Westeros Blog: GRRM Writes Episode 8

[TheEvilKing]

Hey Ran - in that case can you please delete this thread, or perhaps move it to the other forum? Cos at the moment we have a stickied thread imploring us not to post unmarked spoilers here.

Cheers.

I have a feeling GRRM's ep will have the meeting with Cersei and end with LF's pwning of Ned. I can see Ned's execution being like in the middle - 3/4 way through ep 9, rather than at the end, to make it a bit more unexpected. Or maybe right at the very start of ep 10.

[Ran]

EvilKing,

Fixed. Thanks.

Re: Cersei, that conversation takes place before Robert's brought into King's Landing, so I'm pretty sure that must be episode 7 material.

Here's the chapters that follow Ned seeing Robert on his death bed and getting Littlefinger to help him (or so he believes):

Jon: Jon, Sam, and others go to swear their vows at the weirwood grove, Ghost discovers the hand.

Eddard: Ned proclaims to most of the small council that he's been left Lord Protector immediately after Robert's death, gets summoned to the throne room, betrayed by Littlefinger and Slynt.

Arya: Arya and Syrio, Arya escapes.

Sansa: Brought before the small council, pleas for her father and his household, agrees to write letters.

Jon: Wight bodies brought into Winterfell, Jon attacks Thorne and is placed under arrest, (the wight attack -- this could be left for the next episode, it seems to me, so we pick up with Jon in the cell in episode 9).

I think all of the above are certain to be in George's episode. And some others:

Bran: Gathering of forces at Winterfell, introduction of most of the bannermen.

I think this may possibly be glossed over at the end, especially if they're going to reduce the importance of tertiary characters (and thus the pay level and screen time of requisite actors). In fact, the most important thing to come out of it is probably Osha's warning to Bran that Robb should be marching north, not south. The thing that makes me sad is that I keep thinking we're going to lose Robb's moment winning over the Greatjon... OTOH, you know, not a lot of opportunities to see Robb, so maybe they'll figure some way out to fit this all in. How much screen time would actually be needed for this Bran chapter? Hrm...

Dany: Markets, attack on Dany, Drogo's oath. Given the tight nature of the primary events this episode covers, I'm wondering if they don't move this to the previous episode. I think that may be more economical especially as, IIRC, it was speculated that Viserys's death would be in episode six.

Catelyn: Arrival at Moat Cailin and joining Robb and co. Pretty sure this, plus the Freys and perhaps (at the end) the Green Fork, is for episode 9.

Tyrion: Joins his father's army with the clansmen... Yeah, this is definitely episode 9 material. Which makes me think that we're not going to have GRRM write Tyrion at all, this season. Boo. Unless we visit him and Bronn on the High Road, get the story of Tysha, and introduce the clansmen? That's before Robert's death in the novel, of course, but no real reason why they can't fit it into the time frame of this episode.

Sansa: Throne room, humilation of Barristan Selmy and raising up of the Hound to the Kingsguard, Joffrey promising mercy if Eddard confesses.

Eddard: Conversation with Varys, Eddard's memory of the tourney at Harrenhal. Maybe they could actually fit this into George's episode? I don't know really. I think, certainly, it'd give Ned more of a presence in this episode. Then again, they could just provide a new scene immediately following Littlefinger's betrayal, as he's taken into the cell? Cersei gloating or something.

[Maltaran]

could be that we'll have the bannermen be little more than extras (except, I guess, for Roose and maybe the Greatjon).

They'll need to build Karstark up somewhat before he gets executed in season 3, but I guess most of that can be done in season 2. IIRC, there's only one important scene for him in GoT, which is when he demands Jaime be killed after killing Karstark's sons at the Whispering Wood.

[Ran]

Good point. They can build him up a bit if we do get a quick look at Winterfell, but I suspect most of the build up will be for season 2.

[Ran]

Trebla provided some additional info: Dany, the Dothraki, and the Lhazreen are in this episode, as well as the discovery of the bodies of Othor and Jafer Flowers in the weirwood grove beyond the Wall.

It certainly seems to confirm my thought that the attempt on Dany's life will be shifted to take place before GRRM's episode (episode 8), even though in the books the chapter comes after the coup in King's Landing. Still leaves one wondering about what we're going to see in Winterfell as Robb musters the troops, though.

GRRM wasn't willing to pin down exactly where his script ended, which could have been helpful. Still seems to me as if he may not be writing any Tyrion scenes this time around. We'll just have to hope for season 2. ;)

[TheEvilKing]

Don't forget, there'll probably be stuff that happens in this chapter that didn't happen in the books. What was Jaime up to at this point?

[The hairy bear]

Jaime was besieging Riverrun. Besides Marq Piper's attack against his outriders, it's a quiet siege. I don't think we'll see him in Episode 8.

I for one, welcome the decision of not having George writing Tyrion in the sense that he is just perfectly written in the books, so any writer should have little problem transcribing his conversations to the screen.

I prefer George writing scenes that pose greater difficulties, either because they don't appear in the books, or because the book present them as character thoughts instead of spoken dialog.

[Padraig]

Jaime was besieging Riverrun. Besides Marq Piper's attack against his outriders, it's a quiet siege. I don't think we'll see him in Episode 8.

They could easily throw in a quick 1 minute catch-up scene. Show him with the captured Edmure or something.

[Ser Greguh]

My guess is that GRRM just wanted the episode with the Tyrion/Shae sex scene.