Farewell, Patrick Malahide. With remarkably little screen time you breathed life and humanity into grizzly Balon Greyjoy, who was, in many ways, the introduction to the ironborn worldview for Unsullied fans.
After only a handful of scenes scattered across several seasons, Balon has departed this worldly plane to join the Drowned God in his watery hall. Though I can’t honestly say that I’ll miss Balon, I will miss Malahide’s sullen yet nuanced performance as the ironborn patriarch.
We last saw Balon Greyjoy at the end of season 3 when he abandoned his son to torture and mutilation with a shrug, cementing his place in my heart as #1 Worst Dad in Westeros, which is no small feat considering his competition included a man who burned his daughter at the stake and another who gave his sons (who were also his grandsons) to the White Walkers.
Bringing the Lord Reaper curmudgeon to life without resorting to cartoonish antics couldn’t have been an easy task and Malahide rose to the occasion beautifully. From the icy greeting he offered Theon in “The Night Lands” to his argument with Euron on the bridge in “Home,” Balon embodied the harsh ironborn values that his son destroyed himself trying to live up to.
“’He’s like the landscape on which he lives,’” Malahide told IGN, quoting David Nutter. “That was incredibly helpful [advice] because the landscape is dour and stony like granite. His strength is in he is very, very unyielding. The idea of being loved, I don’t think that would occur to him. He wants respect.”
Indeed, in one of his last scenes, Balon threatened his daughter, Yara, with disinheritance for insubordination. Yet, there were still moments in which Malahide played Balon with a sense of heartbreak. The pained looked on his face when Theon accused him of giving him away in “What Is Dead May Never Die” and his angry, “I lost three sons” retort in “Home” when Yara reminded him of the cost of the Greyjoy rebellion imbued Balon with much-needed humanity.
We can see Malahide elsewhere this spring in the second season of Indian Summers in which he plays Lord Willington, “a very warm, complex character,” Malahide said in his interview with IGN, “which is really nice. A very sympathetic character, which is nice for a change. I usually play hard-nosed bastards.”
So, best of luck, Malahide. I’ll enjoy watching Balon’s family members squabble over the salt throne he left vacant and I look forward to watching you in new and varied roles in the future. In that respect, at least, what is dead never will die.
Wylis! (probably late but oh well!)
And I thought Patrick Malahide really got who Balon was – he will be missed. He got the cragginess that really fit Balon and I loved his comment recently that when he was told Balon was just like the land he came from.
Now let another rule.
I really liked his performances as Balon. In a story with this many characters, it’s important that minor characters with major storylines have really iOS actors
So much great actors ”leaving” the show!
Malahide plays an excellent jerk.
For all the nitpicking we do here, we are blessed that they do so many things right on GoT. Casting, especially
A great actor who really captured Balon’s character.
His final scene with Euron was top-class. I loved how he realized immedietly what Euron wanted to do and he didn’t run or scream, he went right in front of him. Of course this is all thanks to Patrick.
This is exactly why I wanted him ti live this late. I always wanted a scene with him and Euron.
Another amazing scene was in S2, I truly recomand you to watch it again on youtube, when he plans the invasion of the North and gives command to Yara.
Once again he mocks Theon, but this time Theon replies and tells him how he simply abandoned the only son he had left, props to Alfie as well, he nailed that scene. In this scene, after couple of scene of seeing Balon mock and bellitle Theon, you can actually see his pain, the pain he feels at failing his son. It’s just amazing.
Patrick Malahide was amazing as Balon it was a honor to have him on the show!
We all expected Balon to die, even perhaps angry a bit that he lived this long, but I think we can all agree that we will certainly miss Patrick!
And of course!
What is dead, may never die!
Oh man, he was just note-perfect. And his performance this last episode just seals it. I mean the way he scoffs “and where is he?” tauntingly/dismissively (only to be shut down with “and where is your *kingdom*?”)
Ah, but part of him will always be Guy de Glastonbury for me: “Sorry, slip of the tongue, I meant your money *and* your life.”
Only thing missing from your Curtain Call, and worth mentioning I think : his voice.
We often talk of Michael (Roose), Iain (Jorah) or Rose (Ygritte) but damn, Patrick had one hell of a gravelly / rock-like voice (so close to that sour landscape indeed) that made his Balon absolutely memorable to me !
RIP the one true winner of The War of the Five Kings (in the show at least 😛 ).
Loved his portrayal of Balon – such a distinctive voice and piercing eyes (much like Michael McElhatton!). His final scene was awesome.
He brought Balon to life on screen absolutely perfectly. He captured his toughness and Greyjoy essence so well.
Balon…doomed by a lazy leech and an envious, power-hungry brother. Malahide did a decent job serving as an emasculated king of a proud, delusional and sinking population…ironborn calamari will soon be a favorite appetizer for D, R, & V.
“Well, well; Arthur Daley” – oops wrong show 😉
As with so many actors on the show, departs leaving us wishing that we had seen much more even when the character is not especially likeable. Another fine and enjoyable performance to grace GoT! 🙂
Another great actor leaving this show ! Sometimes minor roles can be memorable, this was the case with Balon Greyjoy.
Now it’s time for Euron to shine.
Best death scene of the show. RIP Balon. Malahide was perfect.
We didn´t have enough Malahide, but Balon´s departure was a great scene. 🙂
Good luck sir!
A great Balon Greyjoy!!
And this is amazing…
http://www.makinggameofthrones.com/production-diary/storyboard-mel-at-castle-black
https://twitter.com/GameOfThrones/status/728684848546611200
caliopesnow,
Already being discussed in this post: https://watchersonthewall.com/deeper-look-inside-game-thrones-game-revealed-episode-storyboards/
Let’s keep Curtain Calls on topic, please. 🙂
He shined during that bridge scene. It just felt different. I guess his previous scenes were with his kids and he was lording over them. The bridge scene it has a sense, he was more in equal footing with his brother (even if he was the king) and a sense of danger, so the emotions were different
Im confused with the II story. Theon says repeatedly (?) that he is the heir to II. He says i will be your king one day. To me that means there is no kingsmoot. But all of a sudden its up to a vote? Confused. Talking about show only.
Patrick Malahide was note-perfect casting as Balon Greyjoy. He is, without question, the definitive version of the character in my mind. The man was salt and rock and iron, harsh and unyielding, sharp yet brittle. Yet Malahide excelled at showing these tiny moments of doubt, regret, and pain that plagued the Lord Reaper of Pyke as he plotted conquests beside his awesome Kraken fireplace (one of the best pieces of set design in the series).
Of all the adjectives that could be used to describe Balon, sentimental wouldn’t be among them. But he was human still, and the crushing defeat and losses he suffered during the first failed Greyjoy Rebellion haunted him. The smashing of his fleet and his castle. The death of his elder sons. The loss of his youngest child to the greenlands and the hated Starks – a fate that had to be even worse for Balon than if Theon had been killed as well. The crushing indignity of being stripped of his crown and forced to bend his knee to a greater King on the shit-stained rocks he’d hoped to transcend. We never saw any of this – only heard about it. But Malahide conveyed it all through his rasping voice and fierce glare. All that mattered was how it had affected this man, whose defeats had so clearly left him fractured and crumbling, but held himself together by nothing more than his own iron will.
People have made endless jokes about Balon surviving long past the point when he should have survived, and whether or not Melisandre’s final leech was defective. But I believe that the writers made a very smart adaptation choice when they decided to postpone Balon’s death and the next chapter of Greyjoy storyline until the moment it would be most relevant to the greater story. That allowed Balon’s death to receive its due gravity, rather than being a tossed-off afterthought. Furthermore, that postponement of doom had another, more poetic effect.
On the page, Balon was the second of the Five Kings to die (in fact, he may not have even been crowned before Renly met his end. As always, in both the books and the show, precise timelines in parallel storylines can be uncertain). On the show, he was the last of those self-styled monarch to fall. In many ways, I think that is more fitting. Balon was, above all, prideful to a fault. On the page, he was cast down at a relative peak of his power – a swift and sudden fall commiserate with his arrogance. But in the show, this man who was defined more than anything by his losses and his failures had once again fallen in obscurity.
For Balon to know that he had lost every Northern stronghold that he laid claim to through the famed Iron Price, and that no one on the mainland even cared enough about his crown to name him usurper and travel to the Iron Islands to root him out had to be more galling to this man than any indignity that he had suffered before. He was, in the end, irrelevant on the grand political stage. He never played the game as well as Tywin, or Roose, or even Stannis, but he was in many ways a member of their class – the last of an old guard that was destined to be replaced by a new form of power – a power that’s more wild, chaotic, and dangerous … even mad. And what could be more mad and chaotic than a storm, arriving not first but last, when Balon least expected it? I love the idea that the Last of the Five Kings thought he had reached rock-bottom, but was determined to rise again, harder and stronger. But the storm had other plans, and Balon didn’t know just how much further he had to fall. I’m glad that we got to spend a little more time with him before he did.
I haven’t seen Patrick Malahide in anything else of note – Game of Thrones was my first exposure to this fine actor. But I’m eager to see him in other projects, particularly anything comedic. I have a hard time imagining Malahide in such a different tone, because his glowering Lord Reaper beside his smoldering fire is so indelible. But that’s what great actors do. Unlike Balon, they adapt. Unlike his character, Malahide will weather the storm and rise again. I thank him for his contributions to the role of Balon Greyjoy, and I wish him all the best as he continues his career!
Oh, and this really needn’t be said, but stay away from all rope bridges in the future. 😉
Balon proclaimed Yara as his heir but since she is a woman, there is no precedent for a female ruler in II
Theon in theory and his understanding should be the heir being the only male surviving son of Balon.
That is why there will be a Kingsmoot because of this two opposing but claims with validity
What is dead may never die, but rises again, harder and stronger!
Agreed! Malahide made me want to see more of Balon! He (and his eyes) really shined in that last scene…
Patrick Malahide was note-perfect casting as Balon Greyjoy. He is, without question, the definitive version of the character in my mind. The man was salt and rock and iron, harsh and unyielding, sharp yet brittle. Yet Malahide excelled at showing these tiny moments of doubt, regret, and pain that plagued the Lord Reaper of Pyke as he plotted conquests beside his awesome Kraken fireplace (one of the best pieces of set design in the series).
Of all the adjectives that could be used to describe Balon, sentimental wouldn’t be among them. But he was human still, and the crushing defeat and losses he suffered during the first failed Greyjoy Rebellion haunted him. The smashing of his fleet and his castle. The death of his elder sons. The loss of his youngest child to the greenlands and the hated Starks – a fate that had to be even worse for Balon than if Theon had been killed as well. The crushing indignity of being stripped of his crown and forced to bend his knee to a greater King on the shit-stained rocks he’d hoped to transcend. We never saw any of this – only heard about it. But Malahide conveyed it all through his rasping voice and fierce glare. All that mattered was how it had affected this man, whose defeats had so clearly left him fractured and crumbling, but held himself together by nothing more than his own iron will.
People have made endless jokes about Balon surviving long past the point when he should have survived, and whether or not Melisandre’s final leech was defective. But I believe that the writers made a very smart adaptation choice when they decided to postpone Balon’s death and the next chapter of Greyjoy storyline until the moment it would be most relevant to the greater story. That allowed Balon’s death to receive its due gravity, rather than being a tossed-off afterthought. Furthermore, that postponement of doom had another, more poetic effect.
On the page, Balon was the second of the Five Kings to die (in fact, he may not have even been crowned before Renly met his end. As always, in both the books and the show, precise timelines in parallel storylines can be uncertain). On the show, he was the last of those self-styled monarch to fall. In many ways, I think that is more fitting. Balon was, above all, prideful to a fault. On the page, he was cast down at a relative peak of his power – a swift and sudden fall commiserate with his arrogance. But in the show, this man who was defined more than anything by his losses and his failures had once again fallen in obscurity.
Hoyti Von Totiy,
God am I glad they never did the entire thing. It’s just plain silly.
What is dead may never die. Malahide was a perfect Balon, one of the most memorable roles on the show amongst the minor characters. He wasn’t someone you could forget, really. He perfectly captured the sense of entitlement that didn’t belong at all considering the Iron Islands were a hellscape at best. Great work.
Another well written Curtain Call on top of Roose Bolton
Have to say, while there are a few misses as far as some casting goes (Sand Snakes), the show by and large has got what I’ll respectfully term the peripheral characters spot on. Michael McElhatton as Roose is a good example, eg I can quite imagine him being the Leech Lord
And of course Malahide as Balon Greyjoy was another. His first scene with Theon was great
It was a tricky role, having to play weatherbeaten Lord/King of a seafaring people barely above Piracy and be a perfect reflection of the idea Ironborn, but on top of that the further nuance of a defeated rebel who lost his sons etc, someone with regrets and haunted by the pain of past decisions and Malahide gave off this vibe brilliantly
A good sign of a polished performance as well is how he has managed to help project GoT’s influence on pop culture lexicon, that is to say his brilliant introduction to the the virtues of paying the “Iron Price” for things (instead of the “Gold price”)
There was an entire post on that a couple of days ago.
In my non book reader approach, Theon would have been an heir but he’s lost and there’s only Yara, a woman. So her priest uncle remembers the kingsmoot tradition.
But on Malahide: I take it from what you are saying that he was an excellent cast for the role. Having watched him in so many works of him, I can assure you he is a perfect cast for any role (well, maybe not for the lead role in Annie).
For what I can say, his Balon was a relic from different times. Out with the old, in with the new.
Although I must admit I still cannot find any interest in the Ironborn…
He literally WAS Balon Greyjoy
Excellent portrayal, a shame he was only in one scene, but what a scene!
WAIT! WHAT??!! No way! (quick google….) haha oh yes it is he!
Terrific performance in a role that easily could have become cartoonish.
All these Curtain Calls one after another drive home how exceedingly well GoT casts its characters. I could never imagine other actors in these potentially minor roles. I also hear their voices when I read the books. Brilliant!
Another great actor gone from the show. Patrick was absolutely amazing as Balon. His looks, his gravelly voice, his delivery, his expressions… just perfect. He may not have had many scenes, but he absolutely nailed Balon’s stubborn, unyielding nature, as well as the rare softer moments…
My wife and I have been big fans of Mr. Malahide since watching Dennis Potter’s “The Singing Detective” on PBS in the mid-eighties. In fact, we have a running joke for whenever he appears in a tv show or movie: one of us will say “It’s Mark Binney!” and the other will say “No, it’s Mark Finney!”*
I was sad to see Malahide go last week, but not Balon Greyjoy.
* It’s a long story, but you see, he plays two characters (brilliantly) with similar names. For why that is, check out “The Singing Detective” and see for yourself. It’s one of the very best things ever broadcast on the tube.
Patrick NAILED IT! His scene with Alfie is 1 of my faves. Was looking forward to their reunion. :/
What is dead may never die.
Or as the White Walker version of Bob Dylan would say, he who’s not busy being dead is busy living. 😉
Another reader who wasn’t much of a fan of II in the books, but got more interested by the show’s take on it. Much of that was due to Balon. Thank you to Malahide for his service. (and yeah, I am constantly amazed at how GOT manages to get these splendid actors cast; I rarely have seen a mismatch or wrong turn )
Theon assumes that, as Balon’s only living son, he would pretty much get the automatic vote.
Over the years (as referenced above) Patrick Malahide has been in LOADS of things (in the UK at least). I can’t remember the part he played (it WAS a massive cast) but was in the version of the Queen Elizabeth (the First – just remembered Helen Mirren has played both Queen Elizabeths) story with Helen Mirren. That, along with the version where Anne-Marie Duff plays the queen are my favourite treatments of the Queen Elizabeth I story. Patrick Malahide did indeed perform convincingly as the dour Balon and I’m glad he has managed to find a part as a more likeable character in one of his projects coming out in the future.
Oh yes, I didn’t watch it when it was first on because it didn’t appeal to me at all but I watched it a few years ago and really enjoyed it. Can’t remember, was it PMs naked pumping bottom that caused all the offence at the time ? 😀
Even now I still think of Patrick Malahide as DS Charlie Chisholm though…
What is dead may never die! Thank you Patrick Malahide!