7 Things A Song Of Ice And Fire Did Better Than Game Of Thrones
4. Dorne
Even hardcore show-only fans have a hard time defending the show's Dorne plotline, which follows Jaime and Bronn going south in an attempt to save Myrcella from the Martells' wrath. The dialogue is cringy, the fight choreography clumsy, and the Sand Snakes are some of the worst characters in the series.
What's more painful is just how good it could have been had they stuck with the books' version, which involves Princess Arianne Martell (who was completely cut from the show) and the Sand Snakes (who are actually good characters here) trying to avenge Oberyn's death. They want to crown Myrcella, controlling her like a puppet. It's intriguing, exciting, and adds mystery boxes to the series.
Book fans have spent years trying to figure out the Dornish Master Plan, while show fans have used the Dorne scenes to take bathroom breaks. Even giving Doran Martell more intrigue could have restored a fraction of the books' Dorne plotline spark.