I am harsh grunching here because I have only read halfway through book 3. (actually a thread for people who have read the current season but not any others would be sweet but I may be the only one who thinks that).

Anyways, is anyone else frustrated with the liberties season 2 has taken? It feels like so many things have been changed and it tilts the hell out of me...even if they're not major.

Loved season 1 before I read the books...but really starting to dislike season 2. Am I being too nitty?

Don't read this thread or any spoilers till you're through book 3 plzzzzzzzzzzz.

yeah you really should avoid this thread until you finish all 5 books

but really I like what the show is doing a lot

Don't worry I'm not a masochist but I really wanted to know if anyone else was annoyed at S2 or if it was just me

It's "focused" compared to the book, but certainly not by any standards of tv drama.

@ traz
The reactions to season 2 itt so far have been largely positive. There may actually have been more criticisms of season 1, although I was in the other thread for most or maybe all of the season.

Questions from the other thread made me realize the show did a terrible job explaining anything about Renly. I guess they don't want to waste so much time on someone who is about to die. But if you're not a book reader, then you're just assuming that Renly's support is based entirely off his gay relationship with Loras. Although, the actor hasn't done a great job of being super charismatic, which is how Renly came off in the text.

Didn't see the prior argument, but you come off like a 75 year old high school English teacher who thinks that film is trash entertainment compared to the sacred written word.

Depth vs. breadth seems to have been covered. The "depth" that is important isn't 10 pages about Aegon's shiny head or whatever. The more "important" depth in art comes from aspects such as the extent to which it teaches you something about the human condition (yea, , but still), the way it can move you emotionally or simply, as Don Draper said, the glimpse of "fantastical people who are taking you someplace you've never been..." A television series absolutely has the ability to nail aspects such as this better than a book series can, and vice versa.

In any event I'm sure you're already on board with that and are probably using a different (inferior) definition of "depth".

As for Martin's prose - it's certainly possible for an author to ramble on about things of little relevance to the main narrative and have it still be great. I'm not hardline "anything not servicing the story must be chopped". But in this case, as of 250 pages into ADWD (when I quit), it's simply not interesting enough or written well enough to get away with.

i wouldnt say he came off charismatic, they just kept repeating everyone loved him. He didnt actually do much from what I recall, lol.

He laughed at Joffrey being disarmed by a girl. You just have to like him after that.

Unfortunately, they didn't show that scene on tv. He is more of a little girl himself in the tv series.

Yeah, isn't Renley supposed to be like the spitting image/personality of Robert?

Yes, but Robert in the book was supposed to have been a near 7' tall muscle bound freak at one point who had gone to seed, not someone like Mark Addy who seems to have been pretty fat his entire life.

In that his personality makes people love him and follow him, yes, but he was much more flamboyant where Robert was warrior-esque.

They maybe could have put one or two more bits in to stress how charismatic he is and how he inspires love in people, but I think they're doing a fine job with him. The only real bits they've done to show this is Robert mentioning he throws parties and the little bit in this ep where he remembers something about a common man and kind of connects with him.

it was raff i think, pretty sure he killed lommy in the books. also reckon vargo's speech impediment will be pretty obvious when he shows up.

also margery looks so awesome when she comes in to seduce renly. wasn't sure about the actress when i saw the still shots of her before the series, but thought she was really good, and pretty damn hot!!

Yea should be Raff (although he was one of the mountains men in the book but they're just condensing it I guess), it's def not the guy they cast as the Tickler.

Vargo is a casting I'm really looking forward to seeing. Matt Damon put a rubber band around his tongue in True Grit to get that speech effect the guy they get for Hoat is gonna have to use like three or something.

who does Sandor fight at the Crossroad's Inn with Arya? was it raff or the tickler that she recovers Needle from?

Polliver, The Tickler and some young squire, Polliver stole Needle from her.

I guess that guy could be Polliver too if they wanted they could easily cut one of the two.

Totally non-essential but hope they throw Sh#tmouth in as a bit role.