[BOOK/TVSPOILERS] Stannis as the new Ned

[nerd123]

Stannis can be the "new Ned" from a marketing perspective without having to change his character at all. They just have to hire a big name actor and put him on the posters.

[ferthepoet]

Stannis can be the "new Ned" from a marketing perspective without having to change his character at all. They just have to hire a big name actor and put him on the posters.

But Stannis does not do much in the book and with only ten episodes they'll be pressed to fit it all as it is to be thinking of expanding Stannis to a Ned level of protagonism.

[nerd123]

But Stannis does not do much in the book and with only ten episodes they'll be pressed to fit it all as it is to be thinking of expanding Stannis to a Ned level of protagonism.

I dunno. I think you could pretty easily get six episodes out of his actions at the beginning and end of ACOK. Remember that Ned was barely in episodes 7 and 8.

[Miyamoto]

Considering Maester Cressen is the POV prologue character, the first bit of season 2 should be a Stannis-fest, and with Cat and Davos plus the Blackwater he does have screen time for a replacement for now, even though he's not a POV character.

I would like to throw James Frain's hat into the ring. He was great in True Blood and the Tudors, and he looks like a middle brother of actors who played Renly and Robert.

[jellydonut]

James Frain is AWESOME.

He's not bald though. Not that I mind. Syrio and Tywin aren't bald in the series either.

Frankly I don't get GRRM's fetish for baldness. :rofl:

[tarantella]

I don't think they need to tone up Melisandre's evil. Just make Edric Storm a cute kid that the audience will love, and then have Mel try to get Stannis to let her burn him alive. That will do the trick.

[Rand]

Yeah I agree with the concept of Stannis being the new Ned but the OP's idea to alter personalities is horrible. I didn't really know what to make of Stannis on my first read through of ACoK, he seemed almost like a villain and kept thinking there's no way this guy can win. Not because he's a 'bad guy' but rather because from the start he seems to be too outnumbered and completely uncompromising, I couldn't see how he could tactically pull it off.

So far the Game of Thrones has set him up as this almost ominous character, and I think if they get another recognizable name and market him people will quickly buy into it. He's not a likeable character like Ned, but after watching Ned bumble around the vipers nest that is Kings Landing trying to do the right thing only to get his head lopped off, I think people will take to Stannis and his unyielding ways just to see the Lannisters burn. Besides Davos is always there to be the likeable character, you're everyday man that can mingle with the lowborn and the only guy in a room full of yes men who has the balls to say no.

[Miyamoto]

I always thought of a younger Patrick Stewart for Stannis, but he is way too old. When they didn't have the guy's head shaved for Tywin, with the long sidebuns and stuff it was kind of a disappointment. That guy does a great job in the role though.

[Zezibesh]

I'm kinda fine with Syrio not being bald (because he's awesome) and I always thought Tywin's sideburns would look kinda silly, but if Stannis is not bald someone's getting firebombed

[Viking]

I think they are going to play up the differing attitudes that Ned and Stannis have to honor, duty and right. The scene I expect to be played around with the most is the meeting between Renly and Stannis with Cately and Storms End. Contrasting them with Ned. In a sense Renly and Stannis will compete with each other to replace Ned in the hearts of the Unsullied. With GRRM, again, screwing the fans over with Stannis' failure at The Blackwater. If this is done right the Unsullied will hate Tyrion for saving Joffrey's ass.

[D_Richard]

More reason to cast Henry Ian Cusick as Davos.

Lost fans will tune in, in droves.

And at least Davos is a SURVIVA

Holy. Jebus.

If Desmond were to ever be cast in Game of Thrones, as Davos F-cking Seaworth much less, I don't think I could ever watch another episode, simply because I don't consider myself worthy of heaven.

It would be too amazing.

[The Anti-Targ]

Davos is the new Ned. Ned is the honourable and honest adviser to the king, not the king himself. So Ned is to Bob as Davos is to Stannis. And it's Davos who convinces Stannis to go to the Wall and save the NW.

The audience who most loved Ned will transfer their affections to Davos, not Stannis; if they came back for season 2. And at the end of Season 2 they will think themselves gut punched once again.

[Xenophon]

Davos is the new Ned. Ned is the honourable and honest adviser to the king, not the king himself. So Ned is to Bob as Davos is to Stannis. And it's Davos who convinces Stannis to go to the Wall and save the NW.

The audience who most loved Ned will transfer their affections to Davos, not Stannis; if they came back for season 2. And at the end of Season 2 they will think themselves gut punched once again.

Good point. GRRM seems to like that trope. You've even got a subversion of it in Jorah to Dany.

[Rand]

Davos is the new Ned. Ned is the honourable and honest adviser to the king, not the king himself. So Ned is to Bob as Davos is to Stannis. And it's Davos who convinces Stannis to go to the Wall and save the NW.

The audience who most loved Ned will transfer their affections to Davos, not Stannis; if they came back for season 2. And at the end of Season 2 they will think themselves gut punched once again.

The Ned-Robert relationship is similar in nature to Davos-Stannis, but the dynamics of it is not. Robert was an incompetent and incumbent king that needed his friend and a better man to rule for him. Ned was the leading man in that relationship, and Robert the fool. Now Davos is one of my favourite characters in the series, but he's neither a warrior or a leader and not someone you can market as the leading man. Stannis is all three, but unlike Ned is a flawed hero and needs a moral conscience to look out for him. That's where Davos fits in... I'm trying to think of a good comparison but the closest I have at the moment is that he's Batman's Alfred.

Another thing for consideration though is if Melisandre gets thrown into the mix and they're presented as a threesome, with her being the devil on Stannis' left shoulder and Davos the angel on his right.

[Rangers30]

I would like to throw James Frain's hat into the ring. He was great in True Blood and the Tudors, and he looks like a middle brother of actors who played Renly and Robert.

Oh what a wonderful suggestion. I would be in heaven.

[The Anti-Targ]

Considering Maester Cressen is the POV prologue character, the first bit of season 2 should be a Stannis-fest, and with Cat and Davos plus the Blackwater he does have screen time for a replacement for now, even though he's not a POV character.

I would like to throw James Frain's hat into the ring. He was great in True Blood and the Tudors, and he looks like a middle brother of actors who played Renly and Robert.

James Frain is AWESOME.

He's not bald though. Not that I mind. Syrio and Tywin aren't bald in the series either.

Frankly I don't get GRRM's fetish for baldness. :rofl:

Yeah maybe. But really Mark Strong is Stannis in the same way Peter Dinklage is Tyrion, for me at least. I just wonder if they could get someone like Strong to be available for multiple seasons, because at this point I just can't believe they can stop at 2 seasons.

[modehead]

I like this idea. He looks the part.

But, here's an idea that isn't leaving my head: Dominic West (McNulty on the Wire, 300, Centurion)

He's got that incestuous HBO thing going for him, he's able to play an honorable warrior with questionable methods very well.

Anyway, just an idea.

[Knight of the Teabags]

Stannis is all three, but unlike Ned is a flawed hero and needs a moral conscience to look out for him. That's where Davos fits in... I'm trying to think of a good comparison but the closest I have at the moment is that he's Batman's Alfred.

How about Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson? Or their most recent 'descendents' Doctors House and Wilson? Like these two double acts Stannis and Davos have the 'formidable-mind-who's-a-complete-social-misfit' and the long suffering decent human being who's his only friend in the whole world thing going.

Stannis in a lot of ways would be a real boon for a character actor who is looking to yet again to reinvent himself. He is such an odd, strange in an uptight manner individual full of lots of weird ticks and internal contradictions thrown in a very interesting situation. I am sure given the largely positive reaction amongst critics for the show being arguably the most dynamic thing on television at the moment, I imagine we may already have some very formidable talent eying up the role of the 'man with the personality of a lobster'.

Talking of character actors Stannis is maybe just the sort of role that could possibly even entice a certain reclusive English method actor away from his Italian cobbling shop. He certainly of the right age to be a just younger sibling to Mark Addy, is tall and lanky with a piercing stare, looks good bald - he is however a very big name and yet... has always seemed more interested in the complexity of the roles he chooses to play rather than the money behind them and has never failed to surprise people with what he going to appear in next.

Very unlikely, but frankly given that (especially when HBO is involved) movies have in recent years lost much of the prestige they once held over tv, regarding this guy... maybe just about possible.

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://bawdybeau.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/096_daniel_day_lewis1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://bawdybeau.wordpress.com/page/3/&usg=__8pWkkPUc8HwQFbU5hSfmkVmdno4=&h=512&w=407&sz=36&hl=en&start=87&zoom=1&tbnid=0e5WpiMzaErNMM:&tbnh=135&tbnw=115&ei=T677TYKNDcfBhAeE1-SPAw&prev=/search%3Fq%3Ddaniel%2Bday%2Blewis%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1600%26bih%3D765%26tbm%3Disch&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1191&vpy=395&dur=2966&hovh=252&hovw=200&tx=15&ty=280&page=3&ndsp=37&ved=1t:429,r:35,s:87&biw=1600&bih=765

[King_In_The_North]

An amazing number of comments in other places have indicated disgust and repulsion with Ned being gone. Too many children, no honorable adults, no adult love story...:thumbsdown:

This has caused me to consider if Stannis could not take his role. :rolleyes:

1. A big name actor could be hired for the role. :smoking: (The money for battle scenes in season 2 could be reallocated to pay for his fee.)

2. He is doing pretty heroic and apparently good things: fighting the evil Ned-killing Lannisters, he is the only king being concerned about the Others, and he saves the NW. :thumbsup:

3. Some changes in his personality have to be made in order to be more heroic. But staying true to characters have not been a major concern for the TV series. So no more teeth gnashing. Skip the human sacrifices. More noble posing and statements. B)

4. Have to change some other actors also. Davos should become a villain attempting to lead to the good king Stannis from the right path. :ninja: Renly has to become more effeminate and clearly unsuitable as a ruler.

5. Make Selyse and Stannis hotter so we can have a hot love triangle between Stannis, Selyse, and Mel. :love: :whip:

[The Storm Queen]

I´d also love to see Frain as Stannis. In TB he managed to transform an one-dimensional villain into a scary, funny, tragic and abusive character. He was one of the most awesome actors in a season full of awesome actors.

I have always viewed Stannis as one of the most complex characters in the books because the line between villain and hero he walks is so small. It needs an actor like Frain to pull such a character off, otherwise we would perhaps only get the "law-and-order-man" chliché without much substance behind.

Slightly off topic: I think that they changed Renly in the show a bit. They emphasized his caring for the smallfolk and played down his venturer side and his disregard for the established system. How do you think will the portrayal of Stannis be affected by that?