WARNING: There are SPOILERS ahead. So if you haven’t seen Game Of Thrones’ latest episode Eastwatch, please click onto one of our other fine articles.
Eastwatch was yet another Game Of Thrones episode packed with revelations, reunions and surprises, as the show emphatically heads towards the final two installments of its seventh season. But it should have been even more dramatic, because one character was on the cusp of confirming Game Of Thrones’ biggest ever secret, only to be interrupted by a mansplainer.
This moment unfolded at the Citadel, where Samwell Tarly (John Bradley) was reading over a huge amount of documents alongside his girlfriend Gilly (Hannah Murray). Gilly had also decided to read some of these books, which led her to the diary of High Septon Maynard. Struggling with a particular word, Gilly asked Sam, ‘What does annulment mean?’
After being told that it’s when a man leaves his wife, Gilly went on to reveal that, according to Septon Maynard’s diary, a Prince ‘Ragger,’ aka Rhaegar Targaryen, had an annulment before then marrying someone else in Dorne. This secret marriage saw Rhaegar marry Lynna Stark, the younger sister of Ned Stark (Sean Bean), who died giving birth to Jon Snow (Kit Harrington). As Rhaegar had been killed by Robert Baratheon in battle, Ned decided to raise Jon as his illegitimate son. He did this in order to protect him from Robert Baratheon, who wanted to kill the remaining Targaryens so he could secure the throne.
Jon Snow’s lineage was actually confirmed at the end of the last season, when Brandon Stark saw a vision of Ned finding a dying Lynna and her newborn son in the Tower Of Joy. Ever since viewers have been eagerly waiting for someone on the show to find out this information. That’s why it’s so frustrating that just when Gilly stumbled upon it, Sam interrupt her — to complain. Sam changed the subject to air the many grievances that he has with how the maesters work, a rant that concluded with him quitting and leaving the Citadel.
Game Of Thrones fans were up in arms at Sam for his mansplaining antics, and they quickly took to Twitter to voice their anger.
Sam interrupting Gilly as she makes THE MOST IMPORTANT REVEAL in #GameOfThrones is every woman’s experience in every meeting ever
— Abigail Brooks (@_abigailbrooks) August 14, 2017
Gilly just dropped the biggest secret in the series, and Sam proves men really are terrible listeners #GameOfThrones
— Nick Pastura (@Nicky_P) August 14, 2017
when gilly was reading about a secret marriage for rhaegar and sam wasn’t listening #GameOfThrones pic.twitter.com/fOsmC1WgY0
— ethan gregory (@_ethangregory) August 14, 2017
me when sam interrupts gilly reading about Rhaegar’s annulment #GameOfThronesS7 #ThronesYall pic.twitter.com/IAe5vYgYJH
— Claire (@tweets_byclaire) August 14, 2017
Gilly: drops knowledge; Sam: snaps at her; every woman, every where: #GameOfThrones #ThronesYall pic.twitter.com/qjyv6ioHXi
— Kay Boatner (@kayboatner) August 14, 2017
Hopefully Gilly will finally be allowed to confirm that R + L really does equal J before the current run of Game Of Thrones episodes comes to an end on August 27.
