Entertainment

This 'GOT' Hodor Theory Could Possibly Change The Game & Break Our Hearts

by Ani Bundel
HBO

This week's coming episode of Game of Thrones sends Jon Snow and company "Beyond the Wall" as the episode title states. Their purpose: to find a wight, capture it alive and take it back to King's Landing. That's right, they're actively seeking out the Army of the Dead. But what horrors will they find when they do? We've already seen wight giants. Everything that dies north of the Wall seems to be turning. Does that mean, oh gods: Is Hodor a wight? Are Jon and Company going to find Hodor there, shuffling along dead as you please?

The idea is absolutely horrifying. Hodor was one of those characters who didn't wear a stitch of plot armor for six seasons and yet kept surviving, because he was kind and gentle and good. Of course, we learned in the end that wasn't really the truth. Hodor lived because Hodor had to live. Bran had already written Hodor's death in stone, years before he was even born, and Hodor had to get to the appointed time and place before he could die on schedule.

But now that Hodor is dead, what is his fate? Was he turned into a wight, too?

The good news is that Kristian Nairn, who played Hodor in the series insists he wasn't brought back this season, so if he *is* a wight, Jon won't be running into him just yet this season. That's a small relief -- I'm sure nobody wants to see Hodor undead, least of all those who cared for him. But what about in the future?

That's still up in the air. After all, HBO used Nairn in its promotional videos this year to hawk HBO's programming, including those "awwwwwwww" videos where the casts of various shows vocalized the tone that plays at the top of every program.

Of course, Nairn (as Hodor) didn't, he said "Hodor." Because of course he did. Was that just a gag? Or is Hodor coming back eventually?

We don't know yet, because Season 8 hasn't started filming. But it's still a distinct possibility. We just hope if they do bring Hodor back as a wight, it's not Bran who sees him. That boy's suffered enough, don't you think?