10 Iconic TV Characters Who Only Appeared In One Episode
3. Brother Ray - Game Of Thrones
You point a camera at Ian McShane and the magic happens. That’s all there is to it.
At the time, his appearance as Brother Ray was slightly overshadowed by the return of fan favourite character The Hound. Now that the dust has settled though, we can marvel at just how wonderful it was.
Brother Ray was the leader of the peaceful travellers where The Hound ended up after being left to die by Brienne and Arya. There, The Hound learns to live by Ray’s teachings, although he doesn’t always agree with him.
When the Brotherhood Without Banners come seeking the equivalent of Westerosi protection money, Ray offers to share a meal with them, though he has no gold to spare. This becomes his undoing, as while The Hound is away chopping wood, the Brotherhood return and slaughter them all.
The Hound ultimately rejects Ray’s peaceful teachings, taking violent revenge on the Brotherhood for their slaughter.
However, it’s not to say the whole endeavour was pointless. Ray’s scenes with The Hound have a subtle power to them, and disregarding whatever his relationship with Arya is, Ray is pretty much the only friend he’s ever known. It’s a key part of The Hound’s story.