HBO's Game of Thrones Cast

The first season of Game of Thrones was awesome. I've read all the books by the great George R. R. Martin, and loved them. Usually, a TV series takes a lot away from the book and isn't very similar. This show is the exception. It's very on-point towards the book and keeps true to the characters that Martin created in his series of books. The books were filled with tons of characters and as the seasons progress, so will the cast. Let's take a look at each of the characters in this series and recall why we loved them so much.

Petyr Balish, also called littlefinger will return in the new season. This is a very complex character in the series as well as in the books. He is on the King's council and seems to take matters into his own hands. There are a lot of things going on behind people's backs in this series and littlefinger might just be the cause of a lot of it. He had his sites set on the wife of Ned Stark since he had been a young boy but her feelings towards him were more down the friend road than anything else. Yet, he still is in love with her and his reasons for doing sneaky things might just lead back to his unfulfilled love.

Prince Joffrey Baratheon, played by Jack Gleeson (perfect casting by the way coming from somebody who read the books), comes back in season 2 as the new King of Westeros. I'm not sure this kid has a good bone in his body but it certainly makes for great entertainment. He's vicious, arrogant and doesn't really have much appreciation for human lives, other than that of his own. He's supposed to married to Ned Stark's daughter but I doubt she is going to be willing since he chopped off her father's head. He's young, he's King and he's ready to start his rule.

Sandor Clegene, also known as 'the hound', will also be back in season 2. He takes his orders from the new king and is completely ruthless. This was also perfect casting. I almost pictured this character in the books exactly the way he looks on the series. He's had a rough past but is a huge man that inspires fear to most around him.

Theon Greyjoy, a ward of the Stark house, will also be back at Rob's side in this new season. For those of you who have read the books, we all know what's coming with this guy and it's completely unexpected. He has intentions of his own and he prides himself on being from the Greyjoy family, the Lords of the Iron Islands. He likes to attend brothels and is somewhat of a 'rouge' character.

Queen Cersi Lannister is one of my favorites from this series. She has a lot on her plate. She was married to the late Robert Baratheon, the king who met his end at the horns of a bore in the first season. He was an old drunk who nearly drove her crazy. Anyways, she found herself in the arms of another man to help with the loneliness. It just so happens that man was also her twin brother. They seem to love each other and also, all of her children were fathered by him. This woman is completely vicious and knows what to do to stay in power. She also has a strong pull over her son that is now the new King, despite that he was actually bastard born. Always trying to keep her little secret unknown to others, she's ruthless and down right intriguing.

Ser Jamie Lannister, a highly glorified member of the King's Guard, and the queen's real lover comes back in season 2. He's good looking, good with a sword and fierce when it comes to defending his family and honor. He doesn't fear death, or at least says that he doesn't. His father has always held him on a pedestal and he is constantly at odds trying to keep that notion true. He's part of a powerful, rich family and he'll do what he has to, to keep his family on the throne.

Tyrion Lannister, my absolute favorite in the books, as well as the series is played by the amazingly talented Peter Dinklage. He's a dwarf and in this fantasy land, he would've probably been killed if he had been born to any other family than that of the most rich and debatebly most powerful in the seven kingdoms. He's very smart, good at solving problems and has a strong taste for whores. His father has always seemed to look down on him but at the end of season one, his father starts to see that his brain might be more powerful than anyone's sword. This is the most interesting character from the books and I'm hoping to see a lot of him in season 2.

Jon Snow, another one of my favorites, is the bastard son of Ned Stark. Marred by his title of 'bastard', he choices to join the forces on the wall that protects the realms of men. He goes there, unaware that most of the recruits are criminals. This character is played by the sexy Kit Harrington.

Jorah Mormont, a banished slave trader is now the advisor of the last Targaryen, Danareys. It's clear that his feelings for her are stronger than normal. He cares for her but also seems to have a lingering secret that I believe may come to light in season 2. This character is good with a sword and will do just about anything to defend his lady love.

Arya Stark, the 'tomboy' daughter of Ned Stark, was able to escape after her father was beheaded at the end of season 1 with the held of one of his friends from the wall. She started taking sword lessons that will prove to be vital towards her survival. She must pretend to be a boy so that nobody suspects that she is the daughter of Ned Stark. If the Lannisters were to get their hands on her, she would be perfect bait and a great pawn in their game.

Bran Stark became crippled after a fall from a ledge by the hands of Jaime Lannister. He's an interesting young boy who wanted nothing more than to be a solider and work a bow and arrow. His sorrow is just getting started with the loss of his legs. He will soon discover that he has other abilities that will be of use.

Lady Catelyn Stark (Tully), the widowed wife of Ned Stark came from a prominent family before marrying the Warden of the North. She desired nothing more than to raise her children in Winterfell without a fear of anybody getting in the way. Those plans were changed when her husband was called to King's Landing by order of the late king Robert. She loved her husband dearly and now prays for revenge against those who have harmed her family.

Robb Stark, the oldest son of Ned Stark, as well as his heir, must come to terms with the death of his father. In the last season, he had gathered up an army with the intent of rescuing his father. When that doesn't work out, his only motivation becomes revenge. He was also declared the King of the North by his father's banner men towards the end of the last season and he must come to grips with what that actually means. He's a good, complex character who understands mercy and honor, courtesy of his late father.

Sansa Stark, one of my favorites from the book and the series finds herself trapped at King's Landing at the end of season 1. She's still to be married to the evil Joffrey and is dealing with the loss of her father, a loss that she witnessed first hand. To make matters worst, the new king is always going to be pushing her buttons and supplying her with an endless array of brutal, cruel behavior. She becomes a strong pawn for the Lannisters, one they hope to use to stop the impending war.

Daenerys Targaryen, 'the real queen of the 7 Kingdoms' and one of my favorite characters will find herself with a new way to play the game of thrones. After the death of her unborn child and husband, she abandoned by most of his people and left with a couple of slaves and her advisor Jorah Mormont. She desperately wants to win back the seven kingdoms in the name of her family and with three dragons, she just might be able to. This character is very interesting and also can't be burned by fire, as we saw by the end of season 1.

There are tons of other supporting characters as well as new characters who will be coming to the new season. If you haven't watched this one, I recommend that you do. It has a rich story line, sex, violence and tons of great characters.

The Cast of Spartacus: Vengeance

Since the first time I watched this series, I completely fell in love with it. Not only are their enormous, muscular guys running around in underwear, there is tons of violence, sex and drama that will grip you. The first season of Spartacus caught my attention as well as the prequel season, Gods of the Arena. There is no shortage of action in this series or shortage of sexy scenes that make us all want to spice up our sex lives.

Sadly, the perfectly casted Spartacus, Andy Witfield, passed away before being able to shoot another season. He played the role with utter perfection. It's a very sad thing when a person so talented leaves this world. But alas, the show must go on. They found a replacement and let me tell you, this guy has some big shoes to fill. However, from watching every preview I could find for the new season, it's clear that Liam McIntrye is up to the task. He must come in and take on the famous role of the man who freed slaves from their shackles in ancient Rome. This character is highly important for the series as a whole because Spartacus is the main character. From looking at the new casting, this guy seems to be perfect but we will still always miss the original Spartacus.

Dustin Clare returns this season as the gladiator Gannicus who had been the one undefeated gladiator that finally earned his freedom after the prequel season. This guy is the entire package. He's good looking, fierce and plays a perfect gladiator. This character's cocky attitude may be one of the reasons that he so lovable. Plus, he's an extraordinary fighter and he's not ashamed to let everybody know it. He has some complex relationship derived from the prequel season with other characters. I'm also wondering if there will be a score to settle after he slept with his best friend's wife by orders from his master. She died before that information was revealed so I'm interested to see if it gets brought up again in season 2.

Manu Bennett also returns as Crixus, another gladiator from their lutus. After the original season, he lost Neveah, a woman he fell in love with. After it was learned that they had been together, she was sold and he was severely punished. He had vowed to earn his freedom and find her but now he must do so with an entire Roman army at his back. This character and Spartacus have an interesting relationship. Though they joined forces in the last episode of the first season, it's clear there still might be a bit of a grudge lingering.

Onomeaus is also back, played by Peter Mensah. He was the Doctore before their escape and now he is caught up in the slave revolt. Spartacus was never his favorite person and he would've been given power with the Romans if he had stayed. I'm interested to see if he harbors any grudges or what will become of his character this season. This guy has a good moral compass and seems to always try to do the right thing. I also have to add that this is perfect casting. I couldn't think of anyone better to play this character.

The role of Agron, a slave procured during the first season, along with his brother is back and played by Daniel Feurriegel. During the revolt, he lost his brother who had constantly been trying to protect. This wound cuts deep and causes him to shout out in anger at the end of the original season. He's a fierce type of guy who was more than happy to join Spartacus in his quest against the Romans and their ways of slavery. He's big, he's German and he's ready to fight.

As we saw at the end of the first season, Ashur, played by Nick Tarabay had managed to escape a sword fight with Doctore and was very lucky for it. Of course, he used his tactics of deceit in order to escape. Now that his master is dead, this character must find another Roman who is in need of his special abilities that are always used for evil and never for good. This character is a clear antagonist who has motives of his own. There is something so interesting about this character because he is a slave but still holds allegiance to the Romans.

Mira, a slave girl who escaped during the revolt alongside Spartacus returns and is played by the lovely Katrina Law. There are a lot of layers to his character. She clearly has feelings for Spartacus though he only sees her as a friend rather than a lover, her feelings still linger. This season I think she is going to emerge as a strong character who wants to help her fellow escaped slaves during the revolt. I saw a lot of clips with her and a bow and arrow which will be very interesting.

My favorite character also returns this season. Lucretia, played by the incredibly talented Lucy Lawless, comes back this season and at first, isn't really herself. After the revolt at her home which resulted in the death of many prominent Roman citizens as well as her husband, she is found in this season living in the ruble of what used to be her house. It's clear that this character is set on Vengeance for sure. She not only lost her husband, a man she would've done anything for, but she lost her child that was probably fathered by the gladiator Crixus, who she often would meet for a little 'play time'. She most likely also has a bone to pick with Ilithya. It seems that over the course of this season, she will come back to her old self and seek revenge against those who would've harmed her. I LOVE this character as well as Lucy Lawless. She's my all time favorite woman villain and she plays this role to perfection.

Ilithya will also be a big part of this upcoming season, played by Viva Blanca. She's the wife of Glaber, an important Roman citizen who is far less than a good guy. She takes on the role of his wife perfectly, indulging herself in his wicked ways. This character also has a lot of layers. Much can be said of her relationship with Lucretia that seems to be a love-hate sort of thing. I'm interested to see how their relationship plays out this season, along with the other events from the original season that had Ilithya's hands all over it. She's vicious and cunning and makes for an excellent character.

The show wouldn't be the same without a great antagonist. Craig Parker returns to play the role of Cladius Glaber. He has his eyes set on a higher position within the politics of Roman society but his quest is halted during the slave revolt as well as his wife's murder of another prominent woman. This guy will have a lot on his plate this season. He's ruthless, brutal and will do whatever he can to further his position and power. He has a strong hatred for Spartacus and has wanted to see his death since the beginning of the first season.

I'm sure this season will be nothing short of epic. I can hardly wait to watch how everything plays out. The new season of Spartacus will air on January 27, 2012 on STARZ.

All Things TV

This blog is going to be dedicated to TV series that appear on any network, even, and especially premium networks such as HBO, STARZ & SHOWTIME. My first love for series started early in life and has only grown stronger since. I have always loved to watch characters' stories and personalities unfold before my eyes on the TV screen. Characters and plots within a TV series also tend to be more complex (for the most part), because of the length series shows provide.

This Blog will focus directly on the TV series that I know and love and will also outline new series that come to TV. With the exception of a few that go above and beyond average network TV, I will primarily focus on TV series that are a part of a premium network for 2 reasons. 1, there is a lot more violence and sex in series on a premium network and 2, these shows just generally tend to be better in every way.

Also, I normally set my sites on fictional programming when it comes to watching TV but some reality shows do catch my eye, especially if they are constantly talked about. I may just bring up a reality show just to poke fun at it. You will see a lot of this when it comes to MTV's, The Jersey Shore.

I have little tolerance for overly cheesy shows like Glee, The Big Bang Theory and Two and a half men (without Charlie Sheen). The use of dumb comedy never really interested me. For me to bring up comedy on this blog, the show better be pretty damn funny, unless of course I am just making fun of it.

Characters wouldn't be the same if they weren't played by actors and actresses who know what they are doing. If there is any acting going on that even resembles the under qualified cast of Twilight, it's certain that I will bring it up. I like to focus in on the actors and actresses and discuss casting, whether or not they were good for a role and if there is anyone else I believe could have been a better casting choice for a certain role. Bad casting seems to happen more in films than it does in TV but let's face it, it still happens.

I will also take a look at certain plots and even bring up certain episodes that I found to be fascinating. I will try to touch on every aspect of a TV series that I find to be important. I will also check the web for news about upcoming series, casting calls and returning series to post on this blog.

I am very excited to share my love of TV series with the world and that's the reason I started this blog. I like series that suck me in and keep me waiting for what will happen next. I hope to find others who share my taste in series or those that don't (it makes no difference to me). So for all you TV lovers' who have good taste, this is a good place for you to be.