[BOOK SPOILERS] Kevan Lannister

[RottenAppleFossoway]

So having the kings little brother, a character already seen in many scenes over the past two seasons, appear in the background of Tyrion's wedding, would somehow make the show unmanageable. Having Tywin mentioning that his brothers sons were murdered by Karstark, in a scene where he is discussing this very subject, would make the show unmanageable. Shooting 1 scene where Thorne presents the wights hand to the small council, something he was sent to do even in the show, instead of a note being presented, would make the show unmanageable.

Gotcha

We need more T&A, or poorly acted scenes between Shae and Tyrion. And more T&A! More! Moar!!11!!!

Sorry, I'm not buying it.

[Titan]

I wouldn't be surprised if they cut Janos Slynt either since they seem to love creating holes in various plots that they set-up in previous scenes.

[snip]

Hopefully the character isn't cut until Jon delivers his epic line from a Dance with Dragons. One of my favs in all of the books.

Aww, how cute. You've got a favorite minor character/line/event from the books, and the show is crap for not doing him/her/it justice.

Well join the club - everyone has a different favorite thing. Not everything can nor should be included.

[Pinkie Baelish]

The showrunners have a LOT more time next season to pad the episodes out with exposition, given that the amount of source material that's being adapted is noticeably lower than the past 3 seasons, so they have time to flesh out Kevan if they feel they need to. He has been featured in the past two seasons as part of Tywin's war council, and although he hasn't been mentioned by name, Tyrion does mention "his uncle."

[Valandui]

The showrunners have a LOT more time next season to pad the episodes out with exposition, given that the amount of source material that's being adapted is noticeably lower than the past 3 seasons, so they have time to flesh out Kevan if they feel they need to. He has been featured in the past two seasons as part of Tywin's war council, and although he hasn't been mentioned by name, Tyrion does mention "his uncle."

Joffery mentions putting Uncle Kevan in charge of Winterfell after taking out the Starks in season one.

[Dysun]

Jon beheading Slynt is a great scene that wont be cut, the actor or name may change though and lose it's karmic balance

[Aegnor]

Kevan and Lancel both are listed in the announced cast in this list

http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Season_3

So I think they'll show up at some point this season.

[Lord Varys]

They made a mistake to give us mostly, if not exclusively dialogue scenes with only two characters in season 3. It would have been easily possible to include more than two characters into a scene. The only 'mass scene' at KL we got was the dinner with Loras, Cersei, Joffrey, and Margaery (where Kevan, Tywin, Tommen, and Tyrion should/could have been present as well), and there was only one Small Council scene. Since that is usual setting where politic is made the show really lost the feeling of the books this season. All those artificial 'I meet Littlefinger in a backyard' or 'Let's visit Lady Olenna in the gardens yet again' scenes disconnect all the various characters and plots from each other. It would have been really fun if Lady Olenna had forced herself on a Small Council meeting. In fact, that would have been the best way to introduce her and her standing as informal leader of House Tyrell.

Season 1 showed us how an ensemble of characters is introduced throughout the council scenes, and it worked. No one says the characters in question have to appear only in council scenes, but the complete lack of them for all but one rather boring scene is sad. In season 3, even the setting for the Varys-Littlefinger dialogue scene is wrong - they have no reason to meet in the throne room if the Small Council chamber is no longer adjacent to the throne room but in the Tower of the Hand.

As to Ser Kevan, the man is the closest confidant and adviser of Lord Tywin. He should have been the person through which the show explores Tywin's humanity and/or his weakness. It would have been easily possibly to show Tywin and Kevan visiting Lancel sickbed while Tyrion is completely ignored. Kevan is no central character, but he is way too important in the seasons to come, and he cannot be merged with anybody else in my opinion since he is the only brother Lord Tywin has left. When he dies the show has to address both Cersei's rise to power as to whereabouts of any male Lannister who could challenge both her claim to Casterly Rock and her claim to the Regency.

And upon Cersei's fall Kevan is going to seize power, admittedly, only for a short period of time, but they cannot cut this if they want to stick to the main plot remotely.

As to Tommen: He is completely irrelevant in season 3. We got additional glimpses on him in season 2, and that should be enough to show us that Cersei has another son. It's enough to reintroduce him in season 4. And we don't need to see all that much of him even after he has been declared king. He does not do anything personally. Sure, they should give us scenes with him stamping and signing decrees, and a few Cersei/Margaery scenes. But that's it.

[Archmaester]

They made a mistake to give us mostly, if not exclusively dialogue scenes with only two characters in season 3. It would have been easily possible to include more than two characters into a scene. The only 'mass scene' at KL we got was the dinner with Loras, Cersei, Joffrey, and Margaery (where Kevan, Tywin, Tommen, and Tyrion should/could have been present as well), and there was only one Small Council scene. Since that is usual setting where politic is made the show really lost the feeling of the books this season. All those artificial 'I meet Littlefinger in a backyard' or 'Let's visit Lady Olenna in the gardens yet again' scenes disconnect all the various characters and plots from each other.

I had this thought the other day and completely agree - as much as I've loved some of the one-on-one scenes in Kings Landing this season (Tywin-Tyrion, Tywin-Cersei, Varys-Olenna), I think they've started to overdo it a bit and lately they've had a noticeable drop in quality (Tywin-Joffery, Sansa-Margaery, Cersei-Margaery).

The small council meetings are some of my favourite 'quieter' parts of the books (I can't think of a single bad one), it's a shame we haven't really seen any of them translated to screen. If they had just replaced a couple of those long one-on-one scenes with proper group small council meetings, not only would we have got the likes of Tywin, Tyrion, Varys, Cersei and Littlefinger all in one scene together more often, but there could also have been more appearances for the likes of Pycelle and Kevan (even if they don't say anything they could still show face).

Small council meetings provide ideal opportunities for clarifying plot points and moving the plot forward, just like the one single meeting that we have had so far this season did very successfully.

[Lord Varys]

The other scene type that has not been used this season is the audience scene in the throne room. We got multiple such scenes in season 2 & 3, and they actually enabled to connect the audience to the fact that the guys in KL are actually ruling the kingdom(s).

Season 3 could also have given us Alliser Thorne's arrival at KL and his plea for help in front of king and council (since they cut that from season 2). The fact that the powers in KL are outright ignoring/ridiculing the threat the wildlings/White Walkers pose has to addressed. Especially Tywin's opinion on this could have been shown.

[The Monkey]

So having the kings little brother, a character already seen in many scenes over the past two seasons, appear in the background of Tyrion's wedding, would somehow make the show unmanageable. Having Tywin mentioning that his brothers sons were murdered by Karstark, in a scene where he is discussing this very subject, would make the show unmanageable. Shooting 1 scene where Thorne presents the wights hand to the small council, something he was sent to do even in the show, instead of a note being presented, would make the show unmanageable.

Gotcha

We need more T&A, or poorly acted scenes between Shae and Tyrion. And more T&A! More! Moar!!11!!!

Sorry, I'm not buying it.

In the show, it was Tywin's cousin's children that were murdered, not his brother's.

[TheGreatWolf]

I dont even remember seeing his face. They really need to add him and Belwas.

[six]

Kevan is a character that can be easily cut and merged, but seeing as he showed up in S1 and S2 there's a chance he'll return for S4.

And how would cut and merge Kevan? And merged with who? He has a fairly big role post-Tywin.

[Janicia]

I really liked the scene in the book where Tyrion and Sansa were doing a meet-and-greet and Sansa impressed Tyrion by knowing all the right things to say to Lancel and Kevan and coming across as sincere. I think it was the morning of Joffrey's wedding? That scene would be an easy way to re-introduce both of those characters early in season 4 while letting us see Sansa doing something she does well, and check in on Sansa and Tyrion's marriage.

Or the show could leave Kevan and Lancel out without breaking much. Once Tywin, Tyrion, Jaime, Brienne, Sansa, and Littlefinger have all left Kings Landing, the show isn't going to spend much time there. Cersei, Tommen, Pycelle, and Varys can do something that vaguely resembles ruling without Kevan's presence. Varys can still murder Pycelle.

I agree it would have been neat to have more crowd scenes with Varys, Pycelle, and Kevan in the background doing what they do. And to have little moments of, for example, Tyrion coming across Tommen playing with his cat in some hallway or maybe Cersei or Joffrey interacting with Tommen. It would have been nice to see such things. But I agree with the people saying that once we get into the territory of what it would be nice to see, we can develop a huge list really fast (direwolves!, prophesy!, more of the logistics of fighting wars and governing!, Stark bannermen!, battles!) Eh, I like what the show is doing. I liked the books. It's all good.

[GREYJOY4LYFE]

Did Kevan do anything in the books before Tywin died? Not really. Recall the line, not sure if it was in a Jaime or Tyrion POV about how Kevan never had a thought that Tywin hadn't already had. He'll be there at Joffrey's wedding and then become more prominent once Tywin dies.

[Ser Luke.]

I assume Kevan will return for Season 4, and play a recurring role until the end of Season 5, where Varys kills him.

[Sphinx The Riddle]

not relevant until later books.. next BS question whining about the show...

[Arrogant Bastard]

And how would cut and merge Kevan? And merged with who? He has a fairly big role post-Tywin.

Is he though? From memory, I recall maybe two scenes with him in AFFC, and maybe two in ADWD. I think he's a character that can be merged easily or possibly cut.

[GREYJOY4LYFE]

Is he though? From memory, I recall maybe two scenes with him in AFFC, and maybe two in ADWD. I think he's a character that can be merged easily or possibly cut.

Merged with whom exactly? Uhh... Pycelle? Yeah not really. Kevan will be in there to be established as fairly important by the time he's killed by Varys, No worries.

[Lord Varys]

They could cut/change Kevan being killed by Varys. That's not the issue with his character. The issue is that Cersei is able to keep the Regency and seize all the power after Tywin's death. And in the end it is Kevan who forces her to march naked through the city. Who if not Kevan should force her to do that?

Cersei's successor as Regent has to be a Lannister, it cannot possibly be Pycelle, Jaime, or Mace Tyrell. This is why they really need Ser Kevan.

[six]

They could cut/change Kevan being killed by Varys. That's not the issue with his character. The issue is that Cersei is able to keep the Regency and seize all the power after Tywin's death. And in the end it is Kevan who forces her to march naked through the city. Who if not Kevan should force her to do that?

Cersei's successor as Regent has to be a Lannister, it cannot possibly be Pycelle, Jaime, or Mace Tyrell. This is why they really need Ser Kevan.

This. LH has pretty much confirmed that Cersei's walk will be in the show (no idea why, since it's pretty far away) so Kevan needs to be there. There isn't another character that could be merged in that role.