Game of Thrones: Episode Ten (Spoilers for Show and Books)
Yes, I know I'm very late in blogging about this. It could not be helped. I left on a cruise on Sunday, June 19th, the day of the season finale, and I left well before the finale aired. I didn't return home until Sunday, June 26th. As you might expect of a thirty-something single guy on the last night of the cruise, I stayed up late partying, to the tune of about 4:00 a.m. and had to get up the next day at 7:30 a.m. By the time I got home at 11:45 a.m., the the only thing I cared about was sleep ...and watching the last episode of Game of Thrones, which wouldn't be coming on again until 3:00 p.m. If I went to sleep, the Seven only knew when I would wake up again, and I'd already waited an extra week to watch this last episode. It didn't want to wait any longer. So somehow, amazingly, I found enough ways to distract myself to stay awake until 3:00 (not having a hangover certainly helped). I was wide awake throughout the episode, promptly fell asleep once it was over, and woke up three hours later, just in time to watch it again. Win. The rest of Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday until now have been spent getting caught up. Now I can finally take a breath and provide my much belated thoughts on episode ten of Game of Thrones, the season finale to season one.
Wow (he said needlessly). That extra week was worth the wait. I think this might have been my favorite episode (if not this one, the honors go to episode eight). Not that I ever thought they would do a poor job with it, because I trust HBO to put out a superior product, but I was definitely curious about what the dragons would look like come the end. They're not really what I pictured at the end of the novel, but they looked awesome, so I don't really care that I pictured something different.
It was a given that the final scene would feature the dragons hatching, but as I said last week, I expected the second-to-last scene to follow the second-to-last chapter of the novel, i.e. the northmen and the river lords proclaiming Robb Stark King in the North. Honestly, that second-to-last chapter is so strong that had Martin ended the book right there, A Game of Thrones still would have been a superlative novel. But the dragons hatching in the last chapter ups the ante suitably, making it the perfect way to end the first book.
So when they ended the second-to-last scene with Jon and the men of the Night's Watch going beyond the Wall, I had to ask myself what possessed the writers to make this change. I think the answer is that in the show, the King in the North scene, while powerful, is not nearly as powerful as it is in the books. The fact that they streamlined events in the Riverlands caused several key factors not to come into play. First, we still haven't even seen Riverrun yet. When Robb is proclaimed King in the North, it is not in the halls of one of the most important castles in Westeros, but rather outside in their camps. Less dramatic, that. Second, other than Catelyn and Lysa, we haven't met the Tullys yet, nor have we met any of the Riverlords. One of the things that made that scene so powerful was that it was not just the Northmen who bent the knee, but also the Riverlords, including Edmure Tully, the future Lord of Riverrun. That these men are willing to bend the knee to a young man from the North of fifteen years who did not demand their obedience adds another layer of resonance to this entire scene. Third is the Rickard Karstark factor. In the show, the man who speaks and kneels right after the Greatjon in this scene speaks the same words as Rickard Karstark does in the books. As Rickard Stark has an important role to play, we can safely assume that it's the same character. However, in the books his grief had already been established. That he was willing to have peace if Robb is King in the North makes his consent to this idea much more powerful. Presumably we'll learn that his back-story is still the same come season two of the series, but at this point we know nothing about this character in the show, so his consent doesn't mean as much. Fourth (and last) is the fact they Catelyn Stark is undergoing some subtle tweaks in the HBO series. In the books, Catelyn makes an impassioned plea for peace shortly before Robb is crowned king, a speech that almost sways the assembled lords. But in the HBO series, she promises Robb that after they rescue the girls from King's Landing, "We'll kill them all" (referring to the Lannisters). I think this works perfectly fine for the HBO series, but given this it would make no sense for Catelyn to give the impassioned speech for peace. So once again, another layer of resonance is stripped from the scene.
if it sounds like I'm badmouthing this scene, I'm not. I rather enjoyed it, and fully understand and appreciate that changes have to be made when adapting this story for the screen. But in this case, enough changes were made that the scene is no longer as powerful if you run it as the second-to-last scene on HBO. So the choice to go with Jon's scene instead makes perfect sense, as it's a lot more powerful seeing these hardened men riding out beyond the Wall into the frozen wilds of magic and wildlings.
Now if I wanted to point to something that didn't quite work for me, it would be Bran's scene in the crypts. In the books, Shaggydog and Summer fight, and that totally disappeared from this scene. Now I can live with that, as I understand that it would be difficult to train the dogs to fight the way the wolves did without risking serious injury to one or both dogs. But this makes me grateful that sooner or later they're going to have to switch to CGI. It'll enable them to do everything they need to do with the wolves. As long as the show keeps growing (it hit the 3 million viewer mark for the 9:00 p.m premiere for the first time for the season premiere), I expect the budget will accommodate these needs. And I do expect the show to keep growing. It's the same sort of word of mouth that happened with GRRM's books that is going to continue to make this show grow its following. When DVDs become available for the first season that should give the show a serious bump in its following, not to mention a nice influx of cash (raise your hand if you plan on buying the DVD--I'll go first). And if this show scores any Emmy or Golden Globe nominations (I'd say Peter Dinklage and Sean Bean both deserve consideration for season one, and possibly Maise Willams as well) that should raise the show's profile as well.
But I digress, as I haven't actually said what my beef is with this scene yet. First, the lack of Summer. Not just because "Doug wants to see wolf" (although Doug does!), but also because if there is one wolf that should never be cut from a scene, it's Summer. In the books, the wolves tend to assume the personalities of their masters. But because Bran is disabled and a warg, Summer's roles fall into guardian and vessel. Off the top of my head, the only times I can recall Summer parting from Bran are to hunt and to mislead Theon in A Clash of Kings, when Bran & company hide in the crypts of Winterfell. Summer takes his role too seriously to not be Bran's constant companion. Even if Summer didn't fight with Shaggydog in the crypts, he still could have been there, growling back at Shaggydog.
The other (aaspect of this scene I wasn't thrilled with is the fact that Osha was the one trying to tell Bran that he shouldn't put too much stock in his dreams. First of all, in the books, it's Maester Luwin who handles Osha's role here. It makes a lot more sense, as Luwin is a man of reason, whereas Osha comes from beyond the Wall, a place where magic is still alive and wild. Second, they allude to Osha's belief in magic more than once in earlier episodes, like Bran the armies are marching in the wrong direction, or also telling him that the wind through the leaves of the heart tree is the work of the gods. She believes this but she doesn't believe in the power of dreams? Seems a little iffy to me. Third, there is also that scene from an earlier episode between and Maester Luwin, when she tells Luwin that the White Walkers aren't gone, that they've just been sleeping. It is Luwin who has trouble believing such things, and it would have made more sense to have Luwin be the dissenting voice in the HBO series. You can still have Osha carrying Bran or Hodor, for that matter. I didn't hate this scene, but it's possibly one of the strongest disagreements I've had with the choices made by Benioff & Weiss in their adapatations (which are few and far between).
I don't have much to say about Dany , Tyrion, or Sansa's scenes. They were pretty much by the numbers and I enjoyed all of them. I did note that in Sansa's scene they've finally named another member of the Kingsguard, this being Ser Meryn. Before this, the only (living) members of the Kingsguard who had been named were Jaime Lannister and Ser Barristan Selmy. We've yet to hear the names of Ser Mandon Moore, Ser Preston Greenfield, Ser Boros Blount, or Ser Arys Oakheart. These were the original seven Kingsguard at the outset of the novel. The first change was when Ser Barristan Selmy was unceremoniously relieved of his duties (and wow, the actor playing Selmy nailed that scene in the HBO series). In the books, Joffrey gives the white cloak to Sandor Clegane, and Clegane accepts it with his typical curt, abrasive, and snarling manner. They skipped this tidbit in the HBO series, though I did note that in the final episode that Sandor is wearing the white cloak of one of the Kingsguard, so they are still following Martin's plot here.
And as long as I'm mentioning characters from the first book we haven't been introduced to yet in the first season, here are the other principle ones I can think of:
1) Edmure Tully: brother to Catelyn and Lysa, poised to become the Lord of Riverrun when his deathly ill father passes on.
2) Lord Hoster Tully: Lord of Riverrun, but gravely ill. Father to Catelyn, Lysa, and Edmure. His one sentient scene came late in A Game of Thrones.
3) Brynden Tully, also known as the Blackfish: Brother to Hoster, and uncle to Catelyn, Lysa, and Edmure. Had taken up service with Lysa at the Eyrie before leaving with Cat for Riverrun after a falling out with Lysa. Would go on to become one of Robb's most trusted advisors. BTW, today I developed a new theory about what the Blackfish will do now that he's escaped Jaime Lannister's clutches at Riverrun. He seemed rather intent on continuing fight, and I can't imagine his feelings have changed on this matter. So I suspect the Blackfish is going to join the Brotherhood Without Banners. In A Feast for Crows, Thoros of Myr mentioned to Brienne that they're lacking direction with the death of Berric Dondarrion. Who better to step in and lead them than another noble with fighting prowess like the Blackfish? His goals also align where theirs quite nicely. He's opposed to the current king on the Iron Throne, he'd be more than happy to see the Freys dead, and he's a goodhearted person that will help the smallfolk when they need it. And his reunion with Cat would be pretty powerful stuff. Of course, we'll need someone's pov to see this happen from ...maybe the Blackfish will get a pov then?
4) Various Riverlords and household members at Riverrun.
5) Roose Bolton: The Lord of the Dreadfort. A soft-spoken and dangerous northman. In the books, he actually led the army that was defeated by Tywin Lannister. However, while they were defeated, they weren't decimated as they were in the HBO series. He remained a constant threat on the side of the river while Tywin took up residence in Harrenhal.
6) We also haven't met some of the individual northern lords, though in the scene where Robb is proclaimed King in the North, I did spy a woman seated among them I suspect was supposed to represent Maege Mormont.
7) The regulars in the court at King's Landing: Jalabhar Xho, Lord Gyles Rosby, Lady Falyse, Lady Tanda, etc.
There were some other minor characters that were dropped or condensed as well, but these are the principle ones that are immediately coming to mind. I can't imagine they're writing the Tullys out of the HBO series (madness if they did!), so I imagine the producers are sliding them into season two, not just because of space considerations, but also because it gives them more material to work with for Robb Stark. Robb had precious little page-time in A Clash of Kings (as did Jaime Lannister), and from everything I've read it sounds like Benioff & Weiss are intent on giving both of these actors/characters additional scenes in season two, as the viewers have become used to them. I can understand that and it makes sense. Following along these lines, to fix the deviation they've created regarding Roose Bolton, I would imagine that once the Riverlords swear fealty to Robb Stark as well and augment his forces, Robb will send Roose Bolton with a portion of his forces to harry Tywin while he's holed up in Harrenhal. It was mentioned in the final episode that Tywin will be going to Harrenhal, so this would more or less get the plot back to the book. So far, the biggest deviation might be the marked absence of the Blackfish. But so long as he's holed up in Riverrun with the rest of the Tullys, I guess I can live with that.
Of course, while there are a number of characters we haven't met yet, the last episode of season one also introduced a number of characters we don't meet until the second book in the series. Everything that happened with Arya in the final episode after Yoren hacks her hair is from the the second book. I think it made a lot of sense incorporating this extra scene, as it not only lets the viewers take a breath by allowing Arya to escape King's Landing with someone who means to keep her safe, but it also lets the viewers know that Gendry is still a part of the story. The way GRRM handles everything is perfect for the book, and I think the choices here are equally perfect for the HBO series. Along the way, we got to meet Hot Pie, Lommy Greenhands, and we glimpsed Rorge and Biter in the cage. Jaquen Hagar was also in the cage with them, but he was hooded, which I'll take to mean that his role hasn't been cast yet.
So this covers all the principles. We had some other scenes along the way. We learn that Cersei is something of a whore as she's now (or to put it more aptly, already) sleeping with Lancel in Jaime's absence. The kinder interpretation would be that she's afraid to be alone because she's a twin, and Lancel is the closest thing to Jaime. Regardless, it doesn't reflect well on her. There was the scene with Maester Pycelle to alert viewers that he's not the doddering old man he seems, but he too is a player in the game of thrones ...though if the writers stick to the script, he's not much of a player in the grand scheme of things. More interesting to me was that Roz was his companion here. Given this, we can reach the logical conclusion that she's now operating as a bedspy for Petyr Baelish, and is trying to glean information for her new employer by keeping tabs on Pycelle. Logical enough, though the fact that Roz keeps reemerging makes me wonder where they're ultimately going with this character in the HBO series. And of course we had another scene between Varys & Littlefinger. Once again we're being reminded that these two characters know far more than everyone else, and that their goals are rather in opposition of each other. Varys claims to serve the realm, whereas it's abundantly obvious that Baelish serves himself. Finally, there is the scene between Catelyn & Jaime. A few of those lines were from their one scene together toward the end of A Clash of Kings, but for the most part this scene was fabricated. I think its purpose is to set up occasional conversations between Catelyn and Jaime throughout the second season, so that the viewers don't have to wait until the season finale of season two to see Jaime again (he has that one scene at the end of the second book). And if that scene plays out the way it does in the books, I suspect it will lend more impact on the screen if they build up to it through the occasional conversations. I know Catelyn will go to see Renly and Stannis, so she isn't always at Riverrun in the second book, but she's there enough that they can bookend these conversations in the early and late episodes. Other than some possible conversations with Robb, I don't see too many other opportunities for Jaime to get screen time in season two. He is a prisoner after all, meaning he's stationary and will be seeing very few people.
And I think that covers everything for episode ten. Overall it was a brilliant episode and a brilliant first season. As always I pick because I love, but I think HBO has another hit on his hands, and that this show is around for the long haul. The only question is whether GRRM can churn out the last two books fast enough that the HBO series doesn't catch up with him. I say this half-jokingly. Yes, it's been excruciating waiting for this fifth installment in the series, but I've never held this against GRRM. It's a very complex and layered tale, and it's art. However long it takes, it takes. I still feel that way going forward ...but, while I'm confident that he can complete The Winds of Winter before the HBO series reaches the sixth book, I don't think it's 100% impossible that the HBO series would reach the final book, A Dream of Spring, before GRRM has completed it. Martin has admitted on more than one occasion that he's a slow writer. That's fine, and I'd rather he not rush the final book to keep pace with the HBO series. That last book will be the accumulation of everything I've been loving and dissecting and worshipping since I first this series about fifteen years ago. I want George to make these last two books (three including ADWD) as perfect as possible. But ...if the HBO series somehow catches up with the books, it opens an interesting dilemma. Does HBO put the show on a limited hiatus to buy more time? Even if they do, what if this isn't enough time for GRRM to finish ADOS? I doubt they can delay indefinitely. Well, in this scenario I'd imagine that the HBO series would have to wrap things up before the last book is delivered. Benioff & Weiss must know how the series ends. It's too layered and complex to tackle the beginning without having some idea about the ending. Well if this happens, I wouldn't watch the final season until I've read the final book. It would absolutely rip me apart doing this, and it would be a major pain in the ass avoiding spoilers, but it would have to be done. I love the HBO series, but for me it's always been about the books first and foremost, and it will always be this way. The HBO series is a wonderful take on the story, but I need to read the source material first. That's a given. Of course, what I'm talking about is a worst-case scenario. GRRM is a slow writer, but some of the obstacles he ran into following book three have been well documented over the years. With books four and five out of the way, I do believe we can expect the last two books to come out a little quicker, and I do believe GRRM will write them fast enough to keep up with the HBO series. People got in such a twist over waiting for books four and five that they often forget that the waits for books two and three were not nearly as long.
So with this blog post over, stage two of my George R. R. Martin fever is now complete. But now we're entering stage three of the fever, the part that will burn through me like a batch of pyromancer wildfire: the final two-week countdown to A Dance with Dragons, and READING A Dancing with Dragons. I can't believe it's almost here! *Swoon* A few days will then be required to think about this story and digest it, followed by a blog post, and then I can once again devote significant portions of my brain to matters other than A Song of Ice and Fire (which is a mixed blessing).
And lastly, now obscenely long blog post about HBO's latest episode of Game of Thrones would be complete without my prediction to how the first episode of season two will end: I'll guess that it ends with Tyrion sending Janos Slynt off to the Wall. It will make the viewers feel a little better about all the terrible things that happened at the end of the first season, and it will also demonstrate that the viper's nest that is the court of King's Landing is getting a major shakeup.
Wow (he said needlessly). That extra week was worth the wait. I think this might have been my favorite episode (if not this one, the honors go to episode eight). Not that I ever thought they would do a poor job with it, because I trust HBO to put out a superior product, but I was definitely curious about what the dragons would look like come the end. They're not really what I pictured at the end of the novel, but they looked awesome, so I don't really care that I pictured something different.
It was a given that the final scene would feature the dragons hatching, but as I said last week, I expected the second-to-last scene to follow the second-to-last chapter of the novel, i.e. the northmen and the river lords proclaiming Robb Stark King in the North. Honestly, that second-to-last chapter is so strong that had Martin ended the book right there, A Game of Thrones still would have been a superlative novel. But the dragons hatching in the last chapter ups the ante suitably, making it the perfect way to end the first book.
So when they ended the second-to-last scene with Jon and the men of the Night's Watch going beyond the Wall, I had to ask myself what possessed the writers to make this change. I think the answer is that in the show, the King in the North scene, while powerful, is not nearly as powerful as it is in the books. The fact that they streamlined events in the Riverlands caused several key factors not to come into play. First, we still haven't even seen Riverrun yet. When Robb is proclaimed King in the North, it is not in the halls of one of the most important castles in Westeros, but rather outside in their camps. Less dramatic, that. Second, other than Catelyn and Lysa, we haven't met the Tullys yet, nor have we met any of the Riverlords. One of the things that made that scene so powerful was that it was not just the Northmen who bent the knee, but also the Riverlords, including Edmure Tully, the future Lord of Riverrun. That these men are willing to bend the knee to a young man from the North of fifteen years who did not demand their obedience adds another layer of resonance to this entire scene. Third is the Rickard Karstark factor. In the show, the man who speaks and kneels right after the Greatjon in this scene speaks the same words as Rickard Karstark does in the books. As Rickard Stark has an important role to play, we can safely assume that it's the same character. However, in the books his grief had already been established. That he was willing to have peace if Robb is King in the North makes his consent to this idea much more powerful. Presumably we'll learn that his back-story is still the same come season two of the series, but at this point we know nothing about this character in the show, so his consent doesn't mean as much. Fourth (and last) is the fact they Catelyn Stark is undergoing some subtle tweaks in the HBO series. In the books, Catelyn makes an impassioned plea for peace shortly before Robb is crowned king, a speech that almost sways the assembled lords. But in the HBO series, she promises Robb that after they rescue the girls from King's Landing, "We'll kill them all" (referring to the Lannisters). I think this works perfectly fine for the HBO series, but given this it would make no sense for Catelyn to give the impassioned speech for peace. So once again, another layer of resonance is stripped from the scene.
if it sounds like I'm badmouthing this scene, I'm not. I rather enjoyed it, and fully understand and appreciate that changes have to be made when adapting this story for the screen. But in this case, enough changes were made that the scene is no longer as powerful if you run it as the second-to-last scene on HBO. So the choice to go with Jon's scene instead makes perfect sense, as it's a lot more powerful seeing these hardened men riding out beyond the Wall into the frozen wilds of magic and wildlings.
Now if I wanted to point to something that didn't quite work for me, it would be Bran's scene in the crypts. In the books, Shaggydog and Summer fight, and that totally disappeared from this scene. Now I can live with that, as I understand that it would be difficult to train the dogs to fight the way the wolves did without risking serious injury to one or both dogs. But this makes me grateful that sooner or later they're going to have to switch to CGI. It'll enable them to do everything they need to do with the wolves. As long as the show keeps growing (it hit the 3 million viewer mark for the 9:00 p.m premiere for the first time for the season premiere), I expect the budget will accommodate these needs. And I do expect the show to keep growing. It's the same sort of word of mouth that happened with GRRM's books that is going to continue to make this show grow its following. When DVDs become available for the first season that should give the show a serious bump in its following, not to mention a nice influx of cash (raise your hand if you plan on buying the DVD--I'll go first). And if this show scores any Emmy or Golden Globe nominations (I'd say Peter Dinklage and Sean Bean both deserve consideration for season one, and possibly Maise Willams as well) that should raise the show's profile as well.
But I digress, as I haven't actually said what my beef is with this scene yet. First, the lack of Summer. Not just because "Doug wants to see wolf" (although Doug does!), but also because if there is one wolf that should never be cut from a scene, it's Summer. In the books, the wolves tend to assume the personalities of their masters. But because Bran is disabled and a warg, Summer's roles fall into guardian and vessel. Off the top of my head, the only times I can recall Summer parting from Bran are to hunt and to mislead Theon in A Clash of Kings, when Bran & company hide in the crypts of Winterfell. Summer takes his role too seriously to not be Bran's constant companion. Even if Summer didn't fight with Shaggydog in the crypts, he still could have been there, growling back at Shaggydog.
The other (aaspect of this scene I wasn't thrilled with is the fact that Osha was the one trying to tell Bran that he shouldn't put too much stock in his dreams. First of all, in the books, it's Maester Luwin who handles Osha's role here. It makes a lot more sense, as Luwin is a man of reason, whereas Osha comes from beyond the Wall, a place where magic is still alive and wild. Second, they allude to Osha's belief in magic more than once in earlier episodes, like Bran the armies are marching in the wrong direction, or also telling him that the wind through the leaves of the heart tree is the work of the gods. She believes this but she doesn't believe in the power of dreams? Seems a little iffy to me. Third, there is also that scene from an earlier episode between and Maester Luwin, when she tells Luwin that the White Walkers aren't gone, that they've just been sleeping. It is Luwin who has trouble believing such things, and it would have made more sense to have Luwin be the dissenting voice in the HBO series. You can still have Osha carrying Bran or Hodor, for that matter. I didn't hate this scene, but it's possibly one of the strongest disagreements I've had with the choices made by Benioff & Weiss in their adapatations (which are few and far between).
I don't have much to say about Dany , Tyrion, or Sansa's scenes. They were pretty much by the numbers and I enjoyed all of them. I did note that in Sansa's scene they've finally named another member of the Kingsguard, this being Ser Meryn. Before this, the only (living) members of the Kingsguard who had been named were Jaime Lannister and Ser Barristan Selmy. We've yet to hear the names of Ser Mandon Moore, Ser Preston Greenfield, Ser Boros Blount, or Ser Arys Oakheart. These were the original seven Kingsguard at the outset of the novel. The first change was when Ser Barristan Selmy was unceremoniously relieved of his duties (and wow, the actor playing Selmy nailed that scene in the HBO series). In the books, Joffrey gives the white cloak to Sandor Clegane, and Clegane accepts it with his typical curt, abrasive, and snarling manner. They skipped this tidbit in the HBO series, though I did note that in the final episode that Sandor is wearing the white cloak of one of the Kingsguard, so they are still following Martin's plot here.
And as long as I'm mentioning characters from the first book we haven't been introduced to yet in the first season, here are the other principle ones I can think of:
1) Edmure Tully: brother to Catelyn and Lysa, poised to become the Lord of Riverrun when his deathly ill father passes on.
2) Lord Hoster Tully: Lord of Riverrun, but gravely ill. Father to Catelyn, Lysa, and Edmure. His one sentient scene came late in A Game of Thrones.
3) Brynden Tully, also known as the Blackfish: Brother to Hoster, and uncle to Catelyn, Lysa, and Edmure. Had taken up service with Lysa at the Eyrie before leaving with Cat for Riverrun after a falling out with Lysa. Would go on to become one of Robb's most trusted advisors. BTW, today I developed a new theory about what the Blackfish will do now that he's escaped Jaime Lannister's clutches at Riverrun. He seemed rather intent on continuing fight, and I can't imagine his feelings have changed on this matter. So I suspect the Blackfish is going to join the Brotherhood Without Banners. In A Feast for Crows, Thoros of Myr mentioned to Brienne that they're lacking direction with the death of Berric Dondarrion. Who better to step in and lead them than another noble with fighting prowess like the Blackfish? His goals also align where theirs quite nicely. He's opposed to the current king on the Iron Throne, he'd be more than happy to see the Freys dead, and he's a goodhearted person that will help the smallfolk when they need it. And his reunion with Cat would be pretty powerful stuff. Of course, we'll need someone's pov to see this happen from ...maybe the Blackfish will get a pov then?
4) Various Riverlords and household members at Riverrun.
5) Roose Bolton: The Lord of the Dreadfort. A soft-spoken and dangerous northman. In the books, he actually led the army that was defeated by Tywin Lannister. However, while they were defeated, they weren't decimated as they were in the HBO series. He remained a constant threat on the side of the river while Tywin took up residence in Harrenhal.
6) We also haven't met some of the individual northern lords, though in the scene where Robb is proclaimed King in the North, I did spy a woman seated among them I suspect was supposed to represent Maege Mormont.
7) The regulars in the court at King's Landing: Jalabhar Xho, Lord Gyles Rosby, Lady Falyse, Lady Tanda, etc.
There were some other minor characters that were dropped or condensed as well, but these are the principle ones that are immediately coming to mind. I can't imagine they're writing the Tullys out of the HBO series (madness if they did!), so I imagine the producers are sliding them into season two, not just because of space considerations, but also because it gives them more material to work with for Robb Stark. Robb had precious little page-time in A Clash of Kings (as did Jaime Lannister), and from everything I've read it sounds like Benioff & Weiss are intent on giving both of these actors/characters additional scenes in season two, as the viewers have become used to them. I can understand that and it makes sense. Following along these lines, to fix the deviation they've created regarding Roose Bolton, I would imagine that once the Riverlords swear fealty to Robb Stark as well and augment his forces, Robb will send Roose Bolton with a portion of his forces to harry Tywin while he's holed up in Harrenhal. It was mentioned in the final episode that Tywin will be going to Harrenhal, so this would more or less get the plot back to the book. So far, the biggest deviation might be the marked absence of the Blackfish. But so long as he's holed up in Riverrun with the rest of the Tullys, I guess I can live with that.
Of course, while there are a number of characters we haven't met yet, the last episode of season one also introduced a number of characters we don't meet until the second book in the series. Everything that happened with Arya in the final episode after Yoren hacks her hair is from the the second book. I think it made a lot of sense incorporating this extra scene, as it not only lets the viewers take a breath by allowing Arya to escape King's Landing with someone who means to keep her safe, but it also lets the viewers know that Gendry is still a part of the story. The way GRRM handles everything is perfect for the book, and I think the choices here are equally perfect for the HBO series. Along the way, we got to meet Hot Pie, Lommy Greenhands, and we glimpsed Rorge and Biter in the cage. Jaquen Hagar was also in the cage with them, but he was hooded, which I'll take to mean that his role hasn't been cast yet.
So this covers all the principles. We had some other scenes along the way. We learn that Cersei is something of a whore as she's now (or to put it more aptly, already) sleeping with Lancel in Jaime's absence. The kinder interpretation would be that she's afraid to be alone because she's a twin, and Lancel is the closest thing to Jaime. Regardless, it doesn't reflect well on her. There was the scene with Maester Pycelle to alert viewers that he's not the doddering old man he seems, but he too is a player in the game of thrones ...though if the writers stick to the script, he's not much of a player in the grand scheme of things. More interesting to me was that Roz was his companion here. Given this, we can reach the logical conclusion that she's now operating as a bedspy for Petyr Baelish, and is trying to glean information for her new employer by keeping tabs on Pycelle. Logical enough, though the fact that Roz keeps reemerging makes me wonder where they're ultimately going with this character in the HBO series. And of course we had another scene between Varys & Littlefinger. Once again we're being reminded that these two characters know far more than everyone else, and that their goals are rather in opposition of each other. Varys claims to serve the realm, whereas it's abundantly obvious that Baelish serves himself. Finally, there is the scene between Catelyn & Jaime. A few of those lines were from their one scene together toward the end of A Clash of Kings, but for the most part this scene was fabricated. I think its purpose is to set up occasional conversations between Catelyn and Jaime throughout the second season, so that the viewers don't have to wait until the season finale of season two to see Jaime again (he has that one scene at the end of the second book). And if that scene plays out the way it does in the books, I suspect it will lend more impact on the screen if they build up to it through the occasional conversations. I know Catelyn will go to see Renly and Stannis, so she isn't always at Riverrun in the second book, but she's there enough that they can bookend these conversations in the early and late episodes. Other than some possible conversations with Robb, I don't see too many other opportunities for Jaime to get screen time in season two. He is a prisoner after all, meaning he's stationary and will be seeing very few people.
And I think that covers everything for episode ten. Overall it was a brilliant episode and a brilliant first season. As always I pick because I love, but I think HBO has another hit on his hands, and that this show is around for the long haul. The only question is whether GRRM can churn out the last two books fast enough that the HBO series doesn't catch up with him. I say this half-jokingly. Yes, it's been excruciating waiting for this fifth installment in the series, but I've never held this against GRRM. It's a very complex and layered tale, and it's art. However long it takes, it takes. I still feel that way going forward ...but, while I'm confident that he can complete The Winds of Winter before the HBO series reaches the sixth book, I don't think it's 100% impossible that the HBO series would reach the final book, A Dream of Spring, before GRRM has completed it. Martin has admitted on more than one occasion that he's a slow writer. That's fine, and I'd rather he not rush the final book to keep pace with the HBO series. That last book will be the accumulation of everything I've been loving and dissecting and worshipping since I first this series about fifteen years ago. I want George to make these last two books (three including ADWD) as perfect as possible. But ...if the HBO series somehow catches up with the books, it opens an interesting dilemma. Does HBO put the show on a limited hiatus to buy more time? Even if they do, what if this isn't enough time for GRRM to finish ADOS? I doubt they can delay indefinitely. Well, in this scenario I'd imagine that the HBO series would have to wrap things up before the last book is delivered. Benioff & Weiss must know how the series ends. It's too layered and complex to tackle the beginning without having some idea about the ending. Well if this happens, I wouldn't watch the final season until I've read the final book. It would absolutely rip me apart doing this, and it would be a major pain in the ass avoiding spoilers, but it would have to be done. I love the HBO series, but for me it's always been about the books first and foremost, and it will always be this way. The HBO series is a wonderful take on the story, but I need to read the source material first. That's a given. Of course, what I'm talking about is a worst-case scenario. GRRM is a slow writer, but some of the obstacles he ran into following book three have been well documented over the years. With books four and five out of the way, I do believe we can expect the last two books to come out a little quicker, and I do believe GRRM will write them fast enough to keep up with the HBO series. People got in such a twist over waiting for books four and five that they often forget that the waits for books two and three were not nearly as long.
So with this blog post over, stage two of my George R. R. Martin fever is now complete. But now we're entering stage three of the fever, the part that will burn through me like a batch of pyromancer wildfire: the final two-week countdown to A Dance with Dragons, and READING A Dancing with Dragons. I can't believe it's almost here! *Swoon* A few days will then be required to think about this story and digest it, followed by a blog post, and then I can once again devote significant portions of my brain to matters other than A Song of Ice and Fire (which is a mixed blessing).
And lastly, now obscenely long blog post about HBO's latest episode of Game of Thrones would be complete without my prediction to how the first episode of season two will end: I'll guess that it ends with Tyrion sending Janos Slynt off to the Wall. It will make the viewers feel a little better about all the terrible things that happened at the end of the first season, and it will also demonstrate that the viper's nest that is the court of King's Landing is getting a major shakeup.