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Even minor characters deserve some respect and proper portrayals, too, and George R.R. Martin was right to call out every Hollywood creative who works on adaptations only to ruin them for the fans.
Game of Thronesis a prime example of many butchered characters and storylines. Understandably, some scenes in novels are impossible to translate on television without some creative changes, but completely modifying a character’s arc and death scene is just blatant disrespect to the source material.
One Minor Character inGame of ThronesBecame a Victim of Unfaithful Adaptation
OnReddit, a fan raised a concern regarding one minor character fromGame of Thrones. Smalljon Umber, portrayed by actor Dean Jagger, was terribly represented in the show, and many fans surely don’t even remember him anymore.
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He was a fiercely loyal ally of the House Stark in the book, and his death was truly an honorable one. He died defending Robb Stark during theinfamous Red Wedding scene.
In contrast to the show, he became a minor antagonist who sided with Ramsay Bolton to drive out the wildlings that Jon Snow allowed to pass through the Wall. Hisdeathwas far from being honorable as he came face to face with Tormund Giantsbane who beat him to submission, bit a chunk of his neck, and stabbed him to death.
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While Smalljon is only a minor figure in the massive world ofGame of Thrones, and his death may not largely affect the entire plot, this shocking 180-degree turn from being a hero to a villain is an outright disregard forGeorge R.R. Martin’s novels. It’s no wonder why the author is very enraged with how showrunners treat his materials as evident in his statement viaTHR:
Maybe I’m one of the few people in Hollywood who still thinks that when you adapt a work of art, a novel, a short story, you should do a faithful adaptation. [It] annoys me too much because they change things, and I don’t think they generally improve them.
Even fans believe television writers and showrunners should not abuse their creative liberty when adapting books to screen. After all, they are only translating the works of other people into a visual medium so they should not rewrite or make colossal changes.
George R.R. Martin Hates Showrunners Claiming Other People’s Works
Martin echoed the same sentiment in his conversation with fellow authorNeil Gaimanat New York City’s Symphony Space in 2022 viaVariety. He tackled the “obligation to be faithful to the written material” issue, which is very rampant in Hollywood.
Some people don’t feel that they have to be faithful at all. There’s this phrase that goes around: ‘I’m going to make it my own.’ I hate that phrase.
The similar situation that happened withGame of Thronesis currently happening withHouse of the Dragon, and Martin is equally frustrated with the show’s development. It remains to be seen how the prequel series will address the writer’s concerns, although it seems like they aren’t making it a priority following theresponse from HBO.
Game of Thronesis currently available to watch on HBO.
Ariane Cruz
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3533
Ariane Cruz is a Senior Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on TV shows with over 3,000 articles published. Her love for pop culture and the creative arts fuels her passion to deliver engaging and informative stories. Her daily consumption of films, shows, and books keeps her energized for the day, along with her mission to serve as the bridge between fans and their favorite franchises.
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Game of ThronesGeorge R.R. Martin
