First Production Stills from Season 3

[1234567]

Or maybe Arya's entire arc in the fourth season will be focused on her travels with the Hound. Well, that's what I'm hoping for, at least :P

Oh sweet Summer child, she'll probably be heading for Braavos by Ep 2. :dunce:

This id D&D we are talking about. But don't worry,we'll probably get a whole new storyline where Talisa goes off to fight slavery in Volantes.

[King Tyrion I]

I just wonder about Oberyn Martell - I didn't recognize him in the stills.

[Ran]

That would be because he's not cast. He's probably for the 4th season.

[King Tyrion I]

Oh, alright.

You know I linked the stills to a friend of mine, and she said the same. That she missed Oberyn.

But that would make sense then, him probably being for the 4th season.

[Razha]

Or maybe Arya's entire arc in the fourth season will be focused on her travels with the Hound. Well, that's what I'm hoping for, at least :P

Actually, I think this is quite possible scenario.

They have already succesfully teamed Aria with Tywin in S02 so why not expand the story with Hound?

Plus This will allow them to flesh out the Hound better

[muff007]

Brilliant photos! I'm friends with the girl who took those shots! Great photography!

[Fragon]

Well, that would just destroy Stannis' character. Sacrificing his daughter? in the book he is fighting the war for her. He says it 2-3 times, it's his duty to fight for the rights of his daughter. Himself could give up the Iron Throne, but he has a heir.

I think he would think about it as much as he thought about Edric Storm, the reason beings the same :"whether it would save millions from the dark." And that would fit his depressed mood on the still.

But I'd rather they'd use Edric Storm but I haven't heard any casting... and neither a casting on Patchface :/

[Le Cygne]

Beric in Episode 7? Sigh, I guess that means we are only getting the Arya and Hound adventures of one seen before the RW. Seriously, I think the producers either hate the character, the actor or both.

Also Sansa is way too happy in that picture. Even before the RW she was in a near constant state of dispair because of the forced marriage. Seriously, how badly are they going to go off piste with the storyline this season?

I know. Sigh.

Or maybe Arya's entire arc in the fourth season will be focused on her travels with the Hound. Well, that's what I'm hoping for, at least :P

It would take a minimum of four scenes, two of them long, to finish that arc after episode 9, too much for one episode, even if they cut a lot of it. I sure hope they don't rush through it.

Actually, I think this is quite possible scenario.

They have already succesfully teamed Aria with Tywin in S02 so why not expand the story with Hound?

Plus This will allow them to flesh out the Hound better

Sounds good, but there are no signs of this. They gave Littlefinger his lines again in season 2.

[1234567]

It would take a minimum of four scenes, two of them long, to finish that arc after episode 9, too much for one episode, even if they cut a lot of it. I sure hope they don't rush through it.

Yep, she could be setting sail for Braavos by Ep 3 of Season 4 depending on when they kill off Joff. I can't imagine they can leave Joff alive much longer than Ep 2.

Sounds good, but there are no signs of this. They gave Littlefinger his lines again in season 2.

How much does that ruin the LF, Sansa and Sandor triangle. I suppose the producers know the end though, so it probably means the Sandor / Sansa stuff isn't important, but if it is, then they have screwed up setting it up.

[Le Cygne]

Screentime:

1. Tyrion Lannister - 91:63
   
2. Arya Stark - 59:38
   
3. Cersei Lannister - 56:39
   
4. Daenerys Targaryen - 53:24
   
5. Theon Greyjoy - 49:22
   
6. Jon Snow - 47:36
   
7. Sansa Stark - 45:31
   
8. Varys - 41:10
   
9. Catelyn Stark - 36:44
   
10. Joffrey Baratheon - 34:47
    
11. Robb Stark - 34:42
    
12. Petyr Baelish/Littlefinger - 33:57
    
13. Davos Seaworth - 32:50
    
14. Brienne Tarth - 32:06
    
15. Sandor Clegane/The Hound - 30:20
    

There's more at the link:

http://asoiaf.wester...-of-characters/

[Nezzer]

Yep, she could be setting sail for Braavos by Ep 3 of Season 4 depending on when they kill off Joff. I can't imagine they can leave Joff alive much longer than Ep 2.

How much does that ruin the LF, Sansa and Sandor triangle. I suppose the producers know the end though, so it probably means the Sandor / Sansa stuff isn't important, but if it is, then they have screwed up setting it up.

I think they will take their time with the show. If they rush, they could catch up with GRRM and that would be terrible for them and for us. That's why I think Arya is only arriving in Braavos in season 5.

[Kittykatknits]

Also Sansa is way too happy in that picture. Even before the RW she was in a near constant state of dispair because of the forced marriage. Seriously, how badly are they going to go off piste with the storyline this season?

She was depressed her entire marriage, not just after the RW. Although that did make it worse. So, no idea why she would be smiling in that picture. Oh, wait, D&D can't do anything that would make Tyrion look bad. So, she's probably smiling at how awesome and wonderful he is.

[Le Cygne]

She was depressed her entire marriage, not just after the RW. Although that did make it worse. So, no idea why she would be smiling in that picture. Oh, wait, D&D can't do anything that would make Tyrion look bad. So, she's probably smiling at how awesome and wonderful he is.

Or she's smiling at how awesome Littlefinger is. And how can Tyrion kill his awesome father, that's the part that intrigues me.

[Kittykatknits]

Or she's smiling at how awesome Littlefinger is. And how can Tyrion kill his awesome father, that's the part that intrigues me.

I don't know how they will spin that either. I really don't know what to think about much of the upcoming season to be honest. I'm pretty cynical about the show at this point.

[Le Cygne]

duplicate

[Newstar]

Also Sansa is way too happy in that picture. Even before the RW she was in a near constant state of dispair because of the forced marriage. Seriously, how badly are they going to go off piste with the storyline this season?

She's smiling very faintly with an expression of interest or hopefulness. It's not like she's grinning like a loon the way she was after Joffrey set her aside in 2x10. Maybe she's with Shae, whom she (so far, anyway) cares for and feels warmly towards. Maybe she's discussing her imminent departure from KL with someone. It's a little early to release the hounds (or Hound, I guess) on the basis of one ambiguous expression in one picture alone. And for all we know, she cracked a smile or two in the godswood during her hated marriage, even if we never "saw" it through a POV.

Yep, she could be setting sail for Braavos by Ep 3 of Season 4 depending on when they kill off Joff. I can't imagine they can leave Joff alive much longer than Ep 2.

There have been some epic wars in the fandom over whether the PW will fall in Season 3 or Season 4, and I don't want to start another one, but I do think that it's by no means clear the PW in Season 4 is a done deal. Hopefully we'll get some promo material that will answer the question. We know that Sansa is wearing a wedding ring in Episode 10, so keep an eye out for any Sansa shots with ring in the trailers: they might do the work for us.

How much does that ruin the LF, Sansa and Sandor triangle. I suppose the producers know the end though, so it probably means the Sandor / Sansa stuff isn't important, but if it is, then they have screwed up setting it up.

Well, more likely it's not so much the Sansa/Sandor stuff that isn't important, but that Sansa's obsession with chivalry/knights/"true knights"/songs isn't important, since that's been entirely eliminated from her character. Once you take that out, what exactly does she have to talk about with the Hound, or with Dontos for that matter? (You'll note that Dontos has also been eliminated from the TV adaptation, except for his Season 2 scene: not because his role wasn't important--Littlefinger's catspaw--but because the "drunken knight who fools Sansa with talk of Florian and Jonquil and plays on her love of knights" angle doesn't exactly work when that aspect of Sansa's character has been stripped from her.)

At any rate, though, this is a series with several important plots and POV characters that have nothing to do with Sansa (and her POV is mainly useful from a plot perspective as a window into King's Landing and then the Vale). Also, the Hound has very limited relevance to anyone who isn't Sansa (and Arya, to a lesser extent, and I guess as a bit of a footnote in Brienne's travels).

Given the foregoing, it makes sense that Sandor's role would be considerably reduced in the adaptation, where the showrunners and writers have to make some tough decisions about what goes in and what's ultimately expendable. They have decided, for whatever reason (be it knowledge of the ultimate end of the story, deference to Sophie Turner being older than Book Sansa, or something else) that Sansa's obsession with chivalry/knights/"true knights"/songs is expendable. That has consequences when it comes to the way her arc is written, and, by extension, the Hound's.

Whatever the ultimate significance of Sandor and Sansa's relationship, whether they never meet again or whether they hook up and have a dozen babies, I think everyone would do well to remember that this show is Game of Thrones and not The Ballad of Sandor and Sansa.

[franko99]

I think they will take their time with the show. If they rush, they could catch up with GRRM and that would be terrible for them and for us. That's why I think Arya is only arriving in Braavos in season 5.

Apart from the fact that they can't rush too much or they will catch up with the books, Braavos will have to be a whole new location, for monetary reasons, I believe they will try to push it until it's inevitable (Dorne and Oldtown as well)

She was depressed her entire marriage, not just after the RW. Although that did make it worse. So, no idea why she would be smiling in that picture. Oh, wait, D&D can't do anything that would make Tyrion look bad. So, she's probably smiling at how awesome and wonderful he is.

I don't know how they will spin that either. I really don't know what to think about much of the upcoming season to be honest. I'm pretty cynical about the show at this point.

Yeah, I'm quite cynical and disapointed about the show too, but they need to start graying some characters, otherwise TV-only fans will be confused by Tyrion when they reach to the end of ASOS and ADWD. (unless they make it like Tyrion is just a poor victim and everything is Cersei and daddy's fault, oh and Jaime who's a true monster according to D&D)

Well, more likely it's not so much the Sansa/Sandor stuff that isn't important, but that Sansa's obsession with chivalry/knights/"true knights"/songs isn't important, since that's been entirely eliminated from her character. Once you take that out, what exactly does she have to talk about with the Hound, or with Dontos for that matter? (You'll note that Dontos has also been eliminated from the TV adaptation, except for his Season 2 scene: not because his role wasn't important--Littlefinger's catspaw--but because the "drunken knight who fools Sansa with talk of Florian and Jonquil and plays on her love of knights" angle doesn't exactly work when that aspect of Sansa's character has been stripped from her.)

At any rate, though, this is a series with several important plots and POV characters that have nothing to do with Sansa (and her POV is mainly useful from a plot perspective as a window into King's Landing and then the Vale). Also, the Hound has very limited relevance to anyone who isn't Sansa (and Arya, to a lesser extent, and I guess as a bit of a footnote in Brienne's travels).

Given the foregoing, it makes sense that Sandor's role would be considerably reduced in the adaptation, where the showrunners and writers have to make some tough decisions about what goes in and what's ultimately expendable. They have decided, for whatever reason (be it knowledge of the ultimate end of the story, deference to Sophie Turner being older than Book Sansa, or something else) that Sansa's obsession with chivalry/knights/"true knights"/songs is expendable. That has consequences when it comes to the way her arc is written, and, by extension, the Hound's.

Whatever the ultimate significance of Sandor and Sansa's relationship, whether they never meet again or whether they hook up and have a dozen babies, I think everyone would do well to remember that this show is Game of Thrones and not The Ballad of Sandor and Sansa.

No one is asking for a ballad of Sandor and Sansa, but they do cut most of their relationship. And if they didn't feel important to "kill" Sansa's obssesion with chivalry/knights/life in court, why they give those lines to Littlefinger, he pretty much took the role of the Hound in KL for the show.

[Archana The Brown Walker]

Are they going to show all seven deaths of Beric in this season? Or will some of them spill onto the next season? I hope they show all seven deaths in the series, and not just the first and the permanent one.

[Le Cygne]

Wanting to see more of your favorites, and not liking everything about a show, that's normal, reasonable, expected.

Here's how the Hound is described in the HBO Viewer's Guide:

Personal bodyguard to King Joffrey, the Hound carries out his commands. He bears no love for his brother Gregor, known as "The Mountain," but has a soft spot for Sansa Stark and is quick to protect her from Joffrey's cruel whims.

http://viewers-guide...sandor-clegane/

Seems like the show sees his role as similar to the books. GRRM says they are exploring the relationship similarly on the show here:

Sandor got almost as much screentime as Robb in season 2. The Sansa/Sandor interactions to date really haven't move the broader plot along, and yet many were included in the show. Reviews of the scenes on the show have been very good, and they have noticed what many of us liked about the books:

Also, I think that fact that The Hound is clearly in love with her, in a Beauty/Beast sort of way, helps endear her to us.

- IGN

Sansa and the Hound! Sansa and the Hound! I have to admit that the scene where Sansa finds Sandor in her room after he leaves the battle is one of my favorites in all of the books. (I'm a 12-year-old Beauty and the Beast fan at heart.) I only wish we could've seen more of them together throughout the season.

- Chicago Tribune

Why, oh, why wouldn't Sansa go with The Hound at this point? Their shared scenes have always been a pleasure to watch, but none more so than their final one last night. (Though he never asked his little bird for a song, did he?)

- Tor

Sansa argues that Stannis won't hurt her, which the Hound quickly explains that yes he will, he's a killer. Like him, like Ned, like Robb. And to look him in the face so she can get used to seeing men that kill—they're all around her, making the world what it is. She looks at him and is no longer afraid. He's the Beast, and she's Belle, and gosh, he's just gruff because he's scared! Tale as old as time… song as old as rhyme! "You won't hurt me," she realizes. "No, little bird, I won't hurt you." But he will leave, and does.

- Hey, Don't Judge Me

But while Bronn distracts himself with a presumably hired lady love, Sandor keeps a rather affectionate candle burning for Sansa. Perhaps making a reference to flame isn't exactly appropriate, considering that Sandor was scared enough of the fire to desert his post. But that does bring up another subtle contrast between himself and fire-starter Bronn, doesn't it?

- TV Overmind

But as fire raged outside King's Landing the Hound finally had enough, handing in his tersely memorable notice and pausing only to offer sanctuary to Sansa on his way. Sadly his little bird rejected his offer – but their surprisingly tender scene provided a brief respite amid the death and destruction.

- The Guardian

I never thought it would be possible, but the Hound made me tear up a bit. His conversation with Sansa was so heartfelt. Their relationship has been building up to this, but it was still surprising. Will Sansa get out with him in time? I’m guessing that she will be too late once again.

- CliqueClack

The Hound is obviously soft for Sansa - I think she represents a pureness and innocence he can never possess, and of course there is her beauty, such a beauty that it reminds the Hound of his inner and outer ugliness, and so she becomes a kind of symbol of all things clean that he feels motivated to protect, and yet Sansa refuses him.

- (Not So) Daily

And Sansa, well…she’s clearly getting much better at manipulating Joffrey, and her scenes with Cersei, and most notably the scene with the Hound (Rory McCann) were some of the best we’ve seen with the character.

- What Culture

Sandor Clegane (Rory McCann) surprised us in this episode. His "eff it all" attitude, drinking and his offer to take Sansa (Sophie Turner) away were at the top of the list. He's clearly had enough of his employer and doesn't care who knows it. We must say, we probably would have fled with him if we were Sansa.

- E Online

Agree or disagree with Martin, you have to admit he makes his point very well, and scenes like the Hound advancing on Sansa to tell her that all men she knows—or will know—are killers and that the world is made by killers are at once beautiful, mesmerizing, and horrifying.

- AV Club

The attention Martin paid to Sandor and Sansa's subtext-ridden relationship was nice. Sandor seemed—for the first time in this series—a real living, breathing person, and Rory McCann was finally let out of his cage and allowed to do his thing. That final scene in Sansa's chamber was delightfully scripted, acted, and shot, and I loved the slow confidence in Sansa's eyes when she stared up at him and said, "You won't hurt me."

- TV Equals

"But he arrived, Stannis (who deserves major props for walking the walk; he was the first of his men on to land and on to the ladders) was defeated and we're left to wonder if Tyrion is alive; where Sansa is off to with Hound; and how the King's Guard will react to its highness as a coward.

- TV Fanatic

Having abandoned the battle, he offers to take Sansa with him, returning her to Winterfell, an offer she momentarily rejects but seems to relent to in the end. OR DOES SHE?!

- Screencrush

He offers to take her back to Winterfell and to protect her, but she refuses, still saying how much she loves Joffrey. That's when the Hound gets real with her, looks her straight in the eyes and explains that he's not playing games, he's being 100 percent honest. He will keep her safe and she doesn't need to keep lying and pretending to love Joffrey. And it seems to work.

- Buddy TV

War forces us to consider our allegiances, and in that battle the Hound realizes that his King is not worth protecting with the flames nipping at his heels. That he feels differently about Sansa says something about the character, something the show has been subtly laying the groundwork for all season.

- Cultural Learnings

The Hound doesn't say much, but the show has done a good, subtle job of letting us know what Sandor Clegane thinks of Joffrey's treatment of the "little bird."

- Huffington Post

Sansa is almost raped before being rescued by the Hound, who takes care of things in his usual brute force fashion. But his affection for Sansa is obvious ("I didn't do it for you," he tells Tyrion)

- AV Club

I loved finally seeing a bit of interaction between Sandor Clegane and Sansa. While he may not look the part, he is quite the knight in shining armor.

- Tor

Just as it's about to get really horrible, the Hound shows up, disembowels one, snaps another guy's neck and kills the third one leaving the last guy cowering in the corner. He tosses Sansa over his shoulder and tells her, 'You're all right, Little Bird." I think he likes Sansa. He brings her to the castle where Tyrion frets over her (because he's ultimately a gentleman) and then thanks The Hound, who is all Honey Badger about it. "Don't give a shit if you're proud of me. Didn't do it for you."

- Hey, Don't Judge Me

It's the Hound, of course, who comes to her rescue, the "monster" who is far more civilized than his master—or anyone, really—would give him credit for. (In fact, it's the fourth time the Hound has saved her...) Upon seeing the frenzy of the crowd, the first thought that Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) has is of Sansa's safety, but he's thinking in far more pragmatic terms, seeing the Stark girl as a bargaining chip, a hostage, a pawn. It's not the Hound's perception. He sees Sansa as a "little bird" whom he saves from the hungers of the crowd, bringing her back to the keep so she can be returned to her "cage."... He has the bottle to be just as brutal as anyone else, but he has a moral code that sets him apart from the wildness of those around him.

- Televisionary

The king and Prince Tommen are whisked off to safety, along with Cersei and Tyrion, but Sansa runs off into a dark corridor and is attacked by a group of men, hell bent on taking her maidenhead. Enter the Hound, who saves the little bird from her attackers and carries her to safety. Tyrion thanks him with a, "Well done, Clegane." But Sandor just says, "I didn't do it for you." Sansdor shipping, I am in you.

- Chicago Tribune

"You'll be glad of the hateful things I do someday when you're queen, and I'm all that stands between you and your beloved king," he says. She runs away, and he looks after her hungrily.

- nj.com

She attempts to thank him for stopping her from being raped during the riots in last week’s episode, but he responds with sneering cruelty. However, after she goes, he gives her a longing gaze that does nothing towards dispelling the theory that he’s madly in love with her.

- GameZone

More reviews...

[Newstar]

No one is asking for a ballad of Sandor and Sansa, but they do cut most of their relationship. And if they didn't feel important to "kill" Sansa's obssesion with chivalry/knights/life in court, why they give those lines to Littlefinger, he pretty much took the role of the Hound in KL for the show.

I didn't mention "life in court," since TV Sansa does seem to care about courtly life to a certain extent. Leaving that aside, Littlefinger stole precisely two bits from the Hound: the Hound's backstory and the line about liars in court. The former without the context of the Hound's cutting commentary comes across in the TV show as a bit of a "You're not in Kansas anymore" moment for Sansa as to the brutality of the world she has entered, without any specific reference to chivalry or knights. The latter relates to court life and not to Sansa's love of chivalry/knights/songs, so it doesn't sound strange in Littlefinger's mouth and lifts quite easily out of the Hound's dialogue with Sansa about knights and such.

Seems like the show sees his role as similar to the books.

Well, a little HBO bio isn't going to include "The Hound disillusions Sansa of her romantic fantasies of true knights and challenges her notions of knighthood," "The Hound and Sansa's dynamic plays on her love of songs," or what have you, and yet, these seem to be crucial to their relationship in the book.

Seems like the show sees his role as similar to the books. GRRM says they are exploring the relationship similarly on the show here:

You're getting your wires crossed here, although I think I've made myself pretty clear. All GRRM says in that sound bite is that the TV series toys with a romantic attraction between Sandor and Sansa, just as he has in the books. This is true! That has nothing to do with my point at all. My point was that the show has eliminated Sansa's love of chivalry/knights/songs from her character, and this had consequences for how they wrote her relationship with the Hound, as it wiped out a bunch of dialogue she might have otherwise had with him and required certain scenes to be rewritten. (He can't very well ask her for the song he wanted if he and Sansa have never mentioned songs prior to that moment.) So in that respect, which many would argue is a key component to Sandor and Sansa's relationship in the books, no, his role was not "similar to the books."