‘Thrones’ books & series aren’t on the same page
THIS IS where “Game of Thrones,” the TV show, breaks from the books.
Fans of George R.R. Martin’s epic series of novels, on which the series is based, can mark last night’s episode as the true point of departure between the stories.
While there have been subtle differences in the past — fans of the books have been howling that a character called Lady Stoneheart was omitted entirely last season — Sunday’s season-five debut seemed to kill off Mance Rayder (Ciaran Hinds) for good.
In the books, a lesser character named Rattleshirt is magically disguised as Mance and dies horribly in his place. On TV it didn’t play out like that. The show’s creators, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, have said on numerous occasions that they have no plans to stick to the books’ narrative — and clearly they won’t.
Meanwhile, along with Mance’s painful-looking death, the series managed to keep its bloodthirsty reputation with a story line about terrorism.
In the desert city of Meereen, Daenerys (Emilia Clarke) wrestled with the beginning of a potential revolt, with one of her elite eunuch soldiers having his throat slit — as he cuddled with a prostitute, seeking maternal attention.
It was a bold and suddenly violent scene and sets the stage for even more violence as the season unfolds.
Sunday night’s episode managed to check in on almost every major character after leaving viewers hanging at the end of last season — with the exception of Arya Stark (Maisie Williams), a fan favorite for whom you’ll have to wait at least another week.