Samwell Tarly may not be your typical knight-on-horseback hero, but the stout academic has been as impressive as anyone in defending Westeros this season on HBO’s Game of Thrones.
Sam, poring over manuscripts at The Citadel, found records of a rich vein of dragonglass, a substance that can kill powerful White Walkers.
The lowly maester-in-training also risked his life to save Ser Jorah Mormont from greyscale, allowing the wise military adviser another chance to help Daenerys Targaryen.And, in Sunday’s episode, Sam’s partner Gilly, who helps him with his manuscript work, discovered a record of Rhaegar Targaryen’s secret marriage, presumably to Lyanna Stark. That would make their son, Jon Snow (Kit Harington), an heir to the Iron Throne.
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However, Sam, in his anger at archmaesters who refuse to respond to the White Walker threat, doesn’t pick up on this huge revelation, which demonstrates he still has room to learn and grow.
“It’s a huge year for Sam,” Bradley tells USA TODAY. “Sam knows his physical limitations. He knows he’s weak on the battlefield, that he can’t use a sword, that he’s not good on a horse. … But there’s a lot of evidence to suggest he is brave and and will do the right thing if he believes what’s at stake is worth defending.”
Sam has exhibited traditional chivalry, too, by rescuing Gilly (Hannah Murray) from evil Craster and killing a White Walker with dragonglass. The Citadel’s archmaesters may have more book smarts, but Sam’s real-life experience with White Walkers leaves him exasperated when his superiors decide against taking action.
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