I continue my epic journey of reading through the Song of Ice and Fire books for the third time. I'm not only just reading the books, but I am watching the show in tandem with the books as well. Just trying to spot the differences, see if the show is giving us any hints as to what the books are going to do next. I am still relatively early in my journey (I just recently finished A Clash of Kings and season 2 of the show) so I haven't been able to spot much yet.
I thought season one of the show did a pretty good job following the books. Sure they had to cram a LOT of content into a 10 hour show, but I think they did an admirable job. All of the major plot points were covered, nothing too drastic was left out. My only gripe was a small one - that a lot of the actors didn't look age appropriate. Are we really supposed to believe that the guy playing Robb Stark is only, what, 15 or 16? No. But that was really my only issue with the show.
Season two, however, is a completely different story. I am usually not one of those people that harp on a movie or TV show straying from its source material, as long as said movie or TV show is good. This show is good, don't get me wrong, but I feel as if it strayed unneccesarily from the source material for no other reason than simply that it could.
So many times during this season did I feel like screaming at the TV: "That didn't happen!" or "Why did they leave that out?"
Some examples:
On the show, Littlefinger threatens Cersei with the knowledge that he knows of her incestuous relationship with Jaime. Cersei in turns orders her guards to draw their weapons on Petyr, and she threaten him in return.
Jaime kills his cousin Cleos and a Karstark while in captivity in an escape attempt. In the books, Cleos lives and accompanies Jaime and Brienne on the road to King's Landing. It was two Kartarks Jaime killed during the battle of the Whispering Wood, not one in an escape attempt.
Also on the show, it doesn't show Jaime being held in the dungeons at Riverrun. Instead they show him being brought along with Robb's army.
Melisandrei doesn't fuck Stannis in the books (although it is implied later in A Storm of Swords during a conversation she had with Davos that she did).
The stories that Tyrion tells Varys, Littlefinger, and Pycelle are much different on the show than in the books.
The whole Renly is gay plotline is a show only thing.
Arya's terrifying journey with the Night's Watch was greatly skipped over on the show, for the most part.
Arya meeting Tywin Lannister and serving as her cupbearer - didn't happen in the books.
They killed Daenerys's silver on the show - didn't happen in the books.
On the show Jon discovers Craster sacrificing the baby boy to the Others. In the books he knew that this is what was happening but he didn't actually see it, nor did he get attacked by Craster.
Shae comes to Tyrion in the Tower of the Hand as opposed to being squared away in a brothel that Tyrion has to discreetly come to.
The show changed the name of Theon's sister from Asha to Yara.
Robb's whole relationship and marriage is different on the show. He meets Lady Westerling while doing battle in the Crag in the books, and falls in love with her and marries her. On the show he meets a field nurse from Volantis and takes her as his bride.
In the books Davos rows Melissandrei into Storm's End to kill Cortnay Penrose to end the seige at Storm's End. In the show she kills Renly, and Renly alone. In fact, the whole Storm's End seige and the fate of Edric Storm is dropped completely from the show.
Brienne and Jamie don't go on the run until the third book, which would be the third season if the show was trying to follow the book/season format. I don't mind this change though, as Jaime isn't in Clash of Kings much and I am sure the show makers didn't want the casual viewer to forget about him.
The Dragons are never stolen by Pyat Pree in the books, nor is Xaro proven to be penniless.
The show excludes Mira and Jojen Reed. I don't recall seeing Ramsay as Reek either.
Bronn is given a much larger role in the show and put in charge of the City Watch.
The whole House of the Undying scene is completely different in the books. Completely. Dany sees scenes from her past and hints as to her future in the books. On the show, it is just kind of a surreal trip where she has a nice goodbye conversation with Khal Drogo and her unborn baby.
Tyrion's injury is far less grievous on the show than in the books, where he loses most of his nose.
As Joffrey's heir, Tommen is sent away in the books before the battle of King's Landing so if the Lannisters lose, they still have their claim to the throne. On the show, he is carelessly kept in the city.
No Arstan Whitebeard or Strong Belwas are to be seen on the show.
I could go on and on, but those are just the things that come to me off the top of my head. I had a running list in my head as I watched the show, but I never bothered to write them down. I should have! I am sure I am forgetting some major points.
Anyway, what I am trying to say is that they changed a lot of things, and for no good reason whatsoever. I think some of the stuff was added to create drama, which is fine. Drama is needed for a TV show like this to succeed. For example, in the books Dany comes to Qarth and they all basically say no to her requests for help. She visits the House of the Undying and wrecks the place with her dragons, and then leaves. That doesn't make for good TV. So I guess it is understandable why they would add a plot about the Qartheen trying to steal her dragons.
But some of the things were stupid and unnecessary. Littlefinger threatening the Queen? He is too sneaky for that, he would never confront her in that manner when he knows what she is capable of. Arya meeting Tywin and befriending him? He would never give a cupbearer a second glance. Margaery offering Renly a threesome with her brother? Could have happened in the books, but if so it was never shown. The whole Renly being gay thing is speculation in the books and was never completely addressed anyway.
The whole order of things is jumbled up too. The book starts off with Maester Cressen attempting to kill Melisandrei but this isn't addressed until towards the end of the first episode. This was a big tone setting scene for the novel, but on the show it seemed kind of out of place. I pity the people who didn't read the books but watched the show. A lot of the dots don't seem to be connected properly if you don't already know what is going on. For example, Jon Snow's story begins on the show with him beyond the wall already ranging and looking for Mance Rayder and the wildlings. In the books they set this up with Sam studying and the Night's Watch prepping for the journey. On the show they just jump right into the ranging with no explanation whatsoever about what is going on, what their mission is, or why they are beyond the wall. In fact, casual fans were probably thinking "who?" when Mance's name was brought up.
I really really tried not to be irritated as I watched the show. They got the very basic gist of the story correct. Theon betraying the Starks, Jon and the Night's Watch going on their expedition, the battle for Blackwater Bay, Arya's journey, Dany leaving Qarth empty handed, etc. It is just that the steps taken to reach these destinations were much different.
I can appreciate them trying to tell the story from different perspectives, maybe trying to spice things up a little bit. I have no problem with that. A straight, no liberties taken retelling of the book just simply wouldn't have been possible with the time constraints put on the show. Plus TV viewers need a little extra added action so they don't get bored.
What I didn't enjoy was the way some characters acted completely out of character, doing things that went against everything they stood for in the books. I didn't like the needless changes or the eye rolling moments where the show just flat out got things wrong.
That being said, I still enjoyed the show, for the most part. I definitely did not enjoy season 2 as much as I did season 1, I can tell you that right up front. I don't feel as if it did the epic book the justice it deserved. Plus, the further I get along in the show, the more I will see how it has strayed from the books. I have seen the show in its entirety (up to season 6) so far, so I know that the gap between show and books is only going to get bigger.
I just have to accept the fact that the show and the books are separate entities, and that I am just going to have to live with it. I am still holding out hope that since the books are so long in between, the coming seasons of the show will provide clues as to what will happen next. Dany meeting Tyrion? Sansa marrying Ramsay? These events have already happened on the show. Will the books go a completely different direction?
We shall have to see.
I can't wait for the Winds of Winter.
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