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Book vs. Show Characters: Better, Worse, Mixed, or just Different?


Rill Redthorn

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Here's a question for folks who enjoy both the books and the show. How do you feel about the changes the show has made in specific characters? I find that my opinions on the show's treatment of the story's characters don't divide at all neatly into either "they did a great job" or "they butchered them" -- it varies a lot from character to character.



So I was thinking: Can you name at least one character who falls into each of the following categories, in your opinion? I'll start.





1) Better in the show than in the books (where "better" doesn't mean "nicer", but rather "More developed" or "More interesting" or "Even more like themselves than I imagined")



My choice: Margaery Tyrell. I love how she is in the show. In the books she's mostly a non-character.




2) Worse in the show than in the books (where "worse" is "flatter", "less interesting", and so on, not "meaner")



My choice: Littlefinger. In the books I still don't think I know what he's ultimately up to or what his end goals are besides "power". In the show he comes off entirely as evil and lacking only a mustache to twirl.




3) Basically unchanged between the show and the books



My choice: Ned Stark. Aside from being a bit older due to the actor's age, that was Ned, spot-on.




4) A mix of good and bad changes, hard to separate out



My choice: Tyrion. I really like a lot of how show-Tyrion is written and I love Dinklage's portrayal, but the way he's been prettied up and whitewashed still tends to irritate me.




5) Completely different in the show and in the books



My choice: Shae. Aside from the name and the fact that she's sexing up Tyrion, she's just not the same character at all.



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You can reuse characters other people have chosen and you don't have to pick a character for all five categories (the last one only suits a couple of characters, after all). If there's a strong consensus that develops I'll put together a summary post every now and then of which characters fit in which category.




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Book vs show? Book wins hands down. If it didn't have the nudity and the built in fan base the tv series would not last a season. Some characters deleted others combined . I would have preferred a prequel about the War of the Usurper.

So you think that for every character in the book, the show made them less interesting?

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Here's a question for folks who enjoy both the books and the show. How do you feel about the changes the show has made in specific characters? I find that my opinions on the show's treatment of the story's characters don't divide at all neatly into either "they did a great job" or "they butchered them" -- it varies a lot from character to character.

So I was thinking: Can you name at least one character who falls into each of the following categories, in your opinion? I'll start.

1) Better in the show than in the books (where "better" doesn't mean "nicer", but rather "More developed" or "More interesting" or "Even more like themselves than I imagined")

My choice: Margaery Tyrell. I love how she is in the show. In the books she's mostly a non-character.

2) Worse in the show than in the books (where "worse" is "flatter", "less interesting", and so on, not "meaner")

My choice: Littlefinger. In the books I still don't think I know what he's ultimately up to or what his end goals are besides "power". In the show he comes off entirely as evil and lacking only a mustache to twirl.

3) Basically unchanged between the show and the books

My choice: Ned Stark. Aside from being a bit older due to the actor's age, that was Ned, spot-on.

4) A mix of good and bad changes, hard to separate out

My choice: Tyrion. I really like a lot of how show-Tyrion is written and I love Dinklage's portrayal, but the way he's been prettied up and whitewashed still tends to irritate me.

5) Completely different in the show and in the books

My choice: Shae. Aside from the name and the fact that she's sexing up Tyrion, she's just not the same character at all.

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You can reuse characters other people have chosen and you don't have to pick a character for all five categories (the last one only suits a couple of characters, after all). If there's a strong consensus that develops I'll put together a summary post every now and then of which characters fit in which category.

Agree with all your choices. Though I'd call it a tie between Margaery and Sansa. Sansa as portrayed is more sympathy-inspiring than in the books, to me. Margaery is vivacious and fiery, but lacks all that in the books.

Ned and I think Theon too- very close to how they were in my head from the books.

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Better in the show



-Tywin


-Margaery


-Jorah


-Khal Drogo


-Robert Baratheon


-Osha



Worse in the show



-LF


-Stannis (though I like Stephen Dillane, it's just how they write his character)


-Dany


-Edmure


-Blackfish


-Renly


-Robb



About the same



-Balon

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Better in show :



Marge (Natalie Dormer is too fine, sorry Cersei there's your younger queen)


Vargo Hoat aka Locke (No slobbering, not as fun of a character, but he's a fuck ton more sinister)


Alister Thorne


Jorah Mormont



Worse in show :



Jon Snow (Bungled his story and Kit is a mediocre actor at best in this series)


Tyrion (Like Dink, but they seemed to be writing him as if he were Baelor the Blessed with a drinking and whoring problem...oh wait he lost those things inexplicably in season 2+)


Petyr Baelish (I really like the actor and in season one he was perfect, but they've turned him into Skeletor for some reason "Nyahahah I will destroy you He-Man!")



Perfect fit :



Varys


Roose Bolton


Eddard Stark


Tywin (perfect)


Joffrey


Khal Drogo


Viserys

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Worse in the show:


Jon and Robb. The actors are just too old for the way they act, specially around Talisa and Ygritte. Sansa suffers from the aging as well, but at least they've changed the character with that in mind.


Catelyn: not necessarily the script or the acting. IMO, it's the physique du role that's wrong: Catelyn is supposed to be a beautiful woman graciously approaching her 40s (50s if we go by the show). Michelle Fairley is a great actress, but Catelyn should be hotter.


Mance Rayder: they've turned a very interesting bard-king-deserter into a generic warlord. The wildlings in general tend to suffer from this as well.


Stannis: from atheist to burning infidels. 'nuff said.



Better:


Locke, Margery, Tywin (specially during season 1 and 2)

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Worse in the show:

Jon and Robb. The actors are just too old for the way they act, specially around Talisa and Ygritte. Sansa suffers from the aging as well, but at least they've changed the character with that in mind.

Catelyn: not necessarily the script or the acting. IMO, it's the physique du role that's wrong: Catelyn is supposed to be a beautiful woman graciously approaching her 40s (50s if we go by the show). Michelle Fairley is a great actress, but Catelyn should be hotter.

Mance Rayder: they've turned a very interesting bard-king-deserter into a generic warlord. The wildlings in general tend to suffer from this as well.

Stannis: from atheist to burning infidels. 'nuff said.

Better:

Locke, Margery, Tywin (specially during season 1 and 2)

Wow, how did I forgot those two aberrations? Well, with Mance having two scenes in the entire series I guess I could forget him and I think subconsciously I'm trying to erase show Stannis from my brain.

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Better in Show

Margaery ( best change) , Renly ( Loved his sassy lines), Tywin, Joffrey, Cersei ( They made her a bit sympathetic, which works cause otherwise she is just a bitch) , Melisandre.

Worst on show

LF and Jon ( because they are really mediocre actors) , Stannis, Shae, Bronn.

All others are the same. And I don't thin lk they whitewashed Dany, because up until this point Dany is like what she is in the books, pretty white ;)

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I kind of wish king Robert was bigger in the show. His fatness was on point but the dude should have been like a fat mountian. He looked kind of like a cartoon king. How tall was the actor 5.9? It was just hard for me to picture him in his prime as this warrior leader that inspired numerous houses to follow him.


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Better: Margaery, Tywin, Sam, Roose, Jorah, Theon (not Reek, though), Alliser Thorne, Shireen



Worse: Littlefinger, Stannis, Tyrion, Mance, Asha, Renly, Loras, Podrick, Tormund



Equal: Ned, Varys, Balon, Lancel, Jaime



Mixed: Cersei, Sandor


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Ya but he's the main villain doncha know!

I love (hate) how show!Stannis' suckiness is now starting to ooze into Davos and Mel, turning them into broken records who say literally the same thing every time they're on screen, not too mention that Selyse is batshit crazy in a not-so-funny way.

Only Shireen is invulnerable to that oozing lameness, maybe because she's locked in a cell for whatever reason

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I love (hate) how show!Stannis' suckiness is now starting to ooze into Davos and Mel, turning them into broken records who say literally the same thing every time they're on screen, not too mention that Selyse is batshit crazy in a not-so-funny way.

Only Shireen is invulnerable to that oozing lameness, maybe because she's locked in a cell for whatever reason

Ya it's weird, the three actors are great and fit the mold ridiculously well. Every now and then Dillane gives a look and delivery that you think "Holy fuck that's Stannis," but then it fades quickly to him strangling puppies or something.

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Ya it's weird, the three actors are great and fit the mold ridiculously well. Every now and then Dillane gives a look and delivery that you think "Holy fuck that's Stannis," but then it fades quickly to him strangling puppies or something.

The puppies were infildels, most likely

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