(Spoilers, or whatever.) Very little is known about the Deadwood (RIP, RIP) star’s role in the next season of Game of Thrones, but speaking to Pop Goes the News, McShane dropped a hint that’s already led to a ton of speculation online, because speculating online is the only thing most Game of Thrones fans can do.
“I’ll give you one hint,” McShane said. “I am responsible for bringing somebody back that you think you’re never going to see again. I’ll leave it at that.” So who could it be???? Most of the conversation has swirled around the two names that always come up in GoT circles: Sandor “The Hound” Clegane and the zombie revenge queen “Lady Stoneheart” Stark. Clegane is the obvious fronrunner (though c’mon, most of us thought we were definitely seeing him again), but it’s Stoneheart season, so why couldn’t it be her? (Stoneheart season is defined as “the time between the end of one season of Game of Thrones and the beginning of another, during which fans of the show convince themselves that Lady Stoneheart will appear next season.”)
Lady Stoneheart will not appear in the next season of Game of Thrones, because she never does and because the show already has way too much on its plate (endgame etc.) and—you know what?—she’s not that great of a character anyway. Book readers just want to see her because we’re addicted to feeling superior when “WTF moments” happen. Ian McShane trolling us is what we deserve.