Game Of Thrones: 10 Moments The Show Could Have Done Better
9. The Red Viper Vs. The Mountain
It may seem strange to complain about the epic scene where Oberyn Martell meets the Mountain in trial by combat, but while it is certainly a great moment in its own right, it is missing some of the essential elements that made it even greater in the book. Most of any disappointment comes from the rushed nature of the scene. After waiting for an entire episode, the duel comes and goes in the last five minutes. The book dedicates more time to the event, opening with a really compelling conversation between Tyrion and Oberyn as he armors up for battle. In the show this conversation is replaced by a speech from Tyrion about his cousin Orson and beetles that isnt nearly as interesting yet runs far too long. And then there is the fight itself. While the choreography is impressive, the fight is missing the strategic details. In the book Oberyn works around the Mountain, finding and striking at chinks in his armor. This goes on for quite some time, building tension and suspense. But the show blasts past the duel far too quickly for the same amount of suspense, an issue only enhanced by the rapid fire editing. Here we have a case where the moment is good, but had the scene been given the same level of gravitas as the book, it would have been even more traumatizing to viewers.
