Season 5 casting - v. 4 [Spoilers]

[Deadwood]

They are only important to the prophecy if you put any faith in it?

[ShephardReborn]

Yeah, but without it both Arianne and Quentyn are really kind of pointless characters up to this point in the books, and mind you they had a lot of chapters dedicated to them both. It had to be important one way or another

[protar]

I think my signature says it all.

[jentario]

I think Doran will legitimize one Sandsnake.

Obara, being the eldest, being the one with nothing to do (since they're cutting Darkstar) and conveniently being an Oscar nominee.

Yes, I agree. After the Myrcella plot fails:

Trystane=Quentyn

Obara=Arianne

Nymeria goes to the small council to manipulate Cersei (maybe as far as becoming Taena Merrywhether)

Tyene infiltrates the Faith

Areo stays with Doran as an excuse for Doran monologues

Doran is unchanged

[protar]

Obara, being the eldest, being the one with nothing to do (since they're cutting Darkstar) and conveniently being an Oscar nominee.

Yes, I agree. After the Myrcella plot fails:

Trystane=Quentyn

Obara=Arianne

Nymeria goes to the small council to manipulate Cersei (maybe as far as becoming Taena Merrywhether)

Tyene infiltrates the Faith

Areo stays with Doran as an excuse for Doran monologues

Doran is unchanged

I don't understand though. If you're going to have a Sandsnake in Arianne's role just cast Arianne!

[jentario]

That's what I am hoping for.

I thought you were completely hopeless for Manderly, fArya and Euron. You think there's still a chance for a few of them?

[jentario]

I don't understand though. If you're going to have a Sandsnake in Arianne's role just cast Arianne!

Maybe they wanted to:

a) simplify Dornish law to make it more homogenous with the rest of Westeros and not too foreign

b) wanted to focus on Oberyn's badass girl rather than a completely new character

c) make another woman fighter a center character- as in, a powerful woman in an obvious in your face way

d) combine as much characters into Trystane as humanly possible to save money

e) give a bigger role to Ellaria

It's a damn stupid change since Arianne (along with Doran) are absolutely the best things about Dorne but what can we do about it.

EDIT: and it obviously makes some sense if Aegon is indeed cut from the show

[Hippocras]

I don't understand though. If you're going to have a Sandsnake in Arianne's role just cast Arianne!

Yes, I agree with this and disagree that Obara will be anything but Obara. She may not go after Darkstar, but she will do whatever that Darkstar chase actually leads her to do in the end, which may well be to kill Myrcella as she wanted to do herself, or attack Oldtown which she also wanted. Also she will eventually be prominent when war breaks out between Dorne and the Lannisters.

Doran's heir will be Trystane, and he has other secrets he hasn't divulged yet.

[ShephardReborn]

Victarion and Euron will be merged together, they could work as a single character in the show

[Deadwood]

I thought you were completely hopeless for Manderly, fArya and Euron. You think there's still a chance for a few of them?

I've since watched Elio's summary videos, plus been keeping an eye on what's happening. Ideally I'd like to know when the Northern story starts filming...they have a lot of stuff to do in Meereen/Dorne...probably a free city too..including Bravoos as well of course.

The Northern story doesn't need so many new people, only a few...if it's an autumn schedule, then I can see some Northern based characters start to leak in.

I would hope it starts in September.

[jentario]

Victarion and Euron will be merged together, they could work as a single character in the show

It's simpler to just cut Victarion. Dany already has a fleet, so unless Vic manages to steal a dragon and run away there's no point in covering it at all. The Dragon Horn can be written out if it doesn't split Dany's dragons.

[Northernmonkey]

Trystane=Quentyn

Why are people saying Trystane will play Quentyn's role? He's engaged to Myrcella. That's the whole point in crowning her, so they can get a Martell on the throne (Myrcella and Trystane's child).

[ShephardReborn]

It's simpler to just cut Victarion. Dany already has a fleet, so unless Vic manages to steal a dragon and run away there's no point in covering it at all. The Dragon Horn can be written out if it doesn't split Dany's dragons.

Or perhaps they will substitute Victarion with Yara ? It is not like she has anything to do in DWD anyway, and I just don't belive they will cut the sinster Maquarro.

[jentario]

I've since watched Elio's summary videos, plus been keeping an eye on what's happening. Ideally I'd like to know when the Northern story starts filming...they have a lot of stuff to do in Meereen/Dorne...probably a free city too..including Bravoos as well of course.

The Northern story doesn't need so many new people, only a few...if it's an autumn schedule, then I can see some Northern based characters start to leak in.

I would hope it starts in September.

I hope so. I don't see how the show can be even remotely close to the books if they're only casting characters for Dorne, King's Landing and a handful of randoms.

Varamyr is not enough for the North. Mwe need at least one Northern lord (I don't know about the Greatjon, maybe he'll replace Manderly but I have a feeling that won't happen). We also need need need a fake Arya. I don't see D&D cutting her- they'd have nothing to do with Theon and the Boltons all season and they'd be ruining the strongest arc in the series unnecessarily. They also seem to really like Theon.

[Ser Pounce FTW]

There's still plenty of plots, probably too much for 10 hours of television next season. We were never going to get everything; better to focus on the key ones (or at least what D&D consider the key ones) and properly develop them. A lot of show-only viewers can already barely follow the overall plots, instead enjoying specific characters and set-pieces. I think your very broad summary of the final 3 seasons is probably pretty accurate, and it looks good to me.

Yeah, but without it both Arianne and Quentyn are really kind of pointless characters up to this point in the books, and mind you they had a lot of chapters dedicated to them both. It had to be important one way or another

To echo the sentiment of these posts that the books feature way too many characters for the show to utilize, this was posted on WiC and shows how the story has shifted it's focus. The break down is very interesting.

Chapters by House By Book. House Stark has no less then 40 chapters in the 1st 3 books, and only has 6 chapter in book 4 and 18 chapters in book 5. They became complete side characters….

GAME OF THRONES

House Stark – 53

House Targaryan – 10

House Lannister – 9

House Baratheon – 0

OTHER – 0

CLASH OF KINGS

House Stark – 40

House Targaryan – 5

House Lannister – 15

House Baratheon – 3 (Seaworth)

OTHER – 6

STORM OF SWORDS

House Stark – 43

House Targaryan – 6

House Lannister – 20

House Baratheon – 6 (Seaworth)

OTHER – 5

FEAST FOR CROWS

House Stark – 6

House Targaryan – 0

House Lannister – 17

House Baratheon – 0

OTHER – 22

DANCE WITH DRAGONS

House Stark – 18

House Targaryan – 10

House Lannister – 15

House Baratheon – 5 (Seaworth & Melisandre)

OTHER – 23

[jentario]

Why are people saying Trystane will play Quentyn's role? He's engaged to Myrcella. That's the whole point in crowning her, so they can get a Martell on the throne (Myrcella and Trystane's child).

And when that fails??

Jaime going to Dorne is a giant red flag. I don't see him going home empty handed (especially since Myrcella ends up going to Dorne in the book anyway). So she'll be going back with Jamie. What, Trystane joins them? No.

Another thing: without Doran's epic Targaryen speech why even include him? How will he come off as a genius player without Targ support?

When Jamie takes Myrcella to King's Landing Trys's marriage will be put on hold (which is exactly what Doran wants, mind you) and he'll be free to pursue Dany and become a crisp.

[Hippocras]

And when that fails??

Jaime going to Dorne is a giant red flag. I don't see him going home empty handed (especially since Myrcella ends up going to Dorne in the book anyway). So she'll be going back with Jamie. What, Trystane joins them? No.

Another thing: without Doran's epic Targaryen speech why even include him? How will he come off as a genius player without Targ support?

When Jamie takes Myrcella to King's Landing Trys's marriage will be put on hold (which is exactly what Doran wants, mind you) and he'll be free to pursue Dany and become a crisp.

In the books Myrcella has not left Dorne yet, and there are good reasons to doubt that she will.

[ShephardReborn]

Jaime can go to Dorne instead of that King's Guard knight (forgot his name) that went to fetch her in the DWD, and Martells stalled the party as long as they could because Myrcella was already wounded by Darkstar

[Northernmonkey]

And when that fails??

Jaime going to Dorne is a giant red flag. I don't see him going home empty handed (especially since Myrcella ends up going to Dorne in the book anyway). So she'll be going back with Jamie. What, Trystane joins them? No.

Another thing: without Doran's epic Targaryen speech why even include him? How will he come off as a genius player without Targ support?

When Jamie takes Myrcella to King's Landing Trys's marriage will be put on hold (which is exactly what Doran wants, mind you) and he'll be free to pursue Dany and become a crisp.

Possibly, but I don't see the point in casting Myrcella if they're going to have the engagement cancelled and have Jaime take her back to KL. And surely they would have cast Gerris and Archibald if Trystane was going to Meereen? I just don't see them cramming the Quentyn storyline into this season - the Trystane/Myrcella/Sand Snake plotting should take up enough screen time.

[jentario]

The most interesting casting is Yezzan. He is described as a nobleman that lost his slaves when Dany came in- so he's probably not a Yunkishman in the show. That means he starts off in Meereen, interacting with Dany. In the end, he'll be on the Yunkishman side buying Tyrion and Jorah as slaves. Connecting the dots:

Yezzan takes over the role of Brown Ben Plumm as Dany's traitor and later Tyrion as his slave convinces Yezzan to return to Dany's side.

I still hope for a one-time or two-time appearing Green Grace. Meereen is a sausage fest and the Green Grace is interesting (and probably the Harpy, too).