Poor Bran Stark. The little mite’s been through the ringer on Game Of Thrones. First he’s pushed out of a turret window by deranged incest addict, Jaime Lannister. Second, he survives and suffers a lengthy convalescence which has left him without the use of his legs. Then he loses most of his family in a variety of unpleasant ways at the hands of Lannister’s family! To top it all off, he’s experienced a hitherto unheard of condition wherein he experiences puberty at a faster rate than anyone else in the world.
After his long romp up to The Wall with Hodor and posse, it looks like the series’ creators have decided the young scamp deserves a break. A season long break. You heard correctly. In an interview with Yahoo News, Kristian Nairn, the chap who plays the hulking Hodor, has confirmed the pair will sit out the next season of the hit HBO show:
“We have a season off and we have a year’s hiatus, solely because I imagine our storyline is up to the end of the books. So, I get my year off now to do Rave of Thrones and gallivant all over the world.”
That last part refers to Nairn’s second career – that of a DJ who performs GoT-themed raves across the world. And why not? If he and Isaac Hempstead-Wright (Bran) are taking such a massive hiatus it might be wise for them each to investigate their options.
It’s no secret that fans of George R.R. Martin’s A Song Of Fire And Ice book series have been rather anxious of late. David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, who brought the popular franchise to the small screen, have been ploughing through the stories at an alarming rate. Seasons 3 and 4 of the show were mainly constructed from the events of Book 3 – but they also roped in elements from Books 4 and 5. It seems that Bran and Hodor’s storyline in season 4 was lifted from the last book published, A Dance Of Dragons. With their storyline completely up to date onscreen it’s no wonder they’ve got the year off. Still, it’s a little frustrating for TV viewers who were left with Bran’s cliffhanger… which may never be resolved on the show now.
Season 5 of Game Of Thrones will air on HBO in Spring 2015.