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The title says it all. If you haven't watched the latest episodes and come here, don't blame us for your poor life choices.

Any way, I am loving the show so far. I'm most happy that fast-travel is no longer a thing.

I still hate Dany, and am very happy to see the general populace start to concur. She's pretty much being set up as the main villain now, and I am convinced she'll murder Jon after the main battles have been won.

I was not a fan of the Gendry-Arya ship. It felt too fan-servicey.

And yet I loved the fan-servicey moment when Jaime knighted Brienne. 

All of it also kinda worked, because these guys are fucked and I fully expect 50% of the characters to be zombies after next week. 

Uh, fast travel is still a thing. Notice how Bran is all over the place just sitting by himself without anyone to push him?

I, too, dislike Dany. My wife loves her and so keeps giving her a pass on everything. I felt vindicated when Sam cried in front of her after she told him she killed his father and brother. I don't think she'll kill Jon, though -- she'll probably be really distrustful at first, but he'll save her, then she'll be cool with him

I've read a fan theory that all the people that will hide in the crypt will die as the Night King could just raise the dead who are buried in crypt. I don't think that'll happen, though, as I'm pretty sure they're just bones and not actual corpses. Plus, the dead would need to break out of their stone tombs.

My death predictions for next episode

Very Likely to Die
Brienne of Tarth
Grey Worm
Theon Greyjoy
Edd Tollett
Lyanna Mormont

Likely to Die
Tormund Giantsbane
Gendry
Beric Dondarrion
Podrick Payne
Lord Royce

Might Die
The Night King
Bran Stark
Samwell Tarly
Jorah Mormont
Gilly
Alys Karstark
Maester Wolkan
Qhono (Dothraki captain)

Unlikely to Die
Sansa Stark
Sandor Clegane
Davos Seaworth
Varys
Missandei

Very Unlikely to Die
Jon Snow
Daenerys Targaryen
Tyrion Lannister
Arya Stark
Jaime Lannister

EDIT: Heard another fan theory that since we didn't see the Night King or his dragon at the end of the last episode that he's actually flying elsewhere (likely King's Landing) to fuck shit up and raise more dead since he knows they'd try to target him at Winterfell.

Wow, that actually wasn't nearly as bad as I thought -- was expecting many more to die (very surprised Brienne didn't die). Seems that the crypt theory was correct, though no named characters died because of it, so don't know what the point was.

Was wondering where I had seen Arya's knife drop trick before since it seemed like it was some significant trick she had learned before, but apparently it was just from The Last Jedi (not exactly the same but similar).

Will be interesting to see how the Targaryen/Stark army can fight the Lannister army given they just got the shit kicked out of them. Honestly, I think a Night King victory at Winterfell that leads to 90% of the population in Westeros dying and so the winner of the Iron Throne at the end rules over almost no one would've been much cooler, but I suppose the ending is still yet to be seen.

The results of my death predictions

Strikethroughs=Deaths

Very Likely to Die
Brienne of Tarth
Grey Worm
Theon Greyjoy
Edd Tollett
Lyanna Mormont

Likely to Die
Tormund Giantsbane
Gendry
Beric Dondarrion
Podrick Payne
Lord Royce

Might Die
The Night King
Bran Stark
Samwell Tarly
Jorah Mormont
Gilly
Alys Karstark
Maester Wolkan
Qhono (Dothraki captain)

Unlikely to Die
Sansa Stark
Sandor Clegane
Davos Seaworth
Varys
Missandei

Very Unlikely to Die
Jon Snow
Daenerys Targaryen
Tyrion Lannister
Arya Stark
Jaime Lannister

Yeah, colour me surprised that either Jaime or Brienne got out of that one. I actually thought they were building up to Brienne giving her life for Jaime, and Jaime in turn giving his to kill the Night King.

I also felt like the whole bit in the crypt was unnecessary.

Really, the battle was exquisite from a technical perspective, but there really weren't many surprises. The whole bit with the Night King felt hella anticlimactic there at the end.

Also, they chose the three characters who, I'm sorry to say, no one gives a shit about to die.

Meh. At least I still have Cleganebowl to look forward to.

Random thoughts: I love how the Dothraki had their badass moment of awesome at the start of the episode, and then got completely crushed. I also wish my first instinct that Jorah had died right then and come back as a wight had come true.

I also loved when Drogon tried to burn the Night King, and the Night King just stood there like "Bitch Please."

Also, I was really holding out hope that the Night King was doing this all as a diversion while he flew down to King's Landing and got himself an undead army "bigger than the whole North." That would have raised the stakes.

I dunno. I'm kinda having trouble caring what happens now.

EDIT: This article sums up my feelings quite nicely.

I actually found some new info which makes me not completely hate the ending.

https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/amp27326341/game-of-thrones-proof-jon-snow-helped-arya-kill-the-night-king/

Big if true. Definitely seems possible given the framing. Strange that people thought Jon was trying to scream the dragon to death -- I thought he was just psyching himself up to 1v1 it.

I found an article on Wired on the blunders the good guys made during the Battle of Winterfell. I had a lot of problems with the way they set up their defenses, and I kept thinking, "Why the hell did they do that/not do that." They had some of the greatest minds in Westeros, right? You'd think they'd know how to defend a walled city. Seems I wasn't the only one, though, and the article lays out many of the problems. Thought it was an interesting read.

The only guy in GoT history ever to use accepted military tactics was Ramsey Bolton at the Battle of the Bastards.

I've pretty much come to terms that actual strategy just isn't this show's strong suit. Vikings is much better at that type of thing.

Goddammit, Jon. Forget about honour and realise that Daenerys will be the ruin of this kingdom.

I am becoming more and more convinced that Dany will end up killing him.

I have no idea how they can wrap up all of the storylines they have set up in two episodes.
Daenerys attacks King's Landing
Cersei pulls some tricks from her sleeve
Jaime returns to Cersei
Cleganebowl + Arya finishes her murder list
Jon and Daenerys settle their shit (for better or worse)
Sansa rebels against Daenerys
Varys picks a new side
Tyrion flips against Daenerys?
Edmure Tully and Robin Arryn are slated to return this season
Are Daario Naharis and Elaria Sand gone for good?

I'm starting to agree with you that Daenerys may try to kill Jon (there'll be some kind of parallel with Ned Stark getting killed because they both try so hard to be honorable in an dishonorable world, and how Jon wasn't and never really was a Stark and yet deep down he was, blah blah blah).

I'm kind of hoping that there won't be someone we expect to be the one on the throne at the end (Cersei, Daenerys, or Jon), though I'd bet they're setting up Sansa + Tyrion. I think a real curveball ending would have Varys as king (since he's been spinning his web since the beginning), or maybe there wouldn't even be a King of the Seven Kingdoms in the end.

I have no idea how they can wrap up all of the storylines they have set up in two episodes.
Daenerys attacks King's Landing
Cersei pulls some tricks from her sleeve
Jaime returns to Cersei
Cleganebowl + Arya finishes her murder list
Jon and Daenerys settle their shit (for better or worse)
Sansa rebels against Daenerys
Varys picks a new side
Tyrion flips against Daenerys?
Edmure Tully and Robin Arryn are slated to return this season
Are Daario Naharis and Elaria Sand gone for good?

I'm starting to agree with you that Daenerys may try to kill Jon (there'll be some kind of parallel with Ned Stark getting killed because they both try so hard to be honorable in an dishonorable world, and how Jon wasn't and never really was a Stark and yet deep down he was, blah blah blah).

I'm kind of hoping that there won't be someone we expect to be the one on the throne at the end (Cersei, Daenerys, or Jon), though I'd bet they're setting up Sansa + Tyrion. I think a real curveball ending would have Varys as king (since he's been spinning his web since the beginning), or maybe there wouldn't even be a King of the Seven Kingdoms in the end.

Spoiler: I'll be on the throne in the end. You didn't see that coming, did you? 

I actually think Jaime is heading South to kill Cersei, not rejoin her. I think he knows it's a one-way trip, so he doesn't want Brienne to follow him into suicide, and would rather she believe he was a bad man to save her feelings when she loses him.

And I think Arya may not end up killing Cersei, but Daenerys, instead, after Dany kills Jon. That would open the realm to Tyrion and Sansa ruling because after all, who's left, really? EDIT: Actually, possible Chekov's Gun here, but I forgot about Gendry. Dany legitimised him, and the Baratheons are the closest kin to the Targaryens. So yeah, Gendry might be king, after all.

I have not ever been particularly impressed by Emilia Clarke's acting, but I really feel like she portrayed Dany's descent into madness perfectly in this episode.

As far as Varys ending up on the throne, it would be cool, but I think he's going to die next episode after a botched attempt to kill Dany. I think this because of this dialogue that happened between him and Melisandre in season 7:

Scattered thoughts:

Wow, Arya is ice fucking cold, but I can't say I'm surprised. Gendry should have known her better than that.

To a certain extent, I feel bad for Dany. She really didn't have to come North, she didn't have to risk her dragons to save Jon, and she didn't have to decimate her armies to help protect the Living. A little fucking gratitude from the Northmen might have been able to prevent this descent into madness.

But then again, as my best friend contends, it probably would just have delayed the inevitable. Dany is a monster, but not of the same variety as Cersei. Cersei is not insane. She knows right from wrong, she just doesn't give a fuck. Dany truly believes, like countless tyrants before her (very much like Stanis Baratheon before her, in fact), that it is her destiny and her duty to rule, no matter the cost. I truly believe she does care for the millions of innocents she's about to burn alive. She just cares about her delusion that she was somehow destined to rule more. After all, the whole world has convinced her she is some sort of messianic figure.

I also loved the parralels between Tyrion's attempt to get Cersei to surrender, and Ned Stark's attempt to get her to flee. She laid it out quite clearly in season 1 and it rings as true as ever here: when you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no other option. She's right to go all in against Dany.

This is the Game of Thrones I know and love. The show is probably going to fuck up the ending and the way to the ending in the next few episodes, but this episode was brilliant. So brilliant it could even make me overlook the fast travel.

Huh, I hadn't considered Jaime going to kill Cersei or Gendry claiming the throne.

I figured Jaime would go back to her because of their child but end up killing her as a parallel to his killing of the Mad King. I'll have to rewatch that part with that in mind. Speaking of the Mad King, I wonder if there's any wildfire left under the Red Keep.

And it's very strange that Daenerys is pissed at Jon for being a Targaryen and yet she legitimized Gendry's name, giving him just as much a claim as Jon. I guess just because he's not a leader, then he's not a threat to her?

Guess we'll find out over the next two episodes (still feels like they'll have to end abruptly given how much further they could go with things).

I find it irritating that not only did Daenerys completely "miss" Euron and his fleet riding a dragon, but also the fact that Euron was able to kill Rhaegal so easily. Dragons are supposed to be almost unstoppable. The NK with some amount of magical abilities makes sense, but a human? On an unstable boat? It should be incredibly hard for someone to aim a giant crossbow on a moving boat at a moving target, thousands of feet in the air.


When Dany, Tyrion, etc. appeared at King's Landing, why didn't Cersei kill them all right then and there? She could have easily had them killed with the archers and taken out Drogon as well considering how easily Euron killed Rhaegal. Also, Tyrion knowing about Cersei's pregnancy should be raising some serious red flags with Euron.

Edit: Rhaegal, not Rhaegar

True, that was another downside to treating the writing of the show as a checklist, now. Everything in the episode should actually have occurred over 3 of them.

I am cheating a bit, since I'm filling in the blanks that the show just can't be bothered with, with book knowledge, and book Euron is literally the drowned god. He has all sorts of abilities and forbidden knowledge, as he has been to Asshai and the Doom of Valyria. Book Euron would definitely have found a way to pull off what he did here.

Also, for all that was made of the dragons, they are pretty much glass cannons. They can deliver an enormous amount of destruction, but all throughout the show, they have shown just how vulnerable they actually are. Drogon was almost killed by normal spears back in season 5, and the same thing happened in the books.

Plus, in Dany's distraught state (not to mention her slipping sanity), she just isn't thinking clearly anymore. And while it is true that Cersei could probably just have killed them at the gates, she would probably not have been able to hit a dragon that was actually vigilant to the possibility of being targeted, and she would then have to contend with Jon, who has command over the bulk of Dany's forces. Jon is steady and would wage the war much more patiently, so this would be an outcome she might possibly want to avoid, particularly as Jon would then also quite possibly get possession of Drogon.

I think Cersei purposefully pushed Dany's buttons to awaken her madness, and she is hoping Dany's mad fury will give her some sort of opening. She's not wrong. Dany has been doing increasingly stupid things since she came North.

Is all of this quite possibly me doing more work to make the show make sense than it ever did itself? Quite possibly, but honestly, I'm done splitting hairs. This show is not going to end the way it deserves, the least I can do now is enjoy it.

I will look to the books for any of this to make sense, but I grow convinced we'll never get those before GRRM's death, either.

I will look to the books for any of this to make sense, but I grow convinced we'll never get those before GRRM's death, either.

My hypothesis for the longest time has been that the contents of his books will be either too difficult to put into the show, relies too heavily on cut/compressed characters to make make sense, or simply wouldn't make for good television, and so he and HBO have agreed that he won't release them until the show has ended in order to protect their market share.
My evidence for this is almost entirely circumstantial, but basically hinges on how characterization by season 6 (the last time I bothered watching, because at that point I decided the show was completely off the fucking rails vis-a-vis the books) had simply diverged much too far from where it should be in the books.

Examples:
Cersei was, bizarrely, still being played as a sympathetic character right up until she blew up the Sept. Makes sense, insofar as Lena Headey is good to watch and thus making her sympathetic is a Good TV Choice, even if in the books she's a narcissistic bitch who's far dumber than she thinks she is and whose sole qualifications for being Queen was 'being pretty', which wasn't going to last much longer because of all the wine she was slugging by the barrel, and 'her gradually-being-winnowed-down-and-illegitimate-anyway-unless-you-believe-the-'Jaime-and-Cersei-are-Aerys'-bastards-with-Joanna'-theory' crotchfruit'. The fact that she was able to seize the throne at all given her 1) staggeringly low popularity, 2) the fact that she assassinated the most popular people in King's Landing (the High Sparrow and 'all of the fucking Tyrells'), and 3) her total lack of a claim to the throne, not to mention the fact that 4) Westeros is hella patriarchal and she is a woman, is ludicrous.
Daenarys, starting pretty much with Meereen, was being shown to be a fucking lunatic ('I am going to feed you to my dragon actually no hang on let's get married' standing out) instead of a 15 year old girl who, though gifted, is also totally out of her depth and element, and given wildly contradictory advice by a multitude of advisors operating solely in their own self-interest. Her absurdly simple victory over the Slavers' Bay Coalition also would seem to deeply contradict the chapters of WoW we've already gotten.

Additional, anecdotal evidence includes the following, which is compressed because it's become incoherent rambling

The Brotherhood without Banners lacks Lady Stoneheart. Instead they evidently still have Beric Dondarrion. This is nice and all, but doesn't really get across their lovely change in tactics - and more importantly, never has Brienne anywhere near her cliffhanger as of ADWD, which should be a pretty major part of her character arc, especially as it relates to Jaime.
Hardhome was ridiculous. Full stop.
Everything to do with Dorne?? That's another serious case of character derailment, y'all, Ellaria is the one saying 'no war is stupid' and now she's getting super involved to the point she's assassinating her de-facto-brother-in-law? Indira Varma deserves better. Incidentally I only hear this secondhand but - Euron destroys Dorne? Why would he even go there, his goals are 'raid the Reach' and 'acquire Dany's hand in marriage or bare minimum a dragon'.
Speaking of Euron - VICTARION??? It would make great sense for his Iron Fleet to be how Dany got back to Westeros and all - but if he has the Iron Fleet, how is Euron getting ahold of it to do the magic bullshit I hear he did in this last episode?
Lovely that Winterfell got wrapped up in a nice neat little bow with the Battle of the Bastards and all, except for several key points including the fact that there were several feet of snow before Stannis the Mannis even got there, and so any battle plans are royally fucked by that. Add to that: Sansa is nowhere nearby, Mance is dead in the show instead of infiltrating the castle (and apparently being caught???), Theon and Asha (or...Yara...) are nowhere near Stannis in the show...
The entire Golden Company bit, Aegon (fake or otherwise) included. (Incidentally I observe that they must have totally squashed him and Jon together, because I could have sworn Lyanna was mouthing 'his name is Jaeharys' (which would make hella sense because Jaeharys II was Rhaegar's grandfather), and how does it make sense to have Rhaegar name two of his sons Aegon).
Also various incidentals along the lines of 'the Tyrells can't possibly be all wiped out', 'where are the rest of the Lannisters, I mean there's even Lannisport Lannisters for crying out loud', 'are we just ignoring the Manderlys', 'Lyanna Mormont is great and all but she's got at least 4 other living sisters, one of whom is actively hanging out with Stannis the Mannis', 'whatever happened to Edmure Tully after Arya killed Walder Frey'...[/spoilers]

TL;DR: So yeah like 99% sure he's already written WoW, and might be halfway through ADoS, and has just been suppressing it for that sweet HBO money.