Category: Game of Thrones

Game of Thrones Preview – Battle of the Bastards

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SPOILERS AHEAD

First, before going into any theories about next episode, a few words about last episode.

Arya survives! Just not exactly like either of the theories in the previous post suggested. From the look on Jaqen’s face at the end, it appears that he had been trying to prepare Arya with the necessary skills to survive out in the real world, rather than actually becoming a Faceless Man. At least, I like to think that. It’s really tough to read Jaqen, which I guess is the whole point of his character in the first place. Sure hope this isn’t the last time we see him.

We have really little to go on here other than there’s going to be a big battle, that Jon doesn’t want to be brought back if he dies, and that Davos sees something behind him while he waits to light a signal fire.

So, I’m sitting here thinking, what would make this episode great? Well, Ramsay Bolton dying would be #1 on the list for me. Hate that guy. What would be a great way for this to happen? Jon Snow battling him? Nah, nothing exciting about that. Sansa striking him down? Yeah, satisfying, but nothing really big.

A good story has characters getting into deeper and deeper trouble, and finally find a satisfying way out of all the mess.

What do you think of the following scenario?

Jon and Ramsay’s armies face each other and start the battle (duh…we see that in the preview). Thing go OK for Jon at first, but as things progress, things start turning in Ramsay’s favor. Just as things look really grim, Ramsay realizes he’s being attacked from another army. Who’s doing the attacking? The Night King’s army, with all the men from The Wall as part of his army. Ramsay and the rest of his army get killed in a big, big way. Of course, they’d have to get around Jon’s army first…

I know it might be a bit early for this to all happen in the story, but seeing Ramsay taken out by the army of the dead would sure be memorable.

Arya’s Fate?

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SPOILERS AHEAD

About an hour and forty five minutes until this week’s episode of Game of Thrones, and I’m going to throw this out there so we can all point at it and either say “Ha! He didn’t have any idea what he was talking about” or “Ha! He figured it out!”

I’m talking about Arya’s stabbing during the last show. First, I don’t think she’s going to die. I say that because they’re not going to draw something like that out across two shows.

Having said that, I’ve heard a theory that goes something like this: It wasn’t Arya that got stabbed, it was actually Jaqen H’ghar in disguise! Why? Because Arya named him as someone that he has to kill, and he never took the third life (this goes back a season or two) that he promised… therefore, he’s fulfilling his promise. Or something like that.

I don’t like this theory. Arya told Jaqen at the time that he wouldn’t have to kill himself if he helped her escape, and he did that. She did not, however, ever name the third person to kill.

What I think is going on is this – Arya was sent on the mission to kill the actress and didn’t… I believe this was all part of her training – that she shouldn’t kill someone that didn’t do anything wrong. Jaqen is also testing the Waif who, you’ll note, didn’t make it “quick” the way Jaqen suggested. With Arya staggering through town, Jaqen is probably nearby watching. At some point Arya, the Waif and Jaqen will all be together… and Arya will get her final requested kill: The Waif. At this point, Jaqen will kill the Waif, save Arya and tell her this is all part of her training.

The reason I think this is part of her training is that they’d never send her out into the world to kill people without having to be able to deal with being attacked in some way.

Anyway, I think this is at least partially plausible. I still think that “third kill” is in play (I really don’t recall if Jaqen killed that person for Arya or not), and that’ll be the Waif.

Of course, that could happen and then Arya could get saved and still be on the run with a death sentence on her head… That’s probably more likely, since it would be much more dramatic for the show. Not sure I like that happening though. Arya would have to be constantly looking over her shoulder. And if that happens, I’d be surprised if she survived to the finale and beyond, because the Faceless Men will catch up to her.

Tell me in the comments what I missed… I’m sure I missed something!

Tyrion Targaryen?

MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD

So, three minutes to GoT. In the previews, Tyrion takes a look at the dragons. One breathes fire… Could Tyrion be immune to it? Or will the dragon react the Tyrion in some unexpected way? Tyrion Kabobs? I hope he’s immune… (But, it’s probably nothing). We’ll see!

Out of the Flames – John Snow Will Be Back

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SPOILERS AHEAD – YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!

So, John Snow is dead, and they’re going to throw him onto a fire, just to be safe.  That might work out a lot better than anyone imagines.

One of the theories going around for the past year is that John Snow is going to be back brought back by Melisandre.  She came back to The Wall after witnessing the downfall of Stannis, after all right?   Well, that could just be a case of self preservation more than anything else, because up until now she’s been a true believer in Stannis being the reincarnation of “The Prince that was Promised”, the prince that would be back to lead the people against The Others.  Since Stannis is dead, that’s out the window.  John Snow’s dead too, so he’s probably not on her list either.

But he should be, not that she’ll have anything to do about it at this point.

So the going theory is this:

We’re not really sure who John Snow’s mother really is.    Ned Stark was going to tell John this, but died too soon to tell him.    It’s quite likely that this was a secret for a pretty darn good reason;  if it had been some random woman, there wouldn’t be much to keep secret in the first place.   Chances are that he was doing this to protect him from being killed.

Who would have wanted him killed, if his real mother had been found out?   Robert Baratheon!    He killed many of the people in House Targaryen and still considered the survivors a threat. Daenerys and her brother were taken at a young age and hidden away to protect them.   What if John Snow’s mother was a Targaryen?  Wouldn’t Ned want to protect his identity from Robert?

Let’s say that’s true.  The legend of “The Prince That Was Promised” he will be reborn again to challenge The Others.   Well, to be reborn again, it either has to be done one of two ways… either he was a baby, grew up and then reveals his identity.  That’s the Stannis theory Melisandre was working under.   It could be that he’ll be brought back from the dead… and that’s where John Snow comes in.

If John’s really a Targaryen, then throwing him into the fight might be the best thing for him.    We saw Daenerys come out of the fire with dragon eggs…  Perhaps John being set aflame (or attempted to be set aflame) is just the thing to bring him back?

But if he’s really gone, what would come back in his place… well, my guess is that he transitioned into his direwolf Ghost as his body died.  When his body is rejuvinated in the fire, he’ll come back out of Ghost into his body.

When this happens, Melisandre will realize John is really “The Prince That Was Promised”.   A Targaryen Prince.

Sure wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of John’s wrath when he does come back and confront the people that stabbed him.

Anyway, that’s the going theory.  We’ll see what happens tonight on Game of Thrones.

PS.  Bet Tyrion is really a Targaryen too, and he’ll end up being King.  But that’s another post.

Is Jon Snow Alive?

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SPOILERS AHEAD! You’ve been warned!!

Ok, still with me?

There have been sightings of the character Jon Snow on the set of “Game of Thrones” season 6. The picture in this posting was just released by HBO is of Jon Snow. Sure looks like he’s missing an eye… anyway…

I’ve held the theory that he’s still alive from the moment of his “death” last season. I’m still reading “A Dance with Dragons”, and something caught my eye that has happened in the books, but I’m not aware of it happening in the TV show. (I’m sure a commenter will correct me if I’m wrong).

I don’t think it was Jon Snow that was stabbed by those men in the Night Watch. I think it was someone else. Now, follow me on this.

The TV series has veered off from what the books do in a variety of ways, and a number of things are different. For example, Manse Rayder in the TV series dies, but in the books he’s actually been replaced with the help of Melisandre. She exchanges Manse’s appearance with Rattleshirt, and Rattleshirt is the one who dies. Manse goes off to try and get Arya.

People have been questioning why Melisandre would go back to The Wall after what happened to Stanis. Why didn’t she just run off? Did she think her fate would be better with Jon?

My guess is that she did realize that and wanted to help him. I believe that in the TV show, she casts a “glamour” on someone else to disguise them as Jon, and that’s the person who gets killed. (Just as she did for Manse in the book) Jon will emerge near the beginning of Season 6, and after a brief battle will exact justice on the men that attacked him.

Anyway, that’s my guess. We’ll have to wait until April to find out if that really happens.

Update: I finally finished “A Dance with Dragons”, and got to the point in the book where Jon died. I expected the chapter to be structured differently, given my theory about the “glamour”, but it was pretty much like the rest of the character centered chapters. The chapter ended with him not feeling the last dagger hitting him… so it’s a little tough to say how this is resolved, other than him being close to death and then revived.