GRRM comments on Tower Of Joy

[SerWest]

From a recent New Jersey Monthly article:

NJM: Describe the page to screen process.

GRRM: I’ve been very happy with everything. I think you can divide the show into three types of scenes, there’s the scenes in the books that they’ve translated to the screen, and I think they’ve done a wonderful job with those, those are rendered very, very well. The actors are great, the writing is great, the directing is great. There are the original scenes, scenes that are not in the books that David and Dan have added. Those are great too, I’ve been very pleased with the majority of those. The one thing I miss is the third category, the scenes in the books that never make it to the screen. Scenes that were cut, because some of those were good scenes. Good dialogue, good bits of business, and important in some cases, and I miss them, knowing the books as well as I do, and I watch the show, and I’m like, ‘Oh, this scene is going come! Oh, they cut that scene.”

NJM: Can you give an example of one of those scenes?

GRRM: Ned’s dream, after his leg is injured, the Tower of Joy scene. That was an important scene, an atmospheric scene, which would’ve translated [to the screen] really well. It would’ve had to be done in a very stylized manner, but I miss that. You know, in the first book, the scene where Arya and Sansa are discussing Rheagar’s rubies and the Trident, and Arya wants to go riding with her friend Micah, and Sansa wants them to go visit the Queen’s wheelhouse and eat lemon cakes, and they have an argument about it. Oddly enough, that scene was the basis of the auditions for those two roles, so Maisie William and Sophie Turner won their roles for doing their respective dialogue for Arya and Sansa in that scene, and they both did it wonderfully. I was looking forward to seeing that scene on screen, but then, you know, they cut it. I mean, it isn’t really necessary, it’s a character scene, and mostly that’s what has been cut, not the stuff that advances the plot, but the little character parts.

Again, I’m very happy with the show, it’s a very ambitious show, and it’s very demanding and I know why they only do ten episodes a season. They work all year to do those ten episodes. Even when they’re not filming, they’re writing, or preparing or in post-production, doing anymore on such a demanding show would be hard. But, nonetheless, there is part of me that wishes we had, like, 12 episodes per season. Like other HBO shows do, instead of just 10. Or maybe even if we had like, 14 episodes per season, and then we could get in a lot more of these small character scenes.

I've thought since the beginning of the show that the Tower Of Joy would have been an epic scene to film. Sean Bean would have done an amazing job, plus it would have been nice to see Ser Arthur Dayne. Also, GRRM mentions it's important, which we honestly already knew, but just more ammo to use against non-believers of R+L=J ;)

[MoscQuetier]

Also, GRRM mentions it's important, which we honestly already knew, but just more ammo to use against non-believers of R+L=J ;)

You're kidding right? he was talking about how important Tower of Joy was as a scene for Ned's background, nothing else. R+L=J is a lie.

[Tony Soprano]

Definitely a very important scene, and also one of my favorites. I was sad it didn't make it to the screen, though. But I guess it wouldn't have worked out, since GRRM hasn't revealed everything that happened there.

You're kidding right? he was talking about how important Tower of Joy was as a scene for Ned's background, nothing else. R+L=J is a lie.

You can't just dismiss it like that. There have been 43 threads about discussing this, so it'd be best to go there. I'll say it's plausible. And even that is an understatement.

[TheRealJSnow]

Would be great if they had a season dedicated to show roberts rebellion and all of those events. One can only dream..

[TomWillcox]

...more ammo to use against non-believers of R+L=J ;)

Ah those people, the Creationists of the GRRM fanworld

[J. Stargaryen]

Ah those people, the Creationists of the GRRM fanworld

Completely agree, and I've said so before. On one side you have all of the evidence, and on the other you have a belief.

[houseHB]

Robert + Eddard = Jon

[King Tyrion VIII]

Ah those people, the Creationists of the GRRM fanworld

That would imply their theory has no basis in fact. Or even eye witness accounts. Actually, yeah I think that sums up the theory pretty well. But I've been convinced that R+L does = J.

I wonder how much more room he has for extra twists on every little thing. Unless it goes 8 books.

[SerWest]

I wonder how much more room he has for extra twists on every little thing. Unless it goes 8 books.

I hope there are more to come and that they all haven't already been figured out by this forum haha.

[J. Stargaryen]

That would imply their theory has no basis in fact. Or even eye witness accounts. Actually, yeah I think that sums up the theory pretty well. But I've been convinced that R+L does = J.

I wonder how much more room he has for extra twists on every little thing. Unless it goes 8 books.

There are only two twists I could see in relation to R+L=J:

1) Even though Jon is the Targaryen heir, he ascends the throne based upon his Stark claim or,

2) R+L=J is true, but Jon turns out to be the bad guy. :devil:

[Myrish Swamp Thing]

There are only two twists I could see in relation to R+L=J:

1) Even though Jon is the Targaryen heir, he ascends the throne based upon his Stark claim or,

2) R+L=J is true, but Jon turns out to be the bad guy. :devil:

I see this twist (in fact, I see it so much it kind of stops being a twist)

Jon's parentage does not matter. At all.

[King Tyrion VIII]

There are only two twists I could see in relation to R+L=J:

1) Even though Jon is the Targaryen heir, he ascends the throne based upon his Stark claim or,

2) R+L=J is true, but Jon turns out to be the bad guy. :devil:

3. It's true and he will lead the fight against the Others instead of pressing claim on either Winterfell or the Iron Throne.

The Heretic in me says he will LEAD the Others. The crackpot in me says he will lead the Others after seeing their former leader die, his Uncle Benjen.

[assjfjgjsgjljljglgjfjsduar]

You're kidding right? he was talking about how important Tower of Joy was as a scene for Ned's background, nothing else. R+L=J is a lie.

LOL yeah OK. Sure.

I maintain that the biggest reason that scene was cut from the series is because it woul've given the whole thing away. It works in the book because it's just vague enough that you have to dig into it. Splashed on a TV screen, it's all but solved.

[J. Stargaryen]

LOL yeah OK. Sure.

I maintain that the biggest reason that scene was cut from the series is because it woul've given the whole thing away. It works in the book because it's just vague enough that you have to dig into it. Splashed on a TV screen, it's all but solved.

I'm hoping for flashbacks in the last season or two.

"I looked for you on the Trident" in Sean Bean's voice. Yes please.

[Table8]

Hopefully R+L=J will be proven/disproven by the end of the sixth book. Then there will be no hiding the issue and HBO can air a season 0 showing the entire rebellion with the reveal of Jon's parentage at the end of the season. In a way, I don't think including flashbacks would work on the show, so I'm glad the show only produces "current events". Having the rebellion shown not in flashback, but in chronological order will be much more powerful.

But the logistics are huge - every character would have to be cast/recast (I can't see the producers covering Sean Bean's face in pounds of makeup to make him look 20 years younger). Also, the writing would be from scratch as there are only general points described in the book. If GRRM becomes too involved in the show's production, it would delay the series even more. Season 0 is a neat idea, but might be more trouble than it's worth.

[jentario]

Robert + Eddard = Jon

Eddard + Renly = Jon

[LordJon]

Not surprised GRRM said that scene, it was huge and would have looked amazing also. My favourite missing scene.

I agree with Apple Martini though, it probably would have just made R+L=J completely clear to everyone.

[J. Stargaryen]

Hopefully R+L=J will be proven/disproven by the end of the sixth book. Then there will be no hiding the issue and HBO can air a season 0 showing the entire rebellion with the reveal of Jon's parentage at the end of the season. In a way, I don't think including flashbacks would work on the show, so I'm glad the show only produces "current events". Having the rebellion shown not in flashback, but in chronological order will be much more powerful.

But the logistics are huge - every character would have to be cast/recast (I can't see the producers covering Sean Bean's face in pounds of makeup to make him look 20 years younger). Also, the writing would be from scratch as there are only general points described in the book. If GRRM becomes too involved in the show's production, it would delay the series even more. Season 0 is a neat idea, but might be more trouble than it's worth.

Flashbacks wouldn't work now because they have too much current story to tell as it is. And I just suggested a flashback because that's the quick and easy way to deal with the ToJ. You won't get any argument from me if they want to do a prequel season. Seeing Rhaegar and Lyanna at the Tourney at Harrenhall in the YotFS. Again, yes please.

I'm not sure if Sean Bean would required "20 pounds of makeup" because of the highly stylized nature of the scene. A little makeup, CGI, and/or various camera effects could do the trick.

[Sun]

I agree with him on the character scenes. I miss them too. The lack of them makes the show feel very shallow to me.

[StarkDragon]

I wanted to Arya knock Tommen down in KL :frown5: