Another season of Game of Thrones has reached its conclusion and, for the first time in the history of the show, viewers find their path has now lead them to the same crossroads readers of the book have been stood at since what seems like the beginning of time itself. Despite all the differences both great and small in the two versions of the story, we are all finally united in the torment that was the events of those final few minutes, and the anxious wait to discover the resolve for such an agonizing cliffhanger. I’m happy to say the alert siren can no longer be heard, fingers can be removed from ears, and you can rest assured there is no need to look away – you are now entering a spoiler free zone. Unless you’re not up to date with the series…or the books…so if that is the case then for God’s sake look away now.
There’s really only one place to start and its right at the end – but is this really the end for poor Jon Snow? Unfortunately, much like our fast-fading Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, we know absolutely nothing. I personally couldn’t wait for the TV audience to witness this cold and cruel turn of events – not in some sick perverted way of course – but simply to share the weight of this hideous burden, and then see them put their heads together with the rest of us and try to figure out a way he might have survived.
There appear to be two popular theories for this, with the first being that he is resurrected by Melisandre praying to R’hllor (the Red God) for his favour, something which Thoros of Myr did many times to revive Berric Dondarion. There was even a scene in season 3 (episode 6) where these two servants of the Lord of Light actually met, and the red priestess learned all about this unquestionably unnatural process of bringing back the dead. It is interesting to note that this scene does not exist in the book, and therefore its presence in the series was not simply to facilitate the transfer of Gendry into the clutches of Stannis, but to plant the seed for Melisandre to one day perform the same ritual on a dead or dying Jon Snow. There is also the impeccable timing of her return to Castle Black only moments before the Lord Commander was repeatedly stabbed by his brothers. Of course, the main problem I have with this theory is that Melisandre is the sort of woman who likes to burn people alive and give birth to murderous shadow babies. There would surely be an unholy price to pay for our hero if he avoids his fate in this manner, and we need to sit down and ask ourselves if we would really be all that happy to see him returned to life by her undoubtedly dark and maleficent methods. Would we? I think we probably would.
Hobbies are important
The second theory in mass circulation is that Jon will ‘warg’ into the body of his direwolf, Ghost, in the same way that his half brother Bran has done to skin-change on multiple occasions. Whilst viewers have yet to see Jon engage in such activities, readers are more familiar with him noticing and using this ability as the novels have progressed. A wildling who goes by the name of Varamyr Sixskins – a man who clearly doesn’t mind people knowing he is a warg – notes that Jon is capable of warging but lacked the awareness and training required to do it as and when he pleased. At some point in the story he even briefly wargs into the mind of Ghost whilst scouting for Wildlings with Qhorin Halfhand. As the books go on even further he has multiple recurring warg dreams as Ghost and even rebuffed offers of help from Melisandre in order to further understand this uncanny ability.
Of these two established plot devices that could save him, although both have an equal amount of groundwork laid down in which to play out, it is the latter which is by far the more wholesome and natural feeling; being one with his wolf seems somehow fitting and is arguably preferrable to him being resurrected by the Red God. The only problem now is what then happens to his body? What happens to Kit Harrington? Does Jon remain a wolf forever? Does he keep skin-changing into new bodies? It might yet be – in what would be something of an anti-climax – that he just survives the stab wounds after all. Simple as that. I mean Davos is around surely he’ll know what to do!
On to Daenerys Targaryen. Stormborn. The Unburnt. Mother of Dragons. What next for our bone idle would-be conqueror of Westeros? Having managed to briefly tame the rebellious Drogon, she now finds herself stranded in the middle of nowhere and, at the end of the episode, encircled by an unknown Dothraki khalasar. With her reputation as the Queen of Meereen, or the Khaleesi bride of the great Khal Drogo, she may well find herself in a decent bargaining position – and failing that Drogon can always descend from the skies and put the fear of God into them all. It is my opinion, however, that one or all of these things will happen in some way, with the end result being the acquisition of the Dothraki into her forces. Surely then, with the story approaching its concluding chapters, her attentions will turn to King’s Landing and the reclaiming of the Iron Throne. Surely. She has the dragons, the Unsullied, the Dothraki (maybe), her faithful servant Jorah back at her side (at least for now), Varys the spider, and a dwarf with all the knowledge and wisdom she’ll need to take down the Lannister monarchy.
“Tyrion my boy, this could be the start of a beautiful friendship”
Speaking of Tyrion, his meeting with Daenerys has actually yet to transpire in the pages of the books, although the manner of his reception is unlikely to differ greatly from the TV show, and it is abundantly clear that he’ll now end up fighting at her side. It’s been one of the high points of the series so far to see these two characters finally meet, and their union can only mean bad things for their many enemies across the narrow sea. I particularly enjoyed their conversation over a few glasses of wine, where Dany’s searching interrogation was so well met by Tyrion’s devil-may-care honesty, and resulted in the earning of her trust and the confiscation of his wine. Now he is last seen looking out over Meereen, where he is now entrusted to rule until her return, and with Varys back at his side the two acknowledge a deep respect for one another’s ability and appear to be relishing the opportunity of working together once more.
One character I was particularly looking forward to seeing develop this season was Arya, and they did a pretty good job of bringing it on to the screen. When last we saw her she was being taught a lesson by Jaqen H’ghar (if that is in fact your real name) for taking a life that was not hers to take in the eyes of the Many-Faced God. Why this multi-featured deity isn’t deeming the paedophilic Meryn Trant worthy of death I don’t know, but her punishment is nonetheless the ingestion of a vial which has now left her blind. Readers have a slightly further insight into this matter by way of a single chapter which explores Arya adjusting to her new vision-less state, but the bigger picture of Arya’s journey remains hidden for the time being. As much as it was strangely satisfying watching her butcher the despicable Meryn Trant in the way that she did, and finally exact a measure of revenge for her many personal losses, it is hard not to be heartbroken and deeply saddened at the person such a once spirited and loving child has now become. Arya is the ultimate underdog and for five seasons now we have rooted for her, watched her get the better of bullies and murderers, forge an unlikely bond with The Hound, and escape numerous perilous situations. All I’m rooting for now is that she doesn’t travel so far down this path she is now on that there is no coming back, and somehow, someway, can still be reunited with her remaining siblings across the narrow sea – even if it feels like a bit of a lost cause.
The cold, empty eyes of a killer
Then we have Cersei, whose walk of shame through the deprived slums of Kings Landing was brilliantly portrayed by Lena Headey, who was last seen in the arms of a Frankenstein’s monster version of The Mountain clad in Kingsguard armour. Whilst the High Septon maintains that her charges of regicide and incest are still to be settled in a trial by combat, Cersei will undoubtedly be plotting a warpath of revenge as she is carried like a babe wrapped in cloth through the halls of the Red Keep. Her champion in the books is almost certain to be the reanimated version of the Hound’s older brother, with her appeals to brother/lover Jaime falling on deaf ears after she confesses to framing Tyrion and sleeping with half the castle.
Jaime meanwhile enjoyed a strangely beautiful moment with daughter and niece Myrcella who, following the revelation that she knew the truth about her parentage, tragically succumbed to a poison administered by the Sand Snakes and died in his arms. The omission of a certain Lady Stoneheart has meant Jaime finding himself closing the season out in Dorne as opposed to a cave near Riverrun with Brienne and Pod, at the mercy of this mysterious woman and the brotherhood without banners. What the immediate future holds for the character in the show is difficult to predict, although the death of Myrcella is bound to feature as the catalyst for whatever that may be.
As for the rest, it appears the artist formerly known as Reek and Sansa have escaped Winterfell and the sadistic clutches of Ramsay Bolton for the time being, but whilst I’m certain they have survived their leap from the castle walls, I cannot be so for what lies ahead. In the books Sansa is just kicking back at the Eeyrie, far from Winterfell and far from rape, although Theon does in fact escape in this way but instead with Sansa’s handmaiden from Kings Landing whom Roose Bolton wanted to convince everybody was Arya Stark. Perhaps they’ll run into Theon’s sister Asha – I just outright refuse to call her Yara. Then there’s Bran who is currently up to god knows what with the children of the forest beyond the wall, and was sensibly left out of this series in order for him to accomplish whatever it is he’s actually doing up there. The least said about this the better I think – I have absolutely no idea – but I imagine he’s certain to be back next season in a much expanded and more interesting capacity.
You smug bastard
Finally we have the Others. The White Walkers. The undead army swarming across the frozen plains beyond the Wall, who took part in the absolutely epic screen battle at Hardhome in which Jon learned (perhaps now in vain) that Valyrian steel is a potent weapon for vanquishing them. Regardless of all the fighting that has been, and the families that have waged war on one another, the greatest threat to the kingdom of Westeros now lies behind that colossal icy structure, and is still currently a threat unbeknownst to most of its people. Whomever eventually comes out on top in the Game of Thrones will no doubt have a far more pressing matter at hand to deal with, and it may yet be that the only hope in stopping this ever-multiplying army of corpses is for the powers that be to put aside their petty feuds with one another and join together for the sake of the kingdom. There will be little point in any of them sitting on the Iron Throne if the kingdom they’re supposed to be ruling now belongs to the dead.
For You Blue 