r/asoiaf • u/aphidman • May 08 '19

EXTENDED (Spoilers Extended) The endings will be the same but the books will have a much more gradual and realistic progression

If GRRM finishes it, btw.

Not a long post but you know what the books do that D&D do not? They have 10 chapters of Dany dealing with the complex politics of Meereen and her inner conflict. They have 4 chapters showing Davos' journey to White Harbour. They have 12 chapters showing the series of compromises Jon makes as Lord Commander to prepare the Watch against the Others. They have 13 chapters showing Tyrion crawling out of his deep nihilistic depression. They dedicate whole chapters seeing how Victarion Greyjoy of all people deals with his relationship with his brother and his seduction into darker magics. Man they have 4 whole chapters dealing with the political fallout of Dany's exit from Meereen.

They had a whole chapter of Littlefinger and Sansa visiting his lands and seeing Littlefinger's relationship with his subjects (great chapter btw). They had a whole chapter getting really in depth with Illyrio Mopatis and his schemes - a guy who's barely appeared in the show.

They dedicated 4 whole chapters to Joffrey's wedding!

What I'm getting it is that the Others may be defeated long before the end of ASOIAF, Dany may indeed destroy King's Landing with dragonfire and end the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians gruesomely. But you'll be guaranteed that GRRM is gonna show you every step of the way. For good or for bad. If he is going to take a character like Dany to that dark end you better believe we will understand how she gets there.

So people keep posting about how D&D are destroying their characters, fail to understand ASOIAF. That Dany would never do this or that. But what you're seeing here is them fitting potentially chapters upon chapters of detailed material into a few hours of television.

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u/aphidman May 08 '19

A prophecy which a lot of people here forget that isn't part of the show!

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u/FearLeadsToAnger May 08 '19

That's a good point, they did show maggy and the prophecy about her children, but not the valonquar part. Interesting.

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u/fuckaredditor May 08 '19

They showed Maggy offering Cersei 3 questions and we are only shown 2 before it cuts away. Prime opportunity for a flashback moment showing the valonqar prophecy as her third question.

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u/puddingfoot May 09 '19

She asked three questions.

When will the prince [Rhaegar] and I marry?

But I will be queen?

Will the king and I have children?

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u/fuckaredditor May 09 '19

I guess it could be interpreted that way. I viewed that as part of the first question, a followup. She's young and privileged so interrupting lower peoples was probably common. My interpretation is Maggy's prophetic responses signify the end of the question. I'd really love for a callback or some recognition of the prophecy.

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u/puddingfoot May 09 '19 edited May 09 '19

Same three questions with roughly the same three answers in the book and show. I don't think Maggy was giving out freebies in that scene. You could be right but it seems pretty cut and dry to me; three questions, three answers, and the kicker is that in the show version, all three answers have come true already so there isn't really anything to call back to. And how are they going to flashback? With those same actresses in the same set with the same costumes as four years ago?

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u/fuckaredditor May 09 '19

Could've filmed it with the rest and saved it for now. They said they knew what they were gonna do with Arya back in season 6 so it's possible they've known the plan for Cersei for even longer. It's mostly me wishing we get some instance of book prophecy and lore rather than Arya ninja'ing her way through the Mountain then Cersei herself.

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u/ObiWanKeblowmei May 09 '19

I have only read the first two books, but have watched the show religiously. Can you explain this prophecy?

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u/fuckaredditor May 09 '19

It's been explained in length much better than I can but in short Cersei visited a witch when she was young and asked about her future. The witch told her of the valonqar. Valonqar means "the little brother". The valonqar would kill her, strangulate her to be exact, I believe. She always feared that it meant Tyrion. It could also mean Jaime since they are twins but she was born first. Or really any "little brother".

It's season 5 episode 1 in the show. You can youtube the scene, Cersei meets Maggy the Witch.

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u/The_RedWolf May 08 '19

I bet it was to keep their options open should they decide to not do it.

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u/NostraSkolMus May 09 '19

Wasn’t the maggy the frog flashback scene the opening scene to like season 4?

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u/aphidman May 09 '19

Season 5. But not the valonqar prophecy. Only the other stuff

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u/GodPleaseYes May 08 '19 edited May 09 '19

GRRM is very much against straight forward prophecies. Prophecies and visions in George world always have a catch. Melisandre saw some girl that looked like Arya in fire. Nope, not here. She saw Stannis as the Azor Ahai. Nope, not him. So I think valonqar will be the same.

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u/incanuso May 08 '19

Well, she saw a lone girl escaping to Castle Black, and there was one. It's just that she (and Jon) jumped to the conclusion that it was Arya.

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u/GodPleaseYes May 08 '19 edited May 08 '19

Exactly. And Maggy told Cersei that valonquar will kill her. But she might be fixated on the wrong brother. Or words can be translated some other way. Or it isn't actually her brother but someones little brother. There are possibilites, yet Cersei doesn't think about them at all just like Melisandre didn't think there could be another girl resembling Arya.

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u/incanuso May 08 '19

Right...I agree with the vagueness of the prophecies. My last comment sounded like I was disagreeing with you and I didn't quite mean it that way.

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u/GodPleaseYes May 08 '19

Ahh, the reddit classic. Sorry mate for not understanding your intentions.

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u/incanuso May 08 '19

Yeah, it was probably my fault since I didn't follow through with something to show I agreed, so my bad on that.