lancerman

Possibly that's one way it works out. Aegon however presents complications for Dany and a mummer's dragon is one of her prophecy points. So I could see a scenario where Dany realizes Aegon is a threat and prematurely ends his assault by burning him or some other method similar to how she took two cities without a whole lot of effort. This would leave Connington specifically out for revenge and could align him with Cersei. and give her the Golden Company. I don't think Cersei will perish this early in the books. Aegon is just one additional problem to her along with the Faith Millitant and the Tyrells. And honestly I can't see a character who was just added last book figuring this much into the endgame anymore. It wouldn't work with Jamie for Cersei to just get defeated this early imo. Also I just kind of feel like Cersei is an easier character to set up as an antagonist for Dany. She has the history of the entire book series.

Not if Rheagar's motivation was partially in prophecy. Then making his child with Lyanna a prince/heir apparent is important. I think this is one where we all overthought it when the simplest explanation was the correct one. Rheagar fell madly for Lyanna, they ran off, he had a maester take orders to anull his current marriage so he could marry her thinking that their offspring was some prophetic savior.

This show if nothing else will have the best televised battles of all time -Blackwater -Battle at Castle Black -Hardhome -Battle of the Bastards -Field of Fire 2 (needs a better name) should just bite the bullet and do Robert's Rebellion. So many good battles

No I think it's just set up that at some point Sansa is going to have to choose to oust LF for Jon who she now see's as a threat. I get your point. But the problem is that if Sansa really wanted to be Queen of the North, she merely needed to say it. Jon wasn't going to resist her. Everything falls apart from that point. It's to much to reconcile that she was given the opportunity and did nothing without any reason not to besides it being what she wanted. Jon laid out a convincing case why she deserved it over him. There's a point where now the only person Sansa can be mad at is herself if she didn't get what she wanted.

Jon literally offered it to her. She said no. She isn't Queen of the North because she didn't take it when offered. She knew it was LF's plan . Also I'm watching the post credits as I type this. They were talking about how she didn't completely trust Jon. Not that she was unhappy when he was declared King. If Sansa didn't want him to be King, she would be Queen right now.

Yeah I think she realized LF is pissed that he didn't get his way and now Jon is an obstacle to be dealt with.

I don't think it matters anymore. Sansa and Jon both know Bran wasn't killed. Sansa is a trueborn Stark. The northerners all agreed with Jon as King. After what he learned tonight, I don't think Bran is going to argue for his position back. Being the last greenseer is more important. He also will realize have a Northern King who is part Targaryen, especially when a Targaryen is about to conquer the South, will have advantages.

There were Dornish ships with Dany's fleet. They probably had a rendezvous somewhere. They are landing to start next season.

Show's probably getting another Emmy after that finale.

They were never consistent. And the biggest thing is that it's literally making the show beholden to whatever travel time you work. I mean what you want, but the approach you are advocating for mandates that several of the storylines in the show are delayed when they really didn't need to be for the sake of travel. Which I don't really see how pushing back the rest of the Mereen story for next season really makes the show any better.

Baelish did. There's just very little chance they made it to Winterfell. That said its nothing Jon would know about. I mean unless there is the off chance Roose took them back to appease northerners.

You should just watch it because there is precisely zero evidence to either claim. She said Rickon was dead the second Ramsay got his hands on him and she was right. Ramsay was never letting Rickon make it out of that battle. And if she wanted Jon dead, she did a shit job of it by having the Vale army save him.

I think there's like a zero percent chance that Stannis makes it out of that plotline alive.

If Bran didn't run in a straight line Ramsay had about 500 archers who would have rained arrows on him. We don't know enough about the Vale situation to make an assessment on whether Sansa did the right thing. Also if the Vale showed up early, it would likely have turned into a straight up siege (no way Ramsay goes out on the battlefield with that advantage). And Jon's always been lucky. He's been lucky in the books. Hell a lot of things in the books were just happy coincidences. Arya ditches Roose right before the Red Wedding, Catelyn is at the same tavern as Tyrion, Bran happens to climb the one tower the day Jamie and Cersie get it on. Part of storytelling. At any rate, this is like Hardhome, where it's going down as one of the best episodes in the show and stands up to anything from the earlier seasons.

Jon wouldn't know that.

10/10. Best battle in the show from a tactical perspective. Even next to Blackwater.

Ramsay would have just had everyone fire on Rickon and Jon if he couldn't hit with the arrow. That was pretty much confirmed when all those arrows hit Rickon's body. It was showing that Ramsay had control of the situation anyways.

Well the biggest issue is, when you start out writing someone else's story, and then there isn't anymore of that story left, you are sort of still beholden to the path set out by that story. Even if they make changes, it's all still going in the same general direction. It's a little different if you are making your own plots and you can sort of navigate the waves yourself to find the sweet spot.

Well they just bought themselves more time and sort of finished up storylines left over from the last two books, which were massive anyways. So I don't necessarily see it as a bad thing. Hopefully George finishes up the next book and they can use the rest of that to adapt the rest of the next season or as close to it as possible.

Those two statements are not congruent. Unless Winds is literally a book composed of those Cliffhangers and nothing else. Which it hopefully isn't, since GRRM basically said he was opening with two of the three. So far we got an abbreviated version of the Riverlands plotline. Slightly more of KL, but not anything significant until actually very recently. Dany got a Dothraki army (which we all predicted) and the battle of Mereen is about to take place. A variation of the Greyjoy plot. Jon's ressurction and set up for the battle of Winterfell. Samwell isn't even in Oldtown. Bran just left the three eyed Raven. Tough to say, but we might have only got the first third of Winds this season. Which might not be a bad thing. Gives them time to see what GRRM has for the last book that will be released before the series finishes.

LSH was put to rest tonight. So far her only significance in the book revolved around Jamie and Brienne. -Jamie is going back to KL -Brienne is going back North -The BWB is around with no LSJ All this tells me is that LSH's story is basically complete after whatever happens when Brienne brings Jamie to her.

I think this is like the obvious conclusion. Without Stoneheart to keep him in the Riverlands longer, there is nothing to stop him from returning. Which all of sudden makes the plotline being pushed up to this season make more sense.

About a 6.5. Another scene setting episode that sneakily did a lot to advance the plot without actually feeling like it. All the Jamie scenes were good. Everythn to do with the Siege. The conversation with Edmure was great. Best of all we did see a bit of Jamie's humanity again, finally. NCW murders it when he is given something to do. This could be the last time we see the Brienne/Jamie dream team, unless..... Cersie looks like she is pulling an Aery's in desperation, so if the valonqar thing is real Jamie the Kingslayer might get an encore. So unless he dies in the shitshow that King's Landing is about to turn into, he will have very few places to go. Could see him being the big surprise in the battle with the WW's in a future season. Arya's story was done about as good as it could go if not for the ending with JH being cliché Disney stuff (and let's be real, him being there at all was fanservice). So now Arya has some decent training. Poor Lady Crane though, her scene at the beginning was fantastic, she could have been a great Catelyn if they went closer to their ages. Get Arya back in Westeros please, any Westerosi character that goes to Essos seems to get stuck.... Speaking of Tyrion, holy shit did he get the shaft. Tyrion in Essos in general has been a deathknell for his character. I get the whole desire to see the two most popular characters team up, but Mereen is Dany's story, it wasn't going to get resolved without Dany, Tyrion is just a bit player there and it shows and they have nothing for him to do but hope Dinklage can steal scenes to bide time. Sandor got a good Sandor scene. No Cleganebowl though. Looks like he's heading North to reunite with the Stark girls. Nice to see the Brotherhood again. Lastly, the King's Landing plot looks like it set up the stage for whatever is going down. The Mountain was nullified. Qyburn informed Cersie of something...which is likely the wildfire of Aery's (remember Jamie said some was under the Sept of Balor and if he told anyone besides Brienne it was Cersie. Tommen is lost to her. Marg probably has some plan, but Cersie will screw it up. Honestly, it was only the Tyrion scene that bothered me. Maybe the cheesy ending with JH smiling. But aside from that, I don't mind too much. Maybe I'll bump it to a 7.

Good. So for those keeping score.... Winterfell -Arya is heading back to Winterfell. -Sansa and Jon are marching on Winterfell -Brienne and Pod are traveling to Winterfell -The Vale is likely heading to Winterfell -Bran and Benjen are likely heading back over the Wall to meet up with everyone -Oh and Sandor and the Brotherhood look like they are heading up North as well. King's Landing -Cersie is stuck in King's Landing without a trial by combat. Looks like the fan theory WILDFIRE plot is happening -Jamie has already vowed to go back (cough valonqar cough) -Dorne is heading to King's Landing to avenge Elia and Oberyn Mereen -Dany just returned with a Dothraki army -The Master's are finally making their assault -Theon and Yara are heading over to Mereen to probably make the save -Euron is also planning a trip out there (caveat: The plan is to head to King's Landing after all this ends) WILDCARD -Lord Vary's is heading somewhere in Westeros. PLOTS ARE CONVERGING FINALLY

I'm surprised Cersie isn't a Stark.