GRRM confirms: TWOW not done yet

[The Human Abstract]

Even for those disappointed that it seems likely that we will be seeing the ending to the series before reading about it, it would do good to acknowledge that we are several years away from that eventuality. Based on the information we have, the expectation is that the television show will not feature major Winds of Winter spoilers until April of 2016. Provided that Martin can release the next book before that time, which does not seem at all unreasonable (especially given the encouraging news that he has not gone into massive fits of rewriting his material as he has in the recent past), that would at least postpone the moment of no-return until April of 2017. For those prone to despair, I say wait until then before going into histrionics about the matter.

Honestly yeah. Pretty much agree. I can go for a while without watching anyway.... I just don't think I'll go for years and years.

I also think it likely the show does a more lightweight treatment of the end and the books are way juicier.

[Credar]

So wait... Storm of Swords is going to take two seasons but people here think they'll get through Feast and Dance in ONE SEASON?!

And the beginning of Winds of Winter.

Plus, people think we won't have Quentyn, Aegon, or any Ironborn or Dorne plots.

I find it insane myself and just laugh those ideas off. Sure, let's cut out half of a book!

However, I do think we could possibly get TWOW stuff for Bran and maybe Sansa, but 1 or 2 chapters at the most. For Season 5, they can just use Bran as the flashback device and give us all those nice prophecies and flashback scenes (Tower of Joy? Some Robert's Rebellion action to give Season 5 some larger scale battles?) that the show has left out.

Also, if they delve into the AFFC plot of Sansa during this season, we will probably get a chapter or 2 from TWOW, or maybe just a subplot from the show, to give her things to do till the end of Season 5.

To those who say we will get Brienne stuff from TWOW in Season 5, I think that halfway through Season 5 we will get the Stoneheart encounter and then have her out of the season until the end of it when she shows up and meets Jaime.

Season 6 will be a mix of TWOW and ADWD material until around the halfway point of the season.

[Faint]

To be honest, we have already been spoiled by the show and this will continue even before it really gets into The Winds of Winter material. Benioff and Weiss know the ending to the series, as well as the general outlines for the stories of the most important characters (i.e., Tyrion, Daenerys, Jon and the Stark children), which means the very structure of how the books are adapted tell us much about what is important what isn't. But this fact was basically unavoidable ever since A Dance with Dragons did not come out in 2009 or so. So if the prerogative is to go ahead and complain about that, then there really isn't much one can do besides avoiding the television series entirely.

Following with that point, there is the possibility that the showrunners might adapt the fifth season in a way that will be very spoilerish, as the saying goes, more for what they exclude than what for they end up including. For example, they might severely downplay or do away with Aegon's storyline altogether, which would tell us quite a bit about his ultimate importance to the story. Or even something more minor, like not bothering with the greyscale, Lady Lemore, or, say, Moqorro. Things like that is where the show will end up spoiling us in the next two years.

[kephv]

To be honest, we have already been spoiled by the show and this will continue even before it really gets into The Winds of Winter material. Benioff and Weiss know the ending to the series, as well as the general outlines for the stories of the most important characters (i.e., Tyrion, Daenerys, Jon and the Stark children), which means the very structure of how the books are adapted tell us much about what is important what isn't. But this fact was basically unavoidable ever since A Dance with Dragons did not come out in 2009 or so. So if the prerogative is to go ahead and complain about that, then there really isn't much one can do besides avoiding the television series entirely.

Following with that point, there is the possibility that the showrunners might adapt the fifth season in a way that will be very spoilerish, as the saying goes, more for what they exclude than what for they end up including. For example, they might severely downplay or do away with Aegon's storyline altogether, which would tell us quite a bit about his ultimate importance to the story. Or even something more minor, like not bothering with the greyscale, Lady Lemore, or, say, Moqorro. Things like that is where the show will end up spoiling us in the next two years.

I don't think that can be relied upon, since they've already excluded most of the major prophecies which GRRM has been building on since book 2, ones which are bound to have a major effect on the characters in some way.

[Harold II]

The TV show has already given us a few little spoilers, like Arya and Mel will meet.

Whatever happens, the show will lack the depth of plot, and can't explore all the characters adequately.

So even if the show finishes first, it is not something worth fretting over.

And if after 7 series they decide to turn the final battle with the others and resolution of the plot lines into a film, that would take a couple of years to do.

So they may end up taking the story 3/4 of the way through a dream of spring before the books catch up.

I think we may get the last book before the film if we are lucky.

[sifth]

The TV show has already given us a few little spoilers, like Arya and Mel will meet.

Whatever happens, the show will lack the depth of plot, and can't explore all the characters adequately.

So even if the show finishes first, it is not something worth fretting over.

And if after 7 series they decide to turn the final battle with the others and resolution of the plot lines into a film, that would take a couple of years to do.

So they may end up taking the story 3/4 of the way through a dream of spring before the books catch up.

I think we may get the last book before the film if we are lucky.

I don't think a films going to happen. GRRM actually got into some trouble for even bring that up in the first place.

[Faint]

I don't think that can be relied upon, since they've already excluded most of the major prophecies which GRRM has been building on since book 2, ones which are bound to have a major effect on the characters in some way.

That's a different issue altogether. There doesn't need to be a prophecy of an event for that event to come about; the prophecy simply serves as foreshadowing. Whereas, if they don't include Aegon, to use one example, then obviously he isn't that terribly important to the greater story.

[Guest Thorrand]

The TV show has already given us a few little spoilers, like Arya and Mel will meet.

Whatever happens, the show will lack the depth of plot, and can't explore all the characters adequately.

So even if the show finishes first, it is not something worth fretting over.

And if after 7 series they decide to turn the final battle with the others and resolution of the plot lines into a film, that would take a couple of years to do.

Once you know the ending you're taking an entirely different journey, some don't mind that change but for me if takes away the enjoyment of not knowing what's going to happen.

Also, HBO isn't going to not give their series a proper ending to make a movie wrapping it all up. People would absolutely go nuts.

[Jambottle Jeebus]

I don't think GRRM would let the tv story pass his books. He said so several times in interviews, if my memory serves me...

On a more related noted, didn't he recently say he's 1/4 through Winds of Winter , just a few months back?

[Mrmanakan]

I don't think GRRM would let the tv story pass his books. He said so several times in interviews, if my memory serves me...

On a more related noted, didn't he recently say he's 1/4 through Winds of Winter , just a few months back?

If over a year ago is a few months actually I believe he's said that multiple times within months of each other I may be mistaken

[Mel_Rose]

Once you know the ending you're taking an entirely different journey, some don't mind that change but for me if takes away the enjoyment of not knowing what's going to happen.

Also, HBO isn't going to not give their series a proper ending to make a movie wrapping it all up. People would absolutely go nuts.

Exactly. HBO main priority is their viewers, not GRRM or the book readers. The Unsullied are millions all over the world and GoT is shown in mostly subscription channels, which means people pay for it and won't be at all happy if they're denied a proper ending. I'd be infuriated.

[Guest Thorrand]

I don't think GRRM would let the tv story pass his books. He said so several times in interviews, if my memory serves me...

On a more related noted, didn't he recently say he's 1/4 through Winds of Winter , just a few months back?

I was optimistic to this point as well, until I saw the pace of the show. At this point I don't think D+D have a choice but to put a firm end on the series. Contractual obligations for one, two to keep the plot tight. Breaking bad was what it was for having a clear end in sight, artificially extending it would have done nothing but hurt the story the show was trying to tell. TV is a different beast altogether. People won't possibly stay interested having two years of affc/adwd. Simply put not a lot happens. As for Martin finishing before the tv show, the magic 8 ball says = Outlook not so good

[baxus]

I don't think GRRM would let the tv story pass his books. He said so several times in interviews, if my memory serves me...

On a more related noted, didn't he recently say he's 1/4 through Winds of Winter , just a few months back?

I don't think we're likely to see TWoW finished this year. Even next year would be optimistic.

As for the TV show, they have one more season of ASoS and then at least 2 seasons for AFfC and DwD (though I can see that easily stretching to 3 seasons).

The last book should probably be published before the last season starts shooting or at least before it airs.

Even if TWoW took 2 seasons of the HBO show, that would mean that it should hit the stores in 4 or 5 years.

Given GRRM's track record on ADwD publishing date, I dare not hope for that.

[MegaAIP]

still hold out hope that after this season there will be a major anouncment on the book

[baxus]

still hold out hope that after this season there will be a major anouncment on the book

You're a braver soul than I. ;)

[dokratrO]

People are deluded if they think Feast/Dance will last 2/3 seasons.

[TheHouseHB]

One does not simply just confirm The Winds of Winter release date.

[MegaAIP]

I don't think we're likely to see TWoW finished this year. Even next year would be optimistic.

As for the TV show, they have one more season of ASoS and then at least 2 seasons for AFfC and DwD (though I can see that easily stretching to 3 seasons).

The last book should probably be published before the last season starts shooting or at least before it airs.

Even if TWoW took 2 seasons of the HBO show, that would mean that it should hit the stores in 4 or 5 years.

Given GRRM's track record on ADwD publishing date, I dare not hope for that.

you have to think he is pressing to get this book done with the way the show has progressed. Should be easy to get it out next year.

/drinking the kool aid

[Credar]

People are deluded if they think Feast/Dance will last 2/3 seasons.

I don't think anyone here is thinking Feast/Dance will least 2/3 seasons, but I think it is reasonable to assume that it won't last LESS than 1 season. That just seems insane on many levels. I think the best bet and way to make it work for everyone, even George, is to make it so Dance goes until the halfway point of Season 6 (Feast being completed at the end of Season 5/ a few scenes at the beginning of Season 6), and have TWOW beginning for characters with few chapters at the beginning of Season 6 and the main bulk of TWOW beginning halfway through Season 6.

Then again, this can only happen if the show is given 8 seasons, or enough episodes that it would total what 8 seasons would be (Like a 20 episode Season 7 released in 2 parts.) But just based on the pace of the show, it seems reasonable to assume there will be 8 seasons rather than 7.

[zeppelincheetah]

I actually don't mind if they're going to trim the fat and finish the show in a timely manner. If the show played out just like the books it would be boring and they would lose viewers. I started watching the show before I read the books (started watching the show in 2012, got caught all the way up to the second season before I started reading the series, finishing ADWD at the end of 2012). TWOW/ADOS will stand on their own and it really won't matter if the show catches up. I still have hope that TWOW is released way sooner than expected, however unlikely that may be.