Last year, before season seven had aired, before we even got to see the Dragonpit of King’s Landing for the first time, we learned the Game of Thrones producers were interested to return to the location in which the King’s Landing landmark was filmed: the Roman amphitheater in the ruins of Itálica, near present-day Santiponce, Seville. Since watching season seven, we have been able to vouch for the impressiveness of this location, but for many months its return for season eight was in doubt … until today!
Spanish fan-site Los Siete Reinos broke the news today: Seville’s Heritage Commission just approved Itálica’s amphitheater for filming of the last season of Game of Thrones.
The shoot will make use of the arena and central pit, as well as the stands and galleries. Just as in season seven, a platform will be constructed over the pit. Last time, this podium was used for Jon and Dany’s parley with Cersei. Will we see a similar scene in season eight, or is the platform being rebuilt only for the sake of continuity?
Aside from what will happen in the Dragonpit this time around, the only remaining mystery is when the cast and crew will show up back in Spain, for this one last time. As of yet, we have absolutely no idea about the schedule, but season eight will only continue filming for three or four months, so it can’t be that far off. Whenever the Itálica shoot turns out to be, I’m just elated it will happen, as most of us had lost hope by now.
What do you guys think will happen in the Dragonpit in season eight? Will it be a summit, like last time, or will the action elsewhere in King’s Landing bleed over to the famous Targaryen landmark? Now it’s the time for speculation, so go crazy!
Please, please, please tell me this is where Jonnyboy and the NK will have their steel cage match. Like Mr. T vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper. Make it happen!
Very Cool!
Waits for someone too write, “CLEGANEBOWL!!”
* I personally don’t really care one way or another about that though. Two big dudes slowly swinging large swords… kinda boring if you ask me. 😛
Maybe is that scene from the ”leaks” where [EDITED OUT] ..or maybe its another scene of KL where the battle between the living and the dead will take place or the last GOT scene where Jon/Danny will crowned kings of Westeros [after the death of the rest of the characters and after the war]..Too many speculations ..Any idea anyone there?
So… I think they’ll use if for the Night King and Cersei wedding. 😛
She’ll stand there all cold blue skinned scowling as she waits for the NK. He flies in on Viserion, walks over the dragon’s head to the edge of his snout and does a full gainer dismount to take the crown for best entrance into the Dragonpit from Daenerys. 🙂
Clob,
Well, I did say you guys should “go crazy” with your speculation, so I can’t complain, can I? 😛 I’d say it’s probably going to be some sort of ceremony, meeting, or the like, not unlike last time. If it’s an action scene … they’d have to be careful, as this is a historic site. A small fight? Maybe. A battle? Doubtful.
There have been no legitimate script leaks.
Jon and Dany’s wedding.
That’d be very symbolic, wouldn’t it? I like that idea.
Luka Nieto,
Correct. There has been one or two people peddling their fan fiction on several sites. I know it’s the same 2 people as they post the exact same thing on every site. And one of them even sent his stories into Talking Thrones who is using them in videos.
Dance Of Dragons 2.0 Night King/Viserion vs Jon/Drogon and their dual inside the pit
They’re going to have to be a lot more sneaky this year than last year when filming there. We not only knew how many of the main cast was there but each of them by name. Granted, it’s hard to secretly maneuver seventeen characters/actors through a country and around the site, but there ended up being no surprises (except for what exactly was going on in the scene). This time if we see the ‘big dogs’ again that would at least narrow down some possibilities.
Makes the most sense to me. When Jon finds out shes pregnant, hell want to avoid the baby being a bastard. Likely it will be a small quiet ceremony like R/L. Sam prob will be the priest. Its where her ancestral dragons were and where she told him about not being able to get pregnant. Dont see any other reason to shoot a scene there for “continuity”.
Well I don’t know what the state of KL will be so perhaps it will be used for a coronation! … that is if a monarchy is still in place by the end of the show… and IF this place is used for one of the last scenes.
While I don’t necessarily agree that in those shots we saw of Jon and Cersei he was her prisoner… IF he was, she could use the Dragonpit as a location to ‘invite’ (read bait) Daenerys to come and surrender herself and/or her claim in trade for Jon.
Wedding is an interesting idea.
I was also thinking it would be a very symbolic place for a coronation scene for Jon and Dany
It’s the leaks. I didn’t want to believe them either because that proposed ending is so dis-satisfying, but the location kind of confirms it, to me. I do hope they are debunked, but…
When they are spotting cast members I just want one question answered.
Is Maisie Williams there?
Which leaks?
TheFourEyedRaven,
You have to pay attention to the order of events. As I mention in the article, the producers were looking to return to the amphitheater ever since they first filmed there. This was known. Even if they hadn’t managed to film on location, we knew the Dragonpit was supposed to appear. So, of course, whoever made up that supposed “leak” read that and included it in their glorified predictions.
How were the leaks confirmed for season seven? Easy: we watched as they filmed very specific things that were mentioned in the leaks. The show returning to a major location (one they already said they wanted to return to!) just doesn’t qualify. These new “leaks” have absolutely no proven predictive power, as of yet. In other words, they’re bullshit, until proven otherwise.
It will have to be colder, so I figure a nice pickup game on a massive ice rink is in order.
Agreed. What better place for Dany and Jon to be crowned, especially with smoke rising from the burnt ruins of King’s Landing in the background.
Luka Nieto,
We dont know yet..what leaks are true and who not
Dance Of Dragon 2.0 NIght King/Viserion+Cercei VS Jon/Rhaegal+Danny/Drogon..Danny will live in the S8E6….Drogon and she are psychic connected as Jon is connected psychic with ghost ..Drogon will never left Danny ..he will always follow her and let her to ride him ..Jon will has Rhaegal.100%
The Hound running over the Mountain with a Zamboni? I’d pay to see that.
Oh wait, I pay for the show either way. 😉
I would have to agree with Luka on this one. It’s a historical site, so there’s no way a battle or anything like it would be filmed there. What COULD it be though? A coronation or wedding sounds likely, but I’m going with a dance-off for the Iron Throne.
Oh, I am ready for a Dragon battle!
I can say with some confidence they are fake. More importantly, no one has any reason to believe otherwise, as I explained above.
Artemisia,
Rhaegal must live til episode 6 for that to happen
Hopefully this will be the place of Jon and Sansa’s wedding/coronation. We know Sophie Turner was filming in Croatia which means she ends up south in King’s Landing with Jon toward the end of the season so it makes sense for them to get married there soon after. I can’t wait!
Luka Nieto,
I hope the supposed leaks were false because they were trash 😕
Luka Nieto,
i agree..Tell that to the Talking Throne guy..he makes videos with leaks and never gives a fucking link[where they can read them] and never does a breakdown to them for to point their plot holes and everyone believes him and believes his ”leaks”as real and likes them…but they are just another one crappy fan-fic.
tiny direwolf,
Sure. Though, to be honest, the season seven leaks read as much, much worse than anything we actually saw on-screen. Execution is key.
Mr Derp,
Lol I’m all in for the dance-off. There’s even a stage for them! I bet they could squeeze in a musical number or two to make things really interesting. Bring on the Bear and the Maiden Fair!
No Jonsa stuff here! Not gonna happen
He will live
Emilia Clarke was also there filming[go check Fire and Blood youtube videos..its there ] and it was also close to Kit in that photo when he stays at those stairs..Jon could be there to marry Danny at the end[she is already pregnant as the last photo with Jon and Danny already confirms ] and that marrying on the Dragonpit willbe very symbolical for them both..Sansa will have already dies[in the siege of Winterfell in S8E3]saving Aryas life and mirroring Ladys death for Nymeria in S1[that make sense]..Your Jonsa dreams will stays just dreams..Jonerys and baby will be reality in S8…Sorry my sweet summer child.
RedWolf,
Lol that’s funny!!
We know Sophie Turner was filming in Croatia
We definitely don’t know that.
Artemisia,
You have very loose standards for things being “confirmed.” Just saying… 🙂
The scenes are being filmed out of order so this could be just about anything. Last time they filmed on the Dragon Pit, crew and cast said they had a wonderful time. Maybe they chose this locations for the last scenes before it goes into production; it’s a lovely place to film before all have to say their farewells, to each other and GOT.
Luka Nieto,
Is this the leak where
. If so, I am 100% sure that it’s fake.
RedWolf,
Oh I get it! It does make sense! Because Jon and Sansa would totally get married at the Dragonpit and not Winterfell, their home. Where they grew up and were reunited. This makes total sense.
Not that Sansa and Jon getting married makes sense at all, that is.
Sorry, I just totally had to jump on the train of people that are destroying this idea. They seem like they are having so much fun.
I think this could be where the final scenes of the show will be filmed. A coronation and / or some sort of another Great Council of Westeros in which we will see the new king or queen (or both) and the new balance of power established- who of the surviving characters ends up ruling this or that region, the establishment of the new small council etc. The Red Keep will probably be gone, so it would be an open air ceremony. Also, the shooting will take place in a spring time in Seville, so it could be the beginning of the spring in the show universe as well.
ghost of winterfell,
Milutin,
I’d be okay with that.
Although, I was still holding out hope that the last scene would be Jon and Daenerys sitting atop Rhaegal and Drogon on the edge of (Preikestolen) surveying their country. 😉
Coronation of Arya and King Gendry first of his name.
Clob,
Oh, yes, that could still be the final, final scene:)
The likely lack of fake snow and winter conditions when filming here could provide a hint that this is post-war and spring. In which case, yes, I’d think in that scenario this would be either a coronation/wedding or both.
Cannot forget Bran’s dragon vision either of a dragon’s shadow flying over King’s Landing. The weather in that vision appears to be pleasant and sunny. Perhaps that will turn out to be a flash forward to this potential finale scene.
We even have an image of what that could look like:
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fb/fb/aa/fbfbaa310bc153dbfa3e7b50fb5b6cca.jpg
(Karla Ortiz art of Princess Nymeria and Mors Martell on wiki)
I don’t see Dany wanting to get married at the dragon pit. She abhors slavery and as she stated in the dragon and the wolf, a dragon is not a slave and that place was the beginning of the end for her family. I doubt she would want to mark it with a special occasion such as her wedding or her coronation. Besides, I doubt there will be a Kings Landing at the end of the saga, so why hold a special occasion outside a ruined city?
It seems to be Cercei’s meeting place of choice, so I would venture that this is her meeting with someone again – possibly golden company with Euron maybe?
Edit: it occurs to me that I might have misremembered who chose the dragon pit as the meeting place, I’m probably wrong about it being Cercei. I imagine she would still use it to meet with the golden company though or that it features in her storyline.
Aemon,
Ugh there have been so many (fake) leaks that I can’t keep them straight. I don’t believe I have even heard of the one you mention.
Colin Armfield,
Now this I like. The dragonpit does represent the caging and defeat of dragons.
I want to see a fight in the Dragonpit!
There will be no happy ending for Jon and Dany. One of them will die. Most likely Jon. I don’t see any major ceremony happening in Dragonpit. But it could be some final scene, some sort of goodbye to the dragons and the show itself. Similar to what we saw in Gladiator movie.
Arya will end up with Gendry, who will continue Baratheon lineage. If I remember correctly that House started with a bastard in the first place. Oh and Tyrion will raise Cercei’s baby. Cersei, Jamie, Sansa will die. But I digress..
Leta,
Sounds reasonable to me.
Leta,
Cersei has already given birth to all of her children, at least, according to the prophesy, so that unborn child will never be born. Unless the prophesy was a bunch of b.s.
Leta,
You seem so sure of all of this, it’s like you work for HBO or something. Let’s get something straight, nothing is certain.
But yes, I believe the Baratheon line was created by a “bastard.” Orys (I think?) was the first Baratheon, who was really good friends with Aegon. I think he might have chose the Baratheon name for himself when Aegon gifted him Storms End, but I might be mistaken.
Milutin,
I would personally love to see that. The pit can serve as a King’s Landing polling station, or perhaps where, as you said, a Great Council can develop some sort of medieval power-sharing agreement. GRRM would have the last laugh yet again as everyone argues who will sit on the Iron Throne, only to have it end with no throne and instead have Westeros transition out of a monarchy.
Well Danny has stated that she wants to “break the wheel” of kings and kingdoms fighting.
Perhaps there will be no King on the Iron throne.
The parliament of Westeros meets in the dragon pit!
Mr Derp,
That is true. However there might be a loophole if Cersei dies in childbirth. Then technically that child wouldn’t be for her or during her lifetime.
“Will the king and I have children?” she asked.
“Oh, aye. Six-and-ten for him, and three for you.”
Dispensing of the Iron Throne and King would be unnecessary for Westeros to phase over to a parliamentary system. (Forget “democracy”; nobody’s literate and there’s no way of disseminating actual news.) A huge number of countries have a fully democratic system – and have retained their monarchies.
Jaehaerys,
Shall we say not everything is certain? But some things are and one doesn’t need to work for HBO to figure it out. Gendry was brought back so that he could continue Baratheons, not because they needed someone to run back to Castle Black with Jon’s orders. Lannisters line also needs some viable heir. I don’t see Tyrion falling in love with anyone at the end of S8, not after two broken hearts.
Sam and Gilly will end up in Horn Hill. That’s why Dany had to burn both his father and his brother. There will be no need for the Night Watch since the Walkers and the dead will be defeated.
And so on…
Jaehaerys,
Orys Baratheon married Argella Durrandon, the true born heir of Storm’s End. The Durrandons also have a bastard King in their line
Wishful thinking, but this is where I want to see the Drogon vs Viserion fight end up. I can just imagine them landing in the stands and roaring at each other across the pit, to then leap in the air and clash in the center.
Nicola,
Ah, that was it. If I’m not mistaken, however, the marriage happened because of Aegon, correct? He was awarding Orys for being one of his first supporters during his conquest, I think, so he set him up with the heir to Storm’s End as a gift.
I tend to believe that Gendry will come back into the story in the books mainly because he did make a brief reappearance in Brienne’s arc. While I believe he will there really isn’t any proof yet. D&D could have brought him back simply because so many fans wanted him back so they wrote him in. Who knows?
I don’t think the Lannister name does need to continue. It would be some kind of justice for House Lannister and Tywin’s legacy to be wiped out like he ended Lord Reyne’s house (the Lord of Castamere). “Yes now the rains weep o’er his hall, and not a soul to hear.” It seems unlikely that both Jaime and Tyrion survive but I’d wager that one of them does and will not only repair the Lannister name but rebuild the family and continue it. I could see Tyrion finding someone who wants to be with him despite being a Lannister and not because he’s a Lannister. I wouldn’t rule out Sansa.
Leta,
I understand the reasons why you said what you said, it all makes sense, but to say these things are certain is just… naïve. Was Gendry brought back just to save everyone’s ass Beyond the Wall? Definitely not. Was he brought back to keep the Baratheon line going? Most definitely. Is it certain that he’ll marry Arya at the end of the season? Surely not certain whatsoever.
Does the Lannister line need a viable heir? This is also not certain. Many great houses in our story have already been wiped out, who’s to say Westeros wouldn’t be a better place without Lannisters? And then you have Tyrion, who is certainly capable of carrying on the family line himself.
And Dany had to burn Randyl and Dickon so that Sam could be the heir to Horn Hill? This whole time I thought she had to burn them to prove a point to the Lannister soldiers. To my knowledge, she doesn’t even know of Sam’s existence.
I get what you are saying, but this is Game of Thrones. If you don’t think D&D are going to throw some twists at us, you haven’t been paying attention. There are so many sensible outcomes for just about every character, we can’t be sure which sensible outcome they will be choosing.
Clob,
Ah. Clob, I see you beat me to some of my points 🙂
I could see Gendry marry Sansa or Arya. Either could make sense.
I could also see Sansa back with Tyrion.
I don’t know why, but I believe Sansa will end up with Gendry, not Arya. It may be that Arya will go back to Braavos.
On another subject: I’m not suggesting I believe the leaks. Not at all.
So I don’t subscribe to the theory that the Dragon Pit will be wired with Wildfire.
I’m more inclined to think Cersei will use it for some kind of meeting with the Gold Cloaks. It may even be that Euron uses it for a “show trial” for Yara, when Theon attempts to rescue her. Or maybe Cersei herself will be on trial in the Dragon pit.
But IMO the wildfire theory is hard to ignore. So I simply want to say that the show has made wildfire important. It was important at Blackwater Bay, and it was important to Cersei destroying the High Sparrow, his servants, his army, and the Tyrells. Her “enemies.” I will be very surprised if it doesn’t become important in the last season, one way or another.
I’m neither a hockey fan nor particularly invested in the Cleganebowl concept, but I could definitely get behind a sudden-death playoff between the two of them! Maybe with a severed wight head for a puck?
Roz’s Ghost,
Wildfire will be important but it will burst out at the set built at the Titanic Studios, not in the historic Roman arena which stand’s in for Dragonpit. If Dragonpit had to suffer the wildfire explosion, it would have been recreated somewhere in the NI, too. So, no wildfire and no dragonfingt (that will be filmed indoors against the greenscreen). So, I agree with those who bet that the Dragonpit will be used as a place of the establishment of a new post-war order by some sort of a general/constitutional assembly which will acclaim Jon & Dany as a new rulers of Westeros not because of their lineage, but because of who they are – yes, the choice of the site implies that the last two Dragons should be attending. And as for Dany having bad associations with the Dragonpit, the end of her house could also work as a new beginning. After all, this was the place where Jon told her that she shouldn’t have trusted the witch who had killed her husband and that her house had’t seen its end. And in general, their short exchange was very much about redefining all the Targarian identity: from a raw power of fire and blood to something more reasonable and based on moralty. Therefore, now Dany may be having much more pleasant associations with the Dragonpit.
I just really have to struggle to see those two end up together. There seems like too much to be ignored to have it make any sense.
– Gendry was raised poor and sees himself as a carefree, working man. Sansa sees herself as an important figure, a highborn lady. Unless there are some inexplicable sparks flying when/if they meet I would expect Sansa to hardly notice him. They are SO different.
– IF Gendry was brought back to ultimately end up taking over his family seat as Lord Paramount of the Stormlands then one would assume his wife would go with him to live at Storm’s End. Whether Jon lives or dies, being Lord of Winterfell doesn’t feel like his destiny. Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs Bran isn’t going to do it and Arya isn’t likely. That just leaves Sansa. If Gendry were to marry Sansa and just stay at Winterfell… well, that could be done by anyone… and wouldn’t that make Sansa and their children Baratheons, if he’s legitimized?
– The Gendry we’ve come to know actually doesn’t seem like a person that would want to be Lord of anything, much like his father that ended up being a king that didn’t really care to be kingly.
– If Arya is also “available” it would feel really forced in the short time remaining to assign the future life of Gendry to be with Sansa rather than Arya. A&G already have a relationship background that was stolen or paused by circumstances beyond their control. If they’re both alive at the end the two of them and their carefree and adventurous personalities mesh so much better that he and Sansa.
Well, a battle will happen in Kings Landing so a fight will happen in Dragonpit. End of the story.
Sansa and Gendry makes not a whit of sense. They are completely different people and don’t fit together at all, and there is zero history between them. It also makes far more sense for Sansa to have her guard firmly up with regard to men after the experiences she’s been through. I don’t see her suddenly falling for some new guy that comes waltzing in to Winterfell. I also don’t see Gendry interested in Lordship, or marrying just anyone to keep the Baratheon name alive. If Gendry survives and ends up with anyone, it will be Arya. Whether they get married and stay in Westeros, or he joins her in sailing West, who knows. There would also be little way in avoiding another sisterly spat between Arya and Sansa if this were to happen, which I dare say, no one wants to see.
Leta,
Jaehaerys,
Really not sure where you guys are getting this idea that the Baratheon line needs to continue. That line ended in S5, and House Baratheon was never really central to the overarching plot in the first place. Baratheon, Martell, Tyrell, Arryn, Tully, Frey, Lannister. all great houses that will undoubted become extinct (if they’re not already). Spokes on a wheel that has been broken.
In my eyes Gendry is a too weak character to fit with Arya, neither with Sansa – for me unthinkable!
Rather could I see Arya wounded to death and asking the hound “Remember where the heart is?” (isn’t she – in spite of everything – a lone wolf?!) and Sansa ending up with Bronn, who is impressed by Sansas status, personality and beauty and discovers, what otherwise is named “heart”, and Sansa discovers a man, who is ambitious (like she is), courageous, vel-versed in women, but didn’t really found his own way so far. She would like to teach him.
To Dragonpit: I prefer the idea of a Great Concil after war to establish a new order for Westeros – how ever it should be
The Red Keep isn’t anymore, burst up by wild fire (perhaps Cersei within). and neither is the Iron Throne. No place for kings and queens anymore to rule there, but room enough for new ideas. And so is Dragonpit: room enough. Open room enough also for a big audience (:smallfolk).
Luka Nieto,
I hope the amphitheatre at Italica will be used for a very solemn occasion, appropriate after decades of war and a country left in ruin. I think we shall see something like a royal ceremony. Perhaps Cersei publicly abdicating to J and D, a proclamation of a new form of government, or new/old dynasty, …something like that. Besides, Italica is too fragile for anything much more active.
Luka, as best I can tell you are correct that no ‘leaks’ thus far are legitimate. I prefer it this way. It would be tragic if this 22-YO story was spoiled for the public. Those I’ve read are so contradictory that in the aggregate some of the developments they predict are bound to occur. A stopped clock is right twice a day! The ones spreading on YouTube are IMO among the more ludicrous, but make good bait for views, subscriptions, and Patreon recruits.
RedWolf,
I’m sure you’re aware that 98% of active fans believe Jonsa will not happen. I’ve read and seen every conceivable Jonsa rationalisation. Some of the fan community is already disturbed by the fact that J&D are actually nephew and aunt. Imagine how the public would react if Jon brushed aside Dany (dead or alive) for either sister (at least there is copious foreshadowing for Jon and Arya in the books)!! It does NOT matter that they are technically cousins–since the late 19th century that has gone out of favour anyway). No, perception is everything. Jon perceives Sansa and Arya as sisters AND they perceive him as their brother AND the reading and viewing public–especially show casuals who don’t register the long history of Targaryen incest AND it’s coin-flip madness–have spent at least seven years of thinking as these three as siblings. Under no circumstance will fans roll over to Jonsa and say, as many Jonsas say, that Jon really loved Sansa all along and is only pursuing Dany for dynastic/sexual reasons. “Undercover Jon” does not exist. If he does, the sincerity of the story would become a travesty. Don’t forget that Ramin Djawadi named the J&D love theme “Truth.” He would not have been able to do that if it were a lie. Would George, D&D, and HBO want their legacy to become a laughingstock? Moreover, Jonsa or Jonya surely would be controversial and a threat to all the lucrative offshoot projects that are planned. Either pairing would defy the story, tarnish the legacy, and almost certainly hit a lot of creatives in their pocketbooks. THAT defies logic.
My first instinct is to guess it’s for a wedding or a crowning.
I don’t remember if GoT does baptisms, so boat baby will have to wait.
Awww, you’re such a romantic!
Apollo,
Lol Apollo don’t lump me in with Leta. I guess you missed the point of my comment. My point was that nothing Leta was saying was definite, and that D&D could just go in so many directions with many of the characters.
And I guess I gotta say the same thing here. All of those houses you stated will “undoubtedly” become extinct? Anything can happen. Also, you only named two houses that still have characters in our story that go by those surnames… Lannister and Tully. But I would be willing to bet the Lannister name doesn’t die out.
Just to be clear, I was not and do not think the Baratheon line needs to continue. But I also don’t think that anything needs to happen. I’m sort of just a bystander to how this story will play out. I’ll be happy no matter what.
I’m partial to a La La Land remake. Westeros discovers the power of jazz will defeat the WW.
Clob,
But you know what ? The very best GoT scenes are filmed inside a studio (e.g., Arya’s best kills) or in the middle of nowhere with nobody around (eg Sandor mocking Arya for practicing water-dancing that she learned from the greatest swordsman who ever lived – who didn’t have a sword.)
This is certainly exciting news! Glad to have this confirmed. Tell me, what are the chances of the cast and crew visiting the location used for Dragonstone while in Spain? I’d really like to see that location again before the series is over.
Dragonstone is one of my favorite places in the series. It’s so eerie and atmospheric.
As for the predictions of what will happen in the dragon pit, I’m leaning towards something way less significant than a series finale wedding or coronation. Especially given those rumors about what happens to King’s Landing.
I believe that those major series defining scenes will be filmed somewhere not so easily accessible to the public. Even if we can’t see what’s filmed here, based on who arrives in Spain we’ll know which of the principal actors are there.
So I’m not sure why so many people believe that this particular scene, whatever it is; will be the last scene of the series. HBO has really upped their game this season with regards to making sure nothing of great significance gets out.
Even the scene of Jon and Cersei we saw in Croatia, I believe is something they *wanted* us to see. Not that I believe it was a fake scene but I think there’s far more to that scene than meets the eye.
But I’m of the mind that those last endgame scenes re: who ends up with who and who ends up ruling have already been filmed or will be filmed far away from prying eyes.
While in general I agree that if anyone’s going to end up paired with Gendry at the end, it’s Arya, the notion of Sansa falling hard for him at first sight is not so unthinkable – at least in the books. In Sansa’s chapter on the Kingsroad in AGoT where she first lays eyes on Renly, she is strongly struck by how handsome he is (and this is after she has already been fantasizing heavily about marrying Joff). And when Brienne first lays eyes on Gendry at the Inn at the Crossroads in AFfC, she almost faints because she thinks she’s seeing Renly alive again. So it’s clearly GRRM’s intent for Gendry and Renly to look strikingly alike.
Whether the association with Renly will mean anything to Sansa if/when she and Gendry become acquainted is, of course, debatable. But at least a physical attraction might be there.
Ryan,
Oh no. S8 is gonna be weddings and baby dramas? Is this GRRM or Jane Austen? *
* Don’t misunderstand me. Pride & Prejudice (2005 version w/ Keira Knightley) and Sense and Sensibility w/ Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman, were excellent, eminently rewatchable movies.
I’ve never agreed with this idea that Arya is a lone wolf. She’s independent, yes, but that doesn’t make her a loner. On the contrary. She makes friends quite easily (Mycah, Lommie, Hot Pie, Gendry), considers Jaqen a friend, bonds with Lady Crane and Brienne, and ends up back with her family at the end of S7 where Sansa reiterates that “the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives”. She wants to be with people. She doesn’t want to be alone. She thinks about this in the books as well; having her own pack.
Secondly, I don’t see that scenario of The Hound giving mercy to Arya playing out at all. It has much more meaning the other way around.
This makes even less sense to me than Gendry. Sansa marrying a brash sellsword? That seems totally out of left field to me.
Jaehaerys,
Sorry if I misinterpreted your post, I just don’t get why everyone is so desperate to see a Days of our lives style ending to GOT 🙈😛
That’s all I care about too. 👸🏻
Is there some kind of urgency that characters pair up into couples before the end of S8?
Who cares who marries whom?
I haven’t noticed any blooming romances (if you exclude Jon & Dany’s rather abrupt coupling).* Sansa just wants to be safe and have some peace and quiet; after her two experiences with the joys of marriage, I’d think she’d want to be singie for a while. And Arya has never been, and will never be defined by a guy: it’s not like her life will be a failure if she doesn’t hook up with someone. (PS F*ck Gendry.) Bronn tried to trade up Lollys for a better wife and bigger castle, and after his incessant yammering about c*cks, if he has a bittersweet (ugh! hate that word!) ending, he’ll wind up with a big castle but no c*ck and no wife.
* My only exception: Brienne + Jaime. That’s a union worth consummating.
#NoBabyDramas
Enharmony1625,
Why not? Anything could happen.
Did one think, our brave, honest Ned, who was build up so intense, that we thought, “Look, an honorable man!” would be decapitated sooner than one can say oop – sala?
Did one think, big mighty Tywin would be shot while crapping – just by Tyrion, who was always longing for his father’s love?
Anything could happen.
Why not open for new ideas?
GRRM and D&D are.
May be not for mine ;o)
Okay, I confess: I’m in love with the SansaxBronn-idea.
I’ll give my two cents here on the matter. First of all, I don’t want it to come across that I want the ending to be some kind of summation of “well, who ended up with who in the end”, and that every character left alive needs to be paired up with someone. Far from it! But there are one or two that I find interesting to think about because it relates to the survival of House Stark. Houses and families are a very big part of this story, so it’s only natural that we would want to know if/how a house and its name might survive the Great War. I see it as part of providing some closure in this regard.
Furthermore, love and marriage is such a big part of GoT and has been of huge significance in many of characters’ storylines. e.g. LF/Catelyn, LF/Sansa, Ned/Catelyn, Robert/Lyanna, Lyanna/Rhaegar, Jon/Ygritte, Jon/Dany, Robb/Talisa(Jeyne), Cercei/Jamie, Tyrion/Shae, etc. etc. So again, I feel there is a natural curiosity about how this plays into the aftermath of the War — “a dream of spring”.
As much as I would love to see Arya and Gendry together, I agree with all of this (except the f*@k Gendry part 🙂 ). Without rehashing a lot of what I’ve said before, if Arya were to end up with anyone, it would be Gendry. They had great chemistry, she deeply cared for him, and while she certainly doesn’t need to be defined by a man, that doesn’t mean she can’t fall in love. That just happens. You don’t choose it. And there is just plenty of good reasons and foreshadowing for it to happen. But if it doesn’t, I can certainly live with it, as I also love the idea of Arya leading a group of people West of Westeros.
Agree! 🙂
cos alpha,
I’m going to disagree with the “anything can happen” statement because it too strongly suggests randomness. And that’s not this story.
Ned’s death was far from random. It was definitely surprising though, and a big part of that is that it happened so early. We didn’t know the story we were in for at the time. But the signs were all there, and his downfall was in part caused by his character flaws. His death served the purpose of shifting the story in a new direction and had profound impact on many characters. The same can be said of Tywin’s death.
As an example of a random death, what if Jamie were killed by The Mountain at the end of 7×07. Shocking? Yes. Satisfying storytelling? No. That would have been ridiculous.
As far as Arya and The Hound is concerned, Arya is Mercy, not The Hound. As in Mercy is literally a name she used in Braavos, and another way of interpreting the FM’s saying of “giving the gift”. When The Hound said “remember where the heart is” to Arya, it was very much a way of reminding us of her descent into darkness due to the constant trauma and loss she had suffered. Having Arya repeat those words to The Hound adds nothing to either of their storylines, whereas The Hound repeating them to Arya again is loaded with meaning. It would signify a shift in her character as she finally learns the cost of killing someone she cares about, and thus resolving her revenge arc.
Enharmony, I concur with both your conclusions. Arya has perforce.been a lone wolf physically because she was on the run. As hard as she tried, she never quite got to Jon/home. She even asked the Braavosi captain to take her to Eastwatch–he refused. However, emotionally and psychologically, she’s been devoted to her family all along (per the “Needle was Jon Snow’s smile” passage), and in their physical absence, as you say, essentially created her own packs. In contrast, Sansa has been an emotional lone wolf, not making friends (except Margaery, who also used her), and seeing herself as above the rest of her family. I think her near miss with LF nearly manipulating her into killing Arya put paid to that. So when she said Ned’s “lone wolf” bywords, she finally declared herself as one of the Pack.
You are also spot-on about Arya giving mercy. It’s one of her repeated lessons and probably a major foreshadowing. Between Sandor teaching her when he gave the the old man mercy, her refusing Sandor mercy, then giving mercy to the sick girl AND wearing her Face, and finally calling herself Mercy with Lady Crane, if that’s not a Chekhov’s gun, I don’t know what is. Who she’ll give it to (Sandor, Bran, Jon, Sansa or ???) will be interesting to see. And doubtless very emotional.
Leta,
I think Daenerys will be the one to die and not Jon. Why? Because Jon is condemned to fight “their wars forever” per Alliser as he was about to die. A hero’s death would be Jon’s prefer ending, he has rarely gotten what his heart desired in all of his existence. If we equate Frodo to Jon (and I do, even more so than to Aragorn), then I’m guessing Jon gets to live but with the burden of having lost most of the people he loves.
I don’t think Sansa will die either. The least wolf-blooded will be the one to continue the Starks. But I hope Arya gets to make it too.
Enharmony1625,
“… if Arya were to end up with anyone, it would be Gendry. They had great chemistry, she deeply cared for him, and while she certainly doesn’t need to be defined by a man, that doesn’t mean she can’t fall in love.”
—————-
If we were talking about S2-S3 steely-eyed Gendry, I’d be on board with this 100%. But S7 buzzcut Gendry was a nonstop whinger, and wouldn’t let up with his bitching and moaning. He wouldn’t shut up about Melissndre, and yet, did not once mention or ask about Arya.
All he did was complain: about the Lannisters, about Stannis and Melisandre, about the Brotherhood… Meanwhile, all of the other members of the Snow Patrol had far worse things happen to them than Gendrys post-coital leeching. As Sandor said about Beric: “This one’s been killed six times, and you don’t hear him bitching about it.” Jorah just recently got over being flayed without anesthesia. Hell, I felt worse for poor Thoros going through alcohol withdrawal in the Eastwatch cells.
But I digress… I am thinking they had Gendry whine about Melisandre after all this time (and actually give an inaccurate account of his encounter with her), to set up his involvement in her demise. Perhaps his little gf will put a sword through her eye and out the back of her skull. 👸🏻
Stark Raven’ Rad,
Oh God. I hope you’re wrong but I fear you’re right about “Mercy.” Sandor is going to overcome his fear of fire to save Arya or Sansa, but get horribly burned doing so. He’s going to beg for mercy again. and this time Arya’s going to do it while bawling her eyes out. And I will be crying along with her. 😢
Ten Bears,
Oh, he is not. Silly Ten Bears. He is going to get over his fear of fire in order to be the next Olympic torch bearer for Tonga.
Roz’s Ghost,
“I don’t know why, but I believe Sansa will end up with Gendry, not Arya.”
————–
Alright. I’ll play along with the Matchmaker Game. If Sansa has to be with someone, after all she has suffered, I can think of nobody more suited to bring some joy into her life than….
Podrick the Prodigy Payne.
Danny,
I like that ending. That would be a nice twist.
Two Men Enter One Man Leaves.
Clegane Bowl!!
Or this is location of nuptials when Cersi kidnaps Jon and forces him to marry her thereby unifying the North and South.
I love all the girls (Sansa, Arya, Brienne, Dany) and think that they all deserve some love after all they’ve been through. But I don’t know if we’re gonna get things wrapped up for all of our faves in a neat little bow, as much as I would like.
I think that Arya’s destiny is to sail west of Westeros and I’d love it if Gendry joined her. As like an open ended ending where we can assume that those two will be together. Young, carefree and adventurous together.
But I gotta say, I also echo some of the speculation here that Gendry could end up with Sansa too. Sansa’s arc started where she was initially set to marry a Lannister bastard who was masquerading as a Baratheon prince and Robert’s bio son and it might be a bit of serendipitous fate that she end up with a newly legitimized Baratheon Lord who spent his whole life as a bastard but is truly Robert’s bio son.
I mean it’s a bit tin foily of course lol but that’s half the fun of speculating.
Sansa could also end up with someone like Podrick as well, someone who has been in the periphery of her arc for a long time. Someone who has become a knight and is brave, gentle and strong. Just like Ned said he wanted for her when she was a child. So that’s also a possibility.
And after the tragic nature of her married life to Ramsay (and love life in general) it would be nice to see her move on from that and have a healthy relationship with someone who would care for her. I say that as a sexual assault survivor who has found love through healing and healing through love.
Brienne and Jaime seem like a done deal to me. I don’t know if both will survive but I think we’ll see major romantic pay off for them that’s been literally years in the making and I am very excited. Gwen and Nik have fantastic chemistry.
Dany’s endgame for me seems much less clear but then again it always has. She and Jon’s relationship seemed so terribly rushed in S7, I was looking forward to that meeting for 12 years and it fell very flat for me in a lot of areas. Plus it currently has some pretty huge Chekhov guns pointing at it. Will they over come the odds? It remains to be seen.
I know it’s sacrilege on most boards and comment threads to even suggest that those two might not end up together in the end but I’m a firm 50/50 on that one. It could go either way for me.
Guys, THE main theme of the entire story has been how the rich and powerful trample over the small folk. How they use them to fight and be slaughtered in their petty squabbles- very often these squabbles are based on who loved/hated/married (or didn’t end up marrying) whom.
So, Love and marriage have played their part, as have these great houses, but that was in the past and has contributed to their doom- has resulted in a fractured Westeros, where mankind are ill prepared to defend themselves from extinction. And none of those squabbles matter in the face of what’s to come. Jon eludes to this many times (oh hey- as recently as the dragonpit).
So, the aftermath of the Great War for the dawn, where mankind will likely only just scrape by (literally we’re talking a few main characters from a show perspective), the survivors will have no intention of rebuilding what was in place before. Specifically when the two protagonists have seen the effects of the great houses, war, breaking the wheel etc.
That means no silly marriages to make you feel fulfilled. No joining of once great/damaging/extinct houses. No Arya sailing into the sunset holding hands with Gendry. Possibly no monarch or throne. Why would mankind just go back to more the same? What would be the point of it all? The wheel needs to stop (and be broken) for all of the above to have any meaning.
Joe weaver,
Why is the thought of two dragons fighting sounding boring to me right now? I guess it could be a something I won’t know I wanted until it happens kinda thing 🙂
Ryan,
There was an early leak out there that said something about a dragon pit scene at the end but what they stated happens was preposterous and cruel to fans. I won’t say more, but of course it wasn’t true and just coincidence that some things are lining up.
ghost of winterfell,
Eh, they can always just blame it on George.
The plot could be: mankind never learned by history?
I can see the logic in Arya doing something different if she survives.
Possibly leaving Westeros.
Back to the house of black and white?
Sailing to the west (bit LOTR that ending.)
I could also see her with Hotpie rather than Gendry.
Gendry is telling everyone his true lineage so could well end up King Baratheon.
Sansa has always wanted a prince or king which is why Gendry fits.
Jaehaerys,
When I said Dany had to burn the Tarleys I didn’t mean it literally, I meant by D&D’s design. So that at the end Sam will get what’s his by birth.
Will D&D throw in some twists? I surely hope so, I would be disappointed if they don’t.
This is a great site (Watchers on the Wall), particularly if you are the only one in the household who cares about GOT. It also nice to be able to share thoughts and ideas without being judged. There is no need for you call me naive and not paying attention to whatever is that you think I should have been.
Peace
Leta,
I think the plot point is that Sam has a Valyrian steel sword that Gendry can re-forge into arrow heads and balista bolts to kill dragons or white walkers.
I seem to notice more and more people dropping into discussion that Arya will sail west as though it’s a given. Am I the only one who doesn’t think her story will end with her leaving Westeros to sail west into the unknown? Other than that line from season 6, what other reasons do people have for wanting to head off into the unknown? Just wondering if I missed something – I’ve only read the books twice and the first time I almost write off as I was so hooked, I speed-read them all in three weeks. So I often think I’ve missed lots of details. It seems to me though that all this has come from her one line to Lady Crane, which may be significant, but may also have just represented how lost she felt after turning her back on the faceless men and not knowing her family were in the process of reuniting. I believe she found her purpose in the inn at the crossroads when she chose family.
I personally think her storyline had been a tragic blend of revenge and desperation to get home. Now, as of season 7, she seems to have chosen the path of “home and family”, I can’t see her choosing to abandon it all and depart home – especially after the discussion she and Sansa had atop the battlements about the pack surviving and also especially considering Jon is coming home. I mean, yeah, if Winterfell is irreparably destroyed and everyone in her family is dead, then yeah, maybe, but I don’t see GRRM ending our Stark storyline that way. I also don’t see her settling down with Gendry and becoming the new Lady of Storms End. I would like to see her realise her childhood dream of becoming a knight (especially now she has Brienne to show her its possible) and to possibly serve in Jon/Dany’s Kings/queens guard (or an equivalent).
I am guessing a funeral in the Dragon Pit as part of the bittersweet ending.
If everyone is convinced that the Starks follow their wolves, then Arya is Ned in this case and Sansa Lady.
Though I’m hoping that Robert’s curse prevails myself.g
Che,
I think it’s simply because that ending just sounds so fitting for Arya. She doesn’t want to be a Lady of a castle and doesn’t even look comfortable at Winterfell – like she’s just visiting. Becoming a knight or guard serving someone doesn’t feel like it’s right for her either. She needs freedom without restrictions. Her mentioning west of Westeros just paints a picture… childlike dreams of endless adventure and fantastic experiences in magical lands. I want Arya to have that. Hell, I want to do that. 🙂
Clob,
I agree.
Yes, Arya was longing home and for family – but how often it is: when you got what you were longing for, you found it doesn’t fit anymore, it isn’t what you have wished. Because you followed a dream of your childhood, but you are grown up now and times and people and circumstances and things have changed, you also have changed. You are to take your life in your own hands.
GRRM’s original title for book 7 before he changed it to ADOS was A TIme For Wolves. Just sayin’ 😂
People mention this site as the place that coronation of Jon or Dany will happen, I don’t think Westeros will be run like the way it has, I don’t know how but I doubt noble houses will mean the same after the war.
cos alpha,
“but how often it is: when you got what you were longing for, you found it doesn’t fit anymore, it isn’t what you have wished.”
—————
A: Never. It’s usually better than I could possibly have imagined.
Interesting that we are seeing the dragon pit once again, isn’t this actually outside of the walls of Kings Landing? If so, it seems strange people will be there if the White Walkers attack. Also from the Dubrovnik shooting
so a parlay feels less likely.
I’m totally confused right now how this fits in the plot albeit I know very little of S8.
I’m thinking more and more that the Dragon Pit will be a place of trial and/or execution. It could be Cersei being executed, or Euron, or Euron attempting to execute Yara, or Davos & Melisandre, or any number of other possibilities.
Back to my theory about Sansa and Gendry….. OK. Many of you have made convincing arguments against the pairing. It doesn’t mean I have totally changed my mind about the possibility, just that maybe it is not nearly as likely as I first thought it could be.
The reason I didn’t assume it would be Gendry and Arya, as much as I’d like it to be, is because that would be too obvious & GRRM & D&D do like to mess with our heads; and so much has happened since they last saw one another, especially in Arya’s case, that it’s as if they’re both different people. Maybe too different to go back to the time they last saw one another.
Bu I completely forgot about Podrick. I think Sansa & Pod would be a wonderful match. So I guess I will just consider the possibility that Podrick and Gendry would both be suitable candidates for a match with the Stark sisters.
I do wonder if Missandei and Grey Worm will get their happy ending. I also have to wonder what becomes of Ser Jorah. Or Thormund & Ser Davos. Wouldn’t it be nice if Ser Davos could live out the rest of his days on Bear Island serving Lyanna Mormont! For some reason I’m not too concerned about Tyrion or Varys. I won’t lie, but I’m also hoping we’ll see a return of Ja’qen and Daario.
I think Bronn’s story ends happily in Dorne.
I can’t see them using the dragonput for yet another meeting, it’d be too repetitive.
I think it’ll be the location of the last dance of dragons between Drogon and Rhaegal, and where both of them will meet their deaths, echoing historical events at the pit.
Leta,
I’m sorry, I wasn’t trying to be mean or anything! Just trying to get my point across clearly. Wasn’t saying you are a naïve person, just that I thought the statements you were making were naïve. I know, small difference. I don’t try to belittle anyone here, but sometimes jokes don’t translate perfectly over the internet.
I knew what you meant with burning the Tarleys btw, I was just making a joke about the funny way you stated it 😉
But I am sorry if my comment came off mean, that was not my intention. I never take things people say too seriously here, but I forget that its not how everybody rolls. Personally, you could call me naïve all day and I wouldn’t give a hoot.
Snowblind,
A funeral is an event that I don’t think anyone else has mentioned, and it has some merit. After all, this is the place that was considered “the death” of house Targ. Could be quite fitting for a funeral for the last Targaryens.
I am more leaning to the idea of a coronation/ council meeting, but this idea makes some sense too with regards to its significance.
To be fair I was struggling what could happen there but some sort of Cleganebowl is possible even probable although the location still feels strange as surely it would be impromptu rather than a planned event.
We don’t know Sophie was filming in Croatia, the only two we know were Kit and Lena, the third person was supposedly Isaac but there was no photographic evidence to support that.
Jon Snowed,
It would be kinda cool I guess to see Cleganebowl in the Dragonpit, but I agree that it would be a little odd as I don’t see anymore trial by combats happening in our story. Although we haven’t had one in a while, so I could be proven wrong.
I see Cleganebowl happening in an impromptu manner as well; personally I would love to see the Mountain and the Hound each fighting off wights separately in King’s Landing, and then their eyes lock and the Hound rushes his brother. Then they have Cleganebowl, simultaneously while fighting off wights that are trying to kill them.
This would be a bit “blockbuster movie”ish (for lack of a better word that I can’t think of) to be sure, and I can’t think of a good reason why the Mountain would ever leave Cersei’s side, but I think the fight would be crazy fun to see.
As you mention it… what about Gregor Clegane, isn’t he a “living dead”? What would happen, when Gregor meets a WW? He can’t be killed twice and so he can’t become a wight, he could be very effective… But would he fight on side of the breathing or of the dead?
Would he fight for breathing Cersei and after she was killed (if she’s going to be killed etc) on side of wight Cersei?
I CAN’T stop laughing 😂😂😂
What a Sansa please .
There is no time for that stupid girl. Here is a great game and war between four the most important character Dany/Jon/NK/Cersei
Who is Sansa?
Are you kidding me?
Please
cos alpha,
And another spin to this… is Gregor solely loyal to Cersei, or really to his creator, Qyburn? He is definitely loyal to someone. Maybe both. Maybe it doesn’t matter, but its an interesting thought.
I also wonder if Bran can warg into the undead- Gregor, the wights or the WW’s. I assume not the wights, but possibly the other two.
I think, he could warg into Gregor and/or the WW and NK – but if he dares, he would be lost, could never go back to greensighted Bran.
Che,
“Am I the only one who doesn’t think her story will end with her leaving Westeros to sail west into the unknown?”
————
No, you’re not the only one. I agree with every one of your observations about Arya. Besides. Arya has been a virtual refugee for close to six years, and only recently discovered she had a home and family to go back to. (Even her voyage to Braavos was a split second decision, when she begged the boat captain at the end of S4e10 to take her north to the Wall but he said he was headed home to Braavos.) Why would she want to be a transient again?
As I recall, in S7e2 she said something like: “I’m heading north. Back to Winterfell. I’m finally going home.”.
That doesn’t sound like someone who’s aching to keep wandering the world.
[Oh, and my wishful thinking fanfic ending for Arya is that despite her repeated protestations, eg, “I don’t want to be a lady”; “I’m not a lady”; “Do NOT call me ‘My Lady'”, etc. … Arya will wind up as The Lady of Winterfell.]
Mia,
“Sansa could also end up with someone like Podrick as well, someone who has been in the periphery of her arc for a long time. Someone who has become a knight and is brave, gentle and strong. Just like Ned said he wanted for her when she was a child. So that’s also a possibility.”
——————–
Podrick the Prodigy Payne has…other attributes that could make Sansa a very happy woman. 😘
cos alpha,
I’ve been thinking of that ending for Bran… that he wargs into something that he possibly can’t control, and gets lost in their skin as Jojen and the greenseer formerly known as the 3ER warned him about. The thing is, in the show I personally feel like they didn’t touch on this enough; the whole concept of warging for too long and getting lost in their skin. They did mention it to Bran quite a bit during his journey North of the Wall, but nothing has been mentioned of it for seasons.
While in the books, to my memory, they do discuss this quite often throughout the story and I feel like it is heavily foreshadowed. And if the main characters’ endings are consistent through the books and the TV adaptation, this would *hopefully* mean Bran’s ending will be similar. I wouldn’t be surprised if this happens to Bran, and he becomes “lost” in someone else’s skin, but I kind of also feel like that would just be a problem for a regular ol’ warg, not the devine 3ER.
I don’t know, lots to consider.
Ten Bears,
Yeah, I can’t see Arya leaving Winterfell if her home and family are still in tact… she has always wanted to go back home throughout her whole journey. But, lets just say, if Jon dies (or has moved to a warmer location, perhaps) and maybe even Bran too, I can see her taking a little vacation exploration to see what’s out there. Not to say she won’t ever return to Winterfell (not like the show would delve into this), but I could see her going to explore for a while and then coming back to live with her sister.
I mean, after all, can you see her wanting to live in Winterfell with just Sansa? Maybe, but she is still very strange and annoying. And after Sansa marries Gendry like some people are suggesting, who can blame Arya for not wanting to stick around 😉
I do think she would choose her home, though, in an ideal situation. But the situation might not be ideal after the Great War.
In the books, the Dragonpit is well within the city walls, atop one of the three hills that are in King’s Landing. The Red Keep and the Great Sept of Baelor stand atop the other two.
In the TV show, it seems to me that its location has been left fairly vague; the scenes of characters assembling there didn’t include clear ‘establishing shots’ as far as I can recall.
However, after Tyrion has his negotiation with Cersei, he reappears from a tunnel opening, implying that the Dragonpit is close enough to the Red Keep that a person with short legs can get there fairly quickly via underground passages. If such tunnels pass underneath the city walls, and don’t require the Spider as a guide to find them, that might constitute a serious potential weakness in the city’s defenses.
She has to come back. Westeros does not have dark chocolate. For a proper bittersweet ending, someone needs to discover it in the New World across the Sunset Sea and bring it back!
Jaehaerys,
Totally agree.
I’m sorry this might be a dumb question but I’m a bit confused as to the actual location of the dragonpit.
Is the dragonpit actually very near to the Red Keep or is it far away from the Red Keep? Because I thought it was a ways away from the Red Keep.
While I don’t want to see 8.06 of GoT devolve into the Upcoming Betrothals column in a broadsheet society section, there have been romances and some closure is needed. Also, by the end Westeros is bound to be depopulated and many Houses extinct. For a dream of spring (probably the final episode title), marriage alliances–for love–will abound. Better yet, with the nobility fairly decimated, there will probably be matches between highborns and the children of well=off, educated lowborns. (New blood is a great contributor to breaking the wheel.) Given that, whoever survives the carnage–Jon&Dany, Brienne&Jaime, Arya&Gendry, Sansa&Tyrion, Bronn & a girl with a castle, etc –will probably marry. Even Arya will probably forego her west of Westeros dream for her friend Gendry. Though I’d still like to see her lead refugees to a new land and bring back dark chocolate (thanks, Firannion!).
GRRM always values the children. Four of his 1993 Five to Survive were children. The final episode of Season 4 (the last one mostly based on the books), called “The Children”, was comprised of sequences about children and ended with a child moving forward. One way or the other, I think children are the dream of spring.
I hope so too! I especially hope Arya does not have to give her sister the mercy, especially as they’ve now forged a new bond. FWIW, I’ve recently read some posts elsewhere which theorise that both sisters will be queens. I’d find it satisfying to think of one ruling Westeros and the other ruling a permanently independent North. HMM, Starkland? It even sounds a bit like Scotland 🙂
Leta,
Welcome. I too am the only fanatic in the family, but at least the others like it a lot. And they don’t mind me dropping titbits of information either!
Che,
You definitely raise some valid points. Now that Arya is home, she’s not just going to up-and-leave after the war is over. I’ve thought about this as well, and if she does sail West, there would have to be a catalyst (which could be any number of things really). The reason I feel like it’s a pretty big possibility for her is that it fits thematically with what I believe D&D are going for in the ending, and Arya is in a unique position to show the cost of war in the way of losing one’s home (literally and/or figuratively) and being a changed person because of it, never really able to go back or reclaim that which she so desperately wanted.
Certain moments/lines in the show/books tend to jump out at people I suppose as being very meaningful in a way. For me, another one is when Joffrey mocks Jamie for not having his deeds written down in the book of Lord Commanders after which Jamie replies “there’s still time”. That one jumped out at me as being rather important and that it would come back at some point.
Having said that, you’re totally right in that it’s not a given. In fact, I really love the idea of Arya being knighted and staying in Westeros. Not that long ago, I considered this as a possibility as well and looked up how a female knight is addressed. Because it wouldn’t be Ser Arya (at least I don’t think it would be). There is some precedence in history for “Dame”. Dame Arya? That sounds kind of.. old lady-ish though, doesn’t it? 🙂 What I found out is that there really is no established way of addressing a female knight, which I found rather interesting.
Bronn has made a point of demanding TWO castles, so he seems most likely to be married off to a Frey daughter/granddaughter and given the Twins (presuming he survives). Tolls for crossing the Trident should provide him as much gold as one man can drink away in a lifetime.
Dark chocolate? More like “Stark” chocolate amirite! Anyone..? No? Ok. 🙂
Stark Raven’ Rad,
“Though I’d still like to see her lead refugees to a new land and bring back dark chocolate (thanks, Firannion!).”
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If she’s going to be exploring exotic cuisine and bringing back new delicacies, then Hot Pie is her man. And she loves his cooking:
“Hey Hot Pie! It’s really good! – Arya S3
“Mmmm. This is good!” – Arya S7.
Jaehaerys,
“I mean, after all, can you see her wanting to live in Winterfell with just Sansa? Maybe, but she is still very strange and annoying. And after Sansa marries Gendry like some people are suggesting, who can blame Arya for not wanting to stick around 😉”
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Maybe Sansa won’t be living in WF. Or marrying Gendry….
Another commenter posited a few days ago that Samwell Tarly, MD, assisted by Arya Stark’s stealth and speed, will perform a dragonglass shardectomy on the Night King. I like that idea. I think something like that may very well happen.
However….
[*Adjusts Valyrian Steel-reinforced tinfoil hat*]
….It will not kill him. Rather, removing the shard will turn him back into human form, i.e., that barechested guy the CotF tied to the tree and mutilated all those thousands of years ago.
In order to secure a lasting peace, the Great Conciliator Jon Snow aka Aegon Targaryen* will broker a marriage alliance between the King of the Land of Always Winter f/k/a Night King, and his kissed-by-fire cousin/sister Sansa. Ice & Fire.
And they all lived happily ever after.
* Which of the two sons of Rhaegar identically named Aegon, you ask? Why, the little brother of course.
Interesting note; In “Clash” the Pyromancers inform Tyrion they found a cache of 300 jars of wildfire underneath the Dragon Pit. Granted I can’t remember if it was moved and used in the Battle of Blackwater, but it could still provide D&D with some inspiration for returning to the Dragon Pit in S8
Ryan,
I have a HUGE HUGE reservation that this can be small. We are talking the resurrection of House Targaryen. That has to be on display in some way. Whether this is the site Jon is crowned as symbolic of that or where a wedding would take place, both seem likely options, because they both speak to that idea of resurrection — which is a theme of this story, especially of Jon. it being a small Robb wedding is insane to me. Have to be at least a medium size.
I lean to the wedding being at Dragonstone, as the pit could be enemy territory, as my belief is the wedding would be during the war. So, an ending crowning, makes sense being as Kings Landing will be no more. It’s a good site to have it.
Either is super plausible, but can’t be a tiny ceremony.