You would have to ask GRRM this question. No one in this thread will be able to give you a satisfying answer.
Thereâs a lot of pointless characters in the books. Quinton Martell for instance. All stories have to have secondary characters, even if you donât kill them off. Gendry was there to help explain why someone might want to murder Jon Aryan, and to give Arya a love interest.
Another thing about Gendry, is that like some other characters, he is a combination of multiple book characters. In this case, Edric Storm.
What?
So did anyone else see The Last Watch episode last night?
Very subtle but unmistakable shade thrown at Benioff and Weiss during the episode. Massive disappointment visibly shown by actors and staff with the writing. And it was really sad because of how hard everyone else worked on the show. It was like the kid they nurtured to be a valedictorian dropped out in spring Semester of his senior year. What a shame.
Worth watching if you havenât already.
Still thinking about the impact of the show culturally.
Besides (re) launching a lot of careers, this has been the most culturally significant genre show ever. It has brought together a lot of people that might not otherwise have something in common to talk about. And probably its most lasting impact will be setting the table for large scale genre shows in the current media market (streaming focused). Numerous similar projects are already being green lit and are in some stage of production:
-
Blood Moon (the Long Night prequel) - this one is already cast and the pilot is shooting in Belfast next month. Unless the pilot blows, this one is happening.
-
Any of the other four prequels - I think this depends wholly on the success of Blood Moon. Possible story lines are the dance of dragons, and the dunk & egg stories.
-
LoTR Amazon series (owes as much to GoT success as the movies) - I am really dubious about this one, because I donât know how much story there is left to tell or how much people will care. I donât think it will generate enough of a following to justify its production costs, though Amazon has the money to take an L on the show.
[update] - Apparently Brian Cogman is attached to this. He wrote some of the popular GoT episodes.
-
Wheel of Time (Robert Jordan). Listed fourth - this is the most analogous to Game of Thrones. It is a loooong series that Charleston, SC Robert Jordan did not finish (he died from a known disease and shared notes with and gave Brandon Sanderson his blessing to finish it). It has the breadth and depth of GoT, though it is a little more so high fantasy. If LotR and GoT had a kid, it might look like Wheel of Time. Interestingly, WoT, which came out before GoT, also had a âgame of thronesâ - I remember when I saw the book title for GRRM, that he had stolen it from WoTâs âGame of Housesâ - though its not nearly the focal point in WoT. As this show is already in script development with a hired show runner, plenty of money, etc behind it, itâs likely going to happen. And I can already see people eye rolling if Moraine or one of the other characters mention the Game of Houses, thinking its a ripoff⌠In any case, the world is fantastic and will present some of the same challenges to bring to screen. However, it also shares the same risk of bad writing, subpar acting, and spectacle over substance. More than almost anything else listed here, I hope this one finds a way to work, because it is just deep enough to trigger some more water cooler talk and theorizing (though the ending is known).
-
Kingkiller Chronicles (Patrick Rothfuss) - if you are a fantasy nerd, you know why I listed this. I own the first book but still havenât read it yet. Why? THE SERIES IS NOT DONE AND WE DONT KNOW IF HE WILL FINISH IT. Talk about a parallel. Anyway, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. However, this one has a budget and a green light. I cannot believe it, but a studio is gonna make the mistake again?
On another note - Kit Harrington has checked into a "wellness centerâ (rehab). Reportedly struggling with depression and substance abuse following the end of the show.
LOTR universe has plenty more to tell. Supposedly this will be during the second age long before the movies and shows the ring being created and the rise of Sauron.
Interesting. I didnât know that.
Did you read WoT NWA? If so, thoughts?
Canât wait for the wildlings to find the shire on their journey north
1 Like
Negative I have not. My Fantasy reading starts and ends with LOTR.
I read WoT 20-25 years ago, and never finished so maybe it hasnât aged well, but I got the idea you might like a couple of the main characters. Matt Cauthon and Perrin Aybarra (man I donât even remember how to spell his name). Matt is a smartass, at least at first. The characters have personalities, which is usually thin in genre fiction. Itâs why I think it may actually work. I am not claiming it is GoT depth though.
WoT is a ton easier to read that LoTR though. Damn almost anything is. LoTR is so dry and erudite at times.
WoTâs world building is pretty good as I recall. There is a lot of intriguing history and the same kind of legend vs actual events, blurred over the passage of time. The present day world is more like city-states, which works well, but they also recall the grand kingdoms of the past - which are fading from history. There is also a central legend that is still felt very much so in the modern version of the world - but I donât want to spoil the story.
Winter is Coming: What does Brandon Sanderson think of how Amazon is change The Wheel of Time for TV?.
Blockquote most culturally significant genre show ever. It has brought together a lot of people that might not otherwise have something in common to talk about.
I get why youâre saying this but shows like Mash pulled in 106! million viewers for itâs finale. Cheers had 84 million.
So it depend on your definition of genre and (putting words into your mouth) modern.
One more preview of WoT. Showrunner is former Agents of SHIELD showrunner, and he is a huge WoT fan:
Gizmodo: Brandon Sanderson Likens Amazonâs Wheel Of Time Series to Peter Jacksonâs Lord of the Rings.
Stumbled upon this video about TyrionâŚ
This is a crazy important point about Tyrionâs character arc. If you have only watched the show, strongly advise you watch this. I donât know the presenter, but the point is spot on.
The show has been more global, youâre correct there.