SPOILERS for the next season of Game of Thrones
Believe it or not, I’ve actually been trying to avoid Game of Thrones spoilers for months. To no avail, honestly. It’s difficult to avoid them considering I read so many media outlets on a daily basis. But we knew months ago that Kit Harington was saying words back on the Belfast set of GoT. We knew Kit had been seen all over Belfast as filming resumed, and paparazzi even got photos of Jon Snow (or someone looking a lot like Jon Snow) filming scenes with Sansa Stark on the “Winterfell” set. GAH. And now this. HBO isn’t even playing games anymore. HBO released this ad (the header pic) yesterday and so now we all know Jon Snow is back in some capacity.
The image is striking, isn’t it? The blood on his face reminds me of the death of The Viper, Oberyn Martell. Like, did something happen to Jon Snow’s eyes? Or is that someone else’s blood? Jon’s death (or “death”) did not involve any injuries to his eyes. It will be interesting to see what this foretells. Oh, and is he still wearing his “crow” cloak? Hm. Where the f—k is Melisandre? Will Lord Davos become Team Jon post-resurrection? What about the Wildlings? OMG, so many questions. And are we finally going to understand what the hell happened at the Tower of Joy with Ned and his sister? Will Sean Bean make a small cameo?
So, there you go. Jon Snow is back and how. Do you even care that HBO tried to pull the “he’s totally dead, you guys” thing?
PS… Speaking of resurrection, what’s the deal with the sightings of Jason Momoa around the set?
PPS… Hodor.
Photos courtesy of HBO.
HODOR!!
I saw the huge billboard while driving around in L.A. yesterday, I was with friend and we both squealed when we first saw it. I’m so excited, as Sam said “Jon Snow always comes back.”
HODOR! WunWun! Drogon! Croquembouche! Oops, sorry that last one doesn’t belong.
Ned and Drogo could appear in flashbacks as seen by Bran through his “gift”
Croquembouche belongs everywhere!!
ROFL…croquembouche indeed. (Marzipan! Paella!)
I’m thinking the same thing about Ned / Khal Drogo’s possible reappearances. If Bran has some kind of “second sight” or whatnot, having him see them in flashbacks would totally work.
And I so knew that Jon wasn’t dead, but that was mostly thanks to the book.
But funny that they tried to sell us the story of his death and now are not even hiding it because nobody believed them? 😀
So many people did believe it tho. I’m guessing with all the photo leaks this is their idea of staying one step ahead of it.
The rumours kind of lean towards flashbacks of Ned’s sister’s story so could definitely see him reappearing.
I am genuinely excited for next season!
I get why a Ned flashback is necessary but I feel like Drogon’s story is over. They brought him back once, I don’t see why they’d need to do it again?
Remember, Dany’s dragon took her to the Dorthraki grasslands then preceded to take a nap while the Dorthraki were riding up, so a flashback involving him makes sense.
Drogo news were just false rumours. Drogon the dragon should be returning however 🙂
Whoops, good call Chinoiserie.
CROQUEMHODOR! I’m relieved that the poster states April, so hopefully none of this pushback bs we’ve been hearing about.
I know! Though I hate to admit that makes me sad that I’m totally wrong about them delaying a bit because the book is coming out. That book is NEVER coming out.
I know, I think I’ve finally accepted that none of the books are ever coming out. 🙁
It’s all just a sham and GRRM has just been in his basement working on his fantasy football and looking at porn this whole time.
Lol Bridget, where he gets all his inspiration from. 😉
NO. That header pic doesn’t recall the death of Oberyn Martell. AT ALL.
If something it would be interesting to see Jon’s eyes just to be sure which side he’ll be on from now on.
I don’t know which side I’m on if I’m honest.
I’ve become quite fond of the White Walkers so..
mimif,
GoT could come out the very last day of April, practically May but technically April. And that would make me very unhappy. VEEEEEEry.
I like the idea of Jon being a WW but I don’t think that’s gonna happen. Besides, if rumors are true, he’s already got the blood of the Others in him already so….
Oh. Hm. I just read Lainey’s bit and hm dang maybe the ice blue eyes are because he’s a BLARBARIAN!
GRRM is too busy trying screaming at Bill Belichick to finish any books. Belichick is the inspiration for the Night King.
Great, now I’m going to have to watch the Thriller vid again.
Well it was the worst kept secret, there were pictures of him filming in loads of papers.
I’m hoping for a more surprising (maybe not that surprising) return, stoked by Ian McShane’s interview last week!!
What did he say in the interview? Did we ever figure out who he is playing?
Ian “speaks words” here:
http://www.slashfilm.com/ian-mcshane-game-of-thrones-character/
I thought McShane was Randyll Tarly? Which was never really how I pictured him, but it makes me think the character will be expanded more for the series (which makes sense, because it’s clear in the books that he is top dog on the battlefield).
McShane appears in only 1 episode this season, no mention of future seasons.
The popular theory seems to be that he might be playing a combination of Septon Meribald and Elder Brother, there was a casting call for a part that matched that and no one has been confirmed for that part yet, and it would tie in with the book theories about The Hound especially given what he’s said about bringing a character back viewers thought was gone, and they have said no to Lady Stoneheart.
Please please please pleasepleaseplease let CLEGANEBOWL happen. I miss the Hound so much, he’s my Numero Uno.
I want Cleganebowl back so much. I get that in real life loose ends aren’t always tied up and you don’t always get to avenge yourself… but it’s a BOOK! And this needs to happen.
What book theories about The Hound? That he’s alive? Is there really a Cleganebowl or are The Imf and Bridget writing fan fiction?
At this point I’m hoping for Cleganebowl within the context of the show, because I got no hopes for the book. That said, technically there could still be a sliver of hope because the announcement of book Hound’s death was secondhand information… but it’s also very much Martin’s style to leave him dead and leave that thread unfinished (unlike every other thread we don’t care about that he’s going to bludgeon us with).
But he’s not dead! <—SPOILER (sorry)
Abot, lots of little hints, like the Hound’s horse was spotted at the graveyard place (sorry, I can’t remember shit), along with a figure not unlike his, and something something about a dude atoning for his sins. CLEGANEBOWL is fanfic for when the Hound returns and takes on FrankenMountain in an epic battle that will make Oberyn’s death match look like child’s play. MUAH!
That said, I agree with my B that loose ends are just loose ends sometimes and that’s that.
ETA: I’ve just been informed that GRRM is busy defending himself on his latest blog entry about….absolutely nothing to do with GoT.
There’s just a little bit of arbitrary-ness to GRRM and his writing, though I’ll also say that at least prior to the Hound’s death the big deaths at least had a place in the story (I’m especially thinking of the other Starks and Renly, etc). The way his whole death was presented felt very unfinished.
Mimif, are you talking about his blog posts about Syrian refugees?
Yes’m, Bridget.
There are equally as many hints that The Hound is alive in the books as there are hints that The Hound is dead. Nobody who matters saw him die.
I read a little bit of the blog stuff but it was just so mind numbingly stupid.
The Hound! The Hound! The Hound! Bring back The Hound!
And for the sake of R’llhor and the Seven and The Drowned God, team him up with Sansa. He’s the only one who ever had only her interest at heart.
Oh yes you’re so right about that! Stupid ass Littlefinger and his weasely ways…
Oh i have always shipped Sansa and the Hound.
And Brienne swore to protect her but at the moment when she finally could, she chose to go after Stannis in order to avenge Renly, whose dead and really doesn’t need her help at this point.
And since we’re bringing The Hound back from the void or wherever he is, can we bring back Birgitte Hjorst Sorenson’s Karsi character too? Because I f***ing hate Thenns.
Lol Lilac, it’s always the f-cking Thenns and where is the kitty cat with you.
I haven’t read the books, but I thought they’d go the Lady Stoneheart with him since they didn’t do it with Catelyn. It’ll be interesting to see how they do this one.
HODOR!
Step aside, Hair! Jon Snow has eyeball stigmata!
I thought the Drogo sighting was just another Dothraki. Not all Dothraki look alike ya know.
Who was the other guy at the Tower of Joy? Think Littlefinger will be the one to tell Jon?
Howland Reed, baby.
Seriously, WHERE is Howland Reed? Ned’s most trusted, oldest friend, and he disappears?!?
@Bridget, protecting the secret? With Ned gone, he’s the only one left who knows (for sure?) what happened in ToJ. I’d hide, too.
He was in the crannogs for years, and at this point does the secret even need protecting?
Or is he the High Sparrrrrow? (extra r’s for excitement even tho I’m not buying that theory)
Maybe Meera Reed knows but she’s stuck underground with Bran, HODOR, the children of the forest and Dany’s ancient great, great uncle, who is turning into a tree.
I have a theory that the 3rd dragon is for Jon’s twin (a sister) who disappeared with Howland Reed (in the books its Dany’s nephew who survived being murdered by the Lannisters).
Jon is the centre of the plot and is the only person who can stop the WhiteWalkers from returning. He’s the King and I think Mel has always known and she used Stannis to setup the events and then tossed him aside when he’d served her purpose but then again she’s probably read the signs wrong but there was a reason she stayed behind at the wall – Jon.
Have we discussed here that Meera is actually Jon’s twin?
^ I haven’t heard that one but the twin could be another boy – hence why Kit returned. He’s playing Jon’s identical twin brother called Jim – hahaha
Lol wtf did I just read?
^ LOL sorry was just having fun with the so called plot. Weirder things have happened on TV.
Meera does have Stark coloring and features.
I want to know what Rhaegar’s daughter’s cat is up to in King’s Landing. We haven’t seen it for a while on the show but it pops up periodically in the books. It used to attack Joffrey. Arya used to follow it and tried in vain to catch it near the dragon skulls. And Tommen fears it. Could the cat be a transformed Targaryen?
And where oh where is Arya’s Nymeria.
Too bad books 6 and 7 are never coming out. So many questions.
@LilacFlowers: No she doesn’t. The actors are both white people with curly dark hair. That is it. That Huffington Post “article” was clickbait “sourced” to a reddit thread from two years ago that had already been debunked.
Stark features: Tall, long face, grey eyes, dark brown hair
Book!Meera: teeny tiny (an exclusively Crannogman feature. She is literally the same height as her much younger brother because Crannogmen usually reach about 5’2″ in height at max because they’re descended from the children of the forest, who are basically nymphs), light brown hair, bright green eyes.
Also: Tyrion’s not a Targaryen either, Sandor Clegane would be in no shape to fight and kill Gregor/Robert Strong, neither Jon nor Sansa are going to be LSH, Theon’s uncle is not secretly Daario, Varys is not a sea monster, and Jon Snow is not part White Walker.
Meera being Jon Snow’s twin is as likely as Ser Pounce being Azor Ahai.
An actually true thing: “The sex became consensual”— actual quote by show director Alex Graves.
Also apparently Bryan Cogman thought it was intelligent and responsible to say this in response to the fans outraged by Sansa’s rape: “This is not some weak little girl, this is a hardened woman making a choice.” Because apparently if you’re outraged by rape, you think a character is a “weak little girl” and a “hardened women” can “make the choice” to be raped.
(Hey, ever noticed how Tyrion and Jorah sailed from Volantis to Meereen in a rowboat in less time than it took Stannis and his army to make it 200 miles before the blizzard hit? And how despite his army’s “starvation”, they never thought to eat the horses? The man apparently ate book bindings in Storm’s End years ago but couldn’t think to eat actual meat readily available to him. Dany thought of it when HER people were dying in the desert, and she actually LIKED her horse.)
Oh, and this quote by showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss: “Creatively it made sense, because we wanted it to happen.”
As for the poster: It looks so much like the Passion of the Christ poster that it’s downright embarrassing.
@WendyNerd, I did not refer to any Huffington Post article, in fact, I do not know about any particular Huffington Post article nor do I read Reddit so i don’t know what you’re talking about or why you’re directing it to me. I was merely joining in the conversation about Meera for fun. As for descriptions in the book compared to what is happening on the screen, they have changed quite a few things up for the show, not just Meera’s appearance. For example, Jeyne Poole, not Sansa, marries Ramsey Bolton, who thinks she is Arya, not Sansa. Mance doesn’t die at the Wall and is at Winterfell when Theon and Jeyne escape. Loras isn’t taken by the Sparrows but is badly burned in a battle Cersei sends him to fight. Brienne never sees Sansa OR Arya and doesn’t battle the Hound. The Sand Snakes don’t poison Myrcella but they cause her to lose an ear when they try to make her queen instead of Tommen. Jaimie never goes to Dorne. And on and on and on. People are just speculating because it is fun.
Who peed on your lemon cakes, Wendy?
Hmm. I don’t know if I want Tiny Whiney back or not.
To be honest with you…I don’t want him back. Book Jon >>>>Show Jon. Kit Harington’s acting does nothing for me at all.
TinyWhiney4Eva!
But what are they supposed to do without him? He’s the center of the story. And I’m part of the minority who finds him hot..;-)
I don’t mind the character, he ain’t so bad in the books – its the actor who is rather irritating (he’s a decent actor thou0. He’s good looking at all but he does come across as being a tad up his own ass. I saw him in person once in Soho, London. I instantly recognised him from the hair.
I want them to bring back Rob – my Stark mega crush.
I don’t think that looks like Jason Momoa , maybe Danerys meets some other dothraki?
Agree. I don’t think it even looks much like Emilia Clarke.
I went and looked at the pictures and I agree that is not Jason momoa.
At the end of the last book/last season the remnants of Drogo’s old khal ride up to Dany (wherever it is that Drogon took her). The Dothraki part of the story definitely isn’t done yet.
Yeah a page of the Dothraki script was already leaked online.
He is dead. Dead, dead, dead as HBO said. But he’s being resurrected. People weren’t asking the right questions. He’ll warg into Ghost and then Mel will raise him. Praise the Lord of Light 🙂
Amen!
Actually, people were asking the right questions but reporters either weren’t or HBO just ignored them.
I didn’t see the previews, but it should be clear to everyone that Jon Snow is the character around whom everything else in GoT revolves. Of course he’s not dead. Regardless of what you think of the actor, or the storyline, Jon Snow is at the center of everything else that occurs. Not Daenerys, not Tyrion – Jon Snow. He IS the song of ice and fire. The novels make this point much better than the TV series, but even on the show is pretty obvious. Blue roses on a wall of ice, as Dani saw in her vision in the House of the Undying, Melisandre scries for the identity of the true king, and only sees snow…
Exactly! He cannot be dead because without him the whole story collapses.
I’m glad HBO did this, because I feel the real story is going to be his resurrection and who he will be reborn as. If HBO kept playing up the “is he or isn’t he alive” thing, it would’ve been so anti-climatic when is episode one we find out the answer.
APRIL!!!! Thank you HBO for reminding this mother of a newborn that there’s something on the other side of the sleepless nights, sore nipples, and mounds of used diapers.
LOL 🙂 By April the nipples will be less sore, I promise 🙂
Lanolin, friend – lots of lanolin and air those babies out!
You havering your baby, Size! CONGRATS! 🎉🎉🎉
I thought sore nipple was a good thing?
Congrats! I will have a newborn in April, just in time for GoT….
Ian McShane in Deadwood is what got me through nursing my son at 4 am. And yes, lots of lanolin. Just when you think you can’t take it anymore, they toughen up!
If they’re bothering to bring the worst character on the show back, and Gendry doesn’t pop up in the first two episodes, i’m rage quitting.
Be honest. The worst character is Khaleesi.
I find Dany boring the vast majority of the time, but at least in the books, I think the worst characters are all the Greyjoys with the slight exception of Theon. Dreadfully dull. Killjoys, more like.
I was THRILLED to see this poster of Jon Snow yesterday!! I have avoided reading other spoilers but have read all the books so Jon’s story wasn’t a surprise.
I agree the worst characters in the books are the Greyjoys. I want them all to drown one another.
Second that, FingerB. Khaleesi is useless.
Can we add Jorah to that list?
I agree with all of these! I wouldn’t be watching but for the Brienne and Arya characters. And Jamie and Tyrion. Those are the only losses I couldn’t handle (just catching up with season 5 now).
Because you know what these books needed? MORE CHARACTERS. Except Asha Greyjoy. Her I wouldn’t mind more of.
You mean like Book 4 AKA The Book of So Many Characters I Skipped Entire Passages Just To Get To The End Quicker?
Jason Momoa captivated us and was a fan fave…. even with all the marriage rapey stuff because of how realistic it depicted arranged marriages back before modern times (and still ugh)
Once Khaleesi loved him and that devotion was there…… it was sooo heart breaking to see him be bewitched… truly….. i felt like he was the only man who dynamic wise was Khaleesi’s equal in fearlessness/fierceness and leading (in some sense) …. bec Daario just seems like a hot-body guard-sword-piece (in that order) but not her equal….
Khal… KOME BACK TO US
I cannot stand the actor who plays Daario. He’s a total douche on the red carpet and is a total greasy sleezeball in everything else I see him in. Okay, not really but for whatever reason I can’t get down with him.
I hated Huisman on Treme (at least the first couple of seasons until it completely lost me) but he’s really grown on me. I don’t mind his Daario, but it’s also a crappy character.
FYI, the rapey stuff only happened on the show. In the novel, Drogo seduces her, and is very gentle. And the rapey thing with Cersei and Jaime didn’t happen in the books either – it was very, very consensual. I swear the GoT show runners are obsessed with men forcing themselves on women – the novels are violent enough without adding rape scenes.
GOT spoilers…part of me really really wants to know now ….and then I think darn it, it would be nice to watch it with no knowledge.
At least Joffrey’s not coming back from the grave.