Rumor rundown: old friends may show up in Episodes 8, 9, and 10
With HBO holding on tight to the titles and synopsis for Episodes 9 and 10 of this season of Game of Thrones, speculation and rumors have begun to run wild. One can’t blame HBO for trying to control the flow of Game of Thrones information. If George R.R. Martin titled each season like he did his books, he would have called this one “A Rash of Leaks.” The season arrived with a huge piracy windfall, when the press screeners for the first four episodes were uploaded 24 hours in advance of the premiere, and has been dotted not only with record after record for episode piracy being smashed week after week, but certain outlets letting out the spoilerific “Inside the Episode” clips before the episode in question airs. (One wonders if there might be some sort of language issue at play there, since the people who are uploading these to their website ahead of schedule entitle them “An Advanced Look” at the episode.)
With a lack of information, and a hunger for any sort of rumor, people are once again turning to our old friend IMDb. Now, we all know that IMDb is not exactly the most reliable of sources. Just about anyone can go into any page and edit the cast lists and the episode titles. And unlike, say, Wikipedia, which has the same feature, there’s not an army of mods to quickly take down false info and keep pages from being tampered with.
Which leads us to IMDb’s latest offerings for the final episodes of this Game of Thrones season. We have interesting cast listed for all three upcoming episodes, from this coming Sunday’s “Hardhome” to next week’s “The Dance of Dragons (title is a rumor) to the finale.
Let’s start with the interesting cast notes for “Hardhome.” Here’s what we know of this episode:
- There is a huge battle at Hardhome. It took five weeks to film and required extra budget.
- Despite that fact, “Hardhome is not a standalone 50 minute all-battle-all-the-time episode.
- In the “Inside GoT: Stunts” video, we have a clear shot of stuntmen for Hardhome fighting with White Walker-type weapons.
- One of those weapons looks very much like the sort of sword one would expect The Night’s King to use.
So it is not all that far fetched that IMDb lists (among other cast members for Episode 8) Richard Brake as The Night’s King. The Night’s King, as you may remember, was introduced in Season 4’s Oathkeeper, when we saw him turn a Craster baby into a White Walker child. Richard Brake was credited in the role at that time. IMDb also lists our regular White Walker, Ross Mullan, as making an appearance. If, in fact, the huge battle of Hardhome is between the White Walkers and the free folk, these cast listings make sense.
Most interestingly, Episode 8 lists Joseph Mawle as making an appearance. If you cast your memory back—waaaay back, to the pilot episode—that was the actor who played Eddard’s younger brother Benjen Stark. Benjen was influential in getting Jon to join the Night’s Watch, but once Jon arrived, he went out ranging and never returned. Book Readers suspect he is the (so far cut) character Coldhands, a White Walker-esque character who helps Sam and Gilly in their hour of need, as well as guiding Bran Stark and company to the giant weirwood tree. If the show was to finally bring in the character Coldhands, or bring back Benjen Stark as a White Walker, this huge battle with the army of the dead would be the perfect time to do so, and to have Jon recognize him.
Also, as a side note, Gemma Whelan (Asha Greyjoy), who has not been seen all season, despite her agent listing her as being part of Season 5, is also on the cast list. It’s doubtful she’ll be in the White Walker battle—more likely, if we have a stop in with Stannis, her crew from the Iron Islands will run into his stuck army and join forces against Ramsay Bolton.
Let’s move on to Episode 9. We have a leaked title (which is accepted as probably right) as well as a synopsis, which is less certain. What we know about this episode:
- There is a major scene in Dorne where Jaime and Doran meet. There is a mystery character involved. Speculation runs from a disfigured Myrcella (which seems unlikely, unless there is a major Sand Snake scene prior to it) to the maybe-he’s-legit-and-maybe-he-ain’t Aegon Targaryen.
- There is a major Meereenese scene where Daznak’s Pit is opened.
- Jorah fights for his life in the pits.
- Tyrion is seated next to Dany and her crew.
- The Sons of the Harpy attack Dany and her crew in the Pit.
- The dragons may or may not be released.
- Drogon will probably show up regardless of his brother’s attendance.
Gemma Whelan is again as appearing in this episode on IMDb, which strengthens the argument that Stannis may supplement his army with Iron Islanders. A Pit Announcer is also featured, which makes sense with Daznak’s Pit opening. No mysterious Dornish characters are listed, but if Doran really is going to reveal Aegon Targaryen, this would be the moment. (It would also be a major coup for the production to have kept that entirely under wraps.) Meryn Trant and Arya are both on the list, and if that showdown is happening, this would be the time. Notable for not being listed: anyone from King’s Landing. There’s nothing about King’s Landing in the purported synopsis either, so if we are indeed seeing Cersei’s walk of shame this season, it’ll probably be in the finale.
As for episode 10, IMDb has a name for it: “Winter.” That’s very different from most speculation, which has favored “For The Watch” as the title, with the Game of Thrones wiki going so far as to use it as the tentative title (although it was taken down less than an hour after posting, which suggests it was a mistake).
To be honest, we don’t know squat for sure about this episode.
- We know that Cersei’s walk is coming. We had assumed it was going to be part of episode 9, but if everything we see above is true, it makes sense the show will hold it for episode 10.
- We know what happens to Jon in the books. We know it doesn’t look likely that will happen so quickly after Hardhome, so we might assume the show is holding it for a cliffhanger finale.
- And I think that’s your lot.
Now, “Winter” would be a very interesting title for the show to use, rather than “For The Watch.” The latter title suggests an episode focused on Jon’s return to the Wall, mixed with perhaps the held-over Cersei denouement. But “Winter” would mean that everyone is left on a dark note, (The Winter of our Discontent, as it were.) Cersei is certainly in a dark place by the end of her shaming. Arya is listed on IMDb as appearing, and we know what dark things befall her in the books. “Winter” would also suggest that perhaps the final episode of this season would lead to a wintry battle between Stannis and the Boltons (something that hasn’t happened in the books yet), or Sansa and Theon could escape into the folds of Winter and snow. In short, “Winter” opens up a lot of possibilities.
But IMDb doesn’t list Stannis, or the Boltons, appearing in episode 10. Heck, it doesn’t even list our friends at Castle Black. Instead, we have a list that includes The Night’s King, and Wights and White Walkers, and a Thenn called “Loboda.” Could they be heading back to Castle Black following Jon Snow? Could they cross the Wall and head south to prey upon the Northerners, as Winter comes? (Aren’t we a bit early for that?)
Can any of this be trusted? To be honest, no. We all know back in January IMDb gleefully listed Lady Stoneheart and the internet went nuts for a week, and then it disappeared again. By tomorrow these rumors could all be gone and faded away, subsumed by the gaping maw of the internet. We’ll have to wait for HBO to release the official titles and synopsis of final episodes (Pencil that in for next Monday afternoon, if history is any guide.) to see if Winter is in fact coming.
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