Another piece of casting information about Game of Thrones season 6 has dropped into our laps here at WatchersOnTheWall. This newest casting breakdown we’ve received from a source does provide a hint at where one story may go next year.
Currently Game of Thrones is looking to cast the role of a “hapless sly son to cruel father.” The son is in his late 30’s.
The detailed description (beware of spoilers!):
This is a very good part in this season who appears in three episodes.
We need a characterful-looking guy – long nose and skeletal features and perhaps a bit sly – to play a son who is unable to live up to the demands of his savage father. We need a really good actor for this part – he has good scenes with lots of the leading cast. The character has a great storyline. There are no options and this is a one-off opportunity for a good clever actor to come and make his mark on this major hit show.
Though there is no name listed on the character, it seems pretty obvious that this is a Frey son. From the physical description, it sounds like they’re hoping to find an actor that looks a lot like David Bradley (Walder Frey). Bradley is not yet publicly confirmed to return in season 6 but he has expressed in interviews a willingness to return to Game of Thrones to finish the Frey storyline, and the actor was told by David Benioff that he’d be back.
From the combined physical and character description, I don’t think this new character is meant to be an exact translation of one of the Frey sons from the books. However he may be similar to the unlucky book character Merrett Frey. Merrett most certainly was hapless, in many ways.
It’s plain from the casting breakdown that the character is for this season only, which means he has a good chance of being killed. A Frey who is possibly short-lived and we’re getting an outlaw band this year– could this hapless son run afoul of them?
Of course the write-up says he’s in 3 episodes. If this is indeed a Frey interacting with “lots of the leading cast,” which leading cast are making their way into the Riverlands?
Don’t you just love being beyond the books?
Edit: These are the filming dates given for the role:
1 week commencing 10th August
1 week commencing 24th August
1 week commencing 12th October
1 week commencing 19th October
One of his filming weeks (week commencing August 24th) does overlap with a filming week scheduled for the outlaws Flynn, Japeth, and Lachlan so that theory is still workable.
If you thought the talks of Lady Stoneheart were going to die down, then you were seriously mistaken hahaha
I think this is probably Black Walder Frey
Not that I’m saying it’s not a Frey, but really, are there any sons in Westeros who aren’t unable to live up to the demands of a savage father?
I’m using too many double negatives, aren’t I.
Yeah there’s no reason it couldn’t be some random other/invented Frey. But I mean… Merrett only has one reason to be in there, if it is him. Hrrr
Hang him high on a tree allready 😀
The sound you hear is the Lady Stoneheart fandom rising from the ashes yet again.
The reason LS talk won’t go away is because there is no time limit on when she can show up…they can have her this season or next or whenever they want…she is the proverbial ace in the hole that D&D can use whenever they want
BeautyBrinne,
Agree with this
We really don’t need LSH at this point. A hapless Frey can be hung by vengeful bands without her. Which is why I didn’t mention her. I’m tired of hype. I mentioned Merrett only because he is the character closest to this one in personality description.
I’m wondering if it’s Walder Frey himself, but a flashbacked version of him when he was a much younger man.
I have a feeling we’re going to be seeing a LOT of flashbacks/back-story this season (possibly seen through Bran’s eyes since he can see into the past and such as well as see current events and the like).
Will be interesting to see if someone like Sansa or The Blackfish leads the Outlaw band. I have a hard time trying to figure out what’s next for show Sansa since her arc has deviated from her book counterpart.
Oh god! just when I thought the LS talk had finally died out……here it comes with renewed vigor
I really wish HBO would name the characters they are casting, I understand why they can’t, or don’t want to I should say…
And if this is a Frey I don’t think it will mean we will have LSH, we don’t really need her and there is no proof at all so far that she’ll ever appear.
I feel like this has to be for Merrett and that we’re going to get Lady Sansaheart.
Sue the Fury,
Only reason I think she has to show up is because it would be headline news on every entertainment and non entertainment news website on earth…I know thrones doesn’t need the extra press/hype but it would be irresponsible not to take advantage of this layup of a plot line…I also think she is going to play a major role in the next book seeing how a certain characters story ended in the last one
Added a little info about shooting dates.
If this is indeed a Frey, my guess is that lots of leading cast = Sansa, Brienne, Pod, Davos, Rickon & Northern support.
After the 8 seasons announcement I was wondering if the Frey revenge stuff would be pushed back a season, but this is actually pretty exciting. The North remembers!
Edit: Whoops didn’t see the filming overlap. Thanks Sue. Maybe the Frey-venge plot will be introduced with the outlaw band before a more organized Northern response finally precipitates the fate of House Frey & Bolton we’ve all been waiting for.
Actually my most muddled tinfoil meind has come up with this theory:
NO LSH
but
Beric still lives (in the show)
there is an outlaw band running wild
McShane is cast
a Frey is called for
=
LSH and Dondarrion are merged into someone new (we havn’t seen Beric since long ago) played by McShane who will proceed with a Mr Merrett Frey like LSH did.
call me nuts but I really just could imagine McShane playing that terrifying leader of the band.
and now cast the stones (ducks and runs)
I think that is probably correct. I’m not sure I like it, but I can’t see which other direction Sansa’s story will go next season.
Sue the Fury,
Hanged! He’s not a tapestry
Maceless Fan,
How does this in any way shape or form confirm StoneShit ?
Reema,
Grammar nitpickery is the lowest form of pseudointellectualism.
Kotang,
Casting new freys and new BWB members…what is the only thing in the last two books they were there for? I agree nothing is confirmed until we know Thoros is back but the set up seems to be there
This is going to be a character who will give a sympathetic face to the Frey dinner when Arya and Nymeria devour all Freys and Lannisters. Bet Money folks.
In the span of a few days we’ve gotten:
–8 seasons
–Ian McShane
–More Freys
That’s not a bad haul.
But yes, this seems like a Frey. Almost every other major or minor family already introduced has some fatal flaw that doesn’t meet the description. “Skeletal features” rules him out as an Umber; Balon Greyjoy’s other sons are dead and Euron has no children as far as we know.
The name, of course, doesn’t matter. They could go with Merrett Frey, or hell, name him Cleos as a nod to the books. Only Black Walder and Lame Lothar are taken, given they’d been cast and notable in the Red Wedding.
Sue the Fury,
Geez sue way to bring a nuke to a slap fight…it was a harmless jokey comment
Okay, I blame myself for simply mentionning her name but it’s funny how all the LSH talk is “oh, yay, the Stoneheart Gate is open again” and not at all “oh, yay, this gives us hope for her again !” ^^
I for one am very glad she’s been cut since I’ve never liked her in the books so thank you D&D for omitting that useless character !
The Loon,
First of all ,that rogue band hasn’t been confirmed to be BWB yet and second of all,just because it is in the books doesn’t mean it they are goig to do it,seriously what show are you watching at this point in season 6 ? At most they are maybe doing a different version of it,but either way they don’t need LSH especially now when they are definitely going to be ressurecting Jon and besides that it is too late for her and she’s a stupid character imo and i’m sure D&D share my opinion,they would never admit it because they don’t want to upset George but they hinted that they don’t care for her character or story through other sources .
Kotang,
Ehh…I still think it’s irresponsible not to include her…gives the “good guys” a win which the show sorely needs
Sue the Fury,
What the hell Sue it’s a quote from AFFC
I want to see Sansa get some revenge on this possible Frey guy. She could take some aspects of LSH character and it could work. Maybe.
Curiouser and curiouser. Lots to chew on in this description and some of it a bit head scratching. For instance – hapless and sly? That’s an interesting combination. In a way they are opposing characteristics. Though I guess there can be some cases of someone being both hapless and sly.
Regarding it being a Frey – I never really pictured Walder Frey’s primary characteristics to be “cruel” or “savage” with demands his children can’t live up to. He has been cruel (and even savage in a way) but I always thought he was primarily petty and vindictive.
Maybe I’m splitting hairs though.
If it is a Frey, I would much rather it be in a Manderly/Northern Lords context rather than Stoneheart. Someone who would be good in a
perhaps. Although, maybe a Sansa Stoneheart storyline could be rewarding
“…he has good scenes with lots of the leading cast.”
Two possibilities, the son’s father is a Northern Lord, as there are no leading cast members in the vicinity of or in the Riverlands itself, or Walder sends a son North along with a Frey force, to assist Roose. I view the leading cast as LH, NCW, PD, EC, IG, MH, NE, ST, AA, ME, IR, LC, CVH, GC and MW (KH is dead atm). The largest group currently resides in the North, so unless they all head south and quickly, the role is for someone who interacts with the shows leads filming Northern scenes.
Fewer 🙂
Just for the sake of the argument: what if this isn’t a Frey? Who else could it be?
Can’t they just use Lame Lothar or Black Walder from Season 3?
Anyway, my guess is the Frey guy will arrive with a patrol to save Sansa, Brienne and Pod from the outlaws, showing that even the most despised house in Westeros can do some good. Then, the Freys will meet with Jaime, who’s there to broker an engagement between House Lannister and Walder Frey and make sure that, if conflict shall arise with the Boltons, the old fart will side with the Lannisters. Afterwards, during the feast, the Black Fish and some of the Riverrun servants set fire to the hall. Jaime tries to escape with Bronn but the portcullis is closed and Jaime sacrifices himself to save Bronn (à la Telltale Game). And so we say goodbye to the most hated man in Westeros and the second-most popular Lannister.
That was some quality book dialogue referenced.
davy,
They already cast him, back in Season 3.
If there was any doubt (and some in the McShane thread certainly thought there was), the Riverlands are back next season. I’m still struggling to see how we get major characters there, though.
GeekFurious,
Unless they get the Boltons out of the way really quickly (seems unlikely), I don’t see how that could work. All signs point to Sansa’s story remaining in the North — she knows about her brothers; Littlefinger is planning to invade the North, which will bring them back into the same area; we’re getting Northern lords; and while I think it was horribly gratuitous (among other things), they certainly piled on anti-Bolton motivation last season, with nary a mention of the Freys (not even in the context of Fat Walda).
We assume this will be happening in the Riverlands but what if some Freys are actually visiting Walda up North?
In any event I am *drooling* to see some vigilante style justice on the Freys next season.
winnie,
Plausible on its own, but when combined with the other things pointing to a return to the Riverlands it seems less likely.
winnie,
That’s what I thought, it’s possible the Frey action will take place up north since he’s going to interact with key characters? He could even interact with Davos/Umbers
Possibly Brienne can return & Jaime can go there with Trystane. (I would not rule that out in all seriousness)
I also expect Littlefinger to be delayed there, atleast for a while.
+1!
That hanged quote is actually directly from the books. I don’t think he/she was trying to insult you.
Who actually writes these casting calls? They’re looking for a “really good actor” who has some “good scenes”? Have they been looking for not-so-good actors up until this point? And what constitutes a “good scene” exactly? Are there scenes they’ve considered as bad on the show? I’d be pissed if I was a writer/ actor on the show.
I think it’d be freakin’ AWESOME if they revealed LS and resurrected Jon Snow in the same scene montage-style like “Chaos is a Ladder.”
Everything about this description screams Merret Frey…except sly. He’s a drunk, an opportunist and a pragmatist, but surely he has no real renown for being any sort of cunning or “sly”.
I can’t get rid of the feeling that this little detail might point to someone else and not Merrett, perhaps Black Walder? Or maybe someone else who really can be described as sly?
As a conclusion, I have to agree with Sue: in no way a potential Frey-casting alludes to LSH, there are so many options on the table that can fill a very similar role without having to introduce a significant new character that would be Un-Cat.
…this is tough. All I can really think of are generic original characters. New Night’s Watch brother or maester, kicked out of home for Sam-like reasons; a put-upon young khalakka; Hizdahr Mk. II as the conflicted actual son of the Harpy…
Or maybe Aeron, if they tweaked his reason to join the Drowned Men to be that he couldn’t live up to the Greyjoy name?
Sooo…yeah, it’s Merrett.
Aryamad,
I’ve been saying for awhile that Sansa will have LS’s plot line. It’s a perfect marriage of D&D’s clear wariness of too many resurrections and GRRM stagnating Sansa’s storyline in the Vale.
That description sounds fake. ‘Characterful’? I don’t know, it seems a bit too long winded and informal.
Greatjon of Slumber,
8 seasons is a bad haul. I want the end.
Turncloak,
I know the tapestry quote. People whip it out every time someone says “hung” instead of “hanged.” Which is… you know, every other day here. Hence my annoyance with nitpicking over hung, less/fewer, etc. It’s just not funny anymore.
I did get a Stannis vibe there. Sue does a pretty good job of keeping us updated on what’s going on though, so perhaps we should not be too much in Stannis mode (grammar wise) – i.e. more easy-going.
All of this casting news is a good omen. Gives me hope that we’ll get that Euron scoop real soon.
As for Mystery Frey… I really don’t see the point in including the Stoneheart revenge plot without Stoneheart, so I hope they either just fucking include her already or that Mystery Frey is for something totally different (my preference).
My penis is well hanged.
It doesn’t have to be a Frey. We’re getting at least two Northern leaders that are bound to have sons. Could be the son of one of them.
Winter,
That would be so great!!
middlejon,
Doesn’t even have to be in Westeros… “a son who is unable to live up to the demands of his savage father” could be the Dothraki equivalent of Samwell Tarly, son of a Khal who’d rather… who’d rather… just… sing!
Or, could be one of Euron’s mongrel sons. Or Hoster Blackwood.
Jax,
Bwhaaahaaha!
&
No, please, no
Matt,
No,that would be the definition of awful .
Sue the Fury,
I thought in this case it worked since the hung quote from the books is referring to Merret Frey. But I can see how it can get annoying.
This
Honestly don’t care about any Freys unless it’s Emmon Frey because he might bring Genna Lannister with him 🙂
But if they’re looking for someone for that role then Toby Kebbell would be perfect. He suits the look and is one hell of an actor. Although he may be a bit big for the show now.
I’m so excited for this role, I don’t care which Frey is!!
I want to see some Freys getting their comeuppance!! I don’t care if it’s LSH (pretty sure she’s definitely cut from the show), the Brotherhood Without Banners or Sansa at the head of the Lords of the Vale (far-fetched, I know… but a man can dream), but please! let us have some dead Freys!!
This could be Emmon Frey, right? He seemed quite hapless to me. He could have interactions with Walder, Jamie, Genna (if cast, which I’d love!), Bronn (because why not bring Bronn with Jamie), the Boltons (because the Stannis threat is gone), etc.
Edit: oh, and The Blackfish, & Edmure. Pretty sure most of these have no confirmation of appearance in S6, but those would be some great scenes.
Paul,
I agree – that was an oddly constructed casting call.. Maybe they just decided to cast this role quickly and an intern wrote it. 🙂
Not really familiar with casting lingo. Can anyone tell me what this phrase from the casting call means: “There are no options and this is a one-off opportunity…”
BeautyBrinne,
Bergey,
Lmao!
Stannis is dead, we can all be grammar rebels now, thank the gods
Thronetender,
They won’t be back in season 7.
Tywin of the Hill,
Damn. That’s a great scenario
I’m down with it, but can we have some frey pies 1st?
I took that to mean that there is no chance of the contract being “optioned” for more seasons. So it would work for a somewhat recognizable face who had a few weeks of availability. That it is a “one-off” opportunity also seems to point to the character being killed horribly one way or another. (Then again, most acceptances of a role on GoT tend to point to being killed horribly.)
The Loon,
Technically there is no time limit to include her but there certainly is when it comes to dramatic impact and that was passed long ago. Having her show up now would look just as ridiculous to the average viewer as Ned Stark showing up with his head sewn on as a vengeful zombie. And the character is not an “ace in the hole”, I don’t know why so many book readers think so highly of this character nor why they assume Catelyn Stark being turned into a creepy zombie would be well received by viewers.
The character only works in the books so far because she is mysterious and on the peripheral, any significant story arc or screentime involving her will highlight how ridiculous the character is and this would especially be the case on the visual medium that TV is.
TheTouchOfFrost,
Ha. ok well, you got the jump on me. Genna would be the best reason to include Emmon.
I’m of the siesta,
Walder is also on Arya’s hit list. As she was at the scene of the Red Wedding, what justice it would be for her to be the one to do away with him.
Chimeny,
Bc, releasing info like that could result in catastrophic consequences to the space time continuum
Thanks … so if it is a Frey, it’s a dead dead Frey. About time
Thanks, Sue, for all the info & updates that allow to have so much fun
keltia,
Oh yes! Kill ’em all!! 🙂
Everyone thinks this new Frey will end up hanged… but while we’re mixing up storylines, does anyone think he could be EATEN?
Well, damn!
IF they had not already cast him I would suggest MccKenzie Crook as the perfect actor! Sadly, he was cast as an underused Wildling….
If the role required an actor a decade older Ned Denehy would be ideal, but I don’t think he can play in his 30’s anymore…..
Maybe Andrew Knott, but he looks early-30s I guess…`
Blake Ritson could be fun in the role….
Laurence Fox has a better look for it…
Hmm….
GoTstan,
It is known.
It happened last season with the sandsnakes 😉
Lavignac,
Please please please
I think frey pie is the one thing that will make the entire fandom happy & satisfied
MaesterMercy,
Sure, they can be brought by Lord Blackwood or some ally of the Black Fish.
I can even imagine the conversation:
-Walder: This tastes weird. What meat is it?
– Lord Blackwood: Your son Merrett.
The music stops. Everyone stops eating and stares at him. Shit just got real.
(The Pie Guy doesn’t have to be Merrett. It can be any random Frey name.)
Sean C.,
Could this perhaps have anything to do with Wanda’s pregnancy? Perhaps Merret and other Frey are there for the birth; when the northern lords and Littlefinger attack, they can get rid of Boltons and Freys in one fell swoop? Or at least do some damage?
Nah, the Thenns were enough. We don’t need more cannibals. I don’t want Sansa eating Frey pie. Or whomever was supposed to eat it, I didn’t read that far. Hanged, or run through is dead enough. (I’m a little glad for the grammar tweak, I would’ve said hung, too. )
Maybe a ‘good’ role for an actor is a memorable role? So maybe short, but reveals something surprising/twist & pushes the story forward/maybe in a direction no one has thought of?
Characterful sounds to me like they are looking for actors who are not the standard hollywood lead looks, but someone confident and experienced in character acting & has that certain charisma that stands out
So, if we’re really going back to the Riverlands… who’s gonna be our PoV character?
Because after thinking on it, I’m wondering if Jaime’s Riverlands arc might not be so cut after all. I get the feeling Cersei won’t be very receptive of Jaime when he returns with Myrcella’s body and send him (and probably Bronn) away on another “mission.” And if this ends up being the case, I wonder if they might also give some of Brienne’s stuff from Feast to Jaime as well, like meeting Meribald.
Not to mention we’ve got another season of GoT to look forward to… and another season of characters needing things to do. Plundering Feast and Dance might be a smart thing to do to that end. I’m really curious to know what they’re planning.
The Red Baby Shower? (Yikes.)
Another happy occasion where nobody expects a massacre. It’s fitting, given Talisa’s fate at the Red Wedding.
I don’t think Sansa will head back to the Riverlands, her fate seems tied to the North. Perhaps she is recaptured after all and it’s at Winterfell she’ll mete out some Stark revenge on the Freys and Boltons.
If the Freys are going to be sending some reinforcements up North, I hope this means we will get a full-scale battle. Didn’t the casting call for the Northern Lord say that he needed to be spectacular in battle?
The way they did the battle with Stannis felt so inconclusive to me.
Tywin of the Hill,
That would be magnificent!!
It would be more “death is a joke in this show, next week Ned and Robb are back too”…
If you only look at the source material (casting call), I think it’s a bit much to go all FREY BOWL CONFIRMED! with this… that being said, the Frey vibe is fairly strong. Still, I see it as more of a logical first guess than a foregone conclusion.
Is anybody else starting to scratch their heads and say “hey wait a minute, maybe we’re NOT caught up with the books!”? I mean…
– Euron casting call
– Sam just beginning his journey to Oldtown
– bandits and Freys
– casting call for a certain religious ex-military man
– potential “book stuff” that Arya, Sansa, and Jaime could still do if the timelines are juggled a bit…
– TONS of TV-ready material for the north that hasn’t even been touched
– a lot of politics-of-Mereen stuff that could be retroactively covered with Tyrion/Grey Worm/Missy standing in for Dany and her book council
– Dorne could… well who the fuck knows about Dorne. Maybe it was all a dream and s6 starts out with Jaime waking up in bed like wwwooooaaaah no waaaay!!!
– even Bran, if his “big thing” this season is revealing that he has
(and then presumably has another long journey ahead of him at some point), doesn’t have to necessarily progress very far past the end of the books depending on how they pace it and how much screen time they dedicate to his arc…
that would all be fine with me, but I think we at least need to see some major conclusions/changes/beyond-book-stuff in King’s Landing, and I hope that will be in the form of something BIG happening there BEFORE the halfway point of S6… the primary focus of the story already shifted away from King’s Landing with this past season… and yet KL is still one of the most compelling and unresolved pieces of the TV timeline as it currently rests.
Thronetender,
Ah come on now, that’s the beauty & humor of it, they’re not cannibals, but unknowingly eat they’re own kin.
Surely the Northerns wouldn’t eat it for fear of being contaminated lol.
Besides, everybody hates the fuckin thenns
After a little thought..
I would love Ewen Bremmer to get this mysterious Frey role… and would love him to end up in a pie or three! XD
ETA:
Too bad Jaime Harris is too old….
Robb Snow,
Love it & I think it a strong possibility
Harma Dogememe,
This all seems plausible too
Them adding a season seems to have opened up even more ideas/speculation possibilities, i’m so excited!
“There is no justice in this world, unless we make it. Avenge them.”
Yes, only one coming back to life at a time, please…
This!!
Harma Dogememe,
I’ve been saying this too! We’re not out of the books as much as everyone’s saying! And now that you say all of that, I’m starting to get the feeling that we are not going to be getting a whole lot of King’s Landing in S6. Plus if you think about Lena Headey’s recent childbirth, she’s not as available for filming as she usually is. We’re gonna be spending A LOT more time in the Reach, the Riverlands, and the North (excluding the Wall) than ever before.
And in Essos, we’ll be getting all of the Siege of Meereen/Barristan material with Tyrion/Varys/Grey Worm/Missandei.
And it seems more screentime will be given to flashbacks & Bran being back on the show.Thank god HBO extended this show to eight seasons!
See Toby Sebastian who was hired for his look.
Inconclusive? No, I think it was conclusive – just anti-climactic. Stannis’s final triumph is coming to the aid of the Night’s Watch, which he follows with a series of misjudgements that doom his campaign against the North.
–Burns Mance Rayder alive in a bad attempt at a show of force
–Makes no real attempt to win the Wildlings’ support (even though it would have been difficult, given their aversion to following a king of any kind – Mance was an exception). Then again, burning Mance kind of means the die was cast here.
–Not taking adequate precautions against the possible loss of forces through sabotage.
–Takes his ultimate fanaticism to its logical end, which means burning his only child, thus disqualifying himself as a potential leader of Westeros. He was already losing his sellswords, but that act damns him in the eyes of his forces, his wife, and his biggest supporter, who also abandons him.
The Stannis that approaches Winterfell from the north is a beaten man, with a beaten army. And having Ramsay’s forces head out on cavalry to overwhelm him is a perfect way of underlining this futility. And the only thing that saves him, in a sense? He actually manages to get something of a noble death, being “sentenced” by about the only person in Westeros who could still be considered an honorable knight.
Surprised no one has yet mentioned Quentyn Martell as a possibility. He fits the character role description, if not the physical one. Still, wouldnt be the first character not to match his physical desc. from the books.
Doesn’t really scream Frey, especially not Merrett.
Anarion,
I don’t think anyone has ever described Doran as “savage”.
MaesterMercy,
Matt,
Yeah, I wasn’t really on-board with the 8+ seasons announcement, because 7 just felt like the right number… aesthetically, I guess?
But with how much book stuff we could potentially still be working through in 2016, plus the fact that they seem to be set on further expanding the world/cast in Season 6 (rather than “making the world smaller again”, which was all the rage, rhetoric-wise, before Season 5) I’m now left wondering if 8 seasons will even be enough to bring everything to a coherent and satisfying resolution.
I guess it all depends on whether these new angles and characters are used to bring existing characters together, or whether they only serve to splinter the story into even more directions, which was the “problem” with the last 2 books, at least for people who had a problem with the last 2 books.
I expect to see a lot “old” book stuff hit upon, but in reimagined-for-TV ways that keep the story moving forward and inward.
Matt,
I have been sayin’ that since a while. LSH, just in time!
Trystane is the only child of Doran in the show, there’s no Quentyn (or Arianne)
Renly was stabbed in the back, Robb was stabbed in the heart and Balon fell from a bridge. Stannis has never been a major character (sorry for his fans, but it’s the truth), he doesn’t deserve or need a climatic battle that would cost millions. He lost and died miserably, that’s it.
I’d say Ryman’s a much more likely Frey for this guy than Merrett.
I’m not saying he’s not a Frey, but he’s not not a Frey.
Great suggestion! Spud in a pie!
umuckurlife,
She is one of the best minor characters in the series! Kind of like a bigger older Cersei only with more intelligence and kindness to her family…ok nothing like Cersei except the domineering personality!
GeekFurious,
YES! That would be a great counterpoint to her season 5 storyline. Maybe throw the Blackfish in there as well.
Harma Dogememe,
I was content with 7 seasons also. Now my mind feels like it’s going to explode w/so many more possibilities to think about
My personal guess is that he’ll be worked into the Northern plot with the Umbers.
I do hope the BWB returns but I just won’t believe it till I see it.
jentario,
Where have YOU been?
Robb Snow
Cersei could tell Jamie about LF’s plans for his knights to take Winterfell. Jamie could head north with Bronn, meet Meribald/outlaws. I think he eventually ends up helping Jon as unlikely as that sounds.
The Three-eyed raven has been recast… and he will be played by Max von Sydow! Wow.
Now now. Just because you missed your period is no cause to get pedantic.
Also, nice job.
Luka Nieto,
This early production season has been filled with incredible and awesome casting news! Just wonderful news!
*waits for those who hate recasts to grumble as I giggle in glee.
Lavignac,
This pie is dry.
Luka Nieto,
Is it a joke?
Luka Nieto,
Wow I know they were aging up Brans character, but this is ridiculous.
dothrakian raven,
No it’s legit.
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/08/03/game-thrones-max-von-sydow
Hapless sure sounds like Merrett, but “sly”? Sounds a little like Ryman or Edwyn. Though knowing the producers, they’ll give him a new name just because they want.
Darquemode,
That is some lovely, lovely news. If they keep it up like this the next name that gets announced will be MASSIVE.
Darquemode,
That is great! Although he is a swedish actor mostly known for playing chess with the Death in that amazing Ingmar Bergman masterpiece, namely The Seventh Seal.
Welcome to the cast, mr Von Sydow !
Apparently we have a new Three-eyed Raven
http://www.comingsoon.net/tv/news/468159-max-von-sydow-joins-game-of-thrones-season-6
LordDavos,
I’m loving this.
What other details have you thought of for it?
dothrakian raven,
I think he was very well-known in the US back in the 80s, but maybe not as well-known these days.
I recall him as the Nazi Officer in that football/ soccer movie Victory with Sly Stallone and Michael Caine, the King in Conan the Barbarian, and as the Bond villain in Never Say Never Again… All early 80s films.
TheNorthRemembers,
Heehe!
Mine perfectly flakey
Didn’t see this here yet, if I missed it up above, sorry.
http://winteriscoming.net/2015/08/03/harington-hair-watch-2015-the-hair-heads-to-spain/
Darquemode,
You should see him as the knight who plays chess with the Death in Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. It is a masterpiece! He was one of the main protagonists in many of Bergman’s films and of course he was the Exorcist…
Most of the cathartic moments in dance revolved around Freys getting their comeuppance and the Northern Conspiracy. Hopefully they’ll give us both next season. The North Mother F@/%{% Remembers
Luka Nieto,
HOLY SHIT!
dothrakian raven,
Ahh yea, I recall him in The Exorcist now!
I just named the first three 80s roles that came to me, but I know I have seen him in many more roles.. The Tudors for one.
I may have seen Seventh Seal a long time ago when I did not appreciate Bergman films. Maybe a re-watch is in order now that I can appreciate fine cinema?
Nice news! Even if there’s no Genna, this seems like a perfect part for Emmon or an Emmon stand-in. It would be a great chance to re-visit the Riverlands, explain Tywin’s designs on Riverrun, and meet up with Edmure, the BWB, the Blackfish, etc.
WTF – so I guess no one is allowed to defend anything that you don’t agree with in your ratty world? Her one remark didn’t deserve the label. You want to get on me for calling it out, piss off.
Going on the record here: I like having my ass kissed. Cuddled, even.
Cumsprite,
No ass play. You saw what it did to Littlefingers arc. Now that dude talks weird.
Greatjon of Slumber,
Anti-climatic was the word I was looking for. I just feel like if the downfall of the either the Boltons or the Freys involves a battle, it needs to be portrayed properly without cutting away too much of the action. Take Blackwater for example, it wouldn’t of been too pleasing if they had the Tyrell and Lannister army arrive as soon as Stannis landed on the beach.
We don’t really know how many important characters will be there by the time the battle happens though. If Littlefinger, Sansa, Theon, the new Northern lords, Yohn Royce, the Bolton team and possibly some Freys are present, I think the battle would be interesting enough to not bore people.
davy,
Wasn’t Black Walder in series 3, though? I don’t think he was named, but it was basically him (just like how they had a guy playing Lame Lothar Frey).
Rygar,
You are missing out on flutterby kisses across buttery cheeks exposed to a cool night’s breeze, fingers lightly trailing up and down your inner thighs as you moan lightly. Then Jimmy Fallon’s monologue ends and it’s your turn to reciprocate. Such a fucking chore that last part. I mean, c’mon, I took the trash out. Again.
Cumsprite,
Yes, but what else is there to do during Thank You Notes?
Amazing get on Max Von Sydow by GoT. As for this new, possible Frey character; he doesn’t fit the physical description very well, but I know my new favorite character actor, Bertie Carvel, could act the Seven Hells out of that role, as it’s described. If not, I’d like to see him added to the Game of Thrones cast in some role that’s befitting his talents.
People are free to criticize, but you call someone a cunt, you cross a line and you get tossed out. (And anyone surprised at me being snarky probably hasn’t been around that long.)
Good lord, what part of the following site rules do certain people not understand?
“WatchersOnTheWall.com has an open commenting policy for the most part, but personal attacks on other commenters are not permitted. Spamming and trolling are also not allowed, and comments of this nature may be deleted without warning. If your post contains language that is racist, extremely vulgar, or otherwise abusive, it may also warrant deletion. Additionally, we ask that commenters choose one screenname and stay with it, as using multiple screennames often is connected to trolling activity.”
Young Wulf Number 2,
You are a sad, strange little man and you have my pity.
Goodness, this thread is really off the rails. It’s one thing to be a little oversensitive some days, another to be purposely baiting.
I don’t actually care if we see the Freys again, but I think the description sounds oddly informal. Hapless but sly?
“We need a characterful-looking guy” – what does that mean?
“We need a really good actor for this part – he has good scenes” – well, as opposed to the usual call for shitty actors?
“…opportunity for a good clever actor to come and make his mark on this major hit show” – is anyone unaware of the popularity of the show?
I don’t know, it just sound like an amateur way of writing. Just me nitpicking I guess. At least people haven’t posted their resumes here yet. 😉
Merrett taking Edmure to Casterly Rock, Blackfish comes to the rescue.
Pigeon,
-Ability to lead a group of diverse people in team-building exercises to reach a common goal
-Willing to relocate for the right position(s)
-6’4″ 185 lbs
-Proficient in buttermilk pancakes and poached eggs
-Tongue like an anteater
Cumsprite,
Reads more like a dating profile! You forgot dob.
Gene Simmons?
Cumsprite,
*takes notes*…
I’ve always thought Sansa more likely to reclaim Winterfell for House Stark, but maybe she will reclaim Riverrun for House Tully instead? That could certainly put this new assumed-to-be-Frey role in scenes with some of the bigger roles on the show like Littlefinger, Sansa, and perhaps Jaime if D&D decide to revisit his Riverlands book arc.
It depends. If you are a purist-hater, you can call someone an idiotic moron sub-human, and it stands. Trust me, I’ve seen it a hundred times around here if not more, mostly from the fingers of 3-4 posters.
Blake Ritson! He is maybe more handsome than sly looking but other than that would fit the part. Besides he’s a great actor.
Why are we to assume that a possible Frey being cast = the Riverlands? It could be Dorne. Or the Summer Isles. I’ve heard they have boobs there.
Don’t know about Arianne, but Tyrion actually mentions “the Martell’s youngest son” in season 2, when talking about sending Myrcella to Dorne. But I don’t remember anyone in the show saying Trystane is the only child of Doran
It occurred to me reading this there’s a central irony here: In season 4, when Stoneheart’s appearance was expected by nearly all of us, there was no real reason from casting calls, locations or basic groundwork (certainly with reference to outlaws or House Frey) to suggest she’d make it in. In season 6, when her appearance is all but ruled out by nearly all of us, there is highly credible (if not confirmed) indication, not only that a Riverlands story is happening but that some version of a more sympathetic Frey son – first to swing – is actually being cast.
In other words, only now, when we’ve all accepted she’s cut do the right conditions and casting surrounding the LSH book portions come to pass. Which in all likelihood, just means that they’re just using the basic outline of the Frey revenge plot (or Manderley pies up North?) with predictably frustrating changes like Sansa at the heart of it instead of the matriarch who was at the RW to begin with – but, why, for example, if you’re changing the key figurehead of a plotline, would you keep the smaller variables intact?
It was important to George, for example, to spend some time developing the POV of a Frey son, conflicted between the dangers of “hierarchical” family survival in needing to appease both Walder and Ryman as his father’s heir by rescuing his great nephew Petyr, and the more immediate dangers of his physical survival in messing with the BWB … one who was not primarily involved with his father’s masterplan but more a victim of his family name. Why? Because his fate underlined the flipside and tragedy of Stoneheart’s thirst for vengeance; in the great GOT tradition of subverting expectations of archetypal heroes & villains, and all the grey inbetween, one size did not fit all. We could cheer Stoneheart but we could not. Merrett had been humanised. Sly? Yes. Needing to ensure his own survival? Sure. But an inbred monster from a nest of vipers? Er ….
So one thing seems to jump out at me if that casting IS a Frey – that they’re going for exactly the same emphasis, i.e: to show the flipside of the bloodlust of whoever fronts the Northern vengeance/BWB with a humanised & sympathetic Frey as bookended in ASOS.
Put it this way: he’s in three episodes and filming for 4 weeks. That’s a substantial chunk of screen time for a minor Frey compared to anything that’s gone before, and think how a more nuanced portrayal of that nature could ultimately tie in to Septon Meribald’s musings on the pities and horrors of war …
A son “unable to live up to the demands of a savage father” says a son with only one clear fate to me, which let’s face it, is invariably the fate of most sons with their fathers: wanting to prove himself.
Merrett practically begs the old git to let him deliver the ransom and prove himself in the end, as amusing as Walder finds that.
Who knows, maybe we the audience won’t find that first hanging/taste of pie, whoever instigates it, quite as triumphant a moment as we expect?
Yay! Tris Botley! 😀
JonSnuSnu,
Looks like Benioff and Weiss changed their minds and just made Trystane his oldest son and heir.
I completely agree!!!
I read somewhere, maybe in a special single chapter reading of the new GRR book, that Sansa is actually at the Vale under another name, pretending to be the bastard daughter of Littlefinger. Not sure if the show will follow this lead but it would make sense if Blackfish was to start or lead the Outlaw band…
Arthas Snow,
This is the excerpt… enjoy.
http://www.georgerrmartin.com/excerpt-from-the-winds-of-winter/
With or without a certain undead character’s involvement, I wish the show had continued referencing the underground, vindictive actions of the BwB, just to show that the riverlands still has an energized heartbeat in the tale. I would host a rewatch party with much libation for each episode that included a grisly truncation of a Frey.
Damien,
Great analysis. That would be a very effective and emotionally resonant translation.
You aren’t not.
It seems a little late to introduce Lady Stoneheart, but with the casting of what sounds like more members of the Brotherhood without Banners, Brienne possibly not killing Stannis (given the cutaway), Jaime free to head north to the Riverlands, and now this news of what sounds like Merrett Frey, I guess there’s no ruling it out. After all, she becomes kind of a monster as Stoneheart, and it makes more sense for her to do so after years of rotting, not mere days or weeks, before warged Arya-Nymeria drags her out of the Trident.
Sounds like Edwyn Frey at Riverun but does Jaime constitute “lots of the regular cast?” It could also be Hosteen or Aenys if they are going to the Merman court. You can’t do Wyman Manderly without Frey pies, someone’s got to end up in those pies.
Lincoln,
If she’d been in the river for years before resurrection they wouldn’t need Michelle Fairley to play her. I’d assumed if they introduced her later it would still be as resurrected after a few days.
while the kingsmoot chants in the background “what is dead may never die”
I can’t wait to see who they cast. And hope Walder Frey gets what he deserves for betraying the Starks.
Skeletal? Sly? DJ Qualls comes to mind.
Am I the only person who thinks this is Rhegar?
Matt,
I always thought the last scene of season 5 would be Jon’s body on a pyre burning, intercut with Brienne being led by mysterious men to a hooded figure. As the pyre dies down, Jon’s body hasn’t been burned. The hooded figure is introduced (“She don’t speak. But she remembers.”) Jon opens his eyes. The hooded figure pulls back her hood, revealing a disfigured Catelyn Stark.
This would all work great still in season 6.
stoneheart fans: Surprise, bitch! I bet you thought you’d seen the last of me.