Quibbling Siblings – Game of Thrones season two casting

Bob:

Alright Ivey, with Deb away for the week, I thought I would take the opportunity to talk about a show that both you and I love (and my sister will have nothing to do with): Game of Thrones. If you didn’t see the news, the TCA named it the best new show of the year. Huzzah! What I really want to talk about, however, is the casting news for the second season. I was amazed at how well HBO cast the show for the first season, with some of the characters being downright spooky good, like they were pulled right from George R. R. Martin’s fuzzy grey head.

Most of the key roles for the new season have been cast and I have to say that things look promising. One of my favorite characters introduced in the second novel is Brienne, the big, homely, and endearingly earnest female knight. In Gwendoline Christie, the show got a 6’2″ blonde woman who certainly is going to make a suitably impressive knight. I’ll be curious to see what they do with makeup and styling on the actress, because she is certainly not ugly in the least, and as you well know, Brienne is known as “the beauty” (in the ironic sense).

I know you’re not a huge Melisandre fan, but I love the character and I’m excited by the casting of Carice van Houten, who looks perfect for the role. Even though I had Rebecca Mader, the red headed vixen from Lost, stuck in my head for the role, I never really thought that she was a legitimate candidate. Van Houten has the right look and the resume to fill the role.

One role that I am very skeptical about is Gemma Whelan as Yara Greyjoy (that’s Asha for all you book readers). From all her smiley headshots, it’s hard to picture the hard nosed sea captain that she will be portraying. Again, styling and make up will go a long way with this role, in my opinion. As long as she can pull off the attitude, she’ll be fine.

So, how are you feeling about the season 2 casting?

Ivey:

First, I have to ask … What are the perks of being an (un) official, albeit temporary, member of the Degon family? Any family secret recipe’s I should be privy to now? Any cool family reunion shirts? Embroidered jackets? Anything?

But seriously folks, I’m not exactly blown away by any of these casting choices. But it is hard to be when the most you have to look at is some pictures offered up by the internets. I had hoped that there would be at least one or two roles filled by people I was familiar with. Looking at the first season, there were definitely some names in the crowd, between Headey, Bean, Dinkage, and Coster-Waldau. I think your favorite choice for Melisandre, Rebecca Mader, would have been absolutely perfect. At the same time, looking at how perfect each of the actors in season one was for their particular role, it is hard not to give the producers the benefit of the doubt.

I’m quite glad, actually, that they didn’t hire someone straight up ugly as Brienne. First, because how would you like this call from your agent: “Hey, so yeah, they want you for Game of Thrones. No not the brash Yara role, or the mysterious Melisandre … They want you for the butt ugly Brienne.” I think you can make the character awkward (and a skinny 6’2″ female knight would have to be awkward) and it still be within the spirit of the character. But I’m not a Martin worshiper purist like other people I know.

Bob:

Degon perks? Does a near constant feeling of smug self satisfaction count? Other than that, you were unfortunately just days late to join the annual clambake cookout extravaganza. Sorry.

If you think I’m a purist, then you should check out some of the fan sites. People are freaking the hell out because the producers had the audacity to change Asha’s name to Yara. By comparison, I’m not half the super fan you think I am. Seriously, though, you should check out some of those comments. Some are pretty hilarious.

You bring up a good point though. The only actor that I had heard of before being added to the cast was Natalie Dormer, who made a name for herself playing Anne Boleyn on The Tudors. I think she is going to make a fantastic Margaery Tyrell, even though it’s a pretty small role in the second book. I thought that the show was going to replace Sean Bean with another name actor, but I think they went another direction.

With more battles, and an increased need for CGI this season, I’m not sure I’m too upset with the decision.

Ivey:

I think I know Deb well enough that this near constant sense of smug satisfaction might be a trait of the masculine side of the Degon clan.

I don’t get the fanaticism that your pointing out. Martin had put together an incredible narrative in book form. That doesn’t necessarily make an incredible narrative on the small screen. There are different considerations one had to factor in this kind of adaptation. On the written page, it is easy to differentiate between Osha and Asha. That distinction is less clear amongst, at best, tertiary characters on a ten episode TV season. Also, in the immortal words of William Shatner, “it’s just a TV show.”

Even if it is a damn good one.

Clacked by Bob Degon
on Aug 12, 2011 @ 12:00 EST5EDT