Game of Thrones Season 3

Well i figured that Robb would have to pay the piper for breaking the sacred honour code, but i didn't see the massacre coming. What i thought was going to be the price, based on how frey went on and on about how curvaceous Talisa was under the dress, was that Frey was going to declare some sort of Ancient right of retroactive jus primae noctis.

The one element that i have trouble wrapping my melon around is why Robb is seeking the Iron Throne, and not endorsing Stannis' Claim like his father did.

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Robb wasn't seeking the Iron Throne.

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Yeah, he was King of the North and wanted the North to be left alone completely to rule its own affairs and not be under the Iron Throne/Kings Landing anymore.

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Yeah, Robb never sought the Iron Throne. He did, however, support Stannis' claim (as Eddard did) until, like Austruck mentioned, his bannermen decided the North ought to just be its own kingdom again—and Robb its king—now that there are no more dragons around. (Cough.)

That's what you have to remember about this story. Claims to the Iron Throne, all of them, are dubious at best. Stannis' claim is based entirely on his brother Robert's rule, even though Robert was a rebel and usurper. But the Targaryens he overthrew were conquerors themselves, taking six of the seven original sovereign kingdoms by force. So Daenerys' "ancestral" claim is based entirely on her conquering Valyrian refugee ancestor, Aegon.

Just an open question, but who do you all think is the actual best actor on the series?! Who is really putting it out there?

Oddly the first one that came to mind was (Imdb pause) Gwendoline Christie who plays Brienne. Very convincing in her masculinity, and I dont mean the special effects.



I gotsta! Just gotsta mention Iain Glen! Ser Jorah Mormont is easily one of the top 3 characters on the show, and he makes it look so easy. His delivery of dialogue is so rich in tone, and Royal Shakespeare Company level timing in when & how he says it.



Very possible this was all discussed on page 2 or something. Just wanted to throw out my picks.

A lot of folks on the show are killing it. Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister) and Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy) come to mind, as does Conleth Hill (Lord Varys), though we've sadly seen precious little of Varys lately.

I also really like Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell), not because she's particularly close to the Margaery in the books (she isn't), but because her performance feels wily and natural. Obviously, Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark) hit some high points recently and at other times throughout the series. A bunch of the lesser performances are great, too: Walder Frey, The Hound, Beric Dondarrion and Thoros of Myr, the Blackfish.

Everybody talks about Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister), and he's great, but I fear we've seen all the range he can give us. He's got great mannerisms and delivery, but he doesn't handle real emotion very well. Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister) is passable, and probably perfectly cast, but she's not a great actress. Jack Gleeson isn't a great actor, but somehow he makes for a great Joffrey. (It really helps that he naturally looks like an evil punk.)

Others seem to be sort of on autopilot because their characters haven't yet turned a corner. Iain Glen is a fantastic actor, but he's kind of treading water: Jorah Mormont hasn't really changed much since Season 1. Kit Harrington (Jon Snow), as I've said, feels this way too.

The one who's hitting it out of the park for me, though, is Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister. He was a bit one-dimensional that first season, but over the second and third seasons, he's gone through much trial and change, and that will only continue. Not only does Nikolaj have Jaime pinned, but he's shown that he can display that deeply emotional and conflicted center that Jaime very definitely has.

Oh, and Kristian Nairn (Hodor). Totally nailing it.

So many facepalms.


Really solid response, Sleezy, and I agree with a lot that you said... except you said that Jack Gleeson isn't a good actor which is totally wrong. Jack puts on one of the top 5 performances on the show. He is a great actor and it's a bummer that he will not be pursuing acting once GoT is over. But he's a boy genius, so I don't really blame him.

My favorite performances are:
1. Alfie Allen
2. Jack Gleeson
3. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
4. Harry Lloyd
5. Charles Dance
6. Conleth Hill
7. Liam Cunningham
8. Iwan Rheon
9. Peter Dinklage
10. Diana Rigg

Performance is tough, because so much of it is based on the casting and material, so it's easier to just pick the person that I'm most pleased with overall, without necessarily tying that to just their acting. And that person, for me, is definitely Charles Dance. I think they absolutely nailed Tywin. I think he's got the right look, and he oozes the necessary authority, and that there are quite a few actors who could play the role well, but ultimately lack his presence.

Well show Tywin is definitely a little bit different than book Tywin, but would I want any other Tywin than the Charles Dance Tywin? Hell f*cking no. He is an absolute scene stealer. Everytime I see Tywin on screen I strap in and prepare my jimmies.

I could watch him give things withering stares for hours.

He's gotten better over the course of the show, I believe, and he's definitely nailed the demeanor of Joffrey. I just see him relying on juvenile techniques with his acting that sometimes make him seem like he's overacting. It's not a big deal really, and sort of expected for his relatively young age. But it was pretty evident to me a few episodes back in the "power play" scene he shared with Charles Dance. That man's just a consummate veteran actor and the subtleties in his performance are both realistic and palpable. By comparison, Gleeson's Joffrey feels a little manufactured.

But then again, I guess it sort of has to be, as Jack Gleeson is known to be a really nice, courteous young man. So kudos to him for being able to go to the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

If I had to choose between Alfie and Jack for best performance in season 2, I would literally be torn, and my head might pop.

I'm not overly enamored of either Alfie or Jack's acting, really. If I watch a show and ever think, "Wow, that's some really great acting" WHILE I'm watching it, it's probably not really great acting precisely because I'm aware that they're acting.

But with actors like Dance, I completely forget that he's a separate person acting the part of Tywin. In his scenes, he IS Tywin and I have to remind myself that he's acting a part. I'm totally IN that scene with him.

THAT is great acting.

The others who do that for me on the show are Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Conleth Hill, and Stephen Dillane.

Gleeson's doing a good job with the material and all, but there was just no way a character like Joffrey was ever going to lead to a portrayal that was both great and accurate. It's impossible to do the role justice without it seeming really cartoonish.

Ma'am, I am disappoint.

Oh well, you can't please everyone. And around here, no one can please you.

So, there it is.

Story of my life, brah.

I think almost all the actors/actresses have been on point throughout the series but the woman who plays Cat really came into her own in the last couple episodes.

I think the guys behind Jon Snow and Robb Stark have been quite weak and just seem to play their characters pretty one note, then again Robb isn't the most well written character out there.

Tyrion and Tywin though will always be the scene stealers for me.

The best Red Wedding reaction video ever:

Caution on above video: Language. (Just in case someone cares.)

That does seem to be the general reaction, though.