Since our first look at the new set of pillars erected in the Duilovo area of Split it’s been speculated that they could represent anything from Dorne to Braavos. Our sources can now confirm that the set will in fact represent Meereen, specifically a marine entrance to the city. We have two new photos of the set (seen above) thanks to photographer Goran Leš.
Filming for Game of Thrones season 5 in Croatia is currently taking place at Kastel Gomilica, with some very exciting pictures from the set emerging yesterday featuring actors Maisie Williams, Ian Beattie, Mark Gatiss, and Roger Ashton-Griffiths.
Our sources tell us that filming in Braavos will continue until Tuesday, and production will then move onto one of the Meereen locations around Split. Either the Duilovo pillars or Klis Fortress will seemingly be first up, with filming at Diocletian Palace scheduled to begin later on September 8th. One of the Meereen sets could be seeing some action soon, as we’ve also learned that the Unsullied extras began their combat training this weekend.
Filming will resume in County Antrim, Northern Ireland today. Yesterday, Amanda Steede spotted a familiar blue boat ready and waiting on a river in Toome. The boat was last seen carrying Peter Dinklage and (click for spoilers) Iain Glen during filming on Thursday at Lough Shore.
And this morning, she noticed some changes in a local bridge as well.
#GameOfThrones have given the old bridge in Toome, Co Antrim, a bit of a makeover. pic.twitter.com/XuLnTpngfc
script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js">
— Amanda Steede (@amandasteede) September 1, 2014
A Twitter user has uploaded this photo from filming today. We can’t see much but we’re speculating that the figure at the head of the boat in the distance may be Jorah, based on the color of his well-known shirt. There’s another figure in the boat- could this be Tyrion?
Stannis! Stannis! Stonemen!!
Well this could very well be the rhoyne, with the bridge and all probably we’ll get the stonemen hopefully!
but what concerns me is that there are no griffs in this…
Long time first time,
I was thinking the same. This is bad news for those hoping to see the Griffin reborn, like me.
I was sure those pillars would be the entrance to the Daznak Pit
KhalTommen,
I hope we glimpse a young actor with a silver hair wig on the boat with Tyrion and Varys in some new pics tonight…
Pillars from Meereen! Finally the mystery is revealed 🙂
Lord Hugh Ryvenholt,
It does look like a torn bridge from Rhoyne. I just imagined the river way wider. I suppose they edit that on the computer.
TheMannis,
No. Dorne and company are all set-up for the
story which was created in large to advance
Strider,
This could be a slimmer part of the river. Especially if it is the
bridge.
Oh oh…
Jorah can be the one catching
instead of Jon Con…
Not necessarily…
Griff could have been met before or he could meet Varys only and appear only in Season 6
Laurence,
Jorah supposedly goes back to Meereen…
Or maybe they’ll merge the greyscale and the pale mare but that is far fetched.
Arkash,
But weren’t the diseases the same thing ? I don’t know,the Essos plotline was so dreadful that i blacked out as much as i could from that so my memory may be a bit fuzzy .
This is excellent news!
*opens a bottle of champagne*
I can’t understand why would they cut the Giffs,
Even in the end if he turns out to be Aegon Blackfyre instead of Aegon Targaryen it would still be a great storyline to follow, considering the chances he has of conquering Kings landing in the WoW…
Arkash,
But Greyscale is already in Westeros, or has Shireen just had a bad facial?
Courtjezter,
Well the show never clearly explained the affliction of Shireen and the word
was never mentionned.
jentario,
Oh yeah you do raise some pretty good points,
My spoiler tags suddenly aren’t working anymore after I edited my post? Did I miss a bug report or something? :s
I’m just doing the [ spoiler ] blabla [/spoiler ], without spaces.
I’d moan the cuts but Tyrion’s ADWD storyline made me despise Tyrion, so I’ll take losing one
if it means awesome T&J scenes
Laurence,
I was just thinking that, but I’m not sure exactly how it will work, unless
I’m hoping they do have the
As I understand it, most people bemoan the plot simply because he enters the fray 5 books in while the main storylines, White Walkers and the Mother of Dragons are stagnating, so maybe people thought it felt contrived idk
Anyone else think the pillars will be used for a
jentario,
I have to agree with Jentario, from the previous post that is a large boat, more than enough room for 4-6 persons and lots of supplies, the latter you can see in those previous pics. Obviously the show plot involves the boat beaching at night and setting up a camp.
It appears they are filming backward from the TyJor meeting, if we see new actors in future spy set pics, we know who they play. I want
instead.
Arkash,
Greyscale is not greyplague. Greyscale is not epidemic. It can be contagious if you have physical contact with an affected part but masters said exceptionnaly it can be stopped or cured …
I can see many reasons storywise why it would be interesting that jorah end up being the one catching greyscale…
TaviColen123,
Then just ignore him as I have tried to do with you over the last couple of weeks. I’m now asking you nicely to please try to curb the name calling, personal attacks and negativity in every single one of your posts. It really brings the discussions down here. This community strives to promote positive discussion of the show and occasionally the books through civil and reasoned discourse with humor and camaraderie. If you want to make negative proclamations and call names, there are a couple of other sites that might be more to your liking.
Looking forward to J&T in the brothel and boat. Some of the missing characters here help explain the changes in the Dorne storyline as well. Very telling streamlining if the Griffs are indeed cut. What is Varys going to be doing? Perhaps they will just cut the Griff’s pointless sojourn down the Rhoyne and have them meet up with Varys in Pentos. Cuts their need for jetpacks to finish in 7 seasons.
Great sources and pics this year, all!
Lol, people who don’t get AngryGoTFan just don’t have a sense of humour. What a bunch of dramaqueens :p
We are NOT here to trash other people. Any posts like that will be deleted.
tyjon,
I agree about
There’s a story there that I’d like to hear. And I love story time with Grampy Barry!
Ashara D,
Although it is possible that he’s been cut, I see Young Griff as being introduced as a shocking end-of-season-reveal.
I honestly can’t recall to what extent the link came up in the books, but Jorah and Tyrion have a link in that Varys was Jorah’s former employer and the “cause” of his problems, whereas for Tyrion, Varys is a (somewhat unreliable) friend.
Not that I want to lose Jon Con, but it could take the story in an interesting direction for Jorah to take over his role and be motivated by a misguided Varys-supplied belief that he’s helping Dany.
Sue the Fury,
Sorry, Sue. Feel free to delete mine too if you want.
To the people who don’t like AngryGoTFan, I have got an idea for you. Next season, just make your own twitteraccount, AngryGoTFanFan or something like that and try to parody AngryGoTFan’s humorous pastiche of nerd outrage. I think you’ll find that it’s going to be very hard to improve on him.
EDIT: woops, didn’t see Sue’s post. Feel free to delete if deemed necessary.
Sue the Fury,
My apologies. I was kind of shocked to see his comments this morning and was commisserating when it was brought up.
I don’t mean to “import drama”.
Princezz,
With greyscale, if he is careful, he can still have a couple of years in front of him, enough to fulfill his mission to help Dany go back to westeros…
Also, In my book, it is impossible
Ooh, the Sorrows is maybe in? I was really hoping for that so, good news indeed.
Sorry but I won’t get on the “cut the Griffs” bandwagon, for several reasons.
1) GRRM has been consistently hinting at another “Dance of Dragons”. In fact the fifth book was even named so (with its heavy emphasis on Griffs, BR, and Dani)…. As I’ve stated in the past, the interesting difference between the past “dances” and the upcoming dance is the Stark factor.
2) It gives a rationale for why the RV was in Essos for a while. The Martells knew what was coming at the end of the Mad King’s reign….they planned for the worst (Tyrion isn’t the first person that Varys helped escape from KL)….and it is the biggest cover up in Westeros history, besides R+L=J of course.
3) Dorne is fucking critical.
4) The BR factor, the Varys factor, the Illyrio factor, etc
5) The recent “dance with dragons” short stories, Dunk and Egg, all give substantial information & clues to what may come…I fully believe that GRRM loves writing about the Targs/Blackfyres for a reason and has not completed his Westeros dance yet because of the amazing complexities surrounding the Targs/Blacks/Starks. It is known.
Interestingly, I can see Jorah
WeirwoodTreeHugger,
I don’t think that rules out Moqorro (the lack of Victarion on the other hand…). Similarly to the Reeds, I think he could be introduced later on under somewhat different circumstances.
If they cut
I love to see
And the Griff story, well, that whole section of the book, along with the adventures of Daerys in her cluelessness, were just really boring to me. Really, If D&D cut that and get to the meat of the story, I would be very happy. But I do know that I am in the minority, so there it is. If they do include Griff and co, then at the very least make it make sense within the context of the show (just name me ‘so not a fan of Dances’! Its the one book I haven’t reread.)
(trying to remember – is the Dorne story in that book or in Crows? Because I really did like that story arc)
WeirwoodTreeHugger,
But the Volantis brothel scene implies that that’s where they meet. Would they go to a brothel together? I don’t think so
WeirwoodTreeHugger,
Cami,
Jordan,
I hope you’re right. He’s a fun character.
I wanna know what Patchface says, dude seems to really know what’s up.
jentario,
Well, in Volantis
Jared,
If they’re cutting the characters who they seem to be cutting… Couldn’t Varys and Tyrion just get off their boat ride in Volantis?
Why bother going to Pentos?
If you don’t re-introduce Illyrio, just skip Pentos and the Rhoyne river ride!
Laurence,
Just a completely random and tinfoil thought I just had about that…
Laurence,
Maybe. We’d hear about that casting soon, then, since they’re filming the scene in Croatia in a couple of weeks.
King DBC,
He either knows something or made an accurate guess with the Lorkum thing. In any case, I’d like to hear his news on Young Griff (real or fake).
Did we never find out about the “mysterious” Moneyglass set? You know, the night shoots at that castle. What was up with that?
Off topic but very cool!
Carice van Houton (Melisandre) is set to star in a new film called “The Book of Vision” with my favorite actor, Gabriel Byrne!
Executive producer is Terrence Malick (!) and the director/writer is Carlo Hintermann.
Variety broke the news at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday:
http://variety.com/2014/film/news/gabriel-byrne-carice-van-houten-book-of-vision-1201294694/
This sounds like a winner and is nother sign that Game of Thrones is creating great opportunities for its amazing cast.
I think it’s a possibility that fAegon will show up in season 6 and the storyline in the show universe starts with them coming to the Storm Lands and capturing castles there. Otherwise it does seem strange that they’d devote a lot of time and casting resources to Dorne if a major part of that arc is being cut.
The wait until April is going to kill me. It’s pretty much like we’re unsullied at this point. The only things we seem to know for sure are happening that same as the books are
Um sorry forgetting the spoiler code, my bad….
Ok, just tried several edits, ……nothing is working. Never mind {/emily letitia}
The Family Name,
A lot of people bring up the excuse that it was foreshadowed before,but that still doesn’t excuse how abrupt his whole storyline came to be expecially how fast he made it to westeros considering how long it takes for others to do anything, it just felt rushed to me . Just because Martin thinks that i should care about a character 5 books in like i care for the main characters that appeared since the first book doesn’t mean it’s going to happen,and that includes all the new characters introduced since AFFC.
TaviColen123,
I’m conflicting on whether the prophesy makes it better or worse. My general feeling is that while the prophesy does provide foreshadowing, there is kind of an accumulation of prophesies in the books as they progress, and prophesies are best when instead of being ultra-specific (if cryptic), they are something very vague and come largely from the beliefs of the characters themselves (for example, it’s cool how there’s tons of different interpretations given to the comet).
With that in mind, I think Young Griff could work in the show as a shocking reveal that makes the viewer question Varys and Illyrio’s true motives.
Looking like Jorah may take over a bit of
story
I really do hope that is the bridge of dream scene because it’s one of my favorite parts of ADWD. How the boat passes beneath the bridge twice and imagining the stone men slowly moving around the torches like moths just creates such creepy and scary scene in my head and then specially what happens after. I’m sure they will film at night with fog and all that to make it more eery and almost something out of a horror movie, I hope.
TheShroudedLord,
Don’t take this as confirmation. It’s definitely a possibility now, but that bridge might just be in the background of an entirely different scene.
This. DofD was my least favorite book, the only one I didn’t reread. Maybe I should; there are sections I don’t remember clearly. What I do remember was really being bored by the Grif story (too many new characters and too confusing) , Daenarys story (could she get anymore clueless?) and Penny. Esp Penny. I really hated that story arc. Im hoping if they do include Grif, that they at least make it tighter, with less ambling about, and make less like a love lorn teenager (which I know she’s supposed to be, but still….) and please no Penny! That being said – maybe I should reread the book because perhaps I will find more in it that I didn’t pick up before. I am amenable to have my mind changed.
Confirming Osuna filming in October.
http://https://twitter.com/westerosorg/status/506503429939032064
Chloe,
Tomorrow they are looking for 2,500 people —half of each sex— for filming at the Osuna bull-ring. This is the casting criteria, translated to English. Hope it helps, WoW:
“Applicants must be between 18 and 60, with no distinction made in regards to race, but Osuna inhabitants will be made a priority. Men will have to be in a good physical condition, without being bodybuilders. They must be thin, with short or medium hair length and must be prepared to grow out their facial hair and having it cut.
Women must be thin, with long, uniform hair —no highlights. Applicants with red, violet, blue, pink hair will be rejected. No one of either sex with big, visible tattoos will be allowed. All applicants must wear shorts and T-shirts, allowing their arms and legs to be seen.
The workdays will be very long because all selected candidates will have to go through makeup, costume and hairdressing, depending on the hours at which the scenes will be filmed.”
Luka Nieto,
Just one thing, they are not shooting in the “polideportivo” that’s only the place where they are doing the casting.
Cami,
Thanks, fixed.
BTW, some info I omitted: applicants must be available for filming between the 10th and 29th of October. They will be paid 50€/day.
Luka Nieto,
Thanks
Luka Nieto,
Holy shit! 2,500 extras?! I think that’s the biggest crowd scene GoT ever had!
Luka Nieto,
That is a lot of extras. I wonder why their body types matter so much? I wouldn’t think it would matter if they were just spectators at
Maybe this scenes that they are shooting Now with T and J are for late episodes 6/7/8
And later the will shoot the scenes with T and V and YG for ep1/2/3 / maybe they had to do it this way for some reason /:
Remember when Jojen and Meera where supposed to be in s02 in winterfell then they appeard in s03 in the woods ! Maybe something like that will happen with the griffs
Omg ! So excidet to see some pic when they shoot the pit scene
Just a guess though, obviously.
Crud. Forgot spoiler tags. Hopefully initials is discrete enough 🙂
Tyrion Pimpslap,
Much, MUCH easier for the costuming department if everyone fits more or less in the same clothes. It’s 2,500 people, after all. That’s a pretty big crowd to clothe.
And… yeah, I didn’t even think about it but 2,500 is a LOT of people. I had assumed they would have a few extras around the main characters in the scene and fill the rest with CGI people, but apparently not. 2,500 will fill quite a lot of that stadium, especially if you move them around.
About the Osuna casting for extras I think is important for everyone to know they have already contacted via email everyone they want to show up, It’s not an open call, and the production company just wrote in their facebook page that access to the casting venue won’t be granted to anyone who hasn’t been called.
Woo! I was right about the columns being part of Meereen.
Well, sort of.. I said they’d be the entrance to the Temple of the Graces.
I doubt we’ll get the
though. This show is allergic to any unnecessary exposition. Especially if it’s supernatural.
While some people say that his foreshadowing doesn’t really make a difference, consider that he’s probably a Blackfyre. There is MUCH more foreshadowing if you take this into account, with the entire rebellion being something which George perhaps only wrote in order to introduce fAegon.
I didn’t like the Essos storyline either. However, after reading some analyses (primarily The Meereenese Blot), I re-read the books and find it much more appealing. The character development is immensely rich.
fAegon would actually be a good villain, even this late. He has contrary interests to many characters we care about, such as Dany, Stannis, and Cersei. The problem is that he’s so damn heroic. A talented young guy with plenty of prospects, a huge army, some boyish flaws, and as Varys keeps repeating, a good heart. In a world where everyone has become grey at best.
Lollius Palicanus,
Yeah, what made me dislike him/the plot in the books is because
One thing I do like about the plotline is this aspect for both the audience and Dany herself wherein while they should be overjoyed at the development, it’s kind of a slap in the face for someone to come out of nowhere and try to claim everything that “you’ve” worked hard for. And what makes it “worse” is in some respects, YG is actually better (he knows more about life in Westeros and more importantly, got there first).
I think the show has done a good job in building Dany up as great and then increasingly raising doubts, and Young Griff continues this trend in an interesting way.
jentario,
Oh yes I completely understand, I try to not get my hopes up about anything unless it’s pretty obvious like Daznak’s pit. But still it would be nice , or perhaps like you said it can be used for something completely different that would be okay.
Plenty of time for The Sorrows/Stonemen and even if it’s cut well at least I have that chapter to read anytime.
TheShrouddedLord,
Great attitude right there. If half the people in Westeros.org thought like that there’d be much more appreciation for the show.
New image of the fiming today with the boat in Toome https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BwedMAuIAAESA5A.jpg:large
Cami,
Hmm well now I’m confused about geography. If
Cami,
That sure looks like his trademark yellow shirt.
Tyrion Pimpslap,
If it’s in Mereen then they’ll be a lot of former slaves that aren’t reknowned for being well fed! Also think the more uniformed look is to get rid of unatural hair colours and also not take attention away from the focus of the scenes.
Is that even possible any more? Are there 2K actors sans tattoos? Im thinking in a few years it will be nye impossible…
Cami,
Nothing is definite, but it sure looks like it
Abyss,
They are not going to use 2,500 extras. The 2,500 men and women are the ones they chose out of 89,000 people that applied via email and out of those 2,500 they are going to select 500 who are the ones that are actually going to be shooting from October 10-29… But it’s still a lot of people, I’m very exited 🙂
Are you sure that’s
Fedejru,
Fedejru,
Not 100% sure and as jentario just said nothing is defenite, I shouldn’t have used that word, sorry! but
Stylax,
Are you sure? I admit that I’m not a native speaker, so sometimes I might get things wrong, but judging from this I think it will be 2,500 extras:
I mean, how else you read that? Am I missing something here?
jentario,
If half the people at W.org thought that way, they’d be here! 🙂
To everyone who hated DwD on first read and never reread: try it again. I hated that book so much on first read! I was expecting plot advancement and some resolution of storylines after so long and was increasingly disillusioned as I read, making me disregard the story I was actually reading. On subsequent reread, I was able to jettison those expectations and try to mine for clues to future books as I enjoyed the stories presented. Please give it another read and see if you don’t enjoy it a bit more the second time around.
Abyss,
It was posted a second announcement saying:
from what I understand of Spanish:
“Of the total of 500 people who will sign, we will roughly select ONLY 500 people who will be the chosen to shoot across several successive days”
Greenjones,
I concur, it appears to be Jorah as well, especially after zooming in and cleaning it up.
Same shirt, head and stature, although I make out three other people in the boat, one just behind the standing figure’s right side and two others in the back of the boat.
It also appears no one is rowing, so I guess the boat is either moving with the current or they have lassoed a large catfish to pull it.
Auren,
I see. The post I linked has the correct number as well mow. – But still, 500 extra could be the biggest crowd scene GoT ever had. 😀
I hope they don’t make Tyrion/Jorah a comedic duo… Which I can already see them doing.
And the Meereen marine entrance is for Victarion, GET HYPE!!!11!!11
With absolutely no hint in casting or filming of any of the Griffs, I think we can safely assume they’ve been jettisoned (at least for this season).
If that’s the case, wouldn’t it make far more sense for Tyrion and Jorah to be linked up in Pentos by Illyrio/Varys? Jorah has a connection to Illyrio going back to S1 and he would presumably want to get back to Dany so taking Tyrion to Meereen would be a mission he’d willingly take on. I think it makes sense that after being banished in S4, that the only place for Jorah to go would be back to his benefactor Illyrio in Pentos to cool his heels.
When I edit a post, the spoiler codes don’t work anymore.
Ironborn,
Refresh your page. I thought that was happening to me, but then I refreshed, and the spoilers showed back up obscured, again.
As a native Spanish speaker, i confirm, the crowd will be “only” 500.
BTW, if all the speculation is proven right, we’ll have a show without Ironborn, Griffs and without Quentyn and Arianne. I know that introducing too many characters at once is a hassle, and the general opinion is that the show world is already too contrived for TV audiences, but IMO these cuts leave everything to be too straightforward.
King Tommen,
Volantis as a location, including a Volantis brothel has been confirmed in an earlier story. It is known.
Abyss,
The guys already answered your question but yeah… As a native Spanish speaker I am/was sure 🙂
Yes, I’m quite aware. As I stated, they could just as easily hit up said Volantis brothel during their travels, it doesn’t have to be where they meet.
King Tommen,
Yeah. I’m just not sure I could see them willingly going to a brothel together after they meet, given the established relationship between those characters. But I suppose it is possible the brothel could drive some other plot development along the way. I guess we’ll find out eventually!
Fjordgazer,
If they put in every character from the books and every story line, you’d have a convuluted mess on screen, and many people would give up watching. I know these are favorite characters, but if their tasks can be done by established characters or the story changed so they aren’t needed, it will make the story more coherent and tighter, and probably just as thrilling as the books were, but in a different way.
As far as the brothel goes, Tyrion going there on his own to drown his sorrows and dip his wick with Jorah tagging along reluctantly because he can’t convince him otherwise seems very plausible.
I’m all for condensing minor characters, like they’re supposedly doing with
Mace Tyrell and Harys Swift
but what the Griffs and the Ironborn are supposed to do can’t be done by anyone else, at least without being cringeworthy. Most people assume they (and their actions) will be excised altogether. If the Sand Snakes could take all that, more power to them. But that’s not quite the case, isn’t it?
Show canon is way apart from books canon, i’ve come to terms with that. But the story loses a lot. If
what D&D want (and according to some people, what fickle TV audiences want) is a streamlined plot with “Khaleesi” flying back to Westeros on Drogon’s back ASAP, they should’ve started deviating from the source material earlier; it’d made more sense, don’t you think? Of course, they wanted to have their cake (scenes like the Red Wedding) and eat it too (rush things once the story entered what they found more difficult to adapt).
When is the latest in the year that casting news have arrived before anyway? Late November? The trailers start coming out in January, i guess (like this year).
EDIT: either i don’t get how spoiler tags work, or somehow i don’t see them on my own comments.
I’m all for condensing minor characters, like they’re supposedly doing with
but what the Griffs and the Ironborn are supposed to do can’t be done by anyone else, at least without being cringeworthy. Most people assume they (and their actions) will be excised altogether. If the Sand Snakes could take all that, more power to them. But that’s not quite the case, isn’t it?
Show canon is way apart from books canon, i’ve come to terms with that. But the story loses a lot. If
When is the latest in the year that casting news have arrived before anyway? Late November? The trailers start coming out in January, i guess (like this year).
EDIT TO THE MODS: would you please kindly delete my previous comment? I’ve got the spoiler tags down this time.
Fjordgazer,
Im having trouble with the spoiler tags as well. I am familiar with code, and was able to put in spoiler a few days ago but for some reason it hasn’t been working this weekend….
Yes it would, but I am not sure thats what they want (not that I would know!) I dunno, I am as puzzled as you and others. I just keep trying to justify why and what they are doing, and hope that it all works out in the end (and oh man would I love to see that dragon flight! But yeah I know what you mean)
How do you clean it up? I was able to zoom in but it gets all pixelated. I can see two people, the ones we’re all talking up, but I don’t see others in the boat.
I think the latter two are about 95 percent gone, yes. Ironborn? Can be delayed to season 6 if needed, and the Griffs I’m on the fence. I still don’t think they need JonCon anyway.
But who can take the role of Griff? Like i said, merger of minor characters is fine by me. Gendry could take Edric Storm’s role, Polliver can stand in for most of Gregor’s gang in Arya’s list, etc (and Gods know we don’t need Nimble Dick being cast). But in this case? Besides, i’m in the majority with the opinion that if they’re going to cast the Grejoy uncles, it will be in S5 or never.
Another thing that gets thrown around a lot on the forums is how a great deal of development must be made for a character to have an impact. As in the books, Lord Walder only appeard in two separate instances (spread over 3 episodes) in the show. Supposedly, the FTVA (fickle TV audiences) shouldn’t give a damn about him, but they hate his guts for what he did, regardless of how little screen time he had.
Writing and actor’s talent trump overexposition. So “entering late in the game” shouldn’t be an excuse for cutting a character out, at least if the same level of casting and writing endeavored so far is to be maintained.
everyone speaks about the Griffs and the iron born and forgets about Penny and her piggy (: !
Seriously,
Now mah Greyjoys on the other hand …. (
TheBerylfly,
People act as if Varys couldn’t possibly have any other plan than supporting who he does in the books, but come on. It’s not even difficult to make it work!
This is their chat, if anyone needs a reminder:
How exactly does this paint a contrived picture for anyone? If anything, Young Griff is more contrived. This conversation in aGoT/Season 1 pointed to them supporting the Targaryens; now Daenerys is the last Targaryan and a proven conqueror. It’s not tricky to connect the dots. Deleting Young Griff may be a detriment to other storylines and characters, but not to Varys.
@LukaNieto Sorry but i strongly disagree with you.In the show we had scenes with Varys saying how he hates everything that it’s magic.Plus the wizard in the box.So there’s no other road from him with a big impact unless they introduce you know who.
You seem to present your own solution. Team Greyjoy could still show up in early Season 6 if Meereen plays out similarly. As for Griff? Yeah, that’s a tough one, I agree, and I actually kind of like that plotline, but I remain convinced that if they do cast someone they’re going to try to keep that as quiet as possible given the nature of the storyline, y’know? And we still have plenty of casting news – among names we were aware are coming this year – that have not been seen. That’s all I’m saying.
Not sure what inconsistency you’re referring to, then. Does Danaerys use magic? Not really. She has three live dragons. They may be magical of a sort, but they’re living, breathing creatures.
Ragnar,
Why? Because “dragons are magic”? Give me a break. We’ll see soon enough. I wouldn’t mind Young Griff being in, I just don’t see how that undermines the character of Varys in any meaningful way.
This is the way I see Varys.He always works to gain power and influence.And their is a certain order that he wants for Westeros.A certain balance.He being on board with Drogon burning stuff to the ground would make no sense to me.We will see ,yes,but I think D&D will manage to find something suitable for him.As for you know who,I have small hopes he will be in.It’s a big investment for the show,new storyline,battle scenes,heavy CGI.Don’t know if it’s time for that with all that’s going on.But I will still hope for it.
Maybe and maybe not – it may all be a ruse, honestly.
Varys aiding Dany directly is exactly what i refer to when i say that the story becomes too streamlined to the point of servicing only the ficklest of the FTVA. I’m not particularly a Griff fan (the ommisions that would bother me the most would be the Ironborn), but if i was, i wouldn’t be so worried, because i just can’t see the showrunners giving Varys so simple motives.
You know, he’s always claimed in the TV show he aims for PEACE AND THE GOOD OF THE REALM, which, as we readers know, is a half-truth for what he sees as the perfect ruler. Those declarations make sense in the context of his book plot, not in him aiding Dany to loose the goddamn dragons on Westeros (further, if he somehow knows that blood magic was the thing that hatched them into life, that would support what Ragnar says).
Oh, and the Golden Company has been mentioned twice. Who are they going to campaign for? Surely not Stannis. Yunkai? Dany?
Fjordgazer,
I’m hoping the fact the Gold Company and the Greyjoy uncles having already been mentioned will give them a better shot at being worked in…although it hasn’t worked for Randyll Tarly yet.
TheTouchOfFrost:
Completely agree. Although the Cersei plotline, which they are totally doing, seems a little empty of characters so far, High Sparrow aside (Mace would be in Braavos according to the leaked set pics). It’d be only natural to cast Lord Tarly since the FTVA know him by name and reputation through Sam, and he’s the strongest Tyrell bannerman.
Fjordgazer,
You’re completely right. Without certain characters in King’s Landing for all or most of Season 5, I imagine the King’s Landing storyline will be more limited than it has been in the past. I mean, let’s just consider how many people are either gone from the city, about to go, or dead compared to Season 4, in an approximate order of minutes and episodes devoted to these characters: Tyrion, Jaime, Tywin, Sansa, Joffrey, Brienne, Oberyn, Olenna, Varys, Shae, Podrick, Ellaria, Bronn, Dontos, and I’m sure I must be forgetting someone.
Let’s assume Olenna is coming back to the capital. The main antagonism in the capital will be between Cersei and Margeary, of course. Then, Jaime and Bronn will be there early on but they will soon go to Dorne. Tommen is of course there, and I imagine Cersei will interact with him a lot since she didn’t really in Season 4. As for the Small Council, it seems it will only include Cersei as Queen Regent, Mace (as Hand?), Pycelle and Qyburn. Mace will go with Meryn Trant to Braavos, although that’s probably late in the season. Then there are the new characters, such as the High Sparrow. So, yes —Cersei has enough characters around her, but I cannot imagine King’s Landing will have the same screentime as it has had in the past, especially because of the lack of Tyrion, Jaime and Tywin.