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"Edd, fetch me a block," and other book dialogue:


Davos is King

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One exchange I was sad to see not make it into the show was Tywin and Tyrion post Red Wedding where Tywin told Tyrion that Amory Lorch killed Rhaenys by stabbing her 50 times. We were robbed of a great sound byte: Charles Dance saying "If he'd had half the wits the Gods gave a turnip."


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In the books: hang him for subordination, then change to chopping head off because that's the Northern way. He kills Slynt not just because of disobedience, but does it in the way that's supposed to be honourable. What you get from the scene is that he did it because "the man who gives the sentence should swing the sword". thats what "edd, fetch me a block" means.



In the show: cut his head off for disobedience, hesitate because he asks for mercy, do it anyway. What you get from the scene is that he doesn't want to be seen as incapable of strength by the NW. that's why "olly bring me my sword" sucks. (and makes no sense as he should totally have his sword with him)





You can even see that the writers have a complicated time explaining things to their actors (which may show their inability to comprehend the books) when Kit says in an interview that Jon believes in mercy......


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I have a feeling D&D change these lines needlessly because they want to be seen as the creators of HBO's A Game of Thrones and not the adpators of George R. R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire.

I don't know why this would be hard to believe. They don't want to be seen as riding on the backs of George. They've become self-aware that the show is known for something, and that something is surprising deaths and loads of T'n'A. So that's what they're going for. Not the complex character driven story that the books are known for.

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I really don't understand why people get so worked up about stuff like this.

Me neither. At least not "Edd, fetch me a block."

Things like "Jamie Lannister sends his regards" are clues that they are cutting storylines (Lady Stoneheart)...

Which I'm also not too worked up about it not being in the show

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I think people confuse what's happening in the scene with the lines of dialogue. The most obvious example of this is Lysa's death; it played out exactly the same way in the show and the books, and "your sister" and "only Cat" meant exactly the same thing and served the exact same function. However everyone lost their minds in a pedantic frenzy that the two words were different.



"Bring me my sword" and "fetch me a block" are the same.


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I don't know why this would be hard to believe. They don't want to be seen as riding on the backs of George. They've become self-aware that the show is known for something, and that something is surprising deaths and loads of T'n'A. So that's what they're going for. Not the complex character driven story that the books are known for.

Yes, but what happens is a cheapening of the moment in the translation from Book GRRM to Show D&D. With the trademark material theirs to use, they instead rob it of some of it's glory.

Pedantic it may be, but these are, for the most part, book lovers. So pedantic becomes artistic simplicity.

In a word - boring.

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For me, there is only one line I still hope makes it to the show, or even an altered version of it, but just for the fun of it, Roose must have his : "Dont make me rue the day I raped your mother !"



And it still has a chance to happen, it's just too much of a threatening, icy, fun line to pass !

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I think people confuse what's happening in the scene with the lines of dialogue. The most obvious example of this is Lysa's death; it played out exactly the same way in the show and the books, and "your sister" and "only Cat" meant exactly the same thing and served the exact same function. However everyone lost their minds in a pedantic frenzy that the two words were different.

"Bring me my sword" and "fetch me a block" are the same.

If it doesn't make any difference, then why change it at all?

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If it doesn't make any difference, then why change it at all?

Because some lines might not work as well when said aloud and the last time "Cat" was said on show was on season 2. That's why "Egg I dreamed I was old" will most likely be changed a bit, again causing amazing amounts of anger.

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If it doesn't make any difference, then why change it at all?

I preferred the dialogue changes within the context of the scenes as they appeared - my point is they MEANT the same thing and served the exact same function, and that the moment and the information conveyed was what was memorable and important about those scenes, not the exact words used. The words "only cat" are not in themselves important or memorable - Littlefinger perfunctorily telling Lysa he always loved her sister and didn't love her right before throwing her out the moon door to her death is what is memorable and important.

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You can even see that the writers have a complicated time explaining things to their actors (which may show their inability to comprehend the books) when Kit says in an interview that Jon believes in mercy......

Where in the books does it make it clear to any and all readers that Jon doesn't have any mercy? Or is it just possible that the showrunners have a different interpretation of Jon's characteristics than you do?

And how do you explain the passage of the Wildlings through the Wall in ADWD if Jon is such an unmerciful bastard? Wouldn't he let them rot north of the Wall in that case?

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Where in the books does it make it clear to any and all readers that Jon doesn't have any mercy? Or is it just possible that the showrunners have a different interpretation of Jon's characteristics than you do?

And how do you explain the passage of the Wildlings through the Wall in ADWD if Jon is such an unmerciful bastard? Wouldn't he let them rot north of the Wall in that case?

Not really what I was trying to get at, just stating that there seems to be a division between what the character is doing and the actor explaining.

In the books, Jon frequently refers to "the shield that guards the realms of men". I'd call it duty.

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Thought they did a good job with the "Kill the boy" dialogue. Almost word for word from the books, which seems to indicate they'll use book dialogue word for word if it suits their purpose and doesn't sound weird without the exact context present in the books.



"Kill the boy" is much more important dialogue than "Edd, fetch me a block," anyways.


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