Game Of Thrones: 10 Moments The Show Could Have Done Better
4. Stannis Makes A Key Decision
Stannis Baratheon is one of the most poorly adapted characters from The Song of Ice and Fire series. A character defined by an almost admirable sense of rigid honor in the books is reduced to a grumpy old man in the show, and the moment that most demonstrates this is a scene near the end of the third season. Robb Stark, one of the names spoken while sacrificing the leeches to the fire, is dead. This reaffirms Stannis's faith in Melisandre's magic and he decides to sacrifice Gendry. This moment is poorly handled because it is rushed and makes Stannis even more unlikeable. In the book, he actually insists on waiting until all three names are dead. One isnt good enough, nor is two; all three must die before he would even consider sacrificing an innocent life. And even when he does decide to go through with it, you can tell he feels horrible about it, but he recognizes that the safety of the realm is more important. In contrast, show Stannis almost takes a subdued pleasure in it; one death is all he needs to jump to a conclusion. It all comes down to motivation; book Stannis feels it is his duty to rule Westeros, while show Stannis feels it is his right. These are two subtly different motivations. This moment was a chance to really extrapolate on Stanniss character and motivation, but alas the show didnt have time for it. The result is a moment that is a shadow of what it could have been and paints Stannis into an even more detestable light.
