I’m usually pro-people making changes to books when adapting them to film, but Ned’s death is probably the main thing people remember from the book. It’d be bizarre to bother making a Game of Thrones series and skip the pivotal point.
Why do you say this? Robert was explicit in naming Joffrey as his heir in this final will. He may think Joff is not ready to be king – yet. I see that as something else entirely.
Perfectly put, thank you. I’ve read the books <the first one, at least> probably half a dozen times, and your words put that into a perspective I hadn’t quite peeked from before. Thanks 
He refers to Joffrey as a little shit at various points, and his instructions to Ned when on his death bed are ‘make him a better man’ - he has no illusions about what Joffrey is, that’s why he wanted Ned to be Regent, to keep him in check and try to mold him into a suitable king.
Ok This is the first time I post on any blog so, I really don’t know the etiquette, but all I’m talking about is an opinion about a show that I see everyone else has an opinion on, If you don’t like my opinion don’t answer, that’s simple I won’t engage in childish banter with anyone so please if you don’t like what I say keep your negative comments to yourself
Sadly, you’re wrong: you STILL haven’t posted on a blog :). What brings you to this messageboard?
Because what we do here is talk about our opinions, sometimes a little roughly. You offered yours, and folks thought it was silly, and told you so.
Without saying anything spoilerish, I’ll remind folks that there’s just one more episode in the season. Before you decide to give up on the show, I humbly suggest you watch for one more week.
I see your point like I said I just think in my opinion it could’ve waited, but why do I know? Let’s see if I’m right and the neilsen ratings drop
If you’ll notice, this thread is chock-full of posters disagreeing with each other, as is this message board in general.
What, exactly, was childish banter in my response to you?
I don’t have a problem with anyone who disagrees with me as a matter of fact I welcome an educated discussion but Im not going to be YELLED at by someone who can’t respect my opinion without trying to call it silly, I think that’s cowardly
I don’t look to popularity to form my opinion of literature. The lowest common denominator produces the blandest fare.
Who YELLED at you? Who called your opinion silly?
This?
I welcome an educated discussion, too, especially one with punctuation. Nobody yelled at you, kiddo. Don’t take it so personally.
On the same token, nobody’s required to respect your opinion if it’s silly.
You’re misunderstanding. Someone else (The Lone Cashew) has decided that the show is “shallow” for killing off a main character. So now that Ned is dead the show is nothing but gore and sex.
-Joe
This episode is the one that convinced me that Martin may be worth reading. The best writers are the ones that have no mercy for their characters and pay strict respect to the inner logic of the worlds they have created – Herman Melville, Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, Edgar Allen Poe …
Ned’s death is basically why the books are not considered run of the mill fantasy also. There would be no point whatsoever in even making the show if you were going to change that.
Cersei not countermanding the little prick’s order is also a nice counterpoint to what we saw with Catelyn and Robb. Both mothers have to let their sons find their own way.
That isn’t true. There’s only one character on True Blood who is alive on the show but dead in the book, and he is far far less important to TB than Ned was to GoT. Layatte being alive doesn’t really change anything much (other than sparing us a season two that would have been much stupider than the Maryanne story-arc) but leaving Ned alive would have changed things far too much.
Indeed. Contrary to some of the nay-sayers, sparing Ned’s life would have destroyed the heart of the story, in much the same way that Hamlet would have been a different story if everyone had made up at the end.
I do like what I read elsewhere, though. People who are denying that Ned is dead are in the first stage of grief. People hating on HBO are in the second. Some people will doubtless start coming up with bargains: “Maybe they can bring him back in dream sequences. Maybe it’s his twin brother who died! HBO, if you bring him back, I promise to renew my subscription!” Finally they’ll accept and move on.
If a show can put you through the stages of grief, it’s probably doing something right.
Strongly seconded. And many might then begin counting the days until the second season…
I think I know what the last scene is going to be. At least I know what it should be. It doesn’t make up for Ned, but it is somewhat of a balm.