Game of Thrones: The Differences Between The TV Show and The Books
The Season 4 premiere of HBO’s cult hit “Game of Thrones” set records for the cable network—a whopping 6.6 million viewers tuned in, making the premiere HBO’s highest-rated episode since “The Sopranos” epic series finale back in 2007. The show’s popularity, however, is no surprise to those who’ve been obsessing over the books for years (ahem, this editor included).
A Song of Ice and Fire (the name of the book series) includes five books, and the TV show has—up until recently—tracked pretty closely with the books, season for season, book for book. Of late, however, things have become a bit more muddled, as HBO producers attempt to account for dozens of characters, complex plot lines, and, ahem, the fact that author George RR Martin hasn’t actually finished writing the series.
What’s worse: George R.R. Martin takes his time with these books. He published the first book in the series (A Game of Thrones) in 1996, and has slowly worked his way through the following four installments. The fifth (and most recent) book, A Dance with Dragons, took him five years to write, and was only published in 2011. He’s currently working on the sixth book (The Winds of Winter), and a seventh will follow (A Dream of Spring)—all of which creates a bit of a quandary for lovers of the series.
What if something happens to Martin and he can’t finish the books? Martin is currently 65, so it’s a reasonable concern, and the author recently revealed that he’s given the major outlines of how this all concludes to the producers of the HBO series. Plus, the HBO series has actually started catching up to the books at a rather alarming rate. (Where Season 1 essentially matched Book 1, Season 4 has featured glimpses of plot points from Book 5, especially surrounding the plight of Theon Greyjoy.) Terrifying, but true, some are predicting that—should HBO continue the series at this rate—the TV show may actually reveal the ending of the series before the books do! Valar morghulis.
Fan of the TV show, and wondering if you should read the books? Well, the books are essentially like the show, but with a lot more detail and (it must be said) a lot more gore. There are entire story lines in the book that never happen in the show—which we won’t spoil here—and there’s also lots of added information on the background of each character, which can go a long way towards explaining why, for example, Tywin Lannister hates the Targaryens, or why Little Finger is so obsessed with Catelyn Stark.
Not a fan of either, per se, but interested in jumping in somewhere? The good news is that you really can’t go wrong with either. HBO’s biggest coup—arguably even more than the ratings—is having won over fans of the books, as well as Ice and Fire neophytes, even having re-arranged certain plot points. Some of the changes, it must be said, are kind of for the better in terms of moving the plot along, and Martin has a habit of leaving some characters for a long time before returning to them (ahem, Theon Greyjoy vanishes in Book 2, and isn’t seen again until Book 5).
For those interested in all the differences between the “Game of Thrones” TV show and the books, here is a primer in some of the biggest discrepancies. Test your smarts! (It goes without saying that spoilers abound in this article, so if you haven’t been watching—or reading!—and want to be surprised, don’t read on … )
Everyone’s Older in the TV Series:
HBO’s “Game of Thrones” takes place 17 years after Robert’s Rebellion, instead of the 14 years that have passed in the books. The biggest reasoning behind this was to allow the characters to be a bit older—in particular, characters like Sansa and Daeynerys, who are terrifyingly young in the books (Daenerys is married off to Drogo at 13 instead of 16).
Robb Stark’s Wife
In the TV show: Robb Stark falls in love with Talisa, a healer who’s been working on the battlefields during his bloody campaign. He decides to marry her, even though he’s betrothed to a daughter of Walder Frey for political reasons. Talisa becomes pregnant—much to Robb’s glee—and the two travel to Walder Frey’s castle to seek forgiveness (and marry off Robb’s uncle in exchange). We all know what happens then … Red Wedding, Robb and Talisa brutally murdered (along with his mother and other allies).
In the books: Poor doomed Robb Stark falls hard for Jeyne Westerling, whose family members are actually Lannister bannermen (true story!). Both go against the wishes of their parents in getting married, but Jeyne never gets pregnant — in fact, she despairs that she can’t conceive. (It’s later revealed that her family members were secretly poisoning her to keep her from getting pregnant.) What’s more, she doesn’t even attend the Red Wedding — she stays behind, and is later pardoned by the Iron Throne, provided she remain unmarried for two years. Jaime Lannister himself is tasked with escorting her back to her family.
Arya’s Pal Gendry
Fact: King Robert slept around — and fathered a lot of bastards. In both the TV show and the books, Gendry is known to be one of Robert’s bastards — a fact that Lord Eddard Stark also discovers, but does not reveal. Gendry later heads for The Wall, along with other recruits that include one Arya Stark — in disguise. The group is later attacked and Gendry and Arya become prisoners at Harrenhal. They escape, and then are promptly captured by another group, the Brotherhood Without Banners. But that’s where things really diverge …
In the TV show: Gendry elects to stay with the Brotherhood Without Banners (much to Arya’s chagrin), but his newfound brother betray him by selling him to Melisandre, who wants to bring him back to Dragonstone and use his royal blood for her spells. Melisandre tells Gendry about his true bloodline, and imprisons him at Dragonstone. Ser Davos Seaworth then frees him, sending him back to King’s Landing in a rowboat — and positioning him to be a possible player in the war for the throne in Season 4.
In the books: Gendry never goes to Dragonstone … and never finds out that he’s got royal blood in his veins. He stays with the Brother Without Banners, and isn’t seen again in the series thus far, outside of a chance encounter with Brienne of Tarth at an inn. (He’s not dead, though, so there’s still a chance he stays a player in the game in books six and seven!)
Jaime Lannister’s Return to King’s Landing
In the TV show: Jaime returns to King’s Landing at a pivotal moment — the kingdom is on the eve of a royal wedding between King Joffrey and Margaery Tyrell. He and Cersei squabble constantly, and she refuses to be intimate with him, blaming him for not returning quickly enough. Jaime is present for Joffrey’s death at the wedding, and is also witness to Cersei accusing Tyrion of plotting the murder. Later, he forces himself upon Cersei at the castle sept — seemingly against her will — right next to Joffrey’s corpse.
In the books: Jaime isn’t at Joffrey’s wedding. He returns to King’s Landing afterwards to find Cersei grieving at the sept next to Joffrey’s body, and Cersei is so relieved (emotionally wrought?) to see him that she has sex with him right then and there. (The whole “rape” element of this scene in the TV series—and the contentious fall-out after the episode aired—is especially rife considering the moment is clearly passionate in the books.)
About Sansa Stark’s Necklace
In the TV show: Dontos gives Sansa a poisoned necklace — later to blame for Joffrey’s untimely demise at his wedding.
In the books: Dontos gives Sansa a hair net. (Less sexy, we get it.)
Theon Greyjoy’s Sister’s Big Rescue
In the TV show: Theon’s sister, Yara, speeds off to save him from the clutches of the evil Ramsay Bolton. Once she arrives, however, Theon refuses to go with her, and she and her company must flee or face the wrath of Ramsay’s wild dogs. She opts to flee, and upon leaving, says, “My brother is dead.”
In the books: First of all, Theon’s sister is named Asha in the books, and she never mounts a rescue effort. The next time she seems her brother, she’s the one who is a prisoner, but we won’t spoil that for you …
Jaime Lannister’s One-Handed Sword Training
In the TV show: Tyrion gets Jaime to train with his sellsword-made-knight, Bronn, who he insists can keep a secret. The two strike up a nice rapport, and Bronn proves an able tutor for Jaime.
In the books: Jaime is much more secretive about the loss of his sword-fighting skills, recruiting Ser Ilyn Payne, the royal executioner, to train with him. Payne can neither read nor write, so he’s a perfect candidate for the task. (Dark twist: Ser Ilyn Payne had his tongue cut out by King Aerys Targaryen for saying that Lord Tywin truly ruled the Seven Kingdoms.)
The Rescue at Craster’s Keep
This straight-up never happens in the books. There’s no time for Jon to organize a group to deal with the mutineers — the army of Mance Rayder was already bearing down on The Wall.
Stannis Baratheon and Davos Seaworth’s Journey to The Iron Bank of Braavos
Like the Craster’s Keep rescue, this never happens in the books. In fact, Davos Seaworth never even writes to the Iron Bank to petition funds for Stannis’s army — the Iron Bank representative arrives to talk with Stannis after Cersei refuses to honor a debt (the first of many signs that the Lannisters’ grip on King’s Landing is fraught with problems).
Lady Olenna’s Gossip
In the TV show: Sharp-witted Olenna dishes out a lot of interesting gossip about the Lannisters, the Baratheons, and the Tyrells — the juiciest tidbit being that she played a role in conspiring to poison King Joffrey, whom she deemed a frightful match for her granddaughter, Margaery.
In the books: Olenna is never this explicit about her role in the murders. Later coincidences leave readers to suspect that she may have played a part in Joffrey’s murder (along with other events in the larger battle for the throne), but it’s never confirmed.
Jon Snow and Bran Stark, Beyond the Wall
In the TV show: Sam Tarly reveals to Jon that he’s seen Bran beyond the Wall. Bran is captured by the mutineers at Craster’s Keep, and escapes just in time to see his brother, Jon — but does not go to him and instead continues along his path further north.
In the books: Jon and Bran’s missed connections beyond the wall are gut-wrenching to those reading the books, but they are far from explicit. Tragically, Sam never tells Jon that he’s seen Bran beyond the wall, and Bran never sees Jon at Craster’s Keep. After so much time apart, the half-brothers never see each other.
Petyr Baelish and Sansa Stark
This relationship is creepy and complicated in the books and in the show — but with slightly different aspects.
In the TV show: Petyr brings Sansa to the Eyrie, calling her his “niece.”
In the books: Petyr has Sansa pose as his bastard daughter (awkward, and kind of Freudian), forcing her to dye her hair brown as a disguise.
Jaime and Tyrion Lannister
In the TV show: Jaime creates a plea deal of sorts with this father to save his brother Tyrion’s life. He offers to leave the Kingsguard and marry, provided Tywin spares Tyrion’s life and sends him to the Night’s Watch. Jaime relays as much to Tyrion.
In the books: Kevan Lannister (Tyrion’s uncle, who’s not really a figure in the TV show) makes the offer to send Tyrion to the Night’s Watch. Jaime never offers to leave the Kingsguard to save Tyrion.
The Moon Door
In the TV show: Sansa’s aunt Lysa, overwhelmed with jealousy, threatens to throw Sansa through the Moon Door to her death — thousands of feet below the Eyrie. Petyr stops her — and pushes Lysa through the door instead.
In the books: Lysa has a singer in her throne room, who she instructs to play loudly while she fights with Sansa and attempts to push her through the door. Once Petyr arrives, he pushes Lysa through the Moon Door, and then calls the guards, blaming Marillon for his wife’s untimely demise.
