'Game of Thrones' Season 5 Plot Spoilers: HBO Hit Show Departs From George R.R. Martin's Books

Upon watching HBO's "Game of Thrones" Season 5, Episode 2 entitled "The House of Black and White," readers of George R. R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire" books, where the hit TV series is based, may notice that a lot of the show's plot lines are not based anymore on the books.

Here are some of the discrepancies:

In the books, Jon Snow's election as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch requires at least two-thirds of the vote of the Watchmen. This results in a tedious process of balloting involving several candidates, until Sam Tarly shows his cunning and tricks two candidates into putting their support behind an alternative candidate, Jon Snow.

In the TV series, Sam gave a speech that put Jon into contention. Jon won by one vote, cast by Maester Aemon.

In the show, Brienne of Tarth and Podrick ran into Sansa Stark and Littlefinger in an inn. Sansa decided to stay with Littlefinger rather than go with the woman who was invited to King Joffrey's wedding. After a fight, Brienne and Podrick barely escaped with their lives.

This is one of the biggest departures because in the books Brienne never gets to meet Sansa. In fact, much of Brienne's travels and experiences in the books are very character-driven and internal, and as such will not translate well on the screen.

In the show, Arya Stark finally showed up in a new town. She was turned away by a man from the House of Black and White. After the man saw her hold her own against a band of local thugs, he changed his mind and even his face, to Arya's friend, Jaqen H'ghar. Whether he really was Jaqen or he just took on his face was not made clear.

In the books, there is no Jaqen. The door of the House of Black and White is opened by a man with a skull-like face and a worm wriggling in an empty eye socket. Arya shows her bravery by plucking the worm from the eye. The man then shows a more normal appearance and lets Arya in.

In the TV series, Ellaria Sand, Oberyn Martell's paramour, wanted Prince Doran to avenge his brother's death. She suggested cutting off Myrcella's fingers and sending them back one by one to the Lannisters.

Although much of the dialogue was taken from the books, the words were uttered by Oberyn's daughters, and not Ellaria, who in the books pleads with everyone to break the cycle of revenge. Some key Dornish characters were also cut from the series, notably Arianne, Doran's daughter.

Another major departure from the books was Jaime Lannister's quest to retrieve his and Cersei's daughter, Myrcella, in Dorne after Cersei received a threatening message. Jaime was accompanied by Bronn, Tyrion's sellsword.

In the books, Cersei receives no such threat and Jaime and Bronn never leave for Dorne. Jaime does leave King's Landing but for another purpose altogether. Cersei does sent a member of the Kingsguard to retrieve her daughter but not on a secret mission.

Finally, in the show Dany's army captured a member of the Sons of Harpy, who opposed her reign. However, before the captive could be brought to trial, he was murdered by a member of her own council, a former slave. Dany decided to publicly execute the murderer, to demonstrate her fairness. This spurred the freed slaves of Meereen to rebel.

This event is not in the books at all. There is neither a captive from the Sons of Harpy nor a former slave in her council who kills such captive. This addition in the series seems to put more drama into a plot line that lacks action.

The visit from Drogon was also not in the books. It did underscore the fact that there was a dragon loose, somewhere.