GAME OF THRONES / A STORM OF SWORDS SPOILERS BELOW
Agreed completely. I'm still pissed about the Jaime thing. REALLY? I just... ugh.
I find it especially concerning that the director intended it to be ambiguous. Because she briefly kissed him back at one point.
It was legit iffy in the books. The uncomfortable part was him proceeding with kissing and undressing her when he said she didn't want to do it there. This was this was countered by her turning totally enthusiastic prior to the actual intercourse and literally guiding him in. There is also precedent in the books for him being pushy and "winning her over," plus we have her POV which gives no indication that she feels wronged by him (in contrast to sex with Robert). This all makes her refusal read to me more like a kink then him abusing her. She's crazy enough I think it's a reasonable guess that she would have called him impotent or something had he respected her every "no." Whatever.
In the books it was at worst a lesser sexual assault, but possibly a relationship kink. In the show he thrusts away while she says "it's not right" and he declares "I don't care."
For me anyways, one of the redeeming features of Jaime is that he was anti-rape in a world where is seems the norm. For me, anyways, when I read a male character I always wonder what he's done to women after battle. Then we learn Jaime's only been with one woman. He subjects himself to agony to save Brienne from rape, tries his best to advise her on handling the situation so she comes out alive... at one point in AFFC
he has a rapist decapitated and gives the head to the victim. Now he does this to Cersei...
I mean, I successfully pretend it didn't happen so I still enjoy show Jaime, but why did they do it like that when the source material showed them how to do it well?
So there was that. Then we have Sandor Clegane, who in the books steals when he needs to, pays when he can, works for money when he gets the chance. They pass people in their travels and he just tells Arya to keep her distance. He doesn't attack and rob them. When he's at the village he works until they kick him out. He tries to convince the village leader to let them stay, but when he's unsuccessful he just asks for his money and leaves. When he buys drinks in the inn, he very pointedly pays the innkeep.
In the show, last season he was going to murder the poor farmer whose cart he stole to get Arya to the wedding and now he beat and robbed this guy who hosted them for the night. I mean, his character is quite different in the show but I was still annoyed, especially as many people seem to conflate the book and show versions.
(Yes, I am crazy and have too much time on my hands... )
ETA
OH. And new Daario? Do not like. Old Daario looked and acted like a sleaze but I honestly felt that was more true to the books. New Daario looks like a dork and I really don't see him as alluring or charming or smug as all get out.
Uhm yeah. In the books he had a much more flamboyant cocky personality. Like you say the old guy got the sleaze down pat. The new guy is just a dude that does cool things with raunchy knives. I can't see him boasting about all the women he's slept with, how he's the ultimate bamf and would kill all of Dany's suitors to be with her, etc.
No complaints about the acting and overall portrayal, I think he and Ellaria's actress both do a great job as their characters.
Haha totally, he gets those wild eyes that that just scream "I'm going to love ****ing up your joint." And yes he's easy on the eyes : D