Gaming The System - The Feminist Gaming Podcast

221 - Baldur's Gate 3 Fan Casting Part 4 - Muscle Mommies, Miniature Space Hamsters & Mage Hand Mischief - Feat. Fin

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In the fourth and final episode of our Baldur’s Gate 3 FanCast, Matt, Alex, Jem, and returning guest Fin wrap up our casting choices and fawn over the companions who’ve stolen our hearts and party spots. This time, it’s all about Karlach, Jaheira, and the one and only Boo - no, Minsc.

From Minsc's psychology to shaking hands with Neil Newbon, this episode celebrates everything we love about BG3: heart, trauma, power, and a surprising amount of hamster love.

Missed the earlier episodes? Catch up for hot takes on Astarion, Shadowheart, Lae’zel, Gale, and more in our previous FanCast episodes!

In This Episode:

Minsc & Boo: Space Hamster Royalty
Castings the most chaotic duo in Faerûn—including a surprisingly stylish take on Boo and the perfect pick for Minsc’s earnest dimbo energy.

Jaheira: Druidic Dignity & Lesbian Icon Energy
Jem reflects on Jaheira’s OG BG1 legacy, while the team debates the best fit for her fierce, wise, and exasperated persona—from Cate Blanchett’s mythic gravitas to Salma Hayek’s layered nobility.

Karlach: The Tiefling Barbarian With a Heart (And Engine) of Gold
She’s tough, sweet, and canonically a “muscle mommy.” From non-binary rep to fiery feelings, we celebrate Karlach’s big heart and bigger hugs—with casting picks ranging from Gladiators’ Saber to Emma D’Arcy in full GQ glory.

Fin’s Comic Con Chronicles
Fin shares the joy (and posing panics) of meeting some of the BG3 cast, the Astarion tattoo they kept respectfully hidden from Neil Newbon, and what it meant to be seen in a moment of overwhelm.

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Speaker:

Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode of Gaming the System, the podcast where three intersectional feminists examine gaming and games through a feminist lens. Today I am your host Matt, and I'm joined by my friends Alex and Jem. Before we get started, if you want to support us you can subscribe to our Patreon at patreon. com slash gaming the system for some exclusive content or you can send us a one off donation via paypal to our email address wearegamingthesystem at gmail. com

Matt:

Minsk! The big man himself. Um, so I think We, we've got to what? No, we'll get to that when we get to it. So my choice is Arnold Schwarzenegger

Alex:

Wow.

Matt:

because he is very funny. He can do thick as well, uh, and earnest thickness, which I think describes mince fairly well. I didn't realize that. Minsk is actually from like, what I think. Have any of you played the first two Baldur's Gates?

Fin:

No.

Matt:

Minsk is in those. Is Minsk, uh, Minsk and Jaheir are both in those?

Jem:

Go for the eyes, boo! Go for the eyes! That.

Matt:

actor doing it? In this one? Was he voiced in the original one?

Fin:

Do you not know who voiced him in Gate 3?

Matt:

do. Matt Mercer. THE Matt Mercer.

Fin:

The

Matt:

Captain Levi himself!

Fin:

Who did no promotion for this whatsoever!

Jem:

Wow.

Alex:

Wow.

Matt:

a distinctive voice. I did feel, I, I, I don't know how you guys feel about this. I, I wasn't as bothered by him because he's quite cartoonish. He's this big, Aha! I am Minsc and Boo! And I wonder if there's necessarily enough depth there for him to be a companion character. So I just thought that the Arnold Schwarzenegger playing a bit Dim, but he, he, he's got so many strange pets around him. Uh, That I

Alex:

That is an interesting. Gathering. In that photograph.

Matt:

so

Alex:

Yeah.

Matt:

be a good choice for him bottom left I think Jim and Finn that were your same you both chose him.

Fin:

Well, there's been a mix up, because that version of Dave Bautista is supposed to be Boo.

Matt:

Oh, I see

Fin:

I had too, I had Dave Bautista when he was a big man and I said

Alex:

Mm.

Fin:

and then Dave Bautista looking fucking amazing

Alex:

Mm.

Fin:

now as Boo. He can be both!

Matt:

So boo is essentially his brain outside of his body

Fin:

And

Matt:

I like that

Fin:

think that if Boo was anthropomorphised he would look fabulous?

Alex:

fabulous. Yeah.

Jem:

is, Boo's an alien creature come down from space

Matt:

is he

Jem:

as a hyper intelligent, hamster.

Fin:

He's a miniature giant space hamster.

Jem:

Yeah. Boo always was that. And it was always really difficult to work out whether Minsk was, a few coppers short of a

Alex:

Mm. Yeah. Mm. Mm.

Jem:

I mean, I loved Jaheira in the original Baldur's Gate, games, really, really loved Jaheira, and so, Jehirah Minsk turning up in, in Baldur's Gate 3, I was literally like, screaming at this, at the game. I was just like, yeah! There they are! I remember them more than any of the, I don't remember any of the other characters, I just remember those two. and I've always identified with, Druid.

Alex:

Mm.

Jem:

um, D& D style games anyway. So Jahira was like my heroine, you know, she was, she was the person that I wanted to be. Um, and it was just, they had such a lovely relationship, those two. And I love the, how that has on. I was a bit sad that they'd been separated for so long

Alex:

Yeah.

Jem:

Baldur's Gate 3. I would have given them slightly more pride of place, but that's because of my, history with them. But I think that, Dave Bautista could play Mince Scorboo very,

Alex:

Mm.

Jem:

very well.

Matt:

Yeah, very very reminiscent of Drax from Guardians of the Galaxy. I think just Ernest and, yeah, just big and booming, very fun. He's got a fabulous introduction as well.

Alex:

He does.

Matt:

He's just fighting his way out of, out of the Is it a mimic they're called?

Alex:

That's right. Yes. Yeah.

Matt:

Um, bottom right, so that, is that you, Alex?

Alex:

That's me, yes. Now, I'm going to see if any of you can guess, just based on, one quote from a film he's in. Yarp. Anyone?

Fin:

I, that's, that's the hound, right? That's,

Matt:

Hot Fuzz!

Alex:

right, yeah. He's both as well, but yeah. He's, Rory McCann. And he looks a lot like Minx, the character, but also brings With his portrayal of Yarp Narp Man in Hot Fuzz. Brings the, some Penny Short of a Pound vibes to Minsk as well. He's also very, very tall, I think.

Fin:

Do we think Minsk would be afraid of fire? I feel like Minsk would be afraid of fire. Yeah,

Matt:

I don't know.

Alex:

Yeah. I don't know. It's hard. It depends if Boo's the other side of the fire. He wouldn't be afraid then. Yeah, or Jahira, yeah.

Matt:

Yeah, he's sort of like, if, if you, if you put Yarp in the Hound's body in Game of Thrones,

Alex:

Mm, it would be,

Matt:

be. With the physical capabilities of

Alex:

Yes.

Matt:

right. Spinning the wheel. J'Hirah. Looks like we're gonna end up with Karlak. So this is an interesting, uh, uh, casting choice. Uh, casting choices that we've all gone for. Uh, top left.

Alex:

I think that's me, and that's Cate Blanchett. Because, Jahira's slightly older in Baldur's Gate 3. I don't know, is she younger in the early games? Or is she the same?

Jem:

tiny, tiny little pixels, so who knows what she was.

Matt:

It was like a hundred years ago, I think.

Jem:

yeah, I mean, she, seemed younger, but she always seemed quite mature. Yeah.

Alex:

Kate is a good choice. We all know her from, mainly from Lord of the Rings, of course. She plays Galadriel in Lord of the Rings. But yeah, I think So we know what she looks like with her pointy ears. I think she could carry it off. She's got, a What's the word I'm looking for? I don't know actually if it's the right word. But a sort of heft to her as like a legend within the acting world. And I think Jahira brings that legendary status. She's often referred to as like a legend. So yeah, I think she'd be a good fit.

Matt:

She's an iconic lesbian icon as well. She's, uh, yeah, she's one of those lesbian icon is the, yeah, the only way she's, she's on, on the Mount Rushmore of lesbian icons. She's definitely one of them.

Alex:

Yeah.

Matt:

Um, yeah, she can do anything. Uh, top right.

Fin:

Candice Bergen.

Alex:

Mm-hmm

Fin:

here seen Boston Legal?

Alex:

No.

Matt:

Yes, I've seen it all so many times. It's the best! It's the best.

Fin:

Um, admittedly, I think that's the only thing I've ever seen Candice Bergen in. but she plays the partner of a law firm. There are quite a few things I like. To put it delicately Boston Legal does have a problem of being very Bush era liberal, which can get preachy and insufferable at times. But also, if you like Star Trek and, weirdly, feminism, Boston Legal's for you. They actually, it's one of the only times I've ever seen an older woman on screen be allowed to be sexual. And not sexual as in, ooh, look, there's an older woman, but she's just a person. and she commands a room and is treated accordingly and I just think Candace Bergen, specifically a Boston legal, has everything you could want in a Jaheira and then I put an extra James Spader dress up as her because I would dress up as Jaheira to annoy her at an office party that weird scenario ever arise so

Matt:

I'm sure there's a mod for that. Maybe we can do that.

Alex:

There's always a mod.

Matt:

Yeah, she, I think all of these choices have that capable and powerful and able to fight for things, but then they look at, they exasperated their friends because that's her, her relationship with Minsk is because he, he calls her his like Her wit, his witch or something. And he's like, Oh, I'm your, I'm your berserker and you're my, And he goes, no I'm not, I'm just your friend. We're just fri it's a friend, I'm your, I help you because I'm your friend. Not because I'm your I can't remember what the word was, it was a cool word. Um, bottom left.

Jem:

Yes, so this is, Salma Hayek,

Alex:

Hmm.

Jem:

I didn't want to choose her because I think she's a little bit too for the, character. However, the more I looked at it, the more I thought about it, I thought, actually, she's got the sort of. slightly aloof attitude that Jaheira has, where even though Jaheira happy camping out and doesn't, want all those sort of, um, trappings of the sort of civilized world, there is also this undertone that she knows perfectly well how to, deport herself in the, civilized world. She's definitely got some sort of noble history about her. And I think Selma could bring that conflict between those two sides to it. And of course, she's also got, the right accent, I think, for Jahira, I don't even know where, you would place Jahira's accent, because sometimes it sounds Eastern European, and other times it sounds American. I think she could bring that, um, and a sort of fierce, power and she's, old enough to bring across Jaheira's wisdom and maturity and as you said, Matt, she is a legend in her own time.

Matt:

Yeah, I think it's our Samurai, really. Yeah, you're right about the accent. I don't, I can't imagine it's the accent, the actual accent of the character. I wonder what their direction was in terms of doing that accent. We're Minsc and Jahira voiced in the older Baldur's Gates.

Jem:

I can't remember. I think probably not because it was the olden days. I'm gonna look it up. I'm gonna look it up while we do the last one.

Matt:

Yeah, so bottom right is Sigourney Weaver. Ripley herself, and I believe that's a photo of her from Avatar, where again she's playing this very qualified person, exasperated at the people around her, which is the the dynamic I get from Jaheira a lot of the time. And she had quite a cool introduction being wrapping us up in thorns,

Alex:

Um,

Matt:

when we're in the middle of the,

Alex:

Um, Uh,

Matt:

is called, the Dark

Fin:

Shadowlands!

Matt:

Shadowlands. Yes, I think they call it the Shadow Realm as well, which is stealing a little bit from Yu Gi Oh, but that's okay. Um, but yeah, so yeah, very cool.

Fin:

Well, when I saw the actress at Comic Con, she said it was the only Eastern European accent she could do, and that's why she picked that one, so

Jem:

There you go.

Matt:

Oh, we could do an entire episode of Finn of you meeting, your story meeting all the cast members and all the stuff you've been to because you didn't even mention your Astarian tattoo, uh, on, when we were talking about Astarian. Did

Fin:

camera either! My giant blanket that's bigger than I am. Um

Matt:

you show Neil the tattoo? That's

Fin:

but it's, it's interesting because there's a lot of discourse around, I mean there's a lot of discourse around everything and if people could chill the fuck out on the internet for two seconds that would be lovely. But um, my understanding that he feels quite uncomfortable with people getting the Astarian scars tattoos. Which is his right, and perfectly fine, but that does mean that I'm not going to go up to him and be like, Look what I got! Cause, you know, he doesn't want to hear me trauma dump for five minutes to explain myself. Um, I'm perfectly happy with it, so But uh, MCM Comic Con London is coming up in May, I'm sure some of them will be there. So, you know, and so will I. So

Matt:

so cool. I'd love to meet them. I think I think, yeah, I think Neil Newborn would be the one. If I could meet any of them, I'd choose him.

Fin:

The one weird thing is I showed up, because last time I was there I paid for a picture of him and Tim Downey. Uh, Jem's seen it, and what I found really funny about it, because I'm really difficult to photograph. I'm a weird little autistic creature who doesn't know how to pose their body correctly. so there's this picture of me and Neil Newman, like, holding Tim Downey up with a sword. I look Awful. I look like such a fucking dork because I am. But I'm also so happy.

Alex:

Oh,

Fin:

happened was I sent that one to a bunch of people and everyone, I think Jem included, was really polite and didn't say anything back at all because of how awful I looked. But I, I was so happy. happy.

Alex:

Um,

Fin:

Um, but when I met them I was obviously, you know, quite It overwhelmed. Uh, and Neil Newman snapped me out of it by shaking my hand.

Alex:

Oh,

Fin:

But then I was still a bit out of it, so I went and shook Tim Downey's hand as well, so I was like, alright, whatever. I'm sure I was one of the least memorable people from the day, but that, it, it was kinda nice that he saw I was overwhelmed and was like, shake my hand.

Matt:

There's the, the, the, one of the, another awesome thing about the, the direction in which, I think especially male characters are being written at the moment, is bringing in real emotional depth and intelligence to them. And In order for an actor to be able to play that, they need to have those kinds of qualities in themselves. And then, that, especially that ability to empathise, which clearly Neil Newborn does, allows him to interact with fans like that, to go This person's, I don't know how this person's feeling, they might be awestruck, but you can just go, Oh, that person seems to be a little bit nervous. They need something different to someone who's really confident and wants to come and do a certain thing. So it just, it's, yeah, it's, it is wonderful seeing how successful they're all being in their own right now. Right, we have one cast member left to talk about, and it is, ah, Karlaak. Karlaak the tiefling barbarian, who stole my heart from the first moment I heard her speak. And, she's, she's just, she's just wonderful. Genuine, genuine, wonderful. Love, falling in love with a character that I don't know if I've, I've experienced before. Actual I love them. And that's just, yeah, that was just a wonderful thing that this game's given me. Um, in terms of our casting, top left

Alex:

That's me. I really struggled with this one. As you may be able to tell. I've gone for Alicia Vikander. Who has played Lara Croft. Not quite as well as, Angelina Jolie, arguably. You could argue. But it depends which one you prefer. But, I haven't had Karlak in game. So I think that's somewhat reflective of this. But also I think that Alicia's got some depth to her. She trained super hard to play Lara in the film Tomb Raider. She's got a toughness to her. Yes, she doesn't have the build, but she's got a toughness to her, but also a softness, which I think is a part of Carla's character as well. She cares a lot about other people and protecting them and looking after them and making sure they're okay, and I think that, I think Alicia could probably pull off the accent. I've only heard her have a posh accent in films that I've seen her in though. So again, poor choice from me, I expect. I think there are depths of toughness to Alicia. So, that is why I went for her.

Matt:

Number two, who is that?

Fin:

Emma Darcy!

Alex:

huh.

Fin:

more specifically, Emma Darcy as GQ's Man of the Year.

Matt:

Right,

Alex:

wow.

Fin:

Partially because there just isn't a lot of non binary representation, Sam Bett the actor who plays Karlak is non binary, so I kind of wanted to bring that to the table. Um, and also because, as noted in the last episode, uh, Emma Darcy when they are not playing, dragon queen lady on a house of the dragon is lovely and sweet and kind and very very funny I think Emma Darcy can just it.

Alex:

Mm.

Matt:

Yeah, I absolutely agree.

Fin:

very built but they could do it I

Alex:

Yeah.

Fin:

hit the gym for a year. They could do it.

Matt:

That's an awesome thing that is happening gradually, but is happening more and more, is famous actresses properly muscling up for roles.

Alex:

Mm.

Matt:

Because forever they've just needed to be as skinny as possible, whereas now you've got Actresses like Tessa Thompson, who plays Valkyrie in the Marvel Universe, just arms like a bodybuilder and just go, the more, the more variety in body types that we see from women on screen, the better, because forever it's only been these two body shapes and transcripts.

Fin:

Or indeed non binary people.

Matt:

And I was thinking of other non binary people, Bella Ramsey, who plays Ellie in The Last of Us. She, she properly has the, the violence, the violent kind of things really nailed down. And I think, they would make an interesting choice as that. Maybe in, like, 20 years time, maybe. She's very, very young. on the bottom left, that is me. Do any of you recognize her?

Fin:

No to my detriment.

Matt:

So, none of you have been watching Gladiators.

Alex:

no, I was gonna say she's a gladiator. It was just coming to me.

Matt:

Yes, you got there. Yes. So, Gladiators is awesome. The second season has begun recently. That is Shelly McCoy and she plays Saber. She plays Saber. She is Saber.

Alex:

hmm.

Matt:

name is Saber, and she's all of them. Well, some of them are crossfitters and She's just this big strong like physically powerful woman who just Has such karlak energy for me just could absolutely rip your head off But could also give you a big hug Depending on how you treat her and her friends. And

Fin:

Excellent

Matt:

yeah, so that was a big thing for me, is the You know, I had a similar reaction as I did with seeing Abby in The Last of Us for the first time. Because I'd never seen a female character hench. I just hadn't seen that before. And that makes such a difference in, I think, how particularly female characters will be perceived. Because you go, whoa, you look different! And different is good. And just made, made her all the more distinctive, and as you, as you put it last time, Finn, a muscle mommy.

Fin:

That's Kalec.

Matt:

hmm, absolutely. And she's just so earnest and true and honest and kind and genuine. She's the most, I think, wears her heart on her sleeves character. Because most of them reveal their backstories gradually as you get to know them, whereas she straight away is Oh, I've just escaped from ten years of service in the hells. And, oh damn, another, another, another knife in the back for old Karlak. I love when she firsts herself as old Karlak.

Fin:

Yeah.

Matt:

And, she's, she's one of the sweetest as well, because when she asks you out for the first time and you go, yeah. And she turns around and goes. Yes, this is so adorable and taking you out on a date going to a pub and it's just so sweet and when Sometimes when you go into like hide mode she goes stealth mode activated She's just just my my my my truest love in Baldur's Gate.

Jem:

So this is Lazy Beats. She has, um, some, action characters. I think she'd be able to carry off the action side of Karlak's role, I also, wanted to look for a black woman to play Karlak because I feel like, a black woman could bring to those characters that otherness that they feel in the setting that they find themselves in. I loved Karla. I liked the character and. She has a lot similar to, um, Asterion, actually, that she's got this very traumatic, backstory, and she's also got, inner I mean, literally, she has

Alex:

Mhmm. Mmm. Mmm. Mhmm. Mhmm.

Jem:

and, and positive despite all of that. And I think that's what her and Astarian have in, in common is, is that sort of, this sort of positivity despite it all. whereas Gael is, you know, very much like, oh, woe is me. And, and, Will feels very hard done by, and so, yeah, I think that, I think Astarion and, um, Karlak have that inner energy that the others don't necessarily have. I would definitely want Karlak in my group, I

Fin:

Oh, absolutely.

Jem:

cool enough for her to be, to be in my friendship group, but, um, if she needed, you know, To hang out, then I would be available for that.

Matt:

I made a list of the characters in terms of their, the, the, the reason, the reason they're in the situation there at the start. And Gale is right at the bottom of, it's entirely his fault that he's got this thing in his heart. Whereas on the opposite end, you've got a star in Karlak are the most hard done by'cause they've both been enslaved by by evil people. Um. I think we'll end with, one of my favourite quotes from Karlak, which is when just wandering around, if you've got Gael and Karlak in the party, um, you can, uh, at one point she says, oh, I wish I could, I wish I could, I still suck so I can't touch my, my lover. And Gael goes, there are other ways of expressing love. And she goes, oh great, are you going to tell me a, a an unusual way of using mage's hand

Jem:

I remember that one. Bye.

Matt:

and she goes oh can we talk later about the mage's hand thing right and on that On that note, we will bring episode to a close as we have, we've gone over long than we were supposed to because we have, we have to, we have to give these characters their, their due. we'll probably have to come back another time to do some non companion characters, but until then, thank you all for taking part. Thank you very much for Finn for coming back and guest once more. Have this, this,

Fin:

having me.

Matt:

you're very welcome. And, thank you everyone and we will see you next time.