TIL: Game of Thrones SDCC 2016 Panel Edition

/ Alexandra

Here are the most important takeaways from this Friday’s “Game of Thrones” SDCC Panel Discussion and Q&A.

1. Conleth Hill has a luxurious mane of hair. 

Just look at this.


I don’t know how I have lived on this planet this long and not experienced this glorious wonder. So many questions. Can I touch it? What is his shampoo regimen? IS IT WHERE ALL THE SECRETS ARE KEPT???

2. Sophie T. is NOT a Jonsa fan. 

When a fan hinted at something happening between the pair, she immediately shut it down (or at least her desire for it). She pointed out that Jon and Sansa grew up together, so despite the fact that she and Jon are probably just cousins, they still have a very brotherly/sisterly relationship. She also said she’d kill D&D if they ever made anything happen between the two. Jonsa shippers remain undeterred.


3. D&D have hearts of stone. 

When host Rob McElhenney asked why the shortened Season 7 would be delayed until the summer of 2017, showrunners, Dan Weiss and David Benioff were basically, “Because, Winter.” In case you didn’t notice that beautiful white raven flying over Winterfell in “The Winds of Winter,” Winter done came. So, the show will need to wait until their usual exterior locations look as cold and dreary as Westeros is supposed to before they start shooting. That won’t be until February of next year, and since they VEHEMENTLY refuse to create androids who could speed up the post-production process, we’ll all just have to wait longer than we’re used to for the finished product.

200

Jerks.

4. Ramsay Bolton was a genuinely happy guy. 

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Regarding his own insight into what made Ramsay Bolton tick, Iwan Rheon revealed that he considered the up-jumped bastard to be quite joyful, as opposed to simply psychotic for psychoses’ sake. Rheon believed Ramsay to have had a terrible childhood as a bastard in the North, desperate for his father’s approval and constantly shoved aside. But in a twisted happy ending, Ramsay rose above his circumstances  to achieve everything he’d always wanted, so Rheon played him with the appropriate glee. And there you have it. To the bitter end, Ramsay Bolton astounds in his ability to both disturb and fascinate at the same time. We’re gonna miss ya, pal.

5. They were actually short on bodies for the filming of “Battle of the Bastards.” 

You read that right. Due to budget constraints, director Miguel Sapochnik was staffed with a meager 200 some extras to create the now-famous body pile that acted as a major obstruction to both sides during the battle. Chickenwire structures served as bases for the mounds, but there still weren’t enough people to keep all of them covered at all times. Extras were herded to different locations as camera angles changed to give the illusion of a much larger group of fallen. There’s something very Monty Python about art department flunkies hustling around “dead” soldiers so they can be a different group of dead soldiers someplace else.

6. Liam Cunningham accidentally traumatized his actual daughter. 

After filming wrapped for Season 5, Liam Cunningham swiped the toy stag Davos gave to Shireen during their last meeting and gave it to his actual daughter for her “wall of awesome.” Sweet, right? Keep reading. Cunningham and his daughter watched the episode with Shireen’s death as it aired months later, but unaware of Shireen’s fate, he told her to hold the stag as they watched. So. Cunningham’s actual daughter got to watch as his surrogate daughter was burned at the stake holding the very same stag he’d “given” both of them. She didn’t take it well…

7. Sophie Turner doesn’t think Jon can cut it when it comes running Winterfell or governing the North.

Sophie Turner was throwing shade all OVER the place when it came to Jon Snow. First she basically #sorrynotsorried when McElhenney asked her why Sansa didn’t say anything to her brother/cousin about the possible arrival of the Knights of the Vale. She unapologetically declared that Sansa wanted to horde credit for the victory (and that it made for better television). THEN she went on to say that she believes Sansa and Jon should rule the North together because she doesn’t believe Jon has either the intellect or the experience to do it by himself. I don’t necessarily disagree, but legions of Snow acolytes surely will. She also joked that she wanted Littlefinger on the Iron Throne because it would be “quirky,” so she was def feeling sassy. I’m sure people will take it waaaayyyy too seriously.


That’s it for now! If you want a more in-depth discussion, tune-in Saturday morning for a very special SDCC edition of GoT Thrones?!!