Season 5 Casting, News and Speculation V 5

[zaphodbrx]

She was convincing, it is true.

On the other hand, not every actor/actress will be quite as outstanding at showing us the inner conflict as Alfie has been...he really is doing a great job at that. Also, the show would not have been ready to have us sympathize with her in any way yet.

So again, not saying the show SHOULD do this. But Myranda is a different case. In earlier seasons she was supposed to seem complicit while we focused our sympathy on Theon. But now Theon's inner turmoil is firmly established, we have enough perspective on what he has been through and witnessed to understand precisely what pressure someone might face to collaborate with Ramsay or face a similar fate. In other words, if they want to show Myranda as in part a victim, the ground has been prepared and the audience is ready now to understand how that could happen.

I think my method of making Myranda into Fake Arya is better. Reposting from previously in this thread.

Myranda agrees to pretend to be fake Arya. She is a willing collaborator, trying to deceive the Northern lords. ( If they bother to cast any , I hope ). And also she wants to marry Ramsey ( they can put a 'wuv' story here? like Robb and Talisa ) . Theon has to go along with this ( obviously ) and confirm this to the lords. At the end of the season, Theon kills Myranda and escapes. This more or less puts us at the end of ADWD.

[Hippocras]

I think my method of making Myranda into Fake Arya is better. Reposting from previously in this thread.

Myranda agrees to pretend to be fake Arya. She is a willing collaborator, trying to deceive the Northern lords. ( If they bother to cast any , I hope ). And also she wants to marry Ramsey ( they can put a 'wuv' story here? like Robb and Talisa ) . Theon has to go along with this ( obviously ) and confirm this to the lords. At the end of the season, Theon kills Myranda and escapes. This more or less puts us at the end of ADWD.

It is reasonably good.

Except I don't think Theon killing her serves any sort of redemptive purpose, so IMO it would be better if she took the place of Little Walder and got murdered by anonymous resistance inside Winterfell, stoking tensions.

Theon needs someone to rescue, not someone to murder.

It is somewhat conceivable Yara will be captured by the Boltons rather than Stannis, meaning Theon might rescue her I suppose. But that would leave Jon's story hanging as he would not be likely to lead an attack on Winterfell to save Yara or Theon.

[Slender Aimry Hill]

on Myranda.

I know her slightly, so this may be a bit biassed, but I think she could probably pull off the transformation from tormentor to fellow-victim rather well (I've seen her do madder things on stage now and then)

Theon saving the girl who helped to geld him is shocking, sure - but I think just maybe in a good way, as it could illustrate his profound, quasi-Christian development from an ambitious, selfish, callow young man to a supremely altruistic hero, willing to do go beyond the call of duty to stop the pointless suffering of a fellow human being. Any fellow human being.

If they go down this route...I see Theon's first scene next season being him bringing food to a bloodied, beaten captive in rags who is Myranda (in a similar state to Theon's Dance introduction), stuttering "Lady Ayra, I have to make you ready for your wedding. You always wanted to wed Lord Ramsay, didn't you? Come on, you don't want to make him angry again" etc etc)

[JonCon's Red Beard]

My thinking if they leave the Griffs out of S5 but include them in S6 after killing off some characters and start to bring everybody in the story back to Westeros. Remember D&D did say the story was gonna start to narrow down.

I could see them keeping the final scene from ADWD between Varys and Kevan Lannister (who is supposedly back this season). Varys could say the Targaryens are coming back to take the Iron Throne, Kevan could then say Dany is still far away in the east and then BOOM. Big reveal in E10 that "Aegon" Targaryen is still alive and has already arrived at the Griffins Roost.

They could also play with this by having Doran send one of the Sand Snakes up there to see what mysterious foreigner has landed there. (Obviously the mystery is for non book readers) and possibly having ppl in Kings Landing talk about it.

I agree with others here that they seem to important to keep out of the show but, I also understand they have a budget to keep although some of us don't agree how they use that. I guess this is speculation of keeping great characters and storyline while also trying to fit it into how D&D might approach these characters.

Doubt it.

http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/topic/116449-an-extra-again/page-2#entry6229337

Yeah, I've accepted it. I'm in peace.

(obligatory sad music)

[jentario]

I think my method of making Myranda into Fake Arya is better. Reposting from previously in this thread.

Myranda agrees to pretend to be fake Arya. She is a willing collaborator, trying to deceive the Northern lords. ( If they bother to cast any , I hope ). And also she wants to marry Ramsey ( they can put a 'wuv' story here? like Robb and Talisa ) . Theon has to go along with this ( obviously ) and confirm this to the lords. At the end of the season, Theon kills Myranda and escapes. This more or less puts us at the end of ADWD.

Not really. That would be a load of bad PR for Theon- who already killed two "Starks". Maybe if they have him reveal that she isn't real in some way instead of killing her.

[jentario]

on Myranda.

I know her slightly, so this may be a bit biassed, but I think she could probably pull off the transformation from tormentor to fellow-victim rather well (I've seen her do madder things on stage now and then)

Theon saving the girl who helped to geld him is shocking, sure - but I think just maybe in a good way, as it could illustrate his profound, quasi-Christian development from an ambitious, selfish, callow young man to a supremely altruistic hero, willing to do go beyond the call of duty to stop the pointless suffering of a fellow human being. Any fellow human being.

If they go down this route...I see Theon's first scene next season being him bringing food to a bloodied, beaten captive in rags who is Myranda (in a similar state to Theon's Dance introduction), stuttering "Lady Ayra, I have to make you ready for your wedding. You always wanted to wed Lord Ramsay, didn't you? Come on, you don't want to make him angry again" etc etc)

I've said this before- doing what you suggest is incredibly risky (Theon's moment of redemption HAS to hit home). It's probably not worth that risk, when you consider that they could just as easily cast a fake Arya. It would make all the previous Myranda scenes counter productive- instead of giving her a shred of humanity they made her even more of a psycho in season 4. So I'm going to say no to that (but of course, we'll see).

And since Myranda only appears as of episode 3, I think she won't be a part of Theon's first scene.

[naseridrl]

Melisandre and Shireen: https://twitter.com/caricevhouten/status/509306817869283328

It really bothers me that Shireen's hair isn't black or at least dark on the show. She's a Baratheon and after everything from the first season you'd think the next Baratheon baby we see would have the hair colour to back up the claims. I love Shireen in the books and enjoy her on the show a lot too and it just frustrates me she has blonde hair. It's a small nitpick but sometimes the small things frustrate more than the big things weirdly.

[zaphodbrx]

Why do people think Theon will get a redemption arc?

There is literally no evidence to support it. Or is it just because its that way in the books?

That kind of thinking is so season 2...

[Hippocras]

^the show likes redemption. They redeem on the show more than the books do.

So....why would they change their pattern with Theon?

Besides, Finn's comments pretty much said so outright. Theon is going to be the hero he wanted to be.

[cxvb]

^the show likes redemption. They redeem on the show more than the books do.

So....why would they change their pattern with Theon?

Sounds like a good point. Yet upon reflection, I have a hard time coming up with examples for the shows like of redemption.

(If there were, it'd have to be a major deviation from the books to provide evidence of the shows like of redemption and it shouldn't be explicable by other factors. E.g. Tyrion and Jamie parting on good terms is a result of them not addressing Tysha, which they might have done for several reasons, least of which is their supposed preference for redemption.)

[MrsGreyjoy]

Why do people think Theon will get a redemption arc?

There is literally no evidence to support it. Or is it just because its that way in the books?

That kind of thinking is so season 2...

The direction they've that D&D have taken the character seems to indicate there will be a redemption arc. I found show Theon in Season 2 to be far more sympathetic and conflicted than book Theon. The made-for-TV scene with Theon and Ramsay where he leads him back into the dungeon and he speaks of Ned Stark being the only real father he ever had, the made-for-TV scene where Reek is visibly upset when hearing about Robb Stark's death... None of these things were in the books, yet they've been included to show that he's not some superficial, cocky idiot.

[aFeastForDragons]

My mate who is an extra overheard something about Arianne being cut because she would undermine Emilia's Clarkes character. Thats utterly pathetic on D & D's part if its true.

[sj4iy]

My mate who is an extra overheard something about Arianne being cut because she would undermine Emilia's Clarkes character. Thats utterly pathetic on D & D's part if its true.

D&D are telling extras why they made certain artistic decisions now? That's completely believable and surely not a rumor at all.

[Hippocras]

Sounds like a good point. Yet upon reflection, I have a hard time coming up with examples for the shows like of redemption.

(If there were, it'd have to be a major deviation from the books to provide evidence of the shows like of redemption and it shouldn't be explicable by other factors. E.g. Tyrion and Jamie parting on good terms is a result of them not addressing Tysha, which they might have done for several reasons, least of which is their supposed preference for redemption.)

It is a clear choice though.

Jamie had been redeemed far more in general in the show than books. Even more true for Cersei. In the books we knew somewhat that her actions were in part to keep her children safe, but in the show they have played up her maternal side to the extreme to make her sympathetic, and also changed it around so that she is not portrayed as quite so horribly terrible at managing power as in the books.

The Hound has been redeemed far more than the books. Littlefinger has had his vulnerable moment and Jeyne, his most reprehensible act in the books is not in the show. After several seasons of portrayal as a villain the show is turning LF into someone mildly sympathetic now.

Etc.

[Spark7]

http://watchersonthewall.com/major-details-game-thrones-season-5-scene-casting-call-flamboyant-villain/
Whoa did you guys read this??
Interesting, to say the least...

[zaphodbrx]

Jamie was redeemed? Lol, he was turned into a rapist.

Littlefinger was turned into a moron. That's not redemption.

The Hound is totally inconsistent ( a problem with most of the characters now ). For example in one episode he breaks guest rights and steals silver from the dude.

[SoManyVows]

http://watchersonthewall.com/major-details-game-thrones-season-5-scene-casting-call-flamboyant-villain/

Whoa did you guys read this??

Interesting, to say the least...

This 'Luther' character sounds like he could be Game of Thrones' version of Nurse. Whether or not he's actually Nurse or an equivalent character remains to be seen, but the fact that there's no Luther in the novels doesn't mean much - it's common practice for many shows (including Game of Thrones) to use fake names for casting calls.

That scene with Daenerys sentencing the slave to death sounds like it will have echos of Robb Stark executing Rickard Karstark back in Season 3. A follower of a leader purporting to be just commits a serious crime, and said leader feels like they cannot let the crime go unpunished without compromising what they stand for. They have the perpetrator executed … and suffer from the backlash.

[cxvb]

Jamie had been redeemed far more in general in the show than books. Even more true for Cersei. In the books we knew somewhat that her actions were in part to keep her children safe, but in the show they have played up her maternal side to the extreme to make her sympathetic, and also changed it around so that she is not portrayed as quite so horribly terrible at managing power as in the books.

The Hound has been redeemed far more than the books. Littlefinger has had his vulnerable moment and Jeyne, his most reprehensible act in the books is not in the show. After several seasons of portrayal as a villain the show is turning LF into someone mildly sympathetic now. Etc.

Jamie was redeemed when he raped Cersei? I thought that was the last (second to last?) big controversy, how they failed to follow to a T ("utterly destroyed") Jamie's redemption arc. Cersei I'd attribute to her not being POV in the first three books, I'll withhold judgement on that for S5 when we will have a proper comparison. Either way, more positive portrayal is not the same as redemption.

The Hound was AFAICT mostly the same until he travelled with Arya, where he is a tad nicer than in the books. His crimes and his motives stay pretty much the same IMO so I don't see any redemption there either. He "dies" in the same place morally as in the books. LF was last seen lusting after Sansa, which wasn't "mildly sympathetic" to me at all. It was pretty creepy. A vulnerable moment also does not constitute redemption.

Overall, I believe you could make the case that the show portrays characters more positively than the books. But that's not redemption and it would have to be "redemption" in the usual sense of the term for it to argue in favour of Theon's redemption being especially dear to the show.

[dielsis]

Jamie … Cersei

The Hound … Littlefinger ... After several seasons of portrayal as a villain the show is turning LF into someone mildly sympathetic now.

I agree with what you're thinking of the show with regard to Jaime, Cersei, and The Hound…

BUT: The rape scene was a huge swerve, no matter what the writers/directors intended. It certainly did not help Jaime's case but they were visibly working toward making him "brighter" in the eyes of the viewer before and after that. I think they're setting Cersei up for the same kind of "brightening" and by her walk in Season 5 I suspect the viewers may be seeing her differently. The Hound was definitely being built up as more of a (twisted) big brother/father figure to Arya to make his departure and her actions more meaningful.

I'm interested in your thinking about Petyr, though. He's my favorite book character and I've enjoyed watching his AGoT-ASoS machinations show up on screen, and they certainly dulled him a little bit after the Purple Wedding, but I'm not sure I would place him into the "mildly sympathetic" bucket. Again: incredibly well-written character, which is where my appreciation of him comes from, but even in the show he is downright awful as a person. People like him in real life, even without all of the intrigue/murder/etc. are tough to sympathize with. As I said, though, I'm interested to hear your take because I wouldn't claim my analysis is correct.

[Hippocras]

Cxvb, I think you see redemption as more black and white than I do.

To me, redemption doesn't have to turn a character into a true hero and good guy to qualify for the word. The damning actions are still there, as they always will be with Theon. So we have different ideas on what counts as a valid example.