Game of Thrones begins....

[Martinus]

Can't be more boring than what Martin wrote  . . .

That is a fair point as well. We don't even know where Sansa storyline is heading in the books and the Theon/Fake Arya storyline is tedious. So at least they combined the two in the show, giving us something to get invested into.

[Martinus]

In general, I think the show is simply suffering from the fact that the books get much worse in the later instalments. It kinds goes down after the end of Storm of Swords. Not necessarily because the story is objectively bad, but it is quite hard to trump the Red Wedding, the Purple Wedding and the Death on the Crapper(tm).

[Admiral Yi]

I like the book Theon story line.  He's struggling with identity and sanity and redemption.

[crazy canuck]

I like the book Theon story line.  He's struggling with identity and sanity and redemption.

Agreed.  Book Theon is much more compelling than show Theon.

[Martinus]

I like the book Theon story line.  He's struggling with identity and sanity and redemption.

Agreed.  Book Theon is much more compelling than show Theon.

Not really. It's just the same thing as with Cersei - i.e. different medium.

[crazy canuck]

I like the book Theon story line.  He's struggling with identity and sanity and redemption.

Agreed.  Book Theon is much more compelling than show Theon.

Not really. It's just the same thing as with Cersei - i.e. different medium.

The plot line for Theon is very different in the book. 

[The Minsky Moment]

Can't be more boring than what Martin wrote  . . .

That is a fair point as well. We don't even know where Sansa storyline is heading in the books and the Theon/Fake Arya storyline is tedious. So at least they combined the two in the show, giving us something to get invested into.

In the books the Starks start out as the central characters but then even the ones that don't get killed off get "stranded" and Martin increasingly gets distracted with his shiny new characters (and some of his non-Stark old ones).  That doesn't really work for a teleplay - a series can keep bringing in and rotating new characters, but it needs the keep a focus on the original ones.  With Bran out and Arya stuck in a side plot, they had to do something to keep Sansa in play. 

[Martinus]

I like the book Theon story line.  He's struggling with identity and sanity and redemption.

Agreed.  Book Theon is much more compelling than show Theon.

Not really. It's just the same thing as with Cersei - i.e. different medium.

The plot line for Theon is very different in the book.

The point is that a lot of appeal of both Theon's and Cersei's later book chapters comes from their inner monologue - something that is not possible to portray in a tv show. At least with Cersei there is still a compelling plot involving numerous characters - so sticking to the book narrative in King's Landing simply portrays Cersei as dumb. If they did the same with Theon, it would just be torture porn.

[Martinus]

Can't be more boring than what Martin wrote  . . .

That is a fair point as well. We don't even know where Sansa storyline is heading in the books and the Theon/Fake Arya storyline is tedious. So at least they combined the two in the show, giving us something to get invested into.

In the books the Starks start out as the central characters but then even the ones that don't get killed off get "stranded" and Martin increasingly gets distracted with his shiny new characters (and some of his non-Stark old ones).  That doesn't really work for a teleplay - a series can keep bringing in and rotating new characters, but it needs the keep a focus on the original ones.  With Bran out and Arya stuck in a side plot, they had to do something to keep Sansa in play.

Yes, plus from a purely meta perspective, you still need to give your actors a reason to come to work every day, so to speak. That is why we also get scenes like Grey Worm/Missandei - as without it they would have hardly anything to do for the entire season.

[Siege]

Sansa got raped?

NOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHJJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Josephus]

Sansa got raped?

NOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHJJ!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by her husband, though, so not really....

[Valmy]

by her husband, though, so not really....

[Kleves]

by her husband, though, so not really....

That's actually probably what most/all of the characters in the show, including Sansa herself, would say.

[Martinus]

Yup.

[Jaron]

I just watched the scene tonight. It didn't feel very rapey by me. Maybe by modern standards, but it seemed like she was intending to do her wifely duty and he just hurried the process along. Cringeworthy for sure because everyone loves Sansa, but I think I'm okay with it.