Well, that was sort of …anticlimactic? And slow. Two words that can’t usually be applied to Game of Thrones. But the end of the season is coming, so we’re pretty sure this is a one-off. From now on, Game of Thrones is going brutal.
In the meantime, join us as we discuss “The Broken Man” as another character we thought lost returns, Arya finds herself in trouble and Jon and Sansa prepare to fight for the North.
The Hound is back! Were you surprised to see him? Where do you think he’s going next? Whose “side” will he fall on?
CHLOE
As much as I wanted to see Gendry (the blacksmith stuff – such a tease!), it’s exciting to have the Hound back. I figured he would probably turn up, but I didn’t know when, so this was kind of a surprise. It’s nice that he seems to have had a bit of a break – though the peacefulness of that opening scene was kind of eerie (again, it’s that internal monologue: Too happy! Too happy!), and of course proved to be short-lived. So what’s next? I think the Hound is kind of a free agent at the moment. He wants to stay alive and not deal with anyone too annoying telling him what to do, since he had enough of that with Joffrey. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a run-in with the Brotherhood before too long, but preferably he’ll find Sansa and help her instead.
CARYN
I kind of knew The Hound was returning, and the episode title referenced a speech in the books whereby it is assumed that The Hound is still alive so I figured it would happen in this episode. All my bets are off with The Hound right now but I doubt he would ever side with the Lannisters again. I know most of the fandom are hyped that a CleganeBowl will take place, with Cersei’s trial by combat with The Mountain championing Cersei and The Hound for the faith. I don’t really see him being a pious man of the faith again after his vengeance crusade that he is going on. But he has to be back for something important, as Brother Ray said, the gods are not done with him yet.
LIZZIE
I can’t say I was surprised; this has been the season for returns, and The Hound has always been rumored to be less than dead. In a way it’s like we’ve been waiting for him to reappear since no one delivered the killing blow back in Season 4. Why is he back? I have theories for a lot of things, but this isn’t one of them. I don’t think there’ll be a CleganeBowl, and I also don’t think he’s ready to rejoin the Lannisters. At this point I think he just wants revenge, revenge, revenge. On pretty much EVERYONE.
Yara and Theon finally revealed their plans – they’re going to find Daenerys, and offer their ships. How do you see that encounter going? And who will rule the Iron Islands in the end?
CHLOE
I am SO here for this. Yara is a total girl crush of mine, and I just want to see her and Dany take on the world. (Okay, Theon can come too.) That said, it all seems a little too easy. Will the Greyjoys encounter the Stone Men before they make it to Meereen? Will Daenerys move out by land before they arrive or have some issues of her own? This is Game of Thrones, after all, so it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise… But I hope that the Greyjoys will make it to the Dragon Queen with minimal incident and that they will sail for Westeros together and slay. Dany isn’t in much of a place to say no to their proposal, and I think she’d happily turn over the Iron Islands in exchange for their support and ships.
CARYN
Yara and Theon have about 100 ships, and according to Daario, Daenerys needs 1000, I don’t see them waiting until Euron is done building all 1000 that he intends to make. So perhaps Daenerys utilizes the 100 that Yara and Theon have, or she uses the knowledge of pirating that they (and by they, I mean Yara) have and they steal ships from other captains in order to take her men to Westeros. I think Yara will end up ruling the Iron Islands, that her alliance with Daenerys will work in her favour.
LIZZIE
Again, not surprised. This was just what I expected. And I think it’ll be a good decision, as whatever happens in the end, Yara will end up Queen in the Iron Islands. Does that mean Daenerys will win? Jury’s still out on that one. They do need many more ships if Daenerys is going to make her way to King’s Landing. But 100 is better than nothing, and I think Daenerys, and her advisors, will recognize that. Also, Theon and Yara bring something just as important as ships, they bring information. And we know Varys and Tyrion will be interested in that.
Jon and Sansa failed to gain the support from the North that they needed, and yet, they’re still marching on Winterfell. Do you think this is wise? How do you expect the battle to go?
CHLOE
They don’t have much of a choice if they want to save Rickon. It’s now or never, numbers or not. It’s hard to know how this battle will go. I don’t anticipate Jon Snow dying (again), but is it Ramsay’s time to go? Questionable – and I’m sure he still has a few more tricks up his sleeves. I think the battle will bring heavy casualties on both sides, but it feels like somehow Jon and Sansa will succeed and reclaim Winterfell (though probably at a significant cost). My prediction is that Davos will die, but my wishful thought is #GhostKillsRamsay2K16.
CARYN
I’m weirdly optimistic about this battle, which is strange because optimism is not something that I feel often on Game of Thrones. It would be incredibly disappointing if the Battle of the Bastards went exactly the same way as the Stannis one went, so I feel like this time, the right side will win. I think that if anything Jon Snow knows how to rally people, people want to help and support him (example: the Wildlings), he is a good warrior and that might be what encourages more to follow him and his Stark name. The Vale soldiers are a huge army as well, who will be an asset on their side.
LIZZIE
Something’s going to go bad this year, I just don’t think it’s going to be this. The Starks are due a win, and I don’t mean just a reunion, but a real win. This is it. Hopefully that win comes with a long and drawn-out death for Ramsay Bolton, because at this point, I’m not sure anything else would satisfy me. Now, I don’t have any reasons why they’ll win other than destiny and I just want it to happen. Littlefinger will probably show up at some point, probably near the end of the battle, because that’s who he is, and then he’ll want all the credit because that’s who he is. But hey, if they win, I might not even care. Just win.
Sansa wrote a mysterious letter, presumably to Littlefinger, asking for help. Will he come to their aid? And, if he does, what will he expect in return?
CHLOE
Oh, Sansa. Sansa, Sansa, Sansa. You know better than to trust Littlefinger, but you’re still playing right into his hands. Is it too much to ask that this letter be headed to someone, anyone else? We know it’s probably not, though, so let’s talk about it. Asking Littlefinger for help is a mistake. Sure, he might show up – in his own time, in his own way – but there are only so many ways this can go. He helps, and he owns you. He betrays you, and you die. Neither is exactly ideal. If the Knights of the Vale do ride to the Starks’ aid, I see Littlefinger asking for another marriage pact at the very least… and potentially a lot worse.
CARYN
I 100% believe that he will come to Sansa’s aid, mainly because he wants to be on her good side again. I worry though what he would ask for in return, I feel as if she has grown so far away from being his dutiful student, and she knows so much about his schemes that she can in turn, if she played her cards right, turn the tables on him, and blackmail him for her own gain. I really do wish she would start filling Jon in about Littlefinger though.
LIZZIE
I think the bastard was waiting for Sansa to ask for his help. I think he knew it would come to this and that’s why he didn’t offer the armies of the Vale at first. So, yes, he’ll come to hear aid, and ask God knows what in return. If it were Sansa and somewhere else I’d even say that he’d ask for HER in return, but Jon would probably separate his head from his shoulders if he dared to be that forthright. But he’s asking for something, no doubt about it. Hopefully the Starks can successfully communicate (maybe they’ve been doing it off-screen) and turn the tables on him. A girl can hope, right?
Arya got caught off guard, and she was badly wounded in a battle with the Waif, or was she? Do you have any revisionist theories? Do you think Arya has a secret plan? Will she ever escape Bravos?
CHLOE
In the moment, I was so furious at Arya’s arrogance and stupidity – but of course afterwards, I came to my senses and realized that she may well be playing the Waif (and all of us). Killing the Waif is the only way to (maybe) get herself off the Faceless Men’s hit list, so that has to be her first priority. Arya presumably knows this, so let’s hope this is her master plan at work. Time for some needlework.
CARYN
I really hope that the theatre troupe comes to her aid, because right now Lady Crane seems to be the only person in Braavos that is on her side. In the preview for next week, we see her running away in Braavos, I’m going to put my optimism glasses back on and say that she is patched up by Lady Crane and then escapes from Braavos by boat.
LIZZIE
The whole thing was so stupid and careless that I almost want to believe that Arya planned to get caught that way to throw the Waif off. She knew they were coming after her. I think she’s getting out of Bravos for sure, and I think she’s going to defeat the Waif before doing so, and I’m pretty sure it’s all happening next episode. I want to go with the theatre troupe helped her and she pretended to be wounded and then to flee only to draw the Waif into a trap. Yes. I like that thought.
No one’s budging in the Riverlands. With Brienne coming next episode, how do you anticipate this will go? And what are the odds we’ll get Lady Stoneheart after all?
CHLOE
I cannot wait for this. This season has had so much fan service, and if that trend doesn’t stop now, I am so stoked for the remaining episodes. We already know from the preview that we’ll see Brienne and Jaime reunite (!!!). I’m standing by my prediction that Jaime will either aid her in some way (outright or by throwing the siege/fight) or pack up and leave. I just want to see those two on the same side again. (And I refuse to accept that Brienne may be hurt or killed instead, because no.) As for Lady Stoneheart… The time is as right as it has been since the Season 3 finale. It’s now or never. And it feels like now.
CARYN
I think Brienne is going to go into Riverrun to try and compromise with the Blackfish for Jaime, and I think she will be more successful seeing as she was sent by Sansa, and had sworn an oath to Catelyn. And about Lady Stoneheart, oh gosh I hope so, although I don’t think that the Brotherhood Without Banners from Beric Dondarrion’s time would have sent his man to massacre an entire commune of people, that seems more of a Lady Stoneheart type leadership, I have hope – especially since Walder Frey stressed the fact that the Brotherhood was targeting Freys.
LIZZIE
I think Brienne and the Blackfish are getting out of there, together, whether because Jaime turns a blind eye or because Brienne beats him, probably the first one. After all, Jaime did promise Catelyn, and although his quest to regain his honor has been somewhat lost in the whole Cersei madness, that’s the path Jaime has been on in the books and that’s where I expect him to go in the TV show. Now, is he just going to turn on his family completely? No. Not yet, at least. I’m 100% sure Tommen won’t survive the season, and then? That’s another story.
This season has been surprisingly low on tragedy so far – which means tragedy will be coming. Give me three doomsday scenarios for the end of the season.
CHLOE
Do I have to? Okay, let’s get this over with. 1) We’ll lose another Stark – probably during the Battle of the Bastards, and probably Rickon. I don’t think we’re done with Jon, Sansa, or Arya just yet. 2) A dragon or (another) direwolf will die. Losing Ghost would be unimaginably awful, especially after Summer and Shaggydog were so callously killed off, but one of the dragons? They seem untouchable, so that would seriously shake up Dany’s cause (not to mention a few prophecies). 3) The end of House Lannister as we know it. There’s been a lot of emphasis on the Wildfire still cached underneath King’s Landing… and Cersei seems about ready to burn the city to the ground. I could see her trying to target the Great Sept (bye-bye, High Sparrow) and, per her own prophecy, unintentionally kill Tommen – before somehow dying herself. The chain reaction would continue with Jaime’s rage and sorrow at losing his twin/lover, and Tyrion would be the only one left. Even if these aren’t the exact details, I think this domino effect of Lannister deaths is only a matter of time.
CARYN
1 -That wildfire under King’s Landing in Bran’s vision is plaguing me so I think that might be Cersei’s work, and she might use that to burn down King’s Landing, a la Mad King – which would also give reference to Bran’s vision of the Mad King saying ‘Burn it all’. If there is a fire, I think it would kill most of the main players in the capital such as the High Sparrow, Tommen, Kevan, Pycelle, maybe Cersei, and I hope not Margaery, just because I love her so.
2 – Daenerys on top of Drogon causes havoc in Westeros, killing characters that we like that she is not aware of, or are not allies to her.
3 – One of the three Starks in the North die, I don’t think it will be Jon, but either Sansa or Rickon might not make it out of the Battle of the Bastards alive. So far my money is on Rickon.
LIZZIE
1 – Rickon dies, horribly, and Jon kills Ramsay quickly and I don’t get to enjoy my revenge. Because a Stark IS dying and I don’t think it’ll be Jon OR Sansa. Both have too many possibilities. So, Rickon it is.
2 – Tommen dies, Cersei goes mad, she burns King’s Landing to the ground with the wildfire and we get to say goodbye to the High Sparrow AND the Tyrells, but sadly, not her, as she survives to be killed by Jaime, some other time. Unless Jaime goes back to kill her at the end of this season. Also a nice possibility. He already killed the Mad King to try to prevent a tragedy.
3- The White Walkers decide that they’re tired of being on the other side of the Wall and mount a full-scale attack, just as Jon and Sansa are settling into Winterfell. And then the season ends and we have to wait one year to find out what happens.
Agree? Disagree? Have any more pressing questions you want answered? Sound off in the comments below.
Game of Thrones airs Sundays at 9/8c on HBO.
