First images of Myrcella, Trystane, and Areo Hotah in costume

Myrcella

Game of Thrones has been filming at the Alcázar of Seville all week, with cast members such as Nell Tiger Free and Toby Sebastian spotted near the set. Today, we have photos of some of the stars in costume!

Above, Free as the new Princess Myrcella is seen in a gown, followed further back by Sebastian as Trystane Martell. Also present for filming was DeObia Oparei, who plays the bodyguard Areo Hotah. Given the presence of Myrcella, Trystane, and Hotah, perhaps they were working on the scene mentioned in this spoiler-laden leak from yesterday?

Hotah

Trystane

Thanks to GameofThronesFan.org for finding the photos!

We also have this shot of Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma) with Areo Hotah, found on Facebook.

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Extras are roaming the Alcázar set as well, in Dornish guard costumes similar to what we saw men wearing on Portstewart Strand during filming a couple months ago.  This photo turned up on Twitter.

Bz7TCpdIgAEcmSF

Sue the Fury: It does look like they’re using Oberyn’s style as the standard for the Dornish men from here on out. What do people think of the costuming so far? I’m also loving the little peeks we’re getting of the Alcazar set- it’s so beautiful.

Sue the Fury
Susan Miller, Editor in Chief of WatchersOnTheWall.com

179 Comments

  1. I’m liking Hotah’s look. Myrcella looks beautiful, but a bit older than I expected, it seems like years have passed since she left King’s Landing, but eh…
    I’m really looking forward to next season.

  2. Laurd Reyes,

    Yeah, I already like Areo’s style. I really believe they could improve this character quite a lot compared to the book and he does have a lot of potential if they suceed.

  3. Hotah’s weapon seems to be some kind of mix between an axe and a spear.
    I’ll be honest, I was kinda hoping for some huge f***ing battle axe, but I’m sure he’ll be cool either way.

  4. Morgoth,

    I will miss the Queenmaker plot. I think that would have made for good tv drama/excitement. I will also miss her interactions with Doran, her realizing her mistakes, and her heading to meet Young Griff.

    Hopefully the Sand Snake storyline is interesting but I found them uneventful in the books. I hope they arrive at

    Kingslanding

    soon in the season

  5. I can’t tell if Hotah’s got a massive, double-bladed axe, a halberd, or some fusion of the two. Either way, that is one big axe!

  6. Yeah, they changed his axe into a glaive (a bit more spear-like than a pole-axe)

    Okay I looked this up and the term is a “glaive”.

    A pole-axe and a halberd are both basically the same weapon: a spear with an axe-head in the middle, not a single blade. The difference is that a pole-axe is more compact, with a smaller axe-blade, concentrating the force and making it more effective at penetrating armor. A halberd has a broader axe-blade, and is meant to be used against unarmored opponents.

  7. Sue the Fury,

    My guess is that that’s the first Dorne scene of the season (either in 501 or 502) and Ellaria’s going to see Doran in widow’s garb but sees Areo first. It’s a pity that no one got any shots of Doran because Siddig was likely nearby.

  8. Myrcella is beautiful and the dress cut elegant and sexy IMO. She definitely wouldn’t get that kind of dress color in KL. Everyone’s clothes there looked pretty conservative in colors and cut. Margery brightened up the place a bit.

    Turncloak,

    For the life of me I couldn’t tell what that was! Thanks 😀

  9. Myrcella’s dress (what we can see of it) looks very different from anything I can recall in this series to date.

  10. Cubicz,

    As others have already pointed out, it isn’t a axe it is a glaive and I can’t see anything on the handle that doesn’t look weildable for combat. You can place your hands on it and grab it. – Works for me…

  11. Wow. The intricacy of Areo’s garb is astounding, looks so good. Trystane looks like how I imagined an older Trystane would look. Also good too Ellaria (Indira), I’m glad we’ll be seeing her in a more pronounced role this season.

    I will miss Arianne, but I for one would rather the latter half of the story be streamlined and if that means culling some characters, then so be it.

  12. I want to see more of myrcella’s costume- on first impression it seems Lannister-by-way-Dorne. KL embroidery on a Dornish silhouette.

    Ellaria cut her hair, no? I’m always so impressed how different indira varma looks in costume versus out.

    Liking what I see so far.

  13. I noticed a few comments about Myrcella seeming too ‘princessy’ with that dress. I think the fact that she’s carrying it to keep it off the floor makes it look far poofier and extravagant than it actually is.

    As for Areo, I’ve already mentioned his axe, but I’d like to see his fighting style, and what it might be. I doubt we’ll see much of it to be honest, but I’d like to think he fights in a similar manner to Oberyn, whirling his axe around like Oberyn with his spear. I think his huge physique would at least make the idea of whirling around with an extremely top-heavy axe somewhat plausible.

    Anyone else have any thoughts on how he might fight?

  14. After seeing some other pics and vids of Oparei in other roles, I am getting quite fascinated by show!Hotah. Hopefully he gets to do more with his role than Ducksauce. [Why am I reminded of Daxos?] I am especially curious to see how he and Doran interact and how he came to be in Doran’s trusted circle. By his looks alone, quite different as portrayed in AFfC, with glaive and colorful garb, it seems like his story will have quite a unique history…..if they bother to elaborate. (fingers-crossed)

  15. Wow I hate Trystane and his sexy son of a bitch face. He’s even gonna be flashing chest hair? Yeah, no, whatever, I don’t care.

    HE’S SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE 10 NOT A SAND BEEFCAKE

  16. I think Indira’s hair is like this simply because she does not wear a wig, it’s a sort of extension, so it probably is quick to put on and off (I think, because I see no reason for a hair-shortenning). I agree that Myrcella’s dress looks quite different, princessy and unlike other things we’ve seen, but it’s probably because she is holding it up, wich makes it look puffy and hides part of it. I really like Aero, and Trystane’s costume looks spot on aswell. Now I’m looking forward to some Sand Snakes in costume.

  17. Renly’s Peach,

    Since they’ve made Trystane the heir to Dorne, and it’s pretty evident by that that Arianne’s not in the picture, they needed to age him up. A courtship/budding romance with Myrcella is important as it is a potential tie between the Lannisters and Martells, and aging them up makes it more appropriate than watching two children in the same process. Since they’re deviating from the book, it’s a pretty important aspect to all of their story arcs.

  18. Turncloak,

    I think some version of the

    queenmaker plot

    will be in the show, just with the Sand Snakes leading it instead of Arianne. The HBO new cast member announcement made a point to state that

    Myrcella was older than Tommen.
  19. So glad to see Ellaria again!

    How old are Trystane and Myrcella supposed to be now? Toby is giving me One Direction: Sunspear vibes

  20. If you go to the link where the picture of Myrcella was found and click on the picture of hers twice, you get a much larger version. In the larger version you can see much more detail, including what looks similar in style to the top Ellaria was wearing for the Purple Wedding.

  21. yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyes yyyyyyyyyyyes yyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyes !!!! omg omg !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! no way I am freaking ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuur

    The Doooooooooooooooornishman’s wife was as fair as the sun and her kisses were warmer than springggggggggggggg But the Dornishman’s blade was made of black steel, and its kiss was a terrible thingggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!

  22. Lady Nym,

    Just to add to the excitement, I think we’re going to get that song this year too.

    The Tyene audition began with her and another Snake complimenting Bronn on his singing voice. It would be fitting if that’s what he was singing, wouldn’t it?
  23. ^
    ommmmmmmmmmmg omggggggggggstop doing this to my heart this is too much !!!!!!!!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhhh I hope Teyen sing the dornishmen`s wife after she kills that bastard of a sellsowrd

    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah heart attack

    brb listining to the dornishman`s wife

  24. Lady Nym,

    I think Bronn will make it back to KL in good health actually.

    Which version of the Dornishman’s Wife btw? Karliene or Christocakes?

  25. it will be very badass if after Tyene cut him with her poisoned spear she would say “here you go , you have taste it the dornishman`s wife” ^_^

  26. I feel that myrcella`s dress is really inappropriate , she looks like a princes from disny`s firytales :/

    I wish we had a better look on Ellirea`s

  27. It’s Not That Littlefinger,

    Well, she didn’t have a contract with them and was given a chance to audition for the s5. (She never had to to get the role in the first place because her and Callum Wharry started out as Belfast stand-ins). Nell must’ve given a better audition, so we’ve got her now.

  28. I was really looking forward to Arianne nude scenes and boob shots but they replaced her with more boring dorne characters.

  29. Lady Nym,

    I think they were extensions actually.

    BTW all, some of the photos from the site gameofthronesfan.org are pretty funny. Most of them are just paparazzi style ones of the cast (which must annoy the shit out of them) but this one of Jaime and Trytane’s actors is amusing. Looks like Nikolaj is tired of his shit. “Fine, you can marry my daughter but quit asking after my crabcake recipe! It’s a Lannister secret, goddamnit!”

  30. Im still not sure why are we going to Dorne? How is that relevant to anything?

    Red wedding was such an important event that then they just forgot about its aftermath altogether!!!???
    Freys, brotherhood, Tullys all gone and forgotten but we have to care about Dorne? Logically why??

  31. Areo’s costume is great. Not a huge of fan of Myrcella’s. I just don’t like pink gowns at all. Not a big deal though, I just would have liked to see her in a more Dornish looking gold/yellow/orange ensemble. Similar to season one Sansa who started off with a simple, practical northern style and started to look more and more King’s Landing with her dress and hair as she became influenced by Cersei and Joffrey.

  32. Greenjones:
    Lady Nym,

    I think they were extensions actually.

    BTW all, some of the photos from the site gameofthronesfan.org are pretty funny. Most of them are just paparazzi style ones of the cast (which must annoy the shit out of them) but this one of Jaime and Trytane’s actors is amusing. Looks like Nikolaj is tired of his shit. “Fine, you can marry my daughter but quit asking after my crabcake recipe! It’s a Lannister secret, goddamnit!”

    woooow good find !!

    Try and Jaime out of the gym (:

  33. Lady Nym,

    Yes, Glad I’m not the only one to think that. Also Aero is not at all how i pictured him though i knew from the casting it’d be completely different. I guess I’ll have to reserve judgement on the Dornish plot but so far not so good.

    Really disappointing they seem to have given Aero a Voulge/Glaive instead of an Axe though.

  34. That “axe” doesn’t look like it could take anybody’s head off from that picture! 😛

  35. chamush,

    Because Dorne is important to the end game and the Tullys aren’t? GRRM keeps going on about how important the Sand Snakes will be in TWOW. Maybe, since D&D know the blueprint of the final books and only have 7/8 seasons to tell the story, they cut characters who won’t have as big an impact(I’m looking at you, Victarion), and are pushing ones that will(Doran and the Sand Snakes). My personal theory is that the final battle with the White Walkers will take place in Dorne, and that is why it is so important.

  36. I am not sure whether I think this version of Areo Hotah looks like the biggest badass in the history of badasses, or a bit too ornate versus a stoic greybeard I had in my mind. Either way, color me excited for him if for nothing else. Although I loved Hotah in the books, so what do you want from me.

    I know this is a very unorthodox choice that creators of a big time TV show would have likely never dared make when they could add some teen make out drama, but I think it would actually have been very interesting if they kept Trystane and Myrcella in early teens and still kept some sort of innocent affection\childish romance between them stemming from playing games together or whatever instead of this grand lurvestory or sexytimes or whatever. Anyone agree?

  37. Areo’s custom is so elegant , but for a sellsowrd ?? Can he really fight freely and fast in this /:

  38. Lady Nym,

    The actor will be fighting in that costume, so I imagine he’ll be able to move well enough in it or else he’d be wearing something else.

  39. Cami,

    I think they start shooting Daznak’s this week. IIRC it’s a two week shoot in Osuna. David Nutter’s there too, as was retweeted by wotw and linked in a previous article’s comment section. Things are shaping up!

  40. one thing I’m quite curious about is if Ellaria will be the good-hearted, wise and forgiving woman she’s in the book, or if she will be furious, vindictive and dangerous.

    I’m fine either way, but I’ve to admit that wise Ellaria is probably the only part of Dornish ADWD i’ve not completely hated 😛

  41. Mescalinic,

    From her lines in the Obara audition we already know that she’ll be vindictive and vengeful. Doran will be the only voice of peace, it seems. I don’t mind this though because Indira Varma portrayed her already as being a fierce woman in s4 and did so very well. Instead of only showing up once again, I bet we see Ellaria a lot in s5. Hell, Indira might even make the main cast!

  42. Renly’s Peach:
    Wow I hate Trystane and his sexy son of a bitch face. He’s even gonna be flashing chest hair? Yeah, no, whatever, I don’t care.

    HE’S SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE 10 NOT A SAND BEEFCAKE

    Well it would be kind of odd if he was 10 while Myrcella was 15 or whatever she’s supposed to be…

  43. Why does it look as if Nell has on some kind of elaborate dressing gown?
    As if something is being covered up or is going to be added to?
    What is that assistant of the left carrying?

  44. jentario:
    Mescalinic,

    They had one chapter in ADWD, and most of it was Ellaria arguing with the Sand Snakes

    yeah. and it’s my least-favorite chapter of the whole series 😛 except for Ellaria’s lines (and no, Ellaria wasn’t ‘most part of the chapter’ at all) 🙂

  45. I love these spy pics and leaks, yet also I despise them because they are spoiler(y) and I can’t help myself, I am a serial clicker. We can expect tons of leaks and pics this fall and winter, I believe much has to do with the upcoming Star Wars film with all the links and spy pics; projects like GoT have to stay in the consciousness of the internet generation and compete with the SW hype machine, therefore the greater the SW leak, the greater the GoT leak.

    I want leaked pics of the Snakes in costume, please!

    OT BTW, massive SW concept art was leaked online in the wee hours of the morning, if my theory holds true, god knows what this means for GoT leaks in the coming days.

    Beware! major SW7 spoilers – https://imageshack.com/user/themillenniumfalcon

  46. tyjon,

    Wow. That’s great. I love how they’ve made the Star Wars universe look old again, as in the original movies instead of the shiny fake-looking prequels, but this time in a post-war kind of way; hollowed AT-AT’s used as a home, etc. But… what does this have to do with GoT? Did they hire an outside company to do those concept arts and does that company work for Game of Thrones as well? Cause… I’m pretty sure the Star Wars production will keep everything in-house, inside Lucasfilms.

  47. Damn, Hotah looks like a boss! In the books he was basically a camera, so DeObia will undoubtedly bring a lot more to the character.

  48. tyjon,
    Thx but I didn’t see any indication of Jar-Jar. Wtf? He and Yoda really held SW1 thru SW3 together and they really should provide Jar-Jar continuity for SW7-SW9. GL made such a huge error by not including him in SW4-SW6. Just having Yoda and not Jar-Jar seemed so one-dimensional. We can only hope that the storytellers have learned their lesson.. More Jar-Jar.

  49. Hodor’s Bastard:
    tyjon,
    Thx but I didn’t see any indication of Jar-Jar. Wtf? He and Yoda really held SW1 thru SW3 together and they really should provide Jar-Jar continuity for SW7-SW9. GL made such a huge error by not including him in SW4-SW6. Just having Yoda and not Jar-Jar seemed so one-dimensional. We can only hope that the storytellers have learned their lesson.. More Jar-Jar.

    There should be a SW/GoT crossover. Like a spin-off with Jar Jar, Aeron and Penny as stars.

  50. Boojam,

    I noticed that too. It looks like a sort of veil (I reealy hope I’m wrong, or it may look very Alladin-ish, but, as usual, we can’t say much until we see the finished product).

  51. Speaking of her face/hair, not the dress, Nell looks like a mini-Cersei in that picture. Nice casting of an actress who looks like she could be related to Lena Headey.

  52. There is a pic of the bullring exteriors in which you can se the huge green screen they has inside. I put the twitter link in a previous comment but is awaiting for moderation.

    Same with some pics of Iain with Spanish fans.

  53. Lady Nym: Areo’s custom is so elegant , but for a sellsowrd ??

    Areo is not a sellword (unless of curse you count every person that makes a living from fighting for someone as one). He is the captain of Doran’s guard and a member of a very exclusive militant order. I think it’s fitting that he looks the part.
  54. LukaNieto,

    Oh sure! The bullring one: @cincopuertas

    The other ones are easy to find searching for: “jorah” or “iain glen” on twitter. Nothing relevant on those, just that I think he is eating with D&D and there are no other actors.

  55. I guess its true what they say about Black guys having bigger “weapons”.

    And by weapons I mean penises.

  56. Lady Nym,

    Areo Hotah is not a sellsword and he never was. He was trained as a warrior by an order of militant priests back in Norvos, and now he’s in effect Doran Martell’s personal bodyguard, but more importantly, the Captain of the Guard for the ruling Prince of Dorne, which is not what you would call a lowly position. Anyway, even if he was a sellsword (and I don’t know where you would get that idea), considering his position as Doran’s personal bodyguard he should obviously be dressed appropriately in House Martell’s colors.

  57. I don’t get the dress hate. She’s a young, sheltered girl in a southern climate. Much like Margaery’s dresses, it has a plunging neckline, is a very light weight fabric, and features embroidery that is reminiscent of her mother’s gowns. Of course she would pick a color that is flattering to her complexion and not just throw on the Martell colors. She’s not at a high school pep rally! The hair is all young Cersei. I think they’ve done a great job here of reminding us that Cersei was this young once, and this “filler” storyline will help drive home Cersei’s descent into darkness. Looking forward to it.

  58. Abyss:
    Ashara D,

    I don’t know… I’m pretty sure movies have used bigger ones, but I have to admit I can’t point you to an example.

    Points below. *snicker*

  59. That green screen is huuuge. Makes me wonder how grand they’re planning on making the scene… (I was expecting inevitable budget cuts, seems not)

    Cami,
    Wow, the Alcazar really is beautiful. We are lucky HBO is investing so much in this, the Water Gardens are going to look stunning.

  60. King DBC,

    It’s probably going to be the second most memorable scene in the show after the Red Wedding. That’s my bet.

    It just has all the ingredients there: Tyrion and Jorah forced to fight for their lives, inches away from Dany (such a near miss!), an attempted assassination through poisoning (and I think Missandei gets it :/), and then Drogon- bigger and more fearsome than ever. Fire, death, commotion and then Dany rides him off.

    It doesn’t get much more awesome than that, really.

  61. jentario,

    We can only hope that this is how it will play out. We had a similar dream for the chaining of the dragons last season, so I’m not holding my breath…but still very excited.

    Drogon has got to initially resist her too (maybe even firing upon her as well), before he allows her to mount. Bald Dany!! 🙂

    A budget buster, indeed!!!

  62. jentario,

    You’ve just got me so amped for it. I has all of the potential to be on of, if not the, most epic and memorable scenes on the show. On TV in fact, if done right, so no pressure.

    Hodor’s Bastard,

    Yeah, I also hope

    they make something of his initial resistance and then submission (lowering his head, allowing her to mount) upon realising who she is. And since, in the show Daenerys doesn’t burn, I think he’ll realise when his fire doesn’t harm her. It’ll look epic, if she doesn’t even flinch at his breath.
  63. Just had a re-watch of some of Season 2, it seems Myrcella liked shades of pink back then as well. The embroidery also looks like something Cersei would wear in Season 2 before she started going for armour and lion prints.

  64. Tyrion Pimpslap:
    chamush,

    Because Dorne is important to the end game and the Tullys aren’t? GRRM keeps going on about how important the Sand Snakes will be in TWOW. Maybe, since D&D know the blueprint of the final books and only have 7/8 seasons to tell the story, they cut characters who won’t have as big an impact(I’m looking at you, Victarion), and are pushing ones that will(Doran and the Sand Snakes). My personal theory is that the final battle with the White Walkers will take place in Dorne, and that is why it is so important.

    Let’s not have this again. GRRM obviously has some plans for all of his characters not just the bloody Sand Snakes! How Victarion can be written off as irrelevant when he’s already been a PoV character and is currently the turning point at a big event in Mereen is silly. The Sand Snakes may be important in the future (they sure as hell haven’t done anything yet) they may be as pointless as their cousin Quentyne. All we can go on is what D&D want in the show. To try and read from that what George has planned for the books is very naive. For example, Arianne is to be a PoV character ( generally quite important) in the books and she appears to be cut from the show.

    On the Areo Hotah look. It’s not what I imagined for him reading the books but when I heard they were changing the ethnicity that went out of the window anyway (although not sure why he’s lost the beard, white hair, axe and more Norvosi dress/armour). He looks fine but I hope they don’t claim he’s from Norvos as ( ethnicity aside) he doesn’t look anything like someone trained by the Bearded Priests ( lack of beard, lack of axe, I imagine lack of chest tattoo).
    Also those trained by the Bearded Priests are as far as you can get from Sellswords. They’re much closer to Unsullied only without the dehumanisation.

  65. After clicking on the Myrcella pic and viewing the larger image, I believe that pinkish light fabric Ms Free has wrapped around her is just to conceal the actual costume. You can just barely notice the plunging neckline of a gold dress, Lannister color but Dornish fashion, oh boy, when Dadcle see’s her in that, no wonder he flips the gizzit, according to that earlier rumor.

  66. Indira Varma is just so regal as Ellaria, I can’t keep my eyes off of her when she’s on screen. I hope it’s true that the show is giving her a more significant role following Oberyn’s death.

  67. TheTouchOfFrost: Let’s not have this again. GRRM obviously has some plans for all of his characters not just the bloody Sand Snakes! How Victarion can be written off as irrelevant when he’s already been a PoV character and is currently the turning point at a big event in Mereen is silly. The Sand Snakes may be important in the future (they sure as hell haven’t done anything yet) they may be as pointless as their cousin Quentyne. All we can go on is what D&D want in the show. To try and read from that what George has planned for the books is very naive. For example, Arianne is to be a PoV character ( generally quite important) in the books and she appears to be cut from the show.

    My interpretation is that, while GRRM is writing a larger and more layered story, D&D are more focused on working towards the endgame (as told to them by GRRM), so while yes, in the book all of the characters (Arianne, Victarion, the Sand Snakes, Aegon, etc.) will likely play important parts in the story to come, they won’t necessarily be hugely involved in the endgame. D&D probably want to concentrate on the characters who will be important at that point, or are necessary to work towards that, and aren’t as worried about the plots in between.

    Basically, GRRM wants to tell a very broad story, while D&D are working towards a specific point.

    Though again, this is just my interpretation of the matter.

  68. Apparently Emilia has also arrived in Spain. Someone just tweeted that she was walking with Iain and taking photos of everything…

  69. Big Mac,

    I think everyone they cut could potentially have a huge effect on the end game. I’m going with that D&D don’t want to introduce any more major character. Still not sure why they’re slavishly sticking to 7 seasons. Just add an extra one on and not slash the story to pieces!

  70. TheTouchOfFrost,

    I think Victarion won’t. He’s almost certainly going to die in the battle, if GRRM’s interviews are anything to go by. So all he accomplishes is delivering Dany ships. It’s much cleaner in the show, where she just has the Meereenese fleet and it also cuts the whole ship battle from the big Battle of Meereen, making it far more doable on a TV budget.

    The Griffs on the other hand are a deliberate cut of important characters, just because they wouldn’t work well in the show (or so D&D seem to think, which I’d agree with). Arianne goes hand in hand with them to the slaughterhouse, sadly. I would have liked for D&D to just alter her fate rather than cut her entirely.

  71. TheTouchOfFrost:
    Big Mac,

    I think everyone they cut could potentially have a huge effect on the end game. I’m going with that D&D don’t want to introduce any moremajor character. Still not sure why they’re slavishly sticking to 7 seasons. Just add an extra one on and not slash the story to pieces!

    Yeah, I wouldn’t mind if they decided to add an eighth season. I think more than that would be too much though. It’s just the difference between books and a show.
    I’m also hoping the rumours of a movie to conclude it happen.

  72. Greg,

    Since when is stating facts (afaik) being mean? Aimee Richardson seems like a very cool girl and I’m said that she isn’t on GoT anymore as well, but I guess Nell Tiger Free did better. Give her a chance and stop crying over spilled milk. 😉

  73. Greg,

    The showrunners had no legal obligation to hire her for s5. She was effectively a stand-in as Callum Wharry had been, and like him it was pretty apparent that she would be replaced by an auditioned actor once the role became more demanding. If it’s mean to point that out, then fine, I’m mean.

    jentario,

    I imagine we’ll get a big Osuna post in an hour or two. Let’s just hope it doesn’t devolve into a certain tired debate about a certain sort of horned mammal…

  74. jentario,

    Sure he’ll die at some point but don’t like this idea of him being purely there to deliver ships. GRRM didn’t put that much work in for him to be that simple! I also think D&D would be nuts to turn down the chance of having the oppurtunity to have Ironborn storming the beaches ( they can cut the naval battle) to turn the tide in the big siege storyline (episode?).

    I think they could have quite easily made it work if they wanted to but they seem more keen on getting Dorne in which I hold the opinion of which it was easily the most cuttable without it affecting any major storylines. I know we’ll get the bleating on about the Sand Snakes becoming important but

    they’re not as important as a legit ( well Targ bloodline at least) claim to the Throne.

    . No one can honestly say that the Dornish storyline had any significant effect on any other areas/storylines. If the SandSnakes were critically important they could have just introduced them through other means later in the series

    Perhaps a scene at the start of season 6 of them meeting to reference their father and then going their seperate ways to do whatever is so important for them to do

    .

    Big Mac,

    Don’t get me wrong they’ve done a great job adapting/streamlining it so far ( although the last episode of last season was a bit meh) but I worry for this season as they’re making a lot of changes and personally I find the weaker parts of the show are where they stray too far from the source material ( Burn in hell MissandGrey!).

  75. Seems like they are making things up as they go. The rumors of Bronn and Jaime’s arrival in Dorne sounds like a plot from a cheesy 90s movie. Oh well. I’m sure some of the writing will be decent. Temper expectations book readers, this season may be tough to watch if you’re still here. TWoW save us!

  76. Young Griff,

    Sigh. Yes… of course —just like a cheesy 90’s movie! Not true to ASOIAF at all! It’s not like Cersei sends another character to do exactly the same in the books (like… I don’t know, sending Balon Swann to save Myrcella and kill Trystane; but that’d be crazy!). Also, it’s not like there’s been plenty of duos of characters traveling together and playing off each other for the sake of humor, drama and character development. That neeever happened in the books. Come on… The only legitimate problem people have with this is that it’s not specifically faithful to the source material. Fine. That’s a good reason if you want it. But as for this not feeling like Game of Thrones… this is exactly what Game of Thrones has always done.

    Also, “making things up as they go”? Breaking Bad did so, and nobody complained. But it’s not even true here! Why do you think Jaime was paired with Bronn in Season 4? Why do you think it was established by Brienne that Walder Frey holds Riverrun? Why was the only mention of the Blackfish that he was on the run, which is exactly how he ends up AFTER the siege at Riverrun? If you didn’t know the siege of Riverrun was going to be scrapped and that they were going to use Jaime and Bronn together for something else, that’s your problem. There’s been plenty of setup in the actual show.

  77. Surely Victarion serves more of a purpose to GRRM than just ship delivery, I agree, but until we know the endgame, it’s hard to tell if he serves an additional purpose that is directly related to plot. Through Victarion’s chapters we see a lot more about the culture of the Ironborn, the power of the red god, and hear about the horn (relevance yet to be proven..). And ships, yes, ships. I agree I could imagine the Ironborn in Meereen as an awesome battlescene for the show, but I’m sure there are other battles that don’t take as much screentime to set up.

    If he’s cut, so be it. I think we all understand some things will be cut, how much butterfly effect results from that only GRRM and D&D can know since we don’t know the end! I’m personally not that sad about Victarion since he’s not my personal fav but others may be. As for the Dornish being included instead, well, I think the unsullied audience got a great introduction to Dorne via Oberyn and Ellaria in S4, and their culture is exciting, sexy, glamorous (and more equal). I would have been upset if that had been entirely cut, even if it is not relevant for the endgame, because I thought it was a colorful part of GRRM’s world, and frankly was a huge amount of Feast, so it would be really dramatic to cut it all! I think unsullied viewers are going to like what they see, even if book readers are cringing a bit at the modifications. I’d rather have Dorne in and changed, than out! Super excited about the new costume photos!

  78. I’m confused by those who suggest there has been no indication that Dorne will be relevant in the future. First, there is the fact that GRRM pretty much said so, claiming there’s a lot of the Sand Snakes in TWOW. But that’s not even it…

    Have these people actually read their ADWD chapters? Two of the Sand Snakes are sent to King’s Landing, which pretty much is the primary setting; Nymeria will be part of the Small Council, and a big part considering it’s pretty empty right now, and Tyene will cozy up with the newly empowered and remilitarized Faith. Also, in the released “Arianne I” chapter from TWOW (obviously, spoilers to follow), Arianne is sent to check up on Aegon. As for how this relates to the show, by the end of Season 5 Doran Martell will have positioned at least two of the Sand Snakes in positions of power (I doubt Obara will be sent to hunt Darkstar; so she might just go to the capital as well.) There’s no Aegon or Arianne, but still —since book 3 the Martells started becoming relevant. It’s been a slow build, sure, but the build has been there.

    The Greyjoys are relevant too, but it seems Victarion has been replaced with an intact Meereenese fleet. As for Euron, his status as king and long-term plans make him less replacable, so I don’t think we should assume he’s completely cut… but if he is, either Balon’s death can be further delayed or Yara can become Queen and still be captured (she’d be a much, MUCH more valuable hostage, too.)

  79. Luka Nieto,

    We have no idea if they will become relevant or not and as I said before George obviously cares about all of his characters or he wouldn’t write them! My point being that at this point the Sand Snakes ( even positioned) aren’t prime movers. They fit in with a plot but aren’t central to it.

    Aegon, Arianne, Stoneheart and arguably Euron are all BIG characters that have a lot more significance if in no other way than to other characters storylines.

    yet it’s not looking good for any of them. So who GRRM deems important to the plot and who D&D do seems to vary. I also feel as though Dorne doesn’t really have any purpose or need to get in position unless

    Dany has become some sort of Deux Ex Machina to tie up any other characters storyline which would absolutely blow especially because Varys and potentially Doran both coming out of the closet as Dany supporters would be stupid considering them not giving her any help whatsoever until this point! Asha/Yara as Queen would also be a major anticlimax on the level of Varys was supporting Dany all along. Her character needs more development and some sort of journey before the pay off of her being crowned.

    Arghhhh please be good Season 5, you’ve really got me worried!

  80. Does it make sense at all to think Arianne’s character/story/plot might be morphed with Ellaria’s?

  81. There’s a new post on the GoT official blog, written by Dave Hill (who will write an episode in Season 5; basically, he’s the new Bryan Cogman as he was in Season 1.)

    Day 11: Friday night. 1 a.m. Castle Black. A light, chilling drizzle and the woody smoke of burning braziers. Liam Cunningham and Stephen Dillane pass the time in the green room by playing “name that song” on Bluetooth speakers. Now we all know what is the sound of one Hand clapping.

    I wonder how much time Davos will spend at the Wall. I love the character and would enjoy seeing him interact with Jon, but I’d like to see Wyman Manderly as well. Of all the story lines, the Northern one is the one I’m most fuzzy about still. Makes sense, considering a lot of it hasn’t been filmed yet. What will be Stannis’s move? Will it include the mountain clans, or will it be Northern lords or sell-swords? In TWOW’s “Theon I”, after he comes to an agreement with Tycho Nestoris so that the Iron Bank finances him, he intends to hire thousands and thousands of sellswords; that already happened in the show, so he might hire them now. Will Stannis go through Deepwood Motte, and will Yara be involved? What will the Boltons be up to? Will there be a fake Arya? What will Bran be doing? What about Jon? He still has to become Lord Commander, from his and Sam’s last chapters in ASOS. Will Sam go to the Citadel through Braavos? Will Davos go to White Harbor? So many questions.
  82. TheTouchOfFrost:
    Luka Nieto,

    We have no idea if they will become relevant or not

    I tend to think GRRM saying, “I hope you like them, because you’re also going to be seeing a lot of them in ‘The Winds of Winter'” means they will become relevant.

  83. Strider,

    Hahaha.

    The way I look at it, D&D know more than anyone outside GRRM what is going to happen. While, yes, they may have based a few decisions on personal preference, I think most of them are based on what will best serve the story moving toward a specific end, again, an end only D&D and GRRM know. I won’t know what I think of it, at least relative to the books, until the series has ended on HBO and the all the remaining books (however many there end up being) are written and published. That’s just me, of course, and other people have other ways of looking at it.

  84. Luka Nieto,

    Sorry for the confusion Luka. I meant more that they could be introduced at a later time, to go to KL for example, rather than their Feast plot material being essential to the endgame! I agree with you overall.

    Also curious about the Ironborn situation.. we shall see..

  85. TheTouchOfFrost,

    So we’ve settled Victarion? Because, as I see it, he’s pretty much on par with Quentyn in terms of plot importance. He’s a fun character to read, and he adds a lot of depth to the Ironborn, but in the end he doesn’t amount to much and the show doesn’t really have any room left for nonessential characters.

    Stoneheart, the Griffs and Arianne are an entirely different matter (I won’t say Euron is cut until I’m absolutely sure he is- for now I think the show needs him, even if he somehow gets delayed to season 6). I was extremely disappointed in the show for cutting Stoneheart and Arianne, and I can feel your pain for the show cutting the Griffs. With that said, I still think the show can be fantastic on its own right.

    Will the books be better? They could be, but should that come as a surprise? Adaptions are never as good as their source material, and this is one hell of a complicated series. I will still enjoy the show for what it is, and when the books come around in a year of ten (probably ten) the story won’t be entirely telegraphed in the show. The show cutting Stoneheart, the Griffs and Arianne doesn’t cut them from the books- they’re still very much there, and they’ll be there in the next books too.

    From now on, the show is a simplified version of the books, leading to the same general endgame and following the same general themes. Most of the scenes and characters will be there, but not all. I believe D&D will make a damn good show, no matter how different it is, and I wait eagerly for the moment the show finally passes the books and we book readers could enjoy it for what it is. Roll on, season 6.

  86. Nymeria Warrior Queen,

    The way I look at it, D&D know more than GRRM what’s important and what isn’t. The man can’t stick to his guns. It was supposed to be a trilogy, and that trilogy is looking to be tripled now.

  87. sorry guys please dont eat me I misspoke . I know he is the captain of Doran`s guard but what I meant exactly when I said sellsword is that : can he move freely and fast like Bronn or a sell sword in that custom . because it looks …..mm I dont know how to say it but it wasnt what I pictured it > like this
    http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs25/f/2008/035/4/8/Areo_Hotah_by_Sir_Heartsalot.jpg

    http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2013/048/e/4/areo_hotah_by_torrete-d5vbdie.jpg

    maybe we didnt have a better look on that custom yet

    ahhh I am dying to get a glimpse on Alexander and the snakes in customs

    sad to see Elleria in black ):

  88. Luka Nieto,

    Some people love tawdry television. I think D & D looked at those housewives shows on Bravo and thought, “They really have something here.” “Let’s have Jaime walk in on cliche, flamboyant Trystane and Myrcella all decked out in pink and he will see them making out. This will piss him off and Trystane will of course look to start a fight.” It just sounds cheap. If you like that sort of thing, well, to each his own. I don’t fault you.

  89. Young Griff:
    Luka Nieto,

    Some people love tawdry television. I think D & D looked at those housewives shows on Bravo and thought, “They really have something here.” “Let’s have Jaime walk in on cliche, flamboyant Trystane and Myrcella all decked out in pink and he will see them making out. This will piss him off and Trystane will of course look to start a fight.” It just sounds cheap. If you like that sort of thing, well, to each his own. I don’t fault you.

    I can’t decide if this is more a case of someone projecting their ridiculous biases or simply misreading the scene description altogether. I’ll go with a healthy dose of both.

    Or maybe you’re totally right in your insightful deduction that D&D are fans of Real Housewives and wanted to put scenes like that in GoT. Sounds fairly plausible. I’m sure when we watch the scene, that’s exactly what will come across.

  90. Young Griff,

    Don’t be ridiculous. How fair is it for the show that you completely make up a damning context that is NOT there, nowhere to be found in the description of the scene that’s been provided, and then you criticize the show for it? Basically you built a gigantic straw man and attacked it instead of the actual show. The truth is we don’t know the context… so what, do you WANT to hate it? Because that’s the only thing that makes sense.

    If you saw pretty much any book-based scene being filmed without the knowledge of the source material, you could make up any absurd cheesy context you’d like. The lack of context should intrigue you; instead, you’ve made up a story and immediately gotten angry about it.

  91. Lady Nym,

    Bare in mind that Areo is not very likely to actually fight in that outfit. Much of it looks like pomposity to me to signal his position, meaning it’s his “court uniform”. For example the Lannister guard and Kings guard wears cloaks at court, but not on the battle field.
    I would think the same is true for Areo. He wears armor under his tunic as you can see. He just gets rid of it and is battle ready. 😉

  92. So Jaime will be there for a while, in terms of timeline, regardless of how many episodes he spends there, or else he wouldn’t start wearing Dornish clothes.

    As for Doran, it fits the Dornish style. However, while Trystane is wearing basically the same thing as Oberyn, this is a tad different, which I appreciate —kinda richer and softer. It fits him. Now I want to see him in the wheelchair. They aren’t gonna change that, as they already established it in Season 4 (“With any luck, the gout will abate with time and he’ll be able to walk again” —Tywin), so I’m curious about what they’ll do. I’ve never seen a medieval-looking wheelchair. It has to look old but still befitting the Prince of Dorne.

    Also, there is a pic which features the first Dornish men and women we’ve seen in plainer clothes. Nothing earth-shattering, but here it is:

    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B0ECotzIYAAGW2F.jpg

  93. Great Maisie interview:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnhM1XlnjM4

    She says Arya has a significant change right off the bat in episode 1 of season 5 (I’m guessing she becomes “no one” and throws away her things into the river). She talks a bit about Bran’s storyline, though nothing substantial. She dodges the Jaqen question and mentions Gendry in a way that seems to imply he won’t be in season 5 (unless she’s being really careful and talking as if she didn’t read the scripts).
  94. Cami,

    Great! And Jaime’s all fancied up too! You know what say: when in Dorne… Good stuff! You’re on a roll, Cami!

  95. Cami,

    Oh, are you Spanish too? And yeah, Game of Thrones is really popular here.

    As for that pic, it’s not just that Jaime and Bronn are dressed in “a Dornish outfit”. They are disguised as Dornish soldiers! Maybe once they kill that Dornish patrol in the beach (as we saw them filming months ago), they disguise themselves as Dornish soldiers and infiltrate the Water Gardens? Or maybe this is something completely different. Who knows. In any case, I’m excited.

  96. Could Jaime just stay in Dorne all season (or most of the season) and get the letter there? There’d need to be some communication with Cersei… I guess that it would redeem some of the more controversial aspects of this trip (the fight scene) if it isn’t just an extremely short trip.

    If Cersei gets arrested in episode 7, Jaime can get the letter in 8 (ravens have traveled from the Wall to Dragonstone within an episode before). But where would he go from there?

    For all the leaks, we still don’t know shit…

  97. jentario:
    Could Jaime just stay in Dorne all season (or most of the season) and get the letter there? There’d need to be some communication with Cersei… I guess that it would redeem some of the more controversial aspects of this trip (the fight scene) if it isn’t just an extremely short trip.

    If Cersei gets arrested in episode 7, Jaime can get the letter in 8 (ravens have traveled from the Wall to Dragonstone within an episode before). But where would he go from there?

    For all the leaks, we still don’t know shit…

    I’m not sure how Jaime’s story goes forward without he and Cersei having a massive face to face falling out (probably regarding Myrcella). He would need to get back to King’s Landing for that.

    I don’t think the stuff that he’s doing in Dorne is going to take very long. After he chats with Doran, that’s probably it. He’ll be back in King’s Landing the next episode.

  98. LukaNieto,

    Wow, so it’s confirmed then? They DID get one of those wrong, once, marking a Nutter episode under episode 2 so it might be wrong.

    Anyway… This is interesting news. When does Doran have his big speech? Will Jaime still be in Dorne when it happens?

  99. jentario,

    I am so confused. I am not reacting well to this Abbott & Costello “raid the castle” routine with J & B. Too much like Yara last season. Hard to be an optimist with this change. We’ll see, I guess.

  100. Hodor’s Bastard,

    Hodor’s Bastard,

    Well it ISN’T like Yara’s Dreadfort dingo because Jaime will apparently be there for most (if not all) of the season, after he leaves. It won’t be a “ope, failed this mission, let’s to toot back to King’s Landing with my tail between my legs after just a short scene”.

    Still, what’s the point of keeping Jaime there? Also, looks like the Queenmaker plot is cut. I doubt they’d try anything funny with Jaime so close.

  101. That is interesting if true. I too find it hard to imagine what the hell Jaime will have to do in Dorne for so long since his detainment appears to happen fairly quickly.

    And this would also appear to rule out him linking up with Brienne this season and getting back on book timelines. That probably delays any kind of BwB involvement and could push all that stuff to S6. It begs the question what the hell Brienne will be up to for all of this season and makes her somehow linking up with Sansa more likely. LF going to King’s Landing probably makes this more likely too since Sansa is basically on her own in the Vale once LF leaves.

  102. Nymeria Warrior Queen,

    Again, I point to Victarion, Arianne, etc. We saw a lot of them and they are still not considered to be important enough to include in the show.

    jentario,

    I think GRRM has learnt from Quentyne and Victarion will have more relevance in the books although he’ll never become a top tier character. As far as the show goes? Who knows.

    Will all depend on whether they merge him and Euron and what they have planned for Euron. He could lead the charge in Mereen and then perhaps still be able to fulfill his own storyline as well.

    Again, I’m not sure why they couldn’t just add one more season. Will give them time to fully realise all aspects of the story and some leeway to deliver the ending the series deserves. D&D have done a good job so far but there were things last season that really made me worry…and they were things that had drifted away from the source material. The strongest parts of the story are those that have been adapted relatively faithfully.

  103. TheTouchOfFrost:
    Nymeria Warrior Queen,

    jentario,

    Again, I’m not sure why they couldn’t just add one more season. Will give them time to fully realise all aspects of the story and some leeway to deliver the ending the series deserves.

    The answer is simple. Money. If HBO wanted a full eighth season, it would have to renegotiate contracts with the showrunners and actors. For many of them, they will have devoted over a decade of their lives to this series. It wouldn’t be surprising for some of them to want to get on to the next stage in their careers and lives. Will D & D and the cast be willing to commit yet another year of their lives to the show? Will the network be willing to pony up the big bucks to get the team to stay? Or would HBO do it on their own with a new team?

    An eighth season can exist only if everyone is united – they’re on the same page and want to do it, no matter what. Otherwise, we’re getting seven seasons – maybe an extended final season like Breaking Bad – but it will end in seven.

    Honestly, it may be better for the show to end in seven and leave audiences wanting more than dragging things out with an ending that satisfies no one and taints the legacy.

    What viewers and the series deserve is a viable ending, faithful adaptation or no. And at least there will be some ending, given that there’s no official book ending in sight yet.

  104. Luka Nieto,

    If the rumors of the scene are true, in my humble opinion, the arrival of Bronn and Jaime in Dorne is as garish as a Littlefinger brothel scene or the Oberyn introduction. D&D love easy to comprehend drama. They are steering clear of rich dialogue and going for the simple, “this person drew a dagger on that person so (the mindless mass audience will understand) this character is angry with the other.” It’s a show that started off with rich dialogue and complex scenes that could be dissected and analyzed. It’s now a show that seems very one-dimensional, again IN MY OPINION. Sorry Luka if you’re offended but not everyone loves the direction Benioff and Weiss are taking with GRRM’s work. If you can’t look past your fanboy fogged glasses to see how the story is weakened by each needless deviation, then you’re past any help I might provide. While you continue to serve as mayor of this forum, I wish you well. I vent my frustrations occasionally when I read headlines that tell us Dumb and Dumber are shredding the source material more and more. Good day.

  105. Young Griff,

    Why would I be offended? Obviously we see this very differently. No need to argue or get angry over this. As for “If you can’t look past your fanboy fogged glasses to see how the story is weakened by each needless deviation, then you’re past any help I might provide”, I was about to say the same to you, except in respect to the books, but the fact that we would throw the same accusation to each other pretty much tells me we won’t ever agree on this. And that’s fine 😉

  106. Good grief Areo Hotah is not a black. What the f*ck. I hate when shows do this crap. Why not make him gay, and autistic as well!?

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