Spoilers are coming.The phenomenon that is Game of Thrones is no stranger to New York City. Before the newest season came out, dragons came to Union Square and made a mess of things.
This season has already proved to be amazing with the predictable but still very satisfying return of Jon Snow and Dany making sure Vaes Dothrak is lit.
But, probably the most shocking and heartbreaking? The death of Winterfell's very own big friendly giant, Hodor.
But how did we get here?
Well, we've been given heartbreaking clues for quite a while. Season 4 when Jojen dies for Bran? Bran says he never wanted anyone to die for him to which the Three-Eyed Raven replied, "Dawg, it's all good. He knew he had to."
Rough paraphrasing, but we knew from then that even if we didn't see Bran and the gang for nearly two years more people were probably going to die. The real heartbreak began earlier in the season when Bran greensaw, greenseed... Bran went back in time and saw a younger Hodor who could speak more than one word and had a real name: Willis.
In the latest episode, Bran once again goes back in time. Long story short, he screws up while doing the equivalent of reading the Raven's text messages while napping, gets caught looking, and the Night's King squads up, and brings his boys to the tree.
[anad]
Things get murderous on Bran's Children of the Forest friends while he's in yet another fragment of the past, this time checking out Willis, and things get weird in the escape.
While running for their lives, again, Meera calls out to Hodor to hold the door busting at the seams with walkers. She frantically yells, "Hold the door!" over and over again.
There's a weird warg-ripple and Bran somehow wargs into young Willis who falls to the ground shouting the same phrase over and over until it blends into one phrase, the only thing he can utter: Hodor.
Basically, Bran kind of causes both Hodor's death and his speech impediment. Thanks a lot, Bran.
It was a heartbreaking moment that made going to work even harder the next day. "Sorry, I can't hold the elevator door because I'm tasting my own tears right now."
The internet was kind enough to memorialize Hodor a number of ways, but as New Yorkers we're pretty partial to any clever MTA ad.
NYC has yet another reminder of how big Game of Thrones is and just how big of a character Hodor was as well. So, please, no matter who you are or what you're running from,"Please don't Hodor".
We'll miss you, Hodor. You were a man of few words, but what you lacked in speech, you made up for in heart. And absurd giant's strength.
Check out Is This Already the Soundtrack of Summertime '16.