With the Game of Thrones final season premiering this Sunday, there’s a lot of talk about who will end up on the Iron Throne. As I mentioned recently on Twitter, the ending doesn’t really interest me anymore. I can’t find the exact post I read (I’ll keep searching) but I read a compelling theory that the delay in GRRM’s sixth book is that he has written himself into a corner. The series thrives on shocking the reader, in executing the unexpected; and now we’ve reached a point where the ending doesn’t seem surprising anymore.
Basically, the show has reached the same place that GRRM reached. Going into the final season, who are our contenders for the throne? Dany, Jon, and Cersei. None of these are surprising. The surprise will be if it’s not one of those three (or the Night King).
Anyway, I don’t find this topic to be particularly interesting, so I’m not going to write about it. Instead, let’s talk about exciting things!
Who is going to kill Cersei?
That Cersei will die is inevitable; who will kill her is up for grabs.
Let’s assume that prophecy is real (because if it’s not real, then we need re-evaluate literally everything) and that Cersei will be killed by her little brother. Barring an unknown sibling (which would be not altogether shocking) that could mean either Jaime or Tyrion.
Cersei always thought it would be Tyrion. In both the show and the books, it seemed like Tyrion was the likely candidate. Cersei hates him and humiliates him at every turn. She accused him of murdering her son and spearheaded his Trial by Combat. He escaped and is now Hand of the Queen…the other Queen, Dany. They are on opposite sides of the war.
But then! Cersei is mysteriously possibly maybe pregnant. And Tyrion has been startled by the brutality he witnessed from his Queen after the Loot Train Battle. Pretty hypocritical for the guy who defeated Stannis Baratheon by throwing wildfire into the bay, but sure, let’s accept that as normal.
In the meantime, Jaime has been disillusioned. Cersei blew up the Sept and crowned herself. She allied with Euron Greyjoy. And she pledged support in the war against the Night King but has no intention of honoring it.
Dom recently hypothesized that Jaime and Cersei will go down in a twisted Romeo and Juliet fashion. One of them will stab the other, and then realize they’ve been poisoned. I personally think it’s going to be Tyrion. I think the show has gone to lengths to change our minds and make us assume it’s going to be Jaime, and for that reason, I expect it to be Tyrion.
When are we getting Cleganebowl? Do we even care anymore?
Yeah, let’s unpack this for a second. I was SO HYPED for Cleganebowl last season and supremely disappointed that we didn’t get it. Then I was like, great, they’re making us wait until the last season because it’s going to be epic!
But is it?
The Mountain still exists but without the same presence of mind, I no longer see him the same way. Basically, the Mountain that we know and hate is dead, and now he’s just a zombie. I’m not sure I really care about Cleganebowl anymore, and that infuriates me. If/when the showrunners give it to us, I hope it’s epic enough to make up for a two-year loss of momentum.
How long do we have to wait for an Arya/Jon reunion?
So far, I feel like this post has been hating on the showrunners (and GRRM) and that was not my intention. Here’s a happier thing! I think the way they gave us the Stark sibling reunions was genius. Jon + Sansa as the first reunion was brilliant because of their tumultuous history. I hope that all the reunions from season 6 were basically just paving the way for a Jon + Arya reunion, to astound us and make us happy. But I fear the opposite. I’m afraid that Jon will enter the gates of Winterfell with Dany and dragons and Arya will be like HAVE YOU LOST YOUR DAMN MIND. So, fingers crossed.
How will Jon react after finding out he’s related to Dany?
I’m torn on this one. When I think about this from Jon’s perspective, it’s…disgust? Despite not being Ned’s son, he’s the Stark kid who is most like Ned. But when I step back and think about it, I really do think that he’s going to marry Dany. So I’m torn.
**This post was inspired by a conversation I had with Dom, discussing our expectations and unanswered questions. When I asked this question he said (without missing a beat) “Will winter still come?” and I told him I was including his joke in this post. **
Why did the Lord of Light bring Beric and Jon back?
I think the answer to this question is probably going to be unsatisfying. Book readers (myself included) are still upset about the exclusion of Lady Stoneheart. Beric (with an assist from Arya) has essentially fulfilled her role in the books, so I don’t actually see a super deep reasoning to their resurrections in the final season. Unless Beric sacrifices himself to bring back Viserion. On that note…
Are all the dragons going to die?
It seems unlikely that future Westeros has dragons. They’ve told us time and time again that the dragons basically died out because the Targaryens brought them to Westeros. I hope that Dany is basically like “peace out, go find a better home” and that they all live, but I’m a bit scared.
How will Arya and Sansa react to Dany?
Dom: “Dany doesn’t give a fuck if they accept her” and I agree BUT JON DOES. If Arya has a problem with Dany, that’s going to bother Jon.
Bran???
Yeah, there are too many questions here. Is Bran the Night King? Is he all former Brandon Starks? Did he influence Bran the Builder to build the wall, and to put the same magic into Winterfell and Storm’s End? Is that magic even going to be in the last season? Did he have something to do with the Mad King hearing voices and stocking up wildfire? TOO. MANY. QUESTIONS.
Are there going to be any Great Houses left?
Targaryens: 2.5 – Dany and Jon (Tyrion, currently unconfirmed
Starks: 3 – Sansa, Arya, Bran
Bran isn’t having kids, and technically Sansa and Arya can’t carry on the Stark name so…Starks are done?
Lannisters: This is confusing. Possibly a ton? Just not important ones?
This is a point in both the show and the books. There are Lannisters and then there are Lannisters. There are a ton, but the Tywin Lannister line of relevant relatives has dwindled.
Arryns: 1 – Robin-nurses-too-long
Tullys: 2 – presumably Edmure is still alive. I think the book says his wife is pregnant (a weird side effect of the Red Wedding) but I can’t remember if that’s in the show too. Also, I firmly believe Blackfish is alive, which is why I’m counting him.
Greyjoys: Uhhh, 4 I guess? Theon, Asha/Yara, Euron, and weird-priest
Baratheons: 0
Tyrells: 0
Martells: Unknown
I personally feel like the end of the show is going to show us a HUGE shake up. Many houses have bastards so if they’re legitimized then the houses could rebuild. Butttt…any way you slice it, the future of Westeros looks drastically different than the past.
Share your theories in the comments!
-M
The Place Between 