While talking to MTV about Dracula Untold, actor Charles Dance — best known as Westerosi Parent of the Year finalist Tywin Lannister — made a startling announcement about the upcoming season. Spoilers for Game of Thrones episodes past and future ahead!
Okay. Those who have read the books and/or completed season 4 of the show know that Tywin met his "suitably ignominious end" at the hands of his son Tyrion while taking a crap. But when Dance is asked about whether he's sad to be absent from season 5, he answered thusly:
Well, I'm not completely missing out on the next series. More than that I'm not going to say. You haven't seen the last of Tywin Lannister, is all I'll say.
Winter Is Coming is suggests a variety of reasons Tywin may return, from popping up in a prophetic dream much like Khal Drogo did for Dany in season 2, or maybe the show is veering wildly off the books and Tywin will be resurrected by one of the priests of R'hllor like Thoros of Myr or Melisandre.
However, I think it's most likely that this confirms all the rumors we've heard about Cersei getting the show's first flashback, chronicling her younger days and a very important prophecy she receives, in which case it makes perfect sense for her father Tywin to make an appearance.
But this does sort of imply the flashback will be longer and more elaborate than just Cersei hearing the prophecy, since it's not necessary for Tywin to be present when Maggy the Frog lays the truth his daughter, nor was he there in the books. Could the flashback be an extended one? Could there be multiple flashbacks? Maybe an entire episode dedicated to the past? Might other characters have a few flashbacks as well? I know there's certain moments we can't learn the truth about until the very last season, but if Game of Thrones starts giving us flashbacks to the beginning of Robert's Rebellion, I'm going to get about five times more obsessed with this show as I already am.