5201

IMO, in the books, the way Shae/Tywin behaved with respect to each other was counter to their characters and so not well written. It’s too early to say for sure but I am hopeful that Shae escaping is an example of the series being superior to the books. So far the only change from the books in the HBO series that I really did not like was Rob’s love interest. I think her being a random expat from across the sea vs a Lannister plant was a huge miss and I am still not clear why they did that. On second thought I also do not like Strong Belwas being MIA from the series, I very much enjoyed him as a minor character in the books.

5202

I’m only partway through season 3, but I’m also sick of Theon’s torture and the recycled Bran dream sequences.

5203

I don’t recall if Roose was actually told in any POV character’s hearing, but since Ramsey was the one that suggested to Theon that they substitute the miller’s kids it seems logical that he would have told his father at some point.

Unless he gets ensnared in the Wildling attack on Castle Black somehow…

That’s probably a more reasonable scenario - they have to trim some of the fat somewhere.

I thought that Shae’s treachery was one of the better-done twists in the story. The book-Shae’s bitterness at having become (in her eyes) a fancy lady showered with gold and jewels only to be demoted to servant or kitchen wench and her selfish attempts to get back to that life were well-established, so no surprise there. Tywin’s hypocrisy WAS unexpected, but it then sets the stage for the further revelations about his duplicity, especially with regards to Tyrion’s ex-wife.

If they choose not to show the Tywin/Shae thing then they’ll need something else to set Tyrion into a murderous rage. Assuming that they keep the patricide thing… and I can’t imagine them jettisoning that.

I just watched “The Lion and the Rose” for the second time last night (first time for my wife), and I have to say that the pre-wedding scenes more-or-less hang a big sign around Olenna saying “I’m the one!”

5204

I think this ties in with the Boltons being a bigger part of this series. This keeps Roose as a central part of what’s going on in the north. He’s got two major connections, the Greyjoys and the wall, to keep him in the mix now. The more the tv show can keep him and his key men actively doing things rather than sitting around, the better.

5205

I think that the shae/tywin book ending is particularly great because of the impact that it has on Tyrion as a character. Not only does he have his world shattered again, finding that the woman he paid for sex, and promised himself he wouldn’t fall in love with, sleeping with his father. But that he truly did love her, and she loved his money after all. It is a harsh lesson for Tyrion to learn, as his character finally slips his last vestiges of childhood and inhibition. He is no longer the drunken sly witty dwarf that is immune to taunts and gestures. His father proves for one final time that he is still has power over his son, and how much of an awful person he truly is. Shae (after her betrayal at the trial) further drives the stake into Tyrion’s heart. It was an amazing gut punch and a true test of how awesome this series plot and writing can be. We are talking about multiple books of build up. Rather than back away (as he usually does) Tyrion flips the script and finally exacts his revenge on his father and Shae. This is the moment where Tyrion, who thinks he is in charge of his life, realizes that everyone is still just laughing at him behind his back like they always were. It was a great climax to Tyrion’s story in King’s Landing. It also includes one of the best lines in the entire book series.

I am almost positive the show will not change this, as we saw with the Red Wedding, the show isn’t afraid to go dark places. The more I think and write about this, the more I realize that they are trying to make Shae look more sympathetic so that the ultimate betrayal is even more heartbreaking. I really do hope that Tyrion kills her. We will really know what is going on when she hits that witness stand in the trial. If I remember in the books it was a complete 180 from her normal character, she was cold and cruel without any hint of remorse.

Also, seriously, get me some effing STRONG BELWAS! Up in here.

5206


— Alan

5207

I keep staring at this, what am I seeing?

5208

I guess maybe Jaime is holding a coffee cup?

5209

Jaime Lannister (on the far left) is holding a very 21st Century paper cup.

EDIT: D’oh! Too slow.

5210

Rehearsal shot?

5211

Ah! And no gold hand!

5212

Tommen looks much older. I wonder how they’ll deal with his age difference in the show, since him being so young (to the point of not really understanding what it means to be king) is a major part of how Cersei takes control. I guess they can just make him really dumb.

Also funny to see that Maester Pycelle looks like he’s fallen asleep in the above clip. Something incredibly small that probably no one will notice, but perfect in character. I love when actors do stuff like that.

5213

Or he’s checking his smartphone.

5214

Okay, I noticed that but figured since no one else had mentioned it I must be wrong.

5215

Not to attack you too much, but…

Shae escaped? Bronn said she got on the boat, but when asked if the boat left he changed it to “don’t worry about her”. For all we know a) he put here on the boat and some Lannister men got to her before it left b) he got to the boat and was paid to take her to Tywin/Cersei c) he took her straight to Tywin/Cersei, possibly even taking her to ‘a’ boat d) he took her to the boat and she ‘escaped’ somehow or e) she actually willingly got on the boat, stayed on it and it sailed off…

So far the only change from the books in the HBO series that I really did not like was Rob’s love interest. I think her being a random expat from across the sea vs a Lannister plant was a huge miss and I am still not clear why they did that. On second thought I also do not like Strong Belwas being MIA from the series, I very much enjoyed him as a minor character in the books.

Was she actually a plant? She was the daughter of a a minor lord in Lannister territory, and I felt/have read many theories on her mother’s role in the subsequent plot. But being an actual honey trap? I’ve always read it as they actually fell in love, though I’m open to any other interpretations.

I agree 100% with you re: Strong Belwas though. He was one of my favourite characters in the book. :(

5216

Jeyne’s feeling for Robb were genuine, but the mother was the one putting the two together (she had her daughter nurse Robb’s wounds). She expresses this rather clearly in book 4 while speaking with Jaime at Riverrun (the popular fan theory is that the old frog who gives Cersei her prophecy–gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds, and when your grief has drowned you the valonqar shall choke a bitch, blah blah-- is actually Jeyne’s grandmother).

5217

Tywin explains that in the east, “a Targaryen girl has three dragons,” and our ears perk up. Tywin explains that “before long” Dany will turn her eyes to Westeros, which is news to us who have been watching her progress on the show. Tywin points out that the Seven Kingdoms are not whole until Dorne becomes a full partner again. He also notes the Dornish were the only people who managed to resist the previous Targaryen invasion of Westeros – presumably by wearing them out by having lots sex with them (sex with the Targaryens, I mean, not with their dragons, though I wouldn’t rule that out either).

Also did they seriously make a kin-nig-its joke tonight? That’s a total Monty Python reference if I ever heard one.

— Alan

5218

“I only did that once!”

Great stuff.

Not a bad episode, though definitely a “build up” show between climaxes.

The Littlefinger reveal was fairly well done, I guess. He certainly comes off as a mustache-twirler here though; “Oh sure, I just killed the guy that saved you in cold blood after lying to his face, but don’t sweat it - I’m doing all of this for YOU my dear. Trust me.”

Tywin’s lecture to Tommen – I recall that speech from the books somewhere, though I’m not sure it played out in front of his brother’s corpse. Although I liked it, I thought it went on a bit long.

The Jamie and Cersei thing certainly played out weirdly – in the books, Jamie arrives in King’s Landing after Joffrey’s death and he arrives at the sept to see Cersei for the first time next to their son’s corpse. The reunion is passionate and he forces himself on her. Here, he’s been back for many weeks and he was present when his son choked to death. I get that he’s frustrated at her rebuffing him and he’s desperately trying to regain what he lost, but… I dunno, it seemed “off” somehow.

The Arya/Hound stuff was good; we needed some reminding that Sandor doesn’t fully have a heart of gold.

Castle Black was fine. I like how Jon is acting more like a hardened commander and has fully embraced the Night’s Watch after abandoning his Wildling fling. The Gilly/Sam thing also seemed to go on a bit longer than needed. I don’t remember him sending her to Molestown in the books, but I don’t doubt that it happened off-page in some Jon chapter somewhere.

Davos is still trying to come up with a good plan on Dragonstone; Stannis is an impatient prick. Sure, sure. Next please.

Tyrion’s scheming with Pod in his cell was fun because: Dinklage. The investigation from behind bars could be a cool thing to watch happen.

I think I could have done without Oberyn waxing on about bisexuality. I thought it had been well-established that he is a free agent willing to play for whatever team. I guess any excuse for full-frontal nudity is good on HBO, but meh. Tywin’s invitation for him to join the ruling council was pretty well done; I also liked the mention for Dany – good to show that the Westerosi are not completely clueless about what’s happening elsewhere.

And finally, the Dany stuff. My wife lives for the epic fantasy stuff from Dany each week, and she loved everything here: Dario’s studly take-down, Dany’s speech, the catapult insult. All fairly well done I think, though personally I find the epic fantasy stuff to be the least interesting part of the show.

5219

Director Alex Graves on that scene:

“Well, it becomes consensual by the end, because anything for them ultimately results in a turn-on, especially a power struggle. Nobody really wanted to talk about what was going on between the two characters, so we had a rehearsal that was a blocking rehearsal. And it was very much about the earlier part with Charles (Dance) and the gentle verbal kidnapping of Cersei’s last living son. Nikolaj came in and we just went through one physical progression and digression of what they went through, but also how to do it with only one hand, because it was Nikolaj. By the time you do that and you walk through it, the actors feel comfortable going home to think about it. The only other thing I did was that ordinarily, you rehearse the night before, and I wanted to rehearse that scene four days before, so that we could think about everything. And it worked out really well. That’s one of my favorite scenes I’ve ever done.”

5220

With regard to Daario being the one to challenge the Meereen Champion, I was kind of disappointed. Maybe I need to watch the whole scene again, but it seemed confusing. The Champion rides out to the far left (from Dany’s point of view) and when he charges, he is seen passing by rows of Unsullied…but the Unsullied are way back from the wall obviously out of arrow range. There is even one quick shot of the Champion riding straight out from the gate…what? I was kind of hoping for a little more of a fight, really. I did like the catapulting of former slave collars into the city. Awesome.

The scene in the temple with Cersei and Jamie, though…did Jaime really force himself on Cersei in the books? I’ve read them all but I don’t remember this…did I block it out or something? I thought that Jaimed tried to…uh…seduce(?) Cersei in the books right after the funeral, but it was the first time that Cersei rebuffed him and essentially tells him that he is only half a man now with only one hand and unable to fight. I guess I’ll have to do some research when I get home.