WOOF! WOOF!

[Werthead]

Oh well, I guess it is Rory McCann as the Hound... I don't really think he has the acting chops for the roll and I'm dissapointed since he's a favorite character for so many, couldn't they get a real actor-actor? Seems like they just chose the tallest guy in the room... And yes I've seen many films he's been in, he's no great actor- just a big dude.

Check him out in The Book Group where he played a fairly complicated character and his brief appearance as a policeman in State of Play, in which he was very effective.

[Burgundia]

I always took the sansa/sandor connection as sort of a beauty and the beast type of story, only the "beast" becomes a better person, and the innocent beauty gets corrupted, and they meet somewhere in the middle as realists. i think in the end it will be sandor that pities sansa, as her innocence will be replaced by political intrigue. She will become more like cersei, and he is going the other direction. Maybe that is why Martin mentioned Perlman, who played the beast in his tv show. it might have been a subconcious storyline that he hadn't even realized he was rewriting in a way. also, i felt sandor and gregor had some parallels to the arthurian legend of balin and balan, who end up killing each other.

I don't think they will live happily ever after, that doesn't seem to be the way Martin likes to end his stories.

[AxB]

I don't think the Hound thinks of Sansa in a sexual way, so much as he sees her as embodying the innocence that he was never allowed to have, and so he feels compelled to protect her. But he sees her as an idealisation, not as a person. Whereas she grew up thinking purely in terms of idealisations, and yet is somehow the only person able to see this horrific, murderous Monster as a human being.

[Burgundia]

I don't think the Hound thinks of Sansa in a sexual way, so much as he sees her as embodying the innocence that he was never allowed to have, and so he feels compelled to protect her. But he sees her as an idealisation, not as a person. Whereas she grew up thinking purely in terms of idealisations, and yet is somehow the only person able to see this horrific, murderous Monster as a human being.

well, when i read about him "asking the little bird to sing" to me he sounded like he wanted to rape her or something, but was too drunk, and also, he wanted her because she was innocent, so he couldnt ruin her innocence because he would destroy what he loved about her, so he was kinda prevented from doing that awful deed. but to me, it sounded like he wanted to on some level, but hard to say, as people often say things drunk that they dont mean. And, his character often said awful things to pretty much whomever was around, so it might have been his way of protecting himself in a way, by keeping anyone from getting close to the real him by being an a-hole.

[emmank]

For the record, it is not in the SSM that GRRM was "surprised" by readers inferring romantic overtones between Sandor and Sansa. Do a search in the Citadel in So Spake Martin for "Hound" or "Sandor" and you will not come up with anything remotely suggesting that. He was, however, surprised by Sandor's popularity as a character. Which is a bit of a mystery to me, since he is such an obvious Byronic hero. Maybe I just tend to like Byronic heroes, but I thought most people liked them.

As I've said in another thread, I think the relationship was intended to be ambiguous, but there are plenty of hints in the text that suggest Sandor and Sansa are slated to mean more to each other than friends. I can see where the debate could rage whether or not you think the Sansa/Sandor story arc is over or whether it will continue

SPOILER: aFfC

post Quiet Isle

but IMHO if you think all there is between them is a platonic connection, you've probably just not caught some of Martin's subtleties.

I think part of the reason it is ambiguous in Clash is because Sansa does not understand some of Sandor's euphemisms and (terrible) attempts at romance until she gets a little older (she most definitely is "getting it" by the end of Feast). I think if a third party was able to witness some of their conversations and interactions, it would be obvious that Sandor was a little hung-up on Sansa. Why didn't he save Lollys (or even give a crap about what happened to her) if he was so suddenly intent upon protecting innocent women?

Anywaaaaaaay, I think McCann has huge potential as Sandor.... I could see him really pulling it off, and I hope it will be his best performance to date.

[daimonion]

I did see clues, but i don't think its a FACT or anything that Sandor is "into her". I, along with several others mentioned that he is clearly drawn to her - but that doesn't HAVE to mean he has romantic feelings toward her.

It could end up as an obvious love story, but i don't see it as "fact" this far.

[Burgundia]

this is complete speculation, but sandor might end up killing littlefinger for corrupting sansa. And, there is some creepiness between littlefinger and sansa too, she seems to attract all the pedophiles, doesnt she? Poor thing!

[Alexia]

I'm rather surprised some people don't think Sandor sees Sansa in a sexual way.

“You look almost a woman . . . face, teats, and you’re taller too, almost . . ."

I don't know how else to interpret that! ;)

There's also the time he tells Arya that he took the song, and meant to take Sansa too. He talks about her in a pretty sexual way, follows her, and I interpreted that whole scene on the serpentine steps where he tells her to sing him some song about knights and fair maids as a bad attempt to flirt with her. I also thought he meant to rape her when he waited in her bedroom for her during the battle and he just wasn't able to go through with it. I agree that the reason this is all so ambiguous is because Sansa simply doesn't understand what he means.

I was also a bit surprised when I heard that GRRM was surprised by Sandor's popularity. He really is my favorite non-POV; I loved his interactions with Sansa and Arya.

[About Yea High]

There are obvious romantic overtones regarding the Sandor / Sansa relationship, but I'm not sure I could see it headed in any traditional romantic way. One could argue he has feelings for Arya as well, since he saved her too (with a well-placed axe haft to the head).

His crass words to Sansa were always backed up by protective actions. The whole "I could have you right now if I wanted to" seemed more as a warning to her regarding how men think - trying to force her head out of the clouds - rather than a threat from his part.

More to the point, I think his actions reveal an inner drive to protect the innocent - just as he and his sister were not.

Again, there are certainly overtones, but few people I know believe it won't end in some sort of tragedy.

C'mon, HBO, make the McCann announcement already! We want our Hound!

[Alexia]

I agree that whatever takes place between them is headed for tragedy. In terms of Arya, however, it seems to me that he saved her out of simple human decency. He never makes sexually provocative comments to her, never gives her an affectionate nickname, never treats her as anything but a pest really. He passes her off as his daughter and treats her like one.

Also, in terms of his sister (just because I've seen it brought up several times), we really don't know anything about his sister. As far as I recall, she was mentioned once in the books and that was by Ned Stark during Gregor's introduction. He probably speaks more frankly to Sansa than anyone else and he never mentioned her. For all we know, she was even older than Gregor and he was never very close to her. The sister could conceivably affect his interactions with the Stark girls (though I sorta doubt it), but I don't see him particularly interested in protecting the innocent. He tells Sansa that the weak are made for the strong to play with, and that he's killed women and children. I don't think he's so interested in protecting the innocent as he is in not tormenting people. Brutal but not cruel, if that makes sense.

Finally, I can't wait to read Winds of Winter and hopefully see resolution coming to the whole plotline between Sansa and Sandor. AND hearing the McCann announcement!

[Burgundia]

I agree that whatever takes place between them is headed for tragedy. In terms of Arya, however, it seems to me that he saved her out of simple human decency. He never makes sexually provocative comments to her, never gives her an affectionate nickname, never treats her as anything but a pest really. He passes her off as his daughter and treats her like one.

Also, in terms of his sister (just because I've seen it brought up several times), we really don't know anything about his sister. As far as I recall, she was mentioned once in the books and that was by Ned Stark during Gregor's introduction. He probably speaks more frankly to Sansa than anyone else and he never mentioned her. For all we know, she was even older than Gregor and he was never very close to her. The sister could conceivably affect his interactions with the Stark girls (though I sorta doubt it), but I don't see him particularly interested in protecting the innocent. He tells Sansa that the weak are made for the strong to play with, and that he's killed women and children. I don't think he's so interested in protecting the innocent as he is in not tormenting people. Brutal but not cruel, if that makes sense.

Finally, I can't wait to read Winds of Winter and hopefully see resolution coming to the whole plotline between Sansa and Sandor. AND hearing the McCann announcement!

i cant wait either. also, for some reason McCann's look happens to kinda correspond to how i thought the hound would look, except of course, being severely burned, but i can see it. now, he does need to do the raspy voice though, or i will be disappointed. and, i doubt martin would have thrown in a mention of a sister if it isnt going to come up sometime, but, then, it was so long ago, he might have forgotten that he wrote that sandor had a sister. lol. so many chars, and so many details to keep track of. i agree, while he dragged arya with him, he didnt attempt to flirt/rape her, and treated her like a relative. well, better than he would treat a relative since he wants to kill his brother, lol. but, no romantic love or even sexual desire for her at all. maybe he was kind to her because he hoped somehow, she would lead him to sansa.

[Silverstar]

The McCann thing is apparently confirmed.

WiC has checked with Jay Tomio, and he's confirmed that he received the news from HBO.

[daimonion]

GRRM about Rory:

"It wasn't either of those that won Rory the role, however. Nor was it his performance in HOT FUZZ, a movie that I've heard good things about but never seen. His look had a lot to do with it, though. A lot of good actors auditioned for the role, and several gave really first class readings... but simply did not have the physicality the part demands. Sandor needs to be a big guy, powerful and threatening, someone who looks like he could break you in half. Rory is all of that and more.

Mostly, though, it was his readings. We had other good ones, yes, but none to touch his. One of the scenes in the side was Sandor's scene with Sansa, where he tells her how his face came to be scarred. In the space of a few lines, Rory had me terrified (where he roars, "Look at me," and makes her look at his face), made me chuckle (when he says no, the burns weren't dragonflame), and brought a tear to my eye (when he tells his story). After I saw that, I knew he was Sandor... and David, Dan, and Tom all agreed.

I think you'll going to love him as the Hound."

Though i don't expect GRRM to say anything downright negative about the cast anyway, this still sounds good to me. *Fingers crossed*