Still, though. He’s still alive in the books and for probably the greatest living swordsman to go down in some alley in Mereen to the bitchass sons of the harpy was a load of shit
He got overwhelmed and was old. He still cut down a good number of those gold masked insurgents and saved our precious Grey Worm
I just don’t see them raising the dead in the crypts and killing off some of the characters that will be down there along with the women and children. For the battle scene to be as long as it allegedly is they’ll have to keep the dragons off the field as long as possible which means I doubt we see the NK or Viserion for most of the ep if not all.
Absolutely. On that note, wonderful drunk ass warlock Thoros as well as Viserion basically died for nothing.
Random thought from my recent rewatch: They underutilized the shit out of Ian McShane and Richard E. Grant. I’m sure it had more to do with scheduling but McShane was phenomenal as always and Grant appeared somewhat pre-breakout. Still it’s two great actors that got one episode and three episodes respectively.
It’s probably all they would commit to. I don’t think McShane was that keen on the material since he spouted the now famous line “it’s just tits and dragons” after he spoiled the hound coming back in the episode he was appearing in.
Not sure if it’s been discussed yet, but the episode 2 title card showed ice taking over the territory around Last Hearth and approaching winterfell. It would be odd for it to be eliminated after just three episodes, suggesting it may envelop Winterfell (and/or KL, if you subscribe to that theory) after episode 3
If it was up to me, I’d have his main purpose tie directly in to the best theory I’ve heard hands down on the NK. Because it also would explain a few other things in better ways. And would indicate that the NK is more of a vengeful evil genius rather than simply the embodiment of death with the compulsion of eliminating life. The theory: Spoiler Jon Snow is the Prince That Was Promised. But not to defeat the Night Knight. The prince that was promised TO the Night King. The last Long Night ended not with a defeat of the WW. But rather a truce and promise that Men would provide sons to the NK so he could continue the line of WW. Craster’s incest babies are good enough to be his minions. But the NK wanted a special chosen one to either be his replacement or be essentially his son. And he wanted a royal blood boy that was special above and beyond other princes. Men owed him their very best offering in order to continue to spare their lives. So when that child was born under the bleeding star etc. he should have to be turned over to the NK to keep the agreement. But over the years the agreement faded and was forgotten. Just getting Craster’s sons and nothing more was pissing off the NK. But once Jon was born and was not turned over, he decided the treaty was broken and it was killing time. Cuz the WW and wight activity really picked up and began to be reported between Jon’s birth and the time of Season 1, Episode 1. Would also explain why the NK seems to almost revere Jon when he sees him. And has passed up multiple chances to kill Jon. One, because it was supposed to be his “son,” or two, because with the same sight as Bran he knew Jon had yet to impregnate Dany. So he let him live. Cuz if he can’t have Jon then he will settle for his heir (also a prince). Would explain why the march on the wall took soooo long. The NK was slow playing waiting for Dany to arrive and get knocked up. Once that went down was when he burned down the section of the wall and advanced. And would also explain the circular symbols as well. The truce agreement took place at the Weirwood tree with stones set up in the circular shape. The one we saw in Bran’s visions and later where the Army of the Dead was standing when the NK touched Bran. So the circular symbols are the NK’s way to communicate his demands and reason why he is doing what he is doing. And the Umber boy could have been interpreted to the NK as a noble born gift to him. But he deemed the boy unworthy and burnt his ass on the symbol to show he’s not the caliber of kid I was promised. So instead of Bran being his main target it would then be Dany. Not because of her. But just to ensure he gets the baby inside of her. Which granted, all of this hinges on the fact that she is carrying Jon’s baby. But the theory assumes the NK has seen it and knows it to be true.
One reason that I think the NK is on his way to King's Landing is because of what was shown -- or not shown -- in the final scene of the second episode. What we see up close is some White Walkers outside Winterfell. No NK, though. You'd assume that the camera would have focused on him had he been there. Otherwise, that's the probably the first time in the whole series where the NK was in the area but the camera didn't pan to him.
Was thinking about this yesterday and trying to come up with a person grey worm can die protecting in the same way Barristan ended up dying to protect grey worm. My first thought was Jamie who is also a former kings guard but that doesn’t fully fit to me. I feel like his arc needs to include saving someone the way he was saved though. Interested to hear if anyone else has any ideas.
This along with what Bran said about him not putting himself in harms way. We’ve never seen him in a battle. He’s always watching from far away safely. He went into the tree to kill the one eyed raven but only after that room was cleared out and didn’t pursue Bran and them.
So I had it in my head that there were tunnels under Winterfell that they could use to escape from the crypts once shit goes sideways next episode. I thought they were mentioned in the Bran chapters where he talked about sneaking around Winterfell in the first couple books. Am I inventing this out of whole cloth? I just assumed that's how the survivors get away after the battle next week...
It’s also possible—and here’s where the theorizing begins—that the Night King, like Theon, possesses particular knowledge of the castle. In Season 2, as Maester Luwin advised Theon to flee the castle before Northern troops attacked to regain control, he revealed, “There are ways—hidden passageways built so the Lords of Winterfell could escape.” These passageways might help the defenders escape if the Battle of Winterfell goes awry.
Anyone else catch Arya asking Gendri how the dead move, fight, smell etc? She’s going to wear a WW face isn’t she
she doesn't want to be queen and be 2nd fiddle (like Cersei was to Robert). She wants to be on the Iron Throne herself and rule
Assuming both live, I think Jon would give up his claim to the throne. I don’t necessarily think it’s something he desires. Plus happy wife, happy life and all that mess.
The pending disagreement doesn’t have to do with whether Jon wants it for himself. It’s more to do with whether he thinks she can be trusted to rule—I.e. Samwell’s sowing of seeds of doubt in his mind and her issues with permitting Sansa/the North’s independence. Dany’s view of the Throne as a birthright and prized possession is very much at odds with Ned’s view of leadership, and Jon’s by extension. Jon doesn’t want to rule for himself, but he may *have* to for the sake of the realm. He’s done it before with the North and Night’s Watch.
I was thinking about if she could do that but forgot that line. Arya’s skill set has been flashed at times but we don’t know or understand the full extent of it. That’s one of those things that I think the writers could choose to go either way with at this point. They haven’t confirmed or denied based on current information that she could do something like that.
I still contend that the basis for her working for it was because she thought it was justified and right by her standing as next in line. She has to bend herself into a pretzel to think otherwise unless she thinks Jon is motivated to lie, which I think ultimately she will know he hasn't.
If it comes down to it, I think Jon is probably like “my father had the chance to rule and chose not to blah blah blah, no one will ever know” and then Dany makes him Jon Stark.
Unintended consequence is that all “Stark” children descended from Jon will have the ability to ride dragons. Although if Dany is the mom I suppose the above point is irrelevant.
The posters on my Rivals homeboard seem to believe that Gendry is somehow actually Cersei's first child with Robert that allegedly died during childbirth and that he's somehow the true king of Westeros. It's the dumbest fucking GoT theory I think I've ever seen.
Which sets up a Queen in the North and South dynamic that could work. Also means Bran and Sam have to die.
that's likely more decayed bodies not someone who was literally ripped limb from limb by weights. Night King raises the dead, not puts bones back together.