Talisa Stark (Oona Chaplin) is an exclusive character in the series Game of Thrones and I think she’s one of the notable improvements the HBO series makes over the George RR Martin series. A Song of Ice and Fire books. It can be difficult for the dedicated Game of Thrones fan base to think about the series with any kind of objectivity. One of the most disappointing television experiences of my life was driving 20 minutes to attend a party Game of Thrones Season 8, Episode 3, ‘The Long Night’ and seeing, without a doubt, one of the most absurd episodes of television I’ve ever watched.
But we’ll get over it, because there are seasons and episodes of Game of Thrones that surpass everything on television except those of the most hallowed moments of prestige television. David Benioff and DB Weiss may be hated names now, but It’s unfair to deny that they made some good changes to Martin’s books (unfinished books, I would add) that made them much more digestible as TV series. I’ve read her books, and there are several book plots that I’m glad weren’t in the series, including Jeyne Westerling’s, which they thankfully replaced with Talisa Stark’s.
Talisa Stark is Robb Stark’s wife in Game Of Thrones
Robb meets Talisa Maegyr after the battle of Oxcross
Talisa Maegyr is a nurse in the Free City of Volantis in Game of Thrones. She came to Westeros to work as a healer after her younger brother was saved by a slave in their hometown. After that, she dedicated her life to working as a doctor and moved to Westeros, in protest against slavery in Essos. A non-combatant working alongside the Lannisters, Talisa was present after the Battle of Ox Cross, where Robb Stark (Richard Madden) found her tending to soldiers on both sides of the battlefield.
Impressed by his dedication to the health of friends and enemies, as well as his confidence and willingness to stand up to him, Robb quickly falls in love. In turn, Talia begins to fall in love with the King in the North. Despite protests from his mother and vassals, and in defiance of the oath he swore to the Freys, Robb marries Talisa and she soon becomes pregnant with his child. She promises to name her son Eddard, in honor of his father, a promise that warms Catelyn (Michelle Fairley) to her side.
Her happiness does not last long, however, and she becomes the first victim of violence during the events of the Red Wedding. While being happy with her husband, she is suddenly stabbed multiple times in the stomach, resulting in the death of her and her unborn baby. She dies in Robb’s arms moments before he is stabbed in the heart by the traitor Roose Bolton (Michael McElhatton). That’s what happens in Westeros.
Jeyne Westerling and Talisa Stark share few similarities
Talisa and Jeyna are almost completely different characters
Here’s the thing, there’s no Talisa Maegyr in A Song of Ice and Fire. Instead, Robb’s wife is Jeyne Westerling, daughter of an old, noble, and poor house in the Westerlands. While storming Westerling’s castle, the Crag, Robb is injured and Jeyne nurses him back to health. At some point while there, he sleeps with Jeyne. In a moment of ill-advised chivalry, he offers to marry Jeyne to preserve his dignity.
The only similarity between the two characters is that Robb marries them both despite already being engaged. to another. Otherwise, they are almost completely different, even though they come from two different continents. Jeyne isn’t even present at the Red Wedding in the books. Instead, she is sent to Riverrun and after Tully’s seat falls, the Westerlings are brought back under Lannister command. Jeyne is then ordered not to marry for two years so that no one can claim that Robb Stark has an heir.
Talisa is a more accomplished character than Jeyne
Talisa has an arc, while Jeyne rarely appears
You can see just from the descriptions that Talisa is a much more realized character than Jeyne. This isn’t necessarily a shot at Martin, because Robb Stark in the series is a very different character from the one in the books. In the books, Robb doesn’t even have a point of view chapter, and most of his story is seen through Catelyn’s eyes. In Game of ThronesRobb positions himself much more as the protagonist of the series, which I believe makes his death much more shocking.
Since Robb is a much more important character in the series, his wife needs to be fleshed out. In A Song of Ice and FireJeyne is mostly in the background, occasionally referenced but barely seen. His true contribution to the story is in service to Robb, who in turn serves Catelyn.
​​​​​​​​​​​​​Catelyn despised John Snow because she thought he was the result of Ned betraying her. Robb saw how his father’s indiscretion affected his family and vowed never to father a bastard.so he agrees to marry Jeyne after sleeping with her, in case he got her pregnant (which he didn’t). Ironically, if Catelyn had been a better mother to John Snow, Robb may not have been so vehemently against having a child out of wedlock, which may have allowed him to take his vows to the Freys more seriously, avoiding the Red Wedding altogether.
Talisa Stark is a much more important character than some fans believe
Talisa makes the world of Game Of Thrones bigger
For some, Talisa’s entire storyline is boring. If you are coming to Game of Thrones for sword fights and direwolves, I can see how Talisa would be a pain, although that’s a pretty limited reading of her character. Talisa is much more important than people believe. On the one hand, she helps introduce the idea that people from Essos regularly visit Westeros and even come to live there. Her presence also allows us to believe that Shae (Sibel Kekilli) would happily come to Westeros and be willing to settle down with Tyrion (Peter Dinklage). There is a pleasing symmetry to these stories.
His desire to defend everyone in Westeros is a viewpoint that Robb comes to share, making his death all the more tragic.
Furthermore, Talisa helps to further explore Robb’s character, developing him as his own man. His desire to defend everyone in Westeros is a viewpoint that Robb comes to share, making his death all the more tragic. She showed Robb that you can befriend your enemies and that you shouldn’t hate blindly. It’s this empathy that enrages Robb when Richard Karstark (John Stahl) murders two innocent Lannister boys. Robb’s respect for life goes beyond flags, and this is a touching touch to the character that the books don’t illuminate.
It is Talisa who angrily confronts Robb and explains this idea of ​​respecting enemies. Her strangeness is also something I like about her character. She comes from Essos and brings a completely different view of the world to Westeros. She is modern, strong, confident and yet not arrogant or rude. Talisa respects the fact that Catelyn is unhappy with her, but refuses to hide her feelings for Robb. It makes the world seem bigger and more human, something that has made Game of Thrones a success in its first seasons.