Major Spoiler Alert: Game of Thrones showrunner David Benioff and Dan Weiss have done it again. The hit HBO show has caused quite the stir by diverging from the books and rapeing another character. In the show,Sansa Stark, replaces Jeyne Poole (Fake Ayer) as Ramsay (Snow) Bolton’s bride. The episode ended with Ramsay raping Sansa, while Theon “Reek” Greyjoy relectly watched. This seemly sets up for a redemptive moment for Theon, at the expense of Sansa. Now, many fans are fed up with the series, which already had a problem with using rape as a plot device. The author of the books, George R.R. Martin has now responded to the controversy, coming to the defense of the show runners.
Warning: The following video is graphic and not intended for younger viewers.
After this week’s sicking episode of HBO’s Game of Thrones aired, George R.R. Maritn took to his blog to address the subject:
“There have been differences between the novels and the television show since the first episode of season one. And for just as long, I have been talking about the butterfly effect. Small changes lead to larger changes lead to huge changes. HBO is more than forty hours into the impossible and demanding task of adapting my lengthy (extremely) and complex (exceedingly) novels, with their layers of plots and subplots, their twists and contradictions and unreliable narrators, viewpoint shifts and ambiguities, and a cast of characters in the hundreds.
George R.R. Martin as quick to point out that almost every adaptation of novels on TV, differ greatly from the source material:
“There has seldom been any TV series as faithful to its source material, by and large (if you doubt that, talk to the Harry Dresden fans, or readers of the Sookie Stackhouse novels, or the fans of the original WALKING DEAD comic books)... but the longer the show goes on, the bigger the butterflies become. And now we have reached the point where the beat of butterfly wings is stirring up storms, like the one presently engulfing my email.”
Martian went on to defend the work that showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss, adding:
“David and Dan and Bryan and HBO are trying to make the best television series that they can. And over here I am trying to write the best novels that I can.And yes, more and more, they differ. Two roads diverging in the dark of the woods, I suppose... but all of us are still intending that at the end we will arrive at the same place.In the meantime, we hope that the readers and viewers both enjoy the journey. Or journeys, as the case may be. Sometimes butterflies grow into dragons.”
What do you think about George R. R. Martin's comments? Do you think the episode went too far? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
