[Book Spoilers] How many of the readers will continue watching this show after Season 5?

[The Onion Sleight]

If Stannis, Davos and Theon were all to die I'd completely lose interest. There's no other characters I'm hugely invested in. If they introduced the Iron Born or Aegon that may change, but not if he's that Rom-Com cliche in Dorne.

Same here.

Those are by far my three most favourite characters, the ones I care about the most (I'd add Shireen, too), and with all of them dead, I'd see almost no reason to continue watching.

(I still like many other characters, and I absolutely love Asha, Jon, Jaime, Brienne and Roose in the books; but Asha is non-entity Yara on the show, Jaime is Larry, Brienne is Thug!Brienne, at least Jon and Roose are still good.)

[Ted Chang]

Am I the only one who just cares about the actual story?

[Kungsmurfen]

To me the books and show are different and for the most part I can separate them. So yeah I'll keep on watching.

[Mithras]

The show is preparing those with unrealistic expectations from their favourite characters to TWoW. It is the final wake up call.

[Mithras]

The show is the show and the book is the book. Who did Robb Stark marry? Did he marry a noblewoman from Volantis named Talisa, who died at the Red Wedding? Or did he marry a woman named Jeyne Westerling who’s still alive and will be seen in the prologue of ‘Winds of Winter’? Is one true? Is one not true? Well, how many children did Scarlett O’Hara have?

These questions remind me of the ones Tickler used to ask.

[JonisHenryTudor]

The show is preparing those with unrealistic expectations from their favourite characters to TWoW. It is the final wake up call.

Yep.

[thequicksilverthings]

I'm going to continue watching the series. I'd much rather be spoiled by the show than by anything else other than the books. And given the rate at which GRRM writes, I'm fine with watching the show before I read anything else he puts out.

[Mark Antony]

I mean I watched True Blood to the bitter end when it was complete garbage so yeah I'll probably stick it out

[storm.131]

I'm going to continue watching the series. I'd much rather be spoiled by the show than by anything else other than the books. And given the rate at which GRRM writes, I'm fine with watching the show before I read anything else he puts out.

I agree and would add that the show has made numerous improvements on the storyline of the books. I'm really enjoying this season. I've read all the books but doubt whether I'll read Winds of Winter when (if?) it comes out. I'm over the waiting for GRRM to pull his finger out.

[Low Sparrow]

I made it through Season 4 (where the mindlessness began), and I'd find myself watching each week just to see how bad they'd butcher it. This season, having gone completely off-book (last episode being a prime example), it's gone away from annoying, which actually kept me watching to just plain boring.

I actually fell asleep during the last few episodes. Butchered source material is quite a bit different from something that can't even hold your attention anymore. Honestly, at this point, its usually by Tuesday or Wednesday I get around to a show I used to sit there waiting for on Sunday. I'm not the only one. I wouldn't be surprised if the show either gets cancelled or severely defunded by Season 7.

[Arplus Elisjay]

I agree.

I view the HBO series as the only way I will get to see how this story ends.

I dont think that GRRM is going to live the 15 or so years is is going to take him to finish 2 (3 or 4) more books.

He did an interview 2 months ago where he said he hadnt decided what to do with Jon Snow after the stabbing...

That basically means that he hashardly written anything as far as WOW is concerned... and he started writing it 5 years ago... Major problems.

Show will be the only resolution we get, so I hope they dont mess it up any more than they have to.

While I agree with you that the morbidly obese 65 year old's clock is ticking to publish two 1,000 page novels, I don't believe that he didn't have direction for Jon as of 2 months ago. It sounds like he just didn't want to play it coy with the reporter on the issue.

[Masha]

While I agree with you that the morbidly obese 65 year old's clock is ticking to publish two 1,000 page novels, I don't believe that he didn't have direction for Jon as of 2 months ago. It sounds like he just didn't want to play it coy with the reporter on the issue.

Take heart, chris999!

I found (by-trial-and-error) that those interviews are being posted and reposted as "new" for months and sometimes years after actual GRRM interview.

You would see this article at one website - posted say a day ago that looks like a new update/interview but in reality the actual GRRM quotes it takes were from over a year or two ago from another magazine, just the article written is recent. I really dislike this practice were paid bloggers/writers shameless copy the interview from another magazine and not actually put out new material as their own and squirt past laws by saying "in EW GRRM says" - you blink and you miss the reference.

I see that quote about GRRM musing about "jon Snow...running...snow,,,forest...what to eat....what to do.." being posted and reposted as "new" interview over and over again. If one were to trace back the original interview that GRRM gave it was I believe over a year ago at least...

[JonCon's Red Beard]

The show is preparing those with unrealistic expectations from their favourite characters to TWoW. It is the final wake up call.

Dunno. I think the most unrealistic expectations for TWOW is Sansa and how she's turning into some sort of political genius. And I actually think HBO is setting her up for exactly that.

[JonCon's Red Beard]

I mean I watched True Blood to the bitter end when it was complete garbage so yeah I'll probably stick it out

I salute you, my friend. Some of us aren't that strong.

[chambraigne]

As others have noted, I feel like the HBO series gives us the best opportunity to actually see the end of ASOIAF. I don't think that speculation on Martin's desire to finish the series is unwarranted. Writing is hard work, and writing double-epic length fiction is especially hard work. It's obvious that Martin doesn't feel that he owes fans anything at this point, and he's earned that prerogative. I've been reading these books for 15 years, and they're exhausting. I can only imagine what toll writing them has taken on Martin.

[Masha]

To answer this question - whether I will keep watching this show. Right now, I will give till the end of the season.

It will depend entirely on how they treat Sansa characterization for the rest of the season. If I see repeat of Season 2 (Sansa abused, helpless, crying, begging for help from Theon/Brienne) and basically regression to 3 yrs back to helpless and passive victim status. Essentially sacrificing whole narrative for Sansa in order to highlight Theon and Brianne heroics. And then, after her escape, miraculous forgetting of her traumatic experience (by ignoring it entirely a la Cersei) and being back in the game (aka Dark Sansa 4.10 and working with LF again, I will definitely stop watching the show.

If they decide to do more of Lucrezia (Borgias) way, I will be more accepting of it.

[JamesD2020]

I loved the books and enjoy the show very much but unfortunately I think GRRM has lost his edge and his writing will deteriorate in his last few books. Sure its disappointing to not find everything up to faith in regards to its source material but where else are you going to find this kind of entertainment on television? Its kind of funny reading about people quitting the show and continue to complain when they got nothing else to do but to continue to watch. Worse yet people talk about not wanting to watch after S5 ends and waiting for books that may or may not arrive. Personally Id rather just finish up knowing how it all ends than wait 10+ years. You know GRRM is probably clueless on how he wants to finish because of the scope and size of his novel and his creativity will surely suffer as any future writing will get tainted by the happenings on the show.

Now if he gets his plans on making a series finale movie that would be kinda cool.

[dbunting]

I will watch all the way through, why would anyone stop, unless they just didn't like the quality?

Anyone had read the books, and then started watching the show, then stops since they are overtaking the books,should never have started watching to begin with. Did anyone think GRRM would magically get THREE books done in a 5 to 10 year span? Clearly a television show can't wait for 5 years for a book to come out or spend 5 seasons on AFFC, just not realistic.

[Alayne's Shadow.]

The show is preparing those with unrealistic expectations from their favourite characters to TWoW. It is the final wake up call.

Unless George really outdoes himself, I'm fairly certain Sansa won't be raped by Ramsay. That's all I'm saying. But you clearly must know more. Have you read Winds of Winter? If not, do you take a bet? I bet a hundred dollars Sansa won't be raped by Ramsay

[Alayne's Shadow.]

Am I the only one who just cares about the actual story?

If by that you mean dancing plot-plots without any characterization, then yes. Sorry, but I just can't feel invested in the story if the characters are this changed. Not even going on the Sansa issue - Look at Tyrion. Look at Dany. Jaime. Dorne. The entirety of Dorne, really. Dorne's even worse than Winterfell for me, because Although it loses the most gross scene, it gets the most boring, badly-written part.