[BOOK/TV Spoilers] Season Two - speculation

[William Mager]

I've written for Holymoly about Game of Thrones Season 2 - I know which five characters I'm looking forward to the most:

http://www.holymoly.com/tv/blog/five-characters-were-most-looking-forward-game-thrones-season-258531

[The Lost Lord]

There's been a lot of casting news since this thread was last updated. My takeaway is that there will be only a few character/plotline cuts, if any. The presence of Xaro, Craster/Gilly, and Roose reassure me on these fronts, and W-I-C says Dontos has been cast as well. But who is missing?

Let's speculate from the lack of Tully casting news. We know they're already filming an early scene where Robb interrogates Jaime, and everyone else who would likely be in the first episode has already been cast, even "Alton Lannister." I think Edmure at least is too important to be cut entirely, plus Catelyn needs post-Renly material.

So I think the introduction of Riverrun has been delayed until later in the season. The way it's written in ACOK, we would meet the Tullys in episode one, then Catelyn would leave them for 5 episodes, then she'd return to Riverrun for the rest of the season. Of course this makes story sense, but for TV purposes it's cleaner to meet Catelyn's family only after the Renly stuff is dispensed with (rather than meeting them, forgetting who they are, and meeting them again). How this relates to the reworked Jaime material, I have no idea. Will they bother including a dying Hoster? I think it's likely -- "Catelyn's dying dad" is an easy concept to convey, it provides emotional character moments for Catelyn, and it helps explain why Edmure would be trying to prove himself. The Blackfish is the one who falls through the cracks again. He can't be there, or else why would Edmure make such a blunder vs. Tywin? (Though this whole point could of course be changed.)

The Reeds, Balon, Ramsay, Ygritte, Qhorin, Vargo, and Podrick are the other semi-important roles who have not yet been cast, and they all only appear later on in the book -- except for poor Podrick, who we all fear won't make it. Personally I don't see why they would cut him, why not have a frightened comic relief kid hanging around Tyrion? Cutting the Reeds would be a gigantic change and I don't think they'll do it, but a small part of me will fear this until their casting is announced.

I suspect much of Robb's new material will involve Roose Bolton. Roose's connection to the Starks must be established, since it was omitted in Season 1. They've already rewritten the whole point about Robb and Roose having two separate armies in the Riverlands, so I wouldn't be surprised if Robb and Roose ride together for a while, and at a certain point Robb dispatches Roose to go take Harrenhal. Will the Blackfish be with them? Who knows. I tend to doubt it.

I am on the edge of my seat to see how they handle the Undying House. It is so different from anything that's come before.

[sunworshipper]

Some asked about page counts instead of chapters per POV in ACoK.

Tyrion: 200 pages in 15 chapters (21%)

Arya: 135 pages in 10 chapters (14%)

Catelyn: 110 pages in 7 chapters (11%)

Jon: 101 pages in 8 chapters (10%)

Theon: 95 pages in 6 chapters (10%)

Bran: 86 pages in 7 chapters (9%)

Sansa: 83 pages in 8 chapters (9%)

Dany: 67 pages in 5 chapters (7%)

Davos: 58 pages in 3 chapters (6%)

Cressen: 28 pages in prologue (3%)

[DragonAge93]

Sooo is Mance Rayder going to be in the series? I'm curious because, though I haven't met him yet in ACOK, I feel that he is going to be an important part in things to come.

[Moester]

I can't wait for Renly to say, “Loras, stay and help me pray. It's been so long I've quite forgotten how.” :laugh:

I suspect much of Robb's new material will involve Roose Bolton. Roose's connection to the Starks must be established, since it was omitted in Season 1. They've already rewritten the whole point about Robb and Roose having two separate armies in the Riverlands, so I wouldn't be surprised if Robb and Roose ride together for a while, and at a certain point Robb dispatches Roose to go take Harrenhal. Will the Blackfish be with them? Who knows. I tend to doubt it.

I am on the edge of my seat to see how they handle the Undying House. It is so different from anything that's come before.

That Robb post makes sense. Also don't forget him meeting Jeyne (probably the only casting I'm not so keen on :rolleyes:) They'll probably build the relationship well enough for Season 3.

The House of the Undying ones is one of my favorite scenes in the book. It better be good.

They also can't leave P-P-P-Pod out, who will s-s-save Tyrion in the end? Maybe they could change it that the rescuer would be Bronn, but it won't feel right.