The cast of HBO’s Game of Thrones hit San Diego Comic-Con again this year where they avoided dropping spoilers as they reminisced on a well received season 6 in Hall H.
On hand to moderate the event was It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Rob McElhenney, who opened the panel with a hilarious clip which allegedly featured all the scenes he’d been cut from over the course of Thrones‘s past six seasons. The reason show runners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss didn’t keep him in the final cut? According to McElhenney, it’s because he dared to ask the question no one else was asking:
“But when [is winter coming]?”
When the cast hit the stage, it was to a cheering crowd, who were attentive as everyone reminisced and shed some light on some of the most memorable scenes of the past season.
Check out some of the most interesting tidbits from this year’s Game of Thrones panel below:
1. Iwan Rheon explains why Ramsay is ‘a lovable scamp’
Ramsay Bolton actor Iwan Rheon had the best response when moderator Rob McElhenney asked why his character is “such a lovable scamp?”
According to Bolton, the key to balancing Ramsay comes down to the fact that he takes a “kind of joy in everything that he does.”
“Poor guy’s had a tough upbringing — he’s just looking for his father’s love and acceptance,” reasoned Rheon. “Everyone can relate to that!”
And for those of you who can’t stand Ramsay, rest assured in the fact that Sophie Turner was there with a strategically placed, “Oh boo hoo!” — clearly she’s got no sympathy for the sinister Bolton!
2. Kristian Nairn says the response to Hodor’s fate has been ‘overwhelming’
Unsurprisingly, actor Kristian Nairn garnered one of the biggest reactions throughout the entire panel as fans mourned the loss of Hodor. For his part, Narin says fan’s reactions to his tragic exit has been “overwhelming.”
Narin then went on to say that he wasn’t expecting the fan reaction Hodor’s death ended up getting. Nothing put that more inter perspective than when the actor showed up in Los Angeles recently and noticed some very specific door stoppers in the hotel he was staying at
“I did not expect it to be so crazy — I’m really really flattered as well — it’s blowing my mind,” said Narin. “I was in LA in a hotel a few days ago a few days ago and all their doorstops said HODOR on them
I knew it was going to be cool, but I didn’t expect the outpouring of emotion — you’re going to make me cry! – KN
3. Liam Cunningham says he was just as shocked over Shireen’s fate as we were
One of the most chilling scenes of season five occurred when Shireen was burned at the stake. Her terrible fate however, is one that Davos actor Liam Cunningham said he wasn’t made aware of until he got the script in his hand.
“You would have heard the clang of my jaw hitting the floor the first time I read it,” said Cunningham of reading that scene for the first time.
Cunningham also recounted the story of how he coveted the tiny stag figurine Shireen gets from Davos and gave it to his own daughter. According to Cunningham, his daughter was actually holding the stag when him and his family all watched the scene of Shireen being burned alive for the first time on television.
“I had’t seen it and we sat down to watch it and all of a sudden my daughter was in a heap on the sofa clutching the stag as she watched my surrogate daughter burn,” said Cunningham before going on to joke that he felt like a terrible father after that.
4. Sophie Turner believes Sansa might not be convinced Jon will make for the best leader of Winterfell
Sansa and Jon may have teamed up to take back control of the only home they’ve ever known but according to Turner, she believes her character may not be so convinced that Jon Snow can rule The North all on his own.
“She believes they should both be king and queen of The North,” explained Turner. “I’m not sure she’s sure Jon is capable of running The North. She feels he doesn’t have the intellect, the knowledge that she has, and I concur.”
On the other hand, Turner says what would make Jon a great leader is the fact that he’s got “those wonderful Stark morals.”
Finally, the panel wrapped things up by premiering some exclusive new footage from season seven.
And as they always do, ‘Game of Thrones’ released a blooper reel from season 6
Most memorably, it featured Peter Dinklage having trouble spitting out the word “benevolent” and Emilia Clarke getting a bit tongue twisted while calling out orders in Dothraki.
