[Book Spoilers] Two possible endings?

[Runs With Direwolves]

I was reading through old posts of R+L=J and N+A=J and came up with a theory that could possibly appease my own worries about what will happen between the books and the show.

The back story behind Jon's parentage has been left minimal throughout the entirety of the show yet the books give us endless clues to speculate over as to who we think Jon's parents are and how this could ultimately affect the arc that Jon's path will take.

What if GRRM decides to keep his books true to his original plan, as we know he said he will, and the writers of the show will be given another plausible ending?

In theory and only using common examples :laugh:

ASOIAF = R+L=J

GOT = N+A=J

This would allow two separate story lines to continue from the same historical background but would allow the book series to remain intriguing and spoiler free.

I am not saying that this is going to be the best way to continue, I am only interested in how other people would feel about a split in story such as this...

As a book reader would you rather the show went separately and allowed us to finish reading the books?

As a GOT watcher would you rather the story stayed true or just that it continues as a damn good TV show?

Any feedback, arguments, criticism and additions is very welcome :fencing:

[Cold Feet]

Ehhhh. It would be incredibly anti-climactic if they reveal Jon to be Neds son. If he is his son, all the secrecy & hints would be pointless. Let alone Gurrrmmm acknowledging the secrecy & saying that he will find out who his parents are before the end. If he's Ned's, what is there to find out?

[jaimereborn]

i'd find that really unsatisfying as it would no longer really be an adaptation and there wouldn't be a 100% sense of the 'true' ending to the story.

[Runs With Direwolves]

Ehhhh. It would be incredibly anti-climactic if they reveal Jon to be Neds son. If he is his son, all the secrecy & hints would be pointless. Let alone Gurrrmmm acknowledging the secrecy & saying that he will find out who his parents are before the end. If he's Ned's, what is there to find out?

That's my point, from a viewer only perspective, are there many clues as to who Jon's parents are? I know S01 touched on it here and there but there has been no real background to KotLT, ToJ, R+L and the many other back stories we get through the POV's thoughts and interactions. If I was watching the show on its own I think I may forget entirely by this point that there is any mystery to Jon's parentage.

I don't/can't understand how after 3 seasons of "No big deal" to at some point in the future making it a huge plot point so I'm interested in hearing how other people could see the reveal coming about?

Will it all be through Bran's arc and we will just get an episode of Weirvision highlighting all the parts from the books that has been left out? Or if they decide that Jon's parentage isn't going to be crucial how would they advance the show without it?

ETA: If he is Ned's there's still the mystery as to who his mother is

[RedShirt47]

Firstly they've never gone into who Ashara is. So to the viewer it would be just some Southron noble woman which to most viewers would be "meh". At least both Rhaegar and Lyanna were mentioned in Season One and several times since.
Secondly it's hard to be subtle about visions and hints on tv. In a book with thousand and thousands of words you can sneak in subtle clues. On tv every scene is important. It would be so obvious that R+L=J.
Thirdly now that Bran is with Bloodraven there is plenty of opportunity to have visions and fill in some history. They can build up to a reveal more easily, although as I've said visions and foreshadowing is harder to do on tv.

I think they will stick to R+L=J, especially if this plays a part in the Game of Thrones at the end.

[Chebyshov]

Firstly they've never gone into who Ashara is. So to the viewer it would be just some Southron noble woman which to most viewers would be "meh". At least both Rhaegar and Lyanna were mentioned in Season One and several times since.

Was just going to say this. I also find it unlikely that Jon's parentage won't impact his arc.

[Janicia]

Oberyn did have a line about Rhaegar running off with another woman in season 4 that was probably there intentionally as part of a build-up to a R+J reveal. Melissandre's encounter with Gendry, and her reveal about his parentage is also interesting now that she's found another grumpy bastard. I'm pretty sure that the show is intending to use R + L = J, but it probably won't be as big a deal as it will be in the books.

Characters being deeply affected by learning more about their backstory happens more in the books than in the show.

I'm confident that Arya, Sansa, Bran, Jon, Cersei, Tyrion, Jaime, Varys, Stannis, Littlefinger, and Dany will have similar endings in books and show, and that the basic political situation will be the same (apocalypse / monarch on the iron throne / shattering the iron throne / whatever).

The supporting characters could have quite different endings. In the last battle, maybe GRRM kills 20 named characters, only 2 of which are available for the show to kill, so the show kills people that GRRM lets live; or maybe some of the characters that GRRM kills are amalgamations on the show so they survive. Marriages and alliances will probably also be adjusted in the show.

[cxvb]

No way will the show diverge on that. There's no point/gain to doing so. And his parentage is important to Jon, a main character, so there's a loss.

But keep up the denial, I'm sure you'll find some more spurious reasons why they show shouldn't spoil the ending. It's fun to watch, in a headless chicken kind of way.

[Chebyshov]

Keep in mind, Jon's parentage was the question GRRM asked to decide if D&D should get the show at all. So it's got to matter.

[Runs With Direwolves]

No way will the show diverge on that. There's no point/gain to doing so. And his parentage is important to Jon, a main character, so there's a loss.

But keep up the denial, I'm sure you'll find some more spurious reasons why they show shouldn't spoil the ending. It's fun to watch, in a headless chicken kind of way.

I'm not in denial, I'm just questioning how they are going to bring about the reveal. i work with 2 show watchers and when I asked them about Jon's mother they confirmed that they hadn't picked up on any clues as to who it was or even if the story was going to reveal it. In the book I agree Jon thinks constantly about his mother but in the show without the benefit of an internal monologue he doesn't get to question himself.

For the record I love the show and the books, I'm not fussed on being spoiled. My only grudge is the Molotov cocktail wielding COTF :eek:

[FreeParking]

Show watcher: Who the fuck is Ashara Dayne?

There is your answer, OP.

[Darryk]

Doubtful.

Show's going to have the same ending as the books, I think people need to come to terms with that. It may get there via a different route, but you can't change the destination or the journey doesn't make sense any more.

N + A = J would just be underwhelming and pointless anyway. The show has laid the groundwork for R + L; maybe not as much as the books but the clues are there.

[boojam]

You mean the answer to the 'J' - question would be the end of a Song of Ice and Fire?

If George reveals that half way through Winds of Winter there will be no Dream of Spring?

[JonSnowed]

I don't believe it's the ending but clearly linked to Jon's overall arc which is probably as some sort of saviour or leader of Westeros.

[oierem]

I'm not in denial, I'm just questioning how they are going to bring about the reveal. i work with 2 show watchers and when I asked them about Jon's mother they confirmed that they hadn't picked up on any clues as to who it was or even if the story was going to reveal it.

Then, I'd say the show is doing a great job.

Even though the audience might not be aware of the importance of Jon's mother's identity, the whole story of how Rhaegar "took" Lyanna has been repeatedly stated in the series and is of course the very heart of the whole story (the thing that started the Rebellion). When they reveal the identity of Jon's mother (if it's indeed Lyanna), it will be both surprising and rewarding for viewers: surprigins because there weren't too many clues, and rewarding because it will be related to a relevant backstory that has been told from different point of views.

In my opinion, the books give away too many clues about R+L. As a matter of fact, every avid reader knows about that theory, and many actually believe that it can't be the answer because it's just too obvious. When the answer is given in the books it will be dissapointing for many readers who had guessed the truth years (decades) before and were expecting a bigger surprise!