[BOOK SPOILERS] Predictions for scenes that will end each episode of Season 2

[WenchofTarth]

Episode 9 ended a bit more shockingly in Season 1 than the finale after all, Dany's dragons couldn't top Ned Stark losing his head. They can do the same this coming season, Blackwater in 9 and Bran leaving broken Winterfell on his journey beyond the Wall to end Season 2. Don't need cliffhangers, no sir. Save the massacre on the Fist for Season 3 opener

[Plem]

I think Raff killing Lommy Greenhands would be the perfect ending for the first or the second episode. I don't think the scene was mentioned here before. It shows what kind of hopeless world Arya and the other characters are living in now, since not even a child is safe from monsters like Gregor Clegane.

[rezor]

I'm gonna go with shadow baby or horns. But I wouldn't be surprised if it involves Tyrion or Bran....just a feeling....

[hint]

I figure it'll end up like such:

Game of Thrones: Season 1

Clash of Kings: Season 2

Storm of Swords 1: Season 3

Storm of Swords 2: Season 4

Feast for Crows/Dance of Dragons 1: Season 5

Feast for Crows/Dance with Dragons 2: Season 6

Winds of Winter: Season 7*

Dream of Spring: Season 8*

*I expect that by this time, the seasons will have 12-14 episodes.

That's eight season to complete it. It might be kind of tricky with some of the child actors, but I think they could do some creative writing (i.e. include the time jump or something similar) and pull it off. Eight seasons is long for an HBO drama (Sopranos lasted six, True Blood is coming up on five and it's getting old), but they can do it.

Assuming they go something like this and they want to release 1 season per year, this would need GRRM to publish Dream of Spring in 2016 so that it could air in 2018. Early 2017 maybe the extreme latest should they agree to finish season 7 "blind"(not really knowing how to finish off the season, since not really knowing how the next one would start off) and creators would need to read the book, write the script and do the possible addisional casting and setup/planning all within months, then shoot during for summer/autumn, post-production in winter, realease in spring 2018. Either way, this would mean GRRM would need to release the last 2 books both within 4-5 years. And since he just came up with one last year, I think we all find the odds of that happening rather slim.

There are only 3 alternatives I can think off. First is that they split up the books even further. Let's say up to tv 12 seasons. Would give GRRM 8 years to finish and publish the series what is more realistic tbh. Fun for fans, but I'm already very worried about how the the slow pacing of the books would work for tv-screens. I mean there are loads of the common tv-viewers who expect something in the vein of Dany flying with her dragons to Kings Landing in S2 pilot or something almost as wrong as that. [ADWD spolier]

and when they still see her in Dothraki Sea by end of 6th(or 8th if they drag out) season

, I'm afraid it might seem slow and could effect ratings eventually. Other problems with it would be HBO financing something so expensive for 12 years. Actors(and so many of them) willing to stay on their roles so long what for some is better part of their careers. And child actors growing up.

2nd alternative would be making longer breaks between seasons aired, 1.5-2 years let's say. More viable option but yet many of the same problems remain. Actors would still need to commit to a project of unknown lenght, lasting a decade at least, while avoiding getting much older. Patience of many viewers would be tested during the unusally long breaks as well.

3rd alterantive is that they go more and more off from books. Keep the show more tv-friendly with lesser charaters and faster pacing. No need to split SoS, 4th season could be maybe 13 episodes and combines AFFC and ADWD. Then somehow get GRRM completely involved to write a whole different/alterative ending for the tv-series on it's own. Total of 6 seasons. Don't think many fans would like that though.

Bottom line is that I think HBO fully airing the whole ASOIAF series off the books is very difficult and somewhat unlikely. They started off too early to finish it without some sort of sacrifices it seems.

[the savage]

Yeah, that could be too. I guess it'll be evident soon, one way or the other. I did have an idea that they could show Ramsay torturing Theon at the Dreadfort in Season 3, or the escape scene with Kyra, or something, to keep that thread on a burner still. I wonder if Alfie Allen had any idea where Theon would go when he signed on? :D

I also wonder whether they included that in his audition. I feel like they did, because GRRM obviously knew what was going to happen to Theon, and Alfie doesn't really look at all like how Theon is described in the books or drawn in the comics. I'm thinking the same thing about Michelle Fairelly.

[the savage]

Double Post, oops.

[dreamcatcher]

Maybe they didn't announce Reek because they don't want to spoil. I mean if they reveal him as Ramsay much suspense would be lost.

This makes sense. I hope it's like this.

[Nagisa Furukawa]

Well, for Episode One, we know Maester Cressen's been cast, but his prologue isn't really like Will's in AGoT where it's a self-contained scene; his is more like a short story with meeting different people and doing different things, etc. Also, they'll want to introduce Stannis/Davos/Melisandre as main characters *throughout* the episode, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Maester Cressen prologue was extended and broke up into bits (like Dany's chapters were in Episode 10) with the audience led to believe he'll be our main sympathetic character on Stannis' side before ending the episode with him drinking the poison, Patchface singing, and him looking into Melisandre's red, red eyes as he dies. Credits.

[Morky_Pep]

^ you got it right. The first episode is going to end with Cressen dying. The second prologue is like 30 pages while AGOT prologue is lke 7. There is going to be no prologue first scene like in the first season. I also feel the show will end with the fist of the first men. It would be the best cliffhanger and it would have a much stronger effect at the end of the season as opposed to the first scene in the third season.

[WenchofTarth]

To me ending with Bran looking over burnt Winterfell and knowing it can be rebuilt and heading off north of the Wall is a solid ending to the second season, we don't need to have a cliffhanger. Of course there seems to be suggestions that Winterfell won't even be sacked this season so it would make that rather difficult if true, heh.

[Tyrionthebest]

To me ending with Bran looking over burnt Winterfell and knowing it can be rebuilt and heading off north of the Wall is a solid ending to the second season, we don't need to have a cliffhanger. Of course there seems to be suggestions that Winterfell won't even be sacked this season so it would make that rather difficult if true, heh.

Dude, tv series are built on cliffhangers . They are gonna have them whether you like it or not .

[PatrickStormborn]

Dude, tv series are built on cliffhangers . They are gonna have them whether you like it or not .

Season one didn't really end on a cliffhanger, and the show received a lot of praise for it. Cliffhangers at the end of seasons are cheap; ending the season with the reveal that Bran is actually alive would be much more effective.

[WenchofTarth]

^ this

They are way overdone and if HBO can avoid them here all for the better. Bran surviving and his decision to push on and live would be satisfying event, an evolution of his character and his decision to go to the Wall and beyond can give some Bran-Jon meetup for the viewers.

[Pliskin]

Twists without cliffhangers are far more effective to end a season. And the sack of Winterfell would have been the best twist ending possible with the revelation on Reek's identity and Bran's survival.

But since Reek is cut... well, I'll go with the cliffhanger of the Fist of the First Men.

[the savage]

It makes perfect sense for them to end with the Prologue of ASOS. All of the major plot points from ACOK will be resolved, and people will be even more pumped for season 3.

[DaveSumm]

I'd not considered it before, but it would be possible to have Theon simply take Winterfell at the end of S2, but have Bran escape instead of hiding in the crypts. His ending of aCoK would still be in place, then Theon's S3 arc could be meeting Reek, Asha/Yara coming with her twenty men, and ultimately the fake Bran/Rickon part and the subsequent sack of Winterfell to conclude the season. This way, the casting of Reek and the 'Theon not there for a season' problems would be resolved as the storyline would continue immediately into S4 at the Dreadfort. The only downside being that you'd miss the mystery of whether Bran's alive, but a small price I think.

You could even introduce the Reeds as two kids stuck in Winterfell under Theon, who decide to escape to find Bran (although as I've said elsewhere, Osha must be filling in for them a little this coming season, so it's hard to see the impetus to introduce them once they've gone down this road).

[HyacinthGirl]

I REALLY hope they end S2 with the prologue to book 3. As in, the last scene of the season being set on the fist:

unrest amongst the men, hints at a possible mutiny, and then 3 horn blasts.

Fingers crossed. That would be a great way to end the season, and I think I saw in an interview with Peter Dinklage that some of ASOS has been subsituted into S2 as book 3 is so big.

I can't really comment on the endings of the other episodes because I really can't tell where the chapters are going to be split off the top of my head.

edit: I don't think S2 should end with Bran, as good as the ending of book 2 with Bran was.

[Peasant Rebel Leader]

The season ending does depend a lot on how they decide to do the Winterfell thing. Theon has to "kill" Bran and Rickon as the news have to reach the South. Or what reason does Catelyn have to free Jaime (of course the escape attempt could work but then that's a bit harsh on the Stark/Tullys...)? I think both ends can work: The Fist and three horn blasts, but then they have to tell the viewer many times what three horn blasts mean and the White Walkers will have to have appeared in the season so it works, the Winterfell scene is better in the tone, but it depends on how far they take that story and in my mind, Winterfell will not burn so Theon has something to do in Season 3. They might do something with Arstan saving Dany in Qarth, and people will be happy that she finally will arrive in Westeros the next season *cruel laugh*.

[Crown]

The season ending does depend a lot on how they decide to do the Winterfell thing. Theon has to "kill" Bran and Rickon as the news have to reach the South. Or what reason does Catelyn have to free Jaime (of course the escape attempt could work but then that's a bit harsh on the Stark/Tullys...)? I think both ends can work: The Fist and three horn blasts, but then they have to tell the viewer many times what three horn blasts mean and the White Walkers will have to have appeared in the season so it works, the Winterfell scene is better in the tone, but it depends on how far they take that story and in my mind, Winterfell will not burn so Theon has something to do in Season 3. They might do something with Arstan saving Dany in Qarth, and people will be happy that she finally will arrive in Westeros the next season *cruel laugh*.

Wouldn't it be much better for people to think that Theon is death, and ... (ADWD)

... reveal him being alive in the dungeons at Dreadfort. Tortured and shit.

[Tyrionthebest]

I'd not considered it before, but it would be possible to have Theon simply take Winterfell at the end of S2, but have Bran escape instead of hiding in the crypts. His ending of aCoK would still be in place, then Theon's S3 arc could be meeting Reek, Asha/Yara coming with her twenty men, and ultimately the fake Bran/Rickon part and the subsequent sack of Winterfell to conclude the season. This way, the casting of Reek and the 'Theon not there for a season' problems would be resolved as the storyline would continue immediately into S4 at the Dreadfort. The only downside being that you'd miss the mystery of whether Bran's alive, but a small price I think.

You could even introduce the Reeds as two kids stuck in Winterfell under Theon, who decide to escape to find Bran (although as I've said elsewhere, Osha must be filling in for them a little this coming season, so it's hard to see the impetus to introduce them once they've gone down this road).

So what are they gonna do with Theon this season if the half and more important and certainly more exciting part of his story is in the next season ?Either way , I don't buy it because there have been reports that the last shot they filmed was Bran,Hodor ,Rickon and Osha escaping plus I have seen on twitter that they have cast the guy with the dogs that was hunting Bran and the others so I don't think your theory stands out