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Aidan Gillen's portrayal of Littlefinger: Yay or Nay?


valacirca

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There a certain amount of mystery in the books re Littlefinger & his ultimate motives but episode #7 blew any mystery out of the water and turned him into a pantomime villain. I don't like it to be honest.

I think there's zero mystery as to Littlefinger's motives in the books, at least as of a Feast for Crows.

He wants to be top of the pile, simple as that. He wants to be able to look down on all the people who once looked down on him as this nobody from the Fingers.

He doesn't want to sit on the throne himself but he does want to be pulling all the strings.

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I also think his character is getting too much screentime

That could be an issue. I imagine, based on his background and experience, that Gillen is one of the more expensive castmembers (nothing like Sean Bean or probably Mark Addy, but certainly reasonably up the payscale). Having him sitting around with nothing to do is not economical, hence they give him more material.

How this is going to work in Season 2, given he vanishes for half the book, will be interesting.

He doesn't want to sit on the throne himself but he does want to be pulling all the strings.

When I think of Littlefinger, I always remember Londo's line from Babylon 5, "I prefer to work behind the scenes. The reward is nearly as great and the risk is far less." Completely different characters, of course, but I never got the impression in the book that Littlefinger planned to be king himself. In the series, with the scene of him starting at the Iron Throne and later saying, "I want it all," that does seem to be his ambition, and it's a bit more trite.

I think one of the problems I'm having is that I saw Littlefinger a bit more like Morden from B5, a 'fixer' who's happy to help you out as long as he gets what he wants from it, and then when he doesn't, he lands you right in the shit whilst he comes up smelling of roses. Whilst Littlefinger's relationship with Sansa in the books isn't really healthy, I never got the overwhelmingly seedy vibe that he has in the TV show.

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Nay for me. Nothing against AG at all, but I just can't... settle with him as LF. It's the writing, (some) and the delivery (much). Too flat, too monotonous even, for me.In fact, he's been sticking out a bit to me in some otherwise fantastic scenes. Contrast to Varys (I understand he's more oily and obvious with his jabs than LF in the books, but even so) and the way he delivered his Lancel comment: perfect. It almost feels with LF that it's AG acting like LF. If that makes any sense! I know LF is playing a role in a way in canon, but this is different.

And like many of you I too did not like the brothel scene, because it removes the mystery about him to a great extent.

But it makes no matter. I am absolutely loving the show, and perfectly willing to wait for AG/LF to grow on me.

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It almost feels with LF that it's AG acting like LF. If that makes any sense!

Yeah I know. Great actors inhabit their characters and you never get the sense that you're watching an actor playing a role when it's that good.

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With many scenes involving larger (or smaller) than life characters (Robert,Tyrion) or an endearingly earnest one (Ned), or children--an enigmatic character such as Littlefinger will always run the risk of appearing flat--unless we are privy to his internal monologue. After all, isn't the central tenet of his character--the mask? This portrayal is a work in progress--he seems slightly bent, slightly resentful, lacks much emotion, stays calm during his contrivances, and manipulates the realm. Not an easy role and overall I'm not pulled out of the moment by the depiction here.

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I'm enjoying his performance personally, and I like that we're getting more insight to the character than in the book, though I enjoyed the different way it was revealed in the book too. I'm curious to see what they'll do with him in the second season since I don't really remember him standing out in the second book except for that scene with Tyrion where he offers him Harrenhal. I bet we'll get to see Littlefinger negotiate with the Tyrells which should be fun.

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The problem I have with LF in the show is not about how Gillen is portraying him - I think he is doing fine with what he is being given. I have issue with what he is being given and the situations he is being put into. The back and forth with Varys in the throne room, the exposition in the brothel - those are the things that are taking away. The acting was fine, the lines being asked to be delivered were the weakness.

This! I definitely agree with this!

Also, they keep going back to the damn brothel all the time. It's as if they used millions to make that set and need to get a 'bang for their buck' (pun intended!). The problem I've having is that doesn't make any sense to me, I mean he stuck Cat in the brothel because nobody would "think to find her there" or whatever.. but why wouldn't they, when he seems to be spending a lot of his time there? At one point he's even got some sort of office set up where he's doing books..?

Knowing Varys there has to be at least one little bird there to chirp to him (he even alludes to this in their pissing contest scene), which I think that Littlefinger also would assume, which again begs the question: Why put Cat there? Why spill his guts about what kinda guy he is there?

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How this is going to work in Season 2, given he vanishes for half the book, will be interesting.

I'm looking forward to watching a certain conversation with a dwarf about a certain dagger before he heads off though.

I like Aiden Gillen's portrayal. Its not quite what I imagine from the books, there Littlefinger uses a front where he has a bit more of a playful gleam in his eye, a bit more of a cat's grin.

In the show, he seems more aggressive. His jibe at Renly was a bit more provoking then what occurred in the book.

Still, as far as portrayal's go, I think he's still 90% there. Certainly works for me. My non-reader friends definitely dig his character. (though they saw his betrayal coming from a mile away)

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TBH - I'm not sure it's his portrayal of the character, I think it's his acting itself. He might be a fine actor in other cases but I have not been impressed with his performances in a majority of the episodes. To be fair, I am not thrilled with about half the cast's acting so it might be a directorial or editorial problem also.

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I think the actor's knocked it out of the park, personally. In particular episodes 4-5. Not sure what it is I like so much, I just think Gillen brings a lot of charisma to the role. I feel myself getting sucked in, despite my better judgement, just like Ned is...

Scenes that stuck out for me were when Ned and LF are walking in the gardens and he's pointing out all the spies, and at the end of episode 5 when LF catches Ned "just in time" to come look at one more bastard. How convenient! Also I <3 the Varys-LF scene, I don't care what anyone else thinks. :)

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I like it, say, 8/10. He's been saddled with some horrific scenes (sexposition 4.0, trading barbs with Varys in the throne room, stage-whispering at Ned, etc.), but I have no problems with the acting. From what we know now, I'd say he's doing a good job of portraying LF as someone who is very talented, yet knows he will never be fully accepted at court due to his relatively low birth. Hence the in-your-face smugness and smirking. He and Varys know the high lords will never fully accept them as their equals, so they don't even try, LF playing up his humorous side to curry favor with everyone.

When we get the reveal of how much he knows and how involved he is in the plots, his performance will take on even more nuances.

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The only part I liked of his was when Renly told him he could buy a friend and he gave a little smile. ONLY TIME he acted like LF in my opinion. He's too...boring? I tried to give him a chance but after this last episode...it just doesn't do it for me.

"My Lord Protector." And then a little bow that totally seemed COMPLETELY mocking (which it was supposed to be) but overtly so.

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Littlefinger's portrayal was one of the first things that bugged me from the earliest trailers. I'm gradually coming to grips with the fact that it's just a different interpretation of the character than what I took away from the books, and not necessarily worse. Still can't get behind his delivery of the "wisest thing you've done since you climbed off your horse" line though - it's easily the nitpickiest thing about the show that sticks in my craw.

Still, if this is the worst problem I end up having with the adaptation (well, this and NEEDS MOAR DIREWOLVES; I understand what the problem was but still), then they will have done a very good job indeed.

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The books' entire ethos is to show that no-one is black or white and that we are all shades of grey, whereas Littlefinger's colours appear to have been fixed securely to the mast by episode 7.

The character of Littlefinger from the books is an extremely difficult role to adequately describe, partly because he's taken no apparent 'side' yet apart from his own, and partly because he still hasn't truly revealed his ultimate motivation for doing what he does. I think that regardless of the intentions GRRM wrote him with, he's a very interpret-able character, and by that I mean that each reader can think of him how they like (at this juncture in the books). I personally see him as a bit similar to Heath Ledger's Joke from Batman: The Dark Knight. As Alfred puts it in that movie - "Some men just want to watch the world burn." I don't necessarily see LF as a sociopath, although he is leaning that way. I see him more as a man who grew up with an insufficient ego (largely due to

and now his modus operandi is just to create chaos everywhere he goes and have a great time doing it just because he has the mental capacity for it. Hence the obvious witty remarks that seem to only amuse himself and the general facade of "I'm just a lowly Lord with no real power". He just enjoys making chaos.

By contrast, the Littlefinger of the show seems to have a more tangible goal that was highlighted by a scene a few episodes back - the Iron Throne. This LF doesn't care for wit or banter, but more for cold, calculated scheming. I truly do think that TV-LF is a sociopath. Whether this was a directorial choice or an actor-driven choice, I don't know, but it doesn't truly matter.

I sort of equate it to the changes in Cersei's character, from a two-sided bombshell/schemer to a pure cold bitch. I feel like LF lost a layer of his character in the translation from book to screen. But when thinking about it, it's not that huge a deal. He's not a worse character, he's just different - from sly/witty/chaotic to sociopathic/bitter/goal-driven. It's taken some getting used to, but after realizing that this is (probably) the case, I can understand Aiden's acting choices, such as revealing himself to his whores, his more monotone delivery, and his incredibly focused demeanor. I could possibly see these changes becoming a problem later, when

Boy, you definitely are right about him being interpretable. I don't see LF's colors having been nailed down at all...do you think he's a definite black hat in the show? I think people are being too quick to judge...and I don't even think what he's shown makes him a black hat.

I also never saw LF as a "want to watch the world burn" kind of guy. He always seemed cold and calculating to me, even though he put on a show when it suited his needs. He uses chaos as a tool for his end goals. In the books I got a very definite sense that he was very driven man who was using every tool at his disposal to win the Game of Thrones. The Joker is like...polar opposite! from my point of view of the book character.

So in that regard I find Gillen's LF to be very good.

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Up until Episode 7, I thought the portrayal of Littlefinger was adequate, but this Ep sank it. Mainly the fault of the writers - information we weren't supposed to have yet, the ridiculous moaning of the background sex scene (totaly uncalled for), etc. But, even so, the delivery of the monologue was "stale, flat and unprofitable."

If we were supposed to glean something of LF's true character it didn't work; it just came across as bad acting. Littlefinger's public persona is so much a part of him that it is second nature, always there. At this point we should still be unsure of what he will do and where he will land. I imagine that even for those who have never read the books, that monologue took the edge off his betrayal of Ned in the final scene of the Ep.

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the delivery of the monologue was "stale, flat and unprofitable."

This.

I know some posters above have mentioned that LF is acting like that (dry, cold, dull, flat, vacant) because he was merely performing or was behind a mask or didn't have to exert enough effort... basically saying that's what AG needed to do for his characterization of LF.

But in this moment of personal revelation during his monologue - a moment of slight vulnerability even - where he doesn't need to perform for or manipulate anyone... he still comes off as dry, cold, dull, flat and vacant. These are the times that make it impossible for me to buy that he's merely acting his part that way and not being wooden.

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