[Book Spoilers] Game of Thrones, an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire? Not any more.

[Harle The Handsome]

So, there's two different stages to the argument here:

A -They have changed certain characters

B - These changes are always or mostly bad

No, stage B is that the changes are almost never as good or better than the original. The only counterexample I can think of where a change actually better fit TV was altering Tyrion's plan to save the city from using a chain to trap them in Blackwater Bay and fling wildfire from catapults to using a single ship on a kamikaze run through Stannis' fleet.

[Buckwheat]

I thought you didn't understand why this all happened at the HOTU rather than somewhere else. If so, my question is still why not? If they're gonna show us the visions they chose, why not there? It's not that I don't get the point of showing the prophecies.

Do you mean, why should they not have Quaithe or somebody else tell the prophecies?

Sure they can do it, but I do not think it would be so impressive ans memorable as it should be to make everyone remember them. HOTU is the moment when they can show everything magical without it looking weird or unrealistic or out of place because this is the house of the weird wizard and one expects weird things to happen in there. If some prophecies start showing on other places, it would look weird, and they have already toned down the magic surreal part of the story (warging, direwolf connections, only one shadow baby), so I assume there will not be any more prophecies. Maybe Quaithe can show somewhere and talk nonsense, but why would Dany even listen to her, as opposed to seeing things in HOTU.

[FrozenFire3]

Well. Off course their was disappointment on my side. Would totally nerd-out if I saw Rhaegar playing the harp, a bloody massacre at a feast and a man with a wolfshead in the middle and a burnt golden Viserys. That would be awsome, but would made no point to the TV-audience. They do not know Rhaegar, would be tipped very early on about RW etc. I am fine with the changes at HOTU, nothing of importance can't be added later by Quatihe, Arstan of other characters.

The only wrong thing about this season for my was Arya's story arc and the unrespectful demise of the Halfhand. The rest, love it. Best thing since Lost ended.

I would have totally loved to see Rhaegar too but since they never mentioned him too much, I think non-readers would have been like: "Hey who's this guy?" It would have been pretty confusing. But I was hoping for the other small details (blue rose etc.)... instead they decided to change the visions , and mind me they look beautiful, but were they not supposed to show Dany what she would be doing in the next books? Of course two book still aren't out, still...

[woweezowee]

No, stage B is that the changes are almost never as good or better than the original.

Okay, well I disagree with that assertion (I gave a couple of examples of what I take to be improvements in the post you quote). But if the issue is simply that you think the changed scenes/characters/plots are *not as good* as the originals (as opposed to outright bad), surely it's still possible to enjoy the show?

[Aapo]

D &D appear to be under the delusion that they are better writers than GRRM. There are so many brilliant layers and nuances in the books that have been scrubbed from the series, and for what? Roz' titties, sexposition, and scenes that give the impression that D & D probably read no more than the Cliff Notes versions of the books.

After latest episode huge amount of harsh words against David and Dan so I would like to hear for once why D&D would think they are better writers than GRRM.

We complain because we actually KNOW why these missing characters, scenes, lines and prophecies ARE IMPORTANT, and trying to eplain to people who never bothered to read the books why they are inportant is like trying to study Hamlet with someone who never read the play.

Maybe we think some of those scenes or lines are important. Maybe some of them have no impact what so ever at the end. Or maybe it is not impossible to adopt all those things with 10 episodes per season and perhaps people should denounce HBO effort and lack of support than will of D&D. Also we have different media and therefore budget limitations. I have enjoyed this far much like I enjoyed Lord of the Rings when they were released. So far I have seen similar character chances like Peter did with Aragorn (in which case they in fact improved work of a great writer (Tolkien) in some cases) or case-Glorfindel.

To clarify my opinion I would LOVE to see all flashbacks, dreams, characters and perfect lines 1:1 from the books but I try to understand how hard it can be to produce show like this. And I might be easy guy to satisfy ..

[SerMixalot]

SNIP. The Arya character is certainly less dark at this point, but is still an interesting, well acted character with some great dialogue, loved by most viewers, so I don't see why the undoubted change is a problem. Same with Brienne. There are other character changes which are more ill-advised, but I think they've improved some and made some worse - works out more or less even.

Arya interesting????

Please! If I see another tv or movie pre teen who is wiser than her years, talks smack with the best of them can match wits with the Tywin's of the world I will scream. Much of the love for tv arya comes from knowing what she will become. book arya in ACOK and ASOS goes from one crappy situation to worse crappy situation and is always forced to be a powerless nothing person. Book arya pretends to be a boy, wanders starving in the woods, is a mouse, a sheep. When she interacts with Lord Bolton, she keeps her mouth SHUT. That is interesting. and it is critical to her development as a FM, she learns humility and blending in the shadows.

TV arya could be from any number of Disney or Nickelodean tv shows or a Pinkett-Smith movie where the overly mature preteen rules all around them. Sorry that is simply way to common for me to find interesting.

Which leads to the question of why JH would believe she could be a FM. Cause she has a dark side and can live in the shadows? Cause she is spunky and has a wish-kill list?