Which characters will be cut from the series or consolidated with other characters?

[Brude]

As someone mentioned in a much earlier post in the thread, "The Wire" is a good measure of how a show can deal with a large number of walk-on characters, often very memorable ones, and still be fathomable to the audience. On IMDb, the cast list for "The Wire" over 5 seasons is 327 characters long, and I'm honestly not sure that is even the full list. A lot can be done by giving a character a very memorable few lines and with a show like this, there's also opportunity to have fun with costuming and makeup that isn't available so much in a show like The Wire where we expect more natural types of clothes and such. Those things can help make characters stand out, too.

[Padraig]

It seems that lots of the minor characters will feature, so talk about dropped characters may have been greatly exaggerated. Pretty great news. I know I had assumed there would be more changes. Happy to find out otherwise.

[DizoakiusMaximus]

Also, they can NOT cut Jhalabhar Xho. He may yet end up being the PwwP. (he's a prince, born in the SUMMER isles, an excellent marksman, etc etc)

I love this idea, well sorta.

I find it an amusing that the "Prince Who Was Promised" could possibly also be the "Prince Who Isn't Really Welcome At Court Since Robert Bought It" (quite the title there)

Like, way to alienate, piss off and then frame the Last Best Hope Of Westeros.

[Brude]

I asked the following over at WiC as well:

Just curious. In all the casting stuff that GRRM has mentioned, has he suggested anywhere that he's looked at video for Lord Beric Dondarrion? I don't remember any such thing. This could mean a few things:

1. It slipped his mind when making his lists - no indication his lists have been exhaustive.
2. Beric was already cast or is nearing completion.
3. Beric won't start showing up as a character until 2nd or maybe even 3rd season (just referred to before then as a rumor, maybe). They could just make him a Riverlands lord whose taken up arms vs. the Lannisters, not get into Ned sending him out after Gregor.
4. He's being written out of the story completely, and we'll have a less complicated situation in the Riverlands, maybe with a different sort of BwB or no BwB at all?

My own feelings - 1 and 2 don't seem too likely, but who really knows. I wouldn't mind 3. This could be made to work. 4 would really suck and I hope not...

Another question along the same lines...any word on Thoros of Myr as well?

[Padraig]

I think 1 is possible. Beric is not that prominent in book 1, so he could easily be forgotten about.

I hope they don't do 4. Too many threads hang off the BwB. They can downplay it in the first season though. Some random people are sent after Gregor but they don't need to have lines or even be shown. Then they can recast "Beric" if required in any S3. He is supposed to look different anyhow.

Thoros does nothing in S1 (they could mention his melee win if they want to include an in-joke), so he can be completely removed. And then just show up in S3.

[DizoakiusMaximus]

Thoros does nothing in S1 (they could mention his melee win if they want to include an in-joke), so he can be completely removed. And then just show up in S3.

While neither of them figure prominently (or really even at all) it would be good to have them on screen (even if they are portrayed by different actors later) just to establish who they are (and as a in-joke for fans, as you said).

Beric's total involvement can be getting the mission from Ned to go hunt down Gregor, and Thoros could just be seen in the background at the melee, whuppin butt with his flaming sword (imagine the first-timers reaction upon seeing a huge melee and then some "random" dude with a flaming sword, with little to no explanation) Like I said, even if they're played by different actors later, I think they should at least have cameo's.