History AdaptationExplanationExtrication / GameOfThrones

* Back in season 1, Aliser Thorne is sent south with the still-twitching hand removed from Othor the wight in order to present it in King's Landing and gain the crown's support. However, Aliser Thorn isn't seen at any point in season 2 or 3, with the only request for aid being delivered by raven - Thorne eventually reappearing in season 4 with no explanation. In the book, he was kept waiting for days by Tyrion (who personally dislikes him and doesn't take the threat of the White Walkers seriously), and by the time he was granted an audience, the hand had rotted until it had ceased moving, resulting in Thorne being laughed out of the capital.

[[WMG:[[center: [- '''Tropes for ''Series/GameOfThrones'''''\\
GameOfThrones/TropesA ([[AdaptationalAttractiveness/GameOfThrones Adaptational Attractiveness]], [[AdaptationalBadass/GameOfThrones Adaptational Badass]], [[AdaptationalHeroism/GameOfThrones Adaptational Heroism]], [[AdaptationalModesty/GameOfThrones Adaptational Modesty]], [[AdaptationalVillainy/GameOfThrones Adaptational Villainy]], [[AdaptationalWimp/GameOfThrones Adaptational Wimp]], [[AdaptationDistillation/GameOfThrones Adaptation Distillation]], [[AdaptationDyeJob/GameOfThrones Adaptation Dye-Job]], [[AdaptationExpansion/GameOfThrones Adaptation Expansion]], '''Adaptation Explanation Extrication''', [[AdaptationInducedPlotHole/GameOfThrones Adaptation-Induced Plot Hole]], [[AdaptationNameChange/GameOfThrones Adaptation Name Change]], [[AdaptationPersonalityChange/GameOfThrones Adaptation Personality Change]], [[AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul/GameOfThrones Adaptation Relationship Overhaul]], [[AdaptedOut/GameOfThrones Adapted Out]], [[AgeLift/GameOfThrones Age Lift]], [[AnimalMotifs/GameOfThrones Animal Motifs]], [[AscendedExtra/GameOfThrones Ascended Extra]], [[AssholeVictim/GameOfThrones Asshole Victim]], [[AsYouKnow/GameOfThrones As You Know]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesB ([[BadassBoast/GameOfThrones Badass Boast]], [[BaitAndSwitch/GameOfThrones Bait-and-Switch]], [[BullyingADragon/GameOfThrones Bullying a Dragon]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesCToD ([[CallBack/GameOfThrones Call-Back]], [[CanonForeigner/GameOfThrones Canon Foreigner]], [[CompositeCharacter/GameOfThrones Composite Character]], [[CruelAndUnusualDeath/GameOfThrones Cruel and Unusual Death]], [[DeathByAdaptation/GameOfThrones Death by Adaptation]], [[DemotedToExtra/GameOfThrones Demoted to Extra]], [[DueToTheDead/GameOfThrones Due to the Dead]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesEToF ([[EstablishingCharacterMoment/GameOfThrones Establishing Character Moment]], [[FamousLastWords/GameOfThrones Famous Last Words]], [[FanDisservice/GameOfThrones Fan Disservice]], [[FantasyCounterpartCulture/GameOfThrones Fantasy Counterpart Culture]], [[Foil/GameOfThrones Foil]], [[Foreshadowing/GameOfThrones Foreshadowing]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesGToK ([[HateSink/GameOfThrones Hate Sink]], [[JerkassHasAPoint/GameOfThrones Jerkass Has a Point]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesLToO ([[Leitmotif/GameOfThrones Leitmotif]], [[OhCrap/GameOfThrones Oh, Crap!]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesPToS ([[PragmaticAdaptation/GameOfThrones Pragmatic Adaptation]], [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome/GameOfThrones Surprisingly Realistic Outcome]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesTToZ ([[WhamEpisode/GameOfThrones Wham Episode]])]]]]-]

* In "Kissed By Fire", Jaime refuses milk of the poppy for his surgery without offering an explanation. In the books (and the DVD commentary) it's explained that Jaime doesn't trust Qyburn not to beg forgiveness rather than permission and take his whole arm off while he's incapacitated.

* Sansa refuses to escape King's Landing with the Hound in "Blackwater", as she does in the books. However, in the books the Hound is menacing to the point of a NearRapeExperience and Sansa already has her own escape plan, neither of which are in the show, greatly reducing her reasons for refusing.

* In a more meta sense, the AdaptationalVillainy of Stannis Baratheon makes it unclear why Ser Davos is in the show at all. In the books, Davos and Melisandre act as counterpart advisors to Stannis, acting as a form of Angel and Devil on his shoulders, although in a more complicated Reason and Principles vs. Pragmatism and TheNeedsOfTheMany way. With the AdaptationalVillainy of Stannis AND Melisandre, and the fact Stannis in the show doesn't particularly value Davos's input anyway, why is Davos a character? This is even worse after Stannis dies, as there appears no reason why any other character would care about Ser Davos or listen to his input.

GameOfThrones/TropesA ([[AdaptationalAttractiveness/GameOfThrones Adaptational Attractiveness]], [[AdaptationalBadass/GameOfThrones Adaptational Badass]], [[AdaptationalHeroism/GameOfThrones Adaptational Heroism]], [[AdaptationalModesty/GameOfThrones Adaptational Modesty]], [[AdaptationalVillainy/GameOfThrones Adaptational Villainy]], [[AdaptationalWimp/GameOfThrones Adaptational Wimp]], [[AdaptationDistillation/GameOfThrones Adaptation Distillation]], [[AdaptationDyeJob/GameOfThrones Adaptation Dye-Job]], [[AdaptationExpansion/GameOfThrones Adaptation Expansion]], '''Adaptation Explanation Extrication''', [[AdaptationInducedPlotHole/GameOfThrones Adaptation-Induced Plot Hole]], [[AdaptationNameChange/GameOfThrones Adaptation Name Change]], [[AdaptationPersonalityChange/GameOfThrones Adaptation Personality Change]], [[AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul/GameOfThrones Adaptation Relationship Overhaul]], [[AdaptedOut/GameOfThrones Adapted Out]], [[AgeLift/GameOfThrones Age Lift]], [[AnimalMotifs/GameOfThrones Animal Motifs]], [[AscendedExtra/GameOfThrones Ascended Extra]], [[AssholeVictim/GameOfThrones Asshole Victim]], [[AsYouKnow/GameOfThrones As You Know]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesB ([[BadassBoast/GameOfThrones Badass Boast]], [[BaitAndSwitch/GameOfThrones Bait-and-Switch]], [[BullyingADragon/GameOfThrones Bullying a Dragon]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesCToD ([[CallBack/GameOfThrones Call-Back]], [[CanonForeigner/GameOfThrones Canon Foreigner]], [[CompositeCharacter/GameOfThrones Composite Character]], [[CruelAndUnusualDeath/GameOfThrones Cruel and Unusual Death]], [[DeathByAdaptation/GameOfThrones Death by Adaptation]], [[DemotedToExtra/GameOfThrones Demoted to Extra]], [[DueToTheDead/GameOfThrones Due to the Dead]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesEToF ([[EstablishingCharacterMoment/GameOfThrones Establishing Character Moment]], [[FamousLastWords/GameOfThrones Famous Last Words]], [[FanDisservice/GameOfThrones Fan Disservice]], [[FantasyCounterpartCulture/GameOfThrones Fantasy Counterpart Culture]], [[Foil/GameOfThrones Foil]], [[Foreshadowing/GameOfThrones Foreshadowing]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesGToK ([[HateSink/GameOfThrones Hate Sink]], [[JerkassHasAPoint/GameOfThrones Jerkass Has a Point]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesLToO ([[Leitmotif/GameOfThrones Leitmotif]], [[OhCrap/GameOfThrones Oh, Crap!]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesPToS ([[PragmaticAdaptation/GameOfThrones Pragmatic Adaptation]], [[RealityEnsues/GameOfThrones Reality Ensues]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesTToZ ([[WhamEpisode/GameOfThrones Wham Episode]])]]]]-]

GameOfThrones/TropesA ([[AdaptationalAttractiveness/GameOfThrones Adaptational Attractiveness]], [[AdaptationalBadass/GameOfThrones Adaptational Badass]], [[AdaptationalHeroism/GameOfThrones Adaptational Heroism]], [[AdaptationalModesty/GameOfThrones Adaptational Modesty]], [[AdaptationalVillainy/GameOfThrones Adaptational Villainy]], [[AdaptationalWimp/GameOfThrones Adaptational Wimp]], [[AdaptationRelationshipOverhaul/GameOfThrones Adaptation Relationship Overhaul]], [[AdaptationDistillation/GameOfThrones Adaptation Distillation]], [[AdaptationDyeJob/GameOfThrones Adaptation Dye-Job]], [[AdaptationExpansion/GameOfThrones Adaptation Expansion]], '''Adaptation Explanation Extrication''', [[AdaptationInducedPlotHole/GameOfThrones Adaptation-Induced Plot Hole]], [[AdaptationNameChange/GameOfThrones Adaptation Name Change]], [[AdaptationPersonalityChange/GameOfThrones Adaptation Personality Change]], [[AdaptedOut/GameOfThrones Adapted Out]], [[AgeLift/GameOfThrones Age Lift]], [[AnimalMotifs/GameOfThrones Animal Motifs]], [[AscendedExtra/GameOfThrones Ascended Extra]], [[AssholeVictim/GameOfThrones Asshole Victim]], [[AsYouKnow/GameOfThrones As You Know]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesB ([[BadassBoast/GameOfThrones Badass Boast]], [[BaitAndSwitch/GameOfThrones Bait-and-Switch]], [[BullyingADragon/GameOfThrones Bullying a Dragon]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesCToD ([[CallBack/GameOfThrones Call-Back]], [[CanonForeigner/GameOfThrones Canon Foreigner]], [[CompositeCharacter/GameOfThrones Composite Character]], [[CruelAndUnusualDeath/GameOfThrones Cruel and Unusual Death]], [[DeathByAdaptation/GameOfThrones Death by Adaptation]], [[DemotedToExtra/GameOfThrones Demoted to Extra]], [[DueToTheDead/GameOfThrones Due to the Dead]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesEToF ([[EstablishingCharacterMoment/GameOfThrones Establishing Character Moment]], [[FamousLastWords/GameOfThrones Famous Last Words]], [[FanDisservice/GameOfThrones Fan Disservice]], [[FantasyCounterpartCulture/GameOfThrones Fantasy Counterpart Culture]], [[Foil/GameOfThrones Foil]], [[Foreshadowing/GameOfThrones Foreshadowing]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesGToK ([[HateSink/GameOfThrones Hate Sink]], [[JerkassHasAPoint/GameOfThrones Jerkass Has a Point]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesLToO ([[Leitmotif/GameOfThrones Leitmotif]], [[OhCrap/GameOfThrones Oh, Crap!]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesPToS ([[PragmaticAdaptation/GameOfThrones Pragmatic Adaptation]], [[RealityEnsues/GameOfThrones Reality Ensues]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesTToZ ([[WhamEpisode/GameOfThrones Wham Episode]])]]]]-]

GameOfThrones/TropesA ([[AdaptationalAttractiveness/GameOfThrones Adaptational Attractiveness]], [[AdaptationalBadass/GameOfThrones Adaptational Badass]], [[AdaptationalHeroism/GameOfThrones Adaptational Heroism]], [[AdaptationalModesty/GameOfThrones Adaptational Modesty]], [[AdaptationalVillainy/GameOfThrones Adaptational Villainy]], [[AdaptationalWimp/GameOfThrones Adaptational Wimp]], [[AdaptationDistillation/GameOfThrones Adaptation Distillation]], [[AdaptationDyeJob/GameOfThrones Adaptation Dye-Job]], [[AdaptationExpansion/GameOfThrones Adaptation Expansion]], '''Adaptation Explanation Extrication''', [[AdaptationInducedPlotHole/GameOfThrones Adaptation-Induced Plot Hole]], [[AdaptationNameChange/GameOfThrones Adaptation Name Change]], [[AdaptationPersonalityChange/GameOfThrones Adaptation Personality Change]], [[AdaptedOut/GameOfThrones Adapted Out]], [[AgeLift/GameOfThrones Age Lift]], [[AnimalMotifs/GameOfThrones Animal Motifs]], [[AscendedExtra/GameOfThrones Ascended Extra]], [[AssholeVictim/GameOfThrones Asshole Victim]], [[AsYouKnow/GameOfThrones As You Know]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesB ([[BadassBoast/GameOfThrones Badass Boast]], [[BaitAndSwitch/GameOfThrones Bait-and-Switch]], [[BullyingADragon/GameOfThrones Bullying a Dragon]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesCToD ([[CallBack/GameOfThrones Call-Back]], [[CanonForeigner/GameOfThrones Canon Foreigner]], [[CompositeCharacter/GameOfThrones Composite Character]], [[CruelAndUnusualDeath/GameOfThrones Cruel and Unusual Death]], [[DeathByAdaptation/GameOfThrones Death by Adaptation]], [[DemotedToExtra/GameOfThrones Demoted to Extra]], [[DueToTheDead/GameOfThrones Due to the Dead]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesEToF ([[EstablishingCharacterMoment/GameOfThrones Establishing Character Moment]], [[FamousLastWords/GameOfThrones Famous Last Words]], [[FanDisservice/GameOfThrones Fan Disservice]], [[FantasyCounterpartCulture/GameOfThrones Fantasy Counterpart Culture]], [[Foil/GameOfThrones Foil]], [[Foreshadowing/GameOfThrones Foreshadowing]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesGToK ([[HateSink/GameOfThrones Hate Sink]], [[JerkassHasAPoint/GameOfThrones Jerkass Has a Point]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesLToO ([[Leitmotif/GameOfThrones Leitmotif]], [[OhCrap/GameOfThrones Oh, Crap!]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesPToS ([[PragmaticAdaptation/GameOfThrones Pragmatic Adaptation]], [[RealityEnsues/GameOfThrones Reality Ensues]]) | GameOfThrones/TropesTToZ ([[WhamEpisode/GameOfThrones Wham Episode]])]]]]-]

* Rickard Karstark defiantly tells Robb that he will be cursed forever if he executes him in Season 3, claiming that he and Robb are kin, but it's never explained ''how'' the two men are kin, leaving some viewers to assume Rickard simply meant ''all'' Northerners are family in the symbolic sense. The books explain that Robb and Rickard are, in fact, (very) distant cousins: the Karstarks are descended from Karlon Stark who left Winterfell centuries before the Targaryan Conquest. His castle was known as "Karl's Hold" (later "Karhold") and his family "The Karhold Starks" (later just "The Karstarks").

* In a more meta sense, the AdaptationalVillainy of Stannis Baratheon makes it unclear why Ser Davos is in the show at all. In the books, Davos and Melisandre act as counterpart advisors to Stannis, acting as a form of Angel and Devil on his shoulders, although in a more complicated Reason and Principles vs. Pragmatism and NeedsOfTheMany way. With the AdaptationalVillainy of Stannis AND Melisandre, and the fact Stannis in the show doesn't particularly value Davos's input anyway, why is Davos a character? This is even worse after Stannis dies, as there appears no reason why any other character would care about Ser Davos or listen to his input.

* Euron retains his personal sigil of the Greyjoys' golden kraken [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defacement_(flag) defaced]] by a slitted red eye just like in the novels, but in the books the red eye is derived from Euron's RedRightHand, an explanation that's lost since the show AdaptedOut his "[[BlackEyesOfEvil crow's eye]]".

* The Three-eyed Raven says he's been watching with "a thousand eyes and ''one''" despite having two eyes rather than one. The phrase refers to details about the character's past that haven't been mentioned in the show.
* While Tormund is presumably settling his people in the Gift, Dolorous Edd and more importantly Ghost are inexplicably absent when Jon is attacked in "Mother's Mercy". The show later reveals that Ghost was locked in a kennel, but given that keeping Ghost kenneled was originally a petulant command by Thorne that Jon obviously resented in "Mockingbird" and clearly would've rescinded as lord commander, and that Ghost was free to save Gilly and Sam even with Jon gone just three episodes ago in "The Gift", it's still a rather questionable explanation. In the books, Edd is away serving as steward of Long Barrow and Jon has locked Ghost up specifically to keep him from attacking the wildling skinchanger Borroq's boar. The next episode has Edd and Davos find the body later the same night which sparks a brief Watch civil war; apparently the murder was just very quiet in the show.
* Before his execution in Season 3, Rickard Karstark defiantly tells Robb that he will be cursed forever if he kills him, claiming that he and Robb are kin. But it's never explained ''how'' the two men are kin, leaving some viewers to assume that he simply meant that ''all'' Northerners are family in the symbolic sense. The books explain that Robb and Rickard are, in fact, (very) distant cousins: the Karstarks are descended from a branch of the Stark family who left Winterfell founded by Karlon Stark centuries before the Targaryan Conquest. His castle was known as "Karl's Hold" and later "Karhold" and the family "The Karhold Starks" (and later just "The Karstarks").
* Euron retains his personal sigil of the Greyjoys' golden kraken [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defacement_(flag) defaced]] by a slitted red eye just like in the novels but in the books the red eye is derived from Euron's RedRightHand, an explanation that was lost when the show AdaptedOut his "[[BlackEyesOfEvil crow's eye]]".
* In the books, Robert Baratheon and his brothers are related to Aerys II, as their grandmother was Rhaelle Targaryen, daughter of king Aegon V and sister of king Jaehaerys II. Robert led the Rebellion, as he (apart of the Mad King's children) had the strongest claim to the Iron Throne. Jaehaerys and Rhaelle were removed from the show, making Aerys II and queen Rhaella children of Aegon V and Betha Blackwood, rather then of Jaehaerys II and his sister-wife Shaera. Robert's paternal grandmother is unknown, so it is not explicitly explained why Melisandre considered Stannis', Gendry's and Shireen's blood "royal". The reason might be unmentioned relatives in previous generations or the fact House Baratheon was founded by Aegon the Conqueror's bastard half-brother.

* Before his execution in Season 3, Rickard Karstark defiantly tells Robb that he will be cursed forever if he kills him, claiming that he and Robb are kin. But it's never explained ''how'' the two men are kin, leaving some viewers to assume that he simply meant that ''all'' Northerners are family in the symbolic sense. The books explain that Robb and Rickard are, in fact,(very) distant cousins: the Karstarks are descended from a branch of the Stark family who left Winterfell founded by Karlon Stark centuries before the Targaryan Conquest. His castle was known as "Karl's Hold" and later "Karhold" and the family "The Karhold Starks" (and later just "The Karstarks").

* Before his execution in Season 3, Rickard Karstark defiantly tells Robb that he will be cursed forever if he kills him, claiming that he and Robb are kin. But it's never explained ''how'' the two men are kin, leaving some viewers to assume that he simply meant that ''all'' Northerners are family in the symbolic sense. The books explain that Robb and Rickard are, in fact, distant cousins: the Karstarks are descended from a branch of the Stark family who left Winterfell to resettle at the castle of Karhold, and became known as "The Karhold Starks" (and later just "The Karstarks").

* The show hasn't yet gotten around to explaining who actually sent the assassin in "The Kingsroad", leaving one of the major instigating events of the story unresolved. Jaime and Tyrion separately come to the conclusion that it was Joffrey in ''A Storm of Swords''.

* While Tormund is presumably settling his people in the Gift, Dolorous Edd and more importantly Ghost are inexplicably absent when Jon is attacked in "Mother's Mercy". The show later reveals that Ghost was locked in a kennel, but given that keeping Ghost kenneled was originally a petulant command by Thorne that Jon obviously resented in "Mockingbird" and clearly would've rescinded as lord commander, and that Ghost was free to save Gilly and Sam even with Jon gone just three episodes ago in "The Gift", it's still a rather questionable explanation. In the books, Edd is away serving as steward of Long Barrow and Jon has locked Ghost up specifically to keep him from attacking the wildling skinchanger Borroq's boar.

* While Tormund is presumably settling his people in the Gift, Dolorous Edd and more importantly Ghost are inexplicably absent when Jon is attacked in "Mother's Mercy". In the books, Edd is away serving as steward of Long Barrow and Jon has locked Ghost up to keep him from attacking the skinchanger Borroq's boar.

* The Three-eyed Raven says he's been watching with "a thousand eyes and ''one''" despite having two eyes rather than one.
* The show hasn't yet gotten around to explaining who actually sent the assassin in "The Kingsroad", leaving one of the major instigating events of the story unresolved.

The show has a lot of elements [[AdaptationExplanationExtrication explained]] only in the [[Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire novels]]:

* In the show, the only explanation for why Stannis can't use Melisandre's LivingShadow assassin power again is an enigmatic, "Your fires burn low, my king." In the novels, Melisandre expressly states the shadow assassins are CastFromHitPoints and that another would certainly kill Stannis, who's already become frighteningly gaunt as a result (which he [[PragmaticAdaptation understandably]] doesn't in the show).