Cogman Talks Inside Game of Thrones, S3

[Westeros]

Some good interviews have appeared in the last week related to Inside HBO’s Game of Thrones (of which the Collector’s Edition, with the storyboard book, can now be ordered via Amazon US and Amazon UK) , which provide insight not only into the book, but perhaps a bit of insight into the third season of the series. read on >>>

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[Le Cygne]

“Season Two, we became a little more confident in letting the story take shape for television, as opposed to just transcribing from the book and putting it on screen... Taking a little more risk with the storylines, introducing storylines for characters that didn’t exist before."...

As for Season Three? “I think we’re trying every year to push the boundaries of what we’re able to do in the medium of TV,” said Cogman...

Bringing it together a bit, Cogman noted that Season Three is a “healthy mix” between scenes completely created for the show, and those taken directly from the book - continuing the trend started in Season Two.

So season 3 will have even more changes, that's what it sounds like.

[ebevan91]

Honestly I think some changes will be for the better.

I'm not sure how well recepted the Arya-Tywin scenes were from season 2, but I liked them, anyway. There would've been way too many characters if they did it like the book.

[PatrickStormborn]

So season 3 will have even more changes, that's what it sounds like.

This is exactly what I feared would happen. They're going to re-arrange the material from ASoS and invent new stuff. Splitting the book in two may sound like a great idea on paper, but if you're a book purist I can assure you that you'll be even more disappointed than last season.

[Dumptruck]

I for one would love to see every aspect of ASOIF told, every holdfast explored, the story of Inns and brothels. I want to know Eddison Tollet- Dollorus Ed's backstory. As the Dunk and Egg prove so well, Westeros is one interesting place to be.

Changing the tale is painfully fantastic, while I would have liked to have seen Arya's tale told true, the changes worked for me.

[Padraig]

So season 3 will have even more changes, that's what it sounds like.

They have changed material in both seasons, so of course there is going to be more changes in S3.

At the same time, unlike aCoK, all the main characters in GoT have a lot

to do in even half aSoS, so they don't have the same problem as in S2.

The book purists will always gnash their teeth but I think we are ok otherwise.

Certainly splitting the book was good for the book purist, even if it still wouldn't be pure enough.

[Frumpus]

So season 3 will have even more changes, that's what it sounds like.

Why did people even expect otherwise?

They cannot fit the books into the tv series. They HAVE to change stuff. Later seasons are going to be virtually unrecognizable compared to the books.

[protar]

Why did people even expect otherwise?

They cannot fit the books into the tv series. They HAVE to change stuff. Later seasons are going to be virtually unrecognizable compared to the books.

Because the majority of the changes in S2, regardless of whether you liked them or not were not necessary. It would've been possible to have things much closer to the books and from this interview it sounds as though a lot of these changes were just things they thought were cool.

[Le Cygne]

Later seasons are going to be virtually unrecognizable compared to the books.

That could be a problem.

[Jolene Brown]

I do think that "transcribing from the book' quote is telling. People keep talking about changes as necessary because of the transfer to a new medium, but I think at least part of the time it's about just not finding it very exciting to stick to the original version and wanting to exercise some "creativity" of one's own. Unfortunately, a lot of the time, that hasn't worked out very well.

[protar]

Yeah especially as transcribing things from the books is what they should be doing imo. If they wanted to tell their own story why on earth did they pick up someone else's source material. Changes are going to be inevitable of course, but just change for the sake of change is simply not respecting the source material.

[Rhyella Targaryen]

Honestly I think some changes will be for the better.

I'm not sure how well recepted the Arya-Tywin scenes were from season 2, but I liked them, anyway. There would've been way too many characters if they did it like the book.

I agree totally with you. It is a series BASED in the ASoIaF, it is not the same. And the scenes of Tywin and Arya were of my favorites of those episodes.

[Le Cygne]

If they wanted to tell their own story why on earth did they pick up someone else's source material.

That's the part that bothers me, too. The other person's story was the draw.

[protar]

I agree totally with you. It is a series BASED in the ASoIaF, it is not the same. And the scenes of Tywin and Arya were of my favorites of those episodes.

The Tywin/Arya scenes were pretty enjoyable on the surface, but I feel they redid that a bit too much. We didn't need that many rehashes of the same thing. It also was used as a cheap substitute for Arya's character development and portrayed Tywin as far to friendly. For a passive audience it's great, but for an active audience? Not so much.

However there is a basis there for good invented scenes and there's much more than that in the Theon scenes. So if they do these things well i'm fine with it, but mostly they don't imo.

[rodrik Cassel]

Vengeance. Justice fire and blood...

[Raja]

Whilst I enjoyed the Arya/Tywin scenes , there was no closure to that arc they really served no purpose. Even though those two are really good at what they do , it ultimately din't matter. I'm not surprised by the changes , or the planned changes I should say. It bothers me on some level , but I still can't wait for it to come out.

[Padraig]

That's the part that bothers me, too. The other person's story was the draw.

It still is the draw. While changes have been made, the series is still very recognisably GRRM's world. D&D have voiced nothing but respect for the books.

Anyhow, I went to the talk in Galway with Bryan Cogman. I found it very interesting. Some mild spoilers will follow...

There were never going to be any huge revelations but it was interesting to hear Cogman talk in person and he interviewed very well, warm and personable. It amused me how the interviewer made a big deal of how Cogman drove all the way from Belfast and will return tomorrow. For an Irish person, sure that is a lot of driving but he probably thought it was just a quick spin down the road. :)

I'm not up to date on what is known and what is not known, so i'm just going to repeat the main things that caught my attention. He is writing E5 in S3. He confirmed once again that S3 will cover roughly half of aSoS (if there was any doubt in my mind about where the PW would fall, that's over. It has to be S4 although of course, he didn't say that). Sure he also pointed out that they are not keeping religiously to the timetable in the books. Things may be brought forward or delayed (like events in aCoK). (But a huge event like the PW could never be shifted IMO).

And yes, there was a bit of time spent on why changes are made to the books. We've heard most of them before. For example, Theon was more friendly with Robb in the TV series because the actors were closer in age. The budget is something they have to be very conscious of. Some changes were made because of time pressures. They have a very tight schedule and if some actors are unavailable for budget or time reasons, then they will do what they can with the actors that are there (I read before that Sandor lost a scene that way). The cast is huge (he said jokingly, when HBO looks at the huge cast, that they have to assure it that they have already cut a huge number of characters). Some changes are made because of the actors. Alfie Allen (who Cogman thinks is the star performer in S2, reasonably enough) was again used as an example of that. Just the way actors run with the material can lead to tweaks in how things are written. And some things just don't work well on screen. The director can have an impact too. We've heard before I think that it was the director that thought up the shifts in scenes where Tyrion talks marriage to Varys, LF and Pycelle.

He did mention that something in S1E02 will be explained in S3. I presume I know what that is. :) That was an example of how intricate things are. How, while they do make changes, that there are story beats from the books that they have to hit. He talked about how GRRM is involved, although not on a day-to-day basis but that he has made himself available if required. Cogman had nothing but praise for him and D&D. And he repeated how they all love aSoS.

Sexposition inevitably came up. Not much to add there. They showed clips from his episode in S2, so he talked about those scenes for a bit. Sam, Gilly and the thimble scene (he had to check did it make sense that such a society would have a thimble), the Tyrion marriage scene and the Alfie burning letter scene. They made me want to watch GoT again. :)

He mentioned that Doreah's chat with Viserys set up some of her actions later on. (That was interesting, since she came up in discussion here recently. She did indeed suggest she wanted to be more than what she is in that scene. Although, she didn't suggest she would be a betrayer though).

Beyond GoT. He said he will be writing a movie once S3 is finished. Congrats on that. An adaptation in a period setting, although he couldn't mention the name of the source material. Sounds interesting. He said it has taken a long time to come to fruition. He did talk a bit about his early work. His involvement in his first failed TV show. His happiness to ride the GoT wave for as long as he can. Although, long term, he'd love to do the kind of thing that D&D are doing.

He mentioned that Vanessa Taylor wrote Hope Springs. Now that's something completely different from GoT. It's got some very good review too. So congrats to her!

Overall then, a very interesting 2 hours. I hope he had a nice night in Galway afterwards. I saw him and his wife heading up Eyre Square later on.

He does seem to be stuck in Ireland, while D&D are having fun in Croatia. Ah well...at least he saw Galway. :P

[Werthead]

He did mention that something in S1E02 will be explained in S3. I presume I know what that is.

Jon's parentage will come back into focus, I'm assuming (S1E2 features the 'Wylla' discussion between Ned and Robert). Or possibly Nymeria's reappearance?

[HouseLark]

Jon's parentage will come back into focus, I'm assuming (S1E2 features the 'Wylla' discussion between Ned and Robert). Or possibly Nymeria's reappearance?

In the Chronicle Books interview he directly references the conversation between Ned and Jon in S01E02 ("we'll talk about your mother when I return").

Interesting to hear that there will be more 'added' scenes in Season 3. I would have thought ASOS provided a pretty comprehensive and exciting template for TV adaptation without the need to invent too much. The added scenes were of varying success in S2 and much as I enjoyed Arya-Tywin, like the person above, I found it disappointing that no effort was made to bookend that arc. Perhaps we'll see that in S3 when Tywin starts asking questions about how the younger Stark girl escaped KL.

I'll forgive a lot in S3 if only they get Jon's character and story back on track. I really do wonder if Cogman and the other writers really understand his arc at all.

[Ran]

They're not going to "explain" Jon's parentage in S3.

I assume Bryan meant that we're going to learn Joffrey sent the catspaw to kill Bran.