Pedro Pascal and Dan Weiss on what led to the trial by combat’s crushing end

For a moment it seemed as if Oberyn Martell had won, with The Mountain flat on his back, where his size no longer mattered. But Oberyn didn’t simply want The Mountain’s life, he wanted his confession, and that’s where everything went terribly wrong. He would get his confession, but only after The Mountain had levelled the playing field, followed by Oberyn’s face.

Showrunner Dan Weiss tells Entertainment Weekly that he believes the tragic flaw that led to Oberyn’s downfall, was that he couldn’t leave well enough alone. “He can’t help poking the hornet’s nest. He does it with great amusement throughout the season. He finally does it to the wrong person at the wrong time. The results left a big giant mess on the floor of our set.”

In one of many interviews he’s sure to give this week, Pedro Pascal also spoke with Entertainment Weekly, sharing his thoughts on where he thought his character went wrong.


“Getting too close and being too far delivered by his own passions. Because ultimately, it is about defeating this man who raped and killed his sister, but before he can do that, before he can end this man’s life, he needs a confession. He needs to hear it.”

Even though Oberyn lost his life in the process, Pedro says that after a great conversation with Lena Headey, he realized that Oberyn had still completed his journey.

“Even though it ends badly, he still hears the confession, you know? I don’t even need to go on after that once it’s been said out loud. And the ecstasy of achieving that, even though it’s being achieved in the instance of my demise.”

Although the trial by combat will be the last time we see Oberyn, the last scene Pedro filmed was much less brutal, allowing for a peaceful last day on set.


“It was really lovely and peaceful. It was the scene strolling through the garden with Lena Heady and the last thing they shot was when I was looking out into at Adriatic Sea. Then I tore off my costume and jumped into the ocean. Then I said goodbye to everybody and got in the van and rode to the airport.”

Pedro’s portrayal of Oberyn will certainly be missed, and it seems that his time on Game of Thrones has had just as big of an impact on Pedro as he has had on the community. When asked what he will take away from his experience, he says, “Playing the best character I have ever played in the greatest cast I have ever been a part of, and working with HBO and Dan and David was an opportunity of a lifetime.”

For more from Pedro including his thoughts on incidentally being responsible for all of the Dornish accents to come in Season 5, and training for/filming the battle, visit Entertainment Weekly.

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• Published on 06/02/2014 at 12:47 PM CDT
• Last updated on 10/21/2016 at 12:41 PM CDT