Steve Ahlman

It's an incredible thing to see, like, a character.

How old is that character?

Old as shit.

but it's always interesting to see like the character taken on by another actor and then seeing what personality that he brings to that because he's not like yeah he's a piece of shit for lying on dunk's name and to just like snivel his way out of it but

I like that he is kind of the middle ground, the positive plus middle ground of those two brothers to connive their way out of something for their own gains, but then immediately know that they fucked up and they got to make it right in some way.

I think it's because it's very important that we don't see him tell that lie, to Van's point, because...

A lot of the things that a normal Game of Thrones fair would do if these episodes were longer is that we would probably see those stories.

We would probably see the insights into that family that either make us a bit more sympathetic or a lot more detestable to us.

And maybe if we did see him say that lie and then see him admit to Dunk that, like, hey, I'm sorry about that, maybe we'd think that's bullshit.

And it's very important that maybe we do feel a little sympathetic towards him because...

This entire story is based around Dunk and all the people that immediately interact with him.

And if he's not in that room, we're not in that room with him.

And to see that like all of these characters in the presence of Dunk become honest, become the thing that is constantly challenging the Game of Thrones formula as usual, that's what makes him so important.

And that's where I'm usually afraid that a Game of Thrones thing will not only break my heart, but get me angry at the idea.

Because this show is actually kind of starting to promise me something.

That this level of idealism will be rewarded in some way.

I love the idea that the temptation of those falls are always ever present.

I like the idea that in the next episode we could possibly see Dunk subvert his honor just to win.

And how he deals with that choice.

I genuinely don't know what's going to come.