Game Of Thrones: 7 Minor Changes That Irritated Book Readers

3. Podrick Is Given To Brienne By Jaime

Podrick Payne, hereby referred to as Pod, has been a revelation in the show. In the books the character follows the exact same trajectory as TV Pod, but he is given far less lines or character development. Plus, that brothel scene doesn't exist on page. Pod's translation onto screen made him a much more recognizable and lovable character by the time he teamed up with Brienne of Tarth, and what a joy it was to see those two interacting during Season Four. The minor difference in the show is that Jaime orders Pod to accompany Brienne on her quest to find Sansa/Arya Stark. This is done for Pod's safety because he refuses to testify against Tyrion in his murder trial (even though he was offered a knighthood) and Tyrion wants Pod as far away from the city as possible. While Pod's refusal of the knighthood was a nice touch, the problem is that his partnership with Brienne was the result of Tyrion and Jaime making arrangements for him. He just went along with it. In the books, Brienne leaves Kings Landing on her own after accepting her new sword Oathkeeper and promising Jaime she will find the Stark daughters. Skip ahead to Tyrion's escape at the end of the final episode. Brienne realizes she's being followed and finds Pod hiding nearby. He explains that he started following her as soon as he heard she was looking for Sansa. Since Sansa is still legally Tyrion's wife, Pod assumed the two would be in hiding together. Even after his escape, Pod is still loyal to him, and wants to find him. It's a little change, but it was still nice to see book Pod showing some initiative and going after Brienne on his own, rather than just going with her because he was told to.