"It's official: GoT season 5 will be wasting time" Topic

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Since George RR Martin wasted time by gallivanting all over the place with pointless sub-plots in Dorne, HBO seems compelled to do the same.
Asha/Yara put in an appearnace not rescuing Theon, so she is free to participate in the pointless War of the Iron Islands Succession.

The HBO series now has these padding plots to fall back on so they do not catch up to Martin.
These are the plot lines that I skip over while re-reading, going to the main and interesting lines.

GoT will not be such "must see TV" next year.
Martin could self indulgently wander around to his heart's content, ing off nobody but the book fans. Now that HBO is filming, he suddenly has a train running down the track. HBO is now forced to meander aimlessly like Martin did.
Oh, well.

It's a good thing he spent time writing that history of Westeros book coming out in October…

John, you just need to be sacrificed to the Drowned God.

Actually, you'd make a terrific Iron Island lord, sort of grouchy with a touch of haddock.

Dorne is … boring.
The Iron Islands are unpleasant. And boring.

I have long thought that GoT is a rare case of the 'movie' being better than the book. The series is so much more focused and eliminates the chaff that fills 75% of the novels (even the good ones). I hope the show isn't forced to start picking up all the padding that's in the books, just to fill time.

That said, if there was one thread that showed what's going on in Dorn, they could sanitize it somewhat and have things move along at something better than the geological pace they move at in the novels. The Brianne / Podrick thread is already far, far more interesting than it was in the book.

Sorry if I get spellings wrong, I have the audiobooks, not the dead-tree version.

I have long thought that GoT is a rare case of the 'movie' being better than the book.

+1

You guys are totally right, of course.

Who would possibly want to see mad Vikings and bloodthirsty warrior women on a fantasy show?

Nobody, I say. Nobody.

I liked the Iron islands and Dorne plots. Everyone wants Dragons and will trade any relatives they have for them.

+1 to Doug.

Though, I wish GRRM would speed the bleep up on the main books.

Well I guess that will help make the long wait til next April a bit easier as there wont be much to look forward too.

I gave up on the books with # 5 and did not finish it, and the HBO series after half way through second season. HBO spent too much time tossing in and trying to gross the viewers out in my opinion. Sad really as I initially loved the books but it spun out of control and I do not think Martin knows how to tie it all back together. All the characters I could find to care about are dead or in such hopeless positions that I cannot spare the angst. The TV show has some fantastic actors wit Peter Dinkaledge(sp?) being one of the best. Sadly I think HBO has squandered the opportunity they had.

I cannot see how they can avoid it. The series is going at a breakneck speed which is good. I love the books and the HBO series despite the sometimes too much violence. Then again I have watched Rome, and GoT is nothing compared to Rome when it comes to violence and sex. Glad to see Caesar and Brutus in GoT :p I want Titus Pullo and his best friend to show up :p

The last two episodes have been two of the best.

I have HBO, what mini-series is this you are talking about?

I must be desensitised because the violence in the TV adaption has been pretty much what I would expect for a world where people hit each other with large sharp weapons.

That's funny Brian Smaller

Duane

Frankly they have toned it down. The Ghis cities were pretty pretty evil even by fantasy series levels (especially Merreen who specializes in blood sports). In the TV they toned it down a lot. Which is good because sometimes I wanted to throw up in the books.