Lee Hnetinka’s opinion about GOT season 3

Season 3 of Game of Thrones was commissioned on April 10, 2012, following a major increase in audience figures between the first two seasons.It consists of ten episodes and began filming on July 10, 2012. It concluded filming on November 24, 2012.David Benioff and D.B. Weiss returned as executive producers and show runners.

The season premiered on March 31, 2013.

Season 3 is mostly based on the first half of A Storm of Swords, the third book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin.

Season 3 spans several months on a world where the seasons can last for years at a time. Autumn has fallen across the world, with winter not far behind. The people should be preparing for years of snow and ice, but the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros instead remain gripped by civil war. Would-be king RenlyBaratheon has been assassinated, altering the alliances in the war. The cruel boy-king JoffreyBaratheon has won a great victory by securing an alliance with House Tyrell, with his supporters defeating his uncle Stannis in an epic battle. Joffrey now commands the largest armies in the realm and his triumph appears inevitable.

King Robb Stark remains in the field, however his homeland, the North, is partially under ironborn occupation. Robb needs to decide on a course of action to win an overall victory. He must also win back the allegiance of House Frey, whom he has offended by breaking his marriage pact with them. King Robb has won every battle he has fought, but as with old King Robert, the Starks will have to see if good soldiers make good kings.

StannisBaratheon may be defeated and most of his army destroyed or scattered, but he is not out of the fight yet. Having retreated to his headquarters on Dragonstoneisland with his handful of surviving soldiers, Stannis' status as the last legitimate heir to his older brother Robert still casts a shadow over Joffrey's claim to the throne. With the priestess Melisandre at his side, Stannis can still influence the course of the war by striking where least expected.

The lives of many others still hang in the balance. Bran Stark and his protectors must cross the frozen wastelands of the North to reach the Wall, while Arya must brave the war-torn Riverlands in search of her mother and brother. Brienne of Tarth also has the thankless task of escorting the captive Jaime Lannister home across hundreds of miles of battlefields and carnage. TheonGreyjoy must face the consequences of his actions at Winterfell. And in King's Landing both TyrionLannister and Sansa Stark must brave the currents of a much more dangerous court in order to survive.

On the eastern continent, DaenerysTargaryen has fled the political viper-pit of Qarth. Her dragons are growing and her fame is spreading, but to take the Iron Throne she will need supporters and an army. Both may be found in the corrupt cities of Slaver's Bay... for a price.

Beyond the Wall, the White Walkers are on the move, threatening both the Seven Kingdoms and the lands of the Free Folk. While the Night's Watch faces the threat of the White Walkers in the field, Jon Snow must infiltrate the wildling army of ManceRayder and discover the King-Beyond-the-Wall's plans.

 Production

The series again filmed primarily in Northern Ireland,[6] and also returned to Iceland and Croatia. The production also added Morocco to the locations roster. The production expanded to three production units, adding a new "Raven" unit to the existing "Dragon" and "Wolf" units.

Production in Croatia continued to use the walled medieval city of Dubrovnik to film external scenes for King's Landing, and Iceland was again used to film scenes set in the frozen lands that Jon Snow and the Night's Watch encounter Beyond the Wall. Production in the new location of Morocco filmed DaenerysTargaryen's new storyline in Slaver's Bay as well as some King's Landing exterior shots.

The scene from the episode "The Bear and the Maiden Fair" during which Brienne of Tarth is thrown into a bear pit at Harrenhal involved a real trained stunt bear, Bart the Bear. Due to are various legal restrictions on international transport of large animals such as bears, parts of this scene were technically filmed in Los Angeles in the United States.[9] A duplicate of the bear pit set was created in a Los Angeles studio parking lot: only Gwendoline Christie (Brienne) and NikolajCoster-Waldau (Jaime) were brought in to film, with no extras. Both actually did film with the bear in the set.[10]

Filming in Season 1 included locations in Northern Ireland and Malta, but filming did not return to Malta in subsequent seasons. The Targaryen storyline in Pentos was filmed in the Maltese presidential palace (as well as a few other scenes for King's Landing). Maltese officials were reportedly annoyed that a nude scene was filmed in the palace (Daenerys's bath in the first episode), which may have influenced why production did not return to that country.

Season 2 expanded to film in Croatia and Iceland, and filming continued in those two countries through Season 3 and Season 4. In Season 3 production expanded to Morocco, but did not return to Morocco for Season 4.

The result is that the production on Season 3 was a monumental, international effort involving units and cast members which were filming simultaneously in four separate countries. The series has filmed in five countries overall, but filming in Malta ended before production expanded to the other three countries. This number increases to six if one counts the footage of the actor-bear used in Season 3. Because filming did not return to Morocco in Season 4, this makes Season 3 the most widespread international filming project that the TV series has engaged in to date.

Cast

Starring cast

·        Peter Dinklage as TyrionLannister (9 episodes)

·        NikolajCoster-Waldau as Ser Jaime Lannister (7 episodes)

·        Lena Headey as Queen CerseiLannister (8 episodes)

·        Emilia Clarke as Queen DaenerysTargaryen (8 episodes)

·        Kit Harington as Jon Snow (8 episodes)

·        Richard Madden as King Robb Stark (7 episodes)

·        Iain Glen as SerJorahMormont (8 episodes)

·        Michelle Fairley as Lady Catelyn Stark (8 episodes)

·        Aidan Gillen as Lord PetyrBaelish (4 episodes)

·        Charles Dance as Lord TywinLannister (8 episodes)

·        Liam Cunningham as Ser Davos Seaworth (4 episodes)

·        Stephen Dillane as King StannisBaratheon (5 episodes)

·        Carice van Houten as Lady Melisandre (6 episodes)

·        Natalie Dormer as Lady Margaery Tyrell (6 episodes)

·        Isaac Hempstead-Wright as Prince Bran Stark (6 episodes)

·        Sophie Turner as Princess Sansa Stark (8 episodes)

·        Maisie Williams as Princess Arya Stark (9 episodes)

·        Alfie Allen as Prince TheonGreyjoy (6 episodes)

·        John Bradley as SamwellTarly (8 episodes)

·        Oona Chaplin as Queen Talisa Stark (6 episodes)

·        Joe Dempsie as Gendry (8 episodes)

·        Jack Gleeson as King JoffreyBaratheon (7 episodes)

·        Rose Leslie as Ygritte (8 episodes)

·        James Cosmo as Lord Commander JeorMormont (4 episodes)

·        Jerome Flynn as SerBronn (4 episodes)

·        Conleth Hill as Lord Varys (5 episodes)

·        SibelKekilli as Shae (6 episodes)

·        Rory McCann as SandorClegane (8 episodes)

Selected guest starring cast

·        Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei (8 episodes)

·        Ian McElhinney as SerBarristanSelmy (8 episodes)

·        Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth (7 episodes)

·        KristoferHivju as TormundGiantsbane (7 episodes)

·        Michael McElhatton as Lord Roose Bolton (7 episodes)

·        Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Jojen Reed (6 episodes)

·        Mackenzie Crook as Orell (6 episodes)

·        Paul Kaye as Thoros of Myr (6 episodes)

·        Philip McGinley as Anguy (6 episodes)

·        Hannah Murray as Gilly (6 episodes)

·        Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Snow (6 episodes)

·        Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm (5 episodes)

·        Finn Jones as SerLoras Tyrell (5 episodes)

·        Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed (5 episodes)

·        Tobias Menzies as Lord Edmure Tully (5 episodes)

·        KristianNairn as Hodor (5 episodes)

·        Daniel Portman as Podrick Payne (5 episodes)

·        Diana Rigg as Lady Olenna Tyrell (5 episodes)

·        Clive Russell as SerBrynden Tully (5 episodes)

·        Noah Taylor as Locke (5 episodes)

·        Luke Barnes as Rast (4 episodes)

·        EsméBianco as Ros (4 episodes)

·        Ben Crompton as EddisonTollett (4 episodes)

·        Richard Dormer as Lord BericDondarrion (4 episodes)

·        Anton Lesser as Qyburn (4 episodes)

·        Art Parkinson as Prince Rickon Stark (4 episodes)

·        Mark Stanley as Grenn (4 episodes)

·        Natalia Tena as Osha (4 episodes)

·        Julian Glover as Grand MaesterPycelle (3 episodes)

·        Dan Hildebrand as KraznysmoNakloz (3 episodes)

·        Ciarán Hinds as ManceRayder (3 episodes)

·        Ed Skrein as DaarioNaharis (3 episodes)

·        John Stahl as Lord Rickard Karstark (3 episodes)

·        Ian Beattie as SerMerynTrant (3 episodes)

·        David Bradley as Lord Walder Frey (2 episodes)

·        Ben Hawkey as Hot Pie (2 episodes)

·        Kerry Ingram as Princess ShireenBaratheon (2 episodes)

·        Robert Pugh as Craster (2 episodes)

·        Josef Altin as Pypar ("Mhysa")

·        Tara Fitzgerald as Queen SelyseBaratheon ("Kissed by Fire")

·        Patrick Malahide as King BalonGreyjoy ("Mhysa")

·        Lucian Msamati as SalladhorSaan ("ValarDohaeris")

·        Peter Vaughan as MaesterAemon ("Mhysa")

·        Gemma Whelan as Princess YaraGreyjoy ("Mhysa")

Text extracted from:http://gameofthrones.wikia.com/wiki/Season_3