All the talk about Sean Bean made me want to make a little picspam today. A lot of the pictures are in my previous picspam, and I say, “Yeah? What of it?”
Mood:
Thoughtful
If history has taught us anything, it’s that Sean Bean is badass. The best headline I’ve ever seen just hit: Sean Bean Actually Stabbed, Remains Awesome. Ha! Who else would take a shard of glass to the arm in a bar fight, refuse medical treatment, and then calmly order another drink at the bar? 
it.
In related musings, I have to admit that I was never a huge fan of Robb Stark until, well, let’s just say Book Three. The latest Game of Thrones episode, “Baelor”, really did a great job of showing the essence of the character, though. In one swift scene, I was able to “get” what I had missed when I read the books. Although I remain a Jon fan, I can certainly appreciate Robb more than ever before, and it’s things like this that make the production of the show truly fantastic. I’m looking forward to the final episode of the first season, but I’ll be anxiously awaiting the return of some of my favorite characters.
Mood:
Impressed
When the gods of Fandom are smiling upon us, lovely things happen. In A Song of Ice and Fire, we are hard pressed to find a character whose motives and decency are rarely questioned. It’s not difficult to have great affection for the few we can find, and probably none more so than Jon Snow. The casting of the role must have been a difficult chore, but HBO’s Game of Thrones got it right. Very right.
Rarely has the film/television casting of a role been so convincing as to actually increase the admiration of a much-beloved book character. Kit Harington, a newcomer, gives the character the perfect balance of skill, modesty, and longing. Obviously, the ages of most characters in the television adaptation have been bumped up a bit, but this portrayal of Jon Snow captures his sadness at being shunned by society, and even more hurtfully by his step-mother, in a believable way. Whether he is a teen or a young man, those hurts still penetrate, and in his eyes, you feel his isolation. With the big events that will arise in the series, I can only say, “THANK YOU!” to HBO so many times for the excellent casting job they pulled off, particularly with Ned, Jon, Arya, Jaime, and Tyrion.
Mood:
Enthralled