The casting of Jim Broadbent was the major announcement for season seven of Game of Thrones, with the confirmation of the Academy Award-winning actor coming late last August. The announcement didn’t provide a name for his role, unfortunately, leaving fans to speculate over the possible parts for such a high-caliber performer.
In October, a new possibility arose when Watchers on the Wall learned from a source that the ASOIAF character Archmaester Ebrose will be appearing in the upcoming season.
As we noted then, “Ebrose is a maester of the Citadel, where he is mostly mentioned in conjunction with his area of expertise – healing- and his distinct silver mask and rod.” Ebrose is not a prominent character in the novels, only appearing briefly and being noted for his “soft voice and gentle hands.” But his skill at healing is so remarkable that the former maester Qyburn, in discussing his own skills, says that he’s “as skilled a healer as Ebrose, but aspired to surpass him.”
The mystery of Broadbent’s role is all but gone today as the actor has confirmed, in a new interview with Screencrush, that he will indeed be playing an archmaester on Game of Thrones.
“I’m a maester, an archmaester. I’m an old professor character,” Broadbent tells Screencrush. He confirms that he’ll be appearing in five episodes. He also says, “I did sort of one major scene in each episode.”
Furthermore, Broadbent says that his scenes were shared with Samwell Tarly (John Bradley).
We last saw Sam at the Citadel in the season 6 finale, being admitted to the great library. It sounds as though he’ll be learning from Broadbent’s archmaester (who is most likely Ebrose) in season 7. If Ebrose shares his book character’s healing skill, then we suspect they’ll be meeting up with another major Westerosi character, one who is very much in need of a medical miracle- Jorah Mormont (Iain Glen).
Hey… I’m mildly excited about the coming season now.
I see why, in the light of Jorah’s progressing greyscale, there would be more focus on the healing archmaester. But do we have any word on Marwyn yet? Could he be him?
We know for shooting photos that Sam is staying in Oldtown for a while, so it makes sense to have other regular characters there also.
If I remember correctly, there is another maester, maybe that´s Marwyn.
More Broadbent please! 🙂
Must. See. Moar. Promo. #dying
Five episodes eh… and his scenes are with Sam. I guess that’s enough to confirm that we’re going to be seeing more of Sam in season 7 than we did in 6.
light leaks mention:
didi,
Considering Marwyn left to find Dany at end of A Feast For Crows, bringing him into the TV series now wouldn’t make much sense since she is on her to Westeros. I don’t see how they could fit him in at this point. Maybe he could make an appearance in the North after Dany settles there before the War for the Dawn to advise her. I can see why we need Ebrose now though – it’s obviously for Jorah.
VF believes he’s Maester Marwyn. Anyway such a significant role and yet not a word of it in the leak.
Not surprising, great to hear he’ll be in a few episodes! ?
Maybe Marwyn and Ebrose and being morphed together, the way the Elder Brother and Septon Meribald were combined into Brother Ray for the show. I’ll be sad if Marwyn’s role as a significant behind-the-scenes magical power broker gets lost in the sauce.
I’d suggest while his character is named Ebrose he may in fact be several characters rolled into one.
Clob,
We don’t know which episodes Jim will feature in. Could even be in the finale. Apart from Jim’s role, there’s another one to play a Maester. Doesn’t sound like they’re merging Marwyn and Ebrose. The most important part of this interview is Jim’s confirmation that his character will play a very significant role.
Sounds like we will get more Sam scenes in season seven than we did in season six (yay!) if this maester is in five episodes and shares his scenes with Sam. Will be interesting to see how much of the Citadel/Oldtown we get in these five episodes.
I really hope Marwyn is in it, it would be nice to meet a well traveled Maester who doesn’t hide away from things and even embraces Dragons unlike others who hate them.
Jorah is Saved!!!!!…well..at least, ..healed??
lol..his Khaleesi willed it and so it is done…
serious though,..I am doing a rewatch with my mom (her first time watching series) and there is not ONE task that Dany has given him (and we are in the middle of season five) that he did not accomplish..thats a pretty good person to have on your side…imo
It might be incorrect to say but as soon as I saw title of this article I was like Magic is coming! Love love love Jim Broadbent
bluefrost,
Sean C.,
And here’s an article on this from Vanity Fair, referring to the “unerringly accurate” WotW: http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2017/03/jim-broadbent-game-of-thrones-maester-marwyn-season-7
bluefrost,
LOL What?! That’s all you have to say? I thought you would be doing handstands and coochie dances – this means your darling Jorah is saved. Which, I don’t deny, makes me happy too, but when I read that this Archmaester’s specialty was healing, the first thing I thought of was how happy you would be. Have your Jorah loyalties changed, my dear?
Yeah, I love J. Broadbent in everything he’s been in. He has the ability to play a lovable airhead or a menacing gang boss with equal skill, and touch a hundred emotions in between, all totally believable and engrossing. He will make an excellent ArchM.
Really looking forward to the coming season, really really getting tired of the breadcrumbs of poster art and two-second views of someone’s thumb that have been tossed to us. I know Sue and Co. are doing the best they can with what we’ve been thrown, but geeeez HBO, SOMETHING puhleeeze. Crap, I’m sounding like a whiny old bitch. oh well … anyone care to whine along with me?
Please fix Jorah!
That’s an understatement. Sam only was in three episodes in season six, and featured prominently only in episodes six and ten (his scene in episode three mostly being a reminder for the audience.) It seems Sam may be in 5 or 6 episodes this season… a season of seven episodes! So that’s a big change, yes.
Alba Stark,
My thoughts exactly!!!
bluefrost,
While it’s true that we don’t know, I’d wager to say that on the SHOW there will only be scenes at the Citadel as long as we have major characters present. I do see mention that his scenes were shared with Sam, not that some of them were… Also that it was “sort of one major scene in each episode.” Five scenes isn’t really a lot. That’s about how many Sam had last season and that’s not much.
I just don’t think they’re going to adapt some of the subplots in the time frame they have nor make the Citadel a major ‘player’ that some theorize for the books completion. Without knowing where GRRM is going with it, there’s too much guesswork and creative writing necessary to start up and make it fit with the Pate, fPate, Alleras, the Alchemist, the key, Marwyn’s intentions, etc. My guess is that the Citadel and new characters there will be used almost exclusively to inform, teach and help Sam until he leaves and then return to just an institution to be mentioned.
Broadbent’s character could be named any one of those in the books. Ebrose, Marwyn, Walgrave… there are several. Ebrose is probably most likely because of what we think we know. Marwyn’s planned actions aren’t followed in the books (yet) and the show is well past the point of him sailing for Meereen. They could very well blend his attitude and personality together with Ebrose’s and all of his talk just an aid for Sam to figure out what to do.
I’m actually intrigued by this storyline.
Haha! You are correct, however I’ve been battling a Mountain of a migraine so I’m looking at the screen with one eyeball while the left side of my head is smashed into a hot water bottle. Feeling a bit Oberyn-ish. ? Not very good for typing a whole lot! I shall forever be a Jorah loyalist. My dear lovely bear. *swoon*
I agree, Jim Broadbent can really run the gamut of personalities and characters, such a talent.
I’m impatient and yet at the same time I find myself wanting to hold off longer each time the season gets close to starting. Because the only thing worse than waiting for the start is nearing the end. And I dread that!
*resumes cursing the discontented cranium*
The Citadel scene in “Winds of Winter” was one of my favorites in that episode. Can’t wait to see more. Especially more of that library…and the armillary sphere!. Can’t help but wonder if it plays any significance or if showing the sphere was simply just a nod at the opening credit sequence. I would assume the latter.
Luka Nieto,
… and that’s just considering the statement that Broadbent’s scenes in five episodes are with Sam. I think we’re all pretty confident that Sam will have additional scenes to go along with those that don’t involve Broadbent’s character. It’s nearly a certainty that he’ll have at least a couple with just Gilly and little Sam… and others later…
I will be so happy if we get a Jorah healing episode. Or maybe a montage or something… He’ll be jogging up the stairs of Dragonstone like Rocky…
Ah! Archmaester Slughorn & Sam the wizard to the rescue
Marwyn the Mage is also an archmaester
When you think about it the sphere had to be in the library because the theory behind the opening credits is it’s a map the maesters keep updating hence the changes in the map according to which family is in power at each of the locations … would be funny if there’s an opening scene where the camera pans from the sphere down to the giant map below with maesters updating it complaining there’s so many changes
Clob,
I’d also suggest having a healer can encorporate magic as well as medicine. He may in fact view weights and walkers as people who need to be healed and so might help push the entire plot in that direction.
Poor thing, those migraines are the pits. Sending you healing vibes through the laptop. Feel better soon.
Intriguing thought. If, as I suspect, the key to unplugging the hivemind of the wights is to yank the obsidian shard out of the Night King’s heart, the one living Archmaester who has figured out the secret of lighting the glass candles (Marwyn in the books) seems the appropriate character to have enough dragonglass lore to make the connection, once he has heard Sam the Slayer’s firsthand account. But he needs to communicate with Bran somehow first, since only Bran has the vision of the making of the Others/White Walkers.
Speaking of maesters… I wonder if the show will address the appointment of or an attempt to appoint a new Grand Maester to the Red Keep. I imagine Cersei would refuse and block any further forced ‘intrusions’ by the Citadel Conclave. It would probably be wise to not try as he’d likely end up like Pycelle.
I’m surprised Broadbent’s role is going to be five episodes…there’s obviously more to that plot than just potentially healing Jorah, ’cause if Jorah does indeed make it to the Citadel, I think it would be HIGHLY unlikely that he would spend 5 episodes out of a seven episode season hanging around in Oldtown…
Firannion,
If, as I suspect, the key to unplugging the hivemind of the wights is to yank the obsidian shard out of the Night King’s heart…
WHOA, I now have a lot to think about the rest of the day. Because I don’t have work to do or other hobbies or anything… 😉
Clob,
I imagine she’ll give Qyburn the maester position as well as Hand Of The Queen and if the citadel have a issue with it, she’ll tell them where to shove it lol
George,
Perhaps, but just thinking “five episodes” rather than “part of five episodes” can be deceiving and make one think it’s a larger role than it is. If it is just one scene per and five total scenes, those can be eaten up pretty quickly. Sam & Gilly had four total scenes in S6 and, while memorable, it felt like we hardly saw them (on the ship, arriving at Horn Hill, dinner with family and leaving, Citadel).
Sam simply meeting the archmaester, discussing everything he’s seen and what he needs to learn could take up a couple of Broadbent’s scenes alone. Adding in that “other stuff” could take much of the rest. *shrug*
Firannion,
I agree, it doesn’t matter how many WW they kill it won’t make a dent in their army so the only way to kill them is removing the magic from the Night King aka what’s embedded in his chest. Though considering how old and powerful he is, even the best swordsman in Westeros won’t stand a chance, it’s gonna have to be a group effort from both physical and magical fronts to take him down.
That’s what I’m assuming she’d do, to include the “shove it.” Even though Qyburn is not a maester (anymore) and only the Citadel can appoint a Grand Maester to the king/queen, she’s not going to care since she trusts Qyburn and he can do everything an official maester can.
Mel,
I think that’s why, in the books, one character (Euron) has access to the only known suit of Valyrian steel armor. Jon (or whoever is so destined) will need to be wearing that to get close enough to the NK.
Mr Derp,
That’s probably how they know winter is coming.
Firannion, Theon’s redemption will be to give it to Jon or wear it himself & slay.
5 major scenes
LEAKS:
E2. Ebrose forbids Sam to heal Jorah.
E3. Sam steals key from Ebrose.
E4. Ebrose catches Sam with healed Jorah.
E5. Ebrose kicks Sam out of the Citadel.
How does Gilly get her hands on the book of marriages if she isn’t allowed in the Citadel? Does Sam borrow it from the library?
Clob,
Yes but I think they could also study the nature of the eights and walkers without brand input. It’s when they connect in season 8 that they share
Rygritte,
So Sam is faceless man?
Firannion,
The moment I read about that VS suit, my first thought was: how is this suit going to reach Jon?
I’m shameless.
Rygritte,
That is cool, maybe Sam get more screen time than season 6.
Which makes wonder, seems Mark Gatiss was on set for 7.
Seemingly for Tycho Nestoris to have a frustrating conversation with Cersei, ok, that’s all? Seems the Iron Bank would be interested in Dany by now.
I like that hypothesis. Would actually like to see Theon turn out to be the unlikeliest Last Hero himself.
Not until episode 7? I would think that with word of Cersei’s antics, particularly that Mace and Queen Marge are dead, he’d get his pompous self directly to Kings Landing, like episode 1, to scope out the situation. And if he gets no satisfaction there, which I doubt he would because I doubt Cersei is smart enough to placate him, THEN he’d back carefully out of her Throne Room and proceed to find Dany.
I get a kick out of Gatiss in any form – did anyone catch him as the fat King in Taboo? He was marvelous.
Firannion,
I suspect the Night King is a show creation to give the White Walkers a face (which isn’t a bad idea, by any means), not something from the books (indeed, his backstory is totally different from the book figure from whom the name is taken).
Pigeon,
Get well soon! Defeat the Montain! As much as I like Oberyn, I don’t want you to feel like him in his last scene. If we speak about fun-loving Oberyn, feel like him all the time!
About Jorah, I was sure he would be healed the moment I saw Daenerys ordering him to! He loves her too much to disrespect such an order.
Thronetender,
About Tycho getting satisfaction… Mace popped to my mind, singing “I can get no satisfaction!”
I admired Mark Gatiss in Taboo… I wouldn’t have recognized him if I hadn’t read about his character.
Firannion,
I like your solution, really elegant!
Yes, but will there be a nude scene?
Flayed Potatoes,
If that ends up being the case, and I don’t see why not, can you think of anyone else we know that needs intensive healing…. then Jorah becomes a much more important character than I thought he would end up being. Tbh I am sort of indifferent towards him, but will be happy for those he has endeared himself to 🙂
It is interesting that we didn’t get to see the actual meeting between Tycho Nestoris and Mace Tyrell, so we don’t actually know the specific terms of the deal Mace made with the Iron Bank. Did he make personal commitments above those of the Crown? He certainly mentioned the possibility of making a personal contribution to the Crown’s funds in one of the Small Council meetings (possibly the same meeting in which Cersei instructed him to go to Braavos, I cannot recall the exact one).
The Iron Bank have been making friends with more than one side since season four, when they gave Stannis the financial support he used to hire sellswords and defeat Mance in 410/march on Winterfell in the second half of season five. So it is possible they could enter into negotiations with Daenerys before cutting off Cersei.
As for Mark Gatiss – loved him in Sherlock, and loved him in Taboo. Taboo was stunning, and at times became a bit like spot the Thrones actor. I seem to be going through a phase at the moment where almost every drama I tune into has a current or former Thrones cast member in it! A result, I think, of such a large and talented cast.
Alba Stark,
I was reading up on Kit Harington’s new project and not only does Mark Gatiss have a part, but also Kevin Eldon who played Ned Stark in the Braavosi play last season. You could play bingo with British dramas, there’s always going to be a GoT-actor there, lol.
I would have really like to see Tycho Nestoris go to the Wall and meet with Jon, but now I get to see Mark and Kit together on another show atleast.. and maybe they’ll meet later on if Tycho survives 🙂
Very cool! The book 4 citadel story didn’t go anywhere so it will be cool to finally see what happens?? Though of course it could be completely different. 🙂
I don’t know if leaks are involved in the Jorah speculation (hope not), but I certainly would love Jorah to get healed/not die but also not spread a plague… I’m just not so hopeful about that, especially the last, haha…
I was just rewatching Episode 10 of last season and it’s something I noticed originally but never bothered to comment on.
Are we to assume that Maester Aemon deliberately didn’t informed the Citadel that Jon had been elected Lord Commander, suspecting that Jon would eventually wish/need to leave the Night’s Watch?
I know Sam says he became too ill, but we know that he was fit enough to cast the deciding vote himself and continue to offer Jon advice for some time afterwards. So it seems pretty clear to me that he deliberately failed to inform them.
Had he informed the Citadel of Jon being Lord Commander then the fact that he had sworn an oath to relinquish all titles and claims, father no children, etc etc would be a matter of irrefutable record.
Obviously, the Lords and people of the North know that he was a member of the Night’s Watch and its Lord Commander. However, they were always more likely to be accepting of his “desertion” given his blood, as evidenced by his coronation. But being a known oath breaker may have been a hindrance to gathering support in the South.
As we well know from the history of the show, it doesn’t really matter what oaths you’ve sworn or what the people think of you as long as you have the power to assert your claim or command respect.
But might Maester Aemon have chosen not to place that additional hurdle in Jon’s way regardless?
You make an intriguing point about Aemon, and the possibility that he purposely didn’t inform the Citadel of Jon’s status. However, Jon isn’t an oathbreaker. The vows spoken by the Night’s Watch begin, “Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death.” Jon has already died.
Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,
I don’t know about all that… Remember that book-Aemon left Castle Black with Sam’s group for the Citadel for a few reasons, including giving them information about various things. Of course things didn’t work out quite as intended and Sam had to relay what he could when he arrived.
We can’t be sure why they changed it so Aemon doesn’t go with Sam, but perhaps it was as simple as not wanting to push Peter Vaughan too much due to his poor health. They may have also thought it a better arc with Sam arriving and the Citadel having no idea of what’s been happening at CB.
Wolfish,
Sure, we know that Jon’s not an oathbreaker and why. But obviously the rest of Westeros wouldn’t be as willing to accept that explanation. Ramsay even mentioned him deserting the Night’s Watch.
As I said, the people in the North have been willing to overlook his “desertion” regardless, but the rest of the Seven Kingdoms might not be.
They could of course still consider him an oathbreaker, even if the fact that he was elected Lord Commander was not made a matter of public record; especially considering that he’s unlikely to deny having been a brother of the Night’s Watch.
But having it on the record at the Citadel would certainly make it more official, and could potentially be used to undermine his legitimacy and credibility.
Clob,
Perhaps they did create the situation in order to benefit Sam’s storyline somehow. For example, perhaps they will use Sam clearing up the confusion as a means to bring him into contact with a particular character, such as the one which Jim Broadbent is playing. I guess we’ll have to wait and see about that.
But considering that Aemon cast the deciding vote to elect Jon in S5 E2 and wasn’t seen bedridden and dying until Episode 7, I think there’s definitely a suspicion that the failure to update the Citadel was deliberate.
It’s hard to believe that he was unable to send a raven, or ask Sam to do so.
Mayhaps Sam will depart the Citadel with Jonah as protector.
You’re right, of course: Night’s King = WW/Other #1 is totally a show construct, so far as we know. And my ‘unplugging’ hypothesis works only within the context of the show. But the showrunners might have been inspired by the existence of Valyrian steel armor in the books to introduce it in the last couple of seasons as a means for someone to get up-close-and-personal with the NK. (Hanging that subtle a gun earlier on would likely have meant that casual viewers would forget.)
Just because the Valyrian plate is associated with Euron in the books doesn’t necessarily mean that’s how it will be found in the show, though it would be a nice excuse for Theon to pay down his bad karma to Team Stark. It could also be the critical contribution to the cause of a certain talented smith with royal blood.
Then again, I could be wildly off-base here! But fallow times are speculation times, and it’s fun.