Adaptation Do's and Don'ts

[Conspiracy Theorist]

Actually Murphy (like Hendricks and previously Marcone) was to demonstrate the reason why the supernatural community kept a low profile, humanity could wipe them out if they took concerted action. That was one of Ethnui’s aims, to set humanity against the supernatural nations, and Harry provided a way to mitigate the damage to the masquerade. The reliance upon the two banners fighting for Humanity in BG demonstrates this.

It’s interesting that in BG Murphy and Hendricks die and we get the reveal on Marcone just before this occurred, suggesting Murphy and Hendricks had played their role in this part of the narrative.

Sometimes a character is more than just a love interest (though bizarrely they mirrored this with Nathan and Gard, oh well)

[Mira]

Actually Murphy (like Hendricks and previously Marcone) was to demonstrate the reason why the supernatural community kept a low profile, humanity could wipe them out if they took concerted action. That was one of Ethnui’s aims, to set humanity against the supernatural nations, and Harry provided a way to mitigate the damage to the masquerade. The reliance upon the two banners fighting for Humanity in BG demonstrates this.

It’s interesting that in BG Murphy and Hendricks die and we get the reveal on Marcone just before this occurred, suggesting Murphy and Hendricks had played their role in this part of the narrative.

Sometimes a character is more than just a love interest (though bizarrely they mirrored this with Nathan and Gard, oh well)

I can buy that for the most part, Hendricks for the most part, though an effective body guard/warrior, had the limitations of a normal human being.  Murphy didn't, by the time she
was gunned down, she was no longer realistic as a character.. She was a realistic exceptional vanilla human character up until the time she got booted off the police force.  Then it seemed like Jim didn't know what to do with her, so he attempted to turn her into a mini Justice League Wonder Woman/ mother confessor love interest for Harry.  Frankly except for her most ardent fans, it was groaner almost every time she appeared on the page. 

And yes, it was normal human beings that fought and died under Harry's banner to save Chicago.. They weren't great at hand to hand combat taking on enemies far above their weight class and skills. They weren't expert marksmen, nor could they rip off casts and hop onto motorcycles with half healed injuries with a missile launcher strapped to their backs.. They were just ordinary people taking a stand.

[morriswalters]

Butcher is culling his cast of characters.  I assume there is some point to it. I don't pretend to understand what.

[vincentric]

Really the only people culled are the normal human combatants.

The story is moving into more high stakes conflicts and all the characters who can't survive there are being moved aside, replaced or powered up. So Michael goes and we get Jedi Knight of the Cross Butters with 2 werewolf sidekicks. I can see Thomas' roles being handled by Goodman Grey. Molly went for clingy damsel apprentice to demi-goddess Winter Lady. Toot and Lacuna are nearing full Sidhe powers. Lara is definitely the most capable of the love interests and definitely not an easy potential hostage but she'll play a support role.

The cast s being cycled out as the danger ramps up. So Harry doesn't feel as guilty taking his crew into battles they can't handle just to give him a slight edge. 

[Mira]

Really the only people culled are the normal human combatants.

The story is moving into more high stakes conflicts and all the characters who can't survive there are being moved aside, replaced or powered up. So Michael goes and we get Jedi Knight of the Cross Butters with 2 werewolf sidekicks. I can see Thomas' roles being handled by Goodman Grey. Molly went for clingy damsel apprentice to demi-goddess Winter Lady. Toot and Lacuna are nearing full Sidhe powers. Lara is definitely the most capable of the love interests and definitely not an easy potential hostage but she'll play a support role.

The cast s being cycled out as the danger ramps up. So Harry doesn't feel as guilty taking his crew into battles they can't handle just to give him a slight edge.

The Knights of the Cross are still ordinary vanilla humans.  Butters has trained hard, but he has a lot to learn, he is far from being a Jedi.  The Holy Knights are still subject to injury and death.. So yeah, with the help of the Holy Swords they step up, but they are limited.

[Avernite]

The Knights of the Cross are still ordinary vanilla humans.  Butters has trained hard, but he has a lot to learn, he is far from being a Jedi.  The Holy Knights are still subject to injury and death.. So yeah, with the help of the Holy Swords they step up, but they are limited.

Subject to injury and death, maybe. But also able to walk into a Dragon's lair and walk out with its hostages. Or to pronounce Judgement on whole Courts of evildoers.

In other words: they may technically be limited, but it really is convenient-level limited than power-level limited.

[Mira]

Subject to injury and death, maybe. But also able to walk into a Dragon's lair and walk out with its hostages. Or to pronounce Judgement on whole Courts of evildoers.

In other words: they may technically be limited, but it really is convenient-level limited than power-level limited.

No, they cannot pronounce Judgement on evildoers, that is the mistake Murphy made and got a Sword broken.  It is for the Almighty to judge, not them, they try to pursued the evil doer to seek redemption in the case of the Denarians... And they can kill in self defense or to save others, that gets a bit complicated, but they absolutely cannot judge.

[Avernite]

No, they cannot pronounce Judgement on evildoers, that is the mistake Murphy made and got a Sword broken.  It is for the Almighty to judge, not them, they try to pursued the evil doer to seek redemption in the case of the Denarians... And they can kill in self defense or to save others, that gets a bit complicated, but they absolutely cannot judge.

Details. Sure, for the individual, but when the Almighty wants to use a handy tool, they get the necessary power-up.

[vincentric]

The Knights of the Cross are still ordinary vanilla humans.  Butters has trained hard, but he has a lot to learn, he is far from being a Jedi.  The Holy Knights are still subject to injury and death.. So yeah, with the help of the Holy Swords they step up, but they are limited.

It's not so much that Butters got a power up over Michael but the Sword he wields is a definite upgrade that covers his inexperience. Evil foes can't parry it and things like walls and doors a speed bump where they could trap or stop Michael or Sanya. And he has 2 werewolf sidekicks to watch his back.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

The Knights are weirdly powered, the Swords allow them to chop up a Titan, but not to harm a street thug. In Grave Peril Michael, sans Sword was still able to generate a repulsive effect to the Rampires  suggesting it isn’t all the Sword, something confirmed in Little Things, his presence healed a child so he has a direct line to the almighty, something Murphy did not.

It will be a thorny question adapting the White God, I actually think Butcher has handled it well with the books, initially your not quite sure whether Michael is a nice lunatic with a magic sword or the real deal. It’s the way he interacts with people at the party which shows the latter, his faith is a genuine thing to him, and they the monsters accept it.

[Mira]

The Knights are weirdly powered, the Swords allow them to chop up a Titan, but not to harm a street thug. In Grave Peril Michael, sans Sword was still able to generate a repulsive effect to the Rampires  suggesting it isn’t all the Sword, something confirmed in Little Things, his presence healed a child so he has a direct line to the almighty, something Murphy did not.

Yeah, well, Michael is a step up, but then saints or almost saints have healed people..  I doubt that
you'd find that is the case with Sanya.  As far as repelling the vamps, that's the classic faith thing.  Harry's pentacle had the same effect, and I wouldn't be shocked if Michael wears a Cross or a religious medal of some kind.

It will be a thorny question adapting the White God, I actually think Butcher has handled it well with the books, initially your not quite sure whether Michael is a nice lunatic with a magic sword or the real deal. It’s the way he interacts with people at the party which shows the latter, his faith is a genuine thing to him, and they the monsters accept it.

Butcher has managed to tip toe on that tightrope.. I disagree that there is any doubt Who Butcher is talking about as far as God and gods go.  While almost everyone here is comfortable calling God, the White God, only Mab has ever referred to Him as that.  From the first time Harry mentions Him and his relationship to Him, he refers to Him as the Almighty.. When it is God that the characters are talking about it is always properly capitalized. Even when Mab talks about the White God, it is capitalized. The other assorted gods and goddesses, while if he is using their proper name it is capitalized like yours or mine would be, if he is talking about them in a general way as gods and goddesses, there is no capitalization.  It is a subtle difference, but the distinction has been made from the first.

[Conspiracy Theorist]

As I say I believe the White God has yet to be created by the Singularity in the Dresdenverse but when they are, they will exist across all time in every reality. Man creates god, but then god creates man.

[Mira]

As I say I believe the White God has yet to be created by the Singularity in the Dresdenverse but when they are, they will exist across all time in every reality. Man creates god, but then god creates man.

Could be, all I am saying is Butcher did handle the matter of religion and faith from the get go.  It so far has been quite a feat to pull it off without creating undue offense against somebody's beliefs.

[Ed0517]

The Lara/Lord Raith thing has to be clearly portrayed as a Lara as a victim, she was trying desperately to avoid Imari being abused in a similar fashion to her and her sisters.

The elephant in the room is the lack of significant recurring characters of colour. You have Rawlings, Lamar,  Sanya and Martha Liberty and thats about it. Chicago has a significant African American population which is virtually unrepresented. Who would you race (and or gender flip?) Will perhaps? Would a black Mcanally fly? Paranoid Gary?

Most of the characters don't COME from Chicago, or are not human. Lamar does. Likely Rawlings. Susan, the woman he wanted to marry, may. And she's Latino. We do get a description of Mac - but did we ever get one for Gary? You can make him black, or brown, or Asian. The senior council, it seems only two are originally from the US - the Native American chap? I think Listen to Wind counts as minority. Martha Liberty, a black woman? Rashid is an Arab. Mai is Asian. We never really saw Simon or much of LaFortier. A minor role. The Wardens were led by Luccio, a woman, temporarily by her deputy, Morgan, and now by a Latino Ramirez.  The Alphas? OK, not Billy, or Georgia, or Andi. Any of the others described? Free rein. Heck, even if just the name and the eyes, Tera West reminded me of Tyra Banks. Likewise most of the Ordo Lebes are free.  In time you need to replace Murphy. That is open.

The nonhumans? The White court are all described as pale, but the Red Court seem to be South American types. Duke Ortega? The lovely young half-vamp at Chichen Itza?   

[Ed0517]

Exactly, that is my point too, if they want more diverse representation, invent more strong characters of different races and sexes..  What I don't understand is Jim invented Elaine, a beautiful, smart, and powerful wizard, perfect foil for Harry in many ways, dumped her... But decided to take Murphy, don't get me wrong as a smart and brave cop with good hand to hand skills she matched well, but then had her fighting so far above her weight class that in the end she became a cartoon character..

Elaine had a role in shaping Harry, when they were together - and for years after, when he thought that he had KILLED her, his first love.  Thinking he had killed her did much in making Harry who he is now. Remember, it is still very early in Storm front he mentions his first love... and that he killed her.

She may be back, but she had a purpose, and she served it. But we know Ramirez is aware of her. Chekov's Gun?