‘Game Of Thrones’: HBO Is Surprised Anyone Even Noticed Tormund’s Attraction To Brienne
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Episode 4 of the sixth season of Game of Thrones threw an unexpected “ship” into the mix: that of Brienne and Tormund. But just how long will Tormund’s fascination with Brienne last in that bloody, desolate wasteland of Game of Thrones relationships?
SPOILER ALERT: This article contains information about Season 6 of HBO’s Game of Thrones. Please proceed with caution if you wish to avoid spoilers.
According to the official synopsis for Episode 5 of Game of Thrones, Brienne of Tarth (Gwendoline Christie), “goes on a mission.” While this could be an exciting mission that moves the storyline forward, for fans of the newly shipped Brienne and Tormund Giantsbane (Kristofer Hivju), it could just spell disaster for a relationship that has only just begun. Although “begun” is probably too strong a word for something that is Tormund’s first eyeful of Brienne and a mere few glances across a dinner table in Episode 4.
when a girl rides in with a 6 foot frame and Valyrian steel in your face, YOU GET SPRUNG #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/FFitAKkamk
— Victoria Aveyard (@VictoriaAveyard) May 16, 2016
But for romance lovers, no great romance ever ran smoothly, so this mission could be just the thing required to capture the essence of the old adage of “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” So could Brienne’s mission bring challenges to the budding relationship but also allow the characters to work out that life is not all about war and playing the game of thrones?
As for Game of Thrones director Dan Sackheim, it came as a bit of a shock that fans had shipped Brienne and Tormund so quickly. As he recently told Tech Insider, having Tormund instantly smitten with Brienne was meant to be a small brush stroke within the scene and not what it has become since Episode 4 aired.
“Honestly, I’m surprised anyone even noticed. I mean it was meant to be a little grace note, and the fact that it’s blown up with the buzz it has on the internet and on the blogosphere is kind of shocking to me.”
Oh, boy, did the internet notice. Already there are a plethora of memes and YouTube videos celebrating Brienne and Tormund’s first encounters in Game of Thrones. From memes that have superimposed Tormund and Brienne’s face over other images — to videos featuring corny love songs and their first encounters on Game of Thrones:
Tormund x Brienne is the most unexpected, but greatest ship yet on Game of Thrones #thatfacethough pic.twitter.com/8nlHBQPzYQ
— Brittany Bodnar (@britthebod) May 17, 2016
While Sackheim was surprised at the intensity Game of Thrones fans showed with shipping Brienne and Tormund so quickly, he said the scenes were fun to shoot especially considering it was between two characters who are so, normally, emotionally shut off.
So does that mean their relationship is over before it even had a chance to begin? Sackheim also told TV Guide that he agreed with the fans perception that the attraction was currently only one-sided.
“I think it was fairly one-sided, but that’s okay,” he told TV Guide, who have already shipped Brienne and Tormund as “Tarthbane.”
“There’s nothing like a challenge. Men love a challenge.”
And it seems that Tormund is certainly up to that challenge. The only question is, will Brienne eventually be accommodating?
What do you think of Brienne and Tormund in Game of Thrones, are you shipping them already? If you are, what are you calling them: “Tarthbane,” “Briemund,” “Torienne,” or something else entirely? Let us know your thoughts by commenting below!
Season 6 of Game of Thrones returns to HBO with Episode 5, entitled “The Door” on Sunday, May 22, at 9 p.m. ET. The official synopsis for Episode 5, entitled “The Door,” is as follows.
“Tyrion seeks a strange ally; Bran learns a great deal; Brienne goes on a mission; Arya gets a chance to prove herself.”
[Image via HBO]
