Each week Ivey and Bob break down 'Game of Thrones' from the perspective of those who have read all the novels. This week we look into the new cast additions for season two.

This week Ivey and I analyze some of the casting for season two of Game of Thrones, looking at the new characters from Dragonstone. Next week we’ll take a look at the rest of the new characters (Brienne in particular). The spoiler rating this week is pretty mild, but if you don’t want to know anything heading into the season: stay away.

Bob: This week I thought we could turn our attention to some of the new characters that are going to be popping up when the show returns. I know there was a lot of excitement when the roles were being cast, and now that HBO has released some of the first photos of the new characters, it’s time to evaluate.

One of the roles that I thought was most critical was that of Melisandre, the red priestess. I had a few favorites in mind (I still think Rebecca Mader would have been a good choice), but ultimately the role went to Carice Van Houten. Looking at the photo of her in character, it seems like they have gone in a subtler direction for the look of Melisandre than I had imagined. I’ll be curious to see if the character is subtler as well. What are your thoughts?

Ivey: Of all of the characters added to the show this year, I think that this is one piece of casting that is most critical, mainly because, it has been four books since she’s been introduced, and I’m still not sure what I think about her character. I, too, was actively rooting for Rebecca Mader. I think that she showed enough “darkness” during her turn on No Ordinary Family to pull it off. That being said, I’m not a Hollywood casting director, and Game of Thrones proved during its first season that they know what they’re doing when it comes to casting. So while I’d never heard of Van Houten before, I’m looking forward to watching her on screen.

Bob: Right by her side in just about every scene is going to be Stephen Dillane who is joining the cast as the middle Baratheon brother and true heir to throne, Stannis. I wasn’t as concerned with this casting, though Dillane does have the right “look” — a long face, weathered brow, and general “I just smelled a fart” look. What is really going to be key is whether or not he can straddle that line between being in the right and being a complete and utter a-hole.

Ivey: I find it incredibly ironic that this is your stance on Stannis’ casting — because I too didn’t really care. To me, he’s the least interesting of all of the major characters in the A Song of Ice and Fire saga. He’s just the cliche of “stiffness.” In that regard, Dillane is a pretty good choice. Did you catch him as Thomas Jefferson in HBO’s John Adams? I had the same reaction to his character that I did to Stannis while reading the books. It does occur to me, though, that there is an actor I would have enjoyed seeing in the role: Sean Bean.

Bob: Casting Bean certainly would have been a bold decision, but I think it ultimately would have confused the audience. On a serious note, having watched the first season it’s hard for me to picture Bean as anyone but Ned.

Finally, rounding out the Dragonstone crew, there’s Liam Cunningham as Davos. These three folks are going to be sticking around for a while, and if the show is going to follow the books, Davos is going to play a big role. I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if a lot of his stuff was shrunk for the sake of time, mostly because he is a new character. Cunningham seems like a good choice, and in my opinion, might “look” like his character more than the other two actors do theirs. I’m curious to see if he can bring the gruffness to the reformed pirate that he really needs

Ivey: Davos is a character I’m really looking forward to seeing on screen, as I didn’t really connect with him much as I read the books. Cunningham was someone I’d actually read connected to Stannis in one of the millions of casting speculations threads I read last year. I thought he had more gravitas than what I expected out of someone like Davos, but I think that might be a reflection how how I may have misread him. I’ve just started reading though the books again, and Davos is one of those characters that I plan on “paying more attention to” this time around.

Photo Credit: Helen Sloan/HBO