Bran Stark and Hodor won't appear in Game of Thrones season 5

If you're wondering what was going on with Bran Stark and that weird tree-man at the end of Game of Thrones' fourth season, you have a long wait ahead of you. In a recent interview with the Australian Broadcasting Commission, Kristian Nairn — the actor who plays Bran's loyal ally Hodor in the HBO drama — revealed that Bran and Hodor won't appear in the show's fifth season at all.
"We have a season off and we have a year's hiatus, solely because I imagine our storyline is up to the end of the books," said Nairn. He adds that he plans to use the time off to travel around the world as a DJ, hosting a series of Game of Thrones-themed dance parties under the title "Rave of Thrones."
The revelation offers an intriguing glimpse at the challenges the TV show will face as it catches up with George R. R. Martin's literary source material — as Nairn says, Bran's last appearance on Game of Thrones was pretty much in line with where Martin left him in the books. Fans can probably live without seeing Bran and his cohorts for a season, but how will they react if Arya or Tyrion reach the end of their storylines?
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Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.
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