GAME OF THRONES #6:The Laws of God and Men ACT 45 Chapter 4-2014

[TillForPie]

Yeah, books 4 and 5 should really be only one season, since IMO both the Ironborn and Dorne storylines should be dropped, and much of the remaining Mereen storyline can be compressed.

In interviews Dan and David have said they're aiming for six seasons. Considering the events of AFFC and ADWD take place simultaneously it makes sense to do it that way.

Which means Martin is firmly on his fourth point of contact in regards to staying ahead of the TV series with his novels, as I haven't heard hint of a release of book six. If you follow my reasoning, he'll need book six for season six in 2016 (potentially two seasons from that book, through seven in 2017), so unless he significantly picks up the output he won't have book seven complete it time for when the TV series needs it. Though perhaps they'll deviate from the norm and the TV series will conclude ahead of the book series.

I just hope we don't go from well plotted scripts to plodding, padded ones because they're trying to stretch so Martin can catch up.

I'd put good odds on the show easily catching up to the books. I wouldn't worry. From what I gather (again, from interviews - you can find a bunch of them on Youtube) George has outlined how the story ends to Dan and David. They'll be able to finish the series with or without him. They've put out high enough quality stuff so far that I trust they'll do a good job of it if and when it comes to that.

 

[JamesonCourage]

In interviews Dan and David have said they're aiming for six seasons. Considering the events of AFFC and ADWD take place simultaneously it makes sense to do it that way.

It looks like seven seasons is their plan, not six. From March of this year:

“It feels like this is the midpoint for us,” Benioff says. “If we’re going to go seven seasons, which is the plan, season 4 is right down the middle, the pivot point.”

“I would say it’s the goal we’ve had from the beginning,” Benioff says. “It was our unstated goal, because to start on a show and say your goal is seven seasons is the height of lunacy. Once we got to the point where we felt like we’re going to be able to tell this tale to its conclusion, that became [an even clearer] goal. Seven gods, seven kingdoms, seven seasons. It feels right to us.”


Seven sounds okay to HBO, as well. Or perhaps eight. “I’m expecting to be sitting down with Dan and David to talk season 5 and we’ll talk about how things are looking,” says HBO programming president Michael Lombardo. “We’re all very mindful that they’re having conversations all the time with [author George R.R. Martin]. I think they do feel bullish enough that there’s enough story to deliver through season 7. I hate to sound greedy, but our longest shows have gone 7 or 8 seasons, so seven is a nice long run for us.”

 

[TillForPie]

That's certainly more recent than the interviews I've seen. Seven is a good number of seasons.

 

[Mallus]

Seven seasons would be fine by me. The novels lost me during the long delay between books three & four. I just happy to have a conclusion to the story on the horizon.

AFAIC, the HBO series is the "good parts" version of Martin's saga. Now if only Peter Falk were still around to add some narration...

 

[NewJeffCT]

That's certainly more recent than the interviews I've seen. Seven is a good number of seasons.

It depends on how quickly Martin can get book 6 out. If he can get it out by maybe the end of this year, or by the end of season 5, then D&D can judge whether or not they'll need an extra season or maybe an extended season 7 (a la The Sopranos and Breaking Bad)