Photos released from Game of Thrones Season 5 Episode 9: “The Dance of Dragons”

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HBO has released 6 new photos from “The Dance of Dragons,” the ninth episode of Game of Thrones season 5.

The episode synopsis: Stannis confronts a troubling decision. Jon returns to the Wall. Mace visits the Iron Bank. Arya encounters someone from her past. Dany reluctantly oversees a traditional celebration of athleticism.

This week’s episode is written by David Benioff and D.B. Weiss and directed by David Nutter. Nutter has previously directed four episodes of Game of Thrones, including “The Rains of Castamere.”

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Plus, HBO posted this photo from episode 9 on their official website.

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Sue the Fury
Susan Miller, Editor in Chief of WatchersOnTheWall.com

492 Comments

  1. i hope on Monday whole internet is speaking about the show version of this book image

    http://cdn.desktopwallpapers4.me/wallpapers/artistic/1920×1080/2/16849-daenerys-and-her-dragon-1920×1080-artistic-wallpaper.jpg

    i hope they keep this scene like the books and not do it as drogon comes and sweeps her and flies away..

    i really cant wait to see that lovely white dress of emilia all burnt and crisp while she tames and rides him

    sadly i liked that dress it was so beautiful …after kit last week its Emilia’s turn now to shine

    looks like jon and sam have a conversation about dragon steel

    looks like they arent giving too much away from the photos

  2. Dany doesn’t look like she knows that winter is coming.

    And there are too many menacing brothers of the nights watch milling about with sharp objects…….
  3. Hizzy HAS got be the Son of the Harpy; he is just so shady and sleazy.

    SHIREEN!!!! Davos, please save her from the nutjobs around her..

    Daenerys with another completely gorgeous neck piece…

  4. That pic of Arya is funny. It’s like she’s walking away after doing something she wasn’t supposed to and got scolded

  5. Kay,

    i do wonder how that reveal will happen if he is the harpy

    darrio is standing behind them guarding dany ..if he reveals he is harpy darrio will kill him in a flash ..so whole reveal will turn out to be joke

    but we know dany other get into the pit how do they get there from the box i do not know …
    i have one possible situation in mind …dany after seeing jorah in the pits about to be killed stops the fight and run to him then harpies surround and Hizdar give a speech from the box

  6. the photos where jon is alone will be him saying good bye to sam and gilly i think
  7. That picture of Jon and Sam.

    As soon as my brain processed it, the theme from The Odd Couple began playing in my head.

  8. Wouldn’t trust Hizdahr as far as I could throw him…whether he is the Son of the Harpy or not.

    That’s a beautiful shot of Carice.

    Davos has given a little stag to adorable Shireen. Hopefully, he keeps her and the toy stag away from Crazy Mommy and Red Velvet.

    Jon doesn’t look happy at all.

  9. I sincerely hope that “confronts a troubling decision” is followed by an implied “…made by others.” because SERIOUSLY Stannis, the Mannis does not give his own daughter to the fires!

    *prays*

  10. No!! Sweet scene with Shireen….

    So I guess I’ll start preparing myself for her death now. ;(

    Looks like a decent amount of Jon. I was thinking he’d only get a brief scene, since there is so much Dorne/Arya/Stannis/Dany to get through.

    Maybe that article is right and we do only get a few minutes of Dany? I mean, the ep is only 53 mins long.

  11. Rene,

    The only person who looks even remotely happy is Shireen. And that makes me really worry about her future. Happy people don’t stay happy for long on this show.

  12. Is Cersei gonna be in this episode?

    if not, shes gonna have a huge chunk of screen time in the finale… not surprised considering its her big moment
  13. sj4iy: Winter is come.

    Finally.

    Dunno about Winter but it certainly looks like icing sugar is coming! La la la I’m just trying to distract myself from the Shireen burning possibility. NOT HAPPY! But at least by 3am on monday it will highly likely be over and I’ll know either way. Then I can go back to only really having to worry about Sansa at the moment until someone else’s story turns me into a nervous wreck 🙁

  14. dragonbringer,

    It’s not going to be exactly as it was in the books,nothing ever was,not even Blackwater,stop thinking with your mental image from the books or else you will be dissapointed,just enjoy it by how they do it .

  15. It’s a safe bet that the shot of Melisandre looking impassive and the shot from the trailer of Selyse flailing in the snow are from the same scene. They both appear to be surrounded by soldiers. The big question is, “What are they looking at?”

    I hope the sweet Davos/Shireen scene isn’t the equivalent of Talisa telling Robb in 3×09 she was going to name their baby Eddard. 🙁

    I’m guessing

    Jon ships Sam and Gilly off to Oldtown in 5×09, both to find out more about the WW and to protect Gilly, leaving him completely undefended when he’s attacked in 5×10.
  16. Brandon,

    Rains of Castemere was only 52 minutes i think,and yet they managed with the time .

    Edit: See,i was sure Von Trollty will come with another retarded curly hair joke proving once again that he is less intelligent than a 6 year old,seriously i know kindergarden children who wouldn’t make these cringeworthy jokes .

  17. Felt Pelt:
    In this episode it’s revealed Jon travels inside a snowglobe at all times.

    This made me laugh, thanks!!
    I haven’t read all the cast info or previews/spoilers yet, so could someone please tell me if we are going to have Dorne in this episode? Nothing in the pics or synopsis…

  18. Brandon,

    I can’t help but seeing the myth of the sacrifice of Iphigenia in Shireen’s plot. But the last moment godess Artemis (Diana) took Iphigenia with her in the heavens leaving in her place a deer. Maybe the deer that Davos gives to Shireen is a spoiler…

  19. Brandon,

    I don’t think the fact that we got a lot of stills of Jon is any indication of how much screen time he’ll get this episode. All three still are from the same scene. You can see the same guy(kid? Olly?) sitting on a barrel in the background of all three.

  20. Melissa Blackwood: This made me laugh, thanks!!
    I haven’t read all the cast info or previews/spoilers yet, so could someone please tell me if we are going to have Dorne in this episode?

    Yes, there is Dorne in this episode.

  21. Practical question related to the Wildlings and Castle Black. Does Jon really need to take them to Castle Black, having boats and all? I realize The Gift is south of the wall, but isn’t that it down the coast from Hardhome? Seems like he could just drop them off and then go to Castle Black to warn every one that they’re all basically going to die (and not have to bother with all that extra Wildling/Night’s Watch tension).

  22. dragonbringer:
    Kay,

    i do wonder how that reveal will happen if he is the harpy

    Yeah, I have no idea about this sequence, how they get from the picture we have here to further events, especially since

    Missandei, Daario and Tyrion, also get down from the box to the arena. It’s possible that Hizzy = Harpy is left for 5.10 for Tyrion to discover, who does us all a solid; T could feed Hizzy to Rhaegal and Viserion as a snack, befriending them all at the same time. Economical.
  23. urangutan21,
    ofcourse its not going to be same as in the books

    what i meant like in the books was

    she goes into the pit to save drogon when hizdar orders fighters to kill him..

    the image shows how she stood face to face with drogon and whiped and made him submit to her will without fear
    they both saved each other from those who were trying to kill them …

    that is what i am expecting instead of drogon saving dany ..i wnat both of them to save each other ..i dont care how they do that as long as everyone likes it and enjoys

  24. What’s the over/under on there being several deaths this episode? I’m thinking any or all of

    Hizdahr, Shireen, Bronn, and Ser Meryn

    .

    I’m most interested in the Dorne storyline, though: What will be

    Doran’s big plan? Is he a Targ loyalist? Does he want the Trystane/Myrcella marriage to happen? Is crowning Myrcella going to be his play to foment conflict? Is he planning for Trystane to marry Dany? Is Varys going to show up? Is Doran going to send Jaime and Myrcella back to KL? SO MANY QUESTIONS.

    I remember a tidbit floating around that there was a character in the Dorne storyline that no one was allowed to report on, photograph, or mention. My money’s on

    Varys, who’s going to show up just as Doran outs himself as a Targ supporter, but we’ll see

    .

  25. Nice pics! Best quality one I’ve seen of Dany and Hizdahr at the pits so far.

    I must be one of the few people who actually likes Hizdahr (in his show incarnation; I don’t find the book version appealing). His pleading for his father’s body made a strong positive impression. To me, he doesn’t come across as sleazy but as a sincere peacemaker. I’m actually dreading the next episode in case it does turn out that he’s working with the Sons of the Harpy.

    The thing is, though, it doesn’t make a lot of sense if he turns out to have been working with them from the start. He was dispatched to Yunkai on Dany’s peace mission only a couple of days after asking for his father’s body. He couldn’t have planned for that contingency: Dany decided to send him after Jorah changed her mind. (She couldn’t even remember his name when she was choosing him – he was “the man who came to me the other day about burying his father.”) The Sons of the Harpy started attacking while he was away. He and Daario are specifically, explicitly shown returning from Yunkai to an increased Unsullied presence on the streets due to the attacks. And, besides, why would he support the Sons of the Harpy? If he was inclined to use groups like those to further his ends, why wouldn’t he have used them to take down the Masters’ crucified bodies? The fact that he goes to Dany and asks her politely makes me think that’s the way he tends to do things.

    All that’s a long way of saying that, if Hizdahr does turn out to have a role with the Sons of the Harpy, I don’t think it’ll actually make a lot of sense. The most plausible way this could work, in my opinion, would be if he didn’t have anything to do with the Sons of the Harpy initially, but was so freaked out by the experience of watching another noble being eaten by a dragon and nearly suffering the same fate himself that he decided to throw his lot in with them.

  26. Brandon,

    i have to say i was disappointed after waiting for these to release and got only one dany photo …i think they dont want to give too much away from dany’s storyline and hence there is not a lot from her story line

    but that said an episode named dance of dragons and dany will have only 4 mins of screentime is ridiculous

  27. So. Will Stannis actually allow Mel to sacrifice Shireen? Or will he allow Davos to ride her off to safety? I sure hope it’s the latter, which could also

    cause Mel to abandon Stannis and return to the Wall to anoint a new Azor Ahai (and right in the nick of time, too!)

    And then there’s Ramsay’s sneak attack. We know from the Ep 10 synopsis that Stannis survives this raid, but will there be any major casualties on either side? So curious how D&D play this.

  28. bigb:
    Looks like Jaqen is very angry. Poor Arya. I hope he doesn’t hit her again.

    Arya had decided to join the group of professional assassins (i. e. the Faceless Men) cos she wanted to improve/learn (new) killing skills. Namely, before joining the assassins, she had sworn revenge on the people that were involved in killings of Starks; so she needs the skills. But I don’t believe that she really wants to become one of the assassin pros. (C’mon, she’s ‘our’ daredevil Arya, not some cold-blooded killer.) At some point she’ll probably quit the ‘assassin program/job’. Doing that she’ll put herself in danger. Once in, she can’t give up the Faceless Men ‘membership’ without consequences.

  29. I’m pretty sure they lost the ruby in Melisandre’s neck piece after S2.. so they just shoved a dry plum in there. Don’t even try to tell me that’s anything else.

    and Shireen is ded like Ned. Say hello to uncles Robert and Renly for me.

    Estelindis,

    I really don’t think there’s such a thing as a “Harpy” (that is to say, a leader) in the show. In the books, it’s almost surely the Green Grace, but she’s not in the show. And making Hizdahr their leader is way too obvious to happen.

    There’s also a little interesting tidbit to note from the previews we’ve seen. We know Dany, Missandei and Jorah all end up in the middle of the ring surrounded by Harpies. But Tyrion and Hizdahr don’t, so something happens to Hizdahr before this.. He either reveals himself as the leader (which would be beyond stupid) or he’s himself killed.
  30. dragonbringer,

    has to be longer than 4 minutes
    Daznak’s Pit has been heavily promoted in all the trailers

    They always nail the big set pieces

    I also love show Hizdhar more. Unlike the books, hes not a cardboard cutout evil villain. Hes got real emotional reasons to hate Dany. I like his more sympathetic portrayal.

  31. Estelindis,

    then he becomes the leader of the harpy all of the sudden after episode 6 what happened to the previous one do they step aside for him to take leadership ..how does that makes sense

    he could have lied about his father and he could have set up the harpy to strike when he is away so he can free himself from getting accused of leading them and acting like a innocent peacemaker was all part of plan to get into dany’s good graces

    StandOzone,

    darrio cant be harpy because we see him

    killing the harpies in the pit and he is also surrounded by them in trailer…guess who is missing hizdar
  32. Estelindis:
    Nice pics!Best quality one I’ve seen of Dany and Hizdahr at the pits so far.

    I must be one of the few people who actually likes Hizdahr (in his show incarnation; I don’t find the book version appealing).His pleading for his father’s body made a strong positive impression.To me, he doesn’t come across as sleazy but as a sincere peacemaker.I’m actually dreading the next episode in case it does turn out that he’s working with the Sons of the Harpy.

    (…) And, besides, why would he support the Sons of the Harpy?If he was inclined to use groups like those to further his ends, why wouldn’t he have used them to take down the Masters’ crucified bodies?The fact that he goes to Dany and asks her politely makes me think that’s the way he tends to do things.

    I like TV Hizdahr, too, and the actor who plays him. He’s got a certain dignity and intelligence, even when he’s groveling for his life.

    The funny thing about TV Hizdahr is that he would be 100% fully justified in taking down Dany:

    -she arbitrarily executed his father without bothering to inquire about his responsibility in the execution of the slaves
    -she gave him attitude when he asked her for permission to bury him
    -she has treated his reasonable suggestions regarding the fighting pits with arrogance and contempt
    -she had a man burned alive by her dragons and devoured in front of him and threatened to do the same to him
    -she is forcing him to marry her or face execution

    Frankly, if Hizdahr turns out to have been working for or leading the SOTH all along, the only person Dany would have to blame is herself.

    As for it seeming strange if it turns out that TV Hizdahr is against Dany, given that he asks her for things politely and appears to be trying to work with her, that’s Littlefinger 101: cozy up to your enemies and pretend you care about working with them, so that they 1) leave you alone long enough to get all your ducks in a row and that 2) they never see the knife coming.

  33. M,

    They are looking at a massive Umber army coming down on Stannis’s camp. Selyse falls to the ground when Stannis goes forward to meet them. Everyone thinks they are about to attack, but then the Greatjon appears and kneels before Stannis.
    The things I’d do to see a scene like this.

  34. HelloThere,

    i am thinking it will be minmum 15 mins long

    i will be happy if show hizdar is not the harpy ..if he is indeed harpy then i hope he gives a speech about everything from his father and removes his act of Symphatetic character

    i really really hope hizdar gets killed and not revealed as a harpy

  35. Predictions?

    I think Selyse will die in this episode. I worry for Shireen but think she’ll be get away somehow either Davos will get her out or on their way back to the Wall or at the Wall, she’ll be smuggled out to go to Oldtown with Sam and Gilly. Must admit I worry for Davos too!
    Now we’ve kind of pretty much certainly ruled out Daario=Euron. Could it be Daario as the Head Harpy…or at least in league with him? Would fit with her three betrayels vision and have a lot more impact. Daario has to have some purpose more than he does at the moment and I think this could be it!

  36. bigb:
    Looks like Jaqen is very angry. Poor Arya. I hope he doesn’t hit her again.

    I wonder if Arya, though she’s sent to assassinate the insurance guy, ends up

    killing Trant instead; that would make “Jaqen” angry, for sure.

    Hoyti Von Totiy: Well it has to be him since there is no alternitive for SOH in the show ….

    This is true.
    Also, ever since his Valar Morghulis in 5.05, and then being all abject apology later, plus his utter joy at seeing people killing each other in 5.07, I have wanted to see the last of him.

  37. One of Roose Bolton’s leeches:
    M,

    They are looking at a massive Umber army coming down on Stannis’s camp. Selyse falls to the ground when Stannis goes forward to meet them. Everyone thinks they are about to attack, but then the Greatjon appears and kneels before Stannis.
    The things I’d do to see a scene like this.

    We know that in 5×09 there will be at least three Stannis storyline-related scenes (not listed in any particular order):

    1. Daytime in snow: Melisandre looks on impassively, Selyse wails in a heap, both surrounded by soldiers.
    2. Nighttime: Melisandre sees tents being set on fire, presumably during Ramsay’s attack. We know from the screengrab that multiple tents in Stannis’ camp are being set on fire.
    3. Inside a tent: Shireen plays with a toy stag while Davos looks on.

    We also know that Stannis is facing a “difficult decision,” that Stannis survives 5×09 (since he marches in 5×10), and that Melisandre urged Stannis to burn Shireen to guarantee victory.

    So if I had to guess, I’m guessing it goes down like this:

    -adorable Davos/Shireen scene to remind us how precious and wonderful Shireen is
    -Ramsay attacks, sets some tents on fire and manages to do a lot of damage, but flees before he’s able to kill Stannis
    -Stannis, faced with this devastating setback, decides to burn Shireen
    -Shireen is burned, Davos can’t do anything to stop it, Selyse unexpectedly loses her shit
    -Davos, horrified and disgusted by Stannis’ decision, abandons Stannis,

    setting up a possible arc where he goes to find Rickon
  38. I think you’re all worrying unduly for Shireen.
    UK rules regarding child actors are quite strict, and I doubt very much they would allow Ingram, who I think was under 16 during the filming of this season, to participate in a scene where she’s burned alive screaming for her father. It would have to be the most off-screen scene imaginable.

  39. One of Roose Bolton’s leeches:
    M,

    They are looking at a massive Umber army coming down on Stannis’s camp. Selyse falls to the ground when Stannis goes forward to meet them. Everyone thinks they are about to attack, but then the Greatjon appears and kneels before Stannis.
    The things I’d do to see a scene like this.

    You and me both. I miss the Northern lords.

    TheTouchOfFrost,

    I also worry for Shireen but I am going to remain positive. There is no way that she dies if Davos is around to protect her. I’m hoping that the toy stag is her patronus.

  40. dragonbringer,
    Hopefully longer

    We know there will be 3 weddings this season. So we need a brief wedding. I assume we will have some other 1 on 1 scenes w/ Dany and other characters. Then I assume the pits will be at least 10 minutes, maybe longer.
    So excited!
  41. Fall_of_Byzantium:
    I think you’re all worrying unduly for Shireen.
    UK rules regarding child actors are quite strict, and I doubt very much they would allow Ingram, who I think was under 16 during the filming of this season, to participate in a scene where she’s burned alive screaming for her father. It would have to be the most off-screen scene imaginable.

    The problem is that that’s supported by the “reaction shots” we seem to have: Melisandre looking on stone-faced and Selyse completely losing her mind. They could go the Sansa’s rape route of having the horror depicted through Kerry Ingram screaming her lungs out offscreen and showing the other characters reacting to it.

    Also, this series is no stranger to horrible child murder: a lot of underage characters have bit the big one onscreen (the Lannister boys killed by Karstark, Lommy, the stableboy Arya stabbed, etc.).

  42. M,

    i too think thats exactly how it will go down …

    add what he says in the promo “A man must do what he need to fulfill his destiny ” i think stannis had made a decision

  43. M: I like TV Hizdahr, too, and the actor who plays him. He’s got a certain dignity and intelligence, even when he’s groveling for his life.

    The funny thing about TV Hizdahr is that he would be 100% fully justified in taking down Dany:

    -she arbitrarily executed his father without bothering to inquire about his responsibility in the execution of the slaves
    -she gave him attitude when he asked her for permission to bury him
    -she has treated his reasonable suggestions regarding the fighting pits with arrogance and contempt
    -she had a man burned alive by her dragons and devoured in front of him and threatened to do the same to him
    -she is forcing him to marry her or face execution

    Frankly, if Hizdahr turns out to have been working for or leading the SOTH all along, the only person Dany would have to blame is herself.

    As for it seeming strange if it turns out that TV Hizdahr is against Dany, given that he asks her for things politely and appears to be trying to work with her, that’s Littlefinger 101: cozy up to your enemies and pretend you care about working with them, so that they 1) leave you alone long enough to get all your ducks in a row and that 2) they never see the knife coming.

    Agree about Hizdahr’s air of dignity and intelligence.

    It’s not that Hizdahr wouldn’t be “justified,” for all the reasons you stated. It’s more that he really comes across to me as strongly believing in peace, diplomacy and compromise. He seemed so genuine and sincere when he called himself a servant of Meereen and said he was willing to leave the past in the past to work with Dany. Ditto when he told her that happy subjects are easier to rule than angry ones, so some compromises are sensible. That was good advice and I think he really meant it.

    I feel (though this is just my imagination projecting from the facts now) that his father had a frustrating time as a noble, trying to advocate for kinder (or, at least, less unkind) courses of action and being overruled, as he was when he protested against crucifying the slave children. Loraq Sr. couldn’t win a vote in spite of apparently being one of Meereen’s most beloved citizens, from one of its most ancient, respected families. Maybe, now, Hizdahr reluctantly sees Dany as an opportunity for a better Meereen for all its citizens, if she’ll only listen to advice informed by cultural knowledge that she lacks. This is a very positive interpretation, but I feel like the writing and Joel’s Fry’s performance have really sold it to me.

    All that being said, I have wondered if Hizdahr is pulling a Littlefinger. If he is, that makes him a better LF than LF – at least, on the show. Show!LF has been mustache-twiddlingly obvious at times, not nearly as subtle as his book incarnation. If Hizdahr has been acting all along…and able to carry out his plans in spite of being sent away unexpectedly on a long mission… that’s actually kind of a disservice to the character of Littlefinger.

  44. HelloThere,

    Yeh, I’m thinking maybe Arya will get her big chunk in this episode, and then she won’t be in the finale which will give more time to plots like Cersei’s. Or if she is in the finale it will just be a fleeting appearance whose purpose is to get you hyped for next year and nothing else.
  45. HelloThere,

    me too i am so exited for this episode ..

    i like to think showed the same preference to both hardhome and daznak ..hardhome was 28 mins long with 14mins of setting up an 14 mins of action sequence

    while daznak may not need 14 mins of setting up ..they will surely have a 14 mins of action sequence …and a 10 mins setting up to daznak with marriage and other things ..
    so it will end up around nearly 24 mins …thats what i am hoping for anyways
  46. dragonbringer:
    M,

    i too think thats exactly how it will go down …

    add what he says in the promo “A man must do what he need to fulfill his destiny ” i think stannis had made a decision

    Yup. I think Stannis’ arc–and Davos’, really–has been building to this point from the beginning:

    -Stannis killing a blood relative to get him closer to the throne (Renly)
    -Stannis being willing to sacrifice another blood relative, Gendry, to get him closer to the throne, and only being stopped by Davos intervening
    -Stannis using blood magic to achieve his ends
    -Davos’ very close relationship with Shireen
    -Davos’ extreme loyalty to and faith in Stannis
    -Selyse ominously telling her daughter that she has no idea what people will do
    -Melisandre insisting on Shireen coming north with them (and Selyse resisting it)
    -Stannis’ love for his daughter making him balk at the idea of sacrificing her
    -Ramsay’s sneak attack that will likely cripple Stannis’ forces

    I think it’s all been building up to this: irresistible force (Stannis’ love for his daughter) meets immovable object (Stannis’ willingness to sacrifice all for his ambition). I think the very reason this season went all the way to establish Stannis’ love for Shireen was to make it a real struggle for him to sacrifice her, as he’s been previously willing to sacrifice other family members without losing much sleep over it.

  47. dragonbringer:
    Estelindis,

    then he becomes the leader of the harpy all of the sudden after episode 6 what happened to the previous one do they step aside for him to take leadership ..how does that makes sense

    he could have lied about his father and he could have set up the harpy to strike when he is away so he can free himself from getting accused of leading them and acting like a innocent peacemaker was all part of plan to get into dany’s good graces

    Lying to Dany about his father would be monumentally stupid. If Loraq Sr. really was one of Meereen’s most beloved citizens, then his reputation would have been well-known. All Dany would have to do would be to conduct a very simple investigation. Of course, we don’t see her doing much investigating. She doesn’t even try to find out if the noble she feeds to her dragons has anything to do with the Sons of the Harpy. But Hizdahr doesn’t know she’s not going to investigate.

    If Hizdahr did become involved with the Sons of the Harpy after being released from his cell and betrothed to Dany, I don’t think he would have replaced their leader. I just think he would’ve started working with them.

    As for acting like a peacemaker to get into Dany’s good graces, what about Dany comes across like she would appreciate peacemakers? She has conquered Slavers’ Bay city by city, and her arrival in Meereen is quite bloody from the nobles’ point of view.

  48. If Shireen burns, what happened after Sansa-Ramsay will look like a Gilligan’s Island viewing party.

    I’m not looking forward to the world if it happens. I am still holding out hope that Stannis refuses and Melisandre, believing that Stannis is no longer the guy, PLUS realizing that her life may be in danger for even trying, flees to the Wall.

    Just in time to help resurrect the Lord Commander.

  49. M,

    I don’t know how likely it is that Stannis will burn Shireen. The duty of fatherhood is perhaps just as large a motivator for a character like Stannis as the duty of being king.

    That said, if they do go that route (I hope they don’t), it will at least be interesting character development for Davos. Until now I don’t think I’d ever considered a story in which Davos totally gives up on Stannis and abandons him.

  50. Estelindis,

    the thing is he is the only known meereenese in the show …if there is a leader to harpy then it will be him so id ont see him joining after the last episode ..

    i personally dont want Show hizdar to be the harpy and will be happy he gets killed by the harpies

  51. M,

    He was at war with Renly and believed he had the better claim, legally and tactically. Plus, he offered Renly terms — pretty generous ones, considering that Selyse had been unable to give him a son, which made Renly the heir.

    Renly had fair warning.

  52. StandOzone:
    Mmmm… that’s right… I’m starting to think that Daario is the Harpy.

    No way … he can kill Dany anytime he wants.
    I mean he is porking her every night…? Makes no sense.
    Why beat around the bush? 🙂

  53. My prediction? Stannis decides to burn Shireen, she’s tied to the stake (photos of Melisandre stonefaced and Selyse freaking out), the fire is lit, and then Stannis decides he can’t go through with it. Then Melisandre decides to hightail it back to the Wall. I am 90% sure this is how it will go down. How Ramsay fits in I do not know.

  54. Rat Kook,

    Not to mention that I’m having a hard time seeing Stannis able to rule an anthill after his men see that, and tell others.

    I still think Melisandre abandons him, especially if she uses her “whatever the show needs them to be” witchy powers to realize what Jon Snow saw and did at Hardhome.

  55. dragonbringer:
    Estelindis,

    the thing is he is the only known meereenese in the show …if there is a leader to harpy then it will be him so id ont see him joining after the last episode..

    i personally dont want Show hizdar to be the harpy and will be happy he gets killed by the harpies

    Yes, the main thing that makes me think Hizdahr actually is involved is the fact that we have no other named Meereenese characters. (Well, there was Mossador, but he’s dead now and wasn’t originally planned to be a named character.) I do hope that he’s not, though. It just seems too obvious. The interpretation that would follow, that Dany was right to treat him that way all along, and should’ve followed Daario’s advice to murder him without evidence, would have unfortunate implications as one of her “lessons” from ruling Meereen. All in all, I agree that the best way for him to die at Daznak’s Pit (if he does die there; we don’t know) would be if the Sons of the Harpy murder him for collaborating with Dany.

  56. Andrew:
    Yeah, my prediction?Stannis decides to burn Shireen, she’s tied to the stake (photos of Melisandre stonefaced and Selyse dreaming out), the fire is lit, and then Stannis decides he can’t go through with it.Then Melisandre decides to hightail it back to the Wall.I am 90% sure this is how it will go down.How Ramsay fits in I do not know.

    Liam Cunningham alluded to something really twisted this season and joked about the writers needing psychiatric help or something to that effect. Stannis burning his beloved daughter alive–a pretty hideous way to go–would certainly qualify.

  57. Rat Kook,

    So hyped for the finale!
    Daznak’s Pit and Hardhome feature amazing fist pumping action scenes with zombies and dragons…
    But the Walk of Shame is a set piece unlike any other. Its really gonna catch people by surprise. Cersei is obviously a horrible character, but its such an unrelenting, humiliating, tragic scene… Its one of those moments that leave u completely unable to grasp how you feel about what u just read (or watched). Its REALLY says something that the show chose this setpiece to feature in the finale.
  58. Andrew,

    Brienne and Pod are lurking about as well and could fit in too. Add in a certain former Winterfell resident who was resurrected by dark magic…

  59. M,

    Maybe that was the flaying…. please… that was the flaying.

    I rode for the writers after Sansa-Ramsay. I am not sure I’ve got their backs on this one.

  60. David Nutter has been doing great work since I first saw his stuff back on the X-Files. Should be another excellent episode!

  61. Jon Snow looks good in the snow with snow in his hair and snow falling. Was a man more aptly named?

  62. M,

    exactly and not to forget what MEL said to Stannis in season 2 epiosde 10

    You will betray everyone you love your family your men and all will be worth it ..

    i dont know how all will be worth when he has lost and betrayed everyone

    he is not against sacrificing when you think about it ..when mEl mentions about sacrifice his reply was “we do not have Roberts bastrads here “..which means he is willing to sacrifice them …but he only hesitated because she has told him about her daughter

    and whatever ramsey does will push him to that decision

  63. Hoyti Von Trolliy is at it again

    I hope nothing happens to Shireen. Counting on my boy Davos not allow that to happen

  64. M,

    Stannis won’t allow Melisandre to kill Shireen. That will be the worst character destruction in the show. If that happens, then everybody will want that Ramsay flays Stannis alive. Book Stannis wants that Shireen sits on the Iron Throne if he dies. Show Stannis should prefer burn himself before let that something horrible happens to Shireen.

    However, Melisandre could burn Shireen without Stannis’ approval. It would be horrible but more likely than the other scenario.

    I rather see that before Ramsay attacks Stannis’ camp, Melisandre will see THE vision (FTW) and will return to Castle Black, maybe with Davos and Shireen. Maybe, Selyse will die… I don’t know, but Stannis WON’T allow that such horrible thing happens to his daughter.

  65. My prediction with Arya is that she kills Meryn Trant and Jaquen is angry. And stuff from the book I can’t explain because I don’t know the coding for spoilers. But I think some stuff is going to wait until bran is back next year in order to explain.

  66. God I am so excited to see Dany’s iconic scene.

    Like I said before, if D&D did this right this can be an HBO Hallmark “Only on HBO” 6 second clip for years to come.

  67. One of Roose Bolton’s leeches:
    M,

    They are looking at a massive Umber army coming down on Stannis’s camp. Selyse falls to the ground when Stannis goes forward to meet them. Everyone thinks they are about to attack, but then the Greatjon appears and kneels before Stannis.
    The things I’d do to see a scene like this.

    thats great, if that happens i will definately stand up and take off my pants in celebration

  68. Andrew,

    Hmm.
    Would Selyse freak out? Be a bit out of character, since all she’s shown is detestation for her daughter, and seemed overjoyed at her brother being burned alive.
    Looks to me like she’s surrounded by soldiers and has been thrown to the ground. What about Mel running back to the wall and abandoning Selyse to Stannis’ anger?

  69. Hoyti Von Totiy,

    Still he is a possibility. Maybe he wants to keep Dany for her dragons, he needs a queen (and he needs her alive). He knew where the Son of the Harpy was hidden. He proposed her to kill every maestre (even the good maestres). He’s a sellsword after all.

    Killing some sons of the harpy are casualities. He must to…

    Don’t saying that I buy myself this idea, but it is a possibility.

  70. Rene,

    Maybe Stannis gets hurt when Ramsey and his 20 good men show up. May be a good thing if Jon meets the same end as the book. Maybe she can save him.

  71. Andrew,

    I’d go with something like this, although I think it…

    Ramsay attacks and cripples Stannis’ army. Selyse and mel urge him to sacrifice Shireen but after much soul-searhing he refuses so Melisandre and Selyse decide to without his permission. He catches them before they do (hence Selyse’s wailing) and sends them back to the Wall until he knows what to do with them thus getting Mel into position for “that thing” and perhaps Selyse getting killed by Wun Wun in place of Ser Patrek (which would be sweet). With his forces pretty much destroyed, Stannis either finds an escaped Sansa and Theon whom tell him of Bran and Rickon still being alive or Davos, whilst returning Shireen to the Wall or via bumping into Sam and Gilly on their way to Oldtown (mayhaps they take Shireen with them?) finding out and heading to the Last Hearth in order to get Rickon and rally the north behind Stannis. I’d like to think at least some elements may come to pass. Can’t see the Wilding replacing the mountain clans and fighting for Stannis as they barely trust Jon Snow plus he wants them at the wall to defend against the Walkers.

  72. M:
    I remember a tidbit floating around that there was a character in the Dorne storyline that no one was allowed to report on, photograph, or mention. My money’s on…

    The Sphinx would be my best guess.

  73. Game of Thrones 49: The Dance of Dragons
    TVMA: Adult Content, Adult Language… are you fucking kidding me??????

  74. Joffrey’s Cunt:
    Game of Thrones 49: The Dance of Dragons
    TVMA: Adult Content, Adult Language… are you fucking kidding me??????

    We haven´t seen in any of the pictures the wedding of Hizdar and Dany, so i guess the pit fight is before the wedding and therefore the wedding never takes place.

  75. HelloThere,

    Totally! Phwawrr, with all these different sorts of scenes joined together in one episode, it could end up being a pretty profound moment in television history.

  76. Rat

    Hoyti Von Totiy: No way … he can kill Dany anytime he wants.
    I mean he is porking her every night…? Makes no sense.
    Why beat around the bush?

    Hizdar gets to be king once Dany is dead. And Daario? He’s a sell sword. He can be bought.

  77. Hi, first time poster. On the possible Shireen sacrifice, how about this scenario: Ramsay attacks, Stannis is injured badly but so is Ramsey. Ramsey and whatever men he’s got left are able to escape and Davos goes after him/them. Mel being Mel, decides that Shireen must now be gifted to the Lord of Light to bring Azor Ahai back to life. No one in the camp does anything in particular to stop her, Selyse may try but there’s nothing she can do without support. So Shireen, lovely sweet girl, burns. Only, Stannis doesn’t heal/rise but Azor Ahai does. Of course, the burning part would need to happen in Episode 10 for this to work.

  78. Pure speculation:

    I’m wondering if Melisandre, in the face of Stannis’ refusal to burn Shireen, somehow convinces the batshit crazy mother to sacrifice the child instead (unbeknownst to Stannis). That would certainly be a troubling decision on Selyse’s part that Stannis would have to confront. It may result in Selyse’s death/punishment/whathaveyou (leaving her upset and groveling in the snow and Mel watching impassively). Mel may even convince Stannis to kill Selyse for her betrayal (subsequently making her his Nissa Nissa?)

    But it certainly seems to me that Melisandre sees something in the fire during the ep9 preview that has her concerned. That face to me reads, “Oh, crap, I totally misunderstood and I’ve been backing the wrong horse all along!” (?) I can see Stannis turning on Red Velvet and banishing her… especially if the attack on his camp occurs even after the devestating loss and sacrifice of both daughter and wife. That would conveniently open the door for Big Red to head back to the wall and devote herself instead to Azor Ahai reborn.

  79. Joffrey’s Cunt:
    Game of Thrones 49: The Dance of Dragons
    TVMA: Adult Content, Adult Language… are you fucking kidding me??????

    Is that the actual ratings? I’m sure 100% there’s gonna be some violence.

  80. TheTouchOfFrost,

    A more plausible scenario… although I don’t see Shireen going south. I think Sam will leave Castle Black this episode, if so, it is too late. Also, sending Shireen to the south means saving her from Melisandre’s fangs but put her close to the Lannisters and Tyrells. Maybe Davos will take her with him and she will end under Umbers’ protection after he goes after

    Rickon. Well, if there’s no Skaagos in the TV Show he will stay with Shireen

    I wouldn’t discard that Stannis marches back to Castle Black and next season he gathers the mountain clans following

    undead Jon’s

    advice.

  81. Well, I guess we’ll see Dany riding off on Drogon’s back… just like in the book!

  82. HelloThere,

    I hope Dany will be much longer than 4 minutes but I think they might split the pit time between this episode and Mother’s Mercy. I think we might see

    buildup to the pit in this episode, plus the pit and all of the fighting. But then the attack from the Sons of the Harpy, or at least most of that attack, will be the last episode. And Jorah will make the ultimate sacrifice then to save his Khaleesi. He’ll never make it to Westeros. And the Drogon will swoop in.
  83. Blast, these spoiler tags are just not working for me at all for some reason. They work when I’m testing just a single line, but I had a fairly extensive post and they won’t cooperate. Oh well.

  84. Rene,

    I think Stannis might send Melisandre away in the coming episode. She keeps trying to get him to burn Shireen, and when decides not to (which I sincerly hope), he also decides he can no longer have Mel as an adviser. So she turns to the wall because of whatever she saw in her fire regarding Jon

  85. Greenjones,

    King Stannis,

    It is the actual ratings yes, and it cannot be true of course. But still I’m worried because also for episode 6 it was rated like this, and we all thought fuck no, not possible, and it ended up being correct… But I don’t want to believe it in this case, no way!!!

  86. Davos needs to stay the fuck out of Melisandre’s way. I swear to god, if he fucks up her plans, I will throw something.

  87. M,

    If it goes like you say from where will Davos find out that Rickon is alive in order to abandon Stanis and go look for him? It doesn’t make sense…

  88. M:
    Also, this series is no stranger to horrible child murder: a lot of underage characters have bit the big one onscreen (the Lannister boys killed by Karstark, Lommy, the stableboy Arya stabbed, etc.).

    That’s a good point (damn you!), but I think this is a bit above and beyond what we’ve seen so far. I suspect even if the showrunners were the dummies some seem to think them, they’d realise people will respond very differently to a young boy getting knifed to a young girl being burned alive.

    I admit a large part of this is me trying to convince myself. Shireen’s endearing, Stannis has been made a character you can respect and even half like after a dodgy start which this would finish, and showing something like that would be my personal limit for the show.

  89. Beacon:
    Davos needs to stay the fuck out of Melisandre’s way. I swear to god, if he fucks up her plans, I will throw something.

    Once Davos interrupts Mel’s plan and succeeds, then you have my permission to go fuck yourself

  90. My hope is that Sansa found out about her brothers being alive because Stannis will take Winterfell and cut a deal with her. Stannis holds Winterfell and sends Davos out to find Rickon bringing it back to where the storyline is in the books. Sansa agrees that he’s the king and pledges the north to him. This scenario might be a touch optimistic, but Sansa needs some power of her own after what the writers put her through. Plus, there has to be a reason other than just giving her some hope that she got the information about Bran and Rickon. Right?
  91. Spoilers all up in this post.

    I’m digging the suggestion that Selyse be the one to sacrifice Shireen, should it come to pass. Melisandre in turn seems relatively detached about the whole affair, except in her reaffirmation that Stannis has just been afforded victory by it. She wasn’t involved in the burning, having been rather busy seeing visions of a certain coming event to have ever participated in Selyse’s rash action. Stannis temporarily breaks down in supreme anguish, leaving Davos to attempt to stop Melisandre from bolting off to Castle Black unexpectedly.

    DAVOS: (enraged, bewildered) “You’d leave him, now?”
    MELISANDRE: (curtly, matter-of-factly) “If I do not leave now, terrible things will happen.”
    DAVOS: (beyond disgusted) “I don’t even know where to begin with that statement.”
    MELISANDRE: (politely) “The events of today were a tragedy for us all. If left unchecked, the events of tomorrow will be a tragedy for mankind.”
    DAVOS: (stubbornly) “I don’t give a damn about your visions, but you know that. You swore you’d be here for your king, and he lies broken not fifty feet away, and you’re leaving him to despair.”
    MELISANDRE: (firmly) “I told you once you had a part to play. That you’d be needed. And now you are.” (she departs)

  92. Jeff O’Connor,

    I saw that extensive post and the spoiler tags were working. Did you delete it? Try it again…you seem to have it correct.

    Fall_of_Byzantium:
    I admit a large part of this is me trying to convince myself. Shireen’s endearing, Stannis has been made a character you can respect and even half like after a dodgy start which this would finish, and showing something like that would be my personal limit for the show.

    Agree. If Stannis burns Shireen, then he is effectively done. I guess much of this speculation depends on whether or not Stannis survives this season.

  93. mariamb:
    Jeff O’Connor,

    I saw that extensive post and the spoiler tags were working. Did you delete it? Try it again…you seem to have it correct.

    Haha, yeah, whoops. I got it now, thanks!

  94. No pics of Dorne. We know it’s going to be in this episode. I can’t wait for Jaime & Doran to have a talk.

  95. HelloThere,

    Do you seriously believe that? We know there’s going to be gladiator fights before all that, do you seriously believe they won’t graphic?

  96. Since so many people are speculating about the possibility that Stannis might actually sacrifice his daughter, I thought I would throw my own speculation into the mix as to how that storyline might play out in this episode. My hypothetical scenario does not involve Shireen being burned alive, but that doesn’t mean everything turns out well for her.

    Stannis’s army has pressed on through the storm and is now within a few leagues of Winterfell. Stannis is making his final preparations for the attack, weighing the benefits of an all-out assault versus a protracted siege. Melisandre is still pressing him to sacrifice Shireen. Stannis remains repulsed by the idea, but he has not yet outright dismissed it. Melisandre believes he will come around in time. She goes to see Selyse, and while the Queen is having doubts, she remains on board with the plan.
    Shireen, meanwhile, is hanging around a satellite camp in the rear of Stannis’s army, somewhat separated from her father’s command tent and the main battle preparations. During a lull in the battle preparations, Davos comes to see her. He gives her the wooden stag he’s been carving for her, and the two of them share a tender moment. Stannis witnesses this, and it seals his decision. He tells Melisandre he will attack Winterfell, defeat the Boltons, and fulfill his destiny … but he will not sacrifice his daughter, regardless of what it will gain him. He is the One True King by all the laws of Westeros, and if he must take the throne without the help of the Lord of Light, he will.
    As night falls, Melisandre retreats to her tent and consults the flames, asking the Lord of Light for guidance. She expects to gain some insight that will foreshadow the upcoming battle and convince Stannis to change his mind. But instead, she sees something else in the flames … “Snow”.
    A terrible revelation strikes the Red Woman. She has made a mistake. The Lord needs her back at Castle Black … now.
    Melisandre exits her tent, only to see that something is wrong. Ramsay’s strike team has launched a surprise attack under cover of darkness. Numerous tents are on fire, Stannis’s soliders are running about in disarray, and everything is chaos. Melisandre hesitates, but decides that her new mandate from the Lord is more important than whatever remaining convictions she has about Stannis. As the camp burns, the Red Woman grabs a horse and abandons Stannis’s army, riding hard for Castle Black.
    Ramsay’s forces, meanwhile, locate the Royal Tent, hoping to catch Stannis off-guard and kill him. Stannis isn’t there, but his men do find Selyse and Shireen hiding inside. They seize them and haul them before Ramsay. One of Ramsay’s lieutenants warns him that their attack has drawn the attention of Stannis’s main forces. Ramsay orders his men to bind their prisoners and ride back towards Winterfell.
    Stannis demands an update from one of his generals. The man reports that the Bastard of Bolton caught them by surprise, and that Queen Selyse and Princess Shireen have been captured. He also reports that the Red Woman was seen fleeing their camp at full gallop, heading North. Stannis is somewhat surprised by the latter piece of news, but quickly discards it in favor of his all-consuming anger at the former. He orders his full army to march on to Winterfell, and organizes a detachment of his fastest riders to ride out in pursuit of Ramsay. Their objective is to intercept the Bastard of Bolton before he can make it back to the safety of Winterfell’s walls, and to rescue the Queen and the Princess at all costs. That sets up Episode 10.

    Just pure speculation, largely based on a few images in the trailers and my overwhelming desire to not see Stannis, Selyse, or the Red Woman give Shireen to the flames. 🙂

  97. Nobody has given me a good reason I believe over the past couple months for Selyse to lose her s*** in the snow. She was calm while her brother burned. She was calm doing awkward exposition with Mel in her tub. Other than Mel abandoning everyone to go save John, or her getting sacrificed herself… no WAY do i believe she loses it over Shireen…

  98. Guy guys guys…what if Stannis decides to sacrifice SELYSE instead of Shireen?? Does Queen’s blood count??

    “Darkness lay over the world and a hero, Azor Ahai, was chosen to fight against it. To fight the darkness, Azor Ahai needed to forge a hero’s sword. He labored for thirty days and thirty nights until it was done. However, when he went to temper it in water, the sword broke. He was not one to give up easily, so he started over. The second time he took fifty days and fifty nights to make the sword, even better than the first. To temper it this time, he captured a lion and drove the sword into its heart, but once more the steel shattered. The third time, with a heavy heart, for he knew before hand what he must do to finish the blade, he worked for a hundred days and nights until it was finished. This time, he called for his wife, Nissa Nissa, and asked her to bare her breast. He drove his sword into her breast, her soul combining with the steel of the sword, creating Lightbringer.”

  99. StandOzone,

    Could happen. Honestly not sure. They may just use the northern lords as they don’t seem too buddy buddy with the Boltons…no one of note was at Ramsays and Sansa wedding!

  100. These preview pictures are way too serene for my expectations for this episode. We saw ice in its full fury last week…this week we shall see fire!!! Nothing else but ice and fire matters!

    ….and I’ll never give up on Stannis (or the gravy)!!!

  101. For whatever it’s worth, I asked Patchface on the big Season 6 casting thread, after Patchface made a comment about hearing that

    Septon Meribald and the Elder Brother were being combined

    , if there were any other spoilers he/she could share, and Patchface said “Ask me again after Episode 9.” So maybe something pretty momentous that happens in this episode that will set up a Season 6 plotline.

  102. My spoilery fueled predictions are:

    Melisandre reveals to Stannis that not only must he burn Shireen, but that she has foressen it in the flames that Shireen will die in that manner. It is going to happen. For certain. He should let her do it, as she advises.
    Davos persuades Stannis that she has tried this prophetic foretelling before and that two Kings is not three.
    It is the last straw, Stannis angrily rejects her and casts Melisandre out of his camp, if not service. She departs to go back to the Wall.
    Shortly thereafter or just as Mel is leaving the camp, Ramsay attacks and during the fight, or as a consequence of it, Shireen is burned alive as Ramsay’s forces set fires to the tent she is in. Shireen burns as foretold. Selyse ends up on the ground wailing in horror.
    At end of Ep 9 or beginning of Ep 10, Yara meets up with Stannis somehow and confirms that her father, the third King, is dead – just as Melisandre foretold would happen. A confirmation that Mel was right — but too late for the wise to profit from it.
    Melisandre, arrives back at the Wall by the end of Ep 10 – exactly where she needs to be.
  103. Speaking of photos… did anyone saw that gorgeous official picture of Hardhome ?

    http://i.imgur.com/PA7PYDD.jpg

    It’s from the last scene of the episode, depicting in great details the moment (and surroundings) when the Night King advances !

  104. Arkash,

    Still trying to work out any clues from the Whitewalkers armour. Looks more like it’s from Essos than Westeros.

  105. TheTouchOfFrost:
    Arkash,

    Still trying to work out any clues from the Whitewalkers armour. Looks more like it’s from Essos than Westeros.

    Yeah, it’s intriguing… I initially thought their armours were composed of junk and various pieces gathered from their victims, but they appear to be uniform and all lookalike, like they’re manufactured by the Walkers themselves… curious.

  106. As far as the length of a certain scene goes, even the Mountain Oberyn fight scene was five and a half minutes long (and that felt extremely abbreviated). There’s no way, with all the things involved, that the final scene of this episode runs for only four minutes.

  107. Arkash,

    They seemed pretty unclothed in the initial couple o times we saw them so I guess this is more of a going to war look!

  108. While the Mannis’ camp is burning, Mel will see AA in the blaze and think “Oh shit!”

    Im in the wrong place
  109. Last week is going to be hard to top, seeing how this is going to be the big episode 9. Hopefully theres alot of Daznak. Jon got his chance to shine last week so I hope we don’t spend more time at the wall like the pics suggest than at Dany and Tyrion’s story.

  110. I think Mel will see in her flames the moment Jon killed the WW. The way that scene was shot and we saw the NK’s reaction suggested it was more than about valyrian blades being able to kill WWs. Mel will finally realise she’s backing the wrong horse and will leave for Castle Black, hense Selsye’s reaction. I also think it has been set up for Shireen to join Sam and Gilly with her scenes of closeness to them. It makes sense for next year having three likeable actors in a pod rather than two.
  111. Jared,

    Interesting speculation. I’m looking forward to the moment Stannis realizes he needs to win this without R’hllor’s “sacrificial” influence. Or maybe a Florent might be worth sacrificing? Heck, the last time they sacrificed a Florent, fate suddenly smiled upon them and allowed them to obtain funds for ships and sellswords, after which they pummeled Mance at CB. 🙂

    If Ramsay got hold of Shireen and Selyse, it won’t be pretty. Shireen! Where is Davos during your Ramsay attack scenario?
  112. Felt Pelt,

    LOL!

    mattpeto,

    I think you have some show catching up to do! (Mel has told him that king blood is needed for him to succeed)

    I love the discussion today, some fascinating speculation; really liked Jared’s ideas above. . I am on the side of Stannis refusing to burn his daughter and letting Davos escape with her, tho it wouldn’t surprise me if Ramsey captures the two of them.

    Not sure about the Dany situation – Im not all that concerned who the head of the harpies might be, I just can’t wait to the ultimate scene! I cheered when I read it, I can’t wait to see how it all plays out!

  113. I’m actually starting to get scared for Davos. No one is expecting his death….

  114. Wow that picture of Sam and Jon is so great. The looks on their faces are just perfect. Nice job to the special effects people on the snow falling too!!

    And I fully agree with the first poster… I can’t WAIT for that Dany scene.

  115. One of Roose Bolton’s leeches:
    I’m actually starting to get scared for Davos. No one is expecting his death….

    Maybe Davos will make Ramsay believe he’s Stannis and Ramsay will kill him, persuaded to have killed the King…

    … and now I’m gonna listen to some Dio.

  116. TheTouchOfFrost,

    where ever it’s from it is definitely super cool looking, i wanna get a set for the next live action role playing session i do. (yes im 33 and still LARP, mock me if you will)

  117. Hey guys. New to the site but a big time ASOI&F fan (read all the core books and some of the side stuff) and show (seen every episode at least once) and even love to chat about it on our local message board.

    Pretty cool pictures. As expected, they don’t reveal much. But at least it looks like Jon is back south of the wall (they don’t seem to show any wildlings in those pics though).

    I appreciate the “anything can happen” nature of the books and the show. But I really hope they don’t burn Shireen.

  118. Andrew,

    Possibly Ramsay & his Howling Commandos kidnap the “Red Witch” & take her back to Winterfell as a hostage. Thus fullfiling her vision of walking the battlements of Winterfell & causing the Selyse scene from the trailer.

  119. I’m just going to leave this here: I’d be perfectly fine with Shireen sacrificing Selyse rather than the other way around. Selyse is a fundamentalist psychopath who keeps dead babies in jars. Shireen is, um, pretty much just basically awesome. Yeah, I know which one I’m rooting for. 😉

  120. Kay:
    Hizzy HAS got be the Son of the Harpy; he is just so shady and sleazy.

    I can’t think of anything shady or sleazy the show version has done. He seems completely in earnest, from what we’ve seen of him (albeit in service of a not exactly ideal society)

    igorcarvalho,

    Because they post the episode times.

  121. One random thing I have been wondering in the last couple of weeks: Dany’s white dress seems so incredibly ill-suited for dragon riding and an utterly poor choice for having her wear it down over a longer time span (possible multi episodes). I’m quite curious how they plan to handle her outfit; surely their goal is to make her look cool even in rags.

  122. I M Brundo,
    If anyone can kidnap Mel without being burned alive, then I’ll cry foul. I’m surprised she’s not taking a more protective stance with the royals as they approach WF, with spells ready.

    But, like others, I don’t believe Mel is getting near WF after she realizes her misdirected predicament via her flame visions.
  123. I think Stannis will continue to refuse sacrificing Shireen then when Ramsay attacks and burns the tents Shireen will go back to collect the stag Davos gives her earlier, get trapped and burn to death. Episode 10 is then a walk of shame back to castle black for the only king I’ll ever serve.

    Also, I agree with earlier posts. Joel Fry is terrific.

  124. Didn’t we see a filming pic of Varys in the box with Dany & co?

    Or am I losing my mind?

  125. Tobin,

    I’m surprised no one seems to have considered that she may not fly away at all.

    It seems strange that they would link Tyrion and Dany up only to separate them an episode later. I think it is possible they skip the Dothraki stuff.

  126. Lulu’s Mum: Dunno about Winter but it certainly looks like icing sugar is coming! La la la I’m just trying to distract myself from the Shireen burning possibility. NOT HAPPY! But at least by 3am on monday it will highly likely be over and I’ll know either way. Then I can go back to only really having to worry about Sansa at the moment until someone else’s story turns me into a nervous wreck

    I’m too worried about Jon to worry about Shireen, as cute as she is XD

  127. JamesL,

    The fact that Tyrion’s journey was rushed and that they met in episode 7 means, to me, that they want Dany and Tyrion to meet up before they split off, unlike the books. Dany flying away on Drogon has to happen.
  128. King Stannis: What crimes? You mean by him being the rightful king and punishing those that stole from him? Renly was warned.

    This. Plus the fact Melissandre killed Renly. Stannis just got him some hibbidy dibbidy.

  129. If the show has Stannis burn his own daughter, it won’t just be “fan fiction” anymore, it will be slash fiction.

    In the novels, Stannis faces a similar dilemma, but appears to maneuver his way out of it without Mel, Davos, Shireen, or Selyse in the picture (in other words, in a militarily realistic manner).

    Book Stannis would kill Melisandre instantly for even daring to suggest he burn his own daughter alive. “There will be no more burnings, pray harder!”?

  130. Greenjones,

    Its still unreal to me that this scene will be fully realized on screen in a few days
    *runs in circles…

    And then we get the walk of shame after that

    *continues to run

    and then jon snow’s stabbing

    *panting

  131. I really don’t think Stannis will burn Shireen for several reasons:

    He loves his daughter.
    His men would surely abandon him.
    Davos would never allow it and would definitely abandon him.
    It would destroy his appeal and make him an unworthy antagonist to the Boltons.
    TV fans would go apeshit.
    He’s really not that evil (though he is a douche).

    I think Mel/Selyse might try it but Davos/Stannis will save her.

    As for the SotH… I don’t think its Hizdar. He’s been in about 3 scenes so that revelation will have zero impact. Besides, Dario has accused him already so the viewers wouldn’t be shocked by this. Which makes me think it is indeed Dario (if anyone)..

  132. HBO’s schedule says the finale is 61 minutes. Is that confirmed?

  133. Hodor’s Bastard,

    Davos would probably be at Stannis’s side or close to it; he could be the one who gives him the update. I toyed with the idea he might be captured along with Selyse and Shireen, but on second thought it didn’t fly because I can’t see Davos having the same value to Ramsay as a hostage, or Davos allowing Shireen to be taken without fighting to the death. And I feel pretty damn confident that Davos is going to survive the season. I believe Liam Cunningham even let it slip in some interview that he would be going back to film Game of Thrones this summer.

    Carne,

    That’s great news! I was extremely impressed with Sapochnik’s work on both “The Gift” and “Hardhome” (obviously). He deserves to join the roster of elite Game of Thrones directors.

  134. Steel_Wind,

    I love it. I mean, I hate it! I love it and hate it. It would work nicely on a storytelling level, but it would be so so sad for Shireen.

  135. At this point, I’d actually find it pretty hilarious if Dany

    didn’t end up flying away on Drogon at all. Simply the spontaneous combustion of heads from the GoT universe would make it worth it.

    *don’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorahdon’tkillJorah*

    (fully expects Jorah to be killed)

    Jaqen needs more screentime. Just to look at, essentially.

  136. My girl Melisandre looks so beautiful. This is becoming an iconic shot of her, standing in the snow.

  137. Pigeon,

    The fact that Greyscale was important enough to keep despite Jon Connington being cut means that it probably plays a bigger role. I’d say Jorah will be coming back to westeros to spread the disease!
  138. I wonder what the skirmish of Ramsay will accomplish in the end. Many of you guys seems to theorize that Shireen will die in the event, what may really be the case, however I’m far more concerned about Davos. As we know in the books, he’s touring the lands to help the North remember. But in the show, nearly all the important figures of that plotline are cut and the general hostility against the Boltons is evident in every mention of the other Northern houses, it’s less of a subtle conspiracy than a real enemosity. This makes me wonder what role is left to play for Davos? The only thing he could do from now on is travelling to a certain island called Skagos, but since his other parts of the plotline are cut, nothing could really Set him off into that direction. Besides that, another long journey to an unknown place would not be something the viewers would appreciate much, it would be hard to realize.
    So it is sad, but I’m really scared that Davos is disposible after all and hasn’t a role to play in the wars to come. Maybe he dies protecting Shireen? That adorable wooden stag seems an awful lot like an unintentional farewell-present…I hope my feelings are wrong.

  139. Sean C.,

    Hbo? aaw, im sad about it, this episode has so many plots, wall/dorne/arya/meeren/stannis/ maybe winterffel. and now for sure NOT Kings landing. 53 minutes its not much. =(

    i hope it get this way.

    wall 5 minutes
    arya 6- 8 minutes
    dorne 8 minutes
    Ramsay 2 minutes
    stannis 10 minutes
    Meeren 19-21 minutes – 10 min of action at least.

    the 53 minutes do not count the opening right?

    About the episode finale, how many minutes we have ?

  140. Wait a sec, I just noticed something!

    I don’t know if anyone else commented on this (sooo many comments on this site) but did Jorah really just touch Dany’s arm?? Uhh… hopefully that’s just a weird camera angle. Not sure how she’d avoid contracting the herp from that lol…

    http://i.imgur.com/QQIsg8X.jpg

  141. HelloThere,

    Wow, that is graphic. In truth, though, on the second video, most of the very graphic violence is from the previously seen lower pits, surely, with the trees overhead and the high, cement walls instead of the stadium.

    So if this rating is right, then I’m probably right about:

    much of the pit sequence being in Episode 10.

    Is the Episode 9 rating coming from the same source that was correct last time?

  142. My own prediction for what will go down this episode with respect to Stannis:

    Selyse and maybe Mel as well will plot to sacrifice Shireen behind Stannis’s back… but as I say this it doesn’t sound very characteristic of Mel. But Shireen will die, sadly, and Stannis will be enraged. He will (cue the difficult decision part) execute his wife, which I personally would love to see albeit a deviation from the books. Furthermore he will send Mel back to the wall, being too scared to execute her. This would set her up perfectly to be at the wall for Jon’s little dilemma. About the execution of his wife, maybe it’s a necessary development for his character to satisfy the Azor Ahai prophecies, although it’s doubtful the show will even mention it.

    As far as the Ramsay stuff is concerned, I don’t think we will see the outcome of that until next week. This week he might smuggle himself into his camp though.

  143. HelloThere,

    I hope so, although I can’t see him intentionally spreading it, in case he turns into a villain, in which case…..it’s about time. 😉

  144. Some thoughts on the who may or may not be the Harpy…

    Possible theories based on Book goings on.

    Hizdahr is not the Harpy. He has been too… honest this season. There is nothing shady about him. And I don’t think he is the Harpy in the books either.

    However, I do not feel that there is a Harpy, currently. And by that I mean on the books. I.e cast. He will remain unnamed and unrevealed this season. I think the chances are that they will cast some other mereenese noble next season, who will turn out to be the Harpy. Why? Well, Tyrion and Hizdahr will be in charge. Maybe Hizdahr will get injured in Daznak’s and Tyrion has to take the place of Book Selmy. This will give Tyrion a source of conflict as he effectively takes charge of Mereen next season in Dany’s absence.

    This will result in the release of the two other Dragon’s and a possible battle of Fire.

    Only my two cents. I hope the spoiler tags work.

  145. On the first photo posted here…..Jon talking to Sam….

    To me, it reads

    Jon: Bro, I know you did the nasty with the Wilding while I was gone, so you have to go and take her and the baby with you.

    Sam: *stunned silence*

  146. dothrakian raven,

    It is, but you only get to see a close-up of the White Walker on the right stabbing someone. I’ve only just now noticed there’s ANOTHER White Walker behind him.

    Btw, I really don’t think they’ll burn Shireen. “You are the Princess Shireen of House Baratheon. And you are my daughter.”

  147. TheTouchOfFrost,

    I had a similar thought. In fact IMO they have a Valyrian vibe going on- especially the WW Jon took down..
    TheTouchOfFrost,

    I had a similar thought. In fact, looking at the WWs, some of them have a Valyrian look to them (particularly the one Jon took down)..

  148. sj4iy: I’m too worried about Jon to worry about Shireen, as cute as she is XD

    Your boy has certainly been having quite an er…exciting time lately! I think there are enough of us who really get into the show to care for all the characters, so it’s not mean to back some over others. I don’t have the emotional capacity to worry about more than a couple of people at a time, so tend to fret about the ones who seem in the most immediate danger and least likely to be able to help themselves.

    Still on the plus side, with all the snow about there are going to be some epic snowball fights, tobogganing, skating etc, so not all bad news. Maybe the North could put in a combined bid for the Winter Olympics 😉

  149. Lulu’s Mum,

    I’ve been meaning to say for a while that I really enjoy your posts and your humor – and your angst over Shireen even though I am not nearly the Shireen fan that you are.

    I thought I’d seen you posting in the spoilered thread. Is that the case? Or do I just get to see your episode comments in the open chat and other places?

  150. The rating is not finalized and it may even air with the default rating it currently has. Episode 6 also aired without a finalized rating. Even if the violence is not graphic they still would have “violence” listed in the content advisory, that is the way it has always been.

    There will probably be nudity in episode 9 too unless they save Meryn’s visit to the brothel and death for episode 10.

    .

  151. Dutch maester,

    The picture as we see it in the still doesn’t exist in the filmed version. We see Night’s King from the beginning of the pier foot angle in the beginning and then upwards profil his whole figure. There is no scene with him walking through the massacre. The scene you are refering to is the one with a white walker raising his sword after having killed a wildling and looking towards Jon and in the background one can see another White Walker. The still that arkash uploaded is a panorama picture of the massacre and actually it seems to be very “painterly” almost a created one rather than one that actually has been filmed.

  152. JamesL,

    How do you know that he will visit the brothel?
    Would`t it be cool if Arya completed the task Jaqen gave her while preparing Meryn`s death?
    Example, she makes Meryn thinks the coin man is a treat, which leads to Meryn kililng him and, later, she gets Meryn killed some other way

  153. Davos could still have plenty to do. If he falls out with Stannis he could take Shireen to safety. He could take Sansa to Jon. He could be Jon’s adviser next year. Jon could send him to find Rickon. He could go south with Shireen though I doubt it. And if Stannis’ story carries on, Davos continues his role. There’s more likely deaths than his
  154. Roose On The Loose,

    I’m 33 and would love to give it a go (they do it over the fields and woods at the local Great Hall (we just have them lying about the place here in England!). One of my mates goes and a few of us are hoping to tag along sometimes!

    Paul,

    It’s interesting to note that the way in which The Doom that destroyed Valyria and the incident at Hardhome (the one before this current one just portrayed in the show… many moons ago) share a lot of similarities. Maybe these guys are ancient enemies of the Old Valyrians which would make sense with three of their predicted main antagonists

    (Jon Snow, Dany and Bloodraven)

    having Targaryen blood.

  155. Vieira151,

    On
    The show the harpy is gonna be hizdar zo loraq and the prostitute who killed white rat – and pointed out selmy in the pyramids

  156. King Stannis,
    The Long Night,

    Do you Stannis fanboys have any shred of decency? Have you NO HONOR??! Not only did he allow his brother to be killed, he did so by cheating and killing him before the battle even started when he had his guard down.

    Stannis is a sociopath and would make a shit king. RIP my golden stag peach baby.

  157. Ginevra,
    Awww thank you! 😀 People can be so unnecessarily rude to each other on here it’s lovely to get compliments and just see posters appreciating each other and being nice (not just to me obviously but in general).

    I used to worry that I was ruining people’s enjoyment of the programme by posting my silly thoughts so I’m glad that’s not the case, well not for everyone anyway. Sorry to everyone else, if you see my name it’s either something really ernest and serious or my inner 12 year old coming to the surface.

    I only really became so protective of Shireen once she left the relative safety of Dragonstone. We got to see far more of what a nice person she is and how tiny and vulnerable. I have no idea how old she’s supposed to be but she looks about 8 years old to me, very definitely a child rather than a teenager and my maternal instinct has just kicked in with a vengeance. If she gets through this and to somewhere safe I will be able to relax again. I can accept her dying, but being burned alive is such a horrible way to go and being killed by your own parents is the ultimate betrayal for a child.

    As for threads, I just pop up all over the place! I haven’t read the books – I tried but as a very visual person they didn’t really do anything for me, seeing something is vastly more satisfactory than reading about it. I do read all the spoilers tho’, I’m quite happy to know what’s coming. So semi-sullied, maybe pillar but no stones, or the other way around? 😉

  158. Keith,

    Maise is gonna kill meryn trant for sure . Jons gonna send Sam gilly and the baby to old town this upcoming epidose . Than dany will fly away on drogon and I think they’ll show hizdaR like embracing that prostitue as dany flys away on his shoulders

  159. As someone else said on here a few weeks ago. If they burn Shireen, we riot

  160. JamesL,

    I am inclined to agree with you especially as the dothraki way of doing things (rape, slavery etc) seems at odds with Dany’s ideals. I also doubt that the dothraki would follow her and likely so in a short space of time all the way across the narrow sea but the casting from season 6 does make me wonder? Also the idea that the dothraki will bow down to her upon seeing her with a dragon seems cliched (like the ewoks seeing C3PO and proclaiming him a god)

  161. clk,

    We know there will be a scene in a Braavosi brothel in one of the finale 2 episodes because of images we have seen in previews. Meryn visiting a brothel in Braavos seems the most logical reason why there would be a scene in one unless Arya gets a new assignment in episode 10 that involves her having to assassinate someone in a brothel. I think Meryn being killing in a brothel is much more likely.

  162. sai,

    Except… Drogon is a huge flaming beast while C3PO is a small, shiny robot. I don’t really see the comparison.

  163. M: and Patchface said “Ask me again after Episode 9.”

    Ooooh….. what could it be??? 😮

    Sean C.: I can’t think of anything shady or sleazy the show version has done. He seems completely in earnest, from what we’ve seen of him (albeit in service of a not exactly ideal society)

    OK. We don’t see the same things in the show some of the time. So far, I add up a few little things I have seen about Hizdahr, and I get a distinct Essosi Littlefinger vibe from him. You don’t. Fair enough. We’ll find out soon enough. By the way, nice way of describing Meereenese society. 😉

    Aryamad: http://i.imgur.com/QQIsg8X.jpg

    Ha! I’m no book reader, but have heard about

    Daenerys’ betrayal for “love”. Could Jorah passing on greyscale to her because of his “love” for her, qualify? After all, the lovelorn Jorah has yet to confess his greyscale to her, and was willing to keep that a secret and join her service again! But from what I understand, Jorah didn’t get greyscale in the books.
  164. Hodor’s Bastard,

    I agree Ramsay wouldn’t be able capture her unless she allowed it so she could get inside Winterfell with the crypts & secret tunnels she is interested in.

  165. sai,

    Though the synopsis for episode 10 “Dany is surrounded by strangers” does seem to suggest they will be doing the Dothraki arc.

  166. Lulu’s Mum: We got to see far more of what a nice person she is

    Hey, Lulu’s mom! I greatly enjoy your posts too, and I am in the exact same boat as you – haven’t read the books, but internet spoiled. And I totally agree about Shireen being such a NICE little girl – that’s such a rarity in GoT. She and Podrick would get along famously.

  167. There’s a part of me that wants Stannis to sustain a mortal injury during the attack and then throw himself on the fire so Shireen can have the victory. But then there’s another part of me that remembers we’re talking about Stannis.

  168. Kay,
    And thank you too! 😀 I hope that with so many characters in close proximity to Winterfell all the nice ones can slip away together to some happy place and leave everyone else fighting each other. And until GRRM and D&D destroy my dreams and it all goes horribly, horribly wrong, that’s what I shall choose to believe is going to happen. La la la denial is just a river in Egypt 😉

  169. I M Brundo,

    I was glad when Renly died. I hated how he mocked Melisandre. She showed that asshole and I still find it satisfying to see him getting deep sixed as he preens himself in the mirror.

  170. Renly’s Peach,

    The Iron Throne is his by right. Let all true men declare their loyalty. Bend the knee. Bend the knee or he will destroy you.

    Renly was a fool and a usurper. He was served a thief’s justice.

    Stannis is probably the lone character fit to rule westeros in the whole story.

  171. Renly’s Peach:
    King Stannis,
    The Long Night,

    Do you Stannis fanboys have any shred of decency? Have you NO HONOR??! Not only did he allow his brother to be killed, he did so by cheating and killing him before the battle even started when he had his guard down.

    Stannis is a sociopath and would make a shit king. RIP my golden stag peach baby.

    The moment Renly declared himself King is the day he sealed the deal that he does not care one bit for my Man Of Steel SuperMannis. He never loved his brother and instead of supporting his claimed he stole from him and divided the Kindom even further.
    If Renly was smart he would know that there would be consequences for such act and his arrogance against the Man Of Steel is what caused his demise.

    Where was the love? The Mannis showed love by giving Renly legit choices once Stannis becomes King. Poor stannis was put in such difficult situation but he does not bend, he remains strong and by the old gods and the new he will never harm Shireen.

  172. Well, with the episode rating excluding violence, and last years released footage and pics show a really brutal fight, with tons of death and destruction, this can mean only one thing, the scene is split in two, with the bloody second half held back for the final episode. Why call it DoD then? More than likely the title references the two chained ones.
    Normally ep. 10 concludes the season by moving the players around for the next season, all the climatic stuff is in 9. Probably after early edits of HH were showcasing how badass it would be, they decided to have ep. 9 be the slow one and the final be the climatic punch to the gut.

    My bet is Ser Jorah releases the two prior to the pit fight. His purpose is two fold, unleash them on Meereen, destroying the city and thereby forcing Dany’s hand about Westeros, and to go out with a bang, in front of the Queen he loves.
  173. JamesL:
    clk,

    We know there will be a scene in a Braavosi brothel in one of the finale 2 episodes because of images we have seen in previews. Meryn visiting a brothel in Braavos seems the most logical reason why there would be a scene in one unless Arya gets a new assignment in episode 10 that involves her having to assassinate someone in a brothel. I think Meryn being killing in a brothel is much more likely.

    And Arya/Lanna is friends with Lhara, the braavosi whore we saw last season with Salladhor Saan.

    She may be a factor on this plot, after all.

  174. I feel like GOT isn’t a show where people get to maneuver their way out of stark oppositions (no pun intended).

    If Stannis doesn’t burn Shireen, and I am on the side of those who feel that the characterization up to this point doesn’t support that course of action, then we should expect that either: a) he will suffer as a result (either losing the Battle of Winterfell, or, if they’ve cut the big battle and instead are just using Ramsay’s raid, then somehow dying at Brienne’s hands while failing to besiege Winterfell effectively); or b) Mel and Selyse will burn Shireen behind his back, thus leading to Stannis winning and doing some good Bolton-killing, but banishing Mel and executing his wife.

    In that scenario, when the smoke clears Stannis

    sends Davos to go find Rickon AFTER he takes Winterfell and finds Sansa alive to inform him that there are male Stark heirs besides Jon Snow.

    As much as I like the “everyone wins” scenarios that a few people have sketched out above, it doesn’t seem likely to me for this show, and definitely not for an episode 9 — unless that’s HOW the show wants to surprise us now.

  175. I’ve read that a lot of people don’t think Cersei or Sansa will be in this episode, but I don’t see how they’ll have enough time to build up to the events in the finale (which I predict will be huge for both) without something happening for both of them in episode 9.

  176. Anyone else think that “arya encounters someone from her past” could be Gendrick as we haven’t seen him for 2 maybe 3 seasons we just know he was put on a boat by Davos and sent away so he could have landed in the same location as Arya…just a theory but can’t wait to see if it’s true because Hendrick could be an important role considering he was the bastard Ned stark found so this could be interesting

  177. Ginevra,

    That is what I originally thought but then I remembered “Dany is surrounded by strangers” is from the episode 10 synopsis while the fighting pit scene is in episode 9. Unless they save the big moment in the pits for episode 10 but I think that is very unlikely.

  178. Some speculations for Ep 9 and 10:

    A couple of episodes back, Melisandre tells Stannis that she walked the battlements of Winterfell and saw the flayed banner come down, which he saw, too, in the fire. So, I am thinking that if her visions are correct, and they always seem to come true:
    1) the Boltons eventually lose [e.g., death will come to one or all of the following – Roose, Ramsay, Miranda, and the pregnant Walda. Hopefully, one will be skewered with a bung hole reamer]. Will Littlefinger and the Vale Knights swoop in to give the death blow?
    2) Shireen and her toy stag burns. Stannis wins.
    3) The battle will signal Brienne and Pod to head for Winterfell to save Sansa. Pod gets killed probably trying to save Brienne. Brienne kills Stannis. Melisandre heads for the Wall. Sansa, as de facto wardeness of the North, tasks Brienne or Davos to find Bran, because she will reunite with Rickon of Last Hearth (yay, happy. But since this is GoT and Sansa, they will probably have Rickon raped along the way). Theon is banished or executed for treason. OR he dies trying to save Sansa. OR Sansa and Theon escape and go on their own tour of the North.

  179. On greyscale transmission:

    I think there has to be skin-to-skin contact for it to get transmitted, afterall the Stoneman grabbed Tyrion’s ankle (while he was wearing boots) and he did not catch it. Jorah appears to be wearing gloves in the scene with dany so I really would not be worried.

    I’m just praying to the old gods and new that the dornish plot actually goes somewhere next episode. They have done an outstanding job on the other storylines so far therefore I’m not worried about those, even though we don’t know for sure how it will all play out.
    PS: Um alô para os brasileiros/portugueses.

  180. Arya kills the Thin Man and Meryn Trant. She gets punished for the second kill as a result (blinded?). Or sent back to Westeros – the Citadel maybe – as a reward. A girl is ready and not ready. All the same to the MFG. Varys shows up in KL to give Kevan and Pycelle the Spider’s mercy. The High Sparrow gives Cersei the Mother’s mercy. Dany gives Jorah/dragons her mercy. The Watchers give Jon their mercy. Kill him and burn him; but it turns out he can’t be burned. Cue Jon’s bubble butt walking away from the fire as Melisandre gets an Azor Ahai orgasm.
  181. I don’t think Stannis will allow Shireen to be burned.

    Queen’s men: “The old gods of the north have sent this storm upon us. Only R’hllor can end it. We must give him an unbeliever.”

    Stannis: “Half my army is made up of unbelievers. I will have no burnings. Pray harder.”

  182. I wonder if it’s possible that maybe Gendry is the one that Arya will meet?

  183. sai,

    JamesL,

    Ginevra,

    Dothraki are important plot for dany ….even in the letter to his editor GRRM mentions how she takes control of the dothraki

    Not only that will give her an army ..it will help put and end to the slave trade once and fora all because the dothraki are top of the chart who sells the slaves to slavers ..if they stop doing that then there will
    massive decline

    NOt only the episode synopsis mentions dany is surrounded by strangers ..we know that there will be some part of dany’s last chapter is on screen by this post http://www.makinggameofthrones.com/production-diary/2014/11/7/the-dragon-has-four-heads

    a place very similar to where they filmed dany’s last scene when the dragons were born

    so the dothraki arc is in ..

  184. tyjon,

    Man, I hope they don’t pull a “Watchers on the Wall” on us and leave the big finish for episode 10. It was anti-climatic and left most people disappointed. Normally I would say there is no way they save the big moment for episode 10 but “Dany is surrounded by strangers” in the episode 10 synopsis has me worried. It makes far more sense that “Dany is surrounded by strangers” would be referring to the Sons of the Harpy(they literally are surrounding her in the previews) in the pit rather than referring to Dany’s potential cliffhanger scene with Dothraki. If they do include the Dothraki part it would be a very brief scene and unlikely to be included in the synopsis.

    I think everybody may need to starting toning down the hype for episode 9…

  185. Kay,

    there is no reason to worry …she goes to help those who are outside of the city affected with Pale mare and she does not get infected

  186. JamesL,

    if they are having dany surrounded by strangers =sons of the harpy in episode 10 …then there is really no need for them to name this episode dance of the dragons

    besides we do know from dave hill’s post she will be in dothraki sea ..that post with link is awaiting moderation

  187. Renly’s Peach,

    Stannis is not a sociopath: he is a moral absolutist. He actually does feel compassion for those he hurts: but he genuinely believes that it would be wrong to not hurt them.

    However, you are correct: Stannis would be a terrible king. It is not that he cannot empathise or sympathize, but that he will not let empathy or sympathy deter him from doing the “right” thing, nor will he consider that right and wrong are always context dependent. And that just exaggerates any injustice built into a system.

    This is what makes Davos so interesting. Davos understands context and he is willing to at least try to stop Stannis from doing the “right” thing when right=inhumane. Stannis is Davos’ moral foil, basically.

  188. Yeah, I’m starting to worry myself that the big scene will be left to Episode 10. As others have noted, the “Mother’s Mercy” synopsis stating

    “Dany is surrounded by strangers”

    seems most likely to refer to the Sons of the Harpy.

    But if that’s the case, I have no idea how they would split the scene, nor why on Earth they would call this episode “The Dance of Dragons”.

  189. Ideally, I would love Melisandre to glamour one of Stannis’ men to look like Ramsay, then send him back to Winterfell to kill everybody there (except Sansa).

  190. Galli,

    If Mel was going to operate in Winterfell, her big move would probably involve taking a gallon or two of king’s blood from Theon, saving everyone the trouble of worrying about Shireen.

  191. M: It’s a safe bet that the shot of Melisandre looking impassive and the shot from the trailer of Selyse flailing in the snow are from the same scene. They both appear to be surrounded by soldiers. The big question is, “What are they looking at?”

    I didn’t see the reflection of flames in Melly’s eyeballs, so that’s a good sign.

    Hoyti Von Totiy: Somebody give Kit a goddamn haircut

    His long hair is awful. Looks like something that was pulled out of a bathtub drain. Don’t be a hero, Kit! Use shampoo!

  192. Renly’s Peach: In the books, it’s almost surely the Green Grace, but she’s not in the show.

    The prostitute is

    HelloThere: I also love show Hizdhar more.Unlike the books, hes not a cardboard cutout evil villain.Hes got real emotional reasons to hate Dany.I like his more sympathetic portrayal.

    Book Hizzy is more interesting, especially his relationship with Dany.

  193. Damphairinthesowplease!: (Stannis’ willingness to sacrifice all for his ambition).

    Didn’t GRRM make this comment recently? Stannis will do anything to get the throne except listen to that last track on the S5 soundtrack.

    Lady wolfsbane: Nobody has given me a good reason I believe over the past couple months for Selyse to lose her s*** in the snow. Other than Mel abandoning everyone

    That’s the reason. There is no other reason.

  194. I M Brundo: Where is Davos during your Ramsay attack scenario?

    Running from the flaming tents. That wooden stag will burn just like Stannis’ sigil.

    Hodor’s Bastard: If anyone can kidnap Mel without being burned alive, then I’ll cry foul.

    That’s why it would be great to see Mel in danger just to see what she would do. She won’t be able to defend herself in the moment, but while walking the ramparts of Winterhell….she could fill the roles of all the spearwives.

  195. Pigeon: Jaqen needs more screentime. Just to look at, essentially.

    I despise his robe. He deserves only the purest silk from Tralalalalaleeday.

  196. Agree with Sam. If Sansa and Theon can get to Stannis just before Shireen burns, Theon could offer to take the girl’s place. Let’s face it, to be Reek is like the Night’s Watch – it’s a life sentence. Does Theon actually qualify for King’s Blood? If his sacrifice causes violent extravagant disaster for Roose and Ramsay… well, Theon has been avenged and Melisandre can show off some mad scorcery skills.

  197. Jaqen and Melisandre would make truly beautiful shadow babies together. Tom said he would love a scene with Carice because they are the two mystical roles on the show.

  198. I hope they keep the S4 formula of having big Eps 8,9, and 10 instead of reverting back to the old formula of hitting us with Ep 9 shocker, then using Ep 10 as a wrap up show/set up show. I wasn’t the biggest fan of Watchers On The Wall but I got that it was a big event episode and earned its placing. This season, we’ve already gotten a big Ep 8. The question is will everything seem anti-climactic after that?

  199. Seriano: And Arya/Lanna is friends with Lhara, the braavosi whore we saw last season with Salladhor Saan.

    She may be a factor on this plot, after all.

    Very intriguing indeed. Perhaps Arya gets a bit of bonus training while wrapping up her assignment?

    I wonder how they will go about Trant’s killing. Instead of Mercedene the Mummer she could be Mercedene the whore (friend to Lhara) and kill Trant when they adjourn privately. She gets busy with him then her hand reaches down to his upper thigh…suddenly a switchblade appears and his femoral artery is sliced and he bleeds out while she says some final words to him. But will show!Arya do that? Or will it be quicker? Her arc could become quite macabre quite quickly with this scene. I doubt they will add that dark “late for her rape” stuff though.

    Maybe she is walking away from the concerned “Jaqen” because she has told him that she has removed (or will remove) another name from Arya’s list?

  200. I think Myranda will definitely try to kill Sansa. Not sure if Charlotte Hope’s next appearence is Episode 9 or 10 but Myr’s backed into a corner, with no prospects now Ramsay has said she’s nothing but a slam piece. I think she is dangerously psychotic at this point and probably suicidal too. If Sansa can’t do much damage to her with a corkscrew (or whatever the hell it was), I’m betting Brienne lops Myr’s head off with a sword and let’s the hounds feast on the rest. In a way, Ramsay and Myranda are the flip side to Robb and Talisa, and an equally tragic love story because their only intimacy was attained through acts of sadism.

  201. Beacon:
    Jaqen and Melisandre would make truly beautiful shadow babies together. Tom said he would love a scene with Carice because they are the two mystical roles on the show.

    Sexy Jesus and Mel are playing the same game in the story. I would love to see them together

  202. Why are most people so certain that J will survive FTW and that Ramsey will bite it? It seems like the GURM thing to do to crush our hopes.

  203. That very striking shot of Melisandre standing in the snow, surrounded by troops. I wonder if she and Selyse are being tried by Stannis and Davos for conspiring to sacrifice Shireen? Mel is probably being banished back to Asshai but will decide to go back to the Wall by herself, and get to Jon Snow.

  204. dragonbringer,

    It is a very provocative and interesting to twist to see Arya perhaps glamoured into a sexy vixen, since she is such a tomboy. I wonder how Maisie would feel about it, probably a bit torn that she can’t play it herself. Arya as a sexual character is another facet of her to be explored.

  205. There’s a damned annoying autoplay ad on the page that keeps yanking the browser window back to itself. I don’t use an adblocker here in order to help out with costs, but not if you’re going to let that crap go on.

  206. dragonbringer,

    Yeah…I’m just fascinated how the thin man plan will lead into the

    Arya list reduction….

    Should be crazy.

    So much shit is going down in GoT’s next 53+61=114 minutes! Aahhh!

  207. Paul:
    I really don’t think Stannis will burn Shireen for several reasons:

    He loves his daughter.
    His men would surely abandon him.
    Davos would never allow it and would definitely abandon him.
    It would destroy his appeal and make him an unworthyantagonist to the Boltons.
    TV fans would go apeshit.
    He’s really not that evil (though he is a douche).

    I think Mel/Selyse might try it but Davos/Stannis will save her.

    As for the SotH… I don’t think its Hizdar. He’s been in about 3 scenes so that revelation will have zero impact. Besides, Dario has accused him already so the viewers wouldn’t be shocked by this. Which makes me think it is indeed Dario (if anyone)..

    Nar it’s the whore woman

    Hizdahr will be one of the first to die IMO

    Everyone thinsk it’s him but it ain’t

  208. Melisandre showed Selyse her daughter’s demise in the fires last season. “However hard it is, however difficult for us to understand.” Selyse has been giving Shireen a hard time this season because she is forcing herself to hate the child. Deep down, she perhaps does love her. She has tried to convince Stannis of the child’s deficiencies. When Melisandre spoke in Shireen’s favor, I think it legitimately confused Selyse who kind of scurred away speechless, because it was Mel who basically told her the kid will be sacrificed. The bottom line is this: Melisandre saw Shireen’s death in the fire, it is not something she herself has concocted for some power grab. She merely sees the future and then facilitates it because the Lord, or whatever force it is, wills her to.

  209. dragonbringer: there was this girl semi nude in thetrailers …i think it will be

    I hope not. I want to see

    Arya get her revenge,

    not another actress/character.

  210. TheMannis:
    If Stannis burns Shireen…I’m changing my username.

    TheMannis:
    If Stannis burns Shireen…I’m changing my username.

    Don’t you ever doubt The Mannis! You’re not worthy to have that name if you think he will burn Shireen. The Mannis won’t do such a thing

  211. Zalos,

    Agreed Dragon is rather impressive and definitely every ones favourite dragon. The point I was trying to get across is the whole tribesman who give their allegiance to somebody who has perceived supernatural powers is cliched. Although something similar happened at the Eyrie during the Targaryen’s conquest of Westeros.

    One of the reasons Dany went for the unsullied (who may not be her best option as Dame Pasty wonderful illustrated in her analysis of episode 4) was that they would not have impulses that soldiers such as the dothraki have. Importantly the inclusion of the dothraki has yet to be set up (i.e – like the stone men) in any way. Looking at a map of essos, the village of the Lhazareen which the dothraki attacked in season one is not that far from Meereen; so you might have expected some mention of them if they are to be introduced in the imminent future.
    As I stated before I feel Dany’s morale viewpoint is incompatible with that of the dothraki however the ruthless mercenaries of second sons seem to be behaving themselves!

  212. Laurd of Manila:
    I guess, Arya will be blind at the end of the season

    I’m thinking it’s likely that the blindness arc doesn’t happen, since nothing at all has been done to set up

    Arya’s warging abilities, which are crucial for her passing that arc. And unless Sixskins makes an appearance now in ep. 9, it doesn’t seem that they are going to set up Jon’s warging ability either, so hell if I know where this story is going!
  213. TheMannis:
    ctid,

    StannisMustDie

    You see this is why I chose a football chant for my username. I’ll never be heartbroken by having a favourite character go very very wrong.

    This is just as well considering I had been rooting for Joffrey to come good from day 1. I’d use Shitmouth if I weren’t so scared they’d eventually cast him as a Lannister apologist/ sex offender.

  214. SPOILERS (coding not working for me and, yes, i know how to do it)
    Sticking to my original theory:

    Ramsay’s party will infiltrate the camp and Ramsay will personally kill Stannis. He’ll retreat and set the camp ablaze on his way out.

    In the morning, Melisandre will try to revive Stannis as Thoros resurrected Beric, but will fail. She’ll decide to burn Shireen, but Selyse will finally show affection for her daughter and plead for her daughter’s life. I’m unsure of what will be holding Davos back… Shireen will burn and Stannis will rise again.

    In the finale, Selyse will forgive Mel. However, Stannis won’t and he’ll banish Mel back to the wall. He’ll then order word to be sent out confirming his death so the Boltons will be unaware of the impending siege. Ramsay will then send some version of the Pink Letter and Jon will receive it before Melisandre arrives.

  215. Simeon,

    Well, but they could also

    use the blinding precisely AS the catalyst for developing her warging abilities. it would be folded in to the usual faceless men training. only instead of just learning to “see” properly she learns a lot more than she or they expect.
  216. HelloThere,

    I know the pit scene is in episode 9, but I’m worried they are going to save the climatic finish when the Sons of the Harpy storm the arena and Drogon’s arrival for the finale based on the synopsis for episode 10.

  217. JamesL,

    I have the same fear. You just know that if they split it up, the climactic part will be in the opening minutes of Episode 10.

    And I just can’t fathom how D&D would pass up that moment as a jaw-dropping ending to an episode.

    Plus, you know, the title…

  218. JamesL,

    I’m pretty sure that the strangers they’re referring to are the dothraki, because honestly even if Doran reveals he’s a targaryen loyalist, the title of the episode would still make no sense.

  219. dragonbringer,

    Thanks for that link, dragonbringer. That gives me some confidence that the synopsis might refer to Dany’s last ADWD chapter after all.

    And the title of episode 9 really would be a big screw-up if they didn’t include the big moment.

    I just don’t want to be disappointed this Sunday.

  220. JamesL,

    apart from the episode title and dave hill’s post

    we now know the soundtrack for dance of dragons which is similar to dracrays means the episode will end with that track ..

    no way they are going to leave that part to episode 10..

  221. John M W,

    me too i cant wait for another week to see that scene ..and already disappointed with lack of photos and cant tolerate if they push it to episode 10

  222. Rygritte,

    did he now …in Sapochnik and Nutter we trust.

    i would love to see him confess something like that ..but will that not make her stop killing him or will she go through it even if she knows syrio survived
  223. BranSnow:
    Why are most people so certain that J will survive FTW and that Ramsey will bite it?It seems like the GURM thing to do to crush our hopes.

    For me, I just don’t see any point in the entire R+L=J/azor ahai/valyrian steel/nights kings no. 1 enemy/jons here to save us all from winter/melisandres entire purpose/people bring brought back from the dead bit if Jon just dies in 2 episodes and never comes back. Oh, by the way, jon has the best potential claim to the throne (not to mention is the best leader/hero in the series and in all likelihood the one who will save westeros) but i decided to tell you this after his permanent death so nothing at all can come of all these revelations? Unlikely IMO.

    As far as ramsay, i dont think he’ll die anytime soon but i doubt he’ll survive the series. A series wherein ramsay is still alive is not resolved.

  224. dragonbringer,

    I have a feeling it will play out differently.

    Dany will be a damsel in distress and Drogon will save her from the sons of the harpy. No dragon taming whip action by Dany. Hope I’m wrong. I would rather Drogon go crazy and Dany tame it. It wont seem right if we don’t get to see Dany’s moment here and Drogon just rescues her and just lets her ride him like nothing.

    Either way, it’s going to be a visually stunning scene.

  225. Lulu’s Mum,

    Lol, true…he has!

    I do like Shireen, but I think with Jon, it’s more that I’ve been waiting years to find out ‘what happens next’ and I’m anxious to see what the show does…what will they give us? Will we get the same kind of cliffhanger, or will we see something more? Will we get answers?

    I don’t really have that same level of interest for Shireen…although I have wondered if she is the ‘stone’ that wakes the ‘dragon’ somehow. Guess we’ll see- so much awesome stuff ahead and only two more episodes before another season is over!

  226. Turncloak,

    that’s my fear and you may be right but i hope you are wrong ..

    its such a important moment for dany and the show has made a big deal out of her not having control over them ..and this scene will be where we may get to see how she gets controls over them …besides if he just comes and sweeps her and jump into the air ..then i really dont understand what was the point of that scene in episode 2 ..
  227. My theory on Stannis/Shireen:

    My theory is that Shireen survives but Stannis dies. My reasoning: It seems to me that one of the underlying themes of GRRM in the books and also of D&D in the show is what I’d call a “youth movement”. The young take the place of the old. We’ve already seen a ton of the generation that was in charge at the beginning die and we’ve seen youth take their place. I think Stannis dies, maybe protecting Shireen or maybe because he didn’t sacrifice her. Then I think we see Shireen, ably assisted by Davos prevailing in some fashion and becoming the ruler of the Baratheon holdings & forces (but not destined for the Iron Throne – I think that’s for others).
  228. JamesL,

    I’ve always suspected they would split the pit sequence in two. The fact that Episode 9’s ratings don’t include graphic violence support that notion. Of course, the ratings could be wrong, and I could be wrong.

  229. BranSnow:
    Why are most people so certain that J will survive FTW and that Ramsey will bite it?It seems like the GURM thing to do to crush our hopes.

    If R+L = J, then the limit of the iron throne as ASIOF goes to infinity = J. And Ramsey dying is just what everyone wants to happen, not supported by evidence.
  230. Does anyone have any ideas as to what the “The Dance of DragonS” (as in plural dragons) title of 5.09 refers to? Dragon dragons, human dragons, what stories for each?

    I know it’s easy to speculate on the Dance of Daenerys and Drogon in the Pit, but what else? Will there be any Viserion/Rhaegal action? Will they be freed simultaneously with the Murder Games going on in the pit? I think if all three dragons descend on Daznak’s Pit at about the same time, it would be pretty spectacular. Then Drogon flies away with Mom, and his siblings fly off to outside Meereen, and all is left in utter chaos and confusion. 😀
  231. dragonbringer,

    I hope you are right. Remembering what they did with The Wall battle last season and then reading “Dany is surrounded by strangers” for E10 and seeing the previews with Sons of the Harpy surroundings her just has me a little worried they will do it again this season.

    So you think the picture you linked to is from the Dothraki Sea?

  232. Kay,

    i definitely think its possible here’s what i wrote about it in westeros

    fter knowing that Dany uses the dragons to kill masters ..

    the sons of the harpy will try to kill them at the same time they surround dany …so i expect a double attack one at pit and another at the dragon cell ..

    but when they have gone in the harpies will realize that dragons have grown out of their chains and they come from dark and burns them ..

    then fly to pit where dany is and Drogon too arrives ..and she flies with them

    this is what iam hoping will happen or they not get released at all till dany comes back

    and the reason i think its possible is because of the foolowing reasons

    the scene with dothraki on the episode 10 will be a call back to her season 1 ending with all three dragons and dany grown

    remember the first episode of season 4 where bthe dragons fight over the meat and thats where the show started to show that dany is losing the control of her dragons …what better way to show the viewers that she has gained control of them when she along with her dragons eat the horse meat the dragons cooked in the dothraki sea

    we have had all three dragons present in HOTU instead of drogon alone

    like i said either it happens like this or they stay chained until dany comes back

    and remeber the dance of dragons track is similar to Dracarys version …we all know how that episode ended three dragons in the air

  233. JamesL,

    i can understand why they left watchers on the wall as a cliffhanger because jon must be treating with mance when stannis arrives …but i really dont see at what cliffhanger they will end this episode if they decided to push that certain arrival to episode 10

    yes i think its dothraki sea ..we have not seen any thing like that in 8 episodes and the post is specifically about dragons

    and it looks very similar to the place where they filmed Drogo funeral pyre where dany births the dragons
    https://moviemaps.org/locations/28w

    and we know a dothraki warrior is being cast for next season …

    and i am guessing we will get dany vowing to kill the khal that killed Rakharo in season 2 in the “previously on” of episode 10

  234. Arya faceless thing is easy to solve

    Eg keep it as Maisies face, but whenever she looks into pools of water or mirrors or whatever every so often just show someone else face in the reflection to emphasize the point

    Occasionally they could have someone else perhaps if they are making a point of viewing an Arya scene from afar or something

  235. dragonbringer:
    Kay,

    and remeber the dance of dragons track is similar to Dracarys version …we all know how that episode ended three dragons in the air

    Yeah, I have no doubts that in 5.10 it will be

    Daenerys in the middle of the Dothraki and she’ll be far away from the Pit. I think all three dragons have to be free in Dance of Dragons. All three may not show up in the Pit. The two chained ones may cause havoc out in the streets of Meereen and then fly off. Or they may all show up in the Pit, and only Drogon will listen to and obey Daenerys. Though in 5.01 the chained dragons were throwing a very justifiable tantrum at Daenerys, I though 5.05 showed they still obeyed her quite well. They only ate the one Meereenese Daenerys put before them and didn’t torch anyone else. I do hope all three dragons “dance” in the Pit. Gosh it would be so expensive!
  236. They have been hinting so hard that something is going happen with Shireen that I almost feel something will not really happen with her, especially this season at least.
    From the previews it does seem like Melisandre sees something in the flames, perhaps she realizes she has been backing the wrong horse. Melisandre’s dresses this season has been interesting, when she was at Castle Black she wore this black and red dress, but when she left Castle Black she wore her plain red dress again. Perhaps she leaves Stannis’s camp after her visions in the flames, and that is why we see Selyse on the ground. Selyse could try to burn Shireen if Melisandre leaves, she could believe that it is something that she must do.

    Show Hizdahr does seem like a very reasonable guy, I ve seen somewhere that Hizdahr could be compared to Sansa. He is like the Merneese versions of Sansa. His father was killed on Danny’s orders, he saw another noble being killed by dragon fire, and he is being forced to marry Danny.

  237. Dolorous Methuselah,

    That’s a very interesting and very plausible scenario – a reason why Princess Shireen of House Baratheon was brought along. It could be why Selyse was groveling in the snow – her beloved husband is dead.

  238. Kay,

    if you look at that scene in episode 1 they really dont fire at Dany …and in the books they misses their mother when quentyn goes to steal them they smell the women and think its dany …

    so i think there is only two way this could happen either they stay chained until dany returns or they will be with dany

    Boudica,

    and for that reason alone i dont want Hizdar to be harpy …they have completely changed the dynamics of dany and hizdar in the show …so i really dont want hizdar to be sympathetic at the expense of Dany’s character

    say hizdar survives the pit and daario tells tyrion and jorah about his suspicion about hizdar and when jorah goes to arrest hizadar he is with the whore that was at the locations of killings …that’s one way to show hizdar was in this all along
  239. As for the pics

    Great to see the snow coming in

    Winter has come!

    In the north at least

    Hopefully we see some more wintry weather appearing in KL too after a few episodes without outside scenes by seasons end…KL hasn’t looked very Autumny…

  240. JamesL:
    dragonbringer,

    I hope you are right. Remembering what they did with The Wall battle last season and then reading “Dany is surrounded by strangers” for E10 and seeing the previews with Sons of the Harpy surroundings her just has me a little worried they will do it again this season…

    If they pull a watchers on the wall like ep. 9 then I will be disappointed.

  241. I like the idea of Mel using her glamour powers. Could she pretend to be Myranda and get Sansa out? That would be awesome.

  242. Brandon,

    I’ve said this once and I stand by it. The episode will end with dany at the arena. A flight with drogon will be episode 10

  243. Laura:
    Oh wow, can’t believe I never figured out that the pretty brunette whore from the trailer is totally

    Holy Cow I think you’re right!

  244. ctid,

    Where have you guys been? People have been speculating this for months. Early in season I was sure that is how it would go down now I am not so sure. She has not learned anything about face changing yet so I don’t see how she would do that in episode 9 or even 10.

  245. John M W,

    Thing is even if they do include the Dothraki at the end of the finale that doesn’t change the fact that they still could have saved the fighting pit climax for the beginning of episode 10. The run time is also worrying- 53mins. How are they going to fit all this stuff into the episode if they also include the entire fighting pit set piece. There is Arya and the insurance guy and then Meryn, the drama surrounding the potential Shireen sacrifice at Stannis’s camp and then Ramsay’s attack, multiple Dorne scenes, and the Night’s Watch scenes. I don’t see how they will put all of this into the episode and still have time to do justice to the entire Daznak’s pit sequence in just 53mins.

  246. Renly’s Peach:

    There’s also a little interesting tidbit to note from the previews we’ve seen. We know Dany, Missandei and Jorah all end up in the middle of the ring surrounded by Harpies. But Tyrion and Hizdahr don’t, so something happens to Hizdahr before this.. He either reveals himself as the leader (which would be beyond stupid) or he’s himself killed.

    Actually, regarding Tyrion, we have this from the behind the scenes photos….

    http://winteriscoming.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Daz.jpg

    They just didn’t show that in the Season 5 trailers, because it would spoil the fact that Tyrion would meet up with Dany. I think I read that they even photoshopped him out of some of the Daznak shots to preserve that surprise.

  247. Fall_of_Byzantium:
    I think you’re all worrying unduly for Shireen.

    This. This 100 times. There is no chance they are going to burn Shireen. No chance.

    However there IS the chance that Stannis agrees to go ahead with it (and it is averted somehow). This would upset me nearly as much because it would completely ruin Stannis for me.

    All I hope from this episode is that he decides to do the right thing by Shireen, but I do worry as it has been set up in such an obvious way.

  248. I’m surprised by all the hate everyone has about the idea of Stannis burning Shireen. Especially from book fans. They’re constantly talking about there’s not real villain in the books and everything is grey. Yet they’re looking at Stannis burning Shireen in such black and white terms.

    It makes sense that Stannis would sacrifice Shireen to save the entire world. This is the guy who is supposed to do his duty. And there’s that story of Azor Ahai killing his own wife/love. Sacrifice her and save the world, or don’t sacrifice her and watch her get butchered by wights?

    Not that I’m hoping this would happen or needs to happen. But it’s certainly fits the books greyness that everyone uses to promote the series.

    It’s also strange because some of these same people think Ned was stupid for not wanting to drag frightened children out of bed and or allow Robert to kill them.

  249. What if ?

    They try to burn Shireen and something happens because of the greyscale?

    Would greyscale be related to the dragons and maybe the Lord of light?

    As opposed to the White Walkers?

    The frozen baby scene last season could be some sort of reversed grayscale.

    And if I remember well the dead baby of Daenerys was covered with scales so maybe he had grayscale.

    so yeah I don’t know if there is something more important than just a plague thing with the stonemen.

  250. Charles M,
    Stannis already is quite a “grey” character, but sacrificing his daughter for his own benefit would maybe be one of the cruelest things someone in Westeros has done for a very long time and would trasnform him into an almost entirely “black” character. It just lacks every sort of moral or ethical conscience which is why it shouldn´t even be considered in the first place.

    Besides, you´re missing the point that Melisandre promised him only one single victory this time, the victory over the Boltons at Winterfell. If it would really be the one battle to decide the whole fate of Westeros, Stannis may consider it (but still wouldn´t do it), but it is just a single victory and Melisandre can´t even give Stannis further information about the aftermath, his own fate and the fate of his men or how that victory shall be possible. Victory per se is a pretty ambiguous term.

    Furthermore, Stannis has no reason to believe in any of her foreshadowing, if he wouldn´t have seen “visoions” in the flames himself, he may have dropped her long ago. She promised three dead kings: only two are dead (in the series at least). She promised him that he would win the battle of blackwater. She defends herself saying that she should have been present to ensure victory, however this can´t erase the fact that she proclaimed his victory LONG before mentioning she would need to be there herself. There are not too many reasons left to trust her and as we can witnesss, Stannis´s trust in her is already shattered to quite some extent.

    Besides that, burning one`s own loving daughter can never be considered thinking about in the first place, or something like a “bad action in an otherwise splendid resumee”. As Stannis himself said, “a good act does not wash out the bad. nor a bad the good”, still this one act would stain everything he had accomplished over the last few years. How can someone who sacrifices children be seen as being worthy of being a King? Many of his followers would riot, at least the disilluionised “King´s men”, not to mention what the rest of Westeros would do to Stannis once they hear of this action. Thus Stannis may ensure this one victory, but it will ruin everything for him in the aftermath, taking away all of his legitimation and the last support of the people of Westeros, possibly even the support of his own men.

    Let´s just quote Davos/The moral consience of Westeros concerning the question: “What is the life of one bastard boy against a kingdom?” – “EVERYTHING”. It should definitely not be any different in this case.

  251. There is a big problem here.

    Stannis did not leave anyone from his family or army behind in CastleBlack.

    If “Pink letter” arrives Ramsey has noone to threaten but Jon and NW.

    Question is why would the Freefolk agree to go with Jon to Winterfell when its obviously not their fight since Val and Mances kid are not in the TV show?

  252. To the whole thing with Dany and Jorah…

    Jorah is touching her arm in the pit, like he always did and he’s not wearing any gloves.
  253. M: I like TV Hizdahr, too, and the actor who plays him. He’s got a certain dignity and intelligence, even when he’s groveling for his life.

    I like TV Hidahr too, and I think Joel Fry’s great, but I can’t help always thinking of him in Plebs (which is a funny show… you should all go a watch it now).

  254. Rei:
    To the whole thing with Dany and Jorah…

    I dont think it will lead anywhere… i mean Dany and JonCon never meet.
    I think the person infected with GS has to touch the other person directly with his infected area to pass the desease on.
    Since Jorah´s fist is ok no harm done.

    Could the thing that will break the internet be the reveal of Dany having Greyscale?

  255. I am a bit afraid that this episode will be perceived as a disappointment. People are just expecting too much from the Daenerys scene we have been waiting for. Additionally, the episode seems packed with different storylines (Stannis&co/Ramsay, Dorne, Arya, Mace, Mereen, Jon etc.). 53 minutes seems a bit short (this includes theme song right?).

    Personally I would be disappointed if:

    – Hizdahr is the Son of the Harpy without any proper explanation. As has been mentioned Fry’s portrayal has been very interesting and has made Mereen (and Essos) into less of a caricature than in the books (What bothers me most about Slaver’s Bay in the books is its over-the-top cartoonish descriptions. Similar to the ridiculous SS-torturing-captain scene
    – Stannis burns Shireen. Mel and Selyse can do it, no problem, it just feels to out-of-character for Stannis. Maybe Ramsay will do it (setting her tent on fire) to raise his hatedness beyond Adolf Hitler levels.
    – Daznak

    Literally the only way to disappoint me would be cutting Drogon. Since we have reports/photos of extras on fire, Drogon will be there. The fact that all the main cast have stunt doubles there (including Hizdahr) makes me assume it will be a fantastic scene. I hope they do a proper build up, ending with Dany flying off into the great beyond. BTW anybody got an idea how the other dragons get loose?
  256. IF they leave the conclusion of the pits to episode 10, it’ll probably be one of the final scenes of the episode, if not the final scene.

  257. The big problem about Stannis potentially burning Shireen is not just that she’s his daughter and he loves her, but also the very practical concern that she’s his only heir. Congratulations, you won the throne, but after you everything will descend back into chaos again anyway!

  258. Stannis will never burn Shireen…

    But Selyse…. If Mel goes to that woman, its done in 15 minutes.

  259. Mr. Morden: Actually, regarding Tyrion, we have this from the behind the scenes photos….

    Yeah they actually photoshoped

    Tyrion out of the scene in the Trailers. He’s replaced by an CGI Unsullied but they forgot to give him a shadow so he can be spotted as a fake.
  260. I really hope Hizdhar is not the Harpy ! Joel’s Fry acting never gave a single clue he’s more than what he pretends to be and it would come out of nowhere… and I like the idea that he’s a nobleman truly and sincerly working to modernize his city.

  261. Arkash,

    What? No he isn’t.

    I don’t believe Hizdahr is the harpy and I believe he’s a pretty rational guy (for a slaver.) I enjoy the character a lot, especially thanks to Joel Fry’s acting, but Hizdahr is NOTt trying to modernize the city. His introduction scene was all bout bringing back tradition —pleading Daeenrys to let him bury his father in the Temple of the Graces. Then he was sent out to negotiate with Yunkai, and argued for Yunkai’s demands of reopening the fighting pits all-throughout the first half of the season, until Daenerys was forced to do so. His main argument? Tradition.

    He’s a rational diplomat, I’ll grant you that. I mean, he manages to calmly argue with the person who killed his father. Still, he’s a traditionalist trying to find a compromise with a radical reformist; although he does accept some reforms (again, he’s rational), it’s not like he WANTS those reforms. He’s not a reformist himself. He’s not trying to modernize Slaver’s Bay —quite the opposite, he’s trying to minimize the “damage” Daenerys is causing to their way of life, by finding some compromise.

  262. ctid: Holy Cow I think you’re right!

    I agree. Somebody mentioned it a few weeks back and as soon as I saw that post, it all clicked. The fact that that scene has yet to appear elsewhere has pretty much locked it in at this point.

    Hot Arya FTW!
  263. Luka Nieto,

    Yeah, I should have phrased that better… it’s not so much wanting to “modernize his city”, but more trying to reach new horizons for Meereen now that the city has to deal with a foreign invader trying to change its ways of life.

    I feel like Hizdhar is clearly seing that things cant continue spiraling down to bloodshed and is trying to find compromises and opportunities for the Meereen to become and that makes him a very interesting character ! Thanks to Joel Fry who is definitly doing a superb job !

  264. There is no “violence” warning for this episode, just “adult language” and “adult content”, like in episode 6. How on Earth is that possible?

    maybe we’ll have the Harpy BBQ in episode 10?
  265. Kay:
    Does anyone have any ideas as to what the “The Dance of DragonS” (as in plural dragons) title of 5.09 refers to? Dragon dragons, human dragons, what stories for each?

    The biggest reason that “dragons” is plural is because the title references the Targaryen civil war, “The Dance of the Dragons.” There is also a ballad of that same name (“The Dance of the Dragons”) about the Doom of Valyria from the perspective of two lovers, and we got to hear Jorah and Tyrion recite a snippet from that ballad on their boat ride through Valyria, right before seeing Drogon and the Stone Men.

    We assumed so much based on “Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken,” but only 6 1/2 minutes of that episode was in Dorne, and even a chunk of that time was outside the domain of House Martell. We assumed so much based on “The Gift” when the gift was actually several different and fairly unguessable gifts. So there might be plural dragons, or it might mean that House Targaryen is featured, or it could mean that there will be war, unrest, and impending doom. We just cannot assume that any of these will be true, though.

  266. stoneboy,

    Several of the characters that GRRM said that he missed are unimportant to the strory: in fact, to date, they all have been. However, authors (like all people) have irrational attachments to their creations.

    So, inclusion on the list does not mean a character will become important to the story or plot later.

  267. Charles M,

    Some book fans talk about the absence of “good” and “evil” in SoI&F. Others do see things in black and white terms.

  268. Ginevra,

    unlike Unbowed Unbent and Unbroken or The gift …The Dance of dragons have a track on its own

    say its split into two episodes can people come up with any suggestions where they will leave the cliffhanger and how will they continue in the episode 10

    for me dany flies with dragons …and we see the aftermath of the the flight through jorah and tyrion …where people believe she is dead but jorah is confident she will return and the unsullied viewers will be wondering where dany went too ..until we see her at last in dothraki sea

    and not to mention the element of surprise where is she and is she alive or dead will be lost too

  269. JamesL:

    There will probably be nudity in episode 9 too unless they save Meryn’s visit to the brothel and death for episode 10.
    there won’t have to be. Those whores in the “sinners” promo are all dressed
  270. Wimsey:
    stoneboy,

    Several of the characters that GRRM said that he missed are unimportant to the strory: in fact, to date, they all have been.However, authors (like all people) have irrational attachments to their creations.

    So, inclusion on the list does not mean a character will become important to the story or plot later.

    It is pretty clear there is going to be a confrontation of LSH, Jaime, and Brienne early in TWOW. The other day, you complained that GRRM was probably going to make a “Chekov’s squirt gun” out of it? What do you think this would entail? You’ve got two protagonists and an ex-protagonist clashing in such a way that at least one is likely to die, and whoever does survive is almost certainly going to be changed and have their relationship with the others re-written. I am pretty much at a loss as to how this could be a “squirt gun”. Do you think they are all going to sit down for some crumpets and tea and reminisce about old times?

    If LSH is out, D&D are going to have to either write fan-fic to make up for it in terms of defining Jaime and Brienne’s relationship, or they are going to have to significantly alter the story of two main characters and thus renege on their promise to “head to the same place” as GRRM. But why bother, when the source material is more than fine?

  271. Beacon:
    Jaqen and Melisandre would make truly beautiful shadow babies together. Tom said he would love a scene with Carice because they are the two mystical roles on the show.

    That baby would have THE most amazing hair in the history of all the amazing hair we’ve seen on the show. They should definitely have one for that reason alone 😉

  272. Chad Brick,

    A lot of LSH probably has to do with Michelle Fairley… Playing a mute Zombie doesn’t seem like a role she would be interested in doing… No matter how badly I want… :'(
  273. Reading these posts… no spoilertags because I think this is all pure speculation…

    My prediction is just that the Internet is going to break with the new territory we’re hitting, especially around Winterfell. SO much fun. Between people thinking Stannis will die (by Mel, Ramsey or Brienne), Shireen will die (Mel, Stannis or Selyse), Davos will die (Stannis, Mel or meh, not gonna happen ), Davos will run away with Shireen, Mel will abandon Stannis (hell’s yes), Brienne will kill… pretty much anyone people don’t like… Ramsey will die, or he won’t…

    So many people will NOT get what they want. Because it’s Game of Thrones! What if Stannis lays dying, and Mel says “Crap, you are NOT the one” and takes off with Shireen to the wall… hehe..

  274. Arkash,

    Yeah, that’s a better way to put it. And Hizdahr’s way of doing things has certainly paid off. He’s King Consort now!

  275. dragonbringer,

    If it they split the pit scene (and I’m not certain they will, but that’s my best guess), I’m fairly sure that the Sons of the Harpy showdown will land in Episode 10 and be the “surrounded by strangers.” So that would leave pre-pit stuff and possibly the wedding of the Dragon in Episode 9 along with the intro to the pit and the pit fighting, with Jorah winning the fight. Khaleesi and some of her entourage go to the center of the pit to honor the victor, and then there is commotion but we do not yet see the Sons of the Harpy. And that’s where I think it might end.
  276. Crackpot thought: what if

    Missandei is the Harpy leader? There was that deleted S4 scene where Dany tells her to “never betray me” after Dany banishes Jorah. Missandei is in the pit with the others in Episode 9 and I know it doesn’t make sense. But maybe Missandei now sees Dany as an unstable ruler with the chaos in Mereen. Plus being by Dany’s side she’d know Dany’s plans and the whereabouts of the others (Hizdar, Barristan, Daario). And there’s her almost losing Grey Worm.

    I think Ginevra and James L may be right about

    the Pit scene being split. 53 minutes is not enough time to cover everything. People will be pissed.
  277. Koempel,

    53 min includes theme song AND closing credits, which are usually about 1 min 30 sec each. So 53 min actually means 50 min.

  278. 50 minutes is plenty of time.

    To me, it means that the other storylines will be wrapped up in the finale, not the pit scene.

    But if it is split, i don’t have a problem with it.

  279. Lady Wolfsbane,
    I’m kinda hoping that it’s actually because Shireen goes ballistic and decides to sacrifice everyone else, but sadly I don’t think the programme will go quite that far from what we’re expecting/or is actually remotely plausible even in a show that regularly WTF’s the audience. Sorry, the closer we get to the next episode the more facetious I become; it’s my coping mechanism 🙁

    My latest sliver of hope to cling to is that if a certain lovely young lady meets a horrible fate at the hands of her own family, that’s enough of a WTF moment for one episode which would make it a bit less likely that

    Dany’s BBQ getting a bit out of hand

    or something else similarly epic would be in the same one, as they might spoil each other’s impact. But now people are thinking the bit I’ve covered over could be next week after all, that leaves a big gap for this week. It also means, unless I’ve got my synopiseseseses confused that there’s

    potentially flambéed Harpies; Olly whatever his name is vs the Wildlings: this time it’s personal (FTW); AND someone doing a streak around KL all in one go next week which would break my brain, never mind the internet.

    They sure are making up for a relatively slow start this series with these last three, tho’. Hell yeah, bring it all on! 🙂

  280. Lulu’s Mum,

    Broken Brains and Internets… good times, good times. I think I need to make sure I have a puppy or a stuffed animal on hand to squeeze the daylights out of as I watch this next episode. I will no doubt be babbling in front of my poor unsullied family members…

    Nymeria swoops in to save Shireen? That’d be a lame but awesome surprise!

  281. Chad Brick,

    It’s called “adaptation”: it is no more fan-fiction than your lungs are fan-fiction! Remember, the point of adaptation is to adjust the plot and narrative elements so that they tell the same story in one medium as they did with another. (Fan-fiction, as GRRM himself has explained many times, is basically telling completely different stories: although, of course, most fan-fiction is just gratuitous plot-for-the-sake-of-plot rather than proper story-telling.)

    And, yes, I do think that this will wind up being a Chekhovian “squirt-gun”: GRRM will not be the first or last author to do it, after all.

  282. Lulu’s Mum,
    And Ramsay’s up to no good and Brienne, Pod, Sansa, Theon, and everyone else in and around Winterfell have to do stuff too. Oh and I’m forgetting Braavos and Dorne and bloody hell I can’t keep up. How the hell are they going to fit everything into just under two hours? It’s going to be amazing 😀

  283. I still can’t imagine Ramsay burning Stannis’s camp to have no violence… We’ve seen interviews of Iwan among those tents with blood splattered across his face. I really hope the rating is wrong… How can an episode titled the dance of dragons have no dragons, lol.

    When will EWs spoiler room come out?

  284. I don’t know why everybody is so hung up on the lack of “Graphic Violence” in the ratings. Wasn’t there an earlier episode this season that also missed that warning that ended up having just as much violence as a typical GoT episode?

    It’s more likely just an accidental omission.

  285. Luka Nieto,

    I was asking that before
    I don’t know.

    Maybe they are still working on the special effects for this episode… I remember them saying that they were working on “The Children” last year really close to the air date.

  286. According to the last EW recap (we know they have big insider info this season), they write
    “Usually the big action setpiece is in the ninth episode of the season, but we still have two more to go. For those saying it’s been a sluggish season up until now, the last two episodes continue the high drama and pace we saw tonight. It’s no secret that there’s also one major action sequence still to come (the fighting pits). Until next week…”

  287. Flora Linden,

    That wouldn’t make the slightest bit of sense. Missandei is a liberated slave. Why and how would she ever become the leader of a movement dedicated to restoring slavery to Meereen? And the reason she ‘almost lost Grey Worm’ is because the Sons of the Harpy tried to kill him.
  288. Ginevra,

    i am sorry an episode 9 where people expect something major to happen and after last week episode if they do the ending you suggest ..that will be the worst ending of all seasons episode 9 ..

    the showrunners love to do the parallels after last week’s ice ending we will be getting the fire ending

    not to mention if it happens in episode 10 it will be overshadowed by FTW

    as i have pointed out in earlier posts ..there are lot of examples that show the dothraki’s coming back and not to mention the sudden appearance of Bloodriders at the side of dany when she visited the small pit …

    so the strangers are surely dothraki’s …and i believe dany will only be seen in the last scene of the season or second to last scene if FTW is season ender

    we will wait and see only 2 dasys 11 hours 15 mins to see what happens

    50 mins is a long time ..they can have other storylines wrap it up in 30 mins and hav edaznak 18 -20 mins

  289. Sean C.,

    I thought of it because after reading all the theories about

    Daario and Hizdar, I’m not sure either of them can be the leader. Most likely it is Hizdar. But if not, who else? Missandei has access to Dany and her inner circle. Her motivation could be nothing more than simple disillusionment with Dany – watching Dany’s whims, crucifying, burning, executing with no apparent rhyme or reason, her not listening to advice and/or making a hash of things when she tries to. And we see how the freed slaves of Mereen reacted to Dany with the execution mess. As for Grey Worm, she isn’t with him always and can’t account for all his exact movements.

    Heh, don’t mind me, I know it makes no sense, it’s just crackpot speculation.

  290. Flora Linden,

    “Who else?” is a question stemming from kind of an erroneous premise, as not a big deal has been made in the show of the Sons of the Harpy having a “Harpy” head. Someone may come up, but the Sons don’t have to be more complicated than an insurgent group made up (and/or bank-rolled) by the former Great Masters.

  291. Annie Wilkes:
    There is a big problem here.

    Stannis did not leave anyone from his family or army behind in CastleBlack.

    If “Pink letter” arrives Ramsey has noone to threaten but Jon and NW.

    Question is why would the Freefolk agree to go with Jon to Winterfell when its obviously not their fight since Val and Mances kid are not in the TV show?

    Maybe after Jon’s actions at Hardhome, saving the free folk from the Army of the Dead, they will follow him?

  292. Simeon,

    EXACTLY!! During the historical times (Wars of the Roses) and the political system that this story is heavily based on, a King is nothing without an heir. Shireen is Stannis’ only heir!

    Mind you, that wouldn’t stop crazy Melisandre and batshit crazy Selyse to try to do it behind Stannis’ back …

    Think about this … if Stannis dies, Shireen will be the rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms!

  293. Everyone here is taking the letter S in “dragons” way too seriously. We wont see 3.

    Also I think Mel will burn Shireens tent down during the Ramsay attack.

  294. Drogon is in this episode cause he’s the only piece of CGI that can follow up Hardhome.
  295. Luka Nieto,

    You’re probably right, they may be just an organization with no definite leader, run by a large group with common interests.

    dragonbringer,

    Huh? I HATE the storyline? When did I say that?

    I confirmed this was crackpot speculation, and even I don’t think this is true. Just joining in the fun here. At least I thought speculation was supposed to be fun?

    I like

    Missandei.

    Good grief.

  296. JAYzuss….. It took an hour to read all comments from when I left work yesterday to now….pfffffft. What I really get? NONE of you knows what is going to happen. For every single speculation, someone or more someone’s have the opposite speculation or some new totally unrealistic possibility…….at the end of the day, only a few will have got all predictions correct. Most will have got it wrong at some level.

    The reality is that we only have, one week and four days to find out all the answers to episodes 9 and 10. That is it. Not even two weeks, yet people are gonna be “pissed” “angry” “whatthehellever” if something doesn’t go the way they have predicted or what they want to see. Oi, it is only 8am and I already need a drink, a very large drink.

    I am just going to chill and enjoy what I am given, that way I can’t be disappointed for what I get.

    And before y’all think I am riding some moral high horse, nope. I am just ready for a nap after reading this thread of nothing but speculations that are all over the map so that no one who is really trying to understand what may or may not happen would come anywhere close to understanding what the hell it all means!

    I have to give it to those showrunners, they have everyone wringing their hands in anticipation and confusion and worry. Very effective television making, wouldn’t you say?

  297. Miguel Saponchnik tweeted “You are in for a treat next weekend…”

    Yup, we are getting the whole sequence!

  298. but speculations that are all over the map so that no one who is really trying to understand what may or may not happen would come anywhere close to understanding what the hell it all means!

    Um, I thought the purpose of these posts were to encourage speculation. Im loving the give and take of ideas. A hell of a lot better than the flaming frustrating mess that was last weeks comments. Are you here looking for someone to spill the beans? I think you are perhaps looking in the wrong place.

  299. Flora Linden,

    Chin up, Flora. There’s a lengthy (and featured!) theory over at Westeros.org that (book) Missandei is a Faceless Man!

    All of us are all over the map on anything and everything, and we’ve all been taken to the woodshed for one reason or another.

  300. stoneboy,

    If that “important role” is to kill some asshole than I really don’t care. That same asshole could be killed by Sansa or Arya, Rickon or Bran. Let the dead be dead on this one jeez.

  301. Not able to do a spoiler coding: for ep 10, there’s this consideration- the dead are rising, and for that they have to die first. Hardhome showed one type of the risen dead.

    With FTW and assuming that Dany leaves with Drogon, those are two more types of death- the former is an actual death, while the latter is the death of a ruler, not the physical embodiment of a ruler but the death of Dany’s rule in Meereen and her need to learn to rule vs conquer. The fourth would be theoretically, Tyrion. Who, left alone with possibly two dragons he can’t control, a civil war on his hands in a foreign city, and a host of unsullied who may not obey him, and possibly without Jorah- whom the unsullied would take orders from, and whom Grey Worm is acquainted with. That said, Tyrion’s life will be linked to Jorah’s- if Jorah dies then Tyrion is in immense danger, with no resources at hand. With these three deaths I believe that the finale will echo both mercy and death- is it merciful to raise the dead after killing them, in the case of the WW, or Jon? Are we looking at a war hungry Dany who has swept aside rule for conquest? And if the rulers, even those with the best skill set are thrown in the pits, then other than a looming existential threat, each and every charcter dies a very particular death. So mercy would be the narrative equivalent of Ice v. Fire, rather than the complexities of rule, conquest, loyalty and honor.
  302. Rodrik the Reader,

    I didn’t know about that FM theory regarding her. People come to all kinds of conclusions, it’s what makes the speculation fun to read.

    dragonbringer,

    Hey, I like Dany too! 🙂

    I misunderstood. But the way I wrote about Dany could be how she’s seen by others. For me, Dany is a favorite. My hope is she finds some inner peace with being a Targaryen and yet not follow the same destructive path her family did.

  303. JCDavis,

    I have no flippin clue as to what you get out of a community like this – but everything you just ranted about is exactly the POINT of a wonderful place like this. Go nurse your fears of disappointment under a rock somewhere… we are fearless!

    Lady Wolfsbane
    Speculating happily about television plot twists online since Buffy 1998….

  304. Lady Wolfsbane,

    LOL. Did that seem like a rant to you? Maybe a frustrated post not being able to make heads or tails of what people really think, but hardly a rant. I too like to think of possibilities, but I do try to keep to the realm of where the show has gone so far, where the books are and what the showrunners have said or leaked. Not that I would be any better at guessing than anyone else.

    Certainly didn’t mean to put any noses out of joint, just sharing my observation, as was said, I thought that is what this site was about?????????????

  305. The look Jon and Sam are giving each other in the top picture reminds me of a beer commercial from the 80’s where they just get to a pool full of women in bikinis and a cooler full of budweiser. and the picture is taken just before they give each other a double high five and jump in the pool “yes!!”

  306. King Stannis,

    Indeed, it will be better for the TV show if important plot points are done by one of the lead characters. (Frankly, it will be better for the books, too: with this msny protagonists, one lead should be another lead’s foil as often as possible.)

  307. Not a spoiler, just a prediction: Arya is walking away chastised because she just killed Ser Meryn Trent, who Cersei assigned to escort Mace to Braavos. Scratch him off the list. He’s dead.

  308. Ramsay leaves. Roose comes to claim first night a bit later than normal. First right? First night right? Just as he’s becoming engorged he gets a corkscrew to the throat, care of some feminine agency. Chance of this happening? I put it at 1%, rounded up.

  309. StandOzone,
    North remembers only one king – king in the north…

    One of Roose Bolton’s leeches:
    M,

    They are looking at a massive Umber army coming down on Stannis’s camp. Selyse falls to the ground when Stannis goes forward to meet them. Everyone thinks they are about to attack, but then the Greatjon appears and kneels before Stannis.
    The things I’d do to see a scene like this.

  310. Dazor Ahai,

    Indeed: many of the Wildlings will be looking at “King Crow” very differently now. The fact that he took down one of the Walkers coupled with Jon being responsible for saving so many from an enemy against whom they are nearly powerless will count for a lot.

  311. JCDavis,

    In the first comments it was directed at the posters here and what they produced while you were away. So it went to that place where general comments become personal.

    I think 99% of the stuff we’re coming up with is panicked drivel this close to the reveal (including me) but whoopie-de-do who cares it’s a blast…

  312. Renly’s Peach,

    I don’t think there’s a “Harpy”–as in a human leader–either. My feeling is that the “Harpy” referred to is the harpy of Mereen–the statue of which was pulled down several episodes ago. The Sons of the Harpy are a group of political extremists who believe–with some justification–that Daenerys & her dragons have no right being there, disrupting their way of life.

    I have a bad feeling about Shireen, too, as others have said. They writers have made it clear that Stannis, above all else, wants to be king. He believes it’s his “gods-given” right to rule. There was no reason for Shireen to brought on this journey from day one other than to fulfill the need for king’s blood.

    On the other hand…my thought–seeing Melisandre’s dulled ruby (is it me or do her clothes & hair look less red, too?)–was that this meant her powers had failed her. After all, she’s been mistaken all along about Stannis being the One. Maybe she’s finally forced to confront how wrong she’s been. Going with that theory, this makes room for some small hope that part of her disillusionment happens because Stannis refuses to sacrifice Shireen, causing her to stop believing in him and thus, abandon him and return to The Wall, where…

    Let’s face it, we can drive ourselves nuts going over all the possibilities!

  313. stoneboy,

    IBTimes is a worthless,piece of shit clickbait site that it’s even worse than Buzzfeed and that’s fucking saying something .

  314. Stannis won’t burn Shireen, it is known.

    Also Drogon will most definitely happen at the end of EP 9. I think Hizdahr will get poisoned by the locusts, Dany and company will be in the middle of the pit when Drogon flies down and burns some shit. Daario, Tyrion, Jorah will try and get Dany to run away. The Sons of the Harpy will stab Drogon somehow and then Dany will run out and ride him. I’m interested in seeing when the other dragons will get released. I have a feeling Daario is going to die but I really want some Daario/Tyrion conversation in season 6. No way Jorah dies, the three cast outs will return to Westeros together next season.
  315. Off-Topic Otto:
    Ramsay leaves. Roose comes to claim first night a bit later than normal. First right? First night right? Just as he’s becoming engorged he gets a corkscrew to the throat, care of some feminine agency. Chance of this happening? I put it at 1%, rounded up.

    Good idea .. Roose, Sansa and “first night” right …

  316. HelloThere:

    How can an episode titled the dance of dragons have no dragons, lol.
    How can an episode be titled “The Mountain and the Viper” have no mountains and no snakes? It’s a metaphor, see. In truth, I could be wrong. It is known. There might be dragons. There might be giants.
  317. Lady Wolfsbane:

    Lady Wolfsbane
    Speculating happily about television plot twists online since Buffy 1998….

    I only ever saw bits of Buffy and don’t really know the story, did it come to a satisfactory conclusion or have they got any left over plot points I can add into my desperate-distraction-technique-possible-other-scenarios floundering? 😉 Lulu’s Mum: going into meltdown about Shireen Baratheon’s possible firey death since about 8 episodes ago 🙁

    EDIT: Ginevra *sings* Blue canary in the outlet by the light switch, who watches over you, make a little birdhouse in your soul *waves* hello again from yesterday 🙂

  318. John M W: That word does not mean what you think it means.

    But the distinction is so easy:

    opinion = what others think about something
    fact = what oneself thinks about something

  319. I think Viserion and Rhaegal will be set free by the Harpies. Analogous to what Quentyn does in the books. Quentyn wanted to ride a dragon, Harpies want to kill them. The dragons crisp them and escape.

  320. 15 minutes is plenty of time for Meeren this episode.

    That leaves 35 minutes for Braavos, The Wall, Stannis and Dorne.

    I don’t see the The Wall taking more than 5 minutes.

    Stannis gets 10 minutes.
    Arya get 10.
    Dorne gets 10.

    Lots of time to get the whole pit sequence in when you actually break it down.

  321. The fighting pit in the book was so epic, I just hope they don’t split it across two episodes. But I have to admit I’m not sure if it seem epic because the rest of the book was so slow?

  322. Ace of Mace,

    I don’t think so. Looks like Ed Sheeran and Zach Braff with him!
    Rygritte,

    Possibly but I really think he’s going to be the one that betrays Dany. Can’t think of any other betrayel that would matter that much to her…perhaps Missandei?!

  323. Ryan,

    I agree. I don’t know why people expect the Meereen stuff to last 20+ minutes. I think the entire pit sequence will last about 10 minutes. The other scenes from Meereen will last another 5 minutes.

  324. Ace of Mace,

    Those books have some of the most amazing sequences, they are just padded with a lot of filler.
    These last few episodes of season 5 could prove the be the best yet. Especially considering how amazing episode 8 was.

    Tyrion Pimpslap,

    Yea, the pits will be ~ 10 minutes. But I expect all the Meereen stuff to add up to ~18-20 minutes. Especially considering the fact that Dany hasn’t really had much screentime this season. (Which honestly has made Meereen far far better than the books).

  325. I agree that Selyse would not wail on the ground if Shireen is burned alive. I think that’s a long shot. More in character is her beside herself over Stannis’ death (which is not happening yet) or – and this one is my favorite – Mel’s defection. In the trailer Mel looks shocked and it seems like she was just peering into the flames. It could be that this is when Ramsey attacks, but I think it more likely that she finally realizes that Stannis is not the one she should be helping. She’s going to leave and Selyse, who worships her, will be devastated. Perhaps she herself will try to burn Shireen, which could play into her warped sense of “Mother’s Mercy” in Episode 10.

  326. Ryan,

    I agree with ALL of your assumptions concerning screen-time, except with Dorne. I personally think that Dorne will take slightly longer than 10 minutes, maybe even around 15. There is just so much stuff they need to catch up on in Dorne plus they have to breathe a bit more life into the water-gardens and sunspear, which should lead to prolongued panoramic and city-life-shots. I guess we will linger there for a quite a long time. Besides, the episode is titled “The dance of dragonS”, which leads me to believe that it will focus quite a bit on Targ-supporters or assumed Targ-supporters, so Doran will need quite a bit of screen-time to flesh out his character.

    Totally agree with you on Jon-O & the Wall not taking more than five minutes, IF it will even take five minutes. I guess they just show a shot where all the survivors of Hardhome arrive and the startled and disgusted faces when the others seee Wun Wun. Then a cut to the great hall, where Jon will briefly speak about cooperating with the wildlings (again). Afterwards Sam will inform him about his concerns about Jon, Gilly and himself, asking him to provide at least a bit of protection for Gilly and Baby-Sam. Jon agrees to think about it. Then a cut and later in Ep09 Jon will tell Sam to go to Oldtown as a pragmatic solution for their problems and to take Gilly with him. What do you think? 🙂

  327. Knight of Storm´s End,

    The Water Gardens are not in Sunspear, neither in the books or the show, as we saw Jaime and Bronn arriving and the place was just a palace with a few outlying buildings, not a whole city.

    Anyway, I very much doubt Sunspear will be visited this season. Maybe in season six, who knows. Personally, I believe next episode we’ll get 10-to-15 minutes at most of Dorne and that will be it this season for Dorne and Jaime. Or maybe it’s distributed between this coming episode and the last one, which would be nice.

  328. I don’t think we will find out who the head of the Harpys are this season. That will be a mystery for Tyrion next season.

    As for

    the Dothraki not being a good fit for an army for Dany, I think that her dragons, along with her steel will and penchant for making examples out of people will eventually be enough to stop the Dothraki from taking slaves – they will definitely find her strong enough to be their leader on the back of Drogon.
    I think the other two dragons will escape their chains by sheer force when they hear all the ruckus by their brother. No way do D&D leave the dragons in the dungeons to starve to death. So far they’ve shown no one else who can even get close to them besides Dany.
  329. People have mentioned a whore we see in the trailers that we haven’t seen in the show? Can someone point that out to me?

  330. ash,

    I understand that and believe me I’ve seen every episode at least 3x, but sacrificing your only heir – if the Iron Throne – is your main goal seems like a terrible strategic move no matter what the cost.

    Maybe you should watch the Tywin and Tommen scene again to find out why it’s important to have heirs.

  331. Luka Nieto,

    Well, I never said they were in Sunspear, you can read my comment again if you want 🙂 . I just think that if they introduce Sunspear, this epsiode would be ideal to do so, since if they want to breathe a bit of life into Dorne, the seat of house Martell could well provide enough city-life and beautiful panoramas to make Dorne feel more like an actual region than just one sunny spot with a coastline.

    I mean, travelling form the gardens to Sunspear wouldn´t take long, if I remember correctly they are just about three or four leagues away from Sunspear.

  332. http://http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/32991103/the-most-disappointing-series-of-good-tv-shows

    I think the quote in that article from Maisie Williams means that Arya will be in episode 10 and not miss the finale as some people here have predicted. She says that the season has been ‘pretty damn slow’ for Arya but her ‘last two episodes are pretty sick’.

    Nothing ‘sick’ really happened with her in episode 8 so I think its safe to say that she will have some big moments in the next two episodes

  333. Ginevra: How can an episode be titled “The Mountain and the Viper” have no mountains and no snakes? It’s a metaphor, see. In truth, I could be wrong. It is known. There might be dragons. There might be giants.

    Hehehe…. there will be dragons. In The Dance of Dragons. It is known….

  334. Knight of Storm´s End,

    Yeah that’s sounds like a solid outline for the Wall. I would expect a little tid bit about what happened at Hardhome to Thorne and some others. The rest focused on Sam telling Jon what he’s found out about the WW and finally Jon sending Sam south. In EP 10 I think we’ll get more of the politics post Hardhome with the NW and Wildlings. Again shouldn’t take anymore then 5 minutes.

    I also agree with you on Dorne getting more than 10 minutes. Supposedly were getting another jail scene, one with Doran-Ellaria-Sand Snakes and then one with Jamie-Doran-Ellaria-Myrcella-Trystane. I suspect we will see the first real good scenes out of Dorne this episode.

  335. Wimsey:
    Chad Brick,

    It’s called “adaptation”: it is no more fan-fiction than your lungs are fan-fiction!Remember, the point of adaptation is to adjust the plot and narrative elements so that they tell the same story in one medium as they did with another.(Fan-fiction, as GRRM himself has explained many times, is basically telling completely different stories: although, of course, most fan-fiction is just gratuitous plot-for-the-sake-of-plot rather than proper story-telling.)

    And, yes, I do think that this will wind up being a Chekhovian “squirt-gun”: GRRM will not be the first or last author to do it, after all.

    If D&D throw out a perfectly concise and more-than-adequate element of the story, only to re-write something else that delivers the same narrative elements for the protagonists (in this case, Jaime and Brienne), then yes it deserves the fan-fic insult. And if they DON’T deliver those same narrative elements, then they aren’t telling the same story, which they promised to do.

    You didn’t answer my question though – what plausible outcome of the LSH/Brienne/Jaime interaction could be a narrative “squirt gun” and thus something so minor that it is not important to the overall narrative and story?

  336. Ryan,

    Yeah, pretty much, I have high hopes for Dorne this epsiode.

    I think there will even be three dialogues instead of two, whereas Doran-Ellaria-Sand Snakes could be the first one, like you said. The second one could be Jaime and Bronn on their way to Doran.

    However, I´m not sure if Doran wouldn´t want to speak with Jamie alone concerning the third dialogue, forcing or (most likely) convincing him to work alongside the Martells & Myrcella. So I guess that the third one may just be Doran-Jaime-Areo and maybe Bronn witnessing the dialogue, but not really interacting much with the others since his sellsword-mentality would not need much convincing. The one to pay the most has Bronn on his/her side.

    But I guess only the episode can show, haha. As fun as speculating is, after all it´s just a more elaborated form of guessing. 🙂

  337. King Stannis,
    The Long Night,
    Galli,

    Seek help. You’re backing the wrong king and you should feel bad.
    Having Brienne stab Stannis through his face will be the best crap original take D&D will have ever made.

    Rygritte,

    I find it hard to accept a random brothel whore has the wherewithal to organize a city-wide clandestine terrorist movement.

  338. Lulu’s Mum,

    I knew you were a kindred spirit. Here’s a TMBG Constantinople tune:


    Jon Snow’s really Jon Targaryen.
    Now it’s Jon Snow not Jon Targaryen.
    With fire in his blood,
    Old Jon Targaryen’s still has Stark hair and eyes,
    Less fire than ice, twice.
  339. lalla,

    there won’t have to be. Those whores in the “sinners” promo are all dressed

    That doesn’t mean anything, it was just a brief image in the preview not the whole scene. And I’m specifically referring to the scene that will involve the prostitute with the barely there(and easily removable) outfit that we have seen in the previews. I don’t see this show filming a sequence like that with no nudity.

    And for those asking if the ratings are ever wrong, episode 6 a few weeks ago was wrong. Any form of violence even if it is mild always results in “violence” being listed in the content advisory and episode 6 aired without it.

  340. mattpeto,

    Um I wasn’t in support of this strategy – I was just answering what I thought was a straight forward question from someone who did not know the background. I totally agree that such a strategy is unsound, as it is horribly evil, I get that. and I am hoping that should he decide to do this, someone will find a way to keep it from happeniung.

  341. OK so this is kinda random and I’m only on COK bookwise but does anyone agree that 2 of the craziest characters in ASOIAF might end up saving the 7 kingsdoms.. The Mad King and Cercei sounds crazy but in all their insaness they managed to have enough Wild Fire made up to burn a lot of them wights right up and the way its properties because of its intense temperature would only help matters (ex) the way its spreads so easily because its basically liquidish? Correct me if I’m wrong all you people that know way to much about this stuff. Doesn’t it just seem interesting all the extra stocks of wildfire and now the extra stock of the mindless undead! Maybe I’m a nut but I like it.

  342. Jaime’sHand1220,

    Potentially. Again it would chime in with my theory that the White WAlkers are ancient foes of the Old Valyrians and caused the doom. All of their main antagonists would have Targ blood ( Dany, Bloodraven, a main character that everyone expects to have) and the Mad King wouldfall int othat category too. Only problem is how much is left and how would they get it up to the Wall without it going up! If they wait until they get to KL then the whole of Westeros will be wights and there wouldn’t be enough wildfire in existence to kill them all!

  343. Hola chicos!!! Este foro también necesita otras lenguas latinas ! Ahora , vamos a tener hablantes de español y portugués para reflexionar juego de tronos !!! brasil y Portugal no puede controlar este foro por complet0 jajaj. Bromeo, por supuesto!!

    Pero,

    Muito amor para meus amics no Brasil e Portugal =)

    Simeon,

  344. TheTouchOfFrost,

    Yes traveling the Kings Rd would be more dangerous then ever with enough wildfire to burn a whole city…very large city? But I just see the dots and it seems to good of a weapon not to use it?….possibly wildfire land mines….moats…(minus the sharks) shot would be awesome!!! Wun Wun could fuck some shit up with barrels of wildfire …as long as he didn’t turn himself into a lookin bonfire..

  345. alice s,

    And even then, we’re kind of getting Winterfell, through Ramsay. The Stannis plot and the Bolton plot are so close now that they’re pretty much one and the same in terms of storylines.

    Still, I think that Cersei photo belongs to 5×10, whatever that site says.

  346. Yo no espero a ver daenerys y drogon volar fuera Mereen!! Es una de las mejores escenas de La Danza de Dragones . Asi que, por favor vamos a ver que!!!

    Por otra parte, la historia en Dorne necesita alguno impulse. Por ejemplo, la introduccion de YG y La Compania Oroso seria una sorpresa incredible! aunquetodavía no me gusta que que Arianna fue cortado de la serie !! Siento que Arianne podría haber jugado un papel clave en las tramas de Dorne y Daenerys !

    Finalmente!! Yo quiero hablar sobre mi character favorite!! el único y verdadero rey de Poniente…The Mannis en Ingles!!! 😉 Espero que Stannis no sacrifica a su hija Shireen . Creo que no era una buena idea cortar los Señores del Norte como Manderly , Umber y los clanes de la montana. Quiza, Stannis lo va a recibir ayuda de Los Umbers mucho mas tarde??? como la temporada sexta??? No se va a pasar! pero, ya estoy aburrido de Ramsay. No quiero ver a Stannis o Shireen mueren en esta temporada !!

    Stannis is the Mannis and the One True King of Westeros!! La nieve no es un gran obstáculo para él.

    Also, cannot wait to see the Greyjoys next year and the resolution of Jon’s storyline next week. =) Para ingles presiona de uno…Para Español presione de dos!!! 😉

  347. They already seemed to have cut out the Freys and such. Maybe they are delaying La Battala de Invernalia until the next season . In any case, I think we would all prefer to see Stannis’ story of rallying the North play out on the big screen. That was one thing they really missed this season!!!
    alice s,

  348. Chad Brick,

    You do not need the same narrative elements to tell the same story. In fact, you often cannot use the same narrative elements on screen or page as worked on page or screen.

    As for the squirt gun issue, well, the fact that this character is interacting pnly with a second tier protagonist (Jaime) and a third tier protagonist (Brienne) seriously limits the impact on the story. After all, to really affect the story, something has to affect Jon’s, Daeny’s or Tyrion’s dynamic development. Those three are over hakf the story, after all: and Bran, Arya and Sansa are most of what is left.

  349. TheTouchOfFrost,

    How would the White Walkers cause the doom? From what we are told, it seems something opposite the Walkers (i.e., a lot of volcanic activity) felled Valyria. At any rate, the old stories that we get mention nothing about the Valyrians being involved with the war against White Walkers centuries before: it was down to the First Men, Children and Giants. (Indeed, it seems like the Valyrians did not have much to do with Westeros, although I do not know that the books really c,arify this: but it seems that both the First Men and the Andals had little to do with Valyria.

    Indeed, if any “supernatural” entity was at work, the I would look at R’Hllor. However, this would all be arbitrary background plot: although I think the “why” of the Walkers will be critical in the end, it is going to be important for the choices and positions taken by Daeny, Jon, Tyrion, etc., not the trivial details, that will be emphasized.

  350. Prediction

    1). Jon Snow end of book 5 moment doesn’t happen until the very last scene in Season 5 Episode 10.

    2). Stannis is assassinated by Ramsay. Melissandre revives Stannis by sacrificing his daughter.

    3). Last scene is the Dragons saving Dany and her flying away. Tyrion will take over ruling in Dany absence next season.

    4). Arya gets her first kill

    5). Sansa escapes as you have to believe with Ramsay gone she gets out.

    These aren’t spoilers, just an opinion.

  351. Wimsey,

    Jaime and Brienne got more chapters than anyone except the big three and Cercei. Perhaps your distaste for AFFC/ADWD comes from your apparent notion that books are supposed to have a very limited number of protagonists. Thus your seem to dislike anything that doesn’t immediately impact your chosen few.

    The idea that what happens to Jaime and Brienne is of little importance seems rather ludicrous to me.

  352. Please Sacrifice Selyse, she’s a Florent and has Gardener blood, the blood of kings, in her veins.

  353. I think Shireen is doomed, and the decider is that little carved stag that Ser Davos is giving her. It is a perfect prop to be shown broken on the ground after Ramsey’s raid. I don’t think she will be sacrificed – more likely she is an unintended casualty of Ramsey’s attack.

  354. Chad Brick,

    It isn’t ludicrous at all: whatever plot elements it introduces probably will be pennies in pound in terms of contribution to the story.

  355. Young griff,

    no i am sure they will include the flying

    but iam talking more about the dany taking control of the dragons…she jumped into the pit to save him
    they saved eachother in the books ..but iam afraid that in the show it will be drogon just arrives and kills the harpies and takes dany away ‘

    its key moment for dany to stand infront of him without afraid and whip him and make him submit to her will ..

    so i hope we get to see that

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  357. James: 4). Arya gets her first kill

    First kill? Where have you been? She has already killed in self-defense, for revenge, during an escape, and for mercy. Did you see her smile as she walked away from Jaqen during the last episode? She is looking forward to her next kill.

  358. Luka Nieto,

    Yes, of course. Although I will argue that her mercy kill a few episodes ago was also “sanctioned.” Our favorite vigilante is simply getting vetted…maybe it comes with a facelift too.

  359. Hodor’s Bastard,

    Killing the little girl was sanctioned, but it wasn’t an assassination. It was euthanasia, mercy killing. Killing the thin man would be her first actual assassination, that’s for sure. Followed by, one can hope, a good old-fashioned Arya revenge kill of… a certain Lannister lackey who is guarding a visiting Westerosi dignitary.

  360. Okay… is this episode gonna be amazing or what? There’s just so much stuff to pack in there; every scene will be trascendental, if my predictions are correct.

    1) Jon lets over thousands of wildlings through the Wall.
    2) Sam is sent to Oldtown with Gilly and the baby.
    3) Arya kills the thin man, and then spots Meryn Trant, and maybe even kills him in this episode (or maybe in the finale?)
    4) Speaking of which, Tycho Nestoris reveals that the Iron Bank is definitely supporting Stannis now.
    5) Prince Doran pardons Jaime and reveals his ultimate plans to Ellaria and the Sand Snakes.
    6) Melisandre’s threat to Shireen’s life is paid off this episode, hopefully with Shireen alive and well and Melisandre and Selyse being taken to the Wall.
    7) Ramsay attacks Stannis’ camp.
    8) Dany and Hizdahr marry and hold a celebration at Daznak’s Pit. Jorah may earn his place back with the Queen (or die?). Drogon arrives, fucks shit up and takes Dany away.

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