‘Game of Thrones’: Sam Didn’t Steal Gilly’s Big Discovery

The Game of Thrones season 7 finale has stirred up a massive reaction from fans – to the tune of some record-breaking ratings. However, it seems that a small moment in the episode is having a very big triggering effect with fans: Samwell Tarly conversation with Bran Stark about Jon Snow’s true origins.

Some fans have taken to social media to express annoyance and toss accusations of sexism at what they see is another moment of the patriarchy undercutting female accomplishment – however, there’s just one problem: it’s not really accurate.

Here’s why:

Transcription Echo

In the scene with Bran and Sam, the latter tells Bran that “At the citadel, I transcribed a High Septon’s diary. He annulled Rhaegar’s marriage to Elia. He wed Rhaegar and Lyanna in a secret ceremony.” 

Here’s what you need to know about that statement, as a carefully watching and critical-minded viewer: 

1. Sam was doing a transcription, which means taking something dictated and writing it out in cleaner, clearer, form – sometimes translating from one language to another.
2. Gilly is reading Sam’s transcription when she asks about the word “annulment” in the episode “Eastwatch,” prompting her “discovery.” 
3. It’s not really a discovery, because Sam had already written it down and read it himself when Gilly found it. The only reason she reads the page out loud is for the sake of informing the audience of the big reveal. 
4. Sam didn’t know the info was important while at The Citadel, because he didn’t know Rhaegar and Lyanna were Jon’s parents until Bran told him so. It’s then that the piece of knowledge he read before finally clicks in his mind, and he realizes its importance. 

To use this parlance of our times: this is all a big “nothing burger.” It seems some viewers are generally confused about what occurred, and need some clarification. Samwell Tarly isn’t one for knocking down his lady, so it would’ve been wildly out of character for him to simply disregard her like that.

Let’s just remember that characters in TV/Movies often say things out loud not because the character is important, but rather because important information must be voiced to the viewers. Sam saying it out loud to himself, before knowing the info was at all important, wouldn’t have made sense at all. 

In any event, check out how triggered some people are over this misunderstanding:

Gilly #Triggered

Game of Thrones has just wrapped season 7 and will return for its final season (season 8) on a date TBD.