LogFAQs > #940458291

Here's my perspective

I read the books long before the show even went into production. I thought they were pretty good, but I didn't love them like most people. Definitely great world building, so many moving parts that were kept track of so well, All of the scheming and maneuvering were great, with lots of characters I loved (I distinctly remember raving to my brother about how cool the Red Viper was). But there was a lot I wasn't too fond of. I don't enjoy especially grimdark were horrible things happen just to happen, and the sex scenes were something I just didn't enjoy. They often brought me out of it. All in all, I liked reading the books a lot, but they were not my favourite series.

I LOVED the show. The actors brought the characters a life that they didn't have for me in the books, especially the Stark children. I thought it took things to a new level pretty much at every turn. Mysteries were set up and paid off, fights felt very visceral, the acting is so good everywhere. I didn't really care about the Hound in the books, but by the Blackwater he was a star of the show. Even small characters like Bronn and Shae would get added and fit into the cast effortlessly. Even really minor characters like Dolorous Edd (one of my book favs) were being done well.

So, I read the books first and thought they were a 7 or 8 out of 10, and I thought the show was a 10/10

Then as seasons went on, the show was losing some luster. Daenerys had such a strong season 1, she became khaleesi in everyones hearts. But they didn't really use her well in most seasons. Qarth was introduced well but the climax was super lackluster, and it didn't feel like a lot of Dany's victories were earned. The show started adding stuff that wasn't in the books, like the prostitute present in a lot of scenes. The scenes were often good, but she wasn't. I guess I saw these as cracks. The show continued to overall be good with tons of many great moments, like the Red Wedding, VIper vs the Mountain, I'm going to eat every chicken in this room, etc.

Then, in season 5, the show caught up to the books. I don't remember specific issues I had at the time, but I remember thinking there were a lot of cracks in the stuff was doing that diverged from the books, and that characters were changing their positions on things to suit what the plot needed to do in that moment, and not because that was what they would do, and I didn't like it. And that was as someone who didn't even like the book that much compared to the show. It's not like I care if they do things differently... but the things they do differently need to be good, and that isn't how I felt at the time. I still really liked the show, but I was concerned that it wouldn't stay that way going forward.

So, out of concern for these cracks and a fear of spoilers from the books, I paused watching. I didn't really think I would stop forever... I figured I would pick up watching again. But I didn't. And before I knew it... the finale was here and everyone was SUPER MAD about it

So out of a whim to plug myself into the zeitgeist, I watched the penultimate episode when it aired. The devastation of kings landing was breathtaking - just beautifully shot. from the perspective of the people on the ground to the overall city, the people who made that should be proud. But I didn't like anything else. Cleganebowl was really pathetic, and I thought that was a disappointing end to Cersei and Jaime. Both because it was a weak end for Cersei, who I thought had been struggling in the show for awhile before I stopped watching. Similar to Dany, Cersei is generally just yelling a lot and demanding things instead of using her limited guile to earn it, and it seems she's still in that place at the very end. Jaime is in the midst of a redemption arc in the books, but it seems that evidently goes nowhere.

And Dany.... the Mad Queen is certainly a possible end for her. One that I would be definitely saddened by if it happens, but one that could be done really well if built up to properly. The Dany I left in Season 5 was portrayed as a saviour and didn't seem headed this way, and my book Dany stuck with the Meereenese Knot is NOWHERE close to going that route - her compassion for the people and unwillingness to put them in danger is a defining trait. So I wondered how they developed her to get to this point.... and the resounding answer I found on the internet was that they didn't. They just flipped her switch to Mad Queen coming into that episode... which is what I saw starting to happen to characters in season 5. I didn't bother to watch the finale.

So.... if my experience with the show is something to go by, I think Season 5 is probably the turning point where it started moving downhill.


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The batman villians all seem to be one big joke that batman refuses to laugh at - SantaRPG