Blink and you’d miss it: Game of Thrones actor Joseph Mawle, who plays Bran’s uncle Benjen Stark, made a brief appearance in Sunday’s episode of Yellowstone prequel 1923 as a British ship captain that agrees to marry Spencer and Alexandra after their boat capsizes off the coast of Africa.
1923 promotional trailer
1923 episode six recap
When Spencer and Alexandra learn securing a passenger ticket to America will take weeks, before the journey even begins, they make arrangements with a dying tugboat captain to tow them to the Suez Canal. Unfortunately, the captain passes from a respiratory illness on his watch, leaving the boat without a pilot. Drifting aimlessly for some time, Spencer and Alexandra wake to find themselves barrelling directly into a ghost ship, The Zebrina, a large abandoned shipping vessel that floats endlessly on the open ocean (this is based on a true story).
The captain warned Spencer and Alexandra earlier in the episode that The Zebrina had claimed the lives of sailors who didn’t pay attention at the helm, a bit of foreshadowing that puts the two adventurers in yet another life-threatening situation.
In last Sunday’s episode, One Ocean Closer to Destiny, as the lovebirds lay stranded on the underside of the deceased captain’s capsized boat, lost at sea and surrounded by sharks, all appears hopeless until British Navy Captain Shipley (played by Joseph Mawle, uncle Benjen Stark) trains his spotlight on them.
Benjen Stark in 1923
Once they’re safely on board, Captain Shipley asks about the captain’s log and their final destination, recommending the two go to Galveston or the Port of Arthur in the Gulf next.
However, Spencer’s first order of business is to marry Alexandra immediately, given they’ve almost died twice in just a few days. Captain Shipley isn’t keen on it, remarking, “marriage to gain citizenship is illegal, sir.” At first glance it seems, Uncle Benjen is fine responding to an SOS, but he doesn’t have any designs on cutting corners. Fortunately, Spencer manages to nudge him in the right direction, quipping, “putting it off another day isn’t conducive to our current lifestyle, I’m afraid.”
The three share a laugh and Shipley agrees, “I would be honored.” Shipley offers to accommodate them with wedding rings taken from dead sailors but Alexandra hesitates, “wearing the ring of a dead sailor?” So, good old uncle Benjen offers Alexandra his own wife’s wedding ring, adding, “I’m sure she would approve.”
Is this all we’ll see of uncle Benjen Stark in 1923?
Benjen Stark’s fate in Game of Thrones
Benjen Stark served as a prologue and bookend to the hit HBO original series. In season one Benjen brings news of strange activity on the wall and tells Ned that the deserter he had to execute would not have taken his duties lightly, a game is afoot.
Mawle made eight appearances as Benjen Stark in Game of Thrones between seasons one and seven. In his last appearance, Benjen surprises Jon Snow behind the wall (he’s alive!) as wights swarm them. Benjen gives Snow his horse and draws Morningstar (his sword) to buy Jon time. Unfortunately, this was Benjen Stark’s last stand.
Did you catch Benjen’s (Mawle) brief appearance in 1923?