Original Screenplay Vs Adapted Screenplay

Published May 14, 2019 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hey Shat Guys,

First of all, I want to compliment you guys on all your podcasts. Truly some of the best discussions about movies and TV shows. Great work and please…keep it up!

Originally I was going to share a detailed opinion on the last episode, which by the way I enjoyed a lot. Sure it had some issues and I think Daenerys’ fall into madness needed a couple more episodes. While I think the DD’s gave us the hints that she was going in that direction the moment when she’s sitting on the wall of King’s Landing on top of Drogon and decided to burn the entire city along with all the innocent people was very jarring. But in all honesty, I saw this coming based on some of her past deeds like crucifying some innocent people along with the true slavers back in season 3(?). Even going all the way back to her brother’s death. She was very cold about it. Regardless of how he treated her, at the time, it was believed that they were the two last Targaryens. I would think it would have been a lot more emotional.

My wife who only got into watching the show this season (We binged season 7 and she watched a 90-minute long synopsis on seasons 1-6) was completely unable to process Daenerys’ decision. I simply don’t think she was given enough information to justify what she was seeing.

But as I said earlier this isn’t really about the episode.

I listened to a couple of podcasts and checked out the internet and it seems like a lot of people are giving Benioff and Weiss a lot of grief regarding this season and seasons 6 and 7. I heard things like they’re terrible, they’re lazy writers, they ruined the show, and they shouldn’t be allowed near anything else especially Star Wars, etc etc etc…

I think all of that is very unfair. I challenge anyone to read 3/4 of any bestseller and then, using their own imagination to finish writing the book. Imagine the difficulty in trying to do something like that. Now imagine trying to do that when there are 5 books of a 7 book series where the story and characters are extremely complex and literally everything is still up in the air. George R.R. Martin himself is having problems finishing the story. If he’s having a hard time how is anyone else supposed to do it and do it as well as the original author?

There’s a reason why the Oscars have 2 separate categories. One for original screenplay and one for adapted screenplay. If the first 5 seasons were Benioff and Weiss’ original screenplay and they screwed it up for the last 3 seasons then fine, blame them all you want. But that is not the case. I’m pretty sure that George R.R. Martin thought he would have the books finished by now and that’s why they and HBO decided to go forward.

As for supposedly having broad strokes directly from George R.R. Martin, that’s still not the same as having a completed book/books. I have to believe that they (DD’s) know their own limitations and understand that they would not be able to duplicate what they were able to do in seasons 1-5.

And finally seasons 6-8 of Game of Thrones is still better than damn near anything else on TV.

Whatever the case I love the show and am enjoying it immensely and I plan on getting the final 2 books when they are finally released to see how George is going to end it.

Thoughts?

Best regards,
Rob

Subscribe Now