Have we seen the beginning of the end for Bronn?
Warning: Spoilers for Bronn’s story-arc in Game of Thrones Season 5 will be discussed.
If you wish to remain Unsullied, turn back now.
Game of Thrones Episode 506, “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken,” saw Bronn and Jaime Lannister finally arrive at the Water Gardens and attempt to rescue Jaime’s daughter-niece. And they might have managed to escape with Myrcella in tow if not for the intervention of the Sand Snakes. Of course, Oberyn’s daughters weren’t there to save the young princess, but rather to kidnap her so Ellaria Sand could send her back to her mother in pieces. Whatever happened to, “We don’t hurt little girls in Dorne?”
Anyway, during the resulting confrontation, Bronn was cut by Tyene’s dagger, his wound made obvious by the close-up camera angle on the cut. Why would the show make a point to show Bronn being cut by Tyene’s dagger? Well, quite simply, she is her father’s daughter.
Prince Oberyn Martell was known as the Red Viper of Dorne, mainly because of his reputation for using spears tipped with poison in battle. In his youth, Oberyn was caught in the bed of Lord Yronwood’s paramour. The Lord challenged Oberyn to a duel which was supposed to end at first blood. Both men exchanged blows, and the duel ended. However, Lord Yronwood’s wounds festered, and he died painfully. And thus began the legend of the Red Viper. Tyene studied poisons, and like her father before her, has an in-depth knowledge of how to use them.
So, has Bronn been poisoned by Tyene’s dagger? The answer is most likely a resounding “yes,” but of course we won’t know anything until next week, or maybe later. Bronn’s storyline in the books does not mirror the one on the show. In fact, in the books, he has taken up residence in a castle, where he’s happily (happy for Bronn) married and still causing mischief from afar, much to Cersei’s chagrin.
But there may be hope for our Bronn yet. Back in June of 2014, an audition tape showing Rosabell Laurenti Sellers (Tyene Sand) reading lines from a scene with Bronn was uploaded to Vimeo. The video has since been removed, but website Oh No They Didn’t! transcribed the audition beforehand. If the transcript can be believed, Bronn will make it out of Dorne alive.
Speaking as a fan of the books, I enjoy having Bronn onscreen instead of only hearing about his adventures secondhand. Jerome Flynn has done a fantastic job of bringing the Westerosi version of the Merc with a Mouth (points for Deadpool reference?) to the small screen, and I would be extremely sad if he dies from a poisoned blade. But hey, this is Game of Thrones, so of course they will probably wrench him from our lives in the most horrible way possible…we should be used to it by now.
Spoiler Alert!
Please take care to tag spoilers in your comments by wrapping them with <spoiler></spoiler>. Spoilers in comments are hidden by a gray overlay. To reveal, simply hover or tap on the text!