We made it. This is it. Sunday will be the final episode of Game of Thrones. I realize that the last few episodes have been divisive to say the least. I cannot recall a show that was this popular, but people hated the final stretch so much. This is not everybody, but the internet has strong takes. While this season definitely feels rushed, everything else seems to be wrapping up and heading toward a conclusion we should have seen coming in some ways.
The biggest complaints I have read over the last week really deal with three major topics. I am going to try to explain why I feel those complaints are not actually valid.
Jaime’s character arc made zero sense
I do not understand what is so difficult here. Jaime countless times has been drawn back to Cersai, always to his detriment. Jaime even says in season six that he would launch a baby over a wall and kill anyone to get back to her. Yes, Jaime tried to go straight and live an honorable life. That was never who he was. Like a criminal getting out of jail, Jaime tried to go straight. He honored his word, he fought for the living and he met someone he felt comfortable being around and loved. We have seen characters in stories do this before. They strive to change and get redemption, but ultimately, people are who they are. Jaime spent the night with Brienne and did everything the “right way.” It did not feel right to him. The criminal who has been trying to do the right thing for his family always gets sucked back in for one more job, or one final event. In this case, it had tragic consequences. Jaime knew that. However, he has always been drawn to the person he shared and was born into the world with. The story was always ending with Jaime going back to Cersai, people just wish he would have made a better choice. A character arc does not always means change for the good. Jaime’s arc led him right back to where he started.
Cersai should have been killed by someone we know
A main character did kill her! Dany Killed her. In what became an odd situation the Lannister army actually became the sympathetic figure in all this. They were trying to protect the people of Kings Landing despite them already surrendering. In many ways, Cersai should have been executed after the city was over taken when they rang the bells. Dany had other plans. Cersai at this point would have done anything to hold onto the city, even as it literally crumbled around her. This was a metaphor for entire family and way of life. No matter the situation, she never gave up. I think it was poetic that she died and was crushed by the building she fought so hard to keep. The book readers are mad that their prophecy was not fulfilled, but in a weird way was it? If she weren’t pregnant would she have surrendered earlier? Who knows? Jaime and Cersai going out of the world the same way they went in was poetic and sad. Together, they accomplished a lot. Honestly, they killed far less people than Dany did before she ever got to Kings Landing. The biggest thing to me was, if anyone had killed her they would have had to die as well. I am happy Arya did not die. (Some internet theories are not sure)
Dany turned heel far too quickly
This has been hinted at and mentioned so many times. We even had one of Bran’s and Dany’s visions from the temple of the undying that showed a throne room with ash flying through the air. We all thought it was snow, but it was not. Dany has killed people every single place she has gone. BUT THEY WERE ALL BAD GUYS AGAINST HER. That is exactly how she viewed the people of Kings Landing!
Dany was not getting the credit of the adulation of Jon. Dany had lost more than Jon. Dany saved the lives of the living. Dany losing everyone close to her, another dragon and then having Varys try to poison her was the last straw. Dany worked her entire life for the moment when she would take back what was hers. The problem is she was the only one that thought it was hers. When the bells rang, the victory felt hollow. Athletes and coaches talk about winning the championship feeling hollow, but the journey was actually the experience.
Add the entire thing up and it makes complete sense. A person with unlimited power who has been told her methods are too violent at every step, now has no one or person to be accountable to. This was always the path. Just because you liked her or rooted for her to get vengeance doesn’t mean she was a good person and not capable of evil. Dany has literally burned someone in every single season. EVERY SEASON.
Dany’s brother said in season one, you can rule with either fear or love. This last episode had Dany beg Jon for love. Jon rejected her. Dany even says, so it will be fear then. There was many clues along the way that this was inevitable. Then there are lines that are so obvious, people chose to ignore them.
SHE TOLD YOU WHAT SHE WAS GOING TO DO! Why don’t people accept it? This just completely baffles me. Dany’s mercy has always been to kill people who she deemed as bad and to rule her way. That’s not mercy. That is a different type of governing.
Dany has not been universally loved and looked at glowingly since she arrived in Meereen. That was season five! That was many years ago. Everything has gone downhill since then for Dany and it culminated in her not feeling satisfied with her victory. The win wasn’t good enough. She wanted everyone to know that she won and this was her time. There was only one way to do that.
How do they wrap this show up in only 80 minutes Sunday? It’s prediction time! You can find my other predictions before episodes here and here. What I said is still in play, but now is more clear. I think we have two possible option for how this all plays out. Yes, I am going to include gambling odds, which you may view as a spoiler. You have been warned, but the gambling odds have been wrong most of this season.
Jon is going to kill Dany. I had speculated that Dany was going to die at some point, now it is clear she will. Dany’s army will not be happy about this at all. Grey Worm will try to take out Jon and whatever forces he has left. Seemingly, they will be in bad shape as Drogon will be upset too. Bran will warg into Drogon and eliminate Dany’s army. I can’t come up with any other way in which they handle her army. There is no one left. No one would be willing to fight a person with a dragon. It has to go this way.
Once Dany is one and her army is take out, two possible solutions exist. I don’t believe Jon wants to be King and believe he will abdicate his throne. I have been saying this for weeks. He has even given up everything he has ever been named.
This of course would lead to the union I believe will rule in Sansa and Tyrion ruling together. This is the most logical conclusion left and frankly, we don’t have enough characters left we actually know. Jon then goes north, pets his dog and lives out his days as commander of the new night’s watch. The other possible ending seems a little weirder.
Did information leak? Why is Bran Stark the betting favorite to sit on the Iron Throne? How can this even happen? My theory is just like above Jon kills Dany, Jon abdicates, but Sansa says I don’t want to live down there. Winterfell is my home. Bran ends up ruling, but decides the best way for peace is to divide the kingdom into the seven nations it once was. We just have enough characters to rule in every place.
Sansa The North
Dornish Prince Dorne
Bronn High Garden
Davos Dragon Stone
Robin of Arryn The Eyrie
Yara Iron Islands
Tyrion Casterly Rock
Gendry Storms End
That would just leave Riverrun as a place some one needs to rule. Maybe Brienne?
To me these seem like the two most likely options. How will this all play out? I can not wait to find out. What do you think?
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