by C. A. Taylor
Gilly is incredibly strong. To take the risk to leave, knowing nothing about the world, is so brave. I think that’s part of why she is so important to Sam, too—in this world, she is the lowest of the low, a wildling, a woman, and is still brave. They are very kind to each other, in a way neither has experienced before. I think there is an element for Sam of, if she can be brave, then I can.
JOHN BRADLEY (SAMWELL TARLY): Sam is such an intelligent character, so academic, and is so curious about knowledge and data, that sometimes he can get wrapped up in those things, in overthinking everything. He is at his best when he forgets it and is instinctive. When he has to find solutions quickly, like with the White Walker, like the escape—that’s when he’s strongest.
Gilly (Hannah Murray) cradles little Sam.
When Gilly tells Sam she’s pregnant, he knows what that means—either a horrible violent death or a lifetime of systematic sexual abuse. There is something of a Schindler’s List moment for him. In Gilly and her baby, he has found someone he can save, something he can fix. He knows what it’s like to be damaged by your upbringing, to be scarred by it. In a way, by saving one, by taking a duty of care, he is reclaiming himself from his own childhood.
There is a moment after they have escaped when they are discussing baby names, and Gilly says “Craster.” It suddenly strikes Sam that he is the only man she has really known. The only men she would have met would have been Sam, Jon, and Mormont. None of the other babies would have been given names. Little Sam is the only one to escape. I think it’s that moment when Sam decides he wants to prove not all men are like Craster.
HANNAH MURRAY (GILLY): My favorite thing was also one of my first things on Game of Thrones—we were rehearsing with [director] Alik Sakharov one of the thimble scenes, and he said to us, “You are two birds with broken wings, and for the first time, when you come together, you realize you might have the possibility of flying.” This just broke my heart. It is about two broken people who give each other the strength to be so much more.
— the white walker attacks —
episode 308: “second sons”
The White Walker (Ross Mullan) reacts to the stabbing.
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While making their way to Castle Black, Gilly and Sam take refuge in a ruin and build a small fire. Alerted to something outside by the screeching of hundreds of crows, Sam and Gilly discover that a White Walker (Ross Mullan) has found them and has arrived to take Gilly’s child.
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MICHELLE MACLAREN (DIRECTOR): I think what is important in the scene is that Sam’s gut instinct takes over and he is a hero. He had to be terrified, but he loves this woman he’s trying to protect. John was so great—he really did a terrific job. He’s so vulnerable in that moment and you just love him for it.
JOHN BRADLEY (SAMWELL TARLY): Let’s not forget that Sam didn’t know that he’s stabbing the White Walker with a dragonglass dagger. He’s working on adrenaline and instinct. He has no sword. He is just thinking, “This is sharp—let’s see what this can do.” He may be a slayer, but he’s lucky.
I was standing on set, and they were doing a shot over my shoulder of Ross, who plays the White Walker in seasons three and four, coming down snaking through these trees. The light was set up perfectly by [director of photography] Chris Seager, and you couldn’t see him all the time. You just got flashes of Ross when he walked past the light, and then he was closer. I was genuinely a little scared; his physical movement is so expressive. He just had this relentless momentum.
HANNAH MURRAY (GILLY): It’s so convincing with Ross and all the prosthetics. I remember one of the first takes was John and I running through the woods, with the snow blowing in, and we didn’t really know exactly where Ross was. It’s always hard to play fear over a period of time—how do you build it up over a scene, to get that tension? It’s not ever intellectualized; it’s an instinctive place to go. Being in the sets of a show with such high production values helps create that atmosphere.
The White Walker destroys Sam’s Night’s Watch sword.
Samwell defeats the White Walker with his obsidian blade.
DRAGONGLASS: A BRIEF HISTORY
dragonglass is the beautiful, dark volcanic rock known as obsidian. It’s rare in Westeros and very little is known about it. At the Fist of the First Men north of the Wall, three of the Night’s Watch—Grenn, Dolorous Edd, and Samwell Tarly—discover a small cache of weapons buried thousands of years ago but only Sam identifies that the stone weapons are dragonglass. Further, it is only when he is attacked by a White Walker that Sam discovers the true worth of the stone blades. In a moment of desperation, Sam plunges a dragonglass dagger into the creature, the blade begins to smoke, and the White Walker dissolves.
When Sam meets Bran Stark and his traveling companions, Sam shares some of his dragonglass weapons with him. Sam knows that Bran will need them as he ventures north on his own quest.
TOMMY DUNNE (ARMORER): We use real obsidian glass when we can, which is a naturally occurring volcanic glass. It’s not something you find everywhere, though there is a good well of it in Mexico. It’s quite beautiful but lethal. It has sharpness to it that is unreal. I was very lucky that I had a number of examples from previous jobs that could help us find the look we wanted. The blade has a napped edge; the more you nap it, the sharper it becomes. It’s razor sharp when it’s done. Access to obsidian is quite restricted because of this.
Taking the piece we want, we start by elongating the style and then sharpening the edges, adding a handle and bindings to it. We can do that all in-house. Once we have a hero blade, which has been shaped and ground into the perfect blade, we can mold it for secondary blades. We’ll pour a black silicon rubber, making harder or softer versions, and sometimes fast-cast or plaster, or even hard or soft foam, depending on what the action requires or who will be using it.
The power behind the throne: Tywin Lannister advises his grandson, King Joffrey.
PART TWO
wars in westeros
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“With the Tyrells beside us, we’ll crush the northerners: hang their lords; burn their strongholds; sow their fields with salt. And no one will think of rebelling for another century.”
—Joffrey Baratheon
South of the Wall, the fractured main families of Westeros are too distracted by their ongoing wars to notice the twin threats of the wildling army and the White Walkers. Stannis Baratheon, still reeling from his defeat in the Battle of the Blackwater, remains determined to take the Iron Throne, while Robb Stark continues his own separate, impressive campaign against the ruling House of Lannister. Both are trying to outwit and outmaneuver Tywin Lannister, a master strategist with a single purpose: to consolidate his family’s hold on the kingdom and eradicate any threats to the throne. Tywin knows the power to defeat his enemies lies partly in his foresight to make powerful strategic alliances; House Tyrell, with its wealth and power, is preeminent among them.
Meanwhile, Tyrion Lannister, severely wounded in battle and now stripped of his title, continues to negotiate the political dance at court, but now as master of coin rather than as Hand of the King. On the road, Jaime Lannister remains a prisoner of Brienne of Tarth. Arya Stark is still searching for her mother, Catelyn, and Sansa Stark seeks a way out of her hopeless fate in King’s Landing, a pawn in a deadly game she is powerless to influence or control.
The wars in Westeros are an unfortunate distraction, for even as the players make their moves, the news from the Wall could change everything.
THE BROTHERHOOD WITHOUT BANNERS: A BRIEF HISTORY
“That’s exactly what we are: ghosts, waiting for you in the dark. You can’t see us, but we see you, no matter whose cloak you wear: Lannister, Stark, Baratheon. . . . You prey on the weak, the Brotherhood Without Banners will hunt you down.”
—Beric Dondarrion
the brotherhood without banners was formed after Ned Stark ordered Lord Beric Dondarrion to hunt down and execute “the Mountain,”
Ser Gregor Clegane. Clegane was seen as a traitor against King Robert Baratheon, and he was wanted for the monstrous crimes he had committed against the people of the Riverlands. Instead, the Mountain killed Beric with a spear through the chest. It was then that the red priest, Thoros of Myr, brought Beric back to life using the powers of the Lord of Light. After his first death, Beric Dondarrion was resurrected multiple times—once after he was executed by the Lannisters after they came to power and declared the Brotherhood the enemy.
Now outlaws, the Brotherhood fights against the injustices being perpetrated against the common folk, predominately by Lannister forces and the Mountain. The Brotherhood is made up of men from all walks of life, including deserters from the Stark and Baratheon armies, farmers, craftsmen, tanners, and masons. They lead small raids and capture men they consider to be the enemy and criminals. Prisoners are either ransomed for funds or put to trial for their crimes in front of the Lord of Light, with Beric Dondarrion acting as his flaming sword.
Tywin Lannister regards the Brotherhood Without Banners as a nuisance, and the Mountain continues to hunt them down, hoping to crush them once and for all.
The Brotherhood relaxes in their forest glade.
THOROS OF MYR
“There’s no story so good a drink won’t make it better.”
—Thoros of Myr
Thoros of Myr (Paul Kaye) is a priest for the Lord of Light and part of the Brotherhood Without Banners. He was originally sent to Westeros and the court at King’s Landing to act as a missionary to Robert Baratheon, hoping to convert Robert to worship the Red God and turn away from the Faith of the Seven.
By his own admission, Thoros of Myr was not a good priest. He chose to sleep with prostitutes and indulge heavily in drinking while in King’s Landing. Suffering a crisis of faith, he questioned the existence of all gods. Then, after witnessing the duel in which Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer) was slain by Gregor Clegane, Thoros discovered that he had been granted the gift of resurrection.
Thoros still drinks heavily and doesn’t wear the robes, but he has renewed faith in the Red God, the one true god in his eyes. Thoros remains fervent in his belief that all men must serve the Lord of Light, a belief that strengthens as Beric is repeatedly restored to life.
ALEX GRAVES (DIRECTOR): I love working with Paul. One of the main things that happened in season three for me was that I fell in love with these two guys [Paul Kaye and Richard Dormer]. I fell in love with their acting. They looked so fantastic; I loved their characters and what they did with them. I loved that when Melisandre comes to the camp, she is both horrified and impressed by Thoros’s skills, and that is important. In this world, in the world of the Red Wedding and the executions, the finality of that—Thoros exists.
BRYAN COGMAN (CO-PRODUCER AND WRITER): Thoros was a wonderful surprise for me. For some reason, he didn’t register with me as much when I first read the books, but when we started the adaptation process and I was working on my particular episode he ended up being one of my favorite characters to write. We altered him slightly from the book version. In the novel, his partying and drinking days are behind him, having renewed his faith in the Lord of Light. But we thought it would be fun to show both sides of his personality bumping up against each other, so he’s still boozing on the show, even after being “born again.” I think he’s continuing to drink and carouse in order to take the edge off. After all, it’s a heavy business bringing someone back from the dead over and over again.
Paul Kaye was extraordinary, one of my favorite additions to the cast in season three. Physically, he wasn’t how I pictured Thoros—I’d always imagined him as a corpulent, Friar Tuck type. But Paul brought this kind of grizzled rock star quality to Thoros as well as enormous depth of feeling and focus when it came to the “Lord of Light” scenes. One of the strongest pieces of acting in season three is his monologue to Melisandre, talking about his renewed faith in the Lord of Light.
Thoros of Myr played by Paul Kaye.
BERIC DONDARRION
“Aye, I’ve been reborn in the light of the one true god. As have we all. As would any man who’s seen the things we’ve seen.”
—Beric Dondarrion
Leader of the Brotherhood Without Banners, Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer) was killed by Ser Gregor Clegane and then resurrected by Thoros of Myr. Following this experience, Beric Dondarrion converted to the faith of the Lord of Light—as did the rest of the Brotherhood upon witnessing his revival. Beric Dondarrion was subsequently killed and resurrected four additional times. He was stabbed in the stomach, then shot in the back with an arrow, and then had an axe cleave his side. After the Lannisters caught him, they hung him for treason and put a knife through his eye, too.
Then, with Arya and the Brotherhood looking on, Beric duels with “the Hound,” Sandor Clegane, and is killed once more. While the Hound’s victory proves his innocence in trial by combat, Beric shocks Arya and the Hound when he returns to life. The sixth resurrection is not a full recovery, however, and Beric fears that pieces are being left behind each time. His scars and wounds weigh heavy upon him.
ROBERT STERNE (CASTING DIRECTOR): From the first time we saw Richard Dormer, we knew we wanted him in there somewhere. He had the look we wanted. He was what we wanted.
ALEX GRAVES (DIRECTOR): I never worried about Beric. Richard gave one of the best auditions I had ever seen. I felt like we were discovering Alec Guinness. He just was Beric Dondarrion.
RICHARD DORMER (BERIC DONDARRION): I had actually auditioned several times for the show, for Jaime Lannister, Jorah, and a few others, but nothing felt right. The first time my agent gave me the sides for Beric, that changed. There is a slightly self-destructive element to Beric, the fact that each time he dies he loses more of himself, but he continues to do what he believes to be right, tirelessly, endlessly. There is something very dark and troubled about Beric, but also something kind and noble, and I loved that he was both.
Beric Dondarrion played by Richard Dormer.
THE LORD OF LIGHT: A BRIEF HISTORY
“The night is dark and full of terrors.”
—Prayer
Melisandre shows her followers the power of the Lord of Light.
followers of r’hllor, as the lord of light is known, have always been few in Westeros, as the religion is predominantly found in the eastern parts of Essos and in the Free Cities.
The Lord of Light goes by many names: the Red God, the God of Flame and Shadow, and the Heart of Fire. Yet the name of R’hllor’s enemy is never spoken. Instead, followers speak only of “the Great Other,” the god of darkness, cold, and death with whom their god is locked in an endless war.
The faithful believe that one day an unknown person known as “the chosen one” will return with his great sword, Lightbringer, and lend his strength to the Red God’s cause.
In the principal temple at Lys, which is considered the largest among all the temples, the red priestess and her priestesses, swathed in crimson robes, pray to the Lord of Light to bring the dawn. Those with great powers are said to see the future among the flames, and some are rumored to be able to resurrect the dead.
Arya Stark and her unlikely companion, the Hound, after Arya has exacted revenge on a Frey soldier.
SANDOR CLEGANE “THE HOUND”
“Kill me, and you’re free. But if I live, I’ll break both your hands. Go on. Hit me. Hit me hard. You only get one chance.”
—The Hound
Beric and the Hound fight to the death, in trial by combat.
Sandor Clegane (Rory McCann) is known as the Hound and served as the bodyguard to Joffrey Baratheon until he deserted during the Battle of Blackwater when surrounded by fire. He is known for his great size and the hound’s-head helmet he wears in battle. He is the younger brother of the knight known as “the Mountain,” Gregor Clegane, one of the most brutal, vicious, and fierce warriors in Westeros. The Hound is badly scarred across the right side of his face, a reminder given by his brother not to p
lay with toys that don’t belong to him. While they were only children, Gregor held Sandor down over a roaring brazier, and Sandor most likely would have died if others had not intervened. As a result, the Hound is deeply pyrophobic.
He does not see himself as a knight and will not swear the oath that would make him one, believing that honor is often a shield to hypocrisy. The Hound kills without conscience and is loyal to no one, but he has shown a softness when dealing with Sansa Stark, even offering to take her home to Winterfell in the confusion of Blackwater.
He is captured by the Brotherhood Without Banners and charged with murder. Offered trial by combat by Beric Dondarrion, he must face his greatest fear to fight for his freedom.
— building the cave of fire —
Shooting crew and cast share the small cave space and high temperatures.
* * *
At the beginning of season three, production discussed the duel between the Hound and Beric Dondarrion (in Episode 305), which occurs inside a cave. There was little chance of finding a viable cave that was both large enough and safe enough to hold such a fight. They would have to make it, and the challenge was how to build a believable cave indoors. Production designer Gemma Jackson had no doubt it could be done. It’s the type of challenge she loves most. For inspiration, she explored the Marble Arch Caves in Northern Ireland, which had already provided the setting for the cave’s entrance.
