Which storyline by itself would make for the best series?

[Weeping Sore]

GRRM didn't write the bear pit scene. It was originally in episode 8, and it got shifted into episode 7 during editing.

Ok, I didn't know that. GRRM could very well be gnashing his teeth over the line being cut.

Still like it better without.

Boy, I sure ruffled some petticoats with this one!

[six]

I know it's a joke. I just don't think it's a good one. And I'm a MAJOR Jaime/Brienne shipper in the books and on-screen. I honestly think cutting the line is an improvement, and as GRRM wrote "The Bear and the Maiden Fair", he probably thinks so too.

I loved it in the book, I didn't necessarily missed it in the show because it didn't fit the tone of the scene. I was more pissed off at them swapping the scene of Brienne and Jaime finding out about the RW and Brienne's reaction to it, to give us 0,3 seconds of Brienne nodding in the background while Jaime and Cersei have their Notebook reunion.

[Le Cygne]

That was after not giving them closure in the bearpit scene.

They get out of the bearpit and the scene becomes about the two men, Jaime and Locke, with Brienne in the background. And she stays there, as Jaime leaves, Brienne walks behind him. Whereas in the books, the focus is on Jaime and Brienne, what's going on between them. They're looking at each other, they're talking to each other, it's about them.

Then on the way into Kings Landing, the same thing. Brienne is walking behind Jaime. They didn't get closure.

[Weeping Sore]

I was more pissed off at them swapping the scene of Brienne and Jaime finding out about the RW and Brienne's reaction to it, to give us 0,3 seconds of Brienne nodding in the background while Jaime and Cersei have their Notebook reunion.

I think they were withholding the RW news to either have Cersei or Tywin deliver it to Jaime.

If Cersei, her obvious glee in recounting Robb & Cat's murders will be a turn-off for Jaime.

If Tywin, it will be in response to Jaime's demands that the Stark girls be returned in exchange for him. (Along with news of Tyrion's wedding)

They get out of the bearpit and the scene becomes about the two men, Jaime and Locke, with Brienne in the background. And she stays there, as Jaime leaves, Brienne walks behind him. Whereas in the books, the focus is on Jaime and Brienne, what's going on between them. They're looking at each other, they're talking to each other, it's about them.

Then on the way into Kings Landing, the same thing. Brienne is walking behind Jaime. They didn't get closure.

You're dead-on about the bear-pit here, a macho stand-off upstaging the real point of interest. I'm not sure why they even bothered with such an abreviatted KL scene other than to set up Jaime/Cersei as a cliffhanger.

As for the petticoats comment up-thread: That was unworthy, forgive me. :worried:

[JagLover]

After books 4 and 5, Arya.

Agreed, as a standalone story this could work. The other storylines are too intertwined with one another, with the exception of Dany's storyline but her locations are too generic, without anywhere near the depth of world building.

[Dany4eva]

No, she's not. Odds are the show will be cancelled before she reaches Westeros, which would make her whole inclusion on the show pointless (as her scenes aren't particularly good drama in and of itself).

I am sure show watchers would disagree with u. Her scenes are the most enjoyed by the public. You will have to deal.

[Le Cygne]

You're dead-on about the bear-pit here, a macho stand-off upstaging the real point of interest.

That's what I was trying to say with the lines we like, they put the focus back on them.

I don't care about Jaime and Locke's relationship all that much. :)

[Khal-a-bunga]

My only question is: What really needed to be said between Jaime & Brienne at that point? Jaime not only went back to rescue her, but he jumped in a freaking pit with a giant bear in it to do so. It's been a little while since I read A Storm of Swords, so perhaps I'm forgetting something, but I don't see why we couldn't see Jaime & Brienne discuss what he did some time in season four (I mean, it's practically a sure thing that there will be some follow-up). In any case, since we'll probably be seeing another interaction between Locke & Brienne at some time in the future (likely some time in the fifth season), and since Locke is also the guy who took Jaime's hand in the show, I don't see the problem with the final sequence at the bear pit. Jaime didn't get the kind of revenge that he may have wanted, but he did rescue Brienne, and that that is more important to him resonated with the audience, I think. I, too, missed his line about rescuing maidens, but it wouldn't have made a whole lot of sense to keep it in in the context of the show, since the fact that Brienne is a 'maiden' never came up between the two of them.

[Rose-Papillon]

The fact that Brienne is a 'maiden' never came up between the two of them.

Not that I have any issue with the rest of your post, but Brienne's virginity has been mentioned several times in the TV series:

"Have you been with any men? I suppose not" - Jaime, S02e08

"You're a virgin I take it? ...I bet you wished one of them (men) could overpower you, throw you down, tear off your clothes, but none of them were strong enough...I'm strong enough...you'd love to know what it feels like to be a woman" - Jaime, S02e10

"Her honour (must remain) unbesmirched...not defiled" - Jaime, S03e03

[six]

My only question is: What really needed to be said between Jaime & Brienne at that point? Jaime not only went back to rescue her, but he jumped in a freaking pit with a giant bear in it to do so. It's been a little while since I read A Storm of Swords, so perhaps I'm forgetting something, but I don't see why we couldn't see Jaime & Brienne discuss what he did some time in season four (I mean, it's practically a sure thing that there will be some follow-up). In any case, since we'll probably be seeing another interaction between Locke & Brienne at some time in the future (likely some time in the fifth season), and since Locke is also the guy who took Jaime's hand in the show, I don't see the problem with the final sequence at the bear pit. Jaime didn't get the kind of revenge that he may have wanted, but he did rescue Brienne, and that that is more important to him resonated with the audience, I think. I, too, missed his line about rescuing maidens, but it wouldn't have made a whole lot of sense to keep it in in the context of the show, since the fact that Brienne is a 'maiden' never came up between the two of them.

I don't think the problem was the fact Jaime or Brienne didn't get revenge, or talked about why he saved her etc, but more the fact in the book they interact more even during that scene, the focus is on Jaime and Brienne (they talk and even quibble about who should defend who when in the bear pit), everyone else and Vargo are supporting characters to that scene. In the show the focus was on Jaime and Locke, for some reason.

I'm ambivalent about the bear pit in the show. On one side I liked the addition of Jaime saving Brienne and Brienne helping him out of the bear pit, it was more team work than just Jaime saving Brienne. On the other side, like I said, the focus should have been on Jaime and Brienne, the line "You want her go get her" had no reason whatsoever not to be in, I'm not sure about the "only rescue maidens" because I thought the tone of the scene was maybe too serious for it, but overall I think that while until the bear pit they did an excellent job with those two, the last couple of scenes were unsatisfying and gave no closure to their journey.

[Weeping Sore]

the last couple of scenes were unsatisfying and gave no closure to their journey.

The ep 310 scenelets amounted to basically a season 4 teaser.

[Weeping Sore]

Anyway, back to the thread topic-

I think the best stand-alone series would be:

Kingsmoot!

It could be done in a documentary style, following the candidates "back-stage" as they get ready for their presentations. Aeron would be the host, dousing the contestants with sea-water and uttering his catch-phrase, "Only a godly man can sit the Seastone Chair!"

riveting, right?

[Khal-a-bunga]

Not that I have any issue with the rest of your post, but Brienne's virginity has been mentioned several times in the TV series:

"Have you been with any men? I suppose not" - Jaime, S02e08

"You're a virgin I take it? ...I bet you wished one of them (men) could overpower you, throw you down, tear off your clothes, but none of them were strong enough...I'm strong enough...you'd love to know what it feels like to be a woman" - Jaime, S02e10

"Her honour (must remain) unbesmirched...not defiled" - Jaime, S03e03

Right, right! Not sure how I forgot about these references, considering they were pretty blatant.

I don't think the problem was the fact Jaime or Brienne didn't get revenge, or talked about why he saved her etc, but more the fact in the book they interact more even during that scene, the focus is on Jaime and Brienne (they talk and even quibble about who should defend who when in the bear pit), everyone else and Vargo are supporting characters to that scene. In the show the focus was on Jaime and Locke, for some reason.

I'm ambivalent about the bear pit in the show. On one side I liked the addition of Jaime saving Brienne and Brienne helping him out of the bear pit, it was more team work than just Jaime saving Brienne. On the other side, like I said, the focus should have been on Jaime and Brienne, the line "You want her go get her" had no reason whatsoever not to be in, I'm not sure about the "only rescue maidens" because I thought the tone of the scene was maybe too serious for it, but overall I think that while until the bear pit they did an excellent job with those two, the last couple of scenes were unsatisfying and gave no closure to their journey.

I agree that their arc wasn't given proper closure, but I also think it was more important (at that moment) for Jaime and Locke to have a little confrontation of sorts, considering they won't be meeting again and Locke and Brienne likely will be meeting again. Locke is the one who took Jaime's hand, after all, so in in a way rescuing Brienne was the "revenge" Brienne had told him to live for in episode four. At least that's how I saw it. Anyway, it would have been a little odd for Jaime & Brienne to get into anything too deep at that moment, but there should have been a scene before they reached King's Landing that gave them some kind of closure, even if season four picks up almost exactly where this season left off (which I expect it will). Missed opportunity on their part.