Season 2 Over. Best/Worst NEW casting?

[braintech6]

Best:

Stannis - Stephen Dillane - Did a very good Stannis just as I thought he would, Dillane is a good actor. The aging of characters still disturb me though.

Melisandre - Clarice van Houten - Did better than I expected

Davos - Liam Cunningham - Did well as well

Ygritte - Rose Leslie - Perfect for her role, as I said she would be

Jaqen H'ghar - Tom Wlaschiha - Cut down his lines a bit, but the actor did a good job

Gilly - Hannah Murray - Perfect for her role, as I said she would be

Worst:

Margarey Tyrell - Natalie Dormer - Still much to old for the character she is playing, and still not a good actress

Xaro Xhoan Daxos - Nonso Anozie - Could be the changing of skin colour, but I just feel this was a very weak character in general

Changing of the skin color, what the hell? This was about the acting, the the skin color should not having anything to do with the quality of acting, and it is idiotic to even say that. I did not like the actor that portrayed Xaro, and it did not have a damn thing to do with the skin color, it was the stiff acting period!!!

[Khal-a-bunga]

Well I can't comment on boardwalk empire as I haven't seen it. Keeping the discussion focused on, you know, game of thrones I think it's pretty absurd to claim that the show doesn't use sex for titillation purposes if that's what you're implying (apologies if not.).

And here we have a minor character that doesn't really serve any plot purpose at this point in the story being cast, while other more major characters aren't making the cut. She's been aged up from in the books and while she doesn't serve any plot purpose at this point she does conveniently allow a fanservice scene to make it in. Sounds suspicious to me.

But how do you know Missandei will be as minor of a character as she is in the books? It's likely she'll be given a more substantial role, since Dany's supporting cast of female characters has dwindled to zero since the end of season two. And as I said earlier, this character will likely provide an 'in' for the audience on whatever Free City D&D decide to have Dany show up in once she reaches Slaver's Bay. You're making assumptions that her sole purpose will be to provide titillation for the audience, and that doesn't really jive well with how Dany's supporting cast has been utilized throughout the series.

The Boardwalk Empire comparison, on the other hand, was referenced because the nudity and sexual content in that show is much more prevalent, but isn't as heavily scrutinized (again, not by you; just a general observation). Was kind of just thinking (typing) out loud with that one. It's a great show, though, so you should try to check it out if you have the time.

And really, I'd disagree that the majority of the sexual content in Game of Thrones is there solely to arouse the audience. Some of it is, sure, but a lot of it is in the service of other factors (Doreah discussing dragons with Viserys; Ros and Theon conversing about Theon's place at Winterfell and the Iron Islands; etc.). Under twenty minutes of the entire show to date has featured characters naked/engaged in sexual activity, so that in itself shows that you're jumping to preconceived conclusions regarding both Missandei's inclusion and purpose in season three, regardless of whether or not she and Dany share an intimate moment.

[Volantis]

I didn't like the dude who played Daxos . . his acting was too wooden and not authentic enough.

you mean ducksauce

[protar]

But how do you know Missandei will be as minor of a character as she is in the books? It's likely she'll be given a more substantial role, since Dany's supporting cast of female characters has dwindled to zero since the end of season two. And as I said earlier, this character will likely provide an 'in' for the audience on whatever Free City D&D decide to have Dany show up in once she reaches Slaver's Bay. You're making assumptions that her sole purpose will be to provide titillation for the audience, and that doesn't really jive well with how Dany's supporting cast has been utilized throughout the series.

The Boardwalk Empire comparison, on the other hand, was referenced because the nudity and sexual content in that show is much more prevalent, but isn't as heavily scrutinized (again, not by you; just a general observation). Was kind of just thinking (typing) out loud with that one. It's a great show, though, so you should try to check it out if you have the time.

And really, I'd disagree that the majority of the sexual content in Game of Thrones is there solely to arouse the audience. Some of it is, sure, but a lot of it is in the service of other factors (Doreah discussing dragons with Viserys; Ros and Theon conversing about Theon's place at Winterfell and the Iron Islands; etc.). Under twenty minutes of the entire show to date has featured characters naked/engaged in sexual activity, so that in itself shows that you're jumping to preconceived conclusions regarding both Missandei's inclusion and purpose in season three, regardless of whether or not she and Dany share an intimate moment.

Well as far as I've heard the actress playing Missandei is only credited for 2 episodes but if she does have a substantial role, that runs the risk of her joining D+D's menagerie of hot female characters and eating up valuable screen time.

And sure, we've got the sexposition, so the sex isn't purely for titillation, but personally I think sexposition is a pretty awful narrative device because:

a.) It's generally not a good idea to give important plot information accompanied by sex because for whatever reason (discomfit, horniness or merely not being able to hear over the moans.) the audience is less likely to pick things up.

b.) it's not particularly realistic for characters to expound on their family history in bed.

c.) It's really just sauce to disguise the flavour of clunky exposition.

[unbowed but broken]

A lot of people said it, but I will say it again. Asha's casting choice was terrible. People said she wasn't good looking enough, and I agree with that I imagined Asha as the hottest character in asoiaf. That being said, it wasn't my main problem. The thing really bothered me was Yara didn't look athletic at all. Asha is supposed be very athletic, a warrior type girl. Gemma Whelan doesn't have that look. A lot of bankers can outrun her, how is she supposed fight like a salty version of Xena. Even show Cersei would seem more lethal with a blade in her hand so I can't see show Asha/Yara as an actual fighter. I think the most important aspect of her character was being a fighter, that is why I was upset with the choice.

About good castings, all the rest was at least decent for me. Stannis and Davos were great and I loved Gilly. Melisandre, Brienne and Jaqen were really good choices too.

[boojam]

A lot of people said it, but I will say it again. Asha's casting choice was terrible. People said she wasn't good looking enough, and I agree with that I imagined Asha as the hottest character in asoiaf. That being said, it wasn't my main problem. The thing really bothered me was Yara didn't look athletic at all. Asha is supposed be very athletic, a warrior type girl. Gemma Whelan doesn't have that look. A lot of bankers can outrun her, how is she supposed fight like a salty version of Xena. Even show Cersei would seem more lethal with a blade in her hand so I can't see show Asha/Yara as an actual fighter. I think the most important aspect of her character was being a fighter, that is why I was upset with the choice.

For Asha/Yara:

I lay the blame at David Benioff and D. B. Weiss feet. (After all this time I still think we are owed an explanation about the name change, I find the one given to be very poor if not down right daffy.)

I never got the impression that Asha was a Greta Garbo type, after all being the captain of a bunch of ornary sea salts like the Iornborn is not the job a job for a shrinking mouse.

So they roughed her (and the rest of those near pirate types) up some with those stressed salt sea costumes, which are ok.... but...

Gemma Whelan is not that unattractive, and out of costume she does have a , or can have, even a dancer's figure.

I don't know if they asked her to put on some weight or just 'plumped' out her costume?

But why D&D instructed Gemma Jackson and Michele Clapton to opt for a 'dumped down' image is beyond me.

And her hair what's with that?

.... at sea it's really gonna look like a mess if one does not wear a hat or wear it up, so do something about that.

I can see why they are trying to give her a 'hardened' look , but the actress does not have to look like a drowned sea dog!

(I liked her boots in that dock scene.)

She proved herself a more than capable actress in The Prince of Winterfell.

Yet now she vanishes from the Geroge's story, heard nothing about Whelan sightings for season 3...which means nothing since heard nothing about sightings of about 3/4 of the cast for season 3!

[hughie]

Yes, for all her undoubted talent Gemma Whelan was hopelessly miscast. She would have been better as Gilly.

The rest are pretty much all top notch, with van Houten taking the prize.

[PatrickStormborn]

Well it's yet to be seen whether or not Missandei is being aged up to satisfy horny viewers or not. But unless Missandei ends up having some important role in TWOW there's really little reason to cast her at all (and even in that scenario it makes little sense to cast her now.) so i'd say that her inclusion at this point in the show (where other Slaver's Bay characters like Belwas are being postponed or cut.) along with her being aged up, is reasonable grounds for us to think that they just want her for the lesbian scenes.

Missandei is far more important than Irri/Doreah/etc. as she acts as a translator and seems to have some connection with Dany that her other handmaids lacked.

If they wanted the lesbian scene, they would have just cut Missandei and left Doreah around.

That's irrelevant. I wasn't asking why the killed some characters. I asked why they cast a 27-year-old to a 10-year-old character. It's not like Dany's Dothraki handmaids do anything important. The only thing that ever happens is the lesbian scene with Irri, and it's not important at all.

Oh, so female friendship isn't important?

Well as far as I've heard the actress playing Missandei is only credited for 2 episodes but if she does have a substantial role, that runs the risk of her joining D+D's menagerie of hot female characters and eating up valuable screen time.

Do you have a source for this? I'm not doubting you, just interested. We know she's at least in episode 3x06, so it would surprise me if she's only in one other episode.

For Asha/Yara:

I lay the blame at David Benioff and D. B. Weiss feet. (After all this time I still think we are owed an explanation about the name change, I find the one given to be very poor if not down right daffy.)

Theon interacts with both Yara/Asha and Osha. The way he says the name "Osha" sounds very similar to the British pronunciation of "Asha".

It's literally that simple.

[boojam]

Theon interacts with both Yara/Asha and Osha. The way he says the name "Osha" sounds very similar to the British pronunciation of "Asha".

It's literally that simple.

No it's not. It's stupid. Even people with British pronunciation would be able to make the distinction , and if they can't they should be watching a more simple minded show!

[Khal-a-bunga]

No it's not. It's stupid. Even people with British pronunciation would be able to make the distinction , and if they can't they should be watching a more simple minded show!

It's pretty stupid, yeah, but not so much as getting upset over such a minor detail. Asha, Yara - it's all the same, really, considering her name has no relevance on either her character or the plot. Ultimately though, Osha and Asha do sound similar, so I can understand why they felt like it should be changed. I'd be surprised if most of the audience even remembers the name of either character to begin with, let alone if they could do so when the names sound so similar. Such a silly complaint.

[boojam]

It's pretty stupid, yeah, but not so much as getting upset over such a minor detail. Asha, Yara - it's all the same, really, considering her name has no relevance on either her character or the plot. Ultimately though, Osha and Asha do sound similar, so I can understand why they felt like it should be changed. I'd be surprised if most of the audience even remembers the name of either character to begin with, let alone if they could do so when the names sound so similar. Such a silly complaint.

It's true it is trivia, nothing can be done about it now, just have to mark it down as one of those obscure unexplained puzzles, maybe someone will find out and write a footnote about it someday.

Anyway, it's curious to see what they do with the Greyjoy story now, just follow Theon? That may be all they have time for. Gonna seem odd when 'Yara' reappears , in season 5!

Have a feeling they will move that up.

Heard no word of Gemma Whelan being in NI this shooting season, but then that almost goes for 75% of the cast.

Conleth Hill seems to me to be the most secretive , across three seasons we know he is about but I don't think any cast spotter has ever captured an off set image of him.

[Jolene Brown]

I feel badly for Gemma Whelan. She's the only person who I just can't like as much after reading the books. I thought she was fine before, circa ep. 4, but once I read the books, I just found it much harder to accept her portrayal. Part of it also has to do with finding the name-change jarring and inexplicable, perhaps. I mean, Osha is a tertiary character at best while Asha is a major POV character, with important chapters in both AFFC and ADWD. For christ's sake, change Osha's name, not Asha's. It makes no sense. Think ahead!

Melisandre, on the other hand, I just couldn't get into in the tv show from the beginning, and didn't like any better in the books either. I just am not a big fan of this character altogether. I think Stephen Dillane is fine, but I also have this nagging sense that someone else could have done even more with the part.

[boojam]

I feel badly for Gemma Whelan. She's the only person who I just can't like as much after reading the books. I thought she was fine before, circa ep. 4, but once I read the books, I just found it much harder to accept her portrayal. Part of it also has to do with finding the name-change jarring and inexplicable, perhaps. I mean, Osha is a tertiary character at best while Asha is a major POV character, with important chapters in both AFFC and ADWD. For christ's sake, change Osha's name, not Asha's. It makes no sense. Think ahead!

Melisandre, on the other hand, I just couldn't get into in the tv show from the beginning, and didn't like any better in the books either. I just am not a big fan of this character altogether. I think Stephen Dillane is fine, but I also have this nagging sense that someone else could have done even more with the part.

(1)Gemma Whelan would not have been exactly my first choice either, apparently she was picked, among other things, because of the way she played off Alfie Allen in screen tests. And , like I said, I can go with the 'sea dog' captain motif , but why the heck does she have to be so grubby-fied? I mean a Greyjoy woman sea commander can be hard bitten but does her costuming and hair styling have have the dumped down look of the guys? As a character in the book she has a mind of her own and an 'attitude'... it would have been easy to keep. I think Gemma works ok, I just think D&D aesthetic choices are off base.

(2)Well I too have a bit a problem with Melisandre . I am sorry, but I don't think George ever gave me a convincing argument of just how she became Stanis's Kedalion, maybe George will explain it someday (at least to my satisfaction). I find nothing wrong with Carice van Houten , she looks the part to me... but , once again, D&D had this vision , apparently, of her underplaying , or at least damping intensity of the character, particularity in the early episodes. van Houten is a fine actress and very well regarded, but she looks shackled by the teleplay and the direction, as if she was instructed to not work to find the character. She does better as season 2 goes on.

I don't know, it's been my complaint , for season 2, that D&D were overwhelmed by the material, a very large novel stuffed into 10 episodes. Their supervision of the whole set of teleplays seemed to have them concentrating on KL , the Greyjoys, and Harrenhal which I think they pulled off brilliantly. While the beyond the Wall was a bit ragged and they seemed have worked on Dany's story and Qarth on their lunch breaks.

[PatrickStormborn]

It's true it is trivia, nothing can be done about it now, just have to mark it down as one of those obscure unexplained puzzles, maybe someone will find out and write a footnote about it someday.

Anyway, it's curious to see what they do with the Greyjoy story now, just follow Theon? That may be all they have time for. Gonna seem odd when 'Yara' reappears , in season 5!

Have a feeling they will move that up.

Heard no word of Gemma Whelan being in NI this shooting season, but then that almost goes for 75% of the cast.

Conleth Hill seems to me to be the most secretive , across three seasons we know he is about but I don't think any cast spotter has ever captured an off set image of him.

I've seen an image of Gemma Whelan with the actress who plays Brienne, so I think we can probably assume that she'll feature in at least one scene.

The Kingsmoot is most likely going to be in season four anyway.

[boojam]

I've seen an image of Gemma Whelan with the actress who plays Brienne, so I think we can probably assume that she'll feature in at least one scene.

The Kingsmoot is most likely going to be in season four anyway.

If I am not mistaken that picture of Gemma with Gwendoline Christie is more than a year old was taken at a party? There is another picture of them together in what looks like a pub, maybe last year in NI.

Thought I read they were best of friends and had performed on the stage together.

It's funny to think they play such dour characters on the show , yet off stage are comedians!

[Gdlavery]

Didn't think Ian Wright was nearly as good as Conan Stevens in the role of Ser Gregor Clegane. I'm sure the guy's a perfectly capable actor but I just couldn't see him as the hulking, hugely intimidating force that is the Mountain. I see from Conan Stevens' IMDb page that he has a role in 'The Hobbit' so maybe that's the reason he didn't return to GoT. Difficult role to cast I guess, being as the selection of actors who are so big has to be pretty limited.

She wasn't my show favourite but I think some of the criticism of Gemma Whelan's Yara are very unfair. So she isn't outrageously attractive, as many of you clearly imagined Asha to be, but I think she was really made that role her own and I'm looking forward to seeing more of her in Season 3.

For me the stand out performances from the new cast were Brienne (Gwendoline Christie), Stannis (Stephen Dillane), Davos (Liam Cunningham), Balon Greyjoy (Patrick Malahde) & Ygritte (Rose Leslie). It really says something about the standard of the show's cast when I'm only narrowing it down to five performances, amongst the newcomers alone!

[Titus Andronicus]

I loved a lot of the new castings. For almost every new actor, even if they don't have the entire "look" of a certain character, they most certainly have the personality. Yes, Brienne and Ygritte could both stand to be a bit uglier, but Gwendoline Christie's height alone make up for the physical aspect, and her portrayal of the Maid of Tarth is spot on. Rose Leslie has totally got Ygritte down as well.

The entire court at Dragonstone was fantastic, Stannis, Mel and Davos were all great. I kind of wish they would have actually shown Stannis' wife and child(?), tbh I'm not even certain Shireen exists in the show, though I seem to recall someone saying they casted her for season 3, or were going to, or something! So I'm not sure about that. I really hope so, just so we get to see Patchface.

I'm not too into Ian Wright as The Mountain. Conan Stevens is just closer to how I picture The Mountain (like an even more brutal version of Nathan Explosion), and when your character has two lines all season, appearance does matter, especially for a character like Ser Gregor Clegane.

Yara was great. Balon was awful (in a good way). I wasn't too crazy about Dagmer Cleftjaw to be honest. It wasn't at all how I pictured the character, and his actions in the show clearly showed that they tried combining him with Reek, which fell kind of flat for me.

Margery...I'm not sure if I like this new power player version of her. Obviously, Margery in the books could be (and probably is) just as big of a player, only we never see those parts of her. Either way, I very much enjoyed whats-her-face from The Tudors performance this season.

Over-all best new actor/actress though? I think I'm gonna have to give it to Gwendoline Christie.

[TheWildWolf]

The entire court at Dragonstone was fantastic, Stannis, Mel and Davos were all great.

I found these three stood out as the best in my mind. There acting was spot on, and exactly how imagined the in the books

For the worst, none really stood out to me too much besides Margery, and even then she wasn't too bad

[boojam]

For the worst, none really stood out to me too much besides Margery, and even then she wasn't too bad

The whole thing about Natalie Dormer makes no sense to me. (And for god's sake let no one bring up the age thing, that issue is as dead a lump of coal.)

I find Dormer a fine fit,(a fine actress) and I am in the camp of D&D making her a court Machiavellian, George just kind of let her drift in the novels. I love court intrigue, the more the better!

[Brandon Martell]

The whole thing about Natalie Dormer makes no sense to me. (And for god's sake let no one bring up the age thing, that issue is as dead a lump of coal.)

I find Dormer a fine fit,(a fine actress) and I am in the camp of D&D making her a court Machiavellian, George just kind of let her drift in the novels. I love court intrigue, the more the better!

Some people are mentioning Dormer because she's not a good cast for book Margaery. However, book Margaery is very different from TV Margaery, and Dormer fits perfectly on TV Marg.