Game of Thrones Season 6 Spoilers: Ian McShane Teases Character's Return, His Own Role
By Russell WesterholmSince Ian McShane's casting for the sixth season of Game of Thrones, HBO and the showrunners have been mum on what exactly the actor will be doing.
Sure, the Internet made its best guesses, but the lack of confirmation left just enough room for doubt. In an interview with Pop Goes the News, he gave a tantalizing hint that may have also revealed his role.
[The following contains spoilers from an unused book plot, so proceed with caution]
McShane told Pop Goes the News he will be responsible for bringing a character who was presumed dead back to life (more on who that will be in a bit... but no, he is not talking about Jon Snow).
"I am responsible for bringing somebody back that you think you're never going to see again," he said. "I'll leave it at that."
Watchers on the Wall previously learned McShane's character will have a small, but impactful role and will likely only appear in one episode. He was also said at the time to have filmed a scene with a band of outlaws, who are believed to be roaming the Riverlands in season six.
In A Feast for Crows, the fourth book in George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series, the Riverlands is where Brienne and Podrick meet Septon Meribald and the Elder Brother, who live in a monastery called "The Quiet Isle."
Watchers obtained a casting call for a priest fitting the description of Meribald, and now it appears that is exactly who McShane will portray. Per the "Gravedigger Theory," Meribald is responsible for aiding a certain character left for dead back to health, in the process helping him shed a persona associated with violence and pain.
Ready to know who McShane's character will bring back?
The Hound! Last time we saw him, Arya was leaving him for dead after he took a tumble off a cliff after an epic sword fight with Brienne.
Rory McCann has been spotted in Belfast and now we know why. But given McShane's one-episode arc, McCann's time in season six could be even shorter.
In Crows, Brienne notices a large brother digging graves who resembles The Hound during her visit to the Quiet Isle. The Elder Brother later assures her The Hound died, but notably said nothing of the sort about Sandor Clegane, indicating The Hound's death was figurative rather than literal.
McShane will probably portray some combination of Meribald and the Elder Brother, and The Hound's appearance may be nothing more than a cameo, but something about the idea that Sandor was able to find peace is highly satisfying.
You see Sandor has an older brother named Gregor - a.k.a. The Mountain, crusher of skulls and Tywin Lannister's chief brute - who tormented Sandor when they were young. Like Gregor, Sandor was raised to be a violent and ruthless soldier, but the difference was the younger brother managed to maintain his conscious.
The Hound did numerous unspeakable things, but he also rescued Sansa and looked out for Arya after her family was massacred at the Red Wedding. So if Sandor can live out his days peacefully digging graves, it is better than the life he once had.
