Yup, with a few notable exceptions they'll be working with sub-par material. I'll have to go from eagerly anticipating every episode to eagerly anticipating awesome scenes spread out across seasons.

Yes, a skilled actor can shape the character to their own needs to an extent. I also don't like recasting, but with the exception of Daario (and I think the guy left), I think showrunners have been tasteful about it. She should have just cut Daario and sent Coldhands to chill with Dany instead :)

An all Latin American Dorne cast filmed in Spain. Would that be a first?

"Failure Knight issues" hahaha I'm all for developing Gray Worm and Missandei, especially after the awful Dany Messiah complex of the 3rd season that could have come out of an colonialist propaganda film. But Barristan is ultimately more important to the plot and as of now they've devoted zero time to his character…

I actually wouldn't mind seeing more of an emotional (NEVER PHYSICAL) bond develop between the characters if for no other reason than GoT is running out of material. For the purposes of a TV show, a pervy, ambiguous father-daughterish relationship is more interesting than a marriage of convenience.

Great actor, but I think it was one of the worst casting decisions in Game of Thrones. He's just NOT Mance (although I suppose that's a matter of opinion). Now that he's in the role, though, they should keep him. He's a great actor, he'll find a way to be awesome. Hard to imagine, but I think the guy who played…

The novel vs TV debate is an interesting one, but probably not on a Game of Thrones message board late at night :)

Not saying there aren't legit reasons to dislike plotline, but I've heard "the audience won't remember" a lot on message boards. It wasn't exactly a throw-away line back in season 1; I seem to recall the Tysha story went on for a long time and the writers went out of their way to emphasize it. TBH, GRRM had every…

I don't think Tywin's been sympathetic since his season 2 interactions with Arya. What has he done since then that hasn't been despicable? Feel like they made him nicer in seasons one and two and then portrayed him as the asshole we all know and love starting in season 3.

But not Jorah & Dany. I'm not a shipper, just really liked their interactions/dynamic. IMO Jorah's the kind of introverted, multilayered character that the show doesn't do well (like Stannis, Roose Bolton, a lot of my favorites). Doran's kind of subdued, but I hope he's an exception.

Bring on the Boltons! More Roose! Leech bath! Story of Ramsay's birth! Pink cloak! "More evil in Roose Bolton's finger than in all of Ramsay combined!" (or something like that)

haha I've reread parts of AFFC and ADWD, but skipped over most Iron Island chapters (not including Reek). Running out of stuff to reread, so Iron Born are next!

I have to reread AFFC and ADWD. I found Quentyn extremely irritating and didn't enjoy reading his chapters. I think I liked Arianne but I can't remember much about her.

I really hate how the fact that a lot of the audience doesn't pay attention and has a short memory has to impact major events. I usually think of HBO shows being art, but things like this remind me that in a way they're just entertainment. Would any great novelist change his story because he's afraid someone wouldn't…

It is flamboyant, but the difference is that a lot of people did take leech baths at the time, to suck out "bad humors." Symbolically, its what sucks out all of his passions. In the show, Bolton's a cold, evil dude, but it's not apparent how much of an oddball he is. I also miss his pink attire. That's what gives the…

Wow totally blanked on Dorn. Doran is one of my favorite characters.

Fortunately, even downhill GoT is better than most shows. I was going to disagree on the "last really good character" thing, but thinking about it I can't really think of a later character that reaches Oberyn's level. Connington & Euron are pretty cool.

I'd give it to Charles Dance first, but Alfie Allen is fantastic. He carries the Theon scenes (although actors who play Bolton's are quite good too).

I'd say Shae's likely to live. Rereading the books, I'm realizing that pretty much every line/situation where Tyrion killed or threatened to kill someone who isn't a "bad guy" has been expunged, even when it's inconsequential (such as having an extremely minor character thrown off a boat). The whitewhasing is a…

Not to mention the "other side" (aka the Wildlings) have been reduced to a bunch of savages with no personalities. Why did they cast Rose Leslie for more than one episode if she'd just be killing villagers the whole time. Tormund is wasted too. I don't have high hopes for next weeks episode, although even mediocre…