[Book Spoilers] Shout out to all the supporting characters!

[tolthar]

I just wanted to start a topic and see what everyone thought of the actors and the direction of all of the secondary characters, most of which unfortunately won't be on for a second season :( We've talked in depth about all the POV portrayals and even some of the more important secondary characters. But here's a few I wanted to comment on. SPOILERS ARE AHEAD

I thought Will and Royce were good. Not perfect cause of the plot changes but very in character and bunch of their dialogue was straight from the book. Gared was not in any way as I imagined him :/

Bowen Marsh very good, same goes for Pyp and Grenn, although the acting was a little star wars like. But kick ass nonetheless.

Jory and Septa Mordane I liked. Their deaths actually mean something as we watch I think. Mikken didn't say anything but he looked right. Rodrik looked right but something was off about his character in the show.

Ser Illyn was great except a tad older than I thought. I liked the guy who plays the hound but so far he hasn't been written well in my opinion. and despite what I've heard from the majority I like Natalia Tena as Osha. Ser Meryn was good. No Swann or Blount yet?

Shae is oddly out of character I don't think anyone disputes that. Bronn is wicked, when I found out Jerome Flynn was playing him I was excited. He was good in Soldier Soldier.

Anyway those lesser characters were off the top of my mind :)

Anyone else?

[guad]

I really liked Septa Mordane. Very badass exit scene, staring down a bunch of soldiers with bloody swords.

I liked most of the minor characters because they make the overall story better. I really enjoyed Master Luwin too, and Osha's scenes were really good (she only had like three or so).

I want to smack Meryn, which means that he does a good job.

I also really enjoy how the actresses of Doreah and Irri give a bit more interest to the Dothraki girls. Also Rakharo is cool.

[Aegnor]

I'm struggling to remember when Bowen Marsh appears in the TV show.

I think the woman who played Nan did a great job. I was disappointed to hear she had passed away.

[The Mountain That Glides]

I think Bowen Marsh is credited, but as far as we can tell he's just a random Brother with some dialogue. Maybe when Sam and Jon take their oaths? Idk.

Jory was awesome, I think. Ser Illyn was kinda terrible, doesn't embody the only point of the character at all (The terror people feel by him). If they were going to do some random non-scary guy, they could have just cut the character.

The only others I had problems with were Shae and Hot Pie. I REALLY REALLY didn't like Hot Pie.

[tolthar]

Bowen Marsh is the fellow who says to them "you knelt as boys, now rise as men of the nights watch"

[j52y]

I agree about Rodrik. He was in a lot of episodes, but they never gave him any real character development, like they did with Jory. Hopefully they do next season.

Also, I thought Maester Luwin was spot on.

[Sword of the North]

Old Nan, every time she spoke, I'd listen. Thorne from the NW was pretty good too.

[Yellow Dog]

I think the woman who played Nan did a great job. I was disappointed to hear she had passed away.

Ditto. I was hoping D&D would give her a scene in Season 2 ripping

Theon for attacking Winterfell, even though GRRM wrote her just staring gape-mouthed.

[Dennai]

The cast of supporting character in GOT is absolutely wonderful and a big part of the success of the season. In that sense, it really reflects the book and the series overall, because one of the main strengths of ASOIAF is its legion of minor characters. It says a lot that practically every reader is a fan of -at least- one minor character.

That point has translated very well to the TV series. It speak volumes that people like the Kings Landing steward/herald/whatever caught the eye of the fans. (And I love that tongue-in-cheek theory that he was the real masterpuppeter behind Ned's demise in revenge for the stare-down received during their first meeting).

It says a lot that so many fans have noticed/loved the small shrug of Irri toward Rakkharo when Dany refused him to cut his brother's ears.

That so many people warmed to Jerome and Dickie in their roles despite how different they were phisically to their book counterpart is a huge credit to their work.

And the show was very sucessful in elevating some of the characters above their book counterparts like the already mentioned Septa Mordane and Ser Alliser.

In fact, I could keep writing on and on because I am in awe of how well HBO filled Martin's universe with a cast of very minor and still very memorable characters. I think the only supporting character lambested almost universally by the fans is the poor stable boy.