Prince of Sunspear, I owe you my most sincere apologies. I read some of your posts earlier in this thread that expressed frustration because GRRM has not finished writing these books, and my instinctive reaction was along the lines of "Geez, back off. He's written a gazillion pages already. You can't rush the creative process! He'll finish it eventually."

Then I read the books.

I just finished A Dance With Dragons. I have watched all 4 seasons of the show. I have this enormous void now that can only be filled with new episodes and new books, and I absolutely understand your frustration now. So, I am very sorry for being less than sympathetic before. I know that odds are he's going to just kill everyone and be done with it, but even so, I really, really want to read it all. Now. And barring that, I'd really like to watch the next season already.

Oh wow I really don't know what to say except it's water under the bridge and I accept of course. I know I can be a bit passionate about some things and that can come off the wrong way. But this is one book series I just absolutely fell in love with and it's just so amazing. So for me I'm just hoping he can maintain and improve on the quality of the future books.

PM some time so we can discuss theories. I love discussing the characters and the plots from the book. The show just can't compare on any level except for the visual aspect and some stellar actors.

http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/10/16/game-of-thrones-flashback/?hootPostID=06b85e9060a8fbf4c9563cd18ed0727a

I've really wanted to see that for a while.

Incredible news for Wilko Johnson, who left GoT several years ago due to a battle against cancer.

http://www.zap2it.com/blogs/game_of_thrones_wilko_johnson_cured_terminal_cancer-2014-10

Edited October 24, 201411 yr by DRW50

Keanu Reeves' new film, John Wick, opened this weekend, with Alfie doing his heel role. I get annoyed when people say it's just like Theon, but I have no power over idiots.

http://news.moviefone.com/2014/10/23/alfie-allen-john-wick/

http://www.fuse.tv/videos/2014/10/top-20-alfie-allen-interview-1

http://www.fuse.tv/videos/2014/10/top-20-alfie-allen-interview-2

Some news on salary negotiations and new contracts for season 7, most likely the final season.

Casting spoilers (possible).

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/game-thrones-cast-signs-season-744314

Explanation on the Bran move for season 5

http://insidetv.ew.com/2014/11/05/game-of-thrones-why-bran-season-5/

As expected (although I do hate that we live in a time & age where so much is revealed, dissected and analyzed so far in advance and there is almost no hope of hiding anything anymore).

I can understand the choice, though I'm not thrilled. So long as they don't recast (and I have no expectation that they will - he's not like the other random Lannister kids, he is a principal cast member, and God knows he hasn't had any trouble aging since Season 1). He'll come back in a big way, which makes me happy. Team Bran.

Edited November 5, 201411 yr by Vee

The truth is Arya and Sansa are just about at the end of the line too, which is why Arya went on an extended walking tour throughout season 4. But I realize Arya is beloved by most fans, and while Sansa isn't as popular, she's a vital character and is connected to other vital characters like Littlefinger.

I will miss Bran but I can see why they made this choice. I just hope his absence won't mean more padding for some other characters who already get more than enough airtime.

I thought Arya's story in Braavos was fairly interesting, but to be honest, I'd rather see what happens with Sansa. I've read all the books, and I know what Littlefinger explains to her is his plan for her, but I don't see what Littlefinger gets out of that, which means there has to be more to it. I'm definitely more interested in what happens in Westeros as opposed to what's going on in the free cities.

Telltale Games releases more details about its new GOT adventure game.

[...] The events in our game series begin towards the end of Season Three of the TV show, and end right before the beginning of Season Five. You will visit familiar locations such as King's Landing and The Wall, as well as unfamiliar locations such as Ironrath, the home of House Forrester.

House Forrester is a noble house from the Wolfswood in the north of Westeros. Bannermen to House Glover, they have always offered unswerving loyalty to the ruling great house of the North – the Starks. The Forresters are seated at Ironrath, an imposing stronghold surrounded by towering ironwood trees. Built over fifteen hundred years ago by Cedric Forrester and his triplet sons, Ironrath is a testament to the strength and endurance of Ironwood. The Forrester house words are 'Iron from Ice', which echoes their belief that - like the ironwood itself - the adverse conditions and unforgiving landscape of the North only makes them stronger.

[...]

Although the Forresters have not appeared in HBO's TV show, they are canon to the world created by George R. R. Martin, having appeared in the book 'A Dance with Dragons'.

You will play the game from five different points of view. Each character you play as is a member of House Forrester; either a direct family member, or a person in service to the House. Scattered across Westeros and Essos, each character will play their part in seeking to save House Forrester from destruction.

Playing as five characters not only reflects the epic scope of Game of Thrones, but is also something that the player needs to be mindful of. This is because the actions of one character can ripple out to affect the rest of House Forrester. Multiply the actions of one character by five, and you're truly playing the Game of Thrones…where you win, or you die.

Telltale is responsible for the incredibly good The Walking Dead adventure game which I highly recommend, available for consoles and computers, as well as, I believe, tablets. The game is focused on characters and choices vs. action and I cannot praise it enough.

Edited November 11, 201411 yr by Vee

Season 5 spoilers, maybe...

Complaining ahead so if you don't want to see it don't read it.

If this is true, Myranda will get the fake Arya story.

http://www.christian...stark/42929.htm

I had a feeling Jeyne Poole wouldn’t appear in the show, as they had two full seasons of Bolton/Snow material and no real hint of her, but I don’t understand why they are choosing Myranda.

The only time viewers have known Myranda, she’s assisted in raping and castrating Theon, and hunting down and murdering other women.

Now they could switch this and say that once she’s put into the Arya role, she becomes Ramsay’s victim. They could say she was Ramsay’s victim all along. But will they do that when they’ve had two seasons to make us see this side of her and never have?

Will they instead decide to say that she is a happy or willing partner in this scheme, and just eliminate the rape portions of the story entirely? Just have Theon’s story be about his own breaking away, not about Jeyne?

On the one hand, I’m not going to stomp my foot and say, “How dare you take rape scenes away,” because of course I don’t want to see this. I’m not going to say I need to see rape for Theon’s character development. And I don’t think it makes Theon selfish or bad if he breaks away for himself, not because of anyone else.

It’s just that the story potential of Theon saving another person, protecting another person, is a great transformation moment for the character, is one of the strongest-written character arcs of any in ASOIAF. Will we not get that now? Will he just be threatened/tortured and eventually run away?

Will we just sort of get another season of, “Ramsay’s not THAT bad”? If we do, then will viewers really root against Roose losing control of the North? Are we supposed to root against Roose losing control of the North?

If they do give Myranda Jeyne’s story, then, yes, that would also show Theon’s strength (saving someone who did terrible things to him), but does that mean they think literally any woman can have this role, and it’s not relevant? Will they suggest that Myranda deserves what happens to her (which she doesn’t, even if her own crimes are horrific)? Or will they just have her there as a generic victim whose sole purpose is to be saved and will never matter in the narrative otherwise?

I don’t feel like the show has done a bad job with Theon’s story, especially compared to some other story arcs on the show, but I have absolutely no idea where any of this is going, and I’m not entirely sure they do either.

Edited November 13, 201411 yr by DRW50

I don't think the show has ever presented Ramsay as "not that bad". He's evil through and through, with a daddy complex. He has his reasons, but that is how GOT handles almost everyone on the show whether they are mostly good people or largely awful. He's still scum.

The rest, I don't read the books so I feel it's immaterial for me personally, especially as the show's version hasn't aired. I'll see what they do. I can't miss a character I never saw and I think they are very particular on whatever they are doing with Theon, unlikely to abandon it.

Edited November 13, 201411 yr by Vee

Ramsay in the books is likely too horrific to ever put onscreen, and they do present him as being a bad guy (killing women, torturing Theon). I just think there's a certain ambiguity, intentional or not - oh, he's just trying to please his father, oh, Theon got what he deserved and it's not so awful (I don't think the show is saying that, but the somewhat gentler version of "Thramsay" helps blur the lines somewhat), oh, he has a consensual relationship with Myranda (as far as we know) which balances out what he did with other people, etc. And, while this is typical of TV, obviously - he's also much more handsome on the show.

The story in the books is one of those that some fans hold dear but is something that I don't necessarily think would work onscreen. It's really vile. But I feel like if you're going to make some changes, you may be better off cutting those ties altogether.

Making Myranda Jeyne Poole would be such a huge change of character and circumstance that I think the meaning (of this young vulnerable girl Theon has to break through his trauma and save) would be lost. I guess Theon could still save Myranda, but...I'm not sure how it would work. And if Myranda isn't a victim and is just working with Ramsay, then a lot of the fake Arya story's purpose is gone. Not to go on and on about it, but the horrible things done to "Arya" not only have a major effect on Theon's story, but Jon's as well.

Edited November 13, 201411 yr by DRW50

I think that ambiguity is essential to the show, though, and always has been in most of the characters, including the really awful ones like Ramsay. I'm sure at least some of what he experiences is in those books. Ramsay wants to be loved and recognized by his father, that doesn't make him any less a mad dog. The show obviously knows that. It's that or just have him be a total cartoon, and the show tends not to do that to even the worst people like Littlefinger, Tywin, Cersei, etc. Every character on the show has their reasons. That doesn't mean you should love them.

And I do think a lot (though not all) of what Theon has gotten, he deserved. But I don't think the show is even remotely suggesting that Ramsay is just a poor misunderstood guy who is just giving Theon his just desserts. It clearly wants you to sympathize with Theon after all that torture and indoctrination and say no man deserves this. It presents Ramsay as a delusional monster whose Achilles heel is his need for recognition.

Edited November 13, 201411 yr by Vee