GoT plays their new episodes like 50 times (exaggeration, obviously) during the week and HBO Go is utilized quite a bit. TWD does not do either. So they're going to have more initial viewings. They never report the rest of the ratings for TWD, so I'm guessing those aren't very significant. Therefore it's very relevant to compare GoT's total weekly viewers with TWD's first airing.
People know they have plenty of chances to watch GoT during the week. So they do it by their leisure. Not so with TWD.
Well, not really. TWD averages around 14-15 million viewers per episode, right? But that's all for the first live viewing. GoT's total viewership per episode for season 4 was around 14-15m IIRC. They count all airings, DVR and streams. The half numbers are only for the very first live viewing through a television. So, they're about the same.
No, it's an adaptation, not an animated flip book of the novels. They have to make creative choices that work for this medium, and for the general audience. They're making a TV show, not attempting to blow all of us book readers and make us feel all warm & fuzzy. They also know a hell of a lot more about what matters in the long run than any of us do.
When are people going to realize that we have to totally separate the two? It. Will. Not. Be. The. Same. Just accept that and spare us all the book purist whining.
Y'all are crazy. That was a tense as hell 90 minutes. A big death/huge set piece every half/full season finale gets predictable and tiresome after a while. There were already enough deaths this season.
Well, it mainly comes from book 5. Where she sits... and sits... and sits... and sits.
I don't personally dislike her, but that's where it comes from for many people.
Just got back from my showing. Was just about sold out and audience seemed to love it. Laughs at appropriate parts, excitement & good reactions. Quite a bit of applause at the end. Which isn't very typical around here, even with fandom movies.