This is a continuation of ‘Game of Thrones’ season 2 and ‘A Clash of Kings’ comparison, part 1 (Starks) and ‘Game of Thrones’ season 2 and ‘A Clash of Kings’ comparison, part 2 (Lannisters) in which we look at the differences between HBO’s “Game of Thrones” season 2 and the second installment of George R. R. Martin’s fantasy epic “A Clash of Kings” on which the events of the season are based.

Yesterday we focused on the Lannister family, primarily on those characters in King’s Landing. Today we will finish up the stray characters from Westeros (where all the knights live) and head across the Narrow Sea to Essos (where all the dragons live) in tomorrow’s edition.

Note: This is by no means an exhaustive detailing of the intricate differences between what David Benioff and Dan Weiss have created and what Martin put together for this installment of the series. What this is is a broad overview of the major variations. Please use the comments to append or argue with any of these.

And now… The Baratheon Boys, Theon Greyjoy and the Hound.

I. Stannis Baratheon

What's that? You don't like me as a major character? Get used to it buddy, me and the red lady aren't going anywhere for a while.

Stannis was one of those characters that I had to grow to embrace in Martin’s book series. I won’t say for how long he lasts in the War of the Five Kings but I will tell you that if you’re looking for him to be gone by the end of season 2 then you are going to be disappointed, begging the question, why does Martin only kill the ones we love?*

Like Tywin Lannister and Robb Stark, Stannis Baratheon is not a perspective character in Martin’s books. He is, however, a major part of the war in Westeros and many of the perspective characters (Daavos, Melisandre, etc.) spend entire chapters with him so he is as well developed as any side character in the book series.

* that’s the biggest spoiler I’ll give during this, but you should have seen it coming. Martin and HBO don’t do away with people off screen.

In the show: At the beginning of season 2 Stannis is only a rumor, as he has fled back to Dragonstone (the castle Robert gave him after he secured the throne) and had ignored all of Ned Stark’s petitions to return to the city. No one really knows what’s going on at Dragonstone, even Varys was lost as to what the eldest Baratheon had been planning.

The first scenes with Stannis Baratheon show a concerned Maester Cressen, Stannis’ longtime Maester, questioning the actions of Stannis’ new high adviser, the Red Priestess Melisandra. The mysterious woman has collected all of the Seven Gods of Westeros and has set them aflame as a devotion to the Lord of Light, the fire-made god that Melisandre and now Stannis worship. The Maester speaks briefly with Stannis loyalist Daavos Seaworth, a smuggler who was lifted into knighthood by the stern Lord of Dragonstone, who likewise is skeptical of the new faith and priestess.

Maester Cressen attempts to poison Melisandre to stop her influence on Stannis but she is not overtaken with his tincture. He, instead, dies by his own potion and Melisandre raises up the incident as proof of the power of the Lord of Light.

In the book: The scene laid out in the opening of season 2 is a combination of the prologue to “A Clash of Kings” and chapter 10.  The prologue begins with Cressen meeting with Stannis’ daughter, an unfortunate and morbid child who has been afflicted with a disfiguring disease, and her jester Patches, a man who was struck with dementia as a young boy.  Cressen then attempts to advise Stannis about the upcoming war but is rebuked by Stannis’ wife Selyse, a stern woman who actually invited the faith of Melisandre into their home.

Cressen is unhappy with the influence of Melisandre over Stannis and attempts to poison her at a feast that evening. He oversleeps and rushes into the hall where the feast has already commenced and attempts to poison Melisandre’s wine. She drinks the wine but so does Cressen (to give her the assurance that it is safe to drink). Melisandre watches as Cressen dies from the poison while she appears to not be affected in the least.

Cressen never actually sees the Seven burned. He dies some time before Melisandre has them destroyed. The statues are also burned in the sept of Dragonstone (think chapel or worship space) instead of on the beach.

In the show: Stannis is seen in his war room with Daavos. He asks his advice about a possible attack on King’s Landing. Daavos shows his reluctance to head straight for the capitol city and instead urges a more lasting peace with his younger brother Renly. Melisandre assures Stannis that the Lord of Light will see him victorious.

Stannis dismisses Daavos leaving only the Red Priestess and the Lord of Dragonstone in the room. Melisandre promises Stannis that he is the savior of the world and the true King and then promises that she can give him what he wants: sons. Stannis and Melisandre clear the war table in that sexy way that HBO loves so much.

In the book: The motivations and basic actions of each of the characters are present in “A Clash of Kings” but Stannis and Melisandra never actually have sex in the books, or at least it’s only hinted at. The scene at the end seems like it was added to increase the sex factor in the show, a factor that has been well attended to by Benioff and Weiss.

In the show: Stannis lands on the main land mass of Westeros and proceeds to his brother’s host who is having an opulent tourney, presumably in front of Storms End, the Baratheon home castle. Stannis gives Renly one chance to renounce his claim to the throne. Renly brushes off the offer and returns to his army. That night Daavos smuggles Melisandre back on shore through a gated entryway near where Renly has set up camp. Melisandre, now pregnant, gives birth to a shadow creature that takes the form of Stannis. The creature materializes at the Renly camp and slays Renly leaving his followers in a state of confusion.

In the books: Stannis’ first move in Westeros is to secure the castle at Storm’s End where one of Robert’s bastards is being housed by the castellan, whom is a longtime Baratheon follower. The siege at Storm’s End drags on due to the stubbornness of the man holding the castle and his reluctance to let go of Robert’s son (Melisandre wishes to sacrifice him to the Red God, she claims the blood of kings is needed to wake the dragons and call them to Stannis’ aid).

Daavos smuggles Melisandre through the same hidden passage he used a decade or so earlier in life to break the siege of Storm’s End during Robert’s rebellion. Melisandre, in keeping with the show, gives birth to a shadow who kills the Storm’s End castellan, breaking the siege. The shadow then proceeds to Renly’s host to dispatch Renly once and for all.

The rest of Stannis’ appearance on the TV series is pretty in keeping with Martin’s second book. If I’m not mistaken, Stannis does not offer Daavos the position of Hand of the King on the deck of the ship sailing into the Battle of The Blackwater. There is still one more episode to explain the fallout from that battle so we’ll see if they conclude the show on the same note they end with the book.

II. Renly Baratheon

Renly Baratheon, the king who couldn't copulate (with a queen, anyway).

Renly isn’t a major character in Martin’s epic. He is the youngest of a group of men who all at one time or another make claim to the throne. He is young and handsome and likeable but his abilities pretty much end there. His death early in the season is more a surprise for how it came to be than his actual departure from the series.

Most of what needs to be discussed about Renly goes on in the bedroom. Renly has a relationship with the handsome knight Loras Tyrell, brother to Margaery Tyrell, Renly’s wife and queen. In the book series Renly and Loras’ relationship is heavily hinted at but no scene between them actually emerges. The sex scenes in the show are additions to the story. Perhaps the most astonishing addition is the scene between Margaery Tyrell and Renly in which she offers to bring Loras into the bedroom if it will help them consummate their marriage and provide an heir to his throne. Margaery is not at all this character in Martin’s book, but like the relationship between her husband and her brother there is definitely source in Martin’s book to support that she would be the type to make this suggestion. She is smart and cunning and not likely to let power for her and her family slip away.

III. Theon Greyjoy

Theon Greyjoy, a face that even a mother could hate.

Theon Theon Theon, we all knew you were a little tag along and a loudmouth but few people thought that you were capable of the type of betrayal and all around weinery behavior you engage in through season 2 of the show, and in “A Clash of Kings.” No matter how you felt coming into this season, there’s little doubt that this guy rocketed straight to the top of your sh** list. Benioff and Weiss have done a great job with this character. Martin begins to focus on Theon in book 2 and for good reason. He has the perfect eyes through which to watch the ruin of the North, an outsider who understands all the inside roles.  Whether he’s unknowingly hitting on his sister or killing his best friend’s brothers, he just can’t ever do anything right. He’s like the murderous Charlie Brown of the group.

In my opinion, Theon’s season 2/book 2 ending is the most dramatic and shocking so I’m not going to approach some of the major differences between the show and the book as that would give away what will happen in the last episode of the season. I’ll touch on some of the light differences and come back around and explain the major change after we see how HBO ends things this year.

In the show: Theon returns to the Iron Islands as an envoy of Robb Stark. His goal is to convince his father to cast his support of the Stark claim in exchange for the free rule of the Iron Islands once the North is set free from the Seven Kingdoms. Theon proceeds to hit on his sister Yara and get a powerful scolding form his father who already has his own plans to invade the North and take his freedom for himself. Theon eventually comes to his father’s way of thinking and joins the Greyjoy rebellion.

Theon takes command of one of the worst ships in the Greyjoy fleet, complete with a crew that despises him. Theon is approached by the first mate who convinces him that if he wants respect he’ll have to do more than raid fishing villages, and so he turns his ship towards Winterfell where he sneaks over the castle walls at night and assumes control from Bran.

In the book: Not much really changes. Yara’s name in the book series is Asha, it was changed to keep from conflicting with Osha, a Wildling taken as a prisoner by Robb Stark.  Furthermore, Theon is made captain of eight ships and is under the watch of his Uncle Aeron and Dagmer Cleftjaw, a longtime raider.

In Martin’s version, Theon decides to take Winterfell after growing jealous of his sister’s prized take, Deepwood Motte, a castle nestled in the swamplands. Cleftjaw, behind Theon’s plan, attacks Torrhen’s Square, a Northern City causing Ser Roderick, the Stark castellan, to take 200 men to stop the attack. It is during that period that Theon takes the castle at Winterfell.

In the show: Theon, in a show of power, has Ser Roderick beheaded. His hold on Winterfell is tenuous at best as most of the castle knows him and considers what he’s done to be a massive betrayal, they are more sickened by Theon than afraid.  Osha, the Wildling servant, seduces Theon and a few guards in order to help Bran, Rickon, Hodor and herself escape. Theon chases after them and supposedly kills them and hangs the boys’ tarred bodies from the towers of Winterfell.

In the book: Theon is never seduced by Osha, though she does seduce a few of his guards during the escape. Instead Theon takes up with another woman in Winterfell during his hold on the castle.  Throughout the TV series the first-mate of Theon’s ship has been the major advocate for most of his actions, but this is not the case in Martin’s rendition. A character named Reek is captured during Theon’s time at Winterfell, who becomes the person behind many of the sadistic actions of Theon. Reek is not in the HBO series as of the last episode and doesn’t look like he’ll make an appearance this season, if he does at all. Reek plays an important part in Theon’s life and it will be interesting to see how Benioff and Weiss deal with his absence.

In addition, Theon never had Ser Roderick beheaded; Ser Roderick is killed during an attempt to take back Winterfell.

Again, there is still a major surprise coming in the TV show at this point so I’ll refrain from elaborating on these points.

IV. The Hound

The Hound, perhaps the most psychologically damaged character in the entire series.

Sandor Clegane, aka The Hound, is a densely disturbed individual. His psyche is fractured in that kind of way that can’t be repaired. Season 2 really let’s him grow as a character and he is pretty consistent from page to screen. The only major difference that I can see is in the scene where the Hound confronts Bronn in the tavern before The Battle of the Blackwater. This scene does not appear in the books but was written by Martin for the episode and really feels like something that he reluctantly cut (if you’ve read the books then you’ll be amazed that anything was cut at all). The scene provides a solid look into the warped philosophy that governs Clegane, but more importantly, it is deftly perceptive as to the philosophy that controls the basic culture of Westeros in general.

Clegane gives a similar speech after fleeing the Blackwater after being overcome by a deep fear of fire (his face is the result of his brother holding his head down on a pile of hot coals). In both “A Clash of Kings” and season 2 of “Game of Thrones” the Hound confronts Sansa in her quarters and offers to take her from King’s Landing, though in the book he never promises to take her North.

V. The Battle of the Blackwater

Boom goes Stannis' claim to the throne.

I have already detailed most of the differences between the written and filmed versions of the Battle of the Blackwater. I really like the changes that Martin (who wrote the episode), Benioff and Weiss made to the battle. It takes up multiple chapters in the book “A Clash of Kings” and really changes the entire dynamic of Westeros.

Among those changes that are most noticeable that have yet to be addressed are:

1. The battle takes place during the day, not at night, in the books

2. Wildfire doesn’t appear to be as powerful as it is made out in the TV show, as it mostly seems to be about the same as napalm, burning for a long time and spreading quickly, not as explosive or green as is laid out by the HBO version.

3. The battle takes place across multiple parts of the city of King’s Landing, and there are several scenes that take place at the multiple gates to the city.

4. The Tyrell wearing Renly’s armor when Tywin’s army broke into the battle was not Loras, as shown in the TV show, but was actually Ser Garlan Tyrell, Loras’ older brother.

Tomorrow we wrap everything up by looking at the story of Daenarys Targaryen and the starving hoard of Dothraki she calls family.

This is a continuation of ‘Game of Thrones’ season 2 and ‘A Clash of Kings’ comparison, part 1 in which we look at the differences between HBO’s “Game of Thrones” season 2 and the second installment of George R. R. Martin’s fantasy epic “A Clash of Kings” on which the events of the season are based.

Yesterday we looked at the Stark family. Today we focus on the Lions of Westeros, the Lannisters. The format for yesterday’s post was a little annoying to write. It was tiring looking for synonyms for “series” “episode” “difference” etc. So in the spirit of not working too hard I’m going to break down the rest of these posts in a way that is more straightforward.

Note: This is by no means an exhaustive detailing of the intricate differences between what David Benioff and Dan Weiss have created and what Martin put together for this installment of the series. What this is is a broad overview of the major variations. Please use the comments to append or argue with any of these.

And now…

The Lannisters

 I. Tyrion Lannister

You see that cool little broach you got there? That's not a sign good luck in King's Landing.

Who would have thought that Tyrion Lannister would find himself not only as the Hand of the King in season 2 but also leading the defense of King’s Landing against Stannis Baratheon at the Battle of the Blackwater? Tyrion is one of the most heavily focused on characters in Martin’s novels and is likewise a standout on the HBO show (in many ways thanks to Peter Dinklage). Tyrion waffles as one of my favorite characters. His story is one that proves dizzying over time. It is his lot in life to be cast up and down in fortune at the whim of his cruel narrative. At the end of the latest episode of season 2 Tyrion is cut across the face by a member of the Kingsguard. Will he sruvive? If he does, what role will a scarred imp* have in Westeros?

I am committed to not giving away spoilers in this blog (at least not in a big way) so I’ll stay away from those questions. What I can do is spoil the crap out of what has already happened. Here goes.

In the show: Tyrion comes to King’s Landing with Bronn, Shae and the mountain clans. He takes his place in the Tower of the Hand and puts Shae up in his residence with him.  After Varys discovers Shae in Tyrion’s quarters the two work up a scheme for hiding Shae in the castle as a hand maiden to one of the ladies. She is assigned to Sansa and serves an active role in Sansa’s life, and in Tyrion’s as well. At one point, Cersei calls Tyrion in to tell him that she has found his “whore,” and then proceeds to reveal a woman working in a brothel who was not Shae, who is then girl is flogged by order of the Queen.

In the book: Shae’s first place of residence in “A Clash of Kings” is in a manse on the outskirts of King’s Landing. Tyrion makes it explicitly clear early on that she is not to be seen outside of her lavish home. In order to meet secretly, Tyrion uses a hidden door in a brothel to sneak out of the inner part of the city. Over time it is assumed that the woman he asks for each time he goes to the brothel is actually the woman he has been hiding and so she is brought before the queen and flogged. Tyrion becomes afraid that Shae will come to harm if she is left out of his sight for too long, that and Shae has grown tired of being kept a virtual prisoner in her home. Shae is then put in the service of Lady and Lollys Stokeworth who are companions of the Queen.

In the show: Upon arriving in King’s Landing, Tyrion immediately goes about dismantling the close circle his sister has created around her and the King. The current head of the City Watch Janos Slynt is removed from his position and exiled to the Wall for his part in the betrayal of Ned Stark and the murder of the bastard offspring of Robert Baratheon. Tyrion places Bronn at the head of the Gold Cloaks.

In the book: Janos Slynt is exiled for the same reason as mentioned above but he is replaced with Ser Jacelyn Bywater. Bronn remains the personal bodyguard of Tyrion throughout most of the book. Bronn never heads the City Watch. Instead he heads up multiple specialty groups charged with keeping peace in the city after the riots. Bronn also saves Tyrion from the Kingsguard after the large riot in which several members of the king’s family were attacked. In order to make headway against his sisters forces in the city, Tyrion has her poisoned and uses the convalescence period to imprison Pycell and buy off her agents.

In the show: Tyrion visits the pyromancer Hallyne who says he has been commissioned by the Queen to make as much wildfire as possible for use in defense of the city. Tyrion then takes control of the surplus and uses it to fill one ship to the point of overflow with the incendiary liquid. At the Battle of the Blackwater the ship is floated out among Stannis’ fleet and exploded by a flaming arrow shot by Bronn, destroying much of Stannis’ army.

Stannis’ troops still make it to the shoreline and the battle continues. Tyrion rallies his troops behind him and leads the attack on Stannis’ army after flanking them through a secret tunnel. During the battle, Tyrion’s face is cut by the sword of a member of the Kingsguard. This is more than likely done on purpose.

In the book: In both versions Tyrion takes control of the surplus of wildfire but Tyrion’s real strategic genius comes with the creation of a massive chain that runs between two watchtowers that connect the dock of King’s Landing to the Blackwater proper. When Stannis’ fleet is sailed into the bay by Daavos Seaworth, Bronn pulls the chain tight, trapping the vanguard of the naval attack in the bay, at which point multiple ships filled with wildfire are floated among Stannis’ ships and then set fire to.

Stannis resumes his attack and Tyrion moves to the shore and then onto the burning decks of the ships in the bay. He fights alongside Ser Mandon Moore, a knight lifted to the Kingsguard by Cersei, who follows him onto the fiery wrecks. During this battle, Mandon attempts to kill Tyrion with a vicious swipe of the sword. Tyrion moves at the last minute, though his nose is cut off. Podrick Payne then pushes Moore into the Blackwater, causing him to drown.

That takes us up to the cut off point for season 2. It looks like the plan to fill the boat with wildfire in the show has replaced the chain that traps Stannis’ fleet, which is a big part of the second book and a plan that is a point of pride for Tyrion.

II. Cersei Baratheon

If it wasn't for her jerk son, Cersei would be the cruelest person in King's Landing.

Cersei Baratheon, nee Lannister, is probably the most difficult character, besides Joffrey, to sympathize with. I can find an empathetic note in almost every other character but she continues to come off as needlessly cruel and the inventor of her own torment. Even the fact that Joffrey is her child makes her more unlikable.

Whatever her motivations, Cersei is cunning and holds a great deal of power. What makes her intriguing is that she is accepting that she is in the twilight of her beauty’s power over men (and some women) and is looking to fortify her strength for the day when her weapon* is no longer sharp.

*if you don’t know what this is, I’m not explaining it to you.

In the show: Cersei spends most of her time in season 2 drunkenly arguing with Tyrion, opining about the future of her family or torturing Sansa Stark. Her role as Queen Regent is more of a figurehead position and her involvement in the running of the Kingdom is immediately undercut by Tyrion’s arrival in King’s Landing. She struggles to stop her son from killing Robert’s other children and basically ruling with cruelty.

In the book: Cersei is a much more active agent in “A Clash of Kings” and, during the period of time between the death of Ned Stark and the arrival of Tyrion, she consolidates her power as queen regent. First by having the bastards of Robert killed, unlike the series who places that on Joffrey and makes Cersei helpless to stop the killing.

Cersei also recruits three “knights” to her cause, known as the Kettlebacks. Cersei uses seduction and money to coerce them to her service but they are bought off by Tyrion and made spies.

In the show: Cersei is involved in the riot at King’s Landing but is caught up in the maelstrom that Joffrey creates.

In the book:  A woman approaches the King’s party holding a dead baby. Joffrey tosses a few coins at the woman who ignores them. Cersei condescendingly dismisses the woman which causes her to scream at Cersei. Once thing leads to another, then there’s a riot.

In the show: Cersei convenes the women of the castle at the bottom of the Red Keep during the Battle of the Blackwater. This is a safe room for her and the other ladies. Illyn Pain is there presumably to protect them if Stannis breaks through. Cersei drinks heavily and is just plain mean to Sansa. At one point she is told of traitors fleeing the castle. Cersei has them killed. Later, her cousin Lancel enters the room explaining that the lines have broke. Cersei demands that Joffrey return from the front lines, much to Lancel’s protest. When it looks as though all is lost, Cersei takes Tommen to the Iron Throne and plans to poison the both of them to prevent capture by Stannis.

In the book: There are very few differences between the episode that depicts the Battle of the Blackwater and the chapters that comprise it in Martin’s book. The major difference is that Cersei never retreats to the throne room with Tommen. Instead she rides out the siege in the Red Keep until she is saved by her father and the Tyrell’s.

That’s that with Cersei. Most of the differences for her character come in the omissions from Martin’s version of events in his second book. The Kettlebacks who are a major feature in her life and at the castle during this time are completely missing from the HBO show. She also demonstrates a much less effective hand of power during her run in season 2 than in “A Clash of Kings.”

III. Joffrey Baratheon/Lannister

If you think kids these days are bad, this little freak puts them all to shame.

Joffrey is so very, very hateable. He is sadistic, vein, cowardly, overwhelmingly stupid and, worst of all, powerful. His role in the HBO version of “Game of Thrones” isn’t much different from his presence in Martin’s books. He primarily serves as the instigator for most of King’s Landing’s woes. Whether it be his unique form of crowd control or his complete lack of military skill, Joffrey is only there to serve chaos and his mother ensures he will have that right.

I have to hand it to the HBO guys, in Martin’s book Joffrey is spoiled and cruel but rarely pushes into the realm of the deeply psychotic. Benioff and Weiss have made him a full-out monster of a person very early on and he just grows from there. He remains the most unlikable and unsympathetic character I’ve ever seen on screen or in a book. In short, he’s one hell of a bad guy.

In the show: When Joffrey is informed that the citizens of King’s Landing are questioning his lineage he decrees that all bastards born of his father are to be murdered. Cersei plants this idea in his head but it’s his ruthlessness that insists that it’s carried out.

In the books: Joffrey is much more of a puppet in the book series, far too stupid to really understand that he is being manipulated. The death of Robert’s children is Cersei’s plan and is carried out with her knowledge.

In the show: After discovering that Robb Stark has been successful in several major battles in the Riverlands, Joffrey has Sansa called before the throne where she is knocked to the floor. Joffrey then instructs one of the Kingsguard to strike her with the flat side of a sword. Tyrion barges in before she is struck and saves her from the beating.

In an effort to pacify Joffrey, Tyrion has two prostitutes sent to his room where he proceeds to have one mercilessly beat the other while he watches in sadistic satisfaction.

In the book: The scene in which Sansa is beaten at court is much more graphic and violent than what is seen in the television show. Sansa is stripped naked and forced to cover herself with her hands while a member of the Kingsguard strikes her so much that she loses count of the blows. Joffrey instructs them not to strike her face but they leave the rest of her greatly bruised.

The scene with the prostitutes never actually occurs in the book. Tyrion hints at getting Joffrey a couple of women but nothing much else is said of it. The scene in the show with the two women from the brothel may be a way to further show Joffrey’s sadism since the scene with Sansa at court was toned down significantly.

In the show: At the Battle of the Blackwater, Joffrey boasts that he will slay Stannis with his own sword. He then heads to the front lines to command his troops. When Stannis’ ships approach King’s Landing he panics and eventually flees the battle causing great morale loss to his army, which begins to disband before Tyrion rallies them back together.

In the book: Joffrey spends very little time at the front lines in the Battle of the Blackwater. He spends most of the battle with a catapult firing the corpses of Stannis supporters over the walls at the raiding army.

There are such big things in store for this character that it is hard not to let some of the future slip in this post but I think I have kept it pretty well under raps. Let’s just say that his time of pissing of the audience does not end at the Blackwater.

IV. Tywin Lannister

The cold patriarch of the Lannister family and all-around phenomenal character Tywin Lannister.

It isn’t really necessary to go through a scene-by-scene breakdown of Tywin Lannister. He is also in the same boat as Robb Stark — a breakout TV character who doesn’t have much of a direct presence in the books. Tywin’s story is told through Tyrion’s interactions with him and eventually Cersei’s when he returns to King’s Landing in the Battle of the Blackwater. Suffice to say, he does not play anywhere near the role in ‘”A Clash of Kings” that he plays in season 2 of ‘GoT’.

Much of what the reader knows of Tywin is legend from the children of the Lannister family. Instead of having numerous scenes of children talking about their father, Benioff and Weiss have given Tywin the chance to speak for himself and it may be the best creative liberty the show takes. The scenes with Tywin and Arya at Harrenhal in the television show are as memorable as anything Martin has put in his novels so far. Tywin, however, was only at Harrenhal for a short time before leaving to cut off Stannis’ attack on King’s Landing.

Most of Tywin’s dialogue seems stitched together from passages in the books in which Tyrion, Cersei or Jamie recalls things their father has told them or stories of his rule of the family castle of Casterly Rock. However it came together, it is powerful and poignant and fits perfectly within the context of the show.

V. Jaime Lannister

No one could ever come to love Jaime Lannister, or could they?

Jaime Lannister doesn’t have much to do through 90 percent of “A Clash of Kings” as he spends most of the book locked away in a cell being argued over by the Starks and Karstarks. Faithful to the book, Jaime is shown in an attempted escape where he kills one of Rickard Karstarks’ sons, causing the old lord to call for his head.

Although the scene in which Jaime escapes isn’t detailed in the book (it is a report given after the fact), he does kill many Northmen in the attempt and is then recaptured. By the end of the second-to-last episode of the season, he has been set free by Catelyn Stark and is on the run from the Stark army in pursuit of being returned to King’s Landing in exchange for Arya and Sansa.

This is basically the same in Martin’s book. The escape from Riverrun, where he is held in the book, is an mini-epic boat chase that results in Brienne sinking a Riverrun ship. So far in the series it has been a canoe escape.

VI. Tommen and Myrcella

The pretty Myrcella.

The sweet Tommen.

Tommen and Myrcella are the youngest children of Cersei Lannister and Robert Baratheon (well, you know who their real father is). Like Rickon Stark, they don’t have many featured scenes. Myrcella is shipped to Dorne in both season 2 of “GoT’ and “A Clash of Kings.” Other than that she isn’t seen too often.

Likewise, Tommen has very little to do in this part of this story. The scene at the end of the Blackwater battle in the series features Tommen and Cersei, but this scene is not present in Martin’s books.

Just because Tommen and Myrcella aren’t terribly important now doesn’t mean they will stay hidden forever. Cersei protects her children at all costs so it is really hard to ditch a Lannister kid from the story.

Next up - Daenarys Targaryen and the Baratheon Brothers.

My friend and coworker Nick Tankersley has written this pretty awesome piece on the differences between “Game of Thrones” and the book from which season two is adapted, “A Clash of Kings.” Check it out and enjoy. — Richard

With the end of season 2 of “Game of Thrones” just on the horizon, I think it is a good time to double back and take a look at the show’s deviations from George R. R. Martin’s second book “A Clash of Kings,” which is the basis for season 2 of “GoT.”

Before we get started I would like to say that I have been very impressed with how the production team for “GoT” has been able to adapt Martin’s text under the constraints of a live-action television show. Martin’s second installment explodes the continents of Westeros and Esteros where all of the events for the stories take place. The producers, writers, creators, and showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, have definitely made skilled surgical cuts to Martin’s original opus and have found in their rendition a faithful companion to the nearly unmanageable menagerie of characters and events that Martin presents in “A Clash of Kings” (spoiler: get used to it, nothing shrinks in this world).

It’s probably easiest just to pick the major characters  and list how their stories compare/contrast between HBO’s production and Martin’s book. We will go through the characters by family, starting with the Starks. At the end we’ll look at the miscellaneous characters. This is by no means an exhaustive detailing of the intricate differences between what Benioff and Weiss have created and what Martin put together for this installment of the series. What this is is a broad overview of the major variations. Please use the comments to append or argue with any of these.

FIRST UP – THE STARKS

I. Arya Stark

Arya Stark as "Arry" the orphan boy with the blacksmith Gendry in season 2 of "Game of Thrones."

The end of season 1 and book 1 found Arya Stark on the road to the North with Yoren and the rabble he was taking to the Night’s Watch. Arya had taken to calling herself Arry and began presenting herself as a boy. In the group with her was a cage full of captives given to Yoren, Gendry, random criminals and a small group of children sold to the Night’s Watch or otherwise abandoned in King’s Landing.

For the most part, events leading to the fight at the keep between Yoren’s group and a host of nights/soldiers is pretty accurate. There is considerable more time afforded to Arya in Martin’s book, her relationship with Yoren is more developed in the HBO version and her attachment to the other children in the group as their ad hoc leader is more evident in Martin’s text. The battle at the burned-out keep that leads to Arya being made a captive of the Mountain and his army was instigated by the Gold Cloaks in the HBO version but was  a raiding party headed by Amory Lorch, a Lannister crony who is seen intermittently throughout the book series in Martin’s text.

During the book-based sequence Arya and the group defend the castle against the raiders who demand to enter. Yoren refuses, similarly in both versions, and then a battle ensues. In Martin’s rendition this fight takes place on the ramparts of the castle. Arya and the group defend against the oncoming army until they set fire to the castle. Yoren is killed during the battle and Arya is heard screaming “Winterfell” as her battlecry (another of the younger boys takes the cry “HOT PIE!” as his). Arya, Gendry, Hot Pie and one other boy escape during the fire and free the men in the cage (Jaqen H’ghar, Rorge and Biter).

From this point on Arya’s story follows the same geographic path in both stories but the details vary from great to small. First, in Martin’s book, Arya and the rest of the group aren’t captured until a short time after escaping to a small town where they are held in a barn and tortured. In Weiss’ and Benioff’s version the same set of events takes place but at Harrenhal. In Martin’s book Arya endures the torturing of those around her until her host is moved to Harrenhal where she is put in the kitchens as a servant instead of immediately moved to the position of cupbearer to Tywin Lannister. In fact, Arya has no direct contact with Tywin Lannister at any point in the books. Tywin is present at Harrenhal for a short period but is only available from a distance.

Her relationship with Jaqen H’ghar is developed at Harrenhal in both installments. Jaqen kills for her in both versions as well but who he kills is very different. In the book H’ghar murders two low-level thugs, one a soldier boasting of rape and the other Arya’s boss in the kitchens who had a fondness for striking her. In HBO’s version of this part of the story Arya has Amory Lorch and The Tickler killed. Lorch, as mentioned previously, is a devoted Lannister follower and is in control of Harrenhal while Arya is kept there in “A Clash of Kings.” The Tickler is not seen again by Arya until book 3 where there is a confrontation at an inn.

In both versions Arya’s third request for the price of life that H’ghar promises her is Jaqen H’ghar himself, however the arrangement for taking back this request is greatly different. Martin has Arya barter for the help of H’ghar to release a large group of Northmen kept in prison in Harrenhal while Benioff and Weiss have her bargain for aid in her escape. In both cases H’ghar agrees. For Martin, Arya’s deal leads to the release of the Northmen and an overthrow of the troops holding Harrenhal. Lord Roose Bolton (who is a right-hand-man of Robb Stark in HBO’s season 2) takes command of the castle and makes Arya his cupbearer. She takes this position but does not reveal herself to him as the daughter of Ned Stark. The Bolton’s, though Northerners and Stark bannermen, are still strangers to her and she refuses to turn herself over to another stranger. Arya serves Bolton until he treats her harshly. She stays at the castle until it is left to a group of sellswords at which point she makes her escape with Gendry and Hot Pie. All the arrangements of the escape are hers.

That moment of escape is the current stopping point for HBO’s version, there isn’t much more in terms of action for her character after she leaves Harrenhal for the duration of this installment.

In addition to the above-mentioned changes, Jaqen H’ghar serves the God of Many Faces in the books and the Red God in HBO’s version (introducing two entirely different religions in one season would be a bit much for television audiences).  Also, in “A Clash of Kings” the group of sellswords who take control of Harrenhal after Bolton leaves are known as The Brave Companions, a group of maniacs led by a slobbering psychopath named Vargo Hoat. Hoat and the Companions (also called the Bloody Mummers) are entirely absent from the HBO version.
II. Sansa Stark

Sansa Stark kneels humiliated by the cruel king Joffrey Baratheon.

The court at King’s Landing is one of the most crowded settings in both versions of this story. There are multiple lords and ladies pandering for the audience of the king and the queen regent. Because of the cacophony of characters that bloom in King’s Landing, at this time the HBO team has decided to merge many of them into one or two characters with which we are already familiar.  In HBO’s telling, Sansa basically absorbs all of the misfortune thrust upon lesser characters in Martin’s text. Faithful to its source, HBO has made Sansa’s strength something that isn’t wholly apparent on the surface. She suffers at the hands of tormentors too numerous to name and all the while thanks them for her inclusion. Sansa, in both tellings, is a captive of the royal family, presumably to marry Joffrey once she is able to have children. She is a quiet and obedient character whose true strength lies in her patience and forbearance. In both renditions she is beaten, mocked and made to grovel as Joffrey’s pet whenever he deems necessary.

The major differences in the story come by way of the fact that the HBO production did not include Tanda and Lollys Stokeworth, a mother and daughter pair of ladies who are a constant companion to the queen and her court during this installment. Sansa has taken over some of their use in the narrative. During the riot in King’s Landing in Martin’s version, Sansa is swept away quickly from the mayhem by the Hound, it is Lollys who is dragged off from the crowd and raped. Afterwards, Lollys is found to be pregnant and Shae (Tyrion’s girlfriend) goes to work as her servant, not Sansa’s. Instead, HBO places Shae in Sansa’s employ very early on in the season and the two seem to grow fond of one another. They have no connection in the books and likewise neither do Tyrion or Sansa, whom have had a few conversations in the show.

Besides those small points, Sansa’s story is very faithful to the text. In the book, during the scene where she begins her first period, she attempts to burn her mattress before she is discovered. In the TV series she is immediately assisted by Shae.

Sansa’s story is more contained than most. She lives in a small, confined space and is always being played with by the Lannister family so it makes sense that there wouldn’t be much need for many major changes. She lives entirely in small chambers and by the side of the king, for now…

III. Robb Stark

Robb Stark and Talisa in the battlefield. Who wouldn't want these two to hook up?

Robb Stark’s story and character in HBO’s production diverges from Martin’s version the most of any other character in the “Game of Thrones”/”A Song of Ice and Fire” world, primarily because Robb is the only non-perspective character from the books who is a focal characters in the TV series. Martin follows the exploits of the young wolf via his mother Catelyn and by way of military dispatches and rumor. The reader of Martin’s tome is never given personal insight into Robb Stark and only glimpses of his inner circle are given by way of Catelyn.

HBO has made a great choice in giving Robb a little more screen time. His story is now and will be one of the more memorable experiences for anyone just coming to this story. That coupled with the fact that they found a very good looking man to play Robb and an even better looking woman to play his love interest, why wouldn’t you give them as much time on screen as possible? But it is in that relationship that Weiss and Benioff stray the most from Martin.

In Martin’s “A Clash of Kings” Robb Stark spends most of his time harrying the Lannister lands and taking various castles and holds. In both renditions, Stark dispatches and is then betrayed by Theon Greyjoy. It is hard to say what his state of mind is in the books, but after learning of Winterfell’s capture Robb takes solace in Jeyne Westerling, the daughter of a Lord who oversees The Crag, a Lannister-sworn castle where Robb was injured during a siege just days before the news came down about his home and brothers. Robb then returns to his central camp with Jeyne severing ties with the Freys to whom he has promised to marry into the family.

In both versions he is completely immune to defeat on the battlefield but loses his hold on power because of tactical, political decisions. There is still one more episode to go in HBO’s second  season so I won’t guess how they conclude his story for the season. Be on the watch for how Rickard Karstark (the old man who was furious when Catelyn Stark released Jamie Lannister) acts in this next episode. The business between Robb and Rickard lays out the future of the North.

Of course the most important change is the addition of Talisa in favor of Jeyne in Robb’s life. Talisa is a foreigner from the city of Volantis. Whether Talisa is actually Jeyne Westerling in disguise has yet to be seen, but as the last episode featuring Robb reveals, Robb retrieves supplies from The Crag with Talisa before their rendezvous in his tent. Whether or not she is Jeyne, she is providing the narrative force that Jeyne provides in Martin’s book.

IV. Catelyn Stark

Brienne of Tarth offers her allegiance to Catelyn Stark. SPOILER: Brienne of Tarth is good at backing the wrong horse.

Catelyn Stark’s story in HBO’s “Game of Thrones” is perhaps the most loyal to Martin’s books. In “A Clash of Kings” Catelyn is dispatched to Renly Baratheon’s host to negotiate terms of peace between the North and South. Catelyng spends much of her time in the Baratheon camp and then returns North with Brienne of Tarth after Renly’s murder. The major uncomformity with Martin’s take on Catelyn’s story comes at the Baratheon camp when Catelyn meets with Little Finger and is then given her husband’s bones. Little Finger and Catelyn have no interaction in Martin’s book and Ned Stark’s bones are dispatched by Tyrion as a gesture of integrity and are attended by a group of silent sisters to be delivered to Catelyn at Riverrun and then moved to Winterfell.

The other major difference in Catelyn’s story comes by way of the fact that Robb Stark’s army is currently in the field in the HBO version and not stationed at Riverrun, Catelyn’s childhood home. This seems like a practical decision as finding another castle location in which to strand an army would be expensive and a bit redundant for HBO. When Caetlyn releases Jamie Lannister she is imprisoned in her father’s castle, where he is slowly dying. There are multiple scenes between the two and much of Catelyn’s time is spent pondering about what her family and she has become.

V. Jon Snow

Jon Snow and Sam Tarley. Jon's next beyond-the-wall companion Ygritte is a little more comely.

The story of the Night’s Watch and the land beyond the wall is complex. It is a mystery to Jon Snow, who is the audience’s only outlet for experiencing it, and to most others in the land of Westeros as well. Martin’s version of Jon Snow’s travels are fairly simple. They more or less match the HBO production in terms of major locations and introduction of characters but their methods for bringing people together and tearing them apart has been a significant source of variation for the television show.

The first time we see the two stories diverge is at the home of the Wildling Craster. It is here that the character of Gilly is introduced. This portion of the stories are almost exactly the same (one could make the argument that Sam is more involved and forward in the TV show than in the book but not enough to make a real difference). The first major deviation in the television show comes when Jon Snow follows Craster into the woods to watch him put out a child for the Others. Jon is discovered by Craster, who hits him over the head. That event leads to Craster expelling the Night’s Watch from his home. Jon takes a lot more flack for being irresponsible and compulsive in the television show. In Martin’s book Jon is very capable of keeping himself in check while out with the Watch. Furthermore, the scene with Craster and Jon never happens in Martin’s book. In “A Clash of Kings” the Night’s Watch leaves Craster’s home with no more animosity than was present when they arrived.

Martin also takes the opportunity of Jon being north of The Wall to introduce that he, too, is a warg (skin changer) and can slip into and out of Ghost’s skin. This skill is not yet present for Jon in the TV show. During Martin’s tale Jon finds himself as Ghost, hunting in the North and stalking to a bluff overlooking Mance Rayder’s wildling camp. There is no indication that Benioff or Weiss will reveal this power in Jon Snow in season 2 and would probably only complicate that story if it were introduced so late in this season.

While both series include the ranging party led by Qhorrin Halfhand, the events leading to Jon Snow’s capture are wildly different. In Martin’s version of this part of Jon’s story he is accepted as a part of the Halfhand’s party and quickly becomes close with Halfhand, further proving that Jon is the perpetual protege. The group confronts a band of wildlings who are providing overwatch on a mountain ledge. Jon and the group advance on the watchmen at night and take them. Jon kills one and stops short of killing another when it is revealed that it is a woman. The Halfhand orders Jon to killed the woman, named Ygritte, which he intends to do but balks and lets her go instead. Jon’s first victim was a skin changer who escaped into his eagle before his death. The eagle becomes a source of torment for the small forward team of rangers who are hunted down by The Magnar of Thenn (aka Rattleshirt, aka The Lord of Bones) whose platoon was led to the Night’s Watch group by the eagle. Throughout their flee from the Wildlings each ranger is killed in turn until only Qhorrin and Jon remain, trapped in a small crevice surrounded by wildlings. Qhorrin tells Jon that he must be willing to do anything to help the Night’s Watch and with that Jon commits an act that is currently being alluded to in the series but has not been shown, yet. Ygritte convinces the Magnar that Jon is a good man who let her live and that he should be given the chance to join Mance Rayder instead of being killed.

Much of the chemistry between Jon and Ygritte that is established in book three by Martin is instead established late in season 2 by Benioff and Weiss, opting to have Jon and Ygritte become lost together instead of him immediately letting her go. When Jon is captured pursuing an escaped Ygritte he finds the Halfhand likewise captured who explains that the rest of the team died looking for Jon. This is a very different set of events from the book and explains that it is Jon’s fault that the rangers are dead. In Martin’s telling, there is little chance for them to escape in the first place.

Among other changes that are not so important is the fact that Jon is the one who finds the black hood with the dragon glass daggers and horn buried by the First Men in Martin’s book, not Sam who finds it in the HBO version.

VI. Bran Stark

The creepiest kid in the North, Bran Stark.

The little broken lord of Winterfell is a complicated character for the screen. As the series continues HBO audiences will notice him becoming more supernatural, and more often than not he will be slipping into his wolf’s skin. So far this has happened at least once in the show. By the end of “A Clash of Kings,” Martin has Bran skin change multiple times.

Weiss and Benioff have also elected to omit two major characters in Bran’s story, Meera and Jojen Reed. The Reed’s arrive amongst a harvest festival lightly attended by those Northern families and Lords that are not currently warring alongside Robb. The Reed’s are children sent by their father Howland Reed, the Lord of Graywater Watch. The Reed family is fiercely protective of the Starks. Jojen is a young boy, around the age of Bran but small for his age, he is blessed/cursed with greendreams which give him insight into the future. Meera is around 16 years old and is a skilled huntress. The Reed’s come to Winterfell and it quickly becomes apparent that Jojen knows that there are greater things in store for Bran. Jojen and Meera hide with Bran when he escapes Theon with Osha, Hodor and Rickon. Jojen compels Bran to break company with Osha and Rickon who head east to find sanctuary and follow the path North to meet someone who can help Bran develop his abilities.

The exclusion of Jojen and Meera Reed raise many questions about how Bran’s story will play out. The Reed’s are the driving force for Bran and his guide and protector through most of Martin’s tale. Without them in the HBO version it is hard to tell how things will progress, perhaps they will be introduced along the way or perhaps Osha is serving their purpose. Either way, them missing in the HBO version is currently the greatest disparity between the stories of the Westerosi characters.

VII. Rickon Stark

Rickon Stark doesn't have a lot to do but always seems to be hanging around.

Rickon is a background character in both the book and the series. His role is greatly diminished at the end of “A Clash of Kings” when he is separated from Bran. He is never given a chapter of his own. Likewise, Benioff and Weiss seem to be fine leaving the youngest Stark up to his own devices while the rest of the cast settles into their roles. As of the end of the fifth book and the current episode of season 2 of the TV series, Rickon is little more than a tag along to Bran’s group. There is little to no difference between how he appears in either version.

Next installment will feature The Lannisters.