Emilia Clarke's range

[Sun]

One thing Emilia can do is give orders in a loud voice. Just because she sounds sexy speaking a fictitious language heavily vested with rolled R sounds does not mean she can act, especially when that's the only thing she seems capable of.

ETA:

At least Harrington is showing some improvement, not much, but some.

[Theda Baratheon]

Ive been an emilia defender all the way through but she really let me down this episode, we get the cold queen act with cersei and its 100 times better, emilia is fantastic acting in other languages, especially her valyrian but where is the confused young girl!?!? All we are seeing be right now is a cold, haughty regal dany without any of the uncertainty and naivity - we had one nuanced moment when her face dropped upon hearing whats happened to yunkai and astapor - was it really too much to have one vulnerable line following ???

[Bayard]

How can people simply say "it's the directors"? Shouldn't it be the job of the actors to get the most out of their lines and the ensuing scenes? Aiden Gillen was solid on the Wire but keep in mind he was also basically playing a good guy who could not longer handle the pressure. Here's he's portraying a diabolical mastermind from the start.

Go watch Lorna Doone, where he is the villain and completely steals the show. To me directing can be a big problem in the format of the series. They have multiple directors, who really don't know the complete story, so they don't have huge powers on set, so they can't be too rough to the actors if they aren't up to par.

[sj4iy]

She tried to act "regal", didn't pull it off.

There, summarized the problem.

[Ice_and_Fire]

She was particularly bad in this scene. I cringed so much at the 'I will rule' line. Problem is every time she tries to act 'regal', but this has been a consistent problem that hasn't improved over the series. TV Dany is so wooden and bland, I don't see why the unsullied love her so much, maybe most people just see the cute girl and cool dragons. I am so hoping that the directors will step in and help her, but if it hasn't happened yet I don't think it will :-/

[Gogossos]

It is no secret that Dany has few fans on this board and I think a lot of people here are conflating their Dany disappointment with Emilia's. In my view, she's a top actress, just like Sophie and Maisie. But they play different characters, so requirements for Sansa are different from Dany's or Arya's. It's a similar thing with Kit, people are saying he is better this season but it's because the material has changed: Jon is more assertive, he's aware of the threat and is less concerned about the likes of Slynt. So that mopping around? That was Jon, and Kit intentionally played it so - a good sign of an actor nailing his scenes.

I don't have any problem with her acting. She is the perfect Daenerys, whatever people say.

In intense moments she always does a great job, in my opinion, and in average moments like now, she doesn't make an expression because there's no expression to make. What should she look like when she says she'll stay and rule. I don't think that was ever meant to be a dramatic scene. Neither in the books, nor in the show.

Exactly. The only problem I see is that sometimes the tv script simplifies the book scene and at that point it's up to the actress and director to portray the removed layers. It seems that some wanted to see a S1 Dany when she was alone with Jorah but both aren't the same people at this stage. Jorah has gotten more lustful and she's now his queen, the relationship needs to have a slightly uneasiness to it and I think they're nailing it.

I thought both Emilia and Iain Glen were very disappointing in their scene together... They honestly both looked stoned. :dunno:

The scene was far too rushed, the dialogue was weak and completely lacked the severity that the book scene had, the directing was poor, and it seems like the showrunners don't know what they're doing with the characterisation of anyone in Dany's retinue.

Most of these problems would be resolved if they stuck closer to the book dialogue and spent more time on Dany's scenes instead of wasting it on pointless filler. Dany has felt like an after-thought in every episode this season with the exception of episode three. Considering she's THE iconic character of the show, it's a very strange decision (particularly in an episode without Tyrion, the other iconic character).

I agree with you almost all the time but I have to disagree that Emilia and Iain were disappointing, or that they looked stoned. In fact, they looked like they've taken their first baths in ages, as they must have. The scene wasn't weak per se but it wasn't as strong at it could've been. I really, really wanted to hear Dany bringing up Eroeh, the Lhazarene girl she rescued from rape only for her to be raped later on. In the book she keeps that thought to herself when she hears of Astapor. It doesn't surprise her that things got worse after she left Astapor but it shakes her nonetheless. More poignantly, she had just discovered Jorah's betrayal (which hasn't happened on the show yet). So it is a mixture of sadness, disappointment and a sense of failure but rather paradoxically not surprised. After the triumphant Daracarys scenes, Dany is outwardly successful but on the inside she feels like a failure but determined to make it right.

Like you said Patrick, the book scene was more powerful, and its dialogue wouldn't have taken much longer time either. In it she mentions "Aegon the Conqueror brought fire and blood to Westeros, but afterward he gave them peace, prosperity, and justice. But all I have brought to Slaver's Bay is death and ruin" as part of her logic. I totally agree that they're rushing too many of Dany's scenes. She was raging angry when she nailed the masters but haunted by the act afterwards, even though she doesn't regret it "Harsh justice is still justice". Most of Dany's scenes lack this complexity: we don't see her having bad dreams, we don't get the sense she trusts no one but I still hope they do justice to the Jorah betrayal.

I think people are confusing Daenerys' acting for Emilia's.... Dany IS acting, she's playing a role, it's obvious that she is. Where Emilia works is in the eyes. I can call out several GOT actors I'd consider below par, but Emilia isn't one of them.

I agree, Emilia works with the eyes so well, just like Lena Heady. You can tell when she's flirting with Daario, or that she trusts Jorah or when she's playful when she catches Grey Worm and Missandei flirting. All this without any other bodily differences, except the eyes. She's a good actress.

[Theda Baratheon]

Im just confused how much of this characterisation is the directors fault now and how much is emilia's and ive always been a massive defender of her. This haughty ice queen stiff as a board bollocks is really, finally starting to annoy the hell out of me.

[Cas Stark]

Im just confused how much of this characterisation is the directors fault now and how much is emilia's and ive always been a massive defender of her. This haughty ice queen stiff as a board bollocks is really, finally starting to annoy the hell out of me.

It would have to be both, right? It's clear the show sees her as Targaryen Jesus and I'm coming to the realization that my personal negative view of Ms. Targaryen may not be shared by GRRM and she may end up the savior figure afterall...so, if they're vested in this view of her, they are more likely to be okay with the Regal All The Time personna. Otherwise, they would give her different direction.

A better actress would probably be able to imbue those scenes with more depth without different direction. I'm always amazed at how Dance kills Tywin and hasn't read the books, yet he still evokes that arrogance and ruthlessness without making him a one note villian perfectly.

[Theda Baratheon]

It would have to be both, right? It's clear the show sees her as Targaryen Jesus and I'm coming to the realization that my personal negative view of Ms. Targaryen may not be shared by GRRM and she may end up the savior figure afterall...so, if they're vested in this view of her, they are more likely to be okay with the Regal All The Time personna. Otherwise, they would give her different direction.

A better actress would probably be able to imbue those scenes with more depth without different direction. I'm always amazed at how Dance kills Tywin and hasn't read the books, yet he still evokes that arrogance and ruthlessness without making him a one note villian perfectly.

I think you're probably right which is a damn shame because shes shown that she can be awesome in the shouty commanding bits and vulnerable and innocent in season 1 so why is she so one note now.

[Queen of Whores]

She may as well have just been smoking a joint when holding that council by how passive and out of it she was acting. My goodness, you'd think she was talking about how boring her day at the office was rather than discussing the impacts of her war campaign based off how completely non-emotional she was. I blame the writing for most of it, but Emilia could maybe try to emote a bit more. We've seen good actors make bad lines good in the past.

[Travy1991]

LOL at the "Maybe she was high..." comments. Emilia strikes me as the consummate professional. I don't think she (or any of the actors) would show up on set drunk or stoned.

Ohhhhhh, have you???? ;)

Haha, Sibel has appeared in non-pornographic movies too. They're the ones I'm talking about.

[Bearson]

One thing I kept thinking about after reading the books after the first season of GoT aired, was how the show creators, writers, actors, etc. actually conveyed the book's PoV chapters.

Dany's chapters in the book reveal a teenage girl that blunders through life, not having the slightest bit of understanding for the world around her and although she's learning, she's still rather reluctant to have certain views (like critical ideas about her father) challenged or even considered. I'm probably one of the few who, after cringing at the "Myhsa! Myhsa!" scenes, thought they were needed.... as long as they are there to convey the same sentiments in Dany's PoV chapters in the book. As in, Dany seeing herself as a heroine, a savior, that people look up to her. Hopefully, the show will challenge her naivety, just as the characters around Dany in the book try and educate her when they can.

I think Clarke, perhaps unwittingly, pulls off Dany as a girl belonging to a caste (the dragonlords) who never fully "belong", connect, or understand the human world around them just fine. The Valyrian dragonriders (and just them, not the Valyrians in general) are like a seperate species, like the WW, the CotF or the giants. It may be bad acting, but I think it fits with the book.

[salmonsnake]

I think Clarke, perhaps unwittingly, pulls off Dany as a girl belonging to a caste (the dragonlords) who never fully "belong", connect, or understand the human world around them just fine. The Valyrian dragonriders (and just them, not the Valyrians in general) are like a seperate species, like the WW, the CotF or the giants. It may be bad acting, but I think it fits with the book.

Good observation, maybe the character in the show still has 'I am the blood of the dragon' looping in her mind. I never had any problems with EC's acting (I think flawed acting performances never burst any quintessential bubbles, they simply derail a specific fictional universe toward a different trajectory). And cringing at the 'mhysa' stuff as well as the triumphalism is definitely necessary, the same way pessimism towards ideology and grand narratives is always required.

[AnotherCrannogman]

She needs more naked scenes. Not because I like them but instead they make her character vulnerable and attractive.

[trgryn-strk-lnstr-mrtell]

She needs more naked scenes. Not because I like them but instead they make her character vulnerable and attractive.

speaking of her nude scenes...im remembering the last one where she was nude with Daario and demanding his allegiance...i rmr that being a very weak moment for Emilia's skills as well...

same goes for when she was looking at the crucified kids...

infact, other than her meereen yelling speech (think we can all agree, shes at her best speaking a foreign language) her 2 really notable acting moments this season were

1) when she was playing with drogon and he snaps at her (not easy to accomplish considering CGI), felt her expression was sincere

2) when she tell Barristan "i will answer injustice with justice"...perfectly delivered IMO

cant say if its poor direction, lines or acting...but director would have kept doing re-takes if he wasnt happy...so seems like they were all fine with the way she was portrayed, i.e it was intended to look like that....

which makes me think that perhaps all of them were high, not just Emilia :drunk: :drunk:

[AnotherCrannogman]

I was thinking of the bath scene when she gets out of the bath and has a complex conversation. Was that last season? My memory of her acting in it was good at least.

[Ankou]

Aiden's Petyr, be it acting decision, writing or direction, is far to blatantly evil. Littlefinger works in the books because he seems trustworthy, people trust him to do things, like run the finances, broker the Tyrell match etc. They underestimate him, and he rarely reveals his hand. But from S2 onwards it seems to me and increasingly moreso, Littlefinger might as well be wearing a flashing neon sign, declaring him to be a self-centred asshole.

Whilst not defending her acting at all, I take issue with this statement. Emilia Clark is one of the few actresses to stand up to D&D about the ridiculous and gratuitous use of female nudity on this show. She's refused to appear in breast baring scenes. I can't remember when this decision came into force, but it was clearly after season 1.

What proof do you have of that? I take issue with the statement because it presumes there's something wrong with doing nudity. Why don't you get on Alfie Allen's case for whipping his wiener out in season 1?

[boojam]

Dracarys scene was awesome, because she was acting as a powerful, stoic, badass warrior queen.

However the problem isn't with that, the problem is her acting like that in every single scene even when it doesn't make sense. You don't speak to an army in the same way as you speak to your close friends and that's what lets her down.

First she is awesome.

Then she does awesome each time.

Reductio ad absurdum

[sj4iy]

Whilst not defending her acting at all, I take issue with this statement. Emilia Clark is one of the few actresses to stand up to D&D about the ridiculous and gratuitous use of female nudity on this show. She's refused to appear in breast baring scenes. I can't remember when this decision came into force, but it was clearly after season 1.

...yet she doesn't seem to have a problem with her character ordering the crucifixion of 163 random people.

But of course, nudity is worse.

[AnotherCrannogman]

Word is a highlight of this season will be hodors nude scene.