A Song of Ice and Fire (spoilers for Game of Thrones)

[Andy F]

I'm also assuming Sansa is going to die after killing someone high ranking in a non-Sansa-like display of power(Joffrey, I'd think, but maybe Tywin, I dunno) and Bran is going to become the Lord of Winterfell and Arya and Gendry are going to live and get married later on in life, since those were the only two who considered him their real "brother." (Even though, it will be revealed, he is their cousin.)

Am I alone in thinking Sansa is going to end up Queen then? For how weak her character has been portrayed, Martin seems to be pretty consistent with showing how good a Queen she'd make (comforting the women and children during the Battle of Blackwater, for example) as well as giving her first hand experience in what the nobility is really like and surrounding her with the most devious and ambitious characters in the series (Cersei, the Tyrells, Littlefinger) who are all completely, and really uncharacteristically, honest with her because they think she's a dimwitted child.

Her whole story really seems to be breaking down her previous fantasies about being Queen and showing her the reality of the world (ugly characters like Tyrion and The Hound protecting her, for example) so that she'll eventually make a great Queen.

Don't know where that leaves Dany right enough but I suppose that's the great thing about the series. There's so much going on that pretty much anything could happen.

[Dobbin]

I'm in the middle of book 4, which has made me reconsider my thoughts. Now I'm wondering if Bran is going to die, being the mystic-seer/Simon-from-LORD-OF-THE-FLIES archetype.

[Chris G]

Great, great quote from GRRM

George Stroumboulopoulos: There's one thing that's interesting about your books. I noticed that you write women really well and really different. Where does that come from?
George R.R. Martin: You know, I've always considered women to be people.

Josh, I actually have the feeling that Bran may end up being a villain, but I'll let you read on and see what you think.

[Steve B]

Josh, I actually have the feeling that Bran may end up being a villain, but I'll let you read on and see what you think.

But he has no real power other than watching people.  I can't see that going anywhere too interesting.

[Chris G]

He's a warg and a very powerful one at that.

[Magoonie]

So while a little late, I finally have started getting into Game of Thrones as I have a lot of downtime right now. I'm six episodes in and I'm hooked. I now see why everybody's been raving about Dinklidge in this, he's my favorite part of the show. I also like what they've done so far, it's like the show is doing a lot of setting up for something big but that's good as it gives me a chance to get to know these characters before the big events come.

[JCEFalconi]

It's a great ride. It's like Lord of the Rings production with Sopranos storytelling. Once you run out of episodes, you can then start the books which are also a lot of fun.

A show I want to get into is the Syfy show Defiance. Seems cool.

[Hawkboy]

I figured I'd bump this, since we were getting pretty close to spoiling things in the other thread.

I don't think they'll do Joffrey's wedding next week, because the preview doesn't hint at another wedding at all, and I think Joffrey dying and Tyrion killing his father would be a pretty awesome season arc for Dinklage to play next year.

Also, was the part from a couple weeks ago where Melissandre burns the leeches and names off everyone that's going to die (Robb, Joffrey, Tywin, etc.) part of the books or was that a creation of the TV show?

[Steve B]

Also, was the part from a couple weeks ago where Melissandre burns the leeches and names off everyone that's going to die (Robb, Joffrey, Tywin, etc.) part of the books or was that a creation of the TV show?

That was just for the show.  Gendry is never really heard from again.  Melissandre want's to sacrifice Edric Storm to get that "kings blood" but Davos hides him away somewhere.  (not 100% about that last part)

[Steve B]

I don't think they'll do Joffrey's wedding next week, because the preview doesn't hint at another wedding at all, and I think Joffrey dying and Tyrion killing his father would be a pretty awesome season arc for Dinklage to play next year.

They also have a lot of work to do to make Tyrion killing Shea believable.  In the books it's never really clear if she really likes him or if she's just playing him.  In the show they are really playing it like she cares about him. 
Also they are going to have to explain the story about his ex-wife a lot more.  I don't think the casual user picked up on all that back story.  And that leads directly to him killing Shea.

[katy]

Didn't she do something with the leeches and Edric Storm though?  I seem to remember the leeches.

No way they do Joffrey's wedding next week.  They're not rushing that!  Not with how long the viewers have waited for it already.  And they will definitely put it in the same arc as Tyrion killing Tywin.  Also Cersei & Jamie reuniting/breaking up...all that Lannister stuff needs to happen in the same season to have the impact that it should.  This was the Stark clan completely falling apart, next year it's the Lannisters' turn.

I am thinking Maybe-Benjen shows up to save Sam & Gilly next week, though.  Maybe.

[katy]

They also have a lot of work to do to make Tyrion killing Shea believable.  In the books it's never really clear if she really likes him or if she's just playing him.  In the show they are really playing it like she cares about him. 
Also they are going to have to explain the story about his ex-wife a lot more.  I don't think the casual user picked up on all that back story.  And that leads directly to him killing Shea.

I agree on all of this, except, I do think they've set up the ex-wife story okay -- especially since all that gets reiterated when Jamie makes his confession. 

The Shea thing is more troubling.  I've been wondering all along if they're going to change that part of the story, and I'm still wondering.

[Steve B]

The Shea thing is more troubling.  I've been wondering all along if they're going to change that part of the story, and I'm still wondering.

Yeah, and that's the one and only drawback to casting Dinklage.  He's supposed to be a little hideous troll monster that you can't stand looking at (made worse by the fact that his nose get's cut off).  There is no way she could really love him.
But in the show it's Peter Dinklage, and Margery even commented to Sansa that "he's not bad looking for a dwarf".  All that plays into the Shea story in a whole different way then the book.

[katy]

Shea is just an entirely different character in the book -- she's whiny, demanding, spoiled.  They've made her much more sympathetic in the show, much more mysterious and 3-dimensional, and there's much more real love between them.

I just can't see them pulling it off without making Tyrion lose all sympathy.  Also, it never made much sense in the book, either.  If Tywin is so anti-prostitute (as he harps on and on about, in EVERY scene other than that one) than why is he shagging Shea?  It's not like he really feels any sense of competition with his son.  Maybe they just won't do that bit.  I kind of hope they don't.

Or have Tywin be the one that kills her...that makes a lot more sense.

[katy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGUKDZFiy-A