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Another Sellsword Joins the Cast


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<p>A sharp-eyed fan (thanks, <a href="http://twitter.com/JonasRJakobsen">Jonas</a>!) stumbled across the fact that Mero of Braavos, called the Titan&rsquo;s Bastard, has been cast. The role of the notoriously brutal and untrustworthy sellsword captain is to be played by <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2075330/">Mark Killeen</a>, according to his <a href="http://www.spotlight.com/3418-9050-1937">CV</a>. He also lists director Michelle McLaren as the director of the episode or episodes he appears in. As we&rsquo;ve <a href="http://www.westeros.org/GoT/News/Entry/MacLaren_Directs_Episodes_7_and_8/">previously reported</a>, MacLaren directed episodes 7 and 8 of the third season.</p>

<p>So, the notable sellswords Daenerys meets in Slaver&rsquo;s Bay are largely accounted for. Is Brown Ben Plumm also in the cards? We&rsquo;re pretty sure that if he does appear, it&rsquo;ll be in the fourth season or even later, but you never really know.</p>

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Good news, I think this could mean we'll get the reveal of Barristan and of Jorah's betrayal this season as Barristan saving Dany from Mero is what sets the all off.

I do think we'll be getting Brown Ben Plumm but not until S4. I predict he'll be merged with the Tattered Prince as well.

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Good news, I think this could mean we'll get the reveal of Barristan and of Jorah's betrayal this season as Barristan saving Dany from Mero is what sets the all off.

I do think we'll be getting Brown Ben Plumm but not until S4. I predict he'll be merged with the Tattered Prince as well.

I think they're going to make Barristan reveal himself as soon as he arrives, no need for the Whitebeard-story on television.

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I think they're going to make Barristan reveal himself as soon as he arrives, no need for the Whitebeard-story on television.

Possibly, but I think they might just keep it in. The audience will know (unless they manage to disguise him really well.) but there'll still be tension revolving around Dany not knowing, and what Barristan's motives are. Also Barristan's reveal is what sets off the reveal of Jorah's betrayal. And Barristan's reveal is set off by Mero attacking Dany, which is the only real reason to keep Mero in. He's just fluff otherwise.

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Possibly, but I think they might just keep it in. The audience will know (unless they manage to disguise him really well.) but there'll still be tension revolving around Dany not knowing, and what Barristan's motives are. Also Barristan's reveal is what sets off the reveal of Jorah's betrayal. And Barristan's reveal is set off by Mero attacking Dany, which is the only real reason to keep Mero in. He's just fluff otherwise.

Mero only tries to kill Dany at the end of her fifth chapter. It looks unlikely that her story will progress past the "Mhysa" scene, so I expect it will be saved for next season.

Mero is not "just fluff". He's an important part of Dany's conquest of Yunkai.

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Mero only tries to kill Dany at the end of her fifth chapter. It looks unlikely that her story will progress past the "Mhysa" scene, so I expect it will be saved for next season.

Well my views are that the Mysha scene will be merged with Dany taking Meereen as the end of her season 3 arc. You're looking at things way to inflexibly. And even if she doesn't, Mero's presence still points to the Barristan/Arstan disguise being kept in for the reason's I've already said.

Mero is not "just fluff". He's an important part of Dany's conquest of Yunkai.

No, Dany persuading the sellsword companies to switch sides is an important part of her conquest. The show can't afford to show all the details the books did so unless Mero has a secondary purpose aside from that (i.e sparking off the reveal of Barristan and of Jorah's betrayal.), there's not really any point in keeping him as Daario already serves the primary purpose in the narrative.

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Well my views are that the Mysha scene will be merged with Dany taking Meereen as the end of her season 3 arc. You're looking at things way to inflexibly. And even if she doesn't, Mero's presence still points to the Barristan/Arstan disguise being kept in for the reason's I've already said.

The likelihood of Meereen and Yunkai being merged is incredibly slim.

No, Dany persuading the sellsword companies to switch sides is an important part of her conquest. The show can't afford to show all the details the books did so unless Mero has a secondary purpose aside from that (i.e sparking off the reveal of Barristan and of Jorah's betrayal.), there's not really any point in keeping him as Daario already serves the primary purpose in the narrative.

Of course he's an important part of Dany's conquest of Yunkai, otherwise GRRM would not have included him. :) Her fourth chapter is probably my favourite of the whole series, and part of the reason for that is Dany's interaction with the Titan's Bastard. I'm glad to see that D&D seem to have taken a very different approach to you -- I'd hate for characters that add an extra dimension to the series to be cut for not serving a "primary purpose in the narrative".

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I'm really hoping they include the scene with Oznak zo Pahl and the champion outside of Mereen in S3.

I don't think they will be able to reach the Meereen material in season three unless they seriously rush through Dany's material. They have to cover:

  • Dany meeting Barristan and seeking passage to Slaver's Bay
  • Arriving in Astapor and meeting Kraznys and Missandei
  • Arranging to "purchase" the Unsullied
  • Sacking Astapor
  • Leaving Astapor with her followers
  • Meeting the Yunkish sellsword captains
  • Taking Yunkai and being hailed as "Mhysa".

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The likelihood of Meereen and Yunkai being merged is incredibly slim.

And what is your basis for that statement? What's that, your don't have one?

Now, I can't speak for what goes on in D+D's minds, but logically merging Meereen and Yunkai makes the most sense for the show. While I don't like treating TV audiences like idiots (their not), the show does need to streamline information, and having three very similar cities in one location is something that I don't think works on TV. Also if we have both Meereen and Yunkai, Dany's season 4 arc will be a repeat of the 2nd half of her S3 arc, just stretched over more time. That's going to come across as trite repetitive filler. In the books each city is taken over the course of a chapter, but you're suggesting stretching single chapters over entire seasons. Not going to work. It would make much more sense to just have Meereen and Astapor, and after Dracarys to take elements from Dany's conquests of Meereen and Yunkai, and merge them into a few exciting episodes. Then S4 can cover some of her DWD material.

Of course he's an important part of Dany's conquest of Yunkai, otherwise GRRM would not have included him. :) Her fourth chapter is probably my favourite of the whole series, and part of the reason for that is Dany's interaction with the Titan's Bastard. I'm glad to see that D&D seem to have taken a very different approach to you -- I'd hate for characters that add an extra dimension to the series to be cut for not serving a "primary purpose in the narrative".

And here you've completely missed my point. Yes, Mero had a purpose in the books, and that purpose was to spark off the two reveals with Barristan and Jorah. His being a sellsword hired by Yunkai was really only a means for that to happen, and without that role he's nothing more than a little detail to make Dany's conquest seem a bit larger and more detailed: something the books can afford to include, but that the show has no time for. I too want to see Mero on screen, I liked his character but in order of preference it goes:

  • Mero on screen, serves the purpose he does in the books
  • Mero cut
  • Mero on screen, doesn't serve his book purpose and is essentially just a detail that eats up screen time.

Also I don't know what you mean about "I'm glad to see that D&D seem to have taken a very different approach to you."

D+D has been pretty ruthless in cutting minor things that I would have kept and for all you know the only reason they included Mero was for the Arstan reveal. Now you're just arrogantly assuming that your projection for the show is the truth, even though neither of us know what D+D's intentions are.

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I don't think that any of the Slaver's Bay cities will be merged. I understand why one might want to do this, but I don't think it will work. Each season must have major climaxes for each location and using up all of Dany's aSoS material in S3 will leave S4 without one. The aDwD story can't possibly be streched over 3 seasons, and Dany will need (for contract reasons) a significant amount of screentime for each.

In season 3 the focus will be on Robb/Cat's story (and also Arya), with the other stories being streched out more. That will have to include Dany's.

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I don't think that any of the Slaver's Bay cities will be merged. I understand why one might want to do this, but I don't think it will work. Each season must have major climaxes for each location and using up all of Dany's aSoS material in S3 will leave S4 without one. The aDwD story can't possibly be streched over 3 seasons, and Dany will need (for contract reasons) a significant amount of screentime for each.

In season 3 the focus will be on Robb/Cat's story (and also Arya), with the other stories being streched out more. That will have to include Dany's.

It's actually quite easy to find climaxes for Dany's arcs in all seasons. S3 could be her taking Meereen, exiling Jorah and deciding to rule, ending in the Mysha scene. Then season 4 is the first part of her ADWD material up until marrying Hizdahr, and with hints across the board of characters from Westeros making their way towards her. S5 can then cover AFFC/ADWD and the beginnings of TWOW, culminating in the battle of fire for Dany's arc.

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I haven't read the books in a while but can anyone think of a good spot to split her story in ADWD? Maybe her and the Harzgoo's...event? (trying to avoid spoilers)

Possible. There is a debate going on whether we will reach the end of aDwD in season 5 or 6. That complicates this discussion. I'm thinking S6 (and they'll included the start of tWoW probably).

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It's actually quite easy to find climaxes for Dany's arcs in all seasons. S3 could be her taking Meereen, exiling Jorah and deciding to rule, ending in the Mysha scene. Then season 4 is the first part of her ADWD material up until marrying Hizdahr, and with hints across the board of characters from Westeros making their way towards her. S5 can then cover AFFC/ADWD and the beginnings of TWOW, culminating in the battle of fire for Dany's arc.

I don't think it's possible to have S5 finish AFFC/ADWD AND start TWOW. That will have to be split into 2 seasons. I agree that Marrying Hizdahr should be the climax of a season, but I think it should be season 5 rather than 4.

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I don't think it's possible to have S5 finish AFFC/ADWD AND start TWOW. That will have to be split into 2 seasons. I agree that Marrying Hizdahr should be the climax of a season, but I think it should be season 5 rather than 4.

It's perfectly possible. S3 will probably cover about 2/3 of SOS which leaves lots of space for AFFC/ADWD material in S4. I'm predicting the Kingsmoot, the Dornish, Brienne's quest, Bran in the haunted forest, and some of Dany in Meereen as well as the other odd chapter like Tyrion arriving in Pentos, or Arya in Braavos to be in S4. This leaves a lot more space for the rest of those books + the beginnings of TWOW to be covered in S5. Consider the fact that AFFC and ADWD are by far the slowest and most ponderous books in the series. That's not necessarily a criticism, I like DWD for all it's slowness, but for TV it would be better to take the exciting events and compress them a bit more than what was on the page. Including the material in S4, this will result in a season and a half for both books.

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If they went to the trouble of casting an actor for Mero, they will most likely kill him off in this season too, rather than keeping him under contract unnecessarily.

"Mysha" could easily be postponed until after the Mero/Jorah/Barristan revelations. Say Daario or Missandei could take her out walking around the camp to cheer her up. It would give her story a happy coda (especially compared to all the other plots).

Mereen should be postponed for season 4. A lot of that story happens offscreen remember. We only learn about the infiltration of the city second hand. The show would show Barristan's and Jorah's break-in via the sewers and fighting pits in real time. IT would fill in at least two episodes of Dany-story in season 4.

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It's perfectly possible. S3 will probably cover about 2/3 of SOS which leaves lots of space for AFFC/ADWD material in S4. I'm predicting the Kingsmoot, the Dornish, Brienne's quest, Bran in the haunted forest, and some of Dany in Meereen as well as the other odd chapter like Tyrion arriving in Pentos, or Arya in Braavos to be in S4. This leaves a lot more space for the rest of those books + the beginnings of TWOW to be covered in S5. Consider the fact that AFFC and ADWD are by far the slowest and most ponderous books in the series. That's not necessarily a criticism, I like DWD for all it's slowness, but for TV it would be better to take the exciting events and compress them a bit more than what was on the page. Including the material in S4, this will result in a season and a half for both books.

It's not an issue of having space for all the important material, It's an issue of pacing as well as casting. The show likes to push characters back untill they are absolutly neccessary, so I doubt S4 will see both the Iron Islands and Dorne; probably just the Iron Islands. Also, principal characters like Bran and Arya who don't have alot of material in affc/adwd will need something to do and therfor can't have their story pushed forward. The logistics of filming new locations like Pentos or Bravos for one scene is to difficult to overcome. The only storyline that I think can be ligitimatly pushed forward is the Theon story and that would involve pushing forward Stannis and therfor Jon. Based off of the things D&D have said, I think the Battle of Castle Black is planned for the end of S4 so I don't think that is happening either. As for Brienne's Quest, I'd cut most of it out (don't get me wrong, I love it, but it's not relevent enough to the other characters). All of this is not even counting how to make sure the show doesn't catch up to GRRM.

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