Game of Thrones Filming Location Could Possibly Confirm A Popular Fan Theory

Suffice it to say that this article will be laden with spoilers from Game of Thrones' 5th season so if you haven't seen it yet and want to avoid spoilers, turn back now.

So the season 5 finale of Game of Thrones left us with what is perhaps the biggest cliffhanger of the series yet. Jon Snow, who was made Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, was left in the snow to die after he gets stabbed by his fellow crows. This death didn't sit well with the fans, who have spent the month after theorizing about how Jon Snow can escape his death. But other fans however also have another theory concerning the Lord Commander that have been making its rounds in the internet ever since George R.R. Martin published his 'A Song of Fire and Ice' novel. This theory involves Jon Snow's actual parents.


As we are all told in the series and books, his parents are obviously Ned Stark, the previous Warden of the North, and a woman he met while he was away from Winterfell.  But fans are quick to ignore that explanation, as Ned is thought to be the most honorable man in Westeros, and having a bastard child would be out of character for someone like him.

For the hardcore fans, there is a known theory that says Ned Stark is not the real parent of Jon Snow. They call this theory 'R + L = J', and now that the filming locations for Season 6 have been announced, this theory is apparently going to be explored next season.

'R + L = J' says that the 'J' represents Jon Snow, while 'R' and 'L' represents Jon Snow's real parents. Who are these people? Two candidates have been pointed out by avid book readers who have read all the chapters: Rhaegar Targaryen, the son of the Mad King, and Lyanna Stark, Ned Stark's sister.

Long story short, Rhaegar and Lyanna were said to have disappeared together. Robert Baratheon, who was betrothed to Lyanna, got mad at Rhaegar thinking he kidnapped her and decided to start a rebellion, which becomes successful as he is crowned king by the time the series started. Ned Stark searched for his sister everywhere, eventually finding her at the Tower of Joy located in Dorne. He fought the guards there only to discover Lyanna in a 'bed of blood'. We don't get the full story however, and much has been left in Ned Stark's recollection of what happened. What the readers are left with is Lyanna's final words to her brother, which are "Promise me, Ned." This is the phrase that became the basis of the 'R + J = L' theory, which suggests that Lyanna asked Ned to raise her and Rhaegar's child as his own.

"What does this have to do with the filming location?", you might ask. Well now that season 6 has started shooting, several filming locations were announced via the Spanish Site Movistar, that includes the Castillo de Zafra in Guadalajara, Spain. This castle with a solitary tower would be a safe bet to become the Tower of Joy in the series. It is also located in Spain, which HBO treats as a stand-in for the fictional country of Dorne.

There's also a new character being cast for next season, described as 'a great swordsman and a paragon of knighthood' and carrying a famous sword on his back. The description leads fans to believe that this knight is Ser Arthur Dayne carrying his ancestral blade, 'Dawn'. Ser Dayne is one of the people present at the tower of Joy when Ned Stark found Lyanna.

All in all, it seems like the events that happened in Tower of Joy will be showed in a flashback next season. Perhaps serving as the start of the season, just as Cersei's flashback started season 5. Although there is still a possibility that the events will not be shown it its entirety, leaving the fans questioning if Jon Snow was actually found there or not.

What do you think of this theory? Do you think they will finally reveal the history between Jon Snow's parents? Tell us in the comments below.

CW's The Flash Casts Michael Ironside as Captain Cold's Father

As The Flash prepares for its second season, we start to know more about the overall direction that the show is going towards. It's not a secret that fans loved the first season of the tv series, and everyone is hoping that this new season is going to be just as good as the first, or perhaps bigger and better.

We now have learned that they will be adding a lot of new characters to join the cast, including Patty Spivot, Detective Joe West's new partner, and the very first Flash - Jay Garrick - presumably taking the role of Barry Allen's new mentor after Wells. There's also news that Allen will be getting new powers that involves lightning. 

Of course we're not only getting new allies for our hero. There's also a roster of super-villains that is expected to be introduced in the 23 episodes of the series. One villain in particular is an addition to the villain family that we have seen in season 1. 

The Hollywood Report tells us that veteran Michael Ironside will lend his talents to the Flash by playing the role of Lewis Snart, the estranged father of the Snart family who has a history of abusing his children as frequently mentioned in the show by his son Leonard Snart/Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller) and  daughter Lisa Snart/Golden Glider (Peyton List). 

Lewis Snart is described as a ruthless, and cold-blooded career criminal who was recently released from prison. He returns to Central City with plans that will endanger both of his kids. Not much is known about him in the comics, except for the fact that he has been abusive to the young Leonard Snart, which forced the boy to spend more time with his grandfather who is an ice trucker.

Michael Ironside is set to appear as a guest star in episode 203 titled "Family of Rogues", together with Miller and List in their alter egos.

Ironside is known for numerous action-adventure films, including Top Gun, Starship Troopers and Total Recall, so expect him to fit in the Flash's world perfectly. He has also done some voice-work for animated shows of the DC properties like Batman, Superman and Justice League. He also played Lois Lane's father in another CW superhero show Smallville.

The Flash's second season will introduce us to the concept of alternate universes, particularly the Earth-Two - an alternate world that features new characters that we might not have seen before. 

Filming has begun for the second season, and they have shot some scenes in various filming locations in Vancouver, which is also the filming location of the Arrow. The first few episodes of the Flash and Arrow will open up the characters to make them available for their new superhero spinoff 'Legends of Tomorrow’.

The Flash will return for its second season this October  6th, on the CW network at 8pm.