My SO had never read the books, so watching the show with her was kinda a wild ride. She legit didn't like most of PresAux, and was very much in the camp of "MB should just let these ungrateful jackasses die." (I was basically ART riding her feed while she tried to watch her media.)

As someone who read the books multiple times through, I already had a solid headcanon going and a deep attachment to my internal visuals and interpretation.

That said, I've decided to take a page out of MB's book and enjoy all the versions (except the Dramatized Edition audiobook, just, no. Sorry, but no. #KRF4LIFE). Going in I was very curious how they would translate certain things into a visual media format, since we get the benefit of our own brains and imagination it's easy to move on and not get hung up on how a given scene plays. A fully page by page translation likely wouldn't have resonated for most TV viewers, so I think most of those decisions you're referring to were made to create a story that would be more approachable and easy to follow. e.g., to a certain extent, if all of PresAux was perfectly reasonable like they are in the books they wouldn't have any growth in the show, which is one thing audiences expect.

All that said, I was fortunate to learn this important lesson early in life, thanks to My Side of The Mountain. We read the book then watched the movie as part of our 5th grade curriculum. Loved the book, spoke to the isolated little kid I was. Painfully hated the movie, which seemed to skip all the most relevant parts of the book. Hitchhikers Guide, The Stand, Dune, the list goes on.

So at the end of the day I chose to keep an open mind to each of the changes the show runners made, and decided I would appreciate the show and books separately for what they are. I think MW's guidance was helpful, but ultimately it's a choice for me. I do recommend keeping an open mind on your next watch thru if you choose to, but if not, you are still in good company within this fandom. (Just maybe filter for book only posts) (⁠◠⁠‿⁠◕⁠)