Tonight HBO aired a first look at season three of Game of Thrones in the form of an In Production video. It includes our first glimpses of Mance Rayder, Jojen and Meera Reed, the Queen of Thorns, Tormund Giantsbane and more.
Ours is the Fury will be providing screen caps from the video over on our Tumblr.
Winter Is Coming: WOW!! YES! Mance! The Reeds! Beric! The costumes! The sets! The locations! Everything looks amazing! It seems like they’ve taken the already high bar they set for production values and raised it yet again.
295 Comments
Nice
DR3Quote Reply
Reeds!!!!
JQuote Reply
Tormund :D
CarneQuote Reply
Finally!!!! at same point you even get a glimpse of a group of soldiers with Karstark flag
JoaquinQuote Reply
Joaquin,
Are you talking about the Vargo Hoat replacement under the Bolton flag? I don’t remember seeing the White star of Karhold.
nevermind saw it at 1:32 on review
MarkQuote Reply
This was beyond amazing. My Emilia looks stunning as always and that opening shot with her and the smoke…breathtaking. The tone was so cool and I just…can’t EVEN!
TylerQuote Reply
THAT’S TOO MUCH IN ONE VIDEO OH MY GOD.
Mance, Reeds, Tormund, Blackfish (I think?), overloaaaaad.
MyBFFTheHoundQuote Reply
I am having a nerdgasm SO hard right now. That was awesome. Hellyeah Reeds and Dany.
AndrewQuote Reply
AAAAARGH! Looks so GREAT! Jojen & Meera, Mance, the grand ladies, the costumes, the sets…..can’t WAAAAAIT! That was so awesome! Happy Holidays GoTers! A woman is a bit excited (blush).
Mrs. H’gharQuote Reply
1:46 Mance?
RobertQuote Reply
Reeds!!! i love you!!!!
João AmaralQuote Reply
OMG!!!!!!!!!
I saw Missandei, a lot of Reeds, Queen of Thorns, Blackfish, Thoros and I’m not sure but I think I saw Mance, Edmure and Vargo/Locke too
Where is Tormund guys?
MichelQuote Reply
The Reeds look incredible. Absolutely incredible.
MyBFFTheHoundQuote Reply
This video had everything to get us ready. Everyone looks phenomenal. I am looking forward to the full preview and perhaps hearing some dialogue as well.
Lannister AccountantQuote Reply
Too much…
Tormund, Mance, Olena, Jojen, Meera, the Blackfish, Edmure, Thoros, Missandei, Beric, …
ArkashQuote Reply
Tormund at 0.39 no?
MyBFFTheHoundQuote Reply
HOLY SHIT BERIC AND HIS SWORD AAAHHHHH
SaraQuote Reply
1:50
Edmure Tully trying to hit a certain boat to set it aflame?
Hello and GoodbyeQuote Reply
Greeat stuff!
Mance, Queen of thornes, the Reeds, BWOB… much more than I expected!
HEre is a 1080p YT link for those that want to cap larger pics than 720p:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bnp9St0IzVc&feature=plcp
DarquemodeQuote Reply
WE NEED A FRAME BY FRAME POST.
MyBFFTheHoundQuote Reply
They didn’t hold back all. It makes you realize how many freaking new characters there are this year.
House SnowQuote Reply
I saw the video twice and I didn’t find Tormund, the only wilding I found was Mance at 1:47, am I blind?
MichelQuote Reply
CHILLS!!! This was even better than I anticipated. Now I’ll have to watch it frame by frame a few hundred times.
NerdQuote Reply
1.04. Purple wedding?
Chuck91Quote Reply
Is it me or does Meera’s outfit look like a netted lining on the exterior of the clothing? If her outfit were green she might blend in with the trees she’s standing next to at 1:36.
MimsyQuote Reply
Looked good :)
Johan SporreQuote Reply
Damn, Meera looks like a tough lil badass. I love it! That knife is huge, they are showing her how to draw a bow… I am a HUGE fan of femme fatale characters and Meera fills that void in GoT IMO. Dany is a badass, but more like a bratty princess badass, Brienne is a badass, but more of a tough, manlike badass. Meera fills that void of having a cute female badass. She looked so tough in that first glimpse just walking. IDK, I am happy with this. Hope we get to see some scenes of Meera being a huntress/warrior…
Mance looks amazing too! So much in the video looked good. Season 3 is going to kickass! And OMG was that the 1st glimpse of Jaime vs Brienne?
ArthurQuote Reply
There is a part in which you can se Catelyn and the Blackfish. SO EXCITED!
SofiaQuote Reply
Wow, wow, wow
Jojen and Meera, Blackfish, Tormund, Olenna, Unsullied, Missandei, Locke (pss, I miss Vargo), Mance Rayder (too old), Edmure shooting a fire arrow, Beric, Jaime fighting Brienne…
Javi MarcosQuote Reply
GUYS I THINK THAT CLIP OF ROBB AROUND THE 1:48 MARK WAS Lord Karstark’s exection OMG
ALSO, VIDEO. Y U NO THEON
GregQuote Reply
So much footage. The cave looks sublime. I spies me a feast in the Red Keep. And the flayed man of Bolton. And there’s even a shot of Sandor with Arya. HBO be spoilin’.
WatsonQuote Reply
WOW, Beric looks great!
babarQuote Reply
Reeds 0:34
Blackfish 0:35
Tormund 0:39
Thoros of Myr 0:49
Queen of Thorns 0:54
Missandei 1:10
Locke (Vargo Hoat) 1:38
Mance 1:45
Edmure 1:50
Beric 1:53
Anyone else?
NezzerQuote Reply
Right there with you!
Mrs. H’gharQuote Reply
Only thing weird : Edmure doesnt seem to have the same hair colour as his sisters…
ArkashQuote Reply
#RIP Edmure beard, that was so cool.
Btw, what flag was that with the group of Locke/Vargo?
MichelQuote Reply
Nerd,
Now I have to freeze frame and analyize every shot. I still am stuck on Meera though… Lol, but damn, so much to come. That was a great video, what a tease!
ArthurQuote Reply
i think that at 1:02 we can see a shot of the PW and oh gods the cave and te flaming sword!! and around 1:40 i think where tyrion is walking into a room it looks like a tall girl is following him. maybe it’s sansa?
can’t wait to see QoT and cersei talking and awww loved it all! <3
Caro HQuote Reply
It’s the flayed man of Bolton, which confirms our speculations.
Winter Is ComingQuote Reply
I squealed at Jaime/Brienne, not going to lie.
MQuote Reply
YES!
Mrs. H’gharQuote Reply
So much love. The Reeds! Queen of Thorns! Mance!
Purple Wedding at 1:03?
Hi-FiQuote Reply
Ah, the Reed outfits are green.. and Meera has a net drape coming from behind her left arm. Ahh! I love her!
I saw you Gendry.. facial hair and all. ;) <3
Costumes and sets look beautiful. I can't stand it!
MimsyQuote Reply
That glimpse of Arya that is only shown through a monitor around 0:50 is pretty clearly outside the RW. There is a ton of fire and you can see the Hound’s face off to the side and Arya is trying to run through the flames.
King TommenQuote Reply
The flaming sword looks so awsome.And Beric with the eyepatch.Oh my god I can’t wait!
KingWolfQuote Reply
I can’t find Thoros.
Hi-FiQuote Reply
I bet it’s Tyrion’s wedding. The PW will probably be pushed to S4.
NezzerQuote Reply
Isn’t it Thoros and the cave?
MyBFFTheHoundQuote Reply
I only saw 30 seconds of it because I didn’t switch over to HBO until 8:54 central, which is what the post here at WIC said.
I’m mad at you WIC.
Just kidding.
HollyoakQuote Reply
So worth it to stay up until 4 to see. My Reed Siblings, Lightning Lord, Queen of Thorns, MANCE! Edmure fuck up Tully. Oh this was awesome! When do we expect the first real trailer?
Andrew,
Check ur emails bro.
Aegon the ConquerorQuote Reply
I thought that in season 2 production values were high, but after this video it looks like they just made it to reach the heavens.
bonQuote Reply
OMG! I just had one of the biggest nerdgasms ever…
ATGQuote Reply
I’m so happy we will get the Brienne/Jaime duel and Edmure missing the arrows scenes. Seeing that the Boltons are also getting some exposure is also great!
I don’t think there was anything from Dragonstone or the Dreadfort in this video. Has anyone seen anything?
NezzerQuote Reply
Gendry with facial hair. Good job, HBO. Good job.
Hi-FiQuote Reply
King Tommen,
Na, I dont think it is the RW…
Just in the cave with Beric (proof of it : Gendry, who isnt supposed to be at the RW).
ArkashQuote Reply
And so… Locke is a Bolton man… my guess is that Qyburn will be Bolton’s maester in the end
Ren SnowQuote Reply
Ahhhhh that is all I can say. This is torture. Beric looks perfect, Jojens too. HBO spoiled them this season!
Lord PenroseQuote Reply
MyBFFTheHound,
Yeah thats definitely thoros and the cave. No way they’d show any of the RW at this point.
QuowalaQuote Reply
What’s not to love?
MonicaQuote Reply
King Tommen,
No. I think that it is that famous duel.
bonQuote Reply
King Tommen,
I think they’re just standing around a cookfire. Gendry and Beric are there. It’s probably when Sandor first gets captured.
WatsonQuote Reply
Also, the Tully-armors look like scales. < 3
MyBFFTheHoundQuote Reply
Is that Stephanie Blacker off to the screen right of Margaery and Cersei at about 30 seconds in? I cannot tell in the brief glimpse, but the actress has a similar look to Blacker, maybe older than Blacker though…. . If it is Backer then maybe she is one o Margaery’s cousins since MArgaery is smiling at the two girls to her left….
DarquemodeQuote Reply
I think Jaime and brienne are going to be fighting in daylight on that bridge before Locke? and his men capture them cause at 1:39 they are on the bridge as well as on the last shot of the video.
and since one of the producers is talking in what i believe to be the setting for the Eyrie, we are indeed seeing lysa and sweetrobin and LF. maybe that’s where we’ll see charlotte hope
Caro HQuote Reply
A woman thinks that is the RW, isn’t that King Robb in the background on the highest platform as befits a king?Could be wrong though, and methinks it’s a cave scene that Arya is in, but could be wrong there too.
Mrs. H’gharQuote Reply
The Tully armor is AWESOME!
NezzerQuote Reply
I know everyone is excited. But mind the spoilers, please.
Winter Is ComingQuote Reply
JAMIE AND BRIENNE SWORDFIGHTING FUCK YES FAJKF;AKJGA
Is it March yet??????
KariQuote Reply
Love the “scales” in Edmure and Blackfish armors :)
KateQuote Reply
So many Tully feels (and unexpected Reeds ones). Love Michelle’s hair down in that one shoot- are we going to see her comfort Holster after all?
Ser LemoncakesQuote Reply
Ser Lemoncakes,
I know! I was never a huge fan of the Reeds but I’m already loving Meera after watching this.
Hi-FiQuote Reply
Something random, but worth mentioning (if it hasn’t been mentioned already): in the title cards for D&D, it’s revealed they’ll be directing the 3rd episode of the season.
H. López de VictoriaQuote Reply
AWESOME !!!!
Coltaine777Quote Reply
King Tommen,
That’s the fight between Sandor and Beric
ValaquenQuote Reply
It tickles me to no end that Jaime picks a fight with Brienne. I love it that guys think they can best Wonder Woman. NOT!
MimsyQuote Reply
Looks so good. Very, very excited. Not worried about any concerns some people have about certain events due later in the year “turning off” some of the viewers who are not avid book readers as most of those on this site tend to be.
So just philosophically if I were to say I had one worry – and it’s a relatively slight one – it’s that the show doesn’t find a character to serve as the spine of the season in the way Ned Stark did in Season 1 and Tyrion Lannister did in Season 2. I hadn’t read the books until watching Season 1, and read all 5 prior to Season 2, but as a non-book reader in season 1, I was glad to have this presence to hang onto – Sean Bean being only a few years removed from Lord of the Rings and a great screen actor, he served as an anchor in a way – and the breakout of Dinklage, an actor I’d always loved, was great to see and set up Season 2 very well.
So who serves that purpose in Season 3? Is it Richard Madden given where the Robb/Catelyn story is going? Kit Harrington, as the Jon Snow story becomes more heated? Is it Nicolai Coster-Waldau (sic)? Tyrion’s arc this season is less dramatic than last, though he still will have quite enough to do. Many of the other characters have already established themselves as capable in their supporting roles but I don’t see them as the leads, so to speak. If I’m picking one, perhaps it’s Jaime Lannister, given the relationship evolving with Brienne and he starts to change as a person. (Darn, I answered my own question. But if we’re going to go with characters with the most interesting arcs to play this season, it feels like something on the order of 1 – Jaime, 2 – Sansa, 3 – The Hound, 4 – Jon Snow, 5 – Robb.
This may end up not being a problem at all – “A Man Without Honor” was one of the strongest episodes of the 2nd season, and it’s mostly a series of conversations, with the main character, so to speak, Tyrion, in one scene only.
Curious if anyone else has thoughts. To me Jaime’s story may be what moves front and center this time through, and even though we’ve got plenty of fun characters to enjoy now (Mance, the Reeds, Blackfish, Daario), if the story has a central spine – again examining the nature of power and who should wield it – that will make me most happy.
That is all. Forgive my trespasses. Fishing for a discussion. :)
Greatjon of SlumberQuote Reply
Joaquin,
bolton’s flag!!! the flayed man of dreadfort
marianoQuote Reply
M,
You make me feel better :P I am the WORST Jaime/Brienne fangirl and I SCREAMED hahaha my boyfriend and brother were pissed. (I also made weird little squeal-noises for Mance and Beric… I think I have a problem :P)
I feel like it was SO short, but I am more excited than ever! I DVRed it and then re-watches multiple times to catch all the stuff I missed!
AmandaQuote Reply
Anyone else laugh a little at Richard Madden saying how much he loves coming back every year?
JQuote Reply
OMG – that was amazing!
Love the Reeds, especially Meera. Queen of Thorns looks awesome. March 31 can’t come too soon.
mariamb18Quote Reply
Greatjon of Slumber,
I think honestly if there ever was a season for Dany to make a strong comeback it would be this one. Her storyline is much more interesting this season compared to previous one, same with Jon Snow. Those two will be the main fan favorite latches people hang on to as the rest will all go through a @#@@ storm :D
DrfunkQuote Reply
Greatjon of Slumber,
Even though I’m biased because Jaime is my favorite character (haha) I’ve gotta agree that I’m expecting/hoping that Jaime’s storyline will serve as the “backbone” of this season. His storyline (in my opinion, as well as almost everyone I know who’s read the books haha) is certainly the most interesting and compelling in book 3 (well, the first half!) so I think it would make sense to have his journey kinda “carry” the season (the way Ned’s and Tyrion’s did in the first two seasons).
I’m wondering who the “focal” character would be for Season 4. Maybe Sansa? She certainly has a lot going on in the 2nd half of SoS, and it would of course make sense to have the focus be in KL for most of S4.
So yes, I like your Jaime theory, and offer a follow-up Sansa theory for S4 :P
Oh and
Drfunk,
I also agree with you than Jon and Dany also have very strong storylines in the third book as well! I could see them putting a lot of emphasis on them as well, but I guess the Jaime fan in me is hoping that, as Jon and Dany are already two fan-favorites, they’ll try to garner some support of other characters who maybe people didn’t like so much in previous seasons but have the opportunity to become “fan favorites” in future seasons (like Jaime, or even Sansa, who I found much more interesting starting with SoS :P)
AmandaQuote Reply
woah… just woah. Meera & Jojen look great, so does Beric. The scale-like armor for the Tullys is a very nice touch. And is just me, or did we get a glimpse of the ‘Mhysa’ scene?
wargsareawesomeQuote Reply
Gotta confess that seeing actors from Rome in GoT brings an awesome feeling of Nostalgia and the hypes are even higher!!
Igor VelosoQuote Reply
Meera!!!!!!!!!!!
Ahhhhhh…. The entire set of new characters look wonderful. I am also nervous if there is no “one” character to hold on to. However I believe that there will be enough interesting things and characters that people will continue branching out and finding multiple favourites.
Reeeeeeds!
Maester VictorQuote Reply
J,
yes, yes I did.
wargsareawesomeQuote Reply
I thought Arya’s storyline was also very important in ASOS. She had the most POVs. I would say Arya and Jaime will be very important, but Robb should be the emotional center.
MQuote Reply
The Reeds!!!
Also, everything else. lmao.
But really I’m most excited for The Reeds & that final shot with Jaime & Brienne<3
DaftVampQuote Reply
Wowee! So much to get excited about in this coming season. I’m really looking forward to more screen-time for Jaime, and of course some of the big game changing moments.
I remember being blown away in the first book by Bran being pushed out the window, and Ned’s death, as well as all that happened in between. By the time I was on book 3 I thought nothing that GRRM could throw at me would surprise me. Boy was I wrong. Can’t wait to see it on screen, and see my wife’s reaction too!
Lazlo WoodbineQuote Reply
Sofia,
Cat looks devasted, probably she got news of her sons “death” and her uncle is comforting her.
JoaquinQuote Reply
Does anyone know what the set at 1:02 is? The pavilions and dusty location makes me think it could be Dany’s camp, but it seems just a bit too lavish.
snipzQuote Reply
Is that a flying dragon at :57
MarkMQuote Reply
After I read the books, I really felt that SOS is Jaime’s time to shine. There is so much going on, but Jaime’s story seems to be the showcase one, with Jon’s #2. I truly believe that is how they got Nikolaj to sign on as Jaime.
GatorfischQuote Reply
Yes, my bad. Arya’s scenes are definitely from the Sandor/Beric duel (the presence of Thoros and Gendry should have been the giveaway.
Fairly certain that the shot of Robb with his sword drawn near the end is from the Karstark execution.
Also pretty sure that’s Tormund talking to Jon at 0:40.
I can’t figure out who the group of men are walking through the woods at 1:30. No familiar faces I can see.
Very happy to see that Noah Taylor (Locke) is carrying the Bolton banner which confirms the theory that the Vargo Hoat role will be working directly for Roose and we won’t need to deal with the stupid crap of the million switching allegiances of Harrenhall. Also, no shots at all of Harrenhall which again strengthens my theory that they aren’t going to bother going back there at all. My guess is that Locke will capture Jaime and Brienne in the woods and Roose will meet up with them at an undisclosed location where they will have all of the same interactions as they did in the books just not at Harrenhall.
King TommenQuote Reply
omgomgomgomg. Visual overload. Must watch at least 10 more times for everything to sink in!!! SO MUCH!!
The Young WolfQuote Reply
BE was ah may zing.
And Mance has long hair.
Adios Sapito.
RygarQuote Reply
I’m not sure its Blacker… I think its Aishling Jarrett-Gavin… who announced in twitter she had filmed some scenes with the Queen.
And Dondarrion looks badass, though not as gaunt as I imagined someone who’s been killed and resurrected five times
Ren SnowQuote Reply
That’s definitely the show’s version of the Bolton sigil in that scene.
JamesQuote Reply
So worth staying up to see! And Jaime and Brienne to finish! Excuse me while I let out a fangirl squeel. ;D
Tír AirgidQuote Reply
The Reeds look amazing!!!!
The Young WolfQuote Reply
JON (and to some extent Dany) is the backbone of Book 3.
They NEED to do a good job with Kit this year.
LexQuote Reply
Just looks like a bird to me.
DougQuote Reply
Aegon the Conqueror,
I just had surgery last week so I’m on iPad D: does the forum work on mobile?
Can’t wait to see all the screen caps on tumblr.
AndrewQuote Reply
Though I think they got to shoot the bear pit scene so we might get Harrenhal anyway
Ren SnowQuote Reply
That probably works well, Amanda. (Thanks for responding.) And given the responses from others, yes, Jaime’s story – since his character has the most in the way of change – probably will take center stage. (You could argue Ned Stark doesn’t really change in Season 1, but it’s more that he was introduced to an unfamiliar environment, and doesn’t know how to deal with it…that said, his basic sense of morality was in a way what the show needed at that time.)
Greatjon of SlumberQuote Reply
King Tommen,
the group of men walking through the woods are karstarks men
JoaquinQuote Reply
The production values all seemed to have been upgraded. Sign of an increased budget? The only thing I’m worried about is if they decide to skimp over the two major battles of Book3. The sack of Mereen and the battle at the Wall. I just don’t see them spending Blackwater money on 2 separate episodes highlighting both events.
DrfunkQuote Reply
I was hoping that Natalie Dormer was killed off. Alas, shes still there.
RygarQuote Reply
Ryan EQuote Reply
I can’t imagine being a nonbook reader and seeing that promo. Would be like who the hell are these people.
House SnowQuote Reply
Ren Snow,
Ahh, okay. That could be the case then.
I agree about Beric not looking gaunt, but I can see why HBO did not go the supernatural almost-dead-and-reanimated-skeletal look. It adds a lot of time and money to the production to do heavy makeup for every Dondarrion scene. Likewise with Tyrion’s scar….
It’s easy to go to extremes in books, but sometimes more subtlety makes for better TV….
DarquemodeQuote Reply
I got a feeling the veterans will steal the show in season 3. Whenever Tywin Lannister came on, he just killed whatever scene he was in. I bet the same goes for the newcomers in Ciaran Hinds and Dianna Riggs, they’ll just show the young actors how it’s done :D
DrfunkQuote Reply
1:18: Wildling south of the wall?
JoaquinQuote Reply
Darquemode,
Though the wound in the head is a great detail, shows the guy is been through some tough stuff.
Ren SnowQuote Reply
Cool. Here are my thoughts:
The Tyrells seem to really overtake King’s Landing with their numbers and their differentness. It really was bits and pieces, but we had a chance to see some sets, costumes, thoughts and characters. Here are some scenes I spotted real fast:
-Cersei having to ”bound” with Margaery and QOT.
- Joffrey creeping the Tyrells. The Queen knowing what she has to do.
- Arya in the midst of the sword fight between the Hound and Beric.
- Robbbefore or after killing Rickard Karstark.
- Tywin going to a small council meeting?
- The introduction scene with J&B and <bVargo Hoat or a new character.
- Dany and all that sand could be some dream with Quaithe?
- Catelyn learning abouth the ”death” of Bran and Rickon.
- The Brotherhood without banners moving. Could be towards Stoney Sept?Where will we meet the Hound. Unless they cut that part and find him the woods.
SelmyQuote Reply
the REEDs are perfect
so fricking utterly perfect
robb17Quote Reply
Book 3 was definitely focused on Jon, and then Dany. Jamie’s storyline in it (as much as I like it) always seemed like a less important side story to me.
Hi-FiQuote Reply
It is this woman’s opinion that Arya, Jaime, Robb, Dany, Tyrion, and Jon Snow will carry the majority of the story lines in S3, with the other characters acting as conduits/adjuncts to their journeys. Naturally, we will see character arcs of others (like Catelyn, Sansa, Cersei, Joffrey, Margaery, Theon, Bran, the Reeds, Jorah, Daario, the dragons, the wolves and their roles, etc. etc.) but those characters all revolve around or effect the arcs of the 6 this woman considers to be the central figures of this season. If a woman had to say just ONE main character it would be difficult, but would probably go with Arya. Since we all have no idea how many additional scenes D&D will add to help the story work on-screen, we could all be WAY OFF base, but it’s fun to speculate as always.
Mrs. H’gharQuote Reply
Also, a woman agrees with those above who thought the Harenhall/Stark banner men story line will be simplified to make the arc easier to understand in a 10-season format. Perhaps there won’t be as much talk about who’s holding that castle and more about where the main houses are making their camps and who’s winning battles here and there that might be expected in a war setting. Perhaps there will have to be some added scenes with kings discussing their strategies so we get some reinforcement of where they all are in relation to each other and in relation to major castles like Kings Landing or Dragonstone (conspicuously absent from that video, right?).
Mrs. H’gharQuote Reply
Ren Snow,
Exactly, it gets the point across without going to an extreme.
DarquemodeQuote Reply
Ren Snow,
Which is why I was hoping they’d cast Sean Harris :(
CarneQuote Reply
So Burn Gorman is playing Belwas. Mystery solved.
RygarQuote Reply
I fear my last comment lacked something. Fuckin awesome :)
SelmyQuote Reply
Carne,
Ha! That was why I was hoping they would cast Jamie Harris.
Although Sean would have been great too I’m sure.
DarquemodeQuote Reply
Was hoping for a slightly longer clip, but will take that for now!
Shame there’s no first look at Mance..
Favorite bit’s gotta be Beric and his flaming sword!
Django DjavosQuote Reply
this season is gonna be amazing. can’t even process how good season 4 will be with the introduction of Oberyn, victarion, Euron,. gotta cast the right actors for them or it will make, a book reader, very sad
brightroarQuote Reply
J,
Yes! I thought the exact same thing – and then the look after …
RoopertQuote Reply
Shit, totally missed Mance on first viewing, didn’t recognize C.Hinds at all!
Django DjavosQuote Reply
Yeah, that is definitely the Eyrie set behind the producer guy. We’ll see the Eyrie for sure this season.
http://media.tumblr.com/tumblr_meftcuCx7a1qh8whu.jpg
Ours is the FuryQuote Reply
As to the talk of who the ‘spine’ of this season will be–and I love this kind of discussion :-)–I think you have to look at the structure of the books, a structure that the series seems to be following to some degree.
Up through book 3 (and arguably beyond that), the books are like ’3-stories-in-one.’ One story is essentially the War, with all the politicking that goes along with it, focused geographically on King’s Landing and the Riverlands, with some tentacles reaching further afield (e.g. to Winterfell until Bran leaves). Another story is the Hero’s Journey of Jon Snow with the Night’s Watch. And a third is the mythical progress of Daenerys, far off across the Narrow Sea. Any one of these stories could be cut out from the others and stand well on its own.
Now, to an extent, books 1 and 2 lean heavily on the War story, and while 3 continues that, this is where it starts to shift toward more of a balance with the Hero story and the Myth story. With that in mind, I think we have to think of Dany and Jon as the ‘spines’ of their own stories, while the War story has to have one of its own in each season, separate from them.
It’s absolutely true that Ned is the heart of book 1 and Tyrion is the heart of book 2–and seasons 1 and 2 conformed to that. Book 3 is much more ambiguous about it. In part it’s because the story has gotten bigger and wider, and the stakes are so high for every character in every arc. But I think it’s also GRRM making another point about the nature of power–it puts me in mind of that line ‘the center cannot hold;’ for two books George showed us the truth of this, with first Ned’s downfall, then Tyrion’s humbling. Book 3 seems to be where focus shifts away from a need to have a center and toward a messy, messy reality–a jostling, slicing ‘storm of swords,’ in fact.
That said, even storms have eyes. So while I think it will be much harder to distinguish the ‘spine’ of the War Story, Jaime is a pretty good candidate, both in terms of what he’s on hand to witness (some very important stuff) as well as his character development. In my reading of the books, though, I’ve never thought of him as the center of things. I almost want to put my money on Arya. If we’re shifting away from a focus on the importance of centralized, adult authority, we may see a shift in focus toward the wilderness of adolescent survival. Meanwhile, of course, the grown ups go about their bloody business, which is still fun for us viewers.
By the way, all these clips are so amazing I want to marry them. (But where’s Dragonstone??)
dolorous alQuote Reply
Where the fuck was Ros and her glorious tits?
RygarQuote Reply
OMG! Talk about information overload, didn’t think they would or could fit some much into a two minute video. I am not complaining, Kudos to the editor.
Reeds and Tormund and BwB and Reeds again, with Mance and QoT thrown in for good measaure, plus lots of Dany and KL stuff, with the Blackfish and Edmure too, and to cap it off Brienne and Jaime oh my.
Meera looks awesome, and Jojen looks more like a princeling in lieu of a seer, love Mance’s hut and the CAVE, did I catch Beric in there? I know I saw Thoros and the new Vargo wannabe.
Love some of the cinematography on the Dany material, heck I luv it all.
Can’t wait for the trailer.
tysnowQuote Reply
After seeing Meera shooting a bow now I’m wondering if Bran and his gang are going to run into some trouble with the Boltons, bandits or any other threat. Meera could just be practicing her archery skills, but Bran’s arc will need a lot of filler and made-up scenes next season, so I think they might be involved in some small fights against other Northmen. At least I hope they do.
NezzerQuote Reply
For those not sure on Richard Dormer as Beric. He’s a great actor. Check out the middle episodes of the Hunted. Even in the role of a suit he has great presence. He is going to be awesome me thinks.
As for the video, beautiful stuff. One thing i noticed is extras extras extras. Good job D &D making it as epic as possible! Olenna looks great, the Tullys and Mance and Beric. Locke/Vargo gives me the shivers even in that wide shot and Emilia/Dany looks gorgeous and commanding.
And the Reeds are perfect.
Joshua TaylorQuote Reply
<3 <3 <3
Hey, remember prior to season 1 when we started getting these previews, and you guys would do shot by shot commentary as we caught new things? I think that kind of post ought to make a comeback here with as packed a video as that one was.
Thank you HBO.
ZackQuote Reply
Joshua Taylor,
I liked him in Hunted and my comments were not doubts of his ability whatsoever. Just comments on Beric’s appearance. The two are not mutually exclusive.
DarquemodeQuote Reply
I hope this maybe now silences the Reed haters. Meera and Jojen both look fantastic.
So do the sets. The work put into this production is truly incredible.
LinaQuote Reply
At this point I’m kind of expecting the show to cause me to appreciate the Reeds much as it has successfully done with Bran. In the books he never seemed that interesting to me but I love Isaac.
ZackQuote Reply
Darquemode,
Oh I wasn’t referring to you in particular its more of a blanket statement :-)
Is there only eight eps of Hunted ? I’ve seen the first seven.
Joshua TaylorQuote Reply
Joshua Taylor,
Yep just the 8…. and possibly no more to come.
BBC pulled out of the co-production with Cinemax in effect cancelling the series for the time being. Cinemax is looking into producing the show on its own with a few teaks. Mostly centering the series on Sam Hunter and not her support group. Think Strike Back with Sam Hunter as the bad ass instead of two spec ops guys.
I did not think you meant me specifically, no worries. Just wanted to make the point that one can question the appearance compared to the books without thinking the character is ruined or the actor is all wrong.
Personally I thought Beric looked great…. Just not like how the books described him at this point in the saga is all.
DarquemodeQuote Reply
Everything about that video was grand!
I especially liked Beric and his sword.
=)
Smiling KnightQuote Reply
Please post tumblr!l link!
Tom O’ SevensQuote Reply
Jaime may not be the ‘spine’ or center of the story, but his chapters in ‘A Storm of Swords’ are the best in the entire series of books. He will be the breakout star of season 3, IMO.
I’m loving the looks of every character! Is it just me or is the shot of Mance at the Fist of the First Men? And is that Arya and Gendry with bags over their heads being led into the cave by Thoros? I’m like a kid on Christmas morning and this video was just the present I wanted!
I thought the preview HBO ran for what to expect in 2013 had some great shots too. One of them was Dany standing with a whip in her hand with a TON of Unsullied behind her. Hey, Winter is Coming, do you think you could post the video for that, or perhaps some screencaps from it?
Tyrion PimpslapQuote Reply
Found it! http://wicnet.tumblr.com/
Tom O’ SevensQuote Reply
You meant cried a little right? A woman wiped a tear.
Mrs. H’gharQuote Reply
Yes we need a screencaps from that HBO promo!! the Dany shot is breathtaking. As is the Cersei one…Lena Headey has BECOME Cersei.
Joshua TaylorQuote Reply
Just adding my excitement as well. So glad I have a site like this where I can read all the comments to see what I miss while watching it. Watched it twice and completely missed Mance until someone pointed it out. Adding myself to the list hoping Jaime is a huge part of the story now as he and Brienne become two of my favorite characters to read about around this time in the book. The conversation between him and Brienne after the bear pit is one of my favorite simply because as much as I appreciate his snark he bites his tongue for once and tries to be nice.
SJGIMQuote Reply
so Meera’s weapon of choice has been changed from a trident-spear thing to a bow?
anyway, as to who i think will be the focus of the season, I think it will be Arya, Daenerys and Robb. I expect that they will invent a lot of Robb (and Catelyn) scenes to increase the impact of the Red Wedding. I believe Jaime’s storyline will mostly just be for establishing Jaime as a fan favourite and showing his change. After them I think it will be Jon and Samwell. I also predict quite a bit of King’s Landing stuff, but I don’t think it will be very consequential aside from Tyrion and Sansa’s wedding, most of it will probably just be foreshadowing the Red Wedding (“some wars are won with swords and spears, some with quill and paper”) or season 4 Sansa telling the Tyrells that “Joffrey is a monster” and Twyin offering the Martells a seat on the small council.
as for whether Harrenhal will appear, I think it could quite easily be worked in. Maybe something along the lines of:
- in episode 1 or 2 Robb and the northern lords are informed of the sack of Winterfell and Bran and Rickon’s deaths.
-in episode 3 or 4 Robb is informed of Tywin abandoning Harrenhal and defeating Stannis, and says something along the lines of:
“Harrenhal has been left poorly defended; Lord Bolton, I need you to take your men and capture Harrenhal for me.”
In season 4 I believe a lot of the focus will move to Jon and Tyrion/Sansa/Joffrey/Cersei, with Daenerys, Jaime and Arya’s storylines becoming secondary ones.
Ser TahuQuote Reply
Bows are more visually exciting than a frog spear.
KGQuote Reply
Raaaaaaa lovely xD
TitanCon attendees, was that the infamous ‘Go wander in the forest, it will be cool’ bridge?
Kharn9Quote Reply
King Tommen,
Your picture is of Canadian minister of defence Peter Mckay ? how can anything you say be taken seriously ? :) …
Coltaine777Quote Reply
AAAWWWWWW YEEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!
- My reaction
Just what I was after.
GrijnwaaldQuote Reply
Excuse me? “Void”? EVER HEARD OF ARYA STARK?!! :)
She’s a badass if I ever saw one! She’d kick anyone’s arse, including Meera. /not a reader.
GrijnwaaldQuote Reply
Awesome!
Btw, did we know before, that D&D will be directing episode 3?
PepiQuote Reply
MyBFFTheHound,
This.
QuowalaQuote Reply
Absolutely ;)
________________
btw, the mondays after the trailers/teasers/everythingy else air are always the hardest.
Stucked in the office – can not watch it for 100 times over and over again.
The_Rabbit01Quote Reply
Mrs. H’ghar,
If you look closely you can see Joffrey at the front left of that shot
DraigQuote Reply
Mance looks awesome.
LexQuote Reply
Aged up Missandei is to have the expected scene with dany?
hashualQuote Reply
Cant wait to see Joffrey clawing at his throat!!!
Har Har Har
And of course, Jamie losing his sword hand.
AryannetsQuote Reply
Pretty cool although I was expecting a trailer :-(
Al SwearengenQuote Reply
Dany looks glorious! Astonishingly beautiful!
Besides her, there are so many things I’m excited about this video:
The Unsullied! The Reeds! The Queen of Thorns! Cersei + Marg rivalry! Jaime/Brienne!
Gaaaah is it March 31st yet???
LuthienQuote Reply
Did not catch that, thanks!
Mrs. H’gharQuote Reply
Al Swearengen,
Why were you expecting a trailer? We knew this was a promo featurette from the get go.
Joshua TaylorQuote Reply
The Wedding was either Tyrion and Sansa or PW- pretty sure it was the former though and I doubt we will see PW this season- promo was awesome, got up early this morning to watch it and was not disappointed. Cant imagine what non book readers will think but I know they wont be trawling through it frame by frame assessing every scene for clues or hidden tidbits to what is coming in season 3 like us book readers/geeks/obsessives.
liamQuote Reply
damn didnt know Edmure was Brutus from Rome
Damryn of DorneQuote Reply
Not disappointed! Amazed by how Mance looks.
LexyvilQuote Reply
Queen of Thorns looks so much like Imelda Staunton. At least facially, lets hope she’s a conniving little one. And the Reeds look impressive, very impressive. Missandei a bit old.
MustafaQuote Reply
Fuck yeah!!!!! This looks amazing!
loco73Quote Reply
Mimsy,
actually if Jaime wasn’t weakened from months in captivity and using a weapon he was unfamiliar with he could’ve destroyed her. even then he nearly defeated her… just sayin’.
edit: and oh yeah, he was chained too. just about anybody but Jaime would’ve died in that situation.
hashblower420Quote Reply
I am trying very hard to refrain from watching this because I want it to be a surprise when I see the new cast members when the episodes actually air!
AlfadorQuote Reply
So so amazing, incredible, exciting! Love it!
Sets, costumes and locations all look better than ever! Everything looks perfect!
Can’t wait until someone does a frame by frame post, who could that be behind Robb at 1:45 on the white horse with what looks like long white hair?
BTW, looks like Robb still doesn’t want to wear his crown :(
Nick_ScryerQuote Reply
This season, if done right, is the one that could bring home the Emmy. Storm of Swords action and pace awesomeness aside, this season, with it’s story brake at RW, offers an amazing opportunity. Think of it this way: This is the year we finally get to understand and actually sympathies with Jaime. We will spend about 9 episodes learning his psych, and while most won’t like him as a person, they will LOVE him as a character. Jump to the RW and my favorite line in the entire series – “Jaime Lannister sends his regards”.
This is GRRM at his best.
AndrewQuote Reply
Whur muh Shireen??!!
Fantastic video all around. Jojen and Meera’s costumes look amazing, and the scales detail on the Tully costumes is a great add-on. But Mance and Jaime vs. Brienne made my day.
MachaQuote Reply
Loved the first look at so many new persons n costumes :) Grinned an evil grin at Richard Madden (I wonder when that little snippet with him was shot. He looks so sad…) Mance looks a bit more grim then I’d imagined him to be, but hey, I positively hated Yara at this stage last year and she turned out to be perfect for what the show made the Iron Islands out to be. Not looking forward to Catelyn. Who is, really? :P Seeing the bits of Michelle Fairley…she’s such a brilliant actress. Sooo happy with seeing Tullys (and Riverrun, eventually).
As for the ‘backbone-of-the-season’ discussion: Dany and Jon will get their time again, ofcourse. For a third/the ‘War’ one: I agree with whoever says it could, or should, be Jaime. In the third book, he evolves. Reflects a lot on why he’s done things, why he has broken certain vows and kept others, on what honor means to him. He changes (or Brienne would be dead). Also, it’s kinda now or never for him? as next season will focus on Tyrion again. Or atleast, I really hope it will. I really want both Jaime and Tyrion (and Tywin, to a lesser degree) to be well built up/fleshed out for that one moment in the hidden passageways of the Red Keep. It impacted me more then the entire frickin RW when I read it – didn’t see it coming. That building up can be done over the fourth season as well, ofcourse…but not without Brienne or a whole lot of invented scenes, I think.
KyrennaQuote Reply
Also the HBO year ender has a few tiny looks at Season 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vunHGx-BZgw
This is the main attraction though, INCREDIBLE shot of Daenarys!!!
http://i.imgur.com/ZansW.jpg
Such an amazing pic, may be my new wallpaper.
Nick_ScryerQuote Reply
Is that Loras behind QOT and Marg? Seems to be in the Tyrell gilt/light teal uniform rather than armour?
Oh GOT reference on the latest episode of Peep Show. No surprise Mark is a fan.
Ser Lemon CakesQuote Reply
Lex,
I doubt they will.. from 1:26 its obvious they are shooting in iceland again :( :( :S and from that one shot it looks like they are still making him look like a clumsy idiot.. I hate that ‘column of wildings containing Jon’ shot.. perhaps because they were handled so bad in season 2
WinturdQuote Reply
WOW! Reeds! The costumes! The locations! This looks amazing!!
Young WolfQuote Reply
Nick_Scryer,
That is amazing! Totally cinematic!
Michael HarperQuote Reply
#I got chills! They’re multiplying! ;)
Jackie MacPhersonQuote Reply
1:03 Jeoffrey’s Wedding ?!
Max42franceQuote Reply
Was that scene of the White Walkers the last shot of Season 2 or a slightly different one? It’s in the 2013 section of the video which would suggest it should be new footage.
MormegilQuote Reply
No, that’s old footage.
AnvilQuote Reply
That will could be! :D
Michael HarperQuote Reply
Mmm I’m not that impressed, so I’m gonna be the party pooper just for the heck of it :P
Reeds: Jojen doesn’t convey that “young-but-older-looking-through-serioussnes-due -to knowing-too-much” quality and Meera that “elven” quality I always assumed they had…plus that knife looked totally fake
Blackfish: doesn’t really look like the badass warrior type
Tormund: should be like a towering figure over Jon? Kit was almost as high
Thoros of Myr: Seemed ok
Queen of Thorns: looked like the fairy godmather…
Missandei: taller than Danny?? mmm guess I’ve been picturing her wrong…
Locke (Vargo Hoat) : not much to say
Mance: too old ;)
Edmure: Didn’t like him…I guess I still have Paul Bettany in my head
Beric: looked ok
Brienne+Jaime fight: Slow, clumsy…awful
PS: Bear with me…is just to add a little flavour to the thread ;)
Pau SorianoQuote Reply
Im wondering why there wasnt any shots of Stannis/Davos/Melisandre? They seem to have gone over everyone and all story arcs besides those three
BobertoQuote Reply
Tyrion’s wedding?
varysthespiderQuote Reply
Winturd,
What exactly from that scene makes Jon look like a clumsy idiot??? He’s walking amidst a line of Wildlings to Mance, most probably, in what seems like stormy weather. You can”t even see his facial expression. But I guess since the poor guy’s been jinxed as the seasonal idiot, comments like these are sadly far from over.
The whole production video looks amazing and well done to cast and crew :)
Maggie GiantsbabeQuote Reply
Hello everyone,
I watched the clip a few times now,but still can’t get a glimpse of the Hound. Does anyone have a clear screencap of him? I understand he’s in a scene with Arya at 0:50, but I can’t spot him. >< Ty :-D
MidoriQuote Reply
Tormund was very thick, very muscular with a huge white beard, but I’m almost positive he was not particularly tall. Or, were you talking about his member that should have been towering over Jon? ;=)
NewJeffCTQuote Reply
IIRC, Tormund is quite small, yes, actually !
This said, I so hope they managed to make Jon’s arc this season worthwhile… last year was visually fantastic, but storytelling wise, it had some great flaws, so I have high expectations this seasons, since he, Arya and Jaime are gonna be the standouts !
To someone above who said Stannis’s arc was the only one mising in this vid : Nope, you also got the Sam one and the Theon one missing.
ArkashQuote Reply
You are forgetting Daenerys story line. Her campaign through Astapor, Yunnkai and Meereen storyline definitely puts her in the lead role this season.
RAD1999Quote Reply
MANCE!!!! Hell yes.
I actually just finished reading the Wheel of Time series (have been reading it since the summer… all 13 books), and as good as that series is, it will be nice to get back into ASOIAF/Game of Thrones. It’s so much more graphic, and real (which isn’t to take away from WoT. They focus on different things. WoT is more of a religious allegory, whereas GoT is more of a political allegory. I like them both. I just like GoT more). In any case, can’t wait for TWoW/Season 3. Season 3 is going to be a game-changer.
Varamyr FourskinsQuote Reply
I’ve said it before and I will say it again; JOFFREY’S WEDDING WILL NOT HAPPEN THIS SEASON, THERE IS TOO MUCH THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN BEFORE IT THAT WE KNOW WON’T BE IN THIS SEASON. It will likely be somewhere between episodes 4-6 of season 4.
Ser TahuQuote Reply
Arkash,
Yeah you are right, sorry. I just thought it was a bit odd that we didnt get any info on Stannis who plays a big part in this book
BobertoQuote Reply
ok, now that the video has been up for ~12 hours let’s get a count of how many times you’ve watched it:
i’m starting #9 right now :)
NickQuote Reply
I guess the plan is to CGI Edmure’s beard in later???
Duff ManQuote Reply
Margaery/Natalie looked so beautiful in her new powder- blue dress. Totally shipping on Jaime and Brienne – they probably never will, but somehow wish they could. Meera is going to be great. Robb looked so handsome, yet so sad. (Tears are welling up already.)
New Year’s Wish – looking into the future – this actor for “Aegon”, son of Rhaegar Targaryen – 6’1″, dark eyebrows, long eyelashes, hazel eyes (like Dany’s), full lips, and exceptionnally handsome. He speaks the Common Tongue (with a slight Spanish accent), swings the sword with the best of them, and his “telenovela” love scenes are incredible!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5COTzQsKvrg
And to Aegon the Conqueror – I didn’t win the portraits of your family’s Noble House – sorry – maybe next year!
Tereeza777Quote Reply
Maggie Giantsbabe,
I wouldn’t take much stock into obnoxious comments they are only meant to provoke a response from you. The poster’s name is indicative of this as it already holds contempt for the text. It automatically posits that the poster is not interested in a civil discourse.
Joshua TaylorQuote Reply
Zack,
Yep, and I think that will be aided a lot by the interactions between Isaac and the new actors. We all love Hodor, and a lot of us love TV Osha, but it wouldn’t be the same to have Bran on his journey with just his little brother and two adults. We need Meera and Jojen to enable Bran’s coming of age.
On a related note, I was just watching Love Actually, a film in which Thomas Sangster is just a child, and he’s just so endearing in that. The kid’s been a great actor for years now, so I have no doubt that even if Jojen is taller/older/whatever, he’ll be portrayed in a way true to the heart of the character.
LinaQuote Reply
I’m surprised James Hibberd hasn’t slobbered all over this. Still no report of this preview on http://www.ew.com.
Unless he is writing a big article with analysis and posting it later today?
Joshua TaylorQuote Reply
was that locke (vargo hoat) with those bolton banners?
novichasoQuote Reply
Me too. I will miss him :.-( GoT will not be the same without him
SerenaQuote Reply
Boberto,
This season is only the first half of ASoS, and Stannis didn’t really do anything until the second half. I think that the Dragonstone cast will only appear in about 5-7 of the episodes, and most of their scenes will be short. My predictions for it:
episodes 1-2: A short Scene with Stannis and Melisandre that introduces Shireen and Selyse. Davos is found alive.
episode 3 or 4: Davos returns and is imprisoned.
episode 5: Melisandre visits Davos in prison
episode 6-7: Davos is released, and gets taught to read.
episode 8 or 9: leeches.
episode 10: Jon has letters sent out to the various kings, calling for help
I think that the stuff to do with Davos receiving the letter, enraging stannis, and pulling it out just before he is executed will be pushed to the first half of season 4
Ser TahuQuote Reply
OhMYGod!OhMYGod!OhMYGod!
John WQuote Reply
Never mind EW just posted it. Just saving it for the next day I guess. And it appears James Hibberd isn’t the only GoT/ASOIAF fan on staff.
Joshua TaylorQuote Reply
are there screen caps anywhere of the new characters?
NewJeffCTQuote Reply
Is it just me or does Mance bear a stunning resemblance to Rip Torn? Seriously, it all looks just fantastic. I love these In Production featurettes even more than the trailers.
Regarding the question of the “backbone of the season”:
To me it seems it must be Robb and Catelyn’s story. The linchpin of the season will be Episode 9, the Red Wedding. Everything will build to that, with the other stories (as important as they are moving forward) orbiting it. The S3 progression will roughly parallel Ned Stark’s in S1, with a similarly tragic ending in Ep9, doubling down with the horrifying ending of Catelyn. The producers love Madden, and they’ve already made him a more important figure than in the books. The Red Wedding is THE moment they’ve focused on since the beginning. Just my two cents…
JamesQuote Reply
really? no sansa? FUCK
DBQuote Reply
the queen of thorns reminds me of a bene gesserit witch
Michael TschuertzQuote Reply
I’m really digging the “new” look for the unsullied. I think that’s an “improvement” over the book.
dizzyQuote Reply
Ramsay and Theon are MIA. Iwan Rheon is not allowed to talk about his character….
JoanQuote Reply
The Hound can be seen here.
CarneQuote Reply
Great thoughts here. In a sense, Bran’s story is becoming part of the “Myth” story as he seeks out what his role is supposed to be, and in that way as well, Arya’s story is another “Hero’s Journey,” as she travels away to other places as well. It’s notable that in the subsequent books those two characters – like Jon and Danys – see their action take place away from Westeros. So from without – the myth and hero stories can continue apace as they have been with both Jon and Danys, but soon Arya, and soon Bran as well. Which is why in a way the “center cannot hold” argument serves us well if we see Jaime become the center of Season 3. Ned Stark is in a way the most grounded of characters, Tyrion less so, but Jaime is even more adrift, questioning his earlier assumptions about the woman he loved, how he feels about a companion he initially regards as a freak, and the nature of honor.
It’s notable to me as well that in a sense Westeros can be seen as an extension of “Hamlet,” in that they are all in Elsinore – people going about their business of political backstabbing and petty squabbles while the world closes in on them, unknowingly. They don’t know about the threat to the North, one that Jon will confront all too well. They don’t know about the threat to the East, which we imagine Arya will eventually encounter (and Tyrion comes to discover eventually as well, a sign of the “War” part of the story connecting with the mythology).
So I stay by Jaime – at least from the perspective of the TV series. In a way Season 4 could end up then being more about Brienne than anyone else – an even more unmoored character in a way, if we continue this move from characters who were central to the original war (Ned, and Robert a lesser extent), even though Ned was not equipped for what was happening around him – not a sign of being outmoded, just that he was a crap politician, then to Tyrion (not a traditional warrior), to perhaps Jaime (an original warrior who breaks with his views) to Brienne (a total fish out of water). It would of course necessitate an “end” to Brienne’s journey in a way; we’ll see.
What’s fun to think about, then, is who is really playing a “long” game, so to speak. Who is thinking beyond 1 or 2 steps ahead on the board? Tyrion, to some extent, within his purview. Varys obviously (he’s about 9 steps ahead); Danys on some levels, though she’s also more just interested in survival. Melisandre, in a lot of ways, though her perceptive abilities are unclear.
I’ve rambled enough. Others jump in. Thanks for continuing!
GreatJon of SlumberQuote Reply
NewJeffCT, yes, on our Tumblr. We always screen cap the promos and trailers over there. :)
Winter Is ComingQuote Reply
Gentlemen, neither Meera nor Arya would be considered femme fatales.
And that is *absolutely* a dragon flying around :53!!!!!!!
DemeQuote Reply
Does anybody think this Locke character may take up the role of “Ramsey” while the real Ramsey plays Reek in the dungeons? Bolton never mentioned his name and only said bastard in S2. Just a thought, but that may be a way to throw people off like GRRM did in the books
Good ol’ dead NedQuote Reply
Michael Tschuertz,
She has a powerful gom jabbar.
Jaqen is QQuote Reply
This season is going to be mind shattering. I couldn’t be more excited. I was filming a movie this weekend and actually scheduled our day to wrap early so we could catch it live on HBO. Does that cross a line?
DirehoundQuote Reply
Nick_Scryer,
Thank you!
Incredible shot of Dany and the Unsullied there.
LuthienQuote Reply
Deme,
To be honest……..i don’t understand what “fatale” is.
Damn other languages!
GrijnwaaldQuote Reply
Love the trailer. On a shallow note, was it me or did Richard Madden look extra hot? I did not think it was possible for that to happen. The new characters look great, especially Diana Rigg.
As for who will serve as the anchor of the show for this season:
I agree with Robb and Catelyn, as it should be. Would be a great parallel with Ned in season 1. I think Jaime will be in second position. I don’t expect to see much of Kings Landing this season, other than to expand the Tyrell’s and marry off Tyrion. Season 4, I think the spine will again be Tyrion as that’s when crap hits the fan in Kings Landing…with Jaime and Jon possibly sharing the second position
NancyQuote Reply
Ahh!! I’m so excited! Hurry up March!
Charlotte GilesQuote Reply
Grijnwaald,
Deme is right. Thats a Femme fatale. More the Melisandre or Cersei type than Arya and Meera. ;-)
AbyssQuote Reply
Wow is right. Does everyone say the same thing when they see Richard Madsen?
AmsterpaulQuote Reply
Abyss,
Oh I see, THAT’S what fatale is! In which case, I entirely agree. Thanks for the definition by the way! ;)
GrijnwaaldQuote Reply
Love how Tormund’s hut is held up/built with what I presume are Mammoth Tusks!
http://wicnet.tumblr.com/image/37084463783
The sets really are incredible.
Nick_ScryerQuote Reply
Who cud Robb be talking to at 1:45, looks like Gandalf on shadowfax lolz
hobbzeyQuote Reply
The_Rabbit01,
Thought I recognised it :D
Good time though!
- FrYo
Kharn9Quote Reply
Natalie Dormer looks even more gorgeous than she did on Tudors. It’s some sort of an achievement.
Alex DubrovskyQuote Reply
Nope. The guy playing Ramsay is disguised as “boy” right now. Locke is very likely the Vargo Hoat replacement.
AlanQuote Reply
Thank you. Arthur has his Meera crush — we all know this — but we should not be confusing the rest of the world. :)
AlanQuote Reply
So Loras appears behind the Queen of Thorns and he’s not wearing the Kingsguard armor. I’ve seen speculation that he could be taking Willas/Garlan’s role as one of Sansa’s possible suitors. What do you guys think?
Hi-FiQuote Reply
Hi-Fi,
That’s a unique twist and would streamline some events, but I would not be a fan of it.
I can see Sansa thinking she is for Loras, but I cannot see him being her suitor in any legiimate sense.
DarquemodeQuote Reply
OMG, looks so amazing! Cannot wait :D
The Winter RoseQuote Reply
WTF! Edmure doesnt have a beard! Are you kidding me!
The mighty hodorQuote Reply
The mighty hodor,
I am totally not watching now. This changes everything!
Tyrion PimpslapQuote Reply
I understood you too. Too bad about the Hunted series, I read good reviews about
it also. I was hoping it was a BBC-America sponsored project, but I’m made
aware that it’s a BBC-Cinemax production, which I don’t subscribe to. Perhaps
the past 8 episodes will return to the network as re-runs or made available via
Netflix or similar.
I missed the GoT trailer on sunday, thanks for posting the expanded link,
along with WiC’s thoughtful posting.
WildSeedQuote Reply
Did anyone spot Burn Gorman in this video?
We still don’t know what character he is playing, right?
mariamb18Quote Reply
I’m starting to think he’ll be playing fakeRamsay, the first Reek, while Iwan Rheon will be pretending to be a common prisoner to Theon to play mind games with him.
NezzerQuote Reply
In the first episode Jaime is seen talking to Cersei in his regular clothing, not his Kingsguard armor… let’s wait.
Ren SnowQuote Reply
Love Edmure’s (fish) scaly armour. It really fits the Tully feel in my opinion. Though I’m obviously sad the Brave Companions won’t be featured on the show, the Locke character seems to exude Vargo’s nonchalant viciousness. As long as they can stay reasonably true to his personality (exempting the lisp), I can live with no Shagwell. The only problem I see arising with him being a Bolton lieutenant is that Bolton’s betrayal will be even less of a surprise, although the shock of the RW, is mostly because even if it is hinted at a lot, it is just so brutal that it is impossible to think of
BlaatQuote Reply
So which do we think Tyrion is carrying at 0:32 secs?
Could it be the gift for Joffrey that good old Joff “Loves to pieces”, is it the Master of Coins book or something even less important, maybe just a good novel to read?
Nick_ScryerQuote Reply
A day may come when the courage of viewers fails, when we forsake our fellow posters and break all bonds of fandom, but it is not this day. An hour of whining and cursing D&D, when GRRM’s wickedness comes crashing down. But it is not this day! This day we SQUEEEE!
Blackfish BluesQuote Reply
Jaqen is Q,
good one. LOL
Michael TschuertzQuote Reply
I’m suddenly reminded of TV!Loras’ line to Catelyn when he says, “If Robb Stark wants a pact with us, he should come himself, not hide behind his mother’s skirts!” Well, Loras is now hiding behind his grandmother’s skirts, lol! XD
siberia82Quote Reply
I think it’s possible that Loras might not be part of Joffrey’s Kingsguard for Season 3 (although this might be changed in the future). The writers purposely omitted the Knight of Flowers’ entry into the order from the Season 2 finale, and it may be for other reasons besides time constraints. TV!Loras is already a bit of a composite character with Garlan (e.g. leading the Tyrell vanguard at Blackwater and dressing up as “King Renly’s Ghost”), so expanding his role would simplify things for non-readers watching the show.
Loras certainly wouldn’t be happy about the arrangement, but he is very dutiful to his family, so he will grin and bear it (however grudgingly). He loathed the idea of kneeling to Joffrey in the Season 2 finale—his discomfort was very obvious in that scene—but he still offered Margaery as a bride to the “monster” (his exact word to Renly in Season 1).
There were only a handful of people in the throne room when we first see Jaime and Cersei. If Loras is a member of Joffrey’s Kingsguard, he would almost certainly be on duty to guard the king in a large place full of nobles. It’s just odd to me that the Knight of Flowers wouldn’t be dressed in the Kingsguard armour and cloak while standing by Joffrey’s side during an important ceremony.
siberia82Quote Reply
They have to save SOMETHING “for later,” right?
Mrs. H’gharQuote Reply
Mrs. H’ghar,
Once Again Mrs. H’ghar, you speak perfect sense.
GrijnwaaldQuote Reply
Loras taking on Garlan’s role almost makes too much sense. Not saying they’ve changed it, but…
There’s very little in the story that makes him need to be in the Kingsguard. He can still be around Margaery, lead the attack on Dragonstone and have snarky conversations with Jaime.
On the other end, it’s so much better. Sansa adores him in the books, so it accentuates that possibility – the contrast from Loras to Tyrion is huge and becomes some that the writers can focus on visually rather than through this Garlan in some other city. The fact that he’s gay isn’t a barrier; at best he’s staying single and likely having to marry. And now the show doesn’t need to explain Garlan, and frankly, since we’ve never seen the guy, I’m not sure he’s all that relevant overall.
AlanQuote Reply
Greatjon of Slumber,
Weather you hate her or love her season three belongs to Dany the one was Ned’s and two was Tyrions
Friend Of fireQuote Reply
Ren Snow,
Changing Vargo makes sense. They don’t want to add any more characters or groups then they have to. They had Rob marry a girl from the free cities so they could skip the Westerlings. So now they have Qyburn working for Bolton’s men so they can leave out the Brave Companions.
Maester BlasterQuote Reply
snipz,
Its 100% Kingslanding at 1.02 . One woman has the braided hairstyle and Joffery is in it to the left.
VARGRQuote Reply
Friend Of fire,
Dany has her best moments in the third book, but she only had 6 chapters. Arya(13),Jon(12),Tyrion(11),Jaime(9),Catelyn(7),Sansa(7), and Davos(6) have as many or more than she does. So while she has some great moments, I would hardly call her the standout character from ASOS.
Tyrion PimpslapQuote Reply
GreatJon of Slumber,
Love your thoughts on all this, and you have quite convinced me as to Jaime being an agent of the ‘unmoored’ and thus a great contender for the emotional and narrative centerpiece of the season! I suppose it’s all rather moot, as the season is pretty much in the can, but I hope we get another meta-narrative here like last year’s recurring musings on power, and I hope that narrative, drawn from the book, has to do with that idea of characters and loyalties adrift in a savage world. (I also really just hope that they don’t keep going on and on about power every season.)
However! Other comments have convinced me that Robb is the best possible spine for season three (at least of the War section according to my vision of three parallel stories). He’s in a position of power, like Ned and Tyrion before him. He has a lot of tough choices ahead of him, dealing with questions of duty, honor, morality, etc. And he suffers a quite stunning downfall. (It’s not to say every season’s spine character has to follow this pattern, but jesus, it’s so elegant I almost wish they would.)
That being the case, I still think this season could set up Jaime as the central figure in the War story for Season 4, in much the way that season 1 got us to root for Tyrion before he became the spine of season 2. It would also be kind of nice with the first four seasons alternating Stark and Lannister like that. After which, who the hell knows :-)
dolorous alQuote Reply
Ser Tahu,
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. This is the season of weddings, I think we get all three. There is time, you could have Sansa’s wedding in ep 7, RW in ep 9 and PW at the end of ep ten. There is still plenty of time for Jon to get back to the wall and Dany to take Astapor. Plus this way all the Stark fans who are bummed about the RW will get to see Joff bite it before the end of the season.
There is now way they could have the PW in Season 4 episode 6. After that there is still Tyrion’s trial, LF and Sansa in the Veil, the battle for the Wall, the battle for Mereen, and most likely stuff from AFFC and Dance in eppisode 10. Plus, what is Jamie supposed to do for half a season between his behanding and returning to KL?
Maester BlasterQuote Reply
dolorous al,
Thanks! Really really like all your thoughts here too.
Greatjon of SlumberQuote Reply
Maester Blaster,
I think news would have leaked by now if the PW was in season 3. I expect it to be around episode 2 or 3 of season four.
Tyrion PimpslapQuote Reply
I certainly hope, that this will be the case. After this season people will expect the crazy stuff to happen in episode 9, so making the PW happen very early Season 4 will certainly surprise many viewers.
sCorQuote Reply
Maester Blaster,
There is no PW this season. We would have found out by now just like we did with the RW
Tom O’ SevensQuote Reply
Jaime isn’t going to be the spine of any of the seasons. His character, while interesting, is pretty incidental to date.
In terms of what the show will focus on, we’ll see a lot of:
* Tyrion, because Dinklage is awesome and because the audience loves him
* Dany and Jon, because these are the books where we really begin to understand their place in the story, and where they begin to take real prominence.
* Robb and Catelyn, because they will want Episode 9 to be the best ever.
AlanQuote Reply
The backbone of the season is very simple: it’s Dany and the Starks.
All you have to do in order to see this is look at the new characters who’ve been cast already. We have a bunch of Wildlings (including a “big” name in Ciarán Hinds as Mance), Missandei, Daario and now Mero, the Reeds, the Tullys and the Brotherhood w/o Banners.
By comparison, the QoT has been cast, but there’s no word on Mace Tyrell or the Martells yet, which clearly seems to indicate that most events on KL will be pushed to season 4. Ditto for “Reek” and Winterfell, IMO.
As for the Kingslayer, I must admit I’m a bit biased, since I can’t stand the guts of this child-murdering, incestuous scumbag lol! But in all fairness, I don’t see his “redemption” arc being more important than Dany, Jon or Arya’s threads in book 3, so I don’t see why he should be the focal point in S3, either.
As for the preview, great to get a glimpse of all the new characters, especially the Wildlings, since all of the events beyond the Wall are my favorite part of ASoS. Looking forward to seeing Sam the Slayer in action!
MarberiQuote Reply
First viewing of the video right now, and I’m too smiley to pull apart any of the details. Excited!
Ron SnowQuote Reply
You’re forgetting one key aspect. While Jaime was fighting to kill Brienne and escape, Brienne was fighting to disarm and to avoid harming Jaime. It’s much, much more difficult to disarm an opponent without harming them than to disable/kill them. I’d say it more than makes up for Jaime’s weakness and chains.
queenofthornsQuote Reply
I need to see Sandor Clegane :(
Nastya RodinaQuote Reply
Maester Blaster,
I think I remember somewhere on this site saying tyrion and sansa’s wedding is episode 8
Pointy EndQuote Reply
Pointy End,
SPOILERS!!! now you’ve really pissed me off }:(
GrijnwaaldQuote Reply
Grijnwaald,
Yeah, I’m with you. I know a lot of this info is readily available around the site, and I’ve probably read all of it before, but I’m in the process of ‘willful forgetting’ to preserve some surprise when the show airs. Can we at least try to avoid non-spoiler-texted references to specific episodes people know things will be happening in?
dolorous alQuote Reply
Grijnwaald,
Sorry, completely my bad. I was typing on my phone and I forgot
Pointy EndQuote Reply
queenofthorns,
Well, Brienne thinks that if Jaime wasn’t in chains she would have had no shot. Her opinion is all that really matters.
Tyrion PimpslapQuote Reply
Marberi,
I love Jaime and think he is the best character in the series and believe his chapters in ASOS are the best the books have to offer. But I understand he is not the ‘backbone’ of the story, as some seem to be talking about. I don’t believe this series has one character who you can say that about. The first two books had Ned and Tyrion in that role. You could argue the fifth book had Jon. But overall their is not one single character who you can call the backbone of the story, though Jon comes close. IMO.
Tyrion PimpslapQuote Reply
Tyrion Pimpslap,
This.
JimQuote Reply
Not really, considering she has pretty damn low self-esteem.
queenofthornsQuote Reply
queenofthorns,
Okay, then I’ll defer to the author of the books who just a few weeks ago compared his characters to those of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and was asked who would win in a fight. Jaime was matched up with Aragorn. GRRM chose Jaime and his reasoning: “Jaime is one of the greatest fighters in the history of Westeros”. How many times throughout the books do we hear characters remarking on how good Jaime is? Brienne is brutishly strong, but she still couldn’t match Jaime’s speed and skill, which was what was hindered the most from being malnourished and in chains.
Tyrion PimpslapQuote Reply
Pointy End,
That’s ok, whats done is done. I’ll just use my mallet to try and forget the whole horrid buisness :’(
GrijnwaaldQuote Reply
That’s not a dragon flying over the Unsullied’s head, thats a bird…
Would be cool if D&D can use that to their advantage and CGI over it, to make it a dragon…
At 56secs into the video, you do see a bird fly over the Unsullied Helmets.
For all we know maybe they had falcon handlers having falcons fly around in place of where D&D wanted the dragons, then later the CGI team would CGI over the falcons. that would make sense to me, but I am not in the business of CGI. But wouldnt that be awesome if we got to see the “preCGIed over” falcons in that split second at 56 seconds?
ArthurQuote Reply
Echos my thoughts as well.
The Queen of Thrones ( dame Diana Rigg ) really stuck out in this video short.
Her tall figure actually reminded me of the headmistress for the Beauxbaton
School of Wizardry. Actress Rigg will no doubt live up to her quality work
portraying QoT, no worries there. She may not fit the image of a petite,
calculating grandmother, but appearances is only part of the requirement.
I hope it’s true that Cirian Hind’s Mance character, will envelop the mentor
relationship that book Qhorin had.
WildSeedQuote Reply
Holy shitsnacks, please tell me I’m not the first to notice that Cersei’s wearing one of Margaery’s hand-me-down dresses in this shot.
http://wicnet.tumblr.com/image/37084852755
Its not quite the “peach basket” from last season, but its definitely the same designer.
All tomorrow’s parties, indeed. No wonder the Little Princess is laughing at you, brotherfucker.
Oh, and the spine of every season, and every book, and every other thing ever, is obviously Patchface.
I know, I know, oh, oh, oh
the goatQuote Reply
Tyrion Pimpslap,
GRRM purposefully leaves the Jaime x Brienne fight as a draw, and gives both characters significant disadvantages in the fight in order to leave doubt about who would have won in an even match. Furthermore, it’s absolutely in-character for both to believe that he would have won (Jaime being the cocky bastard he is, Brienne severely lacking in self-confidence), whether that’s the truth or not is ambiguous. Clearly you really like Jaime. So do I. I love them both. But fanboy/girlism is no reason to completely discount/refuse to acknowledge that Brienne also had a significant handicap in that fight – trying to disarm her opponent rather than kill him.
Also, I have no idea what Aragorn has to do with anything. As far as we know, GRRM would have said that Aragorn might have been beaten by Brienne as well. Aragorn’s strength was as a leader of men, not as the best warrior of the fellowship.
queenofthornsQuote Reply
queenofthorns,
Brienne spends the first 2/3′s of the duel just blocking Jaime’s attacks without ever really striking back. And besides, she didn’t appear to be holding back much, since she manages to slash him over one eye. There are maybe three people in this series who would’ve stood a chance against Jaime at 100%, and Brienne is not one of them.
sunspearQuote Reply
lots of great stuff but the highlight has to be dondarian holding the flaming sword!!! awesome!! does that mean the season goes beyond RW??
i have to say, the one complaint i have with the show is it never seems to end in the right spot. it’s always a conclusion ending instead of a cliffhanger. if it were me season one would have ended with the sword coming down on eddard. season two at blackwater before the battle turned. season 3 during RW. cliffhangers sell more books.
Jaison BiaginiQuote Reply
Alan,
That’s not what I meant. I meant maybe they will say he is the bastard when in fact the real one will be in the dungeons with Theon
Good ol’ Dead NedQuote Reply
Good ol’ Dead Ned,
Your name reminded me that Sean Bean will be starring in the upcoming TNT spy series from Howard Gordon, replacing Brendan Fraser who dropped out last month. What a coup (and step up) for the series to get Bean as their lead actor!
“”Legends,” from Fox 21, is based on the novel by Robert Littell that follows an undercover operative with the chameleon-like ability to turn himself into a different person for each assignment.”
This sounds like a role where he actually mey not be killed off in the first season too!
DarquemodeQuote Reply
queenofthorns,
I disagree with the assessment that Brienne belongs in the same league as Jaime. This isn’t a fanboy opinion or a sexist view. My take on Brienne’s accomplishment as a “fighter” is that most if not all of her opponents underestimate her based on her sex. She’s obviously an accomplished skilled fighter in the sense she’s been trained properly but her main attribute is her brute strength which tends to overwhelm unsuspecting opponents. At no point does GRRM ever infer she’s “skillful”, rather she’s a female version of the Hound. A very strong aggressive fighter that surprises opponents who dismisses her.
On the flip side Jaime has been described as a child prodigy who got trained by perhaps the best swordsman of the series in Arthur Dayne (instead of a random master at arms-which was prob the case for Brienne). Even Barristan commented that Jaime was a “natural” swordsman, as in he was born to it. When you combine innate talent with a true master teacher you end up with a superb fighter.
So by that logic, I’ve no doubt a full strength Jaime would have decimated Brienne in a 1 on 1 fight, he might have gotten surprised early on by her speed and strength but his techniques would have eventually overwhelmed her. Maimed Jaime however is a different story.
DrfunkQuote Reply
Tyrion Pimpslap,
Well, Jaime’s never been my favorite, though I admit he’s an extremely interesting character, whether you love him or hate him. His chapters are very interesting in ASoS, definitely, and his role should be much bigger than it’s been so far (just like in the books). I just don’t see him as a leading character, but rather a very important secondary character, even though I also agree when you say that no character really stands out as the series protagonist.
I’d also like to comment on your thoughts on Aragorn. No offense to GRRM, but as far as Tolkien goes, he’s just another reader. As such, he’s entitled to his opinion but I strongly disagree. Aragorn was Captain of the Dúnedain or Rangers of the North, the toughest warriors in the Middle-earth during his time, and given his Númenorean blood, that means he had been fighting countless battles for decades. No way Jaime’s the better fighter between the two.
MarberiQuote Reply
They will say that about him when he’s in the Riverlands and your other characters mentioned are in the North? I guess I’m not sure why?
I think it’s been pretty confirmed he’s the Hoat equivalent without the interesting character parts.
AlanQuote Reply
Drfunk,
Agreed.
I always have considered Jaime Lannister to be the finest swordsman of his generation. At full strength he was equal to or better than anyone alive and at least equal to most the great swordsmen that came before him.
DarquemodeQuote Reply
queenofthorns,
I don’t really care about him picking Jaime over Aragorn, but I do care about his quote that “Jaime is one of the greatest fighters in the history of Westeros.” That is a long history. Consider also how so many throughout Westeros always mention how great a fighter he is and they use him as sort of the benchmark. This isn’t really me being a fanboy, it is GRRM’s own words.
Tyrion PimpslapQuote Reply
I always wondered during season 2, where is Robbs crown? I mean he IS a king, and from book two and on he’s almost always wearing it.
Wrath of the GodsQuote Reply
I too am curious about Robb’s crown, mostly for the scenes where a Frey has given it to a whore, because that was like one final kick in the teeth and the scene where Brienne is brought before Catelyn, and she is holding Robb’s crown.
As far as Jaime’s fighting ability is concerned, at their primes I think that only Arthur Dayne and Aemon the Dragonknight would have bested Jaime, and it would be a toss-up with Ser Barristan.
Ser TahuQuote Reply
That was awesome!
Now, people really need to mark spoilers. Seriously, I’ve seen some stuff that’s not cool to leave out in the open.
I do have to say I don’t like the new costumes for the Unsullied.
I feel like their ‘nakedness’, coupled with their unrelenting nature and emotionlessness is what makes them unique and unnerving. These new costumes just make them look like a dime in a dozen soldiers. They don’t have that same atmosphere surrounding them.
YonafunuQuote Reply
Class. A bit of Beric in the mix makes me happy….is that THEEEEEE fight?
I also want to get a wee bit of credit as the first person to spot Noah Taylor in Belfast back in the day.
Where’s my medal?
testureQuote Reply
I just can’t believe, this is so fuckin’ amazing. This season will be the best ever.
but I did not like one thing especially, Richard Madden is looking too old for Robb Stark, but this is not very important.
Jack M.Quote Reply
I agree with you, although TV!Loras might be willing to don the white cloak when Tommen becomes king because he and Margaery are trying to mold the young boy into a ruler who is similar to Renly. The show makes it clear that Loras hates Joffrey, so the HBO writers probably didn’t want to confuse non-readers by having him serve in Joffrey’s Kingsguard. TV!Loras can simply be Margaery’s personal bodyguard.
Oh, you’re absolutely right, I hadn’t considered that substituting Willas with Loras will create more drama for the TV series because Sansa’s disappointment will be that much greater. Poor girl; her fairy-tale dream of being with the Knight of Flowers is cruelly ripped to shreds when she is forced to to marry Tyrion. Thanks for pointing that out.
Finn Jones was recently interviewed in a magazine, and when the coversation turned to GoT’s 3rd season, he mentioned that “I’ve got a really good story line this year.” Loras has very little to do during the first half of A Storm of Swords, so the actor’s comment seem to suggest that the writers have increased his character’s importance. Loras becoming a marriage prospect for Sansa instead of Willas is a likely change.
siberia82Quote Reply