As Game of Thrones Season 5 winds down to an increasingly book-divergent conclusion, one notable criticism regarding the way the season transformed the source material centers in the Dorne storyline. In what could be interpreted as criticism or just straight up satire, one YouTube user hilariously gave some of those scenes the Seinfeld treatment. Check it out below and beware Season 5 spoilers!
While the idea of teaming up Jaime Lannister and Bronn to perpetrate secret subterfuge against the Dornish seemed like guaranteed gold, the drama has been criticized for being rather derivative and halfhearted. Looking beyond the purists’ gripes about the way this particular storyline was radically altered from the books in context and characters, it can at least be objectively asserted that its pacing has suffered, rendering it rushed and somewhat comical. Consequently, this segment of the Game of Thrones storyline, despite the disturbingly violent context, seems prime material for a canned laughter, silly-music-filled sitcom-type treatment, baring a similar banner to a famous “show about nothing.” So let's give thanks to Ozzy Man Reviews for making it happen.
Certainly, Jaime and Bronn’s adventures in Dorne to rescue Jaime’s niece/daughter, Myrcella Baratheron, was meant to contain a measure of levity within the interactions between the reformed Kingslayer/attempted-child-killer and the roguish sellsword-turned-nobleman. Indeed, we did get that to a certain degree. However, as evidenced from the footage in the clip, the counter-kidnapping plot came off a bit lame-brained and the anger and tension from the Sand Snakes often felt as if it lent itself to such comic parody. Thus, the clip seems to work so well in that context and you almost expect Bronn to be sporting an unbuttoned puffy shirt for the flirty Tyene Sand in the next scene, while Jaime uses his false hand to block a kick from Crazy Joe Davola.
In the books, this storyline was portrayed in much more complex form, with a larger array of political machinations at play with the presence of Prince Doran’s daughter, Arianne, a wayward Kingsguard Arys Oakheart, as well as eight Sand Snakes (instead of the show’s three) in the mix. However, from a showrunner’s perspective, translating such a scenario with fidelity could be problematic for a television series in its fifth season; putting viewers in the position of having to warm up to a new array of characters. Yet, at the end of the day, despite the changes, the motivations for the forces at play are roughly the same. The Sand Snakes’ side want war against the Lannisters in retaliation for Prince Oberyn’s death. Team Lannister, on the other hand, simply want Myrcella back to King’s Landing safely, unharmed by the scorned Sandies. Things could yet be salvaged. Sounds like a job for Kramerica Industries.
It will be interesting to see what the newly-altered show's circumstances have in store for Jaime and Bronn. They’re currently, much like the Seinfeld gang in their final episode, locked up in cells, faced with not only possibly deadly repercussions, but resistance from Myrcella, their intended rescuee. Based on the sheer magnitude of changes we saw in the battle against the dead in the last episode, “Hardhome,” the Jaime/Bronn situation could theoretically result in anything, at this point. Thankfully, a standup comedy epilogue from King Stannis probably won’t be one of those things.
