Isaac Hempstead Wright (Bran) and Robert Aramayo (Young Ned) discuss Tower of Joy and more

Actor Isaac Hempstead Wright talked to Access Hollywood about that pivotal flashback scene at the Tower of Joy in “The Winds of Winter,” the one that revealed that Jon Snow was not, in fact, in fact Ned Stark’s son, and basically confirmed the long-running R+L=J theory (Rhaegar Targaryen + Lyanna Stark = Jon Snow). Although if Wright can be believed, there’s still some ambiguity there. Let’s dig in.

First, Wright talks about how, way back in Season 1, actor Kit Harington (Jon Snow) was aware of the of R+L=J theory.

"I think it had been bandied about. I think I can remember Kit [Harington], in almost like the first season, mentioning how he’d read theories on the internet about how it was the whole R+L=J and stuff, and I think we were all aware of it, but it had never been formally kind of recognized or even mentioned by the producers or anyone on the team, so it kind of just went to the back of the pile and nobody really thought about it. But, to actually have it kind of, sort of semi-confirmed, is pretty cool, is pretty special."

Unfortunately, we still don’t know exactly what Lyanna whispered to Ned, although we got the gist. Wright says that Bran didn’t hear it, so we’ll put a pin in that for now. But he did provide some insight into the parting scene between Bran and Benjen:

"We talked together at great lengths about exactly what was going on when Bran and Benjen bid farewell to each other and there’s that great kind of elongated look between Benjen and Bran, which I think totally summarizes what’s going on. … We were trying to play it as if it’s — Bran and Benjen are having this kind of secret conversation kind of through the airwaves almost and Meera’s got nothing to do with it, but it’s just this intense focus between Bran and Benjen, and this kind of knowing between the both of them that they will meet again sometime soon and it will be in much less comfortable circumstances. And so I thought that was something really interesting, saying goodbye to Benjen but only to know that we’re going to see each other soon for the great war."

Neat, that. Benjen did say that he was still fighting for the side of the living, so it would make sense that, if they’re on the same side, they would meet again at some point. The bit about meeting uncomfortable circumstances is ominous, though. Perhaps he means after the White Walkers have, the Old Gods forbid, crossed beyond the Wall?

Wright was making the interview rounds in earnest this week. Speaking with Vulture, he talked about the irony of Tommen jumping out of a window, when his character was pushed out of a window by Tommen’s father, Jaime, way back in the pilot episode.

"Yeah! That’s an interesting idea, actually. I suppose one could read that as the legacy of the Lannisters — the chaos they leave in their wake."

Well, as Littlefinger once said, chaos is a ladder…it’s just too bad Tommen didn’t have one to grab onto after he jumped from the Red Keep. Wright continued:

"No one is really unaffected by anything in Game of Thrones, whether it’s in their own House or a House they’re trying to get rid of. One of the messages Game of Thrones has is the almost yin and yang — for every reaction, there’s an opposition reaction. Things are getting cancelled out. So if someone was wronged in the past, they’re now doing wrong against the person who wronged them. For every kind of justice done, there are a thousand injustices."

This truth was on display in “The Winds of Winter,” with Houses Tyrell and Martell both making common cause with Daenerys to help Daenerys take the Iron Thrones. The Lannisters have made too many enemies, and in Season 7, Cersei may get to reap what she’s sown.

Wright was also asked about the laid-back approach he took to training under Max von Sydow’s Three-Eyed Raven:

"Yes! He was a little too relaxed about it. “Yeah, we’re going to go look at this now. Avoid the White Walkers.” Oh, well! Better luck next time."

That relaxation earned Bran a close encounter with the Night King, who burned his mark upon Bran’s arm. That mark allowed the Night to enter the Three-Eyed Raven’s cave. If Bran reenters the Seven Kingdoms, might it allow him and his army to get past the Wall as well?

"That’s what I’ve been thinking! If Bran goes through the Wall, then can the White Walkers come through? That might be a difficult decision to make. That could be the end of Bran. Or maybe it just means that Bran needs to get through the Wall very quickly. Run!"

That’s not an answer, Isaac Hemspstead Wright, and you know it.

In another interview, Wright talked with The Hollywood Reporter about how he feels the show is drawing near a conclusion. He also kind of contradicted what to said to Access Hollywood when talking about what Bran saw in the Tower of Joy.

"You can see that crushed look on Ned’s face. We don’t hear a lot about what Lyanna says. Something along the lines of, “If Robert finds out, he’ll kill him.” Something to that effect. When Bran sees his father’s reaction and understands that this is a surrogate child his father has brought up, he thinks to himself, “Well, wait, what surrogate children has my father brought up? Oh! Jon Snow! So Jon Snow isn’t my half-brother.”"

So Bran does realize that Jon is not Ned’s son, and that he isn’t Robert Baratheon’s son, either. THR asks Wright why the Three-Eyed Raven wanted Bran to see the events at the Tower of Joy unfold:

"Well, if the fan theories prove to be correct, then it’s pretty self-evident what’s important about this. It’s telling us that maybe Jon Snow is actually not who we think and could actually be a very valuable asset and ally in these times. For Bran right now, the fact that he’s seen it and has now learned that it’s not his father’s son, I think that makes Bran go, “Well, then the father is clearly an important figure that has something to do with the history and future of Westeros.”"

If Jon is a Targaryen and a Stark by birth, he could have a big role to play. Jon, together with his aunt Daenerys Targaryen, could be the key to ending the new Long Night, the stopping the encroaching army of the dead. Remember, Jon was just proclaimed the King in the North, and Dany has a white dragon named Viserion. Could we be looking at a possible connection for Season 7?

Wright was asked if Bran will ever be able to reveal to Jon the truth of his parentage, and the actor thinks he will. He was also asked about leaving Rickon and Osha, and traveling beyond the Wall without them:

"It’s a gutting thing for Bran, whenever he finds out. He made the executive decision to send Rickon off on his own with Osha. He trusted both of them to keep safe and protect themselves. I think Bran will certainly feel a slight amount of responsibility with what’s happened. Who’s to say Rickon and Osha would have died north of the Wall? We were pretty safe in the cave … well, maybe not after all the explosions. But I think Bran will feel a bit remorseful that he didn’t stay with him longer and take care of him."

That’s enough of Isaac Hempstead Wright. Let’s turn our attention to Robert Aramayo, who played Young Ned Stark. The Hollywood Reporter sat down with the actor to ask him about that crucial Tower of Joy scene in the finale.

"Well, he doesn’t know what he’s going to find, does he? That’s the interesting thing. He thinks perhaps that his sister is being tortured or something, that something very horrible is going on behind the door. And what he actually sees isn’t actually seeing anything different, really. He walks in and sees his sister on the bed with blood everywhere. He doesn’t know what’s going on, but he knows that something bad is happening. He’s drawn to her. It’s totally unknown, when he’s walking through the door. He doesn’t know what to do."

The actor also opens up about how he and Aisling Franciosi (who played Lyanna Stark) prepared for the tender moments they shared together in that scene:

"One thing that was very important for us to speak about was how deep the love is between these siblings, and how much they love each other, and what they’re willing to sacrifice for each other. There’s a great deal of respect and love from Ned toward Lyanna. We spoke about that. When you’re brother and sister, you’ve been through so much together. And he’s her older brother as well, which of course means something also. It was very important for us to show the love between these two people. It’s caused so much, and it’s all culminating in this moment."

How does Young Ned feel after Lyanna tells him her secret?

"Everything’s just exploded. He hasn’t formed a plan. He doesn’t know how he’s going to deal with the situation at this point. I think he just knows that he’s made the most important promise of his life, and he’s going to figure out how to maintain that promise. But in that moment, he’s got a baby in his arms and his dead sister next to him. It’s epic. It’s huge. I don’t think he knows what the next step is."

Well, we all know how that turned out. Ned returned home with his sister’s bones and a baby in his arms. His new wife Catetlyn Stark grew to despise the child, because she thought he was a bastard fathered by Ned on some whore during the War of the Usurper…if only she had known the truth.