[BOOK SPOILERS] How will the TV series divide up book 4 and 5?

[aFeastForDragons]

No I think AFFC n ADWD will only be one season. The vast majority of that material was character introspection and description of places. The TV series naturally cannot do that; they won't make a season without any kind of conclusion.

+ 1

I really doubt they will end the series with Stannis still miles away from Winterfell and Yunkai still under a slow siege. ADWD does have some major twists at the end but for most of the POVS it just sort of cuts off without any sort of twist or closure.

I'm getting a little worried how George keeps leaking chapters and saying that its going to be a long time before the next book comes out.

A followup question: If Season 4 is going to be the remainder of Book 3 and some parts of books 4 and 5, what will Episode 9 and 10 have? What big early event of books 4 and 5 could the season end with?

Not much. Things get very political and off-screen. Sure we don't even know if half that stuff that happens off-screen in AFFC/ADWD is true e.g: Dragonstone, Hardhome etc

[Fat King Robert]

IIRC they were mixing books 4 and 5 (which makes sense), so I'd guess that's two more seasons. That leaves 2017 for TWOW which may or may not require two seasons, and 2018-19 for the finale, when the TV series will surely come before the actual book.

I wonder how they'll deal with Danny's arc - I can't really see the Mereenese arc stretched across three or more years and people still caring for it.

Bran might get extra scenes/adventures before reaching the cave, but it will come a point where certain characters simply don't do much.

Have they confirmed that they will launch the finale before the book? Seems odd to me but perhaps logical.

[Samsaptakas]

Hopefully they will not rush through Dany, Cersei, and Jon's 'learning to lead but failing arc' like in book, but instead devote as much time is needed. At least two season are required.

[cila]

About the necessity of the writing to "keep ahead" of the television program...

Has it been considered that it's not unusual for HBO series to take longer than usual breaks between seasons? The Sopranos, anyone?

[hardhome]

The story was originally going to have a 5 year gap but Martin scrapped that due to logistics and has been cramming the story into a shorter timeframe. I placed a question (perhaps poorly worded) in the questions for GRRM forum asking if this would be what theydo inthe show

[The Snowman]

Well this is what works in my head so let’s see how it goes

2011 Season 1 – A Game of Thrones

2012 Season 2 – A Clash of Kings + tidbits from ASOS

2013 Season 3 – A Storm of Swords

2014 Season 4 – A Storm of Swords + Feast/Dance stuff

2015 Season 5 – A Feast For Crows/ A Dance With Dragons

2016 Season 6 – A Dance With Dragons + either Battle of Ice or Fire or both to finish the season

Just going to say that if the show is renewed after this it will make it to the end. Feast/Dance is a big obstacle but with clever alignment of events and necessary cutting/trimming of storylinesI see no reason why GoT can’t get past the speedbump that is likely season 5 and into the tension of the 2^nd half of Dance.

Also I would assume if the Slaver’s Bay scene is dragging its ass through the dirt in boredom, then perhaps something like Dany fighting off a small Khalasar or something. Just something plausible to keep her there under pressure while still helping her along her learning to lead gig. I actually believe Jon’s assassination will come earlier than expected to speed up and draw attention back to the Wall.

2017 Season 7 – The Winds of Winter

2018 Season 8 – The Winds of Winter + some bits from A Dream of Spring

2019 Season 9 – A Dream of Spring

2020 Season 10 – Any other material from A Dream of Spring

Ironically George Martin didn’t have the 5 year gap he had originally envisioned. However as time goes on we as the audience will essentially get a greater sense of the characters because they are more grown up than they are in the books. Jon and Dany will get a very substantial ‘Learning to Lead’ arc and being older they will essentially look more the part.

Anyway that’s my take on all of this. The story from Storm/Feast/Dance will likely flow a lot smoother than in the books and perhaps take up 35-40 episodes to cover it all.

Perhaps a good little exercise would be to look at what could be trimmed and what has to be cut along with possibly embellishing and fattening the storylines of a few others to make them more prevalent in the overall story than they are in the books.

[Ser Luke.]

This would be the best way to do it IMO

2011-Game of Thrones

2012-Clash of Kings

2013-Storm of Swords

2014-Storm of Swords-Feast for Crows-Dance with Dragons

2015-Feast for Crows-Dance with Dragons

2016-Winds of Winter-Dance With Dragons

2017-Dream of Spring

2018-Dream of Spring

AFFC and ADWD could easily be combined into one season as long as at least 10% of those books are covered in Season 4. Season 6 could cover Winds of Winter and tie up any loose ends Season 5 didn't have time for in ADWD. ADOS is probably going to be a huge book, so that'll probably need two seasons with a little bit of Winds of Winter in Season 7. This works out to 8 seasons total. It's POSSIBLE they might do 9 seasons for the show, but still, I can't remember an HBO show ever lasting nine seasons. I think 8 is the absolute limit, and if so, this would be the way to go.

[Selyxi]

I read before that they are recombining the storylines of AFFC and ADWD for the show. That makes sense. I assume they will do it in two seasons, but I also think they will be starting some of the storylines from those two books at the end of season 4 of the show. If they tell as much of the story of ASOS as they seem to be in this season, I feel like they won't be able to get through a whole other season without dipping into AFFC and ADWD at least a little, unless they stretch some sequences out (also likely).

[andrew_]

I'm guessing book 4 and 5 will happen like this:

Season 5= First half of book 4 and first half of book 5

Season 6= Second half of book 4 and second half of book 5

[The Snowman]

I'm guessing book 4 and 5 will happen like this:

Season 5= First half of book 4 and first half of book 5

Season 6= Second half of book 4 and second half of book 5

A Dance with Dragons surpasses the events of Feast for Crow at around page 700 I believe, so that wouldn't work

[Sun]

The two books will be done simultaneously where they run concurrent. Both books along with the latter part of ADWD taking up anywhere between 13 and 16 episodes depending on pace, and what they decide to keep or forgo from the narrative - there's a good breakdown of story lines somewhere on the net, but I can't find it right now.

I expect to see scenes from TWOW on screen towards the end of the 6th season.

[Son of a Harpy]

The way I see it, it would be great if Winds is published early 2016, just before the sixth and final season. D&D wrap up the at their series at the end with at Dragons with the necessary plot conclusions the newly released Winds of Winter offer.

One thing I think the show can do to 'speed' things up, is not feature Aegon. Just scrap him and finish the show with Dany en route to Westeros.

[Harald Hard-Ruler]

Well if as people suspect the RW happens in episode 9 this season that means we will probably end this season at about chapter 54 or 55 (the aftermath of the RW). That leaves only 27 chapter of ASOS left over for season 4.

That means they can probably end the events of SOS by the midway point of season 4.

Season 4:

First 3 eps

Joffrey's wedding

The duel at the trial

Stannis arrives in the North to turn the tide of battle

Arya and the Hound's travels, eventually bringing them to the Inn

Dany sets her sights on Mereen

Buildup to the Kingsmoot

Sansa escapes

Bran begins his journey with Cold Hands as his guide

Next 4 eps

Tyrion escapes, fires a crossbow, heads to Essos and meets the Griffins

Brienne leaves Kings Landing with Oathbreaker and begins her borring quest

Kingsmoot and the resulting attack on the Reach

Elections at the Wall

Cersei grows increasingly paranoid, funeral of Tywin and falling out with Jaime

Arianne and Dorne introduced

Arya heads to Essos and makes it into the FM

Siege of Mereen continues

Sansa at the Eyrie

Last 3 eps

Tyrion on the journey with the Griffins, season ends with him being captured at a brothel

Jon as LC of the NW sends Samwell, Aegon and the baby to Oldtown. Season ends with him executing Janos Slynt.

Season ends for Sam with him fighting Daeron and bartering for a trip on the Cinnamon Wind.

Arya later kills Daeron and is punished for it by the Kindly Old Man

Littlefinger pushes someone out the Moon Door

Bran and co are attacked by Wights

Victarion leads the invasion of the Shields, season ends with him being sent to Essos

Arianne's plan unravelled, season ends with her father saying "Fire and Blood"

Dany wins Mereen, decides to stay and rule

Brienne eventually kills some people (the show equivalents of the Bloody Mummers)

Cersei frames Margary and allows the revival of the Faith Militant

Last scene of the season ends with the UnCat reveal as she hangs a Frey.

Everything else from AFFC and ADWD would fit nicely into most of season 5.

[Ser Wun Wun]

They will have to use TWOW stuff as early as S6 imo. Dany's stint as ruler of Meereen just cannot be stretched out for 2 seasons, that would be horrible. She needs to go with Drogon to the Dothraki sea by the end of S5. S6 can then be used to finish off the battle for Meereen (TWOW stuff), and end with her at least on the way to Westeros. That also means Tyrion needs to be in Meereen by the end of S5 and Vic needs to be able to show up by the beginning of S6 (the whole kingsmoot and Euron raiding the Reach needs to be done in S5 then). The whole Meereen plot arc absolutley needs TWOW material by S6, it would just be so incredibly boring without it.

Adapting this stuff seems like it is going to be a freaking nightmare for the showrunners. Book purists are gonna go crazy when they see all the (necessary) cuts and streamlined plot arcs. GRRM probably won't be too happy either since he said he thought they could get 3 seasons out of just AFFC/ADWD....which is fucking insane. I cringe at the thought of how much filler they would have to make up in order to do that. GRRM pushed all the really interesting stuff that should have ended ADWD back into TWOW; they have no choice but to dip into it imo.

So I see it going like this:

2015: AFFC/ADWD

2016: TWOW (what's left of ADWD/AFFC)

2017: TWOW (the rest of it)

That's 7 seasons....already more than the Sopranos had. After that it gets foggy. Is ADOS really going to be the last book? If it is as epic a conclusion as we should expect, then it would need 2 seasons to cover, taking us to 9 seasons. 9 seasons seems like the max, as I think 10 seaons may be pushing it (but I can dream).

[Frank White]

Q&A: 'Game of Thrones' Insider Bryan Cogman on the Biggest Season Yet

And it should be noted: We're taking the approach, from now on, that this TV series is one big adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, so elements from any of the books could show up in any given season, if that's what is required.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Will GAME OF THRONES overtake the novels?

[Despot]

My guess, only 5 seasons for everything that is published up to now, with some parts of the story in season 6. I would explain why I think that, but I don't know how to do that "spoiler" thingy :(

In short, concentrate on Bran, Jaime or Stannis's story line, and try to imagine seasons 4, 5, and 6 with that. It simply doesn't sound right. Five seasons will be enough, with some parts of the "Feast" and "Dance" in seasons 3, 4, and 6.

There are other reasons as well, as budget, age of actors, and so on.

If I'm right, GRRM is in really difficult position, because he doesn't have much time if he wants to publish both books before the series takes over. It's fine with me, but I guess he wouldn't be thrilled with that pace of events.

I want to apologize for grammar and other mistakes; I'm not a native speaker. Sorry.

[Ordos]

With season now 4 confirmed, I'm sure after season 3 has aired we will quickly get more information about the future of the series.

[Senor Drogo]

See how old everyones getting, im referring to the Stark kids, its gonna be pretty weird cause come 2016+ most of them are gonna be waay taller, and you're not really gonna be able to pull it off. I think thats the major problem. You've got Sansa who's like 13 in the books and then on the tv show she looks like she's 25,

[cade]

Based on D & D ruling out ten seasons and most often projecting a run of eight seasons, I think they will be almost completely done with books 4 & 5 after season 5. Wouldn't even be surprised if they move one of the early battles from TWOW to the end of season 5.

[King of Winters]

2014- 2nd half of ASOS

2015- merge AFFC and ADWD (minus ADWD: After the Feast) 1st half of the merger

2016- 2nd half of the merger

2017- ADWD: After the Feast

2018- TWOW