I honestly thought he looked a bit young and wild-eyed for the role. Then again, I guess "crazy eyes" work for someone who lies constantly.
...what if he never lies? 8->
Then crazy eyes would be even MORE appropriate.
Although really Tormund's not a liar, he's a bullshitter.
A trap is for fish: when you've got the fish, you can forget the trap. A snare is for rabbits: when you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words are for meaning: when you've got the meaning, you can forget the words.
I don't mean to bump this up, but I read the essay on the Mad Genius of Petyr Baelish yesterday (it is only ~14,000 words) and wondered if anyone else had. The author makes some excellent points and connections. It is making my re-read much more interesting as I follow Littlefinger's story a little more closely.
The author does make a few small leaps to conclusions, but that's ok, considering all the source material to wade through. It really does make Littlefinger seem like the smartest person in Westeros, which I'm not sure I totally agree with.
It's linked on the last page, dudebro. I think the only thing rankled me was when he says Pete knows Cercei was a woman of "low cunning," since she certainly is, but the author seems to be using the phrase like she has cunning in short supply.
If Thrones characters had tiers for how clever the motherfuckers were, Baelish would be in the top tier.
0
reVerseAttack and Dethrone GodRegistered Userregular
It's linked on the last page, dudebro. I think the only thing rankled me was when he says Pete knows Cercei was a woman of "low cunning," since she certainly is, but the author seems to be using the phrase like she has cunning in short supply.
Yeah I agree with the author. Cersei wants power but doesn't know what she wants to do with it. She is very smart but she just doesn't have any real long term plans beyond being in power. And even the short time she was regent she was miserable if I remember right.
I wouldn't even say Cersei is very smart. She has power because she's the queen, and she tries her hardest to be a schemer but she sucks at it and is completely consumed by petty jealousy and irrational fear. Putting the church back in power, for instance, was incredibly boneheaded.
I would also say that Cersei is also not smart. She only seems to want to protect herself and her children. Even Jaime doesn't always fall under her protection. This blinds her to anything else. She's also blinded by her upbringing and money.
When it comes to Baelish, he has no blinders. He has the luxury of being born "low" but living with the "high." Almost an outsider's perspective from the inside, which gives him a great view on everything.
I would also say that Cersei is also not smart. She only seems to want to protect herself and her children. Even Jaime doesn't always fall under her protection. This blinds her to anything else. She's also blinded by her upbringing and money.
When it comes to Baelish, he has no blinders. He has the luxury of being born "low" but living with the "high." Almost an outsider's perspective from the inside, which gives him a great view on everything.
There was a book of ASOIAF essays called Beyond the Wall published last year, and it had a pretty good essay on Littlefinger called "Petyr Baelish and the Mask of Sanity." It points out that Littlefinger is a psychopath, and how it's both his biggest strength and his greatest weakness. He has no sense of loyalty, and will use anyone in any way that he finds that useful. For the most part, this has worked out well for him: Ned Stark served his purpose and now is dead, as did numerous others. Eventually though, one of his tools will see through him, and will be ready for the blade in the back he'll be sending.
I'm guessing that that's most likely to be Sansa. Tyrion is another viable candidate; he saw through Littlefinger from the start.
Civics is not a consumer product that you can ignore because you don’t like the options presented.
A trap is for fish: when you've got the fish, you can forget the trap. A snare is for rabbits: when you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words are for meaning: when you've got the meaning, you can forget the words.
Cersei's not dumb, she couldn't fuck up the kingdom so hard if she was. But she has no patience and no wisdom, and she hates people too much to try to understand them.
A trap is for fish: when you've got the fish, you can forget the trap. A snare is for rabbits: when you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words are for meaning: when you've got the meaning, you can forget the words.
Cersei's not dumb, she couldn't fuck up the kingdom so hard if she was. But she has no patience and no wisdom, and she hates people too much to try to understand them.
This is how I feel.
Cersei is by no means a mastermind but she's plenty smart. Her main issue is she doesn't see beyond her immediate goals. She can achieve what she wants she just doesn't think beyond that.
I would also say that Cersei is also not smart. She only seems to want to protect herself and her children. Even Jaime doesn't always fall under her protection. This blinds her to anything else. She's also blinded by her upbringing and money.
When it comes to Baelish, he has no blinders. He has the luxury of being born "low" but living with the "high." Almost an outsider's perspective from the inside, which gives him a great view on everything.
There was a book of ASOIAF essays called Beyond the Wall published last year, and it had a pretty good essay on Littlefinger called "Petyr Baelish and the Mask of Sanity." It points out that Littlefinger is a psychopath, and how it's both his biggest strength and his greatest weakness. He has no sense of loyalty, and will use anyone in any way that he finds that useful. For the most part, this has worked out well for him: Ned Stark served his purpose and now is dead, as did numerous others. Eventually though, one of his tools will see through him, and will be ready for the blade in the back he'll be sending.
I'm guessing that that's most likely to be Sansa. Tyrion is another viable candidate; he saw through Littlefinger from the start.
Let's not forget Arya. I get the feeling she's going to be reunited with events in Westeros in a big way.
I would also say that Cersei is also not smart. She only seems to want to protect herself and her children. Even Jaime doesn't always fall under her protection. This blinds her to anything else. She's also blinded by her upbringing and money.
When it comes to Baelish, he has no blinders. He has the luxury of being born "low" but living with the "high." Almost an outsider's perspective from the inside, which gives him a great view on everything.
There was a book of ASOIAF essays called Beyond the Wall published last year, and it had a pretty good essay on Littlefinger called "Petyr Baelish and the Mask of Sanity." It points out that Littlefinger is a psychopath, and how it's both his biggest strength and his greatest weakness. He has no sense of loyalty, and will use anyone in any way that he finds that useful. For the most part, this has worked out well for him: Ned Stark served his purpose and now is dead, as did numerous others. Eventually though, one of his tools will see through him, and will be ready for the blade in the back he'll be sending.
I'm guessing that that's most likely to be Sansa. Tyrion is another viable candidate; he saw through Littlefinger from the start.
Let's not forget Arya. I get the feeling she's going to be reunited with events in Westeros in a big way.
Maybe, but it's debatable how much agency she'll have in her actions once she's in the full service of the assassins.
+2
reVerseAttack and Dethrone GodRegistered Userregular
I would also say that Cersei is also not smart. She only seems to want to protect herself and her children. Even Jaime doesn't always fall under her protection. This blinds her to anything else. She's also blinded by her upbringing and money.
When it comes to Baelish, he has no blinders. He has the luxury of being born "low" but living with the "high." Almost an outsider's perspective from the inside, which gives him a great view on everything.
There was a book of ASOIAF essays called Beyond the Wall published last year, and it had a pretty good essay on Littlefinger called "Petyr Baelish and the Mask of Sanity." It points out that Littlefinger is a psychopath, and how it's both his biggest strength and his greatest weakness. He has no sense of loyalty, and will use anyone in any way that he finds that useful. For the most part, this has worked out well for him: Ned Stark served his purpose and now is dead, as did numerous others. Eventually though, one of his tools will see through him, and will be ready for the blade in the back he'll be sending.
I'm guessing that that's most likely to be Sansa. Tyrion is another viable candidate; he saw through Littlefinger from the start.
Let's not forget Arya. I get the feeling she's going to be reunited with events in Westeros in a big way.
Maybe, but it's debatable how much agency she'll have in her actions once she's in the full service of the assassins.
She's not their servant. She's using them to learn the skills needed to exact bloody vengeance on the people in her prayer. She's Arya Stark of WInterfell, not some lowly faceless man.
0
Inquisitor772 x Penny Arcade Fight Club ChampionA fixed point in space and timeRegistered Userregular
Yeah, we don't really know what's going on with Arya. Her character is still very much in flux regarding where her loyalties will ultimately lie. I would find it hard to believe that George would bother telling us her story unless she did turn out going back to Westeros in some sort of capacity and doing/seeing something meaningful. Whether or not she does or does not become a true Faceless [Wo]Man is still a bit up in the air...
I wouldn't even say Cersei is very smart. She has power because she's the queen, and she tries her hardest to be a schemer but she sucks at it and is completely consumed by petty jealousy and irrational fear. Putting the church back in power, for instance, was incredibly boneheaded.
Putting the church back in power is only boneheaded if you know that the High Septon was a true believer, not a political figurehead like the position had been for generations. Certainly a miscalculation, but an understandable one.
I would also say that Cersei is also not smart. She only seems to want to protect herself and her children. Even Jaime doesn't always fall under her protection. This blinds her to anything else. She's also blinded by her upbringing and money.
When it comes to Baelish, he has no blinders. He has the luxury of being born "low" but living with the "high." Almost an outsider's perspective from the inside, which gives him a great view on everything.
Yeah, I just meant--people would probably be up to talk about it.
On Cersei and her virtues. We faithful readers meet up with her at the end of an era, where she's breaking the hell down. This is a woman who used to have a lot of patience, and plenty enough sense to get by. She carried on an extramarital affair with her brother for over a decade before the ramifications of that course of action started playing out. As soon as she's got any agency in the books though, it's all a series of increasingly poor decisions for her.
Yeah, we don't really know what's going on with Arya. Her character is still very much in flux regarding where her loyalties will ultimately lie. I would find it hard to believe that George would bother telling us her story unless she did turn out going back to Westeros in some sort of capacity and doing/seeing something meaningful. Whether or not she does or does not become a true Faceless [Wo]Man is still a bit up in the air...
This is where I am. I don't see Arya's loyalties sitting solidly in either camp yet. She's also wholly out of the loop for a lot of events and the remaining Starks are on some very different paths to very different kinds of power. I could see their ultimate goals diverging.
I wouldn't even say Cersei is very smart. She has power because she's the queen, and she tries her hardest to be a schemer but she sucks at it and is completely consumed by petty jealousy and irrational fear. Putting the church back in power, for instance, was incredibly boneheaded.
Putting the church back in power is only boneheaded if you know that the High Septon was a true believer, not a political figurehead like the position had been for generations. Certainly a miscalculation, but an understandable one.
How is the High Septon selected? If it's appointed by the ruler, someone really should have done an interview first.
Yeah, we don't really know what's going on with Arya. Her character is still very much in flux regarding where her loyalties will ultimately lie. I would find it hard to believe that George would bother telling us her story unless she did turn out going back to Westeros in some sort of capacity and doing/seeing something meaningful. Whether or not she does or does not become a true Faceless [Wo]Man is still a bit up in the air...
This is where I am. I don't see Arya's loyalties sitting solidly in either camp yet. She's also wholly out of the loop for a lot of events and the remaining Starks are on some very different paths to very different kinds of power. I could see their ultimate goals diverging.
I can pretty easily envision a scenario where Arya is sent to kill Sansa if that story plays out the way it looks like it is.
On Cersei and her virtues. We faithful readers meet up with her at the end of an era, where she's breaking the hell down. This is a woman who used to have a lot of patience, and plenty enough sense to get by. She carried on an extramarital affair with her brother for over a decade before the ramifications of that course of action started playing out. As soon as she's got any agency in the books though, it's all a series of increasingly poor decisions for her.
It's always been poor decisions from her. The difference is, in AFFC, we finally get her own POV and see that what looked like super-good planning is a combination of luck, ruthlessness and skill. And the hints are there from before that she's not as good at politicking as some thought. She's never been a big picture thinker or particularly ... stable.
I wouldn't even say Cersei is very smart. She has power because she's the queen, and she tries her hardest to be a schemer but she sucks at it and is completely consumed by petty jealousy and irrational fear. Putting the church back in power, for instance, was incredibly boneheaded.
Putting the church back in power is only boneheaded if you know that the High Septon was a true believer, not a political figurehead like the position had been for generations. Certainly a miscalculation, but an understandable one.
How is the High Septon selected? If it's appointed by the ruler, someone really should have done an interview first.
Yeah, we don't really know what's going on with Arya. Her character is still very much in flux regarding where her loyalties will ultimately lie. I would find it hard to believe that George would bother telling us her story unless she did turn out going back to Westeros in some sort of capacity and doing/seeing something meaningful. Whether or not she does or does not become a true Faceless [Wo]Man is still a bit up in the air...
This is where I am. I don't see Arya's loyalties sitting solidly in either camp yet. She's also wholly out of the loop for a lot of events and the remaining Starks are on some very different paths to very different kinds of power. I could see their ultimate goals diverging.
I can pretty easily envision a scenario where Arya is sent to kill Sansa if that story plays out the way it looks like it is.
He's normally elected by the church, but pretty much with the oversight of the crown, no firebrands are getting the job. But for the last pick the sparrows pretty much invaded the proceedings and appointed their guy instead, and the crown wasn't really paying attention at the time to step in. Even so it wouldn't have really mattered that much if Cersei hadn't then been smart enough to know exactly what the guy wanted and dumb enough to give it to him
Kana on
A trap is for fish: when you've got the fish, you can forget the trap. A snare is for rabbits: when you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words are for meaning: when you've got the meaning, you can forget the words.
Yeah, we don't really know what's going on with Arya. Her character is still very much in flux regarding where her loyalties will ultimately lie. I would find it hard to believe that George would bother telling us her story unless she did turn out going back to Westeros in some sort of capacity and doing/seeing something meaningful. Whether or not she does or does not become a true Faceless [Wo]Man is still a bit up in the air...
This is where I am. I don't see Arya's loyalties sitting solidly in either camp yet. She's also wholly out of the loop for a lot of events and the remaining Starks are on some very different paths to very different kinds of power. I could see their ultimate goals diverging.
I can pretty easily envision a scenario where Arya is sent to kill Sansa if that story plays out the way it looks like it is.
I think that Arya will be sent after Sansa, Dani, or Jon, and will be sent by Sansa, Dani, or Littlefinger.
I would squee a bit over a scene where Littlefinger sends for a Faceless Man, and Arya shows up, and spends the conversation trolling Sansa and Littlefinger. And/or if Arya is sent after Jon (or Dani, if Dani and Jon are sleeping together) and Ghost trips her up, pins her, and Jon/Dani wake up to wonder why the Direwolf is licking the face of the Faceless Man.
Shadowhope on
Civics is not a consumer product that you can ignore because you don’t like the options presented.
Would reading the books diminish my enjoyment of the TV show? Is there anyone here who started with the show and decided to read through the books mid season or something and can say it did not reduce their enjoyment of the show?
Would reading the books diminish my enjoyment of the TV show? Is there anyone here who started with the show and decided to read through the books mid season or something and can say it did not reduce their enjoyment of the show?
I saw season 1 before I read the books, but I haven't seen season 2 yet because I don't have HBO. I guess I'll let you know in March after my discs ship :P
Would reading the books diminish my enjoyment of the TV show? Is there anyone here who started with the show and decided to read through the books mid season or something and can say it did not reduce their enjoyment of the show?
The books will give you significant information that does not appear in the show, which sheds different light on some characters and their motivations. That may enhance or detract from your enjoyment. The books are very well done, of a quality that at least matches that of the show, so if you want to know more of the story now or enjoy reading at least as much as TV, I suggest reading the books.
The biggest downside will be watching show people speculate, and not being able to say "oh dear, if you only knew..."
Shadowhope on
Civics is not a consumer product that you can ignore because you don’t like the options presented.
Would reading the books diminish my enjoyment of the TV show? Is there anyone here who started with the show and decided to read through the books mid season or something and can say it did not reduce their enjoyment of the show?
I only read the books after the show, and started in the middle of the second season.. I had had some spoilers dropped on me, and haven't forsaken or grown less desirous of the 3rd (in fact, I'm anticipating this season moreso than others.) I've been waiting to read A Dance with Dragons to see how I like having most things telegraphed, etc.
Would reading the books diminish my enjoyment of the TV show? Is there anyone here who started with the show and decided to read through the books mid season or something and can say it did not reduce their enjoyment of the show?
I read all of the books for the first time after season 2. If you don't like to know what is going to come up on the show then don't read the books, but the books add so much that it makes the show even better
Would reading the books diminish my enjoyment of the TV show? Is there anyone here who started with the show and decided to read through the books mid season or something and can say it did not reduce their enjoyment of the show?
The books will give you significant information that does not appear in the show, which sheds different light on some characters and their motivations. That may enhance or detract from your enjoyment. The books are very well done, of a quality that at least matches that of the show, so if you want to know more of the story now or enjoy reading at least as much as TV, I suggest reading the books.
The biggest downside will be watching show people speculate, and not being able to say "oh dear, if you only knew..."
Downside?! One of the best reasons to read the books is to know what horrors await those that haven't, and thus you'll be ready to see their reactions. I love it, personally.
And I'm with Veevee: I read all the books after season one, and it's just incredible how much of a deeper understanding of the world you get from em', and it makes me appreciate the show that much more. Not to mention its fun to try and create a mental picture of much of what's going on in the books, and then seeing someone else's vision actually realized (and typically going "Yeah, that's cooler than what was in my head".)
I'd read the books before the show and absolutely loved it. My wife too. While the twists are a big part of the story they're hardly the only one and seeing the books realized so well in another medium has been fantastic.
Would reading the books diminish my enjoyment of the TV show? Is there anyone here who started with the show and decided to read through the books mid season or something and can say it did not reduce their enjoyment of the show?
The books will give you significant information that does not appear in the show, which sheds different light on some characters and their motivations. That may enhance or detract from your enjoyment. The books are very well done, of a quality that at least matches that of the show, so if you want to know more of the story now or enjoy reading at least as much as TV, I suggest reading the books.
The biggest downside will be watching show people speculate, and not being able to say "oh dear, if you only knew..."
Downside?! One of the best reasons to read the books is to know what horrors await those that haven't, and thus you'll be ready to see their reactions. I love it, personally.
I'm not even kidding, I've been anticipating the internet's collective response to the events of next season since the show was announced. It will be so delicious.
Would reading the books diminish my enjoyment of the TV show? Is there anyone here who started with the show and decided to read through the books mid season or something and can say it did not reduce their enjoyment of the show?
The books will give you significant information that does not appear in the show, which sheds different light on some characters and their motivations. That may enhance or detract from your enjoyment. The books are very well done, of a quality that at least matches that of the show, so if you want to know more of the story now or enjoy reading at least as much as TV, I suggest reading the books.
The biggest downside will be watching show people speculate, and not being able to say "oh dear, if you only knew..."
Downside?! One of the best reasons to read the books is to know what horrors await those that haven't, and thus you'll be ready to see their reactions. I love it, personally.
I'm not even kidding, I've been anticipating the internet's collective response to the events of next season since the show was announced. It will be so delicious.
Yea, some serious catharsis happens in the third book/season.. I need to get around to reading a DwD, especially since I've been reading that sample chapter from Winter (I don't really know the specifics of Theon and a lot of the Tyrion dynamic stuff, so basically everything from ADwD, but I have it sitting on my shelf waiting to be read.. Just so many other good books, and I know I'll be hungry for more after watching the show for a bit...)
Would reading the books diminish my enjoyment of the TV show? Is there anyone here who started with the show and decided to read through the books mid season or something and can say it did not reduce their enjoyment of the show?
The books will give you significant information that does not appear in the show, which sheds different light on some characters and their motivations. That may enhance or detract from your enjoyment. The books are very well done, of a quality that at least matches that of the show, so if you want to know more of the story now or enjoy reading at least as much as TV, I suggest reading the books.
The biggest downside will be watching show people speculate, and not being able to say "oh dear, if you only knew..."
Downside?! One of the best reasons to read the books is to know what horrors await those that haven't, and thus you'll be ready to see their reactions. I love it, personally.
I'm not even kidding, I've been anticipating the internet's collective response to the events of next season since the show was announced. It will be so delicious.
I've read all the books and my wife and I are watching the show. She's in grad school and working, so she doesn't have time to read it all before the events.
I've been following Leigh Butler's Read of Ice and Fire and it's been glorious watching her slowly muddle through the series at a rate of two chapters per week. I can't wait for her reaction to the events that'll be in S03E09. And the scene that ends SOS and which should be the final scene of S4? I can't wait.
Something Martin does extremely, extremely well that doesn't always come through quite so well in the show is to take a fairly regular, mundane scene and slowly crank up tension in a way that doesn't present any overt signs that something is wrong, but has increasing numbers of details that drive a sense of "Oh shit, this isn't going to go well." I'm not saying that the show doesn't do it well, just that it doesn't do it as well. That scene from S03E09, and that scene that should end S04E10? Those chapters are perfect examples of it in the books. Ned Stark's death chapter has elements of that too.
Shadowhope on
Civics is not a consumer product that you can ignore because you don’t like the options presented.
Posts
Then crazy eyes would be even MORE appropriate.
Although really Tormund's not a liar, he's a bullshitter.
The author does make a few small leaps to conclusions, but that's ok, considering all the source material to wade through. It really does make Littlefinger seem like the smartest person in Westeros, which I'm not sure I totally agree with.
If Thrones characters had tiers for how clever the motherfuckers were, Baelish would be in the top tier.
Well, she's about as cunning as the Starks.
And? I still like discussing it!
I would also say that Cersei is also not smart. She only seems to want to protect herself and her children. Even Jaime doesn't always fall under her protection. This blinds her to anything else. She's also blinded by her upbringing and money.
When it comes to Baelish, he has no blinders. He has the luxury of being born "low" but living with the "high." Almost an outsider's perspective from the inside, which gives him a great view on everything.
I'm guessing that that's most likely to be Sansa. Tyrion is another viable candidate; he saw through Littlefinger from the start.
Petty rivalries based on where he wants to put his dick? It's basically the same blind spot, he's just a tad monomaniacal.
Cersei is by no means a mastermind but she's plenty smart. Her main issue is she doesn't see beyond her immediate goals. She can achieve what she wants she just doesn't think beyond that.
Let's not forget Arya. I get the feeling she's going to be reunited with events in Westeros in a big way.
Maybe, but it's debatable how much agency she'll have in her actions once she's in the full service of the assassins.
She's not their servant. She's using them to learn the skills needed to exact bloody vengeance on the people in her prayer. She's Arya Stark of WInterfell, not some lowly faceless man.
Putting the church back in power is only boneheaded if you know that the High Septon was a true believer, not a political figurehead like the position had been for generations. Certainly a miscalculation, but an understandable one.
Yeah, I just meant--people would probably be up to talk about it.
On Cersei and her virtues. We faithful readers meet up with her at the end of an era, where she's breaking the hell down. This is a woman who used to have a lot of patience, and plenty enough sense to get by. She carried on an extramarital affair with her brother for over a decade before the ramifications of that course of action started playing out. As soon as she's got any agency in the books though, it's all a series of increasingly poor decisions for her.
How is the High Septon selected? If it's appointed by the ruler, someone really should have done an interview first.
I can pretty easily envision a scenario where Arya is sent to kill Sansa if that story plays out the way it looks like it is.
It's always been poor decisions from her. The difference is, in AFFC, we finally get her own POV and see that what looked like super-good planning is a combination of luck, ruthlessness and skill. And the hints are there from before that she's not as good at politicking as some thought. She's never been a big picture thinker or particularly ... stable.
He's normally elected by the church, but pretty much with the oversight of the crown, no firebrands are getting the job. But for the last pick the sparrows pretty much invaded the proceedings and appointed their guy instead, and the crown wasn't really paying attention at the time to step in. Even so it wouldn't have really mattered that much if Cersei hadn't then been smart enough to know exactly what the guy wanted and dumb enough to give it to him
I think that Arya will be sent after Sansa, Dani, or Jon, and will be sent by Sansa, Dani, or Littlefinger.
I would squee a bit over a scene where Littlefinger sends for a Faceless Man, and Arya shows up, and spends the conversation trolling Sansa and Littlefinger. And/or if Arya is sent after Jon (or Dani, if Dani and Jon are sleeping together) and Ghost trips her up, pins her, and Jon/Dani wake up to wonder why the Direwolf is licking the face of the Faceless Man.
The books will give you significant information that does not appear in the show, which sheds different light on some characters and their motivations. That may enhance or detract from your enjoyment. The books are very well done, of a quality that at least matches that of the show, so if you want to know more of the story now or enjoy reading at least as much as TV, I suggest reading the books.
The biggest downside will be watching show people speculate, and not being able to say "oh dear, if you only knew..."
I only read the books after the show, and started in the middle of the second season.. I had had some spoilers dropped on me, and haven't forsaken or grown less desirous of the 3rd (in fact, I'm anticipating this season moreso than others.) I've been waiting to read A Dance with Dragons to see how I like having most things telegraphed, etc.
I read all of the books for the first time after season 2. If you don't like to know what is going to come up on the show then don't read the books, but the books add so much that it makes the show even better
Downside?! One of the best reasons to read the books is to know what horrors await those that haven't, and thus you'll be ready to see their reactions. I love it, personally.
And I'm with Veevee: I read all the books after season one, and it's just incredible how much of a deeper understanding of the world you get from em', and it makes me appreciate the show that much more. Not to mention its fun to try and create a mental picture of much of what's going on in the books, and then seeing someone else's vision actually realized (and typically going "Yeah, that's cooler than what was in my head".)
I'm not even kidding, I've been anticipating the internet's collective response to the events of next season since the show was announced. It will be so delicious.
It is going to be Season 1 Episode 9 times 1000.
3rd book not-really kinda-sorta spoiler
Oh that is going to be a rough night.
Something Martin does extremely, extremely well that doesn't always come through quite so well in the show is to take a fairly regular, mundane scene and slowly crank up tension in a way that doesn't present any overt signs that something is wrong, but has increasing numbers of details that drive a sense of "Oh shit, this isn't going to go well." I'm not saying that the show doesn't do it well, just that it doesn't do it as well. That scene from S03E09, and that scene that should end S04E10? Those chapters are perfect examples of it in the books. Ned Stark's death chapter has elements of that too.