We’re between seasons of Game of Thrones right now, but there’s no need to despair. In a way, there are already new episodes out there, hours and hours of new Game of Thrones content you haven’t seen!
And in another, more realistic way, there aren’t, because I’m talking about episode commentaries. There are a total of 11 such commentaries on the season 7 Blu-ray boxset. We’ve listened to every one of them and pulled out the juiciest bits. Read on!
Episode 701, “Dragonstone.” Commentary by director Jeremy Podeswa, Gwendoline Christie (Brienne of Tarth) and John Bradley (Samwell Tarly).
- Gwendoline Christie is out of her element. “Normally when I watch an episode of Game of Thrones for the first time, I certainly don’t talk all over it. That, to me, is like throwing used cat litter over gold.”
- Originally, the Bran scene at the Wall was supposed to open the episode, but after editing the Arya scene at the Twins, they knew they should open the season.
- Gwendoline Christie on the sibling rivalry between Sansa and Jon Snow: “Often in those kind of relationships, there’s often a sort of murderous quality hidden somewhere deeply in brother-sister relationships, and I think it’s illustrated very well here.” Girl is bringing the quotes.
- Podeswa highlights the “casual sexism” of the walk-and-talk with Jon and Sansa. Notice the moment where Maester Wolkan reaches past Sansa to give a raven scroll directly to Jon. This underlines Sansa’s pleas for Jon to take her suggestions more seriously.
- Christie on Cersei’s costumes: “[It] literally look[s] like Cersei has withstood being burned.”
- Christie, who is the undisputed star of this commentary, is very knowledgeable about costumes, and gushes in particular about Euron’s rock star getup.
- Christie on the Sam Citadel montage: “I can’t tell what’s food and what’s…[laughs maniacally].”
- The fans may love the Tormund-Brienne dynamic, but Christie is not a fan. “She’s just not that into him!”
- Christie starts in on an interesting train of thought about Brienne’s motherly feelings towards Sansa, but then Ed Sheeran comes onscreen and it’s detailed.
- The snowbound scene with the Brotherhood Without Banners at the farmhouse was filmed in summer, which is a great compliment to the special effects team.
- During the Hound sequence, the commentators have a fascinating discussion about masculinity, God, emotional baggage, technology and life itself. This is a great track!
- The trio pretty much just gush over the final sequence where Daenerys arrives at Dragonstone. After all their thoughtful commentary, I think they’ve earned it.
Epiosode 702, “Stormborn.” Commentary by co-executive producer and writer Bryan Cogman, Pilou Asbæk (Euron Greyjoy), prosthetics supervisor Barrie Gower and stunt coordinator Rowley Irlam.
- This is a good commentary. Cogman is full of interesting behind-the-scenes tidbits, and Asbæk gets really into his action scene.
- Cogman repeats the mantra that season 7 is “the first half” of the two-part endgame. See you in season 8.
- When the team was first mapping out the season, they considered ending the first episode with Daenerys walking into the Dragonstone map room and finding Melisandre waiting for her, but thought that would pull focus from what should be Dany’s moment, so they had her arrive near the beginning of “Stormborn” instead.
- Cogman acknowledges that season 7 moves faster than previous years, with fewer in-between moment of characters traveling. He doesn’t really explain why that change was made, tough. “[I]t’s a real world war…and it felt like the story needed that increased momentum.”
- Cogman: “This scene is Jaime sort of acting as Cersei’s…” Asbæk: “Bitch.” Cogman (cont.): “…communications director.”
- Gemma Whelan and Pilou Asbæk trained for weeks in preparation for the sea battle, but Whelan ended up injuring her back. They had to rearrange the schedule to film her parts much later. Worked out well, I’d say.
- The Grey Worm-Missandei sex scene is inspired by the 1978 Jane Fonda film Coming Home, so add that one to the queue if you’re so inclined. Also, when Missandei and Grey Worm were introduced, the producers were going to make the characters brother and sister.
- Dan Weiss was apparently “obsessed” with the shot of Grey Worm pleasuring Missandei cutting to a close-up of Archmaester Ebrose’s hand removing a book from a shelf. I have no idea what it means.
- Cogman called Sam’s Citadel plotline “the anti-Harry Potter,” since Sam expected Ebrose to be his Dumbledore-like mentor, but really he’s a “fussy academic” who blocks Sam at every turn.
- The scene where Sam operates on Jorah is inspired by a run-in Cogman had with a doctor/Game of Thrones fan who told a story about a patient with “necrotizing fasciitis,” a disease that bears similarity to greyscale. It’s also treated in a similar way.
- Interestingly, the scene between Littlefinger and Jon in the Winterfell crypts wasn’t in the original outline for the season; Cogman added it while writing the script. And yes, the similarly to the season 1 scene where Ned throws Littlefinger against a wall is intentional.
- When Jon leaves Winterfell, there was supposed to be a scene with Ghost, as Cogman explains. “There was a bit here where Jon came out of the crypt, and Ghost came up to him and he petted him and said, ‘Take care of [Sansa], watch over her for me.’ But I guess those direwolves are expensive. I guess it got cut. Oh, well. Ghost is there somewhere roaming around.”
- Cogman on Euron’s attack: “I used to have some dialogue in there about fog and why they didn’t see the ship coming but I think that went away.”
- Vladimír Furdík, who plays the Night King, is killed a couple of times during the sea battle. Everyone on that deck is a stunt-person, since the set was too intense for extras.
- The shot where Nymeria and Obara Sand are hanging off the ship was an idea from director Mark Mylod. Also, Asbæk comes as close as any member of the production likely ever will to acknowledging the Sand Snakes’ unpopularity among fans when he sees that shot and says, simply, “You’re welcome.”
Episode 702, “Stormborn.” Commentary by Gemma Whelan (Yara Greyjoy), Jacob Anderson (Greyworm) and Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei).
- Look, this is an actor commentary; they pretty much just goof off for an hour. It’s fun but lightweight. Watch it if you want to hear them freak out during the Sam-Jorah surgery scene, squeal with delight when Nymeria shows up, and hear anecdotes about how Olenna Tyrell and Ellaria Sand played Bananagrams between takes.
- The group discusses strawberry-eating fetishes. Discover more at your leisure.
- Daenerys to Melisandre, but really to Varys: “You’ve chosen an auspicious day to arrive at Dragonstone. We’ve just decided to pardon those who once served the wrong king.” All three commentators: “Ooooooooooohhh!”
- Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson (the Mountain) bench pressed Nathalie Emmanuel at a cast party. Tell your friends.
- “How amazing is it that we’re in a show where people turn into stones? Like, that is a thing that happens, and it’s our job.” Anderson is a big dork throughout and it’s pretty great.
- According to Anderson, Grey Worm’s accent is “a weird bastardazation of Russian, Japanese, Portugese, West African, and something else.” He’s happy with it. “Everyone, validate me. It’s really hard and I did a really great job!”
- Anderson, at least, thinks Grey Worm has a penis but no testicles. Somehow I doubt we’ll ever find out for sure.
