Book Spoilers: The Brave Companions?

[aFeastForDragons]

Since they didn't appear in Season 2 I take it Vargo Hoat and the Brave companions have been cut?

I know Rorge and Biter were seen in Harrenhall working with the Lanisters so maybe they will take up Vargo's storyline and also be the ones to mutilate a certain character.

Also what will happen in Harrenhall. Do you think they will just skip it changing hands and then being retaken?

[Blue Winter Roses]

Ah I hope the Bloody Mummers make an appearance in season 3. I had thought that Vargo would have to appear in the next season, but now that you mention it, Rorge and Biter could take over his role. The Bloody Mummers haven't even been mentioned yet, so they might just be left out. I didn't see any pics of the Goat in the stills of Meera, Jojen, Mance etc from season 3 either, so I guess they have been cut - such an insane character would have made an appearance. Pity, though. I think the Goat is well creepy.

[King Tommen]

Noah Taylor (who is suitably creepy) has been cast in S3 as a character named "Locke". By all accounts, he will be taking the Vargo Hoat role. In a couple shots from the S3 production videos, he seems to be riding around with some kind of posse which would probably be the group doubling for the Brave Companions on the show. Qyburn has been cast so we know he's part of the group. Rorge and Biter may or may not be part of the crew too although they have not been linked in any of the footage as of yet.

Locke is riding under the Bolton sigil in the footage so he will be linked to Roose more directly on the show. We know that things like Jaime losing his hand and the Bear Pit scene are in S3 so I think all the same story beats will be hit.

What I don't think will be in S3 are any scenes at Harrenhal. First off, there has been no hint of any scenes there in any of the footage shown so far. There was no Weasel Soup, Arya is gone and at the end of S2, the Mountain was running things there. It would take a lot of twisting of the story to get Roose there and there doesn't seem to be much point now in doing this. My guess is that Jaime and Brienne will still be captured by Locke and his gang just as in the books. They'll cut off his hand and then I would imagine they would meet up with Roose at some undisclosed location (the ever popular "encampment in the countryside" probably) and all the same interactions with Jaime, Brienne and Roose will take place there.

[The Chequered Raven]

Unfortunately, I have to say "yes, it seems that it will go this way..."

I believe we have to say good bye to epic lines like "Kingthlayer, you are my capthife!"

[Paladinmesser]

I'm quite interested in how they are going to work out how to fit in Jamie's character changing event. The brave companions, or their stand in, working for Roose to hunt down Jamie works I guess.

However if Roose is up with Rob still, I doubt Rob would condone employing the "companions" in the first place or approve of what they do to Jamie.

Another thing I'm wondering about is if they're going to keep Roose's involvement in the RW. It won't make much sense if he's still up with Rob. It worked in the books because he was cut off and had a very depleted force. He could see defeat as a high probability and didn't want to die for a lost cause.

[King Tommen]

I think Locke's group will be presented as more of a renegade "outlaw" group under Roose's command, doing there own thing who he could publicly reprimand (as he does in the books) when he finds out what they do to Jaime. I think you're going to see very similar interactions between all the parties involved, just not in the same setting.

I think Roose and Robb will be in close proximity for the majority of this season (excluding perhaps his excursion to meet up with his men and Jaime/Brienne). It's going to be clear that Roose is Robb's right hand and he'll be right there to betray him when the time comes. More dramatic that way.

[freetickles]

I believe we have to say good bye to epic lines like "Kingthlayer, you are my capthife!"

I'm not sure it's confirmed that Locke doesn't have a lisp, but I think it'd take a great actor to pull of a lisp and not have it come across as hokey. Might be better to play it safe and avoid it.

[King Tommen]

I would imagine that the producers would attempt (just as they did with the purple contacts for the Targaryen siblings prior to S1) to duplicate this characteristic, quickly discover it didn't work on screen and move on.

[The Dragon has three heads]

The bear pit is in though, but undisclosed country side encampment with a bear will probably serve haha

[Lannister Hamster]

Just because we haven't seen the stills doesn't mean it doesn't happen.

Off screen battle to capture Harrenhall makes a lot of sense to me.

Building Roose up through interacting with Jaime and Brienne also makes sense.

[King Tommen]

You can build Roose up through interacting with Jaime and Brienne without them being at Harrenhal. Book readers have it in their head that Harenhal needs to be in this season for all these things to occur but the setting is not important. Same thing goes for the Bear pit. The pit itself is important, where it's located is not.

The whole reason that we didn't go through the "Weasel Soup", the Brave Companions betrayal and had Arya get out of Harenhal with Jaqen's help without ever being a cupbearer for Roose is because they didn't want to confuse that part of the story which is really needlessly complicated. Harenhal changes hands to a Monty Python number of people in the books. It borders on ridiculous.

In the show's continuity, the Mountain now controls Harenahal so any battle on or off screen implies that he loses the battle which is probably not what the show would like to have stuck in the audience's head. The cruel, unstoppable henchman is defeated and running away.

In fact, I doubt that the Mountain is even in this season at all and will be brought in solely in S4 for his big duel.

We've seen an awful lot of footage so far in the behind the scenes videos and everything with Jaime. Brienne and Locke is happening out in the woods. I get that it doesn't prove anything as they still could have scenes at Harenhal regardless but there has not even been a hint of it being involved this season when I remember it being all over the S2 behind the scenes footage. So I'd lean towards it not being a part of the story this year.

[Brienne Of Bombay]

I thought I'd read on wikipedia that Vargo Hoat is going to be cast..

[King Tommen]

Reading about something at Wikipedia and taking it as an authority was probably your first mistake.

No Vargo Hoat, it's "Locke".

Here's a picture of him (he's the one in the middle): http://images6.fanpo...12-1280-720.jpg

If you look closely in that picture, you can also see Jaime and Brienne who look to be in the process of being captured.

[Paladinmesser]

I think Locke's group will be presented as more of a renegade "outlaw" group under Roose's command, doing there own thing who he could publicly reprimand (as he does in the books) when he finds out what they do to Jaime. I think you're going to see very similar interactions between all the parties involved, just not in the same setting.

I think Roose and Robb will be in close proximity for the majority of this season (excluding perhaps his excursion to meet up with his men and Jaime/Brienne). It's going to be clear that Roose is Robb's right hand and he'll be right there to betray him when the time comes. More dramatic that way.

I can see how most of that would work for the show, but why would Roose betray Robb? The Freys leaving might have an impact on how he sees Robb's chances of winning. But if he's with Robb and the rest of his army i dont see him coming to the same conclusion as in the book. Especially when Edmure is going to marry a Frey to make up for it. IIRC Arya and Bran were promised to the Frey's as well.

I also think it would be hard for him to write to Tywin to set up the RW from Robb's camp.

Correct me if I'm wrong but Robb didn't kill Rickard Karstark in the show either did he? So they haven't left to weaken Robb's army further.

Wait I just had a thought, as I was writing this, maybe Locke's party could be working for Rickard instead of Roose and that's why they cut Jamie's hand off. It would give Robb a reason to execute him since I don't believe Tion or Willem are in the show for him to kill.

[Queen of Whores]

I'm pretty sure Robb will execute Karstark in season 3 at Riverrun. In a couple of behind the scenes videos Robb is seen asking Karstark about his loyalty, and holding a sword in the rain in another scene.

[freetickles]

I can see how most of that would work for the show, but why would Roose betray Robb? The Freys leaving might have an impact on how he sees Robb's chances of winning. But if he's with Robb and the rest of his army i dont see him coming to the same conclusion as in the book. Especially when Edmure is going to marry a Frey to make up for it. IIRC Arya and Bran were promised to the Frey's as well.

I also think it would be hard for him to write to Tywin to set up the RW from Robb's camp.

They've already begun planting the seeds for Roose's betrayal of Robb - his facial expressions and body language make it pretty clear he doesn't approve of Talisa, so even the marriage could put him over the edge. They could also tell the story of him choosing Fat Walda for the dowry to show his thoughts on the purposes of marriage. He'll also have found out that Bran is (supposedly) dead from Ramsay.

That said, I think Roose will split off from Robb and will run into Locke's group with Jaime and Brienne, regardless of whether it's at Harrenhal or somewhere else.

[Trident full of Dogs]

That is so sad.

I was looking forward to the zebras.

[Larry of the Lawn]

Vargo Hoat's a better name anyway... unless the big reveal is that this guy couldn't walk till he landed in Westeros?