Curtain Call: Ian McShane

“No one gets out alive, Doc.” – Al Swearengen

I suppose when you are a show as large as Game of Thrones, and every last A-list British actor that passed on a role back when this was a badly written pilot about a weird dragon lady that the BBC was getting nervous about doing in conjunction with HBO is now knocking at your door asking if you’re quite sure there isn’t a cameo spot for them, stunt casting would be inevitable. And Season 6 has had its share, mostly with the “Game of Thrones Players” in Braavos. And at first blush, Ian McShane’s pass through this week would seem to be the same. After all, when was the last time a big named actor on Game of Thrones lasted under 50 minutes? (Sean Bean’s nine episodes suddenly look like a lifetime in comparison.)

But McShane was not brought on as a quick way to make another A-lister with connections happy. His casting was done for a very specific purpose–because his was a role that would not be interacting with the likes of Cersei Lannister, or Jon Snow, or Daenerys Targaryen, Breaker of Chains, Rider of Dragons, Shiner of Crazy Diamonds. McShane was brought on because he was an actor who could anchor Game of Thrones first spin off within the show, in a running set of scenes that were so disconnected and far removed from Westeros, they almost felt like they had been interpolated from another series altogether. One that starred Al Swearengen and his faithful Hound.

Writer Bryan Cogman this week said that the production felt that the audience’s connection to The Hound, and Rory McCann’s fantastic acting abilities, has the cachet to anchor his own separate adventure that doesn’t interact with the rest of Westeros. But in order to pull it off, they needed someone who could hold their own against him, and anchor a one off series of scenes within the episode, as well as bring in his own gravitas to the part. (He also had to sound believable swearing like a sailor.) McShane fit the bill perfectly. His monologues this week were fantastic, and held as a counterpoint to all the other dramatic plot lines happening in other parts of the continent. And though he and McCann were completely separated from the rest of the world, theirs was the most overt plot to articulate the theme that held all these stories together this week: “It’s never too late to come back.” (Here, here! says Benjen.)

Then of course, there was that little matter of Ian McShane and his utter disdain for spoiler culture. The production had to be aware that when he was asked about the show, he would not begin to behave and comport himself as the rest of the actors do when it comes to giving away plot points. But considering how barricaded off from the rest of the action McShane’s role would be, what did it matter if he spilled a few beans? (And his bean spilling didn’t travel that far. I saw quite a few folks this week who marveled at how well the show did in keeping The Hound’s return under wraps.) Basically, it was a win-win-win situation all around.

Except of course, that it was only one episode…and at the end, McShane found himself hung from the building his commune was working so hard to make. His death was another loss in the Hound’s life, and reason to drive him back into the plot. For the rest of us, it was a real loss, as monologues, and those who can give them in such still scenes with such flair, are all too rare.

We’ll just have to wait until next year, when he returns as Mr. Wednesday in American Gods, to enjoy  Al Swearengen again.

 

Via http://winteriscoming.net/2016/06/08/curtain-call-ian-mcshane/