Give us your thoughts from “Stormborn” through “The Queen’s Justice”

703 - Dragonstone - Varys, Melisandre 1

On our next episode, a podcast will navigate the storm — now with the perspective of extra days and secondary viewings. Needless to say, there are things that must be discussed.

After the cut you’ll find three questions we’ve asked ourselves, and will be disputing as the show records. We’re already this far into week 2?!


Listen to “Stormborn” here.

What do you believe?



1. Will Jon bend the knee in Dragonstone? When Davos and Jon see Melisandre? With Jon headed south, what will happen in Winterfell?

2. Will Sam cure Jorah? What does this mean for Sam’s time at the Citadel?

3. Will Daenerys’ counseled course of action change now that a signification part of the plan has been thwarted by Euron Greyjoy?

4. BONUS: What does Melisandre’s quote mean? “The Prince Who Was Promised will bring the Dawn… I believe you have a role to play. As does another. The King in the North, Jon Snow.”



That’s it. Let us know what and why in the comments below! Make sure to listen for your thoughts, theories, and input once this episode is released.


dohaeris

57 Comments

  1. Hodor?!?

    No Jon won’t and sam will cure jorah. But where is ghost?!?!?

    Jon will refuse to kneel because of his wildling times. Sam will get in trouble but when jorah is cured he will be rewarded. Tyrion will feel super bad for killing dorne(but seriously thanks). I just hope the Jon and dany meet up is more than 10 seconds and then they end the show….

  2. Little bit of a rant but Dany should have made plans on the way to Westeros and not have waited till she got there. Olenna could have come with Varys and they could have plotted on the way to Dragonstone. That way Euron would not catch them. They could have mobilized the Tyrell and Dornish armies which could have been ready when Dany and Co reach Westeros.
    I mean what were they doing on the ships? I think they were planning their outfits. Haha.

  3. (1) Perhaps, but not straight away. Jon will see it as a betrayal of his people if he sets aside the title they have bestowed upon him.

    (2) Yes. I have a feeling Archmaester Ebrose sort of expects Sam to do his own thing anyway.

    (3) Yes. After learning of the sack of Kings Landing she will lead the army into an all out assault on the Lannister led army, completely destroying it. This will cripple Cersei.

    (4) I’m holding onto this prince being Jon and Dany’s child.

  4. 1. I think Jon will figuratively bend the knee because he doesn’t have a strong regard for the “game of thrones”. His primary concern at the moment is the NK and army. He is playing the role of Gandalf in the battle of the five armies and trying to gain allies to fight the real battle. I think they may see Melisandre but neither will execute her at Dragonstone certainly. She may tell one of them about the fire and ice prophecy and Azor Ahai. I think Bran and Arya will make there way there. I think one of them will kill LF. I’m guessing the producers want us to believe LF and Sansa will cause trouble but I think she is playing him. With 11 episodes left, I expect him to kick it at some point soon.

    2. Yes, Jorah will leave for Dany. Sam will probably find out some crucial piece of info about the NK and then head to Winterfell or the wall.

    3. I could see her going the Olenna route and becoming a bit ruthless, taking vengeance for Euron’s attack. I think she takes out Tarly and co….makes sense since we saw him and his son in the last episode. Tit for tat. Still don’t understand how the vale figures into this. But that may be something we see later this season or next.

    4. Fire and Ice, Azor Ahai. Aunt and Nephew. The two complete the prophecy and will both defeat the NK and army. Goes back to Dany’s vision in the house of the undying. Lot of book stuff here which I can pull upon but won’t for the TV folks. I think Jon could end up being the new NK? I am still not convinced he is completely “bad”. That isn’t Martin’s way.

  5. beans,

    She is letting Euron in and out of Blackwater as he pleases. And somehow Grey Worm and Euron will sail their fleets past each other between ep 2 and 3. RIP dragon recon.

  6. I think Jon and Davos will convince Dany that he will kneel after she helps defeat the army of the dead. Any decision on Melisandre’s fate will likewise be postponed, but Dany won’t be happy to hear that she burned an innocent child. I think Arya will finish off Littlefinger when he tries to push too far with Sansa – though that may not happen this week.

    Yes Jorah will be cured, so he can go sacrifice himself for Dany. Sam still has to find some more info so he won’t get kicked out yet.

    Dany’s assault on Casterly Rock will go forward, but she will likely lash out with Drogon to punish her enemies for demolishing a large chunk of her fleet.

    Melisandre is just hedging her bets, but I think Dany and Jon together are needed to defeat the Night King and end the long night.

  7. So after having the Faith of the Seven intrude into the story for two seasons they are gone with the green wind!?

    I mean supposedly KL lived in fear of the Faith Militant’s popularity because the possibility of wide spread engaging the Faith Passive ( a much larger number faithful). Well the Faith of the Seven are still there ,but just noodling around ? This large number is not upset with their ‘Saint Peters’ vaporized?
    I know this is a drama people don’t care about but it’s the kind of story logic the show jumps over.

    There should be more than the vassals of the crown upset, said there were last episode , but who? In fact seems like a power grab for the crown would be in the cards , and not by Danny.

    In fact if Dany was to proclaim for the Faith now she could waltz into KL to a cheering crowd!

  8. I think Jon will try to work a deal to get Dragonglass and assistance. “Help me and I bend the knee.” It makes sense. Jon doesn’t want to rule the Seven Kingdoms and knows Cersei hates the Starks. Certainly Sansa. So Dany is the only way to go.

    Jorah will obviously be cured (why have those scenes if it is not going to work? And Sam will follow. He might be thrown out for conducting a forbidden surgery. But he would not only know where the Dragonglass is but how it affects greyscale.

    Taking Castlery Rock will be useful. Dorne was never a key area and Cersei won’t really control it. That could take years. Jaime is aiming for the Tyrell’s castle. This would balance that. The basic thing that might change is that now she will use the Unsullied and the Dothraki. Also, she will have to march her soldiers.

    I think the prophesy is a way to get Dany and Jon together. Remember that Azor Azhai
    worked with his wife Nissa Nissa although eventually he stabs her to get the key blade right. I could see some variation on that at the end.

    Do we really expect a happy ending in Game of Thrones?

  9. 1. I think he will for the sake of obtaining dragon glass. I think that’s his top priority and he’ll do it if it means a better chance at saving everyone. Davos and Jon will probably call out Melisandre but since she isn’t north they won’t kill her. After Jon heads south I’m sure Littlefinger will try to meddle in Sansa’s affairs, I’m hoping she won’t give in. On a similar note I feel if Jon does bend the knee Sansa wouldn’t be too upset when she discovers Dany is going after Cersei, but maybe I’m being too optimistic!

    2. I think he will. He will probably be penalized and either kicked out or even worse, gets more bedpan shifts and we get to see more crap to food montage!

    3. I think it would have to some. I’m sure they’ll move forward with the Casterly Rock plan though.

    4. I always thought it was straight forward and she means that Jon and Dany will help end the war with the dead.

  10. I dont think Sam will leave the citadel, until he finds the key to make Valyrian Steel. It’s probably a combination of high grade steel, dragon glass and dragon fire. Gendtry will play a key role once the method/formula is found by Sam. I think Sam will be reprimanded for doing a forbidden surgery, but it will be hard to ignore the success of that surgery. I do think they “the maesters” will keep a closer eye on him, after the surgery. So, it will be harder for Sam to continue to find answers and learn secrets.

    Daenerys will probably stay the course of taking Casterly Rock. However plan B will be to will wipe out much of the Lannister Army, as they head back to Kings Landing. The battle will occur this way because she can’t get there fast enough. The Lannister Army is closer to High Garden than she is. She will get a raven from High Garden asking for help because Olenna’s scouts will see a massive force heading their way.

    I think/hope we will see a good 5-10 min segment with Jon and Danny. He won’t bend the knee until she gives him an ample supply of dragon glass and commits to helping him fight the Night King. It will be out of honor to his people that he does not bend the knee for nothing in return. For some reason, she will let it slide and work with him under her conditions, which is to get her proof ( capture a wight).

  11. 1. Will Jon bend the knee in Dragonstone? When [will] Davos and Jon see Melisandre? With Jon headed south, what will happen in Winterfell?

    a) Yes, by 9:30 a.m. at the latest. He’s a busy man!
    b) 9:40 a.m. at the earliest
    c) Tearful Arya/Sansa reunion, Briemund appear on Maury Povich, LF gives up on seducing Sansa and sets his eye on a badger named Wylla

    2. Will Sam cure Jorah? What does this mean for Sam’s time at the Citadel?

    a) Yes, but Jorah will have a nagging itch on a part of his lower back that is really hard to reach for the rest of his hopefully long life
    b) Gilly will write and publish a scandalous bestselling memoir, leaving Sam to feel like he’s wasted his life trying to save the world by de-scaling total strangers

    3. Will Daenerys’ counseled course of action change now that a [significant] part of the plan has been thwarted by Euron Greyjoy?

    a) Yes, but the scene she’ll make at Euron and Cersei’s wedding will make it all worthwhile

    4. BONUS: What does Melisandre’s quote mean? “The Prince Who Was Promised will bring the Dawn… I believe you have a role to play. As does another. The King in the North, Jon Snow.”

    Beats me.

    Btw, you’re good at this, you know. 😉

  12. beans,

    Obviously this should’ve happened, but they need to show it on screen. And they aren’t going to create an entire ship set, and restructure the entire first episode and season, just to add a scene there.
    This should be a perfectly understandable leap of logic.

  13. My own goes out to Bryan Cogman for writing a great episode. He’s been there since season 1 and took the time to connect the dots. Also did a great job of “fan service” to book readers with confirmation of prince/princess that was promised and Nymeria leading the wolfpack. Too bad his ghost scene didn’t make the cut #WhereIsGhost2k17

  14. 1. Will Jon bend the knee in Dragonstone? When will Davos and Jon see Melisandre? With Jon headed south, what will happen in Winterfell?

    Jon will not bend the knee in episode 3. His position in the north is so precarious at the moment that the people who chose him as king will revolt the minute he does that. That would be playing into Baelish’s hand and losing the few people he has now in his fight against WW. I think Jon will instead try to convince Dany to join his fight, and if they survive he will support her claim to any throne that might still exist. We know he could certainly use her dragons and the trained armies she commands. Besides I think it was Mance or Thormund who told Jon he had spent too much time with the wildlings, he would not bend the knee to anyone when Stannis offered to make him Jon Stark. Applies to Dany too for now.

    Mel will probably keep herself well away from Jon and Davos in episode 3. Don’t think she would want to become an issue amongst all the other issues Jon and Danny have to discuss. After that who knows.

    I think Bran will be back at Winterfell. Sansa will be keeping Littlefinger at arms length. I think she is playing a long con with him. She won’t backstab Jon. And if Bran comes back home, all Baelish’s plans fall at the wayside. Nothing he can do about the last legitimate Stark male short of murdering him, which he already tried. Now Bran is all grown up and the 3 eyed raven and can anticipate all Petyr’s moves. Perhaps this is the revolt Jon will face? Northern lords switching their allegiance to Bran Stark with Sansa as his heir, who Petyr believes he can control.

    2. Will Sam cure Jorah? What does this mean for Sam’s time at the Citadel?
    With only 7 episodes I think Jorah’s recovery will be quick and done by end of episode 3. Sam will be found out by the maesters, and will be kicked out of the Citadel or leave of his own accord. I think he has discovered the Citadel is not what he imagined it was. Plus he is needed up north. Sam should have left for the Wall by episode 4 I think.

    3. Will Daenerys’ counseled course of action change now that a signification part of the plan has been thwarted by Euron Greyjoy?
    Well with Ellaria in Cersei’s clutches, Dorne is out of the game. King’s Landing will not be blockaded or encircled. Jamie is gunning for the Reach, possibly with Randal Tarly revolting. That only leaves Casterly Rock and the Unsullied attacking the Lannister homebase. The plan has to change for Danny to gain the upper hand again. Olenna telling Dany to ‘be a dragon’ probably means she will do just that. That conversation was a nice tie – in with Jon’s conversation with maester Aemon when he told him to ‘ kill the boy, and let the man be born’. The two old sages telling the young leaders to make difficult choices in very different ways.

    4. BONUS: What does Melisandre’s quote mean? “The Prince Who Was Promised will bring the Dawn… I believe you have a role to play. As does another. The King in the North, Jon Snow.”

    I think this means Dany has to change her focus from the Iron throne to the northern threat. Both Jon and Dany are needed for that fight, because without both their input, none of them alone will be able to overcome this threat. Jon and Dany have to become allies.

  15. I guess the episode will be focused on the queens (wow, so smart, I should be a detective):

    – Daenerys, the dragon queen, will have a meeting Jon and she will also have to deal with the fact that she has lost the Greyjoys and the Martells, she will be frustrated, her first attempt on the war for the iron throne ended up in a disaster, perhaps she will be thinking about “becoming a dragon and not being a sheep”, we’ll see how that goes.

    – Cersei, she will be cocky right now, she has drawn first blood and has her Precious gift from Euron, I am sur she will enjoy them. And I will enjoy Watching it, however, she will also have to deal with the lost of CL (we saw it in the trailer) and the HUGE debt that the crown has with the iron bank.

    – Sansa, the queen regent in the north will have to deal with the nothern lords, prepare the North for the war to come, give the knights of the vale some type of retribution for their help in the battle of the bastards, deal with LF and reunite with her family, damm, Sansa is gonna be busy.

    – Olenna Tyrrell, the queen of thorns is now alone, the Tyrrell family is gone for good, and we could actually see a red wedding 2.0 with the Tarlys betraying the queen of thorns in order to become the new lords of the Reach and Wardens of the South.

    – Yara, the queen of the Iron islands is now in the hands of Cersei and Euron, god, I hope she doesn’t die, or if she dies, I hope it’s not painful, but of course, it’s Cersei and Euron so… I don’t know. I hope Theon rescues her (#WishfulThinking).

    – Ellaria (she is the princess of Dorne, right?), she will crearly die in a slow and painful way, but first I guess she will loose her daughter, also in a slow and painful way, I think Qyburn will be able to use his toys.

  16. 1. Will Jon bend the knee in Dragonstone? When (Will?)* Davos and Jon see Melisandre? With Jon headed south, what will happen in Winterfell?
    Considering that the North was already openly defiant on Jon heading south, I don’t think he will bend then knee. As for Melisandre, I don’t think she’ll make her presence known to them but I’m wondering if Dany will mention her meeting with Mel to Jon….

    Sophie Turner discussed that Sansa would go on a “power trip” this season so I think she will be a lot more assertive in her role as Lady of Winterfell while Jon is at Dragonstone. Also, we haven’t seen any ravens onscreen coming from Castle Black so does Jon and Sansa know Bran is there? If not, I think the Queen’s Justice will resolve that question. Maybe Bran might not make it to Winterfell yet, but the trailer for the Queen’s Justice shows Sansa walking away from the Godswood? I wonder if Bran communicates her through the weirwood and it freaks her out? Arya will definitely return to Winterfell, and I think others mentioned it before, but it will be funny if she is to Sansa what Sansa was to Jon – openly questioning every decision. I’m also wondering how the other Northern lords react to her being in charge, specifically Lord Glover.

    2. Will Sam cure Jorah? What does this mean for Sam’s time at the Citadel?
    If Sam does cure Jorah, Maester Ebrose will either kick him out of the Citadel or praise him for success … it can go either way. 10 POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR!

    3. Will Daenerys’ counseled course of action change now that a signification part of the plan has been thwarted by Euron Greyjoy?
    Since the Westerosi armies (Dorne and Highgarden) were meant to besiege King’s Landing, I think her plans will definitely change. By the looks of the previous trailer it looks like the Dothraki will be involved, but the Unsullied will still attack Casterly Rock. However, I’m wondering how much her plans will change once Jon comes to speak with her. He’ll no doubt tell her about the army of the dead but whether or not she will believe him is another thing. But since she brought dragons into the world and doesn’t burn I’m hoping Dany would be a little open-minded. If she wants to rule the seven kingdoms though, part of that is protecting the people of the realm. I’m wondering if Jon will appeal to her using this argument so he can recruit her help against the wight walkers.

    BONUS: What does Melisandre’s quote mean? “The Prince Who Was Promised will bring the Dawn… I believe you have a role to play. As does another. The King in the North, Jon Snow.”

    Personally based on Dany’s visions in the House of the Undying in ACoK, I think the prophecy may refer to more than one person. I also think back to Season 6 when Kinvara asked Varys “Shall I tell you the name the voice spoke?” .. or something along those lines. I’m wondering if that will come up again…and I’m wondering if that name is Targaryen OR Azor Ahai.

  17. 1. Will Jon bend the knee in Dragonstone? When Davos and Jon see Melisandre? With Jon headed south, what will happen in Winterfell?

    The Night King. How can you bend the knee to anyone when such a threat exists. Especially if you are the one, the only one in command of a people/an army, who knows what this powerful foe is really capable of ?

    Jon will not bend the knee, as Dark Sister said earlier, The North didn’t want him to go in the first place, so he cannot do this. Also, he is not a knee bender anymore, since his time with the wildlings. Don’t you think ?

    The North : I don’t know what to expect from Sansa. If she wants to thwart LittleFinger’s plans she needs to marry sweet Robin. And take the Vale for herself/The North.

    Melisandre… A truce ?

    2. Will Sam cure Jorah? What does this mean for Sam’s time at the Citadel?

    Probably. Or at least, he will buy him some time. I don’t know why but I always imagine that the dragons themselves are the cure.

    Sam can still buy himself sometime at the Citadel but not for long ? Or enlist the help of Master Ebrose ? What does Ebrose REALLY think ? Is he really what we see/hear ?

    3. Will Daenerys’ counseled course of action change now that a signification part of the plan has been thwarted by Euron Greyjoy?

    She’s still taking Casterly Rock. That will not change.
    More important : who is in command of Dorne now ????? Does she still have Dorne’s army ? is Dany the ruler of Dorne now ?

    A side note : Dany seems to forget that Westeros has a very long history without the Targaryens that goes back thousands of years. So 200 or so years of Targaryen rule, does that make her the rightful ruler of Westeros ?

    4. BONUS: What does Melisandre’s quote mean? “The Prince Who Was Promised will bring the Dawn… I believe you have a role to play. As does another. The King in the North, Jon Snow.”

    Ice and Fire work together to defeat the the Night King and its army. Jon AND Dany are the prince/ss that were promised. Both or one of the other might die before the end.

    Side note : The end of the Lannisters, the end of the Tyrells and Martells, the end of the Baratheons and Greyjoys, the end of the Aryns and Tullys, the end of the Targaryens (and their dragons and magic). Can you see where GRRM is going ? A change of paradigm. End of iron throne/royalty ? End of magic/wall/dragons/children of the forest/Old gods (paganism). From the Middle Ages to the Renaissance (or end of the Roman Empire, or end of the Ancien Régime) if we draw a parallel with History ? (Doesn’t necessarily mean the end of royalty (except with Ancien Régime) but still, a change in politics/economics/social/arts)…

  18. If anyone is interested, here’s a more detailed synopsis for the upcoming episode:

    Cersei settles the score. Tyrion tries to break the ice between Daenerys and Jon Snow. Sansa prepares Winterfell for the long winter. Sam tries to help Jorah. The Unsullied attack Casterly Rock.
  19. 1. Will Jon bend the knee in Dragonstone? When Davos and Jon see Melisandre? With Jon headed south, what will happen in Winterfell?

    No, he needs his position in order to have the authority to convince others of the great war to come, if he bends his power is severely compromised. I think he will quickly assess that Daenerys is more interested in winning the Iron throne and it it will not be easy to convince Daenerys that the threat is real – she has been focused on the Iron throne for too long to be diverted on word alone, she will want proof. I don’t think Jon brought anyone else with him that has actually witnessed what he has, maybe things will change once Sam cures Jorah and the both re-join Daenerys? Sam and Gilly are also eye-witnesses, so more credibility to Jon’s case?

    2. Will Sam cure Jorah? What does this mean for Sam’s time at the Citadel?

    Cure, or give enough relief for movement (fighting) and/or prevent it from being contagious. Either way Jorah will return to the fight quickly enough to be relevant, otherwise they wouldn’t bother with this story line. I do think Sam will leave, once he has his answers, there really is no need for him to stay there story wise, plus he will probably hear that Jon is with Daenerys at Dragonstone and offer to go with Jorah, and continue to administer the cure… not sure about Gilly. I don’t like the idea that she and her baby are heading back into danger (war camps), but I doubt they will leave her behind – I guess she could become a companion to Missandi.

    3. Will Daenerys’ counseled course of action change now that a signification part of the plan has been thwarted by Euron Greyjoy?

    No, we can tell that the attack on CR is still ago, but she will not like how Cersei has drawn first blood – she lost her element of surprise. And with the foreshadowing of so many battles to come, I’m sure Daenerys vs Cersei will take a few episodes at the very least. Daenerys numbers against Cersei better military trained / experienced commanders (Jamie and Tarly), should be fun.

    4. BONUS: What does Melisandre’s quote mean? “The Prince Who Was Promised will bring the Dawn… I believe you have a role to play. As does another. The King in the North, Jon Snow.”

    I’m sure it ‘means’ exactly what everyone already thinks it means – the writers are rarely being subtle or nuanced anymore, everything is direct and to the point.

    Personally, I don’t completely trust Melisandre, she has been wrong before and isn’t a reliable fire reader – I often think she sees want she wants to see, or looks for clues that feed her viewpoint… but like I said, there is just no time for that in this fast paced show – just makes it too confusing, besides people (audience) like to be proven right. Payoffs = great TV 🙂

  20. 1. Jon cannot bend the knee. If he does he will lose all authority up North. Davo & Mell will be kept apart. Sansa will get a reunion with Bran who will focus her on the tasks ahead and highlight that LF is in possession of catspaw the assassins dagger.
    2. Sam will cure Jorah and be called to account for his actions. He will tell the maestors its not enough just to record history but also to use their knowledge to affect history.
    3. No current actions will go ahead but Highgarden will fall to Jamie and force Dany to attack that in episode 4. They have all the food and resources her troops need.
    4. The PTWP to bring the dawn will actually be Danny and Jon’s baby……..

  21. 1. Will Jon bend the knee in Dragonstone? When Davos and Jon see Melisandre? With Jon headed south, what will happen in Winterfell?

    No, I don’t believe Jon will bend the knee as Daenerys expects. Tyrion’s letter mentions working with them to defeat Cersei, and I think Jon will work towards trying to build an alliance – though with the primary aim of defeating the Night King. I agree with others that he may offer to support her claim after the Great War is over, but at the moment I cannot see him bending the knee without her support in his war.

    The wording of Tyrion’s letter is interesting; it mentions nothing about bending the knee and although I think Tyrion was trying to do his best to ensure Jon came south (and probably had in the back of his mind that the last time a Targaryen summoned a Stark south they were burned alive) – I do wonder if he is more open to an alliance than Daenerys is.

    I do think they will encounter Melisandre, or at the very least hear she is at Dragonstone. Melisandre didn’t tell Daenerys of her exclusion from the North, she simply suggested strongly that he be summoned. I think Daenerys will mention Melisandre’s visit.

    At Winterfell, I think at least one of Arya and Bran will return before Jon does. Both are heading home, and desperate to see Jon. It is news of her brother taking the castle that sends Arya north (still a teensy bit emotional about that scene) and Bran has vital information for Jon that could change everything. I think one or both of them will return to Winterfell looking for Jon only to find he has left.

    I also think LF will push Sansa more now that Jon is gone. When I re-watched the scene in the crypts, it became clearer that LF is chipping away at Jon and trying to find out his weakness. First he mentions Ned, and then Catelyn. When neither of these get a reaction, LF says he loves Sansa. It is at this point Jon loses it, and while I think we all enjoyed watching Jon choke LF, he has given away crucial intel – Sansa is his weakness. Jon is fiercely protective of his sister, and that gives LF something to work with.

    2. Will Sam cure Jorah? What does this mean for Sam’s time at the Citadel?

    I think Sam will cure Jorah. He had clearly done his research, and unlike Pylos appeared to be taking precautions to ensure he didn’t catch the greyscale. From his conversation with Ebrose it seemed like the procedure Sam performed was banned not because it didn’t work every time (clearly Pylos did have some success with it) but because of the dangers to the person performing it. Or at least that is how I interpreted it.

    As for what this means for his time at the Citadel, I think Sam will be punished in some sort of way. As he told Gilly on the ship in Oathbreaker, he doesn’t have a Jon Snow or a Maester Aemon at the Citadel to let him bend the rules. And this treatment he gave Jorah bent the rules A LOT.

    3. Will Daenerys’ counseled course of action change now that a signification part of the plan has been thwarted by Euron Greyjoy?

    Yes. She’s down a significant part of her fleet, there is no guarantee the Dornish forces will fight with her now that Ellaria has been captured – we are unclear on the chain of command in Dorne – and it is clear Euron isn’t someone to be underestimated.

    4. BONUS: What does Melisandre’s quote mean? “The Prince Who Was Promised will bring the Dawn… I believe you have a role to play. As does another. The King in the North, Jon Snow.”

    I think it means that the Prince/Princess who was Promised will play a crucial role in the defeat of the Night King and the end of the Long Night. Melisandre has learned the hard way that prophecy and interpreting the flames can lead her down the wrong path, and that she doesn’t have the invincibility she was once so certain of.

    Melisandre has, however, identified both Jon and Daenerys as people with a significant part to play. I kind of think they’ll both fulfill the requirements for the Promised One, but in different ways – some literally and others metaphorically.

    And some Owns for the episode –

    1 – HOT PIE! – For telling Arya about the Battle of the Bastards and convincing her to go home, all while giving us recommendations on how to improve our baking. And for still thinking that armor=a knight.

    2 – JON – For showing LF that this generation of House Stark men hate him as much as the last. And for giving us all feels about the North being his home.

    3 – SAM – For breaking all the rules in the name of the Night’s Watch brotherhood. And for telling Archmaester Slughorn that his book title was a bit on the dull side.

  22. Tycho Nestoris:
    beans,

    She is letting Euron in and out of Blackwater as he pleases. And somehow Grey Worm and Euron will sail their fleets past each other between ep 2 and 3. RIP dragon recon.

    Granted the mouth of the bay is quite large, but yeah how do they not spot him coming, then going, and then sneaking up on just the right part of the entire convoy that has to sail all around both Dorne and Highgarden?

  23. Boojam,

    No logic has been jumped down. The show is not obliged to explain everything. People should be able to use their logic. The religious fanatics lost their leaders and a good chunk of their followers. People were oppressed by them and the show has clearly shown us how. So a lot of the KL residents would be grateful to Cersei to rescue them from the fanatics. The rest of them would be either killed by Cersei’s forces or forced to silence after the explosion. So no reason to mince things too much…

  24. Violator: I’m holding onto this prince being Jon and Dany’s child.

    Given that the show will be wrapping up in the next year or so of storytelling time, that seems really implausible.

    I think that Mel strongly corroborated an old conjecture: the promised prince is going to be at least a duo. But, as Tyrion noted, the Promised Prince and/or Princess just does not flow off the tongue very well!

    Shock Me: Granted the mouth of the bay is quite large, but yeah how do they not spot him coming, then going, and then sneaking up on just the right part of the entire convoy that has to sail all around both Dorne and Highgarden?

    In that world, the question would be: how did Euron get so lucky as to find Yara’s fleet? With such poor communications and absolutely no ability to detect things save human eyes, missing would be more common than seeing in such a world even when you were looking for it: and nobody in the Lannister camp is looking for this.

  25. 1. If Jon bends the knee then it risks the death of his character and any remaining logic on this show.

    First of all, if Jon is able to convince Daenerys of the White Walker threat, to the extent that he is confident submitting himself, his kingdom and his people to her will then there should be no need for him to bend the knee at all.

    Secondly, what happened to everything he learnt while with the Wildlings (“You can never be a kneeler again”) and Mance Rayder (“But if you can’t understand why I won’t enlist my people in a foreigner’s war, there’s no point explaining… The freedom to make my own mistakes was all I ever wanted”).

    Jon already knows that his people are unhappy about him meeting with Daenerys, that they don’t believe a Targaryen can be trusted and that he’s struggled to convince them of the oncoming threat. Bending the knee could mean losing his kingdom and his people. And what would be the point in that?

    Maybe that’s the writers’ intent. Maybe Jon will lose the North in order to facilitate some later development. But that’d just be utterly stupid on Jon’s part and, again, to the detriment of his character.

    The North and Daenerys are not at war. She is the one intending to wage war. He should be challenging her on her attitude and what kind of ruler she intends to be, not submitting to it.

    Demanding kingdoms bend the knee upon threat of war, against the wishes of their rulers and people, for no reason other than her own desire for power? That would make her a tyrant. And the North declared its independence specifically to escape the rule of tyrants.

    What’s she going to do if he doesn’t kneel? Burn Jon alive? That’d really win the Northerners and the rest of the Westerosi over. It worked for Stannis, right? (“With respect, Your Grace, the Free Folk will never follow you no matter what you do. You’re the man who burned their king alive”).

    I don’t think Jon will bend the knee. I pray he won’t, if only for the good of the character. It makes no sense for Jon to trade the freedom of his kingdom and its people for her support, especially given the strength of feeling he encountered before leaving Winterfell.

    If they do have him bend the knee then they had better offer some pretty indisputable rationalisation or be building to some immensely satisfying, unexpected turn of events resulting from that decision further down the line.

  26. Apropos the storm battle in episode 2:
    Euron knew obviously all about Dannys team. Cersei too. And they would have discussed the details about the Dragon, Rose and Snake alliance. It makes sense! Furthermore Euron is an extremely experienced pirate and knowing that Danny’s fleet was stationed in Dragstone he should have used a spy boat to keep him informed of the fleet’s moves. From Dragstone to Dorne is not difficult to spot the DRS fleet.
    Now when it comes to the “1000 ships” rhetoric I don’t believe that Euron has completed the building of 1000 ships, it was more an act of megalomania than something that can be done in reality. I reckon that 100 ships or even less will make the job while the rest of them will be built for future use. Euron is a pirate and a pirate doesn’t need a 1000 ships to do the pirate job and destroy enemies. What he needs is quick and flexible ships with which he can use the sturm och drang method as he did in the last episode. This kind of tactic requires speed and the element of surprise which a 1000 ships cannot achieve.

  27. 1. Will Jon bend the knee in Dragonstone? When Davos and Jon see Melisandre? With Jon headed south, what will happen in Winterfell?

    Yes, Jon will kneel: and we’ll probably hear the story about how is great to whatevereth Grandfather did the same. However, I would not be surprised if Jon gets the same terms as Renly offered Robb. Daenerys is showing an increasingly pragmatic streak, after all.

    With Sansa in charge, Winterfell & the North are going to prepare more for the Lannisters than for the Walkers. And, no: Sansa has not been talking to Wildlings or surveying people about Hardhome because real people never do that sort of thing. She made her case quite bluntly: Cersei Lannister is an enemy that will not stop until her enemy (or Cersei herself) is dead.

    Arya will only bolster this. White Walkers mean nothing to her. However, Arya knows that the Lannisters are a terrible enemy. Moreover, they are an enemy that she knows how to fight: somehow, I don’t think that the wights care what face you are using when they eat your brains, and Arya’s killing skills are uniquely useless against the undead.

    The big wildcard here is Bran: does he go to Winterfell?

    2. Will Sam cure Jorah? What does this mean for Sam’s time at the Citadel?
    A. Yes, or at least heal Jorah enough that he can play some important role in the plot.
    B. Sam now has done two major things: discover a large source of obsidian and started a treatment for Jorah. There might be a third. It will not be “Find the lost recipe for Valyrian steel!”: if the Maesters had it, then they would use it. We would have some indication that Valyrian steel blades, etc., periodically was “discovered” or something like that: again, fired guns need to be hung guns at some point. My bet still is on “Discover some documents regarding Rhaegar & Lyanna.” Slughorn’s little soliloquy hints at this sort of thing being very possible.

    Incidentally, this is one of the only ways “Find a cure for Greyscale!” worked: the Maesters knew of a treatment, but because of the risk to the surgeon, it is not used. I.e., it’s a cost-benefit issue. But, seriously Sam: Zig Zag! Wait, I mean, wear a surgical mask!

    3. Will Daenerys’ counseled course of action change now that a signification part of the plan has been thwarted by Euron Greyjoy?
    Well, obviously! The Dothraki & Unsullied already have left to attack Angband: in a way, the loss of Yara’s fleet probably helps there because it distracts Euron from doing much else. However, it probably is too late to recall them, and I think that the case was plainly made that using the Dothraki & Unsullied to assail Kings Landing was strategically unsound. (Again: tactics != strategy !!)

    What this really sets up is the need for a more political solution: the siege obviously is off for a while, as the troops now need to march from Dorne. Moreover, Jon is going to press for moving armies to the North, and Daenerys will get the same counsel from Melisandre. (That should smooth over Davos’ & Melisandre’s reunion somewhat: they both need to persuade Daeny of the same thing.)

    4. BONUS: What does Melisandre’s quote mean?
    That dozens and dozens of fanboys and fangirls back in 2000 were right about both Jon & Daenerys simultaneously being “The Chosen One.” I suppose that we could go back and say “neeners!” to the doubters: but, um: does Usenet even exist anymore? 😀

  28. Ramsay's 20th Good Man: First of all, if Jon is able to convince Daenerys of the White Walker threat, to the extent that he is confident submitting himself, his kingdom and his people to her will then there should be no need for him to bend the knee at all.

    How does that conclusion possibly follow from that premise?

    Ramsay's 20th Good Man: Maybe Jon will lose the North in order to facilitate some later development. But that’d just be utterly stupid on Jon’s part and, again, to the detriment of his character.

    Hardly. The story is about choosing one’s battles, and all of the stories are about deciding among choices that all seem right in some ways but wrong in other ways. It’s damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-do-not.

    To this end, there has to be some reason why Jon might see allying with Daenerys is “wrong.” Accepting her as his liege would be “wrong” for the reasons you mention: but not doing everything he can to secure her aid against the White Walkers also is wrong. White Walkers mean nothing to Daenerys: they are a children’s story: to her, the Lannisters are the main threat. If Jon cares so much about people as he portrays (“Save the Wildlings!”), then Jon should see that stopping the Lannisters (who would be right up at the top of an Amnesty International Hit list).

  29. 4. BONUS: What does Melisandre’s quote mean? “The Prince Who Was Promised will bring the Dawn… I believe you have a role to play. As does another. The King in the North, Jon Snow.”

    Could she be talking about someone besides Jon and Dany?

  30. 1. Will Jon bend the knee in Dragonstone? When Davos and Jon see Melisandre? With Jon headed south, what will happen in Winterfell? I’ll quote Tormund, “I know your kneeler’s knees must be itching, for want of some king to bend to.” I expect more drama between Sansa and LF but no finality. I don’t think Bran or Arya make it WF in this ep.

    2. Will Sam cure Jorah? What does this mean for Sam’s time at the Citadel? Yes, he will be cured. That his time is running out and…”you’ve only just arrived” Gandalf er I mean Sam.

    3. Will Daenerys’ counseled course of action change now that a significant part of the plan has been thwarted by Euron Greyjoy? USE THE FOOKIN DRAGONS!

    4. BONUS: What does Melisandre’s quote mean? “The Prince Who Was Promised will bring the Dawn… I believe you have a role to play. As does another. The King in the North, Jon Snow.” I follow the idea that Mel is hedging bets. The PtwP is obviously a gentle bread maker who knows that a lot of people give up on the gravy. You cannot give up on the gravy. No gravy, no pie. Simple as that.

  31. Arya Rocks,

    Myrcella and Trystane were pretty Innocent too, and Ellaria and the sand snakes murdered them, and she gave them a pass for that. (The Dorne characters were really ruined going from book to show)

  32. Wimsey: How does that conclusion possibly follow from that premise?

    Because if Jon fails to convince her that the White Walkers exist and are a grave threat to the Seven Kingdoms then bending the knee makes no sense.

    But if he succeeds in convincing her of the gravity of the threat, then there should be no need for him to submit to her rule to gain her cooperation in tackling that threat.

    Wimsey:
    Hardly.The story is about choosing one’s battles, and all of the stories are about deciding among choices that all seem right in some ways but wrong in other ways.It’s damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-do-not.

    But bending the knee to Daenerys and losing the North in the process would achieve nothing. It’d mean he’d failed in what he went there to achieve, which was an alliance. If he can no longer uphold his side that alliance then it’s worthless.

    That’s not damned if you do and damned if you don’t. That’s shooting yourself in the foot.

  33. Wimsey,

    “There might be a third.”

    How about this, blackpowder, not an immediate gamechanger- but by all appearances Westeros (the whole World of Ice and Fire) has been stuck in a feudal/medieval cultural level for thousands of years, blackpowder, even primitive and ineffective 12th century level firearms would be a sign that the world is finally moving on past that level

  34. Ramsay's 20th Good Man: Because if Jon fails to convince her that the White Walkers exist and are a grave threat to the Seven Kingdoms then bending the knee makes no sense.

    You are making a false dichotomy here: making the Walkers your #1 priority or denying that they exist. Daenerys obviously will be convinced that there is some sort of threat out there: but convincing her that it’s the #1 threat is a different issue. Moreover, even if the Walkers are as dangerous as Jon claims, isn’t the Wall there to stop them? And are not the Lannisters the same threat that they always have been regardless?

    Ramsay's 20th Good Man: But bending the knee to Daenerys and losing the North in the process would achieve nothing.

    It does not follow that Jon loses the North if he bends the knee: it was to the Targaryens that the Northerners knelt, not the Baratheons, remember? All this is doing is putting things back into place. Ultimately, the North needs an ally against the Lannisters: Sansa is not wrong about Cersei, and what Cersei will do.

    The problem is that you are making assumptions about how the Northerners will react that are not just simplistic, but almost certainly unsound.

    =Ramsay's 20th Good Man: That’s not damned if you do and damned if you don’t. That’s shooting yourself in the foot.

    ALL “damned if you do, damned if you do not” involve “shooting yourself in the foot”: the question is, do I shoot the right foot and let my left foot do X, Y & Z or do I shoot the left foot and let my right foot do A, B & C? What you are demanding is that Jon be given a choice that don’t involve shooting a foot or chopping off a hand or insert-your-favorite-self-maiming-here. That has not yet happened in this series, and it is not going to start happening now.

  35. jpwf: The Dorne characters were really ruined going from book to show

    Rotten meat writhing with maggots on which one animal has defecated and another animal has vomited cannot be ruined. (Yes, yes, I know: that book characters were worse than that, but I’m not imaginative this morning.) 😀

    Seriously, this was the nadir of GRRM’s writing.

  36. 1. Will Jon bend the knee in Dragonstone? When Davos and Jon see Melisandre? With Jon headed south, what will happen in Winterfell?

    Jon wont bend, I think he will reiterate that their obsession of the throne means nothing if the dead come down. I get the feeling that Melisandre might stay away, avoid the conflict. I think Bran makes it back and shows Sansa the real threat with a vision, thus aligning her with Jons mission. Also Bran would know it was Littlefinger that betrayed Ned.

    2. Will Sam cure Jorah? What does this mean for Sam’s time at the Citadel?

    Yes, you don’t show all that and keep Jorah alive to not have him do something. I can see him wielding Greatsbane in the battles to come, or at least to defend Sam. Would be great visual redemption for Jorah to have a Valyrian steel sword back in his hands, fighting for good. I think Sam is reprimanded but rewarded because it works but breaks another rule and fleas for Dragonstone. He has to figure out Valyrian steel recipe.. maybe try the Betty Crocker book of Swordsmithing

    3. Will Daenerys’ counseled course of action change now that a signification part of the plan has been thwarted by Euron Greyjoy?

    Yes, I think she will see one more set back or defeat; mixed results with the Unsullied maybe, the fall of House Tyrell. This will awaken the dragon and she will wreck some havoc.
    4. BONUS: What does Melisandre’s quote mean?

    Jon has already unified the North with the Wildlings, as mentioned in the last episode. I think Jon will serve as the great unifier.

    My Question: Where dose Jon go next? I can see him playing the arbiter between the warring factions for the throne to get everyone focused on the Night King. Will he go to Kings Landy after he is done with Dragonstone. I can see him trying to appeal to Cersi with what Tyrion said “I have every reason to hate the Lannister’s; you killed my father and my brother. But the wars of the past are behind us, we must focus on the Nigh King

  37. Wimsey,

    So why submit your kingdom to her rule in perpetuity if you have failed to adequately convince her of the gravity of the threat in the north?

    You don’t get to backtrack five minutes later when it turns out she’s not taking the threat as seriously as you would like her to.

    I thought the Northerners’ grievances were laid out pretty clearly before he left Winterfell. They don’t trust the Targaryens; they’re still smarting from how Robb lost the North; and they still consider the politics of the Seven Kingdoms a serious matter, despite the threat of the White Walkers.

    Not to mention the fact that thousands of Northmen died fighting for their independence. There’s undoubted potential for the Northerners to lose faith in their King.

    What I’m “demanding” is a situation where two of our characters’ behaviour and decision-making is rational and reflects their characters and experiences over the past 6 seasons. Perhaps they can face their damned if they do, damned if they don’t situation together when deciding how to deal with Cersei.

    But having Jon bend the knee at the expense of his people’s freedom, despite their objections and at the risk of losing support in the North (like Robb and like Jon himself in the Night’s Watch), rather than pursue some other form of alliance would be a disappointing turn of events.

  38. This is my favourite GOT podcast, you guys do a great job and I hugely appreciate it.

    1. Will Jon bend the knee in Dragonstone? When Davos and Jon see Melisandre? With Jon headed south, what will happen in Winterfell?
    Jon will not bend the knee. I am guessing Mel stays out of the way but if not she could be executed given the episode title. Sansa is likely to make a mess in the North I suspect with Littlefinger causing problems.

    2. Will Sam cure Jorah? What does this mean for Sam’s time at the Citadel?
    I think so yes, but would prefer a stay of execution rather than full cure.

    3. Will Daenerys’ counseled course of action change now that a signification part of the plan has been thwarted by Euron Greyjoy?
    It has too, I suspect she will “unleash the dragon” leading to some of those around her questioning whether she is heading down a path to madness.

    4. BONUS: What does Melisandre’s quote mean? “The Prince Who Was Promised will bring the Dawn… I believe you have a role to play. As does another. The King in the North, Jon Snow.”

    So glad you included this! My first reaction was that both Jon and Dany are Azor Ahai/tPwP but actually I think she is pandering to Dany’s ego and it’s Jon she is just bringing Dany to Jon to help him.

  39. 1. Jon cares more about the threat of the Others than about being King, I think he’ll kneel if it will get him the dragonglass. I think Mel is safe from Jon and Davos in Dragonstone, but not if she heads North again. I think Sansa will enjoy having Winterfell in her control and will be conflicted when Bran shows up as his claim is better than hers (and Jon’s).

    2. Sam will totally cure Jorah, he’ll stay at the citadel for a couple more episodes because Archmaester Slughorn is going to be so impressed that he’ll start helping Sam. Jorah will be on the next boat to Dragonstone. Can’t wait to see him and Dany meet again, really hope she’s not in love with Jon by then.

    3. Dany will go full dragon on Cercei.

    4. BONUS: What does Melisandre’s quote mean? I think it means one of them is Azor Ahai, and one is Nissa Nissa. I don’t like to think about which is which 🙁.

    My own for the last podcast goes to Hannah for making me cry when talking about Arya understanding why Nymeria had to go. Somehow remembering it was more emotional than watching it.

  40. Ramsay’s 20th Good Man,

    I agree, Jon should not bend. She has not earned anything yet. I hope we get a strategy scene between Jon and Davos regarding this, and how to convince her/ not yielding to her demands. Besides the throne doesnt matter

  41. 1. No Jon won’t bend the knee (hoping that the Arthur Dayne quote ‘our knees don’t bend easily’ is repeated by him) but he may consider it if he has an assurance of Dany’s help when the White Walkers breach the Wall.
    I don’t think there’s much Jon and Davos can do with Melisandre if she’s already won the favour of the Mother of Dragons. They kinda need to forget about it.
    With Winterfell in hand, Sansa will be beseiged by Baelish with his creepy, dastardly ways, until Bran shows up and shows her the light. Then she’ll know what she needs to do. I’ll give her some levity to woman up and emulate Cersei to dispose of Littefinger so the North can avail themselves of the Knights of the Vale when the time comes.

    2. Sam had better cure Jorah! My fear is that he contracts the damn thing himself! But he will be regaled for the achievement so he won’t be thrown out. He might finally get legal access to every book he needs!

    3. I’m hoping the failed plan will force her to do what Olenna suggested and ‘be a dragon’. Putty pattying around with those Lannisters is getting her nowhere. What they deserve is fire and blood. Give it to them!

    4. Frankly I’m tired of Melisandre and her bullshit about the prince. Everyone should know by now the threat that is faced and its patently obvious that Jon and Dany now both have to unite to defeat it. Why do we even need her around any more? With Beric, the Hound et all heading North, that’s all the fire worshippers we need, thank you. Mel can burn for all I care. She’s served her purpose.

  42. I don’t think Jon will physically bend the knee. This has been foreshadowed in the Yara/Dany interaction. Regardless of what her detractors may try to claim, Dany is demonstrably open to semi-equal alliances and certainly does not demand supplication or blind obedience. Dany will ask him to swear fealty, he will counter by saying he’s been declared king not by choice or birth but by deed – much like herself. Jon will then counterpropose an alliance. Not sure on the details but likely Dany will agree to send dragon glass now and participate in the battle in the north with Drogon later… if Jon will agree to help remove Cersei.

    Sam will cure Jorah, probably find out one more important thing then either leave or get booted from the Citadel.

    Without Dorne or Tyrell, Dany and Tyrion will have to adjust and most likely will have to use the dragons. they will try to use them judiciously e.g. in the field of battle rather than to attack a city. The successful taking of CR will be a massive blow to the Lannister cause as well. They lose most of their supply lines. If Jon contributes forces or the river lands rise for Dany (and wouldn’t they??) then I think Dany would easily win versus a Tarly-Lannister army.

  43. I won’t echo some of the responses here, but thought I should just pop in and say that the cinematography in the opening Varys/Melisandre picture is STUNNING.

  44. Long time lurker, first time posting. SORRY IN ADVANCED IF THE SPOLIERS DID NOT SHOW UP!!

    1. Will Jon bend the knee in Dragonstone? When Davos and Jon see Melisandre? With Jon headed south, what will happen in Winterfell?
    He will not initially, but with some encouragement from Tyrion and an ultimatum. Jon will eventually bend the knee if he can get the dragon glass and have Dany commit a portion of her forces to fight for the Great War. With Jon gone, LF will try his hardest to win back Sansa

    by bringing up Jon’s parentage. When Sansa has had enough, she will call the banners and tell the truth about LF and Lysa Arryn and will be sentenced to death. [/ spoiler]
    2. Will Sam cure Jorah? What does this mean for Sam’s time at the Citadel?
    Sam will cure Jorah, and follow him to Dragonstone.

    If a catalyst is required, some Tarly men will come to the Citadel for Heartsbane, hold Gilly hostage and Jorah will take care of them. Sam will get the hell out of there. Maybe pick up Theon on the way to Dragonstone? [/ spoiler]
    3. Will Daenerys’ counseled course of action change now that a signification part of the plan has been thwarted by Euron Greyjoy?
    GRRM made a big deal about the people of Dorne did not like Doran because his inaction to a cause/vengeance. It would be hard to believe that after Elyria and Tyene are captured they would default back to inaction. The only alteration would be Tyron flying a dragon to Dorne and sending the Dorne troops to the Kings landing to save Elyria
    4. BONUS: What does Melisandre’s quote mean? “The Prince Who Was Promised will bring the Dawn… I believe you have a role to play. As does another. The King in the North, Jon Snow.”
    Jon and Dany will lead the charge while TPTWP will destroy the NK and end winter.

  45. 1. Jon won’t bend the knee – it is known. But what intreagues me most of all is Sansa at Winterfel. It looks like she has to face some sort of crisis – her face expression in the trailer and Littlefinger’s words about all possible series of events happening simultaneously imply that strongly. However, it’s hard to guess the cause of this crysis: Bran and/or Arya comming home will be a pleasant surprise even if disagreements occur; Northern lords and the knights of the Vale should be more or less at bay. The only solution that comes to mind is Sansa’s mathernal relatives being in need for her aid. For instance, Sansa may get a raven that Lannister forces are marching to the Vale: not only the nights of the Vale will rush home, but Sansa herself would be compelled to help cousin Sweetrobin who sent his army to help her. Or Edmure Tully may knock on the gates asking to help him to take control over Riverlands. The third option could be the Brotherhood and comming to Winterfell and someone accusing the Hound for the crimes committed by the guy whose cloak and boots he wears – that would make Sansa to do her own “Queen’s Justice”. One way or another, there should be something unknown to create a conflicted situation in Winterfell and give Sansa a real feel of responsibility and decision making.

    2. Sam will definitely cure Jorah and, when Jorah what he can do for hin in return, Sam will ask him to use his connections to the Dragon Queen to get her to the North with all three dragons.

    3. Dany will definitely go full dragon on Cersei and that will be a great dissapointment for everyone from Jon to Tyrion to Jorah etc. But finally Varys will tell Dany that she is failing people looking straight into her eyes and it will be all right at the end.

    4. Mel simply said what the story was telling from the beginning. But there may be more than two champions: Tyrion, Bran, Jaime, Arya, and more will have pivotal roles in the end game too.

  46. QueenofThrones: Sam will cure Jorah, probably find out one more important thing then either leave or get booted from the Citadel.

    Yeah, I think there is still something else to be learned, but since he has been so busy with Jorah, I think it will be Gilly to find it. Sam has been doing a lot of quoting of books and mentioning to Ebrose things that he has read. Weren’t many of the things he mentioned from restricted books? Books he actually snuck out of the Citadel to his own little cottage there with Gilly. That’s got to be a monumental no-no. Wouldn’t Ebrose recognize knowledge that Sam really shouldn’t have? Ebrose doesn’t look to be the indulgent type. I think his attitude is going to be one of : Good work on testing the method, but you broke too many rules, get tf out.

    BTW, speaking of sneaking books, what are those hanging chains in the library for? In the beginning I thought the books were actually chained to the shelves, but that’s not it. Sorry if the answer is right in front of me and I didn’t see it, I just can’t figure out what purpose the chains serve.

  47. 3. Will Daenerys’ counseled course of action change now that a signification part of the plan has been thwarted by Euron Greyjoy?

    I’m praying Lady Olenna will take the helm and introduce the Redwyne Fleet and kick Euron’s ass. She hasn’t been in any photos, promos or trailers. So disappointing!!!
    It would be marvelous having her turning the tables after that narcissistic counsel meeting by Daenarys and Tyrion. Olenna simply stole the show from them and I hope she’ll whip their tail for it in the next episode. I’m so tired of Tyrion always thinking he’s right and smart, when the wisdom and fierceness of Olenna is totally overshadowed. I’m rooting for her having a greater part in the next episodes. I will be furious if they kill off Dame Rigg’s future appearances too easily. She made it all this way – I forbid you to die, Olenna! You’re a Thorn – Be a Thorn!

  48. 1. Will Jon bend the knee in Dragonstone? When Davos and Jon see Melisandre? With Jon headed south, what will happen in Winterfell?

    I don’t think this meeting will go well for Tyrion. Olenna warned Daenerys’ about relying on clever men last episode and when it comes out that Tyrion didn’t include in his letter that Daenerys expects Jon to bend the knee I can see a rift grow between the queen and her hand. I don’t see Jon bending the knee, at least for now. I can see him offering to if she helps them defeat the Night King and the army of the dead since that seems to be his single focus (for good reason). Though I don’t believe the North would be much help to Daenerys in her quest to claim the iron throne. I don’t think they’ll be too inclined to march south after their past experiences.

    3. Will Daenerys’ counseled course of action change now that a signification part of the plan has been thwarted by Euron Greyjoy?

    I think the meeting between Jon and Daenerys will last a few days (maybe he says he needs to think about her request to bend the knee since he didn’t know that is what was expected which would also give him time to scope out these caves of dragonglass). At first I could see Daenerys have no interest in helping Jon and company but when word gets to her that Dorne is lost, the Iron fleet is defeated and (possibly) there have been major defections from the Tyrell army, she’ll realize she needs the North just as much as they need her. That way, once Jon comes back to her to discuss if/when he’d be willing to bend the knee, she’ll be more receptive to his position.

    4. BONUS: What does Melisandre’s quote mean? “The Prince Who Was Promised will bring the Dawn… I believe you have a role to play. As does another. The King in the North, Jon Snow.”

    I liked how Tyrion and Melisandre both employed some subtle deception in trying to set up this meeting between Jon and Daenerys. With Tyrion, he conveniently left out the part about Jon being expected to bend the knee upon arrival (which probably would have stopped him from coming) and with Melisandre I believe she is strongly in the camp of Jon being the prince who was promised but thought it better to let Missandei and Daenerys believe what they would like as long as it helps the cause. When Missandei jumped in with the alternative translation Melisandre seemed to be very “eh, sure. It could be you…but lets hold off on adding that to your long list of titles for now, shall we?”

  49. Tycho Nestoris,

    No, Jon didn’t mention kneeling either. He just said that he’d been invited to meet with Daenerys and that he would try to convince her to fight with the North.

    He did say, “Daenerys is a queen. Only a king can convince her to help us”. The way that’s phrased, they could be hinting at a marriage alliance. Or they could just be teasing that possibility.

  50. I may have had an epiphany for the end of the show.

    I think that Dany is going to realise by the end of the show that her real mission is not to “take back what’s hers” with fire and blood, but to save humanity from the Others’ annihilation.

    This probably is her true purpose, something totally unselfish (≠ take back what’s mine). A sacrifice for the greater good. Her and her dragons whose sole purpose is this. This war for the dawn. She will die, the dragons will die, magic will die. A new era will arise, a new spring in Westeros.

    Forget about the iron throne and its game… These are of no importance when Life is threatened. How very GRRM ! Exactly like now. Humans fighting all over the globe, on battlefields or in parliaments/governments, companies, etc. Petty fights. When there is a much larger threat. Climate, global warming, pollution, deforestation, species extinctions, etc. That we can’t even seem to agree on or believe it is real, for some people.

    That should ring some bells.
    Thanks GRRM.

  51. I just want the producers to know that if they kill the dragon queen I will not buy the very expensive soon to be entire DVD box set or by the shows online.

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