Brienne and the Hound Meet Again

Spoilers follow for Game of Thrones season half dozen, episode 7, "The Broken Human being."

Information technology's reunion flavour on Game of Thrones! Terminal calendar week, Benjen Stark returned after having been missing since flavor one. And in Lord's day'south episode, an even more prominent character reappeared later on a long absence and even an credible death.

That's, of grade, Sandor Clegane — the infamous Hound, whom we concluding saw dorsum in season four, when he was Arya Stark's traveling companion.

Dorsum then, Sandor was badly injured in a brutal fight with Brienne of Tarth, and Arya evidently left him to die alone of his wounds.

But Cleganes aren't easy to kill. And Sandor'southward reappearance in this episode — in a very rare cold open up! — both confirms a long-held theory by fans of the books and reveals that the one time-violent Hound, surprisingly enough, found some measure of religion. Even so, given the events at this episode's conclusion, it's apparently not going to terminal long.

A refresher course on Sandor Clegane

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In the first iv seasons of Game of Thrones, Sandor Clegane was a constant presence and developed close — though complicated — bonds with both Stark sisters.

The younger son of a small-scale Westerlands family, Sandor was start introduced to us as a menacing warrior who served the Lannisters generally, and Cersei Lannister's son Prince Joffrey specifically. His face was hideously burned during childhood by his abusive older brother Gregor ("the Mountain"), leading to a lifelongfright of burn.

When Joffrey assumed the throne after his father Rex Robert's murder (or "hunting accident"), Sandor was sworn into the Kingsguard every bit i of Joffrey's most important protectors — even though he ostentatiously refused to e'er become a "knight," hating the pretensions and hypocrisies of knightly. And he was ruthless in his task, murdering Mycah, a young "butcher's boy" Arya had befriended who had run afoul of Joffrey'southward childish hatred.

However Sandor won viewer sympathies when he unexpectedly adult a close bail with Lannister prisoner Sansa Stark. He counseled her near how all-time to survive in her unsafe circumstances and risked his life to rescue her from a mob in King's Landing, before himself losing his religion in the king and fleeing the metropolis during season ii'southward climactic Battle of the Blackwater.

In the following season, Sandor turned up once more in Arya Stark's storyline, when they both were prisoners of the insurgent "Alliance Without Banners" grouping. Sandor was put on trial for his crimes and forced to fight for his life, simply emerged triumphant and won his freedom. Shortly afterward, he managed to abduct Arya and take her into his own custody — simply he didn't have any ill intentions for the daughter, simply aiming to return her to her family for the bribe money.

Unfortunately for both of them, he showed up right every bit the Red Wedding massacre was taking place. With no more family members around and breathing to return Arya to, the pair roamed the Riverlands for the rest of season four. And though Sandor had started out on Arya's "impale list," she gradually developed a grudging respect for him and removed his name.

In the flavor four finale, though, Brienne of Tarth, who had been searching for the Stark sisters in an effort to fulfill a promise to their late mother, encountered Sandor and Arya. Rather than talk things out, they had a bloody ball during which, among other things, Brienne chip off one of Sandor's ears before pushing him off a cliff. Arya turned up to say goodbye, and Sandor pleaded with her to kill him, but she refused, and merely left him to bleed out from his injuries.

Sandor'southward reappearance confirms a fan theory based on the books

In George R.R. Martin'due south books, things go downward more or less similarly (though the Hound never fights Brienne and is instead badly injured by some of his blood brother's men). And readers have never explicitly seen him since book three, A Storm of Swords, which was published back in 2000.

However eagle-eyed readers of Martin'due south quaternary book, A Feast for Crows, idea they saw an important clue that Sandor was still live and kicking. Equally Brienne of Tarth toured the Riverlands searching for Sansa Stark, she encountered a group of priests — septons of the Faith of the Vii. (This is the High Sparrow'southward faith, only it'south a much more tolerant and constructive strain.)

One of the septons tells Brienne that he had encountered the dying Sandor, and proclaimed "the Hound is expressionless." Yet among their group, Brienne saw a curious figure far away — an enormous man with a lame leg, digging a grave.

On the upper slopes they saw iii boys driving sheep, and higher however they passed a lichyard where a brother bigger than Brienne was struggling to dig a grave. From the way he moved, information technology was patently to see that he was lame.

Many readers concluded that "the Hound" was indeed dead, merely that Sandor Clegane had been nursed dorsum to wellness by the priests, decided to join their lodge, and constitute some measure out of peace.

This episode seemingly confirms this book theory to be true — and brings in Deadwood star Ian McShane to play the key priest, who preaches nonviolence.

But given the encarmine fate of the priest and the rest of his former companions at the stop of this episode (they're killed by the remnants of that Brotherhood Without Banners grouping, which now appears to be outright plundering the countryside), it seems that whatever peace Sandor found will exist at an stop — and that now the Hound is dorsum, and he wants revenge.

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Source: https://www.vox.com/2016/6/5/11855146/game-of-thrones-season-6-recap-hound-sandor-clegane-alive

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