Game of Thrones (Book Spoilers, Srsly, Monkey)

Who's been announced:

Alexander Siddig as Doran Martell
Toby Sebastian as Trystane Martell
Nell Tiger Free as Myrcella Baratheon
DeObia Oparei as Areo Hotah
Enzo Cilenti as Yezzan
Jessica Henwick as Nymeria
Rosabell Laurenti Sellers as Tyene Sand
Keisha Castle-Hughes as Obara Sand
Jonathan Pryce as the High Sparrow

Yay Dr. Bashir! Love that guy.

So I was just reading this Season 5 story at Salon and practically did cartwheels when I read

Spoiler:

Such excellent news. I will not miss all the meandering.

So apparently the first four episodes were leaked online, and the torrents are everywhere.

The entire Internet is going to be Spoiler Central for the next few weeks....unless I just watch the episodes, already. So conflicted.

As someone who skipped last season, can someone tell me, did they already do the whole thing where Stark offered Jon the chance to be

Spoiler:

Because from last week's episode, it didn't seem like it.

ETA: Okay, nevermind, it happened in tonight's episode.

A Man has returned! I'm so happy to see his pretty face again.

After the episode last night, I turned to my husband (who's only read the first ASOIAF book) and said, "You know everything you're enjoying about this season so far? Not in the books." Seriously--and I reserve the right to rail on them for terrible changes later--D&D are making so many improvements on the books right now. The aforementioned Man & Arya, Tyrion & Varys, Jaime & Bronn, Shireen & Gilly/Sam, Brienne actually finding the Stark girls (though, sigh, I wish Sansa had taken her into service). Surprise, surprise--viewers like seeing established characters interact with each other! Rather than scattering them all to the winds and introducing a thousand new characters!

Heh agreed, though, I still side eye a lot of the things they change/keep v. drop. Like Lolly's, they keep it only to change AND ditch it.

I would seriously be glad if the show was 65% Arya's storyline, and then everybody else divided up the rest of the time.

The Lollys thing was weird, although I guess they did have to show that Bronn had been "paid" in some way for betraying Tyrion, and that Jaime had to make him a better offer.

I'm on the fence about Arya's story. On the pro side, the remaining Stark siblings are the characters I care the most about, by far, and possibly Arya most of all. Plus, The Man. Also Braavos, which I found a really fascinating setting in the books and they've done a great job with the sets there so far.

On the con side, I don't love that storyline in the books. It's taken Arya so far away from the action, and removed her identity, which I resent as someone who loves Arya Stark. But I suppose I mostly dislike it because I don't really know where it's going. If it ends with Arya reclaiming her identity or forging a new one that integrates all that she's learned and been through, then okay. If it ends with Arya continuing to travel the earth as a Faceless Woman forever, then booooooo. Anyway, so far, it only really worked for me when she finally intersects with Sam, and I do hope that will happen more expediently on the show (though, possibly not this season).

So far, Dany's story is bugging me the most, but that was to be expected. At least we're not wasting time on the pretenders to the Targaryen crown shit (it appears), but Dany fumbling her way through ruling Meereen was frustrating as hell in the books and is no less so on-screen. Get Tyrion and Varys over there, stat.

t's taken Arya so far away from the action, and removed her identity, which I resent as someone who loves Arya Stark.

I can understand the part about being isolated, that ticks me off, but I don't think there is any chance she's going to just be a Faceless (Wo)Man. There are way to many references in her inner monologues about her enduring attachments to Jon and Catelyn's death (and her list) and her lost wolf, and the Starks, and most of all the lip chewing. If she stops chewing her lip I guess I'll be worried but WoW spoiler

Spoiler:

I feel like her warging alone would kind of make it hard to entirely embrace the Faceless Man way.

I think she'll run into someone: (GENDRY! Okay fine maybe someone else) and then she'll reconnect to her past/humanity.

She kept Needle too!

Varys and Tyrion isn't a huge departure since in the books the Spider is AWOL until he kills Kevan.

Nice little Fuck You to Thorne having Aemon cast the deciding vote for Jon Snow.

The Dude wrote:She kept Needle too!

Varys and Tyrion isn't a huge departure since in the books the Spider is AWOL until he kills Kevan.

Okay, thank you both for talking me down off the ledge about Arya. I will remain optimistic until GRRM says something that pisses me off.

And yeah, that's why the Varys change on the show is such a no-brainer for D&D. The last two books are overstuffed, which means there are are all of these opportunities to consolidate story and activate characters who were dormant or AWOL, and the show is taking those. I love it.

About Arya Martin has said:

Spoiler:

I made a very undignified high-pitched "EEEEE!!!!!" of excitement when

Spoiler:

showed up.

Really appreciating that the show is ditching the screwing-around of book 5 and just GETTING ON WITH IT ALL THE COOL STUFF (plus, adding more, apparently).

Carrie Ann wrote:A Man has returned! I'm so happy to see his pretty face again.

Me too. By far the hottest guy to have appeared on the show, imo.

After the episode last night, I turned to my husband (who's only read the first ASOIAF book) and said, "You know everything you're enjoying about this season so far? Not in the books." Seriously--and I reserve the right to rail on them for terrible changes later--D&D are making so many improvements on the books right now. The aforementioned Man & Arya, Tyrion & Varys, Jaime & Bronn, Shireen & Gilly/Sam, Brienne actually finding the Stark girls (though, sigh, I wish Sansa had taken her into service). Surprise, surprise--viewers like seeing established characters interact with each other! Rather than scattering them all to the winds and introducing a thousand new characters!

I kinda do wonder if Martin will even bother to finish the books if the show wraps up the story? The good thing is if he doesn't I'm sure there are plenty of ambitious fanfic writers who will take up the slack.

I'm all for the showrunners finishing it up (Although I admit, I just really want Lyanna to be confirmed as Jon's mom (don't really care who the dad is but I don't see who else it could be if it isn't Rhaegar) and some Stark siblings reunited, otherwise I don't care what they do), but like blixie said, I do question soem of the stuff they have added/dropped, so it does make me a wee bit nervous. But oh well, it's not like where Martin has led the series post-A Storm of Swords has been that great either.

(Although I think a lot of things that were problematic in the last two books were already there to see in a Storm of Swords.)

The Dude wrote:
Nice little Fuck You to Thorne having Aemon cast the deciding vote for Jon Snow.

I loved that. That doesn't happen in the books, right?

Jaime & Bronn

Right? Jaime originally was supposed to do his thang with Illyn Payne, who doesn't talk (not having a tongue and all). I'd much rather that Jaime & Bronn go be sarcastic at each other all over Westeros. That sounds like a lot more fun.

Wilko Johnson is also dealing with cancer, so he's probably not up to acting.

I'm not sure how I feel about Sansa and Ramsey being engaged. It's not out of the wheelhouse of streamlining the books, but does anyone really think that's a good match? She's got every reason to kill both Boltons and a conniving traitorous weasel as a benefactor and Baelish is handing her over to a couple sadists. Her betrothed's desire for violence takes precididence over any good sense.

In fairness to Baelish, I don't think Ramsey's proclivities are known to anyone outside a fairly small number of people. The showrunner explain their choices herre. I'm both horrified and delighted at this change in the storyline. Sansa, now, is not the weak character that Jeyne Poole was (or that she was when bethrothed to Joffrey) so I expect her to fully participate in her own rescue. SInce we're off book now, I would be delighted to see her kill Ramsay herself.

I will be okay with this as long as Sansa is not raped. I don't want to see that happen to her, and it would be really hard for me to get past and continue to enjoy the show. About ten times harder than getting past Jaime raping Cersei, and part of the reason I got past that is the fact that apparently that was unintended.

I still don't really buy that Sansa can be out in the open and married to someone new. What was the point of dying her hair and calling her Alayne? Whether the Lannister family's power is in flux or no, Tommen Lannister is still the king, and Sansa is suspected of regicide along with her actual husband. It doesn't matter if Margaery likes her--Tommen's people would still want to capture her and probably kill her, and the Boltons and Baelish would be openly defying the Lannisters to marry Ramsay to her, which seems like courting war. It would have made more sense for Sansa to pretend to be Arya, at the very least, right?

I think the point is to unite the North while the Lannisters are at their weakest objectively speaking: Tywin and Joffrey dead, Tommen young and safely married to Margery who is more or less in debt to Baelish. I think the show is playing it like Tywin was the "rock" upon which the Lannisters secured all their power and influence, and now that he's gone Petyr thinks he can handle anything Cersei is about to bring. Obviously Roose is more circumspect (which is why I love him). I think he dyed her hair and changed her name while he still thought Tywin was in control, but once he died he could try for a bolder gambit.

I don't think Ramsey's proclivities are known to anyone outside a fairly small number of people.

That's quite the opposite of my impression while reading, I thought he was fairly infamously horrible, certainly within the North, if not Westeros proper, but yeah in the TV show that's less clear. Also, I think Roose is enjoyably more withering and controlling of Ramsay than he is in books, so I have a bit more faith that Sansa will get away before the marriage happens, thus before Ramsay can rape her. From Joffrey to Ramsay, frying pan fire.

Yay, I was SO worried they'd change my whole argument about Arya and have her chuck Needle, but nope, that's our lip biting little Stark heroine.

I thought he was fairly infamously horrible, certainly within the North, if not Westeros proper, but yeah in the TV show that's less clear.

Yeah, I was speaking in terms of the show rather than the books.
I'm a little worried about Margery getting over-confident, but her scenes withboth Tommen and Cersei were gold.

Putting up a couple of skinned corpses like a Chinatown butcher shop rabbit is hardly being discrete. This would be the first time Littlefinger went blind into a situation.

Changes in marjories plotline could be possible, her not being a virgin is no longer an issue and Natalie Dormer already having played Anne Boleyn it will seem like more of the same.

Man she was just cranking the knife on Cersie this week!

My favorite line was from Margery: "I'm so sorry that we have no wine to offer you. It's a bit early in the day for us." Me-ow!

Carrie Ann wrote:I will be okay with this as long as Sansa is not raped. I don't want to see that happen to her, and it would be really hard for me to get past and continue to enjoy the show.

Yeah. No thanks to that.