Game of Thrones Predictions: The Season to Come

551 Comments

1. My guess for Jorah is that he comes to Westeros without having been healed before and starts a Greyscale plague from the south of the map. That would be a very unexpected catastrophe that neither Team Dragon nor Team Walkers anticipated.

2. Also Hodor.

3. Love all your predictions and totally on board with you, Sue! Can’t wait to see how many will play out! Will be especially interested in the Dany marries Jon one!

4. I agree with most of what you said except for the Daario part, I really think the show was trying to cut down characters and they used the opportunity to make him stay in Mereen (someone needed to!). Hopefully we won’t see him or Meeren again.

   Dany seems pretty invincible now, there needs to be some complications. My best guess is that Euron reveals he has

   Dragonbinder, that would be a massive complication for Dany

   . I also like the idea of a potential alliance with Cersei.

5. I have a feeling that Dany leaving Daario in Mereen will be mirrored in the books and we’ll see him again in an antagonists role

6. What fun!!

   I really really really really really really really hope your first prediction is wrong. Mostly because I love Jaime and I don’t want him to die with Cersei. Besides, with the intense Brienne-Jaime shiptease last season I waaaant to beeeleeeive that they have unfinished business later on (probably in Season 8). Jaime sees the true Cersei now – the one he called “a hateful person” in Season 4 – but “much more”. This is not the face of a “reformed” Cersei that she was careful to show Jaime last season (and why he was still dedicated to her).

   1. My prediction for Jaime/Cersei is he tries to get Cersei to listen to reason, but ultimately abandons her, taking most of the Lannister forces to Casterley Rock. There, he will sit, and wait, like Tywin did during Robert’s Rebellion. Ultimately he will join Tyrion and Dany when the come to Casterley Rock. Unlike books, Tyrion still loves Jaime, and has no reason to hate him. Jaime was angry about Tywin but I think he’ll be able to forgive Tyrion given all that’s happened. Dany has already seemingly accepted that Jaime did the right thing wrt Aerys. Dany, Jaime, and Tyrion and their allies will assault King’s Landing and remove Cersei – Jaime will insist they try to save her life, but ultimately he’ll end up killing her in a wildfire situation.

   2. This brings me to my craziest prediction which is that there will be some teasing about the most unlikely of all matches, a Dany x Jaime marriage. Who is more eligible than the Lord of Casterley Rock after all? Of course as Dany tells Daario she may not marry anyone, but it’s important that others think it may be possible. In the end, Dany (the younger and more beautiful queen) has “taken” Jaime from Cersei, as well as the throne itself – all she now holds dear. I doubt that anything will come of it (Brienne x Jaime is endgame – she’s the woman who’s arms he’ll die in, not Cersei) but it will be hanging in the air as a possibility.

   3. Dorne will be a very shaky alliance once Tyrion finds out about Myrcella. Resolving this somehow – I predict Ellaria is killed and the least awful of the SandSnakes takes over. Along with the business at Casterley Rock above, will fill most of Season 7, so that Cersei manages to last until the last or 2nd to last episode.

   4. Sansa kills Littlefinger 2k17.

7. I think Jorah’s story has come to an end tbh…
   That scene felt a goodbye, and I think there is a certain tragedy to leaving it where it is.

   Dany knows Jorah is doomed, but just cannot let him go off to die on his own without giving him some hope and happiness.

8. Can’t wait for the Jonerys wedding, though I think that will happen in season 8. Dany might be too busy with Euron and Cersei in the south.

   I think Littlefinger is going to look into Jon’s origins and use his parentage against him to cause trouble in the North. I don’t see Bran giving away what he’s seen in the ToJ willingly (he might be forced to because of LF). Imo if Jon finds out about his parentage it has to be in the most dramatic and unpleasant way possible (which is perfect for TV).

   Daario isn’t coming back. Jorah…maybe, but it doesn’t seem very likely.

   Bran will reunite with Jon first and then Arya imo. She’ll hang around with the BwB and the Hound for a bit as they head North.

9. I agree with most of everything .It’s the most logical way for the season to go.I think we are done with Daario but who knows really.The most intruiging to me are the Riverlands because it could go so many ways there with so many characters in the mix.I’m fairly certain we will see Gendry again the show doesn’t like to leave plot points open even though there is nothing wrong if his story ended where it did.I think him and arya will meet again.

   I agree with the political marriage between Jon and Dany but I don’t think it will happen this season.I don’t know if they even meet yet,maybe in the final it’s possible

10. We might get a repeat of Battle of the Blackwater and Cersei will use the wildfire at Dany’s ships. I hope not, but that would take out a decent chunk of her fleet. I also see Euron joining up with her. It would make Daenerys’ battle more difficult when arriving in Westeros. On another note: am I the only one worried that they haven’t shown any follow-ups on Harald Karstark? I feel like the lack of closure means he’ll show back up and be trouble in the north.

11. Jaime and Cersei will end in a tragic, Romeo and Juliet type way.
    He will probably strangle her to death with his golden hand, and then end up killing himself…

12. I think a Euron/Cersei alliance is on the cards, possibly even a marriage pact – but Cersei will only accept it when things are utterly desperate (and only once Jaime has publicly and irrecoverably denounced her).

    Dragonbinder will be featured, only in the show it’s in a vault in Oldtown. Sam discovers it, Euron comes for it. Dany diverts to Oldtown to aid them and honour her recent Tyrell support. Possible dragon theft ensues – tipping the balance back toward Euron/Cersei.

    We’ll also get some strong hints that Euron wants the Long Night.

13. A Cersei-Euron alliance seems pretty plausible, too. It would be a good way to reference/approximate all of Cersei’s shortsighted appointments from the books without having to introduce a bunch of people like the Kettleblacks and Aurane Waters.

    I’m also expecting Randyll to get involved with the politics of the realm. He’d make a great new Warden of the South for Cersei, and I’m sure he’d be happy to oblige.

    Cersei’s definitely going to run up a streak of terrible choices and magnificent losses, but it’ll be all the more impressive if she has some solid resources to squander in the first place.

14. Regarding Dany, my prediction is that she’s not going to sit on the Iron Throne or marry Jon. She’s not even going to be alive at the end of this story. I think this because of the vision she had when she was in the House of the Undying back in season 2. Remember how she walked into a destroyed throne room with the snow (ash?) falling? She approached the Iron Throne and was about to touch it but then gets distracted by a baby’s cry. She then walks through a door and emerges north of the wall where she meets Kal Drogo and their baby. My interpretation of this is that she never actually gets to be Queen of Westeros but is distracted by the fight against the WWs and dies heroically fighting them, thus being reunited with her dead husband and son in the Night Lands.

15. Arya will poison Cersei using the Strangler. My reasoning relies on the valonqar prophecy which was omitted on the show so I’ll put it in spoilers.

    The valonqar prophecy states “And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.” I believe this prophecy is not literal, that is, someone is not going to literally strangle Cersei with their hands. Valonqar is High Valyrian, which is genderless, so it could mean little brother or little sister. At Tyrion’s trial, Pycelle testifies that it was a poison called the Strangler that killed King Joffrey. Arya was shown learning how to mix potions during her blind training in the HoBaW. So my prediction is that Arya will kill Cersei by poisoning her with the Strangler, thereby fulfilling the prophecy.

16. Love your predictions! I had something in mind…what if Sansa is pregnant with Ramsay’s child and doesn’t know it yet?

17. Jorah will become an expert in medical matters, as instructed, and will eventually cure his disease but not before the greyscale has spread over his entire body. Thereafter he will be known as Doctor Living-Stone, I presume.

    Sorry.

18. Agree with your Euron/Daario Dany speculation. Also agree that Jorah is going to turn up in Oldtown. Disagree with what’s going to happen between Jaime and Cersei. Leaving aside

    the prophecy that’s not even in the show for a sec,

    I’d like to propose a totally different theory, that what’s actually been foreshadowed in the show is Jaime using the Lannister army to betray Cersei in favour of the North.

    – There’s been at least 2-3 references to the Lannister army going North
    – Sansa is in the North, Jaime mentions last season that his sister still wants her dead
    – He also mentions that he expects he’ll command all the Lannister forces before long
    – He tells Brienne that he’s a Lannister, and not to ask him to go against his own house (ie. he totally will, eventually)
    – Jaime’s been pretty slyly protecting Sansa and keeping his vow up until now – he tried everything he could to end a siege and allow BF to lead troops North to help her
    – He’s been showing that he has issues with the current Lannister alliances (Frey)
    – Jaime does not want to fight on a side opposite to Brienne
    – Plus, Jon will be looking for troops to fight in the great war, and the North just doesn’t have them (or not enough of them). A giant Lannister army would come in handy, and there has been a bunch of Jon/Jaime mirroring that might actually come to something

    Jaime is just primed to forge a new path for the Lannisters. The far more likely scenario to me is that Cersei (maybe before she knows Daenerys is coming) tells Jaime to do what Littlefinger didn’t do – to attack Winterfell with the troops, get all those pesky Starks (especially Sansa, as she wants her head). Jaime might give all the outward appearances of doing this at first, but in the end he will betray her in spectacular fashion. Could he kill her before he does this? Yeah… but wouldn’t it be way more effective for Cersei to find out from afar that her last familial ally has done this to her? I mean, holy crap I would HOPE the show isn’t dumb enough to have her dead for that revelation, lol.

    The “arms of the woman I love/does she want the same thing?” likely has something to do with Jaime/Brienne and not Jaime/Cersei IMO.

19. I think you make some excellent predictions,, but I think Bran and Meera should find Howland Reed to verify the Jon Snow vision is true. Maybe Jorah meets up with Quaithe who can heal him if he has no luck at the Citadel. I think Sansa will kill Petyr Baelish and marry Robin, though not necessarily in that order. I would very much like to see Dany and Jon meet. I hope someone kills off Qyburn before he can create more monsters!

20. Cersei’s reign will end with fire and blood, the destruction of the Red Keep, and a couple more dead Lannisters. Why season 7 instead of 8? No hard reason for it, they may draw it out into season 8, but personally I think it makes sense to take care of this business before we reach the true endgame, dragons versus White Walkers, Everyone versus Them.

    I have a hard time imagining this being drawn into Season 8. If anything, it’s going to take quite a few plot devices to get this particular storyline even to the Season 7 finale. The odds are so comically stacked in Dany’s favour that Cersei wouldn’t last two episodes in a direct confrontation. They’ll surely throw some curveballs at Dany, but Cersei doesn’t seem likely to be the one lobbing them. Say Euron takes up Dany’s attention for a while, allowing the Cersei/Jaime drama to play out.

    Somewhat relatedly, it’s rather remarkable to contemplate how empty King’s Landing is now, in terms of characters. This was the unquestioned dramatic center of the show from Seasons 1 to 4, and in Seasons 5 and 6 could at least hold its own with others. Now there are only four named characters present — Cersei, Jaime, Bronn, and Qyburn (Gregor has a name, but he’s not really a character) — and I can’t imagine Bronn is going to stick around very long, once he sees how long the odds are.

    There seems to me a similar issue in the Northern plot, which seems certain to end with Littlefinger’s downfall and the fall of the Wall. The former will, as you say, almost certainly involve the Hound revealing to Sansa the truth of Littlefinger’s involvement in Ned’s defeat; but in order for the suggested Jon/Sansa/Littlefinger drama to have time to play out, he and others (Arya and Brienne) will have to be kept busy elsewhere for much of the season. The fact that Brienne wasn’t shown anywhere in the season finale when she could easily have made it back North would suggest there’s going to be some further drama in the Riverlands to occupy those characters for much of the year.

    Schtemich,

    If Euron has the dragonbinder, does he really gain anything from allying with Cersei?

21. I love your predictions Sue! A lot of then I have myself, so that’s a plus. I really hope Jorah finds a cure. And, boy is Euron going to start trouble! Cersi is going to get whats coming to her and I hate to see Jaime go down like that, but it’s fitting. Jon and Daeny is my girly romantic dream. Lol. Arya cutting down Littlefinger! Wow! that’s pleasing. Can’t wait and thank you for these awesome stories.

22. Flayed Potatoes:
    Can’t wait for the Jonerys wedding, though I think that will happen in season 8. Dany might be too busy with Euron and Cersei in the south.

    I think Littlefinger is going to look into Jon’s origins and use his parentage against him to cause trouble in the North. I don’t see Bran giving away what he’s seen in the ToJ willingly (he might be forced to because of LF). Imo if Jon finds out about his parentage it has to be in the most dramatic and unpleasant way possible (which is perfect for TV).

    Daario isn’t coming back. Jorah…maybe, but it doesn’t seem very likely.

    Bran will reunite with Jon first and then Arya imo. She’ll hang around with the BwB and the Hound for a bit as they head North.

    i agree i think jon will be detroyed if he learn his true parentage

23. I’m definitely on board with all of Sue’s predictions, but in truth, they seem a little obvious. Didn’t GRRM say something about the ending being “bittersweet”? I think that many more of the characters that we’re invested in will inevitably bite the dust. Cersie and Jamie are certainly burning to death and, while we’re invested in their characters and storylines, we DO know that they’re the bad guys, right? (Truthfully, if Jaime is going to continue with his “everything is Cersie” mantra, good riddance!) Show Tyrion will be the only Lannister alive….end of House Lannister.

    I think that House Stark has at least one too many Starks in it and I’m afraid Arya will be the one to go. She is, after all, an assassin – a bad Stark – as much as I love her. Hopefully, she sticks around long enough to kill many of the army of the dead, but I don’t have a good feeling about her living out the rest of her days as a Stark in Winterfell. I’m sure there’s to be a reunion with what’s left of her family, but I don’t think she lives to tell this tale to her grandkids. (In a perfect world, Gendry rows into the Riverlands and picks her up, gets her to WF and marries the shit out of her!)

    Hopefully, I’m wrong….it’s all speculation. Wouldn’t it be nice if we had some sort of guide to go by….hmmmm. Maybe a book….

    With D&D putting off the start of S7, I want to say for sure that we’ll have some new reading material before the season airs. But that would be too much to hope for (GEORGE!).

24. I really, really hope that the showrunners are more imaginative than to have Bran’s “mark of the Night King” work twice in the same way. It’s too stupid, too simple and too obvious for a decent television show.

25. Much was said when Season 6 started about how “we’re off book now!” but to be honest almost everything that happened was at least predicted to happen in the near-future in the novels (with the major exception of Hodor revelations).

    Season 7, however, is when we will all be TRULY Unsullied.

26. SerBonnifer,

    Wasn’t there in the books

    a prophecy that Dany will be betrayed three times, the third time for love

    ?
    Also I hope the show will keep it real and have Dany deal with the cold being a logistical and potentially demoralising problem for her Southern armies, and how she will solve that while she is anti-pillaging, that’s probably what the Dothraki will be looking foward to. It would be kind of double standards if she demands that the Ironborn change their way of life but let the Dothraki ravage Westeros.

27. kit_hepburn,

    Agree with the Jaime/Brienne death – could Brienne be forced to fight Jaime for some reason, killing him but then he dies in her arms? Cersei will already be gone at this point.

28. kit_hepburn,

    This is possible. There were sooo many hints that Jaime ultimately would go North last season that I’m almost sure he eventually will. Besides, Jaime x Brienne is destiny.

    Personally, I think that Jaime will join Dany and Tyrion’s cause first, and only after Cersei is taken care of – I would guess he will still want to save her if he can, he will go North (end of Season 7 / start of Season 8) to honor his commitment to the Starks. For Jaime it seems that while he won’t break his oath directly, his Duty to his family is stronger.

29. Ionis Valonqar,

    They don’t have time to waste with convoluted explanations as to how the White Walkers finally breach the Wall.

    They’ve set up the explanation. The dead couldn’t pass the Wall because it’s protected by magic. That magic can be broken by somebody marked by the Night King crossing that magic’s boundary. Bran will cross the Wall and the White Walkers will follow.

    It’s straightforward and already set up. It doesn’t matter how stupid or obvious some viewers might find it. They’ve got a story to finish and they’re not going to suddenly explore some left-field explanation for how the Wall comes down when they’ve only got 13 hours left to produce.

30. Guest,

    I wouldn’t be surprised if half of the Dothraki end up at the bottom of the Narrow Sea following a sea battle with Euron’s fleet.

    Daenerys’ forces will have to take a few losses at some point, and what better way to explain away the potential devastation a Dothraki horde would reap across Westeros than have half of them never make it there to begin with.

31. Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,

    Agreed.

    Interesting question though: Lets say Bran goes trough the Wall then his mark destroys the magic there, what now? Those the ENTIRE Wall fall down or does it stay up, just that now the magic is gone?

    Always wondered this…

32. Ionis Valonqar,

    There are 2 options and no more.

    Either Brans mark or the Horn of Joramun. Bringing the horn now out of nowhere, with no hints or mention would simply not work.

33. Queenofthrones,

    I think Jaime will join the Northern cause first, actually, since that’s what seems to have been set up first. At this point, Jaime has no idea that Daenerys and Tyrion are coming, whereas he does know that Sansa is in the North, does know that Brienne is fighting for her. Plus, Jaime hates Tyrion right now, and Daenerys is the daughter of the King he slayed. If they get rid of Cersei and Littlefinger Season 7, then I love the setup of a Jaime-Jon alliance in the North, and a Tyrion-Daenerys alliance in the south (mirroring Lannister-Targaryen alliances, yay!) with the White Walkers encroaching and the final conflict being, “Will they all be able to come together finally to defeat this threat?”

34. Sam still does have that mysterious horn they found wrapped up with the dragonglass. Surely, they’ll come back to that at some point.

    I, too, have the feeling that Daario and Jorah are both out of the show. They do seem to be culling the cast down as they focus on the ending. We hoped for all these great twists (Arya’s odd stabbing, tRickon), but nope…they were just as they showed us. No twist.

    Glóin the Dark,

    That made me laugh….

35. QueenofThrones,

    Good theory about Jaime and Dany! Never occurred to me! I also hope cersei makes it to the tail end of the last season.
    I’m rooting for a Cersei and Euron alliance which I expected to be predicted in this article! That will drive Jaime totally nuts and make h abandon her. I imagine at first Cersei will keep it strictly business and turn down his sexual advances in classic Cersei fashion but eventually they’ll have sex and Jaime will find out and the whole book arc will come into effect of his jealousy!

36. Sullied by Knight,

    I highly doubt that horn will ever be mentioned again

37. Okay…I’ve read that idiotic prophecy like …thirty times. I can find nothing in it that says the valonqar will then commit suicide. That’s, you know, totally made up. I have zero idea where anyone would even come up with such an ridiculous idea. We’ve already seen Jaime at his lowest and wanting to die, when he lost his hand, and who saved his lame ass then? Brienne. He’s not going to get all suicidal again. Come on, people.

    And let’s just throw in the Jaime’s weirwood dream about a bunch of dead people, and Cersei, leaving Jaime alone with Brienne, naked, with swords. That’s just telling us Cersei dies, Jaime lives, his destiny is with Brienne. Naked. Hopefully. Nikolaj has been looking good lately. Those arms.

38. Wouldn’t it be funny if they started the episode showing Joe Dempsie, and then young Ned Stark appeared and said “Robert, come here, the jousts are about to begin.”?
    🙂

39. Sue, truly love you and the way you put things into perspective! My thoughts on next season run pretty parallel to yours. I too think that Cersei will be done in by one of her brother’s and that she will burn KL. Either Tyrion or Jaime would fill the prophecy as they are both younger, but unfortunately I think it will be Jaime and he will either die by his own hand or someone else will finish him.
    I have always thought that Dany’s vision of walking through the Red Keep with snow everywhere and it obviously burned indicated that winter had arrived and that KL had indeed burned. Moving forward is the name of the game now and I too don’t think they will drag on Cersei’s reign.
    Tyron is definitely playing the long game and I expect he will continue to do so. I’d love an “I told you so,” raven.
    I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Daario either and Euron would be the right person for him to ally himself with after being dumped. We all know Euron is not going to be happy with Dany’s alliance with Yara and Theon. As to him taking her on at sea, I’m not so sure. I do, though, think that it is possible he might try to block her in Westeros, he could certainly cause some damage there. Then again, he’s a pirate, so at sea and land with the Second Sons? Maybe.
    I could see Dany proposing an alliance with the KITN, but I don’t know about it being a political marriage. At some point we have to hope that Jon (and all of us) will know for certain if Lyanna and Rhaegar were married or if Jon is just a bastard of noble birth. I just don’t see him and Dany as a couple. It would be advantageous, but Jon is not politically savvy at all.
    Speaking of the KITN, I do also think Bran will cross the wall and that will be the precursor to the fall of the wall and the WW arriving. As to Bran being reunited with his siblings in Winterfell, I’m not certain it will happen at all. A truly bittersweet end to ASOIAF, would be Jon never learning his true heritage before he dies. George’s words haunt me..”the ending will be bittersweet.” Then again once he makes it to the wall he is so close to home. Should be interesting to see what path he follows in S7.
    I believe Arya will go home, but I do think she will run into a few familiar faces that were in the Riverlands, on her way. The dynamic of Brienne and the Hound, Melisandre and Arya, would be awesome to see when they first reunite. Hopefully, it will not end with bloodshed for any of them. I also wonder where Gendry is now and if he is indeed in Westeros. If they do bring him back I have a feeling he will play a part in creating weapons to fight the WW.
    I’m terribly afraid that Sansa will have been sucked in once again by LF’s machinations. IF Bran makes it to Winterfell I could see him being the one that leads to LF’s downfall via information gleaned from the Weirnet while at home and plugging in. That, for me, would be a great way for everyone to learn that LF was the key to Ned being beheaded. Then Arya and Needle could have at him…lol.
    Last but not least Sam and Gilly and Little Sam. I think Sam will have to be reminded that he was there to find a way to take on the WW first and become a Maester second. The white ravens have been released. Winter is Here. Whether he will find what he is seeking in that library, I’m not sure, but if the answers are to be found that’s the place to find them.
    I also think Jorah will have found a cure either in Essos or perhaps after showing up in Oldtown, but my first guess is Essos. We may not see him again until he is cured (offscreen), but I’m sure he will return. I don’t believe his story has ended

40. Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,

    We can waste time discussing it though : )

    So Bran get’s “marked” while he’s in the cave. Is there no credence that NK would need to “mark” Bran again after Bran passes the wall? Occam’s Razor and all but is 3ER’s explanation “simple” or “vague” when it comes the wall specifically? He never warns Bran crossing the wall would break the magic there. Why? I am all for a darker 3ER but it seems a little late for that too. So why didn’t he warn Bran or Bran infer from the last broken ward?

    For ref:

    3ER: “He touched you. He knows you are here. He’ll come for you.”
    Bran: “But he can’t get in.”
    3ER: “He can now. His mark is on you.”

    Tywin of the Hill,

    YESSSSS

41. Yep it was snow not ash with dany in the throne room – they mention that in the bluray commentary.

42. nipplesonanbreastplate,

    Sue is speculating about season 7 not the endgame.All our main characters will go to season 8.Cersei and Jaime are the only ones in question with Cersei being a gonner for sure. And D&D are not putting off the season just starting a bit later because of the weather and they have less episodes to film.In any case one more month is not going to change anything in George’s schedule lol

43. Queen Cersei, first of her name, hottest of messes lol… Good stuff Sue! 🙂 I also feel there was a hint to Jaime and Cersei dying together in s01. Cersei tells Ned they came in this world together and they belong together. Maybe they will leave the world together.

    Oh I never thought maybe Jorah would go to the Citadel. I would really like to see Jorah and Sam meet. It would definitely be a way to put Sam in the good graces of Dany if he helped heal Jorah.

    Also Gendry. Can we just have him back for an Arya reunion please?? 😀 Yes Arya, Gendry, and The Hound need to be the new power team.

44. People will just not let go darrio even if dany did ..will they

    He was supposed to be euron ,benjen ,Sons of Harpy ,
    And a guy who starts to doubt dany may be terrible after speech on drogon ( we have to forget that he was the one who advised to kill all the masters in the pit like red wedding ),

    So after seeing her come through fire and riding dragons what he decides is that he just switch sides to euron..
    He is not going to appear again because there is no story that requires him to be..

    Regarding the debate about whether its snow or ash in KL throne room..
    People will know iam believer that Jon will end up as king in the end…but this is not the foreshadowing of him being at at all..what else will the blown up throne be covered in the midst of winter if not snow and ash..

    Wall Builder,

    I believe that dany may die during the fight or sacrifice in the end just because she is one of the protagonists and has a destiny and all that …but again like the snow/ash thing i don’t consider it as a foreshadowing because ..

    In that vision you can see she walks away from the dead husband and child also..
    The only thing she responds to is the crying of her dragons…

45. Jorah will surface again ..he has to be iam sure of it .

    I hope we get marwyn and a bit of info about what happened at summerhall and all the citadel conspiracies against targa..and marwyn gets into prophecies and connect it to dany.

46. Mihnea,

    Well, we had Jon Snow make the “don’t knock it down while I’m gone” remark to Edd, so it’s possible it’ll come crashing down. But personally I’d prefer to see the White Walkers and the army of the dead make a successful and irresistible assault on the Wall and capture Castle Black.

    Tycho Nestoris,

    I think they could explore issues of destiny and whether Bran is destined to bring the Wall down and instigate a new War for the Dawn, perhaps knowingly. But regardless I think they’ve already set up how the protection of the Wall will be broken.

47. Aryamad: Queen Cersei, first of her name, hottest of messes lol… Good stuff Sue! I also feel there was a hint to Jaime and Cersei dying together in s01. Cersei tells Ned they came in this world together and they belong together. Maybe they will leave the world together.

    One of the running gags of the books is that Cersei is hilariously, comically wrong when she says/thinks/predicts shit, about 100% of the time. Just how a lot of time what Jaime thinks/says is in total opposition to what Jaime actually does. They are two kind of central elements to their characters (downplayed in the show of course because they don’t have the benefit of internal monologue) so I would take literally everything that Cersei says/thinks with a total grain of salt.

    On a totally different note, I agree that it’s going to be Bran that brings down the wall. The story has been working to make Bran culpable for a lot of actions that will have far-reaching and devastating effects I think.

48. kit_hepburn: I love the setup of a Jaime-Jon alliance in the North, and a Tyrion-Daenerys alliance in the south (mirroring Lannister-Targaryen alliances, yay!) with the White Walkers encroaching and the final conflict being, “Will they all be able to come together finally to defeat this threat?”

    This does have a nice symmetry and is a cool idea. However I don’t think the North would accept Jaime as an ally so readily – that is, not at all until there’s little choice in the matter. He did attempt to murder Bran, after all, and Bran knows this and I think will be at Winterfell before long. Jaime killed the Karstark boys, and many other Northerners, and was their despised prisoner for more than a year. Brienne would be helpful in convincing Sansa, but really I can’t see the Northern Lords being cool with it. At all.

    On the other hand if Jaime and the Lannister army come North again as part of a much larger, United Westeros alliance (including freaking Dragons), the Northerners can’t really say no unless they are going to put their stupid pride ahead of the survival of humanity. In that case they will accept not getting Jaime’s head… for now.

    HotPinkLipstick: Okay…I’ve read that idiotic prophecy like …thirty times. I can find nothing in it that says the valonqar will then commit suicide. That’s, you know, totally made up. I have zero idea where anyone would even come up with such an ridiculous idea

    MTE. Jaime is not going to kill himself on behalf of Cersei. Not now. Probably not ever, TBH. The only way Jaime dies “with” Cersei is if he can’t escape or she traps him somehow.

49. Sansa hugged someone who isn’t a repulsive piece of shit and that equaled “sexual tension” for some? Oy.
    This is one area where the show really doesn’t deliver. Not that I need it, nor do I think any of us really “need” it. Still, the only sensual chemistry I felt this season was between Yara and Dany. Unfortunately it will probably stall because TPTB are, in my opinion, going heavy toward the Aunt/Nephew route.

    Wish the show would kind of let the incest thing die with Jaime/Cersei but if they want some romantic pairings, there aren’t many options left.

50. dragonbringer: People will just not let go darrio even if dany did ..will they

    He was supposed to be euron ,benjen ,Sons of Harpy ,
    And a guy who starts to doubt dany may be terrible after speech on drogon ( we have to forget that he was the one who advised to kill all the masters in the pit like red wedding ),

    So after seeing her come through fire and riding dragons what he decides is that he just switch sides to euron..
    He is not going to appear again because there is no story that requires him to be..

    Yes!!!!

    I just do not understand this obsession everyone has with Daario and Conspiracy / treachery. I didn’t understand it with the book fans and I don’t understand it with the show fans either. There is exactly zero evidence that he is involved in any conspiracy or will turn on Dany. In the books I guess Dany worries that he’ll betray her but if anything that’s evidence against. How often is it in that someone worries about someone betraying them and it actually happens the way they think?

    Daario is Dany’s hot boy toy, with a bonus army. He is actually loyal and in love with her. She enjoys him but isn’t as serious about the relationship (she’s got bigger fish to fry). That’s about all there is to it.

51. Daario is the new Gendry. His role in this story is done. Gendry rowed off into the sunset and Dany rode off to the sunset without Daario.

    Two theories for the price of one. Dragon fire is the cure for greyscale and greyscale is an ingredient in Valyrian steel. The first part would only work on advanced, stone man greyscale. A quick burst of dragon fire turns the greyscale molten while remaining “quite cool” like the One Ring in LOTR. The molten greyscale slides off the body and then can be used in the steel.

52. Mother of madness:
    QueenofThrones,
    Good theory about Jaime and Dany! Never occurred to me! I also hope cersei makes it to the tail end of the last season.
    I’m rooting for a Cersei and Euron alliance which I expected to be predicted in this article! That will drive Jaime totally nuts and make h abandon her. I imagine at first Cersei will keep it strictly business and turn down his sexual advances in classic Cersei fashion but eventually they’ll have sex and Jaime will find out and the whole book arc will come into effect of his jealousy!

    Thanks! I’m glad you liked it. It may be a long shot. There’s a chance the show runners will keep Jaime in King’s Landing until Cersei’s Death (if he kills her). Or maybe he’ll open the gates for Dany and Tyrion (as if that’s even necessary).

    To be honest, I was rather glad that the Jaime gets Jealous angle was left out of the show. It seemed such a shallow reason for him to abandon her (though understandable). I just don’t think that he’s going to be able to tolerate her long at this stag, regardless of sexual fidelity. She is anathema to everything he has come to value now. An alliance with Euron is definitely in the cards for Cersei though, and it would piss off Jaime! I can’t see any thing else for Euron to do if he really wants to stop Yara from killing him and taking the salt chair?

53. QueenofThrones,
    I think Jaime will die in briennes arms.

54. Cersei will kill the dragons (with the help of the Citadel and poisoned goats), destroy the Targaryen fleet with wildfire, and then make an alliance with the Night King to crush the northern rebellion. Then she will marry Littlefinger and they will rule as King and Queen of the ashes.

55. QueenofThrones: This does have a nice symmetry and is a cool idea. However I don’t think the North would accept Jaime as an ally so readily – that is, not at all until there’s little choice in the matter. He did attempt to murder Bran, after all, and Bran knows this and I think will be at Winterfell before long. Jaime killed the Karstark boys, and many other Northerners, and was their despised prisoner for more than a year. Brienne would be helpful in convincing Sansa, but really I can’t see the Northern Lords being cool with it. At all.

    On the other hand if Jaime and the Lannister army come North again as part of a much larger, United Westeros alliance (including freaking Dragons), the Northerners can’t really say no unless they are going to put their stupid pride ahead of the survival of humanity. In that case they will accept not getting Jaime’s head… for now.

    You mean the Karstarks that fought on the side of the Boltons who are now defeated? 😉

    It is complicated for sure, but there is definitely a certain sequence of events that could make this plausible. Jon’s frame of mind right now is that they need men to fight during the Long Night. He would be a fool to reject a massive amount of aid like the freaking biggest army in Westeros, especially if he had reason to believe that Jaime was sincere, to hell with the Northern Lords. And I think there might be a few things that happen involving Brienne, among other things, that would make him understand that Jaime was sincere (but I won’t get into that right now). Also, regarding the Bran thing, I don’t actually think he’s going to get to Winterfell as fast as all that just yet (meaning Jaime might precede him), and/or I also have had the really, really strong suspicion for quite awhile that when Bran does encounter Jaime again, his attitude towards him is NOT going to be what most people are expecting (ie. I don’t think he’s going to be vengeful).

    There is some slight book evidence (though I would call it more than slight) that some combination of the 3ER/Bran are actually protecting Jaime, which is insanely interesting.

    I guess it all does come down to which alliance seems more plausible for Jaime to make next season Jaime/North, Jaime/Team Dragon.

    Thanks for discussing this with me, btw. I get really bored of the “Jaime/Cersei will die together” mantra, when there is so much more being set-up (like actually being set-up, actual careful foreshadowing that people seem to have missed) that could have epic consequences to the whole story.

56. Arya will take Jaime’s face and kill Cersei while wearing it.

57. Mihnea:
    Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,

    Agreed.

    Interesting question though: Lets say Bran goes trough the Wall then his mark destroys the magic there, what now? Those the ENTIRE Wall fall down or does it stay up, just that now the magic is gone?

    Always wondered this…

    My guess is that once the wall magic is gone the Night King will touch the ground and send an “earthquake” towards the wall and it will crumble, in the same way as the invisible barrier in Bloodraven’s cave was destroyed. I don’t think they would have shown that process unless it was going to happen again. Otherwise, they could have just walked into the cave.

58. QueenofThrones,

    Daario is Dany’s hot boy toy, with a bonus army. He is actually loyal and in love with her. She enjoys him but isn’t as serious about the relationship (she’s got bigger fish to fry). That’s about all there is to it.

    Perhaps no character is more different from page to screen than Daario. Book version is more violent and numerous hints are made to his potential treachery…

    Proph: “once for love”
    Daario: “I count no day as lived unless I have loved a woman, slain a foeman, and eaten a fine meal.”
    Barristan: Her love for Daario is poison. A slower poison than the locusts, but in the end as deadly

59. kit_hepburn,

    Bran and Jaime are absolutely going to meet again. Bran’s vision of the Mad King screaming “Kill the all” followed by Jaime killing him makes Bran another person who knows the truth about the Kingslayer.

    I admit to frustration when people see Jaime as an extension of Cersei’s story when it’s laid out as if it’s the other way around. Cersei is just a plot mover in other people’s character arcs, a moustache twirling villain to do horrible things, leaning people to realizations, and moving things along.

    She’s crazy bad funny awful, but the story isn’t Cersei with Jaime as her sidekick.

60. I actually agree with the Jorah/Sam thing. That is a strong way to condense plotlines/fill Sam in on what’s going on with Daenerys/get Jorah over to Westeros for the end game.

61. is it next may yet???

    My main predictions..
    Euron will hear that Yara/Theon beat him to Dany,Cerise will learn about King in the North..her only army is Lannister army so she will send Jamie north to deal with The North/LF/Sansa all at once..getting him out of the mess that will be KL putting him on the path to (eventually) join endgame in the north
    Cersie then learns about TeamDany heading her way (too late to bring Jamie back) and Euron decides one queen is as good as another so we Queen Cersie and King Euron againt TeamDany which will be a much more interesting fight then Dany ROFLstomping Cersie. Battle for KL will be big set peice and will end with Cersie blowing the place sky high when Dany is victorious and Cersie,Euron, and most of the Dothraki all dead

    we will see bran reach castle black looking for jon (but not crossing the wall so as to nit mess the magic up) he will learn Jon is now KiTN and a message is sent to Jon to let him now Bran is at the Wall.
    Jon leaves Sansa in charge at WF and we will have couple episodes of Littlefinger thiiiis close to getting what he wants (and i foresee ALOT of Sansahate as it appears Jon is set for round two of being betrayed by someone he leaves in charge)
    Jon arrives at CB ..goes to Bran who is in middle of vison and Weights attack..Jon of course saves Bran and takes him through the wall, setting up the fall of the wall at end of the season when NK arrives
    Jon and Bran return to WF.. spoiling LF plans for Sansa (who will be 1000% behind Bran,thereby earning her Good Stark Badge) and we will have political tensions (stirred up by a desperate LF) as there is now legimate male Stark heir (who doesnt want the crown), but they have already sworn fealty to Jon(who will be willing to give it up).this will last long enough for Bran to have vision that completes R+L=trueborn J. Bran will tell Jon, take his place as Lord of Winterfell and pledges the North to “His name is…” Targeryn, King of Westeros. The Vale Army takes LF prisoner and his story ends with a trip out the moon door (Sansa may be there watching as Lady of the Vale after marrying Sweet Robin)

    I have noo idea whats gonna happen with Old town or Riverlands…may have more of a clue if we get WoW before the season starts

62. At the end of season 3, when Jaqen gives Arya the iron coin he said to her “A girl has many names on her lips – Joffrey, Cersei, Tywin Lannister, Ilyn Payne, the Hound – names to offer up to the Red God. She could offer them all, one by one.” So, to me, it is clear that he never intended for her to be “no one” and just a paid assassin. He was simply giving her the opportunity to get, and pass, the FM training so that she could go back to Westeros and kill the people on her list. That’s why he just nodded and smiled before she walked away. So I believe she will kill both Cersei and the Mountain, since they’re the only ones left on her list.

63. I think Littlefinger’s poison words will work their magic in season 7 while we try to ignore the accidental sexual tension the show has created between the half-siblings who are actually cousins. (God this is getting weird.)

    I felt no sexual tension between them two.

64. Aryakills:
    Daario is the new Gendry. His role in this story is done. Gendry rowed off into the sunset and Dany rode off to the sunset without Daario.

    Two theories for the price of one. Dragon fire is the cure for greyscale and greyscale is an ingredient in Valyrian steel. The first part would only work on advanced, stone man greyscale. A quick burst of dragon fire turns the greyscale molten while remaining “quite cool” like the One Ring in LOTR. The molten greyscale slides off the body and then can be used in the steel.

    Oh yuck!!

65. I think that conversation between LF and Varys all the way back in S1 is just too important. They meet up again. I can’t see LF not at least vying for the throne at some point. His machinations have driven most everything political in the show for too long for him to just get offed by Sansa or Jon. I actually firmly believe his garbage inadvertently interferes with the fight against the WW and NK.

    I don’t think Bran tells Jon about his parentage. I think that falls to Howland Reed as a way to introduce the audience to the character in the present day. There was zero reason for the three eyed raven to make a point of telling Bran who he was at the ToJ scene if not. I think Howland Reed telling Jon who his parents are serves a better way to get the audience to care about who Howland Reed is if he is the one doing the tell all. Also, Jon is going to need the Crannog Men in that final fight.

    I could also see Jon not finding out who he is until after he and Dany have had a political union and the fallen in love with each other.

    Dragon Rider predictions: Dany=Drogon, Jon=White Dragon, Bran= Green Dragon that he wargs into(Green Seer=Green Dragon).

66. Mad Queen Cersei:
    – falls out with Jaime, realizing he might end up standing in her way she sends him to Casterly Rock (probably a mid season thing, cause their relationship will be important this season, clearly)
    – she has a reign of terror, and makes some sort of deal with Euron to subdue Dany early on in the season, and given the last couple of seasons they’ll probably even meet face to face
    – she only realizes how powerless she is at the very end of the season, when Dany’s immense army is at her gates, and then she burns King’s Landing and runs to Casterly Rock

    Arya:
    -one thing is certain: she will run into the BWB (Hound included), Melisandre and Gendry in season 7. I imagine they will give her a choice: family or vengeance (the BWB are heading North after all).
    -generally I have no clue where this is going, but narratively speaking you don’t give a girl mad face changing assassin skills only to take her to a happy family reunion. I also don’t think she’ll have a role in the war against the White Walkers. So I deduce she will absolutely be heading south.
    -so Arya chooses her list instead of reuniting with her family. There are only two people left on her list, and both are in the same place. King’s Landing. Cleganebowl still being a thing, I guess the Hound will have to join her. How that works with his redemotion arc os beyond me, but maybe Melisandre will have something to do with it.

    Dany:
    -her first enemy will be Euron, obviously, and by the season’s end she’ll reach King’s Landing and find it in ashes (like the prophecy at HOBAW)
    -Euron will decimate her fleet, and I think Theon won’t survive him. She will be weakened when she reaches King’s Landing, but still more powerful than Cersei.
    -The battle against Euron will take place at Oldtown, and after it both Sam and Jorah will unite with Dany, the former telling her about the White Walker threat and the latter validating it (being the son of a late Lord Commander). Sam’s buggest contribution to the plot will be getting Dany interested in the White Walkers and learning something important at Oldtown.

    The North:
    -Littlefinger will cause some trouble, but it will all be settled when Bran arrives with the big news on Jon’s true heritage.
    -Sansa will unveil Littlefinger’s treachary to the Lords of the Vale and have him executed
    -Dany and Jon will get engaged after the truth is out (season 8?) and Sansa will claim the North
    -Bran’s mark is gone by now, but NK will mark him again after he sees a bunch of visions and affects the past through the Winterfell godswood (building the Wall and the Night’s Watch being the key) and THEN the Wall will fall

67. The She Bear,

    What is dragonbinder?

68. Accidental sexual tension between Jon and Sansa? I did not see this, but I have seen at least a couple of reviewers mention this.
    Daario and Meereen are done, he does not serve any purpose in the story any more.
    I think and hope Jaime will kill Cersei, but doesn’t die with her. He will serve a purpose in the final war, imo.
    Dany and Jon are on collision course. They will probably meet in S7, may be marry in S8?
    Dany is too overpowered right now, the only challenge I can think of for her is

    Euron potentially finding dragonbinder.

    I wonder if Riverlands will factor in the equation, with the North/Vale allied, will Jon/Sansa try to consolidate Riverlands behind them too? If they have any such intentions, Arya just did them a huge favor. And Cersei/ Dany might face an additional complication in Jon.
    Sansa will ultimately choose Jon over LF and kill the latter.

69. I am worried about Euron as a villain next season considering he didn’t have much screentime, and the screentime he did have (particularly in the kingsmoot) was really…. underwhelming and kinda silly (tho i did like his intro scene)

70. I think Daario is done as well.
    He never landed as a character on the show.
    The first actor, while not a strong performer, did capture the sleaziness and bravado of the character.
    Once Huisman took over the role, while being a stronger actor, Daario kinda turned into a bland lover boy with no real remarkable traits other than being kinda charming.
    This version of the character doesn’t have much to offer the show tbh and I think is better left rowing away with Gendry.
    We got all the interesting ones. Missandei and Grey Worm are both superior to their book counterparts and Im glad we are keeping them.

71. I would like to see one of the red priest/priestesses bring Jorah to Asshai and delve into this part of the world (perhaps bring back Quaithe?).

72. I really don’t the whole sexual tension between Jon and Sansa. I mean, I really don’t see it. Just two good looking young people who are supposed to be brother and sister. Where does all this come from????

73. Tycho Nestoris: Proph: “once for love”
    Daario: “I count no day as lived unless I have loved a woman, slain a foeman, and eaten a fine meal.”
    Barristan: Her love for Daario is poison. A slower poison than the locusts, but in the end as deadly

    Daario’s quote isn’t evidence of treachery at all that I can see. It shows his character for what it is – a man who loves his simple pleasures. He has no reason to betray Dany whatsoever. If she leaves for Westeros without him there’s no reason to suggest he wouldn’t continue with his pleasures. And being custodian of Mereen has plenty of opportunities for all three (though who knows if that’s where book daario ends up).

    Barristan is wrong about Dany’s “love” for Daario – Old Barry’s a bit of a prude and has no direct experience with love anyway. Lust is all it is and all it ever was on her side. This is demonstrated in Dany’s actions and thoughts. Yeah she pines for him and loves sexing him but she consistently, and repeatedly puts duty in front of him. None of her decisions are driven by any love for Daario. Really she barely even respects him, let alone love.

74. HelloThere,

    Given that he had two scenes, it’s hardly fair to judge him (especially when his first was great). I think the writing failed him a bit in the Kingsmoot, and he’s also not nearly as larger-than-life as he is in the books. In the show he isn’t a big V like Joff and Ramsay because that’s just not necessary at this point.

75. QueenofThrones,

    I think its fairly obvious in the books that the only man Dany has ever loved is Drogo.
    Whether she will love another remains to be seen

76. I still think Jon Snow will be shown able to walk amongst the white walkers since technically he’s undead himself. Could that enable him to get to and kill the night king? Hmm dunno. I’d love to see him, having taken control from the night king, lower his arms, just as the night king raised his arms, and dismantle the white walker army.

77. Sou,

    *cough*

    QueenofThrones,

    Daario’s quote isn’t evidence of treachery at all that I can see.

    Sorry, I included that for bookDaario’s penchant for violence/bravado, which I think differentiates him from the show version. My main point is I think bookDaario will have a less amicable ending with Dany than showDaario.

    Re:Barristan OUCH. Damn, way harsh, Tai. Haha, I guess you could say the Ashara thing didn’t work for him so love isn’t his strength. Still, I think Barristan knows men and he clearly sees Daario as dangerous to Dany (and not in the Jorah jealous way).

78. Salacious Crumb, Just wanted to say, I love your handle! Brings a smile back, thinking about good ole Crumb! 😀

    Predictions: I’m unsure about Daario. I hope he’s done, and doesn’t come back to further complicate matters. As for Jorah, I hope he ends up in Oldtown, gets cured, joins up with Sam and family, perhaps allies with Randyll (?) who was loyal to the Targs of old, and they all go to meet up with Daenerys?
    As for Daenerys and Jon, it’s possible that both sides will propose a political marriage to strengthen themselves against a Cersei and Euron alliance (very fitting that two crazies join up!) D and J will marry for political reasons, fall in love with each other and then discover that they are very, very closely related. 😀 Oooh… the angst and tragedy! Shades of what Oedipus may have felt!

    As for Jaime, I wonder if he’ll die in Season 7 at Cersei’s hand. Cersei is now crazy enough to even take him out if he proves to be a thorn in her side.

79. kit_hepburn: You mean the Karstarks that fought on the side of the Boltons who are now defeated?

    It is complicated for sure, but there is definitely a certain sequence of events that could make this plausible. Jon’s frame of mind right now is that they need men to fight during the Long Night. He would be a fool to reject a massive amount of aid like the freaking biggest army in Westeros, especially if he had reason to believe that Jaime was sincere, to hell with the Northern Lords.

    Karstark’s sons and the other Northerners under King Robb’s command were honorable men that Jaime killed. Karstark then was beheaded by Robb. I don’t see how that retroactively makes any of the people Jaime killed (in combat) traitors? Of course killing people in combat should not be a reason for Jaime to be their eternal enemy, but clearly people hold grudges over this sort of thing. Not to mention Tywin and Jaime were entirely despised as dishonorable cowards by Ned, and if there’s anyone’s opinion in the North that people respect, it’s Ned’s!

    I don’t know that the Lannister army is the largest in Westeros, is it? Thought that would be the Tyrells’. Jaime’s army has been through a lot of battles, unlike the Tyrell and Dornish armies.

    And I think there might be a few things that happen involving Brienne, among other things, that would make him understand that Jaime was sincere (but I won’t get into that right now). Also, regarding the Bran thing, I don’t actually think he’s going to get to Winterfell as fast as all that just yet (meaning Jaime might precede him), and/or I also have had the really, really strong suspicion for quite awhile that when Bran does encounter Jaime again, his attitude towards him is NOT going to be what most people are expecting (ie. I don’t think he’s going to be vengeful).

    I agree to some extent with all of this. I don’t think bran will be vengeful, but that doesn’t mean that Jaime is not culpable for his crime. I don’t think King Jon can easily just let this get swept under a rug, whatever Bran says – you can’t just leave the attempted murderer of your brother unpunished, it doens’t look good in terms of law and order.

    To be honest I think the most likely outcome with Jaime in the North is that he takes the black for the crime of trying to kill Bran. So he’s spared death and is given the chance to help save the realm. And the way for Tyrion to become Lord of the Rock is clear, without Jaime having to die in some murder suicide. This could happen no matter when Jaime goes north.

    Thanks for discussing this with me, btw. I get really bored of the “Jaime/Cersei will die together” mantra, when there is so much more being set-up (like actually being set-up, actual careful foreshadowing that people seem to have missed) that could have epic consequences to the whole story.

    Tell me about it, and yes, thanks for the fruitful discussion! Jaime is endgame, Cersei isn’t.

80. jentario,

    I do like the actor overall tho.

    I just hope he gets more good stuff next season

81. Tycho Nestoris:
    Sou,
    *cough*
    QueenofThrones,
    Daario’s quote isn’t evidence of treachery at all that I can see.
    Sorry, I included that for bookDaario’s penchant for violence/bravado, which I think differentiates him from the show version. My main point is I think bookDaario will have a less amicable ending with Dany than showDaario.

    Hm ok, I don’t necessarily see Show Daario as much different. He did suggest that she invite all the masters to a meeting and then murder them all. He’s no honorable hero in the show either, he just is an easygoing dude who likes to have sex and kill stuff. Book Daario was a bit jealous of Dany and Hizdar I suppose. So maybe he’d react a bit less well to her leaving him. Who knows.

    Re:Barristan OUCH. Damn, way harsh, Tai. Haha, I guess you could say the Ashara thing didn’t work for him so love isn’t his strength. Still, I think Barristan knows men and he clearly sees Daario as dangerous to Dany (and not in the Jorah jealous way).

    Yeah I dunno. Barristan clearly sees Dany as a daughter and doesn’t like her f—ing around with some sellsword. He’d rather she concentrate on duty, and eventually find a caring, honorable, highborn man to marry – or just stay celibate like him, maybe. He’s seen people who let love get in the way of their duty and he fears the same with happen with Dany. However, this isn’t an issue in Dany’s case Because she doesn’t really love him, which of course he can’t know.

82. I want the wall to completely fall down just so the night’s watch ceases to exist for good.I don’t even know how to explain it but everytime somebody mentions a main character ending there in the long run I die a little bit inside.Bonus points if they think Jon will end up there again lol

83. QueenofThrones: I don’t think King Jon can easily just let this get swept under a rug, whatever Bran says – you can’t just leave the attempted murderer of your brother unpunished, it doens’t look good in terms of law and order.

    There’s nothing for Jon to know if Bran never says a damn thing about it, except maybe to Jaime’s face, except maybe to say he forgives him and that he’ll never tell and therefore no one else will know about it. It’s possible all the Northern Lords who ever knew about it are dead (or only heard about it third or fourth hand). Why would Bran do such a thing? Because he knows that Jaime is important to the greater good (he can see the past AND the future after all), and because Bran is learning that situations are not black/white. And because Bran himself sacrificed an innocent (Hodor) to save his own hide in a situation that was borne out of a wrong that he himself did, which is remarkably like what Jaime himself did when he threw Bran from the window. It’s one of my most far-fetched predictions for sure, this thing with Bran and Jaime and how it’s going to end up, but it’s definitely one that I think fits with the narrative. George, when talking about Jaime’s storyline has basically said that “If we can’t be forgiven, then what’s the point?” which tells me where his mindset about Jaime is at.

    I always thought there was more evidence of Jaime ending up as Lord of Casterly Rock and Tyrion ending up at the Wall for both of their endgames, personally. Especially given where Tyrion started out the series, and all the lovely Tyrion as a gargoyle (and where do gargoyles perch? lol) imagery from the books.

84. I want Quaithe, Illyrio and Gendry back for season 7. Littlefinger’s days are numbered, if Jon and Daenery’s parties ever meet I have no doubt that Varys will let them know that it was Baelish who betrayed Ned at the Throne Room. Also there’s Sandor Clegane out there who might confirm this too.

85. I think the Jon-Dany marriage will come to pass, but not before Season 8. (Follow up prediction: she becomes pregnant with his child as the shadowbinder’s predictions are symbolically fulfilled and but dies in childbirth, echoing Lyanna’s arc, and we see her join Drogo in the great beyond as in her vision in the house of the undying).

86. Maybe I’m just not much of a shipper, but I saw zero ‘sexual tension’ between Jon and Sansa. Tension, sure.

    Arya may not know what’s West of Westeros, and ships may not go there, but she does know a fairly decent rower. ?

    I very much doubt that Jaime will die with Cersei. Wishful thinking, maybe. But it doesn’t seem right, unless she sets him on fire as well.

87. Sorry to disappoint you #Cleganebowl fans, but I predict a girl named Arya Stark will kill #FrankenMountain.

    The show has enjoyed uplifting “young girls” to overcome great obstacles (Dany, Sansa. Arya, Sand Snakes, Lyanna Mormont, etc.). What better way for the monstrous misogynistic mountain to go out? Men are no match for him, and the Red Viper was not quite enough to finish him! So…..

    The Mountain will crumble before a little girl!! #AryaKillsFrankenMountain2K17

    (Okay, FINE… The Hound can tag along and assist)

88. Jaime will not kill himself, what a stupid idea it is.

89. Pigeon,

    I’m totally with you there. I don’t think Sophie has SEXUAL tension with anyone. The closest she came to being portrayed as a sexual being was when she walked down the stairs at the end of S4 in her new black dress. Otherwise, they’ve not sexualized her at all.

    Acting chemistry, sure, but not sexual tension.

    Davos and Tormund had more sexual tension in their chat the night before the battle than Jon and Sansa in any of their scenes.

90. Pigeon,

    It certainly makes for more drama if he doesn’t.

91. Pigeon,

    I’m not a shipper of them either but I’m not the only generally neutral person whose noticed some weirdness there. It may simply be that GoT (or those actors) doesn’t have the hang of showing adult siblings interacting affectionately, body-language-wise.

    And I don’t think Jaime is going to kill himself either.

92. I think Gendry still has a role to play. If memory serves, he was the apprentice to the Smith who recast Ned’s sword. One went to Brienne and one to Joffery. I predict Sam will find the secret to Valeryn steel (the theory anyway, Sam is a nerd) and Gendry will figure out the practical application.

    And, speaking of the citadel, I’m totally freaked out about the chandelier shot when Sam gets to the library. We’ve been seeing that image in the opening credits since the show started. Makes me think the Maesters of the Citadel are more than just academics. Somehow they are manipulating all that happens in the 7 kingdoms and will be integral to the end game.

93. What about Dany and Tyrion? A wedding between a Lannister and a Targ?

94. Fatou,

    I think the show vs. book discussion of Dany being barren is complicated. D&D said outright that Dany is barren, even though I know some of us book readers have thought the prophecies meant that were conditions where she WOULD have children. But I don’t personally think a Dany baby is the outcome of all of this.

    Predictions:

    1) Jaime DOES have a role to play in the North. He has a Valyrian steel sword. I think the show has shown us very clearly that’s important. I don’t think Jaime would know about the WWs and ignore it.
    And the fact that Bran saw the Mad King scene is no accident, nor is their history. If Bran’s arc is leaving behind “Bran” and becoming the 3ER, what personally happened between them is less relevant than fighting the WWs.

    2) The Dany/Jon marriage is heavily foreshadowed, but I sure as hell hope there’s some twist than as straightforward as it sems.

    3) Dany didn’t see the throne room in ASH, like people keep linking to Cersei burning down KL. The show runners clarified that she saw it in SNOW. And most critically, she doesn’t reach the throne. She doesn’t touch the throne. She very critically is portrayed as reaching out, and then her dragons’ cries distract her. That seems significant.

    I think she doesn’t reach the Iron Throne until winter has really come, which means something – Euron + Westeros itself – slows down that feeling of “inevitability.”

    4) Is Bran really so dumb and careless to say “Oh hey, I got marked by the Night King and it killed the magical protections and the 3ER, and then Benjen told us the magic protects the Wall, lemme just real quick cross the Wall.”

    WHAT?!

    I think the Wall will come down, but I’d be disappointed if it was so simple as the mark that Bran KNOWS ABOUT again bringing down the Wall.

95. Next season I see it being centered on the most eligble bachelor in Westeros currently, Jon Snow since he now controls half of the kingdom basically.I see marriage alliances trickling from all over now that the women have taken over westeros.

    Firstly, I see Cersie through Littlefinger trying to make an ally of Jon since Dorne and the Tyrells have allied with Danny making it impossible to beat them at the battlefield. If Cersei marries Jon and gets the support of his kingdom, their forces might be enough to keep the Danny+Tyrell+Dorne alliance at bay for just a little while.
    Littlefinger will help her in this because Danny is basically more of a threat to his plans than either Jon or Cersei.

    The Sand Snakes also aren’t complety trustworthy and will need some sort of insuarance since Danny won’t be so trusting with them after they killed their previous leige lord, hence a marriage between them and Jon could make their position more secure. Ollena once tried this with Sansa and Loras but Tywin moved in to block it with a marriage between Tyrion and Sansa, so I expect it to happen again.

    Moving on to the most probable and obvious proposers is Danny who is most interested in a political marriage and the only options left are robin, jaimie, the frey who is next in line to get the twins and Jon. Marrying a frey would make her an enemy of Jon and his kingdom, marrying Jaimie also makes her lose support of Dorne and the Tyrells, and Robin is definately not man enough for her and Littlefinger will never allow her near him so her only option left would be Jon.

    Since the show has unintentionally ended up shiping Jon and Sansa through their awkward scenes together I might as well add her to the list since they are cousins afterall and Bran is on his way to them this. Jon needs to unify his kingdom in order to take on the WW and marrying Sansa will plug holes on anyone trying to use her against him or challenge his legitimacy as tKitN.

    There you go, my predictions so far on what will happen.

96. Do u really think that the series will end with a happy ending and Jon and Dany will marry and rule together? yeah right

97. I don’t expect the Wall will fall because of Bran … the Wall must have more magic than the cave. Something else should happen … I think Jon and Bran will meet first at the Wall, while Sansa and Arya will meet first at Winterfell. It has sense to have them team up. Jon and Bran will be focus in the White Walkers threat, while Sansa and Arya might want to kill Cersei first. There could be some interesting dynamics and Arya could leave Winterfell with some men.

98. the stark in the north:
    What about Dany and Tyrion? A wedding between a Lannister and a Targ?

    What I saw in the Tyrion and Daenerys Naming-of-the-Hand scene was a great deal of affection – that was sibling-like. (Nice compare-contrast between these two in Meereen and Jon and Sansa in Winterfell in the last episode). Nothing to suggest to me a romantic pairing. And what would such a marriage achieve politically anyway?

99. the stark in the north: Do u really think that the series will end with a happy ending and Jon and Dany will marry and rule together? yeah right

    See to me, that isn’t a particularly happy ending. Or even an ending, necessarily.

100. Ron Pizzi,

     In the books it’s Tobho Mott (Gendry’s mentor). In the show it’s some Volantene blacksmith.

     Bastard in the North,

     “Firstly, I see Cersie through Littlefinger trying to make an ally of Jon.”

     No way Cersei trusts LF. She has to know about his Sansa scheming by now.

101. Jamie will at first warm to the idea of sharing the iron throne with his sister love until Euron changes course and offers his services to the mad queen in exchange for marriage. Danys fleet is attacked by Euron, many lost. Jealousy, death and destruction will ensue in KL. Lots of conflict over High Garden with its bountiful resources, needed more than ever with armies on the march and winter is here. Whoever is left heads North, the end battles commence.

102. Great Predictions!
     For season 7, I predict much will center around Littlefinger. He was close to Catelyn and when Ned returned to Winterfell, baby Jon had arrived ahead of Ned with his wet nurse. It would not be hard for Littlefinger to put two and two together. In fact, who better to figure it out than Littlefinger? Ned told Robert he got the baby from Wylla, insinuating that was the mothers’ name. Obviously that person has some significance but who I suspect, is the woman who looked our way in the Tower of Joy scene the midwife. I expect Littlefinger to produce that woman when he lowers the boom on Jon and Sansa about Jon’s origins before Bran or Howland Reed can tell him.

     I also predict Arya will hook up with BWOB and the Hound will tell her how Littlefinger betrayed both Ned and Jon Aaron. Arya will return to the North and kill Littlefinger.
     If anyone marries Robin it will be Arya, not Sansa, who then inherits the Knights of the Vale and the Moondoor.

     Jaime will at some point, walk out on Cersei, and when Cersei loses her rule over Kings Landing, will poison herself, just as she nearly did at the Battle of Blackwater. She will die alone and emotionally defeated and despite her evilness, we will be sad.

     My oddest prediction is that Lyanna Mormont is the daughter of Tormund. Remember Tormund bragged he had bedded a she bear.

103. Sue the Fury,

     I’m not a shipper either and myself have major issues with Sansa’s actions, but it’s completely noticeable to me, and I keep finding myself really confused like – “am I meant to notice this.”

     It’s a couple of things. It’s first and foremost that we’ve never seen Kit and Sophie on screen together as siblings, so their interactions naturally stand out. But there’s also a lot of interesting symbolic choices they’ve made, and why the heck is Jon giving Sansa such a loving forehead kiss. I have three older brothers who I love to the moon and back and they do not do that.

     Anyway, I don’t think the show is going anywhere with it, it’s just a little weird.

104. Sue the Fury,

     Curious how with the amount that people want this to happen and like aggressively ship these two protagonists together that it is NOT a happy ending.

105. I hope Jorah visit Quaithe(and somewhere he finds her) and she will cure his greyscale. Because she told him that ”This man must sail past old Valyria. All who tavel too close to the doom must have protection.”

106. Nadia,

     It’s worth it just to see the Jon fans and Sansa fans have to get along with each other.

107. nipplesonanbreastplate:
     I’m definitely on board with all of Sue’s predictions, but in truth, they seem a little obvious.

     My friend, with all those theories the fandom has developped over the years, the only plot evolution that would come as a surprise would be a UFO flying over Westeros and beam up all main characters so that they can colonize Arrakis or Tatooine.

108. Jenny,

     I know right?

     the stark in the north,

     Dany already has Tyrion on her side, so marrying him would accomplish nothing. She’s also now allies with Dorne and Olenna, who want to take down the Lannisters, so a marriage to Jaime is also out of the question.

109. the stark in the north:
     Do u really think that the series will end with a happy ending and Jon and Dany will marry and rule together? yeah right

     Jon and Dany ending up together doesn’t necessarily have to be a happy ending. They’ll be stuck having to rebuild a mess of a kingdom and pay off Robert Baratheon’s debts to the Iron Bank. That’s hardly a happy ending filled with romance.

110. I was thinking what could make Jon and Danny enemies at first … What if Bran sends Jon to ask for help to Danny and tells him he is the son of Rhaegar. Then, Jon meets Danny but she doesn’t believe him and sends him away. So, Jon steals a dragon, Rhaegal … or Bran wargs in Vyserion and brings him North …
     Maybe the only fact that the Northerners want their independence will make them be enemies at first … But it would be great if Bran can control at least one dragon to make it more even.

111. Tycho Nestoris,

     Still don’t see it, but you have made me smile!

112. Kay,

     Strange, I thought that Tyrion looked rather smitten by his Queen. Sort of like Jorah.

113. Arya will also reunite with her Nymeria?

114. Great predictions Sue. The fact that a lot of this was logically deduced from what we’ve seen in Season 6 makes me excited for the surprises in store that no one saw coming. Like the whole Hodor revelation in the The Door. There is so much of the story we just don’t know.

     I have to agree with Sue, I think there was a very, very small spark between Jon and Sansa. Probably unintentional and I’m sure nothing will happen between them too anyway. They do drum it into our heads that Sansa and Jon were the least sibling-like pair out of all the Stark children, but that could be taken any which way. I mean weren’t there some odd love matches in Martin’s original outline? Blah! I don’t want to see a Dany and Jon love match, please God no. An alliance against the forces of Evil is all I need from them two together.

     LF will cause a major shitfest before he’s cut once and for all. It’ll be more than just a schism between Sansa and Jon. I just want a really elaborate scene where Sansa announces her alliance with LF in front of the Lords of the North and Vale, for it all to implode in front of him as someone creeps up behind him and holds a knife to his throat mirroring his betrayal of Ned. Nothing more poetic than it being the Hound. I speak this into existence.

     Now Dany and Jamie is interesting. Interesting because the Targaryens were known for incest, Dany may therefore overlook his incestuous past. “The younger, more beautiful Queen will take all that you hold dear” – the only thing left that is dear to Cersei is Jamie. It’s more likely it’ll be a political alliance obvs but could there be something more…

     This wait is going to be horrible.

115. A season 8 prediction: White Walkers are not the endgame. There is something brewing to the west, under the water.

116. Blanche Holstein,

     Why would the Ironborn beat Dany’s fleet? Even if they do manage to build a huge quantity of ships, I got the feeling that they are not a very big nation. How many men would there be? If they had important numbers, they wouldn’t live off piracy. Plus, Dany’s fleet is commanded by Ironborn as well. Unless Yara talks to them about her no pillaging no reaving deal and they turn on her, sabotaging the whole Targ expedition hoping that Euron will take them back.

     No, I think it is on land that Dany may have some trouble, considering that the Lannisters have a 60000+ army. Provided of course Jaime continues to do his sister’s bidding, which I would find inexplicable. By the way, how many are the Dothraki warriors? We know the Unsullied are 8000.

117. Flayed Potatoes,

     I hate it with a burning passion.Like why would you want that for him and what makes people think that is where he wants to end up.In any case burn it to the ground lol

118. Ramsay’s 20th Good Man: They’ve set up the explanation. The dead couldn’t pass the Wall because it’s protected by magic. That magic can be broken by somebody marked by the Night King crossing that magic’s boundary. Bran will cross the Wall and the White Walkers will follow.

     If that’s the case, why didn’t the Night’s King simply grab a random Night’s Watch ranger and wait for him to walk through the Wall?

119. HotPinkLipstick:

     And let’s just throw in the Jaime’s weirwood dream about a bunch of dead people, and Cersei, leaving Jaime alone with Brienne, naked, with swords. That’s just telling us Cersei dies, Jaime lives, his destiny is with Brienne. Naked. Hopefully. Nikolaj has been looking good lately. Those arms.

     You wouldn’t find me complaining!

120. Jenny,

     Well, if they end up erasing the WW off the face of the earth, the Night’s Watch would be out of job anyway!

121. My thoughts on LF and Ned from Season 1.

     1) Ned knew Bran saw something he shouldn’t.
     2) Ned knew “Lannisters” were responsible for Bran falling.
     3) Ned knows Joffrey is not Big Bob’s.

     Ned betrayed Ned when he walked up to Cersei and told her he knew about the incest (hello McFly? what did you think would happen?).

     LF didn’t betray Ned as much as go into self preservation mode after that. I am no LF apologist but he’s helped Sansa twice and got nothing out it. Her killing him would accomplish nothing other than bloodlust and Arya’s got enough of that imo.

     1) He could have left her in King’s Landing after Joff’s murder.
     2) BotB

122. Nadia,

     I want an original and not too predictable end. I suppose this is quite hard because there are so many theories out there and one will be true. GRRM already said some fans are right about their predictions. But if Danny and Jon just marry at the end and live happily ever after, I would be extremely disappointed. There are only 13 episodes left and I don’t think Danny and Jon will meet at the beginning of Season 7. There isn’t enough time to develop a love story between them, unless it’s at first sight garbage. That makes me wonder if Sansa and Jon have a chance, because they are physically together. They have time to learn the truth and develop a relationship … and near the end Jon kills Sansa to fulfil the Nissa Nissa prophecy and Sansa dies as Lady or other tragic end … The other possibility is that Jon and Danny meet sooner than expected… The Nissa Nissa prophecy is there for something, at least in the books. Sacrifices are necessary for the greater good.

123. Sou,

     Yeah that’s the most probable thing.The only way it could exist is if the wall stands and they manage to expel the white walker from the kingdoms and don’t fully defeat them.But just erase them tbh that shit didn’t work the first time it’s not going to work again

124. Euron’s going to somehow destroy that library in Oldtown, and I’m going to hate him so much for it. But I’m also kinda glad, because Euron’s going to be a bigger problem than Ramsey, and I _was_not_ looking forward to the all the rapes used to establish that. Having him ruin the library would make him properly hateable without returning to that well.

     And he really needs to be properly hateable, because right now the show’s facing a serious villain vacuum. Cersei’s living on borrowed time and no real threat to any one other than the smallfolk of King’s Landing. And the Night King is more of an abstraction/a force of nature for the moment.

     I predict that Euron will attack Oldtown, destroy the library, capture Sam, steal at least one of Dany’s dragons, grieveously damage her fleet and keep her from King’s Landing until Cersei has self-destructed. He might well sit on the Iron Throne himself for a while. I hope that Sam will be the one to end him. But next season might still be a bit early for that.

     And then there’s Littlefinger. If he goes out next season, it will be at the end of it, after he has caused a lot of trouble for everyone. I agree with all the predictions that Sansa will be the one to take him out, but right now, there’s still a rocky road ahead. In the books, there are lots of hints that Littlefinger’s still got an ace up his sleeve. Who knows, he might become the hypercompetent schemer he’s in the books once more. On the show he’s been saddled with the plot-mandated idiot ball so often, that it’s easy to forgot that he’s behind most of the stuff that went down in the first three seasons. I doubt he will go down so easily.

     I think that Littlefinger’s next goal is Riverrun. Get rid of the Freys and Lannisters – he might not even have to use the Vale forces; if I were him I’d be funding the brotherhood without banners – pay someone else a little extra, so that Edmure won’t survive the rescue mission – waltz in with Catelyn’s look-a-like daughter and install her as Lady of Riverrun. In the books he will probably try to marry her off to Aegon at some point, but since they cut Aegon from the show….. What’s clear, however, is that his agenda will clash with Jon’s eventually and that Sansa will finally have to choose. Pretty sure she’s going to choose her family this time around.

125. Flayed Potatoes: Dany already has Tyrion on her side, so marrying him would accomplish nothing. She’s also now allies with Dorne and Olenna, who want to take down the Lannisters, so a marriage to Jaime is also out of the question.

     Disagree. Tyrion is a Lannister, technically, but the Lannister army and Vassals are loyal to Jaime if they are loyal to anyone. Tyrion is the monster who murdered their Liege Lord.

     As for the second part, we already have problems with Lannisters and Dorne coming into conflict. Tyrion is not gonna be any happier with what those Dornish snakes did to Myrcella than Jaime was. There’s going to be a reckoning there before the Dornish and Jaime ever have to meet up.

     Olenna I think would ultimately accept Jaime as part of an alliance once Cersei is gone. He never did anything against the Tyrells, she only despises him out of association. In fact Jaime tried to help free Margaery and Loras.

     I’m not totally predicting a Jaime x Dany match, but it has a lot of advantages. To be honest I’d rather ask what Jaime would get out of it than what Dany would. He’s already Lord of CR and has zero ambitions to be King.

     Jon obviously also makes a ton of sense though too. Ultimately I predict both matches will be proposed/voiced, but neither will happen as several relevant characters will die before the end.

     BTW did anyone watch After the Thrones for e10 – they did a Tinder parody for Dany’s marriage prospects – total genius.

126. Meg,

     It was a “telepathic grabbing”. It’s possible he needed the power of a greenseer to give someone his mark.

     But yeah, Bran won’t just walk and topple the Wall at the beginning of season 6. That would make Bran look a complete idiot, and after the Hold the Door moment he needs to get some slack from the writers. That said, if the effects of the mark fade away, it’s still possible the Night King will mark Bran again.

     Assuming Bran has a lot to accomplish in his visions in season 7 (again, my guess is he time-wargs Bran the Builder to build the Wall and found the Night’s Watch) Bran will have to continue to use his powers. The mark is already an established plot device, so I can see it being used as the thing that will finally topple the Wall (it’ll be better than some random unestablished horn popping up out of nowhere). I always thought it would be cool if the Night King had greenseer powers himself, amd if he could chase Bran through the dream world and various visions/locations with Bran knowing that the Wall will fall if he fails.

     I also think it would be a symbolic and sayisfying visual to see the Wall being built and collapsing in the same episode.

127. I am so confused. People really think Bran is going to be made into the stupidest character in Westeros?

     Bran AND MEERA know that the Night King marked Bran, which led to a horrific chain of death and destruction.

     Benjen told Bran AND MEERA that magic protects the Wall from the dead.

     So Bran and Meera just are like “whatevs, let’s cross the Wall no big!”

     I will be astounded if they go that route and make us believe it’s natural. Maybe Bran is too curious, too adventurous, but would Meera not remember what horrible things happened as a result of Bran breaking magical protection?

     I really have to believe that if THIS is how the Wall comes down, and I’m skeptical, that they do it by accident. I still think Euron plays a role or somehow (I can’t think how just yet), Bran needs the Wall to come down for the fight to really start?

128. I will never understand this fandom’s obsession with “Dany and Jon must ab-so-lu-te-ly marry”. It would be such a stupid outcome for this story, not to mention that show!Dany does not need him (she has enough power by herself) and that Jon simply does not give a fuck about the Iron Throne.

129. Mag: near the end Jon kills Sansa to fulfil the Nissa Nissa prophecy and Sansa dies as Lady or other tragic end … The other possibility is that Jon and Danny meet sooner than expected… The Nissa Nissa prophecy is there for something, at least in the books. Sacrifices are necessary for the greater good.

     I can’t think of a good way for Nissa Nissa to happen, except for the possibilities involving Jaime. Either Jaime kills Cersei to forge lightbringer / Jaime is Azor Ahai (or an aspect of AA). Or possibly Brienne kills Jaime / Jaime kills Brienne (nooo) / Oathkeeper is Lightbringer. These are the only relationships in show or books which are strong enough to warrant comparisons to nissa nissa / AA, and where the characters killing each other is set up in some way that works for the characters involved.

     There’s simply no one that Jon or Dany loves enough for it to “count,” and Jon killing Sansa would be completely awful – no one could root for him after that. Jon killing Dany in a way where we are still on his side would require her to go all mad queen or something to work, or for Jon to act completely out of character (as with Sansa).

     So anyway – if Jon is AA and no one else is, he’s not forging lightbringer in the same way AA did. I’ve always thought there is no one AA – but parts of the legend would be fulfilled by different heros. We already see this with Jon and Dany.

130. D&D don’t do romance very well, and I agree that there isn’t enough time to develop a viable love story between Dany and Jon. However, there are some *really* good fanfics out there imagining how the Jon/Dany relationship will play out (“On the Knees of My Heart” is achingly good). I wish the show runners would read these and take some notes.

131. Sou,

     So where do you think Euron fits in? I do not see Dany being interested in such an unstable character who has made it clear he wishes to dominate. No idea how many Dothraki there are but as someone else posted, a disaster/attack at sea might eliminate some and lessen the scorched earth they bring to Westeros.

     As for Jamie, why wouldn’t he once again fall under the influence of Cersei. He is her fool. Perhaps he will murder her but not yet. In the Riverlands he told anyone who would listen that if need be he’d kill everyone in his path back to her.

132. I don’t get why a Jon and Dany relationship which is totes going to happen btw people best accept it now means a happy ending.Even if they get married who says one or both of them does’t die at the end.Or even if they survive which would be my preference they will both be too damaged to have a happy ending and the realm will be so damaged they will have to go through so much to rebuild it.Or they get married and don’t fall in love.Or they fall in love but don’t get married because she can’t have children and they want the line to continue.There are many ways it can go

133. Meg,

     This is going to come across ruder than I intend, but I always feel this way when people bring up fanfiction with regards to romantic pairings.

     Sorry, but those people know nothing. They are shippers. The entire purpose of their stories is romance. The plot is a way to bring their two romantic heroes together.

     This show is nothing like that. The show’s plot is NOT subservient to some grand shipping romance.

     If D&D read Jon and Dany romantic fanfiction I will fly to Ireland and throw tomatoes at them….or something.

134. Sou: No, I think it is on land that Dany may have some trouble, considering that the Lannisters have a 60000+ army. Provided of course Jaime continues to do his sister’s bidding, which I would find inexplicable. By the way, how many are the Dothraki warriors? We know the Unsullied are 8000.

     Where does this number come from? Logically I would have thought that Dorne + Tyrells would easily outnumber Lannister, especially given the Lannister army has seen a lot more action than either of the others. But if ti’s really 60k… okay? Maybe the writers just pulled a number out of their butts so that Cersei would have a fighting chance. I suspect that the Lannister forces will end up split between Cersei in King’s Landing and Jaime at Casterley Rock, maybe with Cersei retaining the better half.

     I think that Dany is supposed to have like 100k Dothraki but don’t quote me.

135. 
     

     Meg: If that’s the case, why didn’t the Night’s King simply grab a random Night’s Watch ranger and wait for him to walk through the Wall?

     
     THIS!

     Also, the NK grabbed Bran’s arm DURING a vision he had while he was INSIDE the Three-Eyed Raven’s cave – how do we even know he still has that mark on his arm, anyway?
     Plus, wouldn’t Benjen warn him not to go THROUGH the Wall (with all his “You’re the 3ER now”/ “Magic was carved into the Wall’s foundation”) instead of dropping him over there?
     I don’t know if/how the Wall comes down, but I don’t think it will because of Bran’s arm’s mark.

     On Tyrion and the Tyrell/Sand Snakes alliance with Dany:
     – Olenna had Joffrey murdered and Tyrion was accused of it – the Tyrells were basically ok with throwing him (and Sansa) under the bus and let him take the fall for Joffrey’s murder
     – Oberyn offered to be Tyrion’s champion and got killed by the Mountain – Ellaria killed off Myrcella for revenge
     – Tyrion doesn’t know any of that, but Varys might, right?

     How will Tyrion react if he founds out?
     Or do you guys think it won’t even be addressed at this point?

     Dragonriders:
     – Dany / Drogon
     – Tyrion / Viserion [Maybe Tyrion is smitten by Dany, based on their scene in the finale, I don’t know, it’s quite possible. I’d like to think Tyrion as the brother she never had 🙂 ]
     – Jon / Rhaegal, because of, you know, Rhaegar, but what happens to Ghost then? 🙁
     – And where does that leave Bran and the “You’ll never walk again, but you’ll fly” statement by 3ER?

136. I predict that Dany’s coalition will break apart in Season 7, perhaps necessitating an alliance with the North. I doubt Tyrion knows that Myrcella has been poisoned, and that her killers are now his allies. He cared for Myrcella and won’t be happy with Ellaria and the Sand Snakes. Also possible that he finds out that Olenna framed him.

     I think we will see Casterly Rock again. Tyrion trying to win it from Jaime. The plot will reflect S4 in a way, only the reverse: Tyrion will get Dany to agree to let Jaime join Night’s Watch instead of being executed, but he will turn it down and it will be his downfall. Perhaps Tyrion will even let him free if Jaime is successfully captured, as Jaime let Tyrion go. “A Lannister always pays his debts.”

     I predict also that Sansa will stay with Jon, but Jon will also learn to see Sansa as a peer rather than a little sister to protect. She will go as the main diplomat to Daenerys’s forces, sort of like how Catelyn was Robb’s main diplomat. She is more southern than Northern, and obviously has a pre-existing relationship with the Queen’s Hand. Perhaps she will choose between marrying Littlefinger or marrying Tyrion this next season? Will Tyrion admit to killing Shae to Sansa, and will that have consequences on the relationship? (I would like to see Tyrion’s darkest act re-examined, and Sansa is one of the only people who knows her and would not be very forgiving of his actions).

     Basically I think Tyrion will go from being a supporting character in S5 and S6 to being a major character again. Would love to pick back up with his major relationships – Jaime, Cersei, Sansa.

137. Jenny,

     In some cases it must be wishful thinking. Those are probably the same people who thought he’d never leave the Wall after his resurrection or who think he’s going to go back to the Wall now and let his sister-cousin be QITN.

     QueenofThrones,

     Tyrion can be pardoned by Dany and given Casterly Rock. Dany doesn’t mind he killed Tywin. But Dany isn’t going to marry the guy who killed her father and has such a bad reputation because of it. The Lannister mines also aren’t producing any gold on the show, so a marriage to Jaime does nothing to help Dany. In fact, I doubt Jaime will even live long anyway. It’s not an accident that Dany mentions marriage in the same episode Jon gets made KITN.

     Marriage to Jon gets her the North and Vale (and Riverlands via Jon’s family, if the show decides to return to that region) without going through a costly war in the middle of winter, whereas Jon gains an army and dragons to fight the WW. It’s the most beneficial alliance for both. If Jon’s parentage is also revealed, it would make sense for them to unite their claims via marriage and avoid any future rebellions/civil wars.

     I know people hate the potential of a Jon/Dany marriage, but given the circumstances it’s the marriage that makes the most sense politically. She’ll have more suitors in the books for sure, but she’ll end up with Jon anyway. It’s just more obvious on the show because there’s no time to add tons of supporting characters that have no significant role in the endgame.

138. GOT has been reportedly scouting Reynisfjara Beach and other areas near Vík í Mýrdal in Iceland. Rumor has it for Asshai or Eastern scenes.

     https://images.bigcartel.com/product_images/164549659/ReynisfjaraBeach0I2A2726.jpg?auto=format&fit=max&h=1000&w=1000

139. Oh, and I predict Theon will bite it this season. He is probably the biggest sticking point to a Northern alliance. Northern lords probably blame him (not unfairly) for Robb’s fall. And I think Theon was right to predict Jon Snow would want him executed. He saved Sansa, but that doesn’t wash out his crimes. I think he will willingly give himself over the be executed in the North for the sale of the alliance which is so crucial to helping Yara. He has even said that justice for him would be his death. Maybe the big death of the season (not confident Cersei will die this season…who will be the human antagonist in S8 of not her? Is Littlefinger enough?)

140. Oh god. The curse of the poorly-made gifs with inane quotes…

     I have no idea what this constant whinging about Bran is all about… some people take movies & TV shows way too seriously, I swear! How can people criticise a fictional character so excessively?! It’s bizarre, frankly, and reflects very poorly on my age group/generation. Yeah, he made some mistakes within the context of the story – so what? It’s not like he’s the first to do so, and let’s be honest, none of us would last a minute in a place like Westeros. We’re all conditioned to be weak, effectively, since we rarely have to fight to defend ourselves and NEVER have to fight to get food.
     As for what Bran’s gonna do… well, he’s gonna go through the wall, which will be a significant moment in some fashion I gather. The Night King’s magic may well have an effect… perhaps it won’t destroy the wall – maybe it will allow the Night King to “see beyond” the wall, through his own “ice-seer” abilities. Very difficult to predict where this particular storyline will go.

     I’ve seen a lot of people mention Cersei and Euron as a potential villainous coupling – it’s possible, but I can’t see Euron actually accepting Cersei’s hand in marriage. Perhaps Euron’s reappearance will be from Sam’s perspective – and I have a strong feeling that the Dragonbinder/Dragonhorn is going to make a prominent appearance, otherwise why bother with the Euron character at all? As exciting as a generic naval battle can be, I think the show’s well past that point now. Euron needs something up his sleeve, otherwise he’s basically just a nothing, a cipher, compared with Cersei who has the wildfire and The Mountain (and her loyal mad scientist Qyburn who no doubt has some brutal contraptions in the works).
     I think Jaime will have to leave the capital. I can’t see him sticking around for long. The tension is palpable. I think he’ll kill Cersei a little bit later. say at the end of Season 7, or even in Season 8. I also think that the three Lannister children will be “reunited” in some form or fashion before the end. It won’t be a happy reunion… 😛

     Arya’s a mystery. I prefer not to think too much about that one. Surely she has to cross paths with her siblings at some point though?

     There’s no doubt in my mind that Jorah is returning at some stage. Perhaps he’ll show up on Bear Island and beg forgiveness of Lady Lyanna for his past misdeeds, haha. Now, as for Gendry… I truly wonder if he will ever show up again. There’s really no narrative purpose for his character at this point… yet of course it would be immensely satisfying to see him reconnect with Arya. Those hints of a romance between the pair in season 2/3 aren’t necessarily foreshadowing anything, but it would certainly be interesting… and would be the last “loose end” that needed tying.

     Either way I anticipate that season 7+8 of Game of Thrones will be nigh-on the most masterfully-crafted and awe-inspiring narrative ever committed to film 🙂

141. Blanche Holstein: As for Jamie, why wouldn’t he once again fall under the influence of Cersei. He is her fool. Perhaps he will murder her but not yet. In the Riverlands he told anyone who would listen that if need be he’d kill everyone in his path back to her.

     Actions speak louder than words. What has Jaime actually done that makes you think he’s her pawn? What evil has he perpetrated, after season 3, in Cersei’s name? Was it when he went personally to save their daughter from assassination? Or when he rode to the sept to help their allies escape torture and judgement at the hands of a zealot? Or was it when he ended the enemy occupation of another of their allies’ castles without bloodshed? All while letting an enemy of the crown escape justice?

     He only told that to Edmure – not “anyone who would listen”. And only after it was clear that Edmure saw him only as the Kingslayer. Jaime knows how and when to play the Kingslayer / Tywin’s son card, that’s all he was doing.

     Another example is the fact that in episode 1 this season Jaime said to Cersei “I’d burn them all, all that matters is us” but then his face in episode 10 tells it all. Horror. Rage. At Cersei doing exactly what he claimed he would do himself.

142. A better view here

     http://www.supercoolbeaches.com/sites/default/files/reynisfjara-beach-iceland.jpg

143. I am going to go on a limb here and say that Rhaegar is not Jon’s father and that HBO is just doing a misdirection and that the Mad King is really Jon’s father (via rape). Making a call. I understand the diagram that HBO released. This is just my opinion based on a few facts littered in the scenes (i.e. Kingsguard present, problems with pregnancy etc.). If that is ever the case my guess is HBO will have a firestorm on their hands. Thoughts?

144. Wall Builder: Arya will poison Cersei using the Strangler. My reasoning relies on the valonqar prophecy which was omitted on the show so I’ll put it in spoilers.

       Quote  Reply

     Your theory appeals to me, specially as it would be an inverse mirror of the events as they transpired with the Braavos players. In Braavos, Arya was supposed to administer the poison in the rum of the actress playing Cersei, Lady Crane, who like ‘the real Cersei’ was known to have a habit of enjoying her alcohol, hence making the rum an ideal target! Because she was a good person, however, Arya used her own judgment and applied mercy (not the euphemistic ‘gift of mercy’), choosing instead to intervene in order to save the actress from a fate she felt she did not truly deserve. In the real Cersei’s case, in contrast, Arya is unlikely to deem her a good person nor deserving of any mercy beyond the euphemism…Just imagine the irony of Cersei dying by her own wine, as she’s sipping deep from one of her obscenely large signature goblets, gloating over the spectacle of some genocide or other for which she’s responsible!

     To add to the dramatic irony, the actress played her role of Cersei as if it were ‘real life,’ imbuing the role with empathy and humanity, which was capable of moving both Arya and the rest of the audience. Strangely, however, ‘the real Cersei’ increasingly plays at life as if she were at a remove from it — and there are very few left in the audience besides lone ol’ loyal weatherbeaten, pussywhipped Jaime who feel moved at her plight. From her ivory tower on high in the Red Keep, increasingly dehumanizing the people on the ground and around her (including heartbreakingly her own son), she behaves as if she were either an actress increasingly unconvinced of her own role, and/or as if she were one of the audience getting vicarious enjoyment out of the ‘makebelieve’ tragedies of others. Increasingly, Cersei fails to draw a line between her fantasies and reality, perhaps indicating a descent into something one might call a sort of ‘madness.’

     It’s a supreme irony that Lady Crane could shed real tears (even moving the audience to tears) for her fake dead son onstage, whereas Cersei ultimately felt nothing for her real dead son. Dry-eyed, she surveyed his dead body with calm resolve, chalked it all up to prophecy instead of her malicious actions and pathological neglect, and ordered him burnt and discarded. In playing the game of thrones to the death against Tommen — he not the High Sparrow nor Margaery was her ultimate opponent (the crown and the faith are the two pillars…and Tommen defied her will, so he and anything he cared about had to be annihilated at all costs…)– Cersei’s soul finally bottomed out.

     Although I favour Jaime as ‘valonqar’ for ‘narrative symmetry’ reasons, ‘valonqar’ as a gender-neutral term would be particularly applicable to Arya, especially considering how frequently she has swapped genders (often masquerading as a boy in order to survive), names, roles, and faces throughout the story!

145. Flayed Potatoes,
     Yes, Dany could defeat the Lannister army and appoint Tyrion Lord of Casterley Rock. On the other hand an Alliance with Jaime would give her the Rock and Westerlands without weakening her own forces, and instead adding to them, and more importantly ensure the loyalty of the Westerlands going forward. Tyrion as Lord of CR would require a lot of work to keep the vassals in line. I think that the Westerlands would accept Tyrion as Hand of the Queen and Dany as Queen, provided that Jaime was behind it. But not without that.

     And I mean if you want to talk real endgame, honestly I doubt most of these characters will live long enough to establish a new dynasty or for the marriage prospects to play out. I don’t have a particular problem with Jon x Dany, but Jon and Dany will most likely both die before there’s a chance for a power couple. Or at least one of them will die (probably Dany if I had to choose). I’d say there’s a solid chance they will be attracted to each other and maybe even sex. I don’t think Jon has any other obvious marriage prospects which is one reason I don’t see him as King on the IT. Jaime has an outside shot of surviving it all but if he does he will probably marry Brienne, assuming she lives as well, which is a toss-up.

     Tyrion is probably the only character I think will definitely survive. And Sansa. Where does that leave the kingdoms? Either Tyrion is really Aerys’ bastard, and he will be King after Jon or Dany legitimizes him and they both die, or there will be separate kingdoms. Or a complete reset because of the extent of the destruction by the WW.

146. MD,

     No. It’s Rhaegar. Dayne even says in the first ToJ scene that Rhaegar wanted them there to guard Lyanna. The show and books have also hint that Lyanna had a relationship with Rhaegar and not his father.

147. Meg,

     I think they did Jon and Ygritte fairly well at least I liked.And I believed Drogo and Dany and Robb and Talissa were in love even though they could have been more developed.Plus Sam and Gilly are okay in my eyes.Obviously it will be more fleshed out in the books if they are ever published lol but considering they will have less storylines and characters they can focus on it.I think they can pull it off

148. Blanche Holstein,

     Well, of course I don’t rule Euron out, and I reckon we are in need of a villain, but still I don’t know how a few thousand of Ironborn with as many ships they have managed to build and man could seriously threaten an armada of the size we have seen. I’ll give it to you though that the Dothraki are not sailors!
     As for Jaime, he said what he said but then he took his time partying in the Twins (way out of the road to KL) and when he did go back to her he found Darth Vader. After having used the Death Star on half of the city. So I can’t rule out he continues to stand by her (and it would certainly be necessary plot wise, if Cersei is to live past the second episode of season 7), but man is he stupid or what.

149. Ghost: On Tyrion and the Tyrell/Sand Snakes alliance with Dany:
     – Olenna had Joffrey murdered and Tyrion was accused of it – the Tyrells were basically ok with throwing him (and Sansa) under the bus and let him take the fall for Joffrey’s murder
     – Oberyn offered to be Tyrion’s champion and got killed by the Mountain – Ellaria killed off Myrcella for revenge
     – Tyrion doesn’t know any of that, but Varys might, right?

     How will Tyrion react if he founds out?
     Or do you guys think it won’t even be addressed at this point?

     They have to address these issues. I don’t think it’s going to be able to be kept secret for too long. I could see there being quite a bit of time next season spent on reshuffling this apparently unstoppable alliance. It would be interesting if Varys knows any or all of this and Tyrion finds out, how that might affect their friendship as well. I think Tyrion would advise Dany to depose Ellaria, if there is anyone else the Dornish would follow. She’s a murderous snake and to be honest is likely to kill Tyrion if anything. On the other hand I think Tyrion would understand Olenna’s actions, even if he personally suffered. She was acting in self-defense and defense of her family. One benefit of Olenna’s admission of the crime is that Tyrion would no longer be known as the man who poisoned the King – just the man who killed his own father. Slight improvement I guess!

150. Hodor Targaryen,

     I like all your predictions!

151. QueenofThrones,

     The Tyrells and Dorne are allied with her because they want to destroy the Lannisters (that includes their army to eliminate any resistance). Once Dany is done with them and appoints Tyrion, nobody will be able to protest. And I doubt the show is going to focus on petty fights in the Westerlands when there are only 13 episodes left.

     Jon and Dany’s storylines have been focused on the idea of kingship and learning how to lead. They will be leaders in the end. Jaime really has no room in the White Walker arc, unlike Jon and Dany imo. If he survives this season, he’ll probably die in the WW fight to make room for Tyrion.

     There has been no indication on the show so far that Tyrion is a secret Targaryen. If your argument is that the dragons didn’t kill him when he freed them….they never harmed Missandei either and she isn’t a secret Targaryen. Honestly, I think waiting for the books and seasons to come out has made people come up with really convoluted theories, when the ending is probably pretty straightforward (but carefully hidden in the midst of all those secondary characters and their own storylines).

152. QueenofThrones,

     When Tywin sends Jaime to fight Robb, he mentions giving him half of the Lannister army, “over 30000”.
     Yes it’s a big army, even with the Tyrells and Martells. Especially if Euron does attack and takes some Dothraki in the bottom of the sea.
     Actually I thought too that Dany was overpowered by the end of the season, then I happened to watch this scene (it’s the Tywin skinning a stag scene) and I thought to myself that like this it makes sense.

153. Flayed Potatoes,

     I think waiting for the books and seasons to come out has made people come up with really convoluted theories, when the ending is probably pretty straightforward

     A thousand times this.

154. I love most of those predictions! Very inventive, yet they make sense too. Except for Daario, I’m afraid. Personally, I believe his story is over, along with that of the newly-named Bay of Dragons.

     These are my own “pure” predictions for season seven, which I wrote a few days ago just to see how it would go, considering we have absolutely no filming news yet, and no relevant casting calls:

     INTRODUCTION (Episodes 1 and 2)

     THE WALL:
     Bran and Meera go through the Wall and meet Edd in Castle Black, who tells them about Jon and Sansa’s march to Winterfell and the news of their victory. Edd arranges for them to go meet Jon and Sansa in Winterfell and warn them about what’s coming.

     THE NORTH:
     Jon tries to direct the North to the real threat. Baelish tries to make Sansa stand up for her rightful claim. She does, to a point, yet she is aware he will try and take advantage.
     Brienne and Podrick arrive and Sansa sends them south again to parley with the Crown.

     THE RIVERLANDS:
     Arya frees Edmure from the Twins, though she isn’t sympathetic to his cowardice.

     THE SOUTH:
     Cersei’s reign of terror begins. Qyburn susses out dissent and Ser Gregor squashes it. News come of Jon and Sansa’s rule over the North, yet she is blind to her limited powers. Unable to dampen her mad fire, Jaime is distraught, as he serves a mad monarch again.

     IRON ISLANDS:
     Euron, revealed to be an uncanny threat, turns his new massive Iron Fleet to Oldtown.

     OLDTOWN:
     Against the maesters’ close-minded wishes, Sam studies “the higher mysteries”. Gilly studies on her own as well, with books Sam manages to secretly take back to their home. Sam learns the maesters seek to put a stop to magic. They helped kill the dragons.
     Jorah arrives in the Citadel to find a cure for his greyscale. He meets Sam, and once they realize who each other are, they exchange news of the White Walkers and Daenerys.

     VOLANTIS:
     Dany takes Volantis with the slaves’ help, as Kinvara said they believe she is their savior. With all major slave cities fallen, Daenerys sets sail to cross the Narrow Sea with her armies, three dragons, Tyrion, Missandei, Grey Worm, Varys, Kinvara, Yara, and Theon.

     RISING ACTION (Episodes 3, 4 and 5)

     THE NORTH:
     Jon is frustrated to deal with difficult Northern politics instead of facing the White Walkers.
     Petyr’s last gamble proves to be his undoing. Sansa lays his plots bare, executes Littlefinger as a traitor in Winterfell and takes control of the knights of the Vale herself.
     Bran arrives, but the sibling reunion is dampened by his dire warnings. In the godswood, Bran sees the Tourney at Harrenhal. Rhaegar didn’t kidnap Lyanna; they planned to elope. He believed their son would fulfill an old prophecy. His would be the song of ice and fire. Bran informs Jon of his true parentage, which makes him doubt his entire identity and his claim to the North and his kingship. Perhaps his fate lies in defeating the White Walkers. Jon marches his armies to the Wall, while Sansa stays behind to rule Winterfell.

     THE RIVERLANDS:
     Arya meets Sandor and the Brotherhood, who head North to fight the real war. Arya forgives them and learns of Jon and Sansa. She is torn between vengeance and family —Between crossing the names off her list in King’s Landing and going back to her home. Reluctantly, Arya decides to accompany the Brotherhood again for the time being.
     As she aimlessly heads south, Melisandre meets Arya again, just as she once prophesied. She tells Thoros and Beric about Jon’s resurrection. To Arya’s chagrin, they convince her to come with them back North, and face the consequences.

     THE SOUTH:
     Dany lands south of the Crownlands. Olenna and Ellaria are amused by Tyrion as Hand. Miscalculating, Ellaria brashly tells Tyrion she murdered Myrcella, which infuriates Tyrion. He tries to convince Dany to break this alliance: They are not interested in her new world; They only seek bloody revenge. Dany agrees, but she also believes they will need them. The Queen’s council make a plan to take King’s Landing: Daenerys and Grey Worm will lead the dragons, the Unsullied and the Dothraki by land; while Tyrion, Yara and Theon sail the Targaryen, Greyjoy, Martell and Tyrell fleets to the Blackwater.
     News of Dany make Cersei see traitors all around, just as the Mad King in his final days, to Jaime’s torment. Brienne arrives to parley with Cersei. Even though Jaime and Brienne come painfully close to confessing their love, Brienne fails to persuade him to leave with her, as he believes he has a duty. Jaime fails to save Brienne from Cersei’s wrath.

     OLDTOWN:
     Sam learns something regarding Valyrian steel crucial against the White Walkers.
     Euron performs a mass ritual sacrifice to favor his odds in battle. His men doubt his sanity, but they fear him even more so. Oldtown soon falls, but Euron isn’t in the city just to reave. In the Citadel, he finds what he was looking for: A magic weapon hidden by the maesters. Sam escapes to Jon and Jorah to Dany. They promise to tell them about each other.

     CLIMAX & DÉNOUMENT (Episodes 6 and 7)

     THE SOUTH:
     Tyrion’s and Yara and Theon’s fleets arrive in the Blackwater and begin the eastern siege. Meanwhile, the Unsullied and Dothraki hit the western walls on the Lion Gate. Daenerys mounts Drogon and together they lead Viserion and Rhaegal to destroy the city’s and the Red Keep’s defenses. Her armies soon breach the walls and lay siege to the Red Keep. Cersei sees only one way out: to ignite the rest of the wildfire, taking her enemies with her. Yet again, Jaime is forced to dishonor his oaths while making the morally right choice, as he sorrowfully kills Cersei, trying to put a stop to her mad plan, which was Aerys’ once. However, this time his sacrifice is for naught: Cersei, Jaime, Qyburn, Gregor, the Red Keep and the city go up in green flames. The Tyrells’ and Martells’ thirst for vengeance gets the better of them: As they insisted on leading the vanguard to kill Cersei themselves, Olenna, Ellaria and the Sand Snakes are also incinerated, alongside most of their men.
     Dany walks through the burnt throne room as it snows. Just now that she has the throne, she is pushed to her true purpose at the Wall, as she saw in the House of the Undying: Jorah arrives to the ruins of King’s Landing and tells Daenerys about Jon Snow and the threat of the White Walkers up north. Tyrion vouches for Jon Snow, as does Theon. Kinvara says Dany is the One Who Was Promised; she is fated to fight the White Walkers. Forlorn and bound by destiny, Daenerys decides to take what’s left of her armies North. However, before they part, Euron arrives —But he doesn’t seek an easy alliance anymore. His fleet overwhelms Yara’s and he unveils what he acquired in the Citadel: a dragonhorn. The horn is blown. Daenerys manages to keep control of Drogon, and shockingly Tyrion appeases Viserion and even mounts him, but Euron takes the reins of Rhaegal, who launches itself against its brothers. Tragically, Dany is forced to have Rhaegal killed.

     THE NORTH:
     The Brotherhood arrives in Winterfell, prepared to lend their services in the Great War. Sansa reunites with Arya and Sandor. As Jon exiled Melisandre, she faces her trial. Despite Arya’s insistence, Sansa is more pragmatic than Jon and spares Melisandre’s life. As Jon abdicated his kingship to seek his new destiny, Sansa is made Queen in the North.

     THE WALL:
     Sam arrives to see Jon leading the northmen and wildlings. After being brought up to speed, Sam tells Jon all about what he learnt, and of Daenerys and her dragons.
     The White Walkers arrive. Jon, Bran, Sam, Davos, Edd, Tormund and a few Lords feel prepared to mount a defense with their men, but the Night King makes his move. The Wall cracks. Jon’s army is pushed back only to see the Wall crumble to the ground. The White Walkers pass through the Wall’s ruins. Jon and the survivors are driven back to Winterfell.

155. QueenofThrones,

     I actually just rewatched the first scene with Tywin and Jaime this morning. Tywin is skinning the stag. He tells Jaime he will give him half of the Lannister forces, 30,000 men, to go and retrieve Tyrion, who, at that time, was Cat’s prisoner.

156. Question: I have very vague memories of that, but what about this 3eyed raven that stalked Bran. Was it like a real bird, or was it supposed to be the 3eyed raven-man who could pull a vampyre act? If the man can turn into a real raven that could come in handy because where Uncle Benjen left Bran there is NO WAY Meera can drag him to the Wall and past. I mean, he could have taken him a little nearer, right?

157. Flayed Potatoes,

     Ah don’t remind me people being like he will go back to the wall when he explicitly said he was done with that and they need Winterfell against the white walkers.Like those guys killed him he is done with that shit.It’s literally why the writers killed him in the first place.It would be too much wasted potential for him to go back there

158. Littlefinger v. Varys
     Everyone is predicting Littlefinger’s quick demise via Sansa, but haven’t they set up some kind of proxy-war between he and Varys? Surely they will meet another time, either personally, or through their proxies . . .

159. Once again, bittersweet doesnt mean people will die….thats just us readers/viewers projecting our fears or story wishes. Bittersweet could mean a variety of things. Jon, not wanting to rule, being stuck in Kings Landing apart from his family could be seen as bittersweet. Tyrion as Hand of king, with all of his family dead, could be bittersweet (he might have hated his sister, but he loves/loved his brother). Dany being Queen but unable to continue the Targ name (if she is indeed still barren). ETC. I could go on and on, point is, our characters arent necessarily doomed.

160. Jenny,

     I know right? GRRM and D&D want him out of the Night’s Watch. Besides what you mentioned already, Jon going back to the Wall means he’s dying the first moment the WW get through lmao. Or that Jon will give up being KITN and give it to Sansa (when Bran is ahead of her in the line of succession anyway). And Jon was made KITN by right of acclamation, so it’s not like he’s going to be like “thanks, but no thanks…give the title to this supporting character please”. I just can’t even lol.

161. I know things aren’t going to happen the way I’d like them to in either medium. I really hope that I enjoy the ending in a way that is satisfying though. Nothing ruins the entirety of a good story for me more than a disappointing finish. With ~13 episodes to go they’ve entered the final stretch and the seven S7 episodes need to quickly set the pieces for a climax that should take up half of S8.

     Immediately next season…
     Euron seems like he’s about the only one nuts enough to join Cersei and/or remain with the crown after what she’s done. Still, if Cersei only has the Lannister army and Euron’s portion of the Ironborne they shouldn’t really stand a chance. The Iron Islands is small and should not have the manpower without exaggerating their numbers. I keep saying it, but if Daenerys has attained or does attain all of the troops and fleets from the Reach and Dorne to add to her Essos numbers and dragons it should be ‘over’ quickly. I think it should be too, especially with how little time is left. She’s spent blood, tears and sweat for years attempting to build her forces for taking Westeros. She did that and then also unexpectedly acquired massive numbers from within Westeros itself. During that entire time the Seven Kingdoms just continued to fight among themselves and weaken everything, ignoring anything they’ve heard about Daenerys, which somehow seems to be very little recently.

     I hate the inclusion of the Dragonbinder in the books and what may happen when it’s used. I’d LOVE it if they completely eliminate it on the show, seriously. While written material can introduce it and mention it over a long period of time, if it suddenly appears this late at this point in the show it’s going to look stupidly convenient and a bit of a cliche bit just to make things more of a struggle for Daenerys.

     It should be a tough enough battle simply because it’s a lot of land to cover and control.

     Sou: No, I think it is on land that Dany may have some trouble, considering that the Lannisters have a 60000+ army. Provided of course Jaime continues to do his sister’s bidding, which I would find inexplicable. By the way, how many are the Dothraki warriors? We know the Unsullied are 8000.

     The show can fudge all the numbers they want and probably will, but I think that would be a high estimate for the Lannisters at this point. That’s probably about what they had before the War of the Five Kings. House Tyrell alone has the second largest army, perhaps as large as 40k. Daenerys should have those troops now. All of the Reach behind House Tyrell was the strongest in the 7K with troops up to 100k and could comprise a fleet equal to or greater than any other. As I eluded to above, if all of those remaining forces are fully behind House Tyrell (again) and not fighting for the crown anymore since Mace, Loras, and Margaery were killed then Daenerys doubles the size of her army simply by landing on Westeros. I don’t know what her number of fighting Dothraki men is suppose to be, but it’s tens of thousands. Drogo had the largest khalasar while alive at 40k, but Daenerys supposedly has the whole Dothraki nation, or the sum of the five khalasars she attained from the five khals she burned.

162. Jenny,

     When you say go back to the wall, do you mean join NW? Or that Jon will literally not go back to the wall? If he doesn’t go back (with an army), what’s the difference between Jon and the other southern kings who didn’t protect the wall?

163. Flayed Potatoes,

     I hope you are right. I would prefer that Rhaegar is the father. However if I am somehow right people will go nuts. I think the question of Jon’s father has yet to be answered. Mark it down as a call. Things don’t always have a happy ending in GoT and so Jon as a product of rape vs. love would fit.

164. MD,

     HBO already confirmed the father in that graphic. They have no reason to lie. This isn’t The Walking Dead.

     I hope we get to see some visions from Bran to get an idea of the Lyanna-Rhaegar relationship.

165. The possibility of not seeing Jorah again never would’ve occurred to me in a million years. Find it hard to believe that we won’t.

166. I think Sansa set out her stall in the Godswood when she told LF she had been foolish as a girl to wish for stupid things and not to be content with what she had. She’s got what she wanted, being back at Winterfell, I don’t think she wants to be Queen in the North.

     However no doubt LF is going to cause all kinds of trouble. I can see him suggesting some kind of move to Jon that Sansa totally sees through and warns Jon against but he doesn’t heed her warning (again).

     In the meantime LF lets Cersei know what is going on in the North. As Jaime mentioned in ‘No One’ Cersei has unfinished business with Sansa and she will send the Lannister army north to take back Winterfell. There will be a battle. LF having led Jon in to danger will then with hold the Vale army. But Jon is a lucky general (Napoleon said he preferred a lucky general to a clever one) and will defeat Jaime and take him prisoner. I think that was foreshadowed by Walder Frey reminding Jaime of when he lost to Robb. They have just started to repeat season 1 on Sky Atlantic and I was watching the scene with Jaime and Jon in episode 2. I think it very much foreshadows them meeting again. What I would like to see is Jon convincing Jaime that the real fight is against the White Walkers and they should fight together. That scene in Season 4 where Joffrey mocks Jaime for his lack of great deeds gives me hope that Jaime will get chance to redeem himself against the WW.

     I’m thinking this is going to be something of a 1066 situation when King Harold had gone north with his army to deal with an invasion from Denmark only for William the Conqueror to turn up on the south coast. I reckon this is what Cersei is going to face, an invasion from Dany via Dorne when the Lannister army is in the north. I think Euron is a potential
     ally for Cersei. But ultimately I can see Cersei burning King’s Landing before Dany can get there, and fleeing north. I think before Cersei is killed she will try and revenge herself on as many of her most hated enemies as she can. I think she might try and get to Sansa, and that’s when Cleganebowl occurs as Sandor defends Sansa from his brother.

     One of the aspects that most interests me is how Westeros will react to a female ruler, as this is meant to be a medieval style society. We’ve already seen Kevan Lannister’s contempt for Cersei. Also, the Iron Islanders chose a more distant male relative rather than the nearer female heir, whilst the North opted for an illegitimate son rather than the legitimate female heiress. Is that likely to be repeated between Dany and Jon if Jon’s parentage becomes widely known? I think at some point there could be a civil war between the south backing Dany and the north backing Jon.

     I think it’s interesting how Dany and Jon are being individually portrayed. Dany in many ways reminds me of the Empress Maude’s attempt to take the English crown, arrogant and very convinced of her right to rule, not to mention her inclination to burn everyone who opposes her! I can’t see this going down well with someone like Randall Tarly, anymore than Maude got on with the English. Jon meanwhile has the characteristics of the ideal King. He inspires men to follow him into battle, in which he is successful and his treatment of Melisandre tempers justice with mercy. He’s all about duty while Dany is all about desire. I really don’t want to see them end up together because I think they are so dissimilar. However if they do, it could be because it’s a political compromise rather than a love match, that at least would be more realistic.

167. kit_hepburn: Jaime might give all the outward appearances of doing this at first, but in the end he will betray her in spectacular fashion. Could he kill her before he does this? Yeah… but wouldn’t it be way more effective for Cersei to find out from afar that her last familial ally has done this to her? I mean, holy crap I would HOPE the show isn’t dumb enough to have her dead for that revelation, lol.

     The “arms of the woman I love/does she want the same thing?” likely has something to do with Jaime/Brienne and not Jaime/Cersei IMO.

     I like that last catch! It’s a thought I’ve had before. Should such a tragically romantic scenario come to pass, it would mirror that intimate bathtub scene at Harrenhal where Brienne catches Jaime– and cradles him in her strong, gentle arms with unconditional acceptance and love (the same he’s never gotten from his twin-lover), despite all his shortcomings and defects both physical and psychic– as he falls… In that moment, he won’t be the ‘kingslayer,’ ‘oathbreaker,’ ‘smiling knight,’ ‘Lannister’ or ‘turncloak’; he’ll be ‘Ser Jaime’ or just ‘Jaime’– seen for whom he is. For an instant, he’ll be who he always wanted to be, and he’ll realise he’s with the person with whom he’s always wanted to be — and then he’ll die. I hope someone will be able to write something worthy on his behalf in the ‘White Book’!

168. Meg,

     Well, Bran was “marked” during one of his visions not in person, so it’s presumably more complicated than simply grabbing any random bloke by the arm.

     Or we could be back at the issue of destiny. Perhaps Bran is destined to bring the Wall down and some random Night’s Watch ranger just wouldn’t do.

169. Tycho Nestoris,

     Yeah I mean joining the night’s watch.I think he will send people to the wall while he prepares the north in general.But I think that will be moot because the wall will fall before he gets the army there.It can’t fall while he is there because that would mean he dies

170. I’m on board with the idea that Jaime will kill Cersei, hopefully as you say with her on the brink of blowing up the whole Wildfire cache. I don’t think he’ll die though.

     I’m sort of intrigued by the idea that Jaime would be a match for Dany, as an alternative to Jon and Dany. She’d find it hard to stomach to marry the man who killed her father, but I think even the question would be interesting. Maybe Tyrion doesn’t have the guts to bring up that alternative though.

     After finding out what’s happened in Meereen and that Yara has secured Dany’s support I think Euron will woe for Cersei’s hand, and she may even accept it in a dire enough situation. I’m also thinking that Cersei will get help from Randyll Tarly (I want to see more of that actor!), and various other lords.

171. Nice article

     More later but generally speaking I’m expecting Jagen to turn up to the Citadel to do whatever that storyline is, Tom W is quite popular so they’ll want to keep using him, besides it will be cool to see him back in Assassin mode!

     I do reckon Randyll gets his sword back, right after Sam figures out whatever it is he’s meant to find out about VS and killing WW’s, that will be way of re-introducing Randyll before he takes charge of the Tyrell armies in battle, perhaps to besiege and take KL from Cersei (pushing them back to Casterly Rock)

     Expecting Dany’s fleet to get broken up in a storm to send Team Dany on their different mini-arcs. Expecting Greyworm and Unsullied to be the Golden Company and besiege Storms End along with the Dornish

     I expect Dany along with Tyrion to end up on their own little personal growth journey to Dragonstone, who whole “remember who you are” etc and something about Tyrion looking like those Gargoyle Dragon statues etc

     As for Jon and Sansa, reckon that ties in with Arya opening up a vacuum in the RL, eg Sansa will take power in the RL and Vale (who LF said declared loyalty to the Stark aka Sansa’s cause but as part of 7K)

     They may have Jon and Sansa amicably go their own way, could do a civil war but depends on whether they have time or not, eg with reduced episode account it will be extremely fast-paced

172. Predictions: I believe Arya will remain a lone wolf. She will meet up with Melisandre and possibly get help in figuring out how to kill the mountain, he’s really more of a zombie now. I believe she will play a role in the larger Battle against the WW when her list is complete, but i don’t she her settling down at Winterfell. She may have to kill the Night King. i read somewhere in an interview with GRRM that Arya was a character that he wanted HBO to let survive after the show surpassed his books. Not sure how she fits in to the bigger picture beyond completing house stark revenge but maybe she finds Nymeria again and heads to the west of westeros when it’s all done.

     I don’t see Jon and Dany ending up together. there may be the thought of a political marriage/alliance or the tv tension, but once the truth comes out about Jon this won’t happen. Bran revealing this will be an epic episode. i do think Bran is the cause for the wall to come down, but i like the horn being sounded and watching it collapse as a better way for this to happen.

     I don’t give much stock in a Sansa Jon Rivalry, i just don’t think there will be enough time to play that out over 2 shortened seasons. Jon is the reluctant leader, i don’t think he wants to be KIT, he may take the road out of town when it’s all over. Somewhere through this LF will get his but i think that’s the story arc for the hound, not necessarily Clegane bowl. I’m guessing Arya makes LF disappear.

     Jon and Dany are tasked with winning the war against the WW, but not sure who will survive. i see both willing to die to end the WW war. That doesn’t leave a lot behind to run the kingdom. i do believe Dany will sacrifice herself and her dragons. the WW have no issues with Fire as we saw this season so either they are immune to the dragons or the dragons will be gone before then. i do think the dragons will die protecting Dany either against Euron or the WW.

     I don’t think there will be a naval battle between Euron and Dany. The dragons would just destroy Euron, seems pointless unless there’s someway to stop the drags that only Euron knows ( see dragon horn theory, Euron claims he has). Finding KL a smoking hole seems likely, running into Euron afterwards and battling it out seems likely. I can see a Euron/Cersei alliance, but i think it goes down differently.

     If KL burns down at the hands of Cersei, there won’t really be a need for an Iron throne anyway, no one really wins the game of thrones which i think is the major theme throughout the books anyway, it’s all temporary. The kingdom will be left to the next generation.

     Cersei will implode, either an uprising at KL or i like Arya getting her revenge by poison. Don’t think the prophecy is literal, seems too easy if Jamie just finally chokes her out and wildfire again would be a bit redundant. There’s a symmetry in Jamie killing both the mad king and the mad queen so i don’t rule it out. If he does, it’s before another bonfire. The truth as to why he killed the Mad king should come out and that would give Jamie his redemption. Stopping KL from burning twice would up Jamie’s profile. I do think he’s the tragic character in all of this. had hoped for a rebirth after meeting brienne but without her constantly at his side that can’t happen. I see the Lannister army being decimated at some point. i have a hard time seeing them engaged in the battle against the WW’s i think their fate will be settled first along with Cersei and Jamie’s fate.

     Left standing at the end: Tyrion, Varys, Sansa, Bran, Arya, Sam, Gilly, Brienne, Lady Mormont, Davos, Lady Olenna, The Hound, Tormund, Yara
     Possible: Jon, Jamie, Bronn, Jorah (he’d be the one to take his life if Dany dies)
     Done for: LF, Cersei, Everyone left at the Wall, Dany, Melisandre, The Mountain, Ser Berric, Benjen, all of the Dragons, Euron, Theon

     Too many plotlines to fill out a posting. In the end there is no iron throne, but there is a council of the surviving kingdoms. i don’t love that as an ending but i do think that’s what will happen. I’m a Dany fan, but i do think her best ending is riding the night sky with Drogos and where i’d like Jon to be the King, i see him looking for a way out of that job. That leaves a collection of kingdoms that have to figure out how to pick up the pieces. There is likely some new characters on the way which can effect any or all of this, but most of the old families have been decimated with more on the way.

173. I haven’t had time to read the comments, so hopefully I’m not saying something that’s already been sad.

     I could see Sansa planning with Littlefinger to betray Jon but changing her mind at the last minute. Arya somehow catches wind of this. Maybe she’s with Melisandre who sees it in the flames. Arya, being in a very dark place and also being more loyal than to Sansa, kills Sansa not knowing that she has changed her mind. Arya wears Sansa’s face in order to get close to Littlefinger and kill him too.

     I’m not saying I’m even close to 100% sure this will happen, but it’s a way to preserve Jon’s reign at a horrible, tragic cost. The kind of thing that happens a lot in this story.

     ETA: whatever happens, I don’t see Littlefinger surviving the season. He’s brilliant politically but there’s no place for him in the supernatural endgame. He won’t be able to fight the white Walkers or control the dragons.

174. Jenny,

     Sorry, but I think you guys are making a strawman. Literally name one commenter who said Jon would rejoin the NW? That’s ridiculous.

     People (I always thought wrongfully) thought Jon would go North to fight the WWs. But he won’t need to, because the Wall WILL fall, and I think there’s something significant about being in Winterfell when the Long Night comes. And he even said himself in that meeting that they needed Winterfell for the Walkers.

     But seriously, who thought he’d go rejoin the Night’s Watch? Literally no one.

     But it’s not wildly crazy to say he’ll have to go North for the WWs

175. Sullied by Knight:
     QueenofThrones,

     I actually just rewatched the first scene with Tywin and Jaime this morning.Tywin is skinning the stag.He tells Jaime he will give him half of the Lannister forces, 30,000 men, to go and retrieve Tyrion, who, at that time, was Cat’s prisoner.

     Sou: When Tywin sends Jaime to fight Robb, he mentions giving him half of the Lannister army, “over 30000”.
     Yes it’s a big army, even with the Tyrells and Martells. Especially if Euron does attack and takes some Dothraki in the bottom of the sea.
     Actually I thought too that Dany was overpowered by the end of the season, then I happened to watch this scene (it’s the Tywin skinning a stag scene) and I thought to myself that like this it makes sense.

     Oh, you’re basing it on season 1?? Well the Lannister forces can’t be anywhere near that strength now. Tywin lost MANY battles over several years to Robb. They lost some at Blackwater. They likely lost more in skirmishes in the Riverlands (e.g. Blackfish, and Brotherhood losses). I’d say Lannister army is at best 2/3 of its’ original size if we include likely desertions after such a long time ni service, probably 1/2.

     Meanwhile the Tyrell and Dornish forces have lost practically no one. Maybe Tyrell lost a couple of men during the Blackwater. My understanding was that Tyrell has a larger army than Lannister to begin with.

176. Johan Sporre: I’m sort of intrigued by the idea that Jaime would be a match for Dany, as an alternative to Jon and Dany. She’d find it hard to stomach to marry the man who killed her father, but I think even the question would be interesting.

     Ooh, that would be an interesting one, and especially ironic in light of the feud between her father Aerys and his father Tywin, who fell out over the issue of an arranged marriage which Tywin proposed between their two families!

     When Tywin suggested to Aerys that Cersei marry Rhaegar, Aerys scoffed at the idea of combining his illustrious lineage with that of a mere ‘servant,’ Tywin being his Hand at the time, earning Tywin’s eternal ire and paying in the end for his slight with his life (Tywin’s sack of King’s Landing, effectively siding with the rebels and doublecrossing the king, was facilitated on the pretext of having arrived in order to give assistance to the Crown). Another irony to consider would be that Aerys, somewhat hypocritically in light of his views on the miscegenation of their two families, infamously insulted Tywin by coveting his wife Joanna and making lewd remarks about her in company, in order to get under Tywin’s skin (sigh…these folks who think they can get away with ‘yanking the lion’s tail’..!), giving rise to many rumors that he may have actually had a sexual liaison of some type with her, which may have further inflamed Tywin and motivated him to end Aerys’ reign and with him the Targaryen dynasty once and for all. There is also a remote speculative chance that one or several of the Lannister children were actually fathered by Aerys. Many in the fandom are enamored with the idea of ‘A+J=T’ and Tyrion being a ‘secret Targaryen.’ However, should the reverse be true, namely that Jaime not Tyrion is actually Aerys’ son, then that would give rise to the dramatic irony that both Lannisters killed their biological fathers, damning poor Jaime twice-over as both a kingslayer and kinslayer. Further, should Jaime marry Daenerys, they would inadvertently be keeping up the good old Targaryen incestuous tradition of brother-marrying-sister ‘keeping it all in the family’! Although derided by many fans, who cite date discrepancies, I for one have always enjoyed entertaining the myriad ironies attending this possibility. There is this enigmatic passage from the books which I find suggestive:

     A Feast for Crows – Jaime I

     For hours they had groped through twisting passages, narrow crawl spaces, hidden doors, secret steps, and shafts that plunged down into utter blackness. Seldom had he felt so utterly a cripple. A man takes much for granted when he has two hands. Ladders, for an instance. Even crawling did not come easy; not for nought do they speak of hands and knees. Nor could he hold a torch and climb, as others could.
     And all for naught. They found only darkness, dust, and rats. And dragons, lurking down below. He remembered the sullen orange glow of the coals in the iron dragon’s mouth. The brazier warmed a chamber at the bottom of a shaft where half a dozen tunnels met. On the floor he’d found a scuffed mosaic of the three-headed dragon of House Targaryen done in tiles of black and red. I know you, Kingslayer, the beast seemed to be saying. I have been here all the time, waiting for you to come to me…

177. ManderlyPieCompany:
     I think that conversation between LF and Varys all the way back in S1 is just too important. They meet up again. I can’t see LF not at least vying for the throne at some point. His machinations have driven most everything political in the show for too long for him to just get offed by Sansa or Jon. I actually firmly believe his garbage inadvertently interferes with the fight against the WW and NK.

     The conversation between Littlefinger and Varys was one of the scenes the writers created after the main filming in order to fill out the episodes, and from that came all the other scenes, as Cogman says. So you shouldn’t read anything related to that into Littlefinger’s overall endgame.

     Tycho Nestoris:
     My thoughts on LF and Ned from Season 1.

     1) Ned knew Bran saw something he shouldn’t.
     2) Ned knew “Lannisters” were responsible for Bran falling.
     3) Ned knows Joffrey is not Big Bob’s.

     Ned betrayed Ned when he walked up to Cersei and told her he knew about the incest (hello McFly? what did you think would happen?).

     LF didn’t betray Ned as much as go into self preservation mode after that. I am no LF apologist but he’s helped Sansa twice and got nothing out it. Her killing him would accomplish nothing other than bloodlust and Arya’s got enough of that imo.

     1) He could have left her in King’s Landing after Joff’s murder.
     2) BotB

     Littlefinger absolutely betrayed Ned. He set in motion the whole chain of events in order to destroy the Starks and the Tullys. And as to the idea that he helped Sansa out: he helped her out of danger that he himself put her in.

     Hodor Targaryen:
     I predict that Dany’s coalition will break apart in Season 7, perhaps necessitating an alliance with the North. I doubt Tyrion knows that Myrcella has been poisoned, and that her killers are now his allies.

     Tyrion knew about the defeat of Stannis at Winterfell this season, something considerably more remote than the murder of a princess in the capital of the Seven Kingdoms. Varys, moreover, has journeyed to Westeros and then come back. Tyrion absolute would know about Myrcella’s death, and who was responsible.

178. Cersei’s rule could be more durable (at least in the short run) than many think. The use of wildfire is associated primarily with the Targaryens as well as with Tyrion during the Battle of the Blackwater. Combine that with the fact that the red priestesses of Essos have embraced Dany as a messiah figure, and it should not be too much of a stretch for Cersei to convince much of the Realm that the Sept of Baelor was destroyed by fanatical followers of R’hlorr at the instigation of the vengeful daughter of the Mad King and her kinslaying Hand, Tyrion the Imp. The play that Arya saw in Braavos is probably representative of what many Westerosi believe. Cersei will be able to plausibly claim that she is defending the Realm and the Faith against a foreign army consisting primarily of former slaves and barbarians that is seeking to forcibly spread a foreign religion which practices human sacrifice.

     The other side of the coin is that Dany’s alliances are held together by the thinnest of threads. The Ironborn are despised by most of the Realm and, in any case, Yara’s rebels will be heavily outnumbered by Euron’s fleet. Although there could (and should) be other branches of House Tyrell (Margaery’s cousins were shown if not named), but the Tyrells are considered to be upjumped stewards by the other noble houses of the Reach. Although he was a loyalist during Robert’s Rebellion, I doubt Randyll Tarly will view the Dothraki and Unsullied any more favorably than he does the Wildlings. Likewise, even if many Dornishmen approved of Ellaria’s murder of Prince Doran, that doesn’t mean that they will recognize her and the Sand Snakes as their new rulers.

     For these reasons, I think Cersei will remain on the Iron Throne until episode 6 or 7 of next season (if not beyond). I’m not sure what the end game will be: the “draw your enemies in and annihilate them with wildfire” ploy seems like it should be played out (though the threat of it could deter Dany & Tyrion from beginning their invasion with a direct attack on King’s Landing.

179. Flayed Potatoes:
     QueenofThrones,
     The Tyrells and Dorne are allied with her because they want to destroy the Lannisters (that includes their army to eliminate any resistance).

     They allied to achieve their heart’s desire – Vengeance, Justice, Fire and Blood.

     Jaime hasn’t done anything needing to be Vengeful about. If Elliaria had wanted Jaime dead, she could have done so easily when he was in Dorne. Olenna wants Cersei dead.

     Once Dany is done with them and appoints Tyrion, nobody will be able to protest. And I doubt the show is going to focus on petty fights in the Westerlands when there are only 13 episodes left.

     My suggestion (alliance between Jaime-Lannisters and Dany’s forces against Cersei) would take much less time than yours to complete, and would be cheaper to film as there would be no battle. Just talking on horses/in rooms. Think the Stannis-Renly thing. Plus, Cersei is in such a weak position that she should be gone tomorrow – something needs to happen with Dany and her crew to give Cersei time to set up alliance with Euron or whatever else she’s planning. Whether that’s a battle in the Westerlands like you suggest or a parley I don’t see how one takes more or less time.

     Jon and Dany’s storylines have been focused on the idea of kingship and learning how to lead. They will be leaders in the end. Jaime really has no room in the White Walker arc, unlike Jon and Dany imo. If he survives this season, he’ll probably die in the WW fight to make room for Tyrion.

     Jon and Dany are leaders. They will be leaders until they die. They dont’ need to sit some throne in King’s Landing to prove this is true. Anyway, certainly possible that one of them lives but it wouldn’t be a waste of their arc in any way if they die leading their armies.

     There has been no indication on the show so far that Tyrion is a secret Targaryen. If your argument is that the dragons didn’t kill him when he freed them….they never harmed Missandei either and she isn’t a secret Targaryen.

     We’ll see. There’s more Tywin “you’re not my son” stuff in the show than in the books.

     Honestly, I think waiting for the books and seasons to come out has made people come up with really convoluted theories, when the ending is probably pretty straightforward (but carefully hidden in the midst of all those secondary characters and their own storylines).

     Yep, I agree. It is pretty simple. Jon, Dany, and Tyrion will lead a Targaryen restoration as the last scions of that ancient bloodline, unite Westeros (by virtue of the blood connections Tyrion and Jon have to other houses), and save the world from utter destruction.

     Three heads has the dragon.

180. QueenofThrones: Who is more eligible than the Lord of Casterley Rock after all?

     Well, um… I can think of someone with more benefits and less baggage. Someone who hasn’t killed her father or comes from a house she’s helping people get revenge against, or a house for which she doesn’t already have a waiting replacement to be seated as lord.

181. I also think Arya will be the one to kill Littlefinger. But to do it disguised as Sansa, that would be sweet. Perhaps she will toss him through the moondoor.

182. Great predictions and I’m with you on a lot of them.

     I think Jorah will definitely show up again. 1. He’s a Mormont 2. His character is not the fade away type. It’s the sacrifice himself for something he believes in and/or love type
     I think he’ll either end up in Oldtown or bump into Quaithe. Either of these would help Dany as he’s being healed. Oldtown brings Sam/heartsbane/Jon connection. Quaithe would probably bring prophecy and information. I think he has to return to Westeros and Dany’s side.

     Daario–the entire time he was with her I kept waiting for him to turn traitor. He’s just–he doesn’t have the adoration and fervor of the other followers, he doesn’t love her with all his heart. He just seemed like pointless arm candy tbh-so I was waiting for him to be the Harpy leader or in league with Euron aka the one who burnt the ships. After that breakup-I was bummed-so I’m hoping I’m still right after the fact and he either joins with Euron or Cersei just to spite Dany. (Also at the time of Dany’s goodbye with Jorah, I was wondering why Daario was even there since he looked so awkward–it makes sense now. This older man who can’t possibly compete with him in bed or battle is the one she cried over and forgave and demanded the return of. Daario totally got kicked to the curb without one sniffle or sob) If he just disappears without a mention again–I’ll wonder wtf the point of his character was.

     Gendry. It makes sense for him to return now that Arya is back in Westeros after her big FM adventure. Personally, I’d love him to be making armor and shoe-ing horses behind Hot Pie’s Inn-near where Nymeria was sent away. He wouldn’t want to go back to KL after learning he was Robert’s bastard. He wouldn’t necessarily want to rejoin the BWB after they sold him for penis leeching. Hot Pie is the only one Gendry knows besides Arya that he can trust… Unless he’s in Oldtown and runs into Sam. That would be cool too. But I definitely think he’s coming back for his lady.

     Definitely think we’ll have a lot more characters coming together on the road North/Riverlands. Time is important-as in there isn’t much of it.

     Jaime I’m not so sure about that prediction. Yes there has been TONS of foreshadowing between Jaime and Cersei about them being a part of each other, dying together etc etc etc. If he does-I just hope he doesn’t die because that’s not the right end for his story.
     He’s already saved KL from a mad ruler and fire-and all he got for it was a lifetime of ridicule. Walder saying he and Jaime were two identical peas in a pod was painful for him. It would make more sense to his character if he walked away from it. Let someone else kill her and did something more meaningful in honor of his children and Brienne and the person he wanted to be-that loving Cersei always stopped him from being. I’m hoping because it seems so obvious that Jaime will kill her–that they’ll see its a twist if he doesn’t. (I just like Jaime when he’s not with Cersei, and he needs to make up for “the things he did for love”)

     The other thing-and this is kind of cynical but I’m putting it out there because that’s show business. Lena is an unquestionable favorite of the writers-she’s definitely more than she is in the books–they actually make you feel sorry for her in the show…well until now. I don’t see her dying until she absolutely has to. If they really love her-even after she loses the throne she’ll escape the fire and be someone’s prisoner. Maybe Tyrions. Maybe he’ll get one of his dragon friends to eat her-I don’t know

     I could definitely see an awkward political marriage between Jon and Dany. It doesn’t have to be love at all–Ned didn’t marry Cat for love-he did it for a Tully alliance at the start of Robert’s Rebellion.
     Also have to say I’m not seeing any Sansa chemistry people are talking about and it feels weird to even think about it. If she ever is with anyone again, I’d much rather see Sansa with Pod or the Hound or Tyrion. Pod is sweet Florian the fool with sexual healing abilities and the Hound is the one who always protected her-as opposed to all the pretty false princes and lords who abused her…same with Tyrion.
     I think her story makes sense if she finally sees past the shallow glitter to who people really are. (Also I desperately want her to be the reason for LF’s downfall)

     Speaking of Tyrion. I’m not sure why they had him go all dwarf sensitive with Theon when they met because Tyrion was the one who was nasty to him, but I can see him coming back to Westeros and being defensive and uptight. His queen is allied with Olenna-who will probably share that she killed Joffrey and kept silent when he was accused because at this point she gives zero fucks. And Ellaria-who killed sweet lovable Myrcella with a kiss because she’s all vengeful. I don’t see him being that relaxed about everything-despite the ships.
     I do think he is vital-because of his connection with Jon, Dany, Sansa and Cersei. Even Bran, the new 3 eyed raven–Tyrion helped him sit a horse with a saddle. He has touched the lives of too many characters on this show for him not to make it to the end game.

     Sam will find answers, Brienne will discover someone (I’d love if it were Howland Reed), Arya will meet Mel again… There is still so much story left I’m kind of panicking about how few episodes they’ve got planned. 🙂

     I hate that it’s so far away.

183. HelloThere,

     I’m pretty sure Iain Glen is signed up for S7. Jorah has to be there by Dany’s side at the end after all!

184. Snowblind,

     I love the idea of Arya being the one to see through his lies. She has the skills.

185. Truthiness: Well, um… I can think of someone with more benefits and less baggage. Someone who hasn’t killed her father or comes from a house she’s helping people get revenge against, or a house for which she doesn’t already have a waiting replacement to be seated as lord

     Show Tyrion, who loves and has no reason to hate Jaime, and is not as ambitious as the Book version, would not be happy to see Jaime deposed or killed. He’s going to vouch for him to Dany, whatever ends up happening. She’ll probably say fine, but he will have to be destroyed if he helps protect Cersei. Maybe Tyrion will be sent as an envoy to Jaime. Alliance with Jaime of whatever type removes Cersei’s last claws.

     Besides! Baggage means drama and entertainment value. How interesting would it be to see these characters in a room hashing it out? Jaime, who killed Dany’s father, and Tyrion who killed Jaime’s? How disappointing if that never happens.

186. QueenofThrones,

     2. This brings me to my craziest prediction which is that there will be some teasing about the most unlikely of all matches, a Dany x Jaime marriage. Who is more eligible than the Lord of Casterley Rock after all? Of course as Dany tells Daario she may not marry anyone, but it’s important that others think it may be possible. In the end, Dany (the younger and more beautiful queen) has “taken” Jaime from Cersei, as well as the throne itself – all she now holds dear. I doubt that anything will come of it (Brienne x Jaime is endgame – she’s the woman who’s arms he’ll die in, not Cersei) but it will be hanging in the air as a possibility

     .

     I really like this on so many levels. Takes care of the prophecy, gets rid of Cersei without more fireworks and keeps Jaimie alive, able to work with his brother in ruling Westerous Tho I think its giong to be Jon and Dany in the end – just makes sense, fire and ice….(hee, or Cersie marries Jon for the same reason…no,no,no)

187. I can’t imagine the show without Cersei since she is the main Big Bad, Little Finger is also a villian but far less fun to hate, at least IMO. Dany could take the throne but Cersei could escape and go into hiding to be killed later.

     I also think Jamie and Dany aren’t too out there as a couple since the prophecy said the younger queen would take everything Cersei had. That would include Jamie.

     I think Euron was added simply to send the young Greyjoys off to Dany. Why else would they go to offer her ships if not for him? He is the reason for their alliance. And it gives her something to do before she heads to King’s Landing.

     Gendry might have learned to forge Valyrian steel during his travels.

     Does anyone else think the sun rise/set curse Dany quotes was more a prophecy than a curse? During the WW war something magical could happen that changes or looks like it changed the sun’s normal pattern.

     Mountain should be roasted and ripped apart by a dragon given his love of chopping up things.

188. Glóin the Dark,

     .
     

     Thereafter he will be known as Doctor Living-Stone, I presume.Sorry.

     groan

189. Queenofthrones,

     You can argue that Ellaria has no conflict with Jaime, but Jaime certainly has conflict with her because of Myrcella. He’s not going to hop on Team Dorne.

     Dany vs Cersei is already comically loopsided in favor of Dany. She has dragons, ships, armies and now you’re suggesting she gets Jaime and the Lannister troops too? It’s a bit exaggerated. Dany has an heir to Casterly Rock already by her side. She has no need for Jaime and the show still needs to make this southern conflict believable and justify it lasting more than one episode. It’s going to be Dany/Dorne/Tyrells vs. Lannisters (Cersei/Jaime and their armies).

     I’ve never suggested that the show should introduce conflict in the Westerlands. I just said that having it will be a waste of time. Tyrion is going to end up lord of Casterly Rock easily. There’s no time to waste with side plots.

190. Flayed Potatoes,

     But Jon isn’t Ned’s son. Bran, Sansa and Arya’s rights are above his … We aren’t sure how the Northerners will feel when they learn he is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen, supposed rapist of Lyanna Stark, grandson of the Mad King that burned alive Rickard Stark … And the North always wanted their independence … The Seven Kingdoms have to be separated.

191. Dave,

     Do you have a source/link for this? There’s nothing in any of the major Icelandic news websites, and I don’t see anything on twitter.

192. Oh I forgot another prediction that’s kind of important. I think Dany will lose at least one dragon (and probably a third of her fighting force)

193. Mag,

     The North named him KITN by right of acclamation, so they obviously didn’t care that his siblings/cousins were before him in the finale.

     I’m sure there will be some drama if Jon’s parentage is made public next season.

194. WeirwoodTreeHugger:
     ETA:whatever happens, I don’t see Littlefinger surviving the season.He’s brilliant politically but there’s no place for him in the supernatural endgame.He won’t be able to fight the white Walkers or control the dragons.

     Agree. The end game has changed and I don’t think his skill set offers him any advantage in the “wars to come.” IMO, Sansa may desire the power that she can achieve thru LF but she will not betray Jon. I see her ending up as the Lady of the Vale and consolidating the alliance with the North but with LF. She will dispose of him.

     Jorah…we are not done with him. (Yay!) I also believe that he finds his way to the Citadel and meets up with Sam. Together they will cook up some way to help save Westeros…or assist their best buddies in saving Westeros.

     Daario’s role seems to have come to an end. However, if he does reappear, he will never betray Dany. He has seen what she can do…burn the khals and emerge thru fire…and believes that she is meant to conquer.

     Cersei does not survive past episode 4. Jaime will kill her to prevent KL BBQ. He does not die with her. Jaime has a greater role in what is to come.

     kit_hepburn:

     The “arms of the woman I love/does she want the same thing?” likely has something to do with Jaime/Brienne and not Jaime/Cersei IMO.

     That’s what I was thinking…even though it sounds a bit hokey. Jaime and Brienne have to meet again, most likely on different sides of a conflict.

     Arya has to go North at some point; she identifies as a daughter of WF. I’m a little worried about the path that she is on. It is possible that her desire for revenge leads her in a troubling direction.

195. Gfx,

     YES and the last we saw of him hes beside Ramsey during the opening moments of battle

196. Over the first few seasons of GoT/ASoIaF, we have two perfect examples of the antihero emerge – characters whom we detested at the beginning as they unsympathetically laid waste to two innocent little boys, Bran and Mycah. Just when it would seem that we cannot find a more disgusting pair of men, George makes us fall in love with the Kingslayer and the Hound.

     Over the next season, I suspect we may see one or two anti-villains – characters we loved at the beginning as they championed and represented all that was good and right with the world but whose actions are about to take a most villainous turn. I’m looking at you, Sansa and Dany.

     As I ruminate on the Sansamosity angle we’ve been teased with in BoB and had confirmed in supplemental videos for TWoW, I’m certain that Sansa will be set up to betray Team Stark in a most diabolical way, and I’m now more likely to believe that she will choose the dark side as that choice would be more poignant, more bittersweet, and more in keeping with George’s foreshadowing with the mini-betrayal and death of Lady at the open of AGoT.

     This option is also in keeping with George’s original plan for the series, where he wrote that Sansa would betray the Starks in favor of others – “a choice she will later bitterly rue.”

     And the more I think about the hordes of reavers, marauders, and rapists and the trio of dragons with their established penchant for human flesh accompanying a ruthless leader who rules by fire and blood, the more I think that this might not be such a good idea for Westeros. Dany might not be the great white hope she’s been built up to be. Breaking and burning the wheel might break and burn Westeros. What if our famed heroine does more harm than Cersei?

     Again, this Dany-as-a-threat was outlined in George’s original plan: “While the lion of Lannister and the direwolf of Stark snarl and scrap, however, a second and greater threat takes shape across the narrow sea, where the Dothraki horselords mass their barbarian hordes for a great invasion of the Seven Kingdoms, led by the fierce and beautiful Daenerys Stormborn, the last of the Targaryen dragonlords.”

     As for Bran’s mark, Benjen confirmed in TWoW that Bran could get through the Wall but Benjen still couldn’t because the same spells that keep the Night’s King out keep Benjen out. So Bran will not be the undoing of the Wall. That horrid act will be at the hand of one we don’t love. Euron seems the perfect though not only candidate. The Wall will come down this season, surely!

     In the season 6 finale, Bran and Meera are very close to the Wall, and I suspect the story in season 7 will magic us ahead to the duo arriving at Castle Black with Meera having built a litter.

     Yes, Benjen is looking at the Wall o’er the hills and through the trees as he says goodbye to Bran and Meera, so they are within sight of the Wall and most likely Castle Black. I hope that Bran gets to Winterfell by Episode 2.

     An Arya-Hound-Brie-Pod reunion is in the cards! Since Cersei will be undone by her valonqar and since the Mountain will be undone by his valonqar, I don’t see how much more of the list Arya will need to do. I hope that, if she does choose more targets, she will do so in strategic collusion with the rest of Team Stark.

     Sam will find the key to creating dragonsteel and dragonglass, both of which require dragonfire from real dragons. Sam won’t lose Heartsbane! I’m not sure how he’ll keep it when Papa comes knocking, but I know he will. Sam will, however, lose a horn – a very, very, very important horn, more important than Heartsbane, unfortunately.

     Sam will run into four known faces, two old and two new: Euron, Jorah, Marwyn, and Alleras. And he might even catch a glimpse of a faceless one.

     Did I beat Jared’s record?

197. while we try to ignore the accidental sexual tension the show has created between the half-siblings who are actually cousins. (God this is getting weird.)

     Easy to ignore when it exists only in the eyes of giddy shippers (God this is getting silly.)

     Littlefinger’s importance has always been underestimated by fandom, he’s always been the victim of countless death speculations. And yet he’s still here. He’s in on the secret of Jon’s parents, probably as told to him by one of the wet nurses attending Lyanna. He’s not going anywhere next season.

     Sometimes the ultimate suffering is living, not dying. Cersei’s ending will be one of madness but not death. All of machinations in ruins, abandoned by Jaime, her reign extinguished- this is her character’s “end”.

     Sansa siding with her family is so predictable and tired at this point- where’s the drama in it? Where’s the character growth? These stories, these character arcs shouldn’t go the expected route, but the inevitable one. The direction of one’s character doesn’t always bend towards moral goodness. Maybe Sansa’s story is her choosing the morally gray world and personal agency of her mentor LF, rather than the safer, if less fulfilling role as a second-tier Stark. Sansa breaks bad; it may be a tragic choice but it’s a much more interesting one.

198. Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,

     Daenerys’ forces will have to take a few losses at some point, and what better way to explain away the potential devastation a Dothraki horde would reap across Westeros than have half of them never make it there to begin with.

     But Westeros is used to roving and raping already…

199. spacechampion,

     I thought this too! It’s so meta. And if the Hound is with her at KL then he can kill Frankenmountain.

200. Jon and Daeny allinace is needed for white walkers invasion but don’t understand why for Cersei. Jon is not going to march south. He’ll deal with Northern prolblems and walkers Not Cersei. That is Daeny’s job.

     Agree with Daario.

     Jorah will show up whether Citadel or Quaithe?

     Flayed Potatoes,

     Jon and Daeny together on Iron Throne with Tyrion as Hand is as closest to happy ending as we can get. Whether you’re looking at this from numerous views. Pretty much what fans want at this point, dream team. At least I hope their relationship will be only political and no romance. No need for it. We don’t need more Mad Kings running around. Let’s be honest, this is incest where likely another mad bastard would be born. Last thing Westeros need. Political alliance would be reasonable considering both will profit from it but not sure if in season 7 or 8 at this point.

     Daeny get Vale or Riverlands in marriage with Jon? Nope only North. Vale belongs to Baelish, Robin or Sansa at the best if things go well. Jon has no power over them or will he. Riverlands could be in control if Sansa decide to do something about it and she is half Tully from mother’s side so option is there.

201. The only thing I strongly do NOT want to see happen is for Euron to show up with his produced-out-of-nowhere 1000 ships and wipe out half of Dany’s forces before she even gets to Westeros. It has taken six seasons to finally build her forces and alliances to the strength they are at now and I want to see her reach Westeros with those forces intact and not greatly diminished by a character who has had all of three scenes.

     I see people saying it would be game over if she shows up with her full force because she would easily defeat everyone else but I don’t think that is necessarily true. Who knows how the Dothraki and Unsullied are going to adapt to fighting in a strange land and eventually in colder weather. Who knows how the dragons will adapt.

     At some point Euron will inevitably have a naval battle against Yara/Theon but it should come later, not before they even get to Westeros.

     I also don’t want to see Daario betray Dany because it was on Tyrion’s advice that she left him behind and I’d hate to see that come back to bite Tyrion.

202. Sou,

     I really think Jamie is horrified when he walks in and see Cersei on the throne….he knows Tommen is dead for her to be in that position, and despite her love for her kids, her hunger for power would blind her to all else. I would love to see Jamie turn on Cercei and spell her demise.

203. Geralt of Rivia,

     Yeah it’s totally a political alliance. Jon and Dany working their whole lives and struggling to rebuild a mess of a kingdom only for their inbred messed up children or gandchildren to ruin things somehow lol. I doubt the show will have time to explore everything.

     But either way they’ll lose family and friends (and maybe even dragons) to get to the end (and they won’t be able to enjoy a quiet and peaceful life). It’s far from happy imo.

     George said he was aiming for a bittersweet ending like LOTR, not that he’s writing the anti-LOTR.

     edit: Vale doesn’t belong to Baelish. He just controls Sweetrobin (we’ll see for how long) and the Vale lords at the feast declared for Jon and House Stark, so they are allies.

204. RG,

     His queen is allied with Olenna-who will probably share that she killed Joffrey and kept silent when he was accused because at this point she gives zero fucks. And Ellaria-who killed sweet lovable Myrcella with a kiss because she’s all vengeful. I don’t see him being that relaxed about everything-despite the ships.

     He looked uncomfortable already when Dany mentioned that both her and Yara’s fathers were killed by usurpers. And, Ty can’t seem to shut up about how Dany’s father was mad, mad, MAD! He may be worried about what will happen to his beloved brother when Deny gets to Westeros. Except, Jaime has told Bronn that he’ll kill Tyrion, so there’s that complication as well.

     Tyrion seems really brittle to me, and I don’t fully trust his stated loyalty.

     I wonder if Jaime may fall in love with Dany, the only person with blonder hair than Cersai. I do believe that Tyrion has feelings for Dany and that could cause more conflict between the brothers.

     …and then, maybe none of this even remotely happens.

205. Sexual tension between Jon and Sansa must be unintentional. If people saw this then fair enough it’s their interpretation. I saw two siblings who cares about one another. Also their relationship is interesting since both of them were least likely to get along. They have to in order to survive and work together. Also trust each other. Would like to see Stark reunion and how they get along and then separate them.

206. Gfx,

     If you watch the making of/inside the episode it shows Harald Karstark riding with Ramsay’s initial cavalry charge. Which means he’s 99.9999999% dead
     Gfx,

207. Flayed Potatoes,

     I meant like people on the iron throne. Dream team basically but pretty confident one of them will die before the end. Daeny and her HotU vision, Jon being resurrected and people who are resurrected are not for long. Same with Beric who will die.

     I’m like 50/50 on them dying or living. Also chances of any baby being mad is 50% and that is not so good for Westeros. Marriage is clear but not sure if there is enough time to make believeable romance but D&D knows best. There is like 13 episodes left and good 4 or 5 will be spent elsewhere.

     Show Jon doesn’t look to me like a King. He is right now KitN and we’ll see how he dos but so far he’s too naive for it or at least show makes him. He’s general, soldier, fighter but not King. Others might view it differently but that’s how I see it.

208. Blanche Holstein,

     No idea how many Dothraki there are but as someone else posted, a disaster/attack at sea might eliminate some and lessen the scorched earth they bring to Westeros.

     Forgive me, but I gotta stick up for the Dothraki!

     Cersai blew up the Sept of Baelor with wildfire! And, she was already making wildfire from season 1, obviously thinking of incinerating something way back then. She was actively searching for more wildfire even before Tommen abolished trial by fire. Cersai has also given Septa Unella to a monster and know raper.

     Why are the Dothraki more threatening to this continent than Cersai and it’s own(former) residents, like Poliver, and soldiers in general? I think any Dothraki raping and pillaging is a real problem because it’s bad for Dany’s brand, and her ability to govern. It’s not a problem because it’s more grievous than what Westeros is accustomed to.

209. Sean C.,

     Littlefinger absolutely betrayed Ned. He set in motion the whole chain of events in order to destroy the Starks and the Tullys.

     1) LF’s goal was not to destroy the Starks. He wanted Ned in KL to sow discontent between Robert and Cersei.
     2) As for the actual betrayal (the gold cloak double cross), what was LF supposed to do? Ned’s plan was awful. LF provided a better plan. Ned rejects it and LF is stuck between Ned’s awful plan and rebelling against the Lannisters.

     *Ned didn’t even bother to get his daughters out of the capitol before going to Cersei.

     And as to the idea that he helped Sansa out: he helped her out of danger that he himself put her in.

     The danger he put her in is regicide, correct? Or are you including the Ramsay marriage? The Ramsay thing has been discussed to death but the consensus here seems to be Sansa and LF underestimated Ramsay and LF wasn’t to blame for it.

     For the regicide, LF inherently saved Sansa from Joffrey’s torment by killing him. So yes, he put her in danger by killing Joffrey but didn’t he also save her from Joffrey by killing him and getting her out of KL?

     tl;dr what is the point of killing LF now? Esp, if the only reason is the gold cloak thing? Plus, is Sandor going to leave out the part where he kills a Stark guard when telling Sansa about the gold cloaks?

210. Ha ha ha ! “Hottest of messes” is such a beautifully accurate description of Cersei. The woman has officially gone full cray cray.

     Pretty magnificent predictions all around !

     Daenerys releases the Kraken ?
     The one thing we can assert with relative certainty, as many of you have already stated, is that Daenerys cannot show up in Westeros with the army she had when leaving Mereen : Dothrakis (best cavalry on Planetos), Unsullied (best infantry on Planetos), Pyke islanders (part of the best navy in Planetos) and dragons (best, and only, air force in Planetos). With that kind of firepower (no pun !) in her backpocket, she would steamroll her way through Westeros in a week and the show would be over after another four episodes. So something’s got to give…
     Euron is the obvious solution and I would guess he is going to cause extremely severe damage to Dany’s troops.
     There would be some bizarre, vaguely unpleasant but still poetic narrative justice were the Dothrakis not to survive the crossing. The world of George RR Martin is full of rules that seem innocuous or purely folkloric at first glance and yet carry enormous weight and significance : in this case, the Dothrakis violated one of their most ancient beliefs by setting a foot/hoof on ships (the literal term for “ocean” in Dothraki is “poison water”). I cannot shake the feeling that this act of blasphemy, as far as their own traditions are concerned, will not be without consequence or “punishment”. Furthermore, and on a much more pragmatical note, since the ultimate battle will certainly take place in the North, I do not see what role those gorgeous but scantily clad men could play… Their nipples would freeze to the point of falling off before they could touch a single wight. So bye bye Dothrakis ?
     I also am not entirely confident all three dragons will make it, to be honest… Of course, it would be delightfully symmetrical were Daenerys to show up with her triplets, like her ancestor Aegon and his sister-wives did, nevertheless…

     I cannot help but be reminded of the Battle of the Gullet, a sea battle during the Dance of Dragons, at the end of which two dragons died; one (Stormcloud) as a result of multiple and grievous wounds, the other (Vermax) drowned after having flown too low and crashed down into the water.

     The dragon must have three “heads”. But does it have to have three bodies ?

     Come what may but her journey to Westeros will probably take a while and leave her worse for wear.

     On a side note, I am still waiting for the prophetised treasons. Assuming Mirri Maz Duur was indeed the one who betrayed her for (in the name of) blood, we still have two treasons to look forward to : one for (in the name of) money, one for (in the name of) love.
     It is entirely possible the writers will drop that storyline or have both betrayals occur in the final season however I am very intrigued… Which member(s) of her posse could backstab her ? The Sands ? Olenna ? Varys ? Theon (he could betray her for love, not money) ? Tyrion (same thing) ?

     Westeros vs. itself
     Like Sue and many of you all, I do not think Cersei will survive this seventh season. I cannot imagine her living in the same world as the White Walkers and she is due for a comeuppance. However I am more interested in the damage she is capable of causing in the meantime.
     While Dany’s love boat promises something for everyone and cruises its way across the Narrow Sea, Westeros will probably go through a lovely little civil war.
     I suppose Varys’s plan is for the Reach and Dorne to wait for Daenerys’s arrival before they start marching on Cersei’s lands. Therefore, the South may not be an immediate concern. The North, on the other hand…
     The North has just seceded. An open insult to the Mad Queen’s power. Furthermore, Sansa is now officially located in Winterfell and Cersei has been wanting her dead since Joffrey’s demise. So the North vs. Cersei is almost guaranteed. But there’s more…
     With the decapitation so to speak of House Frey in the Riverlands, there might be just enough leg room for a Tully resurgence. As demonstrated by Blackfish, the Tully bannermen are ready to mobilise if called upon and now that Edmure is free of Walder, he could try to fix his (very understandable, given the circumstances) betrayal of his uncle and pledge for House Stark.
     Also, the Vale has declared for House Stark after the BOTB but is not Northern territory, hence not independent from the Crown. In a war between the North and Cersei, which side would they align with ?
     Interestingly, in both cases, Littlefinger may have a role to play as he is Lord Protector of the Vale and Lord Paramount of the Trident…
     So North vs. the Crown ? North+Riverlands vs. Crown ? North+Riverlands+Vale vs. Crown ? Let’s get ready to rumble !

     Bran in da Norf
     He will cross the Wall and take it down. After all, a Brandon Stark built it; it will be poetic justice for another Brandon Stark to make it crumble.
     I would love for him to reunite with both his Winterfell-dwelling siblings, not just Jon, but it is merely a pipe-dream of mine to have as many Starks as humanly possible under the same roof without anyone dying.
     Quite frankly, aside from telling Jon about his true parentage (so Jon can figure out he can ride a dragon, if need be ?) and informing everyone of the manner in which the WW were created (to what purpose ?), I do not quite see what he can do aside from being his awesome self…
     However, if there is any justice in this world, Meera will be rewarded for all that she has done. She is practically a saint at that point; can someone please give the girl a foot massage !

211. Pigeon:
     Maybe I’m just not much of a shipper, but I saw zero ‘sexual tension’ between Jon and Sansa. Tension, sure.

     Arya may not know what’s West of Westeros, and ships may not go there, but she does know a fairly decent rower. ?

     I very much doubt that Jaime will die with Cersei. Wishful thinking, maybe. But it doesn’t seem right, unless she sets him on fire as well.

     Can you imagine the abs on that man after three years of nothing but rowing?

     I’m not feeling any sexual tension, either.

     I’m certain Jaime is the valonqar, but I’m not certain he will die with her.

212. Anon:
     I wonder if Jaime may fall in love with Dany, the only person with blonder hair than Cersai. I do believe that Tyrion has feelings for Dany and that could cause more conflict between the brothers.

     …and then, maybe none of this even remotely happens.

     Seriously. BRIENNE. Brienne’s hair is blonder than Cersei. Brienne is the one Jaime has seen naked. Brienne is the woman who holds his sword and his heart. (And by sword I mean penis.) Brienne asks Jaime to do something and he does it, no matter the personal cost to his reputation. Brienne is the woman he jumped into a bearpit to save. Brienne is the woman who believes in him.

     I am seriously banging my head into a wall here. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is quoted as saying when Jaime tells her Oathkeeper will always be hers, he’s really saying Jaime’s heart. The director of the episode calls Jaime and Brienne a reluctant love story. And yet people think Jaime is going to fall in love with Dany.

     Do we have to have screen cards and thought bubbles to make it any clearer? Whatever Jaime does, lives, dies, murders, surrenders, fights, the only woman Jaime Lannister has ever fallen in love with is Brienne.*

     *Jaime never experienced falling in love with Cersei. The twincest wasn’t falling in love as much as it was falling in bed and being obsessed.

213. Sue the Fury,

     I remember the director of the Jon-Sansa reunion episode had to keep telling Sophie or both Kit and Sophie to dial it way back, so I think that anything I did see I probably dismissed as over-excitement on the part of the actors themselves rather than a romantic flame.

214. I think about the hordes of reavers, marauders, and rapists = wildlings.

     So the NK is the good guy

215. Great post, Sue! I had totally forgotten that Brienne and Melisandra also have unfinished business. And I really want my Jorah-bear to be cured. So many possibilities. Good thing that we have plenty of time to explore even the tinfoil-iest ones.

     btw-I may have missed this in discussions after ep. 9, but there was a quick close shot of a Bolton-liveried guy sitting on a horse just before the BoB started that looked A LOT like Wilko Johnson. Was it him?

216. HotPinkLipstick,

     Ok, fine; but, I still say silver is blonder than blonde. A man can fall in love with more than one woman, right? Jaime is not married, after all, so I always wondered why he didn’t act on any feelings he had for Brienne.

     Anyway, maybe Dany is the one to make him ACT! It would drive Cersai over a cliff!

217. Sam will uncover the secret of forging Valyrian steel, and creating dragonglass in large quantities. After that, he’ll leave the Citadel.

     But wouldn’t that be a colossal idiot plot? Both show and books make it clear that anyone being able to make Valyrian steel would become an economic powerhouse to rival the Iron Bank in no time. Many, many Maesters must have poured through whatever records they have from Valyria in hopes of learning this secret. Sure, Sam is supposed to be pretty bright: but the citadel is going to be full of very bright people.

     As such, I would not predict that this will happen. If Sam learns anything, then it will have something that (combined with what he’s learned before) will give him some insight into the White Walkers. That would be a bit easier to digest: after all, the Maesters think that White Walkers are just fairy tales, and if any had taken interest, then it would have been in whatever passes for cultural anthropology among them!

     But, my general predictions:
     1. The Wall will come down pretty quickly in order to build up to the big show.

     2. Beset by Daeny’s army (which now includes the Tyrells and the Dornish), Cersei is going to wind up torching a big chunk of Kings Landing in her retreat. My bet is that she and Jaime will kill each other at the end of the season, with Cersei madly plotting to become a player again while the rest of the world is pretending that there are White Walkers.

     3. I am not sure how Daeny and her forces will get enlisted into the big battle. Obviously, they are not going to believe any stories about White Walkers, but it’s possible that this will produce a huge influx of refugees from the North. If nothing else, then the Queen has to do something about this. Also, given her disdain for the Starks, and given that she’s already given away the Iron Islands, she might not be willing initially to recognize King Jon, First of his Name.

     4. I think that we will learn the “why” of the Walkers. We know the “how,” and that is going to be important: Daeny in particular has a soft-spot for those enslaved against their wills. However, we do not know why the Walkers are back, what their goals are, etc. Why they turned on the Children probably is connected to this.

     5. R’hllor! I would not be surprised if, late in the season, we actually learn how this came into being. If real history is any guide, then the Children’s reaction to having the Walkers go so badly awry will be to….. try it again in a different way. (Because, cane toads….) My crazy bet: we will learn that R’hllor is what is left of the original Prince that Was Promised, after the Children’s magics did not quite work out as planned!

     6. I doubt that Euron will come to much. His primary purpose was to drive Theon (a protagonist) and Yara (a prominent secondary character) into Daeny’s camp. My bet is that he is speedily dispatched. Or, who knows: maybe Cersei flees to him thinking that he can be used for her ends. Because, you know: cane toads!

     7. The story! Man, I got lucky last year. Can I be so lucky two years in a row? Um… probably not. Obviously, it will be some variant of “damned if you do/damned if you don’t.” So, maybe this year will embrace that and give us a story about how one has to lose one battle to win another.

218. QueenofThrones: I can’t think of a good way for Nissa Nissa to happen, except for the possibilities involving Jaime.Either Jaime kills Cersei to forge lightbringer / Jaime is Azor Ahai (or an aspect of AA).Or possibly Brienne kills Jaime / Jaime kills Brienne (nooo) / Oathkeeper is Lightbringer.These are the only relationships in show or books which are strong enough to warrant comparisons to nissa nissa / AA, and where the characters killing each other is set up in some way that works for the characters involved.

     There’s simply no one that Jon or Dany loves enough for it to “count,” and Jon killing Sansa would be completely awful– no one could root for him after that.Jon killing Dany in a way where we are still on his side would require her to go all mad queen or something to work, or for Jon to act completely out of character (as with Sansa).

     So anyway – if Jon is AA and no one else is, he’s not forging lightbringer in the same way AA did.I’ve always thought there is no one AA – but parts of the legend would be fulfilled by different heros.We already see this with Jon and Dany.

     We don’t need Nissa Nissa. If anything, Jon himself is the sacrifice. We’ve seen this already with Beric Dondarrion, who sets his blade afire by wiping his blood across it before fighting and burning The Hound. Jon, who died and rose again just like Beric, will be able to do the same: he just doesn’t know that yet.

219. Ginevra: Can you imagine the abs on that man after three years of nothing but rowing?

     I am going to start imagining that….give me a minute……yup, still imagining…..

220. Anon,

     Brienne is a highborn MAID. Not some tavern wench up for a quick tumble. How about he didn’t act on his feelings because she would have never allowed him to break his Kingsguard vow, he respects her as a woman and for being the heir to Tarth, and he’d always been faithful to his sister. Sweet Baby Bolton, what time have they even had alone for some making out? When he was covered in his own shit and pondering death after the loss of his hand? When they were in KL and she was reminding him of his oaths every three minutes? Or in the Riverrun tent, when she told him he was an honorable man?

     Right, Jaime Lannister is going to go in for a quick boob grope because that’s how he rolls, as evidenced by his

     rejection of both Pia and Hildy

     in the books.

     Jaime is not going to fall in love with Dany just because she’s hot and has a sexy bare belly.

221. HotPinkLipstick,

     I can’t see him falling for Dany either. I can’t see him marrying her for political reasons either. I’m not totally on board with Brienne and Jaime hooking up but I could see it possibly happening… though Tormund would not be pleased about that! 🙂

222. Ginevra knows no ship but the Ship in the North, whose name is Tormienne. Seriously. I don’t ship anyone else.

     I used to think Jon and Dany were destined to be, because, you know, the Song of Ice and Fire, right? But at the moment, these two seem to be a terrible fit for each other. Perhaps the true song is the song of Lyanna and Rhaegar, ice and fire.

223. Aryamad:
     HotPinkLipstick,

     I can’t see him falling for Dany either. I can’t see him marrying her for political reasons either. I’m not totally on board with Brienne and Jaime hooking up but I could see it possibly happening… though Tormund would not be pleased about that! ?

     The show has made it painfully obvious Jaime and Brienne will meet again, but there’s no guarantee they will hook up before one of them dies.

     As to Tormund? You know who doesn’t give a flip about Tormund’s feelings? Brienne of Fucking Tarth. She had nothing for him and he was just some creepy dude being all gross at her. He really was the equivalent of a smelly construction dude catcalling at a woman as she walked by, interested in her only for how she looked.

     I like Tormund, but Brienne doesn’t. 😉

224. I enjoyed reading the predictions!

     I was also speculating that Cersei would turn to Euron and marry him as she has nowhere else to turn, but despite initial victories it would end badly for her. Cersei’s reasoning would be that she needs ships to meet Dany. Once Euron had what he wanted from Cersei, the Seven Kingdoms, he would do to Cersei what Theon and Asha predicted Euron would do Dany, if Dany agreed to marry him. Cersei would be killed by the Valenqar but it would be the younger brother of Balon, not Cersei’s younger brother.

     I was also thinking Bronn has some insight into the unrequited love Jamie has for Brienne. Jamie will leave KL, fed up with Cersei, and go back to the Riverlands, perhaps on his way North, or to sort out any number of issues ( Frey power vacuum, Starks back in the North, BwoB?) , and he would meet up with Brienne again.

     When Bronn was commenting on Jamie’s reluctance to engage with the serving girl/Arya at the twins, Bron said something like “isn’t she blonde enough?”. I thought maybe he was referring to the blonde being Brienne not Cersei. Also when Jamie said “I want to die in the arms of the woman I love”, I was thinking that foreshadowed that Jamie will die in Brienne’s arms. It will only be when Jamie is dieing in Briennes arms that he realises she is the woman that he truely loves. If it was to happen this way, it would probably be at the end of the season.

225. Tycho Nestoris,

     But that ignores his role in the poisoning of Jon Arryn and the letter to Cat that precipated the entire series of events leading to GoT. LF created or heightened the tension between the Starks and the Lannisters.

     Yes, Ned was his own worse enemey. Yes, Sansa had a role in this as well (in the books at least).

     But I believe that LF has had it in for the Starks ever since Cat was promised to Brandon and Brandon cut him up in the duel. It might have been self-preservation but it might have been more. Get rid of Ned. Cat’s left. He thought he had sex with Cat but he was drunk and it was Lysa. And she got pregnent and the baby was aborted. I’m not entirely sure Robin is not his son. Jon never had sons by his previous wives.

     I think his actions in KL were partly for him to climb the ladder. But partly for revenge. And everything he did for Sansa he did it for him to have Sansa in the end as a substitute for Cat. He’s hated the Starks for years for taking Cat and cutting him in the duel.

226. Tycho Nestoris,
     I couldn’t agree more.

     Ned’s plan was… Well, we all love Ned because he is splendid, loving, strong, valiant, principled and Sean Bean but… That does not negate the rather breathtaking level of ill-planning and unconscious cruelty his approach involved.

     Tycho Nestoris has perfectly explicated the ill-planning and I may be out on a limb in relation to the unconscious cruelty but allow me to explain myself.
     He told Cersei that, once the idiomatic bag would be out of the proverbial bag, there would be no stopping Robert. The Stag would follow her and her children relentlessly, with the intent of killing them all.
     Firstly, there might be a bit of a double standard here. Ned was (very understandably) disgusted with the Lannisters for having in their entourage Gregor Clegane, a “creature” who murdered a woman and her children as a result of who said children’s father was; yet he is BFF with a man he believes to be perfectly capable of committing virtually the same crime. Why exactely ? Murdering children is justifiable when his best mate does it ?
     Secondly, and more importantly, what he handed Cersei when he told her he would inform her husband of her children’s true parentage was, in effect, a death sentence. For all intents and purposes, he did not give her and her kids a chance; he gave them a headstart. I have no doubt that, in his mind, it was merciful; however, I would argue that is truly a matter of interpretation and definition of the term.
     Either he should have kept quiet about his discovery so as not to put innocent children (as well as Joffrey and Cersei) in mortal peril or, to be coherent with Northern custom, he should have killed the Mad Queen and her kids himself since he passed the sentence, so to speak.
     His “I am going to unleash a wild and dangerous beast to go after you so start running” approach was less than stellar, I believe.

     As for Littlefinger’s betrayal, while it was quite logical given the circumstances, Ned was our hero therefore, we, the viewers/readers, want him to pay for it. It makes sense.
     However, ASOIAF and GOT characters rarely get punished for their worst deeds. Frequently, retribution comes for entirely different (and much milder) reasons. Joffrey, as an example, did not die because of his past crimes (unfairly executing Ned, revoltingly mistreating Sansa); he was poisoned due to Olenna’s desire to prevent any future abuse of Margaery, something that had yet to happen. Tywinn did not take an arrow to the gut as punishment for the Red Wedding but because he was a monstrous, unloving, cruel father. And so on and so forth.
     Therefore I am not holding my breath for a Littlefiner’s betrayal-related death. Even though there would be something wildly amusing about Sandor Clegane claiming the moral highground on anyone. I adore the Hound and empathise entirely with his love for chicken, but let us not forget he killed a child in cold blood…

     On a final and slightly lateral note, would Sansa truly be surprised if she were told Littlefinger betrayed her father ? She saw him murder his wife, a woman who lied and killed for him. So could she be shocked and chagrined that he abandoned the cause of a man he barely knew ?
     I suppose she could be if proven that Baelish was aware his betrayal would ultimately result in Ned’s beheading but I doubt it to be the case.

     Retribution usually comes but it is rarely linear…

227. HotPinkLipstick,

     Who said anything about “hot” and “bare belly”? That’s your characterization of her. She has a lot of other attributes – notwithstanding Bronn’s quip about him liking bonde haired women. Dany is powerful, and Jaime may find that “sexy”.

     Brienne is a highborn MAID. Not some tavern wench up for a quick tumble. How about he didn’t act on his feelings because she would have never allowed him to break his Kingsguard vow, he respects her as a woman and for being the heir to Tarth, and he’d always been faithful to his sister.

     If you say so.

     He did bang his sister, though. And, he did bang her almost on top of his son’s dead body. I take it you’re a Brie fan?

228. Ginevra:
     Ginevra knows no ship but the Ship in the North, whose name is Tormienne.Seriously.I don’t ship anyone else.

     Oh please yes ! It is the most beautiful, the purest love story in Westeros. No words, just shivering looks of longing, hope and adoration.

     Ginevra:
     I used to think Jon and Dany were destined to be, because, you know, the Song of Ice and Fire, right?But at the moment, these two seem to be a terrible fit for each other.Perhaps the true song is the song of Lyanna and Rhaegar, ice and fire.

     Or Jon on his own… He is the song, in and by himself.

229. HotPinkLipstick,

     I like Tormund, but Brienne doesn’t.

     Not only is the night dark and full of terrors, but it’s also still young…so to speak.

230. Hi. I’ve read all the books and I’ve watched all the seasons as well. I know the show and book endings will be the same. It’s just how they get there that will differ. That being said, I’ve never got the impression that GRRM is big on predictable endings. I think that the clues are in the books, and one can predict (at times) the fate of the characters, simply by picking up on certain clues. Look at Theon, who in earlier chapters was so entitled and how his uncle told him he has to learn to kneel, to be humble. That was a clue to Theon’s fate in the books and it was mentioned in his very first point of view chapter. Also, Maggy the Frog’s predictions (as many predictions) were self-fulfilling. Margarie Tyrell was a red herring to the younger more beautiful queen who will take everything from Cersei. Jaime will kill Cersei, I strongly feel. Again, different than what Cersei or readers might think. I could never quite understand why fans believe Jon and Dany marry. GRRM isn’t writing a romance or a predictable story. The only clue connecting these 2 is when it is hinted they are related. That’s it. When Jon was in a relationship with his girlfriend, GRRM kept reiterating how Igrid hates political betrothals and how a man has to pursue a woman so they have strong children, instead of a girl being handed over like property. I think he emphasizes this to show Jon wouldn’t embark on a political marriage to unite the north and south. He’s not political at all actually. Also, GRRM is against war and violence and he shows time and time again the results of destruction. Dany reminds me of her ancestor Aegon the conquerer. Jon is more like a Stark and I think he will somehow be able to negotiate with the WW in the end. Or maybe he will die, who knows. All this teaming up and fighting the WW might not be the best way to go. My prediction is that a lot of people will be very disappointed when they don’t get this predictable ending that they expect. finally, the characters are mostly grey so I don’t see the good guys Jon and Dany teaming up and wiping out the WW and ending up together. I have other predictions but my post is long enough as it is. Than

231. Great predictions! So excited for next year. A few thoughts:

     Bran/The Wall/The Mark: I’m still unconvinced that the mark will make much of a difference at the Wall. Wouldn’t Bran, Benjen and Meera consider it before Bran crosses? It seems to have been forgotten. Also, Benjen specifically mentions magic built into the wall – why bring it up if it’s so easily defeated? I can’t imagine the showrunners would just let the White Walkers mosey on through the tunnel and miss the opportunity for an epic last stand by Edd & Co, culminating with the fall of the wall. Maybe it’s a mix.

     Jon/Sansa/Dany: I’ve rewatched the season a few times and just don’t see this supposed sexual tension. I see some sibling affection and a lot of sibling competition (with Jon still treating Sansa a bit like a child, and her acting a bit like one in return). But I fully agree that jealousy will give LF an opening with Sansa and I think there will ultimately be a big decision for her – betray her family or get the power/recognition she craves. I hope she goes for the former.

     I know I’m in the minority, but I don’t want Jon and Dany to end up together. It would have to be epic acting for me to buy a romance there. But I’m open to seeing how it goes. I’d prefer to ship Jon with a non-relative though. Like Yara/Asha. Reportedly she’s “pansexual”, so it’s not out of the realm of possibility. Those would be some snarky sparks!

     Jon/parentage: I hope Howland Reed has something to do with the big reveal to Jon. Bran having visions may not be 100% believable to everyone. A witness would be better accepted, by Jon and the rest of Westeros.

     Jaime/Cersei: Ahh. I’m excited to see Evil Cersei finally unleashed. I just hope Jaime doesn’t die too. However, I think he and Brienne are destined to two ships sailing in the night and that Tormund is her ultimate beau.

232. Ginevra,

     Political wise Jon and Deny seems to be good fit but as characters not so much. Perhaps it will be loveless marriage, both of them will fall in love or just one way love. It’s anyone’s game now. A lot of people seems to fall for Dany Daario, Jorah, Khal Drogo, Tyrion kind of or Yara so it will be funny if she falls this time for someone. They way she talked about how she felt nothing when breaking up with Daario tells me she’ll feel something for the next guy. For the love is alos in her vision.

     Dany and Yara is the one true ship.

233. Ginevra:
     Ginevra knows no ship but the Ship in the North, whose name is Tormienne.Seriously.I don’t ship anyone else.

     A song of cocks and sapphires.

234. Luka Nieto,

     I loved reading your ideas, even though my opinion differs for several of them. Why do you think Tyrion and Euron will mount dragons? And I noticed you mention Kinvara a good deal. Will she be traveling to Westeros?

235. Wimsey,

     I think that we will learn the “why” of the Walkers. We know the “how,” and that is going to be important: Daeny in particular has a soft-spot for those enslaved against their wills. However, we do not know why the Walkers are back, what their goals are, etc. Why they turned on the Children probably is connected to this.

     I thought D&D in an interview that said the WW are death. They cannot be reasoned with, they cannot be negotiated with. I may be wrong but I thought it was on one of the interviews reported in an earlier thread.

236. Darkrobin,

     Yes, but how does getting Lysa to kill Jon “betray” the Starks? Lysa had no love for the man. He’s played the Starks (Ned and Cat esp) but he also clued Ned to twincest (yes, for his own good).

     Yes, he’s “helping” Sansa for selfish reasons but that doesn’t discount that he is in fact helping her.

     Also, whoa on the LF+L=SR. I gotta look into this in my affc readthrough. I like this.

     Now I must bathe. All this LF defending has me feeling filthy.

237. Geralt of Rivia,

     Political wise Jon and Deny seems to be good fit but as characters not so much. Perhaps it will be loveless marriage, both of them will fall in love or just one way love.

     If the two of them decide that they can’t let the Targaryen line/name die off, they could have a baby together…an uber-Targaryen baby. If Deny marries anyone else, that child will take it’s father’s name. And, I know Jon will not father a child unless he’s married.

238. Anon:
     HotPinkLipstick,

     Not only is the night dark and full of terrors, but it’s also still young…so to speak.

     Look, the Tormund and Brienne interaction was cute and funny. It also amounted to three lurid glances from Tormund’s end and Brienne looking extremely uncomfortable. This was directly contrasted with Bronn saying later on in the season that the way Brienne looks at Jaime is something quite noteworthy. I don’t mind people shipping things for fun – that’s fine. But how people manage to seriously consider something as endgame when another option in direct opposition to it has been seriously cultivated for FIVE SEASONS NOW with sexual tension, many MANY meaningful glances, multiple rescue scenarios, point blank pronouncements written by the author – “But you love him” – point blank pronouncements by the actors/directors/writers – “This is a love story, this is a Beauty and the Beast story, he’s saying his heart will always be hers, these two love each other, etc.” – foreshadowing (Brienne as a Lannister motif, oddly specific blocking of Jaime/Brienne at Joffrey’s wedding, a million other references from books), and general story trajectory in general… the fact that this is all just outright dismissed in favour of 10 seconds of NOTHING (or in favour of Jaime falling in love… with Dany? WHAT?!) when seriously considering where the story is going… well, I just don’t even know what to say about that anymore. I get the sense that I’m not even watching the same show as others anymore.

239. Anon,

     Uh huh. Daeny’s other attributes that Jaime will like, you mean her tendency to burn her enemies, just like her crazyass father that Jaime just happened to have killed?

     As to Tormund, he has served his narrative purpose in showing the audience that Brienne is a woman to be wanted. That was nice and all, but it’s done. Nothing more to see there, move along. And I am definitely anti-shipping a woman with a man simply because he looks at her with lust when she responds with disgust. It’s the exact same reason that Petyr/Sansa repulses me, although Sansa gives Petyr more to go on than Brienne has even given Tormund.

     As to Jaime, I’m assuming you’ve never read the books or else you know how Jaime values Brienne as a sweet plum for a man to marry.

     And no one is denying that Jaime does gross things with Cersei. Ugh. Seriously. Jaime is a grey character. One moment you admire him, the next you want to punch him in the face. That’s the point of being a grey character.

240. Luka Nieto,

     Luka, love your theory, as usual very thoughtful, especially not having the wall fall early in the season. And a stop in Volantis would (a) make sense from a geographic standpoint and (b) give Dany something to do before taking KL. And I love that you recognize that there will be in the books and could be on the show a second Dance of Dragons which would likely result in a dragon dying (I personnaly think all three will be dead by the end of the books (and maybe show).

     Why Tyrion as the second dragonrider? Going with the Tyrion is a secret Targaryen theory? Or more in general that for whatever reason (his closeness to Dany) he will be a Dragonrider?

     I know that Jon dreams in the books of having a red sword … do you see this ever occuring on the show? He was fighting with it at the Wall as I recall.

     I would think Season 8 would be the fallback to the Trident and the movement of Dany and the final meeting between Dany, Jon, et al and the final battle and aftermath. To me it’s only a matter of geographical distance between the wall and the south that would stand in the way of the WW once they breech the wall. There may be magic at WF (as long as a Stark is there) and at Dragonstone and Storms End. But unless there are some spells a the Neck, there’s nothing to hold them back.

241. Tycho Nestoris,

     All this LF defending has me feeling filthy

     LOL. Lye soap required!

242. kit_hepburn,

     “This is a love story, this is a Beauty and the Beast story,

     Brienne and Tormund is a Beauty and the Beast story too.

     I recall that Brienne was really into Renly, a known homosexual. I can’t make heads or tails of her attractions. I think she admires dashing men; I don’t know if she is in love with any of them.

243. Queenofthrones: Yep, I agree. It is pretty simple. Jon, Dany, and Tyrion will lead a Targaryen restoration as the last scions of that ancient bloodline, unite Westeros (by virtue of the blood connections Tyrion and Jon have to other houses), and save the world from utter destruction.

     Three heads has the dragon.

     It’s not that I don’t think that Tyrion might be one of the heads of the dragon, but I’m not sure it is going to be quite as simple for him in particular – he’s in a totally dark place in the books, and George has let it slip more than once that Tyrion is actually the villain of this tale (I think he sees him as kind of a Richard III figure… and not necessarily an entirely sympathetic Richard III either). Obviously his portrayal is different in the show, but I believe his endgame will be the same. And I’m not sure it’s going to be all sunshine and roses.

244. Let us keep in mind that as we move closer to the end, things become more predictable. A year ago, King Tommen could have made some wise moves. Now he’s dead. We might have had King Ramsey. He’s dead.

     With fewer characters having fewer places to go, more things will fall into place. I would guess the Cersei has almost no chance to stay on the Iron Throne. Jamie doesn’t want it. Tyrion supports Dany. So no Lannisters.

     That means that it’s likely to be a Dany/Jon combination in some way. They need to beat the White Walkers. All the rest is a waste.

     The ideas of the problems between Tyrion and the Sand Snakes may not happen that directly. We have seen them on the same ship. And he is a pragmatist.

     One more point: an immediate naval battle is probably out of the question. If Euron wins, that pushes Dany out of the picture before she hits Westeros. If she wins, well, he will turn out a minor distraction. Best guess: he goes down somewhere near the end of the season,

245. Jaime is one of the most hated man in Westeros and he was the favourite son and heir of Tywin Lannister. If he married Danny, it would be Tywin’s dream come a reality. There is no poetic justice in that … Jaime has to die in the end. But I prefer he does something good before dying like lead the Lannister army during the war against the White Walkers. It would be interesting if he was the secret Targaryen. Tyrion said Joffrey looked more like the Mad King Aerys than a Baratheon or Lannister … and there is twincest … It would be funny…

246. HotPinkLipstick,

     Uh huh. Daeny’s other attributes that Jaime will like, you mean her tendency to burn her enemies, just like her crazyass father that Jaime just happened to have killed?

     Dragons are just organic fighter planes. You don’t like dragon fire as a weapon?

     As to Jaime, I’m assuming you’ve never read the books or else you know how Jaime values Brienne as a sweet plum for a man to marry.

     Are we back to the books again? I thought we were talking about the show?

247. ACME:
     Tycho Nestoris,

     On a final and slightly lateral note, would Sansa truly be surprised if she were told Littlefinger betrayed her father ? She saw him murder his wife, a woman who lied and killed for him. So could she be shocked and chagrined that he abandoned the cause of a man he barely knew ?
     I suppose she could be if proven that Baelish was aware his betrayal would ultimately result in Ned’s beheading but I doubt it to be the case.

     this.
     I like everyone will dance joyfully when Littlefinger gets whats coming but his “betrayal” of Ned is not what he deserves to die for. In truth, he was actually loyal in a sense that he sided with the Queen he had been serving for years. Littlefinger told Ned not to trust him, not his fault Ned didnt heed his warning.

     **this will all be moot however if we find out LF was the one in Joffery’s ear telling him to kill Ned instead of letting him join the NW ..then the slimy bastard needs to met the sharp end of Longclaw..sooner then later and very painfully**

248. Anon,

     You know how we know Brienne is in love with Jaime? Well, there’s this episode, S04E02, written by this guy who knows a bit about the characters, you might have heard of him, George RR Martin, in which Cersei and Brienne have this little conversation at a wedding in which Cersei says, “But you love him” about Jaime to Brienne who then panics because she has just realized that she does, in fact, love Jaime.

249. I agree with a lot of these predictions, but the one I disagree on is Daario. No way he betrays Dany, if he does it won’t add up to me. I think more likely he’s the on call bail out for Dany in S7 when she gets into trouble (much like LF was in S6).

250. Anon:
     kit_hepburn,

     Brienne and Tormund is a Beauty and the Beast story too.

     *sigh*…. No, Jaime and Brienne are a subverted Beauty and the Beast as described by the author George RR Martin, who then passed on that info to the actors. Like here, from Gwendoline Christie:

     “Martin ”said what he wanted to do was to take the traditional format of Beauty and the Beast and change the roles — and also the genders,” she says. “That really excited me.” “

     I’m not talking about my personal interpretation of the characters, or a cute little parallel that I myself personally see. I’m talking about what the author has indicated that he’s then passed on to the actors/writers. This is the storyline and anyone who has read or watched any version of Beauty and the Beast should be familiar with it and be able to catch the story beats. It’s not subtle.

251. Anon:
     HotPinkLipstick,

     Dragons are just organic fighter planes. You don’t like dragon fire as a weapon?

     What does that have to do with anything? You’re trying to convince me (yourself perhaps?) that Dany has other attributes which will entice Jaime to fall in love with her.

     Who cares what dragons are? Dany used them to torch random masters in Meereen. She stood there and watched another human being burn, something Jaime might remember Aerys having done.

252. HotPinkLipstick:
     Anon,
     As to Tormund, he has served his narrative purpose in showing the audience that Brienne is a woman to be wanted. That was nice and all, but it’s done. Nothing more to see there, move along. And I am definitely anti-shipping a woman with a man simply because he looks at her with lust when she responds with disgust. It’s the exact same reason that Petyr/Sansa repulses me, although Sansa gives Petyr more to go on than Brienne has even given Tormund.

     Brienne’s negative reaction to Tormund is exactly why I think that the ship will sail. Like so many good romances, we start with one or both parties not loving the other:

     Brienne and Jaime
     Pride and Prejudice
     North and South

253. ACME:
     Tycho Nestoris,
     I couldn’t agree more.

     On a final and slightly lateral note, would Sansa truly be surprised if she were told Littlefinger betrayed her father ?

     I’m more surprised she hasn’t heard anything about it (or asked) while she was in KL. It should be quite known in court that the Master of Coin together with the City Watch betrayed Ned in public and in the throne room.

     It’s probably the same plot hole that saved LF from ending up in the NW like Janos Slynt while Tyrion was Hand of the King. George still needed him in the narrative.

     Hopefully season 7 is the last we see of LF. It’s getting ridiculous.

254. Ginevra,

     Sorry Ginevra, but you acknowledge that we’ve had five seasons of build of Jaime and Brienne, but think the 17 seconds of Tormund looking at Brienne means that ship is the one that’s going to sail?

     I mean, it’s cute and all, and Tormund is a funny guy, but that ship sank long before Brienne was in a tent with Jaime giving him heart eyes.

255. kit_hepburn,

     kit_hepburn: *sigh*…. No, Jaime and Brienne are a subverted Beauty and the Beast as described by the author George RR Martin, who then passed on that info to the actors. Like here, from Gwendoline Christie:

     “Martin ”said what he wanted to do was to take the traditional format of Beauty and the Beast and change the roles — and also the genders,” she says. “That really excited me.” “

     I’m not talking about my personal interpretation of the characters, or a cute little parallel that I myself personally see. I’m talking about what the author has indicated that he’s then passed on to the actors/writers. This is the storyline and anyone who has read or watched any version of Beauty and the Beast should be familiar with it and be able to catch the story beats. It’s not subtle.

     What’s wrong with your personal interpretation? Is there something wrong with it that I can’t see? Are you one-upping me with Beauty and the Beast?!

     Anyway, my vision is a retroverted, subverted Beauty and the Beast.

256. kit_hepburn,

     Esp true after the Biter incident (ie beauty jaime/beast brie)

     Flayed Potatoes,

     Well the rest of the throne room (incld Barristan smh) betrayed him too when they went against Robert’s will.

257. kit_hepburn: George has let it slip more than once that Tyrion is actually the villain of this tale (I think he sees him as kind of a Richard III figure… and not necessarily an entirely sympathetic Richard III either).

     Really? Is there a source?

258. HotPinkLipstick,

     Who cares what dragons are? Dany used them to torch random masters in Meereen.

     What “random” masters?

259. Ginevra: Brienne’s negative reaction to Tormund is exactly why I think that the ship will sail. Like so many good romances, we start with one or both parties not loving the other:

     Brienne and Jaime

     Are… are you using one couple that is 5/6ths of the way towards being consummated in the show to demonstrate why another couple (with one of the same people, that has had a fraction of the attention of the first, when we’re almost at the 11th hour of the story) will happen in lieu of that first pairing considering the legwork that has gone into that first pairing’s storytelling?

     Why are people going out of their way NOT to consider the most likely endgame romantic pairing there is left in the story? Is there blood coming out of my ears?

260. HotPinkLipstick:
     Ginevra,

     Sorry Ginevra, but you acknowledge that we’ve had five seasons of build of Jaime and Brienne, but think the 17 seconds of Tormund looking at Brienne means that ship is the one that’s going to sail?

     I mean, it’s cute and all, and Tormund is a funny guy, but that ship sank long before Brienne was in a tent with Jaime giving him heart eyes.

     I have loved the Jaime and Brienne ship in the past, though not as much as you have, for sure. However, I never felt that ship would reach its happy ending – I just could never picture Jaime fully over or fully recovered from Cersei to be there for Brienne 100%. Tormund’s odds for giving Brienne a happy ending seem much higher to me.

261. Anon: I wonder if Jaime may fall in love with Dany, the only person with blonder hair than Cersai.

     You’ve got a point, Blondness scale from least to most goes Cersei – Brienne – Dany, if Bronn’s right that says something I suppose lol 🙂

262. kit_hepburn: Are… are you using one couple that is 5/6ths of the way towards being consummated in the show to demonstrate why another couple (with one of the same people, that has had a fraction of the attention of the first, when we’re almost at the 11th hour of the story) will happen in lieu of that first pairing considering the legwork that has gone into that first pairing’s storytelling?

     I’m using the couple that HPL ships as an example for why Brienne’s initial negative reaction doesn’t rule out an eventual romantic attachment. Basically, I’m only using this specific example to negate the premise that Brienne could never love Tormund because she initially didn’t think he was the cat’s meow, especially since we’ve already seen Brienne already do this exact about-face with another character. I thought that was brilliant. No?

263. Ginevra: Really?Is there a source?

     Sure! 🙂 That I can give you, gladly. (I get cranky with Jaime and Brienne stuff, not with other stuff.)

     Interview with GRRM after A Clash of Kings came out:
     https://web.archive.org/web/19991013131915/http://cyberhaven.com/books/sciencefiction/martin.html

     Amazon.com: Do you have a favorite character?

     Martin: I’ve got to admit I kind of like Tyrion Lannister. He’s the villain of course, but hey, there’s nothing like a good villain.

264. If we think this has a happy ending, we haven’t been paying attention.

     And Anon, you can keep ignoring how I shoot down your arguments by arguing something new and more and more irrelevant with each post, but it only serves to prove my point.

     Jaime and Dany isn’t going to happen. It never was going to happen. It never will happen.

     There are five seasons invested in Jaime and Brienne including a scene in which Nikolaj Coster-Waldau made heart eyes at a pile of dirt. Whether I ship them or not, and I do in the weird “I-expect-everyone-to-die” Game of Thrones way, it cannot be denied that the show is showing this pairing as completely romantic.

265. kit_hepburn: Sure! ? That I can give you, gladly. (I get cranky with Jaime and Brienne stuff, not with other stuff.)

     Interview with GRRM after A Clash of Kings came out:
     https://web.archive.org/web/19991013131915/http://cyberhaven.com/books/sciencefiction/martin.html

     Cool. Much of my original post in this thread focuses on the potential for Dany as the villain, but I was having a hard time reconciling how she’d become villainous with Tyrion by her side to rein in her fire and blood. However, if Tyrion goes dark, too, perhaps that solves that. I’m surprised GRRM would just come right out and say that, though.

266. Tycho Nestoris:
     1) LF’s goal was not to destroy the Starks. He wanted Ned in KL to sow discontent between Robert and Cersei.
     2) As for the actual betrayal (the gold cloak double cross), what was LF supposed to do? Ned’s plan was awful. LF provided a better plan. Ned rejects it and LF is stuck between Ned’s awful plan and rebelling against the Lannisters.

     1) You really don’t think Littlefinger is relishing getting revenge on the family to whom he lost Catelyn? Littlefinger is heavily driven by old grudges. If nothing else, the excruciating scene in 107 where he meditates long on how he lost Catelyn first to Brandon and then to “an even more impressive specimen” should show that.
     2) Ned’s plan would have worked if the Goldcloaks had been onside. Littlefinger wasn’t “stuck” anywhere. He was exactly where he wanted, leading Ned down the path to his destruction.

     The danger he put her in is regicide, correct? Or are you including the Ramsay marriage?

     I mean literally everything that has happened to Sansa in this show. Littlefinger murdered Jon Arryn to draw Ned south in order to destroy Ned and the Starks and Tullys as part of his broader plan to rise high. If Littlefinger had done none of this, Sansa would have been left to enjoy her happy childhood at Winterfell with her family (maybe she’d have made an unhappy marriage later, or died of a chill, or whatever; we’ll never know, because Littlefinger maliciously foreclosed all those paths). And if Sansa hadn’t been blessed/cursed to look like the Catelyn sex doll that Littlefinger has fantasized about all these years, she’d presumably still be at the tender mercies of the Lannisters in King’s Landing. Littlefinger is directly responsible for everything that has happened to Sansa in this series.

     Plus, is Sandor going to leave out the part where he kills a Stark guard when telling Sansa about the gold cloaks?

     The Hound never claimed he was Ned’s ally. He also had a whole arc about defecting from the Lannisters and atoning for past actions.

267. Anon: What’s wrong with your personal interpretation? Is there something wrong with it that I can’t see? Are you one-upping me with Beauty and the Beast?!

     Anyway, my vision is a retroverted, subverted Beauty and the Beast.

     I’m really starting to get the sense that you don’t understand the essence of what I am saying, and the argument that I am citing. I’m saying that the author intends Jaime and Brienne to follow the Beauty and the Beast storyline, and has said as much. Therefore I can read that storyline into the pairing and essentially be correct (and have backing for why that theory is correct). You are free to see Brienne/Tormund as Beauty and the Beast as well, I… guess? But that does not have any particular backing, narrative, contextual or otherwise. So, you know… there’s really no guarantee that it’s correct.

     Hypothetically I could say that Jon and Sansa are following the narrative of the Pied Piper of Hamelin, and no matter how much I (ridiculously) believe it, it doesn’t make it true. Jaime/Brienne as Beauty/Beast IS true and is a thing that the author intends to play out, by his own admission. To say that can be ignored (or… inexplicably assigned to different characters) is a little shortsighted, is what I’m saying.

268. kit_hepburn,

     Next, he’ll argue try to get you to argue the difference between short-sighted and myopic, all the while ignoring your valid points.

269. kit_hepburn,

     Oh, I found another link, http://asoiaf.westeros.org/index.php?/topic/136625-the-case-for-tyrion-as-a-anti-villain-and-a-discussion-on-how-his-future-arc-could-go/. This poster calls Tyrion the anti-villain, which is exactly what I called Dany (and Sansa) upthread. Hmmm.

270. Ginevra: Cool.Much ofmy original post in this thread focuses on the potential for Dany as the villain, but I was having a hard time reconciling how she’d become villainous with Tyrion by her side to rein in her fire and blood.However, if Tyrion goes dark, too, perhaps that solves that.I’m surprised GRRM would just come right out and say that, though.

     Very vague book references that I’m covering here just in case:

     Tyrion in the books has already gone dark. He’s essentially looking for revenge on Westeros, whereas in the show his motivations seem much more altruistic. In the books, Tyrion is also really more in a position to manipulate Dany for his personal gain I think. She may very well cause chaos and destruction, but perhaps with a little push from the man who would gladly see Westeros go down in flames. The show has entirely changed his motivations (I can wager some guesses as to why – they probably felt the show was bleak enough without having the extremely likeable Dinklage go completely villainous) as well as what I’m assuming will be his dynamic with Daenerys, but I strongly believe their endgames will be the same, the show writers will just find a completely different way to get them there. Because the two (Dany and Tyrion) are currently being portrayed as largely “good” – Tyrion especially – I wonder if they are going to go with more of a “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” type of thing with them, which will be interesting to watch for sure.

271. HotPinkLipstick:
     If we think this has a happy ending, we haven’t been paying attention.

     And Anon, you can keep ignoring how I shoot down your arguments by arguing something new and more and more irrelevant with each post, but it only serves to prove my point.

     Begrudgingly, I admit Tormienne is perhaps not more likely to happen that Braime, but I sure like Tormienne a hell of a lot better. Tormund and Brienne actually feel like they stand a decent chance at a non-dysfunctional relationship, and I’m a sucker for those.

     I am not sure Anon is a fan of logic.

272. Queenofthrones,

     Blondness scale from least to most goes Cersei – Brienne – Dany, if Bronn’s right that says something I suppose lol

     haha… yeah, or, I’m just seeing Jesus in my toast.

     Our attractions are more guttural and subconscious than we like to think. Maybe in the end, Jaime just likes blonde hair!

273. kit_hepburn,

     Cool, cool, cool. I’ve read the books, and I well remember “Where do whores go?,” but I do need to start a reread. I think some anti-villains near the end will make things ever so much more interesting, even though Tyrion is tied with Arya as my favorite.

274. The She Bear:
     I agree with most of what you said except for the Daario part, I really think the show was trying to cut down characters and they used the opportunity to make him stay in Mereen (someone needed to!). Hopefully we won’t see him or Meeren again.

     Dany seems pretty invincible now, there needs to be some complications. My best guess is that Euron reveals he has

     . I also like the idea of a potential alliance with Cersei.

     This. Otherwise she is basically unstoppable.

275. Glóin the Dark:
     Jorah will become an expert in medical matters, as instructed, and will eventually cure his disease

     What if greyscale is deadly to the WWs? Could they be wiped out by a plague of greyscale?

     What if greyscale is the agent the Valyrians used to melt/fuse stone roads and bestone creatures into castle walls? Then if the anti-greyscale can be found, the dragons in Dragonstone could be released to combat WWs.

     Greyscale as an agent to activate/deactivate energy beings.

276. Sean C.: 1)You really don’t think Littlefinger is relishing getting revenge on the family to whom he lost Catelyn?Littlefinger is heavily driven by old grudges.If nothing else, the excruciating scene in 107 where he meditates long on how he lost Catelyn first to Brandon and then to “an even more impressive specimen” should show that.
     2)Ned’s plan would have worked if the Goldcloaks had been onside.Littlefinger wasn’t “stuck” anywhere.He was exactly where he wanted, leading Ned down the path to his destruction.

     I mean literally everything that has happened to Sansa in this show.Littlefinger murdered Jon Arryn to draw Ned south in order to destroy Ned and the Starks and Tullys as part of his broader plan to rise high.If Littlefinger had done none of this, Sansa would have been left to enjoy her happy childhood at Winterfell with her family (maybe she’d have made an unhappy marriage later, or died of a chill, or whatever; we’ll never know, because Littlefinger maliciously foreclosed all those paths).And if Sansa hadn’t been blessed/cursed to look like the Catelyn sex doll that Littlefinger has fantasized about all these years, she’d presumably still be at the tender mercies of the Lannisters in King’s Landing.Littlefinger is directly responsible for everything that has happened to Sansa in this series.

     The Hound never claimed he was Ned’s ally.He also had a whole arc about defecting from the Lannisters and atoning for past actions.

     Awesome! Then the character of Littlefinger is solely responsible for the entire book series and TV show – thanks, Lord Baelish! You have provided millions with entertainment throughout the years, you cheeky devil! ?

277. Anyone else really want to see Euron’s big cock?

     It’s been hyped up and now the show must deliver on it!

278. Marlana: What if greyscale is deadly to the WWs?Could they be wiped out by a plague of greyscale?

     What if greyscale is the agent the Valyrians used to melt/fuse stone roads and bestone creatures into castle walls?Then if the anti-greyscale can be found, the dragons in Dragonstone could be released to combat WWs.

     Greyscale as an agent to activate/deactivate energy beings.

     Greyscale has to have at least a small role in the Great War, I think. It could be as you say, but I also think Greyscale might be related to the prophecy that says AAR will turn stone into dragons. The dragons of Dragonstone might be dragons with Greyscale, and AAR is the cure. Specifically, I believe that smearing the stone (men or dragons) with the blood of AAR will cure the Greyscale and waken the dragons.

279. Wow, I can’t believe there are people who want a Jaime / Brienne pairing to actually happen. Ugh. Sure, Brienne brings out Jaime’s decent side, but then so does Tyrion. Jaime will always be the guy who pushed a little boy out a window and is in love with his twin sister. Brienne deserves better.

280. kit_hepburn,

     You are free to see Brienne/Tormund as Beauty and the Beast as well, I… guess? But that does not have any particular backing, narrative, contextual or otherwise. So, you know… there’s really no guarantee that it’s correct.

     I appreciate the permission and the reminder that I am, indeed, free.

281. Pigeon:
     Awesome! Then the character ofLittlefinger is solely responsible for the entire book series and TV show

     Pretty much. There’s a reason that the reveal of his involvement in murdering Arryn is the final full chapter of A Storm of Swords.

282. Ginevra,

     I am not sure Anon is a fan of logic.

     Are you asking?

283. In re. the matter of anti-villains, I believe it may be pertinent to keep in mind that George RR Martin has, on numerous occasions, put forward the idea that “good men” do not necessarily make “good kings” and that, conversely, “bad people” can prove “good monarchs”.
     Politics is complex and being a “nice person” does not automatically make one qualified for its difficulty. A bittersweet notion if there ever was one.

     “Many good men have been bad kings, Maester Aemon used to say, and some bad men have been good kings.”
     A Dance with Dragons

284. HotPinkLipstick,

     And Anon, you can keep ignoring how I shoot down your arguments by arguing something new and more and more irrelevant with each post, but it only serves to prove my point.

     There’s no need to editorialize my comments to you and deprive others of the opportunity to read them and decide for themselves. 🙂

     So, you don’t like dragon fire, but you like to shoot, and I guess Euron isn’t the only one who thinks he’s got a big cock. Am I right?

285. Elizabeth: I also wonder where Gendry is now and if he is indeed in Westeros. If they do bring him back I have a feeling he will play a part in creating weapons to fight the WW.

     I have long thought that Gendry would smelt Valyrian steel from iron and obsidian. At Winterfell. The obsidian interrupts the energy holding the WWs together.

286. Lord of Coffee:
     Wow, I can’t believe there are people who want a Jaime / Brienne pairing to actually happen.Ugh.Sure, Brienne brings out Jaime’s decent side, but then so does Tyrion.Jaime will always be the guy who pushed a little boy out a window and is in love with his twin sister.Brienne deserves better.

     I want the pairing that has actually been meticulously set up to happen, yes. And Brienne knows about Jaime and the things he has done (she knows about Bran, certainly knows about Cersei). But she loves him, and Jaime loves her too (they just haven’t let their bodies catch up with their minds/hearts yet). It’s not an easy love story, but it’s the one that has been set-up, and it’s the one we need to see some sort of payoff for. So yes, I root for it to happen, because if it doesn’t it renders about five seasons of beautiful set-up totally pointless.

     And I’m just going to, once again, leave this Rolling Stone link and quote from George RR Martin talking about Jaime’s narrative, to once again emphasize what the author’s mindset about this tale might be:

     http://www.rollingstone.com/tv/news/george-r-r-martin-the-rolling-stone-interview-20140423?page=3

     Martin: One of the things I wanted to explore with Jaime, and with so many of the characters, is the whole issue of redemption… I want there to be a possibility of redemption for us, because we all do terrible things. We should be able to be forgiven. Because if there is no possibility of redemption, what’s the answer then?

287. selena,

     The “LF whispering in Joffrey’s ear” was a fiction spread by the Great Varys Propaganda Machine.

288. I ain’t going to make any predictions. I’ll just wait until S7 airs next year and then put in my pennies worth! Depending on filming spoilers, leaks, spies with Paparazzi cameras, etc, there’s just too many variables to consider after the finale of S6.

     Ok… Dany will arrive at Westeros, perhaps encountering Euron on the way and shit will hit the fan! Arya (hopefully) may join up with The Hound again and the BwoB – Jamie looks none too happy with Cersei sitting on the iron throne and no idea how that will play out. Other than that… No idea.

     Although not a book reader, I would have thought GRRM would have finished the WoW sometime this year, so probably the ‘sullied’ in this group may get an insight of whats in store for S7. Just have to wait and see!

289. Anon:

     So, you don’t like dragon fire, but you like to shoot, and I guess Euron isn’t the only one who thinks he’s got a big cock. Am I right?

     That’s just some word salad, isn’t it?

290. kit_hepburn,

     I don’t see how show Tyrion could turn into a villian. Book Tyrion maybe, but the show Tyrion seems to be driven by purer motives and I doubt he will turn dark going ahead.
     His only negative emotion right now is towards Cersei and nobody would blame him for that.

291. Sou,

     Im with you I don’t get it either People are looking for things that aren’t there

292. ash,

     I really doubt Sue of all people is “looking” to ship Jon and Sansa. Lol. It’s just somewhat noticeable – I’ve seen a few reviews mention it.

293. ghost of winterfell,

     I didn’t say that show-Tyrion would be a villain. I said that GRRM expressly identified Tyrion as a villain the books, and yet I think they are headed towards the exact same endgame regardless (which is interesting).

294. Geralt of Rivia: Daeny get Vale or Riverlands in marriage with Jon? Nope only North. Vale belongs to Baelish, Robin or Sansa at the best if things go well. Jon has no power over them or will he. Riverlands could be in control if Sansa decide to do something about it and she is half Tully from mother’s side so option is there.

     I really don’t think we can say for sure how the political situation with The Vale and The North is supposed to work in the show, because it hasn’t been explicitly explained.

     Baelish doesn’t control The Vale directly. He controls Sweetrobin. If Sweetrobin dies, Baelish does not control The Vale, at least that’s how it’s set up in the show. Further, Yohn Royce isn’t going to backstab the Starks to serve Littlefinger’s schemes. The Vale has openly declared they are allied with the Starks. Baelish’s only hope is to attach himself to the Starks and more specifically Sansa. Cersei won’t take him back and Dany has people around her that will keep Littlefinger away. The Vale is not detaching itself from The North any time soon unless it wants to be completely independent with no allies. This is not a good time to do that. If Dany were to marry Jon, she’d probably get both The North and The Vale as things currently stand.

295. Sean C.,

     Yes, I think he relishes playing Ned (and Cat) for fools. I just don’t think it’s his main goal.
     I can’t argue with hypothetical of the gold cloaks siding with Ned. If that was the crux of his plan though, it was not well thought out.

     Okay not stuck. Given the choice between Ned and Cersei, I don’t fault LF for siding with Cersei though. This goes back to the merits of Ned’s plan, of which I think there are none. That doesn’t mean anything other than imo his plan was awful.

     Everything? Ned betrothed Sansa to Joffrey and brought her to KL. Ned could have gotten Sansa and Arya out of the capitol before going to Cersei. How can LF be directly responsible for that? Just because he got Ned to the capitol with letter? Ned deserves some credit here too.

     Has LF not atoned either by killing Joff and bringing the Vale army?

     I really just don’t want Sansa to kill LF for the gold cloak thing SPECIFICALLY. If she kills him for funsies, or for the vale army or cause he threatens jon or whatever reason, fine. Just not for the gold cloak thing. Anything but that.

     I will try to stay out if this discussion going forward to give others a chance to share their opinions. It’s pretty special that book1/season1 are still relevant.

296. Sue the Fury,

     I am not a shipper either, but it does seem odd to me. I don’t see actor vibes, but there have been an awful lot of camera shots where Jon is turning his head to Sansa. They make sure to focus the camera on this. Maybe they are just highlighting how they don’t really know one another, and he is surprised by who she has become?? It could be interpreted in different ways.

297. Ron Pizzi: Makes me think the Maesters of the Citadel are more than just academics. Somehow they are manipulating all that happens in the 7 kingdoms and will be integral to the end game.

     What if the masters are using WWs to cleanse Westeros of humans and restore the former balance?

     Or by using science, discover how to eliminate the WWs?

     Or are using Westeros as one big video game?

298. Ani,

     No, I don’t think it’s possible now….there should have been any signs as it was a long time ago. After her rape she travelled to the north then gathered support for her cause so we can just rule out that possibility.

299. L. Mormont: I could never quite understand why fans believe Jon and Dany marry. GRRM isn’t writing a romance or a predictable story.

     Who said it has to be a romance? Are political marriages romantic? Maybe they agree to a marriage before even seeing each other and then maybe romance comes later… and maybe not. Was the marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York too romantic and predictable to happen? Because that’s how the Wars of the Roses ended. What about Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon? Too cliche for two monarchs to marry and rule in their own kingdoms?

300. Luka Nieto,

     The only prediction I would disagree with is the North. If Jon is just going to abdicate his kingship in favor of Sansa, what was the point of his being chosen as King by his bannermen? Even the Vale knights hailed him as KitN. It would make the finale scene a bit pointless, imo, if Jon is just going to give it all up and go to the Wall. The last 3 scenes of the finale were 3 rulers being set up. And I feel Jon being KitN will factor into whatever power games happen in Westeros in the next season. I don’t see him going to the Wall either. I feel, if Sansa has to end up as QitN, it will be at the very end, in S8 probably.
     I like the predictions for KL and Dany, especially Euron taking control of Rhaegar and her having to kill him, even though I hope Jaime survives!

301. kit_hepburn,

     Okay, so maybe Tyrion causes the same destruction that he would in the books, but with better intentions? That could work.

302. Tycho Nestoris,

     I think Sansa must kill Littlefinger to control Robyn and the Knights of the Vale. If Littlefinger dies, Sansa could take care of Robyn and manipulate him …

303. ghost of winterfell,

     Exactly!

304. Sue the Fury,

     There are some videos of Jonsa in youtube, so people is getting the weird vibes for sure … I though there was a chance based in the books. But there are also hints about Danny and Jon, so it could go either way or both ways… But I believe there must be a last romance storyline more interesting than Grey Worm and Missandei or Sam and Gilly. Please kill those relationships.
     Besides it would be interesting if Jon fell in love with the daughter that looks like Catelyn.

305. Lord of Coffee:
     The only thing I strongly do NOT want to see happen is for Euron to show up with his produced-out-of-nowhere 1000 ships and wipe out half of Dany’s forces before she even gets to Westeros.It has taken six seasons to finally build her forces and alliances to the strength they are at now and I want to see her reach Westeros with those forces intact and not greatly diminished by a character who has had all of three scenes.

     At some point Euron will inevitably have a naval battle against Yara/Theon but it should come later, not before they even get to Westeros.

     I can’t see that happening. i.e. Euron defeating Dany’s Fleet at sea? Don’t forget along with her armada carrying the Unsulled , Dothraki and Dornish armies she also has her WMD (re dragons) who alone could wipe out Eurons fleet.

     I’m really looking forward to see plenty of dragon action in the next season with them toasting Dany’s enemies 🙂

306. Black Raven: I can’t see that happening. i.e. Euron defeating Dany’s Fleet at sea? Don’t forget along with her armada carrying the Unsulled , Dothraki and Dornish armies she also has her WMD (re dragons) who alone could wipe out Eurons fleet.

     I’m really looking forward to see plenty of dragon action in the next season with them toasting Dany’s enemies

     Sorry guys, a story does not introduce a pirate character, with a vendetta against the people she’s aligned herself with (Yara and Theon), whose last lines of the season were “it won’t be enough to save them” and “build me a 1000 ships,” who has been foreshadowed to be extremely scary at sea, in the midst of a character who currently has seemingly absolutely no opposition in coming to Westeros (therefore currently no conflict) and not have him cause some chaos. I’m not saying he’s going to totally bring Daenerys down, but he’s definitely going to cripple her armada, or injure one of her dragons or something. And I’m rooting for him to do it, because otherwise this story would be over in about one more television hour, and last time I checked there’s at least 13 or so to go. Daenerys’ story actually really, really needs this I think.

307. Black Raven: I can’t see that happening. i.e. Euron defeating Dany’s Fleet at sea? Don’t forget along with her armada carrying the Unsulled , Dothraki and Dornish armies she also has her WMD (re dragons) who alone could wipe out Eurons fleet.

     I’m really looking forward to see plenty of dragon action in the next season with them toasting Dany’s enemies

     I don’t think Dany’s fleet will be entirely destroyed at sea considering the showrunners are scouting for castles in Spain to stage battles at, which would seem to indicate she lands in the south. So a good chunk of her force is likely going to remain intact. However, Euron may also have ways to counter her dragons. Like a summoned storm or something else magical.

308. Geralt of Rivia,

     As the Jon/Sansa reunion happened and they had their soup and ale chat a non show watcher took for granted they were long lost lovers and were surprised when Jon referred to their father. The way they look at each other at times, the prolonged kiss on the forehead is different than what I’ve experienced with my own brothers or how I’ve seen other siblings interact. Granted, this is the real world. Westeros has its own normal 🙂 But yeah, there’s been a bit of sexual tension, I just can’t figure out if it’s meant to be there or if the actor’s just have this chemistry that’s coming through on screen.

309. Interesting predictions, Sue!

     Mine are quite modest and ooze in tinfoilery …

     King’s Landing: I hope we get to see Cersei’s reign in King’s Landing before Dany arrives. In fact, I would love to see how the civil unrest grows in the city due to starvation (with Highgarden cutting down the food supply) and violence (with Dorne leading a guerrilla warfare). The turmoil will quickly surpass the capacity of the Kingsguard to control the situation. Jamie dies in an ambush set by the Sand Snakes and his head in sent to Cersei… A civil war ensues. Cersei orders Qyburn to burn them all and watches the city in flames (alla Nero). A disguised Arya offers Cersei a glass of wine poisoned with the Strangler. The city is almost complete destroyed and the Red Keep is half burnt. Thousands die while others manage to scape, leaving a smoking ruin behind.

     Daenerys: Before Dany arrives to King’s Landing, something happens… She probably encounters Euron and there’s a naval battle where she loses an important part of her fleet, although she ends up being victorious. When she finally arrives to KL, the city is in ruin and deserted. After that, she somehow finds out about the impending danger in the North and meet Jon Snow, who inform her about the WW. They decide to join forces and a second Battle for the Dawn ensues. People die by the scores. Dragons and direwolves die. This time, the battle is lost (a westerosi version of the Doom of Valyria, but in form of climate change: the perpetual winter brought by the WW). The people that manage to survive decide to flee Westeros in Dany’s remainig ships (mirroring Queen Nymeria’s exile) back to Meereen… In the meantime, the true parentage of Jon is somehow revealed to everyone and Dany proposes Jon to get married to start a new Targaryen-Stark dinasty. Jon reluctantly agrees. There’s no love in their marriage which is strictly political.
     The end.

     Ok, tinfoil hat off now… 🙂

310. Truthiness: However, Euron may also have ways to counter her dragons. Like a summoned storm or something else magical.

     “I am the storm brother, the first storm and the last.” Oooh, I like it! I like it better than the

     potential dragonhorn

     from the books.

311. ghost of winterfell:
     Luka Nieto,

     The only prediction I would disagree with is the North. If Jon is just going to abdicate his kingship in favor of Sansa, what was the point of his being chosen as King by his bannermen? Even the Vale knights hailed him as KitN. It would make the finale scene a bit pointless, imo, if Jon is just going to give it all up and go to the Wall. The last 3 scenes of the finale were 3 rulers being set up. And I feel Jon being KitN will factor into whatever power games happen in Westeros in the next season. I don’t see him going to the Wall either. I feel, if Sansa has to end up as QitN, it will be at the very end, in S8 probably.
     I like the predictions for KL and Dany, especially Euron taking control of Rhaegar and her having to kill him, even though I hope Jaime survives!

     I feel much the same. Obviously these are all guesses, but I feel like Jon can better defend the realm as king than by abdicating and going to the Wall so he can be one man against tens or hundreds of thousands. He may take an army to the Wall as king, but I don’t see a reason to abdicate. Sansa will want him to, and I’m wondering how that’s going to work out for Sansa. Like Liam, I’m thinking it won’t be pretty.

312. Off topic to the max, but love this video about battle of the bastards
     

313. No, no, no. Daario’s clearly not pissed off, and practically radiates “genuinely in love with Daenerys”. He’s not just a sellsword; his initial decision to support her hardly made business sense. If Euron shows up at his doorstep, it’ll be fatal for one of them.

     To all appearances, at least, that was a living horse that Benjen rode away on.

314. Just maybe Jon and Dany will marry. But, then Jon will kill her, thus making ‘lightbringer’. This will be in the last season.

315. My unpopular predictions.

     Tyrion will betray Dany: How i predict that? It’s been told to book Dany 1000 times ..not to trust the lion. In the books he wil do it because he is clearly villain.. in the show for the love of Jaime. Just go back and watch all the scenes Dany had with Tyrion, except the last episode. Jaime gets name dropping in every single one of them.

     Jon will not marry Dany : How i predict that? Dunno…maybe the fact that Starks started the war against her family?? Maybe that Jon will not want to be called the king who knelt again? Maybe Jon will not enjoy Dany calling his father “Usurper Dog-Traitor that was justice he got beheaded”? Just thinking.

     Jon will not marry Sansa. Dunno..Jon doesn’t seem into her, Sansa even less… they don’t have anything to win from it and i have watched 8 episode with them not having any sexual feelings… (yes brothers and sisters love each other) they will fall in love with her the last 13? I doupt.

     Jaime will not die with Cersei. I don’t know…maybe the only character who had a prophetic dream of flaming sword, dead armoured in ice…..and the only character who gets a place in Brans visions expect his family?? In the show he is the only character with Jon and Dany…in Bran’s vision. If the vision was for Cersei how come Bran NEVER watch her?Why add the scene with Jaime on the throne? Jaime is more important than Cersei. The forsadowing in the scene with Bronn was in the answer, not in the question as every forsadowing that took place in the show

     Jaime will not marry Brienne.
     Sansa will trust LF again.
     Dany will never sit on the Iron Throne… (show vision, she can’t touch it).
     The Targs will not be restored, neither with Jon or Dany. GRRM spends to much time showing to us how fucked up the whole family was, and how incest is bad…to have it win in the end.

     Yes i don’t think we will watch only fan service next season. Sorry! I mean did anyone here predicted that Cersei will sit on the Iron Throne? No, because without spoilers we are lost.

316. Jon and Daenerys is absolutely not happening in books.

     It will more likely be a war between them. There is no way GRRM would ever write such a cliche nonsense. However this is Dumb and Dumber fan fic so anything can happen.

317. Sean C.,

     Varys is the one who referred to Stannis’s defeat, not Tyrion. I’m not sure Tyrion would be able to learn much of anything about what’s going on outside Mereen if it weren’t for Varys. I would be very surprised if Varys did not know about Myrcella, since he went to Dorne to get ships. But I think it is possible that Varys kept that information from Tyrion, knowing that would complicate the alliance with Dorne.

     Or perhaps Tyrion does know, but we didn’t see his immediate reaction. Either way, I think we will see him actually do something about it this upcoming season. I think it would be uncharacteristic of Tyrion to overlook the murder of his beloved niece completely for the sake of politics. Honestly, I think it would be a bit uncharacteristic of Dany to ignore that as well.

     Dany is looking really strong right now, which means that things have to go badly for her in some way if there is going to be any drama left in her plot. One obvious way for things to go shitty for her is for her alliances to crumble, and this seems like one clear way that could conceivably happen.

318. kit_hepburn: Sorry guys, a story does not introduce a pirate character, with a vendetta against the people she’s aligned herself with (Yara and Theon), whose last lines of the season were “it won’t be enough to save them” and “build me a 1000 ships,” who has been foreshadowed to be extremely scary at sea, in the midst of a character who currently has seemingly absolutely no opposition in coming to Westeros (therefore currently no conflict) and not have him cause some chaos. I’m not saying he’s going to totally bring Daenerys down, but he’s definitely going to cripple her armada, or injure one of her dragons or something. And I’m rooting for him to do it, because otherwise this story would be over in about one more television hour, and last time I checked there’s at least 13 or so to go. Daenerys’ story actually really, really needs this I think.

     Some version of this is surely gonna happen…as the show has set up the remaining chess pieces for the last act, Euron is pretty much the only potential ally on the board Cersei may have to slow down Danny’s juggernaut…

     So, Euron will either:
     1. Meet Danny’s fleet in a naval battle before she reaches the shores of Westeros OR

     2. Euron will somehow conjure up a storm that will cripple part of Danny’s fleet (“I am the storm”, etc.) OR

     3. Euron does have that little thing from the books that could be useful against Danny’s trump cards (And maybe D&D just delayed its introduction to create a viable foil for Danny in season 7)

319. Maggie:
     My unpopular predictions.

     Tyrion will betray Dany-

     Jon will not marry Dany-

     Jon will not marry Sansa.

     Jaime will not die with Cersei.

     Jaime will not marry Brienne.
     Sansa will trust LF again.
     Dany will never sit on the Iron Throne… (show vision, she can’t touch it).

     Hmmm…

     Tyrion betraying Danny? I grant you, that may happen in the books…but in the show? Nah, I don’t think so. Varys, on the other hand…

     Jon and Danny? I think that may happen in the show, actually. Danny’s line about “the best way to secure alliances is through marriage” seems a clear setup for that. The only other “eligible bachelor” possibility in the show would be Jaime, and obviously that would be problematic (although it would fit Maggie the Frog’s prophecy about the “younger more beautiful queen that will take away all you hold dear”)
     Regardless of whether Jon/Danny happens or not in the books and/or show, I expect that at least one of them, or maybe both, will die before the series ends…

     I agree that Jon/Sansa ain’t happening in the books or the show; heck, I think there’s a higher chance of Sansa/Littlefinger happening than Jon and Sansa.

     I agree that Jaime may not die with Cersei…in the show. I think that will happen in the books, though. My image for the show is Danny and Tyrion entering a ruined Red Keep and finding Jaime sitting on the Iron Throne with a dead Cersei in the floor…(in a mirror image of Ned entering the throne room at the end of Robert’s Rebellion and finding Jaime sitting on the throne with a dead Mad King in the floor.)

     Yep, Brianne/Jaime ain’t happening, in the books or the show.

     Sansa trusting Littlefinger again? Yep, I’m afraid that may very well happen…

     No one will be sitting in the Iron Throne by the end, I expect, in both books AND show. There won’t be an Iron Throne anymore; I expect the Seven Kingdoms will go their separate ways…

320. Anon,

     There is like 50% chance that their child could be mad. Not sure if that’s what Westeros needs. As they said when Targaren is orn Gods flip a cointo see if it’s a normal one or mad like Aerysor her brother Viserys so we have to look at this too.

     ygritte,

     It looked to me like long lost siblings chatting but if people saw sexual tension. Maybe it was just Kit and Sophie acting and their chemistry but not sure it was intentional. At least from interviews but Sophie she has to asked them as producers what they’re going to do with them.

     Truthiness,

     Currently best bet for LF is to stay with North but right now Littlefinger controls Vale through Robin. Sansa is key here because if she can outsmart Littlefinger somehow and gain control over them. Then she have pretty good power but also depends if Jon and Sansa are in good relationship or not. The way they talked about them doesn’t sound awesome. Vale and North are allies as Royce was there to hail Jon King in the North but be careful they answer to Robin who is controlled by Baelish.

321. Tycho Nestoris,

     Ned’s plan, I believe, was to overpower the Lannister forces in the capitol and hold it temporarily for Stannis. I don’t see that as an incredibly stupid plan. It’s not a crafty plan, it’s not an advantageous plan for either Ned or Littlefinger, but the show implies that if he had the gold cloaks, he would have succeeded. And anyway, Littlefinger betrayed someone who was at the very least a decent human being to a couple of monsters, ensuring either his death or exile. His decision to betray Ned is strategically justifiable, but not really morally justifiable. Which is why killing him for what he did to Ned would be justice.

     Not only would his death for that reason be just, but it would be satisfying from a narrative standpoint. The big thing he did near the beginning of the series comes back to screw him over in the end. It’s poetic. Conversely, it would be odd from a narrative standpoint if Sansa never discovers this big secret about LF, and it would be uncharacteristic of her to forgive him for it if she ever did.

322. LawofFury:
     Jon and Daenerys is absolutely not happening in books.

     Yea, I wouldn’t be so sure about that, actually.

     Regardless of whether it happens or not, either Jon or Danny or both will die before the end.

323. Wall Builder:
     Regarding Dany, my prediction is that she’s not going to sit on the Iron Throne or marry Jon.She’s not even going to be alive at the end of this story.I think this because of the vision she had when she was in the House of the Undying back in season 2.Remember how she walked into a destroyed throne room with the snow (ash?) falling?She approached the Iron Throne and was about to touch it but then gets distracted by a baby’s cry.She then walks through a door and emerges north of the wall where she meets Kal Drogo and their baby.My interpretation of this is that she never actually gets to be Queen of Westeros but is distracted by the fight against the WWs and dies heroically fighting them, thus being reunited with her dead husband and son in the Night Lands.

     I think that very well may happen in the show.

324. I always thought Dany could be Jon’s Nissa Nissa. But there isn’t really enough time to set it up. Unless they do a time-skip.

325. Everyone assumes that Dany will be the younger Queen from the prophecy, but what if it is Sansa? Cercei assumed it was Margaery who would steal her throne, readers assume it is Dany, but what if Sansa figures that she has no place in the North and takes Littlefinger’s proposal to be the next queen of Westeros? Sounds better than to sit in the North being just a widowed sister.

     There has to be a number of other people still sitting on the Iron Throne before Dany even gets there. She is likely to land in Dorne first instead of arriving straight at KL, possibly because of the storms/Euron. They still can add Young griff to the story, just like they added Ironborn one season later and use Dario for the leader of the company to keep things less confusing. It also can be that Jorah arrives in Kinslanding and causes the plague, or does the same in Oldtown, or whatever place. There has to be some narrative significance to the whole plague if they bothered to add it to the show, when skipping on a lot of other things. So I think we will see greyscale in action.

     As for Dany, she probably will meet Jon, but it is hard to tell the outcome there. Jon is technically undead at the moment, also Dany is a good candidate to kill Lich… erhm I mean… Night King. Undead man and a bare (?) woman are not exactly the best prospect for the prosperity of a dynastic line. Also, Bran might not walk, but he can fly a dragon, right?

326. Wimsey:

     5. R’hllor!I would not be surprised if, late in the season, we actually learn how this came into being.If real history is any guide, then the Children’s reaction to having the Walkers go so badly awry will be to….. try it again in a different way.(Because, cane toads….)My crazy bet: we will learn that R’hllor is what is left of the original Prince that Was Promised, after the Children’s magics did not quite work out as planned!

     6.I doubt that Euron will come to much.His primary purpose was to drive Theon (a protagonist) and Yara (a prominent secondary character) into Daeny’s camp.My bet is that he is speedily dispatched.Or, who knows: maybe Cersei flees to him thinking that he can be used for her ends.Because, you know: cane toads!

     5. So, the Lord of Light is the original Azor Ahai??? That is Tinfoil with a capital T!! I love it! Honestly, I could very well see George coming up with something like that.

     6 Euron can’t be “easily dispatched” since he’s really Cersei’s only possible remaining potential ally, and if he was dispatched easily, then Cersei would die in episode 2 or three and the season would be over; instead I expect Cersei to die in episode 6 or 7, kinda at the same time the Walkers get around to finally start their invasion of Westeros.

327. The belief that Jon and Dany would get married always strikes me as odd, since the can community was also simultaneously positive that she was his aunt. I know Targaryens did it before, but I’m not sure the audience would get behind a romantic pairing that creepy.

     I’m also skeptical based on the longevity of the characters. Maybe Dany will survive at the end, maybe Jon will. Either of them could make it. But will they BOTH survive? I personally think that is unlikely.

328. Luka Nieto:
     I love most of those predictions! Very inventive, yet they make sense too. Except for Daario, I’m afraid. Personally, I believe his story is over, along with that of the newly-named Bay of Dragons.

     These are my own “pure” predictions for season seven, which I wrote a few days ago just to see how it would go, considering we have absolutely no filming news yet, and no relevant casting calls:

     INTRODUCTION (Episodes 1 and 2)

     THE WALL:
     Bran and Meera go through the Wall and meet Edd in Castle Black, who tells them about Jon and Sansa’s march to Winterfell and the news of their victory. Edd arranges for them to go meet Jon and Sansa in Winterfell and warn them about what’s coming.

     THE NORTH:
     Jon tries to direct the North to the real threat. Baelish tries to make Sansa stand up for her rightful claim. She does, to a point, yet she is aware he will try and take advantage.
     Brienne and Podrick arrive and Sansa sends them south again to parley with the Crown.

     THE RIVERLANDS:
     Arya frees Edmure from the Twins, though she isn’t sympathetic to his cowardice.

     THE SOUTH:
     Cersei’s reign of terror begins. Qyburn susses out dissent and Ser Gregor squashes it. News come of Jon and Sansa’s rule over the North, yet she is blind to her limited powers. Unable to dampen her mad fire, Jaime is distraught, as he serves a mad monarch again.

     IRON ISLANDS:
     Euron, revealed to be an uncanny threat, turns his new massive Iron Fleet to Oldtown.

     OLDTOWN:
     Against the maesters’ close-minded wishes, Sam studies “the higher mysteries”. Gilly studies on her own as well, with books Sam manages to secretly take back to their home. Sam learns the maesters seek to put a stop to magic. They helped kill the dragons.
     Jorah arrives in the Citadel to find a cure for his greyscale. He meets Sam, and once they realize who each other are, they exchange news of the White Walkers and Daenerys.

     VOLANTIS:
     Dany takes Volantis with the slaves’ help, as Kinvara said they believe she is their savior. With all major slave cities fallen, Daenerys sets sail to cross the Narrow Sea with her armies, three dragons, Tyrion, Missandei, Grey Worm, Varys, Kinvara, Yara, and Theon.

     RISING ACTION (Episodes 3, 4 and 5)

     THE NORTH:
     Jon is frustrated to deal with difficult Northern politics instead of facing the White Walkers.
     Petyr’s last gamble proves to be his undoing. Sansa lays his plots bare, executes Littlefinger as a traitor in Winterfell and takes control of the knights of the Vale herself.
     Bran arrives, but the sibling reunion is dampened by his dire warnings. In the godswood, Bran sees the Tourney at Harrenhal. Rhaegar didn’t kidnap Lyanna; they planned to elope. He believed their son would fulfill an old prophecy. His would be the song of ice and fire. Bran informs Jon of his true parentage, which makes him doubt his entire identity and his claim to the North and his kingship. Perhaps his fate lies in defeating the White Walkers. Jon marches his armies to the Wall, while Sansa stays behind to rule Winterfell.

     THE RIVERLANDS:
     Arya meets Sandor and the Brotherhood, who head North to fight the real war. Arya forgives them and learns of Jon and Sansa. She is torn between vengeance and family —Between crossing the names off her list in King’s Landing and going back to her home. Reluctantly, Arya decides to accompany the Brotherhood again for the time being.
     As she aimlessly heads south, Melisandre meets Arya again, just as she once prophesied. She tells Thoros and Beric about Jon’s resurrection. To Arya’s chagrin, they convince her to come with them back North, and face the consequences.

     THE SOUTH:
     Dany lands south of the Crownlands. Olenna and Ellaria are amused by Tyrion as Hand. Miscalculating, Ellaria brashly tells Tyrion she murdered Myrcella, which infuriates Tyrion. He tries to convince Dany to break this alliance: They are not interested in her new world; They only seek bloody revenge. Dany agrees, but she also believes they will need them. The Queen’s council make a plan to take King’s Landing: Daenerys and Grey Worm will lead the dragons, the Unsullied and the Dothraki by land; while Tyrion, Yara and Theon sail the Targaryen, Greyjoy, Martell and Tyrell fleets to the Blackwater.
     News of Dany make Cersei see traitors all around, just as the Mad King in his final days, to Jaime’s torment. Brienne arrives to parley with Cersei. Even though Jaime and Brienne come painfully close to confessing their love, Brienne fails to persuade him to leave with her, as he believes he has a duty. Jaime fails to save Brienne from Cersei’s wrath.

     OLDTOWN:
     Sam learns something regarding Valyrian steel crucial against the White Walkers.
     Euron performs a mass ritual sacrifice to favor his odds in battle. His men doubt his sanity, but they fear him even more so. Oldtown soon falls, but Euron isn’t in the city just to reave. In the Citadel, he finds what he was looking for: A magic weapon hidden by the maesters. Sam escapes to Jon and Jorah to Dany. They promise to tell them about each other.

     CLIMAX & DÉNOUMENT (Episodes 6 and 7)

     THE SOUTH:
     Tyrion’s and Yara and Theon’s fleets arrive in the Blackwater and begin the eastern siege. Meanwhile, the Unsullied and Dothraki hit the western walls on the Lion Gate. Daenerys mounts Drogon and together they lead Viserion and Rhaegal to destroy the city’s and the Red Keep’s defenses. Her armies soon breach the walls and lay siege to the Red Keep. Cersei sees only one way out: to ignite the rest of the wildfire, taking her enemies with her. Yet again, Jaime is forced to dishonor his oaths while making the morally right choice, as he sorrowfully kills Cersei, trying to put a stop to her mad plan, which was Aerys’ once. However, this time his sacrifice is for naught: Cersei, Jaime, Qyburn, Gregor, the Red Keep and the city go up in green flames. The Tyrells’ and Martells’ thirst for vengeance gets the better of them: As they insisted on leading the vanguard to kill Cersei themselves, Olenna, Ellaria and the Sand Snakes are also incinerated, alongside most of their men.
     Dany walks through the burnt throne room as it snows. Just now that she has the throne, she is pushed to her true purpose at the Wall, as she saw in the House of the Undying: Jorah arrives to the ruins of King’s Landing and tells Daenerys about Jon Snow and the threat of the White Walkers up north. Tyrion vouches for Jon Snow, as does Theon. Kinvara says Dany is the One Who Was Promised; she is fated to fight the White Walkers. Forlorn and bound by destiny, Daenerys decides to take what’s left of her armies North. However, before they part, Euron arrives —But he doesn’t seek an easy alliance anymore. His fleet overwhelms Yara’s and he unveils what he acquired in the Citadel: a dragonhorn. The horn is blown. Daenerys manages to keep control of Drogon, and shockingly Tyrion appeases Viserion and even mounts him, but Euron takes the reins of Rhaegal, who launches itself against its brothers. Tragically, Dany is forced to have Rhaegal killed.

     THE NORTH:
     The Brotherhood arrives in Winterfell, prepared to lend their services in the Great War. Sansa reunites with Arya and Sandor. As Jon exiled Melisandre, she faces her trial. Despite Arya’s insistence, Sansa is more pragmatic than Jon and spares Melisandre’s life. As Jon abdicated his kingship to seek his new destiny, Sansa is made Queen in the North.

     THE WALL:
     Sam arrives to see Jon leading the northmen and wildlings. After being brought up to speed, Sam tells Jon all about what he learnt, and of Daenerys and her dragons.
     The White Walkers arrive. Jon, Bran, Sam, Davos, Edd, Tormund and a few Lords feel prepared to mount a defense with their men, but the Night King makes his move. The Wall cracks. Jon’s army is pushed back only to see the Wall crumble to the ground. The White Walkers pass through the Wall’s ruins. Jon and the survivors are driven back to Winterfell.

     I love how your predictions always read like a script! LOL.

     I don’t think that Sansa will be Queen, but I do think that Jon will let it be known that she will act as the Lady of Winterfell in his absence

     I actually think Jaime will foil part of Cersei’s plan and kills her before she has a chance to blow up King’s Landing. Danny and Tyrion find him sitting in the throne besides a dead Cersei…

     Otherwise, I like your predictions.

329. Geralt of Rivia,

     Wait, so Sophie also had some vibes and had to ask D&D hey where are you going with our characters? Haha that’s funny 🙂

330. Matthew The Dragon knight,

     That was interesting! Bookmarked the channel for future reference. That episode had me at the edge of my seat and I wish I could watch it fresh all over again.

     I heard rumor the producers are saying season 7 will probably not air until beginning of August. Er, that’s over a year away. This will be a looong winter for we the viewers 🙁

331. Nadia:
     Sue the Fury,

     Curious how with the amount that people want this to happen and like aggressively ship these two protagonists together that it is NOT a happy ending.

     It’s not if Dany or Jon or both die, and I fully expect at least one of them will.

332. ACME,

     Jon is not the song of ice and fire.

     Fire = dragons
     Ice = Others

     Starks are the Kings of Winter, they are direwolves, they are the north. But they are not ice. They do not bring winter, they do not bring the storm. They just survive it best. They have no control of the Others.

     LawofFury,

     Jon would be the biggest idiot in ASOIAF/GOT if he decides to go to war with Dany. Why fight her when he can ally with her and use her MASSIVE army/dragons to fight the real threat?

333. ”Ice and Fire” means a lot of things in the story. Not only one thing/person. -.-

334. ygritte,

     Someone mentioned to Sophie about Jon and Sansa being romantic couple and she said that she needs to ask D&D. She also adds it would be weird as neither of them would be thrilled to consumate marriage.
     It’s clear it was just actors happy to work together. Sophie and Kit always wanted to work together since even Sophie wrote letter to Kit when he said to her that he’s leaving the show. Then he shwoed that letter to everyone just to make fun of it. She was like on the of the only ones who believed that Jon was dead. They were actually really glad when they find out their reunion will be in this season. Director of that episode or D&D said it. They kept it away from them for some time until they got script.

335. Hi guys,

     I’ve been following your articles all season, you’re doing such a fine job 🙂 Waiting for season 7, is a loooooooooooooooooooooong wait so I guess speculation will be the word for the next 10 months! Ugh!!!!

     What Sue and most of you good people share here make sense to me, but here’s some thoughts from me to add to this discussion:

     1) I think we’ll see a lot of Cercei in the coming season, for many reasons: Jamie’s plotline and character must, I think, develop in connection with hers. Who she is without her children, which was the only thing that made her a bit human, will be a catalyst not only to her relationship with her brother, but more important to Jamie’s character: we know that deep down he is a man of honor, that he doesn’t want more lives lost without reason. And we know that he killed the Mad King, for the greater good. I think, there will come a time, in an ironic history repeating itself, that Jamie will have to do the same, only instead of the Mad King, we’ll have a very Mad Queen!
     If I recall well, Bran’s vision had two versions that may play a role : one openly showed Jamie killing the Mad King, one showed Jamie’s shadow killing someone we assumed that was the Mad King, but now, I think, this one could be Cercei. It would give a great symmetry to the story – and into Bran’s visions as well.

     2) In the North, they left us with a sweet taste of Jon becoming King, and the cryptic look of Sansa to Littlefinger that makes us worry!! Perhaps it would make sense in the scenario, at least at the first episodes, to let us believe that Sansa actually plots against Jon, with LF – in a way letting us see things in LF perspective: he’s clever, but he’s also overconfident,and is sure that he succeeds in manipulating Sansa’s actions. And then – I hope!!!! – Bang! Sansa gets him in his own game, and – oh happy fan day! – kills him. D&D can you hear me?

     3) The storyline in the North is complicated still, as there are loose-ends. One, Jon is Stark-Targaryen, and somehow this has to come out. But the great question is how? And in what scale will that be known, to serve the story better? I’m at loss here, guys! Perhaps, at least for season 7, this truth will only be known to few, thus, developing first of all Jon’s character: he’s not just an unwanted bastard, but the product of true love, between two nobles. And Ned, sacrificed a lot to keep him alive. All that must have a great impact on him, especially after what’s happened through the last seasons. I believe this will empower his character, he will finally know who he is, and he needs to be OK with himself if he is to lead and play a role in the great war to come. Secondly, I’d like to think, that his Targaryen blood gives him some special power, that comes handy in fighting the Night King – and perhaps that power, becomes also handy in getting his parentage widely known. Maybe dragons obey him, and he gets to ride one, or something like that. Secondly, Ok,Jon is King, the North is with him. Where does he go from there? His concern should be the WW – but if that is actually to play out on season 7 – then we will have to have some kind of development on the Wall/WW otherwise not much scope in this story.

     4) I too think that Euron will play a major role next season. I think likely that he allies Cercei – it makes sense to me at least: she’s surrounded by enemies, and Dany’s coming to KL. It would be smart to ally Euron to help her – perhaps even marrying him, in return for his help. But Euron can’t be trusted, he’s power/blood thirsty, and she’s in his way to the throne.

     5) And that would bring a twist to Dany’s all powerful sailing to Westeros: she’s not that omnipotent and who thought that Cercei would go down without giving a good fight?! I think we’ll see an epic naval battle!
     I also worry about Dany’s safety: it’s GOT and when something seems to go TOO well for someone, Merphy’s law applies! I hope she survives for the endgame!

     6) I have this feeling that Sam will also play a major role for the endgame. At least that’s what has been building up for us, for so many seasons. I can’t believe that we followed him through all that, for nothing. I think he discovers something of great importance about the WW, something that helps humans fight back, or some kind of magic that can be used. If I remember well, there were a very few maesters that were into magic – maybe Sam discovers that he is one of them. Whatever happens at Citadel, will not last long, as we approach the big game, so I hope that one of the major moments in next season will come from something Sam discovers.

     7) Bran – I think uncle Benjen knows more than Bran thinks. He gave some hints, in his brief appearence, that Bran must pass the wall and fight the WW. Therefore, I think, the Raven knew what Bran was going to do, and how that story would unfold and had shared that with Benjen. Bran however doesn’t know – at least not yet- so I’m worried! If it is Bran that brings down the Wall, I think then, that he passes it end of season 7: there can’t be a fight with WW for two seasons, even if short, as one can imagine. Which means that either important things happen to Bran before he gets to the Wall through the season, or that we get no Bran until the end of season 7- beginning of 8. But I have come to think lately, that it’s not Bran who brings down the Wall. Still thinking about that!

     8) Arya, has become a different person. I’m not sure if she’s to continue her killing spree, taking out the rest of her list. It wouldn’t make much sense to me. We’re going for the endgame, and all actions must be connected to the big picture. It would make sense if she joined the Hound – actually I’d love to see that – and somehow lead or form a group, that fights along Jon against the WW. If not, I guess her next target should be Cercei. But, to say the truth, that wouldn’t compliment her arc – did she go through ALL that just to kill off a few characters here and there? Say she kills Jamie and Cercei. Then what? Cercei is already doomed one way or another. It doesn’t add up to me at least. But pairing with the Hound – who knows the truth about LF, and the Red Priest, who knows about the great war to come, would have much more to offer to the story.

     Lastly, I think that season 7 will be mostly settling things on political games level in the human world: taking apart Westeros through the power stuggles and the revealed games, motives and tactics behind that. So by the end of it, we will have the few humans that have survived that, at their given positions forward the great war.
     I can’t wait!

     Sorry for the long post!! 🙂

336. As I’ve posted earlier, GRRM doesn’t do what we might expect. This whole Jon/Dany political fanfiction marriage arrangement is so cliché to me that it isn’t even funny. We can assume since he is king of the north and she is coming to Westeros that simply means, yes, a political marriage, how simple. Of course political marriages happen in history all the time. WE can even give examples in the books and in the real world. But then we can argue that other characters who we would never see together can also have political marriages as well. (Dany/Robin for example.) We can go on and on and try to prove that it has to be Jon/Dany and yes, I could be wrong, but I am not feeling it. One of the reasons I love his writing so much is that he DOES the unexpected all the time. Also I fear Arya will die based on something I read in the first book regarding needle. Again, I could be wrong and hope I am on that. But I also believed Ned Stark would be the main character and look how that turned out. When it comes to romantic relationships, GRRM has made a point throughout his books to show how relationships like Kat and Ned thrived since these relationships grew over time. He spends a great deal of time on Brienne and Jamie to show how at first they are hostile toward eachother and don’t trust eachother but over time they grow a very strong bond. I don’t know where Jamie is heading as far as his relationship with Brienne, but GRRM didn’t bring them together by accident is all I am saying. There is usually a reason. These are grey characters. Dany starts out as an innocent child, as does Arya but over time we start to see small changes in their characters and now we have Arya the assassin and Dany who has become quite arrogant on the show and who wants to burn her enemies. The targaryeons and power is a very unpredictable thing and here is another concern I have with Dany. Who knows, maybe Cersei is a targ as stranger things have happened.

337. Luka Nieto:
     THE RIVERLANDS:
     Arya frees Edmure from the Twins, though she isn’t sympathetic to his cowardice.

     What about Edmure’s child? Is Edmure just going to leave his son to the tender mercies of the Freys?

338. Hodor Targaryen:
     The belief that Jon and Dany would get married always strikes me as odd, since the can community was also simultaneously positive that she was his aunt. I know Targaryens did it before, but I’m not sure the audience would get behind a romantic pairing that creepy.

     I’m also skeptical based on the longevity of the characters. Maybe Dany will survive at the end, maybe Jon will. Either of them could make it. But will they BOTH survive? I personally think that is unlikely.

     Would GRRM really care if the audience gets behind anything he comes up with, lol. He enjoys making people uncomfortable.
     But yeah, I don’t think both Jon and Dany will survive at the end either. I think one of them will die and the other ends up on the throne.

339. El-Bobbie,

     I wonder if the Night’s King (the show NK, not the book one) was a Stark? If so, would it have any bearing on the current Starks?

340. ygritte:
     Matthew The Dragon knight,

     That was interesting! Bookmarked the channel for future reference. That episode had me at the edge of my seat and I wish I could watch it fresh all over again.

     I heard rumor the producers are saying season 7 will probably not air until beginning of August. Er, that’s over a year away. This will be a looong winter for we the viewers

     Where did you hear this rumour? Any source? If that’s true, this is going to be a looong wait.

341. El-Bobbie,

     Ancient pact between Starks and Tragaryens was called Ice and Fire or at least I read it on wikipedia. Ice and Fire could mean a lot of things Others and Dragons, Jon and Daeny as D&D likes to interpretate it, Jon on his own is product of this or literally Starks and Targaryens. Rhaegar said that his is the song of Ice and Fire when he sang to Aegon with Elia there. Daeny saw it in her vision in the hotu so this multiple meanings might be the case or perhaps it’s one of them.

342. El-Bobbie:
     ACME,
     Jon is not the song of ice and fire.

     Fire = dragons
     Ice = Others

     Starks are the Kings of Winter, they are direwolves, they are the north. But they are not ice. They do not bring winter, they do not bring the storm. They just survive it best. They have no control of the Others.

     The song of ice and fire sings the tale of TPTWP:

     He is the prince that was promised, and his is the song of ice and fire.

     So you’re saying that the dragons and Others mated to create TPTWP? Or are the dragons and Others working together as one to be TPTWP? I’m confused.

     I do agree that the song of ice and fire will be a double (or triple or quadruple) entendre to also mean the war between ice and fire, but there has been established a very specific reference that the song is of and for TPTWP.

343. QueenofThrones: Thanks!I’m glad you liked it.It may be a long shot.There’s a chance the show runners will keep Jaime in King’s Landing until Cersei’s Death (if he kills her).Or maybe he’ll open the gates for Dany and Tyrion (as if that’s even necessary).

     To be honest, I was rather glad that the Jaime gets Jealous angle was left out of the show.It seemed such a shallow reason for him to abandon her (though understandable).I just don’t think that he’s going to be able to tolerate her long at this stag, regardless of sexual fidelity.She is anathema to everything he has come to value now.An alliance with Euron is definitely in the cards for Cersei though, and it would piss off Jaime!I can’t see any thing else for Euron to do if he really wants to stop Yara from killing him and taking the salt chair?

     It’s a bit more than jealousy! Jealous is your lover is talking in a friendly manner with a person of the opposite sex. Being disgusted with your lover when they’re cheating on you wih at least 4 guys that you know of is perfectly reasonable. If your spouse is having an affair x 4, you’re not going to be crazy outta your mind mad? I know I would be.

     I think this is one of the few areas where the show dropped the ball. Jamie is honorable in his own way, and faithful fully to Cersei. So for her to cheat on him with Lancel (and more in the books) is a huge violation of that bond they have (disgusting thou it may be). The show completely washed over that fact and Jamie just assumes a lap dog position. In the books when he tosses Cerseis note in the fire outside of Riverrun, that’s a major turning point for him as a character. I mean this was a guy who loved her so much he’d kill a kid without blinking.

344. George,

     Jon and Danny? I think that may happen in the show, actually. Danny’s line about “the best way to secure alliances is through marriage” seems a clear setup for that.

     That line may actually be the setup for Jon’s true parentage being revealed. I think Tyrion will try and broker a marriage between Jon and Dany because it just makes sense: Tyrion has met Jon and would want Dany to ally with the North, and Jon would want her army and dragons to fight against the white walkers. But then Bran finds out and knows he must tell Jon the truth.

345. Dany will finally arrive in Westeros…tied to the prow of Euron’s ship.

346. LatrineDiggerBrian,

     Dany will win, Euron’s a slight speed bump, nothing more. At most he will delay her long enough from the real threat and make a WW win seam more real or, but I highly doubt it, he will kill 1 dragon somehow…Or take control of 1 of them for a short period of time.

     Dany will take the 7 kingdoms. Will she rule them? Not so sure.
     If she dies, it will only be in the very end against the WW. Not before that.

     I have long believed she will die in the end. Her Dragons were born right when the WW returned, they, and I believe her, will die together with the WW.

     Yes, yes, it is ”cliche”, ”predictable”….. I know what you think on this.

347. I’m actually curious as to what will be going down in the Season 7 opener. They can’t possibly drag on Daenarys trip, can they? Hit the season running and let’s go to war!

     But seriously, I’m nervous about Euron and the possibility of him having the Dragon Horn, I have a hunch that will have a play in things.

348. Brian,

     I think they will have her go to Volantis first.

     There needs to be some time for Cersei/Jaime drama but I expect it to be a minor ”side quest” could be easly done in the first 2 episodes.

349. kit_hepburn,

     Sorry guys, a story does not introduce a pirate character, with a vendetta against the people she’s aligned herself with (Yara and Theon), whose last lines of the season were “it won’t be enough to save them” and “build me a 1000 ships,” who has been foreshadowed to be extremely scary at sea, in the midst of a character who currently has seemingly absolutely no opposition in coming to Westeros (therefore currently no conflict) and not have him cause some chaos. I’m not saying he’s going to totally bring Daenerys down, but he’s definitely going to cripple her armada, or injure one of her dragons or something.

     A story does not spend six seasons showing a main character building power, knowledge, and alliances then end the season showing that character leading her forces toward the main plot (to a chorus of fans shouting FINALLY) only to then have her forces decimated before she even reaches her destination by a recently introduced character who has had all of three scenes. Euron will no doubt have an impact by possibly allying with Cersei or maybe by attacking other locations and eventually having a showdown with Yara / Theon. But let’s please keep the big picture in mind. Jon needs Dany’s army and dragons for the end game fight against the white walkers so having a minor show character like Euron destroying much of those forces this early would just be silly.

     And I’m rooting for him to do it, because otherwise this story would be over in about one more television hour, and last time I checked there’s at least 13 or so to go. Daenerys’ story actually really, really needs this I think.

     I completely disagree with the notion that Dany’s forces are so overwhelmingly powerful that she wins the moment she lands in Westeros. We do not know how the Dothraki and Unsullied will fare against organised armies on unfamiliar territory. We do not know how the dragons will be affected. As others have mentioned, I think the immediate issue for Dany will be keeping her alliances intact once Tyrion finds out Ellaria killed Myrcella and Olenna killed Joffrey. And none of the other Houses like the Ironborn. I think it is possible at least one of her allies turns on her and tries to convince some of the Dothraki to rebel against her.

350. Lord of Coffee,

     This.

     Dany can simply not lose a huge part of her army, because they will need it when the WW will come.

     Agree on most of the other things as well.

351. kit_hepburn,

     This is a genius post and I totally agree. Not because I hate Dany, but because the story needs some conflict.

352. Lord of Coffee:
     kit_hepburn,

     Sorry guys, a story does not introduce a pirate character, with a vendetta against the people she’s aligned herself with (Yara and Theon), whose last lines of the season were “it won’t be enough to save them” and “build me a 1000 ships,” who has been foreshadowed to be extremely scary at sea, in the midst of a character who currently has seemingly absolutely no opposition in coming to Westeros (therefore currently no conflict) and not have him cause some chaos. I’m not saying he’s going to totally bring Daenerys down, but he’s definitely going to cripple her armada, or injure one of her dragons or something.

     A story does not spend six seasons showing a main character building power, knowledge, and alliances then end the season showing that character leading her forces toward the main plot (to a chorus of fans shouting FINALLY) only to then have her forces decimated before she even reaches her destination by a recently introduced character who has had all of three scenes.Euron will no doubt have an impact by possibly allying with Cersei or maybe by attacking other locations and eventually having a showdown with Yara / Theon.But let’s please keep the big picture in mind.Jon needs Dany’s army and dragons for the end game fight against the white walkers so having a minor show character like Euron destroying much of those forces this early would just be silly.

     And I’m rooting for him to do it, because otherwise this story would be over in about one more television hour, and last time I checked there’s at least 13 or so to go. Daenerys’ story actually really, really needs this I think.

     I completely disagree with the notion that Dany’s forces are so overwhelmingly powerful that she wins the moment she lands in Westeros.We do not know how the Dothraki and Unsullied will fare against organised armies on unfamiliar territory.We do not know how the dragons will be affected.As others have mentioned, I think the immediate issue for Dany will be keeping her alliances intact once Tyrion finds out Ellaria killed Myrcella and Olenna killed Joffrey.And none of the other Houses like the Ironborn.I think it is possible at least one of her allies turns on her and tries to convince some of the Dothraki to rebel against her.

     The story has made no promises to you about Dany. Not sure where you or others are getting that from. I don’t understand this whole thing about “Dany needs to get to Westeros” because book readers got impatient or whatever. I don’t care where she is (as long as their is good story telling).

     Aegon Targaryen took all of Westeros with barely any fighting force and a couple of dragons. So yeah, Dany is pretty damn loaded right now. No one would come close to stopping her simply with her dragons, but with a force of over 100k? Forget about it.

353. Mihnea,

     Maybe she will get there eventually, but hopefully it won’t be in the exact fashion that we expect.

354. LatrineDiggerBrian,

     It will be..

355. El-Bobbie,

     Because from his point of view, Daenerys is mad queen who’s father was defeated by his father. And Her father burned his grandfather.

     Absolutely Jon should go to war with her.

     We don’t need another boring cliche of making aliances against common threat. That thing has being around forever.

356. LawofFury,

     She has Tyrion he won’t let them fight, then Bran will possibly do the same.
     And Jon isn’t the kind of guy to wage a war on someone who is 10 times stronger then him when he knows who the real enemy is.

     I truly feel sorry for people who think Dany and Jon will fight. Will there be a bit of conflict/tension? Sure. But there won’t be a war.

     I feel even more sorry for people who think so just because they think it’s ”cliche” or ”predictable”. In my opinion it is time to abandon the notion that there will be huge ”twists” or anything similar. The story is pretty straight forward from now on and it’s better to accept it, then to be dissapointed.

     At most I expect couple of ”hodor” twists. Emotional? Yes, very emotional to me. But it has very little meaning on the story and plot, he could easly have held that door without the emotional backstory and reasons.

357. LatrineDiggerBrian,

     Come on. Dany’s arrival in Westeros with three dragons and an army is not some wild out-of-nowhere fan theory. The show (and books) have been building toward it since the beginning.

     And don’t worry about her not having conflict once she arrives. Dany will have plenty of conflict keeping her alliance together. Ellaria and Olenna only joined together because of their mutual hatred of the Lannisters and here comes Dany with a Lannister at her side. Did Varys tell them about Tyrion? We don’t know. And Tyrion will not be happy once he finds out the truth about who Ellaria and Olenna killed. THIS is the conflict. Not a minor character decimating her forces.

358. Lord of Coffee,

     Agreed.

     The real problem, and reason some dislike this, is because it is obvious she will do these things from the very beginning, and her story is hurt by her having her detour in Meereen, which is obvious filler masked as a training arc, quite poorly in my opinion, thus some theories were born and ”hopes” that she won’t reach Westeros because it is too ”predictable”.

     Here I mean both the show and books.

     I have had 11 years to accept these, others didn’t…..

     Let us remember that if Martin wouldn’t have abandoned his 5 year timeskip, Dany would have not only been in Westeros but ALREADY rule all of it right after ASOS.

359. I have a feeling Daenerys will suffer another setback before reaching Westeros. I believe the storm scene with Sam & Gilly kind of foreshadowed a much larger one hitting Dany’s fleet, scattering the ships (and dragons) after which the a good part of the stragglers would be picked off by Euron. So we will end up with a bit of a hiatus where Dany rebuilds her army yet again, but this time in the south of Westeros.
     After several skirmishes on the road north Casterley Rock will be given to Tyrion, “Take it and the Lannisters will have no place to run”. KL probably falls at the end of the season (Boom), as does the Wall (Jon spends the season trying to reinforce, while blissfully unaware of the intrigues LF is stirring up).

360. Mihnea:
     LawofFury,

     She has Tyrion he won’t let them fight, then Bran will possibly do the same.
     And Jon isn’t the kind of guy to wage a war on someone who is 10 times stronger then him when he knows who the real enemy is.

     I truly feel sorry for people who think Dany and Jon will fight. Will there be a bit of conflict/tension? Sure. But there won’t be a war.

     I feel even more sorry for people who think so just because they think it’s ”cliche” or ”predictable”. In my opinion it is time to abandon the notion that there will be huge ”twists” or anything similar. The story is pretty straight forward from now on and it’s better to accept it, then to be dissapointed.

     At most I expect couple of ”hodor” twists. Emotional? Yes, very emotional to me. But it has very little meaning on the story and plot, he could easly have held that door without the emotional backstory and reasons.

     I don’t know why people believe that the smallfolk in Westeros love Tyrion and will accept him! The daughter of the Mad King, together with the Kinslayer who killed his father after his he killed the son of his sister and his King…. doesn’t anyone remember the play Arya watched?

     The fact that Dany and Jon may fight has much more evidence in the book at least than the fact that they will be together.
     Jon is Ned’s son. Jon loved Ned. Dany anytime she speaks about Ned she calls him dog who deserved to die and in her eyes Starks are the same as Lannisters.
     Jon just came back from the dead, his people made him King despite being a bastard. He will not let them down and kneel. He will fight. Dany will not let Starks not pay for their crimes against her family. How people forget that the war started between Starks and Targaryens.
     Tyrion can speak for Jaime, because he owns his life to him and he is his brother… he may like Jon but there isn’t any strong relationship between them. He haven’t thought of him anytime after. Sansa left him to die and went with LF, Tyrion is not a saint to love everyone.

361. I think that the end game of the series will have the 7 kingdoms reduced to 4/5 as the North and the Iron islands are conquered by the Night King and the new border will be at Moat Caitlin.

     Sansa will govern the Riverlands and what remains of Kings landing, now peopled with the refugees from the North (and she will govern probably the Vale too), Tyrion will govern the Lannister domain, some of the Sand Snakes/Ellaria will govern Dorne, and Olenna the rest of the Southern part, while Dany dies in the final battle, Jon after stalemating the Night King leaves voluntarily for Essos to avoid more destruction in his name as “the” Targaryen heir, Bran creates the new magic to stop the dead for the Winter and remains as a tree or something preparing for the reconquest of the North when spring comes again, Arya dies too in the final moments, or maybe after achieving vengeance goes back to Jaqen and the House of B&W, Cersei’s reign is short, bloody, ending in King’s Landing destruction, her flight to Casterly Rock and her death there with Jaime – I actually can see her killing Jaime and then being killed by Arya, Dany unites Westeros under her reign, reunites with nephew Jon and leads the final battle, dying with all the dragons but stopping the Night King for enough time until Bran does the magic saving act we all expect, Littlefinger probably survives until the end, puts Sansa on the Riverlands/Vale throne and convinces Jon to leave for Essos, only to be unmasked as Ned’s betrayer and executed by Sansa when he thought he has triumphed and was preparing to marry her, all the Iron island characters – Yara, Theon, Euron – die in a way or another, Euron killed by Yara or Theon and they dying fighting the Night King, but could be Euron kills one of them too first, some of the Sand Snakes survive to lead Dorne at the end as does Olenna to lead her house, Jorah dies gloriously alongside Dany, Daario betrays her in Westeros and is killed by Jorah, the Hound kills his brother finally, probably at Casterly Rock, reunites with Arya at least briefly and either dies there or becomes Sansa’s knight protector alongside Brienne to which he reconciles, Brienne remains with Sansa, Bronn defects to Tyrion in the end and helps him take Casterly Rock, ending as Tyrion’s chief sword, Melisandre dies in the final battle or is killed by Arya if Gendry reappears, reunites with Arya briefly and they meet together with Melisandre, Qyburn dies with Cersei at Casterly Rock, Varys survives and goes with Jon to Essos…

362. Lord of Coffee:
     LatrineDiggerBrian,

     Come on.Dany’s arrival in Westeros with three dragons and an army is not some wild out-of-nowhere fan theory.The show (and books) have been building toward it since the beginning.

     And don’t worry about her not having conflict once she arrives.Dany will have plenty of conflict keeping her alliance together.Ellaria and Olenna only joined together because of their mutual hatred of the Lannisters and here comes Dany with a Lannister at her side.Did Varys tell them about Tyrion?We don’t know.And Tyrion will not be happy once he finds out the truth about who Ellaria and Olenna killed.THIS is the conflict.Not a minor character decimating her forces.

     I haven’t read the books. On the show, to me the only thing I think we’re really promised is some resolution to Dany’s quest for the Iron Throne that will end in Westeros. I never felt there was a guarantee that she’d land in Westeros with an army and three dragons.

     Olenna knows that Tyrion isn’t responsible for what happened so that’ll be a non factor. Ellaria does too (remember, Oberyn fighting for Tyrion in the trial by combat?). Honestly though, Ellaria and the Sand Snakes are going to be eliminated so fast in season 7, you won’t even know what hit you. It’s blatantly clear D & D are trying to eliminate minor characters (albeit at an alarming rate), and I seriously doubt they’re going to waste any time on the Dornish characters who’ve been unpopular. I really don’t see any infighting within Danys camp.

363. Game of Thrones Season 1 will air on CTV channel in August 8th!! UNCENSORED!

364. Ginevra:
     Luka Nieto,

     I loved reading your ideas, even though my opinion differs for several of them.Why do you think Tyrion and Euron will mount dragons?And I noticed you mention Kinvara a good deal.Will she be traveling to Westeros?

     Tyrion developed a relationship with the dragons in season six. It’s a common theory he’ll bond with one of them in the future. As for Euron, I believe he’ll contol a dragon through magical means, if they do the “dragonbinder” thing from the books, not that he’ll necessarilly ride one. At any rate, I think it will end tragically, as I described. As for Kinvara, I assume she will travel to Westeros. She believes Daenerys is “The Once Who Was Promised.” Why wouldn’t she want to be a influence to the queen?

     Darkrobin: Why Tyrion as the second dragonrider? Going with the Tyrion is a secret Targaryen theory? Or more in general that for whatever reason (his closeness to Dany) he will be a Dragonrider?

     I don’t see Tyrion as a secret Targaryen, no. But he did bond with Viserion and Rhaegal in season six. I assume that thread will be going somewhere in the future.

     As for where they will fight the White Walkers in season eight, I personally believe it’s going to be a bit more lyrical than that, however predictable it may be: I think Winter will fall (again?) in Winterfell.

365. Marlana: I have long thought that Gendry would smelt Valyrian steel from iron and obsidian.At Winterfell.The obsidian interrupts the energy holding the WWs together.

     I am in great hopes that he is the one to forge the weapons. Someone has to, they can’t take on the Army of WW without a heck of a lot more than they currently have at their disposal…row faster, Gendry, you are needed.

366. ghost of winterfell:
     Luka Nieto,

     The only prediction I would disagree with is the North. If Jon is just going to abdicate his kingship in favor of Sansa, what was the point of his being chosen as King by his bannermen? Even the Vale knights hailed him as KitN. It would make the finale scene a bit pointless, imo, if Jon is just going to give it all up and go to the Wall. The last 3 scenes of the finale were 3 rulers being set up. And I feel Jon being KitN will factor into whatever power games happen in Westeros in the next season. I don’t see him going to the Wall either. I feel, if Sansa has to end up as QitN, it will be at the very end, in S8 probably.
     I like the predictions for KL and Dany, especially Euron taking control of Rhaegar and her having to kill him, even though I hope Jaime survives!

     That prediction stems only from my wish for Sansa to be queen and my assumption that Jon’s parentage will be more than an oddity; it must have some impact in the story. Some people believe it will put Jon in the game of thrones, but I just can’t see it. Being told about his parentage and the reason for it by Bran may confirm what he kind of already knows: His destiny is to fight the White Walkers, not to rule the North.

     That said, at first I wrote it a bit differently. Jon would still be King in the North but effectively leave the rule of the North back in the hand of the ruler of Wintefell: Sansa, as Lady of Winterfell and Wardeness of the North, in Jon’s name. You guys kind of convinced me this is more likely. Maybe Sansa will only be queen in the aftermath of the new War for the Dawn, if Jon dies to save everyone.

     Tywin of the Hill: What about Edmure’s child? Is Edmure just going to leave his son to the tender mercies of the Freys?

     I honestly forgot he existed. Oops. Can’t we just catapult him? 😛

367. Lord of Coffee: A story does not spend six seasons showing a main character building power, knowledge, and alliances then end the season showing that character leading her forces toward the main plot (to a chorus of fans shouting FINALLY) only to then have her forces decimated before she even reaches her destination by a recently introduced character who has had all of three scenes.

     Hahaha…… 🙂 Especially to the bold!
     I always thought Daenerys would go to the west coast of Essos – to Volantis and perhaps even to Braavos (Iron Bank?) Is that now completely done with? She set sail from the Bay of Dragons, but she is not yet anywhere near Westeros. Might she not sail to Volantis first?

368. George: 5. So, the Lord of Light is the original Azor Ahai??? That is Tinfoil with a capital T!! I love it! Honestly, I could very well see George coming up with something like that.

     Or what is left of him. Obviously, R’hllor is closely attuned to the whole “Promised Prince” prophecy, for whatever reasons. And one thing that makes R’hllor stand out is that it’s real: unlike (say) the 7 or the Drowned God or other traditional gods, R’hllor actually provides information about the future, changes the weather, revives the dead, etc.

     But here is the catch: we’ve seen two gods unmasked already. Craster’s gods are the White Walkers: and although they are very powerful entities, they really are just very powerful beings. The Old Gods are the Memories of Trees driven or helped by symbiont people. (Bran really is sort of the Chief “Old God” now.) And although the Old Gods have no real powers to create miracles or things like that, they do store a ton of knowledge, and that in itself is pretty impressive.

     So, the only real god left to be unmasked is R’hllor. We know that it is connected to magic, we know that it gives bald monkeys rewards for burning people (and particularly people of prominence) and sometimes just for asking nicely, we know that it can see the future, and we know that it’s directing people to work against the White Walkers. If it is the vestige of someone that, say, the Children used to stop the White Walkers the last time around (because: cane toads!), then it would explain a lot of things.

     I would note that what this really represents is a parsimonious explanation: a lot of things can be explained with this scenario, it relies on mechanisms that we know exist, and it also offers a ton of potential for story. What do Jon and Daeny do when they learn that both the Walkers and R’hllor are, in fact, victims more than orcs?

369. WallyFrench: The show completely washed over that fact and Jamie just assumes a lap dog position. In the books when he tosses Cerseis note in the fire outside of Riverrun, that’s a major turning point for him as a character. I mean this was a guy who loved her so much he’d kill a kid without blinking.

     While I agree that Jaime has not had a break with Cersei in the books, I don’t agree that Jaime is a lap dog in any way. The differences in their relationship have everything to do with Cersei being more careful and clever in the show, and nothing to do with Jaime being more a slave to Cersei. In the books Cersei constantly berates and belittles Jaime. She cheats repeatedly, even after he comes back. In the show she constantly reinforces their bond, she is kind, and vulnerable towards him. After Tyrion/Sansa she is very careful NOT to ask him to do anything he wouldn’t be willing to do (and makes sure he knows as little as possible about what she has done and plans to do). It’s unclear if the Lancel thing is or will ever be known to Jaime (I hope not).

     Meanwhile since he returned with Brienne, Jaime has consistently and repeatedly refused to do Cersei’s bidding when asked to do something morally wrong or dishonorable. And has acted several times of his own accord in ways that he knows Cersei would disagree with.

     1. He refused to kill Tyrion and called her hateful when she suggested it. (refusing direct order)
     2. Instead, he released Tyrion from prison (acting against what he’d know she’d want)
     3. He refused to find and kill Sansa. (refusing direct order)
     4. Instead, he gave Brienne Oathkeeper and tasked her with protecting Sansa. (acting against what he’d know she’d want)
     5. He wrote a conciliatory letter to Prince Doran, warning him that Cersei would likely kill Tristane once she found out about Myrcella. (acting against what he’d know she’d want)
     6. He intended to send the Blackfish AND the Tully army safely north with Brienne, assuming the Blackfish wanted to go (acting against what he’d know she’d want)

     How is Jaime Cersei’s lap dog??

370. Kay: She set sail from the Bay of Dragons, but she is not yet anywhere near Westeros. Might she not sail to Volantis first?

     Daeny must be getting close to Westeros. After all, the Dornish and High Garden are now in her fleet, as is Varys. That means that people have travelled quite some distance. Indeed, it would make the most sense if Daeny added the Dornish and High Gardeners (which really sounds funny) closer to Westeros than to Dragons Bay.

     Moreover, it’s really time to press ahead with the story. Volantis would almost certainly be nothing more than plot-for-the-sake-of-plot. The show has avoided it so far: I would bet that it will continue to do so. AND… we should get to the part soon where Cersei realizes that her determination to destroy the “Younger, More Beautiful Queen” has made it easier for the prophesized replacement to take over. Hmmm… I wonder if this offers a hint as to what the story will be next year. Some spin on people trying to unravel MacBethian paradoxes within themselves?

371. Connor,

     Having had all the aired seasons available with cable On demand for years now I’m kinda jealous of those who can get excited for a special airing. At this point I done wore out my favorite episodes & scenes and sometimes wonder if the workers down at the local Comcast office can pick up on this remotely and think I’m an obsessed nerd. Though being just a name without a face who cares? I mean, they’d be right but it’s none of their business really lol.

372. I didn’t read every post in detail, but is no one mentioning the two unpaired dragons flying around? There has to be a dramatic scene in which one of the dragons “recognizes” a closet Targaryen.

     In this regard, I don’t think Jon’s undead status is a minor plot point. There have to be consequences. Could put a damper on his love life for example.

     I have a vision of Arya, Brienne and Sandor heading to Kl to take care of unfinished business with Cersei, Jaime and Frankenmountain, respectively. If Brienne encounters Arya she will probably stick with her to protect her regardless.

     And Jaime will die in Brienne’s arms at the age of 80 surrounded by their adoring grandchildren. It is known.

373. Wimsey,

     Daeny must be getting close to Westeros. After all, the Dornish and High Garden are now in her fleet, as is Varys. That means that people have travelled quite some distance. Indeed, it would make the most sense if Daeny added the Dornish and High Gardeners (which really sounds funny) closer to Westeros than to Dragons Bay.

     What makes most sense is if the Tyrell and Dornish ships travelled to Slaver’s Bay with Varys to aid in transporting Daenerys’ forces to Westeros.

     Tyrion said in episode 9 that the combined Greyjoy and Masters’ fleets that Daenerys now commanded would “…possibly. Barely.” be enough to transport Daenerys’ forces.

     The Tyrell and Dornish ships made it possible.

374. QueenofThrones:

     Meanwhile since he returned with Brienne, Jaime has consistently and repeatedly refused to do Cersei’s bidding when asked to do something morally wrong or dishonorable.And has acted several times of his own accord in ways that he knows Cersei would disagree with.

     1. He refused to kill Tyrion and called her hateful when she suggested it.(refusing direct order)
     2. Instead, he released Tyrion from prison (acting against what he’d know she’d want)
     3. He refused to find and kill Sansa.(refusing direct order)
     4. Instead, he gave Brienne Oathkeeper and tasked her with protecting Sansa.(acting against what he’d know she’d want)
     5. He wrote a conciliatory letter to Prince Doran, warning him that Cersei would likely kill Tristane once she found out about Myrcella.(acting against what he’d know she’d want)
     6. He intended to send the Blackfish AND the Tully army safely north with Brienne, assuming the Blackfish wanted to go (acting against what he’d know she’d want)

     How is Jaime Cersei’s lap dog??

     In addition, when Jaime left KL, Cersei told him to “Show them what Lannisters are; what we do to our enemies.” Jaime very much did not show them anything. He ended that siege without a show of might, as Brienne asked him to do.

375. QueenofThrones: While I agree that Jaime has not had a break with Cersei in the books, I don’t agree that Jaime is a lap dog in any way.The differences in their relationship have everything to do with Cersei being more careful and clever in the show, and nothing to do with Jaime being more a slave to Cersei.In the books Cersei constantly berates and belittles Jaime.She cheats repeatedly, even after he comes back.In the show she constantly reinforces their bond, she is kind, and vulnerable towards him.After Tyrion/Sansa she is very careful NOT to ask him to do anything he wouldn’t be willing to do (and makes sure he knows as little as possible about what she has done and plans to do).It’s unclear if the Lancel thing is or will ever be known to Jaime (I hope not).

     Meanwhile since he returned with Brienne, Jaime has consistently and repeatedly refused to do Cersei’s bidding when asked to do something morally wrong or dishonorable.And has acted several times of his own accord in ways that he knows Cersei would disagree with.

     1. He refused to kill Tyrion and called her hateful when she suggested it.(refusing direct order)
     2. Instead, he released Tyrion from prison (acting against what he’d know she’d want)
     3. He refused to find and kill Sansa.(refusing direct order)
     4. Instead, he gave Brienne Oathkeeper and tasked her with protecting Sansa.(acting against what he’d know she’d want)
     5. He wrote a conciliatory letter to Prince Doran, warning him that Cersei would likely kill Tristane once she found out about Myrcella.(acting against what he’d know she’d want)
     6. He intended to send the Blackfish AND the Tully army safely north with Brienne, assuming the Blackfish wanted to go (acting against what he’d know she’d want)
     How is Jaime Cersei’s lap dog??

     7. She told him that he should go and violently destroy their enemies because that’s what Lannisters do and because they are the only two that matter; instead, he does everything he can to end the siege at Riverrun peacefully and without bloodshed because non-violent solutions are actually what Jaime prefers, and also to avoid fighting Brienne, another person who matters to him, who was inside Riverrun (acting against what he knows Cersei would want).

     ETA: Hee, HotPinkLipStick beat me to it. Great minds.

376. Geralt of Rivia,

     Oh yes it’s coming back to me now, I remember some of that being said. It would be weird to have a good friend IRL that you are forced to act romantic with, at least for the younger actors. What would be more weird is kissing someone who’s old enough to be your father lol. Which Sophie had to do last season. Granted, at least it was a relatively chaste kiss.

377. ghost of winterfell:
     Luka Nieto,
     The only prediction I would disagree with is the North. If Jon is just going to abdicate his kingship in favor of Sansa, what was the point of his being chosen as King by his bannermen?

     To rebound on what Luka Nieto said (great predictions, by the way ^^), and while I am not entirely sure an abdication is necessarily going to happen and if so when, the KITN scene was, in many ways, ambiguous.

     On the one hand, there was the pure glory and joy of seeing Jon, the ultimate underdog, be validated and celebrated for all that he has accomplished and stood for, added to a rather unique character arc (Jon may be the only man who can start a season as a corpse and end it as a king !)
     On the other hand, there was a sense of unease permeating from much of the setup. Not only did the scene mirror many elements of Robb’s fateful proclamation (the lords getting ahead of themselves and not even wondering whether the man they proclaim wants to be KITN, the hesitant look the new KITN addresses to the redhead woman by his side, etc.), it also contradicted directly one of points made by Tormund and Davos in the very previous episode :

     Davos : Maybe that was our mistake. Believing in kings.
     Tormund : Jon Snow’s not a king.
     Davos : No, he’s not.

     As far as foreshadowing goes, this one is quite on the nose.
     Either Jon will have to reinvent the very role of king so as to make it possible for men like Davos and Tormund to believe in it again or this crown will cause him tremendous problems.

378. ghost of winterfell,

     The site referred to is called “blasting news.” I didn’t click on it because I’m careful not going to places I dontknow but read some comments from those who did.

379. “political marriage to the new King in the North, Jon Snow”

     Tyrion will definitely barter this deal. Varys will undoubtibly find out about it and inform them. And then im hoping for some reflection on Tyrion about bastard Snow becoming King; he is happy for him, maybe some witty line tied to bastards and broken things. Then that meeting between the two of them will be great.

     Hell maybe Varys already knows and they are sailing to White Harbor. I mean a bunch of time passed at the end in order for them to retrofit all the slavers ships with black sails and dragon figureheads… and of course for Varys to make the trip.

380. QueenofThrones,

     This. Perfectly said.

     Jaime being together with Cersei, I don’t think it will last much longer, that look he gave her in EP10 says it all, is not because he is a different character then in the books, it is because Cersei is, you gave ample reasons as to how and why, I won’t repeat them again.

381. Luka Nieto,

     Warden of the North is a title given by the Crown. The North seceded from the crown, so that title is now non-existent.

     Sansa is Lady of Winterfell until Bran shows up. Bran is still ahead of her in the line of succession. Many who bring up the line of succession to justify giving Sansa a title forget this. Hmm.

     I understand that many Sansa fans have a desire to see her as queen because reasons, but she hasn’t done anything to prove she’s the leader the North needs in these times (or any sort of leader tbh).

382. Black Raven,

     I can’t see that happening. i.e. Euron defeating Dany’s Fleet at sea? Don’t forget along with her armada carrying the Unsulled , Dothraki and Dornish armies she also has her WMD (re dragons) who alone could wipe out Eurons fleet.

     Will the dragons be with her throughout the journey across the open sea?

     Don’t they need to land and feed at some point?

383. My Ideas how the story could end.

     Dany:
     She will play the main Part in fighting the WW and “crushing the wheal”. The westerosis will offer the crown to her, but she will refuse. She already said in 6 she’s a conqueror, not a ruler. In Mereen she learned, that the people will always look upon her as a foreign invader, so she knows the people of Westeros won’t accept her.
     I also don’t believe in a Dany+Jon marriage, like Aragorn+Arwen, it’s too much Bollywood “and they happily lived ever after”.
     So, what would be the perfect place to stay for Dany and her people?
     What is her real determination?
     Valyria! The Home of Targaryens and Dragons.
     O.K., ist’s a no-go-Aerea for humans (fire) like the north of the Wall is a no-go-area (ice) , but will it remain so till the end?

     Jorah:
     Now, who could just be heading Valyria? Jorah Mormont! He won’t find a cure for greyscale (bitter), and it will be very creepy and sad to see him the next time on screen. It’s possible he will join the stone-people there, and he still be working for Dany. He knows where he can find the stone-people (season 5). Those stone-people are no beasts but beings; there is still something human in them. Maybe they are like a counter-part of the wildlings/WW in the north?). They will tell Jorah the story of the doom. And Jorah will find out (or maybe Samwell will) that there is a magical connection between the doom of Valyria (fire) and the magic in the wall (ice).
     So when the wall comes down (Dragons? Bran?) the doom in Valyria will stop (sweet). Maybe it will need a bit coordination for this between Samwell and Jorah through the glass-candle or Quathie?
     Valyria is a perfect new Home for the freed slaves and all the misfits in the Rest of the World (sweet). And this is exactly what Dany always wanted to create. And Dany can keep an eye on the Slave-traders sat the dragon-coast there.

     Arya:
     after finishing her kill-list she will return to more peaceful aims, maybe with a little help from the hound. As a second Nymeria she will lead hundreds of emigrants and misfits from Westeros to Valyria to settle down there (sweet). The Brotherhood joins her, Sandor Clegane, Gendry, Brienne? (o.k. That’s getting realy Disneyland, but I like it). But she probably will never meet again her siblings (bitter)
     (This is a little bit Lord of the Rings: leaving to Valinor (= Valyria?)

     Samwell and Gilly:
     Samwell will find out how to fight the WW and/or to create valyrian steel. It will need dragonfire to forge a valyrian sword, so he borrows a dragon from Dany and engages a skilled blacksmith (Gendry?). The Dragonfire is the reason, because no Master ever could copy valyrian steel. Maybe Sam finds out, that there is a huge store of Dragonglas-Weapons in the crypt of Winterfell. When all the fighting is over, Samwell and Gilly and little Sam will join Arya to Valyria, because the huge valyrian library is not destroyed, and Sam’s a nerd. (sweet). Maybe he’s more the Samweis type of guy and he will stay in westeros making bunch of children with Gilly. (sweet)

     Tyrion and Sansa
     A dragon (Dany) or seafire (Cersei) will melt the iron throne in the war. Westeros will abandon classic monarchy and will establish a council or round Table or parliament to govern the realm. Tyrion will write a kind of Magna Charta. Representatives of each Kingdom will work together (somehow like the EU or UN: there is no harmony to expect, but Varys and Tyrion will hold it together for a while. After the War and a Dragon-Seafire-Hiroshima a new generation of Lords of Westeros (Opps, someone left?) probably learned the lesson and cooperate). The council will elect Tyrion as king or consul. On his side Sansa as his wife. There is no great love between Tyrion and Sansa (bitter), but respect, and a Lannister(Targaryien?)-Stark-alliance could bring peace (sweet). Sansa could wear pretty clothes and rise the kings little babys like she always whanted to, but I thik she might be over with that.

     Jon
     stays the last Stark in winterfell (bitter) as king of the north forging peace between the northeners, wildling and maybe WW. Five, six, years later Jon marries Lyanna Mormont. (sweet)
     So Jon, symbol of ice, protects the north,
     Dany, symbol of fire, protects the south in Valyria.
     Jon has Targaryen blood (Rheagar and Lyanna)
     Dany has Stark blood (Ned and Ashara) (that’s why Nedd did’t whant to kill Dany in S1)
     So the Ice and Fire is in balance again.
     Game over

     No, wait:
     Littlefinger and Varys
     They finaly have a chat in the destroyed KL like in S1. The twist: they worked together all the time, but a lot of things went wrong. Varys worked in the south, Littlefinger in the north to get fire and ice together. It was all their design. Maybe LF always has been a kind of Severus Snape?

384. HotPinkLipstick,

     kit_hepburn,

     Right, that too. :p

     Mihnea,

     Thanks, I’m starting to feel like a broken record on this one lol. Jaime is a controversial character and always will be (because of Bran and Jory/Ned), but the “he’s still Cersei’s pawn” argument is just plain & demonstrably wrong. It seems to me like people are just unable to separate books and show.

385. This discussion has been lively and I have enjoyed having read the posts. If we keep this up maybe we will be able to come up with the actual predictions of what will happen in the show by the time it airs again, or our own version.

     Seriously, it’s going to be a long winter…

386. Sean C.,

     Pretty much this. If people want a villian to take Ramsey and Joffrey’s place, well – LF might just be it. Granted he is much more subtle, holding his cards close and let others do the work for him, but he is the villian of the show. Then again, if he wasn’t involved, there wouldn’t be a show, or a book. What then would we do with our time…… 🙂

     BTW really loving all of this discussion. Amazing that even in the off season we can manage to make interesting conversation

387. Conrad,

     Such a depressing scenario and I hope GRRM gives Jon a better ending than a Frodo ending. I rather he die a glorious death than survive and always have to be the one who sacrifices everything.

388. Luka Nieto,

     The effect of RLJ reveal, will depend on when it happens, I guess, as far as northern politics is concerned. If it’s late in the season, then it won’t really matter. If it happens fairly early, it might cause some complications, since they laid some emphasis on him being Ned Stark’s blood during the crowning. Ultimately though, I don’t think it would end his rule. I feel, if Jon has been made KitN, it has to serve some purpose other than him leaving it for Sansa to rule. He has to be able to use his kingship. One way would be him using his position to warn the rest of Westeros about the WWs. The Northern Lords seem convinced about the WW threat, maybe even the Vale Lords ,at least when Jon mentioned WWs in the WF gathering, none of them had any objections, so i assume they are convinced. He could now turn his attention to the other regions. No idea if this will actually happen though.

     I think one reason why people feel his parentage reveal will put him into the game of thrones is all the foreshadowing/ association with being a king, in the books. Also his Adwd arc was about him learning to rule. If this is to happen, it can only be after the war for dawn, imo.
     And yeah, I think the end game will probably have Sansa as QitN.

389. Nadia,

     I see the kissing on the forehead thing as more of a fatherly/protective thing- just like Ned kissing Arya’s forehead in season 1. I think people think of the kissing on the forehead thing as creepy/sexual tension now just because Littlefinger used to do it to her.

390. Lord of Coffee,

     Tyron won’t be happy Myrcella is dead. But Tyrion hated Joffrey and saw him for the monster that he was. Joffrey in turn humiliated Tyrion at every opportunity. No way does Tyrion mourn let alone seek to avenge Joffrey.

391. A great climactic sea battle is due next season. Its something that could up the ante after that amazing battle this season. We have iron born and iron born up against one another it would be great to “sea” how that would play out!

     I think the White walkers will be making their way down next year while the Queens are all too busy fighting for power. Part of me thinks it may be a little too late and season 7 will end in massive despair. Interesting if northerners start migrating South as a parallel to today’s world with the south still holding out, not believing whats happening till a southern city is sacked by whites. Jon will rise up and bring everyone together finally.

392. Luka Nieto: Tyrion developed a relationship with the dragons in season six. It’s a common theory he’ll bond with one of them in the future. As for Euron, I believe he’ll contol a dragon through magical means, if they do the “dragonbinder” thing from the books, not that he’ll necessarilly ride one. At any rate, I think it will end tragically, as I described. As for Kinvara, I assume she will travel to Westeros. She believes Daenerys is “The Once Who Was Promised.” Why wouldn’t she want to be a influence to the queen?

     Awesome! Thanks for answering.

     Yes, as soon as you implied she’d be going, I thought, oh, just like Melisandre follows after her PTWP and doesn’t want to leave his side! But the thing that held me back is that we didn’t see her on the boat, although perhaps she returned to Volantis and Khaleesi picks her up there.

     Dany is obviously a dragonrider. If “the dragon has three heads” (TDHTH) means three dragonriders, the two most obvious others would be Jon and Tyrion, despite Euron’s big horn, although I do admit that could also play out just as you’ve said. But if TDHTH is such a big deal in the song as to make Rhaegar risk it all to have a third child, would one of the true three heads die so easily? Or perhaps TDHTH means something altogether different from three riders for Dany’s dragons. Rhaegar perhaps thought himself the dragon and that he needed three additional heads, other than his own. Perhaps TPTWP needs three heads: three leaders, three armies, three forces, three tools, three fronts? I wish we had the actual song! I hope we get it in TWoW, should that ever arrive.

393. WallyFrench: Tyron won’t be happy Myrcella is dead. But Tyrion hated Joffrey and saw him for the monster that he was. Joffrey in turn humiliated Tyrion at every opportunity. No way does Tyrion mourn let alone seek to avenge Joffrey.

     No, but he might not be so happy that Olenna framed Tyrion and Sansa for Joffery’s murder. Still I generally believe this won’t be as much of a dealbreaker. I think Tyrion would be able to understand Olenna’s motives…

     Ellaria on the other hand…

394. QueenofThrones,

     Well shit, you’re right. I guess lap dog would be too strong a word for what I saw of their relationship this past season in regards to him staying loyal. Which upsets me since it seems everyone knows she slept with Lancel except him.

395. Luka Nieto:
     As for where they will fight the White Walkers in season eight, I personally believe it’s going to be a bit more lyrical than that, however predictable it may be: I think Winter will fall (again?) in Winterfell.

     Love! There may well be another Battle for Winterfell, which is why BoB wasn’t named that. We know there must always be a Stark at Winterfell, and I personally think that Stark must be there to lead the stone kings and their stone direwolves in the crypts of Winterfell against the Others. We are also told that Winterfell is the last big defense after the Wall, IIRC.

396. L Mormont: This whole Jon/Dany political fanfiction marriage arrangement is so cliché to me that it isn’t even funny

     I’m so sick of reading this argument. I don’t even care if they marry or not, but “it’s too cliche and predictable” is not a good argument against the plausibility of it happening. A lot of people thought R+L=J was too cliche and predictable, and yet here we are with it essentially having been confirmed. The Wars of the Roses ended with a marriage between two rival houses, are The Wars of the Roses too cliche? What about the marriage of Isabella of Castille and Ferdinand of Aragon? Too predictable for two young monarchs to be married? Consider that perhaps some things are obvious because GRRM either chose not to obscure them or did a poor job of doing so.

     Further, why is an incestuous political marriage too cliche to begin with? Who says there has to be some whirlwind romance before it happening? It’s a feudal society, there’s hardly ever romance preceding a marriage. Ned and Cat weren’t romantically involved, but Ned married her out of duty. Love came later. People aren’t putting much thought into what would bring this about or what consequences it might have.

     Remember, in the same breath George has said he wants a bittersweet ending he has praised the bittersweet ending of LotR. How grim was that ending for the major characters?

397. Ginevra,

     I think you’re conflating the show with the books.

     IN THE SHOW – Dany controls her three dragons. That’s what we’re meant to see in episode 9 (and 10). She might ride Drogon, but it doesn’t mean she doesn’t control the other two. In fact, she very clearly does.

     Also the show has never mentioned “the dragon has three heads” as far as I know. In the books, Rhaegar says it to her, but she doesn’t see Rhaegar in the show.

     And the show, thus far, hasn’t shown us any obsession on Rhaegar’s part to make a PTWP. Now, that might change next season.

     In the show, Dany chains the dragons up – and then once they’ve been released, it seems clear they follow her. There is nothing in the show that tells us she NEEDS dragon riders.

     I also tend to think the CGI is expensive and wonky to have other people “ride” dragons.

398. Danielle Stark,

     Don’t forget Jon’s goodbye kiss on Bran’s forehead.

     And I seem to remember Robb giving Cat a kiss on the forehead too.

     Littlefinger’s kiss on Sansa’s forehead was an anomaly. It’s the only one where the motivation is unclear.

     He was clearly using affection to manipulate Sansa, who had been without it for so long. But does he have some genuine affection toward her deep down? Or is it entirely manipulative? Who knows?

     I think they chose to have Jon kiss her forehead in order to reflect the genuine affection we’ve seen between the Starks throughout the series; but also because it mimicked the way Littlefinger kissed her as part of his scheming, hinting at Sansa’s trust issues once again.

399. QueenofThrones,

     QueenofThrones,

     Good point. I’m sure he won’t like being outplayed in the “great game” but he may respect her ability to play it. Agreed Ellaria is going to die, and the sooner the Sand Snakes are put down the better, although the having Olenna there improved it dramatically!

     Also about prior post, I’m perfectly capable of separating book and show but simply disagreed with a point you made. Book and show have their own strengths and weaknesses which I appreciate as two separate distinct mediums telling a similar story. Hard not to compare them though, as they exist in the same universe.

400. Wimsey,

     We haven’t seen the Drowned God unmasked. Didn’t Patchface meet him under the sea?

401. All this talk of Dany and Jon –

     I wonder how Sansa plays into this and what she’ll think.

     The reason Dany will propose marriage to Jon is because he’s the KITN. Otherwise he’s just some joe-shmo for right now (no one knowing R+L). So if the marriage happens, it’s obviously going to unite claims of the King in the North and the Targaryen in the South – which means it actually strengthens Jon’s position.

     Again, Jon would not abdicate the North to marry Dany, she would marry him BECAUSE he’s KITN.

     And frankly, that leaves Sansa completely in the cold.

     So I wonder if she’s going to advocate against it? Someone like Davos might tell him to do it, and she’ll say no?

402. Wall Builder:
     Regarding Dany, my prediction is that she’s not going to sit on the Iron Throne or marry Jon.She’s not even going to be alive at the end of this story.I think this because of the vision she had when she was in the House of the Undying back in season 2.Remember how she walked into a destroyed throne room with the snow (ash?) falling?She approached the Iron Throne and was about to touch it but then gets distracted by a baby’s cry.She then walks through a door and emerges north of the wall where she meets Kal Drogo and their baby.My interpretation of this is that she never actually gets to be Queen of Westeros but is distracted by the fight against the WWs and dies heroically fighting them, thus being reunited with her dead husband and son in the Night Lands.

     I agree something like this will happen. I do think it’s snow, by the way. I also keep going back to this statement:

     “When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east,” said Mirri Maz Duur, “When the seas go dry and the mountains blow in the wind like leaves… Then [Drogo] will return, and not before.”

     I think there may be a little twist in Dany’s story at this point. In her vision, she reaches for the throne, but then turns and walks away from it. It may be that she realizes she doesn’t want it after all… that she wants something else. Or realizes she should not rule after all.

403. Truthiness,

     I agree. People have had too much time to theorize on an ending and now everything is cliche for them.

404. Truthiness,

     Flayed Potatoes,

     This!

405. This is really well made and hilarious! 😀

406. Ginevra:
     kit_hepburn,

     Cool, cool, cool.I’ve read the books, and I well remember “Where do whores go?,” but I do need to start a reread.I think some anti-villains near the end will make things ever so much more interesting, even though Tyrion is tied with Arya as my favorite.

     Ok, this has nothing to do with what you posted Ginevra, but speaking of whores: SHAE. Wasn’t there a report last summer that she had been seen filming? Or at the set? Or something????

407. QueenofThrones:
     Thanks, I’m starting to feel like a broken record on this one lol. Jaime is a controversial character and always will be (because of Bran and Jory/Ned), but the “he’s still Cersei’s pawn” argument is just plain & demonstrably wrong. It seems to me like people are just unable to separate books and show.

     I’m playing this one on repeat as well. It seems that without being able to read/hear Jaime’s inner monologue, people just accept his dialogue as his thoughts and true motivations. Even in the books though, Jaime’s thoughts are in contrast to his actions, from what I think is his first chapter when he thinks about killing Brienne by hitting her over the head with an oar, but instead he helps her out of the water.

     Jaime has been quiet in his constant defiance of Cersei since his return to KL. I have a germ of an idea that Jaime’s defiance of Cersei is a bit like an abused spouse’s defiance of their abuser and that’s why some are unable to see it. Jaime is cast in the more traditionally female role and his acts of defiance are never verbalized, again, more of the traditional female defiance in fiction.

     I have to think on this idea more, but it’s been brewing around in my thoughts.

408. Sou,

     They trolled us…..

     She was most likely just visiting and they gave her a costume, knowing will go nuts over it.

     Same with the WW statue in Girona..

409. ACME,

     While Jon may have been initially hesitant when they started declaring him King , he was ready to accept his position by the end, mainly because he realizes that he needs to be the leader at such a time, imo and I don’t see him abdicating, irrespective of whatever tensions and drama happens in the North, courtesy LF.
     As for Davos, he seemed happy enough to see Jon chosen as king, I don’t think he will have any issues, especially not after Jon banished Mel. Tormund might not have any use for kings, but he will still have Jon’s back.

410. Mag:
     Sue the Fury,

     There are some videos of Jonsa in youtube, so people is getting the weird vibes for sure … I though there was a chance based in the books. But there are also hints about Danny and Jon, so it could go either way or both ways… But I believe there must be a last romance storyline more interesting than Grey Worm and Missandei or Sam and Gilly. Please kill those relationships.
     Besides it would be interesting if Jon fell in love with the daughter that looks like Catelyn.

     Well, I’d say, let’s wait a few years and then ship Jon with Lyanna Mormont. The only match that would make sense!

411. Ginevra,

     Something tells me that Wimsey is not sipping the Patchface tin-kool-aid.

412. Mag:
     Sue the Fury,
     But I believe there must be a last romance storyline more interesting than Grey Worm and Missandei or Sam and Gilly.

     I would be glad if we could see a last romantic storyline. That’s what I’m totally missing in Season 6. Is anyone here who still believes in SanSan or Briendor?

413. The Jon-Dany issue is rather fascinating.

     While I can entirely see why the two of them would unite in order to fight a common enemy, be it Cersei or the WW, and it does appear to be the direction the story is taking, how could a marriage between them work politically ?

     Dany’s desire is to rule over Westeros which, I would assume, in her mind includes the North. Meanwhile Jon is now king of an independent North. Assuming Dany succeeds in overtaking at least parts of Westeros and becomes said parts’ Queen, if she marries Jon, does the North lose its independence to form a new political “federation” with Daenerys’s territories ? Would the Northern lords agree to that ?

414. WallyFrench: Well shit, you’re right. I guess lap dog would be too strong a word for what I saw of their relationship this past season in regards to him staying loyal. Which upsets me since it seems everyone knows she slept with Lancel except him.

     It is annoying to see Jaime express love / loyalty for Cersei (who we know is so entirely awful) under false pretenses. Especially since his actions tell such a different story. But I think really we shouldn’t judge a character’s words or feelings based on what we know, but rather on what they know.

     I’d compare it to when Dany expresses a dislike for Starks as “usurpers” under false pretenses. It’s reasonable for pre-Tyrion Dany to believe that Ned Stark was a much a backstabbing, child murdering traitor as Tywin Lannister given the information she had. Meanwhile it’s reasonable for Jaime to believe that Cersei is reformed or at least salvageable in Season 5, given the information he has. We may know better, but he doesn’t – not until episode 10. Dany accepted and integrated the information with good grace and humility. We’ll see about Jaime! But I’m hopeful.

     I’m sorry about the dig about book vs show. It’s unfair to put everyone in the same boat there. I just think some people really want book things to happen so they end up being upset when things happen even a little differently. Even if many points are the same and the overall arcs are the same. And don’t get me wrong, I’d love to see Jaime burn a letter from Cersei – but the look in Episode 10 was equal to me in terms of the “break”.

415. Tycho Nestoris:
     Yes, I think he relishes playing Ned (and Cat) for fools. I just don’t think it’s his main goal.
     I can’t argue with hypothetical of the gold cloaks siding with Ned. If that was the crux of his plan though, it was not well thought out.

     Okay not stuck. Given the choice between Ned and Cersei, I don’t fault LF for siding with Cersei though. This goes back to the merits of Ned’s plan, of which I think there are none. That doesn’t mean anything other than imo his plan was awful.

     Everything? Ned betrothed Sansa to Joffrey and brought her to KL. Ned could have gotten Sansa and Arya out of the capitol before going to Cersei. How can LF be directly responsible for that? Just because he got Ned to the capitol with letter? Ned deserves some credit here too.

     Has LF not atoned either by killing Joff and bringing the Vale army?

     I never said it was his sole goal; advancing himself and destroying his old enemies are one and the same.

     Ned’s plan was fine, if the Goldcloaks were with him.

     Whether Ned also made mistakes in terms of protecting the girls, etc., in no way relieves Littlefinger of his direct responsibility. He deliberately set about to draw the Starks to the capital. Ned was about to refuse both the Handship and the betrothal until Lysa’s letter arrived, which was exactly the bait Littlefinger intended it to be.

     And no, he hasn’t atoned by killing Joffrey or bringing the Vale. Both of those things directly benefit him, and in the latter case, was his plan all along.

     Wimsey:
     Daeny must be getting close to Westeros.After all, the Dornish and High Garden are now in her fleet, as is Varys.That means that people have travelled quite some distance.Indeed, it would make the most sense if Daeny added the Dornish and High Gardeners (which really sounds funny) closer to Westeros than to Dragons Bay.

     No, the fleets from Dorne and the Reach sailed to Meereen to held transport Dany’s army. Varys explicitly says in episode 606 that he’s going to Dorne to bring them extra ships.

416. Truthiness,

     Why did I always thought that LotR had a happy ending? What is it that I have forgotten???

417. Mihnea,

     The WW thing was obvious though… Shae, well, the certainly fooled us!!

418. Daenerys prediction #2 (Wild Card): Daario joins Euron’s cause. For a price, but mostly because he’s pissed off.

     Nope – but he may appear to! That would be cool. Euron thinks he’s got Daario at his side and Daario takes him out….showing his worth and love for Dany and then she cannot leave him behind again.

419. ghost of winterfell,
     You may be entirely right.

     Jon has his eyes firmly set on the Wall and he will take on whatever title is thrown at him as long as he feels it may help him in his mission. Even though I cannot quite shake the feeling that this KITN scene projected an air of doom, for lack of a better word, underneath the sheer joy of seeing Jon get rewarded. A doom that was not entirely due to Littlefinger’s presence ^^

     As for Davos and Tormund, again, you may be absolutely correct. It may simply have been a bit too sudden a change for me to take without something akin to a whiplash :
     – Davos in episode 9 : kings are bad news, following them is a bad idea, thank the gods for not-king Jon;
     – Davos in episode 10 : Jon is King ! Yippee ! Where do I sign so I can follow ?
     A bit too quick for my brain ! ^^

420. Nadia,

     The HBO viewer’s guide (I think) has listed Jon as KitN, but Sansa as Lady of Winterfell. If this is accurate, then this looks to be a pretty unique situation. How would they divide the rule/ responsibilities etc?
     Based on this, it looks like Sansa gets Winterfell, so even if Jon and Dany were to enter into an alliance by marriage, it would not necessarily leave Sansa high and dry.

421. Flayed Potatoes,

     Truthiness,

     I also hate the Cliche argument 🙂

     Poor GRRM. He shocked everyone by killing hero off in first book and now people think he’s not allowed to tell the stories he’s been hinting at for years because they want to be surprised (even though we’ve had over a decade to reread and imagine possible scenarios)

     Romance? No that’s cliche. Romance is the worst. Yuck. Let’s stick to brothels and violence. Way more original

     Political alliance? Too cliche. We’ve already seen it with…pretty much every married character in the series. He’d never write it again.

     Any decent person surviving a gruesome death or having a moment of happiness? Come on, sooo cliche.

     “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” 🙂

422. RG,

     Yep there are some people here and elsewhere calling Season 6 Cliche, I guess because the heroes won on some occasions.

     The triumphant moments for Heroes and the fall of the Villains are simply much more satisfying because of the losses that came before.

423. ACME,

     Yes we were supposed to feel unease at the KitN scene, Benioff himself said as much. We should be worried for Jon, according to him. Still, the only 2 avenues for drama that I can see here are LF/ Sansa and the RLJ reveal being used against Jon. Alternatively, maybe some part of Jon’s ‘learning to rule’ arc from Adwd may be used here? As in he finds out how hard it is to rule? Idk.
     As for Davos, I don’t see the problem. He has believed in Jon the person for some time now, and he might have felt that if there has to be a king, he woul not be a bad person for the job.

424. After years of being the two most prominent characters not directly involved in the Game of Thrones. The story has finally reached the point where these two are now finally players. One due to her own choosing to conquer and rule and thus restore her family’s name, the other due to circumstances that are somewhat out of his control and without any actual desire or intent to play the game. Dany’s aim is to restore much of the Seven Kingdoms under Targaryen rule (with the Iron Islands as allies?) and bring about change; Jon simply wants to unite his people to better fight what is coming with the Long Night 2.0. I don’t think these two characters can co-exist in the same continent and not cross paths at some point. Too much parallelism and DNA involved. So the question is: Will it be a positive or a negative co-existence? Really, it can go either way and I can see it go both ways. Negative first and positive when there’s no other choice.

     Having read the series, I always thought that Jon was going to be offer a crown. It was not a matter of if but a matter of when. And I thought it would be hilarious if he was offered all of the crowns. So much fighting and dying and treason and murder and chaos so that in the end the one person who never cared for any of it ends up with it. So I was not surprised when the Northern Lady and Lords chose him as King. Apprehensive yes because I love Jon and crowns are known to be a heavy burden. But my prediction is that Jon remains a King until his death and I don’t see him living a long life. He will die in the North and will be buried a Stark. Because for a character who chooses very little in his life, he will choose to be a Stark and not a Targ. Will he marry? Possibly, but if he does it will be for duty. Either to Dany for her help and dragons (though Dany may be willing out of basic humanity to help regardless, without any marriage commitment) or to Sansa to solidify the North and ensure the survival of a 8,000 year old family. If there are any Jon Jrs. when all the battles are fought and won, they will be Starks and not Targs.

     Of the two, I believe Dany survives in the end. She and Jon will join forces to fight a common enemy but Jon is released by death, having done what he always wanted to do which is be a hero. While Dany gets a chance to find that elusive red door or whatever that red door may be in the TV version. The bitter part in her ending may be that in the end, she truly is the last dragon and no other dragon comes after her. His nephew having decided that he was a wolf and a wolf takes care of his pack. Regardless, when time takes her, Dany dies knowing that she did restore the Targs in her lifetime and people won’t have the lasting image of the Mad King but the image of the Savior Queen.

425. George: 6 Euron can’t be “easily dispatched” since he’s really Cersei’s only possible remaining potential ally, and if he was dispatched easily, then Cersei would die in episode 2 or three and the season would be over; instead I expect Cersei to die in episode 6 or 7, kinda at the same time the Walkers get around to finally start their invasion of Westeros.

     To be honest, I hope he’s easily and quickly dispatched on the show. I don’t want any of that dragonbinder nonsense and I’d like for him to underestimate her forces as well. The last we saw him he shouldn’t have known about the Dothraki as even those in Slaver’s Bay didn’t yet. If he did miraculously find enough materials to make 1k ships it’s absurd to believe he’d also have them built and manned adequately in time to be that much of a force against Daenerys, let alone know that they’re on their way. We shouldn’t forget that he’s not a loved man amongst the ironborn either. He was chosen as King because of a promise to make the Iron Islands great by joining Daenerys… Yara has beat him to the punch. Within three or four episodes is pretty “quick and easy” compared to many things in the series. In a seven episode season that’s about all you can give him though unless he joins Cersei and holds out until her end, which seems like it has to happen in S7.

     What I don’t expect to see is Daenerys floating her fleet up to King’s Landing and bombarding it with trebuchets like the Masters did Meereen or flying her dragons overhead setting everything to flames. She doesn’t want to harm the ‘common people’ in an attack such as that. If anyone is going to destroy King’s Landing and kill the innocent inhabitants it’s going to be Cersei. With that thinking, Daenerys would gain lands and support more slowly through conquest and alliances. This would allow Cersei to remain in her seat (and alive on the show) longer until she has absolutely no support outside of the room she’s standing in. At that point she could go full Mad Queen and/or be taken out by her valonqar. Daenerys needs to EARN the throne in a way that the people will love her and be loyal to her and that won’t happen by directly attacking the Red Keep, taking it and saying, “Here I am. Worship and adore me.”

     I really believe that Daenerys is going to achieve her goal rather quickly, but immediately be forced to save the people from the NK in the Great War. I prefer it to be in an alliance with Jon.

     It all just has to be a more direct and quicker story on the show than the books will be. I’m going to pretty much ignore anything George has said about his story and his ending. This “bittersweet” talk and if he said “not good vs evil” stuff is meaningless to me when it comes to GoT at this point. He may have told D&D what his ideas are/were but he hasn’t written a word of it yet. They can go ahead and end the show in any entertaining fashion they want. It can be as predictable as hell for all I care as long as it’s done really well. I’d love a super happy ending with tears of joy too.

426. Lord of Coffee:
     Wow, I can’t believe there are people who want a Jaime / Brienne pairing to actually happen.Ugh.Sure, Brienne brings out Jaime’s decent side, but then so does Tyrion.Jaime will always be the guy who pushed a little boy out a window and is in love with his twin sister.Brienne deserves better.

     ABSOLUTELY! And I’m not a huge Brienne fan but if she starts championing the “he is a change man” to the Starks, I am done with her. She can like him. Trust him. Believe in the good inside him. But Brienne, so brave and logical and does no wrong (laying it a little thick), if given the choice, would choose Jaime over any Stark.
     She was ready to hand back Oathkeeper because she did as HE asked, fulfilled his/her/whoevers(!) promise to Catelyn. But the job wasn’t done. Arya is still out there and Brienne knows it, yet she is saying the oath is complete? Huh?
     That whole exchange at Riverrun wasn’t about any promise, it wasn’t about Sansa (certainly wasn’t about Arya because Brienne forgot about her already) and it wasn’t about the Blackfish. It was about Brienne’s shaky honor to the Starks when it comes to Jaime. Jaime and Brienne have a natural flow and while I don’t ship them in the least, I don’t feel even an ounce of sexual chemistry there, their end story is tied together in some way. Maybe she will be the one to tell Sam about all he did (saving Kings Landing, his part in sending her to find Sansa Stark), so Sam can note in the Book of Brothers. This is what Jaime wanted all along (minus Cersei). He wants honor, not redemption.

427. Ramsay's 20th Good Man,

     You’re right. I agree with all of what you said! It’s just too bad that Jon doesn’t know that kiss on the forehead was one of Littlefinger’s signature moves… poor Sansa. I don’t blame her at all for having so many trust issues.

428. Sou: Ok, this has nothing to do with what you posted Ginevra, but speaking of whores: SHAE. Wasn’t there a report last summer that she had been seen filming? Or at the set? Or something????

     Yes! And I kept thinking how great it would be to bring back a character we loved or a character we loved to hate, but fans just plain hated Shae – no love at all. Perhaps her bit was cut? She was definitely in costume, on set, holding a script.

     I have a feeling that lots of bits were cut, which might be why the earlier episodes were so short. The actor playing Rickon acted like he was going to have a much larger role where, you know, he actually had lines and stuff.

429. Kells,

     I think you need to be prepared to be done with her then, like you said.

430. kit_hepburn,

     Yep, be totally done with Brienne in the show if she does exactly what Brienne does in the books, defend Jaime Lannister to the Starks.

431. Jon Snow is all I care about . No body mess with him haha
     Just kidding – ish
     Haven’t read the article no time as I’m on vacation will read in a week

432. Danielle Stark,

     Yara/Asha kissed Theon on the forehead too.

433. I don’t really understand why so many people believe King’s Landing will suffer massive destruction (Dany’s vision was not prophetic, but a trick by the Warlocks designed to keep her there).

     We already know

     D&D plan to film a massive parade in Dubrovnik, which probably means Dany will take the city next season. But that also implies the city will be mostly intact at that time; you don’t hold victory parades through ashes.

434. Kells,

     In both the show and the books it does seem as if Brienne is being tested to see if she will choose love over duty, but unlike Jaime I think she may be able to choose Duty every time.

     In a behind the scenes I just watched, the director of that scene said what I thought was an interesting thing. “They love each other and they hate that they love each other”. Whether that’s interpreted as sexual or romantic or fraternal love, doesn’t matter too much. The point is that for each of them their feelings for each other are extremely inconvenient because they are (at least currently) in conflict with what each considers to be their duty.

     Would Brienne choose Jaime over any Stark? Well, she said that she would fight and presumably kill him even in defense of a Stark relative. We don’t know if she would when push comes to shove. But Sansa? Definitely Brienne would protect Sansa if Jaime was a threat to her. If Sansa ordered her to kill Jaime, yes she would certainly ask not to be given that duty. I hope and expect leaders like Sansa, Dany, or Jon not to attempt to force their people to do things they would consider dishonorable, or wrong. It would be interesting if it happens – I wonder what could lead to that though.

     it’s not as if Sansa is LSH.

     Duty is a two way street, as we saw in episode 1’s oath.

     It’s an interesting point about giving back Oathkeeper with Arya still out there. I’d argue Brienne, in pledging herself as Sansa’s sword, that duty has to override anything else while Sansa lives. If Sansa asks Brienne to find Arya, then she’ll do it but not otherwise (though she could ask leave to go – but where?). If Jaime wants to fulfill the rest of his oath to Catelyn, he’ll need to do it himself now, hence he needs Oathkeeper back.

435. Summer Child,

     Wow, I hadn’t thought of this delicious irony when I proposed Arya poisoning Cersei. I love it!

436. Sloan:
     I don’t really understand why so many people believe King’s Landing will suffer massive destruction (Dany’s vision was not prophetic, but a trick by the Warlocks designed to keep her there).

     I think there must be an eruption like Hiroshima, so that the people of Westeros realize the necessity of peace. I’m referring to Dany’s “I will crush the wheel”.

437. Sloan:
     I don’t really understand why so many people believe King’s Landing will suffer massive destruction (Dany’s vision was not prophetic, but a trick by the Warlocks designed to keep her there).

     We already know

     In response to that spoiler

     I thought it was a spectacle, not a parade

     that was confirmed. Big difference between the two.

438. QueenofThrones: In both the show and the books it does seem as if Brienne is being tested to see if she will choose love over duty, but unlike Jaime I think she may be able to choose Duty every time.

     Don’t think so actually. Brienne chose “love” (a choice to avenge Renly) over “duty” to Sansa during the Season 5 finale, and I strongly think that was foreshadowing something to come. No, she didn’t pay for it and ended up saving Sansa regardless, but it was a moment where Brienne turned away from her duty to do something for someone she loved. Also, in Brienne’s eyes: “Nothing is more hateful than failing to protect the one you love.” And she loves Jaime. She hasn’t been tested with this yet, she’s just acknowledged that it might come down to her and Jaime fighting each other (which is a bit of writer misdirection I think), but when actually faced with that scenario, I don’t think there’s any way that happens. I think it’s been heavily foreshadowed that Brienne either lays down her life or tries to lay down her life for Jaime, and that will in fact likely be in direct opposition to whatever vows she has sworn. In fact, if this doesn’t happen, I will say that it makes Brienne an extremely static character, when I don’t really think that’s the case at all.

439. HotPinkLipstick,

     Nope, here’s the transcript:

     http://johnaugust.com/2016/scriptnotes-ep-235-the-one-with-jason-bateman-and-the-game-of-thrones-guys-transcript

     “this massive kind of parade through the streets of King’s Landing”

440. Sloan,

     The more important thing that I glean from that interview is that

     it was a scene that was supposed to be a four person simple dealio in the throne room, and they changed it to something bigger. Meaning it’s a scene that could theoretically be handled by having four people in the throne room. In what universe is Daenerys arriving to King’s Landing for the very first time with all her troops and allies something that could EVER be handled with a simple little interior four-hander (their words)? It’s not.

     I’m not even saying that Daenerys doesn’t get to KL in Season 7, I’m just saying that I think this scene in question might refer to something else.

441. Ramsay's 20th Good Man,

     There was another forehead kiss in season one from Viserys to Dany. Very creepy/awful because he was threatening her at the time.

442. Mihnea,

     I’m sure they have their inside jokes and like trolling the fans.
     Probably reading too much into it, but I thought that the Hound peeing into the river was a message to everyone waiting for LSH to appear.
     And I thought the extreme close-up of the warty penis was a response to the equality in nakedness complaints.

443. Sloan,

     Thanks for the info, but it says

     kind of parade which seems to be some people moving through the streets while others watch.

     kit_hepburn,

     I agree here and think it very well could be

     Cersei being taken to the ruins of the Sept of Baelor, the scene of her crime, to be beheaded. That could have been done in the Throne room, but could easily be moved to a sort of parade through KL. But you can count me among those with think the valonqar prophecy is one that isn’t coming true in any direct way.

444. Connor:
     Game of Thrones Season 1 will air on CTV channel in August 8th!! UNCENSORED!

     Great! Now I can finally see what all the fuss is about! 😀

445. kit_hepburn,

     I mean, maybe. But I don’t see a situation wherein Brienne is forced to choose Duty over Jaime’s life being realistic given the character/situations we have. That is, I’m not sure there is a reasonable scenario where in for example Jon or Sansa commands her to kill Jaime. Or where Jaime is threatening the life of any Stark to the extent she should fight him. A big part of why Jaime was so desperate to avoid a fight with the Tullies is because he does not want Brienne to have to make that choice – he knows it would destroy her to kill him, however committed she is her duty.

     If Brienne merely vouches for Jaime (say, in a trial about Bran, or in advising an alliance of some sort), I don’t see that as “choosing love over Duty”. It’s completely reasonable for someone like Brienne to offer an opinion to her liege. And I doubt that Jaime will be sentenced to death over Bran. Maybe forced to take the Black.

     One possibility is Arya. Given Arya’s already chosen vengeance over returning home, she might try to kill Jaime (though she passed on the chance once). Would Brienne attempt to protect Jaime from Arya, despite her oath to Catelyn? Probably. I guess this is the only way I can think of to have the stakes high enough for a real choice. She’d probably do whatever she could to keep them both alive. Maybe die herself in the process.

446. Clob: He was chosen as King because of a promise to make the Iron Islands great by joining Daenerys… Yara has beat him to the punch. Within three or four episodes is pretty “quick and easy” compared to many things in the series. In a seven episode season that’s about all you can give him though unless he joins Cersei and holds out until her end, which seems like it has to happen in S7.

     I agree about Euron. He was introduced very late, and didn’t have many scenes, except for a bombastic speech to those Ironborn still clinging to the old ways. The rest actually left with Yara. Given that we have about 13 episodes left, I just can’t see Euron playing a very major role. He will either join Cersei, causing Jaime to abandon her completely, or he will attack Westeros from the west side, finding his opportunity now that a weak Queen is on the IT. Either way, he will wreak even more death and destruction and perhaps deplete the Lannister army quite a bit.

     Sloan, Perhaps King’s Landing will not be burnt to the ground, but the Red Keep will? That is, Cersei’s logic could be that if she can’t occupy it, no one can? We know that wildfire is stashed under the important buildings in KL (Tyrion to Daenerys) not in every nook and cranny. Not in Fleabottom! 🙂

447. kit_hepburn: Don’t think so actually. Brienne chose “love” (a choice to avenge Renly) over “duty” to Sansa during the Season 5 finale, and I strongly think that was foreshadowing something to come. No, she didn’t pay for it and ended up saving Sansa regardless, but it was a moment where Brienne turned away from her duty to do something for someone she loved. Also, in Brienne’s eyes: “Nothing is more hateful than failing to protect the one you love.” And she loves Jaime. She hasn’t been tested with this yet, she’s just acknowledged that it might come down to her and Jaime fighting each other (which is a bit of writer misdirection I think), but when actually faced with that scenario, I don’t think there’s any way that happens. I think it’s been heavily foreshadowed that Brienne either lays down her life or tries to lay down her life for Jaime, and that will in fact likely be in direct opposition to whatever vows she has sworn. In fact, if this doesn’t happen, I will say that it makes Brienne an extremely static character, when I don’t really think that’s the case at all.

     Her duty to Catelyn was always secondary to her duty to avenge Renly. She even has Catelyn promise to give her the opportunity, should it present itself, to avenge Renly before she swears herself to Catelyn.

448. QueenofThrones,

     I see. You’re right, the show might not really be setting up having to choose Jaime over her vow because those she is in service to are directly calling for Jaime’s death or anything… still, I think the foreshadowing of Brienne having to save Jaime’s life from something is there. “Who wants to die defending a Lannister” anyone? 🙂 D&D made mention of the fact, after the 6.8 episode that Jaime letting Brienne go on that boat was the third time that Jaime has saved her life/protected her and Brienne knows it. She owes him because of that, and she owes him because she loves him as well. If she actually sees him in danger, I don’t think she’s going to be able to stop herself, for numerous reasons.

449. Connor:
     Game of Thrones Season 1 will air on CTV channel in August 8th!! UNCENSORED!

     Sexposition hype

450. Sou:
     Truthiness,

     Why did I always thought that LotR had a happy ending? What is it that I have forgotten???

     The Shire lost its innocence (“The Scouring of the Shire”)

     and Frodo dies…which Tolkien covers with the euphemism of the “journey to the Undying Lands.”

451. Ginevra: Her duty to Catelyn was always secondary to her duty to avenge Renly.She even has Catelyn promise to give her the opportunity, should it present itself, to avenge Renly before she swears herself to Catelyn.

     This. As well, both Sansa and Arya had shut down her offer to help on previous occasions, resulting in her getting crotch-kicked by Sandor and her and Pod attacked by LF’s guys. So really, she could have just said “OK, fuck it – I offered, I’m out then.” Which she wouldn’t do, of course, but yeah.

452. Why do some people think Gendy is going to magically be able to forge Valyrian steel? He wasnt the grand blacksmith extraordinaire in Kings Landing… He was simply an assistant. Where would he have learned the art of forging Valyrian steel that no one else would have? Gendy right now doesnt really have anything to do in season 7, and to think he suddenly became the greatest blacksmith of all time once he started rowing away, doesnt make any sense.

453. I can’t believe that people not only want to see Jaime and Brienne end up together, but think it’s actually going to happen.

     I took their wave goodbye as the last time they will see each other. They have gone their separate ways: Brienne heading back to serve Sansa and maybe run into the Hound or Arya on the way; Jamie back to the love of his life Cersei to deal with her new power and complete craziness. I just don’t see them crossing paths again on the show.

454. Ginevra: Specifically, I believe that smearing the stone (men or dragons) with the blood of AAR will cure the Greyscale and waken the dragons.

     Interesting idea. Using blood to cause a result worries me. But this is Thrones. We’ll see what happens. Greyscale and the bestoned creatures of Dragonstone surely will factor into some end of story drama. I picture all those gargoyles flying around, wreaking havoc.

455. Lord of Coffee:
     I can’t believe that people not only want to see Jaime and Brienne end up together, but think it’s actually going to happen.

     I took their wave goodbye as the last time they will see each other.They have gone their separate ways:Brienne heading back to serve Sansa and maybe run into the Hound or Arya on the way;Jamie back to the love of his life Cersei to deal with her new power and complete craziness.I just don’t see them crossing paths again on the show.

     Believe it.

     (And read my first post in this thread for an educated theory on where Jaime is going from here if you’re in such disbelief. It’s not something that was just pulled out of thin air.)

456. Anon: .And, I know Jon will not father a child unless he’s married.

     Do we know that Jon can reproduce? He’s been dead and we don’t know the full impact of his reanimation.

     When he was killed, I thought the loss of his DNA was the biggest loss, Reagar, Ned, Benjen, Robb, Rickon being dead and the state of Bran’s gonads unknown.

     Whatever genetic plans or experiments the gamers of GoT are playing, not everyone is a potential parent.

457. Marlana: Do we know that Jon can reproduce? He’s been dead and we don’t know the full impact of his reanimation.

     Ha! This is a most interesting question that I never see addressed. Where female characters are concerned, the ability to reproduce plays a big part in the discussion among GoT fans. (Like: Isn’t Daenerys barren? Shouldn’t that impact on her endgame? etc! :D) But never about male characters and whether they could be… barren too! Especially people like Jon and Beric, who have been reanimated.

458. I love the idea of Jon shooting blanks.

459. Ginevra: Her duty to Catelyn was always secondary to her duty to avenge Renly.She even has Catelyn promise to give her the opportunity, should it present itself, to avenge Renly before she swears herself to Catelyn.

     I disagree. “Fighting on behalf of Roose Bolton and putting one my daughters at risk” would not be an opportunity suitable to that clause.

     TV Brienne chose petty revenge over honor. Or worse, she actively dishonored herself in order to gain a small chance at entirely meaningless revenge. Stannis actually had a cleaner death because of her actions.

460. Marlana,

     We’ve seen this season that Jon needs oxygen like any other person and needs to eat and drink to survive like any other person. He’s not a reanimated wight, or possessed by the Night’s King. So, unless Melisandre chopped up his crown jewels while she was trimming his body hair or placed a Mirri Maz Duur fertility curse on him, he should be able to reproduce and pass on his good looks to future generations. 🙂

461. Lord of Coffee,

     I totally agree, I think their encounter in S6 was their last and I’m OK with that.

462. Ginevra: The dragons of Dragonstone might be dragons with Greyscale,

     I believe the reason Shireen contracted Greyscale was because the agent was still present in Dragonstone, and as a baby, she was vulnerable to the germs in the air, or wherever the are.

463. QueenofThrones,

     It’s far more complicated than that. For instance, I accepted that S6 would be a march towards Ramsey’s death, but how we got there was so meh. The Jon and Sansa feud never made any sense to me, and then the battle turned out EXACTLY as expected with no twists or turns.

     I think also Arya heading back to Westeros was somewhat inevitable (though not guaranteed), but the way she left the Faceless Men was really disappointing. It was too simple of a conclusion to a complicated and fascinating storyline. Plus we never really learned what the FM were about.

     So bottom line it was far more than “heroes did too much winning” or “there were no big shocking unexpected moments”. There was just a complete lack of tension or suspense this season, and too many predictable outcomes.

464. kit_hepburn,

     A giant LOL at your apparently sincere belief that you need to educate me. Please! Your opinion is that Jaime and Brienne have a future together. But it is just that – your opinion. It is not a fact that you need to educate others about.

     I do not share your opinion and I am surprised at the number of people who do. I believe that the noble Brienne was a vehicle through which Jaime’s good side could be revealed. But Jaime has a very dark side that seems to be dominant due to his love for Cersei. He is a very damaged man and I don’t believe Brienne or anyone else can truly save him at this point. I think he will have to take Cersei down and she in turn will take him down with her. They came into the world together and I think it is their destiny to leave it together.

465. Wall Builder,

     Good calls on Cersei and Dany

466. Lord of Coffee,

     I was pointing out that I had backed up my opinion with show-evidence earlier, if you cared to seek my opinion out, so I wouldn’t have to repeat myself.

     It’s the fact that you continue to say, in such a condescending manner, that you are shocked (SHOCKED) that anyone could believe such a ridiculous thing that has me responding to you. Some people have a set idea of what happens to certain characters. That’s fine. I have a different set idea, based gathering information from BOTH the tv show and the books. Some have read it and responded and still disagreed. That’s also fine. But you’re responding saying that you’re shocked (twice now) that anyone could even deign to think such a thing, which is unecessary. I’m saying that this opinion doesn’t come from thin air, and if you would like to get into a debate where I pull context on you, I will (if you would stop acting like you’re so shocked/surprised for a sec). I’ll start with this:

     They came into the world together and I think it is their destiny to leave it together.

     Cersei says this in the books (though she never says they will leave the world together in the show). Cersei is also almost always comically wrong in the books. It’s a running gag, and a very specific character trait of hers that Martin likes to toy with. Among many other examples in the books, she also says that Jaime did not receive her letter and that’s why he hasn’t responded. She has no clue that he burned it and essentially doesn’t care if she dies. She also is in disbelief that Jaime would go anywhere with Brienne in the books, that he would leave her in favour of such a creature. Guess what? He does go off with Brienne in the books. Cersei is always wrong.

     Next?

467. LatrineDiggerBrian,

     Did you read spoilers?

468. Queenofthrones,

     No I didn’t even watch the trailers before the season and have not read the books.

469. LatrineDiggerBrian,

     Ok. Yeah neither did I. Well I watched the trailer once but not I think that I only found some of the things predictable because I was commenting here and was spoiled by people “speculating” based on the spoilers. That is to say, people spoiling me.

     In particular with all the insistence everyone had that only LF would come to save the north. Which wasn’t obvious at all, really, until at least episode 7.

470. Geralt of Rivia,

     The vision Dany saw was Rhaegar with Aegon, saying his song was the song of ice and fire. And Aegon wasn’t half stark. He meant that Aegon’s destiny was to fight the Others, he was meant to fight ice. Not BE ice.

     Brian,

     Wouldn’t they have introduced the dragon binder last season? Or even made mention of it? I think it would be kind of out of place for Euron to magically produce it.

     LawofFury,

     Why would Jon view Dany as mad? She’s coming back to reclaim what was taken from her family. Just like Jon did in Winterfell.

     And again, Jon would have to be suicidal and not care about the North at all if he decided that instead of preparing to fight the WW, he sets his eyes south to fight someone with a gigantic army and 3 dragons. Someone whose army could instead be used to fight the WW. Jon wouldn’t deserve to be King if that’s the conclusion he comes to.

471. Ramsay’s 20th Good Man:
     Black Raven,

     Will the dragons be with her throughout the journey across the open sea?

     Don’t they need to land and feed at some point?

     A good question for sure! Perhaps Dany has thought of that and brought a few goats along they can roast and eat en-route! If they get very ravenous, there’s always the horses the Dothraki have on their ships 😀

472. Marlana,

     I thought Stannis told the story of buying a doll from a traveling vendor for Shireen and it spread the greyscale contagion to her.

473. “Sexual tension”? between Sansa and Jon? Did i miss something?

     I felt no sexual attraction between those 2 whatsoever. If anything, I only felt some sibling affection with obvious hints of rivalry and jealousy. This season further showed me that despite Jon and Sansa thinking they are siblings, they are still not each other’s favorite person in the world.

474. Black Raven: A good question for sure! Perhaps Dany has thought of that and brought a few goats along they can roast and eat en-route! If they get very ravenous, there’s always the horses the Dothraki have on their ships

     Don’t you remember the baby Drogon catching a fish, throwing it up in the air, BBQing it, eating and then landing on the ship to be petted a bit by Mom before flying off again? Season 3, episode 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56oIsum8HQc
     Plenty of nice, fresh fish in the Narrow Sea for them to eat!

     Sullied by Knight, True. A very touching scene from Season 5. A Dornish trader wanted to harm the Baratheons presumably for vengeance over Robert’s rebellion and the deaths of Elia Martell and her children.

475. Sou,

     100,000 for the dothraki close to 40,000 for the tyrells 8,000 for the unsullied. The Lannister army though that’s barely 20,000 now add 5 to 6,000 gold cloaks and the around 2,000 Frey’s. So almost 150,000 for Dany and maybe at the most 40,000 for Cersie. Almost forgot about 8,000 Dornish on Danys side

476. Lots of interesting ideas.

     A few points:

     – At the start of next season Cersei will be aware of the goings on in the North and Dorne because she clearly told Qyburn to set up an intel network.

     – The Jon/Sansa oddness seems linked to the show’s efforts to make them Ned/Cat returned. Jon started to seem noticeably Ned-like at the end of S4 but it has stepped up markedly this year. The chemistry may be simply the actors but the show is using it. Maybe it is for the watcher to compare future decisions with what Ned/Cat did?

     – I like the idea of a disguised Arya trying to kill Cersei and having trouble doing it because of the insight she gained with Lady Crane. Those stage scenes have to pay off at some stage. Any Ayra/Cersei interaction could also be a nod to those great Arya/Tywin scenes.

     – We are going to see a lot of characters having to get used to getting on with former opponents as uneasy allies.

     – If GRRM has his eye on the Wars of the Roses it won’t be a straight Plantagenet/Targaryen restoration. The new era will be led by a new name/house (Henry Tudor) with ties to the old houses. I think that makes it more likely to be the hidden Targ Jon rather than Dany.

477. Season 6 wasn’t predictable. I really don’t understand what kind of twists and turns people wanted
     It’s kind of ridiculous
     These are payoffs that have been building up since season 1

478. Dee Stark:
     Season 6 wasn’t predictable. I really don’t understand what kind of twists and turns people wanted
     It’s kind of ridiculous
     These are payoffs that have been building up since season 1

     Yep, I agree.

     They delivered payoffs in regards to stuff from the books too; it’s not D&D’s fault that George still hasn’t delivered the books, so inevitably they spoiled some stuff that’s obviously gonna happen in the books (Danny conquering the Dothraki, Danny winning the Battle of Meereen, Danny going to Westeros, Jon as King in the North, the Starks recapturing Winterfell, Arya killing Walder Frey, R+L=J, Cersei using Wildfire (George compares Cersei’s eyes to Wildfire every five seconds in the books) etc, etc.)

     Eventually you have to deliver payoffs that have been set up in your narrative; otherwise it’s not a narrative.

     The first book is now twenty years old; inevitably people were gonna figure out where George was going with his story, after 20 years of thousands of people dissecting his narrative over and over…

479. Queenofthrones:
     LatrineDiggerBrian,

     Ok.Yeah neither did I. Well I watched the trailer once but notI think that I only found some of the things predictable because I was commenting here and was spoiled by people “speculating” based on the spoilers.That is to say, people spoiling me.

     In particular with all the insistence everyone had that only LF would come to save the north.Which wasn’t obvious at all, really, until at least episode 7.

     It was obvious after Episode 6…of Season 5. Everyone was so caught up with the rape to notice the first big book spoiler – that the Vale would ride north. That it would be on behalf of the Starks is obvious because of Sansa.

480. George,

     I don’t think Arya will kill Walder Frey in the books. He isn’t even on her list, in the books, iirc. It will be LS and BwB who will take care of the Freys, imo.

     I agree though, a lot of people who mainly look for surprises or mind-blowing twists are going to be disappointed. What we will see in the final acts is the pay off for everything that has been set up so far in the story, and that is the way it should be.

481. I have really enjoyed reading all the creative theories and I find it can go any way as nothing is set in stone. Since we don’t have any more book material and the answers take months if not over a year to be answered, it gives us time to become extremely attached to what we feel must happen. As long as we don’t get too emotional if God for bid, someone has a different opinion. GRRM said the ending will not be an apocalypse and I never said I thought it would be. There will be a bitter sweet ending but he also said to expect the unexpected. So I try to keep an open mind. I’ve read all 5 books and watch GOT. Yes it is based on the War of the Roses but he never said it would end up exactly the same as this so again, keep an open mind. There are clues all over the books and also some red herrings. I guessed Jon’s parentage early on but the clues are at times very well hidden and until season 6, there was no guarantee. GRRM is not writing a history book so he will continue to put his own twist on things, I believe. This is fiction, anything can happen. Any TV/movie adaptation of a book could never capture and flesh out the deep inner working of some of our favorite characters. When we really get to know them in writing, we can guess where they are heading in the future. This is why I strongly feel that even though Jon is half targ, he is truly a Stark to the bone. Out of all the siblings it is Jon and Sansa who are the most connected to Winterfell. Their longing for home is truly compelling at times. You don’t get that feeling as much on the show, which is understandable. I guess that’s why I can’t visualize Jon on the iron throne. Sansa considers the south a jail sentence. Or maybe Jon will sit on Iron throne out of duty, since he has been known to step up for others. Jamie is a wild card I feel. He has been on the road to redemption throughout the books, and I still feel he will kill Cersei. However someone had a really good theory that it could be Arya. I also can conclude that in many cases throughout the book and show, destruction only leads to more destruction. (taking back Winterfell doesn’t count to me, since a monster was holding it.) Maybe another peace will be brokered with the WW. Maybe destroying all the whites will be an unexpected twist. Me personally, I hate clichés but that doesn’t mean the story hasn’t had any as it is impossible not to. But there’s nothing like a good twist to make things more memorable.

482. Chad Brick: It was obvious after Episode 6…of Season 5. Everyone was so caught up with the rape to notice the first big book spoiler – that the Vale would ride north. That it would be on behalf of the Starks is obvious because of Sansa.

     I expected more northeners to join the Starks, especially the Manderlys and House Umber, the Reeds? Why did house Umber ally with the Boltons at all? Didn’t catch that.
     Maybe the Tully-army with the Blackfish. That all could happen.

     By the way: What did Jon do with the survivors of House Karstark and Umber?

483. When Melissandra told Arya that they would meet again, she looked into her eyes and saw many different colors. It seemed like she saw something that kind of freaked her out. I wonder if Melissandra, at some point, will recognize Arya by looking in her eyes when she is in disguise, wearing a (stolen) face? Will she give her away?

484. George,

     Perfectly said

485. Robert,

     I think there are more Lannisters; there were 60000 to begin with. The Dothraki, I thought there were 100.000 women and children included ( by the way, where are the children, the women and the elderly? do they all go to Westeros? or did they stay behind with an important number of warriors protecting them?). Daenerys is more powerful (she has dragons, after all), but it won’t be THAT easy.

486. Kay,

     A dragon that size diving to get a fish would probably cause a tsunami!!

487. Are people seeing visions or just projecting their wishful thinking on screen?What….sexual tension between Jon and Sansa?Are we joking here?I only saw two siblings happy to reunite,then frustration,mistrust and an ambiguous ending.

488. I’ll be interested to see what they do with the Littlefinger/Sansa storyline, because as it currently stands it doesn’t feel like they have much room to maneuver.

     Littlefinger’s hold over Sansa is very tenuous now.

     If anything, she has the upper hand. She’s home at Winterfell. She has her brother and the North to call upon, so doesn’t need Littlefinger’s influence anymore. She could sell him out to Lords Robin and Royce, not to mention to Cersei, at any time.

     What does he have to use against her, apart from her ego and naivety? Both of which are perhaps not what they used to be.

     Also, with Cersei sitting on the Iron Throne his ambitions to be King are next to zero.

     And the moment he finds out about Daenerys Targaryen then his ambitions go completely out of the window.

     What would he need Sansa for? She might have been able to usurp Tommen or Cersei, with the help of the Vale, the Riverlands (through her Tully blood) and an alliance with another kingdom. But against Daenerys she has no claim and no chance.

     Will Littlefinger consider Daenerys a better bet for getting him on the Iron Throne? Or will he remain oblivious to her arrival until he’s already got his next plans for Sansa into motion?

     This cul-de-sac that Littlefinger appears to be in right now is kinda why I think they will dispense with him relatively early next season. Sure, he could provide some antagonism in the North for a few episodes, but the moment Daenerys makes landfall his whole arc with Sansa is undermined.

     And with Varys on Daenerys’ team of advisors, Littlefinger’s chances of worming his way into Daenerys’ company are small.

     I feel like the producers would be better off ending Littlefinger’s story next season instead of creating all sorts of narrative gymnastics and plot devices to keep his story ticking over.

     I figure he should make one more major move to try and take control of the North and/or the Vale, or stab his allies in the back, and have it fatally backfire on him.

489. Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,

     The obvious move for Littlefinger in his pursue of power is to take the Riverlands. After all, he wanted to be a part of the Tully family in the first place. Sansa and Jon will most likely fight about it, because she would like to send Northerners but Jon won’t accept it. I believe Littlefinger will kill most of the Freys, including Edmure’s wife and baby and probably Edmure too, so that Sansa can inherit the Riverlands. Littlefinger could name Sansa Queen of something and we could have afterwards a war between Sansa and Danny. Who would the King in the North be forced to protect???? That could be another route for the story …

490. After reading all the Jon-Dany, Jamie-Dany, Jamie-Brienne, Arya-Gendry, etc. posts here, I’m starting to think that when Euron asked his men to build 1000 ships he really wanted them to go back home, get on the internet, and create 1000 romantic relationships between all the GoT characters. So no wood needed.

491. With a shorter season I think things will happen on a faster scale. So things may have already progressed from where we left off.

     North & Riverlands, I think very early next season we will have a meeting of BwoB/the Hound, Brienne/Melisadre. Where Brienne will learn of what LF has done and her return to WF with the BwoB and The Hound in tow, and this truth will come just in time for Sansa and Jon. LF’s story has run it’s course show wise. I think Jon will spend this first couple of episode time trying to gather forces for the fight against the WW. I think Bran will see the rest of the vision about Jon and tell Meera about his vision and how he has to get to Jon. I think she will convince him to go to her father first as he knows the truth also(easier to accept coming from someone who was Ned’s best friend). I think this is where we get Howland Reed. I think we will get more flashbacks and more back story to the R+L=J coming to be. I also see more visions of the future including one about Dany and her war upon kingslanding. All of this will be relayed upon Jon in what I could see being a very surreal moment for him. I think we will get the Mel/Arya meeting. I think Arya’s story is only revenge at the moment, What will she do when theres no name left on her list? Season 7 ends with Jon and Dany meeting for the first time with Jon having knowledge of his true parentage. With a cut away to the WW crossing the wall, and we see the war to come.

     As for Jamie and Cersi. I think he finally sees his sister/lover for what she really is. He will take his Lannister army and leave her episode 1. Which ties into what I believe will be the eventual fall of Cersi. Dany and Tyrion won’t just stroll up to Kingslanding via Blackwater Bay as Tyrion already knows Cersi has plenty of wildfire to destroy most of the fleet. I think Dany/Tyrion attack her from the North. A meeting of Tyrion/Jamie seems certain. Probably as the Lannister army is heading North they come into contact with Dany/Tyrion. Euron and his 1000 ships are going to be an issue. How I don’t know. Seems as though Dany will be sailing headlong into his fleet. I’m not sure how long we can have Dany distracted by Euron and have enough time to get her where she needs to be. I think the dispatching of Euron won’t be long as I think he was just a means to an end to get Dany a meeting with Yara and Theon.

     I think Cersi always believed the prophecy about the Volonqar…and she believed it would be Tyrion and I believe she will be correct. I think Tyrion will finally choke the life from his big sister after Dany has sacked KL. Dany will find the throne she so desperately wanted is not what she had dreamed it would be.

492. ghost of winterfell,

     Re Arya’s list and the Freys
     AFFC Arya II

     Each night before sleep, she murmured her prayer into her pillow. “Ser Gregor,” it went. “Raff the Sweetling, Ser Ilyn, Ser Meryn, Queen Cersei.” She would have whispered the names of the Freys of the Crossing too, if she had known them. One day I’ll know, she told herself, and then I’ll kill them all.

     Still, I agree with you that it will be BwoB.

493. Mag,

     I’m inclined to agree that the Riverlands would be Littlefinger’s next move. Especially so had Sansa ended up in power rather than Jon.

     Both Sansa and Robin Arryn have Tully blood, so the river lords would probably be prepared to accept Sansa ruling over an alliance of the three kingdoms.

     And I agree that Jon will probably be reluctant to get mired in conflicts in the south, and that could be the basis of the tension in the North.

     But what would Littlefinger use to convince Sansa of the need to take the Riverlands? Her claim to them? That would rely on her putting her own ambitions ahead of Jon, which I think is tenuous these days.

     Perhaps he could convince her that taking the Riverlands is necessary to defeat Cersei and protect herself from Cersei’s wrath? Except Sansa has Joffrey’s murderer in her company. She could have Littlefinger arrested and trade him for peace with the Lannisters.

     I think it’s going to be a complicated storyline to progress.

494. Mag:
     Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,

     The obvious move for Littlefinger in his pursue of power is to take the Riverlands. After all, he wanted to be a part of the Tully family in the first place. Sansa and Jon will most likely fight about it, because she would like to send Northerners but Jon won’t accept it. I believe Littlefinger will kill most of the Freys, including Edmure’s wife and baby and probably Edmure too, so that Sansa can inherit the Riverlands. Littlefinger could name Sansa Queen of something and we could have afterwards a war between Sansa and Danny. Who would the King in the North be forced to protect???? That could be another route for the story …

     Tha’s really an interessting twist!

495. This was a great read, thank you so much for your work on it.

     “Arya and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad List”

     This^^^ made me laugh out loud more than once. I’m still laughing while I’m writing this post.

496. There are very few people who know how the book series is going to end, how the characters are going to end up. D&D are two of those people. So if something or someone has been left out of the show’s plot, it was left out because ultimately it is not tied to that ending in a huge way. I’m guessing crucial characters would’ve been included. So, knowing everyone’s ending, and in almost every “Inside the Episode” interview D&D say, “When George was telling us about this,” they wrote S6 which was in their opinion 90% material from beyond ADWD. Since none of us have TWOW yet, we can use the show as something that will at least strongly imply how things will play out in the end. And if one of the main characters will end up Jon Snow’s romantic partner, D&D know who that is. And right now, considering the female characters that survived S6E10, the only real options available are Dany and Sansa. If it was someone else, D&D would’ve brought her in by now and tied her to the endgame. I’m fairly certain they are contractually obligated to include GRRM’s ending in GoT.

     But D&D know what the ending is and they’ve written some not-quite brotherly/sisterly interactions between Jon and Sansa. I know some people don’t see it, but a lot of people have. I never even fathomed anything between Jon and Sansa until S6E4. I don’t usually “ship” with much investment with this series. But that was like getting smacked between the eyes. And not just fans, the media have pointed it out. It could just simply be Kit and Sophie’s chemistry, which I totally buy. Their chemistry is off the charts. But it was D&D who wrote those scenes and everything they do is intentional. Those scenes were written very similarly to the way Robb and Talisa’s were, and Jon and Sansa were framed on screen a lot like Ned and Cat were in S1, not to mention their clothes and hair – Ned and Cat 2.0. D&D always put in a lot of pre-planning and with a multi-million dollar show like GoT, this is not going to happen “by accident.” A lot of decisions are also made in the editing room. They chose specific takes, and Jon and Sansa’s scenes were no doubt put together very carefully.

497. My ideas about the Northern storyline:

     Jon deals with Northern politics, Sansa is torn between Jon and LF – who still feeds her manipulative stuff about Jon.
     Bran and Meera arrives and they reveal Jon’t parentage. Even if it’s just the mother, Lyanna, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put two and two together and find out that Rhaegar is the father. Jon is obviously brooding and considers to step aside for Bran. But Bran doesn’t want it.
     Soon after the BwB arrives, with the Hound and Arya (and maybe Mel). Jon/Arya reunion, Ghost/Nymeria reunion. Arya also learns that Jon is not her brother, but reassures him that she still loves him and supports him as KitN.
     Arya uses her skills she got in the Lying Game and Faceless stuff to spy on LF, and learns that LF actually managed to plant doubt about Jon in certain Northern Lords and he is working to get Sansa to become Queen. She tells everything to Jon privately, where Jon asks where she got the skill, and she reluctantly tells him about the Faceless Education. She is afraid that she loses Jon’s love, and at this point they realise that it’s actually a blessing they are not siblings. 😀 They make a plan accordingly.
     There is a meeting soon, where some Northern folk start to complain about 3 trueborn Stark children being set aside for the bastard, who is not even Neds son. Jon offers his crown to Bran, who refuses, saying that he supports Jon. Arya does the same, and Sansa too -maybe genuinely, maybe because she doesn’t want to appear too power-hungry. Jon asks the Lords, if their only problem is Neds trueborn children not getting their birthright, and the Lords agree that it is indeed a bit weird situation – they are basically happy with Jon, but still, it’s the Ned’s children. So at this point Jon says he knows a solution and proposes to Arya. They get married, and Jon takes his wife’s name (Stark).

     Within a week or so, Dany arrives with a huge army and the dragons to Winterfell. She asks for parley, where Jon meets her (and tyrion, and varys, and grey worm, and … others). She makes a point of either marrying (Jon + Dany) or they attack and take Winterfell. That’s when the cold winds start blowing, Jon knows the Wall has fallen and the dead are upon them, so he urges Dany and co to go to Winterfell. Dany calls her dragons, too, but they hardly can fly in the storm. Rhaegal even falls onto the ground, and WWs appear and try to kill him. Jon realises that if the WWs can get a dragon on their side, they are royally screwed, so he helps the dragon and even manags to ride him, and navigates him into Winterfell. Dany’s big army dies. the WWs and the dead can’t go inside Wf because there is a magic that protects the walls until there is a Stark in Winterfell.
     Etc…

     It wont ever happen, I know.

498. Sue’s predictions aren’t that far off from what most people seem to think might happen, and I too expect at least some or even most of those things to kind of happen. But if we get pretty much what everyone thinks, without any twists, I would feel kind of let down. That doesn’t mean they can’t do anything some guy on the internet saw coming, but I wouldn’t be happy with this story ending in a paint by the numbers fantasy finale.
     I already feel a little fatigue over all the predictions, because this show wasn’t predictable at one point, and it was more fun to be excited about what might be next than to predict it.

     That said speculation is fun, even if you’re wrong, so here is something I haven’t read anywhere else but that I might have said before:
     I think there might be chance that Jaime and Cersei marry next season, maybe before their fallout, just because Cersei is in a position to not give a fuck anymore. The faith is dead after all.
     And speaking of family, I wonder like everyone does, what significance Jon’s parentage could have. Given that Jon’s story seems to be that of the reluctant leader that is thrust into positions of responsibility and duty without really wanting to, and he can’t seem to escape that even by death, I see a chance that being a Targaryen will be a burden for him. He might want to prevent that information from becoming public knowledge and fail.
     If the genetics of the Targaryen line aren’t of any importance, then the claim to the throne might be, but in a different way then most people seem to think. I can’t see Jon wanting the throne for himself. But the lords of Westeros might be more comfortable with a northern Lord on the Iron Throne than a foreign woman, just as the northeners where with a Lord rather than a Lady of Winterfell, no matter who’s claim might be better. The story we saw in the last episode might repeat itself on a bigger scale. Who do people chose when there is no clear cut traditional claim and the choice is between a trueborn woman and a bastard? Seems like they prefer the bastard.
     Even Houses that supported Dany before might pressure Jon into taking that throne, since it seems inevitable that the Targaryens have to make a comeback to bring stability. This would make Dany and Jon natural enemies, unless they marry and solve the conflict of claims that way. I also wonder if Dany’s infertility plays into this, because that would make her an even worse choice for a stable dynasty.
     I do think the potential Jon Dany match won’t be a happy or easy one. And I would be surprised if the endgame had any less treachery just because the “good” guys seem to have the upper hand and could just get along to fight the evil from beyond the wall.
     Even dragons can’t protect you from assassins. And the Starks might have an assassin on their side if it comes to this conflict, and maybe someone who can warg into dragons.

499. ghost of winterfell:
     Nadia,

     The HBO viewer’s guide (I think) has listed Jon as KitN, but Sansa as Lady of Winterfell. If this is accurate, then this looks to be a pretty unique situation. How would they divide the rule/ responsibilities etc?
     Based on this, it looks like Sansa gets Winterfell, so even if Jon and Dany were to enter into an alliance by marriage, it would not necessarily leave Sansa high and dry.

     This is interesting of the guide because I actually suggested earlier in the week that Sansa should be Lady of Winterfell and essentially part of Jon’s council. Jon can’t be bothered with matters of small importance at a time when he needs to focus on what they have to do to face the NK. It creates a different situation though without there being a separate castle for the king at the moment and it’s also just the North so there aren’t regions lorded over by Great Houses. I suppose the Lady of Winterfell at House Stark would still be considered the liege lord, but she then answers to the KitN who just happens to be down the hall.

500. Melissa: There are very few people who know how the book series is going to end, how the characters are going to end up. D&D are two of those people. So if something or someone has been left out……………….

     I’m not even confident George knows for absolute certainty how he’ll finish the books. Yeah, he probably has had a very good idea and outline of how he wants it to end but having not written it yet he can go any direction he wants. When he spoke with D&D he may have told them what he thought at that particular moment but over the course of time and writing he may change his mind. He can say and we can say that the show won’t effect what he writes but I have a hard time believing there won’t be some twitches in the back of his mind as he does. Still, even if the books finish exactly how George may have told D&D they would it’s entirely possible there could be a couple rather major differences. They’ve proven that they’ll make changes from even the published story in order to make it work for the program and be entertaining.

501. Ramsay’s 20th Good Man: And with Varys on Daenerys’ team of advisors, Littlefinger’s chances of worming his way into Daenerys’ company are small.

     Not to mention the fact that ‘a Lannister always pays his debts’…and there is still that unfinished business with Tyrion, whom he fingered in the issue of the dagger (used by Bran’s would-be assailant), which, were it not for Bronn, almost got Tyrion thrown through the moondoor. Tyrion is unlikely to have forgotten the staggering view from the sky cells and whom he has to thank for it!

     

     Mag: The obvious move for Littlefinger in his pursue of power is to take the Riverlands. After all, he wanted to be a part of the Tully family in the first place. Sansa and Jon will most likely fight about it, because she would like to send Northerners but Jon won’t accept it. I believe Littlefinger will kill most of the Freys, including Edmure’s wife and baby and probably Edmure too, so that Sansa can inherit the Riverlands. Littlefinger could name Sansa Queen of something and we could have afterwards a war between Sansa and Danny. Who would the King in the North be forced to protect???? That could be another route for the story …

     That makes a lot of sense. I like the way you’ve tied in Littlefinger’s political ambitions with his personal hang-ups, motivating him to supplant the Tullys who banished him from Riverrun in the first place for daring to desire one of Hoster’s daughters. Returning to Riverrun as Lord of the place with a gorgeous Tully redhead in tow would be a massive ‘moral’ and tactical victory for him. Killing Hoster’s remaining male heirs would also have the satisfying benefit for him of wiping out the ‘Tully’ name for good. Were Jon to be drawn into the fray and find himself caught between two competing allegiances (and family members), that would be exactly the kind of dilemma of the heart GRRM is drawn to exploring with such grim relish. It’d also be interesting how Tyrion might position himself in any potential ensuing conflict — after all, Sansa is still his wife…

     
     Queenofthrones: I only found some of the things predictable because I was commenting here and was spoiled by people “speculating” based on the spoilers. That is to say, people spoiling me.

     Well, the wildfire plot was an explosion waiting to happen, and D&D have been banging on about the wildfire caches and King Aerys all season long, lest we forget that that ‘gun had been hung’, so not really a spoiler. But, I would have enjoyed the finale more, had I not read the predictions here that, for example, Tommen would jump out a window. Where did that come from? Is there any foreshadowing that he’d commit suicide in that way from the books?

     kit_hepburn: the show might not really be setting up having to choose Jaime over her vow because those she is in service to are directly calling for Jaime’s death or anything… still, I think the foreshadowing of Brienne having to save Jaime’s life from something is there. “Who wants to die defending a Lannister” anyone? D&D made mention of the fact, after the 6.8 episode that Jaime letting Brienne go on that boat was the third time that Jaime has saved her life/protected her and Brienne knows it. She owes him because of that, and she owes him because she loves him as well. If she actually sees him in danger, I don’t think she’s going to be able to stop herself, for numerous reasons.

     I agree, she owes him on a personal level, not least because he lost his sword hand arguably on her account, saving her from being raped. So it would be fitting were she to return the favour by becoming his sword hand, as it were! Most likely she will have to make a choice between love vs. duty, specially in light of how she initially scoffed at Jaime’s life choices, as if those choices could be easy. The show and GRRM has a habit of turning prejudices on their head. Symbolically, as long as she carries ‘Oathkeeper’– and Jaime has affirmed it’ll always be hers — Brienne will be caught in a tug-of-war between North and South, represented respectively by the feuding Houses of Stark and Lannister (it even has ripples of grey and red running through the steel as a reminder of its fraught history). Should she choose to assist Jaime in some way, disavowing her incumbent duty in the process, an ironic situation might arise where she would be using ‘Oathkeeper’– the sword he gave her as emblematic of his heart; the sword which Ned originally wielded and which carries the memory of the stain of his death at the hands of the Lannisters, having been used in a cruel stroke of fate to behead him; bearing the gold pommel of a lion and a heart of Ice, the sword which represents the violent fusion, or marriage of sorts, of two competing Houses — and thereby become like Jaime an Oathbreaker! ‘The things we do for love…’

     Lord of Coffee: I took their wave goodbye as the last time they will see each other. They have gone their separate ways: Brienne heading back to serve Sansa and maybe run into the Hound or Arya on the way; Jamie back to the love of his life Cersei

     That would work too. There is always a pall of tragedy hanging over their farewells. That scene of Brienne and Pod on the river with Brienne irresistibly turning back to catch one last glimpse of Jaime was an almost mirror of the scene where she and Pod left King’s Landing on horseback (after she’d named ‘Oathkeeper’). After that scene, I thought they’d never see each other again! There is always a wistful longing between them, so it always feels like the last time, and the actors play it well, wordlessly. Unlike Emilia Clarke’s drab emotional palette, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau and Gwendoline Christie can convey so much using just their eyes.

502. Ser Broccoli McBroccoliface:
     Why do some people think Gendy is going to magically be able to forge Valyrian steel? He wasnt the grand blacksmith extraordinaire in Kings Landing… He was simply an assistant. Where would he have learned the art of forging Valyrian steel that no one else would have? Gendy right now doesnt really have anything to do in season 7, and to think he suddenly became the greatest blacksmith of all time once he started rowing away, doesnt make any sense.

     To start, I’m not one that’s tied Gendry to forging Valyrian steel. People are simply suggesting some reasons for him coming back and for what role he could fill.

     Still, Gendry was more than just an assistant to Tobho Mott, he was his apprentice from the time he was a very young boy. Tobho was the best smith in the Seven Kingdoms according to himself, and apparently all the high lords that came to him. Gendry was a good smith too, earning praise from Ned for the bull helmet he’d made. He can smith armor and weapons. In both mediums he worked as a smith while traveling and/or held captive with Arya. Last seen location in the books is at the Inn at the Crossroads, working as a smith.

     Where would Gendry learn to forge Valyrian steel? From Tobho himself. Chapter 27 in AGoT when Ned finds him:
     “The Knight of the Flowers bought all his armor here, Tobho boasted, and many high lords, the ones who knew fine steel, and even Lord Renly, the king’s own brother. Perhaps the Hand had seen Lord Renly’s new armor, the green plate with the golden antlers? No other armorer in the city could get that deep a green; he knew the secret of putting color in the steel itself, paint and enamel were the crutches of a journeyman. Or mayhaps the Hand wanted a blade? Tobho had learned to work Valyrian steel at the forges of Qohor as a boy. Only a man who knew the spells could take old weapons and forge them anew.“

503. Dee Stark,

     amen.

504. Sullied by Knight

     I thought Stannis told the story of buying a doll from a traveling vendor for Shireen and it spread the greyscale contagion to her.

     Waiting to see if the book reveals a cause different from show. How would anyone know a disease was spread by an object?

505. Bran gets to CB not by going through the wall, but by riding the basket up from the north side and down on the south side, thus denying the WWs entry through the wall via Bran’s Night’s King Mark.

     Basket lowered on north side was shown when Jon negotiated with Mance.

506. I think Euron will confront Dany at sea, and he will be able to take control of her dragons, and therefore, her fleet. I predict she will be forced into an unhappy and abusive marriage with him, losing all her power, and having to regain control.

     I’ve also read the Jon + Sansa marriage predictions. I can’t explain why, but can somehow see it happening.

507. carbonUnit:

     Your name is interesting because I think that the WWs are silicon based, in other words, siliconunits.

     They are vulnerable to obsidian, which is silicon dioxide with some metal oxides. They are vulnerable to Valyrian steel, which might be iron smelted with obsidian. Does the silicon disrupt the WWs energy? Dragonfire? Just too much energy for them to cohere. As siliconunits, they might not originate on Planetos.

508. I think all your predictions are fantastic, its what makes this place fun to come to. To agree and disagree and to dream….just one thing that you cant theorise about cuz its definately happening regardless is…..
     “I’m Arya Stark from Winterfell…….and i’m going home”
     That my friends is a given.

509. Sansarya: I think Euron will confront Dany at sea, and he will be able to take control of her dragons, and therefore, her fleet. I predict she will be forced into an unhappy and abusive marriage with him, losing all her power, and having to regain control.

     I just really wonder if we have time left for all of that on top of everything else. A lot can happen in a handful of chapters of text for something like that in a book. With the number of times I wanted to throw a book across the room I wouldn’t put it past George. Maybe there is time enough on the show but it does feel like they have to start bee-lining it to set up the climax and finish. Not to be read as dull, but early seasons have been a bit more plodding, slowly building. They can’t afford to do that anymore.

510. Marlana,

     Might not have been from the object itself, but perhaps from the hair (assuming they used human hair on the dolls) or its clothing. Im remembering reading of a case of the plague from a bolt of cloth off an infested ship

     Bran gets to CB not by going through the wall, but by riding the basket up from the north side and down on the south side, thus denying the WWs entry through the wall via Bran’s Night’s King Mark.

     Basket lowered on north side was shown when Jon negotiated with Mance.

     I did not know that, I assumed he went out the gate. yes, that would make sense, I like it. Unless of course the WW manages to get into the basket with him….. 🙂

511. ash:
     Marlana

     I did not know that, I assumed he went out the gate.yes, that would make sense, I like it. Unless of course the WW manages to get into the basket with him….. ?

     1) How Bran crosses isn’t material. Only whether mark crossing is material?
     2) Jon goes through lower gate in show (end of wotw beg of the children). Maybe in sos Jon rides a winch?

     Fine print: this presumes the meaining of “is” is f(x)=undefined

512. ash,

     What I mean is did they know about the germ theory of disease? How was it known the contagion came from an object. Book folklore is from damp fogs. But we know touching by an infected human transmits the disease. They knew that too.

     The reason I think greyscale was still hanging around Dragonstone to infect Shireen is because I think Greyscale bestoned the dragons and gargoyles. GRRM pointed out more than once that the gargoyles were all individuals, and very realistic. The gargoyles were connected to Shireen by a joke a pirate told about Stannis putting statues of Shireen on the ramparts.

513. Since it’s almost certain S7 will only be 7 episodes, shit’s gonna happen at breakneck speed and lots of superfluous characters and side stories will have to be sacrificed. There won’t be any Gendry or Edmure or Freys or visits to Casterly Rock.

     I believe we have seen the last of Daario; D&D are done with Essos (that’s why they got Arya the hell out of Braavos) and they are not going to return there just to show what’s up with Dany’s ex-side piece. He’s not going to ally himself with Euron either.

     If Jorah reappears, it will be in Westeros, at the Citadel looking for a cure, or my personal preference on Bear Island. He once told Dany he dreams of “home”. I would love it if he returns to BI to die and maybe have a scene with his kick-ass cousin Lyanna.

     I believe this is the last season for Cersei but she will go down swinging. An alliance with Euron would bring the crazy and the LULZ. I hope it happens.

     I think Brienne and Pod will return North by episode 1 or 2 without ever having run into the BwB, the Hound, or Arya. I do think Arya will be contemplating going to KL to off Cersei & the Mountain (not knowing he’s now FrankenMountain) when she runs into the Hound and he convinces her (in his unique Hound way) to head North with him and the BwB. They probably won’t reach WF until the last few episodes of the season, just as the BS of LF/Sansa vs Jon comes to a head. I’ve pretty much given up hope that Arya will reunite with Nymeria in the show.

     Bran should cross the Wall early and reach WF by episode 3 or 4. Once he’s home, LF will have to readjust his plans of taking the North from Jon and giving it to Sansa. Since the show has gone the route of making the lord/lady of WF a separate position from the KitN, and Bran is the rightful Lord of Winterfell and Jon was unanimously voted KitN by the lords, where does that leave LF and his protege? I’d guess SOL. My only question is once LF goes down, will he take Sansa with him? I suppose if they want to continue their game playing, they could relocate to the Dreadfort since it now belongs to Lady Bolton.

     Dany may encounter a few obstacles on her march to KL but by the end of the season she should be in control of KL. Though what exactly will be left of KL is to be determined after Cersei is done with it. Just as Dany and crew are setting things right in KL and planning their next move, she will receive word from the KitN pleading for help in dealing with the army of the dead that has finally breached the Wall.

     I don’t think the body count will be as high as it was in S6. Definitely dead: Cersei, Euron, Ellaria, FrankenMountain. Possibly: Theon, Sand Snakes, Littlefinger, Jorah, Jaime, Qyburn, Beric. I think most of the fighters need to survive into S8 for the big battle, so Brienne, the Hound, Davos, Tormund, Grey Worm, & Yara will live to see another season.

514. I don’t care about Shae or Gendry. Not one iota. With taht out of the ay I have a question, just how did that pile of bodies come about stacked on top each other on the battlefield as they were? Archers can be that strategic and precise? Or is that what soldiers do in war, crawl on top each other to die? Forgive me but, like Sansa I don’t know anything about war strategy/tactics

515. I’m depositing here a post I first made on Reddit, and have since amended and expanded. Post first made on June 29th.

     Starting from the predictions I’m the most certain about, to the least:

     Dany: Dany will start the season in Volantis, have a climactic naval battle with Euron over the Narrow Sea and end the season in King’s Landing – where, after she learns about the White Walkers from Sam, she will refuse the Iron Throne. Maybe she’ll visit Dragonstone. By the end of the season, she will have Sam and Arya (see below) in her camp in addition to the people she has now. She will be probably down Varys (see below).

     Dany is at her strongest now, which means that she will be taken down a peg in the next season. This is perfect timing – right before her entry into the larger narrative.

     Luckily, the books (and Martin in interviews) have pretty much spoiled what will happen. (book spoilers and speculation based thereon) Euron will

     use a dragonbinding McGuffin to take away control of Dany’s dragons, hitting Dany where it hurts the most – all the time, the one thing she could always count on was the loyalty of the dragons, her children. To see them turned against her…

     Euron doesn’t have the dragonbinding McGuffin in the show, but I will argue that he simply doesn’t have it yet. That’s because the show, unlike the books, did not want to spoil itself two seasons ahead. He will acquire it next season, probably in

     a raid on Oldtown.

     Why Oldtown? Why, because it will put Sam, who is currently in Oldtown, back in play, and provide both a foil to Euron and stakes in the conflict with Dany. Also, we know from the books

     (it’s heavily hinted in the subtext, if not the text) that the Maesters don’t really like dragons and magic, and have, in fact, been behind the downfall of the Targaryen dragons – so it makes sense for them to have an antidragon weapon as well.

     This will be a classic case of how the show merges plots.

     In summary… Dance of Dragons 2.0, baby!

     Jon: We know that (book spoilers)

     Rhaegar and Lyanna had Jon expressly so that he could fulfil the Azor Ahai prophecy

     , but the show has barely scratched this. So, expect a season heavy on introversion for Jon. He needs to learn from Bran that

     his parents were doomsday cultists who literally conceived him as a weapon against the White Walkers

     . (After all, Bran is supposed to search for a weapon against them in his visions, so what is all this stuff about Jon’s birth doing there?) So, expect flashbacks showing Rhaegar from Bran, and then Jon learning about the results.

     Sansa: meanwhile, Sansa has to deal with some demons of her own – namely, Littlefinger. He represents the appeal of the darker side of her personality. She will sleep with him, but eventually will choose loyalty to the Stark way. In return, she will be rewarded: Jon will rectify his error from the end of Season 6, abdicate as King in the North and make her Queen in his stead, simultaneously granting her the control over her life she desires and freeing himself to pursue his messianic duties.

     Arya: we have no book clues about Arya. But what we do have are the post-E10 Inside the Episode quotes from DnD. They seem to note that, while Arya’s revenge on Walder Frey was justified, the manner of it, while awesome, may suggest that Arya is going over to the dark side.
     Arya, next season, will be given a choice (probably after Melisandre tells her what happened in Winterfell): she could either go North, to meet Jon and Sansa… or she could go South, to meet Cersei and the Mountain – and, just like Sansa, she will be in a bit of a fall. She will choose to go South. She will meet Sandor Clegane, and he will make the same choice (while the rest of the Brotherhood continues North or is killed off by Arya in her psycho phase).

     In King’s Landing, Sandor will kill the Mountain, and die in the fight, but Arya’s soul will be saved when Jaime kills Cersei.

     Cersei: She will fight against the Martell-Tyrell alliance, and we’ll see some glorious, if ultimately meaningless, battles, among other things in Casterly Rock and Highgarden. She will probably manage to kill a Sand Snake in revenge for Myrcella (I heartily hope Tyrion will kill another, for the same reason, leaving one for the endgame – maybe the one Bronn likes). Arya will want to kill her, and Dany will be descending on King’s Landing after she deals with Euron, but, ultimately, the one who kills her and die in the process (saving Arya from her last kill) will be Jaime.

     Independently, as mentioned above, Sandor Clegane will kill the Mountain. And Qyburn will have a showdown with Varys. We’ll see who the little birds are really faithful to.

     Melisandre: Since she survived this season, after her crisis of faith, this means that she has some purpose still to come. She will probably meet Arya, possibly telling her about what happened in Winterfell and that Jon and Sansa are there. If she survives that, she’s going to Dany. Jon will have his dude-priest Thoros pretty soon with him, after all. (side note: can’t wait for Jon to talk to Beric.) Provided that Arya doesn’t kill off the Brotherhood, of course.

     Brienne: No idea! I’ve always paired her with Jaime for this season, but Jaime has returned to King’s Landing and it’s unlikely he will be leaving Cersei’s side ever again (each time he does, she does something insane). She can either return North, to being Sansa’s bodyguard again, or she can go South, after Arya.

     Jorah: won’t appear next season. Will only appear when Dany will be dying.

516. Yaga,

     Some nice speculation! Really like some.

     But concerning Jorah, I think he’ll go to Oldtown, it would work, the Maesters are among the few who could have a way of stopping the Greyscale.

     There he’ll meet Sam, protect him from Euron’s raid and get him to Dany.

517. ygritte,

     With taht out of the ay I have a question, just how did that pile of bodies come about stacked on top each other on the battlefield as they were? Archers can be that strategic and precise? Or is that what soldiers do in war, crawl on top each other to die? Forgive me but, like Sansa I don’t know anything about war strategy/tactics

     There are real life accounts of things like that happening in civil war battles which is apparently what D&D drew their inspiration from.

     As for how it could happen – at the point where the two sides of foot and horse soldiers meet on the battlefield is naturally where the most fatalities take place. If the sides are evenly matched and both continue to hold their lines as the fighting continues then more and more will die and the bodies will start to pile up in the middle.

     On GoT Ramsay deliberately accelerated this by having his archers continue to fire round after round into the front lines with no concern about killing his own men. His plan apparently being to form a partial barrier so he could then try and surround Jon’s men. They could still retreat over the body pile but they would be slowed down and Umber’s men could then come from the rear to pick them off and add to the body pile barrier.

     That’s how I saw it anyway.

518. SO WHOEVER THINKS IT WASNT OBVIOUS LITTLEFINGER ADN THE VALE WOULD SHOW UP IS MORONIC .. I BELIVE IT WAS EPISODE 3 OR 4 WHEN LITTEFINGER TALKS ROBYN INTO SAVING HS COUSIN… PRETTY DAMN OBVIOUS FROM THAT POINT ON. ALSO *FUCC BRYAN COGMAN *

519. bigdickwillytarg,

     Think your caps-lock is broken mate.

520. While some people forcing themselves to believe Dany won’t marry, here I am trying to deny the hints that Dany will indeed get her third husband. I think there’s 99% possibility of it after I watched Benioff said “A queen without king will be very useful”, or something like that.
     I hate the idea of her marrying Jon, but with Euron… haha, I can see some interesting conflicts as result of that marriage! But still, knowing Yara is already by her side, I won’t set my hope high. However, another marriage that would be pretty interesting as well, CERSEI/EURON! 😀

     And speaking of R+L=J reveal, does it have a big role to defeat WW? I mean, Bran supposed to learn about WW, their origin, how to defeat it, and there he got Jon’s true parentage vision. I think, that must mean something very important in the future, which I don’t know what is it. But I don’t think Jon will learn this truth very soon. However, I’m willing to see if anyone can predict what will happen after Jon knows that he’s a half Targ. 😀 I hope he will meet Dany tho, as family please, no more. Because, she deserves to know that she still has a family, and not being alone in this world.

521. Lord of Coffee,

     That’s a pretty fair description of how it went down.

     Benioff mentioned piles of bodies during the American Civil War, but there are similar descriptions from accounts of medieval battles.

     Obviously there are inconsistencies to its depiction in the episode due to production constraints. But I thought it was pretty believably done.

522. Ha yesbud they were seems I’m correct tho / bold prediction Jon is himself with a bit of the lord of light inside him he will start doing stannis esque thing I e fire

523. Do we know that Jon can reproduce? He’s been dead and we don’t know the full impact of his reanimation.

     When he was killed, I thought the loss of his DNA was the biggest loss, Reagar, Ned, Benjen, Robb, Rickon being dead and the state of Bran’s gonads unknown.

     That’s a really good point, Marlana – whether Jon can reproduce after he’s died. I suppose the only way he’ll know is to actually try.

     Also, it occurred to me that Bran is the only male Stark left. If he doesn’t produce at least one male child, the Stark name, branch and line will die.

524. There is like 50% chance that their child could be mad. Not sure if that’s what Westeros needs. As they said when Targaren is orn Gods flip a cointo see if it’s a normal one or mad like Aerysor her brother Viserys so we have to look at this too.

     I believe the 40-50% chance is for first degree incest. Aunt and nephew would be lower, I think, but still a risk. Jon and Deny don’t know this.

525. HotPinkLipstick,

     I’ll tell you one thing: I’m definitely not mocking you, nor am I trying to make you crazier.

526. Marlana,

     see my reply above. There’s an error in the code and formatting.

527. Geralt of Rivia,

     see my reply above. The code and formatting has an error.

528. As a self described Little finger apologies I take unbridge with the thought that the Hound would reveal some crucial information to Jon and Sansa that would leave Baelish headless.

     I would posit something most GOT fans find anathema: Petyr Baelish has done more for House Stark than any other character to date. He tried to save Ned twice from the Warden of the North’s foolish behavior. In the throne room, an injured Ned was about to unsheathe his sword in a slaughter that he was sure to die in in order to attempt to put Stannis on the throne. Stannis! And we think Cersei has a problem with burning people alive. Stannis burned his only living heir along with anyone who disagreed with him, because Melisande “had a vision in the flames”. Bad idea Ned.
     Baelish teamed up with Varys to convince Cersei to offer Ned to take the black. Meaning he would still be alive if not for the sadistic swine that was King Joffrey.

     I would also like to point out that Sansa was there in the capitol. While not in the throne room, she was privy to conversations with Cersei and Joffrey as to the Lannister point of view regarding Ned’s actions. As Littlefinger was Master of Coin at the time to a Baratheon mostly Lannister king at the time, it would be easy to explain his actions. The Sansa at the end of Season 6 understands survival and doing whatever it takes to keep playing the game.

     Littlefinger did everything he could to keep Ned alive because of his unrequited love for Catelyn which has now turned into a “pretty picture never going to happen lust for her daughter” which will keep the most agile political mind in the kingdom in the Stark camp. Those who wish to see him dead should be mindful of all the relationships with powerful Western families the Stark family would lose by executing Petyr Baelish.

     He has now rescued Sansa from the Lannisters and was the deciding blow in defeating the Boltons. No, Littlefinger didn’t know what Ramsay was, which is why Sansa didn’t have Brienne kill him. He wed Sansa to Ramsay to break the Lannister-Bolton alliance, freeing his hand to utilize the Vale knights to wipe out the Boltons and restore the Starks all while remaining nominally loyal to the Iron throne. Quite a feat and a great addition by Dan and Dave.

     Season 7 prediction:
     How pray tell would a Daenerys-Jon alliance happen? Littlefinger would ride south to meet with Varys and Olenna to hash it out.

529. As Littlefinger was Master of Coin at the time to a Baratheon mostly Lannister king at the time, it would be easy to explain his actions. The Sansa at the end of Season 6 understands survival and doing whatever it takes to keep playing the game.

     Littlefinger did everything he could to keep Ned alive because of his unrequited love for Catelyn which has now turned into a “pretty picture never going to happen lust for her daughter” which will keep the most agile political mind in the kingdom in the Stark camp. Those who wish to see him dead should be mindful of all the relationships with powerful Western families the Stark family would lose by executing Petyr Baelish.

     He has now rescued Sansa from the Lannisters and was the deciding blow in defeating the Boltons. No, Littlefinger didn’t know what Ramsay was, which is why Sansa didn’t have Brienne kill him. He wed Sansa to Ramsay to break the Lannister-Bolton alliance, freeing his hand to utilize the Vale knights to wipe out the Boltons and restore the Starks all while remaining nominally loyal to the Iron throne. Quite a feat and a great addition by Dan and Dave.

     I didn’t get the impresion that the things LF did were for other people; generally they seem to be all for himself. LF is someone who would try to sell you a bridge. I don’t trust him one iota. Too bad Ned did….

530. ash,

     Littlefinger saved Ned in the throne room and convinced Cersei to give Ned the option to take the black. Both of these actions were against his best interest.

531. Rainy Season,
     I think that Jon will have more to learn than that he’s just a Targ – he’ll have to learn his purpose as a weapon against the Walkers.

     As for what he does once he learns? He’ll ride South to bend the knee before Dany.

532. Sooo… is this where fans can make requests for future plot developments ? GREAT.
     Mine is really simple : I just need to see Brienne meet BabyBear Mormont. Easy, right ?

533. Tycho Nestoris:
     My thoughts on LF and Ned from Season 1.

     1) Ned knew Bran saw something he shouldn’t.
     2) Ned knew “Lannisters” were responsible for Bran falling.
     3) Ned knows Joffrey is not Big Bob’s.

     Ned betrayed Ned when he walked up to Cersei and told her he knew about the incest (hello McFly? what did you think would happen?).

     LF didn’t betray Ned as much as go into self preservation mode after that. I am no LF apologist but he’s helped Sansa twice and got nothing out it. Her killing him would accomplish nothing other than bloodlust and Arya’s got enough of that imo.

     1) He could have left her in King’s Landing after Joff’s murder.
     2) BotB

     This. Ned sealed his own fate.

534. Now that season 6 is over I’m wondering if any of the people who were auditioning before season 6 ever turned up. I know the new Red Witch who met with Tyrion and Varneys did. What about the young widow who had a troubled past? I don’t remember seeing her at all. Her thumbnail is still up though the audition tape is gone. And what about Souad Faress’s role as the “high priestess”? Who was she in season 6?

535. Lyanna Mormont for the iron throne!,

     The young widow was played by Hannah John-Kamen. She was in two episodes, though she only spoke in one. She was with Dany when Jorah and Daario found Dany at Vaes Dothrak.

     Faress was the High Priestess of the Dosh Khaleen, in those same episodes. She had several lines.

536. THUS time travel haha and yeah the bittersweet ending could be the stark name dies but hte world survives …. extremely bittersweet. no ?

537. kit_hepburn:
     Kells,

     I think you need to be prepared to be done with her then, like you said.

     I am expecting it to happen and will continue to prepare myself until May 2017 (or whenever we get Season 7)!

     QueenofThrones:
     Kells,

     It’s an interesting point about giving back Oathkeeper with Arya still out there. I’d argue Brienne, in pledging herself as Sansa’s sword, that duty has to override anything else while Sansa lives.If Sansa asks Brienne to find Arya, then she’ll do it but not otherwise (though she could ask leave to go – but where?).If Jaime wants to fulfill the rest of his oath to Catelyn, he’ll need to do it himself now, hence he needs Oathkeeper back.

     I guess I could see Brienne swearing her sword and staying at Sansa’s side, instead of going off on her own to look for Arya. What bugged was her telling Jaime the oath was complete or fulfilled or however she stated it because it wasn’t. If I recall correctly, the promise was for both Catelyn’s daughters (should they live). Brienne knows Arya is alive (or was last time she saw her), so the work isn’t finished and the oath isn’t signed, sealed, delivered.
     Obviously, they are fresh from battle but dammit if I don’t want maybe a mention of Arya by Jon and Sansa. Maybe that will be Brienne’s first order of business when she returns from the Riverlands? I think it would be really cool for Brienne to run into Arya with Sandor, again! Hopefully this time, they will talk and realize they have the same goal. And hopefully by that time, Brienne will have that pommel on her sword changed because that is the first thing Sandor is going to call out. Again.

538. kells,

     That pommel may have a Lannister Lion but it was forged from Ned Stark’s Valerian steel sword. Enough steel to make two swords, one for Jamie, which he gave to Brienne, and one for Tywin. I assume Jamie now owns Tywin’s.

539. Sue the Fury:
     Lyanna Mormont for the iron throne!,

     The young widow was played by Hannah John-Kamen. She was in two episodes, though she only spoke in one. She was with Dany when Jorah and Daario found Dany at Vaes Dothrak.

     Faress was the High Priestess of the Dosh Khaleen, in those same episodes. She had several lines.

     In a similar vein, was it ever determined who the “young stunner” with a few scenes and a final scene with a “twist” was? I think most assumed that was ToJ Lyanna but she only had the one scene. It’s been bugging me since the season ended and the only character that I think fits the bill is the serving girl whose face Arya wore at the Twins. Any thoughts?

540. BunBunStark,

     Yes I think she was Arya’s alter ego at the Twins. Also, Robert Aramayo said they shot the ToJ inside scenes late in the year, like December. The brunette was needed for August.

541. Tycho Nestoris,

     You may not be a LF apologist but you are certainly under his spell.

     LF not only betrayed Ned, he convinced Joffrey to execute him. It is known.

     Prepare to awaken from your slumber:
     http://nobodysuspectsthebutterfly.tumblr.com/post/141021455368/not-littlefinger-no

542. Random thoughts on 7:
     Maybe Dany & Sam will meet in Oldtown when she marches in. He tells her about the White Walkers if she doesn’t already know. Sam knows about dragonglass being plentiful on Dragonstone via his conversation with Stannis. Useful info for Dany’s army while they are still in the south.

     I hope if Bran’s mark is still active that they at least write it so that he at least wonders about it before entering. Maybe it’s faded, so he thinks it’s safe. I’ll be really frustrated if they just totally forget about it.

     I’m kind of hoping that when the writers are working on the scripts they start having such fun with all the possibilities and give us more episodes after all. I really want more time with our characters.

     At the end of season 8, after some tragic losses, Bran goes back in time to when he’s climbing the tower, tells his younger self to get down off of there. He obeys. Fade to black. (Fandom riots)

543. Number Johnny Five,

     You may not be a LF apologist but you are certainly under his spell.

     That’s a fair opinion of course (as long as you concede that Ned is under LF’s spell too). The link has some good points but the author says it’s a theory so I don’t think it’s fair to call it known.

     It does deal specifically with book plot too. This thread was about the show. The points made were show specific. Is there strong evidence that LF got Joff to execute Ned in show canon?

     If we are talking books, then

     then Sansa also helped “betray” Ned by going to Cersei. So she really has no footing to kill LF for “betraying” Ned.

     My main points about LF and Ned (show wise) is that Ned allowed himself to be tricked more than LF played him. Also, the “Sansa killing LF for the gold cloak thing” seems thin after LF’s more recent actions in helping Sansa. That’s my opinion but I don’t considerate absolute.

544. I don’t really sleep to much to be awakened.

     If one believes in your theory the stronger evidence is from Littlefinger himself: “Distrusting me was the wisest thing you’ve done since you stepped off your horse.” In addition, Littlefinger does not move to stop Joffrey as Cersei does at the Sept of Baelor.

     Your evidence is suggestive, but not dispositive because Littlefinger is the Master of Coin. His position is to pay the respective persons that you listed their government salary. There doesn’t need to be secret communication between the Master of Coin and the Captain of the Gold Cloaks. He’s the one who pays them. This means Littlefinger has the power of the purse. As a member of the Small Council he also has the power of suggestion.

     What he does not have is the power to grant titles or sentence death. Those powers at that time in the book are Cersei’s and Joffrey’s.

     Yes, there were private conversations between Joffrey and Littlefinger. That does not mean that Joffrey is incapable of cruel thought all on its own. Just as Cersei killed Robert with no help or suggestion from Littlefinger, Joffrey’s character traits are intertwined with his decision to sentence Ned to death. If it was at Littlefinger’s behest, Joffrey becomes less of the character that we all thought.

     What your theory stands for is that Littlefinger saved Ned’s life twice, three times if you count the encounter with Jaime only to influence Joffrey to sentence him to death for treason and carry it out in the Sept of Baelor. If Littlefinger wanted Ned dead, why go through the theatrics and just let him die in the throne room?

545. Tycho Nestoris:
     Number Johnny Five,

     You may not be a LF apologist but you are certainly under his spell.

     That’s a fair opinion of course (as long as you concede that Ned is under LF’s spell too). The link has some good points but the author says it’s a theory so I don’t think it’s fair to call it known.

     It does deal specifically with book plot too. This thread was about the show. The points made were show specific. Is there strong evidence that LF got Joff to execute Ned in show canon?

     If we are talking books, then

     My main points about LF and Ned (show wise) is that Ned allowed himself to be tricked more than LF played him. Also, the “Sansa killing LF for the gold cloak thing” seems thin after LF’s more recent actions in helping Sansa. That’s my opinion but I don’t considerate absolute.

     I agree with this, it just makes sense.

546. HotPinkLipstick,

     Always miss the best threads when I’m traveling…….
     So to add my 2cents, I’ll respond to your thoughts on Jaime. Admittedly, I haven’t read through all the speculation on this thread- but my prediction is that Jaime will be AAR. It’s not a very popular idea- most people believe it’s Dany or Jon- but I have thought since reading the books years ago that his story was one of redemption, and that this will be a surprise to most people in GRRM fashion. Dany or Jon are just too obvious for me.
     If the valanqar prophesy refers to Jaime as the little brother- then his killing of cersei will mirror the nissa nissa story, and will be the sacrifice needed to temper the blade and bring Lightbringer into existence, which will require his golden hand to wield. Indeed, I think it will meld into his hand and become an extension of his arm and he will once again be among the best swordsman in Westeros, before dying in Briennes arms after killing lots of WWs, and maybe even the nights king himself.
     Has anyone here already proposed this?

547. Sister Kisser,

     Damn I dig it! I would love for something like that to happen, something to allow Jamie to wield a sword again. That would be dope.

548. I have not read the books and don’t intend to—instead, I gobble spoilers! AFAIK nothing below is a book spoiler. Most info is compiled from the GOT wiki and its articles on HBO’s fact-packed History and Lore video series (hidden in case based on book info). For The Record, this is one of my pet predictions—in case I guessed anything right, I told you so <LOL!>…

     Can Bran Dodge the Night King’s Tracking Power?
     The NK’s barrier-busting trick requires two fixed points: himself and Bran, a “sitting duck” who can’t walk. When the NK reached the do-not-enter zone mere yards from the 3ER’s cave, the audience saw him touch the ground, thereby connecting Points A/B and generating a mini-quake that blasted an entrance (6.05).
     Sooner or later, The Wall will tumble. In the meantime, Bran and Meera will (deliberately? accidentally?) delay the inevitable for awhile. I think there is a place south of The Wall where he can hide from the NK’s GPS. Furthermore, they may be able to go there quickly and secretly.

     First they must travel through, over, under or around The Wall. The riskiest route is via CB. Bran will need transportation—somehow this will work out… Bran’s mark does not limit Meera’s activities, so she can pass The Wall independently.

     Someone else noticed lifts on both sides that might take them over it—this option probably would not defeat the mark’s purpose. Perhaps Meera rides the lift to CB. If the NW is still in charge, she will learn the WF news and a raven can be sent to update Jon. Even if Edd and crew were burned at the BoB BBQ and CB is unmanned, she returns with a goat or something to pull his sled.

     Either way, they must resist the temptation to dally there and adopt a smarter strategy. In 4.10, the 3ER clearly promised Bran that he would fly. Maybe he should try it NOW <LOL!>? Even flying over The Wall may not solve the problem. Two (three?) places with uniquely relevant histories may be the solution…

     Greywater Watch. Where can Bran hide?

     According to the wiki: GWW, seat of House Reed, has been mentioned only once in the series—and then, incorrectly as “Greytower Watch.” It is located in The Neck, a brackish swamp spanning coast to coast. When following LF and Sansa through The Neck, Brienne and Pod stayed on the King’s Road and traveled around Moat Cailin to avoid it.

     In the HBO video on House Reed, Meera relates that her homeland is a complex system of constantly moving villages floating on rafts [crannogs] in a vast, unchartable quagmire created some 12,000 years ago when The Children failed to split Westeros by flooding The Neck.

     The ever-shifting geography confuses ravens, so her family is “out of the loop” and has no maester. GWW itself, the crannog where the Reeds live in a modest non-castle, is navigable in case of threat. Best of all, it is naturally “booby-trapped” with quicksand, giant lizard-lions (the house sigil) and other deadly monsters.

     The fact that the terrain doesn’t support an army explains why GWW was not represented at the BoB (as some have wondered). It is likely that only the Reeds and a few specially trained neighbors can safely navigate it—surely Meera can, and maybe the NK’s tracking power can’t find it at all!

     In 6.10, Bran’s latest vision reveals that R+L=J. Since it involves her father, he tells Meera about it and expresses his (urgent!) desire to meet him ASAP. Lord Reed himself may be needed to announce, verify and/or interpret this important info to Jon and The North. It is impossible to send him a message, so he must be fetched in person. They decide to head straight for GWW.

     The Nightfort. How do B&M cross The Wall “under the radar”?

     In Maester Aemon’s library, Sam once read about a secret passage opening slightly northwest of CB and leading under The Wall into The Nightfort. I have not found a map that labels this NW castle, which was abandoned two centuries ago.

     When he and Gilly escaped from the WWs, they took this shortcut to CB and emerged from a well in the room where they met B&M, who were headed north to the 3ER’s cave. Sam escorted them to the back door and equipped them with dragonglass weapons (3.09).

     Per the video on The Night’s Watch narrated by Ygritte: When The Wall was first built about 8,000 years ago, The Nightfort was headquarters of the NW and its Lord Commander. An early LC turned bad. He was called the Night’s King (easily confused with the Night King, leader of the WWs created by Leaf!).

     He coupled with a Mystery Woman from The Haunted Forest (possibly a female WW—huh?). For the next 13 years, he and the Night’s Queen enslaved the NW and performed human sacrifices to the WWs at The Nightfort. They were finally killed by an alliance of wildings and Starks. Thereafter, it was forbidden to speak of them and known records of their atrocities were destroyed.

     This castle is believed haunted and fortified with super-magic besides that of The Wall itself. With a bit o’ luck, these supernatural bonuses temporarily cover B&M’s tracks. Somehow they manage to navigate the well, exit on the south side, find a replacement critter (courtesy of CB or a brief WF reunion?) and proceed immediately(!) to Greywater Watch.

     Isle of Faces. Where will Bran end up?

     In 6.06, the 3ER told Bran that he had waited 1,000 years for him—Bran/3ER may be around for a very long time! This location is the logical permanent home for him and an alternate hideout from the NK’s tracking power. It is surrounded by The Gods Eye, a huge lake in the center of southern Westeros, just south of Harrenhal. Like GWW, it has not been named in the series script so far.

     Bran accounts its 12,000-year history in the HBO video on The Children of the Forest, the First Men and the Andals: The Children and The First Men forged a peace pact in this possibly sacred place. Its most significant topography is a weirwood forest, every tree carved with a face by The Children as part of the agreement. It is shrouded in extra-dense fog and possibly inhabited by ancient greenseers.

     Silly Stuff

     I have a crazy hunch that WWs fear water, especially seawater. Since they can be killed/destroyed, are they living creatures who breathe air and can drown? Can salt melt them? Arya boarded the ship bound for Bravos (4.10) at Saltpans, a village on the Bay of Crabs near the border between the Vale and the Riverlands. It is named for its salt-harvesting industry.

     Can they freeze liquid water into ice and then walk on it? If so, why have they (and hordes of wildings) not bypassed The Wall at either end? These maps suggest that it might be fairly easy to do. Osha et al. arrived by boat at Eastwatch. Mance Rayder’s camp was in the Frostfangs, which borders on the Bay of Ice surrounding Bear Island:

     HBO map of Westeros and the Free Cities (ca July 2010, no longer available at HBO.com). While sketchy on Essos, it seems quite accurate on the locations discussed above.

     Lands of Always Winter. This one is published by the book wiki—should be okay for unsullied. An excellent overview of The Wall and named environs.

     Tower of Joy, Act 3? So far, Bran’s vision of R+L=J does not disprove the theory that Meera is Jon’s twin sister adopted by Howland Reed. I sure do LIKE this one! Meera lacks the strong resemblance between her father and brother, who have dark-blonde hair

     and the short, stocky build typical of crannogmen

     . Are long, lean Meera and Jon the only major characters with curly dark hair?

549. the last we saw of hodor he was holding the door. we all believe him to be dead. I think it would be awesome for him to come back as a walker and have to be killed by again by someone who loves and cares about him. imagine all the broken hearts all over again. love you Hodor.

550. In the end, no one will be sitting on the Iron Throne.

     George R.R. Martin is a historian at heart. He has based much of his story on events in history. He would not ignore the historical fact that even the most amateur historian know.

     For the many centuries after its fall, the most sentimentally longed for entity was the Roman Republic. Even during the days of the Roman Empire, it was the Republic that was longed for.

     Similarly, in Game of Thrones, it is the old Valyrian Freehold, a republic, that is missed. In the end, someone will remind Danearys that he desire to “break the wheel” includes breaking the rule of her own house and reestablishing a republic like in her ancestral home of Valyria. Her nephew, Jon Snow, has similar inclinations. He has no desire to personally rule and would be in support of a republic.

     Danearys’ vision of the destruction of the Red Keep will come to pass and no one will end up on the Iron Throne.

551. I think Samwell finds out how to blow the horn of winter and it destroys magic. That means no more wall no more white walkers no more dragons and sadly no more Jon Snow. That’s a bittersweet ending fitting of George.
     Sullied by Knight,

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