Raging Throner: A Look at GoT Season 4 Finale

RA Bartlett

Well, this was the finale of Game of Thrones, and a lot of us were riveted. Also, some of us were frustrated, because it took some liberties with Martin's novels. As I mentioned last week, when you make changes to the story, it can throw off things like payoff, character development, and logical consistency with the rest of the series. For example, if a character burns down his house because his son's hamster got out and chewed on a wire, causing problems with the toaster. 


*Bonus Title: "The SPOILERS of War." 

If you don't give that kid a hamster, the house burning down feels less like a tragic accident and more like carelessness for using an long-dysfunctional appliance. Likewise, changing things from book to show can be frustrating for readers, as the series is ongoing, and killing a character or negating a plot point can make a reader feel like reading about certain story arcs is ultimately a waste of time. But one also has to account for the story beats being different for different media, the climate of the times the books were written versus the show, and sometimes outright technical limitations. Some of the biggest complaints come from Ohnotheydidn't, a livejournal celebrity gossip community that paradoxically calls the media to task for transphobia and then makes fun of people for being fat. Are they justified in being angered at the changes?

One addition I can get behind is the Hound/Brienne fight. It was particularly well done--perhaps the best duel in the series. It was remarkably well scored, but also really got down and gritty. Usually fights over the show involve a practitioner of the martial arts who emphasizes the "art" part, versus a grubby, working class warrior who dispenses with things like honor, and usually wins. Brienne has always cared a great deal about doing the right thing, but she's a woman in a man's world, and has seen some pretty awful things over the course of the series, so she won't hesitate to do things like kick The Hound in the Junk, and give him a Mick Foley to match his Kaine. 

It was so vicious, the death of Oberon the week earlier being so grisly, and the the deviations of the book occurring more frequently, that I was legitimately worried for Brienne. And anything that is able to instill that sense of dread in you is good storytelling. It also reinforces the fatalistic view of the series in that the Hound's redemption quest was undone by, of all people, arguably the most pure-hearted character in the series. Because she did have connections with some of the worst people in the series. On the downside, however, it means Brienne's quest is probably going to feel a little more pointless for the time being. And not being able to find Arya before she left on a ship was a really, really wacky hijink by our two wanderers.

A change that's not being talked about, but one that I noticed, perhaps because of my strange affinity for the character, is Stannis's remark about Ned Stark being an honorable man. He technically makes remarks to this effect in the books, but often after some caveat about not liking him personally. Their relationship is an interesting one to ponder, because Stannis and Ned are so much alike, but it was always sort of spoiled by Robert always being all "Ned, you're like the brother I never had!" and Stannis being all "WTF". But his being softer and more grateful for Ned going to bat for him does give Ned something of a moral victory he never had in the books.

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Purists have come to term Tyrion's portrayal on the show as "whitewashing". You see, in the books, Tyrion is probably a lot nastier. (His murder of Shae in the books is a bit more cold-blooded than the quickly regretful self-defense maneuver we have seen in the show.) Of course, I feel "whitewashing" is something you apply to real-life figures. He's not Christopher Columbus. Whatever faults of character Tyrion possesses, they're fictional, and you don't do a disservice to real life victims by "glossing over". 

Also, as I've mentioned in my piece of about Jaimie and Cersei, it's one thing to make characters on this show do horrible things, as a statement on the morally bankrupt world they live in. But it's very hard to do that and at the same time make sure you're not endorsing those things yourself. Tyrion has become, as much as anyone can, the central character of the show. People identify with him, as a misfit with the odds stacked against him in a conservative world, and as a narrative that serves as scathing criticism of that world. 

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Tony Soprano held some noxious views, but Jennifer Melfi could also serve as a sounding board, a Greek Chorus to give context to his actions. 

Surrounded by characters who are even more sinister, Tyrion's actions become relatively justifiable in that he does them. Therefore, it's important to give more of a moral center to his actions, even if they're a bit sketchy. There's also the fact that many viewers would (and HAVE) reveled in Shae being strangled to death. Having Tyrion be immediately regretful about the situation may be something of a sugarcoating, but it makes an effort to mitigate the visceral satisfaction of the "Kill the whore!" crowd.

That scene in the Tower of the Hand also seemed to largely neglected Tysha, Tyrion's first wife. She has been alluded to throughout the series, and it was Tywin's calling her a whore, not Shae that led Tyrion to let loose an arrow on Tywin while on the can. There are actually rumors Tysha is still alive out there, so it's a wonder how that will be handled. 

I also noticed that Tywin in the show was a lot more reasonable (if still haughty and dismissive) in the show. He seemed to have that whole Doctor Evil thing of "The boy is quite astute, I am trying to kill him. But he's wily, just his old man." Did Tywin come to the conclusion that Tyrion is more resourceful, and the best hope for carrying on the family name? Or just lying? We will never know, because he's now just a human colander overflowing with poop-pasta.

Book readers were shocked to see the death of Jojen Reed, the young clairvoyant ranger type who has been guiding Bran. We don't often see the death of a character who has yet to be offed from the books. (Several show-only characters have been bumped off, and Robb Stark's wife is a completely different character in the books. There's also a couple of minor characters from "The Night's Watch") Granted, Jojen is not in particularly great shape in the books right now, and he may be going out with less of a...bang. As a book reader, I've actually dreading it for a while, as Jojen's father, Howland, sounds like a very fascinating offscreen character, and one who would probably not take the news very well. 

By the way, that elf-like child with the "Terminator"-style enticement? That's actually a case of white-washing, from a racial standpoint--they are called the "Children of the Forest", and tend to have a bark-colored complexion. Of course, they might have felt they were in a difficult position, as even people with melanin aren't exactly the color of tree bark, but making them look that way may have been seen as "brownfacing". Of course, they weren't even human in the books, and might have justified the CGI expenditure they used on the moving skeletons.

One of the biggest criticisms of the show was the absence of Lady Stonheart. This was a complaint so loud many non-readers went and spoiled themselves by looking herself up. I am going to try and keep it spoiler free, but I think this one was a lot more defensible than people are making it out to be. First of all, as cool a cliffhanger as it would be, it's not essential to the plot for another season or so. 

Secondly, let's just say they need a specific actor for this, and that actor's schedule or show's budget might not have allowed it. Also, to introduce Lady Stoneheart would have to bring in characters we have not seen in a while, or may not even have met before. The payoff had to be more carefully orchestrated. Some people say it would be better than another five minutes of Jon Snow's manpain, but that does wrap up a storyline more pertinent to the series.

So some good ideas, some unfortunate ones. But relatively satisfying. Luckily we haven't seen  egregious changes like Syfy's unfortunate Earthsea adaptations, or even HBO's own "True Blood". Besides, hardcore fans are always the first to write fanifction about everybody being in high school or possessing the ability to go Super-Saiyin. They've kept it pretty tight so far.

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