Making Game of Thrones

‘Mhysa’ Round-Up: All’s Fair in Love and War

2013-06-14T21:39:22Z

Shock waves from the Red Wedding radiate through the kingdoms in Sunday’s Season Finale. Poor Arya Stark had a front row seat to the horror as she witnessed a parade featuring the head of Grey Wolf sewn on to her brother's body. See how the shocking scene was conceptualized in the storyboard below from HBO GO’s Interactive Features.

The heartbreak is enough to push Arya’s fantasies of revenge into reality. In an interview with HBO.com, actor Maisie Williams explains Arya’s decision to kill her first man: “She’s longing for a family and he’s talking about how he murdered her family. It really gets to her so she decides to give a little back.”

Saying Goodbye: Behind the Scenes of Episode 309

2013-06-07T15:14:37Z

By Cat Taylor

There are moments on 'Game of Thrones,' when you know something coming up in the filming schedule will be different. The apprehension in the days leading up to the filming of the Red Wedding was a palpable feeling – this scene, this moment was one that would shift the direction of so many of our main storylines, and for some, it was the coming of an abrupt end. Readers of the books have known the Red Wedding was imminent, but followers of the show would only know that something, something was reaching a climax.

Before we get to the filming days in the hall at the Twins, let me tell you a few facts from the episode you might find interesting. The Great Hall at the Twins, where Robb Stark holds audience with Walder Frey, was also the Council Chamber at Riverrun where Edmure claimed his victory at the Stone Mill – much to Robb's disgust in Episode 303. The set was completely reworked so that the light and airy rooms of House Tully became a dark, menacing and oppressive space; the walls were refinished, the Tully fish removed, the balcony added and the windows covered. Then Set Dec went to work to bring in the finished elements in just under two weeks, from start to finish.

"The Rains of Castamere" Round-Up: Paying the Price for Honor and Love

2013-06-04T22:09:26Z

“Just as you grieve if a friend is killed, you should grieve if a fictional character is killed,” author George R.R. Martin tells Entertainment Weekly about the grisly ‘Game of Thrones’ event known by book readers as the Red Wedding. In interviews with HBO.com, actors Michelle Fairley and Richard Madden share the grief they felt while filming the scene. “It’s incredibly emotional,” Fairley says, “We had a week to shoot the whole sequence, and we shot it chronologically so throughout the week, you knew we were coming to the end." Madden adds, “We went into that scene with heavy hearts.”

The tides change for the Starks in attendance the moment the band begins to play “The Rains of Castamere,” the song commemorating the Lannister slaughter of a rebellious house. Richard Madden tells HBO.com that the sudden tragedy “is one of the best things that ‘Game of Thrones' does so beautifully, which is just rip these characters' hearts out in front of you.”

Michelle Fairley Loved the Red Wedding

2013-06-03T21:30:54Z

This season's major turning point – the wedding day massacre at the Twins – also happens to be Michelle Fairley's favorite scene of the past three seasons. The actress talks to HBO.com about filming the scene, Cat's issues with Jon Snow, and why she's always making those prayer wheels.

HBO: What was going through Cat's mind when the "Rains of Castamere" starts to play?

Michelle Fairley: I remember shooting that and having to turn. She's thinking, "What is this music?" It says something ominous to her, like something has walked over her grave; her hackles are up. But she doesn't know what it is because she's an honorable human being. The last thing on her mind is that Walder Frey would use this occasion to seek his revenge.

Read the full interview with Michelle Fairley on HBO.com.

Leeches, Dragons and a Bear: Behind the Scenes of Episodes 307 and 308

2013-05-29T21:47:18Z

By Cat Taylor

One of the things that I’m always amazed by when I watch the show is how easy it is to forget the amount of work that goes into creating each set. The tent in which Robb learns he’s about to be a father was actually built on ‘A’ Stage, one of two new sound stages at the Paint Hall Studio in Belfast. It was designed by Gemma Jackson and then decorated by Set Dec and the Props departments with fabrics and furniture brought in from as far away as India – each piece was specially chosen to reflect the feel and style of House Stark. The scroll Talisa is writing was actually written in the Valyrian language, translated by our wonderful language creator, David J. Peterson.

In the same way that so many departments are involved in a short scene, many locations are often used to tell a single storyline. By now you will have seen the spectacular Ice Wall climb in Episode 306 and so much of Iceland's stunning scenery in the wildlings' approach to it. But by the time we see Orell and Ygritte in the woods, we are back in Toome, Northern Ireland. The scene was filmed back in September, six weeks before we went north of the Wall.

“Second Sons” Round-Up: Unhappy Couples and Unassuming Heroes

2013-05-22T21:18:58Z

Wedding bells rang in King’s Landing last night as Sansa Stark and Tyrion Lannister tied the knot. “Though Joffrey threatens to rape his ex-fiancée, and seems on the verge of ordering his uncle's death for his insolence before Tywin calms things down,” Alan Sepinwall of HitFix.com observes, “the wedding largely goes off okay.”

The mismatched bride and groom piqued the interest of engineers at OKCupid; the dating website calculated the couple as 80.15 percent compatible, Entertainment Weekly reports. (Shae will be happy to know that this score was not mentioned in the honeymoon suite.) Executive Producer David Benioff explains Tyrion’s feelings on consummating his marriage in this week’s Inside the Episode: “He knows she doesn’t want it... He would hate himself in the morning.” Resolved to wait until Sansa is ready, the groom quotes the Night’s Watch: “And so my watch begins.”

Samwell Tarly lives out his own vows by being a "sword in the darkness." Rolling Stone’s Sean T. Collins notes, the crow is “like a hero out of a storybook.” Relive Sam's big moment below with the storyboard from HBO GO’s Interactive Features.

Sam’s surprise attack mirrored Melisandre’s strategy—to keep Gendry from seeing “the blade.” Actor Joe Dempsie describes the Red priestess’ appeal in an interview with New York Magazine’s Vulture blog. Melisandre is “a very powerful force for Gendry, and hard to resist. It's not power he wants, but answers—and curiosity killed the cat.” In an interview with HBO.com, actress Carice van Houten talks about Melisandre’s resolve, “She genuinely is convinced that this is the way and everyone that doesn’t believe her is just a nuisance.” Cynics like Davos and Arya are “difficult flies.”

Melisandre’s conviction doesn’t stop Stannis from consulting his Hand. Salon’s Willa Paskin was unimpressed by the king’s rationalization to Davos. “His speech is an abuse of the word ‘duty,’ ” Paskin says about Stannis, who is using it as “a justification to do something dishonorable without even thinking about it.” Davos’ advice to spare Gendry’s life embodies Paskin’s definition of duty: “something one who is honorable does whether or not they want to.”

The next Game of Thrones episode airs in two weeks. Until then, catch up with the Viewer’s Guide so you won’t need Lady Olenna to explain the family tree.

Blood, Sex and Magic: Carice van Houten Talks Melisandre’s Mission

2013-05-20T16:42:44Z

We already know Melisandre isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty for the Lord of Light. This past Sunday, the Red priestess whipped up something new: Take one Baratheon bastard, prime him sexually, sprinkle on some hungry leeches and voila—king’s blood. In an interview with HBO.com, actress Carice van Houten discusses the scene, on-screen nudity, and what she really thinks of Davos.

HBO: How does Melisandre view her relationship with Stannis?

Carice van Houten: She’s convinced that he’s the chosen one. She believes he’s going to defeat the “Great Other," so she loves him—but not necessarily in a sexual way. She respects him, but it’s not a romantic relationship. I wouldn’t say either of them are the romantic kind, per se.

Continue to HBO.com for the full interview with Carice van Houten.

“Bear and the Maiden Fair” Round-Up: The Crowned and the Furry

2013-05-16T17:31:45Z

'Game of Thrones' has no shortage of battles (both emotional and literal) but Sunday night marked a series first: a bear fight. Jaime’s rescue of Brienne was as heroic as it was unexpected. “It's pure instinct, and it's really stupid,” actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau tells HBO.com about Jaime's impulsive leap. But "he just can't stand that a woman that has so much dignity should be degraded that way.” Critics were also taken by Bart the Bear II; “Great acting from the bear… I've never seen a live wild animal action sequence like that on TV before,” says Entertainment Weekly’s James Hibberd.

The episode, written by George R.R. Martin, balanced action with subtler scenes. In this week’s Inside the Episode, Executive Producer David Benioff discusses how these quiet moments shed light on the characters and their stakes. Robb’s scene with Talisa, Executive Producer D.B. Weiss explains, connects the rebirth of his cause to the future birth of his child.

As Robb reaffirms his mission, so does the khaleesi. Dany’s makes it her duty to liberate the slaves of Yunkai. “The scene in which she meets and rejects the emissary from Yunkai,” Time’s James Poniewozik says, “is spectacular without a single fireball.” Mike Hogan of the Huffington Post is fully behind Dany’s vision: “I frankly find it really exciting to think of her as an avenging angel leading an army of liberated slaves to victory over these inbred families with their castles and crests….”

In these families, power is wielded less tactfully. King Joffrey summons Tywin, and as Sarah Hughes of The Guardian points out, “the boy king was sort of right in everything he said: he should be learning how to rule; he should be sitting in on council meetings and not having to seek them out; Dany actually is more than a ‘curiosity on the far side of the world.’ ” Yet Joffrey quickly realizes that his grandfather is superior both “emotionally and with regard to intelligence,” actor Jack Gleeson explains in HBO GO’s Interactive Features. The king may wear the crown, but he can’t command his grandfather’s respect.

What are your thoughts on the Lannisters’ struggles? Has Jaime won your respect? Will Bart be visiting your nightmares?

The Making of a Bear Fight

2013-05-14T17:41:01Z

Westerosi tavern-goers know “The Bear and the Maiden Fair,” is a popular drinking song. But the phrase took on a new meaning Sunday night when Jaime Lannister rescued Brienne of Tarth from a bear pit. Wondering how stars Gwendoline Christie and Nikolaj Coster-Waldau tangled with a bear and made it out alive? This video takes you behind the scenes.

In his interview with HBO.com, Coster-Waldau jokes the bear was a bit of a diva.

The fight's intricate storyboard will give you a sense of how much teamwork was required.

What was your reaction to this bear and his maiden fair?

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau Doesn't Trust Daenerys Targaryen

2013-05-13T19:15:24Z

This Sunday, the Kingslayer faced one of his fiercest opponents to date—a bear. In an interview with HBO.com, actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau opens up about Jaime’s secrets, his relationship with Brienne of Tarth, and what's so scary about Dany.

HBO: What attracts Jaime to Brienne? Why does he trust her?

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau: She lives by a code that Jaime also believes, but he’s become a very cynical person. He’s learned that all these beautiful words like "honor" and "dignity" don’t mean anything in this world. Then he meets someone who says, “Well, I don’t care because that’s how I am. I have to stand up for what I believe is right.” Which is what Brienne does, she reaffirms there’s a place for dignity… I think it reawakens something inside of him. He just knows she can be trusted, it’s instinctual.

Read the full interview with Nikolaj Coster-Waldau on HBO.com.