The Game of Thrones fandom is filled with people with varying understandings of the novels – some fans have read all the books, some have only watched the show. So what do the two sides think of the deaths this season? Well, the opinions are definitely different!
Hypable writers Michal Schick and Tariq Kyle are two sides of the same Game of Thrones coin: Michal has read the books, but Kyle hasn’t. So when all of these characters died this season, we decided to see how their opinions differ on the way they passed. Warning: Huge season 4 spoilers ahead, obviously.
Joffrey Baratheon
The non-book reader: After I’d heard rumors of the death, I was definitely looking forward to seeing this happen, along with everyone else. When it did, I thought that this death was absolutely brilliant. The way Joffrey was acting, cutting up the gift Tyrion gave him and forcing the smaller people to entertain them, I just wanted him beheaded!
But the poisoning was brilliant because he suffered, and he was begging for his mother. It wouldn’t be a fair death if he was just beheaded or killed quickly, and I absolutely loved seeing him squirm. Definitely one of, if not the, best deaths of the season!
The reader: This is a scene that gets better on a re-watch for me. They really took their time with the wedding feast – it’s so long and elaborate that I almost got a little bit bored while waiting for Joffrey to croak.
But on the re-watch, I started to appreciate the tension of the scene. The show doesn’t point you toward the massive event until just before it happens. The setup was deliberate and intense (and the game of hot potato played with the poisoned cup is brilliant) and Joffrey’s flexing his crazy-muscles one last time gives the scene great juice. I still wish the show had spent more time on Joffrey’s actual death, with the entire court panicking around him instead of standing there like idiots. But I think they were going for eerie and gruesome, and they certainly achieved it.
Oberyn Martell
The non-book reader: I’M SO PISSED! Game of Thrones really knows how to get you to like a character, and just when they give you hope they take it all away. Although, this death was gruesome and gory and horrible, and I actually kind of loved it. Those who don’t know me must understand that when it comes to character deaths, I actually really like them and what they add to the story. However, I feel like Oberyn’s death was almost pointless in the end.
Despite being grossed out, I liked the fashion in which Oberyn died because it was just so epic. However, I feel like his death was wasted now that Tyrion escaped. Jaime could have saved Tyrion at literally any point in time, and before he was sentenced to death. Now that Tyrion is gone, what was the point of Oberyn’s death? He died for nothing, in the end.
The reader: I’m still not over this. Oberyn’s death is shocking in the books, but it is a million times harder to watch onscreen. The scene was so vivid and dynamic, and Oberyn so incredibly powerful, that it is really competing against the way I’ve always imagined the scene in my mind. The show recreated the feeling of the duel perfectly, and I was desperately hoping – and even partly believing – that Game of Thrones would spare the Red Viper of Dorne. Alas, they stuck to the canon!
Pyp/Grenn
The non-book reader: You know, I never really had that much of a strong connection to either Pyp or Grenn. While I definitely understand that they were Jon’s friends and backed him up through anything, and they died fighting nobly, I wasn’t really affected by this death. I guess maybe that’s because we hadn’t really seen them bond as much as I’d like to have, but this was definitely one of the least impactful deaths for me.
The reader: I know it’s weird, but Pyp and Grenn’s deaths were some of the most traumatizing for me. Both characters are still alive in the books, and though they aren’t major characters in either medium, both of Jon’s friends were familiar faces that I relied on having in the Night’s Watch. I had expected that they would remain that way, and it still really hurts that Pyp and Grenn are gone.
Next: Star-crossed love, crazy aunts, and daddy issues –>
Ygritte
The non-book reader: Ugh, I’m so torn with Ygritte. On one had, she’s an evil little bitch who kills random people and helps pillage villages; on the other she’s Jon’s love. It was definitely sad seeing her die, because I feel like if it weren’t for that stupid child (who, okay, had every right to kill her; but still) Ygritte might have turned around and fought for Jon instead of against him. It was obvious Ygritte was definitely in love with Jon, and I think if she lived she would have turned around.
The reader: I am torn for similar reasons as my Unsullied cohort, but I will say that I prefer the show’s version of Ygritte’s death. In the books, Jon discovers Ygritte as she is dying, but their final standoff in the show really made the relationship memorable to me. As barbaric and brutal as Ygritte has been this season, Leslie and Harington’s acting was so beautifully raw that it was hard not to wish that they really had stayed in that cave.
Lysa Arryn
The non-book reader: Not having much emotional connection to this character and knowing/seeing that she was just a crazy bitch, I absolutely loved seeing her fall down through that moon door. That scene was totally epic, and I loved the way Littlefinger did it. His line was perfect, and it was a sweet, sweet revengeful scene that I want to watch over and over again.
The reader: Unfortunately, this scene just can’t compete with the book version for me. There’s nothing really wrong with it (aside from some so-so CGI of Falling Lysa) but the tension just wasn’t especially strong for me. I did love how Littlefinger manipulated Lysa, but overall, it left me a little cold.
Jojen
The non-book reader: Honestly, I’m mostly upset about this because Jojen was super attractive. His character, while helpful and amazing, didn’t really connect with me on an emotional level. I loved that he was there for Bran and he helped teach him about using his sight, but when he was stabbed repeatedly I wasn’t gasping or going “OH MY GOD!” It was more of a matter-of-fact death, and that was confirmed when the older man said Jojen knew he was going to die all along, so that made it even less impactful for me.
The reader: Though Jojen is still (probably) alive in the books, I’d been preparing myself for his death all season. I’ll miss him, but I think I’m more bummed out by the way he died than the fact that he did. Jojen’s physical deterioration was threaded through the season, and I was expecting to see him collapse and die in a sad, moving way. Plopping his last scene in a slightly-wacky action sequence (seriously, those skeletons looked like something out of a cheap haunted house) really drained off the impact of losing Jojen for me. It also took attention away from poor Meera, who should have had one last chance to bond with her brother, in my opinion.
Sandor Clegane
The non-book reader: I’ve wanted this ass to die the entire time, and when Arya left him screaming “KILL ME,” I basically wanted to high five her. He wasn’t taking care of her, she was his leverage and his tool to make sure he could get what he wanted. So when he finally bit the dust after fighting with Brienne (which was, by the way, an epicfight), I was ecstatic to see him in pain. Good riddance, you monster!
The reader: That’s harsh, Kyle! I’m really sad to lose Clegane’s unforgiving presence on the show, but it was the acting that really sold it for me. Rory McCann captured Clegane’s deterioration from matter-of-fact acceptance to desperate begging beautifully, and Maisie Williams’ stone-cold eyes just hammered it home.
I still think the book version wins out for me on the grounds of some excellent dialogue, but the show put up an excellent fight. My heart tore a little for Clegane’s terrible straits, and I’m genuinely worried about what this studied lack of compassion means for Arya
Shae
The non-book reader: This entire plot line with Shae confuses the hell out of me, so naturally I was also confused when she died. I get that Tyrion killed her after she attempted to kill him and finding out she’s been sleeping with his dad, but what I don’t understand is: Where the fuck did Shae’s twisted personality come from?
From the beginning we grew to like her, and she was Tyrion’s love, and then all of a sudden she betrays him (which, you know, I thought someone was forcing her to do these things) and ALSO sleeps with his dad. What the actual fuck is going on with her?! I was borderline happy and sad when Tyrion killed her, because he loved her. And I don’t understand what happened.
Re-watching the scene where he breaks up with her, I can’t help but wonder if Shae is just really that stupid, to believe that Tyrion meant the things he said. She knew what he was saying and meaning at the beginning of the scene, but are we to believe the Tyrion pushed her buttons SO hard that she does a complete and total 180 on him? Ugh. So confusing.
The reader: Unfortunately, Shae’s plotline is really confusing. The show did a lot of great work in adding depth to her character, but they lost some of that in having her follow the same steps as her counterpart in the novels.
That said, the added complexity – and the element of genuine love between her and Tyrion – makes me feel really sad about Shae’s death. I understand how betrayed and helpless (and yes, vindictive) she must have felt, and that her choices were probably extremely limited once the Lannisters had her in their grip. As with Jon and Ygritte, I’m left with a tragic sense that Shae and Tyrion could have worked out in some alternate universe. Even though I knew her death was coming, I’m sorry to see Shae go.
Tywin Lannister
The non-book reader: I, along with the rest of the fandom, am happy that Tywin is dead. From the moment Tyrion went out to go look for him with that crossbow I wanted him to find his father and shoot him, and I am so glad he did! Tywin was being an absolute jerk while confronting Tyrion and when he said Tyrion wouldn’t do it, I wanted him to even more. This particular death is one of my favorites because now it means people will be that much more free.
The reader: Okay, it’s not as satisfying as the book… but it’s still pretty damn good. Tywin’s verbal manoeuvring was totally brilliant (you have to applaud a man who puts a positive spin on admitting he’s been trying to kill his son) and I thought the show did a great job of equalizing the power dynamic – even though Tyrion was the one with the crossbow. Peter Dinklage’s dazed delivery was phenomenal as always, and my only wish is that we could have actually watched Tywin die for that final drop of sick justice.
So tell us, readers, what did you think?
Whether you’ve read the books or not, let us know what you thought of this season’s deaths on Game of Thrones! Do Kyle and Michal make good points, or do you disagree? Tell us in the comments!