Gentlemen of ASOIAF
→ Brynden Tully
#character changes #i’m kinda ok with this one to be honest #Blackfish Tully#Edmure Tully #Ed and Blackie #Game of Thrones
Your father was a stubborn old ox. I was surprised when he died! I didn’t think death had the patience.
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| — | Brynden ‘Blackfish’ Tully (via sashastumbles) |
“There is one I could follow. There is one I could call king.” Wrong saga, but it just came to my mind looking at this pic. <3
BIASED REVIEW GOT 3.03 – WALK OF PUNISHMENT - PART ONE
Written by D&D
Directed by David Benioff
So here we are with TULLYS in our lives, and I’m very happy and totally mad. This ep is for me what the series is in a nutshell. As I wrote elsewhere, I’m sad that I don’t like the series as a whole. I feel a bit betrayed because they drew me in four years ago out of curiosity when I learned they were making a TV series with Sean Bean and Iain Glen in it. So I read the books, formed my idea, decided who were my fave characters, but now if it wasn’t for the Tullys I would not be wasting my time on this.
The problem is that out here on the borders of the empire we’ll get GoT in months, and we’ll have to pay for it, it won’t be aired on public TV. I would not pay just to watch a TV series, I can’t afford it. If I could watch GoT every Sunday evening on public TV, say, as I watch NCIS, I’d be OK with it. I don’t like everything about NCIS either, but I’ve bought all the DVDs. Yet I’m forced to do cartwheels to watch GoT together with you all (and give free publicity to HBO in so doing) and so I’m quite bitter. I feel that even the bits I love aren’t worth all the bother, and now I have to keep watching because I want to cheer my man.
Oh yes, the Blackfish, I know you want to hear about him… Loved him, but after such a long wait (which isn’t the series’ fault, I’ve learned to understand the rational of delaying the Tullys so far) I’ve become jaded. It’s not like meeting a beloved husband after a long time apart. It’s more like meeting an Internet lover I’ve never seen in person, and when finally we’re face to face, the awkwardness and worry of not hitting it off mar the joy of the meeting. I’ll need some adjustment, also because he brought with him a young nephew I’m not really liking.
Okay, on with the details. (BTW, yes, I’ve skipped last week’s review, hope I’ll care enough about it to get back to it.)
clive fucking russell tho
#got s3 #fucking perfection #brynden tully #everyone else go home tbh
CLIVE RUSSELL AS THE BLACKFISH (and some Edmure too)
Let’s have a positive look at the HBO Tully situation.
Clive Russell is what comes closest to my vision of Brynden, short of bringing Amok’s portrait (my avatar forever) to life. So I’m happy.
I’ve looked up some of Mr Russell’s other works and he is amazingly versatile. As a young man he played the romantic lead opposite Helena Bonham-Carter in “Margaret’s Museum”. He’s been the thoughtful, compassionate Mr. Garth in “Middlemarch”. He is badassery incarnated in “The 13th Warrior”. He is deliciously wacky in “Heartburn Hotel”. He is a Blackfish prototype as Lancelot’s dad in “King Arthur”. I could go on and on.
The man is a total pro. He can be tragic, commanding, hysterically funny, moving to the point of tears. I think we’ll see all these traits in his Blackfish.
I don’t mind if Brynden loses his first name. @LadyMaege calls him “Blackfish” a lot, especially when she’s angry. And maybe in bed. (Whoops.) It’s a small loss, compared to the danger of losing him altogether.
I love how Mr Russell speaks in a normal voice when he is interviewed in the famous controversial video and how he makes it lower and rougher as the Blackfish, as should be. He becomes his character. I would not be surprised if he had read up on him from the books.
There’s this sorcery upon GoT actors, which can be lovely to witness, that at some point they really believe they are their characters. In the interview, Mr Russell says, speaking of Edmure: “He constantly lets ME down, the family down…” This, together with the clips showing the Blackfish being disrespectful to Ed, has led to criticism.
Luckily the praise has overwhelmed the naysayers, but I have a thin skin for gratuitous criticism. I have it from birth because I was mentally abused, I won’t get rid of it easily, it’s the very reason I’m here, in love with a eccentric, rebellious, loyal character, and if you don’t know me you’d better get used to it.
I confess I was a bit put off by Tobias Menzies’ casting. He’s a fine actor, but i was used to him as dour, spiteful Brutus. Edmure is none of these things. In the video we never see Edmure’s trademark Tully grin. Mr. Menzies describes him as “an outgoing character… quick to temper, quick to humour.” The video does not show us Edmure’s humour.
They chose to show us the conflict between Brynden and Edmure. It’s a rather unhappy choice, but I do hope it’s just a part of the complex relationships between these characters. I do understand they wanted to give Bryn some Greatjon-ish traits, since it seems the Greatjon actor won’t be returning.
But I also caught a glimpse of the Blackfish I love, the man who dotes on his niece Cat. I’m pretty sure the line “People have been calling me Blackfish for so long they don’t remember my real name” is spoken to her. There’s all of Brynden’s love for her in it, his gentleness, his voice breaking on the memory of all the years that have passed. I’m happy to see such a moment.
As I’ve said before, I do not know if I have the stamina to keep up defending Brynden if people start calling him an asshole even before E3 airs. I’ve left the boards almost completely for the utter lack of empathy and respect from some members. People who would answer to a mournful post about a character who has been cut with “He was useless, he was boring, you book readers stop interfering, I’m glad he was cut so you people will stop whining about him.” The last was actually told to me when it looked like the Tullys would be cut. My answer? Bye bye.
I do understand I feel much more the negative opinions than the positive, due to the way I am made. I also think that people who leave such sociopathic comments have their own problems. But Tumblr has always been my safe haven. I’m lucky, my guy is mostly ignored or praised - I’ve heard about the hell suffered by those who follow the Jorah Mormont tag. Some people, who have problems of their own and thus have my utter understanding, won’t even understand a word of what I’m writing. They are mentally much worse off than me, and I’m sorry for them.
Sooo… I’m crossing my fingers that E3 won’t paint the Tullys as bad as it looked from the preview, that the sociopaths will find time to get counselling instead of coming here and on the boards to spew venom, that I’ll be able to withstand the eventual venom that will spill out anyway, and that I’ll enjoy seeing Brynden in person despite all.
I would describe Edmure as being an extremely irritating human being.
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| — | Clive Russell (via thenorthdismembers) |
