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(Book Spoilers) The Hound


Molamola790

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I guess just a general comment about the Hound, he's probably my favorite character in the books...is anyone else disapointed on how little they are using him?

He does not have much page-time early in the novel, tho they sure missed some key dialog in the Sansa punishment scene.

Rory will get plenty of screen time later this season, in fact one of the most poignant scenes in the whole of SoIaF happens.

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He doesn't have as big a role as Tyrion or some other characters, but I agree with you. A substantial portion of his lines have already been cut. In the books, the Hound also escorts Sansa to the scene we saw in Sunday night's episode. She picks up on his body language and tension and asks why Joff is asking for her. This interaction really adds to the tension and worry of what is to come next. One of the conversations he has with her, filled with some of his best lines, has also apparently been dropped.

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Neither the Hound or Sansa's characters have been given much screen time at all. I think Ros has had more screen time than Sansa, Stannis or Dany at this point. It might come later in the season though.

I'm enough of a nerd to time the lengths of some scenes, you are absolutely correct. Sansa is another character that I've been pretty upset over.

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He doesn't have as big a role as Tyrion or some other characters, but I agree with you. A substantial portion of his lines have already been cut. In the books, the Hound also escorts Sansa to the scene we saw in Sunday night's episode. She picks up on his body language and tension and asks why Joff is asking for her. This interaction really adds to the tension and worry of what is to come next. One of the conversations he has with her, filled with some of his best lines, has also apparently been dropped.

I know. It seems like an odd priority to add more random non-book scenes and to remove so much of the build up of the Sansa - Hound stuff that takes place in ACOK. It will make the Battle of the Blackwater stuff seem like it will come straight out of left field. It also means we won't really get any insight into the Hound'sm character and so far we've seen almost nothing about his constant rage or his implacable hatred for his brother either.

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I know. It seems like an odd priority to add more random non-book scenes and to remove so much of the build up of the Sansa - Hound stuff that takes place in ACOK. It will make the Battle of the Blackwater stuff seem like it will come straight out of left field. It also means we won't really get any insight into the Hound'sm character and so far we've seen almost nothing about his constant rage or his implacable hatred for his brother either.

Agree. Out of all the more significant characters in the book, he has been gutted the most. I have friends IRL who have only seen the show and don't understand why I love him so much. He's not The Hound, he's Joff's sad little puppy dog.

As for the interactions between him and Sansa, I've been incredibly disapointed. I'm a SanSan fan so that is part of it but they have really gutted this as well. I believe that Sunday's episode will be used to develop their relationship further. However, much of the complexity will be gone. Sandor will react to Joffrey's sadism and will feel a need to protect her further. In other words, he'll be protecting the poor little kid from the big bad school yard bully.

From what we have seen so far, none of his future story arc will make any sense.

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Agree. Out of all the more significant characters in the book, he has been gutted the most. I have friends IRL who have only seen the show and don't understand why I love him so much. He's not The Hound, he's Joff's sad little puppy dog.

As for the interactions between him and Sansa, I've been incredibly disapointed. I'm a SanSan fan so that is part of it but they have really gutted this as well. I believe that Sunday's episode will be used to develop their relationship further. However, much of the complexity will be gone. Sandor will react to Joffrey's sadism and will feel a need to protect her further. In other words, he'll be protecting the poor little kid from the big bad school yard bully.

From what we have seen so far, none of his future story arc will make any sense.

Well, I guess it could be possible to "save" some exposition for when he's travelling with Arya? But that would make the drama and the "inexplicability" of his behaviour and the conflicting parts of his character you know, less interesting. But I guess what with TV and all, something needs to be cut, and perhaps his elevation to fan favourite was unintentional? I think a lot of people are pretty good at picking up subtleties in the books and weren't fooled by him being introduced as a villain though. Same as most people seem to think better thoughts of Jaime Lannister of ASOS than Jaime Lannister of AGOT (and Stannis as of ADWD too, in many ways).

On the other hand, him being more submissive to Joffrey hammers home that he actually did not have any authority to act like he did in ACOK with regards to Sansa. He really is just Joffrey's dog and can't do anything about Joffrey being the little arse he is. Lying to save Sansa's posterior twice and attempting to interrupt the beatings were actually him "failing" at his job, so to speak.

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@Lyanna & kittykatknits -- Agree with everything that you've mentioned here. Their character dymanics have really disappointed me in the TV series. In the books, much of Sandor's interactions (or interventions on her behalf) with Sansa are sort of subtle, so maybe producers thought they might have a problem conveying that to screen(?) :dunno:

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Given that the writers have shifted much of Cersei's cunning and evilness to Joffrey in the show (imo) and given Joffrey more confidence in his position as king, having the Hound opening defy him in any manner in public and Joff not freaking out on him and punishing him would not fit with the way things are being handled in the show.

That said, book Sandor's role, while important and wonderfully subtle, is still quite minor in relation to many of the other characters. He is there for Sansa's character growth and later for Arya's revenge and then "protection". He is a catalyst for the more major characters yet is not a major character himself.

Ros' space-taking could be much better allotted to other characters but I don't think the Hound would be the most practical application of the additional time. I actually think Sansa is being stiffed. We're missing out on her transformation from being hopeful and innocent passing to despair then resolution then hope (later) and then whatever she may become beyond Dance.

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@Lyanna & kittykatknits -- Agree with everything that you've mentioned here. Their character dymanics have really disappointed me in the TV series. In the books, much of Sandor's interactions (or interventions on her behalf) with Sansa are sort of subtle, so maybe producers thought they might have a problem conveying that to screen(?) :dunno:

Yes, maybe that's it, so it has to be made more...I dunno, obvious? Which is fine, I guess as long as it's there, or they'd just have to cut the BotBW scene as well. Maybe they'll use the beating scene as some sort of starting point, since Sandor seems to be looking away in disgust at Joffrey's actions. And where is Dontos? As he's already been "saved" he should be knocking around somewhere.

Also, Tyrion's reaction to Sansa, was that meant to foreshadow that he will agree to marry her rather quickly? It seemed oddly out of place. I know lots of people loved his comment, but I felt like a big questionmark.

Ros' space-taking could be much better allotted to other characters but I don't think the Hound would be the most practical application of the additional time. I actually think Sansa is being stiffed. We're missing out on her transformation from being hopeful and innocent passing to despair then resolution then hope (later) and then whatever she may become beyond Dance.

I agree, Sansa has very little screen time, but maybe that will change in the later episodes nearer tBotBW.

That said, book Sandor's role, while important and wonderfully subtle, is still quite minor in relation to many of the other characters. He is there for Sansa's character growth and later for Arya's revenge and then "protection". He is a catalyst for the more major characters yet is not a major character himself.

On this I disagree thought, since I think he is about as "minor" as Littlefinger, Jorah Mormont or perhaps Roose Bolton, i.e. not a POV character but definitely not a minor one. But, you know, YMMV.

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I know. It seems like an odd priority to add more random non-book scenes and to remove so much of the build up of the Sansa - Hound stuff that takes place in ACOK. It will make the Battle of the Blackwater stuff seem like it will come straight out of left field. It also means we won't really get any insight into the Hound'sm character and so far we've seen almost nothing about his constant rage or his implacable hatred for his brother either.

The entire battle will appear to come out of left field if they keep things going the way they have been. It's pretty bad right now. We're 40% of the way through the series and not a single peep about KL being under any sort of peril at all.

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ah sandor, how i've missed you in the show...

Kittykatknits the same thing has happened to me. my friends could'nt understand why i love him so much

his interactions with sansa are extinct. i hope we get at least one scene betwwen them before blackwater

and not only he has small screen time, but whenever he speaks , he acts like a concerned uncle of sansa who feels sad about the way she is treated! where is his hatred and his madness??

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The entire battle will appear to come out of left field if they keep things going the way they have been. It's pretty bad right now. We're 40% of the way through the series and not a single peep about KL being under any sort of peril at all.

Well, that makes sense since Stannis hasn't killed Renly yet, which should happen early in the next episode, and we can't have the BoTB take like 4 episodes either, as much as I love it. :)

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Yes, maybe that's it, so it has to be made more...I dunno, obvious? Which is fine, I guess as long as it's there, or they'd just have to cut the BotBW scene as well. Maybe they'll use the beating scene as some sort of starting point, since Sandor seems to be looking away in disgust at Joffrey's actions. And where is Dontos? As he's already been "saved" he should be knocking around somewhere.

They totally cut Dontos from that scene. I was gutted they left all those little bits out! They definitely added to the story, and fleshed out Sansa’s arc.

I agree, maybe they’ll use the beating scene as a “jumping on” point, but I cringe when I think of how they’ll probably wind up butchering Sansa and the Hound’s scene at the Battle of the Blackwater.

Also, Tyrion's reaction to Sansa, was that meant to foreshadow that he will agree to marry her rather quickly? It seemed oddly out of place. I know lots of people loved his comment, but I felt like a big questionmark.

Yeah, I’m not sure how I feel about that one. However, I agree it was a little strange.

Edit: spelling

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Well, that makes sense since Stannis hasn't killed Renly yet, which should happen early in the next episode, and we can't have the BoTB take like 4 episodes either, as much as I love it. :)

In the book there was a lot of paranoia within KL (especially from Cersei) by now and Tyrion was well into the development of his chain and the meetings with the pyromancers.

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I'm also worried that the Hound has had so little screen time. I'm afraid that when he has to play a bigger role, it won't work. Even a line or two or just a few seconds with Sansa might have made a huge difference. And as a Sandor/Sansa fan, I'm disappointed as well. I loved their scenes in the books.

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The other comment that I would have to make about the Hound's lines being cut this week is that it did allow Peter Dinkledge to shine again. In my opinion, it is more important for the television audience to realize that he is the power in King's Landing right now even more so than Joffery.

I love the Hound in the books as well, but there is only so much screen time in this series. I would rather that Tyrion's role be reinforced then Sandor's. It has already been established that he has Sansa's back in the first episode when he agrees that killing on a name day would bring bad luck,

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