5. Hodor’s Origin

“Three or four years ago, we were talking to George in Santa Fe," Benioff recalled. "He told where he was heading in the books – and Hodor’s fate. We were so amazed and excited.” Actor Kristian Nairn was awed by fans' reaction: “The scene was incredibly written and directed and I knew it was going to be cool,” said Nairn, “but I didn’t expect the outpouring of emotions.” The crowd audibly sighed, prompting Nairn to get emotional: “You’re going to make me cry!”

6. Traumatic Viewing

“These guys keep taking the people I like working with away from me,” said Liam Cunningham of Benioff and Weiss. Cunningham admitted he was shocked to learn of Shireen's death: “You would have heard the clang of my jaw when I read it.” The sadness continued when the actor gave the carved stag to his real-life daughter and encouraged her to watch the episode with the token – unaware of the scene that awaited her. “My daughter was a heap on the sofa watching my surrogate daughter getting burned to death while she held the stag that I had stolen. I felt like the worse dad in the world.”

7. Theoretical Deaths

McElhenney reasoned that Samwell Tarly’s sweetness makes him prime to die. He asked actor John Bradley-West how he’d like Sam to go out. Bradley-West described Samwell climbing the library shelves to reach a tome when things go awry. “He severely underestimates his own weight and falls backwards off the bookshelf. Imagine the poetic justice. It wasn’t battle that killed him – it was books that killed him.”

8. A Girl-Power Dream Team

When asked about the future of Missandei, Emmanuel was enthusiastic: “She genuinely believes in Daenerys and her claim. These two women respect and lift each other up. It’s a really sweet friendship and working relationship as well. I hope they continue to be a girl-power couple.”

9. Historical Inspirations

“The books are built on a skeleton of Medieval Western history,” said Weiss, “But one of the great things about fantasy is you’re not bound to what happened.” Director Miguel Sapochnik explained that the Battle of the Bastards was “steeped in history.” The fight was initially based on the Battle of Agincourt and became informed by the Battle of Cannae – especially the pile of bodies. “It was the first imagine in my head when I read the outline,” Sapochnik said, explaining that the art department shifted around 257 bodies from shot to shot to create a sense of scale.

10. Stark Sibling Rivalry

“Why didn’t Sansa tell Jon about the Knights of the Vale?” asked McElhenney. Turner’s answer: “She wanted all the credit and it was a more dramatic moment when they showed up.” The tension goes beyond battle in Turner’s mind: “I’m not sure that she believes that Jon is capable of running Winterfell and the North. She doesn’t think that Jon has the intellect, knowledge and experience that she has. I concur.” Turner acknowledged Jon's good morals but questioned if his decisions would benefit the greater good, adding, “Whatever, Jon.”

11. Is a Girl Arya?

Faye Marsay addressed the popular fan theory that Arya and the Waif are the same person. “The theory was a cool one," Marsay said, “but I think Arya is Arya and that’s her journey. The writers got it right.” McElhenney turned to Benioff and Weiss for confirmation, but the two remained stone-faced.

12. The Tower of Joy Reveal

What will Bran do after learning of Jon Snow’s true parentage? “Bran knows he’s been shown this information for a reason,” Isaac Hempstead Wright explained. “I presume somehow he’ll tell Jon. I don’t know how Jon will take it when Bran turns up and says: ‘By the way, I’m a tree wizard and your dad isn’t your dad.’ “

13. Picks for the Iron Throne

The group went down the line and revealed who they hoped would sit on the Iron Throne. Cunningham had a dark selection: “I see the Night King with his leg over the arm smoking on a Cuban cigar.” Sophie Turner also had an unlikely choice: Littlefinger. Her selection yielded cries of “Shame” from McElhenney. “It’d be fun, quirky and sadistic,” she reasoned. Hempstead Wright chose a “four-pronged Stark dream team with Bran sitting in the corner with a tree.” Iwan Rheon had other ideas: “Melt the thing down and have a democracy.”