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Should Melisandre and Stannis be shown in Season 1?


Andhaira

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They are only mentioned in book 1, but as we know they turn out to be extremely important characters later on. Should they be given cameos in season 1 of the series? IMO I think Melisandre should be shown arriving to Stannis's court in season 1. It will make for good foreshadowing. Plus if they have her spout stuff about Rhillor and the Great Other right from the get go, it will help tie things up with the pilot (where the Others are shown) Also, if she mentions the stone dragon prophecy from the get go as well, it will make Dany's hatching even more important for the tv audience.

What do you think westeros?

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Nah. Martin's reveal of the Stannis character was expert, in that we never met him in Book I but got enough of a feel for his existence that when we did meet him, we felt like we already knew him. Let the opening shot of Season 2 be an establishing shot of a gargoyle-littered castle with walls in the shapes of dragons, with "Dragonstone" in plain white letters across the bottom of the screen, and let us meet Stannis, Davos, Melisandre, and poor Maester Cressen just as we do in the books.

To begin the second season in unfamiliar territory with characters we've never met sends a simple, direct message to the audience: "The canvas is expanding, people; you'd best hold on tight." It worked in the books and it will work in the series. It's a fantastic dramatic device.

I'd even put the post-credits scene to Theon in the cabin of a ship with a certain merchant's daughter, just to minimize the degree to which the audience will feel like they're on comfortable ground (Theon will still feel like a tertiary character at that point, and a scene focusing on him will be unusual).

That's easier from a logistical standpoint (you don't have to cast the role a year early) and probably more effective from a dramatic standpoint as well, at least in my opinion.

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Leave 'em for Season 2. Also, it means less casting they need to do for Season 1. Stannis, Mel, Davos, Selyse, Shireen, Maesters Cressen and Pylos, etc. ...that's a whole passel of characters that can just be dealt with later, rather than sooner, and since it all works so well as is anyway, why complicate things? I think it's great that Book 2 opens with introducing all of them, anyhow - when it happens on the show it's going to be a nice surprise to those not familiar with the books when suddenly there's a whole new storyline opening the action.

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Actually, I'd end season one with a montage of a lot of characters from season two. Balon, Stannis, and others who I don't remember.

Nah. As Brude said, I can't see why they'd cast all those characters so early when they aren't needed.

The cast of aGoT is already huge.

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I agree with Stannis being not in Season 1, but they must show us that he is existing. There must be talks about him. Stannis being a member of the Small Council, Stannis being Robert's elder brother, Stannis being around when Jon Arryn visited Robert's bastards. Tywin being wary about what Stannis is doing on Dragonstone (especially that lines). He can't come out of thin air in Season 2.

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Plus Stannis himself is mentioned often by Ned. He shouldn't come from thin air. Ned was talking of his investigations with Lord Arryn, talking of visiting him on his way home, and talking of offering him the crown. He should get a fair amount of air time, without ever being shown.

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We shouldn't have anything to worry about with regard to Stannis being mentioned. His leaving the city immediately after Jon Arryn's death, as well as Ned's letter to Dragonstone proclaiming him to be the rightful king, are both very important plot points.

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