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Kit Harrington appreciation thread.


Arkash

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Okay, so I really wanted to start that thread.



Kit has had a lot of bashing so far for his portrayal of Jon Snow and even if I agree, the material he was given for seasons 2 and 3 could have been better, I never thought of him as a bad actor.



But now, in season 4, he's got really really good material and Kit truly shows us why he was cast as Jon Snow ! He's doing a fantastic job so far.



And a lot more to come ! We're finally getting a more mature Jon (I hope we get the "Kill the boy and let the man be born" line from Aemon), taking decisions, having learn from his experience and taking matters in his own hands.



His speeches so far were great ! And he almost have one every episode ! So kuddos to Kit !






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Kit's always been a good actor. He was just given some meh stuff to work with. He was directed like "You, stand around with your mouth open and rather clueless for two seasons." and then "Ok...close your mouth but still look pretty clueless for a season, but this time, you have a woodrow cuz Ygritte just wont stop teasing you." And then they were all "ok now that you got some ass, start scowling a little."



This season, its: "Hey, your character actually absorbed the information he received. Now totally express that. BUT DONT STOP SCOWLING!"



Pretty sure he'll nail all the stuff im waiting for. Episode 9 will be "Hey Kit, run around being a fucking badass. Like the biggest badass you can even muster." So im excited.


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I agree with what most of you have already said. I've always thought that Kit did a fine job in portraying Jon Snow, the big difference is that he is finally being given some excellent lines. His performance so far this year has been outstanding, thanks in no small part to the much higher quality of dialogue and scenes he's being given.


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Actor and character are coming into their own and hitting their peak at the same time and I think that's really really cool.



I've said this a couple times in other threads, but for the first two books and most of the third Jon's just kinda there for me. Really he's just the POV who hangs out with more awesome people (Dolorous Edd, Mormont's Raven, The Halfhand, Ghost, Fat Sam living vicariously for a large portion of the fan base, etc.) Likewise Kit Harrington was, in my view, just kinda there. He was Avoiding The Big Fuck Up, which is appreciated, but Not Ruining My Enjoyment isn't the same as enjoyable. However, I never thought he sucked or anything. Really, I almost gave him props for his restraint in Not Being Too Awesome (yet) because Jon's not quite supposed to be awesome (yet) and gave him the benefit of the doubt that he was capable of more/better and when the time was right he'd show it.



And here are, with him showing it right when he should. Kit is knocking it out of the park at the perfect time. Tail end of ASOS/start of season 4. Jon is stepping up, doing and saying the things that need to be done and said, getting ready to Be The Man. Sure enough, Kit Harrington is hitting his groove and portraying Jon Snow fantastically. Is it getting better material to work with from the writers/directors? Is it him getting more comfortable with the role? Is it simply a product of him being a better actor now because he has more experience when he started and he's honed his craft? Was he just pulling punches and not making Jon look awesome before he's truly supposed to start being awesome (which is really mature and professional and amazing if you think about it)? Is it a little bit of all of the above? Does it even matter?



Jon scenes are now a treat in their own right just like Jon chapters and I look forward to both of them.


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Not that they wouldn't benefit from More Edd, of course...

We so so so need more Edd!

As for Jon, I mostly agree with what everyone's already said. In the 1st, 2nd and 3rd books his mostly just a pair of eyes undergoing slow character development. In fact, I would say he was more interesting in the 1st book because there is a more obvious representation of his identity as a bastard, but we sort of get used to that in the 2nd and 3rd and it becomes meh. Still liked him as a character though :P

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Kit's always been a good actor. He was just given some meh stuff to work with. He was directed like "You, stand around with your mouth open and rather clueless for two seasons." and then "Ok...close your mouth but still look pretty clueless for a season, but this time, you have a woodrow cuz Ygritte just wont stop teasing you." And then they were all "ok now that you got some ass, start scowling a little."

This.

I said this in another thread. This weekend (and all the week) we've been bombed with all the Potter movies (no complaining, though: just waiting for the premiere of DH2) in TNT and WBLA. The scene in Chamber, when Radcliffe is in the book store, when Malfoy is insulting him and the Weasleys, is exactly like you describe Kit's. It's like Columbus told them "ok, this blonde guy over here is evil, so, you're going to stay here, listening to him being mean to you and don't move a muscle. Just look sad and poor. And look at him like you hate him". Then they changed directors and Cuaron, who has experience working with kids and making them look like they actually people and not some cartoonish kiddies, actually managed to make the kids bring the best of their performances. That and Gary Oldman, in Daniel's case. So, yes. I blame completely to the writers and directors. I guess they didn't get Jon Snow, and neither did Kit.

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Not that they wouldn't benefit from More Edd, of course...

Theres always room for Edd.

That and Gary Oldman, in Daniel's case.

Hue. I was hoping Ciaran Hinds would be Kit's Gary Oldman. But theyve underutilized Mance so much im kinda pissed.

I guess they didn't get Jon Snow, and neither did Kit.

I feel like Kit did get Jon Snow though. Like there was Jon lurking under the clueless gaze the whole time. When i see this gif, i see Jon Snow. Cuz that is exactly the kind of expression he would make at that moment in time. Here too. I always sensed there was a Jon itching to come out and just didnt get told to come out until this season. Pity.

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Theres always room for Edd.

Hue. I was hoping Ciaran Hinds would be Kit's Gary Oldman. But theyve underutilized Mance so much im kinda pissed.

I feel like Kit did get Jon Snow though. Like there was Jon lurking under the clueless gaze the whole time. When i see this gif, i see Jon Snow. Cuz that is exactly the kind of expression he would make at that moment in time. Here too. I always sensed there was a Jon itching to come out and just didnt get told to come out until this season. Pity.

the first gif is very loljonish

Kit was very very Jon in last episode, when he was all "brothers! I have something important to say!" and everybody was "omnomnomnomnom".

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Interestingly enough he's the only actor of the series who has read the books (up to and including Feast). I think a lot of the above is true as far as direction & dialogue, however he was portraying an adolescent with teenage angst when Game of Thrones began, now his character is older and he has had 3 other seasons with many of his cast mates and they've all grown into their parts. We notice his more because his is a more important storyline. Kudos to the Men in the Nights Watch for all the work they did in harsh weather conditions (winter in Iceland). I think we are all enjoying his acting more because he has been given better scenes/dialog/storyline as a man of the Night's Watch. His undercover operation with the Freefolk was practised without the kneehigh snow of the location, and a broken foot. (Fight with Q'Horhin Halfhand). These scenes would have been better had they allowed a bit more of the conversation between Jon & Q'Horhin, but all scenes are shorter than we want them to be. Kit's have been my fav storyline from season 1. He had to have some acting chops prior to this gig, wasn't he on the London stage in War Horse at age 21?



I am glad to see he has better lines/scenes/direction so he can really shine, and happy for him that he is getting some appreciation, Kit is more than the new sex symbol for the tabloids. As I have said I've always enjoyed the storyline at the Wall and North of it (my fav. in the books too).


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Interestingly enough he's the only actor of the series who has read the books (up to and including Feast).

Aiden Gillen and Ian McElhinney have read all of them, (Or at least claim to). Rory McCann has read up to at least the end of aSOS, and Nathalie Emmanuel shared knowledge that can only be gleamed from the books or a wiki because she mentioned the possibility of Missandei being aged up so that she could replace Irri in a sex scene with Dany.

I think we shouod start a thread on which actors have read them, That's usually the first question in every interview.

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Even in the books, Jon doesn't say much until the end of A Storm of Swords. The only reason we get to know him well at all is because we can see his thoughts- but they can't show us his thoughts in the show. It was more about facial expressions and body language, and more than likely anyone would look pretty dumb and lost put in Jon's situation. He doesn't get to actually be out in front until now, with the Wildling army bearing down on them, so we are going to see Jon kick a lot of ass and be awesome. I can't wait.


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