Casting? Best or Worse?

[Daenelia]

Wow. Now I am picturing a very thin Samwell.

 ... does food in the tv series deserve its own topic yet? Or is it just me needing my afternoon snack?

 

My pt is not much taller than me, but he is stronger than my guy, who is 20cm+ taller than us. Appearances can be deceiving. (My trainer would have made a good Moiraine, heightwise, if not genderwise ...) One of his employees is taller and has big arms, but in arm wrestling my trainer would still beat him.

 

Metabolism is a funny thing though. And I really wonder if people in medievalesque times were that malnourished, as they grew a lot of food themselves. And they had a lot of healthy food available. And some people today are malnourished, but fat.

[AdamA]

Two Rivers, probably not. Fertile land, small population. Peasants who lived next to a castle that basically had their crops stolen by the people in the castle would be malnourished. Most non-nobility living in cities would likely be malnourished. Aiel would be malnourished, or more likely just have a smaller population.

 

They wouldn't necessarily be dead or anorexic, just skinny and short compared to today's population. Remember that obesity hardly existed in the world outside of the extremely wealthy until 1970 or so. Also even well-muscled people were nowhere near modern strength athletes until the invention of free weights and discovery of anabolic steroids. Marcus Rutherford conceivably could have actually existed in the 1500s. Hafthor Bjornsson, no way. Nobody was over 400 lbs and mostly muscle.

[WhiteVeils]

I think the diversity of the cast, in Emond's Field and elsewhere is glorious. This is a post-apocalyptic world, and this is a hint.  It doesn't break immersion at all for me.

[Daenelia]

@AdamA if I look at pics from the 70s ... yeah, people were normal-sized. Not skinny. I think we've been re-defining normal to be 'skinny'. But that's a different topic. I am still watching Blake's 7 and Cally is ... so ... thin.

 

Did you know btw, that salmon was once so common in The Netherlands that it was considered peasant food? Go figure. Good for fat and protein, salmon.

[Morani]

15 hours ago, Daenelia said:

@AdamA if I look at pics from the 70s ... yeah, people were normal-sized. Not skinny. I think we've been re-defining normal to be 'skinny'. But that's a different topic. I am still watching Blake's 7 and Cally is ... so ... thin.

 

Did you know btw, that salmon was once so common in The Netherlands that it was considered peasant food? Go figure. Good for fat and protein, salmon.

Same in Sweden. My husbands greatgrandfather was a logger up north, and part of his pay was food and board. It was stipulated in his contract that they would not have to eat salmon more than 3 days a week. He was probably as big a guy as you could get back than, but with todays eyes he looked beefy, but fairly normal. 

 

I don't thunk people of Randland would br super malnourished, other than the Aiel. However, they never got huge the way gym goers today can get. Protein played a much smaller role in food. A serving of read meat used to be less than 100 g/person. And most people could not afford meat on a daily basis.

[TheSmurf]

22 hours ago, Daenelia said:

@AdamA if I look at pics from the 70s ... yeah, people were normal-sized. Not skinny.

When I look at my Dad's rugby club photos (early 70's) compared to mine (early 10's), and international rugby players of the era's - like for like, people (athletes) absolutely looked skinnier compared to now.

I'm not referring to fat, but muscle density. 

 

Now physical and mental toughness... That's an entirely different story.

 

Imo hardship brings toughness (or death) vs (relative) ease through modern health and nutrition brings higher physical strength and size potential... 

 

Struggling to link this back to the topic ??

Edited December 8, 2021 by TheSmurf

[elteryon]

Out of the gym, back to the topic ?

 

Perrin was the only cast member that made me go "PERRIN!" when I watched the first episode.

 

Padan Fain is probably my second favorite followed by Alanna.

 

I don't have any major concerns with the main cast, and have really enjoyed Pike's portrayal of Moiraine, even if she doesn't match my head canon.

 

Looking forward to Uno in S2, maybe late S1?

[DaddyFinn]

14 minutes ago, elteryon said:

maybe late S1?

Spoiler

Very likely. He was seen in the trailer, I think

 

[AdamA]

Lineup of Shienaran archers (complete with real armor for all the whitecloak haters) is in the trailer, but I'm skeptical of specifically seeing Uno since his casting was just announced.

 

[DaddyFinn]

That blonde looks awful lot like Uno with the leather strand (of the eyepatch?) going behind his head 

 

[DojoToad]

On 12/7/2021 at 8:44 AM, Daenelia said:

My pt is not much taller than me, but he is stronger than my guy, who is 20cm+ taller than us. Appearances can be deceiving. (My trainer would have made a good Moiraine, heightwise, if not genderwise ...) One of his employees is taller and has big arms, but in arm wrestling my trainer would still beat him.

Gender doesn't matter anymore, or haven't you been paying attention? ?

On 12/7/2021 at 8:44 AM, Daenelia said:

 

Metabolism is a funny thing though. And I really wonder if people in medievalesque times were that malnourished, as they grew a lot of food themselves. And they had a lot of healthy food available. And some people today are malnourished, but fat.

True that.

[Sabio]

Casting so far has been pretty good.

[RhienneAgain]

In terms of how they look, most of the casting captures the spirits of the characters well, I think.

 

The only ones that feel off for me are:

• Mat - not enough potential for cheekiness or charm
• Alanna - just not how I imagined the character at all. Somehow I picture her a lot more serious.
• Thom - not old enough
• Liandrin - too hard, not enough sulkiness
• Siuan - I really wanted to see her with piercing blue eyes. It's a character physical attribute that sticks in my head like Rand's hair colour and Nynaeve's braid (side note: they haven't left themselves anywhere to go with Birgitte's elaborate braid - Nynaeve's and Liandrin's are pretty complex already).

 

My favourites are:

• Rand - almost exactly how I picture the character
• Egwene - the actress' expressions are so perfect for Egwene's personality
• Moiraine - spirit of character matches really well
• Perrin - not quite how I pictured Perrin visually (albeit close) but the actor's mannerisms are great.

Edited December 8, 2021 by RhienneAgain

[JaimAybara]

Characters visually only: It’s mostly facial hair that isn’t sitting right in my opinion. 
 

- Perrin: shouldn’t have a beard yet…and it’s not nearly as glorious as it should be if he were to have it. Also, he should be a little more cut. He doesn’t have to be Arnie or anything, but I still don’t think he’s quite where he should be. 

 

- Thom: M-U-S-T-A-C-H-E!!! I kinda picture the mustache twirling from Cristoph Waltz in Django Unchained. Also Sam Elliott in anything, obviously. Regardless, the mustache is a character in of itself. Age feels close. And if he was older he would age out if we got all 8 seasons.

+ Nynaeve: totally dig the braid and the furrowed looks. expressions are fantastic. 
 

+ Mat: Great. Cheeky smile. The dagger bit has been sensational. 

+ Lan: Great subtlety in most of his smiles and reactions. 
 

 

[grayavatar]

15 hours ago, AdamA said:

Lineup of Shienaran archers (complete with real armor for all the whitecloak haters) is in the trailer, but I'm skeptical of specifically seeing Uno since his casting was just announced.

 

Why would Shienaran's be wearing brass armor rather than strong sturdy steel? I hope it's just the lighting that makes it that color.

Edited December 9, 2021 by grayavatar

[DermidAjala]

I am coming to terms with the fact that I'm pretty much good with everyone as long as the character beats remain pretty much good.

 

My main joy is Nynaeve (and Mat but can't get invested there...) while my main fear is Egwene. I just find there's something that doesn't quite work in her delivery for me, and I could see some scenery chewing  on some of the characters more weighty bits.

 

I'm nervous about Rand because how his performances evolve after getting to his own weightier material is likely to be the making or breaking (heh) of the show. So far I think he's done a fine job of being a sensible, stubborn normal country man but it's not exactly been a range stretcher!

[Guire]

12 minutes ago, DermidAjala said:

I am coming to terms with the fact that I'm pretty much good with everyone as long as the character beats remain pretty much good.

 

My main joy is Nynaeve (and Mat but can't get invested there...) while my main fear is Egwene. I just find there's something that doesn't quite work in her delivery for me, and I could see some scenery chewing  on some of the characters more weighty bits.

 

I'm nervous about Rand because how his performances evolve after getting to his own weightier material is likely to be the making or breaking (heh) of the show. So far I think he's done a fine job of being a sensible, stubborn normal country man but it's not exactly been a range stretcher!

If actors don't work out the story can just become a travel romance  between Lan and Nyneave set during wartime.  Not the adaptation we wanted but the adaptation we needed.

[Daenelia]

16 hours ago, DojoToad said:

Gender doesn't matter anymore, or haven't you been paying attention? ?

My pt would then make a great Moiraine ?

 

I also just became aware of one of my favourite actresses/comedians being cast: I am so looking forward to Meera Syal! Even if I don't know what she will be playing (Verin?), I am just thrilled to know she will be in it ?

[JenniferL]

Let’s not bring up the race of the cast. Even if your comments are meant well, that line of conversation derails quickly. Let’s just agree that it’s a fantasy story and some suspension of disbelief is needed. 

[notpropaganda73]

I actually love Alanna's casting, the actor makes me like her a lot and I really didn't in the books (although that may be because of what she did, rather than how she was introduced?).

 

Rand, in my opinion, is perfect. I think part of my frustration with him being a bit sidelined at the moment is that what I've seen, I've thought "man this guy is perfect as Rand". A bit of wry humour, great concern looking after Mat, his explosion against Moiraine in the woods was great as well. More please!

 

Nynaeve is also absolutely perfect.

 

Overall I really love the cast. It was one of my big big concerns coming in to the show to be honest, basically "oh god imagine if they're all terrible actors" haha. 

 

The weakest so far, for me, are Egwene and Perrin. Egwene has a little bit of what I like to call "Amy Adams in Batman v Superman" face. She does a weird "look of wonder" at times, where she stares off in to the distance or whatever. But when she is given a bit of meat, some proper dialogue, she's good enough I think. I hope she grows in to it. 

 

For Perrin, I think it's more a function of his storyline. I think the actor handled his confession BRILLIANTLY, however outside of that scene I find him a bit too wooden (again, probably a function of his story at the moment). I liked the little flash of humour at the start of ep5 with Aram though, so I think there is hope. 

 

Aram and Ila are perfect too in my view. And I'm sad we won't get more Stepin because that actor killed it. 

 

 

Edited December 9, 2021 by notpropaganda73

[RhienneAgain]

2 hours ago, notpropaganda73 said:

And I'm sad we won't get more Stepin because that actor killed it. 

 

 

Same, he was rather wasted on such a short lived role. I think he'd have made a great Talmanes.

[bringbackthomsmoustache]

On 12/7/2021 at 1:44 PM, Daenelia said:

And I really wonder if people in medievalesque times were that malnourished

Surviving skeletal samples show a substantial incidence of rickets among commoners - due to malnutrition in childhood especially among the urban poor (lack of green vegetables and dairy).  This leads to short (and bandy legged) individuals.

 

[Daenelia]

7 minutes ago, bringbackthomsmoustache said:

Surviving skeletal samples show a substantial incidence of rickets among commoners - due to malnutrition in childhood especially among the urban poor (lack of green vegetables and dairy).  This leads to short (and bandy legged) individuals.

 

Well, even my grandfather had bandy legs, due to malnourishment on the early 1900s. But in medieval times people dod have a lot more access to greens and especialluy dairy. My grandad's parents did not have an alotment or garden to grow stuff and yes: urban area. There were not a lot of urban areas in medieval times, afaik?

 

I'm sure there were malnourished people, who were sucked dry by bigger landowners, but it was alos in the best interest of those landowners to have people who could till the land and had the strength to survive that kind of hard work.

 

(Do you have any sources that can back you up? Because I like to start somewhere.)

[Lan the Man]

Best is rand Or Lan for me. Worse is Egwene. 

[notpropaganda73]

Siuan Sanche *applauds*

 

Give us a 20 episode season so we can watch full episodes of Siuan without losing out on our EF5 Amazon you cowards