Shae and Ros scene

[Elba the Intoner]

I was surprised that I actually liked this scene but I did. I thought what Ros, who is from the North and near Winterfell, said to Shae about Sansa's birth was touching and her warning about watching out for Sansa with LF was nice. I guess I was surprised because normally I don't like the Ros scenes but I realize this has nothing to do with the actress or character but rather with the fact that she usually turns up in some way over the top, annoying, gratuitous brothel scene. I'm okay with Ros and I think Esme is doing a fine job with her. Now if we are talking about hating a character that was completely made up for the show in a poorly written storyline where her character exposition took precious time away from actual book characters, then that award for me goes to Talisa. I really can't stand anything about that character but since this thread isn't about her I'll shut up now.

[Soiled Septa]

This scene is indicative of the way Ros should be in the series. Small doses to facilitate movements of major characters. I liked her in this scene a lot. The callback to Winterfell was great and really rounds out this world.

The rapid promotions are where the show runners lose me.

• Littlefinger first finds her in need of serious training in Season 1. plausible
  
• Then she is promoted to a supervisory role in Season 2. okay...
  
• He then has to remind her of how little he values her by threatening to ship her off if she can't earn. realistic
  
• Then Varys thinks she would be a perfect addition to his network. Why her? It rings as way too convenient.
  
• Now she handles Littlefinger's affairs! Really? Can she even read?
  

[zaphodbrx]

This scene is indicative of the way Ros should be in the series. Small doses to facilitate movements of major characters. I liked her in this scene a lot. The callback to Winterfell was great and really rounds out this world.

The rapid promotions are where the show runners lose me.

• Littlefinger first finds her in need of serious training in Season 1. plausible
  
• Then she is promoted to a supervisory role in Season 2. okay...
  
• He then has to remind her of how little he values her by threatening to ship her off if she can't earn. realistic
  
• Then Varys thinks she would be a perfect addition to his network. Why her? It rings as way too convenient.
  
• Now she handles Littlefinger's affairs! Really? Can she even read?
  

This exactly! It doesn't make any sense.

In season 1, her only role was to get naked while characters spout exposition ( Tyrion, Theon, Littlefinger, Pycelle )

In s2e1, she was quite clearly a 'manager' of sorts, telling other whores what to do.

In the next two episodes, she was back to plain whore ( LF scene, Joffrey abuse )

Then she made a 'deal' with Varys ( who was apparently stupid enough to do so in LF's brothel where there are peepholes everywhere, but who cares show!Varys is still lightyears ahead of show!Littlefinger, who is a bumbling idiot who spends 90% of his time training whores and the remaining time offending highborn ladies - Cersei 'power is power' , Catelyn 'hey baby I heard you're single again' etc )

Now she's handling affairs for LF? Hmm..

[Eira Seren]

I'm not sure what the woman who plays Ros has on D&D to get so much screen time. Her scenes really irritate me when there are so many better characters she is taking screen time away from.

i will always suspect that they are still awkwardly trying to weave Ros into better, already existing plot only because they are desperately trying to prove that all the nudity and whores aren't really there just for T&A. She's the token whore.

[Tadco26]

You know this how? Have you personally read every script. pour over every story board and hashed out what, who, when, where and how D&D plan their adaptation? Or is it just want YOU want to see so be damned that the professionals film what they want to film?

I know this by watching the scenes they made up for Ros vs scenes they have cut from the book and judging their quality. Obviously it is a completely subjective opinion, and obviously they can film whatever they want. Honestly I didn't have any problems with this particular scene in regards to Ros and Shae. In fact Littlefinger meeting with Sansa in public to further his plot to "rescue" her was much more problematic as far as being directly contradictory to his book behavior.

Again, it's what YOU want to see. Obviously D&D have a different vision for THEIR show. Where is your screen adaptation?

Of course it's what I want to see. It makes no sense to suggest that just because I'm not producing my own adaptation, I'm not allowed to disagree with any of their choices. With that logic we would have to consider every TV show and movie ever created as good, unless you are producing tv shows and movies yourself.

[mankytoes]

This scene is indicative of the way Ros should be in the series. Small doses to facilitate movements of major characters. I liked her in this scene a lot. The callback to Winterfell was great and really rounds out this world.

The rapid promotions are where the show runners lose me.

• Littlefinger first finds her in need of serious training in Season 1. plausible
  
• Then she is promoted to a supervisory role in Season 2. okay...
  
• He then has to remind her of how little he values her by threatening to ship her off if she can't earn. realistic
  
• Then Varys thinks she would be a perfect addition to his network. Why her? It rings as way too convenient.
  
• Now she handles Littlefinger's affairs! Really? Can she even read?
  

Does she actually manage his affairs? I thought she was just picking nice words to say "I'm his bottom bitch", or top whore if you don't know the street lingo.

[Inquisitor Glokta]

This scene is indicative of the way Ros should be in the series. Small doses to facilitate movements of major characters. I liked her in this scene a lot. The callback to Winterfell was great and really rounds out this world.

The rapid promotions are where the show runners lose me.

• Littlefinger first finds her in need of serious training in Season 1. plausible
  
• Then she is promoted to a supervisory role in Season 2. okay...
  
• He then has to remind her of how little he values her by threatening to ship her off if she can't earn. realistic
  
• Then Varys thinks she would be a perfect addition to his network. Why her? It rings as way too convenient.
  
• Now she handles Littlefinger's affairs! Really? Can she even read?
  

Thank you! Her arc is indeed completely implausible...

Especially her season 3 promotion to 'Hand of the Pimp' as i would propose to call it, is beyond ridiculous...

[Clariana]

This scene is indicative of the way Ros should be in the series. Small doses to facilitate movements of major characters. I liked her in this scene a lot. The callback to Winterfell was great and really rounds out this world.

The rapid promotions are where the show runners lose me.

• Littlefinger first finds her in need of serious training in Season 1. plausible
  
• Then she is promoted to a supervisory role in Season 2. okay...
  
• He then has to remind her of how little he values her by threatening to ship her off if she can't earn. realistic
  
• Then Varys thinks she would be a perfect addition to his network. Why her? It rings as way too convenient.
  
• Now she handles Littlefinger's affairs! Really? Can she even read?
  

She wouldn't be the first whore to make it quickly to madam.

If LF didn't value her he would have actually shipped her off to wherever whores go or disposed of her. She's useful so he didn't.

She made it into the King's bedchamber and discovered what a horrible, sadistic little s**t he is... She even made it back out again. No surprise Varys is interested... Ditto the LF promo.

Who knows if she can read? She might not be able to read books but she can read people... And as someone else said "You don't need to read to do business, but you have to know how to add up".

[Bastard of Boston]

I didn't mind -- and even enjoyed -- the Shae/Ros scene, as well. Would I rather see screen time devoted to actual book characters? Sure. We all prefer book characters because that's who we've been following through the last five books. But, to say that Ros serves no purpose is pretty short-sighted. She's a plot device. She allows the writers to condense numerous functions into one character. She's around to observe and inform. It's not like she gets much characterization. She's mostly used to accomplish goals involving other characters. And, as much as people say they hate her, they'd probably hate her more if she was -- indeed -- a real book character, whom acted completely out of character to accomplish her objectives. David and Dan are probably just preserving purist blood pressure by making her a created character. I think the uproar should truly happen if it ever gets to a point where they're creating arcs for her, independent of main characters.

For now, she's around to navigate the complexities of telling the story in a more streamlined fashion. She was Alayaya last season...she'll be something else this season. She's what David and Dan need her to be, and since she's their creation, they can make her anything they want her to be since Ros has no precedent. So, she'll be around to give important exposition, connect certain dots, etc.

I also enjoyed her recollections of Sansa.

[Angalin]

People. Does the title of the thread say "spoilers" in it? No, it doesn't. Right now I'm being nice about editing in spoiler tags upthread; this will not last.

[Eira Seren]

I didn't mind -- and even enjoyed -- the Shae/Ros scene, as well. Would I rather see screen time devoted to actual book characters? Sure. We all prefer book characters because that's who we've been following through the last five books. But, to say that Ros serves no purpose is pretty short-sighted. She's a plot device. She allows the writers to condense numerous functions into one character. She's around to observe and inform. It's not like she gets much characterization. She's mostly used to accomplish goals involving other characters. And, as much as people say they hate her, they'd probably hate her more if she was -- indeed -- a real book character, whom acted completely out of character to accomplish her objectives. David and Dan are probably just preserving purist blood pressure by making her a created character. I think the uproar should truly happen if it ever gets to a point where they're creating arcs for her, independent of main characters.

For now, she's around to navigate the complexities of telling the story in a more streamlined fashion. She was Alayaya last season...she'll be something else this season. She's what David and Dan need her to be, and since she's their creation, they can make her anything they want her to be since Ros has no precedent. So, she'll be around to give important exposition, connect certain dots, etc.

I also enjoyed her recollections of Sansa.

lol! kind of like. . . a prostitute?

ETA: especially since she has very little character arc or substance!

though, most of what she informed us about in that scene was already pretty obvious, since most of us are already aware that Petyr is grooming Sansa.

[Ser Desmond Wine's Bane]

Of all the Ros scenes thus far, this was about my equal favourite. It was important to reinforce at the start of the season the back story of Sansa and why she is still important despite being set aside by Joffrey, and also to reestablish the menacing character of Baelish.

The other scene I liked was when she was leaving Winterfell, that had a lot of charm going for it.

Other than that, I really find myself grimmacing my way through Ros scenes. For me it is not the actor. In fact I give her a lot of credit because she has the toughest job in the cast. All the other actors have the books as a fall back guide to develop their roles. Esme doesn't have that - only the advice of the writers as the script lands in her hands.... and as the role is a 'bucket' role her story flip-flops.

I am firmly on the side of those who argue that Ros was not required for the development of Theon's character. This could have been done perfectly well with leering looks and comments at serving girls. The Ros character was not required for the Tyrion scene in Winterfell - in fact she was so inconsequential, that I forgot she was in it. She was not required for the Joffrey scene. She does help with the development of Littlefinger, but I really question whether the importance justifies the time and emphasis put on it. I love a good sex scene as much as the next red-blooded human, but I emphasise 'good'. A couple of the brothel scenes just had me scratching my head thinking "What the heck was that all about?"

The entire Ros character development just irks against the flow of character development in the story. Perhaps now with a guaranteed contract for 2 seasons, D&D can actually develop her into a replacement role for one or more other characters with small yet significant roles.

[Clariana]

lol! kind of like. . . a prostitute?

ETA: especially since she has very little character arc or substance!

though, most of what she informed us about in that scene was already pretty obvious, since most of us are already aware that Petyr is grooming Sansa.

We the book readers are... The TV viewers might not be so alert (although I admit, his turning on Ned was a big giveaway...)

[Eira Seren]

We the book readers are... The TV viewers might not be so alert (although I admit, his turning on Ned was a big giveaway...)

true. . . but the show's established that Petyr's clearly still in love with Cat. . . who he can't have. . . instead, he's always hanging around Sansa (ever since the tournament in KL in season 1). . . bookreaders or not, the audience is not dumb.

[The Monkey]

To me, the main point of that scene was to show the northern commoners' fierce devotion to the Starks.

[Soiled Septa]

She wouldn't be the first whore to make it quickly to madam.

I have no frame of reference for this so I using my understanding of the world presented by the show runners. A world where upward mobility is rare.

If LF didn't value her he would have actually shipped her off to wherever whores go or disposed of her. She's useful so he didn't.

Without a doubt, that's why I thought this scene was realistic.

She made it into the King's bedchamber and discovered what a horrible, sadistic little s**t he is... She even made it back out again. No surprise Varys is interested... Ditto the LF promo.

I think that the Varys interest is problematic for me because it signals a larger role in the story. As mentioned by plenty others, there is plenty of story to tell without inventing stuff.

Who knows if she can read? She might not be able to read books but she can read people... And as someone else said "You don't need to read to do business, but you have to know how to add up".

In the scene she actually uses the word "manages". I'll take that term with a grain of salt, but it is just difficult for me to accept.

[Er Rn]

I was surprised that I actually liked this scene but I did. I thought what Ros, who is from the North and near Winterfell, said to Shae about Sansa's birth was touching and her warning about watching out for Sansa with LF was nice. I guess I was surprised because normally I don't like the Ros scenes but I realize this has nothing to do with the actress or character but rather with the fact that she usually turns up in some way over the top, annoying, gratuitous brothel scene. I'm okay with Ros and I think Esme is doing a fine job with her. Now if we are talking about hating a character that was completely made up for the show in a poorly written storyline where her character exposition took precious time away from actual book characters, then that award for me goes to Talisa. I really can't stand anything about that character but since this thread isn't about her I'll shut up now.

Totally agree with this. Very well said.

[StannisandDaeny]

I actually really liked the Ros/Shae conversation. A nice callback to Ros actually being from Winterfell, and showing the common people's respect/reverence for the Stark family.

Yep. A much needed reminder that common people also play a role in this story. Her little warning to Shae was also nice.

To everyone else... Ros was created to give an inside look on Littlefinger, now please stop whining.

[Warrior Queen]

Regarding Ros taking Dontos role:

Ros taking Dontos spot doesn't make much sense because Littlefinger has taken Dontos spot. The whole point of using Dontos was so that Littlefinger wouldn't be directly seen interacting with Sansa and he wouldn't be suspected in her disappearance at all. Sansa doesn't even know that Littlefinger is behind Dontos. TV Littlefinger conspires directly with Sansa to help her escape in public places, so what's the point of having a Dontos replacement?

It kinda makes sense to me if they choose to use Ros for this role. She is from the north, and aren't Sansa and Dontos their meetings in the Godswood? Ros being there makes more sense than Dontos being in the Godswood. Plus the fact that Ros is close to LF, and he seems to 'trust' her, letting her handle his affairs etc.

[teemo]

the only useful thing ever done with ros was have her replace alayaya. besides that, she's just a nuisance. i just try to ignore it though, and honestly...there are now characters way worse than ros. Ah, the worries of season one, before characters like talisa were introduced. She is wayyyy more annoying and takes up a lot more screen time...