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Ι just saw this deleted scene from Game of Thrones, where Pycelle stands up straight and talks normally.

Is this in the books? Or was this to be a plot twist in the show?

Also, does anyone have any ideas as to why wouldn't they show this?

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  • I seem to recall there being another scene (in the TV-show) where we see Pycelle do some kind of agile jump, which implies this same thing, that he is only acting old. I do not recall any such thing being in the books. On the contrary, in the books he is 84 years old. He was a teenager during the reign of King Maekar I (Maester Aemon's father, Rhaegar's great-great grandfather). About the same age as Walder Frey and Jon Arryn. The man we see in this scene looks much younger than that, so I would say this is just in the TV-show.
    – TLP
    Commented Jan 3, 2014 at 5:26
  • @TLP i remember no such scene, can u provide the episode? Commented Jan 5, 2014 at 2:18
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    Here is the exact scene I am talking about, where Pycelle starts out talking about Kings with the prostitute Ros and pretending to be a doddering old man, but when she leaves, he drops the act. Not sure which episode or season its from.
    – TLP
    Commented Jan 5, 2014 at 11:19
  • Link is dead. Could you update and provide a description of the scene. I was thinking of answer but then realized you might actually be referring that the scene, but I have no way of knowing. Commented Jan 22, 2018 at 20:11

1 Answer 1

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That particular scene is not in the books, but it is implied multiple times that Pycelle is only acting like a harmless, decrepit old man. When Tyrion's men arrest Pycelle in this scene for leaking information to Queen Cersei he is found in bed with a naked girl, confirming that he is quite spry for a man of his advanced years. The Grand Maester dabbles heavily in politics and backstabbing, mostly to aid House Lannister, and to direct attention away from himself he acts like a doddering old fool.

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    +1. the show (as it often does) take's the book's implications a bit further -- he basically does calisthenics on TV -- but the underlying meaning is still the same.
    – KutuluMike
    Commented May 5, 2014 at 22:05
  • In the books Pycelle also returns from spending his time at Tyrion's leisure in the Black Cells a substantial shadow of his former self.
    – Dan Kelly
    Commented May 6, 2014 at 10:16

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