That said, maybe she does all that precisely because she resembles Arya a lot. Maybe Im giving her too much credit and shes simply playing herself in Aryas boots. Maybe. Im willing to suppose that she might (might) be a stubborn, headstrong, bratty tomboy in real life. However, Im absolutely not ready to admit that shes also a traumatized rebel whose daddy got beheaded. Thing is: she plays the latter facet of Aryas personality as well and naturally as the other stuff she was given.
Remember the scene with Arya and Yoren back in EP3 before the Lannister attack? Precisely. Its not even supposed to be an Arya scene its basically a Yoren monologue. Shes just there listening. And yet, without saying anything, just by cleaning her blade and listening, she has this overwhelming presence thats just a marvel to see. When she raises her eyes and meets Yorens, you can feel all her anxiety and vulnerability. When she turns them back to her blade, you can sense that shes deep in thought. And shes not even doing anything!
I am, of course, glossing over all the other great stuff she does perfect poise, delivery, screen presence, etc. I have yet to mention the excellent, excellent scenes between her and Tywin the fact that she manages to act on an even footing with such an incredible actor is amazing in its own right. These scenes carried half of the season for me (the other half is coming up next), and the quality of the acting is one of the big reasons why they were so successful.
That said, and that might be the big question in your mind, shes not first. Indeed, in spite of everything she does, I cant rank her ahead of the other guy. I think part of the reason why shes so acclaimed is precisely because shes so young. People werent expecting such talent from such a young age, and so they were surprised that surprise is part of the reason why they might rank her #1, I think. Well, I try not to take these points into consideration (or else Bran wouldve ranked much higher) besides, shes 16, not 9. Albeit young, shes old enough to be able to act like an adult and as such should be treated like an adult. Its amazing that even after all that, she still manages to outclass all the other actors.
All the other actors save one.
Best scene: For once, Im not going to pick any specific scene, and just give the kudo to her overall performance during all these scenes with Tywin. These came completely out of left field, even for book readers, and they were highly impressive, for both of the actors involved. Such great acting all around.
-- When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore
So yeah, its one thing to be witty and charming. Its quite another to be able to bring this facet of Tyrions personality and these emotions on screen. Dinklage does so brilliantly. Youve seen me ramble on about certain actors eyes before, and youll see it again, because a lot of what the actor brings to the table is through the eyes. See, to be able to play Tyrion effectively, youve got to be able to convey either of his two facets (the bitter snarker and the caring nice guy) or both at the drop of a hat.
An example of this would be from Tyrions very first scene of the season: he starts off by barging into the tourney, mocking Joffreys cowardice to his face (I had thought to find you on the battlefield), and then immediately switches gears by showing genuine friendliness to Myrcella and Tommen. A few seconds later, he mocks the Hound in a very straightforward tone, and then turns to Sansa, showing her compassion and empathy. When he reprimands Joffrey afterwards the King reminds her that Ned was a traitor, and Tyrion reminds the King that the latter has lost his own father quite recently you see that this time, its the nice guy being pissed at a heartless fool. Dinklage conveys all of these little nuances and shifts seamlessly you always know what he feels, why he says the things he says, whether he cares for people or just making fun of them. Sometimes, its both at the same time (ohai Bronn/Lancel).
Here again, just like Williams, you never get the sense that hes really trying. He never does something like *takes a breather* Alright, I am now switching into Caring nice guy mode. It just feels natural. When he asks Bronn if hed be willing to kill an infant girl still at her mothers breast, he looks genuinely distraught and shocked with the latters lack of empathy and care.
Sure, some of his witty lines and funny insults seem a bit forced at times, but thats precisely the point. Tyrion isnt both a nice guy and a snarker: hes a nice guy who makes quips to hide the fact that he cares so much about everything. Of course some of it is going to feel forced at times, and it would be wrong if it didnt.
And there you have it. Dinklage has shown tremendous skill all throughout the season and the series as a whole adding a memorable human touch to a very cynical series (cynicism being a good thing in this setting). Even through all the lulls and blander stretches of the mid-season, you could always count on Tyrion and Dinklage to raise the episodes quality, and while the writing for Tyrion is really great, Dinklage is phenomenal as well. It all culminated in the final two episodes, as Tyrions role as Hand finally comes to a close, and the build-up and emotion finally lets loose. That final scene, as Tyrion cries in Shaes arms, after receiving words of comfort from Varys (of all people), is heart-wrenching.
Give the man his Emmy.
Best scene: Oh man. Such a tough choice. Youve got the political manoeuvring of the early season, the witty banter with Bronn, the hammy shout-out with Joffrey after the riot (such a fantastic scene), the spite/resentment with Cersei, the rousing speech in Blackwater or the final scene with Shae. I think Im going with the very last scene, just because it served as such a perfect send-off for his character arc this season, but theres just so much to choose from.
-- When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore
Rex retains the first place and wins the contest! Congratulations to him! Additionally - you may recall me saying that if Kaxon or Rex won the competition, the best of the first four entrants would also get a piano remix. Well, Rex did win, and MarquessLaus achieved a 2nd place tie with Kaxon, so ML: you also get a prize! Congratulations to you both!
-- When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore
Aegon Targaryen Tier of World-Conquering 1. Peter Dinklage (Tyrion Lannister) 2. Maisie Williams (Arya Stark) 3. Charles Dance (Tywin Lannister) 4. Lena Headey (Cersei Lannister) 5. Alfie Allen (Theon Greyjoy)
Tyrion Lannister Tier of Schemes, Plots and Broken Things 6. Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) 7. Stephen Dillane (Stannis Baratheon) 8. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister)
Margaery Tyrell Tier of Political Seduction 9. Gethin Anthony (Renly Baratheon) 10. Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark) 11. John Bradley (Samwell Tarly) 12. Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran Stark) 13. Richard Madden (Robb Stark)
Eddard Stark Tier of Political Savviness 14. Kit Harington (Jon Snow) 15. Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen)
Supporting Actors
Arthur Dayne Tier of Kicking Just About Everybody's ***es With a Hand Tied Behind his Back 1. Jack Gleeson (Joffrey Baratheon) 2. Conleth Hill (Varys) 3. Jerome Flynn (Bronn)
Jaime Lannister Tier of Twincest, Child-Crippling and Westeros-Trolling 4. Liam Cunningham (Davos Seaworth) 5. Donald Sumpter (Maester Luwin) 6. Iain Glen (Jorah Mormont) 7. Rory McCann (Sandor Clegane) 8. Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth)
Bronn Tier of Honourless Pig****-Throwing 9. Francis Magee (Yoren) 10. Julian Glover (Grand Maester Pycelle) 11. James Cosmo (Jeor Mormont) 12. Tom Wlaschiha (Jaqen H'ghar) 13. Patrick Malahide (Balon Greyjoy) 14. Joe Dempsie (Gendry) 15. Eugene Simon (Lancel Lannister) 16. Ben Hawkey (Hot Pie)
Jon Snow Tier of Knowing Nothing, yet Still Being Competent with a Sword 17. Aidan Gillen (Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish) 18. Carice van Houten (Melisandre of Asshai) 19. Michael McElhatton (Roose Bolton) 20. Gemma Whelan (Yara Greyjoy) 21. Finn Jones (Loras Tyrell) 22. Robert Pugh (Craster)
Arya Stark Tier of Pointy End-Sticking 23. Natalie Dormer (Margaery Tyrell) 24. Dominic Carter (Janos Slynt) 25. Natalia Tena (Osha)
Bran Stark Tier of Combat Prowess 26. Sibel Kekilli (Shae) 27. Kerr Logan (Matthos Seaworth) 28. Esme Bianco (Ros)
-- When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore
Man so many points riding on the correct placement of Williams/Dinklage! Oh well, I was having a hard time choosing a song anyway.
Great list, I really enjoyed the writeups. This was a great distraction from all of the work I'm supposed to be doing! Out of curiosity, if you had included S1 characters, around where would Sean Bean have placed?
-- No I'm not a damn furry. Looney Tunes are different. - Guiga
Out of curiosity, if you had included S1 characters, around where would Sean Bean have placed?
That's a good question! Hrmmm... probably between Allen and Turner. If I were ranking simply based on S1 material, though, he'd definitely make the top tier (since Headey/Turner weren't as good in S1 and Allen had nothing to work with - Dance had very little material as well).
-- When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore
Where do they find them? GoT has to have at least 4 or 5 child/young actors, and theyre all crazy good. How HBO does it, I have no clue, but I know at least that their casting directors deserve tons of kudos. So far, weve seen Hawkey, Hempstead-Wright, Turner, and a bunch of other, less important characters. I think its about time we tackle the best of them all.
Arya Stark. A very likeable character, to be sure (definitely in my top 5-10 or so, where the books are concerned), but not one with a whole lot of diverse and complex material. All in all, shes pretty straightforward: shes stubborn, headstrong, courageous, a bit bratty on the side, mature beyond her years at times, yet pretty childish most of the time. It must be really fun to play this character, but you dont really get much of the angsty/tormented/complex stuff that usually gives you an Emmy or critical praise. The fact that Arya is remembered so well and liked by pretty much everyone, doubled with the praise her actress got from viewers and critics alike, is a testament to Williams skill. She doesnt have quite enough material to compete with Allen, Headey or even Turner... and yet she does. Very impressive.
What I like most about her performance, Id say, is how real it seems. I dont know Williams much, but every time I see Arya in a scene, I absolutely cant help but feel that shes not playing a character. Shes just Arya. Its as if shes not even trying. Even when shes not doing anything relevant cleaning stuff by the river along with Hot Pie, Lem and Gendry in EP2 she has this glint in her eye that seems entirely genuine. And thats surely after 26 cuts of the same damn scene how she still manages to have this genuine glint over that is beyond me.
Other actors on the top tier were also, of course, exceedingly good. Despite all that, though, you always had the sense that they were working on their emotions, presence, little gestures. The little side glare that Headey/Cersei gave back in EP1 that Ive been heaping so much praise on? Its awesome, but she obviously worked on it. The small, nervous posture of Allen/Theon during his little talk with Bran right after he took Winterfell? An inspired choice... but still a choice something he practiced and practiced until he got it just right.
With Williams, though, she doesnt seem to be even trying. Shes got little gestures of her own very small stuff: for instance the shrug she gives to Gendry as he swings his sword around, trying to appear cool, detached and knowledgeable about swordplay (while still basically just repeating Syrios teachings). That shows us a lot about her character, and hints at potential developments between the two in the future. Thing is, its perfectly downplayed and casual: nothing like the Yo, Ive been looking at you for all of ten seconds but Im deeply infatuated with you stuff Robb gave us. Its more like she doesnt even know she likes Gendry, but still unconsciously wants to act detached and, well, cool in these few scenes. Aww. My point is that here again, she does that while seemingly not even trying.
(cont'd in next post)
-- When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore
Well, this is it. The end of the road. At last. A bit conventional, perhaps, but theres really no way around it. That man carried the second season, just as Tyrion carried the Lannisters through the Battle of Blackwater Bay.
Incredible presence. Amazingly wide range of interpretation, from bombastic to withdrawn, from snark to tears. A very human performance. Dinklage taking first prize should be entirely expected, and expected it was. The guy deserves all the praise he gets, and then some more.
Now that were done throwing (entirely deserved) heaps of praise on Dinklage, lets try to figure how he does it. Tyrion, obviously, is a very peculiar character in the show. Hes extremely likeable (from a readers standpoint), funny, charming and a blast to read. Hes also one of the most fully fleshed-out characters in the series. All of that means hes got an abundance of material to work with probably the best material out of all the characters. Dont get me wrong, though: Tyrion is by no means an easy role.
See, its one thing to be snarky and witty. Tyrion has great lines, and Im convinced many, many professional actors could give quite a memorable performance just running on that. Its actually quite tempting to just give in on the ham and play Tyrion as a full-fledged comic relief, sort of the only sane man in the midst of snakes and power-hungry madmen. Thats not Tyrion, however. See, the half-mans role in the series isnt just to be comic relief (although he is one of the funniest characters): its also to bring an incredibly human and personal touch to an array of political manoeuvring and backroom dealings.
Tyrions a character you can empathize with: brought to life without a mother, constantly degraded and reprimanded by a father who resents him, scorned and mocked by a bitter older sister, not to mention the world at large (demon monkey!). Where sons of lords are usually given land, a sword or a battalion to command, Tyrion was awarded the drains of Casterly Rock. Weve all seen just how much recognition he got from Tywin and Cersei for his courage and sagacity during the events of the second season. Basically, strip all the witty lines/snark armour away from him, and youve got a distraught human being craving for his fathers and the worlds approval. Dont let his spiels from the first season about embracing his dwarfedness fool you: Im convinced that at the core, hes just a guy who wants to be loved.
(cont'd in next post)
-- When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore
1. Maisie Williams and Charles Dance (Arya/Tywin) 2. Peter Dinklage and Conleth Hill (Tyrion/Varys) 3. Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey (Tyrion/Cersei) 4. Peter Dinklage and Jerome Flynn (Tyrion/Bronn) 5. Lena Headey and Sophie Turner (Cersei/Sansa)
6. Peter Dinklage and Jack Gleeson (Tyrion/Joffrey) 7. Alfie Allen and Donald Sumpter (Theon/Luwin) 8. Maisie Williams and Tom Wlaschiha (Arya/Jaqen) 9. Stephen Dillane and Liam Cunningham (Stannis/Davos) 10. Jack Gleeson and Sophie Turner (Joffrey/Sansa)
HM to Jaime/Brienne, Arya/Gendry and Sansa/Shae (lolwut).
-- When you have nothing to say, quote yourself ~ Solfadore
That look Tyrion gives Cersei after she reminds him about his mother, most seriously I've ever taken a little person in my life. I was afraid and in awe.
I'm one of those people who would put Williams over Dinklage.
Not to knock Dink----he's everything you wrote about and more---but Arya Stark's character is such a demanding one and Williams pulls it off with the effortless charisma of a young Kate Winslet(Go watch Titanic again, Winslet plays the haughty, over privileged under-valued woman without even trying).
Arya has to be a strong tomboy, a bratty little girl, an actual boy, vulnerable...when Littlefinger shows up she has to be engaged while being as absentee as possible...all these things with half the scenes of every other "major character".
Those scenes with Tywin are incredible because of all the things Williams has to do: she has to show her respect for a man she could see herself looking up to while barely withholding her contempt and hatred for him and his family. She's trying to be childlike and oblivious but episode after episode more of the facade leaks out and eventually her and Tywin can barely pass their intentions off as subtlety.
She does so much with so little that it's quite hard to fathom.
--
Realo won gold at the Sex Olympics with a BROKEN FRIGGIN NECK.-Voltch
Once again, great topic. Really enjoyed the write-ups. I must say, I definitely did not think I would win, especially when my Rank 1(Theon) placed fifth, but I guess I got lucky.
As for the end placing, I still believe Alfie Allen is the most deserving of an Emmy nomination, but you at least acknowledged him as top tier, and the rankings between the top 5 really were so close. Just curious, assuming Joffrey were considered a lead, where would he rank??
Oh, as for the piano arrangement, and this is comepletely off the top of my head, but the song 'Paradise' by Coldplay has been stuck in my head these past few days, it would be great if maybe you could give it a try.
You might've actually convinced me of Dinklage > Williams with those write-ups, when (as my predictions might suggest) I previously felt the other way round. That's presumably a sign you're doing something right!
-- James - Board 8's Resident Warm And Safe, Slipper-Wearing User & The Cream of Porcupine Tree Fanboyism