Ian McShane reveals telling hints about his role — and someone else’s — on Game of Thrones season 6. Spoilers ahead!
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, Ian McShane conceded to offer an identifying details about his character in the upcoming season, but he didn’t stop there. The actor also let slip a significant hint about the fate of another important character in the HBO series.
The revelation of McShane’s character isn’t much of a spoiler by itself; the character is among several options that fans have considered since news of the casting broke. However, the second piece of information McShane reveals suggests a very surprising turn in Game of Thrones season 6, and we do implore anyone who would like to preserve the surprise not to watch the video below.
In the interview, McShane reveals that his character “is like an ex-warrior who becomes peacenik,” and leads “sort of like a cult, a peaceful tribe.”
Readers of A Song of Ice and Fire will recognize that description as roughly matching that of Septon Meribald. In the books, Meribald is a soldier-turned-priest who travels the war-torn landscape of Westeros to aid the unfortunate. The “peaceful tribe” elements seem to be drawn from the Elder Brother, another kindly septon who is a healer and the head of a small monastery.
Here is your last chance to turn away from the major spoiler! You have been warned!
The particular significance of Meribald/Elder Brother comes into play with the second piece of information revealed by Ian McShane.
“I bring back a much-loved character that everybody thought was dead,” he says. “So I’ll leave it at that.”
Almost without question, McShane is referring to Sandor Clegane, “the Hound,” played by Rory McCann. At the end of season 4, Brienne mortally wounded the Hound, after which Arya left him to die. However, though the character meets a similar fate in George R.R. Martin’s novels, many fans believe that he is alive — and living in the Elder Brother’s monastery.
Sandor Clegane is far from the only character whose fate is in question in Game of Thrones season 6; who doesn’t know the Jon Snow story by now? But these resurrections will have to remain an official surprise until the show returns. Much to the anguish of certain Hypable writers, HBO has announced that the press will not receive episode screeners for the upcoming season.
Game of Thrones season 6 premieres on Sunday, April 24 at 9:00 p.m. on HBO.
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