Liam Cunningham teases Game of Thrones Season 6 in new interviews

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In several new interviews around the web, Liam Cunningham has been dropping hints about his role in the newest season of Game of Thrones. He says not only will his role be larger but he may have an unlikely ally as well. He also talks Jon Snow and warns to expect several deaths when the new season airs. 

Although HBO is keeping Season 6 under lock and key until it premieres in April, out on the deep seas of the internet an Onion Knight is whispering secrets.

**Season 6 Spoilers Below**

In a recent interview with The Wall Street Journal, Cunningham says to expect ‘big’ moments next season:

Listen, there are going to be many, and they’re from the get-go, I guarantee it. You’re going to have at least one rather very large one in [episode] 1, but that’s all I’m going to tell you.

Pretty much all signs (especially that last moment in the trailer) point to Davos having a connection to Jon Snow and his resurrection that is definitely not happening.

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He also touches on an alliance with the fiery priestess Melisandre:

They’re brought together by circumstance even though they’re enemies,

And elaborates on their connection to Jon Snow with TV Line:

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First of all, they are very, very strange bedfellows, as they say, but they are in a very weird situation. For two people who have an abhorrent dislike of each other, they’re both in the same boat. We both lost Stannis. We both lost our reason for being in the show. Also, both of us have found ourselves leaning towards Jon Snow. She has seen something in the flames about this dude. I have found, while talking with Stannis to Jon, that this guy is a fellow traveler. He’s the real deal. He’s a good guy. He’s definitely got leadership qualities, and he has a heroic and charismatic quality to him. Davos will obviously be drawn to that kind of character. Davos isn’t a leader.

On that huge battle sequence teased in the trailer:

There is an enormous… There is a section as the season progresses that we haven’t tackled before, size-wise. It’s incredibly cinematic. It took an incredibly long time to shoot… I probably shouldn’t be telling you this: It’s going to blow out of the water what has happened in the previous seasons combined.

The whole of Season 6, Cunningham states, is “different” than the previous seasons.

When I was reading these scripts, there’s a certain kind of bizarre new philosophy to what they’re doing. It’s different this year. There’s some very different stuff. There’s quite a few new people. There’s quite a few people going this year — as there is every year, to be fair. I’m not speaking out of shop when I say that. But I was astonished at the numbers. [Laughs] …It’s one of the things that makes the show so interesting: the fact that nobody’s safe. Anybody can go at any time.

With the jaw dropping new trailer breaking view records and the cast whetting our appetites so, it seems the new season may very well just be the best yet. What are your thoughts? Let us know below!

159 Comments

  1. Onion Ahai!

    Liam knows how to tease a season. Glad to see him doing so much promotion.

  2. Yeah we’re losing someone from a main house this year – a Stark, a Lannister or a Targaryen.

  3. Laura:
    Yeah we’re losing someone from a main house this year – a Stark, a Lannister or a Targaryen.

    A Targaryen? Yeah, I doubt it. No way Dany croaks this year. Same goes for Tyrion. Their plot armor is way too thick, for now anyway.
    As for the rest, anything could happen I suppose. Can’t wait for S6.

  4. Curious to see who everyone thinks will die this season:

    My choices:

    Jorah, Daario, Tommen, Roose, Walda, Ramsay, Allister, Olly, Lancel, Kevan, Pycelle, Qyburn, Tormund, Hodor, Loras, one or two Sand Snakes, Ellaria, The Waif (sort of), Balon, Edmure, Smalljon, Ian McShane’s character, Zombiemountain, bunch of extras
  5. Laura:
    Yeah we’re losing someone from a main house this year – a Stark, a Lannister or a Targaryen.

    Tyrion and Dany have Valyrian steel plot armor at this point. I think the A-tier cast is safe this season.

  6. I LOVE Liam Cunningham!! He is a great Davos!! And he does sure know how to get everyone hyped even more!! It must be phenomenal, what he is talking about, because if he says it is…. it is!!!

  7. Kinda hard for Davos to be drawn toward Jon Snow if Snow is dead. And I notice he speaks of Jon in the present tense.

  8. TheOneWhoKnocks,

    I wouldn’t mind it if Jaime went, but I’d like to see Cersei until the next season. I can’t picture her letting a bunch of religious nutjobs take her down (and we’d still need some villains such as her to make it). To me her flashback last season confirms that she has to outlive her kids at least.

  9. “There is an enormous… There is a section as the season progresses that we haven’t tackled before, size-wise. It’s incredibly cinematic. It took an incredibly long time to shoot… I probably shouldn’t be telling you this: It’s going to blow out of the water what has happened in the previous seasons combined.”

    This is going to be amazing.

  10. I wonder how much different S6 is going to be especially since the show is beyond the books now.
    Guess we can expect a better episode than Hardhome.

  11. Jaime is the Volanqar, no way he goes before Cersei! Should I be having this feeling that Liam is saying Jon comes back in Episode 1!? It sort of makes sense because they can’t put it off for too long, but I thought they’d give us at least one episode with dead Jon…

  12. DanTheMan,

    You didn’t like Hardhome? I don’t really remember the entire episode, but I thought the battle was awesome! Even not being directly canon, I thought it added to the story.

  13. Yeah, I suspect this season will be the Great Culling of Secondary Characters.
    Next season will dispose of the remaining main characters who aren’t necessary for the grand finale.
    And of course, Season 8 will be the final battle against the White Walkers (or maybe smething else), with the characters we have left.

  14. Jon Snow’s Curling Iron,
    I like your list, although I think some of them might be either/or when talking about people closely linked in the same part of the story

    like Jorah or Daario, but probably not both. I reckon a Tyrell almost certainly has to go; Loras is the most obvious but Olenna or Marg would be quite a twist. I’d add Ramsay, the High Sparrow, Olyvar, Osha and Melisandre to the list. There are others but I don’t want to jinx them so I’ll just pretend they have plot armour!
  15. I’ve always thought Cersei’s prophesy means she has to be around and functioning when the younger, more beautiful woman gets the better of her. That’s most likely Sansa or Dany so Cersei is safe for this year.

  16. With the amount of press Liam is doing, I think Davos is going to die. It seems like he is going to have a big session so I think he dies in Ep 9. I’ll have my box of tissues ready.

  17. Ohhhhh sheeeeiiiiiiit!

    This made me even more hyped! Man today is a great day, Liam teasing game of thrones season 6 like this and Daredevil Season 2! (Which is amazing btw)

    37 more days….

  18. LordDavos,

    I used to think that Marge was too obvious to be the younger, more beautiful queen but based on some of the scenes in the trailer it might be her after all. She looks to be manipulating the High Septon and the Faith, and perhaps Tommen allies himself with her against Cersei. Tommen gets killed somehow in the showdown.

  19. Morgoth: A Targaryen? Yeah, I doubt it. No way Dany croaks this year. Same goes for Tyrion. Their plot armor is way too thick, for now anyway.

    Well, they are two of the three most primary protagonists. That means that they have to be there for the climax: and, in a sense, that means that the storytelling for which they are being used was preconditioned on their surviving to that climax.

  20. Everyone saying Tyrion has plot armor… how? If he died in the first episode of season 6, it wouldn’t matter much to the plot. In fact, it would have MUCH less impact to the plot than Ned’s death.

    He has fan armor. He’s a popular character, even George’s favorite, and that’s why he’ll live, at least until the end.

    Dany, yeah, she has plot armor.

  21. Well, thank god they aren’t going to drag out the resurrection. Can’t wait to see my unsullied husbands face!

  22. TheOneWhoKnocks: So did Liam just confirm Jon comes back in episode 1?

    No. What he said is explained very simply by Jon coming back in Episode 1, and I would be stunned (for many reasons) if Jon does not come back then. However, Cunningham’s statement confirms only that, in his opinion, a big moment. It’s always possible that food fights qualify as a big moment for him, and that this episode captures the annual Night Watch Cuisine Clash. I really doubt that this the case: but: 1) there are many possible big moment; 2) one person’s “big” moment is another person’s “sort of cool” moment and another person’s “that was lame” moment, and 3) actors, directors, producers, show-runners, etc., on pre-release promotional tours can make everything sound as if every show or movie is going to make you need dramamine to survive it!

    That written, I’m totally betting on Jon’s revival. If nothing else, then he is one of the two biggest characters in the story, and he needs most of a season to get in whatever this story’s arc is.

  23. Why. Why did you have to use that photo? Whyyyyyy??? Next to Iain Glen and Maisie with Needle, that face destroyed my cold little heart last season.

  24. I think there’s a chance that the anticipated resurrection of Jon will be attempted but won’t work as anticipated in episode 1, which would constitute a big shocker (and explain the new injuries to Jon’s face). It could take a few more episodes and the arrival of Thoros before Jon is brought back.

    Earlier, Thoros suffered a total loss of faith in R’hllor before he brought Dondarrien back to life. From the trailer, it appears Melisandre also loses her faith before Jon’s resurrection, which brings the whole faith-based resurrection storyline full circle. Unless Jon’s resurrection is more of the secret potion type–

    I wonder…didn’t Dondarrien have to remain dead for Lady Stoneheart to come to life? Would she willingly give up her second life for Jon?

    Jarl Stark,

    I agree, Jamie is the Volonqar–he’s going to put that golden hand to use around Cersei’s pretty neck.

  25. trarecar,

    I really don’t think jon is coming back in the first episode, even though I would loved to be proved wrong.

  26. I love how they chose him to play Davos. It’s the perfect role for someone who thinks rationally in that world.

  27. DebL66: I used to think that Marge was too obvious to be the younger, more beautiful queen but based on some of the scenes in the trailer it might be her after all.

    That is almost certainly Daenrys. Fans say “but that is too obvious”: but Cersei still has not thought of it. Moreover, this just reeks of a MacBethian prophecy: Cersei’s inane quest to undermine Margaery is going to greatly aid Daeny’s takeover.

    At any rate, I have a hard time seeing Margaery successfully taking everything away from Cersei. Daeny, on the other hand, I can definitely see doing that.

  28. Predicting deaths:

    All three Sand Snakes and Ellaria, amen.
    Either Littlefinger or Varys, though no amen here. Hope they both survive.
    Loras, Tommen, High Sparrow
    Podrick, Roose, Ramsay, Fat Walda
    Daario, Grey Worm.
    Thorne, maybe Edd
    Balon

  29. Wimsey,

    It is too obvious to the reader and the viewer; whether it’s as obvious to a character is immaterial. However, given how much of a special snowflake Dany is, I wouldn’t be surprised. The only other option would be someone who represents an ironic comment on Cersei’s priorities, like Brienne the Beauty.

  30. The more beautiful queen in the Cersei prophecy has to be Sansa in my opinion. She and Cersei have been set up from almost the beginning as dual characters. Sansa starts all the way down here, and Cersei all the way up here. And now we are beginning to see the flip. Cersei is falling, Sansa rising. Not to mention a fitting end and something typical of Martin’s writing patterns, for Sansa to depose Cersei utilizing the tools and characteristics that Cersei herself taught Sansa.

    This has been my opinion for a while as to who the more beautiful younger queen is going to be.

  31. I do like how he’s speaking about Jon in the present tense and talking about how he and Melisandre are drawn to his leadership qualities – sitting in the HBO offices and not even bothering with the pretense at this point 😛

  32. It almost sounds as if he is insinuating that Jon will be resurrected in the first episode. That would surprise me a bit. I thought that Jon would rather perhaps be resurrected in the second episode, since the first episode will be viewed by a few people two weeks in advance. Jon’s resurrection would quickly be spoiled. But perhaps it just does not matter it might not be their main concern, it does seem like he has a lot to do this season.

    Or perhaps the first episode will be a fight between Ser Alliser group and Davos’s group. It seems like Davos will really have an interesting role this season. It is good to have Jon and Davos working together, they are really two characters who you could imagine would get along.

    It is really starting to sound like it could be a great season.

  33. lp,

    But Sansa is all the way up north, concerned with Winterfell business, tied to the Starks, the Wall. That is at least as important and complex as anything that’s happening in King’s Landing. Why would she or anyone up north, at this point in the story drag themselves south, and end up in a position to kill Cersei and sit the throne?

  34. Am I the only one getting sick Liam Cunningham? Seriously dude will do anything to grab some ink.

    Its pathetic.

  35. I said this in another thread but I think it’s more appropriate here. I believe Jon Snow will be resurrected in the final scene of episode one as a nod to the final scene of season one episode one. This time though, instead of a stark falling as Bran did, a starkaryen will rise!

  36. Liam’s quite the GoT hypeman for this season, I recall seeing/hearing him in the lead ups to previous seasons, but never this much. And he’s featured quite a bit in the trailer, hopefully he makes it through this season, he’s kinda like Tyrion in the sense that he’s the ultimate advisor, Hand of the King type material, except less popular and a side character compared to Tyrion.

  37. Looper:
    Everyone saying Tyrion has plot armor… how? If he died in the first episode of season 6, it wouldn’t matter much to the plot. In fact, it would have MUCH less impact to the plot than Ned’s death.

    He has fan armor. He’s a popular character, even George’s favorite, and that’s why he’ll live, at least until the end.

    Don’t you remember the season 5 scene in Volantis with the red priestess? She talked about the savior and then gave Tyrion the great stare of foreshadowing.

    Also remember Tywin’s last words to Tyrion “you are no son of mine”. Tyrion Targaryen is definitely an end game player.

  38. Darjan,

    This reminds me of Harrison Ford as the lead hypeman of The Force Awakens. Crossing my fingers for Davos, one of my favorite characters…

  39. Maria,

    Dramatic irony. Far from immaterial it’s a common strategy. And to the casual viewer I don’t know how obvious. They don’t think about these things all that much.

  40. Darjan: And he’s featured quite a bit in the trailer, hopefully he makes it through this season,

    The amount of publicity that Liam C. is suddenly participating in, does make me a bit worried for Davos. I am so hoping he survives the series finale. But then, this IS GoT.

    Red Nightmare: Don’t you remember the season 5 scene in Volantis with the red priestess? She talked about the savior and then gave Tyrion the great stare of foreshadowing.

    Yes. Also, once Season 6 is over, I think it will become clearer to more of the audience exactly what sort of plot armor Tyrion has. 🙂

  41. DebL66

    While Cersei v Marg looks more possible in the show because the show has beefed up her role there simply aren’t the indications in the books to suggest Martin is going that way. There has to be a decent pay off when it happens and the author has to build that. He can hide his intentions in numbers – it could be x, y or z – but he still has to build towards that climax. I think Sansa makes most sense.

  42. Maria,

    It’s most likely multiple people.

    Cersei thinks it’s Margaery, so she disposes of, or tries to dispose of Margaery.

    In the meantime, Sansa builds up power in the North; Cersei tries to find some means of getting rid of Sansa.

    Daenerys sweeps in on a dragon; Cersei now thinks it’s Daenerys, goes mad, burns some shit down trying to prevent Daenerys from claiming what is hers.

    And finally, it ends up being, like, Brienne or something, someone Cersei didn’t see coming at all.

    Point being, Cersei is probably going to think it’s multiple people before this story is over, which serves a couple of purposes: 1) to show Cersei’s paranoia and destructive tendencies, 2) to show what a really, really vague and obviously self-fulfilling prophecy it is (because, duh, obviously even when you get rid of one potential queen, there’s another in waiting).

  43. King Rob, Ned Stark, Robb Stark, and Stannis have all been primary protagonists; and now they’re all dead. There is no plot armor in GOT, at least none that’s visible in advance.

    Red Nightmare: Don’t you remember the season 5 scene in Volantis with the red priestess?She talked about the savior and then gave Tyrion the great stare of foreshadowing.

    Also remember Tywin’s last words to Tyrion “you are no son of mine”.Tyrion Targaryen is definitely an end game player.

    That’s an idiomatic curse expressing disgust and disappointment from father to son, not meant to be taken literally. Remember Tywin saying that he only allowed infant Tyrion to live because Tyrion was a Lannister?

    IIRC the red priestess’ look toward Tyrion was a fairly unpleasant one. Didn’t look like she thought he was a savior.

  44. Winter rose:
    With the amount of press Liam is doing, I think Davos is going to die. It seems like he is going to have a big session so I think he dies in Ep 9. I’ll have my box of tissues ready.

    Yeah, I’ll have a box ready as well. I too have a bad feeling that all this press Liam is doing, coupled with Davos’s prominence in the trailer,

    and the fact that Davos will take part in Bastardbowl,

    is all pointing to the demise of the beloved Onion Knight. Which makes me sad because one of the few things I want for the end of the series is for Davos to sail home to his wife and live a quiet life in retirement. 🙁

  45. kit_hepburn,

    Cersei has already been replaced as queen, by Margaery. That part of the prophecy is in the bank, as it were.

    Thanks to Myrcella being killed off with no crown, the only possible event remaining from the show version of Maggie’s prophecy is Tommen’s golden shroud. I personally think Zombie Tommen is the Valonqar too, but of course that part wasn’t in the show.

  46. I’m loving this talk of negative population growth! The winnowing continues!

    My wishlist:
    In the North: Roose, Ramsay, Fat Walda, Davos, Mel, Rickon + Shaggydog, Tormund or Osha, some people we meet this year; Alliser Thorne and the rest of the Night’s Watch;
    In King’s Landing: Margaery, Loras, Tommen, Olenna, Lancel, Kevan, Pycelle;
    Elsewhere: Balon, Ellaria. Missandei and Grey Worm do not die, but they do stay behind in Meereen.

  47. crimethink,

    Well, we agree with each other that the valonqar is Tommen (and not the ridiculously over-assumed Jaime). But I think the mere fact that the showrunners went against their own rules and introduced a (kind of out of place) flashback for the first time means that the “solution” to the YMBQ prophecy is a combination of really interesting and/or surprising, or that the prophecy itself is needed to understand Cersei’s motivations and the subsequent massive chain of events set forth by it. If the YMBQ is simply Margaery, end of story, then there was literally no reason to include it. We understood Cersei hated Margaery, we understood she was jealous and had a rivalry with her. They trusted the audience enough to understand that she hated Tyrion without needing to insert the little brother/valonqar part in… why not omit the prophecy altogether? Answer: because the YMBQ answer has an interesting, important, and/or elegant twist that they thought made it worthy of inclusion.

  48. What if Cunningham is referring to his own character or Melisandre? Davos could be sent on a Stark mission, but I’m not sure what role Melisandre has to play after the events of this coming season.

  49. Sean C.:
    He is intelligent, charming, enthusiastic, reliable & everyone else is dead. He could be a GoT ambassador for the rest of his life.

  50. Based on the media folk disappearing for a few minutes at a time before the before the Dance of the Dragons screening, Liam did a bunch of interviews in a row. So it could just be that doing one or two press events makes it seem like he’s on some bigger tour.

    That said, I too am nervous that he got dibs on the event because Davos doesn’t have much time. It makes a lot of sense, where the character’s at, for him to take some risky mission like being a messenger to the Boltons. And…yeah. Do not want.

  51. TheOneWhoKnocks:
    So did Liam just confirm Jon comes back in episode 1?

    LOL. Pretty much. He also pretty much “confirmed” that Davos and Mel are Team You Know Who this season…

  52. Love Liam! I could be wrong but I get a feeling he could be a fellow traveler (nerd) like myself and many other here 🙂 Sure hope he’s not one of the goners by end of the season.

  53. I can’t wait to hear

    Ghost’s sad, angry howling. I wonder if the silent Ghost will do the same in the books. I don’t even remember where Ghost was during FTW.

    Liam’s tvline interview was a good read. I like how Liam reminded us of Davos’ humble beginnings. He isn’t a fighter. Does he even have a sword?

  54. Boudica:
    It almost sounds as if he is insinuating that Jon will be resurrected in the first episode. That would surprise me a bit. I thought that Jon would rather perhaps be resurrected in the second episode, since the first episode will be viewed by a few people two weeks in advance. Jon’s resurrection would quickly be spoiled. But perhaps it just does not matter it might not be their main concern, it does seem like he has a lot to do this season.

    Or perhaps the first episode will be a fight between Ser Alliser group and Davos’s group. It seems like Davos will really have an interesting role this season. It is good to have Jon and Davos working together, they are really two characters who you could imagine would get along.

    It is really starting to sound like it could be a great season.

    Yeah, I always assumed they would push the resurrection to Ep 2 as the premiere would be held in advance and having the resurrection in the premiere would lead to it being spoiled in advance. However it looks like it is happening in the premiere itself. I will happy if that happens, we all know he is coming back, there is no point in dragging this for weeks.
    Very much looking forward to the Jon-Davos-Mel trio.
    I think it will be a great season too.

  55. Just putting out there that the entire Maggy the Frog prophecy is a fine example of shitty writing to try to manufacture understandable motivation for a character as shallow as Cersei. She’s so damn cardboard that once it got late in the game, something had to be done. It’s always read to me like Martin went, “Shit, I gotta have some reason for this crazy character to be so fucking crazy. I know, I’ll write a prophecy and that will explain everything. Abracadabra shazam presto-chango. It’s fixed!”

    Only it’s dumb. The entire prophecy is dumb. It has all the writing complexity of the short stories I wrote in 8th grade. I was so disappointed to see any of it in the show. I was happy D&D cut the valonqar part and hope that means it’s just another red herring.

    The “another, younger and more beautiful” part at least has some interesting wording to it. Especially as everyone and their mother assumes “another” refers to an actual queen.

    Someone needs to do a ritual burning of that prophecy. And by “someone” I mean the chubby, bearded guy in suspenders and a stupid hat.

  56. Rygritte: He is intelligent, charming, enthusiastic, reliable & everyone else is dead. He could be a GoT ambassador for the rest of his life.

    Yes, and Liam seems to enjoy and understand the show and the story of which he is a part. Unlike Dillane, who wanted no part of the publicity and obviously wouldn’t make an effective spokesperson for GoT. A bit off-topic, but when I read the interview with Dillane on the other thread, I was amused. His personality was perfect for Stannis. All I could think of was that scene with Melisandre when he snorted “I said the words, damn it.” That’s the actor and the character in a nutshell. I really like Davos/Liam and hope he makes it all the way to the end.

  57. Rygritte,

    Read the whole tvline article/interview and I love the way he set things straight about the tone at the end of the trailer….without actually coming out and giving it away he does allude to what’s going on in that little scene and it’s what many of us surmised. Not really spoilerish when you think about it logically as he also pointed out.

  58. Really its just me worried about this runing time of the first 3 episodes??

    Season 6 has more plots than ever. And the first 3 episodes has just 50, 54 and 53 minutes. Like WTF???

    really its bizarre. Its too short.

  59. Aguero,

    It’s said the typical episode length is 55 minutes, that’s about what I thought, but yeah these 3 all fall short of the average. It might have been edited that way for a reason and the last ones will tack on the extra time. We shall see 🙂

  60. Motherofmadness,

    Wow, did he!? Must have missed that article!
    Lena doesn’t surprise me though. She’s such a tease she could probably convince us she died back in Season 4 and we didn’t notice.

    Man I’m so pumped for Season 6. Gonna need some Xanax when I hear the theme song for the first time!

  61. Jarl Stark,

    They’ve given us 1 year with dead Jon … It’s had the whole world questioning his death and what may or may not follow … See I’m doing it too … Even the most hardcore fan has had a tiny doubt

  62. TheOneWhoKnocks,

    Don’t cough at my Jaime! 🙂 The Stranger can have all the Lannisters he wants (welcome to take Cersei!), even the unofficial ones (sorry, Tommen!), but let Jaime stay a little longer…

  63. Mhysa7:
    Motherofmadness,

    Wow, did he!? Must have missed that article!
    Lena doesn’t surprise me though. She’s such a tease she could probably convince us she died back in Season 4 and we didn’t notice.

    He didn’t actually let it slip, he tweeted to his friends in one gym in Belfast that he will see them next year, and i guess the fans look all his tweets and saw this.
    He could lie to fans, but why lie to a respond to some of his friends, and why he would visit Belfast next year? Unless he will play the dead body too.
    Peter also said that everyone dies but Lannisters are survivors or something.
    The only thing is that with BWB and Throros back…we will get spoiled if Jaime survives LSH or not.

  64. I still kind of think that Jon wont be resurrected in the first episode. They might have Melisandre fail at first to resurrect jon, so that some people think that he will stay dead. Hopefully they wont drag it out for too long.

  65. Winter rose:
    With the amount of press Liam is doing, I think Davos is going to die. It seems like he is going to have a big session so I think he dies in Ep 9. I’ll have my box of tissues ready.

    Well, someone important on the “good” side is sure to die in the big battle. It remains to be seen who exactly.

  66. A part of me thinks that Davos survives the season because there is nobody else who can take up the position as Jon’s adviser. He still has more plot to go through (thank you Mel’s visions). Or maybe I’m just too optimistic for our Onion knight. My guess is that Tormund is a goner together with some Northern Lords (from the good side).

  67. crimethink,

    Wrong. Ned Stark was a false protagonist, and Stannis, Robert and Robb weren’t even POV characters. Stannis was a secondary character, as was Robert Baratheon, and Robb’s importance was nowhere close to that of Tyrion, Daenerys, Arya, Bran, Sansa and Jon. Those 6 are the ones with the Valyrian plot armour. 5 of them (I think Sansa was out) were even the only ones to make it through to the end in Martin’s initial draft of the story. Cersei is a big character but her days are numbered.

  68. My death predictions for season 6:

    Cersei, Kevan, Pycelle, Lancel, Tommen, High Sparrow, Tormund, Roose, Walda, Wun Wun, Olly, Alliser, Podrick, Daario, Grey Worm, Balon, The Waif

  69. crimethink: King Rob, Ned Stark, Robb Stark, and Stannis have all been primary protagonists

    Only one of those, Ned, has actually been a primary protagonist in the books. It’s not as clearly defined in the show, in which you could arguably include Robb. But you could only count Stannis and Robert if you’re REALLY stretching the definition of “primary protagonist” to the point that it merely means “part of the main cast” —which also includes the likes of Gilly, Jaqen and Ellaria. Stannis and Robert are certainly major characters played by starring cast members, and both are quite important people in-universe —But that doesn’t make them primary protagonists, not by a long shot. Robert couldn’t possibly be considered a protagonist of any sort, and Stannis would be a secondary protagonist at best. And that’s on the show! In the books there is not even a discussion to be had, as neither of them are point of view characters.

  70. r-hard:
    My death predictions for season 6:

    Cersei, Kevan, Pycelle, Lancel, Tommen, High Sparrow, Tormund, Roose, Walda, Wun Wun, Olly, Alliser, Podrick, Daario, Grey Worm, Balon, The Waif

    I think Cersei and Grey Worm will definitely survive the season, and I hope/expect Tormund and Pod will as well. As for the others… Yup, they’re probably dead. Deader than dead.

  71. Off topic but I just remembered a theory I had awhile back after Kill the boy episode that I had forgotten about and wanted to get others thoughts. When Jorah/Tyrion go through Valarya one of them says the waters are called the smoking sea (salt and smoke?) And i knoe theres something about waking dragons from stone, now Jorah has greyscale (for what purpose?) And Jon killed the WW with sword that would have gone to Jorah. This gives me the feeling that our favorite loyal Danaerys supporter has a bigger role to play in future maybe. Could he be one of the 3 heads of the dragon? Im probably getting the prophecies and legends mixed up though.

  72. Jerkface:
    Am I the only one getting sick Liam Cunningham? Seriously dude will do anything to grab some ink.

    Its pathetic.

    Well I’m not sick of him – though you may be trolling. It could just be that he is a member of the cast who has time to do the PR – other members of the cast may be busy with other projects. Or he might have been asked to do PR by powers that be behind the scenes. He’s never come across to me as somebody who is overly fond of the sound of his own voice.

  73. harlequeen:
    crimethink,

    Wrong. Ned Stark was a false protagonist, and Stannis, Robert and Robb weren’t even POV characters. Stannis was a secondary character, as was Robert Baratheon, and Robb’s importance was nowhere close to that of Tyrion, Daenerys, Arya, Bran, Sansa and Jon. Those 6 are the ones with the Valyrian plot armour. 5 of them (I think Sansa was out) were even the only ones to make it through to the end in Martin’s initial draft of the story. Cersei is a big character but her days are numbered.

    What is now the “Valyrian Plot Armour”, and how Sansa or Arya has one?? Only Dany and Jon (as R+L=J) have connection with Valyria.
    Cersei wasn’t even in the first draft, how do you know her importance in Martin’s mind? Cersei ( and by saying that i have no problem if she dies now) is as important character as Arya or Sansa… unless they are Targ bastards too and will ride some dragons! I can’t see any foreshadowing for the big battle or what they will do there.
    Even Jaime got a dream of glowing swords, Sansa and Arya have nothing to connect them to the battle.
    Jon said to Arya that they will find her dead when the winter ends or something,and Jon isn’t prophet…but still we talk about her death now.

  74. Luka Nieto: I think Cersei and Grey Worm will definitely survive the season, and I hope/expect Tormund and Pod will as well. As for the others… Yup, they’re probably dead. Deader than dead.

    Tormund is the only recognisable Wildling face on the show. So, if the Wildlings are going to remain a factor on the show going forward, he will be kept alive, I guess.

    I keep reading that there will be big deaths in the battle of the bastards. But there seem to be very few people who would qualify for these big deaths. Jon and Sansa are safe, Tormund will likely be safe as he is the face of the Wildlings. Rickon is the most unsafe I think, but he would not really qualify as a big death. This only leaves Davos, unfortunately 🙁 . And Ramsey on the Bolton side. Roose will probably have died before the battle. I can’t really see the battle being that heavy in terms of casualties?

  75. I really don’t think it would be relevant for Loras to be the first Tyrell to die. His family would lose any prospect of furthering their name and would just make their luggages and go home. I think he will he get disfigured by the Sparrows just like in Dragonstone. But I’m fairly certain Olenna will die this season. It will be her fourth season and semi-major characters mostly die at this point such as Stannis or Tywin. Besides a lot of tension has been built between her and Cersei and it was teased that they were going to have an epic showdown this season.
  76. Reading these posts really remind me that I want:

    1: A character with “Valyrian plot armor” to die in TWOW and S6. The more unexpected and devious, the better.

    2: Stannis to win it all and Cersei to live to the end

    3: For ADOS to have the same ending as S8…only to have an epilogue that flips everything on its head, Sixth Sense style.

    4: One of the crazier fan theories (High Sparrow, Euron, Benjen, Daario, etc) to be true

    5: LSH to play a major role in the arcs of not just Brienne and Jamie (basically a given at this point) but some of her children. Also, appear on TV.

  77. ghost of winterfell:
    Rickon is the most unsafe I think, but he would not really qualify as a big death.

    I think for a lot of people he would qualify as a big death solely because of his surname.

  78. Sansa’s Knight,

    I suppose that counts… just seems a bit strange if he’s dead for less than 50 minutes of screen time. Regardless of how or when it happens, I won’t be complaining!

  79. crimethink,

    One rule of thumb: although not all point-of-view characters are protagonists, all protagonists are point-of-view characters. What makes a character a protagonist is if his/her personal evolution creates the story or part of it. It is not what they do (plot) but why they do it (character developments), and how/why that”why” changes (dynamic character development).

  80. I have a sneaking suspicion that the 50 minute premier duration is a ruse. If there is some form of preview of just that episode for press, then maybe it’s the first 50 minutes that are shown, and the final scene, featuring Jon’s resurrection, is clipped until the real broadcast.

  81. Luka Nieto,

    I’m not sure how Gilly or Jaqen can be considered as crucial as Stannis or Robb, but I guess it’s all subjective.

    After Feast and Dance, getting a pov chapter means little. Hotah gets pov chapters, but Stannis does not. Meanwhile, Littlefinger, possibly the primary human antagonist of the novels, gets no pov. Cersei, another antagonist (imo) does get a pov. That fact, alone, does not make Cersei more important than Littlefinger.

  82. Jon Snow’s Curling Iron:
    Curious to see who everyone thinks will die this season:

    My choices:

    I think a dragon’s gonna bite it this year.

    My other [mis]educated guesses:

    Tommen, Cersei, Mel, Asha, Tormund, Ramsey, Roose, Walda+baby, Loras, Edmund, and most of the remaining Dothraki khals.
  83. Jarl Stark:
    I thought they’d give us at least one episode with dead Jon…

    He’s been dead since 2011 for me! Let’s get ‘er done. I’m done waiting. 😉

  84. Davos taking down Thorne would be magic.
    I’m nervous about who the flayed people are though.

  85. Maria: I’m not sure how Gilly or Jaqen can be considered as crucial as Stannis or Robb, but I guess it’s all subjective.

    They all are secondary characters who act as foils for getting a protagonist make story. In all cases, they create dilemmas for someone (Catelyn, Davos & then Jon, Sam, Arya) in which there appear to be 2+ conflicting options that force the protagonist to make some choice about which “wrong” is the greater wrong. If any of them are “lesser,” then it because they are foils for lesser protagonists.

    Maria: After Feast and Dance, getting a pov chapter means little. Hotah gets pov chapters, but Stannis does not.

    It did not mean “nothing.” GRRM was introducing a number of new protagonists in Crows/Dragons. Protagonists need to be developed: you have to know who they are to appreciate who they are becoming. One way to do this quickly is to use 3rd party PoV to provide us with subjective and objective details about the new protagonist. So, Hotah’s chapters were there in an attempt to develop Arianne rapidly so that she could contribute as much to the story as established characters such as Jaime, Cersei and Brienne.

    This does not alter the rule that all protagonists are PoV characters any more than the existence of black crows alters the rule that all ravens are black.

    Maria: Cersei, another antagonist (imo) does get a pov. That fact, alone, does not make Cersei more important than Littlefinger.

    Cersei is a protagonist in the Crows/Dragons story. She has her own “kill the girl, let the woman be born” arc, in which basically the petulant spoiled girl wins.

    Regarding the antagonists, yes, there are some characters who are antagonists for other characters, and some protagonists are antagonists for other protagonists. However, the #1 antagonist for all of the main characters is that character him/herself. GRRM hails very much from the Faulkner school of storytelling, in which the real problems that Jon/Daeny/Tyrion/Arya/Bran/etc. face are because of internal conflicts in their own values, emotions, goals, etc. It is the old “yourself as your worst enemy” scenario that is so common in modern literature (even if not in fantasy literature).

  86. harlequeen: Ned Stark was a false protagonist

    That actually might be true: there is such a thing as a faux protagonist, and Ned Stark fits that description very well. Moreover, we really did not get a well-developed Ned: he had a lot of secrets that motivated him, after all.

    Still, the first story was one about conflicted morals or values. Ned ultimately dies because he’s trapped between multiple “thou shalt always do X” values: honoring primogeniture, protecting his family and protecting the realm. He cannot do all at once, and he dies as a result.

    So, perhaps we can think of Ned as a faux protagonist for the over-arching story but a true protagonist for the first story.

  87. Sean C.,

    Hmm maybe. Another Stark death would be very sad and it will probably be hard to watch, like Shireen’s death, but it would not really seem like a big death for me.

  88. Winter rose,

    Oich! That is a sad possibility with this show. Being positive,however, he may be doing lots of press because Kit and Sam, who usually were the spokesmen for the Wall story cannot talk about it any more. So its Carice’s and Liam’s turn to tease season 6 at the Wall.

  89. r-hard:
    My death predictions for season 6:

    Cersei, Kevan, Pycelle, Lancel, Tommen, High Sparrow, Tormund, Roose, Walda, Wun Wun, Olly, Alliser, Podrick, Daario, Grey Worm, Balon, The Waif

    Cersei will definitely survive Season 6! 😀 I also have a gut feeling that Greyworm will survive, but Daario (revealed as the leader of the SotHs) will bite it. I am also pretty sure Olenna will be a goner.

  90. Death prediction and spoiler for Telltale’s first episode:

    What if Rickon meets the same fate as Ethan at hands of Ramsay? That would
    be infuriating again and awesome too. And Mel sacrificing herself to make Longclaw into new Lightbringer? Hmm
  91. Rodario,

    Rickon was already “killed” once – at least we were supposed to think he was dead, when Theon hanged two burned children in Winterfell. Killing Rickon again would be a repetition, at least until he develops into a full-scale character which I don’t see happening this season. So IMO he is more or less safe.

  92. Inga:
    Rodario,

    Rickon was already “killed” once – at least we were supposed to think he was dead, when Theon hanged two burned children in Winterfell. Killing Rickon again would be a repetition, at least until he develops into a full-scale character which I don’t see happening this season. So IMO he is more or less safe.

    although WE (the viewers) knew in the next episode of that season that Rickon was alive when Maester Lewin found Osha/Bran/Rickon in the Winterfell crypts… character wise Rickon being “found” and then actually, truly killed would be quite a blow to the Stark Loyalist and/or family members he may be reunited with .

    to me that is a “big” death….besides the fact they will most likely spend all season making us love this kid so we will all be like “NOOOO”..even though we will see it coming a mile away

  93. Davos Dayne,

    I think your speculation might be spot on! Looking at what he said:

    You’re going to have at least one rather very large one in [episode] 1, but that’s all I’m going to tell you.

    one might infer that it is not a Major Character one as that would be “breaking the internet” type (see Jon Snow last season teasing). But Ser Aliser Thorne could be consider a pretty large presence at the Wall. And it does look like he’s about to burst in where Davos is doing his sword trick (or whatever it is) over Jon’s body.

    I cannot imagine who else could be “rather very large one” in first ep. We know everyone else is alive in next eps by casting reports or putting together filming news… Ser Thorne though, I didn’t see anything after ep 1 that I can remember about.

  94. Rodario,

    When watching the trailer, one of the first things that came to mind after seeing Mel beginning to undress was that she was doing it for the greater good. The worry fear on her face makes me think her end is near and Lightbringer will take her place.

  95. MeeraReed,

    I agree on the greater good. My impression from the trailer scene was that she is unwillingly seducing Thorne or one of his men to buy some time for Davos’ team Jon rescue thing. Like Osha did. Something goes wrong but she needs to survive until the aftermath at least. There’s still the Arya foreshadowing though.

  96. I think it’s very likely the resurrection will happen in the first episode. When Jon got stabbed at the end of last season, it wasn’t just GOT fans and casual watchers who were aware. Nearly everyone in the country knew his fate. Even my grandma- who doesn’t have a TV – knew what happened to Jon Snow.

    The ratings for the first episode are going to be off the charts for HBO. I would think that if the return of our favorite Stark is drawn out over a few episodes, some of the casual viewers will begin to lose interest. Whereas if the resurrection happens in the first episode, casual viewers will stick around – they will want to see Jon get revenge and what he does with he second chance. And I do think HBO does like to get the viewer numbers as high as possible. Obviously.

    As to the premiere and spoilers getting out, that is an easy fix. Considering the first episode is on the shorter side, and the resurrection will likely happen at the end of the episode, the premiere episode could easily be edited to end just before the resurrection. Also, the scenes which are not cut could be timed to match the stated episode length. Maybe one or two scenes which were cut originally would remain to take the place of the rebirth of our hero.

    When the reviews from the premiere come out, people will say Jon is dead. But they will also say it appears Mel & the Onion Knight are trying to do something about that.

    Then when everyone tunes in on the 24th, everyone will be pleasantly surprised. 🙂

  97. Everything so far has me so excited for this season. I know the cast’s job is to big-up the new season, but even so, these interviews have only gone to get me more hyped up. I mean can it be true that the battle this season will “… blow out of the water what has happened in the previous seasons combined”?! If any show can out-do itself in such a way, it’s GoT.
    Oh, and of course it sounds like this season will probably be bloody too, even by GoT standards, which is always exciting.

  98. Inga: Killing Rickon again would be a repetition, at least until he develops into a full-scale character which I don’t see happening this season. So IMO he is more or less safe.

    Rickon never is going to become a full-scale character. However, you do hit an important nail on the head: killing Rickon is not going to have much impact on the audience at this point. It also should not have much impact on the people in the show. I think one idea was that Ramsay would be trying to shock the enemy northerners by burning or killing their young lord: but that leaves out that the only ones who know that he’s alive are the Umbers. Moreover, the audience would have a tough time buying that people would recognize him given that most of them will not recognize him.

    MeeraReed: . I would think that if the return of our favorite Stark is drawn out over a few episodes, some of the casual viewers will begin to lose interest. Whereas if the resurrection happens in the first episode, casual viewers will stick around

    At this point, it would take more than one screw up to lose the audience. However, I do agree that having some drawn out saga for reviving Jon will be a big screwup that could hurt people’s interest.

    But as for the ratings, we should expect what we had last year. Episode 1 will be “must see” TV and get really high ratings. Regardless of how good Episode 1 is, episode 2 probably will get much lower ratings. It will not be that Week 1 viewers are going to quit watching: instead, a lot of them will be watching it later on HBOGo or HBONow or on their DVR or something like that. A lot of people really like binge watching series like this: so, a lot of them might well wait a few weeks, and then watch 3 or 4 in a row.

  99. MeeraReed,

    True. The Walking Dead had a similar cliffhanger on their hands with one of their fan favorites and they kept delaying the reveal. I remember they got a lot of flack from fans and critics and the eventual reveal wasn’t as surprising or exciting.

  100. trarecar,

    There’s a chance, but I really hope not. I think he’s an amazing character for being an amazing character. I don’t want him to be an amazing character for having Targ blood.

    Jon is the secret Targ, and I hope there aren’t any others, despite all this talk about “the dragon has three heads.” Maybe it’s just wishful thinking on my part.

  101. Looper: There’s a chance, but I really hope not. I think he’s an amazing character for being an amazing character. I don’t want him to be an amazing character for having Targ blood.

    Well, it would be surprising if the Lannisters had no Targaryen ancestry: the upper houses would probably all be pretty interbred.

    That written, I am almost certain that GRRM said that not all of the three heads have to be Targaryens. They just need a dragon to like them in a non-lunch sort of way.

  102. This sounds a whole lot like they’re bringing Jon back pretty early on, and him saying that Davos isn’t a leader has scuppered my idea that he was going to be the new Lord Commander. Shame. Still, him and Jon working together sounds awesome.

    As for predictions about who’s going to die: Melisandre, Cersei, Tommen, Jorah, Daario (after being unmasked as The Harpy), Loras, Brienne, The Mountain, Roose, Walda and Tormund. None of this is going to matter though, because a way bigger problem is going to be heading in from the North.

    I know some people are convinced Jaime is going to die, but nope. He’s got as much plot armour as Dany and Tyrion. Why? Because along with Jon and Dany he’s the third head of the dragon.

  103. Red Nightmare,

    The priestess is talking about Dany. She says the savior is a “she” and then calls the savior “the Dragon Queen.” The stare of foreshadowing to Tyrion could mean anything. She could see he’s going to meet Dany. She could see him riding a dragon. I’m definitely not going to read into one stare as “omg Tryion is a Targ.”

    As for Tywin’s line… Tyrion has just shot him. Tywin disowned him. There’s a small chance of a hidden meaning, but no, I don’t read into it at this moment without more information.

    Personally, I don’t want to find out Tyrion is a Targ. His character is fantastic without having some deep secret to discover. I also don’t totally shut down any chance of him having such a secret, I just hope he doesn’t. I don’t want Roose to be a face-changing vampire either, but I still see why some people have that theory too.

  104. Red Nightmare: Also remember Tywin’s last words to Tyrion “you are no son of mine”. Tyrion Targaryen is definitely an end game player.

    And what about Jaime? Tywin says the same thing to him. It is as if Tywin says this sort of thing when he’s pissed off at his kids.

    Looper: I don’t want Roose to be a face-changing vampire either, but I still see why some people have that theory too

    Fan-fiction? Seriously, there is nothing in the books to suggest that. For one thing, there is nothing in the book to suggest that there are vampires in Westeros.

  105. Wimsey,

    I see you got my point. If Rickon is killed in Ep9, he will appear in no more that 4 episodes. Shereen’s character was developed throughout three seasons to make us care for her. So, killing Rickon would be almost the same as killing Barra in S2 Ep1 and even not that shocking, because in S6 Rickon will be rather a teenager, than and innocent child. Therefore, killing Rickon would be a bad story telling. Of cause, he may end up in the hands of Ramsay and be killed just to give Jon and Sansa more suffering, but that would be bad story telling as well, because they have already suffered enough.
    I have my own theory concerning the flayed man we saw on the trailer. I have a feeling that it might be Roose Bolton and that he will be flayed not by Ramsay, but by the Starks. In the trailer the flayed man was shown as if opposing Melisandre’s words that the victory she had seen was a lie. Besides that that would be a good story telling. First of all, Ramsay needs his father dead but he can’t just kill him in broad daylight: his last bannermen would leave him immediately. However, if he could arrange Roose being captured by the Starks, that would be a perfect solution. Besides that, it would be time for the Starks to face some temptations of power. Remember Joffrey’s quote from the teaser-trailer: everyone is mine to torment? So far, Sansa was only a victim, whereas Jon was killing only bad guys and never tormented anyone – even Janos Slynt. So, just as Daenerys in S5, he and/or Sansa have to do something really cruel to become less perfect and more realistic. So, making them to flay Roose would be a good solution: the audience would want that, but when it happens, it will pity the man just like Joffrey.
    However, I don’t have an idea who could be the other person on the cross in case of such scenario. Definitely, not the fat Walda (I don’t know why so many people want her dead – I still hope that she survives). The thing that confuses me is that the crosses were put in a rather big distance from each other. Maybe, both sides will flay hostages after failing to exchange them? There is a lot of possibilities and of cause my predictions may be totally wrong.

  106. lp,

    I like the Sansa line here because she is the character most unlikely to oppose her and the one Cersei least suspects again Westeros may not remain seven kingdoms and so Sansa maybe Queen in the North. I also suspect Dany along with Jon will have to make a sacrifice to facilitate the re-calibration of Planetos.

  107. Wimsey,

    They all are secondary characters who act as foils for getting a protagonist make story.

    Using a definition to consign all foils to “secondary character” status flattens the field in a very unrealistic way. Edd and Stannis are both secondary characters. The label doesn’t change the fact that killing Stannis is far more important than killing Edd. One character is simply more important than the other.

    Regarding the antagonists, yes, there are some characters who are antagonists for other characters, and some protagonists are antagonists for other protagonists. However, the #1 antagonist for all of the main characters is that character him/herself.

    It’s a given that character determines outcome. However, assuming that character is the primary determiner of outcome reeks of magical thinking: If we’re strong enough (or positive thinking enough or hard working enough or smart enough or cunning enough) then we can overcome any adversity! Not true. There’s a world outside of the individual, and that world affects the fate of that individual as much as anything else. Littlefinger is that world. Think about where the story would be if Brandon Stark had managed to kill Littlefinger. It would be completely different, on Westeros, at least. Or think Kevan and Varys.

  108. Red Nightmare,

    The whole thing with Tywin saying to Tyrion that he was “No son of mine” was, I believe, ironic. Tyrion is absolutely Tywin’s son, right down to his ability to run a kingdom whilst the King/Queen drinks/whores/gets themselves taken prisoner. He just didn’t want to accept that he could possibly have fathered such a ‘monstrosity’, which is the hubris that ultimately turns Tyrion into his nemesis. Where it gets really ironic is that there is a fairly substantial question mark over the parentage of the twins, and more specifically his golden boy, Jaime. His and Cersei’s incestuous relationship alone is a big clue that they’re the other secret Targs. All the speculation that she’ll probably go mad and turn bloodthirsty this season is the other. The amusing thing about this theory? Both Tyrion and Jaime would have killed their fathers.

    I don’t think Tyrion will ever be a dragon rider. That job will fall to Dany, Jon and Jaime IMHO. His role will be as Hand of the King/Queen and to wield the real power after the White Walkers are defeated. In effect, the greatest, most difficult job in the kingdom will fall on the person with the littlest shoulders.

  109. Maria: One character is simply more important than the other.

    For the plot, yes. For the story, no.

    Maria: It’s a given that character determines outcome.

    Character determining outcome is not the issue: it’s character driving story that is the issue here. That written, we should expect the big climaxes of the story to hinge on the characters. SoI&F is a story about Damned if You Do, Damned if You Do Not Quandaries: and the plot climax will reflect this.

  110. DanTheMan:
    I wonder how much different S6 is going to be especially since the show is beyond the books now.
    Guess we can expect a better episode than Hardhome.

    Is it even possible for something to be bigger and better than Hardhomme? I’ll believe it when I see it.

    But I love Liam for all these quotes!!!

  111. crimethink:
    kit_hepburn,

    Cersei has already been replaced as queen, by Margaery.That part of the prophecy is in the bank, as it were.

    Thanks to Myrcella being killed off with no crown, the only possible event remaining from the show version of Maggie’s prophecy is Tommen’s golden shroud.I personally think Zombie Tommen is the Valonqar too, but of course that part wasn’t in the show.

    I always interpreted “crowns of gold” as meaning they would all have blond hair, i.e. “full-blooded” Lannisters.

  112. Dani:

    Where it gets really ironic is that there is a fairly substantial question mark over the parentage of the twins, and more specifically his golden boy, Jaime. His and Cersei’s incestuous relationship alone is a big clue that they’re the other secret Targs. All the speculation that she’ll probably go mad and turn bloodthirsty this season is the other. The amusing thing about this theory? Both Tyrion and Jaime would have killed their fathers.

    I speculated a while back on the old site about Jaime and Cersei being the result of heteropaternal superfecundation, a rare occurrence in which fraternal twins can have different fathers. The unanswered question: Tywin would be the father of one, Aerys the other – but who fathered which twin? We’d never know for sure.

    Jaime as a dragon rider would be surprising and kind of cool. I never considered that. Arya or Tyrion seem the most likely candidates as the third dragon rider – with Brienne as my dark horse pick. 🙂

  113. I agree with LordDavos. Cersei has to see it happen. If that woman is not Margaery, it has to be either Sansa or Daenarys (or it can be the three of them)

    LordDavos:
    I’ve always thought Cersei’s prophesy means she has to be around and functioning when the younger, more beautiful woman gets the better of her. That’s most likely Sansa or Dany so Cersei is safe for this year.

    As for the departing characters this season I made a list in the Hall of Faces post a few weeks back :
    My prediction (29 main characters) #SpeakTheName

    The North (6+)
    Aliser Thorne
    Roose Bolton
    Walda Bolton
    Rickon Stark
    Osha
    Melisandre
    ( a handful of northern lords in the final battle)

    Iron Islands (2)
    Balon Greyjoy
    Theon Greyjoy

    Riverlands and the Vale (5+)
    Edmund Tully (or) The Blackfish
    Lord Walder Frey
    Sickly lord Robyn Aryn
    Bronn
    Podrick Payne
    ( a handful of Vale lords in the final battle in the North)

    Kingslanding (6)
    Tommen
    Gregor Clegane
    Grand Maester Pycelle
    Kevan Lannister
    Mace Tyrell
    Loras Tyrell

    Dorne (4)
    Ellaria Sand
    One or two of the three Sand Snakes, Tyene or Nym; (imo they should only keep Obara played by Keisha Castle Hughes)
    Trystane Martell

    Across the narrow sea (5)
    The Waif and/or Jaqhen (but does HE die really ?)
    Jorah Mormont
    Greyworm
    Missandei

    ===
    And I seriously hesitated to add Davos and/or Brienne… I think that Littlefinger is still safe for a while… Other ??? concern Meera Reed and Hodor. Will they make it this season and if yes, how (and why would they, why does the story need them now?) ?

  114. Jaime as a dragon rider? That’s a new one. What plot armour do you think he has that gives any indication of this? And how would he even be able to ride one with only one hand?

    I reckon his fate is tied to Cersei (especially on the show): they came into the world holding hands, that’s how they’ll leave. After she goes batshit, after the burning and by his golden hand etc.

    I know folks think it’s a clichéd theory (and that’s only because we’ve discussed it so often) but it works really well from a narrative perspective nonetheless- and will make for great drama on-screen.

    Dani:
    Red Nightmare,

    The whole thing with Tywin saying to Tyrion that he was “No son of mine” was, I believe, ironic. Tyrion is absolutely Tywin’s son, right down to his ability to run a kingdom whilst the King/Queen drinks/whores/gets themselves taken prisoner. He just didn’t want to accept that he could possibly have fathered such a ‘monstrosity’, which is the hubris that ultimately turns Tyrion into his nemesis. Where it gets really ironic is that there is a fairly substantial question mark over the parentage of the twins, and more specifically his golden boy, Jaime. His and Cersei’s incestuous relationship alone is a big clue that they’re the other secret Targs.All the speculation that she’ll probably go mad and turn bloodthirsty this season is the other. The amusing thing about this theory? Both Tyrion and Jaime would have killed their fathers.

    I don’t think Tyrion will ever be a dragon rider. That job will fall to Dany, Jon and Jaime IMHO. His role will be as Hand of the King/Queen and to wield the real power after the White Walkers are defeated. In effect, the greatest, most difficult job in the kingdom will fall on the person with the littlest shoulders.

  115. Flora Linden: I speculated a while back on the old site about Jaime and Cersei being the result of heteropaternal superfecundation, a rare occurrence in which fraternal twins can have different fathers. The unanswered question: Tywin would be the father of one, Aerys the other – but who fathered which twin? We’d never know for sure.

    Jaime as a dragon rider would be surprising and kind of cool. I never considered that. Arya or Tyrion seem the most likely candidates as the third dragon rider – with Brienne as my dark horse pick.

    We can put to bed the theory that Jaime and Cersei are Targ bastards (in the books at least) from TWOIAF book. This places Joanna and Aerys in different parts of Westero making it very clear they do not interact then. So a watertight alibi there.

    The book also has them both at court when Tyrion is concieved (and even mentions Aerys lust towards Joanna).

    So whether Tyrion is or isn’t a Targ is still debatable, and will continue to be until one person clarifies it- which I doubt he ever will.

    I think (and hope) it’ll continue to be one of those mysteries and I wouldn’t be surprised if D&D keep that mystery alive by not having the dragons toast Tyrion when he pays them a visit.

  116. Apollo: We can put to bed the theory that Jaime and Cersei are Targ bastards (in the books at least) from TWOIAF book. This places Joanna and Aerys in different parts of Westero making it very clear they do not interact then. So a watertight alibi there.

    The book also has them both at court when Tyrion is concieved (and even mentions Aerys lust towards Joanna).

    So whether Tyrion is or isn’t a Targ is still debatable, and will continue to be until one person clarifies it- which I doubt he ever will.

    I think (and hope) it’ll continue to be one of those mysteries and I wouldn’t be surprised if D&D keep that mystery alive by not having the dragons toast Tyrion when he pays them a visit.

    The lust was reported on her wedding night with Tywin.
    Tywin was still hand of the king when the twins were concieved , that means he had to meet somehow with Joanna…and she actually visited Red Keep “seldomly”.
    What we can put in bed is Tyrion being son of Aerys.
    Aerys cared too much for the twins…. he didn’t give a damn for Tyrion, and actually he humiliated Joanna 2 years before Tyrion was born, no reports of visits after.
    There is actually no sign of Tyrion being a Targ, people just want this because he is cool..and cool means Targ? Don’t think so..
    Tyrion’s character is 100% Lannister and it doesn’t work thematically to have any other father than Tywin.
    IMO Jon is the only Targ bastard, but if i had to choose between Lannister children Jaime and Cersei fill more Targ boxes than Tyrion in any way. He will be between dragons in the book… fAegon, Dany and Jon…and he will be the small man with the big shadow, but i doupt he gets a dragon. If he releases the dragons this season, it’s because someone has to do it and Tyrion can’t die this season.
    Lastly Jaime’s fate is not so connected with Cersei, there is a book called “A Feast for Crows” where he let her die.

  117. Maggie,

    No. These are the timelines from TWOIAF:

    263: Tywin marries Joanna at KL (where Aerys makes innappropriate jests). She is expelled from court shortly after by Queen Rhaella.

    266: Jaime and Cersei are born (concieved at Casterley Rock in 265/65 while Joanna is still banished). Aerys summons them to court when the twins are old enough to travel.

    272: Lannisters go to KL and Aerys again offends Joanna.

    273: Tyrion is born.

    I’m not saying Tyrion is one or the other- but those dates are the fictional facts.

    The twins cannot be Tywins. Tyrion could possibly be with these dates. As I said, the book has deliberately cast suspicion on this and added fuel to the fire on this theory, regardless what our beliefs are.

  118. Apollo,

    Tyrion is not Aerys. Jaime and Cersei also not Aerys but Joanna did visited KL seldom, so no theory can be proven false
    He would have used him to humiliate Tywin, Tywin would have killed him with the first chance. Instead he like Tywin was all focused on the twins and never gave a second thought on Tyrion. Tyrion’s only interesting relationship so far was the one was his father Tywin.
    Also TWOIAF is not fact, it’s biased written to favor of Tywin and Tywin would love it if he wasn’t the father of Tyrion, he said so many times, he would have used this in a smart way if it was true, while nobody can take his golden heir from him.

  119. Maggie:
    Apollo,

    Tyrion is not Aerys. Jaime and Cersei also not Aerys but Joanna did visited KL seldom, so no theory can be proven false
    He would have used him to humiliate Tywin, Tywin would have killed him with the first chance. Instead he like Tywin was all focused on the twins and never gave a second thought on Tyrion. Tyrion’s only interesting relationship so far was the one was his father Tywin.
    Also TWOIAF is not fact, it’s biased written to favor of Tywin and Tywin would love it if he wasn’t the father of Tyrion, he said so many times, he would have used this in a smart way if it was true, while nobody can take his golden heir from him.

    I never said at any point Tyrion was Aerys’.

    Where does it say that Joanna visited KL (seldomly) after 266? I can’t see any reference to that.

    The book isn’t fact you are correct there- but then none of this is, as its a fictional story.

    TWOIAF is however “authentic” or canon within this story, as GRRM has written some of it and has edited the book in its entirety. If the book leads us to certain suspicions it’s because that’s what the authors/co-authors have intended, for whatever reason. This is what I’ve been saying from the start.

  120. Maggie,

    Edit: I see now in the book it does say she “seldom” visited KL after she was banished. It didn’t say how often though- I’m inclined to think it was probably only once in 272. She certainly wouldn’t rock up in 265/66, so soon after the Queen had effectively banished her.

  121. Apollo: We can put to bed the theory that Jaime and Cersei are Targ bastards (in the books at least) from TWOIAF book

    If anything, then GRRM has made a different mistake where biology is concerned. Many people do not realize that you cannot have identical twins of both sexes: but Jaime and Cersei are described as looking nearly identical. I suspect that GRR does know this, and is instead playing with the idea that a lot of “fraternal” siblings look very similar to each other, and this would be exacerbated when the parents were cousins.

    An upshot of this is that their tight similarity between Jaime and Cersei makes the idea that they had different fathers extremely implausible. Either GRRM erred by making them impossible identical twins or GRRM was using the close relationship between Tywin and his wife to justify having a brother and sister look so much alike.

    (Of course, the two are identical twins in one sense: in the original outline, Jaime and Cersei were one character [Jaime], but GRRM subsequently had the literary zygote split into two!)

  122. Apollo: I reckon his fate is tied to Cersei (especially on the show): they came into the world holding hands, that’s how they’ll leave. After she goes batshit, after the burning and by his golden hand etc.

    Actually, “especially” in the books! Cersei foreshadows that she and Jaime will die at the same time there. That has not (yet) happened in the series.

  123. Wimsey: Actually, “especially” in the books!Cersei foreshadows that she and Jaime will die at the same time there.That has not (yet) happened in the series.

    So… are Jaime and Cersei GoT’s Londo and G’Kar!?!!!??! 😉

  124. Hariette Tuttle: I agree with LordDavos. Cersei has to see it happen.

    Given the MacBethian nature of how this prophecy is unraveling, what Cersei has to live to see is that her knowledge of the prophecy is what made it (or at least helped it) come true. If Cersei’s actions to prevent Margaery from becoming that person are what make it easier for Daeny to become that person, then we have the delicious irony (sort of like perfectly cooked top-notch steak) of the prophecy fulfilled by attempt to avert it.

    The only possible problem with carrying this off on TV is that Show!Cersei is a lot smarter than Book!Cersei. Book!Cersei is completely oblivious to Daeny: she is, after all, a person who fundamentally does not process things that she never personally has witnessed. However, Show!Cersei is aware of Daeny, and even aware that she is a potential threat. Still, Show!Cersei is portrayed as the type who focuses on what is in front of her without any larger vision: so perhaps it is not that huge a stretch that she would leave Daeny out. (Also, Show!Cersei is sort of like the Mother from the Wall: and her supramaternal obsession with her children seems to contribute to her obsession with Marg.)

  125. Mr Fixit: So… are Jaime and Cersei GoT’s Londo and G’Kar!?!!!??!

    Yes! (Seriously, I remember thinking that when I read Crows: it is my only pleasant memory of the book!)

    And remember: how Londo and G’Kar ultimately unfolded was nothing like what we expected it to be when we first glimpsed that future.

  126. Apollo,

    The thing with these timelines are that they’re always through the fallible eyes of the person who the chapter focuses on. They can be flawed. I’m not saying they are. Just that they can be. As to why I think Jaime is one of the dragon riders, and therefore a secret Targ (yeah I know GRRM says they don’t have to be Targs, but I think the fact Dany believes she’s ‘The Last Dragon’ is the central conceit of the series), well, there’s the symbolic rebirth when his hand was cut off. There’s Joffrey mocking him because his knightly achievements are limited to being the ‘Kingslayer’ which, in terms of plot progression, usually means that he’ll have done something heroic to fill his pages by the end of the series. There’s the mysterious dreams he has about his mother in the books. There’s also the fact that he’s the one who set the whole series in motion when he pushed Bran out of the window. In terms of character conventions, he still has to redeem himself for doing that. I actually think the fact he has one hand, and would therefore struggle to stay on a dragon’s back, could very well feed into his redemption. His arc could start with a cowardly push and end with a heroic fall, whilst Bran goes from falling to flying as the new three-eyed raven. There’s a link between their characters in that their enforced disability catalyses their transformation. Who knows? Maybe Tyrion will design a saddle for Jaime in the same way he did for Bran?

    I’m about 99% certain that Jaime is the Valonqar too. Whether Cersei or Brienne will be his Nissa Nissa is up for debate. Jon has his in Ygritte, and Dany her’s in Khal Drogo.

  127. Jon Snow’s Curling Iron: Tyrion and Dany have Valyrian steel plot armor at this point. I think the A-tier cast is safe this season.

    Could be Tommen. Could be Jaimie. Jaimie would be a perfect episode 10 bummer, just like Jon Snow last year. Oh and could be Cersai.

    In team Stark Rickon is high on the list.

  128. Noirgirl: I always interpreted “crowns of gold” as meaning they would all have blond hair, i.e. “full-blooded” Lannisters.

    So have I.

  129. Maggie: The lust was reported on her wedding night with Tywin.
    Tywin was still hand of the king when the twins were concieved , that means he had to meet somehow with Joanna…and she actually visited Red Keep “seldomly”.
    What we can put in bed is Tyrion being son of Aerys.
    Aerys cared too much for the twins…. he didn’t give a damn for Tyrion, and actually he humiliated Joanna 2 years before Tyrion was born, no reports of visits after.
    There is actually no sign of Tyrion being a Targ, people just want this because he is cool..and cool means Targ? Don’t think so..
    Tyrion’s character is 100% Lannister and it doesn’t work thematically to have any other father than Tywin.
    IMO Jon is the only Targ bastard, but if i had to choose between Lannister children Jaime and Cersei fill more Targ boxes than Tyrion in any way. He will be between dragons in the book… fAegon, Dany and Jon…and he will be the small man with the big shadow, but i doupt he gets a dragon. If he releases the dragons this season, it’s because someone has to do it and Tyrion can’t die this season.
    Lastly Jaime’s fate is not so connected with Cersei, there is a book called “A Feast for Crows” where he let her die.

    No, he burned the letter. Doesn’t mean he didn’t go to King’s Landing after that, changed his mind…

  130. crimethink,

    All the characters you named, minus Ned, never had their own point of view chapters in the books. While having a point of view chapter doesn’t make a person a main character in itself (a certain dead Martell who doesn’t appear in the show comes to mind), having many point of view chapters does – and the vast majority of characters with multiple books of point of view chapters are still alive (though far from well). There is still a substantial amount of plot armour for certain characters.

  131. lp: The more beautiful queen in the Cersei prophecy has to be Sansa in my opinion. She and Cersei have been set up from almost the beginning as dual characters. Sansa starts all the way down here, and Cersei all the way up here. And now we are beginning to see the flip. Cersei is falling, Sansa rising. Not to mention a fitting end and something typical of Martin’s writing patterns, for Sansa to depose Cersei utilizing the tools and characteristics that Cersei herself taught Sansa.

    This has been my opinion for a while as to who the more beautiful younger queen is going to be.

    OOH. I never thought of this, always assumed it was Dany. But I like this angle! Thanks

  132. Ghost can’t be dead because he has always been dead. Ghost is and has always been a white walker touched as a cub. Jon is also a white walker, their king.

    Charlotte Charles ikr I can’t handle anymore direwolf deaths and if Ghost goes I’ll be sad

    I would love bran to team up with the others, nothing screams the north remembers like an army of the undead.

    I presume that Brandon was seeing a vision or something just like when he followed the three eyed crow..that’s why he was standing.

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