I was really glad to see Lollys. I hope they keep that little subplot with Bronn in the Cersei story.
Rhaenyra Targaryen. Though the claim is disputed and she was overthrown by her half-brother (the “Dance of the Dragons”). Some probably though that she couldn’t inherit because she was a woman.
Btw, was anyone else starting to get a bit excited when Brienne and Pod were being chased away by Littlefinger guards. Part of me was getting hopeful (that’s where I usually go wrong) that in their haste to escape, they’d run into the Brotherhood without Banners.
The show is no longer even pretending to follow the books. Bronn and Jaime off to Dorne? Brienne meeting Sansa and now stalking Littlefinger? Even Arya in the house of B&W is needlessly altered.
I don’t think that matters. Aegon had two wives.
I love the books, but I’m totally okay with this, as long as it’s done well. We’ll see, but I’m optimistic.
But they were both his sisters. Targaryans marrying Targaryans has been the default for hundreds of years, but a Targaryan marrying not just one but two women outside his family? That’s just weird.
And I am loving the changes to the story lines of the books. Hell yeah, Bronn and Jaime! And look at Brienne, successfully finding both Stark daughters but unable to convince either one to accept her service to them. Dark Sansa is so much more intelligent than Victim Sansa and so much more likely to make active choices for herself.
These first two episodes have done a terrific job of updating us on where everyone is and why, and I expect brilliant things to come. I’ve already been caught by surprise by some plot developments, and we have 8 episodes to go! Life is good.
I am totally okay with the show not following the books from here on. And given that so many plot lines have been cut or compacted, key characters have to go places and do things that aren’t in the books.
Count me in as another person who’s okay with them not following the books. The story is right where the books fell off a cliff and spend hundreds of pages not advancing the story. Wrap up the series before the actors playing the Stark kids get their AARP cards in the mail.
Yep, and they need to drop a few storylines. Hell, GRRM needs to drop a few storylines.
Actually, I believe GRRM will likely drop the entire story line.
GRRM is indeed perfectly fine with dropping story lines for a while when nothing much is happening in them - look at how Theon disappeared or how Jamie or Varys didn’t turn up much after the end of Storm of Swords (though Varys turned up in the BIG way at the end of Dance).
Also I think he mentioned that now he has everyone where he wants him, he can REALLY start killing off characters (to which the internet was like… wait… you weren’t really killing off many characters before?) - so that’s another way that storylines will drop.
Actually not so much. Yes, in Book 1, quite a few bought the Big One. But as soon as GRRM got attached to them, others started coming back from the dead, having impossible escapes, etc. It’s like GRRM writes for Marvel now. 
I don’t mind changes from the books, but I loathe the majority of THESE changes.
I gave it a lot of thought since the premier and it’s not a strident GRRM loyalist thing. I’m not thinking “That’s not what was in the books” so much as “That’s not what I think they should have done.” I’m not growing weary of the show because of liberties and adaptation differences, but because I don’t understand the changes made and I think they’re detrimental to the show.
I’m so bored by it these last two weeks overall. There were still some great parts, don’t get me wrong, but my attention does not wander when I rewatch the first 3 seasons combined as much as it does in any single post-RW episode.
D&D were very good at adapting a story, but they’re not doing a good job creating their own content in a way that pleases me.
Plus this is the fifth season. Most shows that are strong out of the gate tend to lose a lot of that shine by now. Why should GOT be any different?
Dropping lady stonehearth is the one change i hate so far.
I expect her to come back before the series ends. It’s too good a twist for them to cut it out completely.
I’m posting this here because book spoilers in the answers are welcome by me.
What was the deal with Shae? She seemed actually in love with Tyrion, in one episode she tried very hard to convince him to leave with her and get away from his abusive father and sister and go to her home city? She even stayed when Stannis attacked the city, risking rape and murder.
BUT then the end of season four seemed to indicate it was all an elaborate ruse, and she was in Tywin’s employ the whole time. Or that she really was in love with Tyrion, but got angry at him “dumping” her and shipping her off on a boat. So which is the truth?
In the book she’s just a whore that acted like she loved Tyrion because that’s what he was paying her for. Then she lied at his trial because that’s what Cersei was paying her for (or threatening her), then she fucked Tywin because that’s what she was paid for. There’s no reason to think Tywin had a hand in the whole thing.
In the show I think she did love him but was jilted. There’s no reason to think she was in it for the money when she turns down a shit ton of diamonds from Varys.
The characters are a bit different in the books and on TV.
These are my takes from memory, which might be all wrong.
In the books it seems like she really was like a kid trying to play a game in which she was in over her head.
She wasn’t working for Tywin from the beginning but she wasn’t genuinely in love with Tyrion either. She liked him fine but she really liked the lifestyle he was giving her.
When Tyrion was on trial, she was at Tywin’s mercy and did what she had to to stay alive. If I recall correctly, she was actually chained to Tywin’s bed.
Tyrion killed her because he was caught up on Jaime’s revelations about Tysha and because Shea made the mistake of trying to play the “Giant of Lannister” card once too often, proving she was really just using him.
I think the TV show handled Shea very badly and made it confusing.
On TV, it seemed like she was genuinely in love with Tyrion but she was genuinely hurt by his marriage to Sansa and turned against him when he tried to get her out of the city.
I forgot to include this in my post but yes this was another thing that confused me!
Thanks for the answers guys!
If I can ask again the popular theory that Jon Snow is the product of Rheagar raping Lyanna, if true I can’t see how it would change anything at all unless there really is some genetic dragon bonding thing. I mean so what is Jon gonna say?
“Hey guys I’m really the son of the dead price from a long deposed regime, my dead uncle lied about being my father!”
Everyone shrugs.
This is perfectly put! Change from the books can work and some have, but some of these changes are just strange (what they did with Dany in Qarth was just ridiculous).
Indeed. And the butterfly effects from it compound the error (such as sending Brienne chasing after Sansa after rejection). I also hate how they neutered the House of the Undying and eliminating Arianne Martell.
A) The theory doesn’t necessarily involve rape (though its possible), but that Lyanna went willingly with Rheagar and may have secretly gotten married. That means Jon has a better claim to the throne than Daenerys, as Rheagar’s legitimate son rather ahn Rheagar’s sister.
B) In a world with magic and people who can see the future in fires, there are likely ways to prove King’s blood. Heck, if a dragon tried to kill Jon, but he has the same power as Dany to not even be singed by dragonfire, that’d be a telltale sign (provided Jon is still alive, of course).