The Bran Pack Files: Osha & Hodor On Game of Thrones Season 6

As goes Bran, so go his companions. Kristian Nairn and Natalia Tena may not be seen this season on Game of Thrones, as the leader of their pack spends the next ten weeks’ worth of episodes becoming one with a tree, but they’re still appearing at various functions and premieres, and being asked about next season.

We currently have nothing to suggest that Nairn will not be back next year, even though Hempstead-Wright himself admits he hasn’t been signed for Game of Thrones Season 6, and can only hope that Bran will be back. This past year off for Nairn has been fruitful, and he’s used it to promote his Rave of Thrones DJ parties. He’d also like to remind the audience that he’s actually an intelligent actor capable of dialogue. Not that he thinks that will happen on the show, but he wouldn’t mind a 100% turnaround where Hodor turns out to be the smartest character in Westeros. He pitched the concept to The Hollywood Reporter.

His quick pitch: Hodor is secretly capable of more than he lets on and is “hiding his true abilities.” If Nairn had his way, Hodor would do — and say — much more in season six. “I would like him to sort of progress. Speak a bit. A few lines wouldn’t go amiss.”

Considering that last year we witnessed Bran warg into Hodor to create the hybrid character BRANdor, perhaps we can take it a step further. Instead of using Hodor as a killing machine, Bran can use him to wander the North talking to people, while he remains stuck in his tree.

Let’s hope Hodor returns soon. Apparently he has many fans, not just among the GoT faithful, but also in his musical circles. Blue Man Group apparently took a vow of silence (not that hard since they never speak) until Hodor returns to our screens. Then, for good measure, they covered the Game of Thrones theme song.

Meanwhile, Natalia Tena’s return is much less certain for Season 6. Last seen in Season 3, her character, Osha, split off from Bran and Company. Rather than follow through with Bran’s crazy plan to go North of the Wall, she took the littlest and most easily forgotten Stark, Rickon, and his wolf to find safety elsewhere in Westeros. Not that the books have much to do with what’s coming in the seasons after this, but it’s worth noting that neither she nor Rickon have been heard from since they broke from the group in A Storm of Swords, despite the presence of numerous Rickon as Stark Savior theories.

But while she cools her heels with other projects, Tena turned up in India to attend Bengaluru’s ComicCon. When asked about Osha, Tena says she’s perfectly happy being covered in mud, tramping around the North. But she’s not sure if her character is still alive at the end of this season, let alone the next one, so she can’t be sure if she’ll be back. Like Bran, Hodor, and all the rest of those on that path, they’re waiting for the call once Season 6 filming readies saying they’re coming back.

• Published on 04/09/2015 at 11:00 AM CDT
• Last updated on 10/21/2016 at 1:05 PM CDT