Why the Littlefinger storyline failed in Game of Thrones, Part 2 of 2. Discussing how, as GRRM pointed out, Book-Littlefinger is not “creepy” but a charming con man and – as many have pointed out – a textbook charming Psychopath. External Links:

Part 1 of this video:

Idaho Public Television interview with Benioff & Weiss, November 2016:

August 2017 interview with Benioff & Weiss and also GRRM:

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39 COMMENTS

  2. Oh Juice. We can't stay mad at you. Look at that warm smile. But seriously, sorry about your psychopath father, Dragon Speaks, you and your mother deserved better. Disgusting what's becoming of mental health treatment in this world, it's like they opened all the asylums and let everyone loose.

  5. One of the things i like the least about the change to Littlefinger is that it really does Ned a disservice. The Eddard Stark from the books was definitely a man outside of his comfort zone, but he didn't actually trust Littlefinger until Cat convinced him otherwise. But it is understandable why he would be convinced by her, when he was dealing with someone so convincingly friendly. Meanwhile the Eddard from the show seems like a complete idiot for trusting Littlefinger.

  6. I was under the impression that sociopaths were better able to put up fronts. Which is why Roose is usually called a sociopath (no empathy, mimics emotional reactions) and Ramsay a psychopath (completely unable to function in human society).

  10. To play devil's advocate, I don't drink at all and have pretty bad problems with water retention naturally. Even when I was boxing and inducing sweating and cutting saline from my diet completely I still had difficulty getting it out of my system. Is the man a drunkard? Yes. Is that related to the puffiness of his face? Possibly not. By the way, did you record a bunch of these videos in a row? You are setting an impressive pace with your release schedule lately. Keep up the good work.

  12. I don't know if you watched The Twin Peaks Revival but Dark Cooper was the best depiction of a soul less being or psychopath. He actually was a scary villain because he was measured, cold, and without any empathy. Nothing about him was cartoonish like Ramsay or Little finger.

  14. Excellent video. TV Baelish fell apart and was such a disappointing conclusion to one of the best characters. There were SO many theories as to what his plans were- involving things like Harrenhal or getting the crown into debt.
    I know the show can't fit in everything from the books, but they could at least try to write well. I honestly think it would have been good if Baelish killed Arya this season. He could have asked for a fair trial by combat and there could have been a cool reveal that he could fight very well the whole time. Baelish killing Arya would've been the most shocking event since the Mountain vs the Viper. They've been playing too safe and nothing has been shocking since season 4. Also Arya has been insufferable this season and her character has nowhere to go.

  15. D & D conned a man who has written a perfect con man. I actually feel bad for GRRM. Not just because they ruined the adaptation he was promised, but he couldn't spot a liar when he has experience creating them.

  18. The core of Palpatine's character, according to Palpatine actor Ian McDiarmid, is that he's supposed to be "honest Iago". It's the worst-case scenario of the one guy that everyone trusts, the one guy whom everyone sees as the honest, hardworking "Cincinnatus"-type of person, turns out to be one of the most greedy, amoral, and morally reprehensible people in the whole story. It's a very classic, Shakespearean kind of villain, but that seems to be lost on the modern day crowd which goes for more vindictive good vs. evil vibes without having a moral or a lesson attached to them.

  20. Hello, I like to listen to your opinions as they are usually well formulated and very well researched but I think that a shorter format would benefit you a lot. I think a lot of your videos could be shortened drastically by avoiding certain repetitions, and you don't require to insist on certains things as much as you do. Keep up the good work though, naysayers are so important, especially where art is concerned.

  21. Jeyne Poole wasn't a noble's daughter – her father was a commoner, albeit a high up one, within Winterfell. The reason she gets abused is simple – in winterfell the starks worked closely with their people, in Kings Landing she was a nobody. Hence Littlefinger didn't care about her beyond what she could earn him.

  24. I personally wouldn't describe Ted Bundy as a true psychopath, just seriously warped, as he did have empathy for his victims and did try to minimise his victims suffering as much as possible. In a weird way he had the mindset more like a slaughterman who doesn't care that he is killing, but does care whether or not they felt pain. He was definitely a terrible person who didn't value human life, but he did care about their suffering in a weird way, so from a clinical standpoint the psychopath label might not be a perfect description. In a way I think that makes him worse than a psychopath, because at least psychopaths have the excuse of not feeling a sense of rigt and wrong.

  27. Could the 'three queens' comment be a reference to Sansa, Margery (who is the Queen of the Seven Kingdom's atm) and Cersei (Queen-Mother) it seems more likely than a reference to Dany. I think LF will learn about Dany but not yet….

  28. First, I have seen O.J.: Made in America an extremely well made documentary on a very tragic crime, and for me, a true fan of O.J.'s, his downfall was literally heartbreaking. However, I cannot condone what he did and, as I was married at the time of his trial to an extremely abusive man, I recognized the signs of his 'antisocial personality disorder' in the one sleeping next to me; but he is my ex-husband for a reason. He, too, could turn on the charm and, even after we split up, he had other people deriding me because because they believed I was attempting to besmirch his name by fabricating the abuse. Indeed a true psychopath can convince others that they are charmers who wouldn't hurt a fly!
    You are quite right in your claims about O.J. and the parallels that you are drawing herein.
    It's upsetting to me how twisted this show has become simply because the Executive Producers have no respect for the source material, or the fans of the book series. I find it very telling that GRR Martin has distanced himself from the TV series. Furthermore, I honestly believe that Martin deliberately waited to release TWOW until after the TV show was filming its final season so these two (unmentionable word) couldn't use any of his ideas to further ruin his most brilliant and beloved work thus saving it from their satirical, fatuous misdirected so-called guidance in order to 'see how well insert actor's name here hams it up. Yes, I will watch the final season as I want to see how the series ends, but will I enjoy it? Only if they don't completely ruin it as they did season 7. I am hopeful given that Sapochnik and Nutter are both returning, but I admit I am terrified to hear that the two main villains of this piece are directing the final episode. I would love to hear your thoughts on that revelation!🤔

    When I receive the notification that you have uploaded a video, it never fails that I click on it immediately to watch it, but I did have to wait to watch this one as I've been away. You possess an amazing insight and I am truly thankful that I discovered your channel. Once again, you've created another excellent commentary on what terrible decisions the two fools have made. I cannot get over the photo of Weiss drinking that you are using. It's terrific! Well done.

    PS. I have an undergraduate minor in psych and I couldn't care less about the DSM-V or what it does or doesn't state. I think there is a bit too much political correctness in the field of psychiatry which is completely stupid. My daughter graduated with both her undergraduate (2012) and Master's degree (2015) from Naropa University in Somatic Counseling and she feels this way, too. Also, I have read Dr. Hare's book and he doesn't pull any punches when he calls his scale "The Psychopathy Checklist. I know a few psychiatrists/psychologists to this day and most of them still use the term psychopath. If any of the PC folks you know get on your case about it, tell them you've heard of some professionals who still use the older term and who have literally pitched their DSM-V for the older, and what they feel is better, DSM-IV. The books do not have that many differences as my daughter has told me and from what I have seen by simply browsing through hers.
    Again, thank you so much for your hard work and dedication to the ASOIAF fans. We need you…For the Truth. Cheers! xx

  29. You might find the book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life" and "Interaction Ritual: Essays on Face to Face Behaviour" by Erving Goffman interesting. As a communication major I took theory classes and this was one of my favourite authors to read. Back when the Harry Potter books were still being published I wrote an essay before book 7 came out using these two books to show that Snape was actually not the villain everyone else thought he was. I would bet big money that none of these guys have studied communication between individuals so as to understand the subtleties the book characters have in their personalities and communication interactions.

  32. There's probably no hope. You can make light of Benioff & Weiss, but they are book Little Finger. They came from nothing and have won Game of Thrones. Did they have to murder anyone or cause a war like LF? No, this is the modern era. They won a game of chess in the least moves possible, go to Captain Martin himself and take the throne right from under him. They are essentially LF.

    On a side note, your videos actually make me want to read the books.

    Here, watch this knowing defeat has long set in, it shall assuage the pain like nepenthe:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssr1pG6qeZA&t=1094s

  33. This prove that they love Sansa/Cat thing was bullshit, I think he was obsessed with Cat and he is using Sansa in the books because for him she is like a price and also his vengeance to Ned, Brandon and Cat

  34. It's staggering how much and simultaneously how little faith Benioff & Weiss have in their actors. Firstly they reconstruct the entire show around them to show them off to make the character more like their favorite performances.
    But at the same time this is the very definition of type casting, that they pull out any nuance aside from what the actor is know for best. If they really believed these actors were as talented as they are why restrict them like this? Surely if they are so good you feel compelled to re-write entire plots around them they are capable of delivering enough range that you don't have to. Wouldn't it be more interesting and impressive to see these amazingly talented people surprise you and stretch themselves rather than play the same part over and over again.

    I almost can't believe the theory put forward in your videos because Benioff & Weiss have failed so thoroughly under the criteria that you think they value. Showing off the actors.

  36. how in the hell did d&d get the jobs without any real experience?  how were hbo that dumb to be fooled by confidence?  wouldnt all the applicants be confident and have actual experience?

  38. i used to get so creeped out by littlefinger when he was talking to ros after joffrey had the other prostitutes baby & roberts bastard child murdered.  he seems genuinely concerned for her feelings, as she is crying, then he just goes all psycho, "i dont like bad investments" on her.  its the way he stays so calm, telling her he wil murder her if she doesnt go back to being able to make money for him.  creepy as hell.

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