So are you frustrated that D&D are making Ellaria all vengeance based for season 5 when in the books she was the one person trying to urge Doran to just make peace? They have cut so many ‘necessary to the plot characters’ and warped others characterizations.

truegodofthearena:

My opinions on the show are entirely based on the show, anon. I’ve read the books in probably the worst manner possible, selective character chapters etc, which basically makes me no authority at all on the books. Having said that, I do know all the spoilers from the books so I am aware Ellaria had a different role to play than what the show is depicting. I saw this quote of hers floating around on tumblr which illustrates her role in the book pretty clearly to me:

Oberyn wanted vengeance for Elia. Now the three of you want vengeance for him. I have four daughters, I remind you. Your sisters. My Elia is fourteen, almost a woman. Obella is twelve, on the brink of maidenhood. They worship you, as Dorea and Loreza worship them. If you should die, must El and Obella seek vengeance for you, then Dorea and Loree for them? Is that how it goes, round and round forever? I ask again, where does it end? I saw your father die. Here is his killer. Can I take a skull to bed with me, to give me comfort in the night? Will it make me laugh, write me songs, care for me when I am old and sick?

^so this is pretty much the jist of it for me. You’re right, seeking vengeance is not her characterization in the books. However, as an audience member who enjoys the show, I do want to see more of Ellaria. It makes more sense to me that we see her seek vengeance than yet another new character which will have to be established by the show. I know Ellaria, I’ve seen her relationship with Oberyn, how tight they were and what he meant to her, I’ve seen her see him die before her own eyes. If you keep the books aside for a moment, if I want anyone having the satisfaction from a revenge arc, wouldn’t I want it to be her? She was there, she saw it happen, and unlike other characters we haven’t even SEEN Oberyn interact with, from a story telling point of view, it makes the most sense for it to be her. As an audience, we’ve already connected with her. 

If they want to combine arcs of other characters into Ellaria or give her new traits to form an amalgamation which is a combination of 2 different characters, I can be on board with this. There are already going to be a lot of key NEW characters we will see in Dorne and to have Ellaria, a familiar face, to play a central role over there would help (maybe Jaime is there for the same reason lol). From what I have read about Arianne Martell, I love that she’s such an essential part of the books. But if her plot can make an already established character like Ellaria’s more useful to the story rather than just a prop, then I can maybe give it a chance. 

As a book reader, I’d be furious, but as a fan of the show? It won’t make a difference to me because firstly I don’t know about Arianne (many of the viewers don’t), and secondly, I’d be too busy being excited that Ellaria finally is at the forefront after what she saw happen to Oberyn. So idk I have my non-reader bias here, but I’m hopeful that it might work.