Game of Thrones

[DennisTheMenace]

I do have to wonder whether D&D intend for their show to even end the same way GRRM will end his book story (if ever). In the books there is a guy called Aegon Targaryen who's also angling for the throne, but he doesn't exist on the show (and they'd have to have introduced him by now). On the show, he can't be the guy who wins the throne. Does that mean he can't win it in the books either, without the two stories having completely different conclusions?

Good point. I had to question why Martin would even introduce yet another contender for the throne when he should be trying to wrap this up (in my opinion). It doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to me I kind of feel that the book series jumped the shark with this new plotline. I couldn't care less about "Aegon Targaryen'" or whoever he is at this point in the story. I sincerely hope Martin kills him, but that's just me I'm doubtful the end will ever see print anyway. If it does, I may not even read it because I would have already received closure with the show years prior to it's publication in 2020 something.

[abulafia]

aegon invaded the stormlands. my personal guess is, that this will be dorne´s job now.
it will pile up some pressure on the lannisters and tyrells.

but who knows?
maybe they will cut that completly and focus on a big endgame in the north.

and there is also the iron men. there plot is just getting steam and far behind book events

[AndrewCrossett]

I just feel like things are not progressing fast enough to aptly cover the creation of the anti-WWalkers coalition army (Starks, Lannisters, other Houses), the battle with the White Walkers, and then the last statement on the Iron Throne.

I actually think the battle for the throne will be resolved long before the White Walker battle will. (Remember, despite what the show calls itself, GRRM only titled his first book "A Game of Thrones." The overall title of "A Song of Ice & Fire" is far more indicative of where the story's priority lies.)

In fact, the fight for the throne seems almost a foregone conclusion. The king is a weak little boy with advisors who range from self-interested to incompetent; he's basically the prisoner of an old man in a burlap dress, and he's on the brink of facing a three or four way civil war right on his own doorstep. All of the other claimants to the throne in Westeros are dead. But across the sea, Dany is riding high. I think her fleet steams into the Blackwater by the end of this season, and cuts apart the disarrayed opposition.

I think we end up with Queen Daenerys... possibly ruling alongside King Jon as joint ruler... possibly as husband and wife. (She might be his aunt, but we're talking about Targaryens, after all.) And I predict this is settled by the end of season 7, with a unified (more or less) Seven Kingdoms fighting the Walkers in season 8.

There will be complications, of course. I think Littlefinger and Bran will both be major wild cards going forward... Littlefinger with his intrigue and Bran with his powers.

[JBatmanFan05]

And I predict [the battle for the throne] is settled by the end of season 7, with a unified (more or less) Seven Kingdoms fighting the Walkers in season 8.

There will be complications, of course. I think Littlefinger and Bran will both be major wild cards going forward... Littlefinger with his intrigue and Bran with his powers.

I tend to think Dany won't really have the loyal united kingdom until after the final battle with the White Walkers as Jon (and perhaps others) will not just bend the knee as they've finally learned some ambition (like the rest of the Houses). And Dany won't really have time to consolidate her position (by overambitiously breaking the wheel, breaking the Houses) as she'll recognize this White Walker mess is an emergency, but she'll sorta somehow work with Jon and everyone to take the Walkers down, coalition style. Then certain players left alive after the war will make their final plays for the post-Walker Throne. Baelish might very well be one such person, he'll represent one last attempt to keep "the wheel" (of selfish nobles trampling the little people) going.

[AndrewCrossett]

I think Tommen will die before the end of this season. That means the throne will be vacant, since there are no more living Baratheons (except Gendry, and he's a bastard). By that time I'll bet the Lannisters will have found out that the Tyrells had Joffrey assassinated and that alliance will be over, so Dany is very likely to find a vacant throne and a civil war with Lannisters vs. Tyrells vs. Dorne vs. Faith Militant, and whomever else wants to jump into the brawl. The closest thing to a military leader the Westerosi will have is Kevan Lannister, and he's a fraction of the leader Tywin was.

So yes, I envision Daenerys's lovely bottom resting in the Iron Throne by season's end.

[JBatmanFan05]

So yes, I envision Daenerys's lovely bottom resting in the Iron Throne by season's end.

Could be, but I will be a tad surprised if she commands the loyalty of anything outside of KL (just like Tommen basically, except he can't even say he has KL). "Another probably mad Targaryen on the Throne?" might be many reactions.

Greyjoys see themselves as rogue, the North (whether Boltons or Starks) has been doing its own thing, the Vale is rogue under Baelish (though he might feign fealty, I admit), Dorne under Ellaria does its own thing, Etc. There will be lots of defiant stubborness, dragons or not, and you wonder how exactly she'll decide to deal with that & how swiftly.

I think we might agree more than we think but word it a little differently. But I do think there will be final surprise power plays after the Walkers, and only then will the Throne issue really be settled, but that might not require much screen time as these plays might be narratively built up during the war.

[AndrewCrossett]

Yep, that's what season 7 will be all about.

But Dany will have the advantage of being the obvious best choice for fighting the WW.

[JBatmanFan05]

I think we largely agree. My only quibble being that while I think there will be a coalition formed and there will be a technical King/Queen, the Throne will not really be settled until the series finale episodes that I think will be post-White Walkers. I think the end will be in KL postwar and we'll see some bittersweet something about how the game of thrones and/or the wheel will continue on, despite all the progress and peace.

[brettc1]

Daenerys will probably only be ready to sail for Westeros by the end of this season, but we still gave the Ironbirns invasion of the South coming.

I predict this season will end with the Wall being breached.

[lancerman]

Good point. I had to question why Martin would even introduce yet another contender for the throne when he should be trying to wrap this up (in my opinion). It doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to me I kind of feel that the book series jumped the shark with this new plotline. I couldn't care less about "Aegon Targaryen'" or whoever he is at this point in the story. I sincerely hope Martin kills him, but that's just me I'm doubtful the end will ever see print anyway. If it does, I may not even read it because I would have already received closure with the show years prior to it's publication in 2020 something.

Most people think Aegon is the "mummer's dragon" from the House of the Undying prophecy. As in he's a fake.

Conventional Wisdom:
1. Aegon marries Arrianne Martell.
2. Dorne and the Golden Company attack King's Landing
3. Dany arrives with her army.
4. Dany defeats the Lannisters and exposes Aegon as a fraud.

In the show, same thing. Dorne attacks King's Landing. Dany comes in and wins it all. But she inherits a fractured Westeros for the coming apocalyptic threat in the North.

Two different roads. Same castle.

[k von doom]

Is Ramsay Bolton approaching Joffrey-level psychosis or has he passed that?

[Deadxman]

Is Ramsay Bolton approaching Joffrey-level psychosis or has he passed that?

passed

Jeffery only hired people to kill babies not feed them alive to dogs

[Confuzzled]

Most people think Aegon is the "mummer's dragon" from the House of the Undying prophecy. As in he's a fake.

Conventional Wisdom:
1. Aegon marries Arrianne Martell.
2. Dorne and the Golden Company attack King's Landing
3. Dany arrives with her army.
4. Dany defeats the Lannisters and exposes Aegon as a fraud.

In the show, same thing. Dorne attacks King's Landing. Dany comes in and wins it all. But she inherits a fractured Westeros for the coming apocalyptic threat in the North.

Two different roads. Same castle.

I too think Aegon is the mummer's dragon and will marry Arianne Martell but I doubt they get around to attacking KL or are even part of the climax. I have a feeling he is just a red herring who makes the Martells take a big hit in the game, and Dany probably dispatches the Golden Company or just Aegon before proceeding to KL (maybe with Arianne and the remaining Martells' cooperation).

It explains why Aegon and Arianne aren't part of the show, why Doran, Trystane and Myrcella were dispatched so quickly and why the whole Dorne plotline's been reduced to nothing more than an outlier now. If Dany converts Arianne over to her cause by exposing and defeating Aegon in the books, then later on they can just have Ellaria on the show pledge Dorne's allegiance to Dany because she doesn't want "weak men to rule Westeros". Simple, neat and non-convoluted, just like the show likes it.

[Confuzzled]

passed

Jeffery only hired people to kill babies not feed them alive to dogs

Nah, Joffrey just lacked the imagination. If someone had suggested the idea to him, he would've leapt at the chance.

[JBatmanFan05]

Dany comes in and wins it all. But she inherits a fractured Westeros for the coming apocalyptic threat in the North.

Yes, this is how I see it playing out, especially the inheriting "a fractured Westeros" part. Jon & Sam & maybe Bran will be key in unfracturing and uniting Westeros and catching everyone up on the White Walkers. Only fear of the Walkers will expedite unity.


I figure my favorite character Lord Petyr Baelish will of course help Jon & Dany take down the Walkers all while planning his postwar coup (assuming he survives to the show's last episodes).