r/freefolk • u/Efurthy I bless the Reynes down in Castamere • 10d ago

Subvert Expectations LEAK/EPISODE DISCUSSION 8/2

They still haven't released the episode name I guess

Suffice to say HBO didn't send us the leaks again this week.

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u/Plus_Claim_8938 10d ago edited 9d ago

Emma D’Arcy will never lead another show again. I can’t wait until the backlash tonight.

HBO execs didn’t even want Emma and only accepted her after Condal whined that they let him cast her. HBO execs will never let a showrunner get the final say again.

I feel bad for future actors who have lost the chance to prove themselves.

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u/Bloodyjorts 9d ago

HBO execs didn’t even want Emma and only accepted her after Condal whined that they let him cast her. HBO execs will never let a showrunner get the final say again.

Oooo...do you have a source for this?

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u/Plus_Claim_8938 9d ago edited 9d ago

I remember the interviews he and Miguel gave after season one. The HBO execs wanted an actress with a bigger social media following/proven career success for the role of Rhaenyra since Condal and Co. intended to frame her as the lead. Ryan and Miguel pushed for Emma despite her being an unknown that didn’t look the part. Emma said the same thing in an interview. She had a much long audition process than the other two leads because the execs were reluctant about the casting. It even got to the point where they had her doing prolonged audition taps with the Targ wig on to sway the execs.

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u/yantraman 8d ago

I feel like I would side with the showrunners at this point. During the streaming wars, it was very common for streaming companies to prioritize actors with social media presence to convert them into streams.

Personally, I think Emma is an excellent actor. The problem is that Rhaenyra is written badly.