One of the big themes at Game of Thrones’ Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con was the potential romantic relationships that audiences may see develop over the next two seasons — even one between Tormund and Brienne.
When Tormund first saw Brienne in the show’s sixth season, it was love at first sight. Well, for him, anyway. Through a series of attempted flirting sessions that came off as creepy and awkward, Tormund tried to get Brienne to take his romantic interest seriously. Unfortunately for him, that never happened.
That hasn’t stopped Tormund from trying to ignite a passionate affair between them this season, though. Although there has been little down to progress their relationship, viewers want to know if this is something that the work-focused, dedicated Brienne of Tarth would be interested in.
According to Brienne actress Gwendoline Christie, Tormund has to work on a few things before that can even begin to be a conceivable reality Brienne would entertain the idea of.
“Tormund certainly has his creepy smile,” Christie said. “He also enjoys looking at Brienne while he eats, as we saw him go down on that chicken leg [last season]. Didn’t do much for her, did it? In order to win Brienne’s heart, it’s about a mutual respect. It’s not about being overpowering or aggressive sexual advances. It has to be a mutual respect about skills.”
When asked by her former co-star and panel moderator Kristian Nairn (Hodor) if, deep down inside, Brienne secretly liked the attention she got from Tormund because she was being admired as a woman instead of as a warrior, Christie shot back with a perfect response.
“What I love about Brienne of Tarth is that I don’t think at the foremost of her consciousness is a value system based on how men appreciate her,” Christie said to a raucous of applause from those gathered in Hall H. “But who doesn’t like being appreciated as both really? But I don’t think that’s what she’s invested in at all. I think she’s finding it incredibly awkward.”
The likelihood of Brienne and Tormund ever getting together is slim to none, even with Tormund’s actor Kristofer Hivju campaigning for the two to get together. Last month, showrunner David Benioff joked that they were going to kill one of them off, adding that “there can’t be a happy ending or romantic relationship on the show.”
In the world of Game of Thrones, though, it’s impossible to say for certain. With Tormund and Brienne’s relationship looking less and less likely, the rest of the cast members on the panel were asked about their romantic prospects. Did they think their characters would find someone to keep their mind off the impending great war and incoming attack from North of the Wall?
As actress Sophie Turner was quick to point out, that certainly wouldn’t be happening for Sansa Stark, which isn’t surprising in the least. After essentially being kept hostage by a sadistic murderer (King Joffrey) and then sexually assaulted by the detestable Ramsay Bolton on their wedding night, men are the last thing on Sansa’s mind right now, according to Turner.
“I think she’s over it,” Turner said. “I think she sees the whole world in a different light, not just men in particular. She’s cautious; she trusts no one, whether it be man or woman, family member or not. And U think that’s most important when you play the game of thrones.”
Game of Thrones is currently in its seventh season. It airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO.
