When we first met the bumbling Samwell Tarly in season 1, the odds were long that the self-described coward would live to see season 7.
But here we are six seasons later, and Sam is thriving. Lacking fighting skills and courage, he has turned to only advantage he has: his mind. In season 6, Sam traveled to the Citadel — the main seat of learning in Westoers — to learn to become a maester. And as actor John Bradley told Australian outlet News, his journey isn’t over. “The thing about Sam is, if he’s still around at this stage, you do suspect there is going to be a point to keeping him around.”
The show probably isn’t keeping Sam around for his sense of humor, great as it is. But what exactly the larger point to Sam’s journey is remains a mystery. How, in the end, will he affect the main story, with Daenerys’ invasion and the White Walker onslaught on the horizon?
For now, it may be better to focus on the small blessings. According to Bradley, Sam has found his niche.
"I think he’s lived his whole life with this burning desire to learn and has a huge respect for knowledge. He’s had doors slammed in his face and people have said to him ‘you want to learn how to swing a sword, it’s the only way you’ll affect the world’ but he’s refused to believe that. He’s at this seat of learning where he feels he belongs."
Pictured: Sam somewhere other than where he belongs.
Bradley also addressed the violence on Game of Thrones. There are the big battles and major action scenes, which he describes as “balletic,” and then there are scenes where Sam gets beaten up, which are rather different.
"There’s nothing beautiful about it. There’s no physical prowess, it’s just a man that can’t take that sort of punishment. In the fight scenes with him you get a sense of how unpleasant it is to punch someone in the face, similar to seeing it on the street. It’s a man who can’t cope with it and there’s something so despicable about it."
Now that he’s reached Oldtown, hopefully Sam has endured his last physical beating, although it does seem like he might be in a for a tongue lashing or two from some of the arch-maesters. He’s better equipped for that, though.
Next: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime) talks Cersei, Brienne and Jon Snow
Game of Thrones season 7 debuts July 16.