I decided that in the wake of the Game of Thrones Season 7 finale I would do two posts- one being a review of the episode and the other a continuation of my Q & A format to cover the wider talking points. You can click here for the former and get my breakdown of the episode itself. In this post we will be discussing theories and predictions. Excited? Let’s get on with it then.

1. Will we have to wait until 2019 to see season eight?

The answer to this one is most likely. HBO hasn’t confirmed a delay, so nothing is official yet. What we do know is that they will start shooting season eight in October, about a month from now. Normally this would indicate that it is on schedule to be aired in the early summer. The problem, however, is that the final season will feature its most ambitious and complicated set pieces yet. Expect the scale to be massive in the way of special effects, extras, set design and the overall spectacle. We saw all the trouble they went through to create the Frozen Lake Battle in episode 6 this year. We know for certain that there will be two large battles that will surely dwarf anything the show has attempted before. With a long shooting schedule more than likely, the chances are that HBO will push back the show until Spring 2019 (probably around May). I don’t see them airing in the Fall where they will compete for viewership with The Walking Dead and football season. A lot is going into this final season to make it great, so they absolutely will want to get the maximum viewing figures possible.

2. Why only 6 episodes?

The reason for season eight’s being 6 episodes long is simple. The story they have left is small but the scenes are much larger. Although only 6 episodes in length, it has been reported that the final season might have the longest run time of any season yet. In July, Paula Fairfield- who works as a sound designer for the show- confirmed that each episode will be “feature-length”. To my mind, this means that each episode will be at least 65-70 minutes long as opposed to the usual 50-55. And the final episode will more than likely be at least an hour and a half.

3. What is Cersei’s plan?

We knew that Cersei would serve as the main antagonist until the end of the series and attempt to undercut Dany and Jon. Her plan now is to let the Dragonstone-Winterfell alliance weaken themselves against the White Walkers before facing off against the remaining forces with the Golden Company- an army of mercenaries from Essos.

4. How is it likely to go down?

At the moment Cersei is weak and vastly outmatched. She knows this, which is why she is pretending to support Dany & Jon against the Night King. All she has at this point are the remnants of a battered Lannister army and the Iron Fleet. The Vale has already declared for the King in the North. What remains of the decimated Riverlands would be of no help to her, as they- like the Vale- have familial ties to the Starks. The Dornish hate the Lannisters and the Tyrells and the Baratheons have been destroyed. Therefore, the show will look to even the odds in the bloodiest way possible. We know from the Battle of the Blackwater, the Battle of Castle Black, and the Battle of the Bastards that they like to see an inferior army find a way to defeat a superior force. After all, if the odds are stacked so heavily in your favor then there is little tension to be had. And given that it is accepted now that Jon and Dany are the heroes of the show and Cersei the villain, I expect things to get shaken up early on in the season. Even with the Golden Company, Cersei is still outnumbered. So I think that either Team Dany will beat the Night King but suffer heavy losses, or they will in fact lose and escape with a skeleton force back south, bringing the war to Cersei’s doorstep. What remains to be seen is how aggressive Cersei will be in her strategy. She might want to fortify the south and wait, or she might strike at the Targaryens in the north whilst they are weak. Perhaps Team Dany will lose and we will see the Army of the Dead face off against the Golden Company in King’s Landing, only for Dany and a handful of main characters and soldiers to swoop in at the last minute?

5. Who are the Golden Company?

The Golden Company are a private army of mercenaries who operate in Essos. They are the remnants of an offshoot from the Targaryens called House Blackfyre, founded by the bastard son of Aegon the Unworthy. The majority of the outfit is made up of Westerosi loyalists to House Blackfyre who fled with them to Essos with the intention of reconquering the Seven Kingdoms and ousting the Targaryens. In order to survive, they reinvented themselves as mercenaries for hire, often fighting the wars of the Free Cities. This allowed them to become wealthy and retain a fighting army, hoping to one day sail back to Westeros and claim the Iron Throne. The Golden Company participated in the Third, Fourth and Fifth Blackfyre Rebellions, being defeated in the last by a young Ser Barristan Selmy (below, left) and Brynden “Blackfish” Tully (below, right). Although the core of the Golden Company is composed of Westerosi Blackfyre exiles and their descendants, they have over the years incorporated other units into their ranks- such as Summer Islander archers and a number of war elephants. Their motto is “Our word is as good as gold” which I think is a nice touch by the Blackfyre marketing department, because it reinforces their reputation for having never broken a contract.

6. What wildcard characters can we expect to pop up again?

We will definitely see Melisandre again and it will be interesting to see how her fate plays out. All we know is that she has traveled to Volantis (for reasons unknown) and that she intends to return to Westeros where she says she will meet her end. I definitely think she will meet up with Jon Snow and Dany somehow, as Melisandre’s interests are focused on the Prophecy of the Prince Who Was Promised. We could yet see some more Blood Magic before the show’s end.

Another character I expect to come back is Daario Naharis, who we last saw in season 6 after Dany left him behind. Even though he worked for the Second Sons, I have a sneaky feeling that he will return alongside the Golden Company. I definitely see him as a wildcard, either fighting against Dany for being left behind, or coming to her aid to help tip the balance.

7. Is Bran the Night King?

This is an interesting theory that’s been gaining some traction on Reddit. We know that Bran’s powers as the Three-Eyed Raven are considerable and mysterious, and that to some extent he can affect the past. In season 6 we see him whisper to a young Hodor and thereby traumatize him with a vision of his own death. In the Tower of Joy scene we see Bran call out to his father, and the former Three-Eyed Raven’s worried expression. He warns Bran that if he spends too much time in the past, he will “drown” in it. There are a number of theories about Bran, and although they might seem ludicrous, they make for a fascinating discussion. It’s been suggested that Bran tries to alter history despite the Three-Eyed Raven telling him that the “ink is dry”, and that whatever action Bran takes will inadvertently lead to the same outcome. In short, the crux of the theory is that Bran tries to stop the creation of the White Walkers by warging into the body of the man who becomes the Night King (pictured below). It’s also been suggested in the show that the Night King was once a Stark of Winterfell, and so Bran could be inhabiting the body of his ancestor. However, the theory posits that Bran gets trapped inside the body of the Night King and that perhaps Jon will have to kill Bran to save Westeros. I’m not sure how much of this theory I believe, but it would fit George R. R. Martin’s statement that the end of the series will be “bittersweet”.

One theory I do actually believe about Bran is that he tries to warn Aerys II about the White Walker threat, but the visions drive him mad, much as they did Hodor. He then misinterprets the words “burn them all” to mean that he should murder his own people, prompting Jaime to kill him. I don’t necessarily expect this to be revealed in the show but it’s a neat little idea.

8. What is Jon Snow’s real name?

It was revealed in the last episode that Jon was born Aegon Targaryen and is therefore the legitimate son of Prince Rhaegar (Dany’s older brother). If that name sounds familiar, it’s because the name has been used frequently in the Targaryen dynasty. Aegon the Conqueror was the Targaryen that united six of the Seven Kingdoms way back when. Knowing that if anyone knew of his existence, he would be murdered, Ned promised his sister he would protect her son and sacrificed his reputation in doing so, claiming that the boy was his bastard son. I expect this to be revealed to Jon very early in season eight by Bran and Samwell, and that we will indeed see Jon ride the dragon that was named for his father.

9. Can Dany have kids? Will she?

The fact that the show is bringing it up so much tells me that we will for sure see Dany enthusiastically seeded by her nephew. Perhaps we have already seen the babe’s conception with Dany and Jon’s vigorous sex scene at the end of the last episode. The issue is that Dany believes herself to be left barren by the witch’s curse in season one. However the same witch also said “only death can pay for life”. I think it’s entirely possible that the death of her dragon may allow her to become fertile again. I don’t necessarily think we will see the birth of this child on the show, but I want to go on record right now and say that I think she will become preggers by the end.

10. Who will end up on the Iron Throne?

As I mentioned earlier, George R. R. Martin has said that the ending of the show will be bittersweet. This tells me that we can expect a satisfying ending mitigated by some heavy losses. I don’t think Cersei or the Night King will win, because a “satisfying” ending and a “surprising” ending are not the same thing. A plot twist that’s only shocking for the sake of shock is not good writing, and not what we mean by subverting the established workings of fiction. However I’d be surprised if Jon and Dany live happily ever after with a bunch of silver-haired rugrats playing tag in the courtyards of the Red Keep. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Iron Throne itself is destroyed, either in a battle that crumbles the Red Keep or by Dany’s commitment to “breaking the wheel”. I can’t help but feel that Dany won’t necessarily rule. Daario once told her that she was meant to be a conqueror and not a ruler. You might say, “Well who gives a shit what that knobhead Daario says?” and I would be inclined to agree with you. And yet, it seems apparent at this point that Dany’s purpose (and Jon’s) is to defeat the Night King and that is what the “Song of Ice and Fire” means. Perhaps she will abandon her quest for power for a chance at living quietly in peace with Jon? Perhaps they will both die and their son will be raised by Sansa, who will serve as Queen Regent? Perhaps each of the Seven Kingdoms will return to independence? Perhaps Bran will venture south to the Godswood, and call upon the ancient power of the Children of the Forest to sever the continent of Westeros in half at the Neck? How do you think it will end? Let me know in the comments!

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In “The Dragon and the Wolf” we got the longest episode of Game of Thrones to date, and to my mind, one of the most satisfying. It may not have had the great action sequences of Hardhome or the shocking twists of the Red Wedding- but what it lacked in the sensational it made up for in the emotional. We were treated to an episode of lengthy scenes with excellent dialogue, important revelations, and the conclusion of several nuanced character arcs. I’m drawn to the adjective “satisfying” for this episode, and I’ll explain what I mean. None of the events were too unexpected, but what made them so great is that they nonetheless made us feel tense and on edge. Did any of us really think that Cersei would cooperate? Or that Arya was out to murder her sister? No. I predicted Littlefinger’s demise in my episode 3 review, but I didn’t need the conclusion of his storyline to be a sensational twist in order to enjoy it. What’s important is how the show handled these arcs, and I think they were well crafted and satisfying in their emotional payoff.

The scene where Littlefinger is sentenced to death was made all the more powerful by the fact that Aiden Gillen is such a fantastic actor. The character of Petyr Baelish is one of my favorite characters on the show because he is so well-written and so well-portrayed, and I’m glad he met his end trying one of his schemes rather than gradually becoming less relevant and getting written out of the show- which could easily happen in a narrative as large and sprawling as this. Here we see a character whose very nature is forged out of lovesick passion. Everything that is important about Littlefinger comes from his deep-seated obsession for Catelyn Stark as a child- his ambition, his cunning, his every agency and advantage. It all stems from love. I know it’s a stretch to compare Littlefinger to Wuthering Heights’ Heathcliff- but here we similarly see a beaten down man who will seemingly move heaven and earth to get the acceptance and respect he wants. He can’t let his humiliation go and that’s what makes him such a tragic and sympathetic character. In season 1 he denies Ros’ offer of a threesome with a prostitute because he is trapped in the happy memories of his childhood, telling her “I’m saving myself for another”. And I find it so fitting that the same passion that drove him to become so powerful is the same thing which unmakes him; his obsession for Sansa blinds him to the fact that she’s playing him. One can imagine a story of the events entirely from Littlefinger’s point of view, and it would be a Greek Tragedy. I was very satisfied with the way they ended his storyline. He tried one last scheme and it failed. Seeing him cry made myself and a lot of other fans feel sorry for him, before remembering what he did to Ned in season one. Even though I like Ned more, I find Littlefinger so much more interesting. Ned did the standard, noble hero-thing by saying to Cersei “You think my life is some precious thing to me?” whereas Littlefinger crumpled to the floor, choking on the utterance of the name of the woman he loves, as he fights for breath. He’s a villain, but he’s a human villain, and the show was that much richer for having him in it.

Another character who fascinates me on this show is Jaime. He has all the instincts of an honorable man, and yet he has continued to adopt the persona of the cocky, backstabbing coward that the public has given him- until now. In the finale we got to see the breaking point which fans have long been looking forward to. I don’t think this event was particularly surprising, as we have been watching the erosion of that cocksure, amoral façade ever since Locke amputated his right hand. And of course Cersei was never going to honor any kind of deal. I feel like the series is shaping up into a more traditional good vs evil dynamic now, as Jaime follows the Hound and Tyrion in the abandonment of House Lannister. The scene where he walks away from Cersei was especially tense, and one of the many character-driven scenes in this episode. Earlier we see the Hound and Brienne burying the hatchet, which was such a great interaction because it showed just how far he’s come. In Sansa we see the culmination of everything she has been through and everything she has learned from Littlefinger about playing the Game of Thrones. And in perhaps my favorite scene this episode, we see just how far Theon has come and what a tragic character he is. It was easy to hate Theon when he sacked Winterfell, but now we see just what a toll his decisions and his guilt have taken on him. All Theon has ever wanted is to belong. He thought he was doing the right thing by siding with his father Balon in his invasion of the north, and he has been tortured by his decision ever since. Much like Jaime, he has undergone some horrific things that, while horrible, helped him gain perspective. The loss of Jaime’s hand was the best thing that could have happened to his character. They took away his primary mode of character agency- his swordsmanship- and by its removal allowed him to reevaluate himself as a person. He can no longer hide behind it, or allow it to define him. As for Theon, it’s a little different, but in a culture that values the machismo, the removal of his prick represents to him the peak of his failure. They didn’t chop it off just for a bit of meaningless torture-porn. His cock n’ bollocks have a greater, metaphorical meaning. At that point he can see nothing beyond what a disappointment he is. But that ended with this episode. Theon had one of his best ever moments when he refused to be weak and ineffectual any longer, and save the one person who has always believed in him.

In “The Dragon and the Wolf” we saw a return to the slower, more deliberate pace of seasons past as it looked to tie up loose ends and highlight all these character arcs, with its only rushed moment being the scene where Bran and Samwell discover the true extent of Jon’s heritage. However I liked how they intercut the flashback with Jon and Dany’s sex scene, because of the sense of history repeating itself. It was a revelation that we all knew, but so badly wanted to be discussed, and it sets it up nicely for next season. And finally we are left with the image of a reanimated Viserion melting the Wall with blue fire, which I think was pretty inevitable. But that didn’t detract from the spectacle of it, or the intended sense of dread with which we will be approaching the final season.

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This week’s Game of Thrones episode was packed to bursting with talking points, so I figured I would try a different format with this post in the shape of a Q & A. Let me know in the comments if you prefer this to my usual essay-based approach. Since there is so much to cover, I’ll draft up the questions I think you want answered so that we can get down to the important stuff, and avoid me summarizing what you’ve already seen. Alright then, let us begin!

1. Why did this episode feel different?

If you felt this episode felt strange in some way- even a little contrived- then you’re not alone. In my opinion, this is the inevitable outcome of trying to conclude a show that prior to this season, seemed to be getting bigger and bigger with its amount of characters and plot threads. We are used to having all these separated storylines that typically narrowly miss each other, and only briefly overlap. The formula so far has been an uphill battle for our favorite characters, with a seemingly endless series of obstacles. But now the writers are faced with the task of having to tie up all these loose ends and shrink the scale of the show somewhat so as to focus on a satisfying climax. And with a show as complex as this one, it must be like looking at a bowl of spaghetti and trying to remove each individual noodle and lay them flat alongside each other. And so far I think the writers have done a good job. I liked last night’s episode, and even though the pace was way faster than we are used to, it’s a necessity at this point. It might be uncomfortable to see the characters traversing hundreds of miles in such a short amount of screen time, but the writers simply don’t have enough time to maintain the pace they’ve used in previous seasons. I liked it. It was a bit different, but the interesting scenes and narratives kept me interested.

2. What is Littlefinger up to?

I like where the show is going with this. If you’re confused about the significance of his scene, the note he planted under his mattress was a letter Sansa was forced to write way back in season one. Basically, she was coerced by Cersei to denounce her father Ned as a traitor and to implore her brother Robb to bend the knee and recognize King Joffrey’s legitimacy. Here’s what the note says:

“Robb, I write to you with a heavy heart. Our good king Robert is dead, killed from wounds he took in a boar hunt. Father has been charged with treason. He conspired with Robert’s brothers against my beloved Joffrey and tried to steal his throne. The Lannisters are treating me very well and provide me with every comfort. I beg you: come to King’s Landing, swear fealty to King Joffrey and prevent any strife between the great houses of Lannister and Stark”

You can see from the picture above that Littlefinger was in attendance when this took place. But why is he planting this note in his room? What does he stand to gain from all this? What we know about Littlefinger is that he wants 2 things: power and Sansa. I’m not sure to what extent Littlefinger knew that Ramsay was a psycho when he married her to him, but I do honestly believe that Littlefinger would never want her dead. By sowing discord among the Stark siblings, he is able to better his position. Arya, Bran and Jon are a threat to Littlefinger’s influence over the two houses of Stark and Arryn. And what he will ultimately be hoping for will be to exploit the weaknesses of the war-ravaged south through the power of the armies that Winterfell and the Eyrie command, probably by why of negotiating a marriage or two.

However I don’t think this will ever happen, and I fully expect Littlefinger to die in episode 7. What our main takeaway from this season will be, in my opinion, is the strength of the reunited Stark children.

3. Why didn’t Randyll & Dickon bend the knee?

Honestly, I think it’s the show just tying up loose ends by killing off redundant characters. They’ve served their purpose, which was to swing the Battle of Highgarden in the Lannister’s favor. A battle against all the united armies of the Reach would have resulted in massive casualties for the Lannisters. And as I’ve said before, what we’re seeing at the moment is the show moving quickly to get to the important stuff. Giving Jaime the armies of House Tarly was an easy way for them to isolate Olenna, get rid of her storyline, and move on with the gold. As we know, the gold did in fact reach Kings Landing, so House Tarly have fulfilled their role in the plot. What little remained of their army has now bent the knee to Daenerys. It does seem silly to throw one’s life away for Cersei after just joining her side, but I think the show can justify it on the grounds that Randyll has a strong sense of pride and dignity, and liked the idea of not submitting. Sorry if that sounded like admiration, because it wasn’t- he’s a fucking asshole and I enjoyed seeing him charred. Hopefully now Sam will be made lord of House Tarly. I don’t necessarily think this will happen, but the rules of legitimacy and all that have been proven flexible before, so it ain’t impossible.

4. Is Cersei really pregnant?

A good number of fans think that she is lying in order to keep Jaime in Kings Landing and presumably not lose faith. I think she’s telling the truth, but I don’t think that baby will ever be born. I’m backing Jaime to finish her off at some point in season 8 and add “Queenslayer” to his list of monikers.

5. Why did Davos recruit Gendry?

It did seem a little contrived, especially with how easily Gendry was prepared to leave with him. I think the show just about gets away with it and I accept it because of what I mentioned above about the need to move things along quickly. I think Davos went and got him because he’s a helluva smith and they could use him up north to craft weapons of Dragonglass. I can’t help but feel the real reason he is back is the show’s way of telling us that they haven’t just forgotten about him. I don’t think he is going to serve any great purpose, and I do have a feeling he is going to die next episode. However I would love to see him reunited with Arya at Winterfell. Sadly, this isn’t a Shakespearean Rom-Com where everyone gets married off at the end. My money is on an ending more akin to Hamlet than Much Ado About Nothing.

6. Who will die in the next episode?

I love this whole Golden State Warriors/Avengers style super team they’ve got set up for next episode. Episode six is confirmed to be 70 minutes in length and I’m sure as hell hyped up for it. I think it will predominantly feature the expedition north of the wall of this fellowship of GoT heavyweights. The reason for their going north doesn’t make sense in my opinion, but I’m willing to overlook it just because the chance to see all these characters together is too good to resist. I absolutely would not be surprised if everyone dies except for Jon Snow. As much as I love Jorah, I think he is certain to perish. I hope I’m wrong, but the way his farewell with Dany went, I think the end is nigh for him. Beric and Thoros will definitely die, that I’m sure of. What I can’t seem to make my mind up on is whether the Hound will join them or if Beric will transfer his ability to him before he eats it. I really don’t want to see Tormund die. He’s a great character and I’m rooting for his romance with Brienne more than any other potential coupling in the show. Sadly, I don’t think it will happen.

7. Why is Sam’s storyline so important?

Sam might just be the narrator for The Song of Ice & Fire. Every time we see him this season he has unearthed some crucial piece of information. I’m not really sure where he is headed at this stage, and given how fast everyone is traveling, I wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up at Winterfell by the end of the season. The latest revelation from his thread was Gilly’s casual reference to annulment, and how Prince Rhaegar once got a marriage annulled so that he could remarry straight away. This is basically confirmation that Jon Snow is not a bastard, that his rightful name is Jon Targaryan, and that technically he has a greater claim to the throne than his (screaming hot) aunt. I do think they will reveal his heritage at some point, and that they didn’t just slip this in for no reason. I expect the revelation to come either in the last episode of this season or early next season. A lot of fans seem convinced that we will see Jon ride a dragon at some point, and I’m starting to agree. There are just too many nods toward his true ancestry this season, and I think one dragon will get killed and that the other two will be ridden by Jon and Dany.

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I was late in watching this week’s Game of Thrones– or rather, everyone else was early. “The Spoils of War”, the fourth and latest episode in the series’ penultimate season, was leaked a couple days prior to airing by HBO’s network partner Star India. Fortunately, I didn’t encounter any spoilers, but I did see reactions from people who had seen it on social media, all of them proclaiming that this week’s episode was “insane”. The most I got in the way of foreknowledge of the episode’s events was confirmation of where certain characters would be. I was very excited. I was walking our puppy Adelaide when my roommate said to me “You know, I just have this gut feeling that this episode will be the best one yet”. So let’s jump right in.

I love what’s happening at Winterfell right now. Nothing too outrageous has happened, and like many viewers I’m wondering whether Littlefinger really does have a scheme in mind and that the show is teasing us, building up to a shocking reveal, or if the writers have run out of ideas for his character and are just having him aimlessly creeping around. A lot of fans seem frustrated that a character that always seemed to be one step ahead of everyone else appears to be losing his agency. But I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s the point they’re trying to make; that he’s run out of schemes and he’ll try one last time to stay relevant and meet his demise in doing so. It can’t be denied at this point that his importance, both to the narrative and the in-universe politics, is waning. Events are proceeding faster than his ability to control them as the North prepares for the arrival of the White Walkers. Whilst I do actually think that Littlefinger is up to something, and not just treading water, I am convinced he’s going to die this season. Like I said in my Stormborn post, with so few episodes left of the show’s run, they will be tying up a lot of plot threads quickly so that in season eight the show will be able to focus on the White Walker threat. We’ve already seen the last of the Dornish storyline as well as the farewell of Olenna Tyrell. I think Littlefinger is next. I don’t necessarily think that it will go down this way in Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire book series, but the show is a different beast at this point. Many fans of the book series are upset with the TV adaptation, and whilst I agree that the Dornish storyline and the Stannis storyline were poorly handled, I don’t have a problem with them changing some things. The books are so fit to bursting with a myriad of plot threads and characters that a faithful adaptation to the screen would be impossible. The story has to be streamlined for television and sometimes a tighter narrative is more effective. The books aren’t necessarily superior by virtue of coming first, or by virtue of being literary and not cinematic. For instance, I’m glad they didn’t include Lady Stoneheart. It would have been difficult not to make a zombified Catelyn Stark look silly on screen, and what with Jon Snow running around fit and healthy, too many resurrections are sure way to lose people’s interest. Anyway, I do think the show will get rid of Littlefinger, and I agree with most fans that it will be this season and that Arya will do it. I do like his character, but I’d rather see him go out doing what he does best (scheming) than gradually become less and less relevant to the point where we, the audience, don’t care anymore. He should make one last play, and it ought to be an attempt at an Aaron Rodgers-style Hail Mary.

The reason I said at the beginning of that last paragraph that I love what is brewing at Winterfell (despite the uncertainty around Littlefinger’s character) is that we are seeing the formation of what fans are referring to as the emergence of the Stark “Wolfpack”. In the books, all the Stark children are wargs and have wolf dreams. I don’t think that this will suddenly manifest in the show, but what we are seeing instead is the culmination of all their individual abilities. For Sansa, it’s her cunning and understanding of how politics works in the Seven Kingdoms. For Bran, it’s his use of the Greensight. For Jon, it’s his leadership qualities and the role he has in uniting different peoples against the Night King. And for Arya, it’s everything she learned with the Faceless Men. Last episode we got to see the best showcase yet of Arya’s fighting ability in her duel with Brienne. She more than matched Brienne’s skill, and let’s not forget this is the woman who beat the Hound, Jaime and Loras Tyrell…

The humor in Game of Thrones is still as sharp as it has ever been. We were treated to some interesting dialogue in this episode, and one character I’d like to give a shout-out to is Davos Seaworth (better known as The Onion Knight). He’s right up there with Yara Greyjoy as one of my favorite characters on the show, and one time a friend of mine even told me that I reminded him of Davos. It’s a great time to be a Davos fan at the moment, because he seems to be getting more cheerful with every episode. And in the last episode he was all kinds of sassy. He was even cheeky enough to say to Jon Snow “I’ve noticed you staring at her good heart”, which prompted my roommate to exclaim “YOU WHAT”. But for me the funniest bit of the episode was where Jaime intentionally addressed Lord Tarly’s son as “Rickon” for the second time this season. You could see in the man’s eyes that he knew that Jaime already knew his name, but he proudly corrected him anyway, saying “Dickon”, which made Bronn burst out laughing…which made ME burst out laughing. I know, it’s not the most clever joke, but my inner 13-year old got a kick out of it.

No comment on this episode (I prefer to call it a comment rather than a review) would be complete without discussing the Loot Train Battle. It’s obviously the best scene of the episode, and the special effects team deserves all the credit they are now receiving for putting it together. It’s easily the most ambitious scene yet, and the show set a record for most stuntmen on fire (73) as well as having 20 people set on fire in a single shot. Sure, no important characters died, but as a sheer spectacle it’s the best battle yet. They’ve come a long way from the Battle of the Blackwater in season 2, which was able to achieve a lot by using low lighting and clever camera angles to make the set piece seem bigger than it was. I don’t think Jaime is dead. He’s either going to get taken prisoner by Dany or he’ll wash up somewhere downriver. I’m not certain about what will happen, but I am pretty sure he isn’t dead. A lot of fans are convinced that he has a big role to play in the end of the show, with some even speculating that it is he, and not Dany or Jon, who is the Prince that was Promised. I’ve even seen theories suggesting that he’s a Targaryan, and that actually it’s only Tyrion who is the trueborn son of Tywin. It certainly would explain his proclivity towards relentless inbreeding, but at this point I’m not buying it. As far as the Loot Train Battle’s significance to the greater narrative, I think it really only serves to level the playing field a bit after the swift loss of her Westerosi allies (the Martells, Tyrells, and Greyjoys) and the strategic defeat at Casterly Rock. She wasn’t able to stop the gold reaching Cersei, but she was able to destroy the Lannister’s food supplies, which will help with her plan to blockade King’s Landing. It will be interesting to see where the campaign goes at this point, given that Dany still has both the superior numbers and the superior fighters in her Dothraki horde. It was great to see them screaming on horseback, and you can tell the show definitely wanted to instill the terror of facing the fierce horseback warriors of history such as the Comanche and Cheyenne Native American tribes and the Mongol hordes, all of which are confirmed inspirations for the Dothraki. In season 1 King Robert said “Only a fool would meet the Dothraki in an open field” and this proved to be true. But despite Dany’s advantage in numbers, Cersei now has the gold she looted from the Tyrells, and it looks like we will be introduced to the Golden Company- the largest and most dependable mercenary organization in Essos. This fact, combined with the effectiveness of Qyburn’s siege weapons, means that a Dany victory is far from inevitable.