Things were far from frosty at The Wall in Game of Thrones' "Book of the Stranger" thanks to all the sparks Tormund Giantsbane and Brienne of Tarth were generating. Tormund's lusty looks of love directed at everyone's favorite warrior woman left fans instantly infatuated with the newest Game of Thrones ship. The one lingering question after Tormund's sexy display of chicken eating was: "are these two the real deal?" The short answer: they very well could be before the season is over.
"Book of the Stranger" director Dan Sackheim revealed to TV Guide Tormund's flirtation with Brienne was 100 percent intentional. Commence celebrating now. "I wasn't even sure that when I delivered the episode it was really clear," Sackheim told TV Guide. "It was like a fun little bit, but I wasn't sure it was really clear that he had these amorous feelings for Brienne. I'm always amazed what fans pick up."
Sackheim is being way too modest. There is noway anyone could misinterpret the look of pure adoration on Tormund's face, or Brienne's confusion at having Tormund's sex eyes directed her way. The two characters did not need to say one word to each other for fans to pick up on the chemistry between Tormund and Brienne. Now that Tormund's intentions have been confirmed it is time to start theorizing about how these two can happen because it would be downright unjust to keep them apart.
The road to love is not going to be a smooth one for Tormund and Brienne. Nothing is ever easy in Westeros, and with both Tormund and Brienne gearing up for a major war in the North there is not going to be a lot of time to devote to sexual tension infused sword fights. Upcoming trailers suggest Brienne, Sansa, and Pod are leaving Castle Black to rally the troops at The Vale and Riverrun, while Tormund will be staying with Jon to gather the Wildlings.
There is also the small matter of Brienne being totally unsure about this whole situation. Brienne has never been on the receiving end of such unadulterated crushing before, and she appeared to be a bit taken aback by the attention. Add in all the ways she has been burned by love in the past plus her unwavering sense of duty, and it becomes clear Tormund is going to have to do all the wooing in this relationship — at least at the start.
"I think it was fairly one-sided, but that's OK," Sackheim told TV Guide. "There's nothing like a challenge. Men love a challenge." I have a feeling that goes double for Tormund, the man with endless tall tales and a wicked sense of humor.
There is a ton of stuff happening on Game of Thrones, but Brienne and Tormund could steal the show in coming weeks. Here is hoping they find time to indulge in a few moments of flirting and making eyes at each other while saving the North. This is one couple I think the entire fandom can get behind. Let the Tormund and Brienne shipper watch of 2016 continue because these two crazy kids might just end up together yet.
Images: Helen Sloan/HBO; hardyness/Tumblr (2)
