The title of episode 7 is “Broken Man”, and the fans were very much hoping for the return of the Hound/Sandor Clegane in this particular episode. Ian McShane almost conclusively revealed a huge secret in his BBC interview concerning the character he was playing in the show (he is dead now along with his followers). When he was asked about a hint of his role, he said: “My character is really like an ex-warrior who has become a Peacenik, sort of a cult, and I bring back a much-loved character everybody think is dead, so I’ll leave it at that”. When you combine “Peaceful cult”, “Ex-warrior”, “Beloved character”, it sounds like he maybe playing Septon Maribald, a character from “A Feast for Crows” nursing Gravedigger/Sandor Clegane back to health who is living off a new identity i.e he nurses the Hound back to health.
The show-makers delivers on fans wishes and “The Hound” was indeed the broken man. In fact as far as I remember, this is the rare occasion when the show didn’t start with the opening music and roll-out of credits, but a scene that specifically showed us that the Hound was alive. When he was counting his last breaths after Arya left him, the Septon came to his rescue and took him.
Septon told him that there must be a larger purpose of Gods on why he is still alive. He is also a brother of Gregor Clegane or The Mountain (Cersei’s personal guard). He shares a scornful relationship with his brother, it goes back to his childhood when Gregor Clegane grabbed him and punished him by holding his head into a burning brazier. His only crime was he was playing with a toy discarded by Gregor.
We have been repeatedly told by Cersei that she will demand a trial by combat and Mountain will be her Champion, but the question is who will be faith militant’s pick? Well, there is a theory called “CLEGANEBOWL” which says that the faith will choose Sandor Clegane and we can finally see the brothers going head-to-head in a fight to the death. Will it happen? If yes, then who will win?
