Re: The episode was good, but...(future spoilers inside) - Edit 1
Before modification by Werthead at 11/05/2011 11:28:51 AM
That said, I liked Hodor (if he's a lot older than I pictured him) and I like the set up for how the Greyjoys will betray the Starks later on.
Hodor's age is not really given in the books, save that he is the grandson or great-grandson of Old Nan, who at over 90 is the oldest inhabitant of the castle. That seems compatible with him being in his 30s (the actor, Kristian Nairn, is 34).
Oh, and the Mountain is WAY too small. I realize they had a limited pool to choose from but come on, I was expecting someone who when mounted looked like Zdeno Chara on the ice-gigantic. This guy looks barely above normal size.
You don't really see his size in this episode compared to other people. Conan Stevens is 7'1, I believe, whilst Gregor in the books is around 7'6. A noticeable difference, to be sure, but he's still the tallest person in the cast by a long shot (helped by the fact that a lot of the other tall characters, like Robert and Sandor, are shorter than in the book). They did interview taller actors, but they were pretty gangly and couldn't bulk up to the Mountain's size in time, whilst Stevens, as a bodybuilder and stuntman, was already the required shape.