Smug book readers, naturally, will be more excited to hear this news than non-book readers because book readers know who the hell The Red Viper is, but HBO has cast that character. Chilean actor Pedro Pascal will play Prince Oberyn Martell in the fourth season of Game of Thrones.
Here’s EW’s spoiler-free description of the character:
Oberyn is a brash, charming, cunning prince of Dorne (part of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros). His sister Elia was brutally murdered by the Lannister knight Gregor “The Mountain” Clegane when Mad King Aerys was overthrown by Robert Baratheon and the Lannisters. In season four, Oberyn comes to King’s Landing with revenge on his mind.
The Red Viper wants revenge against the Lannisters, and against Gregor Clegane? I like where this is going, unless of course, it’s going to end in the poor Red Viper’s death because, thus far anyway, nobody successfully f**ks with the Lannisters.
According to the GoT Wiki (spoilers, maybe?), he also has eight bastard daughters (guy gets around!) called the Sand Snakes and … damnit. I read too far. Now I know too much. All well, I’m sure the fourth season will be great anyway.
Anyway, you may recognize Pedro Pascal from stints on Graceland (a decent show!), and The Good Wife (better than you think it is), as Omar Assarrian in the cancelled too soon Lights Out. If you’re old school, you might even remember him as Eddie in “The Freshman” episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
(Source: EW)
