Con of Thrones was a dream this year. Mischief Management brought in guests Nikolaj Coster-Waldau (Jaime Lannister), Jerome Flynn (Broon of the Blackwater), Hannah Murray (Gilly), and Miltos Yerolemou (Syrio Forel) this year.
Hannah Murray and Miltos Yerolemou were returning guests but this was the first time Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Jerome Flynn attended. Their panel took place in Nashville’s Music City Center on Saturday, July 13.
Binge Mode podcast co-hosts Mallory Rubin and Jason Concepcion moderated the panel.
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.jsThe panel with @nikolajcw, @JeromeFlynn, Hannah Murray, and Miltos Yerolemou is starting! #GameofThrones #ConOfThrones pic.twitter.com/9qa6h6bW52
— Geek Gals (@geekgalsco) July 13, 2019
Rubin dived right into the tough question for Jerome Flynn: DID BRONN CONTRACT THE POX FROM QYBURN’S POXY WHORE?! Flynn replies “Does it look like I contracted the pox?” LOL. He goes on to explain his fantasy of being at his castle with Jaime serving him tea.
What will you miss the most?
“There’s an angel standing over there.”
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau noticed a woman in cosplay who sat in the front row, toward the right side of the A1 hall. Coster-Waldau actually mistook the “angel” for the harpy from the top of the Mereen pyramid. It took him a moment to realize that harpy was from Game of Thrones: “WOW… I gotta watch that show.” It was one of the best creative cosplays we saw at the con!
Jaime’s character arc
Rubin brings up how Jaime’s character arc was one of the most widely discussed points from the show. She posed the question, “Did Jaime actually change?”
Coster-Waldau added that he was very moved by the finale scene where Brienne filled out the pages about Jaime in the white book of knights. And Gwendoline Christie actually sent him all the different memes that spurred online from that scene.
Moving on to Bronn
He got his castle! But did he get a wife? Flynn said “I think he’s got enough around him to get a wife.”
What is Gilly up to?
Sure, Samwell got to become a maester. But what is Gilly doing?
Is Syrio alive?
The afterlife of Syrio Forel is another main talking point from the show. Rubin said, “Show me a body!” LOL. But alas fans, if you didn’t know this already, you’ll be disappointed…
George R.R. Martin wrote Syrio Forel’s death scene in a way that left it open-ended and ambiguous. Arya kept Syrio alive in her head.
And Yerolemou also added that he still enjoyed the show even when he wasn’t on it.
Favorite duos?
Addressing criticisms
Coster-Waldau pointed out that there were criticisms from every season, especially the pacing of the show in the latter seasons. Coster-Waldau shared an insight of how because there were too many characters to keep up.
“For every character in one episode, maybe… three or four scenes. You have to move along. You have to connect the dots yourself.”
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Rubin segued into the criticism of season 8. Coster-Waldau reminded us that Game of Thrones is a show where the fans are so passionate but it’s also easy for them to get upset when things don’t go the way they want them to.
“I love that there was an online petition to have [season 8] re-written,” Coster-Waldau said. The audience chuckled, and he brought up another petition of how fans wanted Netflix to cancel Good Omens…
Favorite moment?
Yerolemou said that he got to work with a fight choreographer William Hobbes, who unfortunately passed away last year. Yerolemou called Hobbes his mentor and that learning from him was “a life-changing experience.”
Flynn explained that his favorite scene to shoot was the Loot Train scene in season 7. “It was like a boy’s dream… To be able to dive into that battle,” he said.
Then, Coster-Waldau asked his fellow actors who complained the most about their costumes. Murray said “Jon [Snow]” and Coster-Waldau joked about his heavy costumes and armor.
Ideal spin-off (prequel or sequel)?
Flynn says in his ideal spin-off, he’d prefer Jaime Lannister and Daenarys not dying. He wants Jaime to serve him tea and he wants to be with Daenarys. LOL.
Advocating for causes
Concepcion brought up advocating for causes and Coster-Waldau explained that he is a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Programme. He uses his platform to give attention to those doing good work in the world.
So many people for these agencies do amazing work but don’t get the attention they deserve.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
And then Flynn talked about climate change and animal welfare and how we need to turn climate change around.
What is the legacy of Game of Thrones?
Coster-Waldau added that, “I think the fact that a fantasy show could become the biggest Emmy winner of all time is a pretty big thing.
Then Flynn added that, “I think the metaphor and allegory in the [show]… it’s very much about the human condition and our past and our present. The fact that we’re all fighting to try to get some power… The fact that it became the most popular program in the planet, all those characters had to come together to save their future, the fact that it happened now at this time… I think it was coming through George as he wrote it.”
Stay tuned for more articles recapping Con of Thrones!
If you missed the Cosplay Contest, see our photo gallery.
Featured image credit: Julia Hankins/Geek Gals
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