Q&A: Beric from 'Game of Thrones' (Richard Dormer) on flaming swords and Sunday's ice lake battle

Going into the penultimate episode of the seventh (and shortened season) of "Game of Thrones," it could be reasonably assumed that named and even perhaps beloved characters would die. For Beric Dondarrion (Richard Dormer) and the tattered remains of his Brotherhood Without Banners, headed north of the wall with Jon Snow (Kit Harrington) in hopes of capturing a white walker, odds of survival were particularly grim.

(Since we're getting into events from Sunday's pivotal episode, here's your warning: Spoilers ahead.)

And, indeed, as Sunday's episode progressed and the group was surrounded by the army of the dead in the middle of a frozen lake, prospects grew even worse. But Beric, who has already