"Game of Thrones" has, for the most part, remained faithful, as much as a TV series can, to the source novel upon which it is based. However, the most recent episode "The Old Gods and the New" certainly raised some eyebrows with its shocking ending, which showed several of Daenerys' faithful retainers killed and her dragons kidnapped. So the question is, was this change justified or not?
If one is going on the logic of the purists, certainly not. This particular change makes Danerys seem rather weak and, in addition, makes it all that much easier for other characters in the show to attempt to steal her dragons. Furthermore, there is nothing even remotely like it in the novel upon which this particular episode is based, so if one likes to see the integrity of the book respected, then this change has certainly done a great deal of damage to the faith of the Martin purists out there.
However, if we look beyond the purist, knee-jerk reactions, is there anything good about the change? It does raise the stakes for Daenerys, since now she knows that the warlocks of Qarth -- who we are led to believe are responsible for the theft -- are willing to do whatever they deem necessary to take what they think are rightfully theirs. Even more importantly, however, it sets up a dynamic and powerful confrontation between the Mother of Dragons and some of the most notoriously evil and twisted minds in the labyrinthine political and cultural landscape of Qarth. Because we all know that Daenerys is not going to just sit quietly by while someone takes her dragons. She is going to take them back, and there is going to be quite a debt to repay for those who are responsible for the death of her faithful servants and for the theft of her children.
So, whether or not you identify as a Martin purist or whether you are just a fan of the show, you should know that there are some very good reasons for the change, even if they are not immediately apparent. Hopefully, the remaining episodes in the season will show us that these changes were all for the good, and that they are intended to show us some new and very fascinating aspects of Daenerys character. If past experience is anything to go by, the series will not disappoint us among the faithful.
