A guest Curtain Call by Jared Kozal
Game of Thrones is a program that does what great art should always do under the best circumstances. It inspires fervent passion, spirited debate, lively engagement, and intelligent analysis. Above all, it engenders a deep and abiding sense of love – for the characters, for the story, and for everyone who works behind the scenes and in front of the camera to bring that vision to life. With such love inevitably comes the potential for heartbreak and disappointment when that story takes an unexpected turn, and the dreams that many may have harbored for certain characters are dashed. In such turbulent moments, the often-blurry line between this fictional world and our very real emotions can all but disappear. At that time, it is important to step back and separate the art that thrills, surprises and often horrifies us from the artists who dedicate their talents towards achieving that end.
The sun has set on House Martell, but three stars are rising to join the grand constellation of luminaries who have departed from the world of Game of Thrones. Their names are Alexander Siddig, DeObia Oparei, and Toby Sebastian. As they head off towards new and exciting ventures, carrying with them the memories of their time on the show, they deserve the best sendoff that we here at Watchers on the Wall can offer. Their characters met a bloody end, but the actors depart with grace. Now is our time to honor them.
Alexander Siddig as Prince Doran Martell
“Many in Dorne want war. But I’ve seen war. I’ve seen the bodies piled on the battlefields. I’ve seen the orphans starving in the cities. I don’t want to lead my people into that hell.”
When news broke that Doran Martell would be cast on Game of Thrones for Season 5, members of this community gathered together to discuss which actor might play the ruling Prince of Dorne. One name topped all of the lists: Alexander Siddig. “In Nina Gold We Trust” is a common saying among fans of this show, for she has proven that her eye for talent is second to none. But in this case, the trust proved to be mutual, and the fan’s choice actually won the desired role. When Siddig appeared in a “New Cast Members” video that aired at Comic-Con in 2014, no name drew louder cheers from the adoring crowd than his.
Born in the Sudan, but raised primarily in England, Siddig has been a veteran of film and television for almost 30 years. Previously credited as Siddig El Fadil, a shortened version of his birth name (which is quite long), he adopted the stage name “Alexander Siddig” in 1995 and has worked under that ever moniker ever since. Siddig is most famous for his work as Dr. Julian Bashir on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, on which he was a starring cast member for all seven seasons. He has also appeared on numerous other television shows including 24, Da Vinci’s Demons, and Atlantis, and in films such as Kingdom of Heaven, Syriana, and Cairo Time. He has won great acclaim during his long career, and the respect of his peers.
While talents are numerous and his range is immense, Siddig has excelled above all at portraying men of principle, honor, and dignity. This made him the perfect choice for the role of Doran Martell, the ruling Prince of Dorne who shared little with his younger brother Oberyn beyond a family name. The much-beloved Red Viper was the adventurer, brimming with life. Doran was born to rule, and a combination of duty and poor health conspired to keep him bound to the land that was his birthright. Crippled by gout, Doran rarely smiled – the cares of his Kingdom wore heavily upon him. Considering that Siddig has a brilliant grin that could light up even the darkest room, it’s sad that we never saw Doran do the same. But like the best rulers, Doran prioritized his people’s best interests over his own. If only those same people had reciprocated his care.
Seeing Doran as a genuine man of peace who wanted to keep his people out of a destructive war makes him a rather tragic figure. Over the course of Game of Thrones’ run, we have witnessed the grand plans of many traditional leaders fall to ashes. Robb Stark, Tywin Lannister, and Jon Snow were all undone by those closest to them, betrayed their supposed allies or worse, their family. Those men were brought down by those who were too impatient or opportunistic to see the greater vision they were striving to achieve, or by old sins that their aggrieved parties could not forgive.
Doran Martell now joins that unfortunate list. But unlike the others, he never picked up the sword or the spear. For him, there was another way. Many have lamented that the Prince apparently lacked any sort of a plan. For me, learning that his grand objective was nothing more ambitious than to keep his people out of a terrible and unnecessary war that will ruin their country makes his death more tragic, not less.
Peace is a sadly underappreciated state, and never more so until the moment after it is destroyed. Those who survive the ensuing chaos are likely to look back at a moment when such senseless death and horror might have been averted, if only cooler heads had prevailed. That was Doran, and as his blood runs through his beloved Water Gardens, it’s worth remembering that the grass doesn’t just hide the viper. It nourishes and sustains other lives as well. Like Doran, it keeps those who depend on it safe and well-fed, but such necessities are frighteningly easy to take for granted.
With Dorne now on the brink of war, it will not be long before all that was once green and lush turns as brown and lifeless as sand. Those who are consumed by a thirst for vengeance often overlook how easily that pursuit can lead to further crimes that ruin innocent lives … or worse, they simply don’t care. That’s the terrible price that so-called justice can demand from those who seek it, stripping them to the point they can no longer be called just at all. How easily Fire and Blood can become ashes and dust!
With his thoughtful gaze, calm demeanor, and perfectly measured voice, Alexander Siddig excelled at showing us Doran’s enduring spark of decency, something that has become all-too-rare as Westeros slides back into hell. Perhaps those both within Westeros and without shouldn’t have been so eager to toss that spark onto the tinder in the hopes of starting a fire. Who knows what it will now consume?
Siddig was recently cast as the star of the Fox pilot “Recon”, playing a character named Omar. Whether or not the project goes to series, this well-respected screen veteran is sure to be in high demand. He won’t be idle for long.
DeObia Oparei as Areo Hotah
“When you were whole, it would have been a good fight.”
A London-born actor of Nigerian descent, DeObia Oparei made his feature film debut in 1992 with a small role in Alien 3. He went on to appear in Moulin Rogue!, Doom, and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, among several other projects. Oparei is also a playwright who has received recognition for writing and starring in Crazyblackmuthafuckin’self, which was lauded upon its release for exploring important issues of race, culture, gender, and sexual identity in a vibrant and humorous fashion.
It’s a testament to the range of Oparei’s talent that someone so gentle, kind, and full of life could also so convincingly portray such a fearsome warrior. Few characters on the show have cut a more imposing frame than Areo Hotah. Yet at their core, Hotah and Oparei shared the same strong heart and good intentions, even if the outward manifestations of those qualities couldn’t have been more different.
When his role was announced at Comic-Con in 2014, Oparei declared that he was “completely stoked” about joining the cast of Game of Thrones. His enthusiasm was no affectation. He proved to be as loyal a soldier for the show as he was for Doran. Not only did he advocate for it on his various social media platforms (he’s a great follow on Twitter), but he also participated in numerous charitable endeavors and relief campaigns sponsored by the show, including the recent IRC campaign to aid refugees.
While the Dornish guards stood by during Doran’s assassination, only Hotah remained loyal and joined his Prince in death. The sudden and ruthless method of his demise was as shocking as it was brutal, to the point that it strained credulity for many. At the moment, it’s difficult to say whether it is the ignominious end for Areo or the loss of such a passionate actor as DeObia that stings more. Being stabbed in the back is a rough way for any character to go, though even time and experience have proven that the greatest warriors can fall that way.
Jaime Lannister once claimed that there were maybe three men in the Seven Kingdoms who could have bested him at his peak. Areo Hotah seems like a strong candidate to have stood within that number, had he been given the chance. We would have loved to see him fight, for seeing DeObia wield that famous longaxe would have been a privilege. I expect that few could have done it better.
Oparei can be seen next in the upcoming summer blockbuster Independence Day: Resurgence, playing the role of Dikembe.
![GOT601_072915_HS__DSC5866[1]](https://watchersonthewall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/GOT601_072915_HS__DSC58661.jpg)
Toby Sebastian as Prince Trystane Martell
“I have learned the value of mercy from my father.”
Toby Sebastian is a young actor, just starting his career. Born in Oxford, England, he spent part of his childhood in Andalusia, and was primarily known as a musician before winning a role on the world’s most popular show. His onscreen roles prior to joining Game of Thrones include After the Dark and Barely Lethal, where he co-starred alongside none other than Sophie Turner. The two became friends, and they could often be seen goofing around on Instagram together, before and after Sebastian joined the show that Turner had been starring on for five years.
Like many of the younger children in A Song of Ice and Fire, the character of Trystane was aged up for Game of Thrones. His younger counterpart spends most of his time playing cyvasse in the gardens – a fitting pursuit for a young Prince learning strategy. But sooner or later, one must leave the games of childhood behind and join the greater game, and in doing so risk exposure to the cruelty of the world. The role of Trystane wasn’t especially dynamic, but Sebastian was well-suited to play an archetype all too familiar to fans of more traditional fantasy stories: a young Prince driven by love.
Over Cersei’s stringent objections, Tyrion arranged Myrcella’s betrothal to Trystane in Season 2. It was an incentive to keep House Martell from joining the brewing rebellion against the Iron Throne, and a match of political convenience. Affection was neither expected nor desired. Yet as Jaime would tell his secret daughter moments before her demise “We don’t choose who we love.” Once again, that old axiom proved true. In time, even the fathers of the two young lovers came to appreciate their bond, even as other members of their respective families seethed and conspired against the nascent union.
“A Lannister and a Martell,” Doran mused, as he watched his son and heir stroll through the Water Gardens with the daughter of a family that had brought so much pain to his. “They don’t have any idea how dangerous that is. We must protect them.”
A Lannister and a Martell. It was an incendiary combination that somehow came together to create something hopeful rather than destructive. Or so it seemed for a time. As it turns out, the love that Trystane and Myrcella shared was as doomed as it was true. Calling them Romeo and Juliet might be generous, but the paradigm they embodied is familiar to all. Two young people from two warring families meet by chance and forge a connection. Plagued by an enduring mutual enmity for one another, their families seek to tear them apart. But their young eyes don’t see the calcified hatred and resentment that blinds their forbearers, because they only see each other. This particular Prince and Princess proved to be well-matched, both in temperament and in tragedy.
In a more forgiving story, their love may have healed decades of resentment. But for this particular story, Myrcella was too gentle, and Trystane was too trusting. As a consequence, both were labeled weak by those entrenched in the old ways of this unforgiving world. Both were slaughtered like lambs, and neither one saw the blade. But they shouldn’t be condemned for their relative innocence. Putting aside blood in the hopes of finding a better future isn’t weak. Some might go so far as to call it bravery. Trystane spent his last moments painting funeral stones for his fallen beloved, but when death came for him, he rose to meet it, sword in hand. Alas, there was no one left to watch his back.
Sebastian can be seen next in Music, War, and Love, a film about a relationship between two musicians living in Poland before and after the Second World War.
Conclusion
I am deeply grateful to Alexander Siddig, DeObia Oparei, and Toby Sebastian for their contributions to Game of Thrones and to the characters of Doran Martell, Areo Hotah, and Trystane Martell. I hope that some among you in the WOTW community share those feelings, and I hope you’ll join me in raising a glass of the finest Dornish red (or the spirit of your choice) to the noble men and loyal servants of Westeros’s southernmost Kingdom.
Gentlemen … Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken! May the old gods and the new smile upon your journey, and good luck with whatever projects await you in the future!
![ep601_publicity_still_14_00123318[1]](https://watchersonthewall.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/ep601_publicity_still_14_001233181.jpg)
One final note:
Everyone knows that the Dorne storyline, and particularly the developments that occurred in “The Red Woman”, have been controversial among the fandom. People have strong feelings about it, as is their right. But this article was not written to provide yet another forum in which to argue about how the Dornish story was written. We’re here to celebrate, not to condemn.
The Curtain Calls have been a time-honored tradition for this community since the very first season of Game of Thrones. They are an opportunity for us to celebrate the actors, and to thank them for devoting their time and creative energies to this show that many of us love so dearly. While it’s always sad whenever characters die and cast members leave the show, I’m come to embrace the Curtain Calls as a welcome part of the healing ritual. I consider them my favorite recurring feature of this community, and I look forward to them each and every year.
In that spirit, please keep your comments focused on the actors. Given the nature of how these particular characters were portrayed and dispatched, many people feel that they were mishandled, or that the actors were underused. You are more than welcome to express that belief, but please be considerate. Whatever issues you have with the writing, the actors are not to blame.
If you have opinions about how Dorne in general or these characters in particular were handled by the show, there are other articles on this website where you can share them and discuss them with your fellow fans. Please visit this Rountable discussion dedicated to Dorne, where a lively and productive debate is happening even now.
This post is to celebrate Alexander, DeObia, and Toby, and to thank them for their contributions to Game of Thrones. Please do so respectfully.
Wun Wun come on!
Hodor!
Wun Wun, the one true King!!
Shame, we never got to see Areo Hotah use his axe 🙁
Connor,
I’m so bumbed about that 🙁 That axe was sooo awesome!
I’m really gonna miss the Martels, I was looking foward to seeing more of them this season so much…
I know that we’re supposed to celebrate these actor’s performances and not focus on how completely fucked up the Dorne storyline became, but the two will always be linked. Especially because it was a crime for the always awesome Alexander Siddig’s portrayal of Doran Martell not to be fully realized. Siddig, Oparei, Sebastian, and the entire Dornish storyline deserved way better than that, and this will always be a huge stain on a show that’s usually amazing. But still, I’ll appreciate the actor’s performances and I know that under different circumstances, we could’ve seen a whole lot more from them.
With the risk of sounding like everybody else, but man, they were underused. The things they could have done with this awesome cast.
I don’t think it’s bad that Doran didn’t have a plan, he could have been a new Ned Stark, more worried about his people than about a personal vendetta. Sidding could have sold that. I would have rather if he had killed the annoying sand snakes so we could see someone who is honorable actually play the game.
What a shame we didn’t get more from Siddig/Doran and we didn’t get to see Areo Hotah in a fight scene. I’ll also miss Trystane and his JS-esque hair.
I knew you’d do a god job with this, Jared, and you certainly did. Thank you!
I was definitely looking forward to seeing more of Siddig as Doran, but it was not to be. While I’m certainly sorry that’s the case, he was certainly perfect for the role, imo.
I had no idea who DeObia Oparei was when he was cast, but he quickly won me over with his enthusiasm. Alexander Siddig isn’t the only one who has a million-watt smile. I found Oparei’s infectious! I look forward to seeing him in future roles.
I don’t feel as though I had an opportunity to really get a feel for Toby Sebastian, but I do wish him all success in his future endeavors.
*raising a glass to toast*
My compliments, Jared. So awesome that regular contributors to this site are able to show their creativity by Sue & Co.
Proud of this site & its followers! And of these actors, especially Siddig, who was a great Doran!
*Raising a glass of the Finest Dornish Red*
Alexander Siddig was a great Prince Doran. I was so excited when I saw the Season 5 casting video from Comic Con. I will miss him on the show.
That’s interesting, I wonder how someone with his exotic background is going to fit into 1920s Birmingham?!
I’d hoped for more from AS in the show but that brilliant deadpan timing with “Perhaps some soup instead?” will have to be his testimony…
Waste of such a good actor…can’t wait till the curtain call is for the dud snakes.
Appropriate tribute to these deserving actors. Thanks for stepping up and writing it, Jared.
I will toast all of them with a glass of Dornish red tonight in preparation for episode 2. I wish this particular storyline had been handled differently but I am moving on. There is much more story left to tell.
This. I wanted to see him fight with that axe.
Kit Hairyton,
WHAT
Jared you never seize to amaze me my friend, articulate and in depth like always.
I will be brief:
….honestly, anything I could say was already said by Sue the Fury in her write-ups in other articles. I have nothing further to add.
There are some other specifics I could lay out about how even if you decided “okay, let’s have Ellaria kill Doran” the actual plot mechanics are a mess, but others have noted this as well.
But really….arguably more than the Ramsay/Sansa wedding night, I feel like a page was turned with this. Not just the book fans and company…..I mean I”ve been watching reaction videos on youtube and professional reviews in Variety and HuffPost — moreso than any other significant change before, the response to this has been loud and unanimous, even from the casual viewers: it’s terrible, not working well, and the showrunners embarrassed themselves with it.
So really, what more can I add that other people aren’t already saying? Nothing. It’s such a big problem that even casual viewers are pointing out problems with it. I don’t need to get involved, it’s handling itself.
But I will here quote Sue the Fury: Alexander Siddig deserved better than this, and across both Seasons 5 and 6 the TV series missed a huge opportunity by critically underusing his character.
Bravo, Jared! I knew you’d deliver. A very well written courtain call.
It’s sad to see Doran go, and I feel robbed that we didn’t get to see Areo Hotah swing his axe, but otherwise I am as content as one can be after witnessing such a bloody massacre. The actors, in particular Siddig, played their roles perfectly in their limited screentime, and it’s sad that we won’t see more of them. In a strange way, though, I’m happy that Doran got to go as a true peacemaker instead of a warmonger like Ellaria, or like Doran turned out to be on the books. In more ways than one, Doran’s premature death left him unspoiled —Just as it left those who wish to read the books later unspoiled.
So don’t. This is not the place for one of your your soporific essays.
Thanks Jared- a fantastic Curtain Call to three fine actors. All three of them shined in their respective roles, and will all be solely missed. It is great that GoT manages to attract such quality actors to small roles, and whilst it would have been nice to see more of all three (in particular DeObia and Alexander), it is testament to the sheer force and power of GoT that these fine actors are prepared to play such small roles. They were the best actors for the roles, and I’m glad that they were able to play them. It is a shame that there simply wasn’t enough time to see more of them, but there isn’t time to do everything. I am grateful for what they gave us, and it is great that they were happy to oblige.
It’s such a shame we lost Alexander Siddig. I was so excited when he was cast in GOT. Having grown up watching DS9 (and Dr Bashir being one of my first long-standing crushes as a young teen), I was just excited that an actor from my favourite show in my youth would be making an appearance on my favourite show as an adult. I haven’t seen him in anything since DS9 and I was a little worried about how he would play the role (when the news broke I was mid re-watching DS9 from start to finish and was still at the stage of the show where his acting was awkward and over-the-top), but when I saw him as Doran for the first time, I realised he was perfect. It’s such a shame we’ve lost him so soon. Much like Oberyn, it would have been amazing if he could have hung out a little longer!
Beautifully written. Thanks Jared for coming through and giving these actors a well deserved curtain call. I personally loved Dorne and hope to see plenty more in the future. Siddig, Oparei, and Sebastian did a wonderful job bringing this beautiful part of Westeros to life. They will be missed.
*Raises a big glass of that fine Dornish red*
The Dragon Demands,
Dude, now you’re even turning your comments into GoT wiki paragraphs, bold sentences and all. Take a step back, please.
Good luck to this three actors! I hope the continue working! 🙂
Sad we didnt see much of them on the show.
Dutch Maester,
Seriously
Very beautifully written and a wonderful tribute. DeObia is such a sweet man on social media and Siddig is a phenomenal talent. I am sad for them that they likely joined the show thinking they would have larger roles and it seems they were innocent bystanders to something that wasn’t under their control. But, GoT has used great talents in small ways before – Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje immediately comes to mind. Thank you for gracing us with your formidable talents and I wish all the actors well.
*side-eyes The Dragon Demands intensely*
Thanks, Jared. Amazing and beautiful post. I’m really sad that we haven’t seen more of Alexander Siddig or Areo in a fight, but we have to move on. I will not allow this minor issue ruin my enjoyment for the show.
Side note: I see that a certain GoT Wikia administrator whose name I dare not to speak practically ignored your final note. Not surprised.
Great write up Jared
Was happy to see this as someone who has enjoyed Dorne from the beginning
I don’t understand the comment “wasted usage” on these actors
We are blessed that we had such greatness in the show for such minor roles 🙂
Kit Hairyton,
OMG really?! I can’t wait for season 3!
How about a open chat for the second episode?
Luka Nieto,
I’ve heard this axe comment before? What’s so special about his axe? Is it a book thing?
Nymeria Warrior Queen,
I echo your comments NWQ and also Jared for his superb in-depth recap on both the actors (and their characters) who sadly departed in S6E1.
I’m not a great follower of movies or TV shows, but when I heard that Alexander Siddig had been cast for the role of Doran, I instantly recognised his name. Ah, I though – that’s Dr Julian Bashier from Star Trek DS9 !
A character I liked back in the day and his performance as Doran will be equally as memorable.
Sad to see such talented performers go. Still they served a purpose: to remind us that nobody is safe regardless of their family name. I’m pretty sure Tyrion will die tonight, the Martels were just an appetizer before the big one.
Dee,
Dee,
They teased about him using his axe, but he never once used it, we wanted to see him fight with it, but never did. That is what we are talking about, it was back in season 5 when they were apparently foreshadowing it, but of course, didn’t happen.
Connor,
Which scene was that
Goodbye, gents. You were certainly ill-used. May your quiet intelligence, axe, and…uh…good hair have not been in vain.
I agree. It is time to move forward. We have a new episode in little over 3 hours (in the US) and we need to be positive.
Dee,
I forget.
Partly. But the show has teased Areo using his axe since his first scene, and he never did. It’s kind of a set up with no payoff. So mostly I just would have wanted Areo to chop the heads off a few of the guards before dying.
Luka Nieto,
Okay thank you 🙂
I was about to post an answer. Looks like Luka Nieto beat me to the punch.
Angela,
Thank you;))
Great write-up, Jared. You always do these so well! I was worried we wouldn’t get this, and I can’t think of anyone better for it.
The Dorne storyline may not have been the most beloved, and these actors may have only had a few episodes to their name, but any actor who gives their time to this amazing show deserves a positive sendoff. I’m sad not to see more of Siddig as Doran, and I would have liked to have seen Hotah fight just once, but the actors did well given the small roles they had, and I am very grateful to them. *Raises glass of Dornish Red*
Thank you so much for writing this, Jared. And thank you, Sue, for allowing him to do this.
Luka Nieto,
Are you staying up for episode 2?
I know I certainly am!
Amazing write up!
Dorne wasn’t anywhere near my favourite part of the books but when these guys were cast I was really looking forward to seeing what would unfold and what would inevitably be changed. I definitely didn’t expect the extinction in Ep1. It just screamed “We fucked up, we don’t want Dorne anymore, let’s just off them all right away.”
Shame because such good actors would have been interesting with more character development and scenes. As mentioned previously, I would have loved to at the very least see Hotah use his axe 🙁
BigMac,
Yeah but he’s in Spain!
Dee,
Oh… right… 😛
That’s the plan 🙂
Honestly… I may do it for them all. We’ll see!
Watching it live means 3:00AM where I live, so in my case staying up is bit of a challenge 😛 Fortunately, my Mondays are free on the morning.
I look forward to seeing Siddig in Peaky Blinders and Oparei in Independence Day and I hope GoT opens doors for Sebastian and he has a great career ahead of him.
It’s a shame people here can’t follow the rules and quit bitching for two seconds though 🙁
Luka Nieto,
I am sure it’s hard to wait!! Hahaha
Then don’t celebrate them. It’s that easy! Just in the last week, there have been about three articles with comment sections in which doing the opposite of celebrating the characters was appropriate. One of these articles was wholly dedicated to discussing the Dornish storyline in the premiere.
I’m a night owl anyway 🙂
Thanks, Jared! Great job! GoT is such an embarrassment of acting riches.
Luka Nieto,
I really don’t want to continue this but gods, You-Know-Who even included Watchers on the Wall among the critics who were vastly disappointed by Dorne’s storyline. The Wikia article is huuuuge with only a couple sentences about the show itself.
Been a huge fan of Alexander Siddig since Star Trek: DS9. His character on Thrones will be missed by me.
Haha! 🙂
I certainly was surprised about what happened in episode 1. Did not see that coming. I was hoping we would see more of Doran, less of the other. Best of luck to the three gents in their future endeavors.
Thanks, Jared! Three fine actors who deserved their final curtain call as they leave the world of GoT. Looking forward to seeing them in new roles!
Thank you so much to everyone for their kind words about the piece. 🙂 I’m very glad that I was granted the opportunity to pay tribute to Alexander, DeObia, and Toby in this Curtain Call, and to say farewell to them in the traditional fashion of this community. I hope I did them justice.
Looking forward to having a new episode to discuss in the next few hours!
Jared, I knew you;d do us proud – that was lovely. Not only did you show respect for these actors, but you also taught us more about the actors themselves.
Your comment about separating the actor from the character is particularly apt, given the death threats that the actor who plays Olly has been getting. I know such things have happened since the first actor appeared n stage – people have trouble separating fantasy from reaity it seems. I wish they had your judgement and good sense.
I raise my glass to the fallen characters and wish the actors godspeed in thier lives and and their careers.
Luka Nieto,
Haha then it works out well 🙂
Jared, congratulations on a well written, touching curtain call for all three fine actors. I was only familiar with Alexander Siddig from DS9 days and was pleased to see him cast in my current favorite show.
Best of luck to all three actors in their future roles. May they “Live Long and Prosper.”
Knight of the Walkers,
Yes – their casting has always been on target. ( I wonder, do the actors know that they are playing small roles? I ask because I read that when the whole cast was reading the script, one person in particular learned that he was going to be killed.) I look forward to seeing all of them in bigger and better roles…
My frustration with the Dorne subplot will always be about the writing and not these fine actors. They deserved better and I’m grateful that whenever I go back and reread the books, I can imagine them filling in the roles they were always meant to play.
I just wish I could have seen more, from all of them.
They all did outstanding in their respective roles IMHO. I’ll always love Dr. Bashir, I look forward to Oparei’s upcoming stuff, and Toby is definitely going to land on his feet.
RIP lads
No complaints about the actors; it just feels like a missed opportunity to have them do more. Their ending was too abrupt, too bizarre, too meaningless (especially Hotah – really, we couldn’t have one badass fight before he goes out? I get it, the mightiest warrior can be felled by a well-placed knife to a primary organ, but it doesn’t make for a good scene on TV – they just didn’t ‘sell it’). But OK, on topic, the actors did a good job with a weird script – yes, I think they were definitely “underused”, they could and should have been given a better story. They did what they could, auf wiedersehen.
Hey Thorne, I hear some giant footsteps approaching your door…..
Solid work by the actors. Needed a better script, but that’s not on them. I would have liked to see more of Oparei, he had some real presence there.
Jared, ~~awesome job~~
I really appreciate your positivity – whereever I read it. It’s infectious!!
Badass job by Siddig portraying a character no one expected him to be.
Areo Hotah had exactly the personality of the books… (which is to say none) but certainly great job by Oparei in that! It would be hard as an actor to portray someone like that, I bet.
Hey Sebastian was totally fine being a somewhat dorky pacifist. He reminded me of some kids I went to college with. :p
Wow. Great and classy text Jared. A good way to reframe the thoughts that naturally linger towards the debated plot choices. You manage to inspire respect and even more lament on actor under-usage.
I think that it’s a great testimony to the show’s reputation that they could get someone as good as Siddig for a fairly small part. People will describe it as “wasted” or “underused”: but the role decides that, not the actor. What is important is that every scene is delivered as well as possible, and that’s just as true from the characters with 20 lines as it is from the ones with 2000 lines. That they can get someone like him for a 20 line part speaks volumes.
Can we get a Curtain Call Eulogy for Jon Snow-Stark-Targaryen?
I rarely comment on this threads, but this was a great farewell. You made me feel better about the Dorne’s affair. Show Doran truly was a man of peace and there’s nothing wrong about it.
Not anymore.
Great curtain call, Jared. Very well done.
It was a shame that these actors were not given more meaty roles, as they certainly were capable of that and deserved them. Whether the Sand Snakes also deserved better roles, we have yet to see. It does seem that their roles could also have been enhanced so that they didn’t seem to just be violent, spoilt and wanna-be sex symbols. “Bad pussy”, forever ringing in most people’s ears,
..hey
I come here expecting to see a post about yesterday’s episode and …nothing?
What the heck is going on?
!,
Agreed!!!
I forget which episode it was exactly, but that scene in season five, where Doran sits with Jaime, Bronn, Trystane and Ellaria, that’s where Alexander Siddig sold Doran to me. Made me care for him. Now, I wanted him to do well in the role because I loved some of his earlier work, but even the best of actors has to be given a chance to shine by the script, and I didn’t think much of Dorne in the books to begin with. So go figure.
Areo Hotah will wear DeObia Opareis face from now on, whenever I read the books. The scene in the gardens where everyone (Jaime, Bronn, Snakes) gets rounded up – I believed him there, his authority as captain of the guard, and his long experience in fighting.
Toby pulled off naive n idealistic believably to the point I’d actually really wanted those Sand snakes to fight fair (as opposed to sighing irritated at his stupidity n wanting to see it be over as quickly as possible).
…yep. Wish I’d seen more of all of them.
Also. Brilliant curtain call, given what one had to work with number of scenes wise 🙂
Kyrenna,
Thank you for your kind words, and to everyone who has chimed in to offer their thoughts on both the Curtain Call and the actors so far. 🙂
Doran’s parley with Jaime and the others in 5×09 really resonated with me as well. It informed and cemented Doran’s character for me in a way that I found fascinatingly evocative, and tragic. I thought Alexander Siddig was excellent in that sequence – it was his best scene, for sure. That’s why I included Doran’s quote about the horrors of war at the beginning of his section. It’s a point of view that far too rarely expressed in this world, and it really stayed with me as I was writing the piece.
Thank you for this! I’ve been a huge fan of Alexander Siddig for a long time, and was THRILLED when he was cast as Doran. I’m sad he did not get more screentime before his death 🙁