Deviation from the books.

[Prince Bran]

Example: A producer feels that the actor playing Catelyn has good chemistry with the actor playing Rodderick Cassel so they start having a love affair during their journey aboard the ship. This wont really change the story at all as the end fates of both characters will be the same, but it sure as hell will piss off many readers of the books! (not to mention that its totally against the character of catelyn in the books)

Example 2: Catelyn has an affair with jaimie lannister during his imprisonment. Again, wont change the outcome of the books...but again it fucks with Catelyns character.

Haha wow, you really want Catelyn to have a torrid love affair! Here are some others, just for you:

During Bran's coma, Catelyn saves his life from a would-be assassin with the help of his direwolf, Summer. Impressed by his vigor, she ignites a torrid inter-special love affair with the direwolf.

Even better: She decides to head north to The Wall to kill Jon Snow ("It should have been you!"). Upon arriving there, her passions are redirected as she ignites a complicated but torrid love affair with Jon, his direwolf Ghost, and Maester Aemon (those Targaryens have no shame!).

[Philly Homer]

You could explain the whole Catelyn/Jon affair by the whole repressed feelings concept. Of course she didn't want to say (It should have been you, Jon) but she was so sexually frustrated that she wanted to entice Jon into some rough sex. :smileysex:

;)

[Scotty Kent Myrick II]

Where in Hell did this topic go to....?

[Aystan]

I think they could have gone with a 13 year old if they eliminated the graphic sex and kept the nudity implied rather than explicit. They got away with a teenage (under 18) girl playing Juliet in the 1968 movie based on the play - and even had a brief shot of her thingis!

They also could have used a body double like they did in Blue Lagoon.

However, they are indeed casting a college aged girl for Dany. This has one major benefit. We are going to get to see her totally naked! Woo-hoo!

Child nudity laws have changed since blue Lagoon. They could never get away with something like that now a days especially with the moral panic of perceived pedophilia running amok.

[dude4daenerys]

Am. There is no guarantee of that.

I think the other reason they are aged is that GRRM has always been a little uncomfortable with the age of the characters from aDwD onwards. So making them older in aGoT fixes that as an issue.

You know what else fixes that issue? Aging them after ASOS. It fixes it pretty G.D. well.

They're aging all the characters? Is that a rumor or confirmed fact?

If they do that's f##ked.

[Scotty Kent Myrick II]

You know what else fixes that issue? Aging them after ASOS. It fixes it pretty G.D. well.

They're aging all the characters? Is that a rumor or confirmed fact?

If they do that's f##ked.

Why is that F##ked?

[About Yea High]

Age and perceived age is tricky. For instance, I'm a realism nut. I like things to be as realistic as humanly possible; my suspension of disbelief is admittedly loopier than most.

Which is why when I read a story like ASoIaF in which a 13-year old girl is marched to her wedding bed, I only cringe a little, knowing in the Middle Ages (and even later) that's just how shit was done. It's a fact, I wince a little for her, and I move on.

Much tougher putting that on film. If you have a 13-year old actress playing Daenerys, you can only do so much. According to the leaked script, Dany is 15 (just about all the kids are aged up approximately 2 years)... which is still years from legal, as far as sexual situations and nudity are concerned. Still tricky. You can't just say, "This takes place in a Midde Ages-inspired society, you sensitive little modern-day actress, so suck it up."

So you either go with an 18-year old who looks younger, and film whatever you want, or you cast to scripted age and just plain skip out on the sex. Make it implied. It's either one, it can't be both. I'd only be truly irked if they got a cheese-acting Megan Fox wannabe with gigantic cans for Dany.

Save the cans for Cersei, people.

Personally, I'm glad most of the children are aged up a little. I think that gives the show a better chance for quality acting. I don't think a 10-12-year old Bran changes the character all that much. He's still a kid without the use of his legs.

[Scotty Kent Myrick II]

I asked 'Why is the F##ed?" cause I questioned why the age up of characters seemed to be such an issue for the member whose post I replied to.

I agree with Yea High that an age up is required for legal means (protection from indecency) and such. I do think, however, that implied sex might work, even with an older actress. Anyone who read a book outside of their schoolwork probably knows the young bridal age of varying time periods.

Imply the sex, and then quickly cut to a Dany reaction shot: her lying in the furs/skins crying or looking bewildered behind Drogos sleeping form. Rather than focusing on a scene which isn't a pivotal moment for Dany, they get to save all that story time and production value/worry getting to the good bits... like making F***ing Dragons!

Sides', Yea High is right: the show needs good actors to appeal to HBO's diverse audience. I don't care overmuch if Catelynn gives Jamie an angered kiss whilst he's all scraggly in irons in the Riverrun Dungeon. It didn't happen, but it's plausible. She's overwrought with grief, hates the man, and maybe he is too damn sexy for that dungeon. Point is, if some deviation, either from story, character age, or whatever, helps to sell the pilot to the die-hard Soprano/Oz lover, you'll stomach it. You all may not like it, but you know it happens from book, to script, to screen (LOTR). And when you see the pilot, you will coo and gush about it so the series gets picked up, dammit. Have a little loyalty. Yeah Martin is taking his sweet a** time releasing "Dance", but the book, and a video game, and a pilot released in the same year will make HBO pee themselves with money inspired glee, and we'll be seeing the whole damn show... what 'Rome' coulda been.