[Book Spoiler] Shae's Jealousy....

[Theda Baratheon]

That's what we saw though last night. No mention of financial security or anything else. Only she wants to be with him...and HE refuses to fuck her, LOL.

For the record I also didn't like that it was Cersei who was refusing to fuck Jamie instead of vice versa, since that was a big deal for him and in his ability to move forward.

I think him not confirming that he wants her to stay was the more hurtful thing to Shae, really.

[C.T. Phipps]

I also read the idea that she realizes she passed up a genuine chance to make a lot of money with Varys.

[W1NT3RF3LL]

I think she truly loves him, and I think with the maidens spying on her and Tyrion will leave her no choice to do what she is going to.I wouldn't be surprised if Varys has involvement with getting rid of her as he tried to once already in the last season. Tyrion is not aware that he did, so this will be interesting how this plays out. I still don't think they needed to make her more than what she was from the books

I've never been convinced Shae's feelings for Tyrion are genuine in the show. As Littlefinger explained to Ros the important thing about being a hooker isn't having a good body or willingness to have sex but the ability to put clients in the mood by giving them what they want. The seduction scene with Natalie Dormer shows that in order to wield any kind of authority/position in Westeros, you need to know what the client wants and how to manipulate them. In Shae's case, she knows Tyrion Lannister wants less of a hooker and more of a girlfriend/confidant and it's a train she can ride a very long way.

But ONLY if she convinces him she feels for him. If she plays hard to get and convinces him to continue to want her.

[C.T. Phipps]

She tries to get him to leave for Essos with her, and she turns down a giant bag of diamonds to leave the city. She has also, legitimately attempted on several times to help Sansa. Book Shae never attempts to help anyone, ever, at all.

This leads me to believe that she is supposed to be seen as serious about him and much nicer than her book counterpart.

If not, then shame on D&D for not hiring a better actress who could have put in a more subtle performance that would leave a few question marks.

One thing I appreciate about this series is that sex workers are treated as human beings no different from anyone else. There's no need for a "Hooker with a heart of gold" anymore than there needs to be the discredited idea they're somehow all either broken or manipulative psychos. In Westeros, everyone does what they have to do to survive. Getting Tyrion to leave with her and the diamonds can both be viewed from legitimate self-interest points.

As for Sansa, no, that's just Shae being nice but there's reason for her NOT to be nice to her.

[Newstar]

D&D said in an interview that they deliberately changed Shae after seeing the actress' portrayal. I like this nuanced TV Shae rather than book Shae 'I'm a whore and that's what whores do'. That Shae just saw the way the wind was blowing and went with it. This Shae is shaping up to be more a "hell hath no fury..." kinda chick, which might help TV audiences relate to her more. She's helped along by a sanitized, whitewashed Tyrion who would never sleep with someone else while the poor wife continues to reject him.

I like the idea of a nuanced TV Shae as well, but in execution her characterization has been all over the map.

[Ororo727 Jon Snow Fangirl]

Shae was irritating from the start.

I guess its a good point to have Shae all jelous of Tyrion to set up the betrayal, but I constantly wish Tyrion could just snap and put her in her spot, she is a whore, thats all she is, and here she is giving a member, the lowliest member true, of the richest family in the realm, and at that point the most powerful, a bad time because of an arranged marriage to the conquered family's daughter. Get your head out of your ass Shae.

I agree. I cannot wait for her to leave my screen forever!!!

[King Zee]

Ha! On a another site someone mentioned that during the trial , we could have Tywin looking rather intensely at Shae --implying he's about to make good on this threat to Tyrion but in reality....he's getting horny baby.

[Theda Baratheon]

I just have no idea how it's gonna play out but i'm bored already

[Rhaquentis]

The only thing that bothers me with Shae is the way she talks to Tyrion and Sansa in the show, as if she's on the same level as them. (It's kinda bad writing.)

[Chebyshov]

I like the idea of a nuanced TV Shae as well, but in execution her characterization has been all over the map.

It's the acting. She's really one of the weakest links in the cast

[Heidrun]

The only thing that bothers me with Shae is the way she talks to Tyrion and Sansa in the show, as if she's on the same level as them. (It's kinda bad writing.)

So true. She's a whore, an exclusive one, but still a whore. And a servant. Tyrion and Shae live in a feudal society where arranged marriages are the norm yet she acts like Tyrion's betrayed her with another woman and got married to spite her. She was pretty snippy to Sansa at the beginning of her servitude, "What shall you have me do?" "YOU'RE the servant. You should know what to do."

Do we ever find about anything more of Shae's backstory? I don't recall ever reading or seeing anything about it. Maybe she was highborn or merchant class wherever she's from.

[Cas Stark]

It's the acting. She's really one of the weakest links in the cast

She's okay as the one note character that she puts on the screen, but she's not giving any kind of "nuanced" performance.

If she is supposed to be creating a multi-layered Shae, who is conflicted in her feelings about Tyrion and Sansa, who is supposed to be creating some kind of subtext that leaves the audience guessing that she does or doesn't feel the emotions she expresses, then she has completely failed. There is no subtext there. None.

[Fool of a Book]

Since we don't know book-Shae's motivations for betraying Tyrion and sleeping with Tywin, I think D&D's characterization of Shae has been a huge stretch. They are almost entirely different characters.

If we find out later that, for example, Shae was working for Tywin all along, or being blackmailed/threatened, how is this silly jealousy arc going to serve the story? Because we'll certainly learn more about why book-Shae did what she did.

My worst fear is that the fate of book-Shae won't happen, and tv-Shae will turn into Tyrion's Tysha.

[Chebyshov]

My worst fear is that the fate of book-Shae won't happen, and tv-Shae will turn into Tyrion's Tysha.

I'm worried they might have Shae killed by Tywin, but the jealousy plot makes me think they'll stick closer to her actual fate. We've had Tysha mentioned numerous times in the series, so I doubt Shae will be a stand-in.

[Ser Desmond Wine's Bane]

She's okay as the one note character that she puts on the screen, but she's not giving any kind of "nuanced" performance.

If she is supposed to be creating a multi-layered Shae, who is conflicted in her feelings about Tyrion and Sansa, who is supposed to be creating some kind of subtext that leaves the audience guessing that she does or doesn't feel the emotions she expresses, then she has completely failed. There is no subtext there. None.

This is my exact thoughts about the two other invented characters: Ros and Talisa. All they have for guidance is the script as written and the directors that get helicoptered in are in the same boat. All the other characters have the benefit of the source material to draw from (or at least direction and writing that is based on an interpretation of the source). I count Shae as invented because TV!Shae is so far removed from Book!Shae they may as well have changed her name anyway.

That issue was, to me, painfully obvious with a lot of Ros's scenes and I just can't bring myself to blame Kekilli, Chaplin or Bianco for the results.

[Cas Stark]

This is my exact thoughts about the two other invented characters: Ros and Talisa. All they have for guidance is the script as written and the directors that get helicoptered in are in the same boat. All the other characters have the benefit of the source material to draw from (or at least direction and writing that is based on an interpretation of the source). I count Shae as invented because TV!Shae is so far removed from Book!Shae they may as well have changed her name anyway.

That issue was, to me, painfully obvious with a lot of Ros's scenes and I just can't bring myself to blame Kekilli, Chaplin or Bianco for the results.

I thought the girl who played Ros was a decent actress, it's too bad they didn't give her a better part.

I have nothing good to say about Chaplin. Nothing. She sucked. She sucked as an actress. It is possible, just barely possible, that a better actress could have brought off "Talisa" as believable in the context of the show. So, I do blame Chaplin, she wasn't the whole problem, but her modern mannerisms, modern speech pattern, generally flat acting, bad acting...all contributed to the horror.

Sibil is okay as Shae, as long as Shae is the happy hooker with a heart of gold, if she is supposed to be showing the audience something more nuanced, then she, too, sucks at it.

[yushkevitch]

To be honest they could've bypassed the whole chamber scene if not for the spy ... Her look as she walked away from Tyrion and Sansa in the garden is about as obvious foreshadowing as you can get on-screen.

[Ser Desmond Wine's Bane]

Chaplin's mannerisms and speech patterns should have been knocked into shape by the direction and writing.... and that's the crux of the problem I feel. They were evidently happy with the results.

I find it interesting that even though you admit that it is 'just barely possible' another actress 'could have' made it work (two big 'ifs') that you still lambast her personally.

[Cas Stark]

Chaplin's mannerisms and speech patterns should have been knocked into shape by the direction and writing.... and that's the crux of the problem I feel. They were evidently happy with the results.

I find it interesting that even though you admit that it is 'just barely possible' another actress 'could have' made it work (two big 'ifs') that you still lambast her personally.

Why not? Good actors can elevate the material, bad actors can take good material and make it bad or mediocre material and make it worse. Chaplin was bad in the role, her acting was wooden and modern and bad. A better actress as I said "might" have helped matters.

Emelia too is very limited as an actress but they rarely ask her to do anything but look and act regal, so she manages to exist within the role they've given her. The same with Sibil, assuming that she is supposed to be the good hearted one dimensional person we see on the screen. Kit has been okay, bad and better, compared with Charles Dance who is amazing in every scene he has been in as was Michele Fairley.

[Ser Desmond Wine's Bane]

Why not? Good actors can elevate the material, bad actors can take good material and make it bad or mediocre material and make it worse. Chaplin was bad in the role, her acting was wooden and modern and bad. A better actress as I said "might" have helped matters.

Emelia too is very limited as an actress but they rarely ask her to do anything but look and act regal, so she manages to exist within the role they've given her. The same with Sibil, assuming that she is supposed to be the good hearted one dimensional person we see on the screen. Kit has been okay, bad and better, compared with Charles Dance who is amazing in every scene he has been in as was Michele Fairley.

And there is a whole spectrum of people who fit in between the 'Good' and 'Bad' poles. A better actress 'might have helped matters', I agree, and a better actress might not as well. When the director has said 'Cut! Great job' there isn't much more that can be done.

Since the comprison with Dance has been made, I will say that after his amazing performance in the scene last season with Tyrion and Cersei where he established Tywin's dominance over his family, this episode's scene with Jaime was a real let down. I don't blame Dance for that though. I blame the writing and direction. Even a demonstrably great actor can't always make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Decrying a normal human as being 'bad' because they are also unable to do the same seems somewhat unjust.