Ellie Kendrick gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at season 6 of Game of Thrones at a fan event celebrating the release of the new Blu-ray/DVD, last weekend in New York City. At the Astor Place event, fans enjoyed unique immersive experiences like the cave where the wights attacked Meera, Bran, and Hodor, the Battle of the Bastards, the Temple of the Dosh Khaleen, and more.
Talking to MTV, Kendrick defends Bran and details what she loves about his character. With Vulture, she dives into the experience herself as she takes Hodor’s place in the cave.
As an unabashed Bran supporter, Kendrick relishes the respect she has for the character with MTV:
He’s a little tiny boy who gets plunged into this political chaos, and he’s got this stranger in the form of Meera looking after him, dragging him around. I love the story line he has because he’s this kid who’s been forgotten, but he has these incredible powers to unleash. It makes me think of Stranger Things a bit. He looks small and weak, and yet he’s got this immense strength and capability of mind. That’s going to be one of the most exciting things in the coming episodes because he can reveal all of the past and the future.
She even teases Meera’s role in season 7:
Meera’s main job is the protector. She’s not going to storm in there and tell everyone what to do. She’s the bodyguard. She’s the one who’s got Bran’s back, and she’s making sure that he gets to the places he needs to get to. She sees this as her duty to carry out this mission for him. It’s in her blood; the Reeds are fiercely loyal to the Starks, and she’ll give everything that it takes to protect Bran.
Kendrick ends the interview with admiration for her character as the only woman to have killed a White Walker (“Pretty cool, right?”). Be sure to check out MTV for the full interview!
It’s a shame you can’t wield that [touching the tip of a White Walker blade.] I’d love to take a swing with that. They don’t let the actors use the proper blades, obviously. Our amazing props department makes different versions for us, to rehearse with and to use on the show, and sometimes they’re real but with blunted blades. You only get something sharp if you need to cut something. That’s a peril, isn’t it? [laughs] Hazards of the workplace. But it would be so badass.
Touching the “weirwood” at the Astor Place event, Ellie says, “Let me see. A vision … I see … that season seven is going to be really great! I think that’s what the tree is telling me!”
For more behind the scenes, head on over to Vulture!
There are two stops left of this one of a kind fan event (Chicago 11/26-27 and Los Angeles 12/9-10); will you be attending? Let us know in the comments!
Hold the Door!
Edit: I hope we see a lot of Meera and Bran next season!
I hope in S7 Meera returns to Winterfell with Howland. Fingers crossed.
I love her. Such a fun person.
Ellie is fantastic.
“It’s in her blood; the Reeds are fiercely loyal to the Starks, and she’ll give everything that it takes to protect Bran.”
Warms my cold heart 🙂
I love Meera Reed, such an underrated character – loyal, brave, determined. I hope we see her interacting with the Winterfell crew in S7 and at least one Stark thanks her for taking care of Bran all these years and for getting him home in one piece.
Right on!! Her kill of the WW was so damn good because (unlike the Children) she didn’t hit it in its armor but rather right in the neck with pinpoint accuracy. May she live long enough to one day tell her grandkids “grandma was a badass”.
Meera is a great character, and Ellie Kendrick is awesome. The scene when she became the third person (and the first woman) in the show’s history to kill a White Walker was one of the most underrated and badass moments of this past season – an unequivocal “hell yes” beat amidst a scene of chaotic horror. Her actions were unfortunately – if understandably – overshadowed amidst the Night King’s heart-pounding assault on the cave and Hodor’s iconic, devastating sacrifice, but they shouldn’t be overlooked entirely. The little crannogwoman has consistently been pretty damn heroic throughout her tenure on the show.
One of my favorite small moments from Season 6 comes at the beginning of “Blood of My Blood” when Meera, certain that the wights are about to overwhelm them, throws herself over Bran’s body and sobs “I’m so sorry!” Kendrick isn’t an overly flashy performer, so she doesn’t get mentioned as often as some of her more prominent or celebrated castmates. But there’s something about the way that she plays Meera that I’ve always loved, and it all came through in that scene. She exudes a kind of quiet, self-assured confidence that speaks to her trust in her own skill, but she isn’t brash or stoic – she still breaks down in the face of great loss, fear, or uncertainty. Even so, her compassion and determination to care for those she is entrusted to protect remains strong. In other words, she’s a real person immersed in perhaps the show’s most fantastical storyline – one with green dreams and old magic, ancient beings and demons made of ice.
Lady Reed does far better in those circumstances than most of us would – again, she killed a White Walker! But Kendrick plays that sensibility of an ordinary person facing the extraordinary extremely well, and it helps establish Meera as an extremely engaging and empathetic character. In case it wasn’t abundantly clear, I’m quite charmed by her, and I was very pleased to see her score a Supporting Actress nomination at the WOTW Awards this year.
I love Meera, she’s amazing ! Such a fierce friend !
Sophie just arrived in Belfast a few hours ago
https://instagram.com/p/BNIH996Ajgk/
Emilia and Kit have been there for a couple of days already.
From the MTV interview itself:-
Bran’s the only one who can tell Jon that he’s the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen
errr….not entirely true – Howland Reed (Meera’s Dad) was actually there when Jon was found/discovered so he can tell Jon too.
Meera, my love <33333
leak
Flayed Potatoes,
leak
Irina Stark,
Is it confirmed that Emilia is back in Belfast this week? as she had returned to and was seen in London a couple of days ago.
Kit might be filming some early season Northern scenes with Sophie.
Flayed Potatoes,
Leaks:
Ellie Kendrick is awesome as Meera, one of the truly underrated characters of the show. I hope to see more of her in future.
ghost of winterfell,
I believe they r filming Wolf Hill quarry stuff this week and the next couple of weeks.
Irina Stark,
Emilia is going to that football game, isn’t she?
Maybe they’ll be shooting Winterfell scenes along with other things like action sequence. Kit, Sophie and if others arrive.
Mickey,
Yeah, could be. I mentioned northern scenes because Sophie is there as well, but other members of the Winterfell gang don’t seem to be. So far.
Any sightings of
They should be in Belfast soon, if they aren’t there already.
Good to see Kendrick , maybe Whelan will travel to these kind of things?
(I know Gemma has been to cons in England and Europe, but never in the US?)
I don’t think Kendrick has been to a Red Carpet USA premiere?
Whelan seems to avoid Red Carpet stuff anywhere.
Meera positively surprised me in season 6. I saw her as a dead girl walking at first because I thought her role was done after getting Bran to the cave. But after the Night King’s attack, she and Bran were the only ones who survived the massacre. And her scene in the next episode was so emotional for me…
Rhaenys Stark,
LEAK
I highly doubt that’s the case. There’s no such thing as
(The same can be said for Daario Naharis and Jaqen H’ghar btw)
Dutch Maester,
We’ll see. In a loooong time from now xD
In the picture there is a sword propped up by the tree. No one took a sword into the cave so they got it there. Is it Dark Sister making an appearence? (Apologies if this was covered in a previous thread).
Maybe. She did grab the sword as she ran into the mouth of the cave when the NK attacked. When they first got there the wights chasing them that exploded from the ‘barrier’ were all carrying swords that clattered on the ground in that very spot though. One of the children could have just propped them up against the wall. not quite as exciting a possibility though is it.
I had a girlfriend once who had lovely hair like Ellie Kendrick’s. It was thick and grew halfway down her back. Too bad none of it grew on her head.
I’ll see myself out…
Meera is one of the few characters left who I will be utterly gutted if they don’t make it to the end… I dont even mind if Sansa or Arya don’t make it.
As long as Meera, Jon, Benjen and Thoros make it to the end I’ll be happy.
I love meera and bran so it really sucks that the writers clearly couldn’t care less about them or their relationship.
Why is it that bran cant have any meaningful relationships with anyone? why does he have to sit in the background alone while arya and sansa have sibling bonding?
god at least let the poor kid have someone who recognizes his existence.
As a bran and meera fan, sh*t is bleak lol.
I wonder how Ellie honestly feels about what theyre flippantly doing with her character after being part of the show for so many years.
Dutch Maester,
Nah, I think you’re mistaken. I read the original leak and
Also the difference between Meera and all those other characters is that all of the others are characters who are fan favorites or are connected to characters that are fan favorites and demanded to see them again. This is entirely not the case for Meera, and the writers have so far spent almost no time on her as a character, so they could get away with having her just leave and never show back up and unfortunately almost nobody would question or complain about it.
Okay this has to be one of my favorite pictures of Emilia https://instagram.com/p/BNKkh6wDeID/
Guess what? I am a big fan of Lady Reed. We share many of the same qualities, loyalty being the strongest of all. We also share a name (although my name IRL is spelled with one letter different. I don’t care, about that, because besides the horses in Middle Earth, I’m pretty sure I won’t see my name in print – so I’ll take it where I can get it).
I haven’t read the leaks, but have looked at all of the posts made here.
Ellie plays the character perfectly. Just like any normal person who was thrown into that situation. She is who she is, but she just happens to also be a badass. She doesn’t want recognition for it; she just wants to protect Bran. To make sure that everything they have gone through will count.
That kind of girl is a keeper in my book. There is going to be a heck of a lot going on in season 7 – I hope the NW find them. Give her a lift (somehow, don’t ask me) back to Greywater Watch. Then at some point she and Howland will meet with Jon – maybe in season 8? – (because we need to see him already), and Howland with Bran’s assistance, will reveal the truth about Jon’s mother and father.
I for one hope this comes later, rather than sooner, as I’m sure this will break Jon’s heart at first. And he doesn’t need any distractions at the moment.
Mark,
I have read the leaks too. But the context is missing. We still don’t know how it will play out. Maybe Bran is not meant to stay alive in the end because magic will be gone. Maybe Meera is meant to marry Jon in the books. Would be a nice couple. I think in season 8 Jon will discover who his parents are. Maybe somehow he will meet Howland Reed and Meera will be with him. This is all speculation and no spoilers.
Rhaenys Stark,
It’s gorgeous. She made a perfect comeback after not posting on IG for so many days.
Also the description is beautiful. You can tell that this character changed her entire life. ❤️
There’s the sea behind her and it looks quite warm so it can’t be NI. She probably took the photo while filming in Spain, it’s the same dress she wore in the photo of her and David Eagleman in Zumaia !
MeeraReed,
I don’t get, why so many people think that the truth about his parentage should break Jon’s hear. His main concern was: “Is my mother alive?” and “Does she care?” He will learn that she cared about him with all her heart and gave her life to give him his. He will also learn that his father loved and respected her: that for him she wasn’t just some kind of a random adventure in a hay. He will have an opportunity to visit her tomb, and maybe the tomb of his father too (I now Rhaegar’s body was lost in the battle, but maybe Ned managed to find it somehow and bury next to Lyanna?). All in all, Jon will learn that his parents loved and cared for him, and I don’t understand why such revelation should disappoint him.
Irina Stark,
Aww excellent observation! As soon as I saw the sea I thought of something else (you’ll know what I’m talking about if you’ve read the leaks). But it makes sense for this picture to be from Spain, it’s too cold in NI now for her to be wearing that dress. She is stunning!
Inga,
I’m pretty sure Rhaegar’s body was recovered from the Trident and cremated per Targaryen customs. So there’s no chance Ned did Rhaegar a solid and buried him next to Lyanna in the Winterfell crypts.
Inga,
Where to start.
For the starters, Ned is not Jon’s father, he’s not even a bastard. He made amends with the fact but not ven being that. His parents action elad to the death of thousand of people, we can romantize all we wanr but the fact of the matter is this, that they were irreponsible n their actions. That would very much be on Jon’s mind as someone concerned with a good well being of people. Half of his family were at with the other, murdering people. Living in a lie fo his whole life, realizing he might even have a claim. A lot for Jon and add to it invasion. Jon and Dany relationship.
Rhaenys Stark,
Leaks spoilers.
It looks like from Spain, unless Dany is super resistant to cold. Wonder what is this dress for, like what occasion.
BunBunStark,
Yes, Meera is a quietly steady hero who has done impressive feats worthy of celebration.
Mayhaps Meera returns home after delivering Bran to Winterfell. She tells her father what happened, and Meera’s adventures prompt him to go to out of the swamp and tell the world about Jon’s parentage. Or Meera’s folk make contributions to the war against the WWs that reveal their magic properties.
Mark,
I agree.
Mark,
I’m sure she is just grateful being on a big show even in a small role,actors aren’t like whiny interwebz warriors .
Flayed Potatoes,
Martin doesn’t really care about him either,he always has the least chapters out of the main characters written and he even admitted he had difficulty in writing his character . I mean Bran had like what,a combined 5 chapters out of three books,and the three chapters that he had from ASOS were just traveling,if Martin doesn’t give them something to work with then David and Dan are pretty limited in what they can do with his character .
Inga,
GRRM confirmed in an interview that Rhaegar’s body was burned as per Targ tradition so it wasn’t lost. The only way his body could have been lost is if you ascribe to some of the tinfoil “Rhaegar is still alive” theories. However, when fans ask about plot twists and hit too close to home he usually is vague and answers either with a question or a non answer. So, his coming out and saying Rhaegar was cremated according to Targaryen custom, would imply some loyalists took the body and cremated it.
Stannisisdead,
Why do I feel like I’ve seen you trolling around the GOT fandom before with this comment. Your assessment of bran’s chapters vs his representation in the show is completely inaccurate as the show has done nothing but a total disservice to the heavy horror/fantasy vibes in his chapters and to bran as a character in his own right. Also I don’t believe that quote about bran being difficult to write even exists as I’ve never been able to find a source. If you don’t like bran you can keep it to yourself because nobody asked and I promise you nobody cares.
Stannisisdead,
Bran was the first main character, the first recurring POV and the inspiration for the whole series. “Martin doesn’t care about Bran” lol please, you sound ridiculous. Martin cares about all of his characters.
“Bran had, what, a combined 5 chapters out of 3 books”
This is a bizarre and pointless exaggeration but sure I’ll bite anyway. The reason Bran’s chapters have been on the low side up to this point is because he’s carrying the magical arc while most of the characters that have been featured heavily up to this point have been more on the political side. GRRMs original plan was always to have the magic plot (I.E., Bran) become the major focus in the third act as the first and second acts were all political and slowly shifting into the magic and fantasy realm.
He’s actually said this several times. But he gives very logical reasons for this (age and magic) and, contrary to what Stannisisdead said, he definitely cares about Bran. However I am in agreement with your earlier, I like Bran and I’m looking forward to where his journey goes in the books. He’s one of the most important characters and he’ll have a major impact in the story. Number of POVs is irrelevant in this regard. Anyways here’s GRRM’s quotes on the difficultly of writing Bran (and some other characters)
Mark,
Well someone is clearly triggered, as for that quote of course it’s not easy to find since Martin did hundreds of interviews but i’m pretty sure he said that Bran is the most difficult character for him to write because it’s hard to put himself in the mind of a young crippled boy .
http://imgur.com/gallery/uaSRuna?campaign_name=In_Case_You_Missed_It&campaign_date=20161114&campaign_start=20161114&campaign_item_index=7&utm_source=email&utm_medium=In_Case_You_Missed_It&utm_campaign=20161114_Santa
Happy Thanksgiving to Sue, her team and all the fellow fans who celebrate! Be merry ans surrounded by your loved ones!
Geralt of Rivia,
Yeah that’s what I mean.
Kristofer Hivju and Iain Glen in Belfast. I have no idea how this guy manages to meet all of them, lol. Idk if he handles some work on the show?
https://twitter.com/MagazineBrian/status/801540025087381508
https://twitter.com/MagazineBrian/status/801458910666387456
Sophie is now in New York, she seems to have been in Belfast for what, barely 2 days.
Rhaenys Stark,
Her dress seems like sort of casual outfit, some indoor scenes but they shoot only outdoor scenes in Spain. But it looks beautiful and simple.
ghost of winterfell,
Autograph hunter or some sort of connection for actors once they arrive to Belfast.
Stannisisdead,
Clearly you’re not even worth conversing with, however:
Even if he did say that, that in no way shape or form supports your argument that Martin “doesnt care” about Bran.
I saw this picture on twitter. I haven’t seen it before, I am not sure if it is for the shooting they are busy with now. Jon is wearing a Southern style cloak.
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff496/BoudicaL/Photo%202016-11-24%2014%2028%2020.jpg
Here is one:
http://www.dailydot.com/parsec/george-rr-martin-comic-con/
Quote:
He’s the youngest of the viewpoint characters and when you’re writing from the viewpoint of an eight-year-old or nine-year-old or 10-year-old boy, you have to kind of put yourself in a different mindset and say ‘OK, this is what’s going on but how would he understand it?’ Also, he’s the character that’s most deeply involved in magic and in fantasy, magic is tricky to write. Magic can easily overwhelm your story if you handle it wrong, so writing the Bran chapters is always a challenge for me. It goes a little more slowly than some of the other chapters.
Boudica,
Are we sure it’s real? The cloak looks photoshopped.
Boudica,
It’s photoshopped, the cape was not part of his outfit, someone turned the leather tunic that was originally brown to black and added the red cape, probably some Jon Targaryen fanboy !
Rhaenys Stark,
I did think about this, the photo is definitely older, it’s from Zumaia. The boat scene we’re all waiting for will most likely be shot indoors, usually the GoT ships are on land and are surrounded by greenscreens. Besides I imagine the
So nice to hear from Ellie. I really like Meera and Ellie’s portrayal of her.
Boudica,
I think those pictures are photoshopped. The “cloak” looks weird, just pasted on, flat. Also, the strap should go under the opposite arm if it’s worn on one shoulder.
Stannisisdead,
Bran has almost the same number of chapters as Sansa (iirc she has 24 chapters in the books and he has 21). If they can make up stuff for Sansa to keep her on the show, they can do that for Bran. She has 3 chapters in AFFC, yet the showrunners still gave her more to do, whereas Bran had 3 chapters in ADWD and they cut him from the show and barely gave him his own character arc when he returned.
Flayed Potatoes,
I honestly don’t know if it is real. The cloak looks very Targaryen. But you are right it does seem a bit strange.
I saw it on twitter, but the tweet has been deleted now, luckily I did make a screenshot of the original tweet.
http://i1238.photobucket.com/albums/ff496/BoudicaL/Photo%202016-11-24%2014%2050%2003.png
Irina Stark,
It might be photoshopped, the cloak looks a bit strange, but the leather tunic was also black when they were shooting in Spain.
Boudica,
It looks really fake to me. Maybe he’ll get a fancy Targ cloak next season lol (though I like the one Sansa made for him more).
Yes, his Northern cloak really makes him stand out as a Northerner. This fake cloak is not warm enough for winter.
Boudica,
A bit strange? This photo on the left is the one with Kit and Liam smilling from Zumaia set, the other is from Gaztelugatxe set. By logic, why would he wear a Targ cloak?
They might force Jon to be a bit more Targ in season 8 but that is in the future.
Just to add to the pile of references for. GRRM:
https://www.google.com/search?client=ubuntu&channel=fs&q=GRRM+on+writing+fo+Bran+Stark&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8
http://www.dailydot.com/parsec/george-rr-martin-comic-con/
Flayed Potatoes,
The only reason the showrunners were able to expand Sansa’s arc was by combining her storyline with someone else’s. They tried expanding Bran’s arc by sending him to Craster’s Keep, but since there is no other storyline North of the Wall they could combine Bran’s storyline with, their options are limited. That’s due to Martin’s treatment of the character.
Rhaenys Stark,
Emilia is just lovely in every sense of the word.
Jared,
She really is ❤️
ghost of winterfell,
Kit, Liam and Joe Dempsie are there too: https://twitter.com/insanejenn_/status/801589548417433602
Here’s hoping for some
sightings!
BunBunStark,
Geralt of Rivia,
LittleBear,
I must have chosen a wrong wording in regard to Rhaegar, but one way or another his body could not be cremated by some mysterious Targ loyalist. Rhaegar body could be found and fished out of the river only after the battle (it should have laid in the same Ruby Ford, because his armor would have prevented him being carried by the current, but nonetheless finding him required some effort, because he was not the only body there), and then there were no more Targ loyalists around. Targ loyalists either fell in the battle or fled to KL, some were captured but none of them could wander around searching for the fallen prince. And in general, giving proper (or not so proper) burial to the fallen has always been the duty of the winning side.
And IMO Ned Stark was exactly the type of man who would have given his fallen enemy a proper burial, instead of simply interring him in a mass grave. If it had to be cremation, let it be cremation, but that doesn’t change things. Afterwards, he could have brought his ashes (or rather dirt from the cremation site) to WF, when he was bringing Lyanna’s body back.
As for what the parentage revelation will mean to Jon, of course, there will be all kings of frustrations, but he will be able to say, that his mother cared for him and that she wasn’t a whore. And that’s not so bad taking into account, that these two things were his major concerns.
Inga,
Yeah, he would be at peace that his mother cared for him and it wan’t a rape but still it raises so many things other than that. It will be very interesting to see. Jon is especially kinda of person to look deeper into things and take responsbility for it, blame himself for it.
Dutch Maester,
The link doesn’t work. It’s quite obvious now what they are filming. Hope Pap4u gets to work too lol.
Grail King,
Ok, I get it, you all can stop now. Still absolutely none of these quotes proves that he isn’t a fan of Bran. Being difficult to write =/= not liking the character, so drop it.
Young Dragon,
No, Bran has a lot of book detail that was completely left out or butchered and watered down to the point of being unrecognizable. They could have spent season 4 with him meeting coldhands and their journey north and all of the atmospheric horror that was in those chapters, but instead they wrote that ridiculous crasters keep fanfiction and then booted him out of the rest of the season save for the finale, when they rushed his ADWD chapters in 10 minutes. Him having less chapters is not an excuse for kicking him out of an entire season, especially when other characters ran out of chapters as well and still got something to do. For example, Arya’s season 5 and season 6 arcs were practically indistinguishable and at least half filler and had no relation to any other main characters, but the writers would never boot her out of a whole season like theyve done with bran. Its laziness and not being interested in the character unless they can relate his existence to Jon. I suggest you reread his ADWD chapters if you buy their excuses for not even bothering to attempt to adapt them. They claim it would be boring to see bran “training” in the cave, however that was among the most interesting chapters in arguably the entire series and if the show managed to make an adaptation or expansion of that boring, it would be entirely their own fault. They had A LOT to work with contrary to popular belief. Instead we were lazily dropped right into Bran’s visions in season 6 with no explanation for how the rules of this kind of magic worked or what Bran had to go through to get to that point in his training. This is why so many people complained that the magic and time traveling in season 6 felt forced and out of nowhere.
Young Dragon,
Nope. Bran had a lot of interesting things going on in his chapter as Mark mentioned. He also has a supporting cast that the show is either killing off or writing out of the story. They even took out the Three Eyed Raven’s backstory and we got no reaction from Bran to his, Hodor and Summer’s deaths. The showrunners just don’t care about the character, his arc and his relationships, and only use him for exposition.
leaks
Mark,
Exactly! They managed to give Arya and Sansa things to do when they ran out of material (especially Sansa, who had 3 chapters in AFFC, while Bran had 3 in ADWD) and they even found ways to expand Tommen and Margaery’s roles. It’s clear they have no interest in writing for Bran. How much do you want to bet that D&D will have their golden child Sansa stay as Lady of Winterfell, when Bran is ahead of her in the succession!?
Mark,
Cold Hands’only function in the story is the same as that of Jojen in the show. He was Bran’s guide to the Three Eyed Raven. After that, he really hasn’t done anything. And if they took out Craster’s Keep and added some of Bran’s other material, the screen time would come out as the same. My Unsullied brother thought Bran’s storyline was the most boring during the first four seasons. After season 6, it has become one of his favorite storylines, so the show isn’t butchering his character at all. They’re juicing him up. There’s simply not enough meat in Bran’s storyline in the books to make compelling television.
Flayed Potatoes,
No, Bran is clearly being set up to be one of the keys to destroying the White Walkers and is not only used for exposition. I’ve already explained why Cold Hands would have been a useless condition. Lack of the Three Eyed Raven’s backstory is mark against his character, not Bran’s, so I don’t get your point.
Young Dragon,
There are other characters who are set up as keys or essential players to defeat the WW, and they get their own storylines and character development. Just because Bran as powers and is a key to defeat WW, that doesn’t mean that these things should be set aside because he’s a god with powers now or whatever it is that people say to justify his diminished screen time or lack of focus on his own inner struggles. I find this treatment of Bran to be very ableist.
All the characters who have their own storylines are surrounded by a supporting cast with whom they interact and have various relationships, so those supporting cast members also need to be developed for the sake of a well-developed storyline. They give depth to the lead’s storyline and the lead as well. They’ve used Benjen to replace Coldhands (so looks like he’s not as useless as you claim) and instead of giving us an extra scene with him and Bran they just have him drop Bran off at a weirwood after skipping 3-4 episodes. My Unsullied family thought Bran had the most interesting storyline, so sorry but not everyone shares your opinion and there’s plenty of meat there to make for compelling tv.
Maisie was spotted at Belfast Int like an hour ago
Young Dragon,
Blatantly untrue considering all of the mystery and lore surrounding Coldhand’s existence.
But why does your brother find Bran interesting now. Is it because he finds Bran as a character compelling, or is it because he likes seeing the visions of the past that relate to other characters (jon). I guarantee you its the latter. Every time a show only viewer says they like Bran now, they qualify that its because his powers allowed us to find out who jons parents are, even the source article in this post does this. And if they dont like him for his powers, they hate him for being an “asshole” for what happened in 6×05 because the writers decided just making bran bored was easier than actually examining the psychology of an isolated disabled child who wanted to see his family and walk again and made an unintentional mistake in the process. Contrary to him in the books, Bran as a character in the show is nonexistent. Theres really no arguing against this point. Bran is only given screentime and dialogue when they need him for exposition. His dialogue in season 6 consisted of “thats my aunt lyanna” “thats ser arthur dayne” “thats my father” “youre uncle benjen” etc etc. Try and explain Bran’s personality to me using show evidence only. He doesn’t have one. When the writers feel Bran has nothing to contribute in the way of serving as exposition for other characters, he gets booted completely. Its been this way since season 1 when bran got one thirty second scene to be upset about his life being violently ruined and then seemed to be completely over it after that.
And the lengths they’ll go to to make sure they don’t have to spend time on bran as a character but still get to keep what he offers as a plot device is really breathtaking, considering
Of course show viewers find Bran uninteresting. The writers have given him no personality and no fleshed out genuine relationships with any other characters. Ellie was right to call Bran the forgotten Stark, because he really is, by the writers and by the fandom.
Mark,
Eh not really.I love Bran and I would like for him to have a more expanded role but that’s not all on D&D.I have looked around the book corners of the fandom a lot and the reaction to Bran is pretty much the same as the show watchers.Most people find his chapters boring and he is not very high up on the fave character hierarchy.Even when his chapters are discussed most of it is abut the visions or Bloodraven.Same as the show.It’s not like they cut any integral part but of course it feels different because we have lost his inner thoughts.So I mostly blame GRRM.He should have given Bran a better story and more things to do.He had such potential when it started.I guess the showrunners also find it difficult to portray Bran.But he has had relationships in the show.We know he cares deeply about his family.He is the one who has had scenes with most of them apart from Jon.He and Robb in season one were great.Same with master Luwin and Theon in season 2.I loved the scene with him and Rickon when they say goodbye in season three also how hard it was for him to not go to Jon in season four.And the scene in episode six with Meera was lovely.
Jenny,
And I find you and so-called “most” of the fandom wrong. Bran is in my opinion a rich interesting character in the books and just because all you’ve seen analyzed are his visions doesnt mean theres not a ton of analysis and meta on bran as a character and his journey throughout the story. Some people are more interested in death and violence and spectacle so Bran gets looked over a lot because his chapters aren’t like that. His chapters are more quiet but his archetypical heroes journey plot is fascinating and the show has done a complete disservice to it by making him a shallow 1 dimensional character who gets the blame for everything pinned on him at every opportunity (climbing the tower without neds permission, making him instead of luwin send off their fighting men, making him send rickon off to the umbers, so on and so forth) and has no personality to speak of or struggles with his own traumatizing childhood.
sebaciel,
And Isaac was in Dublin yesterday visiting Kristian Nairn and will probably be in belfast soon as well.
Flayed Potatoes,
Bran’s storyline is well past the books, so your complaint of Bran’s supporting characters being killed off is premature. They may also die in the books. As for Benjen, he hasn’t taken over any of Cold Hands’ role, so his existence in the show doesn’t tell me anything about the importance of Cold Hands in the books. What plot crucial elements from Bran’s storyline did they leave out of the show?
Mark,
What does Cold Hands’ backstory have anything to do with his importance in the story? Face it, he hasn’t done anything yet that would have made his inclusion absolutely necessary.
My brother had trouble understanding the point of his story and was wondering why we were even following him. Season 6 gave him a better understanding of the role Bran will play and found the flashbacks to be interesting. It’s not only show viewers who found him to be boring. Book readers also found him to be a boring character.
Young Dragon,
Cool generalization.
Theres certain POVs I found immensely boring but I’m not going to project that onto everyone else.
Mark,
This is based on polls and comments across ASOIAF forums. And I personally didn’t find him to be boring. You and I seem to be in the minority on this.
Mark,
It seems you don’t seem to be grasping that not everyone thinks the same way you do and you are sticking your fingers in your ears because you don’t like hearing the truth,seriously,grow the fuck up ! Also i want to hear the apologies for calling me a troll and a liar and twisting my words .
Stannisisdead,
Mature comment.
And ironic coming from you, who shamelessly twisted GRRM’s words. Apologize to GRRM.
Jenny,
Some of my favorite Bran moments have been the ones where he’s been pulled between family and destiny (separating from Rickon, turning away from Jon at Crastors, reluctantly emerging from the Winterfell vision, etc.). I hope this inner conflict is revisited during Season 7, especially since now he’s going to be in a position where those two worlds interact. I personally think the reconciliation of “Brandon Stark of Winterfell” with the “Three-Eyed Raven” is more interesting than Bran losing his entire identity in service of the plot. Arya turned away from becoming “No One” and Sansa turned away from becoming “Alayne Stone,” so I would hope that at some point Bran would reclaim his personhood as well. I think it could be a very powerful moment for him to realize that his destiny doesn’t have to overwrite everything he is.
This interview leads away from that nonsensical Meera spoiler.
I could be wrong, but unless Bran marries as long as he and Sansa presides in WF he would be the Lord and she would be the Lady of Winterfell.
Bran’s main stuff is coming towards the end, GRRM saving the best for last, just like the last hero, who lost his friends and dog, Bran has lost most of his plus his wolf.
Mark,
Unfortunately David and Dany don't seem to like the magicky stuff or characters with magic. Hence why Jon and Arya don't have any warging abilities, the direwolves are deemed unimportant and there is very little Bran. They have said that their book is political drama with some magic on the fringes.
Hell, even the exploration of Arya's time with the FM was badly done because they omitted her warging. The only things she learned after 2 seasons in Braavos is fighting blind. Jon's resurrection sucks because again we don't have him warging into Ghost and all the implications that brings and after Mel brings him back, the consequences are swept aside.
The only character whose magic quotient has been increased is Dany who has been given fire immunity. And it's clear why -they want big epic moments with Dragons and Dany burning down stuff. Dany has been unfortunately stuck in Essos with uninteresting side characters – so every bit helps.
I do agree that Bran really got the short end of the stick on the show. There was so much they could have done with him. But D and D seem to be only interested in giving Cersei and Sansa more to do. Jon has been reduced to an action hero, Dany reduced to epic moments, Arya reduced to a killing machine and Tyrion reduced to making witty one liners.
I mean, what do you expect from the writers who reduced that whole intricate North plot in ADwD to a 'Sansa gets revenge on Ramsay' plot with Jon as a supporting character?
Sorry, but if you are a Bran fan all you can do is wait for the books to come out. I think Bran will feature heavily in TWoW since GRRM has mentioned that we will be seeing more of the Lands of Always Winter.
I only hope that the show sticks to the book endings for Bran, Arya, Jon and Dany so that I know what happens to them if the remaining books never get released.
Young Dragon,
They’ve left out his training, are cutting his relationship with Meera by writing her off on the show (iirc he also has a crush on her in the books), eliminated the creepy parts of his arc (hello, cannibalism), drastically cut down on his time as Lord of Winterfell and how much he knows and loves Winterfell and its people. Right now he’s used as exposition and written off as too “zen” to care about Hodor and Summer dying (yes this was actually said in an interview), with fans blaming him for everything wrong that happened in Winterfell. His own traumatic experiences are overlooked (being crippled, missing his home and family, having his home sacked and having to run away, being cold and starved, going on a dangerous journey, fending off WW, and taking on huge responsibilities and burdens at a young age). Coincidentally, other main characters are going or have gone through some of these things too and they’ve been given proper attention, but not Bran. He’s just been reduced to pointing out his family members to viewers when his character is more than that and the treatment he’s been given frankly reeks of ableism.
Grail King,
Bran is Lord of Winterfell till death, whether he marries or not. Sansa would just be his heir (and by Lady of Winterfell, I mean the ruler of the Stark House and Stark lands, not someone who keeps house).
sebaciel,
You think so? I wish I could be as hopeful as you but I kind of got the opposite impression to be honest. Especially at the part when Ellie says that Meera’s duty is to get Bran where he needs to go. That lines up with the nonsense that the spoilers claims she does.
sebaciel,
Person who saw her has since confirmed that Maisie was flying out of Belfast.
Mark,
Ok it seems there is no way to discuss with you,i’m going to ignore your comments from now on since you act so immature . And yes you are the one who is immature in this not me since i have been proven right and you still don’t have the decency to admit it and instead you continue to attack me .
Stannisisdead,
Lol alright then. Cheers
Inga,
Because he has spent his life thinking he was Ned’s son and envying his brother Rob – in the books he wants his life. Yes he’s half Stark through his mom but imagine finding out your father is the son of the Mad King. A family that has insanity running through their bloodline for generations. A family responsible for killing Ned’s father and brother. He abandoned his real wife and children for a prophecy – he needed a third child and chose to run off with a young girl who was engaged to someone else. Had he not done that, many lives wouldn’t have been lost. So maybe a ‘nice guy’ but a very selfish one.
I expect it would be like being adopted in some respects and not being told you were until you were an adult – you spent your life thus far thinking you knew who you were and suddenly everything you thought is turned upside down.
Jared,
Very well stated, she is very talented and one of the shining lights on GOT in my opinion.
No, he received the same training he’s receiving in the books.
Unconfirmed.
Why does this matter?
What they did was adapt his book material to fit it into the tv medium. They showed us enough for he viewing audience to get they idea. Just because they didn’t show us everything doesn’t mean they don’t care for the character. Also, they showed how much Bran cares when he begged for Rodrik’s life and gave up his lordship to save his people.
They’ve literally gone over all of these things.
Flayed Potatoes,
I agree.
Kristofer Hivju leaving Belfast (he was still there 2 days ago)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNMiV0jgiH0/
Bsow,
Like Ellie said, Meera is fiercely loyal and protective of Bran, she went through hell and back for him. No way would she
No, he received the same training he’s receiving in the books.
Unconfirmed
Why does this matter?
What they’ve done is adapt his book storyline to fit a tv medium. They showed enough of Bran ruling for the tv audience to get the idea. Also, they showed how much Bran cared by having him plead for Rodrik’s life and by having him give up his lordship to save his people.
They’ve literally dealt with all of these things in the show.
elybe,
Oh I agree I would love that.Unfortunately this might the once case where destiny will override identity because his destiny is too big.But I want to see him fight it.From what we know of season 7 he will be involved with his family so it’s not all WW and I’m happy about that,Honestly I feel so sorry for Bran.He has gone through so much shit and deserves so much better.
I thought someone comment in one of the threads that Iain said that him and Emilia would be filming in Iceland for this season?
Kathy,
It’s a complicated question. First of all, all we know about Rhaegar points that he wasn’t some mindless lovelace. Quite on the contrary: he believed in some prophesy (that prophesy was obviously related to the WW and gave a recipe how to defeat them), so, whatever he did he did to give a chance for humankind. And if Jon manages to fulfill that prophesy, it will sort of justify the actions of his parents and maybe also the actions of the entire Targaryan dynasty, because that prophesy may pretty well come from Daenys the Dreamer and be the sole reason, why the Targaryans were saved from the Doom.
There was a bit similar story in the history of my own country: one of our rulers was also sort of born against the laws of gods and men and his very birth and existence also caused a lot of tragedies and bloodshed. Still, he proved his worth by solving the problem with the enemy the country was struggling for about two centuries; he earned the by-name of the Great; his mother who had been considered an oath-breaker, cause she had been a pagan priestess sworn to chastity, became a pagan saint (still sort of worshiped BTW). But what fascinates me most of all in that story is that, after winning all the battles and sealing all the agreements with the foreign enemies, that man arranged donations to the churches in which his rival brothers and cousins were buried ordering to pray for their souls.
So, I just wanted to make the point that people can make peace with their family history including some bloodstained pages and with themselves, if they find courage and strength to do something right and I hope that Jon will be able to do the same.
Mickey,
Iain never said that, no quotes and looked for this.
Corbyn Stark,
You’re ridiculous. Get a life.