John Bradley on Sam’s Goodbye to Jon; Ian Beattie on that Gory Scene with Arya

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Actor John Bradley who plays Sam the Slayer, spoke with Vulture about Sam/Jon’s Goodbye, Gilly, and Sam’s future in Oldtown.

On his goodbye with Jon, Bradley reflects on the scene as it also meant saying goodbye to his good friend, Kit Harington.

They’ve said good-bye before, but there’s something about this good-bye that seems final. I knew it was going to be difficult when I read it, but I think it’s a moving experience. It’s a fairly low-key chat, and they talk about their problems, as friends do. It’s a beautiful way to end their friendship. Despite all the fantasy elements, the show is about people, and sometimes it’s nice to see people interacting. Sometimes one of the more interesting moments, at the heart of the show, is just two people talking.

He goes on to talk about Sam and Gilly’s relationship and how it’s progressed as well as his hopes for Sam in Oldtown.

He jokes:

You know when people leave school to go to college and that summer they invent a completely new personality? I hope Sam arrives in Oldtown with sunglasses and a leather jacket on, lying about what a legend he is.

Bradley discusses book changes, Olly, and of course Jon Snow over at Vulture.

 

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Vulture also got the chance to talk with Ian Beattie about that scene with vengeful Arya Stark.

On how David Benioff and Dan Weiss gave him the news:

They phoned me personally to tell me the news, “Valar morghulis, or in this case, Meryn morghulis.” They said, “We’re sending you the scripts of episodes nine and ten, and you get to see a really nasty side of Ser Meryn.”

So I got the scripts, and I was genuinely horrified. I was daunted by the challenge of bringing this monster to life, to make this monster human, which I believed would make it more terrifying. There wasn’t a day that went by where I wasn’t thinking about the one scene in episode nine or the scene in episode ten.

Vulture asks about the challenges and emotions of those last few days of shooting:

Those three days were probably also the biggest challenge of my acting career. I think and I hope we got it right, that it presents the viewer with the horror of Ser Meryn and the thoroughly just end that he deserves. But it was also the worst moment of my professional career, and that was when the incomparable director David Nutter said, “That’s a series wrap on Ian Beattie.” That was awful. It was like being told you can’t come back to your family again. Your large, slightly dysfunctional, incredibly talented family. The only good news was, because my eyes were stabbed out, I was completely blind. I was wearing prosthetics over my eyes. So that presented a challenge in itself. I couldn’t see a thing. But that was good news, because none of them could see me crying.

Finally, Beattie also confirms the absolute fate of Syrio Forel as far as he and David Benioff are concerned:

Speaking as the character, Syrio Forel is dead. Unless Syrio managed to somehow overcome Ser Meryn at that moment, with a wooden half of a sword, which I would have thought to be extremely unlikely, Ser Meryn simply would not have left him alive. He was under orders, and he was under orders from Cersei. I asked David Benioff what he thought, and he thought Syrio was dead as well. I simply don’t believe that Syrio was left to live. I’m as certain of that as I can be.

Beattie praises Maisie’s talents, living in Belfast with the cast and much more over at Vulture.

Alright, you know the drill, let us know what you think in the comments below!

91 Comments

  1. Re: Arya’s kill – one of the more incredible scenes from the finale. Some excellent work from them both. And credit to the show considering this isn’t from the books.

  2. Does Sam’s depart from the wall should be consider as a desertion? Since he obviously left the war in the eve of the big white walker invasion

  3. The Arya stabby stabby is how I pictured her kill the Tickler in the book scene at the inn. Conversely they used her Raff the sweetling style kill from Mercy at the inn. The settings are very similar but her state of mind was reversed. I wonder why they switched her cold blooded killing from the books with her psychotic killing. It’s interesting time wise considering where she was at with her training.

    Not criticizing. Just wondering what the reasoning behind the switch was.

  4. marsyao,

    No, he’s on business for the Watch. Yoren travelled Westeros to gather recruits. Sam needs to become a maester for the Watch and come back.

  5. marsyao,

    I hadn’t thought of that before. If Sam comes back to the wall and Thorne is still in charge, it could certainly go that way. I guess it depends on what Jon and Sam told everyone else before Sam and Gilly left.

  6. Beattie was a gem! Meryn Trant might not have been the biggest of roles but was key to the hell lived by both Stark girls. It was weird seeing him all smiles on the premier red carpet because the guy comes across so cool, so it’s a testament to what he brought to the role. Even without the pedo introduction, Trant deserved a hellish death and Arya delivered. Maisie and Ian killed (ha!) that scene. That, followed by her blinding, was my favorite moment of the finale.

  7. I doubt its desertion when you load up a wagon at Castle Black and wave bye-d-bye to Captain Walker as you sally forth through open gates.

  8. Kells,

    Not to mention Ian Beattie’s comment that the final scene between Arya and Trant was done in one take. Great acting by Ian and Maisie.

  9. Another insightful interview with John Bradley. Looks like they have everyone spinning the “Good-bye to Kit” stuff.

    Ian Beattie did a great job making me hate Meryn…right until the end.

  10. spacechampion:
    marsyao,

    No, he’s on business for the Watch.Yoren travelled Westeros to gather recruits.Sam needs to become a maester for the Watch and come back.

    Exactly this. There is Watch business to be done other than within the castles along the Wall and becoming the successor of Maester Aemon qualifies.

  11. One thing I love about these goodbye interviews is that everyone seems to have genuinely loved working on the show, not just for the paycheck, but for the camaraderie and experience. OK, maybe it’s all Hollywood kissy face b.s. But not likely. Speaks to the atmosphere HBO and the show runners have created.

  12. Great interview from John B. He explained Sam’s mindset this season quite well. In a few days, I’ll start rewatching this season again, and I have a feeling then it may become my favorite season of all.

  13. marsyao,

    Often wondered that

    He’s on Watch business within the realm and presumably has a note from the LC

    Wondered the same about Benjen turning up to the Winterfell feast, there must be leave notes from the LC

  14. A brutal scene. They love going for the eyes on this show, starting with Jory. Very well done. “I am Arya Stark, and you are No One.” Oh Arya, what ironic words! Really thought we’d see Needle judging from the stills posted but nope.

    Jaqen, don’t ever do that to me again. I need Tom Wlaschiha and Iain Glen for as long as possible to keep my estrogen levels in check.

    Anyone else feel like Sam and Gilly have a giant *ROB/PLUNDER/KILL US* sign on their little wagon???

  15. I don’t give one single fuck about Sam or Arya. Can someone please offer me some proof that Jon will live.

  16. marsyao,

    No. He’s been sent to the Citadel by the Lord Commander to become a maester.

    Hateful Thorne was sent to KL to bring the hand of the wight Ghost found back in season 1 to Joffrey, in order to try to get more recruits for the Wall.

  17. Pigeon: Really thought we’d see Needle judging from the stills posted but nope.

    Not even Duncan McLeod of the Clan McLeod could have hid a sword under that shift.

  18. keltia: Not to mention Ian Beattie’s comment that the final scene between Arya and Trant was done in one take.

    Well, it had to be: he has only one set of eyes, right?

    😉

  19. Seems like the creeping doubt is exactly what they want to do, right? D & D were book readers first and foremost. THEY know what we’re thinking. They probably thought it themselves! “Jon doesn’t really die.” So if they know that’s what book readers are thinking, and they’re finally finally getting to a point where no one knows what’s coming, of course they want to extend that.

    To be honest, considering the horribly sudden and traumatic way that Jon “died”, the interviews feel pretty emotionless. The tone is defiant, not like mourning the horrible sad betrayal Jon Snow went through.

    If they want to convince me I want interviews like when Richard/Michelle/Jason left the show. After all, Kit is a bigger part of the show. But I’m sure they won’t go that far, because that level of lying build up is a little too far if you know you’re lying.

  20. Pigeon,

    Given what’s happening in King’s Landing, it’s going to become a huge mess. I’m afraid Sam and Gilly are literally walking right into an even worse situation in S6. And I doubt Sam’s family will be thrilled with him bringing some strange wilderness woman and her baby along to visit. This may not end well.

    And, weirdly, I partially blame Sam for what happened to Jon. He pushed Jon’s name out there for LC, because he didn’t want to be separated from Gilly. Plus, Sam was completely oblivious to Olly’s state of mind and was careless in that conversation with him, giving Olly the wrong idea how to handle things.

    Sam didn’t mean any harm, but the consequences were disastrous. So I view Sam’s trip to Oldtown with trepidation. It could hurt Gilly and the baby instead of protecting them.

    Aemon was right: “Love is the death of duty”.

  21. spacechampion: Yoren

    Nah, When Yoren left the wall for new recruit, the Night Watch was not in the threat of white walker invasion, Sam leaves the wall when the battle is imminent, this is the difference, big difference

  22. GhostCR,

    If only you believe it is esthetically right to leave your post when big battle is imminent. And please do not confuse the book with the show, this stupid season 5 has nothing to do with the book

  23. marsyao,

    He was specifically sent on a mission by the Lord Commander to become the new maester. He’s not deserting the Watch, he’s going to come back once he’s trained.

  24. Mallister42:
    marsyao,

    He was specifically sent on a mission by the Lord Commander to become the new maester. He’s not deserting the Watch, he’s going to come back once he’s trained.

    No, he asked to be sent away right in the even of a big battle, his Lord commander approved because of their good relationship, lit is same as a US army officer asks his superior officer who is also his good friend to take a course in war college right before his unit is about to be sent to a war zone.

  25. Sai,

    I think I remember something about that but I can’t be sure.

    I really wanna see more of Ghost. I feel like he’s been grossly underused. He showed up to scare off those rapists and I think he might’ve appeared for a second in one of the earlier episodes this season but that’s it. I’d be really glad if they featured him more in future seasons.

    However, I don’t think Jon will have warged into Ghost. There’s been no set up for it in the show at all. Maybe Mel will raise Jon, and Jon, Mel, Davos, and Ghost will say to hell with the Wall and leave together to the Gift to join up with the Wildlings instead.

  26. marsyao,

    He kind of does have an obligation to get his “family” out of there. But he’s going to take that course then come back up there, or at least he’s planning to. In the books Jon literally orders him to go. So no, it’s not a bad thing.

  27. Mallister42:
    marsyao,

    He kind of does have an obligation to get his “family” out of there. But he’s going to take that course then come back up there, or at least he’s planning to. In the books Jon literally orders him to go. So no, it’s not a bad thing.

    Of course he has an obligation toward his family, so send them away, but himself does not need to leave too, yes? is it because he value his own live more than his brother’s ? and I do agree he has the intention to back to the way, years later, when the imminent battle is over and danger passes I will give you that

  28. For me, Arya’s killing of Meryn was one of the more horrific scenes of violence so far. Actually made me feel physically uncomfortable, which only Oberyn’s death and maybe one other have done this entire show. Pretty messed up, but I suppose he deserved it.

  29. fevredream,

    It was extreme, no doubt. I think it made me squirm even more than Oberyn’s death, and was of course more drawn out.

    Still, it’s good that vile man is out of the picture. Just in time for FrankenMountain to take his place, too… who is even worse than Meryn. >_>

  30. GOT without JS is like X-files without Mulder. So i don´t understand why they went the cliffhanger route when noone is buying it.

    If they actually showed what happens after the stabbing and went into WOW teritory that would have a bigger impact and created massive GET-HYPE swarm on the internet amongst book readers.

    Where is GHOST? Isn´t the point of his very existance to protect Jon Snow?
    Maybe Ghost went to Oldtown with S + G, to learn not to be invisible the entire season.

    If they CGI-ed Lenas face on a body double, why show that mess multiple times during the scene? Show it once and be done, this way we were forced to look on an unatural combination of Lenas face and neck with some 20yo double´s body.

    After all that Dany character development and traveling she is back where she started in Season 1 ? :rolleyes:

    Stannis this video sums it up perfectly to the bone…..

  31. Robb Snow:
    However, I don’t think Jon will have warged into Ghost. There’s been no set up for it in the show at all. Maybe Mel will raise Jon, and Jon, Mel, Davos, and Ghost will say to hell with the Wall and leave together to the Gift to join up with the Wildlings instead.

    No Jon wargs the horse Benjen warged and reunites with his long lost uncle in there where he learns his true parentage. 🙂

    p.s.
    This show is becoming depressing, when do the good guys start not winning…. but stop suffering terribly?

  32. marsyao,

    In the book Sam is sent there by Jon to train to become a maester. He is supposed to become Maester Aemon’s eventual replacement at the wall.

  33. Brock Landers:
    p.s.
    This show is becoming depressing, when do the good guys start not winning…. but stop suffering terribly?

    Oh, my sweet summer child

  34. Arya Havin’ a Larf: Oh, my sweet summer child

    If Jorah got laid with Dany that would cheer fans up.

    But no… the entire random Khalissar will go trough her first then the guy who is constantly saving her ass. I call this bad television. What does it teach the young vieewers?

  35. Brock Landers: If Jorah got laid with Dany that would cheerfans up.

    But no… the entire random Khalissar will go trough her first then the guy who is constantly saving her ass. I call this bad television. What does it teach the young vieewers?

    There are no good guys and everyone is out to fuck you over. A very important life lesson 😉

  36. marsyao,

    No. He left on the order of Lord Commander, to do something for Night’s Watch. And he has to come back after becoming a Maester, it’s not like he’ll simply stay at Oldtown.

  37. LOL twitter exchange

    Miltos Yerolemou ‏@miltosyerolemou Jun 14

    @ianbeattie_ian thanks for the memories you bastard #GameofThronesFinale

    Ian Beattie ‏@ianbeattie_ian 22 hrs22 hours ago Belfast, Northern Ireland

    @miltosyerolemou you’re welcome you water dancing little git

  38. I was daunted by the challenge of bringing this monster to life, to make this monster human, which I believed would make it more terrifying.

    He did it for me. When Meryn took a look at that child in episode nine, Meryn’s expression softened for a minute. You can see his monstrosity comes from somewhere quite creepy… but still personal and human, however twisted. In terms of tertiary characters, I’ll miss Meryn Trant most of all.

  39. marsyao,

    Well then shove your book down your ass and stop watching if it doesn’t have anything with the books,also you seem like a petulant child who keeps throwing the same tandrums even when he’s explained the thing a thousand times already .

  40. fevredream:
    For me, Arya’s killing of Meryn was one of the more horrific scenes of violence so far. Actually made me feel physically uncomfortable, which only Oberyn’s death and maybe one other have done this entire show. Pretty messed up, but I suppose he deserved it.

    I think that was really the point of that scene – you want to cheer for Arya getting revenge (who doesn’t want to see the Starks finally win something?), but it’s so grotesquely violent that you really feel kind of ill cheering for it, as you should. I think it was meant to be cathartic and distubing at the same time, and it was. Effective scene, one of the best in the episode, IMHO.

    Can’t wait to see the Twitter reactions post for this episode… promises to be quite epic!

  41. “Bronn, the next time Ser Meryn speaks, kill him.” Beattie’s facial expression conveyed so much after that line, without saying a word you saw what a bully he was and what a coward he was at heart when confronted with an authentic badass like Bronn.

  42. ace,

    Boom! Jumped the shark, past its prime, no longer appointment television, on the decline, yadda, yadda, yadda… 🙂

    And with that number added to the total, the average viewership for season 5 finishes *higher* than the average for season 4… and that is *before* adding in the HBO Now / HBO Go / repeat showings / etc. Not bad. Not bad at all.

  43. Simeon:
    ace,

    Boom!Jumped the shark, past its prime, no longer appointment television, on the decline, yadda, yadda, yadda…

    This is also with the NBA Finals on the same night which I believe broke viewership records too

  44. I have a lot of faith in this show but

    1) Shelving Jon for an entire season (so he’ll be out essentially 2 years)

    or

    2) recasting Kit

    are both so unbelievably stupid as ideas that I can’t begin to imagine why they would do that. That leaves either they’re blatantly lying (and it’s hard to lie about not being in a season at all this day and age), Kit really is done/Jon is gone for season 6, or Jon is dead.

    To those saying they’re all lying, “Kit isn’t coming back” seems like a pretty bold lie, one that can easily be disproved if it’s wrong.

  45. Vyse: Nice! So happy to see the naysayers proved wrong!

    But… but… someone a friend of a friend stopped watching the show!!!!

    Luka Nieto: In terms of tertiary characters, I’ll miss Meryn Trant most of all.

    Yeah, it was subtle but effective role.

  46. I will miss Ian Beattie. He seems like a really cool guy in real life, and he was a great Ser Meryn.

  47. Diego,

    That’s great news! woohoo.
    I can imagine that this time around they may have lost some fans if Jon snow is actually dead… but it would be a minimal amount compared to the ones that remain.
    on a personal level, if jon is actually gone.. GOT will not be appointment tv for me any more.

    Everyone is going to watch the premiere next year to see what happens. That one will break records.

  48. ace:
    Season 5 Finale Ratings are out and it is the biggest

    8.11 Million … bigger than the Season premiere~

    Great ratings for one of the best, most deeply shocking of episodes.
    I am sure we’ll lose a big part of these ratings for Season 6 if Jon Snow is not in it; and Stannis THE Man.

  49. marsyao,

    No he’s training to be a maester for the nights watch. He still wields black. Kind of like yoren the night watch seeker. From s1 s2 who saved arya. Similar thing

  50. Kay: I am sure we’ll lose a big part of these ratings for Season 6 if Jon Snow is not in it;

    Yeah, that could really hurt the ratings. You do not take the character who has been the stories more than any other character (only Daeny has been as much the stories as Jon has been), and then just rip him out like that.

    My deep dark irrational fear is that we will learn that GRRM got a clause saying that the show couldn’t reveal certain things before the books did, and that one of those things is who Jon’s mother is. Thus, the show is writing him out to avoid that conundrum.

    Irrational, I know, but this is not outside the realm of possibilities. I seem to recall that Rowling got similar wording stating that a couple of major things (probably Snape’s motives, Harry’s scar: I do not think we were ever told exactly what they were, but those would make the most sense) could not come out in the films before she put them out in the books. And HBO has been very agitated about GRRM’s turgid pace: but given that they already have the plot outlines, why should they really care?

    It’s circumstantial and anecdotal, but fear makes us think like that!

  51. Wimsey,

    If that’s true, why introduce the whole Rhaegar-Lyanna-Harrenhal thing on multiple occasions this season?

    No, there must be more to it than that.

  52. Wimsey,

    Then the show wouldn’t have bothered with explaining more this year about Rhaegal and Lyanna than they ever had before.

  53. Mr Fixit,
    Luka Nieto,

    Part of my brain is agreeing with this! The problem is, that I want this to be the case, so I am viewing the evidence skeptically.

    (That written, it seems we got only one line about that in the crypts: or am I forgetting others?)

    Again, I really think that they are pulling our legs extremely well. I really fear that they are not. These are not mutually exclusive statements.

  54. Wimsey,

    I’m sure the outline for the shows themselves was in the works long before April-June 2015. Maybe they thought timing-wise it would work out introducing the back story of Lyana et al to coincide with tWOW coming out perhaps in the interim S5-S6 period which they could then incorporate immediately.

  55. Wimsey: It’s circumstantial and anecdotal, but fear makes us think like that!

    Fear is the way to the dark side, Wimsey! 🙂 The idea that Martin had a clause written in and that’s why D&D killed off Jon is really not very rational, I think. For the last couple of years at least, Martin, D&D must ALL have been aware that the final season of GoT will finish long before the end of the books. D&D met with Martin before S4 began to hash out details. They have kept the major stories of Tyrion, Daenerys, Jon, Bran, Cersei and Arya remarkably similar to the books. I can’t imagine that they will deviate in any major way from the story of any of these six characters. Bran is one of this group. Yet he sat out S5. It’s possible that Jon will sit out S6 – but no one really knows what’s going on with him in the next book. Reading all the interviews, I am certain that Jon is not gone forever. But he may be gone for a while (S6?), in which case his story, as generated by years of internet discussions among readers without the help of future books, may be quite off.

  56. Simeon: I think that was really the point of that scene – you want to cheer for Arya getting revenge (who doesn’t want to see the Starks finally win something?), but it’s so grotesquely violent that you really feel kind of ill cheering for it, as you should.

    I don’t know. If the showrunners would have wanted us to feel ambivalent about Arya’s actions, they wouldn’t have given Trant the final few scenes they gave him. Those kind of scenes are basically a failproof way to ensure that 97% of the audience will approve of – and even ask for – the most brutal possible slaughter of a character.

    (The number is of course made up, but for reference you can take a look at
    the Twitter recap.)

  57. Luka Nieto,

    I’m not concerned if Jon is coming back. I’m concerned about when. I think it would be a mistake to entirely exclude the character from S6. We are in the final act of this story and, to many, Jon will be a pivotal character in its resolution. Pushing him off-screen for penultimate season would certainly limit the scope of story-telling. What happens to Davos and Melisandre under that scenario? Do they just wander around the North?

    For me, this year’s discussion about Rhaegar and Lyanna was an important clue that D&D intend to tell (what many believe to be) the truth of Jon’s story. That particular reveal as well as his importance to the overall narrative shouldn’t come in S7. If it does, I think that it will feel rushed and marginalized.

  58. Jon Snow is dead..but he will rise as Azor Ahai. I refuse to believe anything less. With the amount of pages and story GRRM has written, not to mention the mystery of his true parentage still out there hanging, I don’t believe we’ve seen the last of him. Why invest so much just to have him stabbed by his own men? They have already shown that unshakeable honor can get you killed with Ned…why go the same route with Jon? It would be redundant. So we are to believe that Jon is just Ned’s bastard and by some random woman who had no greater purpose in this story other than to give us a POV at The Wall and the coming invasion by The Others? If that is the case who will be our POV now? Thorne? Melissandra? Davos? That makes absolutely no sense. We are being mind fucked people!! Don’t fall for it!!

  59. Ian Beattie is a great actor, and looks like a nice guy irl too. Glad Trant is gone though.

  60. Wimsey,

    Not just the crypts. We had Barristan reminiscing about Rhaegar and his singing while Stannis expressed his doubts about Jon’s parentage because it wasn’t in Ned’s character to father a bastard.

  61. Preston Jacobs review raised a very good point

    It makes sense to send Sam away to be the replacement Maestar because he is the best candidate, plus he is young so the Watch would get a decades long return on the years long investment required to train him

    However the actual rationale used is precisely why the Watch makes everyone vow off women and kills all deserters out of hand who may be inclined to run off to defend their women and children instead of fend of the White Walkers

    Should have told him to go be the replacement Maestar, look for any useful info in the Citadel Library and drop Gilly off at his old mans castle to raise baby Sam as Sam Flowers

  62. Mr Fixit: Stannis expressed his doubts about Jon’s parentage because it wasn’t in Ned’s character to father a bastard.

    Wait, when did Stannis ever do that? I only remember him saying that Jon really was Ned Stark’s son due to Jon’s stubborn honor and that he (Stannis) did not mean it as a compliment. One thing that is often forgotten in the R+L=J issue is that although GRRM owes us M or A or W or whomever, nobody in the books ever questions that Jon is Ned’s son.

  63. Wimsey,

    He says it in episode 4 when he and Selyse are watching Jon above the training yard. She chides him somewhat for his respect of Jon and says he’s a bastard born of a tavern slut, to which Stannis replies “Perhaps, but that wasn’t Ned Stark’s way.”

  64. Lamprey Pie: I’m sure the outline for the shows themselves was in the works long before April-June 2015. Maybe they thought timing-wise it would work out introducing the back story of Lyana et al to coincide with tWOW coming out perhaps in the interim S5-S6 period which they could then incorporate immediately.

    GRRM, B & W all have said many times that GRRM gave B&W the plots and story (or stories) for Winter and Dream. Obviously, GRRM could not give them a lot of the details because he’s still making those up: but details serve plot and story and are the things that need to differ to tell the same story in two different media, anyway. So, B&W know what is going to happen and they know what it is “about.”

    Kay: The idea that Martin had a clause written in and that’s why D&D killed off Jon is really not very rational, I think.

    I think that it is very irrational. I keep writing that! Why will nobody believe me that I am capable of being irrational once in a while?!?!? (I might do it again around Christmas.)

    Unfortunately…. this is also is a likely explanation in that it predicts what we’ve just seen. That it is a big lie and they are fooling us also is a likely explanation that predicts what we have seen. Both ideas are about similarly complicated. My left and right shoulder robots have come to different conclusions about which is the simpler explanation.

    The other things that have me a little worried are: why was HBO making such a fuss about GRRM getting the novels done? Why did they care? B&W have what they need to write the scripts already. Unfortunately, that is consistent with the possibility that maybe the show is affected by whether GRRM has books done. I had attributed GRRM’s desperate pleas that they add seasons or do a prequel in a “break” season as a natural “blame other people for problems my laziness has created” thing: but now I wonder if he basically was hinting at things that might buy them time. (It was, of course, ridiculous to believe that they could get much of the main cast back after a year off, or that there is much chance that they would be able to retain the primary players beyond 7 years: it is a borderline miracle that they have been able to do so.)

    And that’s where I put up a gif of Smeagol covering his ears and saying “Not listening! Not listening!”

    😀

  65. Robb Snow: She chides him somewhat for his respect of Jon and says he’s a bastard born of a tavern slut, to which Stannis replies “Perhaps, but that wasn’t Ned Stark’s way.”

    Oh! That! I took that to mean that Stannis did not think that Ned fathered Jon on a tavern wench. Remember, the only name suggested mother for Jon on the show was a buxom tavern wench. Given how put off Stannis was by Gendry being half Robert and half commoner, I assumed that this had to do with Stannis needing to conclude that Jon’s mother was a woman of some station, too, before Stannis offered Jon Winterfell. (I was wondering if they were going to bring up Ashara Dayne in that scene.)

    It never occurred to me to think that Stannis was questioning whether Jon was Ned’s son: given that Jon is supposed to look like a Stark (and what the actors look like to us is not supposed to be what the characters see!), if Stannis thought that Ned wasn’t Jon’s father, then he should have guessed very quickly as to who Jon’s mother and father really were. (It is one of those “oh so simple” explanations once you get the premise of “John’s father is Ned” out of your head.)

  66. Another fun bit: in the conversation Stannis has with Mel immediately after that, Stannis asks Mel what she needs and she answers “To serve my lord” before cutting to a closeup of Jon Snow in the training yard, and before the scene of Mel trying to seduce Jon.

    You can watch the whole clip here:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvANcFztoaM

  67. Simeon,

    That really was a wonderfully brutal scene. I was glad to see Arya still being Arya. Even if she is an angry, violent, psycho killer, she still knows who she is, and has legitimate reasons for her anger. I’ll be very sad if the faceless men manage to truly turn her into no one.

    I really hope Arya survives the series, but one nice thing about the faceless man storyline is that even if Arya does get killed, there might still be an opportunity for Maisie to stay on the show as a “no one” wearing Arya’s face. They could really have fun messing with our minds with an ambiguous Arya death, and they wouldn’t even need to hide Maisie’s filming. For that matter, we could have a whole season of a “maybe Arya” and never find out the truth for certain until the end (or never). To get even crazier, if they ever introduce

    Arya’s warging ability, they could have Arya warging Waif wearing Arya face.
  68. Sam lying?? Why would he lie?? He did kill a White Walker!! He did survive alone a journey to the Wall through Wildling territory, he survived a massive attack on the Wall… why would he need to lie??? He’s a survivor and obviously not a coward.

  69. Something a bit more lighthearted to do with the NW: Brian Fortune made his son a birthday video starring his fellow cast mates! Dolorous Edd is in top form 🙂

  70. Sam’s Easter Egg

    Hardhome ~32 minutes in.

    “don’t worry Oly, I’ve been worrying about John for years. HE ALWAYS COMES BACK”

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