There’s both distressing and uplifting news out of Westeros today, which is par for the course when we’re talking about the world that George R.R. Martin created.
First, our friend Kim Renfro of Insider posted a red-carpet interview from the Season 8 premiere with Jerome Flynn (Bronn) that left us feeling a little uneasy about our favorite lovable scoundrel retaining the “lovable” part.
“I don’t know, they might not love him as much as they do right now,” Flynn said. “But I hope they still do. He is who he is and what he says, isn’t he? And he’ll do what he needs to get his castle.”
Flynn also dropped a tantalizing bit of information about his experience filming Season 8. While the bulk of the remaining cast has spoken at length about the grueling conditions and pace of the eighth and final season, Flynn seemed to have a surprisingly easy time of it.
“It wasn’t that stressful or strenuous for me,” Flynn said. “Yeah, that’s all I’m saying. I wasn’t that stressed or strained.”
Interesting…does this mean Bronn won’t have a big role in the war to come? Will he walk away from Jaime and/or Tyrion for good — perhaps just when they need him most?
EW posted an interview with another low-key fan favorite, Gendry (Joe Dempsie), who talked with James Hibberd about the Baratheon bastard’s role in Season 8, the intensity of filming the “big battle” (in which he also wields a new weapon, apparently), and his character’s long-awaited reunion with Arya Stark (Maisie Williams).
Gendry will take “an active and fairly predictable role” in preparing for the great war against the Army of the Dead and fighting in the brutal big battle, Dempsie told Hibberd. “It was certainly the most daunting block of shooting that I’ve ever seen,” he says, referring to the 11 weeks of night shoots to film the massive Winterfell attack. “You become nocturnal. Every night there’s a tipping point around 2 a.m. where everybody starts behaving a little bit weird.”
“The stuff we were shooting was incredible to be a part of,” he continued. “Whenever anybody asked over the years, ‘What would you like for Gendry?’ I’ve always sort of said that all I really want was to be there for the end game. So to be swinging a mace around — that’s my weapon this year — it’s in the middle of the night. You’re out there with 200 actors, freezing cold… it’s no acting required. We’re probably never going to see something like this again.”
As for Gendry’s reunion with Arya, who he last saw in season 3, “He’s reunited with Arya again. So a lot for Gendry is those two catching up and reconnecting and finding out what they’ve been doing. I really enjoyed working with Maisie in seasons 1-3 and I even said back then she’s one of the most talented actors I’ve ever worked with — not just young actors, but actors in general. To watch her get even better, not just Thrones but in various other things, I was looking forward to getting back on set with Maisie.”
Dempsie also touched on the fact that after being gone for three seasons — we saw him rowing away from Dragonstone in Season 3 and didn’t see him again until 7 — it made sense that he was sporting a new, super-short haircut, meant to make his black Baratheon hair less obvious. But he divulged that one of the other reasons for the new look was to distinguish him from Podrick Payne (Daniel Portman). Yes, apparently that really happens.
“It made sense to me his black hair was kind of his signifier,” Dempsie said. “He was lying low in the intervening years. And it makes more distinguishable to Pod — which is helpful because we get confused all the time. All the time. There have been numerous occasions where someone will say, ‘You’re in Game of Thrones aren’t you?’ And I’ll be like, ‘Yeah,’ and they’re like, ‘You’re the clumsy dude!’ And I’ll say, ‘No, but he’s great.’ ”
Finally, The Hollywood Reporter posted an interview with composer Ramin Djawadi about several “key musical moments” throughout eight seasons of creating incredible music for Thrones.
“I really get emotionally attached to the pieces I write,” he said. “When I use these themes, it really affects me in the way it’s supposed to affect any viewer watching the show. I guess that’s my personal rule: I need to be affected myself by the music that I write, and then hopefully, it’ll do the same to the viewer.” (I think I speak for all of us when I say that yes, yes we are affected by it.)
Djawadi talked with THR about seven themes in particular, including:
Main title: “The idea was to really capture the overall mood of the show. I didn’t want to be specific to any house and character. I wanted to create a theme or piece of music that says: ‘This is Game of Thrones. The show’s starting, and this is the mood you want to be in.’ The words that were described to me were, ‘Make it a journey. There needs to be some mystery, some adventure. All these characters are traveling or separated, and then they [will] get back together.'”
“A Lannister Always Pays His Debts” (aka “The Rains of Castamere”): “They told me about the Red Wedding, which wasn’t even happening until season three. But they told me about it after season one, because we needed to establish this new theme which we’ll introduce in season two, and by the time we get to season three, it’s a known theme that viewers will identify with the Lannisters — so when you hear it, you will know something is off, and that this melody does not belong at this wedding.”
“Mhysa”: “I actually liked that we didn’t have lyrics that really meant anything. … I’m not always good with words, I’m not always articulate, but I like when instrumental music makes you interpret a feeling without saying words. For me, personally, I just hear these syllables and sounds that match the feeling of what I wrote. There are some little Valyrian notes that I took from the language and modified so it doesn’t mean anything, but it [represents] Daenerys’ army growing, her powers growing, everything positive that’s developing about her character.”
“Light of the Seven”: “When I write my music, I never think about a piece becoming successful or being well-received. I just try to do my best. But it’s absolutely fantastic when it gets such great recognition, just like the main title, when all these cover songs started popping up. It’s very rewarding. It means I did my job well and I achieved something special in a certain scene. With ‘Light of the Seven,’ for example, because there isn’t much dialogue at all, the music really needs to carry you through that scene and reveal things as they become more clear. What’s really about to happen? It definitely made me excited when people responded to it so positively.”
“Needle”: “The instrument [hammered dulcimer] has this very pointy sound to it. I thought it was very fitting. When she gets her sword-fighting lessons, that’s when we started using it first. It was very fitting for where she was.”
“The Winds of Winter”: “Just like how the main title is supposed to get you into the show, this cliffhanger should really get you excited about watching more and making you wait for the next season to come. It always was meant to be this big, last moment for the show, and therefore, I tried musically to set up the next season.”
“Truth” “[It] was a matter of working with David and Dan, knowing that we were going to end up on this boat scene with Jon and Daenerys falling in love,” he says. “I wrote theme fairly early on, actually. I normally go in sequential order, but I actually wrote the last scene and the last episode fairly early on, and then we went back from that and started placing this new theme earlier, but not playing it as a love theme. We just played it as a new theme, here only because these two characters are meeting. We played it in a more neutral way, so it wouldn’t give away their relationship. As the episodes went on, we started to open it up a big more and give it more warmth and more emotion — and then it formed into this love scene.”
What will Djawadi have up his sleeve for the final season? We can’t wait to find out — maybe more instant classics in the works!
#SingleDigits
Nah, I think Bronn will be there at the Battle of Winterfell.
I hope so.
I mean, Bronn IS a sell sword. It’s not that hard to imagine he may be tempted to join the GC or something that seems a bit more secure. Hopefully not, but maybe he will be a double agent?
A mace seems slightly less unwieldy than that hammer. Perhaps Gendry got secret lessons from Benjen and his flail? 🤪
It makes perfect sense to me that Bronn will catch up with Jaime on the road and take a quick side trip to the Twins to free Edmure and ask him to send whatever troops he can from the Riverlands north to assist in holding back the AotD. Then Jaime, noting that there are no men in charge at the Twins anymore, will offer Bronn his two castles and the Frey widow, daughter or granddaughter of his choice if he will stay on and hold the Crossing. Bronn will be pleased with this appointment and feel no compulsion to head further north. He’s a deadly fighter but he’s no hero.
Tyrion: Would you kill a baby without question
Bron: No… I’d ask how much.
Perhaps he’s teasing. Saying after all he wants his castle seems like a bit of a joke.
I think we’ve seen the last of Edmure. Arya could have already freed him off screen.
Bronn could simply run off – clear out until things calm down.
But I expect him to come through in some way. I do not expect him to fight in WF but when the boys get south, I think Bronn will come through even though we will be made to worry about his loyalty.
Probably fitted with dragonglass spikes. Boss.
Bronn’s non-heroic qualities have been very well shown, and not just in the quote HelloThere provides. He flatly refused to fight The Mountain for Tyrion, which is more than adequate foreshadowing for refusing to fight the AoTD for Jaime (or anyone else).
The only thing Bronn could to do to “disappoint” me would be to not get his castle* and be not upset about it.
*We all know he’s never going to get a castle, don’t we?
Jack Bauer 24,
I’ll be sorely disappointed if that’s the case, especially given Jaime’s actions there. Speaking of which, Hello There just reminded us of Bronn’s response to Tyrion when asked if he’d kill a baby. That’s precisely what Jaime threatened to do to Edmure and Roslyn’s child. It gives one pause.
The Twins and Riverrun are far too strategically valuable to have been offhandedly dealt with offscreen, imho.
Speaking of Tobias, he wasn’t at the Red Carpet. Were there any sightings of him during filming?
I agree Bronn will be at Winterfell. I think he’ll fight with Jaime, but at this point Jaime AND Tyrion are probably in no position to give him a castle. He is a sellsword who once said he would kill a baby for a sufficient price. He is perfectly capable of working for Cersei, an ominous turn which Flynn’s words might imply. I am looking forward to seeing plenty of Joe in both genius blacksmith and Arya’s “my lady” man capacities. I wonder if they could justify another glimpse of his abs. And in my estimation, Ramin Djawadi is a film soundtrack god. I constantly find subtle foreshadowing in his music. D&D must have told him considerably more than the Red Wedding in advance! I’m currently re-watching Season 1 and have found 3 Littlefinger motifs during events that we later learn LF had caused. Also, there’s a few seconds of quote from Targ-Dany music in Jon’s Honour. His music is so perfect but it’s also yet another narrator of the story. Incredible!
Other people have said it so I know it’s true, but I honestly have no clue how anyone can confuse Daniel Portman for Joe Dempsie. Just no idea at all.
I swear if they send gendry running to inform cerise of the attack at winterfell and he gets there by the end of episode 3 I’m calling looney tunes to inform them the road runner has been beaten
I don’t get that either. They look nothing alike.
Interesting, as regards Bronn’s character. I’ve always wondered why he was “North of the Wall” as he tells Tyrion in season one. Might there be a big shock/surprise moment involving him? After all, such a surprise would be unexpected and stunning for a character who has been “hiding in plain sight” all of these years!
Of all the fine themes Ramin Djawadi has composed for the show, the “Maester” theme is my favorite and I think his finest music. I cannot forget my first hearing of this sublime music as Sam and Gilly arrive in Old Town and gaze upon the spectacular view of the city and the majesty of the Citadel across the bay as the white ravens take flight. The sounds of the bowed Marimba and Glass Armonica with the majestic low strings incorporating a fragment of the Main Theme provide an unforgettable effect. It is pure perfection. One could almost be forgiven for thinking it composed by Mahler, Richard Strauss or even “Old Klingsor” himself. “Truth” is my next favorite music, but the title is simply too unromantic and awful for such a fine composition.
I meant to say bowed Vibraphone and Glass Armonica not bowed Marimba in the Maester theme! LOL Getting late in this day.
I remember few years back when someone happened to passed by a road in Belfast, and saw a couple of the actors and crew on a smoke break and took a quick photo. It was blurry enough that people had to figure out if it was Joe Dempsie or Daniel Portman. It was Daniel Portman
“Interesting…does this mean Bronn won’t have a big role in the war to come? Will he walk away from Jaime and/or Tyrion for good — perhaps just when they need him most?”
Unless Flynn thinks everybody else was just being a bunch of big babies. xD I’m not sure…I haven’t been expecting his role to be large, and of course I don’t want to see him let me down. Not that I anticipate him suddenly turning totally selfless, but hopefully he won’t be a full-on traitor either…we shall see soon enough?!
And I’m not proud of it, but yes, that mix-up has happened to me. Recently, even. But I realize the error quickly. Like “Oh duh, that’s not Pod/Gendry, it’s Gendry/Pod!” Definitely seen others mix them up as well. I think I’ve been more likely to mistake Joe for Daniel than the reverse for whatever reason…
Jack Hamm,
I just finished rewatching season 1 and was just thinking the same thing! It may sound too convoluted of an idea at this point and I’m not sure where it would go but it would be so interesting if what Bron said about having gone north of the wall had bigger implications and it was all hinted at since season 1.
Stark Raven’ Rad,
Bronn is already working for Cersei: we heard that from his own mouth in Ep 707 and so far Cersei proved to be good at paying her debts. So, as I’ve written in another thread, Bronn will join Jaime under Cersei’s orders and then he can do many things, when at Winterfell. First of all, it’s feeding Cersei with insider information both Tyrion and Jaime respect Bronn for his military capabilities, so he may be privy to a lot. Secondly, Cersei could have tasked him to assassinate someone: could be Dany or Jon or Tyrion or Sansa or even Jaime (for betraying her) – could be all of them. And if so, the best moment might be during the battle… Maybe, Jaime is yelling “Bronn!” because he sees him backstabbing someone?
On the other hand Bronn wants to be a knight and he’s thrilled when titled “Sir!” Therefore, it’s possible, that Bronn will choose to akt like a noble man. We’ll see.
We have not. It is known:
http://watchersonthewall.com/game-thrones-season-8-premiere-cast-list-surprising-returns/
Bronn makes a deal with the NK who grants him a castle a soon as they shook hands.
Bronn opens WF from inside letting the AotD storm the castle.
Bronn turning over to Cersei. Maybe he will try to kill Dany again?
And about the title. It seems it will be called “TBA” (hopefully we will find a cure)
In the books, isn’t the character of Bronn no longer around? He got his castle and that was it right? I don’t remember Jaime taking him on. It’s been a few years since I read them, so apologies if it’s wrong. There are soooooo many characters to keep track of in the books, I get confused sometimes! I’m saving my reread for when we know the release date of WoW so I can time finishing the existing books in time for the release of the new one. I digress – if Bronn is no longer in the books, then he can’t have such a major negative role as killing or betraying our main characters to Cersei right? So perhaps he just simply won’t fight in the war. He may come with Jaime, but then flee when the army are near and he sees how unstoppable they are?
I like Firannion’s idea that Bronn gets The Twins and stays out of the fighting. It does match the 2 castles theme nicely, though it was Tyrion and not Jaime that had that discussion with him.
Che,
He’s with the Stokeworth’s causing all kinds of hilarious trouble for that family. So, yes, he has a castle, but I’m not sure that we’ve seen the last of him in the books.
Bronn is a sellsword. Being realistic, I honestly cannot see him taking the noble option and going North, to risk his life for no guarantee of payment, even if it is to defend mankind (all the more reason why he won’t in fact).
I think he’ll flee to Essos or possibly Dorne with the substantial wealth he’s already accumulated- that will be the “disappointing” (but entirely expected) conclusion to his story.
Che,
I could if its a failed attemp. He can try to kill a main character but fail.
Kevin1989,
That’s how I Feel. It better be a failed attempt if his mission is to assassinate someone.
And the one thing I hang on to is Bran. If treachery is afoot, Bran will know. And he will tell.
Enjoyed watching a recent interview with Joe Dempsie. He’s smart and very charming.
When Hannah Murray was interviewed on the red carpet, she mentioned that she, Joe and Jacob Anderson all shared a house in earlier days.
Che,
Along with the other reminders he also names the baby of Lollys, Tyrion. Cersei tries to have Bronn killed because she thinks he’s still working for Tyrion. The only reason Bronn was awarded his arrangement was to get him away from and out of employ of Tyrion.
His story has pretty much stuck to the books other than or until also making him Jaime’s assistant/’friend.’ That’s why I don’t like the ideas such as Inga’s above where he works directly for Cersei now. He’s not going to in the books so it just seems dumb to me for D&D to think it somehow fits their version. It would still work for Bronn to double-cross Cersei, but she doesn’t trust him already anyway, so why would she actually try to use him.?
This is a fabulous piece of information to ponder and enjoy this final season. Thanks for making the connections. What a clever, well detailed plan they had! Brilliant composition was an essential to plot points and the viewing pleasure of LOTR, and I’m so glad D&D (and perhaps GRRM in beginning) planted the seeds to acquire the proper talent.
That reminds me of: “porno blacksmith” 😁
But seriously, they have everyone dressed to the nine with furs, but Gendry is standing outside wearing only a loose shirt (in the trailer). He even has fewer clothes on than in KL, S7E5. Maybe they want to show how much harder he is working for the Starks et al (in comparison to the Lannisters), who knows. ^^
Dutch Maester,
Yaaaaas!!! Tobias Menzies, he is so classy. 😍 So glad they’ve got him back, even if it’s just for a scene or two. #WorthIt
Clob,
Bronn working for Cersei is not an idea, it’s what he said. Just rewatch Ep 707: “I put yoursef at risk… important difference… now Cersei has two traitors’ heads… all thanks to ser Bronn of the f… Blackwater”. And Cersei doesn’t need to trust Bronn to use him: she has always used people she doesn’t trust, cause the number of people she trusts is close to zero. An when it comes to Bronn, what do you expect? He works for those who pay. Tyrion and Jaime treat him as a friend, but friendship is not a castle. Moreover, Bronn started working for Cersei, when she and Jaime were still on the same side and no-one could expect their fallout. So, now it only makes sense for Bronn to be put into situation, where he will have to choose between material award he always saught and being a knight which thrills him. That will give his character an arc. On the other hand, his friend Tyrion or Jaime should do something big for Bronn to push him towards that path. So far, they only used him and he was ringht when he said that to Tyrion in the Mockingbird.
Stark Raven’ Rad,
I’d bet Gendry is curious about Arya’s abs.
Edit: “All Threads Lead to Arya.”
– Ancient Roman Adage
Inga,
Bronn is angry at Jaime for taking so long get him his castle. I’ve noticed foreshadowing in season 2 & 5 that could mean Bronn betrays Jaime and possibly stabs Jaime in his back, which is not the clean honorable way Jaime would choose to die. I think Bronn is working with Cersei.
I predict one of Jaime’s heroic acts will be
Perhaps Bronn takes another swing at the dragons with the Scorpion? If the dragons make it to KL, that is.
I would be surprised if Bronn sided with Cersei – he of all people knows she is not to be trusted and will turn on you the minute she gets what she wants. I expect once he understands the scale of what’s coming from the North he’ll realize that his dreams of a castle won’t amount to much if he and everyone else are dead.
Exactly! There have been three other times he’s said some things which made me wonder about his true identity/intentions. At Tyrion’s trial by combat in the Eyrie, I believe; his conversations in the tavern in season two right before the battle of Blackwater Bay with the Hound and some Lannister soldiers and I’m thinking in season five, his conversations with Jaime on the boat traveling to Dorne. Although I’m not exactly sure if I’m recalling these scenes accurately as I should make notes but never do, when watching.
Bronn is a minor character who has been around since season one and this makes me wonder and ask why??? Jerome Flynn’s eyes are too shifty for his character to be empty of subversiveness. Ha!
Perhaps it’s Bronn’s face that Arya is musing about taking.
I so agree with this. “Maester” and the whole soundtrack of the episode itself were just outstanding. Ramin really knocked it out of the park with that one.
Now that the end of GoT is so close, I for sure will remember the experience of watching “The winds of Winter” for the first time as one of the very greatest memories the show has given to me.
Ah…I’m feeling emotional today.
I don’t understand the notion that Cersei’s trustworthiness would be Bronn’s foremost concern when weighing up who to side with.
Is she any less trustworthy than she was the previous 5 seasons he was in King’s landing and could’ve had him killed at any time? Was Tyrion particularly trustworthy, when he was sending Janos Slynt to The Wall or throwing Pycelle into the black cells? It feels a bit late for him to be worrying about the trustworthiness of those he’s been dealing with.
And Bronn isn’t exactly known for his own trustworthiness.
He’s a sell sword and Cersei is queen of (some of) the Seven Kingdoms. If she offered him land and titles (which both Tyrion and Jaime for the most part failed to provide) in return for him killing Tyrion, Jaime, Dany or Sansa, then it would be foolish not to play along at least until a better offer comes along.
I find it incredibly hard to believe that Bronn would head north towards a conflict between dragons and ice zombies unless he had no other alternative or had been offered a very attractive incentive.
If Jerome is honestly unsure whether the viewers will still love Bronn by the end of the show then that doesn’t bode well for our heroes.
Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,
I hate to agree with this but I do. If you think about it, he’s been around since the first season and we still know hardly anything about him. Even Varys has more backstory currently available.
He’s been helpful to both Tyrion and Jaime, he’s saved both their lives on multiple occasions, and I love his character. Objectively though, he’s a wild card.
And if I were the suspicious sort, I’d look back on a few things and wonder:
-Bronn is the one who finds Shae in the Lannister tents AND the one who said he saw her safely away on a ship (when she was in Tywin’s bed instead)
-Bronn took Cersei’s bribe of a bride so he wouldn’t fight for Tyrion during trial by combat
-Bronn keeps mentioning that he hasn’t gotten his castle yet-and he’s not happy about it, and says he only saved Jaime so he could be the one to kill him if he didn’t get what he wanted.
-Bronn set up the meeting with Tyrion and Jaime, and Cersei somehow found out about it. Could be Qyburn but…
All that being said, I hope he’s just being sly in that interview, because I’ve loved his relationships with Pod and the Lannister brothers.
Jack Bauer 24,
I have no idea, Jack. I imagine that, with as tightly as they’ve tried to keep certain details from being divulged, certain actors’ perhaps unexpected presence has been kept tightly under wraps. At least, my fangirl self hopes/dreams so…
Dutch Maester,
SQUEEE!!!
It’s SO difficult to keep up, despite my best intentions. What with a 45-hour work week, + 10 hours of commuting each week, and a marriage, and shopping for Dornish red, and doing battle with menopause, and sleep when I can get it..
Che,
In the books the scene in the dungeon is the last we see of Bronn. I forget the exact phrasing, but it’s clear Bronn is done. I’ve loved him in the show, but like the much longer-lived Beric and considerably improved Jorah, he’s a D&D creation.
Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,
The consternation on Brienne’s face when Bronn and Pod left the Dragonpit together has really stuck with me. We know from the trailer that Pod will be at the battle in Winterfell, but I can’t imagine that Brienne’s concern was for nothing. As Wimsey would say, it’s a hung gun.
I actually assumed they were both goners at that point, as Pod is important to Brienne, who is important to Jaime, as is Bronn, and Cersei can’t let him have nice things, now can she? I figured there would be a ‘coincidental’ ambush of some sort at the pub they went to. So I was surprised (and glad) when there wasn’t. Yet, anyhoo!
I had an amusing dream last night about the show, which never has happened before. It was a very short dream – everyone (and I mean everyone) was fighting, chaos and confusion everywhere. And m-f-ing Qyburn just quietly sneaks up to the Night King and de-programs him. Just *boop* done. And everyone just stops and stares at him. At which point he shrugs and calmly says “Well, you wankers weren’t getting to it, were you?”, and walks off. It was so much funnier than it reads!
RG,
I do wonder how many things from past seasons will come back to surprise us …things we initially questioned, then shrugged off, filled in, rationalized and/or forgot about. (The “forgot about” category likely to be the largest among casual viewers, and the smallest for WOTW followers 😁)
I’m still hoping Quaithe will reappear – though her mysterious backstory probably won’t be nearly as interesting in the TV version as it may turn out to be in the books, since they eliminated Marwyn the Mage and his glass candles.
I saw Kim post this on twitter and for me it essentially confirms Bronn won’t feature at the Battle of Winterfell and is most likely going to turn his back on Jamie or Tyrion again. The interesting piece is how this will likely play out, does he stay and support Cersei or does he go North and kidnap someone maybe?
I stopped caring about Bronn post season 4, tbh.
Nothing against Flynn, which has been great as an actor, but Bronn character after S4 it’s just meh…don’t care. Should’ve died in S7E4 already.
Regarding his character he’s right though. He’s a sellsword and a man who cares about himself only. The moment he told Tyrion in S2 about killing the babies (“I would ask how much”), that was it. I don’t know why anyone would expect him to become a “good guy” now.
Juan Nieves,
You are so very correct. The music for season six was the best. He’s had nearly two years to write season eight’s score and I’m expecting it to send us all into raptures!
Yes, but the “Mt. Molehills” will be much greater among the fans than among the standard viewers, too.
That stated, the show has been pretty good about “gun hanging…. gun firing.” The big elements of the final season will be from things that got a bit of emphasis earlier in the series, and which probably will get brief “rehangings” in S8.
I’m just here to parrot Anton Chekhov. The lesser known “If you hang a Nuclear Wessel in the first act” version is purely for comic value….
Bronn killing Drogon is definitely something I could see happening, the dragons need to die by the end.
Jack Hamm,
I’m also expecting it to be even better than the season six one! I’m so excited. To quote our late Robert Baratheon: start the damn season before I piss myself!
Lol, now I get it… considering Bronn’s scene in episode 8×01. 😀