Game of Thrones [SPOILERS]

[Polysorbate80]

My predictions, based on some leaky meta-info, so spoilers here, beware:

[HaemishM]

Since the original intent of the book series was a low-fantasy retelling of the War of the Roses, I suspect that none of the current crop of rulers will end up on the throne but there will be a throne that covers all the 7 kingdoms. It just won't be the Iron Throne. The Iron Throne gets melted down and the survivors choose a new unifying monarch, perhaps a marriage of convenience between Tyrion and Sansa who rule as co-equal monarchs.

[calapine]

My predictions, based on some leaky meta-info, so spoilers here, beware:

Not to me, no.

[Threash]

Since the original intent of the book series was a low-fantasy retelling of the War of the Roses, I suspect that none of the current crop of rulers will end up on the throne but there will be a throne that covers all the 7 kingdoms. It just won't be the Iron Throne. The Iron Throne gets melted down and the survivors choose a new unifying monarch, perhaps a marriage of convenience between Tyrion and Sansa who rule as co-equal monarchs.

War of the roses ended with a Lancaster returning from exile, winning a huge battle and the marrying a York right? So uh... Jamie has the advantage in the "winning a huge battle" side of the equation, but Tyrion is already conveniently married to Sansa. Dany has the returning from exile thing going I guess, and she could end up with Jon.

[HaemishM]

I had to look it up, but yes, you have the right of it. The two warring claims to the throne were united by a marriage.

[calapine]

Oh another thing:

Gwendolin Christie and and Coster-Waldau doing a short GoT promo by answering questions. Well, they are not really answering questions, they are just being cute together for 3 minutes: https://youtu.be/1hHm6eyvUfs which is really good enough for me. Gwendolin has a nice laugh btw.

[Khaldun]

I think another possibility is that Dany's talk of "breaking the wheel" will come true, in one of two ways:

a) this entire narrative is a post-apocalyptic prelude; meaning, almost everybody dies, and the survivor rules a kingdom that is basically obliterated. This is not inconsistent with the intersection of the Black Death and the Hundred Years War, another Martin source. I could see the series closing with a lone survivor in a frozen King's Landing, ruler of nothing.

b) No one of the existing Houses ends up in charge; the 'wheel' is truly broken and a commoner ends up in charge of a fundamentally new order. If we buy the history Martin has set out, Westeros has been under aristocratic/feudal rule for an INSANELY long time, much longer than Western Europe was. Maybe we end up with something more like a French Revolution at the end.

[eldaec]

I cannot believe that asoiaf ends with an existing house on the iron throne in the conventional way we understand it. I think the tudor marriage thing is a misdirect if it is a thing at all. The only couple that would make any sense in that context is Sansa/Tyrion and I don't really see that happening.

 - There is a thematic need for global-warming-allegory to be defeated by something other than mankind's conventional politics and warfare.

 - The previous long night finished with a settlement we don't fully understand - seems much more likely that once main characters figure that out they can work out how to calm everyone the fuck down.

 - Major characters keep outright telling us nobody will sit the throne. 'break the wheel' 'give up your crown to save the kingdom' etc etc, not to mention the house of undying. Even the zombies keep reminding us about the damn wheel.

 - From a story perspective it is an inevitable anti climax, humans beat climate-change in big damn battle and then as you were everyone? We've had a bunch of wars and political battles that the series has amply demonstrated are not an effective way to stablise the kingdom. 'oh it worked this time and everyone was fine' is a rubbish ending.

[Teleku]

I think another possibility is that Dany's talk of "breaking the wheel" will come true, in one of two ways:

a) this entire narrative is a post-apocalyptic prelude; meaning, almost everybody dies, and the survivor rules a kingdom that is basically obliterated. This is not inconsistent with the intersection of the Black Death and the Hundred Years War, another Martin source. I could see the series closing with a lone survivor in a frozen King's Landing, ruler of nothing.

This is what I've actively been cheering for ever since reading the third book sometime in the 90's.  I don't think the TV show has the guts to do it, but it would be my preferred way out.  I actually remember in my teen years thinking of a Fantasy story plot in my head that would revolve around everybody endlessly backstabbing and fighting each other until the 'good guys' eventually won, but left with a kingdom mostly in ruins.  The book ending with the sudden arrival of some long defeated and thought dead nemesis from the past that was obviously about to sweep in and wipe out humanity without effort.

Would be fun to actually see something like that get made, I just don't see the current show runners having it in them to do it.  Hope I'm wrong!

[Chimpy]

People need to stop expecting anything groundbreaking in the story or some amazing ending.

The show runners are writing fan fiction about stuff written by a guy who basically was world building and not building a narrative.

[eldaec]

I totally accept that the season might turn shit. But the world building is the point. How the zombies and dragons are made to go away is presumably how GRRM plans to answer the basic mystery of why anything started.

I don't expect groundbreaking but I do expect it to contribute to understanding the mythos. Because like you say, GRRM is much lore excited about that than he is about characters and story.

[Chimpy]

Tormund was great.

The rest of the episode was semi-meh.

But not terrible.

Also, the fact that the actress playing Arya looks like she is 14 made things a bit creepy.

[Polysorbate80]

She’s like 21 or 22.  And will always look 12.  I have no idea how she’ll cope with that.

[Threash]

She’s like 21 or 22.  And will always look 12.  I have no idea how she’ll cope with that.

The guy who played jojen reed is almost 30 and he looks younger than her, but they are both actors so they can always play younger characters.

[Polysorbate80]

Jojen will always be Ferb to me.  But I was thinking more how she dates anyone who isn’t some creepy pedophile.

Edit: creepy pedophile is redundant, is it not?

[Chimpy]

She’ll eventually end up looking old enough to not be mistaken for someone in jr high. Kinda like Christana Ricci.

[Setanta]

As long as Dany doesn't end up on the throne I'm happy. I'm convinced she is one of the worst options, well below Cersei and Robert for that matter.

The scene with Sam really clinched it for me, but even re-reading the books, she just isn't a good leader at all.

[Bunk]

Also, the fact that the actress playing Arya looks like she is 14 made things a bit creepy.

All of Reddit split 50/50 between men feeling creeped out and protective, and people debating whether or not it was her boobs (according to an interview, she did do the scene).

[Teleku]

She did seem way more stacked that I would have thought.  That threw me off balance......

 

Ok, they've literally setup everybody to say goodbye this episode.  We have a fantasy league, but for fun, lets see who we all think are the most likely to die each episode.  I propose that between every episode, we pick our top three to die for that particular episode.  6 points for your first pick, 3 points for your second, 1 for your third.  Or whatever, it really doesn't matter, lets just have fun seeing who can call the deaths most accurately.

On top of that, we do have at least one outstanding prophecy.  Who will kill Cersei:

Cersei: Will the king and I have children?
Maggy: Oh, aye. Six-and-ten for him, and three for you. Gold shall be their crowns and gold their shrouds, she said. And when your tears have drowned you, the valonqar shall wrap his hands about your pale white throat and choke the life from you.

And finally, predict now who will sit on the Iron throne at the end.  White Walkers are an acceptable answer.

My death predictions for next episode:

1.)  Jaime.
2.)  Theon.
3.)  Ed from the Nights Watch.

Long term:
Cersei death:  Killed by Zombie version of Jaime.
Throne Victor:...... I need to think on this more.  Will post later.

We can break this off to its own thread if we want.  But this is going to be the only time for a long time where we will have a group TV show that's this big, where we are calling who will violently die next.  May as well make it a thing while we can.

[Threash]

Next episode:

1 Grey Worm, come on the dude was making post war plans with his girl, that's a fucking death sentence
2 Beric Dondarrion, not important and not much of a fan favorite, easy kill
3 Podrick Payne, someone we actually care about has to die

[Polysorbate80]

I don't want Dolorous Edd to die, he's like the Wedge Antilles of the show.  Always there playing wingman, never getting respect.

(Note that I don't consider becoming Lord Commander of the Nights Watch largely out of nobody else wanting to do it to be respect)

[Rendakor]

1. Ser Brienne - She had way too much character growth last episode to survive much longer. At least she'll die a knight.
2. Bran - If this is the episode the Night King dies, Bran's probably going to have to die too.
3. Lyanna Mormont - Arya is the only teenage girl likely to survive the battlefield.

Cersei: I think living Tyrion kills her.
The One King To Rule Them All: I think Jon and Dany end up married, ruling as King and Queen.

[Bunk]

1. Sir Brienne (saving Jaime?)
2. Greyworm (nice I'm about to die speech there)
3. Tormund (doing something grand)

Arya kills Cersei

An as of yet not born child ends up on the throne.

[Samwise]

Longer version of "Jenny of Oldstones" sung by Florence + the Machine.

[Riggswolfe]

1. Theon - He's on a redemption arc and that will probably see him sacrificing himself for Bran.
2. Grey Worm - He might as well have said "I'll sign the life insurance papers after the battle."
3. Lyanna Mormont - She and Jorah said their goodbyes.

Bonus predictions: Podrick, Beric, Tormund, Dolorous Ed was heavily foreshadowed. I think we'll lose at least one major cast member but I'm having trouble saying who. My gut tells me Brienne's arc is complete so she's a good contender to go out heroicly.

Cersei kill: Jamie kills her while Arya and the Hound chop the Mountain down to size.

Throne: I'm rooting for Sansa and Tyrion to share it. Dany is on the verge of going Mad Queen Dany. Jon doesn't want it. If it's not Sansa and Tyrion I don't want anyone to get it. I want Fallout: Westeros to be the ending in that case.

[Rendakor]

I want it to be literally anyone other than Sansa. She's at the top of my "I want them to die but they probably won't" list.

[Riggswolfe]

I want it to be literally anyone other than Sansa. She's at the top of my "I want them to die but they probably won't" list.

She was there for me in the early seasons but she's gone through hell and has only become stronger and smarter for it.

[Stewie]

I'm totally rooting for Darth Sansa as well!

[Threash]

I want it to be literally anyone other than Sansa. She's at the top of my "I want them to die but they probably won't" list.

She was there for me in the early seasons but she's gone through hell and has only become stronger and smarter for it.

Shes absolutely not become smarter, the show is just begging us to pretend she has. Like talking shit to Dany when they literally have zero way to back up her bullshit, if the bitch with two dragons and multiple armies wants you to kneel you kneel. The entirety of what the north has left fits inside Winterfell, with room for the entire rest of the cast.

[schild]

Sansa sucks. I'd love her to die.

[calapine]

Honestly I don't care anymore. Brienne is still nice, but with the rest of the characters I am really done.

I have to admit Jamie and Tyrion sitting together talking about Cersei as if she were Sauron kind of rubbed me the wrong way.

I'd hope for anyone but Danaerys but eh... Edit: Strike that. Dany can have her throne if I get a dead Tyrion instead.  

Edit2: How often did someone say the crypts are safe? Is this a double-feint? Because if not the writers need to be more subtle.

[Threash]

Too much emphasis not only on the crypts being safe but also on who specifically was going to be in or out for it not to be a key plot point next episode.

[Polysorbate80]

If Brienne and Tormund don’t at least hook up before death I will be a very grumpy old man.

[Teleku]

Oh god, yeah, I forgot about Grey Worm.  He should be number one on all list, they foreshadowed so much.  He may as well as said he was 3 days to retirement.

Going to keep my (admittedly unlikely) prediction up just because. 

Oh, and who takes the throne:  white walkers.  As in they destroy kings landing and even after being defeated, there is something new afterwards.  Nobody sits on it in the end.

[Polysorbate80]

He sits on it, and his frozen ass shatters it.

Edit: Night King, that is.