Monday, June 27, 2016

The Winds of Winter was the capstone to the best season of Game of Thrones yet.

There are spoilers ahead for this season of Game of Thrones. Read at your own risk.

Game of Thrones ended it's best season yet last night with "The Winds of Winter." And to be fair, part of what made this season so great was that we saw so many incredible Game of Thrones theories come true. For one, we saw the biggest (about whether or not Jon Snow was a Targaryen) come true. The thing is, only Brandon Stark knows it, but I have a feeling he's going to be telling a lot more when he pops up south of the wall. We also saw Melisandre resurrect Jon Snow, and we saw that the White Walkers were created by the Children of the Forest. I think another theory that got hinted at (and might as well be canon at this point) is that it wasn't men who built the 800-foot wall of ice, but the Children of the Forest. Uncle Benjen in his newfound identity of Coldhands (another theory that came through this season) said that there were powerful spells embedded within its foundation to keep the dead from going south while it still stood. Gee, I wonder who could know so much about the White Walkers that they could create such a thing? The obvious answer is the ones who made them.

Other fan theories that came true (that were never revealed in the books)? Ser Gregor Clegane is in fact, Ser Robert Strong. Cersei Lannister does indeed burn all of her enemies in one fell swoop, basically destroying House Tyrell, and Daenerys indeed ends up conquering the Dothraki nation. So with only sixteen episodes left before the series ends, we can all wonder what remains to happen (and what has to happen) before a Song of Ice and Fire comes to an end. I for one have a few theories for those sixteen episodes:

1) The White Walkers have got to make their move. There's nothing left for this plotline in the north, so they have to march south (hopefully with ice spiders as big as hounds) and make all of those lords and ladies that dismissed them painfully aware that, yes, the legends are true. This of course can't happen until....

2) The Wall must come down. There is a magical horn that (I believe) Samwell is carrying called "the Horn of Winter." I think that while he's studying at the Citadel to be a maester for Castle Black, he'll find out what it does. I assume that it gets taken from Samwell by someone (most likely candidate in my mind is Euron Greyjoy) and they blow the horn thinking it will do something else. Maybe, it's even an accident.

3) There will be a last stand at the Eyrie. I expect Littlefinger to die there by the hands of the White Walkers as everything falls apart around him.

4) Daenerys will land her huge army on the shores of Westeros in time to see that she needs to turn her eyes and army immediately to what's happening in the north as winter is now here.

5) We see Hodor again (only as an undead) because the show loves to tug at heartstrings, and that will be just awful.

6) Brandon Stark wargs into Aerys Targaryen in the past in an attempt to stop all of the misery that he's caused and drives the King "Mad" effectively starting all the events we have witnessed. At that point, Bran realizes he's the douchebag that started all the bloodshed and effectively goes insane himself.

7) Daenerys Targaryen joins with the King of the North (Jon Snow) to unify the kingdom after the defeat of the White Walkers. They become King and Queen and Cersei Lannister is executed. Jaime Lannister goes off to marry Brienne of Tarth. Sansa gets Winterfell.

So what do you think will happen in the last sixteen episodes of "Game of Thrones?"

7 comments:

  1. Without HBO, you know I didn't see it. Actually, at my wife's insistence, we watched shark specials. Thanks, shark week...

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  2. I liked this season. I don't expect a Happily Ever After but I hope they don't kill all the best characters.

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  3. I also liked this season. It was really great from beginning to end, I thought. And I really like your theories. Well, I don't like #5, but it totally sounds like something the showrunners would do.

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  4. Here's my way too specific guesses and I'm sure most of them will be wrong:

    - I think you are expecting the war against the white walkers to occur faster than will occur. At least the first half of next season will be addressing the Cersei issue as the white walkers move south. I bet the Cersei/Dany war won't end until at least the last episode of next season unless someone assassinates her (Arya? - Probably not as the prophesy says her brother).

    - When will the wall come down? I was surprised it didn't happen this season but I expect it to fall in the first two episodes of next year.

    - The key is what happens next season between all the houses. Dorne/Tyrell/Daenyrs/Yara vs. Cersei. How could Cersei possibly win? She needs allies quick.

    - Who rules House Lannister with Kevan and Lancel gone? I think it will be Jamie since he is Tywin's first born son and no longer in the Kingsguard.

    - Who rules House Barratheon? According to a post on Mashable it's also Jamie Lannister. (http://mashable.com/2016/05/03/game-thrones-heir/#xUIIkclMQuqB)

    - Will Jamie kill his sister at some point next season to cement the alliance in an attempt to save his house? Can he get Littlefinger to help him? (more on that in a bit) I bet he does.

    - Even with Cersei dead I doubt the other houses will capitulate to Dany.

    - What will happen in the Vale? I think too many people are assuming that Littlefinger's look at Sansa during the 'King in the North' scene was one of a man that lost. I see it more as Emperor Palpatine looking at Luke Skywalker --- 'join me and we will rule the Empire'. I expect Sansa to marry Robin next season to bind the two kingdoms. Will she help Cersei (or Jamie)? With Littlefinger anything is possible.

    - What will happen in Riverrun? Edmure was in a Frey dungeon and has a child with one of the Freys. Who is next in line? The children of Lysa Arryn and Catelyn Stark. There's no way Littlefinger is going to let that opportunity pass especially if Sansa marries Robin. Expect Edmure and child to die quick in Season 7.

    - I have no doubt that Euron Greyjoy is going to team up with Cersei/Jamie. What else could he do at this point? The only other options is if Littlefinger has a use for him. Euron will never work with Jon and vice versa.

    - Jon will try to get the houses in the south to stop fighting but no one will listen until the North is overrun. The survivors of the North will retreat to the Vale giving Sansa/Littlefinger more power.

    - Dany's forces will push the Lannister/Baratheon/Tully forces to Harrenhall as winter makes its way south. Neither side will see sense until an advanced group of white walkers create a 2nd Hardhome. That will create a 'Battle of the 5 armies' moment where all the combatants turn to face a common enemy.

    - The climatic battle will be fought south of the Neck on the King's road as White Walkers don't appear to like water and that is a nature choke point for a last defense.

    - As that battle is building, I expect Bran to ask for volunteers to protect him and something Samwell finds to go north to the Land of Always Winter to destroy a McGuffin. Former enemies like Bronn, Jamie, Brienne, Theon, Tormund, Arya, Pod, and the Hound (at least those that survive) will go North on a Greyjoy ship. Most will die on a heroic trek. After they've destroyed the 'thing' ending the white walker threat for all time, Bran (aka the Three eyed raven) will transport himself back in time to complete the cycle and set the stage for the prophecies to come.

    Those are my guesses pulled from my rear end. Can't wait for next season.

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    1. Kev: What do you think about Euron Greyjoy sacking Old Town and the Citadel? I'm starting to see a path emerge where Euron kills Samwell Tarley, takes the Horn of Winter, brings down the wall so that the Walkers can march south, and then the Greyjoys just get out of the way and take to the sea. They watch the White Walkers and Daenerys destroy each other, and then they swoop in to plunder in the aftermath of the Great War.

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  5. I always thought John Snow and thew Mother of Dragons would end up together and on the throne.

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  6. I'm finally catching up on more GOT episodes, but I figure I can't read your posts about the show until about August (spoilers!). But I know your analysis here and always is brilliant.

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