No REAL news this fine August day, but we do have a trio of interesting something-somethings. Peruse!
First off, Finn Jones and Kristian Nairn were at London Film & Comic Con this past July, and GeekPrideTV caught up with them for a lovely (19 minute!) chat.
What’s interesting? Finn Jones blurting that [SPOILER] is suddenly his favorite character, and then Kristian, moments later, saying he can’t say too much because they’re probably both influenced by the latest batch of scripts they’ve just received. Innnnteresting. (Keep your theories in spoiler code, please!)
Additionally, we have Maisie Williams (with her usual Maisie flair) in Evening Standard’s article, What’s Driving Miss Maisie.
What’s interesting? Nothing GoTcentric, but if she were hesitant about declaring her intent on a long career before, she certainly isn’t now. You go, Miss Maisie.
Lastly, we have good ol’ George, talking to GeekWire in an exclusive interview and saying…
… HBO may very well finish the tale before he does.
Nothing really shocking there. But it’s interesting to know he now has minions capable of lopping the heads off of people who tell him to finish the damned book. I wish I had minions.
Thanks for this Axey – is a Hodor in order – though knowing my luck someone will have posted while I’ve been typing.
No, the Hodor is all yours, Dame!
I agree, about the changes from the books, with Fin Jones, completly.
Oh shit… I didn’t believe the hype but…
A transcript of what Finn Jones said possible?
My English is not good enough to understand the oral
thank you ^^
Oh! Shit.
Seems like Finn just all but confirmed Cleganebowl.
The thought of Axechucker having minions to his disposal is truly terrifying.
Whoa. Um. Yeah. I’m actually a bit speechless over what Jones seemed to confirm…speechless, but grinning from ear to ear.
I think those who are overly inflexible about changes/omissions from the books should listen to what Finn has to say.
Thanks for coming out of hibernation to post these, Axey!
GET HYPE!
Any chance of a transcript for those of us who are Deaf and can’t hear it?
Nymeria Warrior Queen,
Finn said it the best possible. We all need to just relax and enjoy the show.
I don’t think straying from the novels it itself inherently a good thing.
I mean, when they’re “showing what the Tyrells were doing off-screen in the novels”, i.e. inventing a scene between Olenna and Margaery that *could* have happened, that’s different.
Argh, it was at the very end. For those who don’t want to sit through that:
The Dragon Demands,
Of course. What we need is Nimble D*ck…..
What you fail to see is that many times changes are simply the only solution. You don’t have the budget for 150+ char, you can’t film in 5 countries, you need to film everything in 10 months…….etc.
Mihnea,
I’m sorry, I have no idea to what you are referring.
One hype to rule them all,
One hype to find them.
One hype to bring them all
and in the darkness, bind them
D*ck refers to:
That’s all I know! I’m unsullied!!!
Edit: ruining my own stupid joke…
Awesome responses from Finn about the books, show, and viewers. Just awesome.
Plus, all the teeny tiny spoilers he seemed to drop – ahhh…. HYPE IS BUILDING!
The Hound does good? 😀 They both seemed to imply the end will be uplifting and hopeful. Finn seemed to place a lot of importance on Bran, saying he will be THE Stark. And about Jon Snow? Ummmmm……
Josh L,
Are you looking for a complete transcript, or just a transcript of the part which has people excited…the potential spoiler? If it’s the latter, I should be able to do that much.
Well the Hound saved his life so it should be his favorite character lol.
Mihnea,
Oh I don’t mind condensations, I.e. like, merging Gendry with Edric Storm.
It’s when they think they “improved” on the original and it wasn’t really due to time constraints.
Off-Topic Otto,
Hahaha…
I meant the response they posted to my post.
My God… GET HYPE
Unsure why my spoiler tagging didn’t work? Mods, please fix!
#GetHype
The Dragon Demands,
But how would you know whether they think they improved something, or whether something was really done because of time constraints?
Omg I’m so happy right now. I hope this means what we think it means.
The Dragon Demands,
I don’t believe they ever think about changes as improving. The fact is that we simply have no clue how inportant some stories are, they know.
so if stannis dies in TWOW whats the point of not killing him this season?
if YG is a fake that Dany kills in the first 10 min of her landing in westeros…why have him?
If the point of Dorne is to ally with Dany, then whats the point off Arriane?
these are all the same as Gendry/edric only on a bigger scale. We know that Edric is bassicaly pointless.. but we don’t know that about this stories, as we have no books.
So here you take the cynical point of view: thinking they made these changes because they tought they are better writers, or just…because they can.
I believe every change they made has a well analized reason.
Nymeria Warrior Queen,
Very good point.
on my previous comment. i meant we all need to take Finn’s advice, and relax and enjoy the show. not yell and rage before we know what those changes even mean to the plot.
Get Hype
Hoyti Von Totiy,
I didn’t take what Finn said as a confirmation of
Wouldn’t that require a pardon from the crown?
I couldn’t take the cackling by the interviewer
Valaquen,
I don’t think the crown has much power left, especially when compared with that of the Faith
Well, I totally get what Finn says about having some faith in the changes because D&D know where this is all going and we don’t.
I can even admit on storylines like Dorne in S5, I understand why they cut the Queenmaker plot. I just don’t really like what they replaced it with. My main qualm isn’t them making necessary changes for TV. Rather that their writing is pretty awful compared to George’s, and it shows when they depart completely.
My fear is we will know all the fake spoilers in S6 (and thus be able to identify the real future book spoilers) because of the difference in the quality.
Valaquen,
Exactly. Firstly Sandor was himself Kingsguard and also, as he’s been released from the KG as a traitor to the crown he cannot represent the faith in a trial by combat. Settle down people.
Angela,
Ah, in the manner that Lancel was spared punishment? That would make sense.
Looking forward to reading GeekWire’s EXCLUSIVE interview, because the GURMblurbs they quoted were from the general Q&A after the umpteenth reading of a chapter written years ago.
The Dragon Demands,
Geez man you need to calm down. I don’t see why it’s a bad thing to condense story lines. The show runners never say they are trying to be better than the books. they always bring up time, budget and limitations is what forces them to combine and condense story lines. Maybe you should take a deep breath and realize all of the stuff in ASOIAF is not real. At the end of the day it’s just entertainment, and really good entertainment.
Those fake deaths/resurrections are starting to go over the top. It’s no longer ‘anyone can die’ (well anyone apart from Tyrion, Dany and Arya that is) but ‘anyone can die, but there’s a good chance it’s a fake death or X will be resurrected’. With all those secondary characters getting the fake death/resurrection treatment, it’d be doubly ridiculous if Jon were to stay dead.
Paul,
The crown lacks any strenght to oppose the Faith. they could name champion anyone they want, no one can say no.
I think if they pull it with any of the other finale deaths (beyond Jon) it will be a problem. But the Hound was kind of a classic TV move… He was left alive and breathing. I expect for many people, like myself, it seemed more likely than not that he’d be back. I don’t think it’s comparable to a resurrection, or bringing back Myrcella, for instance.
Yes. Unless, I am wrong.
The Hound didn’t die in the series.
No.
Cleganebowl fucking confirmed. Infidel need to leave the comment section.
Hey, Mr. DJ, please keep dropping those dope book spoilers.
Cleganebowl confirmed with LS at DeepwoodMotte and Daario is Euron!!!!!
(too far?)
Nice. 🙂
I am thinking that if they keep the bit from the books about Loras
being burned and disfigured, that would provide an interesting basis for himbonding with the Hound. Perhaps he'll end up at the Quiet Isle to recuperate.That would make it unnecessary to send Brienne on a side trip.Simeon,
I’d include a Stark warging Ser Pounce to kill Tommen.
Oh, and HS=HR. 🙂
That’s not true at all. D&D have written some outstanding original scenes. For example, Tywin’s introduction, Cersei and Robert discuss their marriage, Jorah stopping Viserys from stealing Dany’s eggs, Tywin and Arya, Brienne vs. the Hound, Hardhome, etc.
The only exciting thing I got out of that awkward interview was the chance that Loras will be given a new direction. Good. Give us something to care about. Hopefully, he goes out in a blaze of glory regarding something that does not further emphasize his gay stereotype.
The casting of the seeming Meribald/Elder Brother character made it pretty obvious that the Hound would be back this year.
Young Dragon,
Also, The Hound and Arya at the Inn, which is the greatest scene in the show’s history, IMO. None of the dialogue was from the books, and it absolutely eclipsed the book version, which I did not think possible.
>Bad pussy
>Tyrion showing up in Tywin’s chamber for no reason
>Every Qarth scene in season 2
>20 good men
>The whole Stannis assasination, nuff said
> Grey worm/Missandei
> Barristan killed by peasants with knives
>Ellaria and the meme snakes
>Loras ‘any candle can replace the sun’ Tyrell
>Tyrion Lannister –> Gary Stu Lannister
>We can’t pace the season properly so Craster side mission why not
>”The pink letter wasn’t good writing. Let’s just include Olly”
Lmaoing rn. D and D apologists need to give it up. They’ve been piggybacking off of George and being successful for it, but when they need to come up with something themselves, it’s meme tier writing.
And many others as well. Some people seem to remember only problematic deviations (sure, there have been some). To acknowledge that D&D are responsible for a lot of outstanding original material as well is pure SF for these guys.
I think they are better writers than GRRM. The only reason why some things are better in the books is because GRRM writes every book for years and has more space. D&D only have a few months, and they still managed to write so many things better than him.
Hodoreo,
Your list would merit a reasoned response were it not chock-full of lazy and widespread copy/paste arguments like peasants with knives, Gary Stu, no reason for killing Tywin, Greyworm/Missandei, etc. Honestly, is there some cloning facility for cheap debate points out there somewhere? “Greyworm/Missandei” has become GoT’s version of the Hitler argument. Or maybe of ” I don’t know what it is, but it tastes like chicken”?
Well, let’s be grateful for the little victories, shall we? At least you didn’t mention Ros, agency, and whitewashing.
For anyone who doesn’t want to watch the whole thing, the spoiler chat begins at 14:00. It’s followed by a delightful bit of excited speculation by Finn about how the whole series is headed (Ice and Fire battles etc). I love how big a fan he is.
Mr Fixit,
Grey worm/Missandei is still better than Tyrion and Penny.
And other arguments are just typical book purist nonsense.
Alright dude, enjoy your meme writing and plot holes.
I don’t feel there is any need to be the least bit defensive on Missy/GW. That storyline took something like 10 minutes out of Seasons 4 and 5. It was a sweet little reminder that small people and their lives do matter and that it’s not all about Dany, her dragons, and all that epic jazz, and it also gave some screentime to fabulous Nathalie Emmanuel and Jacob Anderson.
Mr Fixit,
That isn’t even a storyline, it’s just something for Nathalie Emmanuel and Jacob Anderson to do, because otherwise they would leave the show.
Bad pussy? Myrish swamp!
Every Qarth scene in season 2? Except HotU it was more interesting than the books.
20 good men? You are speaking about Theon’s men that took WF in ACOK?
Ellaria and the meme snakes? Arianne and the meme snakes.
Loras ‘any candle can replace the sun’ Tyrell? And this is plot hole?!
“We can’t pace the season properly so Craster side mission why not…! I can’t pace the story properly so AFFC and ADWD why not…
Etc.
Mr Fixit,
Agree. I loved their scenes – they were like little oases of love and hope among the occasionally grinding violence/politics of Dany’s storyline. It’s a wonderful insight into two characters that are to me only sketched outlines in the books, and a bit too “exotic, emotionless randoms that Dany saves”. I love the books as a whole but this show change is a huge improvement.
mau,
Well, to be honest, it *is* a storyline, albeit a small one. It showed us that Dany’s followers have lives and hopes and dreams of their own and that they aren’t simple window-dressing designed to make their queen look cool. They also give a human face to Dany’s struggles in the Slaver’s Bay. I’ve always found Greyworm’s side of the story especially interesting and poignant, him being a eunuch bred only for war who starts understanding that there’s more to life than what his former masters drilled into him and who still has basic human emotions and needs despite his mental conditioning and physical mutilation.
As is maybe evident from the abvove, I have the exact opposite view of Missandei/Grey Worm from purists. Taking into account how little time is actually devoted to these two characters, I find their arc and its underlying themes a great example of effective and economical storytelling.
iridium,
Yes, exactly!
But woe is unto us! Just because they are ciphers in the books, we can’t have them more fully fleshed out in the show, can we? Filler, I say! 😉
The phrase bad pussy made no sense dialectally. When has anyone ever spoke like that on the show? It was too modern, and not to mention right before a character death we were supposed to care about…
So Dany walking around a few halls and eventually running into Drogo which resulted in no actual addition to the story was better than Dany receiving a prophecy about her future, getting a glimpse of the red wedding, and seeing Rhaegar and Elia discuss the prince who was promised? Ok then.
Twenty good men burning an army’s entire food supply, horses and siege weapons in the night without being spotted is more believable than Theon’s actual plan of luring the Stark garrison away from Winterfell to Torren’s Square and taking a lightly defended castle that he knows inside out? …… Right. It was also totally believable how Stannis would trust Melisandre seeing as how Balon Greyjoy is still fucking alive. Apparently the greatest military commander in Westeros doesn’t know what a scout is either.
Loras isn’t a plothole, it’s just another example of D & D taking a well written character and making him a stereotype.
If you’re implying season five was better than books 4 and 5 I have nothing more to say
ayy lmao D & D
Mr Fixit,
Better explanation than I could muster! So all I can say is YES to all of that.
Mr Fixit: Just because they are ciphers in the books, we can’t have them more fully fleshed out in the show, can we? Filler, I say!
I would dearly love the term “filler” to die a fiery death.
The male characters in the books and show constantly refer to their junk as “cocks”, which is absolutely an anachronism for the “period” (being a fantasy mish-mash of several centuries, as GoT is.) So the pussy line didn’t faze me at all considering it was used as a term of endearment (yep…) for women going back to 1580, with the vaginal association coming later. For example, Philip Stubbs’ 1583 Anatomy of Abuses refers to: “the boys who care for nothing, so that they have their pretie pussie to huggle withall'” (he was complaining about licentious behaviour: casual sex with pretty women, etc.) And from the diary of Samuel Pepys, 1663: “There was the King’s Falconer, that lives by Paul’s, and his wife, an ugly pusse…” Charles Cotton’s Scarronides (1664-5): “here’s a Health to thee, To Pusse and to good company. And he that will not do, as I do, Proclaims himself no friend to Dido.”
I first read that as “no friend to Dildo.”
Oops.
Many years ago, when I was a wee lad who had just watched LoTR, I remember being spectacularly pleased with myself for coming up with an alternate name for Bilbo Baggins: Dildo Vaggins. Imagine my disappointment when I found out that there had been many fine wordsmiths out there on the net who had already come up with that particular name. Bittersweet memories indeed.
And long before there was an Internet, the Harvard Lampoon had named their Bilbo character Dildo Bugger in their classic tacky parody, ‘Bored of the Rings.’
My sense is that this is a pretty common view. I think that it makes a useful counterpoint to the Wall plotline, where we actually get to know a few of the Wildlings. One big issue for both Daeny and Jon is that they see “others” (slaves, wildlings) as humans when others do not. On page, you can just write them thinking that: but on screen, you have to put the idea into the audiences’ minds. Small thinks like that both humanize Daeny’s constituency, and also shows just how nefarious the things she opposes really are. One thing that the show has done really well is emphasize the parallels between Jon and Daeny, and that will almost certainly have some payoff in the end.
At this point, I wonder if HBO might finish the series before Winter comes out…..
*wank, wank, wank*
Oh, we will get tWoW before that, don´t worry. Question is, will we ever get aDoS ? Better – will anybody even care ?
At this point, I wonder if GoT S6-S8 will be the first draft of TWoW and ADoS….
Also, Tyrion. All three have/had lovers who were the complete opposite of highborns. Actually people they love/loved. Shae, a whore, Yiggrite a Wildling, Daario, an ex-slave, current sellsword. Sam also joins their company as a highborn who has fallen in love with Gilly. I think this sort of view is fairly significant to the end-game.
The series will end before ADOS. He would have to be finishing it now to get it out before the last season. He hasn’t even started writing it yet. He is finishing up TWOW. ADOS will be out 2020 something. I am hoping for sooner but his pace has slowed down.
TWOW will be probably be out next fall. Hopefully. Maybe. Sooner would be good too. I am not getting my hopes up for before next season.
Martin. Most unprofessional writer I’ve ever, ever seen.
At least he writes good stories.
D&D have come up with some great original scenes, but Tywin’s introduction was not one of them. They cribbed that from Sam’s description of how his father told him he was no longer his heir.
But that was a great change.
Maybe this should be in the British v American English thread but the use of “puss” for a girl/woman was in use in Britain in the early 20th century, “saucy puss”, “sulky puss” for example. The link shows a vintage card which plays on the dual meaning though not in a rude way.
http://www.leedspostcards.co.uk/products/363-saucy-puss-postcard.aspx
I read somewhere that one person surmised that the “pussy” might mean a young cat e.g. Myrcella being a young Lannister (lion).
Mind you in the region of the English midlands familiarly called the black country the word “wench” is still sometimes used for girl.
I sometimes go to folk music nights; there is an English folk song with a chorus “Twanky dillo, twanky dillo, twanky dillo dillo dillo dillo”. Needless to say, especially when folk have downed some booze, that has been known to be changed to W**ky d**d*. Oh dear I don’t want to give the idea the English are all uncouth.
I know this probably won’t be a popular opinion, but I actually don’t want the Cleganebowl to happen…
Of course, this is the show and some stories diverge greatly from the books… And I’m totally fine with that… However, septon Meribald’s story will probably be tied to Sandor Clegane. If we get to listen to septon Meribald’s famous speech about “Broken Men”, it would be counterintuitive to then have the Cleganebowl.
I will still be OK with it if it happens. But I’d rather Sandor finds peace…
After a few beers, everyone would change the words. You don’t have to be English. That’s hilarious.
We will see in season 6.
Heh, let’s hope note: if GRRM decides to revise Winter based on reaction to the season, then I really doubt we’ll ever see it! Hopefully the season will get the oodles of praise that the series has gotten so far and he will not see any reason to do that. Of course, the reverse possibility is that the show gets oodles of praise for stuff that is different from what GRRM has written now and GRRM gets thoughts of revising based on that. However, GRRM knows that the adaptation issue works both ways: things that work very well on screen sometimes do not work at all on page. We can cross our fingers that he’ll recognize any cases of this as being one of those “that works on screen but not on page” scenarios and leaves well-enough alone!
Yes. He needs to keep it the same and move forward. Please. I hope. We might get it next fall. Maybe. Too hopeful?
That isn’t uncouth, that’s funny!!! Of course, one would want to be careful about where they broke into a rousing chorus of it. 🙂
Ser Pounce!
Of course. Ser Pounce will defeat him!
Missy/GW gave us one of the most glorious moments in TV history.
Finn Jones is always great to hear interviews with. Glad he’s filming until December!
Provided that my #1 character
GET HYPE
Angela,
My thought is that Kevan will go up against him first. That way, Cersei will put one more nail in the Lannister dynasty’s collective coffin.
However, that still leaves open how Strong will die/be destroyed.
I love how INTO it Finn is, he’s so so into it! 🙂 In the final question coming in and disagreeing strongly with the interviewer about Littlefinger’s character.. love it!
Someone, or perhaps Ser Pounce, will need to find Qyburn’s remote control and turn it off…or maybe they will simply sing “Puttin’ on the Ritz” to control him?
+10 Internet Points for that one! (Now, if they could just get Gene Wilder out of retirement to do his part….)
I would hope that Kevan is smarter than that. I think he is way too cautious to volunteer for a trial by combat. It would be hilarious if that did happen. All the Lannisters die one after the other out of stupidity. In order to “Save their legacy and to prove they are a house to bow down to out of fear.” They wipe themselves out.
I’m of the siesta,
Angela,
I don’t think there is any way Kevan fights the Mountain. Not only is he of the older generation, he’d have to be suicidal.
Add to that, the fact (unless I’m badly mistaken) the person fighting the Mountain would be representing the High Sparrow’s side, it makes even less sense. Kevan does not appear to be any fan of the Faith Militant, so why would he fight for them? Now, Lancel would make more sense. He’s younger, looks to be quite fit, and he’s certainly all-in with the Faith Militant.
Kevan won’t fight the Mountain. I was responding to Wimsey about him facing the Mountain and failing. Cersei wiping out her own family. It won’t happen.
Angela,
I was agreeing with you. Sorry if it came off differently.
It’s all good. I was just making myself clearer in the second post.
Postings make it difficult to show that you are kidding around. I should have said I was joking in the original response.
A random scenario that popped into my head while reading all the FrankenMountain speculation: what if Finn is really loving
because Loras somehow ends up in the ring with the monster (Brienne parallels anyone?) and everyone’s favorite monk/gravedigger decides to save him despite having given up his hopes for revenge, knowing that only he can defeat the monster! If we (the audience) only see this large monk in the background with Septon Meribald (no face) until that moment…it would be EPIC!!!
Angela,
Add a 😉 or a :D!
Ashara D,
Hmm, there would be a certain symmetry for that given the whole series! However, I expect that the Mountain’s first opponent will be a member of the Church. I’m betting on Lancell because 1) it should be Cersei’s champion against the Church’s champion, and, 2) Lancell is both a Knight and one of the Sparrows. However, I don’t think that poor Lancell will succeed.
Yup. Next time, smiley faces. 🙂
Glad to see you came around to my way of thinking on this. 🙂
That the Hound will save Loras once again from (Franken)Gregor is also something I can see happening Ashara D.
Loras will be like: Dude? Why you keep doing that?
Hound: Beats me. *shrugs*
XD
Maybe the hound fights the Mountain for reasons other than revenge.
Perhaps he has found peace, and upon seeing what has become of his brother, he wants to let his brother rest, so he volunteers to fight him and chop off his head.