John Bradley and Kit Harington on Sam’s finest hour and Jon’s power struggle in season 4
After being separated north of The Wall, Samwell Tarly and Jon Snow will find themselves together again at Castle Black in Season 4. But after rescuing Gilly and killing a White Walker, Sam won’t slip back into his sidekick role so easily. “It’s much more of a 50-50 relationship going into season 4. They bump heads a lot and they argue a lot, and we’ve never really seen them argue before.”
In an interview with HuffPost TV John Bradley says that Sam’s development will continue this season, with his journey culminating in his finest hour yet.
“Sam’s progression over the 10 hours of Season 4 is one of the most rapid, dramatic progressions we’ve ever seen because he starts in a relatively content place, makes some catastrophic decisions — based on his own neurosis and his own self-loathing — that plunges him back down to the lowest emotional point he’s been in the series. For Sam, that’s kinda saying something. From then on it’s a very, very slow, a very, very palpable upward progression, culminating in what will essentially be his finest hour.”
Sam’s finest hour will surely involve some of the bravery he displayed while facing a White Walker last season, which John believes is the best kind.
“Sam is the best kind of bravery there is. He’s the best kind of hero because he doesn’t know he’s a hero. I was doing an interview the other day and the reporter pointed out the parallel between Samwell and Joffrey, that they’re both completely unaware of their blind spots. Joffrey’s unaware of the negative aspects of himself and Sam’s unaware of the positive aspects of himself. Sam is the last person to acknowledge that he’s any good at all because he’s been told all his life he’s no good and worth nothing. There’s so many places where he doesn’t have time to think, to convince himself not to do something. He has to act impulsively and that’s when you see the best of him. I think he’ll have plenty opportunity to flex those muscles this year.”
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly Kit Harington reveals that Jon Snow will also have to flex his bravery muscles this season, having to answer for his actions north of The Wall, and stand up to the commanding officers at Castle Black.
“This season is Jon’s biggest season. The major thing for him is he doesn’t have the usual patriarchal figure over his head telling him what to do. There’s no Uncle Benjen, no Qhorin Halfhand, no Mance Rayder. He’s found himself back at The Wall and he knows there’s an imminent threat from the Wildlings. There’s a power struggle between him and the Castle Black commanding officers. He has to account with what he’s done and where he’s been to Master Thorne, who we haven’t seen since season one and never liked him in the first place.”
Standing up to Alliser Thorne won’t be Jon’s only challenge, Kit says that Jon will also be forced to step out of his silent brooding comfort zone. When trying to inspire the men of the Night’s Watch to stand up against a Wildling invasion, a speech is in order.
“This season he had a speech and it felt very weird and unnatural playing Jon Snow for three years — he’s such a silent character — for him to make a stirring speech. It was very well written, you can tell he doesn’t want to do it but he has no choice.”
Whatever may happen in Season 4, Kit promises “a lot of payoff for his storyline and The North storyline.” While John warns “Don’t get comfy. This season, just when you may be thinking you’re starting to catch your breath a little bit, something’s going to shock you.”
8 days to go.
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