I agree with this, and I think it may end up being so-called “bittersweet” by having them implement this great egalitarian system and then we see one of the people we’re supposed to root against, like Cersei, elected for whatever reason.
It also might be that the end leaves us hanging and doesn’t resolve who the leader of the Seven Kingdoms will be, and that’s why Martin calls the ending bittersweet. They could initiate a democracy and the story ends there before we know who is elected.
One last possibility I might see is that the people many want on the throne, Jon and/or Dany, get it, but then go Mad King and the wheel doesn’t actually get broken. (Seems more likely if Dany gets the throne and Jon is not around.)
Ever since season 1, I have been trying to understand how those ravens go where they are supposed to go. I know they aren’t homing pigeons, which have the ability to fly “home”, so how do ravens in GoT work? If they operated like homing pigeons the sender would need to have a raven from each location they wanted to send a message. Are they supposed to work off magic? Similar to how messenger owls worked in Harry Potter? Or are ravens capable of understanding instructions - “take this message to Dany at Dragonstone”?
Interesting prediction, especially since Littlefinger doesn’t have much to do plot-wise. If Sansa discovers that he planted the note for Arya to find, she may do the job herself.
The plot armor and deus ex machina are ridiculous now. Clearly we are far away from the show where Eddard Stark was executed and the Red Wedding happened. It’s a still a fun show though and I am looking forward to dragon v dragon action next season. I believe someone here called it in the last thread.
BTW did anyone else feel that the army of the dead aren’t much of a threat on the evidence of this episode? Podrick Payne could probably beat a quarter of the army on his own.
Is Benjen Stark really dead? If so he has had a really strange character arc, he set up the whole story, disappeared for years, showed up twice to save more important characters and then apparently died.
I think the latter is definitely where it is heading. There’s not nearly enough time to show a transition to a democratic style rule and nobody with power has shown an inclination to do so.
It’s hard to predict what’s going to happen the next episode. I figured the dragon being turned would happen in the last episode. Of the main plot lines:
Arya/Sansa/LF in Winterfell - No idea. The story makes no sense so who knows where it goes.
I think the confrontation between Cersei and Dany’s side happens with Dany coming out on top. I don’t think Cersei makes it out of hte next episode.
NK probably uses his dragon to get past the wall. This is how the season ends. Reminiscent of how last season ended with Dany on her way to Dragonstone.
It seemed to me that Arya and Sansa might understand each other better if they just talked about what happened to them since they last saw each other. I don’t think Arya understood just how evil Joffrey was towards her and Sansa has no idea what Arya’s been through. (She has no idea what a Faceless Man is.)
Because they were close enough to the Eastwatch-by-the-Sea that Gendry could just sprint back to send a raven before they were overrun by wights. Or about the same distance that a horse could leisurely carry a soaking wet man through arctic conditions before he died of hypothermia.
I suspect it’s the sort of thing where they can use horses if they need to, but find it stealthier and easier to traverse rough terrain if they don’t have them.
I predict the undead dragon is used to melt the wall. Unless it shoots ice instead of fire. Seems inconsistent if wights are vulnerable to fire and have a wight dragon not just explode.
Also, did anyone else notice how anyone not using a valerian or flaming blade was using rough-hewn weapons, presumably made from dragonglass?
A few more minutes of episode time could’ve made this work. You’ve got seven (er, six, or maybe its five?) of the best fighters in Westeros fighting a mindless zombie horde. It’s fine if you want to have Our Heroes kick a bunch of zombie ass, but have them do so in an interesting way, using their braaaaains a bit.
(Like, while watching, I wondered why Baric didn’t use his flaming sword to melt the ice on the lake and set up a barrier against the wights. It wouldn’t even have to work – just take the time to have him TRY!)
I feel like Arya is just looking for an excuse to be angry. She kind of balked a bit when Sansa asked her why she didn’t just storm into the rescue to save Ned.