Helen Sloan/HBOIs Game of Thrones taking a page out of James Bond's playbook?!
Season three is all about spying and potential love for fan favorite Jon Snow (Kit Harington) as he finds himself immersed in the wildling world and standing side-by-side with leader Mance Rayder (Ciarán Hinds). But will Jon start liking his place with the wildlings and Ygritte (Rose Leslie) more than his life with the Night's Watch?
We chatted with Harington and Leslie about what fans can expect from life with the free folk in season three, and whether or not Jon will break his vows for Ygritte...
"She loves to antagonize Jon Snow, and I feel that this season is going to be very exciting for both those characters," Leslie says of the duo's dynamic when the show returns this Sunday. "You see their journey continue and you see the relationship they have develop. Also, you get to see a softer side of Ygritte this season."
However, Harington says, "Jon's going to do everything he can to try and stop it becoming a romantic involvement, but she's pretty into it. She's a hard lady to refuse! You'll have to wait and see if he breaks his vow or not. He may not have a choice."
Of the potential for a love scene, Leslie teases, "There may be, there may not be. I'm afraid I can't say!"
Of course, it isn't all sexual tension and romance. "He's essentially a spy. The whole season for him is about where his heart really belongs," Harington explains of Jon's storyline. "Throughout the season, we discover whether he's going to be loyal to the Night's Watch or whether he's going to betray the Night's Watch. As we go along, he's convinced the wildlings that he's one of them, but he's also convinced himself he's one of them."
Of being with the wildlings, Harington says, "It's a place where [Jon] really has to grow up and grow some balls and man up and do the right thing."
Game of Thrones returns Sunday at 9 p.m. on HBO.