Sansa Stark and Jon Snow will redefine sibling rivalry in the upcoming seventh season of Game of Thrones. Ever since the first season of the show, the Stark children have been scattered. Though a few have had passing glimpses of each other, it wasn't until Jon and Sansa reunited last year that the remnants of season 1 remerged and a spotlight was shone on how much things have changed. With the realm in jeopardy and White Walkers descending from the north, the two Starks at Winterfell will now need to do their best to join forces and face the threats to their home.
Before Sansa and Jon can work together, however, they need to work out some things individually. Jon will see a seismic shift in his character this season, as he's gone from bastard to king, with a death in between. Sansa, meanwhile, will be continuing her ascension as the new Littlefinger and dealing with her desire for revenge. Amid these plots, the two characters will be pursuing their own ends and deciding how best to rule. As such, much of their time together in the new season will involve considerable strife and turmoil.
EW spoke with Jon Snow actor Kit Harrington about season 7 of Game of Thrones and what viewers can expect when it comes to his character and Sansa's relationship.
“There is definite tension between them right from the first scene. There are the same problems — she questions his decisions and command; he doesn’t listen to her. But as far as where that goes or takes them or how dark it can get, we’ll see. It gets past sibling squabbling, it gets into two people power struggling.”
As Harrington points out, this won't be a mere sibling rivalry. Rather, it will be two highly idealogical people who both have a claim to rule deciding what's best for Winterfell, the North, and Westeros as a whole. Thanks to Jon's time on the Wall and serving as Lord Commander, he certainly has some skill at ruling. He also knows first hand about the threat to come. Sansa, meanwhile, has been absorbing all that Littlefinger has to offer and has had many a trial by fire over the years. She's also the rightful heir to Winterfell, at least until Bran shows up.
Harrington went on to talk about how the various characters coming together this season means more screen time for everyone involved.
“Everyone gets a bigger slice of the pie. Everybody is left is left with more stuff to do. This season is really different than any other season because of the fewer episodes and everything accelerating toward the end. A lot of stuff collides and happens much much quicker than you’re used to seeing on Thrones — it was a plodding slow machine and it’s now turning into a thriller. It’s quite exciting how it ramps up speeds up toward a dangerous climax.”
Despite a shorter episode count, gone are the days of multiple side stories for each character. Right from the start, we'll see new meet-ups occurring in season 7. Meanwhile, once separate characters like Brienne and Tormund will be spending a lot more time together. All of these consolidations will amp up the action, but they'll also allow for new storylines and an increased focus on all the remaining players. Hopefully, they don't get too comfortable together, as not everyone will be surviving the season.
Game of Thrones season 7 premieres on HBO on July 16th.
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Source: EW