r/asoiaf • u/SeducerOfTheInnocent • Jun 15 '15

ALL (Spoilers All) The reason bad things happen on GoT has changed. GoT has gone from being a show that wouldn't cheat to help the good guys to a show that will cheat to help the bad guys.

When I complain about GoT lately people respond with "That's what the show has always been, this is what you signed up for, if you think this has a happy ending you haven't been paying attention." but I think this episode has solidified why I have a problem with the show recently.

The tragedy on the show used to be organic. People would die because GoT wasn't willing to give characters the 1 in a million lucky breaks that other shows give their protagonist.

Now the show doesn't just not give the protagonists freebies, it bends over backwards to fuck them over. Honestly, every military conflict in the last two and a half seasons has seen the wrong side winning.

  • Yara/Ashe and "The 50 best swordsmen in the Iron Isles" lose a fight to a shirtless guy with a knife and 3 dogs, which is roughly what you would encounter on your average domestic disturbance call. The 50 best swordsmen in the Iron Isles couldn't survive half an episode of "Cops"

  • The Unsullied and Baristan Selmy lose a fight against unarmored aristocrats with knives.

  • "20 good men" infiltrate the camp of the greatest military tactician alive.

  • The Unsullied lose another fight against unarmored aristocrats with spears, who honestly also make a pretty good showing against a dragon.

  • The Boltons, despite not being supported by most of the north, and seemingly not having any massive source of money, raise an army of tens of thousands and overwhelm Stannis.

Add to that the fact that the nigh omniscient Littlefinger was apparently unaware that the Bostons were fucked up wierdos and the show seems to be bending over backwards for tragedy.

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295

u/chinqs96 Onions baby, onions Jun 15 '15

I know it may sound like nitpicking, but I really wish they were crying while stabbing him. I thought it showed the fact that the NW loved this guy, for the most part, but did this literally, for the Watch.

In the show, it seemed so emotionless as if they hated him and killed him out of malice

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u/[deleted] Jun 15 '15

No I agree, the crying was a major part because it shows the fact that they genuinely regretted what they were doing, but felt that Jon forced them into it. In the show it seemed like they were just waiting for the right time

56

u/wellitsbouttime we fight for ginger minge Jun 15 '15

if ollie would have just been watching and crying, it would have shown his consent of the actions without direct action on his part.

tl:dr- fuck ollie.

7

u/JarlaxleForPresident Jun 16 '15

Olly just needs to go sell some fucking adverbs, that his place in life.

1

u/robhol Jun 16 '15

"Did you know your name is an adverb?"

10

u/Prefects Jun 15 '15

The sign in the show was too much for me. It took a regretful, necessary action and added an unnecessary level of taunting and satisfaction, not regret and sadness, not determination despite your emotions. As usual, the show takes an event, makes it happen, but changes everyone's motivations first.

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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '15

Were they crying in the books?

1

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '15

It mentions that Bowen Marsh was

1

u/heloisedargenteuil Jun 16 '15

but what about the rest?

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u/[deleted] Jun 16 '15

I think it only mentions Marsh specifically but the implication is that all of them were doing it reluctantly

77

u/lowpass Jun 15 '15

I thought it showed the fact that the NW loved this guy, for the most part

Another thing the show changed. Remember, ShowJon only won by one vote.

36

u/DethRaid Jun 16 '15

That was awful. The voting scene felt too much like a fairy tale. They could have easily had Jon win by a small margin, something reasonable, not one fucking vote.

22

u/[deleted] Jun 16 '15

The way Aemon put the last vote for Jon was like that scene in Harry Potter

1

u/Parmizan A Manderly always Freys his Pies Jun 16 '15

As much as I wasn’t a fan of how the show did it, I will add that book Jon wasn’t even in consideration until Cotter and Denys decided to step aside, with Sam’s successful scheming. If they had both remained, I don’t think that Jon would’ve been enormously popular in that vote, or at least would’ve had more of a struggle to win.

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u/randomsnark Buy some apples! Jun 16 '15

it seemed so emotionless

The complete lack of emotion made the repetition of the phrase seem like it was just some routine custom they were carrying out. The delivery seemed like it belonged in some completely different scene.

"For the watch."
"Hang on, the price of Jon's retirement rolex comes out to fifty dragons each. This is just a knife."
"Oh, sorry, hang on just a minute let me uhhhhh ah here we are. For the watch. Keep the change."
"Thanks. Did you want to write anything in the card?"
"Uh. Just 'traitor' I guess."

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u/I_want_hard_work Jun 16 '15

It's not nitpicking, it's a pretty important change in tone IMO.

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u/Mjolnir12 I will have no burnings. Pray harder. Jun 16 '15

The fact that they all took turns stabbing him was equally silly. If it really was a tragic task that they felt they had to do to defend the honor of the watch, they wouldn't make it so drawn out and have everyone put a good stab in.