Anyone else here who hasn't watched the series waiting for TWOW?

[DragonBlood]

I've stayed away from the last few seasons (5, 6, 7) for such a long time now, and it's been such a huge effort to avoid the hype and spoilers. It is absolute torture. I'm now contemplating if I should watch the series and ruin TWOW for me (getting to know things first by reading the books was a MASSIVE part of my reading experience).

 

Just want to know if there are others like me.

[zandru]

You might as well drop your HBO subscription then, and save $$$$.

But seriously - there's been significant diversions between what's already written in the books and the directions the series have gone. I like to think of them as two separate stories. Maybe there will be some commonality at the very end - but not necessarily. Why worry? Enjoy the series NOW, while it's still on and people are still interested in talking about it, discussing, arguing. Why would you deny yourself this?

[Tagganaro]

8 minutes ago, zandru said:

You might as well drop your HBO subscription then, and save $$$$.

But seriously - there's been significant diversions between what's already written in the books and the directions the series have gone. I like to think of them as two separate stories. Maybe there will be some commonality at the very end - but not necessarily. Why worry? Enjoy the series NOW, while it's still on and people are still interested in talking about it, discussing, arguing. Why would you deny yourself this?

Exactly this.  The TV series and the books have diverged so much at this point they are basically different properties.  OP will not get spoiled by watching the majority of stuff that happens in the TV series (although there are a few major confirmed spoilers I think).

[LiveFirstDieLater]

Snape kills Dumbledore 

[Blackfish Tully]

i wouldn't do it , the show is just awful fan fiction at this point . 

[Lollygag]

11 minutes ago, Blackfish Tully said:

i wouldn't do it , the show is just awful fan fiction at this point . 

This.   

 

[White Ravens]

You have managed to go several years without watching it and that's pretty impressive.  What's another two, three, maybe five years waiting for TWOW?

[Howlin' Howland]

The fifth season was supposed to cover the events from Feast and Dance, I don't remember any TWOW spoilers from that season.  I'd recommend that you watch season 5 and decide whether to watch 6-8 after you've seen 5.  Two things you'll probably notice if you watch season 5:  First, while the first four seasons follow the books fairly closely the fifth season diverges radically from the books; Second, the quality of the writing drops off dramatically between the fourth and fifth season (the acting, special effects, and action sequences are still very good but the writing is sometimes horrible).  After you watch season 5 I think you won't be too worried about TWOW spoilers in seasons 6-8 but you also might be a lot less interested in watching those seasons after you see the drop in the quality of the show.

[Prince Yourwetdream Aeryn]

10 minutes ago, Howlin' Howland said:

The fifth season was supposed to cover the events from Feast and Dance, I don't remember any TWOW spoilers from that season.

Last 2 episodes have spoilers from TWOW.

[Prince Yourwetdream Aeryn]

The show is the reason why I read book series twice (also Dunk, history stuff and Ice dragon). But I didn't like season 7 and I don't look forward to watch new season. What I want to know is how Jon's ghost will warg Jon's direwolf Ghost (if it happens), how Tyrells will fight against Golden company and Lady Stoneheart's revenge from Freys which are skipped in the show.

[Chancho]

Only watch it if you don't get emotional about people crapping stuff the got such great potential, .

[Ferocious Veldt Roarer]

8 hours ago, DragonBlood said:

I've stayed away from the last few seasons (5, 6, 7) for such a long time now, and it's been such a huge effort to avoid the hype and spoilers. It is absolute torture. I'm now contemplating if I should watch the series and ruin TWOW for me (getting to know things first by reading the books was a MASSIVE part of my reading experience).

I've lost belief in TWOW ever being published some time ago, so for me the spoiler issue is moot. For any kind of "reading experience" the book needs to exist in the first place.

[Azarial]

As others have said they have diverged. The few things that it may spoil, most readers (especially forum readers) have already figured out. The show seems to be removing many of the plots that people love to theorize over, I think this may be done to avoid spoiling the books as there are nods and winks at those plots, but no confirmation or solid debunking. (or any seemed debunking is counteracted in a nudge, nudge, wink, wink, kinda way. So that leaves most things unspoiled. They have said the ending will be the same, so I guess next season may have spoilers. But who knows, they are different enough that no one will be sure until the books come out.

I also agree that the writing since GRRM stopped being directly involved has dropped, and some plots don't make sense. So you may hate the show more if you watch it after reading it, than before as you'd have something to compare it to lol The flip side being, maybe the plot points are right and they left out all the stuff that makes it make sense and knowing that info and being able to fill in the gaps in your mind may make it better to wait. The issue is that there is no way to know for sure.

The one thing I am 100% sure on is that watching the show will not detract from your enjoyment of the books since all the little details, character thoughts, subtle foreshadowing, and plot consistency and internal logic that make the books great are 100% missing in the later seasons of the show.

[Lollygag]

Just now, Azarial said:

As others have said they have diverged. The few things that it may spoil, most readers (especially forum readers) have already figured out. The show seems to be removing many of the plots that people love to theorize over, I think this may be done to avoid spoiling the books as there are nods and winks at those plots, but no confirmation or solid debunking. (or any seemed debunking is counteracted in a nudge, nudge, wink, wink, kinda way. So that leaves most things unspoiled. They have said the ending will be the same, so I guess next season may have spoilers. But who knows, they are different enough that no one will be sure until the books come out.

I also agree that the writing since GRRM stopped being directly involved has dropped, and some plots don't make sense. So you may hate the show more if you watch it after reading it, than before as you'd have something to compare it to lol The flip side being, maybe the plot points are right and they left out all the stuff that makes it make sense and knowing that info and being able to fill in the gaps in your mind may make it better to wait. The issue is that there is no way to know for sure.

The one thing I am 100% sure on is that watching the show will not detract from your enjoyment of the books since all the little details, character thoughts, subtle foreshadowing, and plot consistency and internal logic that make the books great are 100% missing in the later seasons of the show.

I've heard that the endings will be the same, but then there's this GRRM interview below. Lots of contradictory data. So you're especially correct in that we won't know until something's published.

No show spoilers here.

http://time.com/3994289/george-rr-martin-game-of-thrones-song-of-fire-and-ice-ending/

[Kandrax]

Where are mods?

[Seams]

2 minutes ago, Kandrax said:

Where are mods?

You have to use a summoning spell to call them.

3 hours ago, Howlin' Howland said:

The fifth season was supposed to cover the events from Feast and Dance, I don't remember any TWOW spoilers from that season.  I'd recommend that you watch season 5 and decide whether to watch 6-8 after you've seen 5.  Two things you'll probably notice if you watch season 5:  First, while the first four seasons follow the books fairly closely the fifth season diverges radically from the books; Second, the quality of the writing drops off dramatically between the fourth and fifth season (the acting, special effects, and action sequences are still very good but the writing is sometimes horrible).  After you watch season 5 I think you won't be too worried about TWOW spoilers in seasons 6-8 but you also might be a lot less interested in watching those seasons after you see the drop in the quality of the show.

I agree season 5 was poorly written, disagree that it will put your mind at ease about TWoW spoilers.

3 hours ago, Dead headofMaelysKinslayer said:

Last 2 episodes have spoilers from TWOW.

I stopped watching the show after season 5. In part because I found the first half-dozen episodes to be terribly boring and in part because, as @Dead head indicates, the last two episodes have spoilers. They are also spoilers that short-circuit plots with a lot of detail still to play out in the books. So I think they will spoil the next book for you because you'll be reading about living characters thinking, "This isn't going to matter because so-and-so is going to die soon."

Do another re-read of the existing books, stay active in the forum and look for other good books to take your mind off the wait. I've been listening to Terry Pratchett audiobooks and it's kind of spooky how many parallels there are between ASOIAF and the absurd and comical Discworld. (Dragons, Night's Watch, heir to the throne raised by foster parents, a werewolf, etc.)

[Yaya]

it's me, late to the party!

DragonBlood - wait for Winds at least, I would recommend that.  Personally, I am planning on NOT to continue watching the show until the end of the books. This is what I'll be doing.  Waiting.
Save the HBO series for later.  It will wait.   I know the book(s) will be exponentially better than the show.

I have 100% faith in GRRM to complete the series.  Which is why i believe this is taking so long.
He's going to do something like a full handed canasta drop ... imo 

 

[apovsic]

I stopped watching the series in the middle of 6th season. However it was because it could potentially the books for me, but because it sucked all of the enjoyment of watching it from me ...

[Walda]

I stopped watching after season 5 (had already read a lot of the spoilers), in the hope of not spoiling TWoW when it comes out. However, thanks to being obliged to associate with other people in real life and not able to spend my whole time on the book forums here, I've heard some dreadful spoilers for the show now, too.

I noticed the reduction in plot development and the increase in time travel in the show before I stopped watching - but I blame a lot of that on GRRM. The outline he gave them was evidently not very detailed, or, if it was, not very practicable. D&D have only ever been permitted to rent his characters, and they have had to devise ways to accommodate the exigencies of a show that will be delivered before the end of the decade, do so with wit and aplomb and a very nice discernment of both the character and the actors (they make every actor look like the next Oliver - but I notice that, Stephen Dillane excepted, they don't necessarily act so magnificently in whatever comparatively cheap and nasty production they fit in to the Thrones off-season). GRRM seems to have done very little to help the show runners get from the books to the sketch of the end he has authorised them to write. Little enough in the first four seasons, and less since.

Of course, I would rather he spent his time making TWoW the best book he can, rather than writing for the show at all. But selfish desires aside, it would be nice, be fitting, if he wrote one episode of the final series of the show. I mean, the show is a huge success for him as much as anyone. It has been the engine that got A Game of Thrones back on the best-seller list twenty years after it was released, that made every book in the Song a best-seller, that made him a household name. His show writing (and that of the real show-runners) is still the aspect of his art that the public know best. Much as I hate the idea of him doing anything that would slow down the release of TWoW, it would be great for him to 'take a bow' so to speak, before the show was done.

Knowing and owning his characters as he does gives him the gift for the best-turned phrase, the most nuanced symbol, the least expected and most authentic dialogue, that writers who are only borrowing them from him can't match.  He doesn't have the agents of the actors of major characters re-negotiating their fees to millions per episode, or the real difficulties of introducing more parts of the world he has written, requiring more locations, more crews, more armies of extras to be sworn to secrecy, etc etc.

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that the least popular show-choices (for example, ones that involve the rape or fridging female characters) were in fact his idea. I like D&D's strong female characters, but if they have a fault it would be making safely predictable plotting and dialogue choices.  It is GRRM who kills our darlings and writes books we throw across the room in disgust.

It is D&D who keep meeting the ridiculously high expectations of the viewing public and TV executives.  I notice that, while the viewing audience seemed to have plateaued in season five and six, the show has surged in season seven, without the eyeballs and approval of book connoisseurs like us. That tells me D&D are definitely doing the very ambitious, damned if you do/damned if you don't job they signed up for in an extremely satisfactory way.

I'm guessing/hoping that TWoW is going to be released about the same time as the last season premiers, so I'll get to see it. And I'm hoping the book will be astonishingly but plausibly different to the show. I'm hoping GRRM makes radical author-choices like keeping Jon Snow dead as Ned, and having Stannis bear the full burden of being the King in the North, installing a now psychotic Rickon as the Dark Stark in Winterfell, and stoking up a mutiny in the Night's Watch by acknowledging Ser Denys Mallister as Lord Commander and denouncing and executing Bowen Marsh as a traitor to the realm, without recourse or regard for the Night's Watch's  interpretation of the doctrine of separation of powers. Or that all the dragons die, and Daenerys with them, thanks to some monumentally stupid and thuggish intrigue of the Ironborn. That a dark night falls that lasts a generation, and all the characters we know are dead by the end of the penultimate book.

There is no way a TV show could accommodate choices like these. It is rare that a novel dares to make choices like these (and rarer still, to carry them through successfully) but GRRM did that in at least two instalments of ASoIaF so far, and if his genius rests on one particular thing, that kind of fearless, unheard of, impossible, unpredictable choice would be it.

[kissdbyfire]

Forget for a second that we have books and show. W/ that in mind I'd say forget the show. Not because it will spoil anything, but rather because it's so goddamn awful on its own that it's simply not worth watching. There are loads of awesome TV shows and loads of awesome books to get one through the wait.