10 Biggest (And Best) Differences In Game Of Thrones Season 4 From The Books

By Spencer Ward /

4. Shae Truly Loves/Hates Tyrion

Shae is never a point of view character at any point during the books, so readers will generally agree that there wasn€™t much of an indication in ASOIAF that her and Tyrion€™s relationship is one based on love and trust. Indeed, her betrayal at his trial is more of a surprise to Tyrion than it is to the reader. As much as he is cruel, Tywin was right; she was a whore, not his lover. He really shouldn€™t be all that surprised that she ended up speaking against him; she no doubt did it for gold as much as for her own survival. Game of Thrones, as a TV show, allows us to see a character in a less restricted fashion than when they are trapped between the pages. It€™s easy to see on the screen through Shae€™s jealous tending to Sansa (which does not occur in the books) and her frequent, unsolicited visits to her little lion€™s chambers, that she does truly have feelings for Tyrion, even to the point that they blind her to the dangers of King's Landing. That her love is a detriment to her safety is something that Tyrion recognizes; Shae somewhat naïvely does not, thus leading to a rift in their relationship. That she uses his rejection of her to keep her safe as the fuel for her revenge is all the more heart-wrenchingly apparent in her testimony against him, not to mention resuming her profession as a sex worker and shacking up with his dad. The Seven Hells hath no fury like a whore scorned, right? Changing the questionable nature of their relationship in their books to one of love undoubtedly made Tyrion€™s trial the most emotionally charged scene of season four, if not the whole series.