Game of Thrones' Bran was "really expecting" a Stark to die in S7, (and Bronn reveals who he wants to fight for in S8)

Were you gasping at the Game of Thrones season 7 finale? If so, you weren't alone - along with the thousands of fans tuning in, the GoT cast also found themselves a bit surprised at some of the twists tossed their way. In a new behind-the-scenes post on Making Game of Thrones, several actors shared what shocked them and where they hope season 8 will lead.

First up is Isaac Hempstead Wright, who plays Bran Stark, AKA The Three-Eyed Raven, AKA He Who Might Be Too Powerful For Plot Logistics. He thought at least one of the Stark family was going to bite the dust in the finale, though was glad to be proven wrong.

"We didn’t get those last scripts until shortly before we started filming, so I remember reading it and thinking, 'Oh my god! Littlefinger’s done it again. He’s managed to pit the sisters against each other,'" Wright said. "I was really expecting we’d lose one of the Starks, which would have been devastating. It was quite a nice twist, that the underdogs manage to pull it together. It was such a nice way of rounding it off with all three of them working together: Bran doing the research, Arya doing the dirty work and Sansa presiding over it all. You’ve literally got your judge, jury and executioner all right there. It was a proper kind of explosive return for the Starks I think."

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Speaking of Bran, he seems to have found himself a new buddy in Samwell, played by John Bradley. Bradley appreciates the common link between the two characters and how useful their respective intelligences are. "There are a lot of similarities between Sam and Bran; mainly in that they’re dismissed physically. People think they don’t have what it takes to survive," he said. "What they’ve got to offer is unique; something that no one else can bring to the table. There are thousands of men who can shoot an arrow and swing an axe, but Sam knows he and Bran possess skills nobody else will ever get. That makes this such an interesting partnership."

Another great partnership worth highlighting is that between Tyrion Lannister and sellsword Bronn. The latter started as a mere mercenary, but has grown into someone considered more honorable and decent by fans, even as he sometimes continues to play dirty. Jerome Flynn, who plays Bronn, said that he hopes he and his friend Tyrion will have a more substantial reunion in the future:

"Personally, my fantasy is for Bronn to end up fighting alongside Tyrion and the others, against the White Walkers," Flynn said. "But I’ve got a feeling Bronn might not be so keen. He might think, ‘Okay, you guys go sort that out. It’s time for some early retirement now.'" After seeing an ice dragon tear down the Wall, I think we could all use some R&R (Martin).