'Game of Thrones' Season 4 Spoilers: Oberyn Vs. The Mountain Battle 'Delivers Beyond Expectations'
"Game of Thrones" season four is on a break for Memorial Day, but fans can look forward to a riveting episode in the week that follows.
Fans of HBO's hit series were left hanging after Tyrion (Peter Dinklage) made an unexpected ally in Prince Oberyn Martell (Pedro Pascal) who has volunteered to fight The Mountain in Tyrion's stead. The highly anticipated trial-by-combat scene will take place on the June 1 episode entitled "The Mountain and the Viper." Revealing more about the scene as well as the verdict of Tyrion's unjust trial, "GOT" showrunners Dan Weiss and David Benioff teased that the sequence "delivers beyond expectations."
"It's one of the best, if not the best- combat scenes we've done so far," Weiss told Entertainment Weekly. "It's not just people hacking each other with spears and swords."
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Prince Oberyn of Dorne, also known as The Red Viper, will have an opportunity to avenge the brutal rape and murder of his sister Elia and her children many years ago at The Mountain's (Ser Gregor Clegane) hands during the trial-by-combat.
"It's the culmination of 20 years of anger and hatred and thirst for vengeance coming to a head in this amazing set piece that [stunt coordinator Paul Herbert and sword master C. C. Smiff] have put together," Weiss added. "The fight delivers beyond our expectations."
Further adding to the tension of the June 1 episode, fan-favorite Tyrion's life is on the line.
"And there's that, Weiss said. "One of the most important character in the show will live or die based on this fight."
The executive producer went on to reveal that the fight scene was shot over the course of several days before praising both actors in the pivotal act.
"We were lucky to find Pedro Pascal for Oberyn, who gives such a stunning, fun, and dangerous performance," Weiss said. "And [Icelandic actor] Hafpor [Julius Bjornsson] for The Mountain is a truly unusual specimen- I believe he's the third-strongest man in the world and a former basketball player, so he knows how to move. To see somebody who is 6'9" and moving the way he does in person is a surreal sight to behold."
"The Mountain and the Viper" airs on HBO Sunday, June 1 at 9 p.m. EST.
