oh yeah, and I'm also incredibly psyched to see that R+L=J seems to be closer to confirmed on the show. The greatest fan theory (other than Cleganebowl...GET HYPE) and it's heavily being alluded to. I mean why else go into the story of the Harrenhall Tourney? Yes, make this happen.

[Maggie Mae]

It's SO different from the books. Which is both good and bad.

I don't like Jorah taking over Jon Con's storyline, or what they did with the sandsnakes. I'm also anxious to see Oldtown, but we might NOT see it at all, right?

And I'm also worried about spoilers. I mean, yeah, I don't even think of L+R=J being a "fan theory" anymore. It's just SO obvious to me from reading the books. Other people picked up on Frey Pies right away, but for me it was L+R. I mean, why else would the Kingsguard be at the Tower of Joy? Why would Ned be thinking about what he was thinking about while hallucinating before his "trial"? Why the House of the Undying imagery?

I also just assumed that the gravedigger was the hound, then when I looked online, I realized that some people need stuff literally spelled out for them. So there's that. I personally am not sure that some of these things really matter to the overall story, they just add to the tragedy that is Westeros. Or Planetoes I guess.

I really want the next Dunk & Egg book. And the Winds of Winter. And then more Dunk & Egg. What the hell happened at Summerhall?

Is Euron Benjin is Daario?

Ugh, back to the show. I'm ok with a lot of the edits to the source material. I don't like the assassination of Jamie's character. Not sure what Brienne of Tarth is doing. But I like the changes to Meereen because THAT is a slog to read. Oh lord, I could not care any less about Stong Belwas or Daario or Hizidar or Reznek or perfumed guy.

[DaffyDill]

My sons just bought me the boxed set of the first seven books for Mother's Day, but I'm not sure whether to start reading them now, or wait until Season 5 is over...I know that the books are different in places to the TV show, but given it is such a saga, that's no surprise as they would have had to have made twenty plus episodes a season and run for years to include everything, I imagine.

I'm already aware of the R+L=J thing, and the ummmm....stone-hearted lady...damn spoilers.

[Maggie Mae]

Start reading now. The first season matches the first book pretty well.

[karen77]

I think I need to read the dunk and egg books, I REALLY want WoW to come out though!!!

But I am missing a little so far this season...the ironborn for example, and I really wanted JonCon and Aegon to be there, not sure what that is about.

[karen77]

holy effing shit... I did not see the last seen in the last episode (unbroken, etc) coming. damn.

[Vivi_music]

I agree with Maggie Mae, at this point the series is just so different from the books, that it's another thing all together. Someone on /r/ASOIAF said it was a bit like a variation around the same theme. It happens in the same universe, with some of the same characters but it isn't the same story. In a way, I'm okay with that. I think my only disappointment comes from the fact that season 1 and AGOT book were so similar. Maybe I expected the other seasons to be as true to the books as the first one was.

Overall, I'm okay with not watching the show anymore. It's still good TV compared to other stuff on the air, so I won't go all ''book snob''. I think the story told in the show can be appreciated by a lot of people, but I find I'm less and less engaged by it. And not because they deviate from the original material, but because I find the writing not as good as it used to be and the rhythm of the show to be less thrilling.

[Maggie Mae]

I think I need to read the dunk and egg books, I REALLY want WoW to come out though!!!

But I am missing a little so far this season...the ironborn for example, and I really wanted JonCon and Aegon to be there, not sure what that is about.

I think there is an anthology of all the existing Dunk & Egg novellas or it is in the works. I highly recommend them.

It seems to me that the Ironborn have been dropped, and that's really annoying. Even from a show-only perspective, it doesn't make a lot of sense to introduce them only to forget about it. Plus I think Euron & Victarion would have been a cool addition, even if their plot line doesn't affect anything overall. Although I suppose boats are expensive for a TV Show. JonCon and (F)Aegon are clearly merged into Jorah. But that ALSO means that they probably don't matter in the overall plot either.

I'm annoyed at the portrayal of the Sand Snakes. And the way the Jaime's character arc has been changed. And the way that Loras is a one-dimensional gay stereotype. There could be so much MORE for this show. Cool flashbacks to the ToJ, cool scenes on boats, Dumb Victarion as comic relief because he is dumber than dumb and wears full plate armor on his boat. There could be super cool costuming if they had stuck to the original way people in Essos dress (crazy hair and dress).

I'm not a book snob, I swear. I actually look forward to where the show is going, even if it sucks. At least it's surprising?

[DaffyDill]

....../snipped....

Overall, I'm okay with not watching the show anymore. It's still good TV compared to other stuff on the air, so I won't go all ''book snob''. I think the story told in the show can be appreciated by a lot of people, but I find I'm less and less engaged by it. And not because they deviate from the original material, but because I find the writing not as good as it used to be and the rhythm of the show to be less thrilling.

I haven't read the books yet as I only just got them, but as someone who has only watched the TV series, I'm finding this season less engaging than all the others. It used to be fairly edge of the seat viewing, with the possibility of anyone dying, a lot of intrigue and really well written. Tense at times, especially when the tension was coming from what the characters weren't saying, and the quality of the writing, rather than action scenes.

I confess I am feeling a little "blah" about this season. It just hasn't drawn me in to the same extent, and that's disappointing. Parts of the story are OK, but others leave me cold. Daenerys is one I am getting tired of, with her endless difficulties with the slaves/slave owners, although that may finally be going somewhere, Arya was endlessly wandering about, Sansa is endlessly put upon, and the Sand Snakes just seem a little silly so far.

The show has just lost something.

[Maggie Mae]

I agree the show has lost something. I think some of it is the source material, and the other is that it's just..dumb. They really destroyed the Sand Snake plotline. The Sand Snakes are supposed to be so deadly and distinct from one another. They are half sisters after all. And Arya's plot could have taken a hiatus, like Brann's for the season while they introduced something interesting.

[CallmeChaCha]

I thought it was just me that was getting a little bored with the show and I thought it was because I binge-watched four seasons in 2 weeks. It does seem a little less entertaining. I hope it gets better and doesn't drag out like True Blood.

[Geechee Girl]

Yay, I've found my people. It's nice to know I'm not alone in my feelings for the show. I checked out midway through season 4, only to return this season hoping things had improved. I haven't read the books, but I feel the story is dragging. It's starting to feel like a soap when a handful of characters start eating the show. Do the books have fully developed kingdoms and characters outside of the Starks & Lannisters? What happened to Gendry, the Freys, Yara, Blackfish, the men without banners, the Wights, and the direwolves?

[Maggie Mae]

Yay, I've found my people. It's nice to know I'm not alone in my feelings for the show. I checked out midway through season 4, only to return this season hoping things had improved. I haven't read the books, but I feel the story is dragging. It's starting to feel like a soap when a handful of characters start eating the show. Do the books have fully developed kingdoms and characters outside of the Starks & Lannisters? What happened to Gendry, the Freys, Yara, Blackfish, the men without banners, the Wights, and the direwolves?

Yes, the books have lots of characters that are developed beyond the Starks and Lannisters. I really like the world that is developed in ASOIF. Well, I wouldn't want to live there. But I think the author did a pretty good job of building this world. I mean, I can tell you way too much about Westeros and Essos. At no time did I feel like I was reading a history book. There are character that are absolutely tragic that never get a POV, but the reader still knows what happens to them and a little bit of their past. It's great. The show is the show. It's limited by budget and time. They also have to get ratings and the things I would like to see probably aren't the crowd pleaser scenes.

[Geechee Girl]

Thanks, Maggie Mae. Your views on the book are much appreciated. I'll give them a go for my summer reading.

[DaffyDill]

Yay, I've found my people. It's nice to know I'm not alone in my feelings for the show. I checked out midway through season 4, only to return this season hoping things had improved. I haven't read the books, but I feel the story is dragging. It's starting to feel like a soap when a handful of characters start eating the show. Do the books have fully developed kingdoms and characters outside of the Starks & Lannisters? What happened to Gendry, the Freys, Yara, Blackfish, the men without banners, the Wights, and the direwolves?

Poor Gendry, last time we saw him he was rowing away to....somewhere. And as far as we know, he's still rowing...

Nice to see Cersei get her just desserts last episode. May she never get out of that dungeon.

[CallmeChaCha]

DaffyDill: OMG YASSSSSS to your spoiler. Is it bad that I cheered when it happened? [emoji38]

[DaffyDill]

DaffyDill: OMG YASSSSSS to your spoiler. Is it bad that I cheered when it happened? [emoji38]

Hells no ChaCha!!! I did too! And my hubby who is not as excitable as me smirked and nodded. :lol: He's an altogether more restrained character than me.

I am glad this series is going somewhere now, it was getting a little ho-hum for me this year, but stuff is certainly happening now!