So… about that Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen tension on Game of Thrones… It's just simply there, according to executive producer David Benioff.
In the HBO-produced Inside the Episode, Benioff addressed the conflict between Jon Snow (Kit Harington) and Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke) head on. Jon Snow is there for political reasons, he wants to get dragon glass and if possible convince Dany to become an ally. Meanwhile, Dany wants Jon to bend the knee.
"There's conflict and it's conflict between powerful people and then to make it all even more complicated, they're starting to be attracted to each other. So much of it is not from dialogue or anything we wrote. It's just the two of them in a small space, standing near each other, and us just watching that and feeling the heat of it," Benioff said.
You take two attractive people, put them in a cave and then…yep.
Things are finally heating up for Dany, besides with Jon Snow. She's lost two of her closest allies and fleet. "She's in a position where if she doesn't step up soon and come up with a big win for her side, she's going to lose this fight before it even begins," co-creator D.B. Weiss said. "I think she really feels the pressure of her situation more than she ever has before. It's the fight she's been waiting for for her whole life."
In the fourth episode of season seven, viewers finally saw two principal characters face-off on the battlefield when Dany and Jaime Lannister (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) went head-to-head.
"This is the first time we've ever had two sets of main characters on opposite sides of the battlefield and it's impossible to really want any one of them and impossible to want any one of them to lose," Weiss said.
The true standoff never came to fruition, thanks to a dragon and a mysterious savior. Until next week…
Richard Dormer as Beric Dondarrion
The leader of the Brotherhood Without Banners actually has two eyes in real life.
Nathalie Emmanuel as Missandei
Dany's handmaiden is gorgeous no matter what, to be honest.
John Bradley as Samwell Tarly
Sam somehow looks the same but also way cooler off screen.
Hannah Murray as Gilly
Gilly would be delightfully shocked to see how good she cleans up.
Ellie Kendrick as Meera Reed
Here's hoping Meera and Bran get out of the snow sometime soon so they don't have to wear those heavy furs anymore.
Kristofer Hivju as Tormund
Tormund somehow manages to look exactly the same whether he's in skins or a suit, to the point where he played a hacker in Fate of the Furious and we refuse to accept that his name was anything other than Tormund the Hacker.
Conleth Hill as Varys
Varys...with hair?! Is it weird that we're weirded out?
Indira Varma as Ellaria Sand
Letting go of Ellaria's anger and grudges makes Indira absolutely flawless in real life.
Michiel Huisman as Daario Naharis
Onscreen or off, this dude is a regulation hottie.
Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton
We'll never be able to trust Iwan in real life thanks to Ramsay's evil actions on the show, but he does clean up real well!
Jacob Anderson as Grey Worm
We love Grey Worm as Dany's most trusted warrior, but off screen, Anderson looks way more fun to hang out with. Just look at that smile!
Liam Cunningham as Davos Seaworth
Stannis' righthand man looks so much younger and happier in real life!
Thomas Wlaschiha as Jaqen H'ghar
A man should keep the face he has, because it's super attractive.
Iain Glen as Jorah Mormont
Not a single spot of greyscale to be seen!
Kit Harington as Jon Snow
He knows nothing.
Emilia Clarke as Daenerys Targaryen
Without her trademark blond hair, the Mother of Dragons is practically unrecognizable in real life.
Sophie Turner as Sansa Stark
It's just so nice to see Sansa smiling happily, even if we have to take a trip to reality to see it happen.
Maisie Williams as Arya Stark
She's the scrappy tomboy taking her survival into her own hands, but IRL, Williams looks a lot less like she could bake men into meat pies.
Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jaime Lannister
The Kingslayer looks very fine locked up and dirty or all cleaned up.
Rory McCann as Sandor Clegane
Without the steely stare, long hair and unfortunate facial burn, the Hound looks downright lovable.
Lena Headey as Cersei Lannister
To think you could pass by one of TV's most vicious queens on the street and never even know it!
Gwendoline Christie as Brienne of Tarth
Brienne may have lived a life of torment because she didn't fit the Seven Kingdoms' standards of beauty and femininity, but she's actually stunning both on and off the show.
Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister
All gussied up and accepting awards, the actor's looking quite suave out of armor and in a tux.
Alfie Allen as Theon Greyjoy
Let us blow your mind for a second. This Ironborn son is real-life brother to British pop singer Lily Allen. Whoa.
Carice Van Houten as Melisandre
Frankly, we hardly recognize the Red Priestess when she's not birthing Stannis Baratheon's shadow assassin baby in a dark cave.
Aiden Gillen as Petyr Baelish
The actor steps out looking innocently nothing at all like the scheming mustache-twirling Littlefinger.
Isaac Hempstead Wright as Bran Stark
Smiling and happy offscreen, this young star doesn't look at all like he's been pulled through the snow for 17 years (give or take).
Stephen Dillane as Stannis Baratheon
Whoa, this King looks completely unrecognizable without the wear and tear of a Westeros war!
Michelle Fairley as Catelyn Stark
RIP Mama Stark, who almost never got a chance to look this happy on screen.
Dean-Charles Chapman as Tommen Baratheon
This young king looks way more confident and mature in real life than he did on the show.
Game of Thrones airs Sundays on HBO.