Game of Thrones – S05E01-03

Well, we’re three episodes into the newest season (or four if you prefer to live dangerously) and already I’m filled with the excitement and dread that only a show like Game of Thrones can bring. The amount of love for this show is astounding, given how much it puts its fans through per episode. It’s one of those rare shows that you’re just as happy to see your favorite character alive at the end of the episode, as you are seeing them succeed. But knowing that no character is safe and that there is no solid ground is what gives this show the edge that many others lack.

The trend seems to be continuing, with Sansa surrounded by possibly the cruelest family in Westeros, Jon trying to maintain peace at the Wall, and Daenerys facing the wrath of her new kingdom after her hasty execution of a traitor. The other characters seem no farther from harm, with Brienne trying to rescue Sansa, Arya learning to be a Faceless Man, and Tyrion being captured by Jorah Mormont. The amount of tension this show is still able to build after  five seasons is remarkable.

But as a fan of the book series, it’s been very interesting to see how the creators have translated the pages to the screen, and although there have certainly been some frustrating and confusing moments, it has continued to be just as exciting and deep as the books.  With the new storylines being formed, it keeps even the readers guessing as to where many of the characters will go.

According to IGN, the creators had announced they would finish A Feast For Crows and A Dance with Dragons in this season, and would cut many of the characters and storylines  for the sake of time.  While I know that there was no way around it, I’m wondering why they seem so rushed to get through these books, since George R. R. Martin has still not come out with the next book in the series. I’ll agree that there is a lot that can be cut from these books, especially Feast for Crows, since many of the storylines seemed to drag on for too long, and some of the characters could easily be taken out  .

There are a few changes the show has made that I’m enjoying more than the books, however. I’m really enjoying Sansa and Brienne’s story this season (in the books Brienne never could find where Sansa was or was heading, so it seemed like she was aimlessly wandering) but in the show she actually has a clear goal to achieve. Its going to be very interesting to see how Sansa deals with the new threats around her, given  that in the books she is still at the Eyrie. I love that Jaqen H’ghar has returned to the show to train Arya, since in the books it was a character we had never met before. And I agree with Sarah Moran from Screen Rant when she said that Tommen and Margaery’s story has highly improved, thanks to Tommen’s age increase. She said that this allows their relationship to be “more mature” and that it contributes more to the show, and I could not agree more.

One thing that I don’t think I will enjoy, is the fact that most of the Iron Islands storyline from the last two books will likely be taken out due to time constraints. While I found the storyline to be slow at times, I couldn’t deny that it brought some very interesting characters to the mix, and it’s a shame that they may not make the cut.

But back to my point about the writers having to make new storylines up. Comicbookgirl19, a YouTuber that has dedicated many of her videos to Game of Thrones, and has even gone so far as to make videos that dive into specifics about its history, made some really good points in her expectations video. She stated that even though the creators are obviously very talented and have been told where the books will lead, it will be very hard for them to compare most of their original material to that of Martin’s. I agree with her on this, because unlike the creators of the show, Martin has dedicated the better part of his life since the 90s to making the series as organic and well put together as possible.  Even though his taking as much time as possible to figure the story out has proven to be frustrating, it’s better than the series being rushed and disjointed. Unfortunately for the show, they don’t have the luxury of time that Martin has, and this has proven in the past to result in rushed material. So far this season, the new material that they have created has been very good, considering all that has been taken into account.

I have the utmost confidence that this show will maintain the amazing attention to detail and excitement that it has for the past five years, and as a fan of the books it has been great to see the different directions that they have taken the material in. One of the most exciting things about Game of Thrones is its ability to surprise its audience, and having changed so many things from the books, it is safe to say that everyone will be surprised and shocked by the upcoming events of this season.