Another season of Game of Thrones is in the books – and we certainly have a lot of feelings to unpack. From the good (it was about damn time, Jaime, it was about damn time) and the bad (Cersei being Cersei) to the expected (Jonerys has sailed), with some great writing and some magnificent fight sequences as well as some shoddy writing and some questionable choices, this season of the HBO drama had a little bit for everything – and a lot to discuss.
So, we – as well as some of our friends from We So Nerdy – are taking the time to talk all things Game of Thrones Season 7. Buckle up, for we have a lot to say:
Game of Thrones Season 7 is over. Describe your overall feelings about the season in one gif:
Lizzie:
Chloe:
Caryn:
Sarah:
Lariel:
Brittany:
Funmbi:
Katie:
What was your favorite thing about Season 7? Your favorite storyline? What worked for you? What did you want to see more of in Season 7?
Lizzie: My favorite thing about Season 7 was all the reunions we got – I mean, I’d only been waiting for the Starks to reunite for like seven seasons. I also loved that everything seems to be coming together to finally form an endgame, Jon and Daenerys, Jaime and Cersei, the Wall… which, of course, means I’m going to spend the hiatus worrying, but it’s good that we can finally glimpse the end of this story that we’ve been following for so long.
My favorite storyline was the Jon/Daenerys one, not necesarily the romance part, but two very similar people coming together and in a way learning from each other and seeing the common goal. That’s always been what Game of Thrones does best, the interpersonal relationships. That’s where I think the season really succeded – and also what I wanted more of.
Because, yes, I’d like to have seen more of that, the little moments. We got the big, of course, reunions, but I’m greedy. Every second of these characters (that have been apart for so long) together is a second I cherish.
Chloe: This season felt like a definitive shift into the endgame – particularly where pacing, storylines converging, and visual effects are concerned. While some of this didn’t work for me all the time (see below), overall it raised the stakes and heightened the urgency and excitement. Also, can we just say how delightful it was to have all those gratuitous dragon shots?! The budget is being put to very good use.
My favorite storyline would have to be Jon and Daenerys coming together (and, ahem, coming together). We’ve waited for these characters to meet or even acknowledge each other’s existence for so long, so the payoff was really satisfying. In general, the show exploring different character dynamics really worked for me this season (maybe with a few exceptions). I would have loved to see more small moments like the conversations between Brienne and Arya, Tormund and the Hound, or Davos and Gendry – time is limited, but those were glorious.
Caryn: I enjoyed the reunions of some characters who haven’t shared the screen for years. The Hound and Brienne, Tyrion and Jaime, Arya and Sansa. It’s amazing to think how these characters have grown and changed and their shared history together. I also loved the fact that things truly felt as if it was moving forward this season, Littlefinger was disposed of, Jon and Daenerys have joined their forces, the White Walkers are moving in on Westeros. We can see the meat on the bones. However I do wish they had spent more time on developing relationships this season instead of just assuming that the audience will feel the feelings.
Sarah: My favorite part was bringing together the characters we’d never seen share screentime before, and to just have more time with them than moments in between the action. If I had to pick a storyline, I have to say I loved Jon and Dany meeting and slowly coming to trust each other. I don’t believe they’ve ever met anyone like each other before, and while I’m afraid of the heartbreak in their future due to their unexpected (for them) family ties it was still a wonderful story.
Between Arya, and Sansa reuniting for the first time since season one, and taking down Littlefinger (FINALLY) together and the Wall coming down it was a heart stopper of a season. I would have liked to see more of Gendry, or more time with Jaime/Brienne (I love those two thank God Jaime came to his senses and literally rode away from his toxic sister.)
Lariel: I loved the way Sansa really came into her own this season. When we first met her back in S1, she was the girl who was waiting for her prince to come, who’d never had to face a more difficult decision than choosing what dress to wear. Now, she is a leader who has learned the great Game, after surviving being a commodity on the political marriage market. Yes, she survived horrific experiences. That made the payoff in the season finale so very satisfying.
Brittany: In general it was awesome to see characters that never interacted before interact with each other or characters reuniting again after seasons apart. Obviously Daenerys and Jon was super exciting to finally see (ice and fire!) but seeing characters like Brienne and the Hound and Podrick/Bronn and Tyrion see each other again was great. Also the VFX this season were top notch. We got white walker polar bear and white walker dragon!
Funmbi: My favorite thing about Season 7 is getting so many more confirmations of R+L=J. At the end of Season 6 when Bran returns to the Tower of Joy and we go from witnessing Baby Jon’s birth to seeing the fully grown man becoming King in the North, you just know this is a major shift in the Game of Thrones world. He who was considered last has now risen to the very top! And throughout Season 7, Jon Snow = Jon Targaryen is reaffirmed. There are more subtle nods, like the almost instant chemistry with Dany (they interpret this as a romantic connection instead of a familial one, but it’s the Targaryen way!) and Drogon recognizing Jon as a familiar. Then there are the explicit confirmations, with Gilly (and Sam) reading High Septon Maynard’s journals and Bran going back in time to witness Rhaegar and Lyanna’s true love and Jon’s legitimate birth. Truth be told, I wanted so many more Rhaegar/Lyanna flashbacks. Though we’ve barely met them, these two are so central to the Game of Thrones world. With only six episodes left, it seems imperative that we understand why Rhaegar/Lyanna made the choices they did.
Katie: The reunions! It was great to see the Starks back together! Then in the finale the characters who hadn’t seen each other in years were able to share some screen time, too. I loved the Hound/Brienne moment when they’re talking about Arya. He looks so proud of her! I also liked that Podrick and Bronn saw Tyrion again…and that Jaime/Brienne reunion! She put shook the honor back into him fast.
We’ve waited for those moments for a long time and the pay off was incredible.
What was your least favorite thing about Season 7? Your least-favorite storyline? What didn’t work for you? What did you want to see less of?
Lizzie: That Arya and Sansa storyline. Sure, the pacing was a mess and there were many instances, particularly during “Beyond the Wall,” the weakest episode of the season, where I just wanted to shakre common sense into the characters – and into the writers, but nothing made me as angry as that nonsenseical girls will fight sister vs. sister thing. Why? If they’d at least done it all to trick Littlefinger, I could have sorta lived with it, but we already have confirmation that wasn’t the case, and that just makes me so, so angry.
The othe thing that didn’t work for me – probably because the pacing was so off and badly explaing, was how fast Jon and Daenerys went from I dunno to omg I love you. Why did we get just seven episodes this season again? I would have been happy with 10.
Well, that and that brilliant idea to go capture a wight, because, come on, Jon is honorable to a fault, but he’s not stupid.
As for what I wanted less off – the Sand Snakes, Theon and Yara, Euron, the Cleganes, literally anything that took away fromt the main characters, the main storylines. We don’t have time for peripheral characters. It’s time to get down to business.
Chloe: One word: pacing. It’s such a fine line, because the shortcuts the showrunners are taking are shortcuts to things we want to see. It’s difficult to say that I’d rather have seen less of the standoff beyond the Wall or a battle in order for the show to contextualize how much time is passing or how certain things are logistically possible, but those inconsistencies really stand out when the rest of the show is so top notch. Again, we have so little time left in Westeros, so I can understand wanting (and in all honesty, probably needing) to kind of cut to the chase – for time and budgetary reasons. But I think especially as shit hits the fan and we see the magical elements come into play more than ever, it’s critical to maintain a sense of what’s happening when… and to allow the build-up to these moments with such satisfying payoff.
My least favorite storyline this year would probably be the issues with Sansa and Arya. They kind of make sense given the characters’ history together, but there are so many other things I’d rather have seen from the Stark sisters – even if the animosity was still there. It felt like they were killing time until they got to kill Littlefinger. As satisfying as that was, the Stark ladies can be put to better use. I also had my logic problems with the grand mission to capture a wight, but the scenes were so crazy and badass that I’ll gloss over those.
Caryn: There was a lot that just didn’t seem to make sense. Firstly, the plot to bring a wight to Cersei was idiotic at best, even if Jon and Daenerys were hopeful, Tyrion and Varys know Cersei well enough to know that even if she saw the army of the dead in front of her she wouldn’t care. Secondly, the scenes between Arya and Sansa felt like manufactured drama, it didn’t work within the development of both characters and the dialogue itself was clunky, and I feel like we were robbed of the scene where they tell each about the trauma that they have been through. Thirdly, the Jon/Daenerys storyline felt extremely rushed, I didn’t even see he was attracted to her until the characters kept pointing it out, they didn’t do enough to persuade me. And I agree with the other folks on the roundtable that the pacing felt extremely off, as well as the writing, it felt as if they were breaking their own rules for the sake of rushed storytelling.
Sarah: I didn’t like how rushed the story felt at times, they couldn’t always get the pacing right. Granted it was the first time they had a shorter run of episodes since the show started, but I expected it to at least not be overly fast as it was. I wish they had done a better job with the build up to Sansa and Arya tricking Littlefinger. Don’t get me wrong, it was fantastic to see but that storyline was frustrating and made no sense until the eleventh hour and I wish I had anticipated they were working together even slightly. Those ladies deserve better and I hope they get it next season and less of “what in the world are they doing” writing. I’d like to have seen less of that, oy.
Lariel: The pacing felt wrong. After years of getting to this point, we’re rushing to the end. It was probably a mistake to limit the last two seasons to 13 episodes altogether.
Brittany: It moved WAY too fast. I know we only have one season left after this one but the speed in which storylines moved and characters moved (literally moved around Westeros) was insane and because of that I feel like we missed a lot of that great scheming, plotting, build up and general Game of Thrones-ness we love in the writing this season. It honestly is my least favorite season as a whole.
Also Euron’s character. I kept hearing how cool and badass he was supposed to be this season. They failed developing him and I genuinely forgot about him until I saw him in the finale.
Funmbi: My least favorite part of Season 7 is everything dealing with Euron. I despise that man, I despise that he still has Yara, and I despise that he’s able to taunt Theon, so much so, he reverts to Reek. I realize we don’t see that much of Euron, as is, but whenever he’s on screen, he’s doing his level best to make everyone else’s life hell. UGH.
Beyond that, as others mention, the quick pacing of Season 7 is totally disjointed from previous seasons. The fact that in “Eastwatch” we can travel from Dragonstone to King’s Landing and back, then to Eastwatch-by-the-Sea in like 15 minutes gives me major whiplash. However, with the end of the series being right around the corner, we really are in a (controlled) free-fall.
Katie: The pacing was sooo fast this season. I feel like some things that were pretty important probably got pushed to the side. The Jon/Dany connection felt very rushed to me. Also, the ravens were being super lazy in every season before this one. JS.
Favorite relationship this season. Use gifs.
Lizzie:
Chloe: Two answers, which bring me different kinds but equal levels of joy.
Caryn: Definitely Gendry and Jon, the friendship I didn’t know I needed:
Sarah: Brienne and Arya. It was a friendship, but it was really eh, tumultous?
Lariel: I’m here for the dragons.
Brittany: Duh:
Charles:
Funmbi:
Jon, Dany, and Drogon, because being able to call them the Mother and Father of Dragons (even if only in my own mind) elevates my whole life.
Katie: Arya’s dagger and Littlefinger’s throat.
What was your favorite episode? And your least favorite? Why?
Lizzie: Favorite is harder than least favorite, because my least favorite was, WITHOUT A DOUBT, “Beyond The Wall.” There was just so much that didn’t make sense in that episode, starting with everything that Arya and Sansa said to each other, continuing with the idiotic idea to kill a wight in the first place, without forgetting the actual mission and how it developed.
I’m going to say my favorite was probably “Spoils of War,” which I think is a common answer. It just had so many good moments, from Arya coming home, to the final awesome battle, to Littlefinger’s face when Bran was all causal with his ‘Chaos is a ladder’ thing.
However, I will say that, for such a short season, Game of Thrones really managed to have outstanding moments I will be rewatching during the long hiatus in every episode, so in that regard, they won.
Chloe: This is such a tough question! The season was so strong as a whole. My current favorite would probably be “The Spoils of War.” It was one of those Oh, it’s going to be THAT kind of season moments in the best way. We got to see Arya’s emotional return to Winterfell, Bran throwing Chaos is a ladder back in Littlefinger’s face, and Daenerys riding into battle on Drogon, against the Lannister forces. Talk about taking things to the next level and bringing the fight to the Lannisters.
I think I’d have to name one of the first three episodes – “Dragonstone,” “Stormborn,” or “The Queen’s Justice” – as my least favorite, purely because the later episodes stole the scene with the heightened situations and visuals. But that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy these episodes, because they also held some of my favorite scenes from the season – like Olenna’s “Tell Cersei. I want her to know it was me.” and Hot Pie telling Arya that the Starks have reclaimed Winterfell. I just love this season on the whole.
Caryn: ‘The Spoils of War’ was my favorite episode, I shed a good few tears at the Sansa and Arya scenes – even if they were to undo this in later episodes, and the battle scene where we finally got to see a dragon against the Westerosi soldiers was amazing. Eastwatch was my least favorite of the episode – it seemed illogical within the boundaries they had set for themselves, the plotting seemed clunky, it just felt like an untidy episode.
Sarah: ‘The Dragon and the Wolf’ hands down. It’s hard to pick, because despite my nitpicks this entire season had awesome episodes every step of the way. Cersei finally meeting Dany, seeing a wight Dragon in action take down the wall, Jaime riding away from Cersei after being reminded of honor by Brienne, all together about left me a puddle on the floor. I don’t really have a least favorite episode, as there was something I loved about every single one this season, so bravo on that front GoT.
Lariel: “The Spoils Of War” ranks as my favorite episode of the season. Dragons. In battle. Gotta love it. I can’t say I have a least favorite episode, because all of them offered something I really liked.
Brittany: This is tough but “The Dragon and the Wolf”. Jon and Dany finally come together and Dany and Cersei interact for the first time. Plus no one was time traveling to five different parts of Westeros so pacing seemed fine.
I don’t think I can pick a least favorite.
Funmbi: My favorite episode has to be the finale. In “The Dragon and the Wolf” so many things I’ve been waiting for to come to fruition and it’s PHENOMENAL. We learn that Sansa, Arya, and Bran have been working together this whole time to take down Littlefinger and his death is one of the most satisfying moments of the entire series. Bran and Sam (actually Gilly!) do the Lord’s work by uncovering the legitimacy of Jon’s birth (AKA Aegon Targaryen), plus we get such a lovely Rhaegar/Lyanna flashback. I’m a Jonerys shipper, so the sexy times at the end of the episode give me life. Jaime FINALLY leaves Cersei, something I never believed would happen until it did… here’s hoping he makes his way to Brienne in the North!
My least favorite episode is probably “Beyond the Wall.” I enjoy watching Jon and his team bond on their excursion, plus we learn some important things like kill the White Walker, kill it’s sire line. However, when I think about the cost/benefit analysis of going beyond the Wall to get a wight, the payoffs are practically nil. Even with the wight, Cersei still plans to doublecross Dany and Jon. The demonstration achieved nothing. And for all that, we lose Viserion and probably Uncle Benjen (for good)…? Nah, I can’t believe anyone ever thought this would be a good plan.
Katie: I think my favorite episode was the season premiere, “Dragonstone”. The reason is strictly the cold open. They knocked it out of the park and set the tone for the rest of the season.
“When people ask you what happened here, tell them the North remembers. Tell them winter came for House Frey.”
I STILL GET CHILLS!
All the episodes were so strong. I don’t think I have a least favorite…
If you had to pick one MVP for Season 7, who would it be and why?
Lizzie: It’s gotta be Sansa Stark, the ‘slow learner’ that went from my least favorite character in a show filled with characters I detested, to someone I felt sorry for, and then someone I pitied to someone I admired, and now to possibly one of the strongest characters this show has, with such a defined growth arc. It’s beautiful.
Chloe: I mean if we’re basing this on success, it would have to be the Night King, no? But there’s no way I’m naming him as MVP, so I’m going to give this one to Ser Davos Seaworth. He’s a genuinely good, kind, and humble man with so much to offer – from his hype man skills, fast talking, and smuggler’s charm to his wonderful humor. This season, Davos helped facilitate the alliance between Jon and Daenerys and brought Gendry back into the fold – what’s not to love? I can’t get enough of his scenes.
Caryn: I have to go with my girl Sansa Stark, who for the past few seasons has just been increasingly proving her worth in unconventional ways. I’ve had a niggly feeling that a lot of this prep and witnessing has been preparing her for a leadership role and to be the one to finally end Littlefinger’s schemes, and the second proved to be true. This season Sansa has proved herself to be an excellent Warden of the North in Jon’s absence, leading the bannermen, and providing suggestions as to how to make better armor and how to protect the people with regards to food in the winter months. But her perfectly manufacturing Littlefinger’s death in a way that shocked even him is what get’s her my MVP award.
Sarah: Sansa Stark. That lady has been through hell and came out the other side, reuniting with her sister that she spent years believing she was dead. Between getting married twice to men she didn’t know, and finally coming back to take the place she deserved, adding some amazing sass along the way. Becoming Lady of Winterfell fit her, because she owned it in taking care of her home, and being one of the two people to truly outsmart Littlefinger, a master manipulator. I’m so proud of how far you’ve come (irritated writing aside) and I can’t wait to see what she does next season.
Lariel: Samwell Tarly – now the last survivor of his House, though he doesn’t know it. The Maesters of Oldtown kept trying to hold him back, but he cured Jorah’s greyscale and kept searching for answers to fighting the Night King. And while he didn’t find the passage about Rhaegar’s annulment (all hail Gilly for that!), he remembered that information when it counted.
Brittany: Gilly! This was a girl a few seasons ago who couldn’t read and she just confirmed one of the biggest theories of the show – Jon was never a bastard and is a true Targaryen. Even though Sam was barely listening at the time -____-.
Funmbi: Drogon is the REAL MVP! He always comes through for his Mom, and this is evident in “Spoils of War” where he, practically singlehandedly, destroys the Lannister/Tarly gold and supplies. Then he takes out Qyburn’s supposed dragon-killing machine (the Scorpion) and protects Dany when Jaime (idiotically) tries to spear her in the back. In “Eastwatch,” Drogon gingerly enourages the remaining Lannisters/Tarlys to bend the knee to his Mom. In “Beyond the Wall,” Drogon kills thousands of wights (with his brothers), then flies the entire group away from danger while dodging the Night King’s ice spear (RIP Viserion)! I have a strong feeling that Drogon will continue to be front and center in Jon/Dany’s attempts to stop the Night King and then take the Iron Throne.
Katie: Bronn. I mean, without him Jaime Lannister would be pretty crispy right now.
Pick one scene for Season 7 that you’ll re-watch during this hiatus. Use gifs and/or video.
Lizzie: The whole of the dragon pit scene had so much in the way of personal interactions that I think I’ll need at least 39 more re-watches before I fully get everything that was happening there.
Chloe: There are so many, but the one that stands out is Tormund’s walk-and-talk with the Hound beyond the Wall. I want to watch this every minute of every day for the rest of my life. Every second is pure perfection. It’s fan service at its best.
Caryn: Sansa, Arya and Bran finally coming together to take down Littlefinger, it was such a heroic moment for the Starks.
Sarah: I fist pumped at least one scene every episode, so narrowing it down is not easy. However if I had to pick, I really can never stop laughing at Dany’s long introduction when she meets Jon and Davo’s single sentence response, haha.
Lariel: One? I’ll be rewatching all of it, of course. But… I’m still here for the dragons.
My great hope is that someday somebody will actually produce “The Dragonriders of Pern,” now that Game of Thrones has shown the way.
Brittany: The opening scene of this season! Finally, getting true revenge for the Red Wedding. I am a Richard Madden/Robb Stark fangirl so I peaked pretty early this season haha.
Charles:
Funmbi:
There are so many OMG/EPIC scenes, especially the Season 7 finale, but if I have to pick one, it’ll be Dany and Drogon completely decimating the Lannisters/Tarlys. That’s one hell of a way to reintroduce Westeros to dragons!
Katie: Either the opening scene with Arya as Walder Frey or the convo between Tormund and the Hound beyond The Wall! That was so funny and makes me smile just thinking about it.
Best decision of Season 7 and Worst decision of Season 7. Explain.
Lizzie: Worst is easy: that thing where they went beyond the wall to catch a wight, that was just …not smart. Not plot-wise, not of the characters we’ve come to expect better of, not story-telling wise. Just, no good. Best decision? Getting rid of Littlefinger indeed, and finally having Jaime leave Cersei. Both these things took way too long, and yet they were both inevitable, and I’m glad they finally happened.
Chloe: Again, so many possible answers here. From a show perspective, I think the best decision was bringing Jon and Daenerys together on-screen. They have such a powerful, layered dynamic that was captivating to watch, and they each represent a powerful faction in Westeros so their decisions have so much weight. That’s not even going into the romantic element, which I was also here for. (I’d also like to give nods to the showrunners killing off the Sand Snakes and throwing us some well-done fan service with the likes of Tormund/Brienne, etc.) Character-wise, the best decision was taking Littlefinger the f*** out. When you consider how much of this dumpster fire of events he is responsible for, this is an almost impossibly huge loop closed. Now maybe we can get on to the Stark family dynamics we hoped for – particularly between Arya and Sansa – in Season 8.
The worst decision show-wise was cutting things in “Beyond the Wall” to the point where the passage of time became unclear. I won’t delve too deeply into that as I discussed in an earlier question, but as much as we want to dedicate maximum time to the battles and such, it can’t be at the cost of jarring transitions like this. It takes you out of the moment. Again, the Sansa/Arya dynamic was also less than ideal for much of the season, but they turned it around in the finale. From a character perspective… Daenerys’s early military strategy? The mission to capture a wight without horses or an exit strategy? There were naturally some pretty unfortunate missteps that nevertheless advanced the plot.
Caryn: The best decision: Killing Littlefinger, having Jaime FINALLY leave Cersei, bringing back Gendry and Nymeria, allowing Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey to act together again. Worst decision: that stupid catch-a-wight plot, the structuring and writing of the Arya/Sansa plot.
Sarah: Best decision: Bringing together Jon and Dany to fight the Great War. Whatever you think of their romance, it was a convergence of two continent storylines we’d seen separately for years. It was the best possible way to unite it, and cliffhanger the penultimate season with a surprise and a conflict, given Jon’s legitimate claim to the Iron Throne.
Worst Decision: Jaime not killing Cersei before he rode off to the north. I was so hoping he’d fulfill the Valonqar part of the prophecy in the books, but I can hope for the last season.
Lariel: Best decision: Taking out Littlefinger. Worst decision: Not having Nymeria do it. Nothing wrong with Arya wielding the knife, but I’d have liked to see a Stark direwolf take revenge on the man who nearly killed the pack. (Speaking of which… WHERE IS GHOST?)
Brittany: Best – killing Littlefinger. His time was definitely up. He was so much part of the “power struggle” Battle of the Five Kings era of Thrones and we’re passed that. We have bigger fish to fry (THE DEAD ARE COMING).
Worst – I really did not like the Sansa/Arya storyline this season. It was bad writing and seemed to be done just for the final payoff and shock value of Littlefingers last scene which might be enough for some people but it wasn’t for me.
Funmbi: Best–Killing Littlefinger. This guy has been scheming and ruining lives (especially Stark lives!) with impunity for years. As I’ve said, his death, on his knees and snivelling, is one of the most satisfying moments in Game of Thrones history.
Worst–Making us think that Sansa and Arya hate one another. Does the ends justify the means? Maybe…I have to think about it because the moment Sansa turns to Littlefinger, and we realize he’s the one being accused, is a wonderful surprise. But I really didn’t like being in the position of thinking Sansa and Arya were falling prey to Littlefinger’s machinations, especially since it made us question allllllll of Sansa and Arya’s character development over the seasons. *sigh* I really hope the writers have had enough of pretend-sabotaging female relationships and we can see Sansa and Arya continue to defend and support one another.
Katie: Best decision: Finally taking out Baelish! I’ve been waiting for that since he held a knife to Ned’s throat back in season one.
Worst decision: Dany taking ALL THREE dragons to save Jon from beyond The Wall, and not a single one aiming fire at the Night King.
What was your favorite quote of Season 7?
Lizzie: “I’m not gonna swear an oath I can’t uphold. Talk about my father if you want, tell me that’s the attitude that got him killed. But when enough people make false promises, words stop meaning anything. Then there are no more answers, only better and better lies. And lies won’t help us in this fight.” – Jon I’m-too-honorable-to-live Snow.
Chloe: “You DO know her!” – Tormund
Bonus mention to Bronn: “Dragons are where our partnership ends.”
Caryn: “I thought you’d still be rowing” – Davos
Sarah: “Fuck Loyalty!” – Brienne talking sense to Jaime Lannister!
Lariel: “Heroes do stupid things and die.” – Daenerys. As NPR pointed out, that’s the elevator pitch for the show.
Brittany: “When people ask you what happened here, tell them the North remembers. Tell them winter came for house Frey.” – Arya Stark
Funmbi: “When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives.”–Sansa Stark, quoting Ned Stark
Because House Stark totally survives and thrives in Season 7. Plus, the Stark pack is about to expand, and this is the only way anyone will make it out alive–TOGETHER.
Katie: “Tell Cersei. I want her to know it was me.” — Lady Olenna Tyrell
May her snarky heart rest in peace.
Speculate a little – where do you think the show goes next? How do they close off all these storylines? And, what is the thing you’re most looking forward to seeing in Season 8?
Lizzie: Well, for one, Daenerys is pregnant FOR SURE. The army of the dead is coming for Winterfell, so the big battle is taking place there. I get the sense Jaime dies protecting one of the Starks – ironic if it’s Bran, and kinda fitting. I also think, in the end, it will be Tyrion taking care of Cersei. I don’t think we get a straight up happy ending, though I hope at least some of my favorites survive and go on to be happy.
I’d like a full Stark reunion, and I’d love to see Jon with Arya, and Gendry with Arya. That’s truly what I’m most excited about.
Chloe: There is so much I’m looking forward to seeing: the urgency now that the White Walkers have officially entered Westeros, the inevitable battle between Daenerys’s dragons (RIP Viserion), Jon learning his true parentage, Jaime joining the fight in the north without Cersei, and hopefully the payoff of Cersei’s prophecy, to name a few. I think we’ll see alliances shifting and solidifying again very quickly as the Army of the Dead comes for Winterfell – i.e. the resistance against Dany will fall away pretty fast when she flies in with dragons. Speaking of alliances, I still think that a wedding between Jon and Daenerys feels fairly inevitable as well.
I think we’re in for a whole lot more epic battles. It feels like we’ll see the Army of the Dead (bolstered by some Northerners) meet Cersei’s forces in the middle, and from there it’s anybody’s game. It’s going to be hard to win when the Night King recruits all of your fallen into his own army. My new pet theory is that when all of this is over and the dust (/frost) has settled, the remaining dragons will melt down the Iron Throne and Westeros will have a fresh start – because the carnage is going to escalate quickly, and it’s going to be difficult to bounce back from that.
Caryn: I think a lot of season 8 will be focused on fighting the White Walkers now that they have finally marched on Westeros. I also think there will be tension between Jon and Daenerys when they find out that they are related, and there will be some extra drama between them when they find out Jon is the rightful heir. I do think Daenerys will fall pregnant, I pray that Jaime will kill Cersei. I do hope we have at least one romantic scene between Jaime and Brienne before the end of the series. I think Daenerys will fall pregnant, and Cersei will have a miscarriage. I hope Gendry and Arya will fall in love and that Sansa will finally be able to marry someone that she loves. I also think Nymeria and her pack will have a role to play in the Great War.
Sarah: I think an all out war is about to break out and everyone is about to get thrown into the ultimate fight for their lives. Who comes out the other side, I can’t even predict, but I’m hoping Cersei spends the rest of her days miserable and alone. I’m looking forward to even more character interaction, I really hope Arya & Gendry reunite and the truth of Jon’s parents doesn’t tear everything to pieces. As sad as I will be when this show ends next season, I’m really curious about *how* it’ll end. I have a feeling it’s going to be a doozy.
Lariel: I want to see Cersei get hers. Maybe Nymeria will get to do the honors, or at least make a contribution, since Maggy the Frog’s prophecy is that Cersei will die at the hands of the Valonqar, commonly believed to be Jaime or Tyrion. (But who says it must be Cersei’s little brother? Why couldn’t it be the younger Clegane. Or even Ghost, the runt of the Stark direwolf litter?) I want more dragons in battle. I want some more reunions: Sansa and Tyrion, Arya and Gendry (who better have survived the collapse of the Wall).
Brittany: Everyone dies. And we’re just left with a couple of ice dragons flying around. [end scene].
Funmbi: In Season 8, I think we’ll get more Rhaegar/Lyanna flashbacks to see the extent of their knowlege about the Prince Who Was Promised prophecy, their deliberate choices, and their love which set the series (as we know it) in motion. (Hopefully, we’ll also figure out why Rhaegar decided to name two of his sons Aegon…)
I think Jon and Dany will arrive at Winterfell and learn that R+L=J. I don’t expect the incest thing to be that big of a deal (it’s the Targaryen way!), but the issue of who will sit on the Iron Throne will cause some discord. However, I think it will all be resolved when Dany realizes she’s pregnant (*EEP*).
Bran, of course, knows the Night King and Ice Viserion have destroyed the Wall, so the Army of the Dead is here. And truth be told, I don’t know how this war can be won. A lot of people will die. But I’m hoping that all of our faves, Jon/Dany/Tyrion/Sansa/Arya/Bran/Gendry/Brienne/Jaime/Tormund/Dondarrion/Sandor Clegane/Samwell/Jorah/Drogon/etc.etc.etc. can bring all of their skills and talents together to kill the Night King and save their world. It’s the only way we can win!
I’m looking forward to finding out who the Prince Who Was Promised really is. I think most people believe it’s Jon or Dany… but wouldn’t it be cool if it was someone we never expect? I’m also very excited about the prospect of learning who Cersei’s valonqar is.
Katie: I’m most looking forward to The Hound and The Mountain having their epic showdown. It’s been a long time coming, and I’m desperate for Sandor to win.
Beyond that, I think we’ll see Dany and Jon become proud parents and whatever deal Tyrion made with Cersei that probably stemmed from him playing the “Dany can’t have kids” card, will all go out the window.
Oh! And I want to see Jaime in the North and his redemption arc.
Agree? Disagree? Have any Game of Thrones Season 7 feelings you need to express? Share with us in the comments below!