Game of Thrones S02E09 (Blackwater) – Tyrion’s Speech to Rally the Troops

You know, I felt a little sorry for Joffrey here, mostly because he looks like a boy, still. All the comparison with Robb Stark and his bravery leading his men etc etc seems a bit unfair since Robb Starks is a man, and Joffrey is a boy. (At least that’s how the characters look on the show, I’m not sure how old they are supposed to be, but Richard Madden definitely looks like a fully grown man in the way that Jack Gleeson does not).

I love how Tyrion’s speech is not about honor and glory, or loyalty to the King and country (he knows that ship has sailed, with Joffrey basically running away from the battle) – it’s about the people protecting themselves and their own families. When all else fails, appeal to self-preservation, heh.

“Don’t fight for your king, don’t fight for his kingdoms, don’t fight for honor, don’t fight for glory, don’t fight for riches because you won’t get any. This is your city Stannis means to sack, your gate he’s ramming. If he gets in, it will be your houses he burns, your gold he steals, your women he will rape. Those are brave men knocking at our door. Let’s go kill them!”

Peter Dinklage NPR Interview

Peter Dinklage was interviewed by NPR’s All Things Considered about playing Tyrion Lannister and Game of Thrones. 

On his initial reservation about starring in a fantasy series:

I hadn’t read the books, so I wasn’t too familiar with it, but I knew David Benioff and Dan Weiss and they sort of set me straight about this character, because I had some severe reservations about going into the realm of fantasy.
CORNISH: Why?
DINKLAGE: I don’t know. My own silly prejudice, I guess, against the genre in terms of someone my height. Usually it’s a bit – how do I say this politely without offending anybody else’s work in amazing things? It’s bearded and pointy-shoed. And this character, Tyrion Lannister, isn’t that way at all.

On the emphasis, or non-emphasis, of Tyrion’s physicality:

DINKLAGE: Well, I don’t have a problem playing those characters as long as it’s told intelligently. It would be stupid if he wasn’t addressed as an imp or something in this world, given the surroundings. It does address the size issue, but it doesn’t knock you over the head with it, because you don’t really need to. And I find all the scripts that I get that I’m not very interested in, it’s a constant reminder, every single page. Almost every single line is geared towards your height. And I just, in my day-to-day life, and any person who is my size’s day-to-day life, it happens, but it’s not a constant.

Listen to / download the full interview here: http://www.npr.org/2012/05/21/153198363/peter-dinklage-on-thrones-and-on-his-own-terms

HBO 2012 Emmy Submission for Game of Thrones

The three young studs (Theon, Jon and Robb) for Best Supporting Actor, but not Stannis? Okay, maybe I’ll accept Theon since his storyline in Season 2 is very interesting, and Alfie Allen is doing great, but Jon and Robb? Really? Peter Dinklage deserves the Best Actor category this time around, I think, since Tyrion is so much more important to the story (and has a lot more screentime). Best Supporting Actress submission is very Stark-heavy – Catelyn, Sansa, Arya – plus Cersei and Daenerys.

Link: http://www.spoilertv.com/2012/04/hbo-emmy-submissions-2012.html

Funny how Ned Stark is now a cautionary tale ….

I guess being beheaded will do that to you, heh.

Stannis: When Eddard Stark learned the truth he told only me. I’d not make the same mistake. Send copies of that letter to every corners of the realms, from the harbors to the Wall. The time has come to choose. Let no man claim ignorance as an excuse.

Tyrion: I don’t like threats.
Varys: Who threatened you?
Tyrion: I’m not Ned Stark, I understand the way this game is played.
Varys: Ned Stark was a man of honor.
Tyrion: I am not. Threaten me again, and I’ll have thrown into the sea.

Game of Thrones Actors in Real Life

From New York Daily News, a slide-show comparing the actors’ look in the show and in real life. I put them side-by-side for easier comparison:

Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke). Wow, she looks mesmerizing with her dark hair.

Khal Drogo (Jason Momoa).

Tyrion Lannister (Peter Dinklage).

Cersei Lannister (Lena Headey). In this case, it’s the opposite of Clarke; the blond hair fits Headey better.

Ned Stark (Sean Bean).

Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner).

Jamie Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau).

Arya Stark (Maisie Williams).