Well, lookee here!

[cyberducks]

http://winter-is-coming.net/2011/06/benioff-and-weiss-talk-season-two/

It looks like they are moving part of Jaime's book 3 story into season 2 to give Nikolaj more to do in season 2.

Which means we would get Jaime and Brienne sooner!

Comments

[fallingtowers]

On the one hand, I'd really, really like that. However, I'm afraid of one thing in particular: This would probably mean that they'd emphasize the relationship between Jaime and Brienne and downplay her interactions with Catelyn.

To me, the latter are also an integral part of both Brienne's and Cat's storyline - they are one of the few positive examples of genuine female friendship/bonding in the books, they have the awesome gender reversal in the liegewomen's oath scene, and they make the Lady Stoneheart stuff about 1000x more heart-breaking.

So many people don't seem to care about those aspects, and it makes me all *sadface*. (Disclaimer: I'm not necessarily talking about this community - after all, this is a Jaime/Brienne comm yadda yadda yadda - but on certain other sites that shall not be named, I've so often see remarks along the lines of "her interactions with Jaime are totally the most/only interesting thing about Brienne", and IMNSHO, that's just ... wrong.)

I'd been looking forward quite a lot to Cat & Brienne interaction in S2, and if this might suffer from more Jaime & Brienne in that season, I won't really be a happy camper. :(

[fallingtowers]

If Robb's actions are actually going to appear onscreen, Catelyn needs some storyline of her own - much of her ACOK storyline is hearing bad news and observing Robb.

You're right about that. Due to the books' POV structure, I'd forgotten that much of Cat's storyline consists of internal action - which is very difficult to translate to screen (and which the writers haven't actually tried for anyone so far). So, interaction with Robb, Renly and Brienne would give Cat lots of things to do. I find this reassuring.

I'm not really worried about Jaime getting his fair share of screentime, since he's, well, a handsome warrior guy with family/father issues, sarcastic dialogue, moral shades of grey, and a putative redemption arc. I think he's an easier "sell" than Catelyn and Brienne just hanging out and liking each other, IYKWIM. But yeah, three or four episodes of Cat and Brienne would work great for me.

[fallingtowers]

Yeah, but his screentime in the first season has all served to make him come off even WORSE than he does in the first book.

Do you really think so? We do see more of him, but the degree / level of nastiness isn't really worse, IMHO. Jaime is a pretty unpleasant background presence in the first two books, after all (I LOATHED him), and while seeing more of him might increase some people's dislike, his added scenes also contain some very important stuff for later (his motivations for killing Aerys). Also, rescuing Brienne, which was one of the most altruistic things he ever did for love, will have a very dramatic impact on screen, too.

[fallingtowers]

Well, to be fair, I do think that post-Aerys and pre-Brienne Jaime is actually an arsehole lots of the time - or at least, he chooses to act like one. (*awaits your pitchforks and torch-bearing mob and instant defriending*) Granted, he is far from one-dimensional, but what most people must see of him comes across as someone capable and charismatic, but arrogant and cocky, with a devil-may-care attitude, a penchance for solving problems with violence and not much active empathy for others.

And I think the Aerys thing was intended not to sink fully in for the time being. But it's there - just as you can even see glimpses of the buried honour / idealism under the snark and ruthlessness. When he seems disappointed that Ned doesn't care about getting "justice" for his brother and father. When he mocks Jon about the Night's Watch, another "elite force" with vows for life. When he refuses to kill Ned in a less then honourable way.

I think the screenwriters may know exactly what they are doing there. These are all subtle moments that may look completely different from a later vantage point. But, well, if we come to mid-season 3 and Jaime still comes across as arseholish, I'll just have to eat my words. :P

(And once we get to Brienne next season, you will be able to sit back and laugh at me while I go on micro-analyzing every single second of her screen-time and gnashing my teeth because the writers just don't get her, and you can chill and have a toast to the fact that everyone among us fans is so incredibly anxious about / totally invested in their personal favourites. :DDD)

FWIW, I do really think that Jaime's portrayal isn't very likable yet, but that the screenwriters (unlike the Cylons!) do have a plan for him. For example, I think that Sansa's characterization in the earlier episodes diverged far more from the book than his.

[fallingtowers]

And I had hoped that they would develop Jaime the way that they developed Cersei and made her far more three-dimensional than she is in the book.

I think in Cersei's case, making her more likeable in the beginning was the only way to go, considering that she's written in such a cartoonish way in volume 4. She goes pretty much over the top in her actions there and then, and her kinder portrayal in season 1 just gives me hope that she'll still be evil and crazy, yes, but in a more nuanced way.

At least, her brother is set up to become a nicer person while she has only a downward trajectory ahead of her. So I'm still convinced that the character arc over the seasons is the way to go, for both of them - and Jaime can only profit from that. I don't necessarily think that all the "hints" I mentioned above will be picked up by non-book readers now - but they set up these details quite nicely to build on them later, IMHO.

Hee! How's that for cheerful?

Dolorous Edd levels of cheerful? Almost, anyway. ;)

I'm pretty sanguine at the moment - mainly because I've decided that the show is illustrated fanfic, for the most part. If they disappoint me, I'll be able to ignore them easier that way.

But, honestly, I don't think that the writers are going to pass up on the opportunity to make as much of Jaime & Brienne as possible. It's the whole "from loathing to, um, love" arc of the romance genre, and I'll eat my stylish House Lannister t-shirt if that doesn't mean he's going to be nice to her a lot.

ETA:

I hope you don't think I was completely dismissing your investment and concerns. I get where you come from, I do, but I'm 100% sincere when I say that, for me, it's just far too early in the narrative to issue a verdict on Jaime's story arc / general characterization yet.

And I do find it honestly amusing how everone who's read the books and watches the show is so very defensive about their One True Character. Amusing in the best possible way, I mean - it's so much very individual fannishness coming to the forefront, and it reminds me that we are all reading a different series and watching a different show. Heh. Although if we were all fans of Ros the Random Exposition Whore, the entire fandom would probably be a far happier one. ;)

(And my head!Brienne will remain so very different from HBO!Brienne. And now you're making me nervous too, despite my earlier protestations... *wibbles*