[BOOK SPOILERS] TV Series Improvements on the Story?

[Khal-a-bunga]

@ go joff go

Yeah, but - but... NOT LIKE THE BOOK!!!

:rolleyes:

But seriously, a nice summation, I think. You examined both how and why Littlefinger has been approached the way that he has in the show. I think it's been very effective, although Aiden Gillen does tend to have these odd inflections in his voice from scene-to-scene, almost as if he's utilizing a different persona based on who he's interacting with.

As far as Littlefinger being mustache-twirling; all the more reason that people underestimate him. Some of the most effective criminals hide in plain sight (such as politicians, for instance), and I think it's this sense of people believing that they have the upper-hand on Littlefinger that allows him to continue to operate. If he were more subtle, it'd be cause for others to be more suspicious, in essence.

And, despite how overt some posters here think his villainy is, the audience still has no reason to suspect the true depth of his treachery.

[Weeping Sore]

Yeah, Aiden Gillen was much better in "The Wire" than in GOT. But, he has a lot of credit in my eyes: as far as I know, he's the only actor in the show who has read all five books. (A silly part in me sometimes thinks that's the reason for his unusually sub-par performance. Like, he became a superfan of the novels and he's, like a superfan's due, disappointed in TV show. I know it doesn't make sense, but nevertheless it can be comforting.)

I didn't know that, I kind of appreciate that too. I also like that his imdb photo has a cat on his shoulder.

BTW, I totally get why people don't like his performance; it's not naturalistic at all.

[Nezzer]

I think Aiden Gillen did pretty well in season 1, but in season 2 he changed his voice for some reason and I didn't like it. It's just the new voice that bothers me. It really screams "I am a villain". He's still a good actor.

[fede989]

How weird that this thread was derailed by the usual miserable, arrogant and boring posters.

We already have the popular "D-D are so stupiddddddddd" post and a new gem: "ASOIAF obsessed actor disappointment with the show is so big that it directly affects his performance" that one is golden. To the amounts people over here are capable of twist in order to put the show down never cease to amaze me.

Yes D-D are so stupid that have managed to produced one of the most popular and critically acclaimed series on TV history and of course Aiden Gilly would be so disappointed with how they handled the source material. Everyone knows he's an obsessed little shit and he was so angry about the Talisa story that he decided to hijack the show by changing his accent on every other scene, to his disappointment the show continued to grow which made him more miserable and determined to destroy GoT.

Seriously why the f... people come to a thread that asks for improvements in the show when they so clearly don't have anything to add, all you manage is to turn it into another disgustingly bile-filled shit of a thread, of those there are enough. It's understandable though, some people over here are so heavily obsessed on theirs agenda that just can't fathom the possibly of thread on Westeros.org that could speak positively of the show, less so positively in relation to the source material.

To those users I say: Congratulations, you have won again. Now you can go back to your happy and interesting life, full knowing that the artistic crime that D&D has managed to produced has been put on his place by the might of yours eloquent, knowledge and above all sensibly posts. Cheers.

[flinn]

I really liked the Arya/Tywin scene.

Yes, he strongly suspected her of being noble born. He left with her still cupbearer that she would not have been able to run away from if not for Jaqen. So, he didn't just give her up. At the same time, considering everything happening all over Westeros, she was far down his list of priorities.

What I think that scene added to the show was...

On several occassions when Tywin was meeting with his children, I would point out to the viewers at my house, look how much he admired Arya compared to his own children.

I also liked the stolen dragons added. That beefed up Dany's story quite abit.

On the other hand, I absolutely detest how they introduced Barriston to Dany.

One of my favorite scenes in all of the books was the reveal. Squire with a stick was great.

I don't like how they changed the Unsullied naming. Not sure how it would have taken much longer to explain that they drew new names everyday to remind them of their stations.

So yeah there have been improvements as well as disappointments in the changes, balances out so far in the end. Best shows on tv.

[Weeping Sore]

I think Aiden Gillen did pretty well in season 1, but in season 2 he changed his voice for some reason and I didn't like it. It's just the new voice that bothers me. It really screams "I am a villain". He's still a good actor.

He did get a little more unmoored after the first season, but I still like what he's been doing with the part. Dinklage's accent is pretty terrible, for example, but it's not a distraction for me.

[Lord Varys]

Renly's motives are not better explained in the show. TV Renly is a completely other guy with a completely other character and a completely other personality. Book Renly is a manly man and powerful knight in his own right. His charisma comes from the very fact that looks like Robert 2.0. And he is a better version or Robert, that much can be said for sure. But book Renly is also an ambitious an cold-blooded schemer.

Show Renly on the other hand is portrayed as a guy who is loved by the smallfolk because he actually cares about them. That's not book Renly. A little bit of Renly's ruthlessness remains in the Targaryen assassination debate, but Renly is actually portrayed as somebody who needs 'help' to realize that he is the best king (the whole Loras scene).

I don't want to downplay the role of the Tyrells in 'making King Renly' but we have as of yet no clue whether the 'King Renly' idea was Mace's/Loras' idea, or Renly's own. Back in AGoT it's obvious that Renly did not intend to seize the Iron Throne for himself with Ned's help.

[Xasthur]

- Cersei/Robert scene

- Khal Drogo ripping someones throat out

- Littlefinger/Varys scenes

- Added Joffrey scenes

- I actually enjoyed Littlerfingers softporn from season 1

EDIT: - Cersei/Jamie scene from season one

[Davos' Fingers]

Aiden Gillen is freaking great, you people are nuts. Littlefinger is one of the best things about the show.

[Theda Baratheon]

I loved LF is season 1 and I really like Aiden Gillen so I want to like his performance, but he's just all over the place!!! I just hope he gets the ''Only Cat'' scene right and methinks he probably will....

[Old Man Aegon]

"One army, a real army united behind one leader with one purpose"

"You want to know the horrible truth? I cant even remember what she looked like. All i know is that she was the one thing I wanted, someone took her away from me. And seven kingdoms could not fill the hole she left behind"

[Joyful Union]

Renly's motives are not better explained in the show. TV Renly is a completely other guy with a completely other character and a completely other personality. Book Renly is a manly man and powerful knight in his own right. His charisma comes from the very fact that looks like Robert 2.0. And he is a better version or Robert, that much can be said for sure. But book Renly is also an ambitious an cold-blooded schemer.

Show Renly on the other hand is portrayed as a guy who is loved by the smallfolk because he actually cares about them. That's not book Renly. A little bit of Renly's ruthlessness remains in the Targaryen assassination debate, but Renly is actually portrayed as somebody who needs 'help' to realize that he is the best king (the whole Loras scene).

I don't want to downplay the role of the Tyrells in 'making King Renly' but we have as of yet no clue whether the 'King Renly' idea was Mace's/Loras' idea, or Renly's own. Back in AGoT it's obvious that Renly did not intend to seize the Iron Throne for himself with Ned's help.

This is kind of a contradiction. We have no idea why he wanted to become king in the book, we do in the show after the Renly Loras scene. Differences in character don't have much bearing on that. We have clear confirmation on the show as to why Renly decided to become King.

[boojam]

This needs to be moved to the show forums.

I did enjoy the Tywin/Arya interactions even though they could have added more to the plot.

Welcome to the forums :)

Some liked it some did not. There was a criticism that it did show Arya's character being busied enough and the absence of her 'kill scene'.

I am in total disagreement about this .... because she has already seen enough brutality and sees more. I could see what the showrunners were doing this season , they made her being at the RW the 'over the edge' moment and I thought that was good , leading to her killing the Frey guy, and it's almost the same scene from CoK , her use of the coin.

But the main thing was her matching wits with Tywin , GRRM shows she is smart in the book, but this even shows her sharpening her wits, they did keep the trick she pulled on Jaqen , which is in the book.

[boojam]

I was , at first, pissed when Dany reached Astapor and Jorah , in the show, did not tell her to not let on that she spoke Valyrian.

Then end of S3E4 , she reveals to everyone that she spoke perfect high Valyrian (and having grown up in the Free Cities knew Low Valyrian too, tho no hint of that in the show). I though , man!, that reveal was a zinger! Surprised George did not think of it. It was the double whammy of that episode, which remains my favorite episode of season 3.

[Chuck88]

I think Aiden Gillen did pretty well in season 1, but in season 2 he changed his voice for some reason and I didn't like it. It's just the new voice that bothers me. It really screams "I am a villain". He's still a good actor.

So true. Been re-watching season 1 the past few days and noticed this myself. God only knows why he changed it.

[boojam]

This needs to be moved to the show forums.

I keep seeing this message , this topic is in the "Game of Thrones: The HBO > TV Series< &rarr; General (GoT)

Which IS part of the show forums.

So that goes on?

[Lord Varys]

The point is that show Renly wanted to become king as soon as he knew that Robert would die. That was not the case with book Renly who did not want Ned's support in crowning himself but rather offered Ned his help in seizing power at KL while Robert was still alive.

Book Renly apparently only wanted to become king (or better: declared himself king) after Ned was executed. And we don't know how and when Renly decided that he would be a good king.

[King Tommen]

I really like the way the show condenses characters and combines book ones for the purpose of the story. This is of course, out of necessity mainly so that the cast doesn't balloon up even larger than it is already but it actually in many ways helps the overall storytelling in doing so.

In the books, there are tons and tons of minor characters who drift in and out of the story with varying degrees of importance. I think because the series hasn't been written in full yet, many fans assume a lot of these minor characters have larger roles to play by the end of the things. And while I'm sure many of them will probably still appear again or at least be referenced, I have serious doubts about their importance and role to serve the overall story when it's all said and done.

And if a character isn't going to be that important, than there should always be the opportunity to consolidate their actions or role into another more well known character.

The show does this exceedingly well and characters such as Bronn, Osha, Gendry, Loras, Ygritte, Yoren, Shae etc are all richer and more developed as a result.

[David Selig]

I keep seeing this message , this topic is in the "Game of Thrones: The HBO > TV Series< &rarr; General (GoT)

Which IS part of the show forums.

So that goes on?

The topic was in the books section of the board, but was moved by the mods.

[Mark Antony]

My favorite added scene is probably from season 1 when Robert and Cersei talk about their marriage. Brilliantly acted and well written.