What I've seen online is: Not all heroes wear capes; some just hold the door.
The spectacle of Bran and the others huddled into what appears to be a natural cavern that has a DOOR in the back end is only a little less believable than that of a single man holding a horde of zombies from opening a door. I reallize that the universe of the lands on both sides of the Narrow Sea has its own history and physical laws, but it's a fine line that separates what a reader finds believable from a loss of the 'suspension of disbelief'.
Thermopylae - This ain't! Hodor is not 300 Spartans.
When "Hold the Door!" devolved to "Hodor" the word that evolved in my little brain was "Lame"
Is "Hodor" Northern slang for "Jump the Shark?
This is not on the actor who was perfectly cast. This is on the story being told.
Thermopylae - This ain't! Hodor is not 300 Spartans.
When "Hold the Door!" devolved to "Hodor" the word that evolved in my little brain was "Lame"
Is "Hodor" Northern slang for "Jump the Shark?
This is not on the actor who was perfectly cast. This is on the story being told.
1
Robert, you get points for citing Thermopylae.
1
Not all heroes hold weapons, some hold doors
2
Hodor, pre programmed to defend the people of the Rhelm. A very gut wrenching and ingenious end to a beloved character. It is always the way. The more loyal and simple, the greater the sacrifice and the less the expectation of reward. Hodor is one of the two characters I miss the most! The other being Ned Stark. Billy Joel wrote a song about them, "Only The Good Die Young!"
1
Interesting fact about Sean Bean the actor who played Ned Stark, 38% of the roles he takes in films and shows die.
It didn't seem like Hodor was made simple-minded. He seemed as smart as he had seemed as an untouched lad. Just that his vocabulary was limited to one word. Also, kudos to the actor who played young Hodor in his "fit." He did a great job.
4
Still happy to be Hodor ten years from now? INCONCEIVABLE!
6
You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.
11
The Princess Bride, non?
1
Hello, my name Indigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die.
Hodor hodor hodor hodor hodor. Hodor, hodor, hodor hodor hodor. Hodor - hodor hodor hodor (hodor hodor hodor). Hodor hodor - Hodor!
12
Hodor? Hodor hodor hodor.
4
As an American living in Asia, I always get asked what the main differences are between Americans and Brits. Kristian Nairn's take on Hodor's life and fate strikes me as very British: life isn't fair, there are some people whose fate is to selflessly serve and that's the way of things, sometimes people have to suck it up so that others can fulfill their mission. Americans have a tough time accepting that: we should strive for fairness, individuals have rights and they should not be sacrificed without their consent, no one should be assigned to their fate--especially by some snotty nosed kid filled with self-importance. Hodor is definitely British but he received an American literary and cinematic treatment.
10
Correction: he's definitely Northern Irish, which is a very distinct thing in its own right, and quite apart from being either 'British' or 'Irish', via the Republic. Our brothers and friends up there in 'Norn Iron' have a proud identity of their own...
5
As an old D&D guy, this show is right down my alley, but I just can't take the violence, especially the rape and torture. No thanks. Didn't need to watch that.
5
in that case, don't watch it. It's that simple.
1
We were weepy, yes. But still not as sad as the murder (not sacrifice, murder - Stannis akin to Agamemnon and the way the latter treated his family) of Princess Shireen.
5
Agamemnon was killed by his wife and another suitor, you need to re-read The Odyssey.
I had a thought last night.
Hodor, as Wyllis, demonstrated that he has a way of transcending boundaries between past and present, and a deep kindness, courage and loyalty that persists even in the face of the near-total loss of his faculties.
Victims of the White Walkers tend to become White Walkers themselves, so it might be reasonable to presume that the corpse of Hodor will live on as a White Walker after he was butchered when so bravely and steadfastly holding the door against their onslaught
So it tickles me to think that we may see an encounter between Bran and Hodor again, and it occurred to me that perhaps, seemingly alone among the White Walkers, a shred of that deep and abiding humanity may endure, and Hodor might become an ally and protector to Bran once more.
I hope so. I like happy, or at least heroic, endings.
Hodor, as Wyllis, demonstrated that he has a way of transcending boundaries between past and present, and a deep kindness, courage and loyalty that persists even in the face of the near-total loss of his faculties.
Victims of the White Walkers tend to become White Walkers themselves, so it might be reasonable to presume that the corpse of Hodor will live on as a White Walker after he was butchered when so bravely and steadfastly holding the door against their onslaught
So it tickles me to think that we may see an encounter between Bran and Hodor again, and it occurred to me that perhaps, seemingly alone among the White Walkers, a shred of that deep and abiding humanity may endure, and Hodor might become an ally and protector to Bran once more.
I hope so. I like happy, or at least heroic, endings.
7
I think this is the most poorly thought-out idea within an book/show since the "Who Shot JR?" dream sequence.
It doesn't make any sense. Wyllis was of a similar age as Ned Stark when he changed to Hodor. As a teenager, he gets mind-blasted by an astrally projecting Brandon Stark, who wouldn't be born for another 30 years or so.
That "Hodor" means "Hold the door" is fine. That a 15-year old Wyllis has his life destroyed in order to hold a door against a bunch of frosty undead is shamefully weak.
It doesn't make any sense. Wyllis was of a similar age as Ned Stark when he changed to Hodor. As a teenager, he gets mind-blasted by an astrally projecting Brandon Stark, who wouldn't be born for another 30 years or so.
That "Hodor" means "Hold the door" is fine. That a 15-year old Wyllis has his life destroyed in order to hold a door against a bunch of frosty undead is shamefully weak.
9
George Martin doesn't care what you think of his plot structures.
3
FWIW Martin no longer decides the plot now. It's the HBO show runners, who have to try to get this mess to some sort of reasonable conclusion in another, what, 8 episodes?
We're going to see a lot of things that Martin wouldn't do. I think the Sansa/John reunion was one. That one had the HBO show runners' fingerprints on it. Martin isn't big on that kind of emotion.
We're going to see a lot of things that Martin wouldn't do. I think the Sansa/John reunion was one. That one had the HBO show runners' fingerprints on it. Martin isn't big on that kind of emotion.
1
However, according to the show writers, the origin of Hodor did come from Martin. They talked to him extensively about the rest of the story and he did tell them about Hodor. It was Martin's idea here.
5
I think on some level Hodor did know. When ever something would happen he'd get very nervous and rock back and forth saying "Hodor" "Hodor" like he knew something really bad was going to happen to him. He was wincing even if he didn't fully know why.
7
Already we've suffered the Red Wedding and the burning at the stake of an innocent child. What could be worse? Hodor was a good character elevated to greatness by his sad ending. He has achieved a level of immortality in this saga. And he apparently served a noble purpose.
What if Sam suffers a similar fate? Wouldn't that be at least as horrifying? Sam is such an unusual and really wonderful character. He is a modern man in a medieval setting. He has a family now and it looks like we are set to learn more about him.
What if Sam suffers a similar fate? Wouldn't that be at least as horrifying? Sam is such an unusual and really wonderful character. He is a modern man in a medieval setting. He has a family now and it looks like we are set to learn more about him.
5
Sam has no meaningful purpose in GOT. He is there for the filler. Don't need more of him.
2
Sam discovered how to kill the White Walkers. He defended the Wall. He kept Jon true to his vows. He has been a moral voice to Jon more than once, a voice for humanity in a world that has precious little of it. Now that Maester Aemon has died, he stands ready to be the only Maester of the order to understand the true threat beyond the wall. He has a father who is a well respected military commander.
Sam has had plenty of purpose already, and one thing we know about Martin is that he is very patient about revealing the full purpose of his characters. I suspect there will be much to come.
Sam has had plenty of purpose already, and one thing we know about Martin is that he is very patient about revealing the full purpose of his characters. I suspect there will be much to come.
11
Amjo, famous last words, and almost definitely wrong. No way he has occupied so many pivotal events only to fade to irrelevance.
2
"But ask me that in 10 years." #winstheinternet
4
I don't think there are many actors who could make a career-defining, greatly loved and admired role out of a situation that provided only one word of dialog. Kristian did it and I trust we can look forward to admiring and respecting his performances for many years to come. At the risk of being accused of ethnocentricity, I might also add he is one more brick in the edifice of how the Irish have benefited civilization. (You all do know that, going back to the early Middle Ages, we saved civilization, right? Read the book.)
8
An actual Irishman writes... I'm not sure about how we have 'saved' civilisation, but there's absolutely no doubt about how we have helped 'civilisation'. Few foreigners/outsiders either know, notice or care how, for a very small country with a tiny population, the Irish punch far above their weight on the global stage, with a great many Irish people - and I mean Irish, not the descendants of Irish, like 'Irish-Americans' (doomed for all eternity to be coldly regarded as only 'American' by fully Irish people) - in senior positions, or leading, many NGOs and humanitarian agencies. From Palestine to The Congo, from UN peacekeeping missions to the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean and beyond, Irish people, charities and agencies are in the thick of it. Saved civilisation? Of course not. But helped it? Absolutely.
2
I suggest Thomas Cahill's book: How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland's Heroic Role From the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe (The Hinges of History)
2
The country is called Israel. There is no Palestine.
1
WWHD?
He would hold the door, thats what.
He would hold the door, thats what.
9
"Timmy? Timmy. TIMMMMMMMMY !!!"
6
Goodbye, Big Guy. You will be missed.
5
I was ok with Hodor dieing and was emotionless as I watch his death on folded. Maybe after watching the Red Wedding, now I accept in the GOT world most everyone is going to die and it not going to be pretty. No one is going to die in their sleep. One character die as he was going to the toilet!
3
Total respect to Kristian - as a fellow Ulsterman, it's been great to see such a sound guy make his mark in such a distinctive way, especially as he turned what could have been such a simple, one-note character into such a beloved one.
I know that Kristian is doing absolutely tons of press at the moment, as he's suddenly Hodor du jour with the Internet/general media going *nuts* trying to get his views on his character's dramatic, shocking exit, so I'll throw this in here - I work in a newspaper, and out of the many years I've been there, and of all the many celebrities, politicians and well-known people we've interviewed, there has *never* been an internal reaction/interest like when the staff learned Hodor was being interviewed.
There could have been 20 people in the background chanting "Hodor! Hodor! Hodor!" when we interviewed Kristian - hardened hacks and other staff were as giddy as schoolgirls once news got out (no pun intended) that Hodor was being interviewed. Hodor! This minor character in a hugely popular, yet still niche TV show meant more to the staff than an endless line of models, (other) actors, etc.
So, and I'm groaning about saying this too, here's hoping that Hodor's unforgettable closing of one door opens many new ones for Kristian, who just seems like a pretty nice guy...
I know that Kristian is doing absolutely tons of press at the moment, as he's suddenly Hodor du jour with the Internet/general media going *nuts* trying to get his views on his character's dramatic, shocking exit, so I'll throw this in here - I work in a newspaper, and out of the many years I've been there, and of all the many celebrities, politicians and well-known people we've interviewed, there has *never* been an internal reaction/interest like when the staff learned Hodor was being interviewed.
There could have been 20 people in the background chanting "Hodor! Hodor! Hodor!" when we interviewed Kristian - hardened hacks and other staff were as giddy as schoolgirls once news got out (no pun intended) that Hodor was being interviewed. Hodor! This minor character in a hugely popular, yet still niche TV show meant more to the staff than an endless line of models, (other) actors, etc.
So, and I'm groaning about saying this too, here's hoping that Hodor's unforgettable closing of one door opens many new ones for Kristian, who just seems like a pretty nice guy...
54
Wouldn't we feel as bad if (or when) Sam suffers a similar fate? He is brave and noble and in many ways a modern man in a medieval setting. Hodor is a wonderful character but we already have experienced the Red Wedding and the burning at the stake of an innocent child. Hodor played a significant role. Who could ask for more?
10
Wyllis, we hardly knew ye...
7
Hodor had no choice but to die, though he would have chosen to hold the door none the less IMO. Hodor was having a hissy fit as the wildlings converged upon them, Bran raised the spell on him from within his trance and he moved into action, completing his purpose. Will miss the big guy.
7
Did you even read the interview? Hodor was not warged while holding the door. It was his "choice", in as much as having choices after Bran fried his brain way back when.
Wildlings? They were wights or walkers. Wildlings were the free folk that fought with Jon Snow.
There is no more sure sign of the decline and fall of Western civilisation than the popularity of this show: Massacres, rapes, and nonsense. To think that the most popular shows of the 90s were "Friends," "ER", "The West Wing," "Law and Order," "The Sopranos," and "Sex and the City." Are we surprised that violent crime and suicides are on the rise? Something is very, very wrong. I'm glad I didn't have children, because I believe this is the beginning of the end.
10
Well, "The Sopranos" and "Sex in the City" between the two of them provided "massacres, rapes, and nonsense." So are you saying the 90s simply offered more?
9
Nonsense. Violent crime has fallen by 51% since 1991. There are far too many people though given 2 billion don't get enough to eat so thanks for doing your part. Medieval fantasy epics on subscription tv aren't the problem.
19
So are you saying that the sopranos was a good moral influence and lets not forget the wire?
10
Just like Mandy Patinkin and the line that has followed him the rest of his career (My name is Inigo Montoya. You have killed my father.......), Hodor will be with Kristian Nairn for the rest of his life.
12
I think Patinkin's body of work far transcends that line...
1
I'm very new to GoT, and have been "binge watching." I read the recap of the most recent episode and was so, so sad to hear what happened to Hodor. I'm only up to season 4, but he's already a hero of mine. Now? Even more. He may very well be the best, truest, and most honest character in the entire series. I grieve for him.
12
You forgot about innocent Princess Shireen, murdered by her father,
Way to ruin that story line for him...
2
Haven't gotten there yet!
Farewell, sweet Wyllis! You will always be Hodor to us.
19
I'm guessing that studying the one's lines for the role and individual scenes was a snap.
6
You must be joking. WashPost noted his facial expressions, tones, pauses -- when sad, happy, worried, panicked.
As noted in the latest GoT -- "no role is small."
hodor, Hodor, HODOR!!
As noted in the latest GoT -- "no role is small."
hodor, Hodor, HODOR!!
63
He did not say the PERFORMANCE was easy, only that memorizing the lines was.
1
This one left me scratching my head. There is an old racist joke which leads with a question about HoeDeeDoe which is supposed to be the misspoken words "Hold the Door." From the beginning this characters name reminded me of that joke and it always bothered me. It made me feel racist. I thought it was a figment of my imagination. I thought the joke was a distortion of memory. The name just sounded so much like that horrible joke.
Needless to say I almost fell over when I watched the scene unfold Sunday night. I saw it coming and kept telling myself.......no. I thought, that just did not happen. It threw me hard enough that I was forced to look on-line to find any reference to the joke. It had been 40 years since I last heard it. Well, there it was, google and you will find it.
Like I said, left me scratching my head. An ugly coincidence I am sure........or at least hope. Ciao Hodor
Needless to say I almost fell over when I watched the scene unfold Sunday night. I saw it coming and kept telling myself.......no. I thought, that just did not happen. It threw me hard enough that I was forced to look on-line to find any reference to the joke. It had been 40 years since I last heard it. Well, there it was, google and you will find it.
Like I said, left me scratching my head. An ugly coincidence I am sure........or at least hope. Ciao Hodor
17
"What is dead/can never die" -- Salt Islands motto.
Think Jon Snow.
Hodor, hodor, hodor ..
Think Jon Snow.
Hodor, hodor, hodor ..
2
You could be on to something. Catch phrases can stick in our heads without any remembrance of their origins. I'd like to think that's how this happened, anyway.
1
Let no opportunity to be indignant and offended go unused.
62
He was here in town for a DJ gig, and I read that the attendees really enjoyed his appearance. Best of luck to him in his music career and other endeavors!
18
Hodor, hodor hodor...hodor :( HODOR!
33