HBO’s Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Daenerys Targaryen Moments

Daenerys Targaryen is a difficult part to play. She starts off as a meek young girl and grows into a Khaleesi of the Dothraki horse lords.  The actress playing her needs to be believable in both roles.  Fans were worried, and sceptical (and nitpicking about eye-brows), but newcomer, Emilia Clarke, has met all expectations. She’s vulnerable and strong and we can’t wait to see what else she can bring to the character.  For now, we’ve picked the

Top 5 Daenerys Moments

5. I Don’t Want to Be His Queen~Episode 1

 Dany: I don’t want to be his queen. I want to go home.
Viserys: So do I. I want us both to go home, but, they took it from us. So tell me sweet sister, how do we go home?
Dany: I don’t know.
Viserys: We go home with an army.

Reasoning: When we first meet Dany, she’s being sold off to Khal Drogo by her scheming brother Viserys (Harry Lloyd). This scene shows the dynamic between the two.  Emilia Clarke shows all of Dany’s fear and trepidation in her eyes and reaction to Viserys’ touch. Clarke and Lloyd play off of each other extremely well and are a joy to watch. 

HBO’s Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Tyrion Lannister Moments

Say what you will about his accent, no one could play Tyrion like Peter Dinklage. Tyrion is humour and heart, wise and witty, and another character with a lot of good scenes to weed through before we came up with the…

Top 5 Tyrion Lannister Moments

5. Many Courses~Episode 1

 Jaime: See you at sundown
Tyrion: Close the door!

Reasoning: In Game of Thrones, whores and exposition go together like sword and sorcery. We meet Tyrion while he is being pleasured by the red-headed whore, Ros (Esme Bianco). He may be a dwarf (not the magical bearded kind) but he’s as lusty as any man and not afraid to experiment. Jaime interrupts his fun and the two have a little chat before Jaime ‘serves all the courses at once.’ This scene proves Game of Thrones isn’t children’s fantasy.

HBO’s Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Supporting Characters Who Need More Screen Time

Sure, we love Ned, Arya, and Catelyn Stark, Tyrion Lannister, Daenerys Targaryen, and Jon Snow, but Game of Thrones is more than its main cast. There are dozens (and dozens and dozens) of supporting character vying for screen time. Some we love and some we love to hate. Here’s our…

Top 5 Supporting Characters Who Need More Screen Time

5. Lancel Lannister

Reasoning: Lancel Lannister (Eugene Simon) has only been in a couple of scenes so far, but he’s quickly becoming one of our favourite punching bags. Robert’s awkward squire can’t do anything right. He spends most of his time sputtering for words and staring in wide-eyed fear. We love him. Let’s hope he doesn’t spend too much time searching for that breastplate stretcher and gets back to our screens ASAP.

4. The Boys of the Night’s Watch: Pyp, Grenn & Rast

Reasoning: Jon Snow (and recently Samwell Tarly) may be front and center at the Wall, but they’re not the only Black Brothers worth watching. The trio of Pyp (Josef Altin), Grenn (Mark Stanley), and Rast (Luke McEwan) round out our ragtag group of misfits. Whether sword fighting (poorly), ganging up on Jon (fairly well), or chasing each other around the yard (not unlike Benny Hill), these three are never dull. We want to know more about them. They all need their time to shine.

3. The Hound


Reasoning: The Hound (Rory McCann) is a man of few words. He’s big and gruff and willing to run down a child on the whim of Joffrey Baratheon. We’ve heard his story, but not from his own mouth. We saw him take on his brother, the Mountain; now it’s time to see what makes him tick. We need him to pull back his hair so we can see just how gruesome those scars really are.

2. Hodor


Reasoning: Every television show needs a 7 foot tall stable-hand who only says his own name (he’s like a really big pokemon). Hodor (Kristian Nairn) has said 2 words (hodor, hodor), been in 2 scenes, and we can’t wait for more. As fans of the books, we want to see how they build Hodor’s relationship to Bran. The gentle giant needs more screen time. Hodor!

1. Ghost

Reasoning: Enough said.

Check out the rest of our Game of Thrones Articles:
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 10~Fire and Blood
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 9~Baelor
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 8~The Pointy End
Game of Thrones: Top 5 Moments of Episode 6~A Golden Crown
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Supporting Characters Who Need More Screen Time
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Tyrion Lannister Moments
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Daenerys Targaryen Moments
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Ned Stark Moments
Game of Thrones: Getting Past the Fantasy
Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Arya Moments

HBO’s Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Ned Stark Moments

For part 2 of our Game of Thrones recap, we take a look at the honourable and sometimes rigid Eddard Stark. Sean Bean was a fan favourite even before the show was cast, and lives up to expectations. morally good characters tend to come off as 1 note and boring but Bean’s Ned is nuanced and sympathetic. We see many sides of the stoic Lord Stark in the first 5 episodes. Let’s take a look at the…

Top 5 Ned Stark Moments

5. Beheading the Deserter~Episode 1

Ned: In the name of Robert of the house Baratheon, first of his name, king of the Andals and the first men, lord of the seven kingdoms and protector of the realm, I Eddard of the House Stark, Lord of Winterfell, and warden of the North, sentence you to die.

Reasoning: This scene was released as a 15 minute preview before the actual premiere. We saw it in a dozen promotions and trailers. When the first episode finally aired, I would bet my direwolf that I wasn’t the only one who could recite it verbatim.  Still, it is the perfect introduction to our heroic Lord Stark, and the cold cruelty of the North. He’s powerful, and unyielding, but takes no pleasure in what he has to do. From the get go we see he’s ruled by duty, honour, and family. Maybe he should have been born a Tully.

HBO’s Game of Thrones 1-5: Top 5 Arya Moments

It’s hard to believe, but HBO’s Game of Thrones has reached the halfway point, and what’s a better way to celebrate this milestone than to take a look back at some of our favourite character moments? I can’t think of a thing. This week we’ll be showcasing fan favourites beginning with the…

Top 5 Arya Moments

Maisie Williams (the young actress playing Arya Stark) has proven she’s a force to be reckoned with. Already a scene stealer, Maisie has impressed not only fans, but cast and crew alike. She brings heart and depth to the tomboyish Arya and holds her own with screen veteran, Sean Bean.  With so many great moments, it was hard to narrow it down to 5 but we’ve done our best.

5. A Needle from Jon~Episode 2

Jon: First lesson, stick’em with the pointy end.
Arya: I know which end to use.

Reasoning: The emotion in this scene is palpable. The misfits of the Stark household say their goodbyes and Jon presents his little sister with one final gift. Receiving Needle is a defining moment for Arya and I think this scene is everything book fans hoped for. It’s heartfelt, funny, and a great introduction to the character. We even get to see a direwolf!

George Slays the Dragon

The time has come. Our captain’s hat wearing hero has finally taken down the beast. It may have taken a little longer than expected; he may have gotten tangled in the Meereenese knot; and he may have hacked off his nose a time or two, but now George RR Martin can claim victory. Of course I’m talking about the completion of A Dance With Dragons, the 5th (and much anticipated) book in George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series (the basis of HBO’s Game of Thrones). As promised, Martin announced to his die-hard fans, via his blog, that the task was finally complete. There was no fanfare, or press release, but the news came in a truly Martin-esque fashion. The post was simply titled Twas Beauty… and contained only a picture of a slain King Kong (A moniker Martin has often used to describe the monkey on his back). His publishers have since confirmed the announcement.  A Dance with Dragons will hit shelves on July 12th.

Comic Book Movie Run-Down

Our first glimpse of warm weather reminds us that summer is just around the corner. April showers bring more than May flowers; they bring the start of the summer movie season. What comic book movies hit the big screen this summer? The Nerd Vortex has the run-down on the good and the bad coming to theatres near you.

Thor

Release Date: May 6th
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins
Thor angers daddy and is cast out of Asgard.  He finds himself on earth and becomes a superhero.

The Good: The visuals look epic, the cast is solid (Thor stars Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, and Chris Hemsworth’s arms) and if anyone can pull this off, it’s Kenneth Branagh. Known for his Shakespearean work, Branagh may be able to bring the needed gravitas to ground the fantastical concept. Plus, we get more agent Coulson (Clark Gregg)! You gotta love agent Coulson!

The Bad: Thor could go horribly horribly wrong really fast. Mixing superheroes and Norse mythology is a risk.  One wrong move and Asgard could come crashing down (A la Siege). Setting the right tone is key.  If  Thor or Captain American go of the rails I fear for the Avengers movie.

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Priest

Release Date: May 13th
Starring: Paul Bettany, Maggie Q, Karl Urban
A warrior priest breaks his vows and hunts down the vampires that have kidnapped his niece. Priest is another film in the ever-growing Paul Bettany Wants to Be a Religious Action Star sub-genre (Seriously, why is this a thing?).

The Good: I’m a sucker for any movie with religious undertones, no matter how cheesy. I watched Season of the Witch for Christ’s sake (pun intended).  Bettany can play brooding quite well, and Karl Urban rarely does wrong.

The Bad: With relatively unknown source material, does Bettany have the star power to fill theatre seats? Director Scott Stewart’s last effort, Legion (also starring Bettany) didn’t do so hot and this looks like more of the same. In an adaptation filled summer season, this may be the one that gets left behind.

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The Nerd Vortex Returns!

Welcome back to the new and improved Nerd Vortex.  After a temporary hiatus to ponder the meaning of life, rethink our place in the world, and sort out some technical issues, we’re back and ready to bring you even more geeky goodness. Keep stopping by to see what changes we have in store. If things go as planned you’ll never be able to escape the Nerd Vortex.

HBO Teases Game of Thrones Fans with 2 More Trailers

Emilia Clarke as Daenerys

HBO has given Game of Thrones fans what they’ve been waiting for. During Sunday’s True Blood pre-show HBO aired a variety of trailers and behind the scenes featurettes to celebrate and promote their 2010/2011 line-up. Game of Thrones got one of each.

Between the two trailers, fans can catch a glimpse of nearly all the major characters in the series. While there are a few costuming decisions and armor designs I question, the overall design looks great. I’m still pinching myself. This is really happening. Winter is actually coming.

In other news, Ian McNiece will no longer be playing Illyrio.  Do to scheduling conflicts Roger Allam will be taking over the role.

The Queen Shall Rise Again… With Sacha Baron Cohen

Sacha Baron Cohen

Deadline New York has reported that a new bio-pic based on the rock band Queen will go into production in 2011.  The script has been penned  by Peter Morgan (The Queen, Frost/Nixon) and Roberto De Niro and Jane Rosenthal’s Tribeca Productions will be producing.  The surviving members of Queen have also formed Queen Films and will be a producing parter.  It’s rumoured that the movie will follow the band leading up to their iconic Live-Aid performance.

But the main question is ‘Who will play the band?”  Freddie Mercury is one of the most memorable performers in Rock’N’Roll history-pretty big shoes to fill.  It seems Borat’s Sacha Baron Cohen has taken up the challenge. No other casting announcements have yet been made.

I, for one, can’t think of a better choice than Sacha Baron Cohen.  While he’s known mostly for his wild antics, if he tunes it down a little he’ll make a perfect Freddie. He has the theatricality of  the world renowned frontman. Still,  it’d be easy to fall into the trap of doing an impersonation. Cohen will have to dig deeper if this film is going to work.  As a huge Queen fan, I’m both excited and concerned. It hope this works. I really really do.

Who should play Brian, John, and Roger?