Age consistency clearly isn’t big deal for showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss. The likes of Sansa, Jon, and Cersei are all played by actors much older than their book counterparts, however, across the seven seasons of the Seven Kingdoms, there is one character whose age stuck out more than most.
Tommen Baratheon is only supposed to be seven when we meet him in the books, then reach the age of nine by the time he marries Margaery – supposedly he is the same age as Bran. So, can you explain how 19-year-old Dean-Charles Chapman landed the role?
Although the show tried to retcon Tommen’s age several times, Chapman admitted that he frequently tried to play the character as a 12-year-old and would also put on a high-pitched voice.
Not that it mattered that much, really; Tommen was basically there to briefly sit on the Throne until the show ushered in Cersei as the Queen of the realm. That being said, the fact that Thrones managed to age the character by nearly a decade overnight will be a gripe to some.
14. JON SNOW’S RUBBER SWORD
There is no denying that season 6’s Battle of the Bastards is right up there with Hardhome and the Battle of the Blackwater as the greatest fighting scenes to grace the show. There was the epic showdown between Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton, a last-minute save by the Vale, and the tragic death of Rickon – he should’ve zig-zagged.
However, as Ramsay pulled back his bow and arrow and aimed to shoot down Rickon, did anyone notice Jon Snow’s rubber sword? As Kit Harington’s character raced to save little Rickon, you can see him leap onto his horse with a floppy prop sword by his side. While some may not have noticed, others renamed Jon’s sword Longclaw as “Longnoodle” from that day on.
It can’t be easy running around on set with real weapons, so it isn’t actually that surprising that the biggest stars are giving a safer option to wield. On the other hand, perhaps Thrones was too busy creating a CGI giant to notice the goof, or maybe Valyrian steel just isn’t as strong as we first thought.
13. MELISANDRE’S MAGIC NECKLACE
Game of Thrones season 6 sure got off to a dramatic start. With Jon Snow still left for dead, we also got the shocking reveal that the Red Woman wasn’t quite what she seems. When the Lady Melisandre removed that ornate necklace, audiences were gobsmacked learn that it seemed to contain dark magic that kept her looking young. Forget a face lift, it seems all you need is some high priestess costume jewelry to fight off the signs of aging.
Now, it is likely just a continuity error, but remember that we have seen Mel sans-jewellery before. As she bathed back in season 4, Melisandre was chatting to Selyse Baratheon from the comfort of the bath. Melisandre clearly wasn’t wearing her necklace, but she still remained in her youthful form.
There are of course several theories about it just being perception, or that only Melisandre can see herself in her crone form, but something just doesn’t add up. The groovy granny is officially revealed to be over 400 years old, but showrunners have yet to address that necklace issue.