Gwendoline Christie explains why Brienne is still following Catelyn Stark's orders

SAN DIEGO -- Catelyn Stark is long dead, and there doesn't seem to be any Lady Stoneheart in the offing. So why is Brienne of Tarth still following her orders?

It's not an answer Game of Thrones has ever given us, but Brienne herself -- in the person of Gwendoline Christie -- took a stab at it at the show's Comic-Con panel.

"“Brienne's relationship with Catelyn Stark was the first time that she recognized strength in another woman," Christie explained. "Not a man’s strength, but a woman’s strength. Brienne didn’t have to force herself into a mold of masculinity, she didn’t have to take the role of men before her."

She continued: "it doesn’t matter if someone lives or dies ... I think Brienne feels that even if it’s one small thing for one person or two people, that’s going to perpetuate a sense of good that’s going to contribute to a feeling of equality… she’s contributing to something greater than herself."

Naturally, Christie was also asked about the internet's favorite potential Thrones couple, Brienne and Tormund Giantsbane. But she poured cold water on the notion that we'll see the two of them together.

"I don't think at the forefront of her consciousness is a value system based on men appreciating her," Christie said of Brienne. But she admitted that it was "nice to be appreciated."

What could Tormund do to make it happen, then? "It's got to based on a mutual respect that isn’t about any overpowering or sexual advance... born out of skill and a shared nobility in their ideals," Christie told the audience -- hinting at a dynamic that we've seen Brienne share with another sword-wielding character...