New images from Season Four of “Game of Thrones” are out, and the ones HBO has been curiously quiet about are the portraits of sword-wielding mercenary Daario Naharis, a late but charismatic arrival in Season Three who’s shaping up to be a love interest for the Queen of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen. Why? Because they recast the role.
This comes as unwelcome news to many fans of George R. R. Martin’s series, who’ve already had to adjust their expectations of one of the most flamboyant characters in the books, a man who in Martin’s description sounds like he might have walked out of the Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine:” “His beard was cut into three prongs and dyed blue, the same color as his eyes and the curly hair that fell to his collar. His pointed mustachios were painted gold. His clothes were all shades of yellow . . . and his fingernails were enameled blue. A golden tooth gleamed in his mouth when he smiled.”
So when British actor Ed Skrein showed up looking more or less like every other character in HBO’s deadly serious, mostly-brown-clad series — if perhaps a little prettier than most — it was a disappointment. But fans got over it, because Skrein did a fair interpretation of the character’s preening arrogance, and because — did we mention his looks?
As a show that’s been criticized for not paying enough attention to its substantial female viewership — for example, its preponderance of female nudity and near-absence of male — Skrein’s flirtatious take on the character seemed a rare concession to the ladies. But now he’s been tossed aside for Dutch actor Michiel Huisman (“Nashville”), who, in the new photos, looks equally as drab as Skrein, but not nearly as devlish. (Our conclusion: “Game of Thrones” hates women. Prove us wrong, HBO!)
Additionally, the blatant recasting of an increasingly important character (other switch-ups include Tommen Baratheon and Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane, but neither are central enough for the changes to stand out) just inches the show closer to soap-opera territory. What’s next, a bout of personality-altering amnesia for King Joffrey?
More promising are two interesting new characters who’ll also appear in Season Four: Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal), known as “The Red Viper,” and his lover, Ellaria Sand (Indira Varma). True to his nickname, he’ll deliver some hurt on his visit to Westeros — and she may just have a grudge against the Lannisters as well.