Game Of Thrones: 7 Minor Changes That Irritated Book Readers

6. Playing The Littlefinger Card Too Early

This requires a little recap. At the beginning of the second season Sansa stops Joffrey from murdering the drunken knight Ser Dontos and convinces him to simply demote him to the role of the royal fool. After that, he is not seen again until the beginning of the fourth season two years later, by which time more than a few TV fans may have forgotten all about him. In the books Ser Dontos, in Sansa's debt, meets with her secretly and promises that he will help her escape from the Lannisters. How he plans to do this remains unclear for some time but at least we know Sansa has a friend in Kings Landing. One book later Dontos finally makes good on his word, helping her escape immediately after Joffrey's wedding/death. So immediately in fact that one would think he knew about the poisoning beforehand. He takes Sansa to a boat and rows out to a waiting ship where she climbs aboard to meet the real mastermind behind the escape plan - Lord Peter "Littlefinger" Baelish. This is a major surprise for book readers because a) we hadn't seen him since he left Kings Landing in the previous book and b) many assumed he was completely loyal to the Lannisters. In the series Littlefinger approaches Sansa at the end of Season 2 after she is released from her arranged marriage to Joffrey. In the middle of the crowded throne room Littlefinger whispers that out of love for her mother, he will help her escape the capital. This is quite a perplexing deviation, because we now know far earlier than we should have, that Littlefinger is on Sansa's side. In Season 3 he repeatedly meets with her in secret, much like Dontos did in the books, but the surprise factor is gone. It also makes little sense that a character as devious and scheming as Baelish would approach Sansa himself, instead of acting through a scapegoat like Dontos. Littlefinger is a man notorious for keeping his cards close to the chest, so the fact that he would reveal his intentions to her before they left the city is extremely out of character for him. Also why would he meet with Sansa (let alone discuss treasonous secrets with her) anywhere, never mind in Kings Landing, with all its various spies. In fact, Varys does notice them together in the series. He, Shae, and various others notice them talking together. Why would Varys not immediately suspect Littlefinger after Sansa's disappearance in Season 4? So when Sansa does finally climb aboard the ship and discover Littlefinger was helping her, it's not so much as a surprise, but more of a reminder of their deal from the previous seasons.