Season two In-Production video airs on HBO

Stannis is not bald enough! The show is ruined!

Just kidding, it looks awesome, and it’s not surprising.

AAHHH I can’t wait!!!

0.59 look is that Renly’s banner? Its green, but is deffinately a crowned Stag.

almost… there….

Is that Brienne behind Renly in the 1:45 mark?

Is that Brienne in the background at 1:45, looks tall and female to me

Looks good! Can’t wait til April

Awesome!!!!

Who’s the blond guy behind Catelyn?

Renly looks HOT with that beard.

Hi-Fi,

Loras.

Om,

Oh, thanks! Didn’t recognize him. Makes sense.

SWEET!

Though it looks like they nixed Stannis’ baldness and cropped beard, which was kind of his defining characteristic. Davos and Aeron (or was that someone else?) also look a little different than I imagined, but not in a bad way.

Anyway, I don’t wanna be a nitpicker – looks awesome! Renly for one looks much better with that sweet antler crown.

Hi-Fi,

I think they dirtied Loras up.

the goat,

why do you think it’s not Aeron? The guy at 1:20, standing with Theon, right?

Wow, Renly looks so hot! I can’t wait, this looks awesome!

Wow! I know it isn’t how he was described in the books, but 1:45 Renly is almost *exactly* how I pictured Renly on my first read through. That’s amazing considering he didn’t fit my mental image at all in season 1.

Aaah! Giddy!

Looks like the Blackwater at 0:42?

I am reminded how all over again how ridiculously good looking everybody in this series is.

Really liked that brief glimpse into what I believe was the Stone Drum/Chamber of the Painted Table at the beginning. Dragonstone FTW.

Map table at Dragonstone = exponential badassery!

Aeron looked like Jason Isaacs to me.

The figure in behind Renly at 1:45 very well could be Brienne… I’m basing it on the fact that the figure looks taller than him. But it could just be the angle.

Johan Sporre,

Davos is on horseback near the end.

Lossoth,

I thought it was reported that they weren’t casting Aeron, but just a random Drowned God priest. Guess we’ll find out soon enough.

The Instrumentalist: The figure in behind Renly at 1:45 very well could be Brienne… I’m basing it on the fact that the figure looks taller than him. But it could just be the angle.

It is Brienne.

The Instrumentalist:
The figure in behind Renly at 1:45 very well could be Brienne… I’m basing it on the fact that the figure looks taller than him. But it could just be the angle.

I think you’re right. Definitely female and in armour and based on that vague blurry out-of-focus bit, it vaguely looks like Gwendoline Christie’s lips :p.

Also, have to concur with everyone else…Renly is looking awesome!

Early thoughts, Stannis looked so little like in the images I have seen of Dillane that I wasn’t even sure which guy was Stannis. Millasandre looks more “witchy” than I thought she would. Season 2 renly looks nothing like season 1 renly, not just the beard, but I think he lost weight or something. I really think Im going to like Dormer given how conniving she looks. I do think that is Brienne behind Renly, I like it too- I was afraid we wouldn’t see any of her face but we will be able to see at least a little bit. REally like the guy they cast for Davos-Just oozes decency. Also was it just me or were half the scenes either shot at night and/ or super windy.

Lossoth:
Do we have a name for the actor playing Damphair yet?Cause I know I recognize that guy…
also, awesome.

Not sure if that is Damphair (at 1:20), since he doesn’t have any seaweed in his hair (he looks a little too old as well, IMO).

The actor does look familiar, though. I thought he was Vlad Kulich at first glance (probably not, but that’s who came to mind).

If he is a relatively well-known actor, like Kulich or someone of his caliber, then I’d say it’s safe to assume he really is Damphair. But if not, he’s probably a random Ironborn priest of no particular note.

O.M.G. HBO rocks for somehow including Stannis, Melisandre, Davos, Cressen, Brienne, Margaery, and Aeron Damphair IN ADDITION TO just about everyone still alive at the end of season 1.

Thoughts on the new characters:
1. Stannis—Too handsome! Not that I’m complaining since I imagined him to be handsome even though he was described as balding, stern, gaunt, etc.

2. Melisandre—I wasn’t expecting her hair to literally be RED. I imagined orange hair. I think I like that they went for almost a blood/brick red color.

3. Brienne—such a brief shot of her that I didn’t even notice her the first 2 times I watched the trailer! You can get an idea of her height, because she’s sitting straight up while Renly is leaning forward. We don’t see enough of her to really say much more. Can’t wait for her scenes with Jaime.

4. Davos—I love this casting. And there’s his luck right around his neck!

5. Aeron—wow, I missed him (and Theon) in the first couple viewings. Not at all what I pictured. How is his hair blonde, but Theon’s is brown?? Is this truly Aeron?

Other thoughts:
1. Wow, Dany looks gorgeous in that first shot.
2. Cersei looks quite lovely. The hair looks much better this time around, I think.
3. Arry! Glad we got a scene with some dialogue
4. Favorite shot is probably Catelyn with Loras standing behind her. It just looks really pretty.
5. Also really like the scene with Sansa and Tyrion.

Arya! Maisie Williams is just so amazing in that part. Even for one just that one line. So looking forward to Arya’s plot line. Wish we had a shot of Jaqen in that preview!

I like Renly’s crown.

Nice glimpse of Brienne.

Carice does look good as Melisandre.

I like the new Baratheon/Lannister royal banner much better than the wider one we saw in earlier shots.

Everyone sees Donald Sutherland or Jason Isaacs for “Aeron” – all I can see is Sam Neill.

Varamyr Fourskins: Not sure if that is Damphair (at 1:20), since he doesn’t have any seaweed in his hair (he looks a little too old as well, IMO).

The actor does look familiar, though. I thought he was Vlad Kulich at first glance (probably not, but that’s who came to mind).

If he is a relatively well-known actor, like Kulich or someone of his caliber, then I’d say it’s safe to assume he really is Damphair. But if not, he’s probably a random Ironborn priest of no particular note.

Definitely not Kulich, who is almost half a foot taller than Alfie Allen. I suspect that you’re right about him being just some unnamed priest of the Drowned God rather than Aeron Damphair. Damphair might be one of the characters who gets written out of the series.

The Rabbit,

Same here.

Wow, the preview looks amazing. Love Mel’s look and Renly’s new look (and thank god that they ditched Loras’ wig, he looks much better that way). And totally love the bits of dialogue we got. Are Jon and Sam talking about Gilly? Now waiting for screencaps to see everything that I missed.

Lisa:
The Rabbit,

Are Jon and Sam talking about Gilly? Now waiting for screencaps to see everything that I missed.

I assume so, yeah.

Screencaps here! http://tumblrofthrones.tumblr.com/

Langkard,

Agreed. A little too short & chubby to be Kulich. But he does look familiar. Whoever said Sam Neil might be on to something (that would be funny).

RENLY’S BEARD. That is all. No but he looks amazing! And Margaery is beautiful! And Melisandre, wow, just wow.

I’m always weirded out with the BTS stuff when I see the crew wearing regular clothing. I really think they should dress for the period as well. It’s only fair.

Detrás de Renly se ve a Brienne.

Behind Renly we can see Brienne.

I was a major Renly basher season one. From the small glimpse in this video, complete 180 turn. He looks amazing , like someone who could actually be king.

Tumblr is on top of this, as always.

Renly & Brienne HQ:
http://i41.tinypic.com/2mxfsdk.jpg

Margaery & Renly:
http://i42.tinypic.com/vik4cj.gif

Cat & Loras:
http://i43.tinypic.com/nv4cyb.gif

Davos:
http://i41.tinypic.com/28ugqon.gif

Dany & Jorah:
http://i40.tinypic.com/104mgr5.gif

Spanish Subtitled version of the same video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhouWDe6C7I

Renly is tremendously improved over season 1. He looks right in this clip.. the crown is super cool, and you can see some Baratheon family resemblance with the late King Bob. I didn’t like his portrayal in season 1, but I understand why the showrunners would want to show some progression to his character.

Other than that, I’m pretty gutted by the long list of people that did not make “the final cut”.. What is ACoK without Vargo Hoat and the Brave Companions? And Strong Belwas? And the Reeds..!! Absolutely unthinkable to me that they wouldn’t be included. We’ll see..

I bet they’re toning down Stannis’ baldness so that he looks more visually distinct from Tywin, who’s also an older, balding, cold, calculating man who spends a lot of his time in armor.

Well, technically Stannis isn’t actually that old, but he always -acts- more like Tywin’s age-range than he really is.

One thing that does make me a little nervous. Bran looks a lot older and bigger to me, which was kind of touched on early during the filming. I hope it doesn’t become an issue.

“Game of thrones is a show about…the ways that the personal can influence the political and how the motivations of people who have power can change the face of countries and of worlds.”

Well, thats a tepid way to describe it. Sounds like the most boring show ever.

JonHo:
RENLY’S BEARD.

Her name is Margaery…

Darth Rhaegar: Her name is Margaery…

LOL! Nice one.

I’m glad Renly and Loras both look more seasoned.

I hope the next teaser we get show us Asha/Yara. She’s probably my favorite female character from the books and I can’t wait to see Gemma in costume.

Darth Rhaegar,

I tip my hat to you.

I hafta admit I liked this video a lot. I loved the raw quality of the footage, the paused tension of the sound. They showed just enough. Also I learned from this video Dan Weiss reads GoT fan boards in his spare time. As well he should!

Stannis is different from the book description, but I love how Dillane carried himself in the few glimpse we got. I’m really looking forward to seeing him as Stannis. I think he’s going to give a wonderful performance.

Lex,

How dare we like everything! Pan-Gate!

:)

Wow, cool new stuff…

Even though they are not new characters, I am most amazed by the Cat & Loras shot… Wow, what a great composition!

http://i43.tinypic.com/nv4cyb.gif

Stannis and Davos don’t look anything like I pictured them…. but who gives a fckng damn???? That looks awesome!
Stannis doesn’t look like in the books… here he looks even more like a badass rightful king.
Davos looks more smuggler-ish than I thought was possible.
Melisandre looks like she could burn and sacrafice me to R’hollor simply by looking at me.

Do I need to say it? I’M SO EXCITED!

Has anyone commented yet on the fact that Renly has changed the colours of his banner, to the Tyrell colours? That’s pretty crazy!

Hahaha, just found this. Flawless!

http://i41.tinypic.com/ab6z8.gif

Also…Liam Cunningham as Davos is inspired casting. He will be the Ned Stark replacement for the noobs who hated Ned being killed. Does anyone get a Bernard Hill/Theoden vibe?

On the topic of what is cut I think they are going to introduce new locales each season. If the RW occurs at the end of season 3 as rumored then there will be a focus on the Riverlands in the third season. Budget wise it makes more sense to show Riverrun and the Tullys in season 3….including the Blackfish. That also includes the Reeds and Reek. My prediction is Theon may be spending several episodes at Robb’s side before he gets dispatched to Pyke. Therefore the other big battle of A Clash of Kings may be moved to Season 3. That will lend a strong sense of urgency to Robb’s arc.

They are going to tell the story just on a different way then what was written. That’s the reality of adaptation.
Then again I could be completely wrong. I guess we will have to wait and see.

Wow… Renly looks BADASS. Finally we get to see a lil somethin somethin!

Super excited.

Winter Is Coming,

I’ll give that a shot for you.

Was… was that a Kingdom of Loathing shirt?

Oh my God, that was a Kingdom of Loathing shirt.

EXT. KING’S ROAD – DAY
Two GOLD CLOAKS ride up on horses. YOREN grabs the scroll from a rider.
GOLD CLOAK #1: I have a royal warrant for one of these gutter rats you’re transporting.

Underneath the bridge, ARYA and GENDRY hide. Aryan whispers to Gendry.

ARYA: They’re looking for me.

Winter Is Coming,

OK mate, not exactly too happy with how they came out but It’s about the best I could do. tried to retouch them a bit and such but getting stills from moving video is really no easy task!

Map Table – http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/64/maptable.jpg/

Renly – http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/854/renly.jpg/

Renly and Margaery – http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/210/renlyandmargaery.jpg/

Stannis – http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/85/stannis.jpg/

and…. Mel – http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/577/melisandre.jpg/

That was AMAZING!

They’ve improved both the quality of the wigs and the quality of the make up. Almost everyone from the S1 cast looked better than they did last year.
- Cersei looks much livelier, her eyes are greener and FINALLY she has a decent wig.
- Renly looks like a real king; still think Robb should have joined him… damn you, Sannis;
- Loras has a MUCH better hair this season;
- for some reason I doubt that shot of Joffrey will be in the series… it looks like that picture of Jack with a pipe (JG is awesome btw, regardless of what a shit Joffrey is);
- I was one of the people who complained because of Natalie Dormer’s age, but she looks great in that shot with Renly;

I’ve no peeves, looks at that! xD

userj: Stupid quibbles:
why’d they go for a bad dye job on Mel rather than an actual red wig?? Weird…
Needs moar Brienne (and no Jaime either! Harumph).

Wow, never thought we would get a No-Wig-Gate…

Other than that I am amazed. I wonder if they keep the rainbow cloaks. They might come across a bit over the top, since Renly’s gayness is so in your face in the first season. In the books it was but another hint, on screen it could be silly.

I loved that scene of Cressen rushing to the burning, way more dramatic than to have THAT scene happen during a feast.

Renly’s portrayal here totally justifies his look in S1. I wonder if they casted him back then with this look …

If they pushed Theon’s later storyline and the Reeds to S3, what will Bran do all the time, he doesn’t even have the Walders to worry over… (considering they casted some Bran / Rickon look a likes (Miller boys), I don’t think that theory is valid).

Loved that shot of Joff with his Crossbow.

Darth Rhaegar: Her name is Margaery…

:rimshot:

Fantastic, best present to wake up to! I’ll come back in more detail later, after work.

But my first thought (well…after FUCKING DAVOS… FUCKING STANNIS… FUCKING MEL… YEEEEEESSSS) is that it’s a really cool crossbow that Joffrey is waving around, and it would be great foreshadowing if that’s the crossbow which does for Tywin in a season or two’s time. That would be epic.

Also because we see Cressen on the beach i think they are going to open with the burning of the seven instead of the feast to introduce Dragonstone.

Great video, got me all giddy up knowing it ain’t that long until the show returns, I’m digging the look of Stannis despite wanting at least a beard but nonetheless Dillane embody Stannis from the glimpse I got.

Woah everyones going mad :D

i thought my interest in the show ebbed away after the first season finished but BAM here it is again enormously.

bacause everyone seems so happy ill add just for fun:

we didnt see any direwolf! :((

Not a fan of how that Drowned Priest looks, not nearly raggedy enough, no Driftwood cudgel. I highly doubt Aeron would suffer anyone wearing such fine robes.

Melisandre’s wig also looks quite odd.

Other than that, looking good!

Bene,

I believe that the direwolves are going to be CGI. In which case, they most likely would not have any finished CGI yet.

Jon: The scene with Jon and Sam looks far too green instead of snowy-white. They are supposed to be North of the Wall. Everything should be so full of snow…

Well, they are only just now starting filming in Iceland. In the books not everything beyond the wall is snowy in the first books. The first seasons prologue is way to snowy compared to the books. There were only drifts of snow IIRC.

Bene: we didnt see any direwolf! :((

How could we see a Direwolf or a dragon if they have not yet finished prinicpal photography? The new direwolves are most likely going to be CG, so I don’t expect to see them in any previews. we might get some establishing CG shots of the new locations in some later trailers, but no full fledged CG shots.

EEEEKKKKKKK!!!!!! I can’t wait for April 2012 xxx

Lossoth,

Sure looks like the Damphair to me.

Mormegil,

It is known :)

They aren’t casting Damphair this season. A speaking extra will be used instead.

I had managed to subdue most of my anticipation for the second season because it’s so far away and I’ve had some other things to occupy me (a big part is of course to think about the ADWD part of the story) but seeing this footage made it all come back. How am I supposed to handle the wait now?

The characters and sets look great. Renly has really upped his masculinity and looks like a real king. I have faith in that the show will take another step in quality this season.

Well, sorry for not joining the choir of hallelujahs but I can’t say I’m that impressed, maybe it’s just my high expectations… There are a few pros also, of course

Cons

Stannis: apart from not having a beard and not being bald, Stephen Dillane looks like a bank clerk with a gastric disorder after thirty years of service. I did expected some more kingly appearance of him. Judging from his looks, he just confirmed my fears I had at his casting news… Hope he’ll make them go with his acting skills…
Melisandre: okay, I can’t really say anything relevant on a shot of aproximately 0.2 seconds, but from that, she has no aura around her. None…
Davos: I think he is too remarkable-looking. The main feature of his character is looking (and being) completely unremarkable, and it doesn’t really comes off to me… He seems to have his luck around his neck, though, which is a pro ;)
Margaery: Okay, I never was a Natalie Dormer fan, and this shot has not changed it either. She may be a good actress, but she starts out with tremendous handicap on looks as Margaery (a beautiful and gentle, innocent looking girl, praised as one of the most beautiful in the SK) sorry, she has this alien looking face, that reminds me of Stich every time I see her.
Renly’s crown: I mean, come ON! It looks like it was borrowed from some random fantasy movie from the eighties! :o

Pros

Renly and Loras looking manlier. These two were the greatest mis-cast in S1 in my opinion and they did nothing to refute the common “gays are sissies with a tendency to fancy dresses”-belief, quite in the contrary. No one in the court is as “not a single fuck given”-badass as Renly, in the books. Loras ditto.
Thankfully, their looks are much better in this season, so yaaay.
D. B. Weiss’ T-shirt I don’t know how much of you noticed the KoL T-shirt on D. B. Weiss at the interview, but because of the T-shirt, he is officially considered as a buddy :D

Rest assured, I am curious to see more In production videos :)

History is repeating itself again. “I am not convinced…I do not see an aura…”all of this divined from mere glimpses…oh well at least we have something to talk about. :-)

Steve Hugh Westenra:
Melisandre looks very different from how I imagined she would, but not in a bad way.

She is sexy; I mean, damn sexy.

Mel looks great. I missed Cersei, but didn’t realize it until now :) LF touching his neck made me giggle. You know what HE’S thinking. Margaery I don’t entirely like, but a glimpse does not an opinion complete.

Yes !!!!

Hirondelle,

I’m now thinking that it was deliberate how soft Renly seemed last season to make his transformation into king more obvious.

Chris77: Just read on westeros that the guy in this pic is the new Mountain:http://www.westeros.org/GoT/Gallery/Entry/2969/Though I don’t have a problem with Conan being recast, I don’t like that he is not wearing that imposing armor from the tourney, but a Lannister style armor. (I know it was a jousting armor, but it looked frakking cool and badass compared to the “Samuruk-Hai” (should Trademark that name;))Lannister one).

He’s actually wearing mostly the same armour from the tourney I believe, albeit it can’t be seen from that image. What they have changed is his sword (which I was disappointed with), he is cloaked in Lannister red but with a Clegane sigil (and colours) underside and he now wears a red variation of the Lannister helm (normal Lannister helm is black with gold detail/inlays) which I can understand as he couldn’t be expected to wear that jousting bucket helm for normal soldiering.

From what I remember he was wearing the same brigandine/coat of plates body armour, gorget, greaves, vembraces and gauntlets that featured in S1 or atleast very similar variaitons of those. He definately was not in the samurai-esque armour of standard Lannister Guard.
The biggest pieces that I saw missing and which is markedly noticeble was the shoulder armour. These were big pieces in the look of Gregor for S1 and really helped bulk-out and widen his formidable appearance. The fact that Ian Whyte is a slimmer build then Conan Stevens in addition to this removed shoulder armour definately seperates him from the look of S1 and makes him look that much less formidable (but man, he is still big).

Best laid plans of mice and men…

My plan was to stay up until I could see the video but I failed miserably, almost overslept and had been running around doing errands and haven’t been able to see it until now.

I love it :)
Why isn’t it April yet?

I’m so looking forward to seeing Natalie Dorma in the show.

So far, everything she’s been in, she’s been great, and I see no reason to think it will be different in GoT.

Jon,

Don’t worry,It will get added in CGI….It will look great!

John,

You should really learn to differentiate between trolling and nit-picking :P

Still, I would like to reserve the right to state my (minority) opinion. That’s what democracy is about, right? ;)

First look at at Iron Islander soldier at 13 secs? He’s standing next to a Kraken banner anyway.

Lex:
So… no gates yet? I’m impressed! Is this No-gate-gate?

What about this?
“Stannis is not bald enough, and Kit still has that horrible mustache. ARE YOU KIDDING ME, HBO? You CAN’T do this. Stannis IS supposed to be bald, for fuck’s sake! What the hell are you doing? I swear I’m not going to watch the show, and I’m definitively NOT buying the DVDs. Ah! Take that you idiots!”
(We should call it “Hairgate Part Two: The Return”

Dreamlife: 1. Stannis—Too handsome! Not that I’m complaining since I imagined him to be handsome even though he was described as balding, stern, gaunt, etc.

Stannis is hot u,u I’m glad HBO & I agree on this one :)

Hilda:

Jon in all black…nice!

agree :) I can’t believe one year ago I was disappointed with his casting (mainly because I though he was too pretty. I’m SO not doing this mistake again.. so, hello hot stannis!)

Elena Amici: What about this?
“Stannis is not bald enough, and Kit still has that horrible mustache. ARE YOU KIDDING ME, HBO? You CAN’T do this. Stannis IS supposed to be bald, for fuck’s sake! What the hell are you doing? I swear I’m not going to watch the show, and I’m definitively NOT buying the DVDs. Ah! Take that you idiots!”
(We should call it “Hairgate Part Two: The Return”

lol … Maybe we can add “Snow-tan”-gate. :D Well, it’s not really gate-worthy but it’s the best I can come up with because I don’t have anything to bitch about. ;)

userj: Just to keep things interesting, there is a “Dany’s armor-gate” going on Tumblr right now. Basically in that shot it looks like she’s wearing typical Dothraki gear but she has a single leather shoulder/upper arm armor piece (a spaulder I guess), and people are complaining that it’s typical fantasy “useless girl armor”.

The best explanation I saw is that it could be there so her dragons can ride on her shoulders without tearing her shoulders up (so it’s not armor at all but a dragon accessory).

As I said on tumblr- the shoulder thing is just like what Qotho the bloodrider wore last season. It’s not a dragon or Westeros thing, but a Dothraki piece. Maybe an affectation, maybe just to protect the sword arm shoulder so they can’t be incapacitated. Who knows, but I doubt it’s “useless girl armor.” A shitty phrase.

Lisa: lol … Maybe we can add “Snow-tan”-gate. :DWell, it’s not really gate-worthy but it’s the best I can come up with because I don’t have anything to bitch about. ;)

ahaha, would you believe that in the italian translation of the books Jon is described as olive skinned? No, serioulsy… Maybe the make up guy is from Italy xD

The Instrumentalist:
The figure in behind Renly at 1:45 very well could be Brienne… I’m basing it on the fact that the figure looks taller than him. But it could just be the angle.

I think it is. The face was a woman’s…had to be her!

Felagund,

Feel free to express your opinions good Ser, after all its only a small preview. We all had our doubts when specials like these aired last year and many of us ate crow come last April.

I will say this though, it is truly a testament to our individuality where one person can see a positive and the other a negative. As soon as I saw Dillane as Stannis, even though he doesn’t exactly match the description, to me he carried the essence of Stannis. I got goosebumps. This could also be because I am huge Dillane fan, since the Mel Gibson Hamlet actually. So I may be biased. If you think he looks like a banker, that is a fair assessment. To me he looks rigid, tall and imposing. Maybe with a shot of him in his fire crown and with lighbringer in his hand he might fill into the role more. Just be prepared to be proven wrong is all. Dillane is gravitas incarnate.
As for Melisandre, I got a bewitching/innocent aura from that one shot of her. There was an aura of a dark fanatical power in her. Again, goosebumps. We still need to see her in all her finery though. After watching Valkyrie I have no worries about Carice’s accent.

In a way I envy you for your hesitation even more. Your expectations are lowered so then its safe to say you will be blown away even more than us in April….;-)

LOL!!! Best line ever!!!!

Darth Rhaegar: Her name is Margaery…

Anyone else notice the logo changed? 1 stripe down the “O”s instead of 3.. Curious.

This looks great! And my goodness, Sophie just gets more and more beautiful doesn’t she?

Joshua Taylor: So I may be biased.

Well, you get goosebumps from seeing Dillanne in full regalia. So…. no, I doubt you’re biased.

Felagund: I don’t really think she’d compensate it with her acting

All she gotta do is wiggle her nose. She’s charming. You won’t know what hit you.

I can’t believe that they put nasty wigs on everyone but for some reason they can’t make one guy bald. How difficult is that? Faithful adaptation, yeah sure. Except for one of the most important characters of the whole series. The character is too handsome now. How is the rabble going to understand that Stannis is not the right guy for the iron throne if I can’t see Mellissa’s reflection on that man’s pate? How will our audience have an understanding to Gay Renly’s good and kindly wishes to be the one true king if his own big brother has a full set of hair? This changes everything in this game of thrones. Davos doesn’t even make sense anymore, because if Stannis never lost his hair, none of this would have happened. No onions, no mad king, no revolution. Ripple effect, dude.

Epic doodles,

this made my day.

I totally agree, BTW.

Epic doodles: I can’t believe that they put nasty wigs on everyone but for some reason they can’t make one guy bald. How difficult is that?

clearly, they are incompetent. I mean, all they need is a freaking razor, for cryin out loud!! i can’t believe I’m actually paying *money* to watch this stupid show.

(Lex, are you happy now? :D)

Winter Is Coming,

you’re welcome :)

James,

Yeah she’s kind of….treading dangerous territory…hot.

FicusFan,

Mel looks momsy – like right out of a Jesus and Mary painting

Silly enough but I ve had same impression.
In a positive way.
I have been trembling for months that she was going to look like the hot cartoonish babe from Who framed Roger Rabbit.

Aaaand I’m one of the last to see this, Anyway:

Cons:
Stannis doesn’t look anything like I imagined him. It’s not just that he isn’t bald and has no beard. He has the wrong posture as well but mostly he doesn’t have the air of authority that is sooo important to Stannis. If I didn’t know any better I’d say Liam Cunningham plays the king and Stephen Dillane his loyal servant. But I am a Dillane fan (since John Adams) so he might save everything with his acting skills.

Pros:
Everything else, from what I’ve seen everything looks so good and so beautiful. My favorite shot was probably the one with Davos on his ship though I also really loved the few bits we saw of the maproom. I got goosebumps all over by seeing the dragon head. But also the people (minus Stannis) Gethin Anthoney looks like a real king, Carice van Houten looks exactly like I imagined Melisandre to look like. Loras looks much more like a real knight. Arya still looks the same but with her hair shorter which is both good I think. Liam Cunningham, well I’ve been a fan of his for quite a while but I think he looked never cooler. I fear he’ll take all the awe away from Stannis which is not a good thing but then again, he’s a POV character and Stannis is not. And though you hardly got a look at him I even think Theon looks much more like I imagined him this season. And last but not least Margaery, yes she’s a bit older than book Margaery but she looks such a match with Renly. Off course I am biassed because I’m a fan of Natalie Dormer. And personally I think she’s one of the most beautiful actresses on our screens today. Yes, she has quite unique features but that’s also what I think makes her so beautiful. She’s not just your average bimbo blonde (though that is apparently her natural haircolor) She’s a natural beauty in a very different way. (though off course the make up helps) Anyway it’s all a matter of taste and she’s also a really good actress I think. Don’t let my ranting about her looks distract from that.

Biggest shock:
I might be wrong, please someone tell me I’m wrong. But it looks like *gasp* David Benioff is wearing a different T-Shirt!

All in all, great preview, really looking forward to season 2, even more than I allready did.

FicusFan:
Enjoyed the clip.I am sure it will all be fine but what stuck out to me:

Mel looks momsy – like right out of a Jesus and Mary painting

FicusFan,

Oh come on, she was on the screen for like 0.5 seconds. One can hardly make a throrough estimate on looks in that time. One has to see her entire body language.

- Natalie Dormer: Awesome! Gonna love her as Margaery
- Renly looked great
- A Brienne sighting!!!
- Maisie IS Arya, ’nuff said.
- The Hound lookin’ all Hound-like!
- Cersei looks HAWT!!!

Finn & Gethin both look splendidly knightly here, they couldn’t have done a better job, and the crown and banner are beautiful. Felt a little pang at the Robb, Jon & Sam and Arya scenes, can’t wait to have the show back! Theon scene looked great too.

My favourite clip, however, was Littlefinger, doing that uniquely Littlefinger gesture. Don’t expect to see much of him this season, but I hope I’m wrong.

April is far too far away and I know I’m going to succumb to every crumb of released footage between now and then.

I hope the credits will be extended so we can visit Harrenhal, The Iron Islands, Craster’s Keep, Highgarden, Dragonstone etc.

kg,

That, and they may want to minimize her importance for non-book viewers, so that the later focus on her comes somewhat as a surprise.

Yep yep.

kg:
I’m thinking we won’t see a lot of Brienne in the previews, or at least, not much in armor/near Renly. They might milk the “Ta-da!” for as much as they can.

Winterdark:
Stannis doesn’t look anything like I imagined him. It’s not just that he isn’t bald and has no beard. He has the wrong posture as well but mostly he doesn’t have the air of authority that is sooo important to Stannis.

shit, you nailed it right here, i couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong with him, but this is it. and now you got me worried ;/ ;p we ain’t seen nothing yet tho so let’s hope he turns out ok.

Lex:
Felagund,

You’re really reaching, here. These are some of the silliest nitpick/complaints I’ve seen. I’d suggest you just relax and don’t overthink things.

Anyways, I think Dillane will be truly excellent.

Agreed. The speed of the clips, the mix of in- and out-of-character shots, and lack of post-production makes it impossible to judge anything with any certainty. At the moment all we can be is hopeful, I think, and wait for more complete trailers.

Elena Amici: all they need is a freaking razor,

:D all I can do is picture a Japanese samurai style hair cut on Dillanne now.

I can understand the complaints about Tywin not having golden mutton chop sideburns (because they would look so cool)… but why is it important for Stannis to be bald? I don’t get it at all. In fact, a bald Stannis would probably make a less believable Baratheon sibling.

Anyways, I guess I’m just really not worried about Stannis because I thought Dillane was so good in the John Adams mini-series. Plus, I love the expression on his face in the promo vid, and I love the shot of him walking on the beach. If there’s any problem, I think it’s that he might make Stannis more likable than in the books.

Winterdark,

Winterdark:
Cons:
Stannis doesn’t look anything like I imagined him. It’s not just that he isn’t bald and has no beard. He has the wrong posture as well but mostly he doesn’t have the air of authority that is sooo important to Stannis. If I didn’t know any better I’d say Liam Cunningham plays the king and Stephen Dillane his loyal servant. But I am a Dillane fan (since John Adams) so he might save everything with his acting skills.

That’s the point of Stannis Baratheon. He’s not regal, he’s rigid. He has no outwardly displayed charisma, which is exactly why people don’t like him and don’t want to follow him. Moreover, we can wager that the scene in which we see him walking is the one where he draws the Lightbringer – and we know he’s always hated all the Azor Ahai mummery and felt deeply uncomfortable about it.

Sure, you and I probably both pictured Stannis differently when we read the book. We also know that he’s a good guy, and the best material for a king (from the limited options ofc). But that’s because we’ve seen him through Davos and later Jon’s eyes and see the man inside the shell he hides in. Dillane is Stannis that a normal person sees, at least for the first episodes.

I’m new to the books, having picked them up just as the first season started, but caught up through Vol. 4. I, for one, think it looks great. I especially love the look of Margarey that she really know what’s she’s doing marrying a guy like Renly. Very excited for Season 2!

Winterdark:
Cons:
He has the wrong posture as well but mostly he doesn’t have the air of authority that is sooo important to Stannis.

I’d beg to differ. Given the fact that no one wants to follow and/or listen to Stannis, I’d say he completely lacks an air of authority altogether. In fact, it’s his LACK of authority that is so central to his character (rather than vice-versa).

If he was really so authoritative, Renly would’ve thrown in with him (or at the very least, wouldn’t have mocked him to his face), and Cortnay Penrose would’ve surrendered Edric Storm without a fight. Jon would’ve taken Winterfell as commanded, and the Northerners would’ve rallied behind him as well. Even Davos has considered abandoning him. In truth, Mel’s sorcery (i.e. shadow babies) are the real power behind the man. People walk all over him otherwise, not least of all the Storm Lords who are sworn to him (in theory).

Rigid and unlikable? Yes. Regal and authoritative? No way.

Dillane, IMO, will be able to pull that off really well, especially when compared to Renly. And I must admit, I wasn’t very impressed with Renly’s look in season 1, but this “new Renly” is much more like I pictured. The contrast between the two brothers is perfect; Renly looks like a badass king capable of inspiring loyalty, and Stannis looks like a sullen dip shit capable of turning friends into enemies.

Winterdark:

Biggest shock:
I might be wrong, please someone tell me I’m wrong. But it looks like *gasp* David Benioff is wearing a different T-Shirt!

It is! But it is also still in the blue-grey color range, so he didn’t step too far outside of his T-shirt, polo shirt color comfort zone. Now, if DB were to suddenly appear in one of these wearing something red or yellow, I would expect them to look for a green alien pod under his bed. I like that he is always wearing something in a nice subdued color and which appears comfortable. My kind of style.

On a side note, since we obviously aren’t going to get the Blackfish this season and maybe not next season either, I think it is time to begin agitating for the Queen of Thorns. If we start early, then maybe they’ll be too wary of fan backlash to write her out of the series. There MUST be a Queen of Thorns in season 3! We need someone older who is also short and can play the part. I’d love to see Dame Judi Dench in the part, but I think it unlikely. How about Frances Barber? (Not sure Margaery’s grandmother is considered a spoiler, so I blocked it out.)

Langkard,

Sian Phillips (I Claudius, Dune, lots of BBC stuff) or Francesca Annis (Cleopatra, Macbeth, also in Dune, Revolver and lots of BBC stuff) Either would be amazing as Olenna.

kg,

A young Terrence Stamp…that would have been awesome.

Weathervane: I doubt that they’ll go this route, but I think it would be pretty great if they had Stannis balding during the season, kind of evincing the immense stress he puts himself under. Then, in Season 3 he’d be the bald, bearded Stannis we all know.

This would be awesome, since it would be the mirror image of Renlys transformation and it is also described in the books. Davos describes Stannis at the gates of Storms End as if he has aged a lot in a short time since Bitterbridge.

Joshua Taylor:
Langkard,

Sian Phillips (I Claudius, Dune, lots of BBC stuff) or Francesca Annis (Cleopatra, Macbeth, also in Dune, Revolver and lots of BBC stuff) Either would be amazing as Olenna.

Francesca Annis is a good choice – better than Frances Barber as far as age goes, really; although I think Barber is a gifted actress. I like Sian Phillips, but I think she might be a bit too tall? At over 5′ 7″ she is taller than Natalie Dormer and about as tall as Sophie Turner which would look odd to me for the tiny but feisty Olenna. We need a grey-haired, tiny force of nature.

Idaan,

I get your point but he doesn’t look rigid either imo. Anyway what I meant with air of authority is that Stannis expects everyone to shut up (well except Melisandre) and follow him because he has this big plan in his head that he knows works and is good but doesn’t share with anyone because he has no feeling with his fellow men. That’s why noone wants to follow him, because they don’t like following someone without knoing what they’re doing or what it’s leading up to which is exactly what Stannis commands. And yes I think he’s the best material for a king however reading the first three books I kept waiting for Tywin to ascend the throne bacause I thought it’d be really cool and I hardly dare say this but I’d be totally over the moon if the writers found a way to put Charles Dance on the throne if only for a few episodes. It’d be a huge deviation from the source material but c’mon: Charles Dance on the throne, how cool is that!
Varamyr Fourskins,

We have a different view of Stannis. I don’t think that he’s someone people walk all over. He’s someone noone likes (well except for some readers) that noone trusts or has faith in and therefor wants to follow but he does command a certain respect because of his sternness. But I’m beginning to see that my view of Stannis is not necesarilly the only way to see him which I suppose speaks for GRRM who clearly has developed a highly complex multi faceted character and your version is someone I can see Dillane playing. However I have to disagree with you in saying that Melisandre is the real power behind Stannis bacause even without Melisandre he still is a brilliant strategist and has the perseverance to conquer kingdoms. She’s a very powerful weapon he can use. Something to inspire fear. But it’s his mind and his character that’s the real power.

I think TV Stannis will be different from book Stannis (or as I see book Stannis) but still based on the character from ASOIAF. I think he’ll be the ultimate thinking man. A man that spends allmost all the time in his head rarely talking to anyone. A man who doesn’t stand out at all, who completely blends in in the crowd. A well read man, a man who knows what he wants and what the world should look like but can’t convey it to other so rather just keeps quiet. A man people perceive as soft and soemone you can walk all over but who also seems cold and distant. An arrogant man where you never know what he’s thinking. A man enshrouded in mystery. A schemer who lets others do both the talking and the fighting for him and never steps into the spotlight. A man haunted by visions from a troubled past. A frail man of bad health and the last person you’d ever find leading an army led alone rule a kingdom. That’s what I think TVStannis’ll be like. Which though very different from my version of Stannis does sound like an awesome character. Definitely someone I can see Dillane playing and without a doubt someone I would completely utterly root for

Langkard,

Actually if you look at Annis as a young woman she looks a lot like Sophie Turner. And maybe just maybe if Annis is involved she could get her old paramour Ralph Fiennes along for the ride? Fiennes as a younger Qyburn or Connington?

Harry The Heir:
Joshua Taylor,

She still looks hot im 15 so its cool :)

I’m 23 and I think she’s hot, is that uncool? Even wrong? ;)

kg: I always pictured Stannis as looking like Zod in Superman II lol

The new General Zod is being played by the guy who plays Agent Nelson on Boardwalk Empire

Random thoughts, and this may have already been mentioned, but my best guess is that first shot with the cobweb and the longhorn skull is from the inside of Craster’s Keep.

And the second one is inside a ship, what with the hanging candles swaying.

I actually like the green banner for Renly. It matches his armor, and Renly *never* clashes! 3 different crowned stags on golden fields (plus some other stuff on 2 of them) could also possibly get confusing for those who haven’t read the books. Maybe.

My guess is that the showrunners figured that the green version of the Baratheon stag banner would make it easier for show-only fans to recognize Renly’s green suit of armor later on when you can’t see the face behind the helm… If the armor even makes it into the show, that is – his jousting armor didn’t show up in season 1 after all, so who knows… If it doesnt, the green banner can maybe replace it later on at some key point when it needs to be seen and recognized.

Has everyone seen this? First look at the walls of Qarth, according to Westeros.

http://twitter.com/#!/James_Hibberd/status/139035955456770048

Winterdark:
the goat,

Yeah but which ship? In the book Davos is allways on deck of his Black Betha and for as far as I recall the Sea Bitch is completely open.

Theon’s ship on his way home? im guessing he would spend some time inside (privacy would be nice when your fucking the captains daughter)

Winterdark,
Varamyr Fourskins,
Idaan,

I don’t understand how people’s interpretation of Stannis as lacking authority and being soft meshes with his reputation as a great general. I think he has TONS of authority and can’t be walked all over at all. And his own men actually seem really loyal to him.

He just lacks the ability to win people over. He doesn’t inspire LOVE – people follow him because he’s strict and authoritative, but not because they love him (with a few exceptions). That’s the difference between a general and a king. Kings make people want to do things for them. Stannis just orders everyone around, which he can get away with as a general but not as someone who has to curry favors and rally banners.

the goat,

LOL!

seb,

That makes sense, in my season 2 breakdown I omitted that scene because I thought it wasn’t hugely important to the main storyline and slowed things down so I kinda forgot about it but if D&D do not agree with me that’s probably it.

Winterdark: I do however doubt that his men are particularly loyal to him seeing as allmost all of them change sides at the end of BoB

poor Stannis, he’s misunderstood. His men don’t know how great he his u,u

PS: what happened to the comments yesterday evening? did we start a flame or something?

What happened to the most recent Dany post?

I lost track of how many times I played this video. Squeeeeeeeee!

Building up Renly in the previews is a great idea. He will be this season’s Ned Stark, with an even more premature death. Bwahahaha! Love his beards!

The shots of the Dragonstone/Melisandre/Stannis/Davos storyline look awesome! Arya is my favorite, but Davos, IMHO, is one of aCoK’s most interesting, completely realized characters. He’s extremely decent, but has a criminal history. He acts most of the time as a follower, observer and interpreter of events, but it makes his chapters an engaging read. I’m so excited about how Liam Cunningham will portray him!