We checked in with almost every surviving character in “Dragonstone,” the Game of Thrones season 7 premiere, even if we didn’t spend a lot of time with all of them. Case in point: we got all of 10 seconds with Jorah Mormont, who turned up unexpectedly at the Citadel, quarantined in a dark cell so his greyscale won’t spread. “It’s very advanced,” actor Iain Glen told Vulture about his character’s prospects. “I’m in trouble. No doubt about it, I’m in trouble.”
To hear Glen tell it, for Jorah, season 7 will be all about his attempt to make his way back to Daenerys, as ever. “I got to a point where I think was quite happy to die, I suppose,” Glen said, looking back on seasons 5 and 6.
"I’d sort of given up hope because I’d lost [Daenerys’] affection and lost her belief in me. And the last moment of our time together last season she said, ‘I need you, I need you to look after yourself, find a cure, so you can come back and be beside me when I occupy the Iron Throne.’ That’s my route, really, this season — to see if I can find a cure."
One person who might be able to help Jorah is Samwell Tarly, who’s now working at the Citadel. Actor John Bradley answered fan questions during a Facebook interview, and went over everything from the highlights of Sam’s past to what’s in his future.
Let’s hit some highlights:
- What’s the one word that describes Sam’s journey in season 7? “Frustration.” He’s there at the Citadel to find information about the White Walkers and has little patience by maesters who are set in their ways and who won’t listen to him. He already stole a couple of books from the restricted section of the library — what other acts of rebellion might he commit before the season is over?
- The montage of Sam doing menial chores in the Citadel took around 10 days to film, during which time his colleagues were getting dressed up at the Emmys. But scrubbing bedpans is good, too.
- Bradley names the scene where Sam kills the White Walker in season 3 as his favorite. As for his favorite character, it’s Lord Varys.
- Bradley speaks eloquently about Sam’s strengths and weaknesses around the 20-minute mark, calling Jon Sam’s “prince” and recounting how Sam wants to pay it forward by taking care of Gilly and Little Sam.
- Sam’s favorite food? “He loves a carb.”
Finally, how does Bradley want Sam to die? Crushed by books. That would certainly be nice and ironic.
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We’ll find out where Jorah and Sam go from here in “Stormborn,” airing this upcoming Sunday.