Home » 5 Reasons Sean Bean will Return to Game of Thrones for Season 2

5 Reasons Sean Bean will Return to Game of Thrones for Season 2

by Jacob Klein
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HBOTrueBloodBoardwalkEmpire_biggerWARNING: Game of Thrones spoilers ahead! – I know what you’re thinking:  Why do we torture you so?  The open wound Eddard Stark left in your heart had finally started to close and mend.  Why would we toy with you in your fragile state when we all know he’s gone, truly gone from Westeros forever.  We all watched the gleaming edge of his own sword bite into the back of the man’s neck, ser!   Why sully his memory and dishonor his house by insinuating that he may yet return to us?

I sympathize with you good ser but please.. hear me.  While Eddard Stark, and for that matter, Sean Bean may be out of Game of Thrones’ present storyline for good, the possibility exists that he may yet return to the series in some form or another.  In fact, we are of the opinion that HBO would be as mad as King Aerys not to take advantage of one or all of the following.  So put aside your grief for a moment and consider this:

EMINEMFIGHT-300x217No One Does A Cameo Like HBO – If you’ve ever seen Entourage or Curb Your Enthusiasm you may begin to understand the gravitational force HBO has over Hollywood.  In almost every 25 minute episode of these shows there are at times multiple Hollywood heavyweights gracing the screen.   Stars the likes of Eminem, Ricky Gervias, James Cameron, Matt Damon and Martin Scorsese just to name a few recent appearances off the top of my head.    The network is known for it’s classy, dare I say, artistic vision on the silver screen.  They know when to step aside and let actors and writers do what they do best- their craft.  It’s no wonder HBO has no trouble convincing the likes of Kate Winslet or Al Pacino to work with them so why would Sean Bean refuse?  If HBO, the show-makers or Sean Bean are worried about a possible scene feeling forced they need only look at the network’s track record for exciting, timely cameos in their shows across the board.

Flashbacks – I can’t yet make the claim to having read all 5,000+ pages of A Song of Ice and Fire, of which Game of Thrones is derived.  But I can tell you that having just finished book three, there are more than enough flashback scenes to warrant their inclusion in any subsequent episodes.  They do much to add depth to the surviving characters (Ser Jaime for example) and their exclusion from the show would take away from the texture and depth of Westeros as a whole.  Many of these flashbacks (or stories told by characters aloud to one another) involve the description of how Robert Baratheon came to power with Ned Stark’s help, the details of which are critical to the advancement of the story, particularly for those still living who were present (Jaime, Tywin, Catelyn etc).  We’re not talking about a shimmering blue Obi-Wan Kenobi style visage telling Jon Snow to ‘use the force’.  There are several, classier ways to get the job done.  The story needs to be told so why not do it via flashback- as it often occurs in the novels themselves?

dreamingbranDreams – There are so many dreams, visions and hallucinations in A Song of Ice and Fire, it verges on annoyance.  Whether the gods are playing tricks on these characters or they are simply grieving a lost father, they certainly get their fair share of prophetic and sometimes seemingly random dreams throughout the story.  Couldn’t Lord Stark, or for that matter, Robert Baratheon appear before a family member in a dream?  It surely isn’t unrealistic to think that one of Ned’s young children would dream of his or her father regularly so close to his untimely departure from the realm.  Whether we see Eddard again through dream, flashback or drug-induced-vision-quest, there are several precedents within the source material to justify an appearance.

Sean Bean Wants It – Just after the conclusion of Game of Thrones season one Sean Bean told New York Magazine: “Anything can happen. It’s a very complex show. Very multilayered. And even the most absurd thing is believable.” Bean added that he is feeling “a twinge of envy” that filming on the show’s second season will soon begin without him. “They’re about to start up again [and] the saga gets to go on without me,” he said. “I’m doing something else now, but sometimes I go, ‘Aw, s**t, bring me back’.”   It would appear the man is not only willing, but anxious to make a return!

Ned-Stark-Game-Of-Thrones-580x434-300x224The Fans Want It – Game of Thrones is often said to be “fantasy for people who don’t like fantasy” but even the nontraditional, new fans of the series would love to see a tasteful encore from Sean Bean and his beloved character.  Just think of the web buzz you’ll generate with this move, HBO!  Surely hundreds of articles with titles such as “Sean Bean to Appear in Game of Thrones Season 2” will sweep Facebook, Twitter and entertainment blogs such as this one.  Millions more will tune in, and perhaps it may even be the straw that gets a few of them to subscribe to HBO.  Think of all the goodwill, love and quite possibly dollars that will come your way!  Sean Bean wants it, we want it and heck, take an HBO office poll, I bet you all want it too!  There are ample opportunities, often even direct scenes from the novels where the show creators could easily slip a three minute Ned Stark scene into Game of Thrones season 2.

But what do you, the fans really think?  Maybe we’re way off base here, assuming you want to see Eddard Stark or Robert Barantheon one last time.  Is it even possible?  Are we just channeling our grief in an unhealthy manor?  Either way, Winter is Coming next year.  Sound off in the comments below.

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56 comments

Does it matter? February 12, 2015 - 2:25 pm

I hate King Joffrey. Should’ve had him executed. SON OF A B!TCH HAS NO EMOTION!

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Christian May 12, 2014 - 9:54 am

I think they could make him into a wight first and then have D. Stormborn do something with her dragonfire which could bring him back to life from the undead world in a healthy and believable way.

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Abdus-salam Ahmad February 21, 2014 - 1:06 pm

Come on they (SPOILER FOR A STORM OF SWORDS) resurrected his wife Catelyn so why not resurrect the best character Ned back. He was the best and always will be.

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Phil_A_Shio March 4, 2014 - 7:43 pm

Yes but her body was still intact, Ned’s isn’t lol.

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Colin Formanek March 18, 2014 - 1:10 am

Since it’s quicker to quote the show than the books, in season 3 episode 5:

Arya: Could you bring back a man without a head? Not six times. Just one.
Thoros: I don’t think it works that way child.

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kimmy February 10, 2014 - 2:07 am

Its crap without ned stark, bring him back.

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Fazekas Ferenc December 18, 2013 - 7:39 pm

I watched the first season and stopped watching the next one. Without Eddard Stark (Sean Bean) This TV series is shit for me. Im sorry Im just the kind of guy who cant live withouth a main character.
Take an example from The Walking Dead. Cant wait for the third season! Every episode is awsome! And I will watch GoT when Eddard is ressurected, becomes the king and wont die again. But that is never gonna happen in this shitty tv series.

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was April 5, 2014 - 5:25 am

Well you’re clearly an idiot

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Mihai Cosmin Bianu August 20, 2013 - 7:32 pm

I have a theory in which Ned Stark could have survived the execution:
“Mance is supposedly burned alive by Stannis with the wildlings, members of the Night’s Watch, King’s Men, and Queen’s Men there to bear witness. Jon Snow orders him killed by archers of the Watch during the burning to give him a quick death.[5]
In actuality the man killed was Rattleshirt, who was glamored by Melisandre’s magic to appear like Mance. Meanwhile, the actual Mance was glamored by a ruby worn at his wrist to appear as Rattleshirt. “(A Dance with Dragons) this could be applied to Ned,Varys pulled some strings in order for Ned to survive,he summoned a red priest(maybe Thoros of Myr) and a volunteer in order to pose as Ned and Ned as the volunteer.

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Dave. August 15, 2013 - 5:18 pm

No, you can’t bring him back to life, then you will not expect most of the main characters to die! The only way you can bring him back is through flash backs, showing Robert Baratheon and Eddard stark winning the throne.

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JustAThought June 4, 2013 - 1:04 pm

Bring Ned (and others) back as White Walkers! They’ve been true to the books as far as I can tell. There’s a whole lotta hell waiting for everyone that’s still alive. What more could you ask from HBO?

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Thomas S May 13, 2013 - 4:05 am

they have a woman in the show who can walk through fire, they also have dead bodie’s getting back up to try kill. Now if that is possible anything is. So why not just bring ned stark aka Sean Bean back to life in the show. He was the heart and soul of the show and the show will not be as good without him in my opinion.

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rich May 2, 2013 - 1:27 pm

bring him back,he is the show!

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saintsfan2013 April 12, 2013 - 9:07 pm

His death was shocking and made me sad in my real life….but I kept telling my husband the last
person that he saw in the prison was a Magician…the bald headed guy…that was my way of thinking that “maybe that magician did something” I cried because I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY ACTUALLY DID IT!!! I almost stopped watching the show….BRING HIM BACK … OR STOP TALKING ABOUT HIM in every episode…let me heal…GO THRONES!!!

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Circleoffire March 10, 2013 - 5:36 am

I don’t care to see Robert Barantheon again but I would love to see Ned Stark sprinkled here and there, throughout season 3 and the rest of the series! If there was ever a person meant for a role, it’s Sean Bean as Eddard Stark! If there was ever a character written out of a book and thus a TV series way too soon, it was Ned Stark! I think it’s one of the few mistakes that author, George R.R. Martin, made when he wrote this series of books.

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Talha Naeem Rao March 9, 2013 - 1:51 pm

For God’s sake, bring Ned back!! I wanna see him more than anything. yes, I am mad after his character!! I love him!! Please Dir HBO!!!

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G January 29, 2013 - 8:35 am

I say bring him back from the dead. The series already has a lot of magic and mysteries. It could only be until the war is over.

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Afreenay Durrani January 25, 2013 - 4:12 pm

but he died in the book too and that sucks. :(

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Matthew Coates-Gray December 15, 2012 - 3:19 am

season 3 coming up

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upset fan December 14, 2012 - 2:34 pm

i have just stopped watching the show after his death what a let down… yes i have read the books but, this is not a book its based on it use some creativity… what a shame!! and yes i have read all the books

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Talha Naeem Rao March 9, 2013 - 1:52 pm

hey man, same here.. i was totally under shock!!

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Jeannys October 26, 2012 - 1:40 am

Well looks like he didn’t come back after. Just a little note for the dutch fans. If you want to talk and discuss about game of thrones I’ll advice to register on this dutch Game of Thrones forum http://www.thegameofthrones.nl

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Esther October 11, 2012 - 10:03 am

WTF!!! They killed Eddard Stark!!!! Why did they kill the lead caracter?? Do the good people alway’s have to die!?!?!? You have to bring him back HBO! Damn…. A fan from Holland.

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Katerina September 11, 2012 - 12:16 pm

I still want him back!!!!!!!!

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Chazzeo May 21, 2012 - 1:34 pm

Agent 006… Cool!! Oh no wait, killed him. Well got him again in Ronin… Nah, dead again. Ok. Boromir! Aww come on!! He gave up taking frodos ring! Let the man live already. Oh well, at least he’s got a mideval show on HBO I can watch him on…

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Ammar February 28, 2014 - 7:16 pm

Please bring Ned Stark back. The show lacks taste & flavor without him, killing him was the stupidest decision ever made!

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Ryan April 20, 2012 - 8:59 am

What kills me is they put Bean on the cover of the boxset. I didn’t get to watch the first season as it aired, but after I heard how amazing the show was, so I went out and bought the blu-rays on release day. So as you can imagine his death came as quite the shock to me. I thought maybe once, just once, he wouldn’t die in something he was in, hence making him the cover of the boxset. Wrong again.

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Jacob Klein April 23, 2012 - 10:36 am

The series is still great. Come to find out Ned is just the spark that starts the journey for so many other characters to come into their own. He was a true badass but other characters rise up to become just as cool, promise :)

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Carl Page December 31, 2013 - 10:18 am

he didnt die in troy, cleanskin, national treasure, ronin, sharpe and surely some other films. but i agree he’s often killed off.

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Ryan April 3, 2012 - 6:27 pm

Yes bring him back. He is crucial to the moral of the show. Sean Bean (Ned Stark) should at least be in flashbacks and dreams and if you could make ut epic, bring him back to life in the shoe.

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LOLFAIL March 28, 2012 - 3:31 pm

HAHA I just came back to this article… pretty funny knowing he indeed came back in the 2nd season but quickly got killed off. What a come back!!! Poor Sean Bean. That dude gets killed in all the movies he’s in. Leave sean bean alone!!!

WINTER IS COMING: http://www.celebremix.com/remixes/view/6820

HAHAHAHHAHAHA

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Patricia March 15, 2012 - 7:37 am

Sean Bean was the lead actor in GOT, and he will be missed not only for this reason but because he is an actor who brings an air of class and honesty to his character. The Sopranos began a series of major character “kill offs” and the series was weakened.
Flashbacks are a lame way to revitalize the character. Fans want to see him every week in a major role. Soap operas have always invented the twin brother, what about HBO? Besides everything else, this guy is really easy on the eyes!

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Severian March 13, 2012 - 7:38 am

Not to spoil anything But there is a flashback of ned in book 5 that is not dialogue driven.

There are also 4 dreams concerning Ned in Book 2. 2 of them are dialogue driven and 2 of them are not.

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Jacob Klein March 13, 2012 - 9:20 pm

Yeah plenty of opportunities for sure. And obviously they could move those around or simply add some dialogue. With Martin on the payroll anything is possible!

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Denise Sevier-Fries March 11, 2012 - 9:03 pm

I have read the books and understand and accept that Ned is gone, but I also understand that a book (and therefore its film) is only as good as it’s main character. Even with a great ensemble cast, there has to be one ‘leader’ or one true hero, if you like…one soul to invest your time, energy and love in, and Ned Stark was that character. I will still be a fan, but a reluctant one at best and only because of Tyrion and Jon, who will both have to try and fill the Sean Bean sized hole left in the show. As a writer I applaud GRRM for having the guts to kill off the main man, but as a reader, I say ‘Awww shit’.

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brian March 8, 2012 - 10:11 am

I couldn’t believe they killed of the STAR of the series, and the reason most of us watched. I just hope they haven’t shot themselves in the foot and can continue to hold our interest in season two. I ersonally was hoping they would make Ned’s execution a ruse, or somehow faked, but in reality, he was secretly imprisoned in the dungeon , for the young king’s own reasons, while everyone is left with the impression he is dead. Or even leave the execution scene as just Ned’s imagination of things to possibly come, while he languished in the dungeon. Lot’s of possiblities, but all in all, my vote would definitely be to bring Sean Bean back.

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Jacob Klein March 9, 2012 - 1:44 pm

Not coming back story-wise but we can hope for cameos!

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Carrot March 8, 2012 - 3:07 am

Ummm, no, don’t bring him back. He’s dead. One of the reasons GoT is so unique is that Martin (who wrote the books the show is based on) never feared to kill off characters. and by kill of, I mean *actually kill them*. They are still talked about sure, because they were part of the world and people don’t just immidatley forget them when they die, but they are not coming back any time soon, either.

I don’t know if any of you people noticed, but Ned’s brutal end actually created quite the media buzz. evreyone was talking about, many were surprised and shocked. Friends of mine who didn’t read the back but did watch the show are still talking about it with mixed awe and sadness. All of those great things (creating actual emotion and caring and a sense of danger in fans) will be gone with a whiff of wind if they brought Eddard back.

I am against the mare notion of thinking about such an idea. May Ned rest in peace. forever.

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DN March 6, 2012 - 6:34 pm

Well, I won’t be watching GOT this next season since they killed off Eddard Stark’s character.

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assie February 15, 2012 - 7:21 am

Since a few days we are receiving hbo and we are now watching Game of Thrones with Sean Bean. For me he is The main reason ho watch The show. When he is not returning in The net season i never watch again, and that is a shame.

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Jacob Klein February 15, 2012 - 11:22 am

Oh, you’ll watch.. wait til you finish the series and see how you feel!

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Mark from Florida February 10, 2012 - 7:14 pm

Recast Sean Bean as Neds twin Brother, if that would fit in the story??? I think he’s an awesome actor, the show deserves Sean. Besides watching him drive a sword through Joffery priss ass would be awesome. GOT is the best.

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Conny January 16, 2012 - 3:19 pm

PLEASE, BRING HIM BACK!! I love him sooo much! “A Fan from Austria”

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gurgen December 9, 2011 - 3:58 pm

I want Sean Bean back.. He is so handsome and a good character. I don’t plan to watch it anymore if there is no role for Ned Stark.

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Jeanne September 12, 2011 - 2:35 pm

After the mess George Martin made of this beloved series by publishing Dance of the Dragons- what a 6 year disappointment. Then I say do whatever you want with the storyline, especially if you bring back Sean Bean. He is the reason I subscribed to HBO even knowing he would die in the first season.

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David August 29, 2011 - 5:18 am

Have you people all lost your minds? If you’ve watched the first season, then you know there will be no flashbacks. Look at how they tell the story of the events from Robert’s rebellion. Through dialogue. Flashbacks are usually a bad storytelling device, used mostly by amateurs. GoT is not a series made by amateurs.

Using dreams to bring back Ned Stark would be a cheap-ass resource too, and it would ruin the series. So they’re not gonna do that.

A cameo? Okay, it’s HBO, but it’s A Song of Ice and Fire too. the have a responsibility to make a good adaptation, like they’ve been doing so far. That means the story is more important than stupid gimmicks.

The fans want it? I’m a fan and I accepted the fact that Ned Stark is dead. Man, if you’ve read the books you know his won’t be the last painful death. Bringing him back in any way would ruin the dramatic effect of his execution. Sean Bean did a great job and he can add it to the list of great roles he’s played. I’d love to see more of him. But not in GoT. Being a fan doesn’t mean asking for ridiculous and senseless fanservice, it means respecting the story, which the first season did great, in my opinion.

Seriously people, open your eyes and be earnest.

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Rob February 16, 2012 - 12:20 pm

agreed

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Viserys' Wet Blanket August 27, 2011 - 9:52 am

I would love to have Sean Bean back for a dream/flashback sequence or two, so long as they didn’t overuse them to kind of force him back into the show just because people like the Ned Stark character (which I don’t think they’d do). He is dead, the story goes on.

Also, praising HBO for cameo’s while citing Entourage and Curb as examples is silly. Both shows are largely based on, revolve around, and are set in (mainly) Hollywood. A major part of the shows are having other celebrities as part of the story lines and/or the show’s characters interacting with Hollywood stars.

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Knellis August 26, 2011 - 11:45 am

Sean Bean was the reason I subscribed to HBO last April. As it turns out, GOT was well worth the money even after Ned got killed off, but I’d love to see him again in flashbacks. He’s absolutely one of the best actors on the planet.

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Dreamlife August 25, 2011 - 3:20 pm

I’m on board with bringing him back. HBO used Garrett Dillahunt for 2 separate characters in Deadwood. Sean Bean is so awesome I wouldn’t mind them casting him as another character, lol. Flashbacks would be tricky since he’d have to be aged down somehow, right?

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MAX FROM RUSSIA !!! August 25, 2011 - 7:13 am

BRING HIM BACK !!! EVEN FANS FROM RUSSIA WANTS IT !!!

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Cheryl Brown August 24, 2011 - 5:46 pm

Love that Sean Bean…I mean Ned Stark. Nearly as handsome as that sexy Boromir. G of T is richer for his presence and damn it we all want to see him again now don’t we, even in a flashback, but he could be a ghost down with the rest of the clan, that the young brothers thought they saw when he had died. Now why else would they put in that little bit of info?

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rosanna August 24, 2011 - 4:50 pm

yes bring him back there are plenty of openings in the next few books for him to show up and with as many char as martian likes to kill we will need something to watch and to most def Bring Sexy Back :) yes i said it

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lid August 24, 2011 - 3:53 pm

Who the fuck is Robert Barantheon when he’s at home?

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ElizaHaywood August 24, 2011 - 1:54 pm

One of the fundamental questions of the series is the actual parentage of Jon Snow, and throughout the book (prior to his untimely demise), Ned Stark has vivid memories of his attempted rescue of his sister. Does it have to do with Jon Snow? Many think so . . .
If George R. R. Martin is going anywhere with the series, he is heading toward a resolution of this question, and HBO would do well to provide the necessary allusions that establish that it IS a question and how better to do it than to use some sort of ‘flashback’ (flashback of a flashback?) from the only person who knew the truth?

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dave May 10, 2012 - 12:59 am

SPOILERS AHEAD: Edit by admin: I think she meant Ned Stark’s demise…

Eliza you could have ruined the end of book 5 for anyone who didn’t know about that…

ANYWAY, Bet you my left nut Snow survives. He either recovers, or lives on as a manwolfthing.

Google some interviews from martin regarding said subject,
he’s killed so many characters you expect Jon to be dead..
but no this time IMHO.

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