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As a reader, has the TV show changed your mind on any theories about the books?


Fanless Mace

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This is a question for readers, although it does indeed have something to do with the TV show. The question has to do with how one's impressions of a book are affected by other media portrayals.

As the TV show progresses, the writers Inevitably and repeatedly leave out many subplots. For instance, the TV show has not introduced us to young Griff. Leaving out his plotline on the show makes me feel there is no way he could be a major player in the dénouement; his absence seems to support the FAegon theory. Right or wrong, it's affected my thinking on that subplot.

Regardless of whether the show is even remotely reliable in this foreshadowing regard, I'm curious: For you folks who watch AND read, has the show changed your mind relative to your theories as predictions? How so?

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Lack of Aegon could mean Aegon is fAegon (or they've just simplified plot)


It's basically confimed R+L=J


Barristan might actually die in TWOW battle


Sansa will probably be Warden of the North eventually



The only one I feel strongly about is R+L=J. I feel they just crammed it all in to one episode 'cause they've missed so many past opportunites to put it in.


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Just recently stopped watching and I can say for absolute certainty none of the things in the show affected any of the theories I go by.

And they'll probably make Trystane fake Aegon. Makes me sick just thinking about it. Jaquen in book is doing a totally different thing from TV show jaquen. Does that mean I believe he is the kindly man. No way, GRRM wouldn't do something that cheap.

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The show is only an adaptation and if we take the omissions as canon, well....we may have some surprises coming. I'm sure some non-relevant info was cut...long travelogues for one...but how can the ravens not be relevant?...especially Mormont's old bird?



The actual resolution of the story may be the same...or similar enough...but there are important book events that will probably remain important in the books, whether the show chooses to acknowledge them or not.


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The absence of Theon's uncles implies none of them are a dragon head. Helps confirm my theory that they're just a plot device to get a bunch of boats to Esteros to pick up Dany.

I'm guessing the "Mance" Jon shot on the show was really Mance, and he's gone now, so no major player there.

Ariane will not be the queen. She doesn't even exist on the show.

Shireen...she WILL matter.

These could be wrong, but I think the show unfortunately does tip its hand to the readers.

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Yeh I basically see HBO show like The Office (U.S. version)

It started out trying to tell the same story as the original British show but after a couple of episodes the source material dried up and they started telling their own story.

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The absence of Theon's uncles implies none of them are a dragon head. Helps confirm my theory that they're just a plot device to get a bunch of boats to Esteros to pick up Dany.

I'm guessing the "Mance" Jon shot on the show was really Mance, and he's gone now, so no major player there.

Ariane will not be the queen. She doesn't even exist on the show.

Shireen...she WILL matter.

These could be wrong, but I think the show unfortunately does tip its hand to the readers.

The absence of Greyjoy action in this season confirms that for me too, though I suppose they could still make an appearance next season. Just seem to be an also-ran family whose only purpose is to get the major players in the right places (boats for Dany, Theon and Asha to Stannis). I've always viewed them as such, so their absence doesn't bother me in the least.

The absence of Lady Stoneheart in the show basically meant the same thing to me, she's just a filler character in the books, same thing with the Reeds accompanying Bran.

I thought there was a possibility that Jeyne Westerling might be preggers, but the show closed that door, plus it was basically told outright that her mother was feeding her moontea unbeknownst to her in the books.

Aegon's absence thusfar is noted as well. Might prove to be a minor character in the grand scheme of things, or maybe he shows up next season.

The only fan theories I subscribe to are RLJ, which is being reinforced in the show, and some version of the great northern conspiracy...and the servicewoman who said "the north remembers" to Sansa in the show does give that a glimmer of hope for me...assuming she isn't just a LF spy.

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The show cannot include all the characters for budget reasons. Aegon and the Greyjoys not being in the show does not mean that they will not be important, it just means that they will not sit the throne in the end. Sansa's plotline means nothing for the books, and that should be clear to everyone since Jaime is obviously not going to Dorne in the books.


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Omissions and changes made in the TV show merely confirmed what I already believed. Characters like Mance, Aegon and few others are just minor characters created to push story along and to play suborbinate role to Dany and specially Jon.

I think it's important to point out that story of Jon and Dany hasn't been altered that much from the book. They are exactly where they are in the book and will remain so for remaing seasons.

As a book reader, that's where my focus will be when watching season 5. 6 and 7; on Jon and Dany's storyline, to see where the story will be headed in the books and how other characters in the book will be written vis-a-vis Jon and Dany.

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No, the show has changed so much that it relevance to book theories is virtually non existent.



Even with Aegon I don't see anything in the show (or not in the show) impacting my views on him. As they seem to be merging the Aegon restoration story into Dany's it means that anything Dany does on the show Aegon could do in the books (including sit the Iron Throne at the end). I say COULD here, but that's enough lee-way for me to discount show storylines when considering the books possible trajectory.



I'm just enjoying the show for what it is. And actually all the changes (along with reducing spoiler potential) add surprise and intrigue which was missing when I knew most of what would happen.


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Omissions and changes made in the TV show merely confirmed what I already believed. Characters like Mance, Aegon and few others are just minor characters created to push story along and to play suborbinate role to Dany and specially Jon.

I think it's important to point out that story of Jon and Dany hasn't been altered that much from the book. They are exactly where they are in the book and will remain so for remaing seasons.

As a book reader, that's where my focus will be when watching season 5. 6 and 7; on Jon and Dany's storyline, to see where the story will be headed in the books and how other characters in the book will be written vis-a-vis Jon and Dany.

As it should be. They are clearly the 2 main characters in the entire series. The rest are important (Tyrion, Bran, Sansa, etc), but not on the same level as Jon and Dany. Those that have read the books should already know this.

To me, the exclusion of side characters in the show just means they did so likely for budgetary reasons. They are not going to cut out extremely important storylines, so IMO if a character is completely missing in the show they are likely of little consequence in the final story...mostly just plot moving pieces, some of which can be either excluded entirely or replaced/merged with other character roles.

I find it interesting that the show is doing a big battle in Hardehome this season, which we don't see at all in the books (yet?). Thinking that will be pretty heavy on The Others' side of things...possibly wildling too. But, it might not mean much since we didn't see a battle at Craster's in the books either but we did get one in the show.

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No, the show has changed so much that it relevance to book theories is virtually non existent.

Even with Aegon I don't see anything in the show (or not in the show) impacting my views on him. As they seem to be merging the Aegon restoration story into Dany's it means that anything Dany does on the show Aegon could do in the books (including sit the Iron Throne at the end). I say COULD here, but that's enough lee-way for me to discount show storylines when considering the books possible trajectory.

I'm just enjoying the show for what it is. And actually all the changes (along with reducing spoiler potential) add surprise and intrigue which was missing when I knew most of what would happen.

I agree with the bolded. I'm enjoying the show as a different animal from the books, and have been especially enjoying this season since I really don't know what to expect. It's refreshing in a way.

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I speculated about a year ago that Petyr Baelish and Roose Bolton would make natural allies. The thread is linked below.



That doesn't mean that storyline will be the same in the books, but it may indicate that the two eventually do form an alliance and makes me wonder what that means for Stannis.



I never got much help from others exploring the text further for clues. They may be in there.


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Only on one count. It seems to me that they're largely just trimming the fat from the story. AFFC and ADWD had plenty of it.



The most glaringly obvious change for a major character is with Sansa, but I thought the book storyline was likely to build to her being the key piece in the 'great northern conspiracy.' This changes the setting of her story, but likely not the point of it or the end game. It also fits into one of my own personal crackpot theories, but we'll see.



Ironborn? Like others, I think they just exist to give Dany her ships.



Aegon, fAegon...real, fraud....in the end, probably irrelevant either way. For all we know, he really is Aegon, and two chapters into TWOW, he ends up dead anyway. Whatever the case, I doubt he's of any particular importance. I personally believe he's a fraud and always have.



The one that's weakening due to the show is my view that book Dany is heading down the path of the villain. In the show, I've only seen faint glimpses of that, whereas the positive aspects seem to be very heavily emphasized. Could be that's for a reason, to mislead the viewer. Could also be that I'm wrong about book Dany. We'll see on that count as well.


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I think things like Aegon is not in the show (or the Greyjoys) does not necessarily mean that he won't be a big deal in the books.


The HBO show is a very shorter version of the books, it is easier to show watchers to understand the situation, the happenings. The show is only like the top of an iceberg... and in my opinion the show is a fucked up adaptation of the books.


So the show doesn't make me to change my mind about some theories at all. I watch the show, but don't really care about what bullshit it contains.


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Always thought greyscale would play an impact and there would be an outbreak and/or one of the major 8 or so characters would die from it.

Them making so many references to it in the show leads me to believe it will end up being very important in the books too.

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