Cersei NOOOO!

[Asvpxkvng]

Ok so I know it's universally accepted that Cersei is going to blow Kings Landing with wildfire in the finale which is what that rumor Qyburn was talking about. I also believe this will happen but she could be passing up a monumental chance. One of the speculations about the rumor was that they found Gendry and Cersei was going to publicly admit what she and Jaime did and tommen is not rightfully king therefore she would pull out Gendry and all tommens declaration would be nullified (which means she can have her trial by combat). This blew my mind because it is far more finessed than blowing up the city but I don't believe it's plausible for Gendry to come back but..... Even if she removed tommen Gendry wouldn't be king. According to a Reddit user who's scanned the Baratheon tree very closely the closest living successor eligible (Dawnaerus is closer by Robert's grandmother but all Targaryen succession is nullified) is actually Jaime Lannister! This move would put the only person she trusts on the Iron Throne! Of course since there is still the council which might consider his investors activities which just got announced would render him ineligible I thought this would be extremely mind blowing and at least worth mentioning.

Side note: I very much doubt this will happen. I just thought it was cool and worth a look at. The topic of succession if tommen dies is very convoluted and I think should be definitively cleared up.

[Rumy Stark]

Yeah the succession topic is really interesting but I think when Tommen kicks it basically there will be chaos, versus someone saying, "OH I LOOKED AT THE FAMILY TREES, HERE'S HOW IT GOES!"

Bringing Gendry back would be awesome but I really doubt that's where it's going. I read somewhere though that a bastard child would be preferable to chaos, essentially, but Gendry wasn't acknowledged by Robert so basically the only claim he has is that he kinda looks like his dad which is.... not very compelling.

I agree with you that it'd be super great if Cersei's move was subtle like that, but she is more of a smashing type. She always has been into the big and obvious power plays--she's not the most delicate human. In the past it's worked because the power of KL was with her, but right now she's kind of desperate so.... 

I'm guessing ka-boom goes KL. 

[Kiwi]

That's a fun concept. Indeed more subtle than the BOOM.

She could use her trial as an opportunity to confess and confirm that Tommen is a bastard. And demand a trial by combat after all.

The thing is, if High Sparrow decides to dismiss her wish regardless, she has no way of enforcing it, being surrounded by faith militant.

And in such case the only thing she would accomplish is a loss in her trial and loss of her legacy. Also, if Gendry finally makes a comeback to replace Tommen, she loses her influence in KL permanently. Aaand she will still be in trouble for incest and cheating on her king and killing him.

High Sparrow might want to be "just" though and give her that trial by combat after all.

CLEGANEBOWL, I WANT TO BELIEVE.

I really don't, but hey, that's 1 way it still might happen.

[Quoth]

Actually, I don't think Cersei is going to torch King's Landing. I think with Qyburn's  help she'll torch the Sept. In various points it's been discussed, most recently by Tyrion talking with Dany, that there's a cache of wildfire under the Sept. Think Reichstag Fire, people. She takes out the base of the Faith Militant and/or the High Sparrow in one stroke while blaming the fire's outbreak on... (fill in the blank).  

[facelessaryas]

9 minutes ago, Quoth said:

Actually, I don't think Cersei is going to torch King's Landing. I think with Qyburn's  help she'll torch the Sept. In various points it's been discussed, most recently by Tyrion talking with Dany, that there's a cache of wildfire under the Sept. Think Reichstag Fire, people. She takes out the base of the Faith Militant and/or the High Sparrow in one stroke while blaming the fire's outbreak on... (fill in the blank).  

Didn't Tyrion say that they were all throughout the city, on the roads and stuff? I don't think she'll mean to burn the whole city, just the sept. But if they're linked....

[Quoth]

Just now, facelessaryas said:

Didn't Tyrion say that they were all throughout the city, on the roads and stuff? I don't think she'll mean to burn the whole city, just the sept. But if they're linked....

Yes, Tryion did, but for at least a second time, the Sept was specifically mentioned as one of the hiding places.

Even if linked, perhaps Qyburn and/or his little birds disconnect the linkage before ignition?

[jrod]

Just now, facelessaryas said:

Didn't Tyrion say that they were all throughout the city, on the roads and stuff? I don't think she'll mean to burn the whole city, just the sept. But if they're linked....

That's exactly what I think will happen.  In typical Cersei fashion, she will think she has outsmarted everyone else, and just FUBAR it instead.  I think he plan is to just take out the sept and the High Sparrow and his followers, but something will happen.  Either they are linked or it spreads more than she thinks it will and there is more destruction (including Tommen?) or Tommen is caught up in the sept without her knowledge and she goes full on crazy/Mad Queen and lights the rest in her crazy/despair.

[Masha]

2 minutes ago, Quoth said:

Yes, Tryion did, but for at least a second time, the Sept was specifically mentioned as one of the hiding places.

Even if linked, perhaps Qyburn and/or his little birds disconnect the linkage before ignition?

How? Little birds are just kids, they don't have strength nor knowledge how block tunnels between enough that a force of explosion won't rip them open?

[Quoth]

Just now, Masha said:

How? Little birds are just kids, they don't have strength nor knowledge how block tunnels between enough that a force of explosion won't rip them open?

Possibly they borrow Littlefinger's teleportation device to move boulders into place. The imagination of these writers know no (logical) bounds.

[Masha]

10 minutes ago, Quoth said:

Possibly they borrow Littlefinger's teleportation device to move boulders into place. The imagination of these writers know no (logical) bounds.

Maybe or maybe its just an unrealistic prediction of what would happen. 

1) If there is a connection between caches of wildfire, whole KL will go off

2) Since it wasn't clear that those caches are connected (I believe Tyrion just said that Aerys put wildfire under famous landmarks and houses of significance, not that he connected them all, to get a an explosition chain). Then the Sept will blow up and rest of KL is left intact

 

 

[adiman83]

You guys are forgetting something. One of Daenerys' visions while she was in Quarth was of a blown up Red Keep with snow falling in (I'm talking about this). That hasn't happened yet. So my assumption is that if Cersei uses wildfire, that will be the result.

[TickTak7]

l like this theory regarding Gendry - however, I think it's too smart and finessed for Cersei; she's desperate and almost at her last straw. I don't think she's capable of coming up with something smart, compared to something last ditch and desperate. 

38 minutes ago, facelessaryas said:

Didn't Tyrion say that they were all throughout the city, on the roads and stuff? I don't think she'll mean to burn the whole city, just the sept. But if they're linked....

True. They've mentioned the Sept a few times, almost too heavy handed. 

However, we know King's Landing in it's entirety wont burn, because we saw the shot of the dragon over KL in Bran's vision.

If KL went all up in smoke, then we would have seen it in that Bran dragon vision. 

 

[Garse Ironjade Janacek]

48 minutes ago, Kiwi said:

She could use her trial as an opportunity to confess and confirm that Tommen is a bastard. And demand a trial by combat after all.

The thing is, if High Sparrow decides to dismiss her wish regardless, she has no way of enforcing it, being surrounded by faith militant.

Well, in truth, the High Sparrow derives his power (partially, at least) from Tommen's grace.  Should Tommen be outed, the Sparrow's position becomes somewhat tenuous.  The Faith Militant are more capable of bullying women and the helpless than facing armed knights.  In the absence of Tommen or Kevan, there is a power vacuum.  Should Cersei succeed in having a trial by combat, she (and Jaime?) are in an improved, if not great, position.

I also believe that it is entirely possible that Margaery Tyrell/Olenna Tyrell will murder Tommen.  It would not be the first time....This would also create an opportunity for your scenario.  I would be shocked if the Tyrells don't have a plan to seize power, but Cersei holds a significant bargaining chip with her wildfire contingency.  

Surely D&D wouldn't ignore the Chekhov's Gun principle, would they?

[TickTak7]

5 minutes ago, adiman83 said:

You guys are forgetting something. One of Daenerys' visions while she was in Quarth was of a blown up Red Keep with snow falling in (I'm talking about this). That hasn't happened yet. So my assumption is that if Cersei uses wildfire, that will be the result.

Nice catch. 

In that clip, there was snow falling into the the throne room, and the white raven in the trailer for ep. 10 implies that Winter has arrived (the white raven was sent by the citadel to inform people of the season changes). 

So my guess is, if that clip of Dany in the throne room has any sort of foreshadowing value, then it'll be a clip that we see next season (remember, the weather in KL is still very mild). 

[Rumy Stark]

8 minutes ago, adiman83 said:

You guys are forgetting something. One of Daenerys' visions while she was in Quarth was of a blown up Red Keep with snow falling in (I'm talking about this). That hasn't happened yet. So my assumption is that if Cersei uses wildfire, that will be the result.

True true, good catch. This is why I think the whole ka-boom won't happen this episode, either. We have at least 13 episodes over 2 seasons left, and that whole thing won't be taken up by the war against the WW. So I'm thinking the Red Keep won't burn until next season. Maybe. 

[illinifan]

I bet what happens is that Cersei torches the Sept and Margaery is killed there.  Tommen who is infatuated with Marg commits suicide.  Cersei then goes all crazy Mad Queen and burns down the rest of KL and flees to Casterly Rock.

Season 7 Cersei is in full evil queen mode and is goaded on by LF.  LF lets key pieces of information slip like how the Starks are in control of Winterfell and perhaps R+L=J.  I also think that Jaime's main journey ends in him murdering his crazy sister/ lover.

[adiman83]

Just now, Rumy Stark said:

True true, good catch. This is why I think the whole ka-boom won't happen this episode, either. We have at least 13 episodes over 2 seasons left, and that whole thing won't be taken up by the war against the WW. So I'm thinking the Red Keep won't burn until next season. Maybe. 

We'll see, you might be right, it could be next season. Anyway, one of Bran's visions after the Raven's death was of burning wildfire so the events so far are kind of foreshadowing the destruction of KL. 

[Rumy Stark]

Just now, adiman83 said:

We'll see, you might be right, it could be next season. Anyway, one of Bran's visions after the Raven's death was of burning wildfire so the events so far are kind of foreshadowing the destruction of KL. 

Yeah I have no doubt KL will go down in flames. It's just a question of whether that happens now or later. We shall see!

[Iona]

38 minutes ago, TickTak7 said:

However, we know King's Landing in it's entirety wont burn, because we saw the shot of the dragon over KL in Bran's vision.

If KL went all up in smoke, then we would have seen it in that Bran dragon vision. 

Remember lots of the things in Bran's visions have been stuff from the past. That could've been a glimpse from days of old when dragons still regularly roamed the airspace above the capital.

I would strongly discourage investing in any prime properties around King's Landing for the nonce.

[IrisBest]

1 hour ago, facelessaryas said:

Didn't Tyrion say that they were all throughout the city, on the roads and stuff? I don't think she'll mean to burn the whole city, just the sept. But if they're linked....

Yeah right now I'm stuck wondering if it's just the Sept that gets torched or if Cersei sets off an accidental chain reaction that destroys everything. Spoiler speculation:

Spoiler

We've heard that Tommen dies by jumping out of a window and that could either be suicide over Margaery dying and/or most of his city getting burned, or because he's trying to escape the flames. I don't think Cersei would willingly endanger Tommen, so if he's actually fleeing the flames, I wanna guess that'll be in the Red Keep, not the Sept, and the keep burns down unintentionally. Unless he's in the Sept when Cersei didn't expect him to be there? I'm also not sure how Cersei survives if the Red Keep gets destroyed, too (and I'm thinking she survives since Lena Headey is negotiating to renew her contract for next year).

Of course I also think if they wanted Tommen to die by wildfire at all, they wouldn't bother with a window jumping death they'd just have him get burned. The window jump could be a suicide which happens in front of Cersei for maximum drama.