Season 4: How much will be Iron Islands and Dorne?

[JonDunn]

Areo Hotah. Aerys Oakheart. Aeron Greyjoy. Quentyn Martell. You think they'll keep all of them?

:lmao:

[Oakenfist]

Areo Hotah. Aerys Oakheart. Aeron Greyjoy. Quentyn Martell. You think they'll keep all of them?

Yes, because they're POV characters. They can easily downgrade some of these characters but completely cutting them makes no sense.

The only guy on who I could see being cut is Oakheart and even then there will still be a Kingsguard knight with Myrcella in Dorne.

[ZeroTheCat]

I haven't read AFFC, but from my understanding, Arianne's plot doesn't unfold while Oberyn is at court in Kings Landing does it? If thats the case, I could see Arianne going with him and Ellaria, since she's heir. I can see them establishing her earlier on for story purposes with Dorne down the road.

[Prince of Dragonstone]

I don't see how they can completely cut the Iron Islands or Dorne from the story because the essential core plots of both are vital to the overall storyline. Plus, since Robb, Catelyn, Joffrey and Tywin will all be dead by the end of Season 4, they'll need to fill this gap with new characters. I think the most likely thing will be to condense certain characters.

Maybe there will be no Aeron Damphair. Maybe they'll cut most of the Sand Snakes out. But they have to keep the essential plots of both in. Euron must send Victarion to marry Dany. Arienne and Doran must plot to bring the Lannisters down. What would Season 5 entail if they don't include the Greyjoys or the Martells?

As much as I like Cersei, Brienne and Sansa, I don't think most viewers will stick around to watch a season of Cersei running mad through the Red Keep, Brienne aimlessly wandering around the Riverlands or Sansa playing wet nurse for Little Lord Robin.

[zeppelincheetah]

I don't see how they can completely cut the Iron Islands or Dorne from the story because the essential core plots of both are vital to the overall storyline. Plus, since Robb, Catelyn, Joffrey and Tywin will all be dead by the end of Season 4, they'll need to fill this gap with new characters. I think the most likely thing will be to condense certain characters.

Maybe there will be no Aeron Damphair. Maybe they'll cut most of the Sand Snakes out. But they have to keep the essential plots of both in. Euron must send Victarion to marry Dany. Arienne and Doran must plot to bring the Lannisters down. What would Season 5 entail if they don't include the Greyjoys or the Martells?

As much as I like Cersei, Brienne and Sansa, I don't think most viewers will stick around to watch a season of Cersei running mad through the Red Keep, Brienne aimlessly wandering around the Riverlands or Sansa playing wet nurse for Little Lord Robin.

It will include Tyrion, Arya, Dany and Jon as well. The show isn't based strictly book by book, it's based on the series as a whole. Season 4 will have the last of book 3 as well as the early parts of books 4 and 5. I think the series won't finish ADWD until season 7. If book 3 is two (well 1 and a half, it's not gonna be all of season 4) then AFFC + ADWD definitely won't be one, more likely it'll be 2 and a half (the half being season 4).

[Loras]

I think that Season 4 will include 'The Kingsmoot', Yara is being set up to be a major character in the show. She has a lot of interesting material in the books too. Euron will likely translate very well to TV.

I think that Dorne will be very similar to the way that it has already been represented in the books. Areo could be cut (Oakheart is much more important for Arianne's development). Dorne should appear in Season 5.

[Mendoza]

Asha (Yara whatever) appears in the Episode 10 preview. I suspect that will mean we'll hear about Balon's tumble off the bridge. That'll lead us to the Kingsmoot in Season 4.

It's going to annoy me if we don't get to see that bastard killed, but only hear about it after the fact.

[Javi Marcos]

Kingsmoot in, 100% sure. They already set up it with Yara/Asha appearance in Season 3 Finale). And I agree with it.

Dorne

What I think D&D will do: OUT of Season 4

What I would do: IN. Arianne travels to King's Landing with Oberyn, departs after Joffrey's death (it would confuse non-book readers), plots with Arys in Episode 4x06, departs with Myrcella in 4x07, Areo Hotah in 4x08 and Doran's Fire and Blood reveal in 4x10.

[Hiram McDrogon]

Kingsmoot in, 100% sure.

I have a question that will probably make me very unpopular: why is the Kingsmoot necessary? Balon dies, only remaining son missing and presumed dead, and the next oldest brother shows up. Bang, he's the heir. Since as TV viewers we don't yet know anything about the contending characters, and probably don't really care who wins, why not just jump straight to Euron being king and avoid introducing all the Iron Islands politicking?

Of course if the characters are more fleshed out before the Kingsmoot, then great, but for the overall story I'm not sure how much purpose the Viking straw poll really serves.

[protar]

I have a question that will probably make me very unpopular: why is the Kingsmoot necessary? Balon dies, only remaining son missing and presumed dead, and the next oldest brother shows up. Bang, he's the heir. Since as TV viewers we don't yet know anything about the contending characters, and probably don't really care who wins, why not just jump straight to Euron being king and avoid introducing all the Iron Islands politicking?

Of course if the characters are more fleshed out before the Kingsmoot, then great, but for the overall story I'm not sure how much purpose the Viking straw poll really serves.

Because it set's up the conflicts between Euron and the other Greyjoy brothers which look to be very important in TWOW. And technically Euron does straight up declare himself king to begin with. The Kingsmoot is the logical political fallout.

[Timotheus]

Quentyn was one of my favorite story lines in ADWD :(

[Warhawk137]

Dorne will be trimmed for sure, but a good number of characters are still going to show up.

[Tall Tyrion Lannister!]

depends on how much they want to include the AFFC stuff, certain things need to happen before Dorne is really introduced. while I think you can include the Iron Islands stuff when they do the later half of ASOS and not mess anything up.

[CrypticWeirwood]

Areo Hotah. Aerys Oakheart. Aeron Greyjoy. Quentyn Martell. You think they'll keep all of them?

They certainly won’t be keeping those names, that’s for sure. Alas, poor Asha, we hardly knew thee! At least poor Quinnikins will get to keep his name. But the rest are due for sure Yarification.

Even so, whether they’ll be keeping Akito Hotah, Roger Oakheart, and Nero Greyjoy, only time will tell.

[Ahri Adaran]

I doubt we'll see Dorne in Season 4, they'd have to set up a whole new location and bunch of actors that don't do anything until near the end of the season (after Oberyn dies). If Dorne is in then it'll wait for Season 5. Generally they wait to introduce new actors to the beginnings of seasons rather than the end.

As for the Iron Islands I think we'll see the Kingsmoot in a truncated form in Season 4, which I think would work well. Having the horn blown could work as a season 10 magic moment if they continue with having something magical finish out the season like (possibly) UnCat this time...

[UrgentMatter]

I think it's very important that we are introduced to new characters and locations in the show when in the presence of a familiar character. Therefore I think Arianne should feature in Season 4 because she will translate well to the screen, gives a bit more emotional weight to Oberyns death and allows the introduction of Dorne in a more natural way which the books lacked when we were just randomly thrown there (and hence cared very little).

I hope Quentyn gets chopped because his story is dull in the book and translates even worse onto the screen. Just explains the Aegon alliance by saying he is Doran nephew. Can still give the awesome Fire and Blood speech (perhaps leave it ambiguous which Taragaryen he is referring to initially ).

[Ser Luke.]

Just wanted to throw this out here.

Looking at the MUCH older threads on this board, before season 2 aired, people were debating whether or not Dragonstone and Harrenhal would be included. Everyone kept saying "well, they will need to start cutting down on storylines" and "I am 100% sure Stannis will remain offscreen"

Crazy, right?

Just goes to show sometimes you guys are a bit pessimistic. Yes, they will probably cut Areo from Dorne, just as they cut Patchface from Stannis' storyline. But they're not going to make any radical changes to the story. They've been incrediby loyal to the books so far, and they will try to remain as loyal as they can.

[~No One~]

Just wanted to throw this out here. Yes, they will probably cut Areo from Dorne, just as they cut Patchface from Stannis' storyline. But they're not going to make any radical changes to the story. They've been incrediby loyal to the books so far, and they will try to remain as loyal as they can.

This.

That said, I think most of the sand snakes will be gone. Maybe we'll see Sarella head off to the Citadel? That'd be cool.

I've heard they may substitute Arianne for Ellaria coming to KL with Oberyn. I think that would be a good change, so that when viewers meet the whole Martell clan in season 5, they'll have someone familiar to make them care about it. That would be my idea of a good change.

I do think they'll condense characters in this way:

Dorne - we'll see Doran and Areo, Arianne and Arys. Arys may just be the Kingsguard in the background without an active role. Dunno.

Iron Island - Vic, Euron, Asha/Yara. They can have a Kingsmoot between these 3, set up a nice lil conflict, and keep 'er simple.

My only doubt is whether or not Quentyn will make it into season 5. His storyline would be the easiest to cut, but then when Arianne is imprisoned then released by Doran, what does he confess is his plan? Will they delay this story until they hear of Aegon, so that Doran is releasing Arianne to go treat with Aegon? That would be a tidy way to condense that part of the story. They can have someone like Hizdar release the dragons in Mereen, as that's the only thing of note that Quentyn does.

[briantw]

If they include Dorne, I don't see why they wouldn't include Areo, as he's basically Doran's personal guard. That doesn't mean they need to hire a big-name actor to play the role, though. Area is basically just a named extra with half a dozen lines. He can be like the Kingsguard guy we always see whenever they need one of the Kingsguard guys to have a line or two. Not important, but recognizable and always in the background. Should be easy enough to find a cheap actor to pull that off.

Aeron I could definitely see being cut. Just have Yara call for the Kingsmoot instead and merge Aeron with Victarion a bit. Unless Aeron is going to turn out to be incredibly important (which doesn't appear to be the case, although D&D have access to info that we don't), there's really no reason to include him at all. He's a really annoying character and doesn't serve much of a purpose. Euron and Victarion, on the other hand, do seem important and I can't see either being cut.

[Lord Bored]

Ellartia's already being cast along with Oberyn, according to WinterIsComing, so there's not gonna be any substituting going on.

We'll definitely have the Kingsmoot next season (which excites the hell out of me, because I loved the Iron Islands subplot in FFC). Euron and Victarion will no doubt be included as separate characters (Tyrion flat-out referred to both of them in Season 1 for starters), and I'm pretty sure Aeron will be in as well, if only because Bryan Cogman has openly declared his love for the character.

Dorne will have basically nothing going on until after Oberyn's death, which would be near the end of the season, so it makes sense (production-wise) that they would push the storyline for Season 5, when all the juicy stuff begins happening. Aero will likely be demoted to an uncredited background extra (at least I hope so). I can see Aerys being merged with Balon Swann (being called to KL to retrieve Gregor's skull and bring it back to the Martells)