A Game of Casting: GOT Season 5 and a Few Reasons I'm Angry

As a fan of George R.R. Martin's series of novels, A Song of Ice and Fire (ASOIAF), I enjoyed HBO's screen adaptation of Westeros, Game of Thrones. The show captured the cold of the North, the intrigue of playing the game, and the fear surrounding what lies Beyond the Wall. However, as I continued to watch David Benioff and D.B. Weiss's adaptation, I noticed small details that deviated from the novel.

Obviously, the show cannot always uphold every detail of the book. I understand that, and I let it pass. However, the show has now graduated from deviating details to full-blown unneeded changes. Suspiciously, some of these changes rob the original story of racial and gender representation.

Among these crimes is leaving out the Lady Stoneheart storyline, cheapening Ygritte's character, and killing off characters like Pyp and Jojen who remain alive and well in the books. I thought, naively, that this would be the worst of it.

Recently, HBO announced season 5 casting. At first, I was ecstatic. Season five is bringing my favorite house, House Martell of Dorne, to the spotlight. I like the Dornish for a number of reasons, but mainly because they value the loves of women just as much as those of men. Evidence of this includes Arianne Martell, first born of Doran Martell and female heir to Dorne.

As such, I was very much looking forward to seeing who they would cast to play her. Only they didn't. Nobody has been cast as Arianne Martell. However, the character who is her unimportant younger brother in the books, Trystane Martell, is being described as "Prince Doran's son and heir to Dorne." There is no mention of the fierce and respected eldest daughter, least of all as heir to Dorne.

I'm guessing that means Arianne, an important figure in the books with her own point-of-view chapters, is being replaced by her younger brother. And for what but the sake of keeping the show male-dominated?

Additionally, Oberyn Martell's--may he rest in peace--daughters, who are referred to as the "Sand Snakes" have been cast. Some of them look surprisingly white for characters from a very southern region of Westeros. This article explains why Dornish culture should not be portrayed as white. That doesn't seem to stop D&D from casting white-passing actors to portray the Martells, including Trystane, robbing people of color representation in the show.

I sincerely hope that Arianne has not been erased from the show, but with D&D running things, I would not be surprised. Learning all this, I can't say I'm really looking forward to the fifth season of Game of Thrones. It's kind of hard to sit by and watch a couple of people butcher a story you love.

Summertime Sadness

Summer is always my least favorite time of year. Yes, it does have its upsides. Warmth. Sunshine. Freetime. Mosquit--oh, wait.

Aside from the icky Illinois bugs, there's an abundance of reasons autumn, winter and spring outrank summer on my list of most-wonderful-times-of-the-year. Namely, summer is boring.

Do not misunderstand. There's plenty to do in the summer (eg. beach, hiking, vacation, hanging out with friends), but when you're not in school and the kids you babysit just got shipped off to India, you can find yourself with a lot of free time on your hands. Quite possibly too much free time. You know what they say about idle hands.

This time-surplus can lead down one of two paths. Productivity or the mires of boredom. The latter is harder to escape than most would have you believe. Once you find yourself beaten into a pattern of loafing around drinking tea, writing, and talking to the sister you haven't seen in three years, it's a challenge to rise out of it.

However, I have compiled a list. The most wonderful list of things to do to prevent this summer boredom.

• Get a new job. I have been unsuccessful thus-far.
• Exercise. This has proven to be my lifeline in this dreary summer. I've started running, and I've already noticed a spike in my energy. So many benefits for a great time-killer.
• Call up some friends. This is when you realize they are in short supply.
• Create something. You've got to be in a special mood for this. Take up a paintbrush. Make too many friendship bracelets. Make a website. Organize your blog.
• Clean. This is another good one. Break a sweat and get some work that needs doing done.
• Play Skyrim. Yes, I have recently re-discovered this magical realm on the PC, and it's amazing. Completing quests gives you just enough illusion of productivity to keep your self-esteem up.
• Drink water. I tend to eat when I'm bored, so this is a good alternative.
• Have a bonfire.
• Sing. I like to do this, even if my voice sounds like tissue paper. Learn a new song on the piano or guitar. Pretend that you're impressive. 
• Blog. Remember that you made one of these. Write on it.
• Window shop. Leave your money at home so you don't tempt yourself, then try on those cute shoes. All of them. (I actually discovered I'm a size 6.5-7 not a 7-8 when I was doing this)
• Go hiking. I love doing this, but living in Palatine can be quite limiting.

I'm sure there are plenty of other answers out there. Any of these options is more productive than re-watching a whole season of Supernatural in a day or shopping for cool boots that you don't need (I didn't buy them!). Hope this helps those who find themselves facing the same summertime affliction. 

In the words of my elementary school year book, HAGS.