Newstar Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 Nina Gold has never let us down, as far as I'm concerned. I do think her batting average has been amazing so far, considering the dozens--hundreds?--of speaking roles cast to date, and it seems like the ones I had the most questions about have been the ones who turned out to impress me the most (Alfie Allen, who knew?)....buuuuuuuut I'm still not impressed by Emilia Clarke's acting, four seasons in, as gorgeous and charismatic as she is. Not that Tamzin Merchant, the original Daenerys, would have been an improvement, but I still have my doubts about the wisdom of casting Emilia Clarke. It seems petty to harp on one role when Nina Gold has so rarely missed the mark in casting so many others, but if you're going to get one role right in casting this thing (apart from Tyrion), that's the one to get right. Before Season 4, I would have added Kit Harington to my admittedly short list of casting blunders, but the actor finally seems to be showing signs of life just as Jon's storyline is gearing up. Even though I've made my peace with Kit Harington, and even though Harry Lloyd was perfection as Viserys, I'm still kind of bitter that we could have had Harry Lloyd playing Jon Snow and missed out. (I'm not fussed about the other Jon Snow might-have-beens, like Alfie Allen and Joe Dempsie.) He even looks like the description of Book Jon Snow, for crying out loud. Long face? Check. Slender? Check. Targ-worthy bone structure? Check. And really, even though Nina Gold has had so many casting successes (especially with the child actors, my goodness), what does it say about her abilities that of the three core leads of this series--Jon, Dany, and Tyrion--the casting for one of them was pretty much a foregone conclusion she had no part in (since D&D made it clear the series wouldn't have been made without Peter Dinklage), and the casting for the other two is still a subject of controversy? ^I think Ed Skrein was a mess-up I realize I'm in the minority on this one, but I loved Ed Skrein's Daario--even though I suspected that his dialogue was dubbed--in all his cheesy, eyeroll-inducing glory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyJoe Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 ^ I totally get what you're saying, I agree with the criticism for Clarke and Harrington, but they were not the first choice for either role, so I don't count them as a strike against Nina. Lloyd was amazing as Viserys and is clearly a talented actor so I'm sure he would have been a great Jon Snow. I didn't care for Kit in the first 3 seasons, but he's definitely improved and I'm enjoying his performance this season, but such an integral character could and should have been great from the beginning. I think Clarke is uneven but has hit higher peaks through the first few seasons than Kit has, but her story is often rushed, it's hard to leave an impact when the show is essentially just checking in. I know nothing about Merchant, but I agree that both Kit and Emilia are the weakest of the cast, which is a shame considering the importance of their characters. They've both had great moments, though, and I don't blame the casting director since neither were the first pick. As for Ed Skrein, I have mixed feelings about the Daario thing. I thought Ed really nailed the arrogance of the character, yeah the performance was a bit over the top, but I felt like that was totally fine for the character. The tri colored beard and golden mustache wouldn't really work on the screen, so they let the cheese seep into the performance. Even though neither actors looked the part, I felt Ed Skrein conveyed the general Daarioness a bit better. I think Daario 2.0 feels like a more three dimensional character and has a much more subtle performance, and is a more convincing love interest for Dany. It's tough, I like different aspects of each performance. Daario 2.0's appearance doesn't bother me because it supports the Daario=Benjen theory which I'm completely on board with now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defeatarion Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 Kit has been WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY better this season, and Clarke waaaaaaay worse. Just very dull. Of course this is the time in the books she becomes dull anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unbowed Unbent Unhodor Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 @konrad I think so, If you look at the opening credits when it zooms out from the wall and moves east you can already see it. At least, I think that's it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyJoe Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 Of course this is the time in the books she becomes dull anyway Them's fighting words. :box: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonCon's Red Beard Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 I like Emilia's acting. I think she's trying to be bookDaenerys while she's given only showDaenerys though, and well, that's kind of a mess. Also, she has been pretty much given one-liners this season, which also happened to Kit during the last one. Kit now has improved. (Emilia has read the books, right? What about Kit?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defeatarion Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 "Pedro has taken this character to the next level" I cant believe how many people share this opinion; as a reader who considered Oberyn one of my favorite 3 or 4 characters in the entire series I 've been entirely disappointed with the shows depiction of Oberyn Dude, the show character is much better. I loved book Oberyn too. I thought his path to revenge would land him a POV. My heart sank reading that chapter. That being said, Pedro Pascal has been brilliant, and we can see more of Oberyn. Instead of the rumors of poetry, bisexual, and all that, we get to see it. (Although they laid the bisexual thing on a bit too much) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defeatarion Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 Them's fighting words. :box: :whip: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyJoe Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 I like Emilia's acting. I think she's trying to be bookDaenerys while she's given only showDaenerys though, and well, that's kind of a mess. Also, she has been pretty much given one-liners this season, which also happened to Kit during the last one. Kit now has improved. (Emilia has read the books, right? What about Kit?) Kit's a big fanboy of the books just like Emilia. They are among the few actors who actually read ahead. I think AG/Littlefinger has also read the books, I'm convinced that he is a method actor that is trolling everybody on a meta level. The comments about being more fatherly toward Sansa is proof, I bet he changed the Only Cat line just to troll book readers on a meta level, Littlefinger is victimizing the characters and the fanbase. :whip: :cheers: :fencing: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newstar Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 ^ I totally get what you're saying, I agree with the criticism for Clarke and Harrington, but they were not the first choice for either role, so I don't count them as a strike against Nina. I knew about Tamzin Merchant, and about Michelle Fairley replacing Jennifer Ehle (although Gillian Anderson alluded in an interview to turning down a GOT role, and I think it must have been Catelyn), but Kit Harington being a replacement is news to me. Who was the first choice for Jon Snow? Lloyd was amazing as Viserys and is clearly a talented actor so I'm sure he would have been a great Jon Snow. I didn't care for Kit in the first 3 seasons, but he's definitely improved and I'm enjoying his performance this season, but such an integral character could and should have been great from the beginning. Absolutely agree. It's great that Harington's finally finding his sea legs, but I would have liked to see that three seasons ago. I have seen speculation that Kit Harington's pain from his injury during filming Season 3 was impairing his acting, but I dunno. There are some actors and actresses in the show who seem to improve the acting of whomever they're acting opposite in any given scene and seem to draw better performances out of their scene partners--Maisie Williams for example seems like a lightning rod for good acting, for whatever reason--but I don't think any of them are in the Wall storyline...although it's not really fair to put Kit Harington's problems on the lack of such actors and actresses in his storyline. Sophie Turner has had the benefit of acting opposite some of the "lightning rod" actors, which has resulted in some cracking scenes, but I've seen her wither without them, resulting in some truly painful scenes. I suspect that's why SanSan in Season 2 was such a mess, although to be fair the writing did it no favours: Rory McCann was shaky enough as it was, and throwing Sophie Turner into the mix just compounded the problem. Separate the two, put Sophie Turner opposite the KL acting heavyweights, put Rory McCann with Maisie Williams, and bam! Instant improvement on both sides. We judge Kit Harington more harshly than Sophie Turner, but I wonder: is she a better actor than Kit Harington, or just luckier? I know nothing about Merchant I saw her as Catherine Howard in The Tudors, and you did not miss much. As for Ed Skrein, I have mixed feelings about the Daario thing. I thought Ed really nailed the arrogance of the character, yeah the performance was a bit over the top, but I felt like that was totally fine for the character. The tri colored beard and golden mustache wouldn't really work on the screen, so they let the cheese seep into the performance. Even though neither actors looked the part, I felt Ed Skrein conveyed the general Daarioness a bit better. I think Daario 2.0 feels like a more three dimensional character and has a much more subtle performance, and is a more convincing love interest for Dany. It's tough, I like different aspects of each performance. Agree with all of this. Great points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konradsmith Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 Iwan Rheon was also up for Jon Snow btw. Well, they've given him another Snow which I think he's knocked out of the park. Though I love Jennifer Ehle, I have to be glad about her dropping out of the role because Michelle Fairley was one of the best parts of the show. (And will be hehehee) Also I've heard that Evangeline Lilly was up for Cersei, so make of that what you will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyJoe Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 I knew about Tamzin Merchant, and about Michelle Fairley replacing Jennifer Ehle (although Gillian Anderson alluded in an interview to turning down a GOT role, and I think it must have been Catelyn), but Kit Harington being a replacement is news to me. Who was the first choice for Jon Snow? I thought I read or heard in a commentary that Harry Lloyd was the first choice for Jon Snow. I could be wrong, but I hate admitting that, especially when I'm drinking whiskey. :dunce: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konradsmith Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 ^I just made a glass of rye and coke myself. :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Defeatarion Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 Lloyd is a terrific actor. A shame he had to go so soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyJoe Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 ^I just made a glass of rye and coke myself. :cheers: :cheers: Cheers, buddy. This is what a one week hiatus does to us. The other night I had a dream about Dinklage playing the Joker in a new Batman movie, it was weird. I am so ready for Sunday night. Lloyd is a terrific actor. A shame he had to go so soon. Agreed, but it's a good thing that actors like Lloyd, Addy and Pascal ( :frown5:) were so effective at bringing their characters to life, because that makes the jaw dropping moments of this series more memorable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konradsmith Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 My theory on Kit is that he does better when he films on sets or indoors rather than outdoors which gives him less takes to work out the dialogue. Had they given the part to Harry Lloyd or Iwan Rheon, I think they might have sold the season two and three writing better than Kit. That said he's not THAT bad and has been on par this season. He still gets overshadowed by the other actors around him like John Bradley and Owen Teale, but he's done a good job handling his "becoming a leader" arc. I'd likely be having some rye with or without the hiatus, DaveyJoe and as for dreams about the show, I once dreamt that Steve Coogan was cast as Bowen Marsh, as strange as that sounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newstar Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 Iwan Rheon was also up for Jon Snow btw. Well, they've given him another Snow which I think he's knocked out of the park. Right! Forgot about him. I can't really see Iwan Rheon as Jon Snow, even aside from things like whether or not he looks like Book Jon Snow (since Kit Harington doesn't, either, apart from having dark hair). Though I love Jennifer Ehle, I have to be glad about her dropping out of the role because Michelle Fairley was one of the best parts of the show. (And will be hehehee) I think Jennifer Ehle's Cat likely would have been closer to Book Catelyn--colder, more dignified, more refined, etc.--but Michelle Fairley rocked the part. Also I've heard that Evangeline Lilly was up for Cersei, so make of that what you will. Well, she does have green eyes, so that's something, I guess? The idea of LOST's Kate as Cersei tickles me, since Jaime is basically the Westeros version of Sawyer from LOST. I'm just saying, is all I'm saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyJoe Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 Nobody on the show is truly awful, but I'm bit more critical of the actors that need to carry the story like Jon and Dany. You have supporting characters like Roose, Tywin, and Oberyn, and they totally steal the show. Part of the problem is the adaptation process, we're not in Jon or Dany's head in the show, but they're allowed so much more depth in the books thanks to the different medium. The show needs to take these characters and condense their story but make them their story feel relevant and dramatic, and the only tools are the writing and acting. Say what you will about the writing but at least Stannis and Sansa have had consistently great performances to drive their story in the show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Konradsmith Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 I don't have anything TOO harsh to say about Clarke and Harington, but the fact that they're both extremely good looking played a very large part in their casting I think. That said and having seen the discussion drift in an off-topic direction, how about them "the Mountain and the Viper"s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jentario Posted June 1, 2014 Share Posted June 1, 2014 I like Emilia's acting. I think she's trying to be bookDaenerys while she's given only showDaenerys though, and well, that's kind of a mess. Also, she has been pretty much given one-liners this season, which also happened to Kit during the last one. Kit now has improved. (Emilia has read the books, right? What about Kit?)Emilia has been described as taking the books to work and referring to them mid-shoot. Kit has read the books as well, but not yet ADWD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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