Game Of Thrones Season 5: 9 Book Changes And What They Mean For The Show

6. Sam Going To Oldtown

In the show: Sam is currently still at The Wall, and it had appeared he'd be staying put for the remainder of the season, but Oldtown has recently been mentioned in a conversation about dragonglass. In the books: As one of his first acts as Lord Commander, Jon sends Sam to Oldtown to attend the Citadel, and train to become a Maester for the Night's Watch, what with Maester Aemon not long for the world. Aemon goes along on the journey, as does Gilly and her son (who is actually Mance's son, with the two children having been swapped to protect him and his king's blood from Melisandre), and the singer Dareon. They stop off in Braavos, where Aemon's ill-health means they spend their money on inns and treatment, and Sam and Dareon get embroiled in a fight. Sam ends up thrown in a river, and is pulled out by Xhondo, a sailor aboard Cinnamon Wind, who claims to have knowledge of dragons, and who gives him and Gilly passage to Oldtown, while Dareon is left behind in Oldtown (and later killed by Arya Stark). Upon their arrival in Oldtown, Gilly and Mance's son are sent to Sam's home of Horn Hill, with the story that the child is Sam's bastard. Sam, meanwhile, heads to the Citadel, and is taken before the Archmaester. Upon repeating Maester Aemon's final words, the Archmaester heads off to find Daenerys Targaryen. Sam, meanwhile, meets the novice Pate, who many believe is Jaqen H'ghar. What it means: The mention of Oldtown may signify that Sam is eventually going to head to Oldtown, albeit for slightly different reasons, or it could just have been a knowing nod to book readers. If he is headed for the Citadel, you'd imagine it wouldn't be until the end of the season, with the new location saved for season 6. However, with the Archmaester off to find Daenerys, and the Faceless Men seemingly involved in the Citadel, the show including this would suggest that it has a fairly significant part to play, whereas ignoring it would indicate it's a dead end.