It won't be long before Game of Thrones Season 8 premieres on HBO, and all the questions the world has had for so long will finally be revealed. That includes questions from cast members like Joe Dempsie, who teased one particular question he's hoping to get answered. Dempsie talked about a theory he had while filming the show, and may have teased what could be a huge Gendry twist.
We don't really spend too much time discussing potential theories. I just wanted answers about my character. I was the most curious as to what we might find out about Gendry's parentage. Obviously, we know that he was the bastard of Robert Baratheon, but who might his mother have been?
The gut reaction for some might be "who cares," but that's just Game of Thrones fans who don't remember Gendry is the bastard son of Robert Baratheon. Beyond the fact he could be legitimized by law and serve as an actual heir to the throne, there's a chance that revealing the identity of his mother may actually reveal he's related to another major character or family within the show.
How relevant this reveal would be remains to be seen, but Joe Dempsie seems to think it is of some importance. The actor reminded Men's Health of a specific line about his mother in Season 1 that's been grabbing at him since it was first uttered.
There's a line in Season 1, and it's a first scene you ever see of Gendry, where he's looking to Ned and he's asked about his mother, and he says he doesn't remember much about her at all, other than the fact that she had yellow hair and she would sing to him. It's one of those things where you go, “Do they usually write lines that don't mean anything, or lines that seem to have significance that [are] never addressed again?” I was kind of intrigued to see what that might mean, and what impact that might have on Gendry's clout politically.
The line Joe Dempsie mentioned above, along with another line from Season 1 about Cersei losing a son at birth, led some fans to believe the Lannister queen is actually Gendry's mother. If this were true, then Gendry would be an actual Baratheon by birthright, and would have a show of support from the public as yet another heir to Westeros' throne. It's a fascinating theory, but does it make any sense?
It's certainly possible, as Cersei's love of Jaime may have led her to lie about the birth of Gendry. She sent him into hiding, and lied about his death for reasons theorists have debated since. Did Cersei fear her brother would try to harm the child in a jealous rage, or was it her disdain of Robert in those years that made her unwilling to care for him?
Joe Dempsie may be hinting that the identity of Gendry's mother is relevant if not game-changing in Game of Thrones. If the answer is revealed, he likely already knows and could just be teasing fans they're on the right track with their predictions. It's an interesting theory to be sure, but with so many people battling for the throne, Gendry might be better served sitting on the sidelines lest he need to row his way out of Westeros again.
Game of Thrones Season 8 premieres on HBO Sunday, April 14. Keep up with CinemaBlend in the meantime for updates, and visit our midseason premiere guide for more on shows headed to television in 2019.
