Game of Thrones: The Winds of Winter
Another season of Game of Thrones has come and gone, and this episode shows why this show is the best program on television. There was great plotting, tons of intrigue, and big payoffs. The king is dead. Long live the queen. Meanwhile, we have a new King of the North. Hopefully he fares better than the last one. Revenge was the theme of this episode, and it was served in spades.
Daenerys Targaryan
Prior to her departure to Westeros, Daenerys dispatches another would be suitor. Poor Daario. He’s willing to do anything for her, even rule her city in her absence, but she feels nothing for him. It seems as if men can’t help flinging themselves at Dany, and Tyrion Lannister is no different, pledging his talents to help her in any way he could. He is rewarded when she names him Hand of the Queen. Hopefully, this works out better for him than the last time he was the King’s Hand (see King Joffrey).
Sansa Stark
Sansa apologizes for the idiocy of her actions in the last episode, not mentioning to Jon about the Knights of the Vale. Jon tells her that they have to trust each other. There is nobody more trustworthy in all of Westeros than Jon Snow. However, the same can’t be said about Sansa. Littlefinger makes his move on her and tells her about his ultimate ambition—to take the Iron Throne with Sansa at his side. Although she rebukes his advances, they exchange a knowing look when Jon is proclaimed King of the North. I believe Sansa will ultimately betray Jon. I say, off with her head now. She can’t be trusted.
Jon Snow
He didn’t ask to be king, but they made him one anyway. This scene was very reminiscent of the scene when Robb Stark was made King of the North. Jon’s reign as king is off to a rocky start as his first act (technically this happened before he was declared king) was to dismiss Melisandre when he learned that she had burnt Princess Shereen as an offering to the Lord of Light. I think this was a bad idea. For one thing, Jon wouldn’t even be around without her, and he’s going to need her for the upcoming battle against the White Walkers. Speaking of Jon, we got to see the conclusion of the scene where Ned Stark climbs the Tower of Joy to find his sister, Lyanna, dying after childberth. She hands Ned her child and whispers to him. What does she whisper? That she was not kidnapped by Rhaegar Targaryen. They had an affair, and Jon was the child of this affair. Since they will want to kill her child since he is a Targaryen, she makes Ned promise to protect him, hence Ned’s cover story that Jon Snow is his bastard child.
Arya Stark
Although I called many of the things that happened in this episode, one thing that took me completely by surprise was Arya appearing out of nowhere (quite literally), and slicing Walder Frey’s throat. This is no loss, as Walder is a pretty loathsome character and more than had it coming. This was a slick and enjoyable scene, one that added on to the episode’s theme of vengeance. One more down on Arya’s list. By my estimate there are only three people left in Arya’s kill list: Cersei Lannister, the Mountain, and the Hound. I think she’s made peace with the Hound since she had an opportunity to kill him and passed on it. I can’t fathom her killing the Mountain, but I can see her scalping Cersei.
Cersei Lannister
As I predicted in my last post, the High Sparrow would die in this episode, and Cersei would use the wildfire stored by the Mad King (Dany’s father) to burn down the Faith Militant in the purge of King’s Landing. There were unintended consequences to her actions as her son, Tommen, decided he couldn’t live without the prospect of the loss of his queen (RIP Margaery) or the Faith Militant and took the plunge off the tower of the Red Keep. No loss here. Tommen was a horribly weak character and will not be missed. Although Cersei has to mourn the loss of her final child, she now possesses the one thing she most desires—power. She is now the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Ah, but this reign will be a short one, and she will be soon dethroned.
My Predictions
Everything that is happening now going forward is positioning the show for the ultimate battle of the living against the dead. With that in mind, the point people for this fight will be: Daenerys Targaryan, Tyrion Lannister, Bran Stark, Arya Stark, and Jon Snow. Everything that is happening is leading to these people battling the White Walkers. Bran has become the Three Eyed Raven to have the knowledge of the history of the White Walkers and how to fight them. Arya has learned to become a Faceless Assassin to do her part in the fight. It wasn’t an accident that Jaqen let her escape from the House of Black and White and that he met up with her to begin with. It doesn’t make sense that this master assassin with supernatural powers was captured and became a prisoner of Tywin Lannister. That was all a setup so that he could meet Arya and later train her.
Dany has amassed an overwhelming force of ships, dragons, Dothraki, her Unsullied warriors, and now an alliance with Dorne and the Tyrells. With this behind her, there is no way the Lannisters will prevent her from overthrowing Cersei. She will be the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms during the fight against the White Walkers. I’m not sure who Dany will marry. The logical choice would be someone in Dorne, but all that is left of the Martells are the Sand Snakes. There is no Tyrell to marry (actually there is Willis Tyrell—Mace’s eldest son who is a character in the books but not in the show). Jon Snow would be a choice, but he’s her nephew.
Jon Snow, as the King of the North, will be the one to lead the forces of the living in battle, but he will face an unexpected enemy in Sansa Stark, whose alliance with Littlefinger will only lead to treachery. Sam Tarley is studying to be a maester in Old Towne, but the real purpose of his being there is to learn what he can about the White Walkers that will help Jon in battling them. And that wraps up another season of the Game of Thrones.
Daenerys Targaryan
Prior to her departure to Westeros, Daenerys dispatches another would be suitor. Poor Daario. He’s willing to do anything for her, even rule her city in her absence, but she feels nothing for him. It seems as if men can’t help flinging themselves at Dany, and Tyrion Lannister is no different, pledging his talents to help her in any way he could. He is rewarded when she names him Hand of the Queen. Hopefully, this works out better for him than the last time he was the King’s Hand (see King Joffrey).
Sansa Stark
Sansa apologizes for the idiocy of her actions in the last episode, not mentioning to Jon about the Knights of the Vale. Jon tells her that they have to trust each other. There is nobody more trustworthy in all of Westeros than Jon Snow. However, the same can’t be said about Sansa. Littlefinger makes his move on her and tells her about his ultimate ambition—to take the Iron Throne with Sansa at his side. Although she rebukes his advances, they exchange a knowing look when Jon is proclaimed King of the North. I believe Sansa will ultimately betray Jon. I say, off with her head now. She can’t be trusted.
Jon Snow
He didn’t ask to be king, but they made him one anyway. This scene was very reminiscent of the scene when Robb Stark was made King of the North. Jon’s reign as king is off to a rocky start as his first act (technically this happened before he was declared king) was to dismiss Melisandre when he learned that she had burnt Princess Shereen as an offering to the Lord of Light. I think this was a bad idea. For one thing, Jon wouldn’t even be around without her, and he’s going to need her for the upcoming battle against the White Walkers. Speaking of Jon, we got to see the conclusion of the scene where Ned Stark climbs the Tower of Joy to find his sister, Lyanna, dying after childberth. She hands Ned her child and whispers to him. What does she whisper? That she was not kidnapped by Rhaegar Targaryen. They had an affair, and Jon was the child of this affair. Since they will want to kill her child since he is a Targaryen, she makes Ned promise to protect him, hence Ned’s cover story that Jon Snow is his bastard child.
Arya Stark
Although I called many of the things that happened in this episode, one thing that took me completely by surprise was Arya appearing out of nowhere (quite literally), and slicing Walder Frey’s throat. This is no loss, as Walder is a pretty loathsome character and more than had it coming. This was a slick and enjoyable scene, one that added on to the episode’s theme of vengeance. One more down on Arya’s list. By my estimate there are only three people left in Arya’s kill list: Cersei Lannister, the Mountain, and the Hound. I think she’s made peace with the Hound since she had an opportunity to kill him and passed on it. I can’t fathom her killing the Mountain, but I can see her scalping Cersei.
Cersei Lannister
As I predicted in my last post, the High Sparrow would die in this episode, and Cersei would use the wildfire stored by the Mad King (Dany’s father) to burn down the Faith Militant in the purge of King’s Landing. There were unintended consequences to her actions as her son, Tommen, decided he couldn’t live without the prospect of the loss of his queen (RIP Margaery) or the Faith Militant and took the plunge off the tower of the Red Keep. No loss here. Tommen was a horribly weak character and will not be missed. Although Cersei has to mourn the loss of her final child, she now possesses the one thing she most desires—power. She is now the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Ah, but this reign will be a short one, and she will be soon dethroned.
My Predictions
Everything that is happening now going forward is positioning the show for the ultimate battle of the living against the dead. With that in mind, the point people for this fight will be: Daenerys Targaryan, Tyrion Lannister, Bran Stark, Arya Stark, and Jon Snow. Everything that is happening is leading to these people battling the White Walkers. Bran has become the Three Eyed Raven to have the knowledge of the history of the White Walkers and how to fight them. Arya has learned to become a Faceless Assassin to do her part in the fight. It wasn’t an accident that Jaqen let her escape from the House of Black and White and that he met up with her to begin with. It doesn’t make sense that this master assassin with supernatural powers was captured and became a prisoner of Tywin Lannister. That was all a setup so that he could meet Arya and later train her.
Dany has amassed an overwhelming force of ships, dragons, Dothraki, her Unsullied warriors, and now an alliance with Dorne and the Tyrells. With this behind her, there is no way the Lannisters will prevent her from overthrowing Cersei. She will be the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms during the fight against the White Walkers. I’m not sure who Dany will marry. The logical choice would be someone in Dorne, but all that is left of the Martells are the Sand Snakes. There is no Tyrell to marry (actually there is Willis Tyrell—Mace’s eldest son who is a character in the books but not in the show). Jon Snow would be a choice, but he’s her nephew.
Jon Snow, as the King of the North, will be the one to lead the forces of the living in battle, but he will face an unexpected enemy in Sansa Stark, whose alliance with Littlefinger will only lead to treachery. Sam Tarley is studying to be a maester in Old Towne, but the real purpose of his being there is to learn what he can about the White Walkers that will help Jon in battling them. And that wraps up another season of the Game of Thrones.
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