How will they condense FFC and DWD into Season 5? (book spoilers)

[Beric175]

They have advanced significantly with Bran, Theon, Sansa and Brienne to some extent in season 4 and Tyrion's, Jon's, Jaime's, Davos' and Arya's AFFC/ADWD stories can be wrapped up by the end of next season. The other characters like Cersei, Dany are trickier, seeing as a big part of their stories in AFFC and ADWD stems from the fact that we are meant to feel that they are spending large amounts of time in one spot (in Cersei's case she spends it messing it uptrying to et back at Margaery and in dany's case she's just messing it up because she's backed herself into a corner). The Ironborn and the Citadel can be cut if you give Asha Victarion's plot and keep balon alive to do whatever Euron wants to do in the books.

[TheWargintheNorth]

I can live with a heavily trimmed Iron Island storyline but I will be very disappointed if Aegon is cut.

I am still in two minds about a trimmed Dorne. I think I can live it. Concentrating on Mycella and Trystane makes some sense I guess.

Casting Trystane instead of Arianne and Quentyn doesn't make any sense. Trystane is the least important of the Martell siblings.

[Arkash]

and Tyrion's, Jon's, Jaime's, Davos' and Arya's AFFC/ADWD stories can be wrapped up by the end of next season.

Jon's tricky, he's got one hell of an amount of things to do if they want to conclude his Dance arc next season. A lot will be sacrified there.

[JagLover]

Jon's tricky, he's got one hell of an amount of things to do if they want to conclude his Dance arc next season. A lot will be sacrified there.

Not if the make the wall a main focus, like they have done with KLs in the past. If they go back to Jon every episode they can cover it all.

[Arkash]

I really hope they do so and we get as much Wall as KL in season 5 (normally, these are the two main focus, with Winterfell, Dorne, Meereen and Braavos being the secondary ones).

[oierem]

Jon's tricky, he's got one hell of an amount of things to do if they want to conclude his Dance arc next season. A lot will be sacrified there.

What things? He doesn't find out anything about his mother, he doesn't prevent any attack of the White Walkers... He's stuck at the Wall rulling and trying to get the wildlings to his side while his men distrust him more and more. That's basically it.

They can cut a few rather stupid subplots: burning Mace to show him alive later(seriously, what happened with "anyone can die?", George?), the sudden arrival of a girl-who-was-supposed-to-be-Arya-but-nobody-cares-about, and sending Val to find Tormund (since he is already at the Wall).

[sj4iy]

I really hope they do so and we get as much Wall as KL in season 5 (normally, these are the two main focus, with Winterfell, Dorne, Meereen and Braavos being the secondary ones).

I think we will get much less of KL next season. Cersei is really the only character left. The Wall should definitely be the focus of next season.

[The One And Only]

Ouch- David and Dan have done an average job so far. Where I do feel like Martin pandered to much in AFFC and ADWD I have to admit as readers it gave us a lot more things to look for and added some more legendary characters. Arrianne is probably the best off woman in the series despite being filler. Sansa is getting smarter and will be the lead at the end ( despite my love for brienne's strenght I don't see her surviving past WOW) I gotta admit I lost faith in Daenerys story from a lit point of view. She suffors to much Luke Skywalker syndrome for my taste. It's the writer that failed her- not the other way around. Jon's story is at least gripping despite everyone and their mother knowing he isn't gone competely. Then we have more Stannis being the only monarch who isn't a complete idiot. (The rest of the monarchs are just dumb but Stannis didn't think this one all the way through). We also added Aegon which has become the most talked about of the new characters despite his arc being a quick one. Did ADWD and AFFC barely move the plot over the course of 3000 pages and six years? sure. However it did give us a wealth of scenarios and keep people guessing. If this story would have been a trilogy like he planned then Stannis would have died during Blackwater- Robb would have died during ACOK (the title would have made more sense) and then we would have had Joff vs daenerys which would have been the worst thing since Hobbit two: "Legolas does stuff while little funny people chase dragons".

Average job? Yeah okay. They have done an amazing job which is why they get such high praise from HBO, the actors, and most fans.

AFFC & ADWD took the core characters of the series and threw them on the back burner for a bunch of half finished story lines. The show will do what the books should have done, which is stay more with the main characters and advance the story. The story has made very little progress since ASOS which was released over a decade ago.

[The One And Only]

I think we will get much less of KL next season. Cersei is really the only character left. The Wall should definitely be the focus of next season.

I agree that KL will be minimal. If the rumors are true and Bronn and Jamie go south in the show, then almost nobody is left in KL. Tyrion, Varyas, Littlefinger, Sansa, Bronn, And Jamie will all be elsewhere.

And fans are starting to get behind Jon Snow after this season so I see him being the focus of the show moving forward.

If Jon's storyline is streamlines (which it should be) we will be into WOW time frame for him by episode 10.

[boojam]

I agree that KL will be minimal. If the rumors are true and Bronn and Jamie go south in the show, then almost nobody is left in KL. Tyrion, Varyas, Littlefinger, Sansa, Bronn, And Jamie will all be elsewhere.

And fans are starting to get behind Jon Snow after this season so I see him being the focus of the show moving forward.

If Jon's storyline is streamlines (which it should be) we will be into WOW time frame for him by episode 10.

One recalls that Feast and Dance are concurrent stories, it seems, that the show will do what George did not do, integrate character stories from both books, so I don't expect to seem any more of Jon than of Dany.

I agree about KL even with out the Bronn addition , even in the books only Marg and Cersei story was of any interest and at that I thought there was too much Cersei.

I never really understood why the material in Feast and Dance were not integrated into two books, Geroge explains why in the introduction to Dance, and frankly it didn't make sense to me, with judicious editing , even if the two time lines did not mesh perfectly, it all could have been fixed up.... but , so it goes.

If we are going to get to Winds and Dream in season 6 and 7 , a ton of story is going to have to be condensed in S5.

But I can see that , both Tyrion and Sam's walk-about eat a lot of pages that don't lend themselves to visual narrative.

Is Dorne going to become a major focus? Because across 5 books it's just not a big setting except that GRRM seems building it up to be , so that seems stuff from Winds.

What is a bother is even consolidating Feast and Dance is that GRRM seems to imply that Winds will be as big a novel as Dance, if as much happens in Winds as did in Storm then I am totally puzzled how this all fits into just 3 more seasons.

[oprahnoodlemantra]

One recalls that Feast and Dance are concurrent stories, it seems, that the show will do what George did not do, integrate character stories from both books, so I don't expect to seem any more of Jon than of Dany.

I agree about KL even with out the Bronn addition , even in the books only Marg and Cersei story was of any interest and at that I thought there was too much Cersei.

I never really understood why the material in Feast and Dance were not integrated into two books, Geroge explains why in the introduction to Dance, and frankly it didn't make sense to me, with judicious editing , even if the two time lines did not mesh perfectly, it all could have been fixed up.... but , so it goes.

If we are going to get to Winds and Dream in season 6 and 7 , a ton of story is going to have to be condensed in S5.

But I can see that , both Tyrion and Sam's walk-about eat a lot of pages that don't lend themselves to visual narrative.

Is Dorne going to become a major focus? Because across 5 books it's just not a big setting except that GRRM seems building it up to be , so that seems stuff from Winds.

What is a bother is even consolidating Feast and Dance is that GRRM seem to imply that Winds will be as big a novel as Dance, if as much happens in Winds as did in Storm then I am totally puzzled how this all fits into just 3 more seasons.

It looks like the characters will be closer together in TWOW so onscreen it'll be more similar to season 1 where there was less jumping around from location to location. I also think the last season will either have more episodes because they won't need to prepare to film the next season so they'll have more time and/or it'll be split in 2 parts like the final seasons of Breaking Bad and Mad Men.

[JagLover]

One recalls that Feast and Dance are concurrent stories, it seems, that the show will do what George did not do, integrate character stories from both books, so I don't expect to seem any more of Jon than of Dany.

I agree about KL even with out the Bronn addition , even in the books only Marg and Cersei story was of any interest and at that I thought there was too much Cersei.

I never really understood why the material in Feast and Dance were not integrated into two books, Geroge explains why in the introduction to Dance, and frankly it didn't make sense to me, with judicious editing , even if the two time lines did not mesh perfectly, it all could have been fixed up.... but , so it goes.

If we are going to get to Winds and Dream in season 6 and 7 , a ton of story is going to have to be condensed in S5.

But I can see that , both Tyrion and Sam's walk-about eat a lot of pages that don't lend themselves to visual narrative.

Is Dorne going to become a major focus? Because across 5 books it's just not a big setting except that GRRM seems building it up to be , so that seems stuff from Winds.

What is a bother is even consolidating Feast and Dance is that GRRM seems to imply that Winds will be as big a novel as Dance, if as much happens in Winds as did in Storm then I am totally puzzled how this all fits into just 3 more seasons.

the more of the new characters introduced in AFFC/ADWD they leave out, and the more they condense a number of people's storylines, the more streamlined they can make the story. Three seasons will be tough even so but if they leave out FAEgon for example and quickly resolve the situation in Merreen they might already be at the equivalent of mid way through WOW by early S6.

[The One And Only]

Can only have so much of the middle. The books have too much of it. Time to get going towards the ending.

[Arkash]

I can see season 5 going down that way :

- Wall : 18% of the season.

- KL : 15%.

- Meereen : 15%.

- Dorne (+ Jaime's arc): 12%.

- Winterfell (+ Stannis march): 12%.

- Tyrion's journeys : 10%.

- Potential Sam's journeys : 6%.

- Potential Iron Born's arc : 6%

- Brienne and Pod : 6%.

[boojam]

I can see season 5 going down that way :

- Wall : 18% of the season.

- KL : 15%.

- Meereen : 15%.

- Dorne (+ Jaime's arc): 12%.

- Winterfell (+ Stannis march): 12%.

- Tyrion's journeys : 10%.

- Potential Sam's journeys : 6%.

- Potential Iron Born's arc : 6%

- Brienne and Pod : 6%.

Arya and Braavos ??

[zaphodbrx]

I can see season 5 going down that way :

- Wall : 18% of the season.

- KL : 15%.

- Meereen : 15%.

- Dorne (+ Jaime's arc): 12%.

- Winterfell (+ Stannis march): 12%.

- Tyrion's journeys : 10%.

- Potential Sam's journeys : 6%.

- Potential Iron Born's arc : 6%

- Brienne and Pod : 6%.

Lolz no.

Tyrion and Dany are the stars of the show. 50% of the non readers can't tell the difference between Stannis and Roose Bolton, but EVERYONE knows who 'Khaleesi' and 'the funny dwarf' are. And if you think they would ever spend less time on KL, you are mistaken.

Here's my breakdown, considering 9 hours for the season ( they have shorter episodes now, also beginning and end credits )

1. King's Landing - 2 hours

-Bitch fights with Cersei and Marge, Olenna coming back, High septon, Brothel filler, etc.

2. Arya - 1 hour

-D&D love Arya, so they'll give her something or other to do. They might put the Citadel in Bravos and put the Sam arc here as well ( Jaqen would be both the Kindly man and 'Pate the pig boy' )

3. Jamie+Dorne - 1.5 hours

-Dornish T+A, Myrcella-Trystane doomed romance, etc.

4. Sansa - filler, Bran- filler, Brienne- filler - total: 1.5 hours

5. Everything North ( Wall, Stannis, Winterfell ) - 1 hour

D&D hate Stannis and don't care about Jon, so they'll compress everything here as much as possible. This is in accordance with the casting news ( ie. none ) . Bet Stannis will be burning infidels. Yara might show up too. Osha/Rickon? Gendry?

6. Tyrion - 1 hour

7. Dany - 1 hour

The show will probably make up new plots for Tyrion and Dany. They'll probably cut the slave crap ( since Penny is gone ), and Jorah will just meet Tyrion and they'll meet Dany right away ). I don't think Dany will marry Hirzoo on the show, she crucified his dad !

Whatever they invent I doubt they would have any less time for Tyrion and Dany. As I said they are the stars of the show.

The above also shows that those thinking Euron , Aegon ,Stoneheart, Quentyn, Arianne, etc. will be showing up need to stop smoking whatever they are getting high on. There is simply no TIME for them, and the show has never done more than 10 story arcs ( I proposed 9 as above, season 3 has 9 as well, I think the max ).

[boojam]

Here's my breakdown, considering 9 hours for the season ( they have shorter episodes now, also beginning and end credits )

I was really startled to hear David say they had 540 min. , I think he meant story screen time, not counting beginning and ending credits, for the show.

The credits can't take up an hour!

So we are only getting 9 hrs of story , what's up with that?

It's been a problem from the start to pack even the pared down story into 10 episodes.

HBO has a totally irregular schedule due to variable length movies, so I don't understand this when they really should be doing 12 episode seasons.

[sj4iy]

Lolz no.

Tyrion and Dany are the stars of the show. 50% of the non readers can't tell the difference between Stannis and Roose Bolton, but EVERYONE knows who 'Khaleesi' and 'the funny dwarf' are. And if you think they would ever spend less time on KL, you are mistaken.

Here's my breakdown, considering 9 hours for the season ( they have shorter episodes now, also beginning and end credits )

1. King's Landing - 2 hours

-Bitch fights with Cersei and Marge, Olenna coming back, High septon, Brothel filler, etc.

2. Arya - 1 hour

-D&D love Arya, so they'll give her something or other to do. They might put the Citadel in Bravos and put the Sam arc here as well ( Jaqen would be both the Kindly man and 'Pate the pig boy' )

3. Jamie+Dorne - 1.5 hours

-Dornish T+A, Myrcella-Trystane doomed romance, etc.

4. Sansa - filler, Bran- filler, Brienne- filler - total: 1.5 hours

5. Everything North ( Wall, Stannis, Winterfell ) - 1 hour

D&D hate Stannis and don't care about Jon, so they'll compress everything here as much as possible. This is in accordance with the casting news ( ie. none ) . Bet Stannis will be burning infidels. Yara might show up too. Osha/Rickon? Gendry?

6. Tyrion - 1 hour

7. Dany - 1 hour

The show will probably make up new plots for Tyrion and Dany. They'll probably cut the slave crap ( since Penny is gone ), and Jorah will just meet Tyrion and they'll meet Dany right away ). I don't think Dany will marry Hirzoo on the show, she crucified his dad !

Whatever they invent I doubt they would have any less time for Tyrion and Dany. As I said they are the stars of the show.

The above also shows that those thinking Euron , Aegon ,Stoneheart, Quentyn, Arianne, etc. will be showing up need to stop smoking whatever they are getting high on. There is simply no TIME for them, and the show has never done more than 10 story arcs ( I proposed 9 as above, season 3 has 9 as well, I think the max ).

Oh lord. Another "DD HATE STANNIS! THEY WON'T SHOW HIM!" conspiracy theorist.

D&D already EXPLICITLY STATED that there would be 'much more' of Stannis next season and that they think that Dillane is a great actor. They said this in the Comic Con panel. Also, whatever the feel about a certain character means nothing when that particular character has a big role to play in the story. Stannis didn't have much screentime this past season because he didn't have anything to do this past season. Next season is very different. The idea that the North would get half as much screentime as King's Landing when it has:

Jon

Melisandre

Stannis

Sam

Theon

Ramsay

Tormund

Mance

Aemon

and KL has:

Cersei

Margaery

is absolutely preposterous. Same for Jaime and Dorne. The North has the most story to cover and the most characters to follow. It's not going to get the shaft simply because people think that D&D have some sort of vendetta against Stannis.

[Arkash]

5. Everything North ( Wall, Stannis, Winterfell ) - 1 hour

D&D hate Stannis and don't care about Jon, so they'll compress everything here as much as possible. This is in accordance with the casting news ( ie. none ) . Bet Stannis will be burning infidels. Yara might show up too. Osha/Rickon? Gendry?

I actually doubt that.

The Wall screen-time in The Children (and the entire episode 9 taking place there) points to it becoming a central focus point next season. This is the point where most people started loving Stannis (I know there are Stan-fans out there who loved him since the beginning but for me and I think many it was from this moment that everything Stannis has been and done so far became coherent and made me rethink him), we got some screentime devoted to building Tormund, Dolorous Edd, Thorne, Aemon and Slynt who'll get more characterization next season (I hope), we got the entire Mance / Jon conversation which builds up some major plot points for next year, we had the premisces of the very interesting Jon / Mel relationship with their eye meeting at the pyre, we got something building up with Mel, Selyse and Shireen... well, we got a lot to cover up next season there.

I'm quite confident they will devote to the Wall arc the proper amount of screen-time to do it some justice.

[The Onion Sleight]

Oh lord. Another "DD HATE STANNIS! THEY WON'T SHOW HIM!" conspiracy theorist.

This user never posts something else than this ^ regarding him, sometimes I don't know if he/she is serious or trolling, I'd say it's exaggerated naysaying + very much cynicism and pessimism...

I wouldn't take this really seriously and agree with you and Arkash!

ETA: I think even zaphodbrx him(?)self knows the whole Northern storyline (Wall PLUS Stannis PLUS Winterfell) will take more than 1 h, again, that's just cynic and bad mood, IMO.