Here’s How The Internet Handled Hodor’s Big Moment On “Game Of Thrones"

If you have not yet watched the latest episode of Game of Thrones, you have wandered onto the internet at your own peril.

And yet, we will offer you this one, last spoiler warning. Do you deserve it, careless internet traveller? Perhaps not. But if you wish to keep the secrets of last night’s episode unspoiled, exit swiftly.

Now, let’s get into Hodor’s big moment.

One of the most beloved characters in Game of Thrones’ increasingly-thin cast perished last night, albeit in a heroic manner.

Kristian Nairn’s Hodor (nee Wylis) sacrificed himself by holding shut a door that allowed Bran and Meera to escape from the tree they’d been chilling at for a little over a season, which was newly overrun with wights.

Hodor. Thank you guys,for the love,+ know that I love you back.I never dreamt of all this.Huge props to @SamColemanActor for an amazing job

— Kristian Nairn (@KristianNairn) May 23, 2016

Though it was heartbreaking to watch Hodor go, it was the revelation that ‘hodor’ stood for ‘hold the door’ that wrenched the most tears.

Viewers discovered that Hodor’s nickname (and only verbal form of communication) was the result of a time-travelling Bran accidentally inflicting a debilitating seizure on young Wylis (Sam Coleman) back in the past. (Again, we’re assuming that if you’re reading this, you saw it for yourself, so please don’t make us explain the intricacies of Bran’s abilities. It’s all very… bewildering.)

Hold. The. Door.

The. Tears. Flow.

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) May 23, 2016

Hodor was so innocent, everyone else has goals or something they want, that makes his death that much sadder 😢😔 pic.twitter.com/TrHCOlAlgr

— GameOfThronesAddict (@GameOfThroneGuy) May 23, 2016

Me, thinking about the "Hodor" moment on #GameofThrones pic.twitter.com/B8WQTPF9b4

— Thomas Schnauz (@TomSchnauz) May 23, 2016

Anyway, turns out someone accidentally guessed the origin of Hodor’s name as a joke back in 2008.

“The poor guy is just asking someone to hold the door for him, since he's always carrying someone else around,” Myrddin posted on Feb 20, 2008.

“After a while, "Hold the door" became "Hold the doorHold the doorHoldoorHodoor. Dammit! Hold the door!" His mind finally snapped, and now all he can say is Hodor.”

In 2013, someone even took this theory to George R.R. Martin himself (who, it should be noted, is yet to put Hodor’s death into a book, but clearly mapped out the origin story).

Blogger Michael A. Ventrella posted in 2014 about a chance meeting he’d had with Martin a year earlier on an elevator, where he discovered Martin had always wanted to be an elevator operator.

Then, a bolt of inspiration.

“Me: I finally figured out why you have a character named ‘Hodor.’ Martin: Oh? Me: I was thinking about your comment about wanting to be an elevator operator. It’s clear to me now that ‘Hodor’ is short for ‘Hold the door.’”

Martin then laughed, “You don’t know how close to the truth you are!”

Of course, alongside the grieving and primal scream therapy that social media engages in after every new episode are suggestions that Bran has helped orchestrate the biggest, most inexplicable events of the show with his time-travelling prowess. But we’ll leave that theorizing to Twitter.

Instead, please enjoy this hastily mocked-up (and very unofficial) subway safety sign for New York’s MTA, from Reddit

Hodor.

Photo: HBO.