Before I get to any thoughts about last night’s season finale of “Game of Thrones” I have to say that I am feeling a bit empty. Since the beginning of June I have devoted so much time and energy into A Song of Ice and Fire. At the beginning of June I was a little bit less than half way through “A Storm of Swords” and my goal was to finish reading that book before the season 7 premiere of the show. I read that book morning, noon and night and finished it just in the nick of time the night before season 7 premiered. Then, of course, I immediately dove into watching season 7 and writing my weekly blog. Not to mention my project of reading “A Feast for Crows” and “A Dance with Dragons” as one giant book. Now that season 7 is over I feel like a driving force behind so much of my free time is gone now, but then again maybe not. I still have a long, long way to go before I am done reading the books. I have completed Brienne’s first chapter in “A Feast for Crows” and am on page 100 and in “A Dance with Dragons” I am in the middle of Bran’s first chapter and am on page 74.
So I guess I have no reason to feel lost, I still have much to read and for that I am thankful. My goal is to have completed reading all of the books before season 8 begins airing. And despite the fact I have a little more than 1,800 pages to go between the two books I do think I’ll make it since season 8 doesn’t begin filming until October. I really don’t think the final season of this amazing show will begin airing until January of 2019.
Anyway moving onto last night’s episode…
Before the episode began I expressed a strong desire for either Cersei or Jamie to die. I didn’t exactly get what I wanted but I am satisfied with what happened with the two of them but more on that later.
The season finale was different than I thought it would be. I really thought that with the exception of some scenes at Winterfell that the vast majority of the episode would take place at King’s Landing. I really thought the meeting between Team Cersei and Team Dany/Jon would turn into an absolute blood bath. I (incorrectly) predicted that either Theon, Yara or Euron would die, not to mention my incorrect guess that either Tyrion or Pod would die, that either The Hound or The Mountain would die and that Greyworm was going to die, I also thought there could be an outside possibility of Brienne dying as well. I’m glad I was wrong. Not just because I don’t want Theon, Yara, Tyrion, Pod, The Hound, Greyworm or Brienne to die but because I really don’t want the show to be that predictable.
That isn’t to say that there wasn’t much drama unfolding at King’s Landing. As the episode began we saw that first of Team Dany to arrive at King’s Landing were Greyworm and the unsullied followed by the Dorthraki.
This show of massive military force was one of the many reasons I thought there was going to be massive bloodshed. Adding to the ominous feeling was the ship where we see Tyrion, Theon, Varys, Jon and Davos. Given that this show has no problem killing major characters off I really believed at least one of them would bite the dust. Not to mention the feeling of dread that The Hound adds to by awakening the Wight which is locked up in a box. Then, of course, there is the craziness that is Cersei who has her own Zombie also known as The Mountain.
As all of the sides come together at the Dragon pits it was a sight to behold so many characters together again for the first time in many seasons not to mention some characters being together for first time period. Among the reunions that I enjoyed the most were Tyrion and Pod, these two always were a great pair. I also loved seeing The Hound and Brienne discuss Arya. Not to mention the high drama that was present when The Zombie Mountain and The Hound reconnect. The Hound has been gone from King’s Landing for a long time so it was really interesting to not only see him back there but also to see him interact with his now Zombie brother.
Then came the main event as Dany flew in on Drogon. As much as I loved seeing Dany arrive on Drogon I felt very sad seeing only two dragons. It just doesn’t seem right for there only to be two (of courses there are still three but more on White Walker Viserion later).
Once Dany arrives the first person to try to cause drama is Euron. This was not a surprise since he seems to have taken Ramsay’s place as the over the top villain. Thankfully, Euron’s foolishness was shut down by Jamie and Cersei before he got anybody killed. It is at this point that Jon steps in to explain the situation to Cersei. As The Hound brings in the Wight and lets it loose I felt very tense. I would have loved for The Hound to have let the Wight kill Cersei but he yanks it back with a chain just in time. In the moment that the Wight charges at her you could see that Cersei was scared but other than that she kept her crazy poker face on. Once it was clear that the Wight wasn’t going to kill Cersei it was creepy to see just how fascinated Qyburn was with it. This isn’t surprising since we are dealing with a man who made The Mountain into a Zombie.
Once the Wight was killed the question of how Cersei would react loomed large over the Dragon fighting Pits but not before Euron took off declaring that he was going to go back to the Iron Islands since the dead can’t swim. It is at that point that Cersei declares that Euron is right to be scared but a coward to run away. Cersei says that will accept the truce that Dany has proposed but only if Jon will also give his word to her that he also won’t attack the Lannister armies.
Jon has made mistakes over the seasons (and books) but he has always strived to be an honorable man. That leads to him saying that he can’t serve two Queens and therefore cannot agree to Cersei’s terms. It is at this point that Jon lets the world know he has declared for Dany and house Targaryen.
But where does that leave everybody? It seems like they are back on the verge of a massive war that could leave them all dead. Brienne tries to reason with Jamie but he’s not having any of it. Meanwhile both Dany and Tyrion are upset with Jon. They want him to lie and plot and think long term but Jon can’t do it. He wants to be like his father despite the fact that his father’s honor is what got him killed.
Tyrion hasn’t had much to do over the last three seasons and has not proved to be a very effective hand for Dany over the course of season 7 but now that he’s back in King’s Landing he is in his element. Knowing that the must try to do something he goes to talk to Cersei. The interaction between Tyrion and Cersei was fantastic.
It reminded me of the great scenes they shared together in season 2. Peter Dinklage and Lena Heady have a great chemistry together. In their scene Tyrion challenges Cersei to have The Mountain kill him. She has the chance to destroy the little brother that she’s always hated but she can’t do it. It seems that there may be a bit of a person still inside of that insane bitch after all. At the end of their conversation Tyrion realizes that Cesei is pregnant. That alone seems to be giving Cersei enough pause to not act completely insane. Having already lost three children she seems to know that the only chance she has to create a dynasty is to live long enough for her child to be born.
Speaking of great chemistry we next check back in with Jon and Dany at the Dragon fpits.
The sexual tension between these two has been building since they first met in episode 3 and it’s clear that they are going to act on their growing sexual tension soon. During this scene Dany contemplates what happened to the Targaryens as their dragons grew smaller. She says “We weren’t extraordinary without them.”—Which begs the question is Dany extraordinary without her dragons? I believe she is and so does Jon. Continuing this conversation Jon asks Dany how she knows she can’t have kids. Asking this question isn’t a matter a fact one. Clearly Jon wants Dany to be wrong and be able to give him children.
Then Tyrion returns with Cersei. For a moment I feared that Tyrion had turned against Dany just because Cersei was pregnant but I was wrong. Cersei agrees to send her armies to fight for the North against the army of the dead despite the fact that they won’t agree to her terms. Cersei’s actions seem reasonable but only a fool would believe that she didn’t have something else up her sleeve.
Leaving King’s Landing the show moved up to Winterfell where things are still off between Sansa and Arya. Sansa is upset that Jon has declared for Dany and expresses these frustrations to Littlefinger.
I was really frustrated with Sansa in this scene because I felt like she should know better than to confide in Littlefinger, not only about Jon but also about her suspicions about Arya. Things between the sisters have gone from bad to worse as Littlefinger convinces Sansa to consider Arya’s worst motives for her actions. The worst case scenario that Sansa comes up with is that Arya is going to kill her to become the Lady of Winterfell. As this scene ended I found myself shaking my head at Sansa. I really felt that she had learned nothing, for only somebody who had learned nothing would allow LIttlefinger to turn them against their sibling so quickly.
Having arrived back in Dragonstone Dany and Jon discuss what would be the best way for her to arrive in Winterfell. It seems a united front with them arriving together is the best way.
As this meeting ended there was a very touching scene between Jon and Theon. The two boys who grew up with the Starks, were close to the Starks, loved the Starks but were never quite Starks. They have so much in common yet they have taken such different paths to that moment in Dragonstone.
Theon expresses to Jon that he was always torn between being a Stark and a Greyjoy. Theon is still suffering PTSD from Ramsay and his time as Reek and he is looking for some kind of absolution. It is not up to Jon to give Theon to give him total absolution but Jon does say he forgives him for what he can forgive him for but more importantly than that he says that Theon doesn’t have to choose. He can be both a Stark and a Greyjoy. In moment it seemed Jon was speaking to himself as much as he was speaking to Theon.
Having gotten what he needed Theon sets out to try to save Yara the way she once tried to save him. Yet things don’t go smoothly right away as the remaining Greyjoy sailors don’t want to follow him. Theon in nearly beaten to death before he finds a way to fight back. I thought this was a great final scene of the season for Theon. It seemed like he was about to die but in a way Theon has already died. When he became Reek he died. But just like Jon was brought back to life Theon was brought back to life.
As Theon found his will to fight back I couldn’t help but think “What is dead may never die”. Theon is truly Reek no more as he sets out to rescue his sister.
Back in Winterfell, Sansa called for Arya to be brought to the great hall. I was fearful that something truly horrible was about to happen but I was wrong. It turns out Sansa, Arya and Bran have been secretly communicating and have figured out everything Littlefinger was up to. The gathering in the Great Hall turns out to be his moment of truth. He is accused of murder and treason. As Sansa lists everything he has done it was fantastic to watch his world crumble. She even uses his own words about assuming the word possible motives against him. From killing Lysa to selling Sansa to Ramsay it’s all there and there is no denying it. Littlefinger truly hits rock bottom when he falls to his knees begs Sansa to save him declaring his love for her.
It is no use because just moments later Arya slashes his throat. As much as I loved seeing Littlefinger get what was coming to him I have mixed feelings about this scene. From a dramatic perspective it was fantastic, surprising and entertaining. However, in a way it was also the weakest part of the episode. The Winterfell storyline has not being working for me for several episodes and while I greatly appreciate the end game I really thought the execution was really weak. I would have much rather have had the scenes of Sansa, Arya and Bran talking and putting the pieces together than this big reveal. I know it wouldn’t have been shocking but I feel like the shock was kind of a cheap trick in the end. It was several episodes of red hearings only to make the audience look like fools. This show has had many characters be caught off guard but I really feel like this was the first time the writers and creators set out to make the audience be caught off guard. It was lazy, cliché and a bit insulting. I did feel bad for doubting Sansa though. I should have given her credit of no longer still be the naïve girl she was in season one/book one.
Checking back in at King’s Landing we find out that Cersei was lying all along. She has no intentions of sending her remaining armies north but Jamie wants to keep his word. From the moment Jamie lost his hand he has lived in a world of grey. He has found moments of humanity and honor but he has still often returned to dishonor but standing by Cersei. I actually don’t dislike Jamie but I have disliked his inability to do what is right as his sister/lover has slid further and further into insanity. I felt like this was Jamie’s moment of truth. His final off ramp off, and chance to do what was right. As Cersei revels that she had plotted with Euron who is on his way to Essos to bring an army it seems that Jamie finally realizes that he has to do what is right and keep his word. He walks away. For a moment I really thought that Cersei was so far gone that she was going to have The Mountain kill Jamie but she didn’t. Instead she lets Jamie leave. At the start of the episode I wanted Cersei or Jamie to die but I’m okay with how things went with them. I didn’t want Jamie to die I just wanted Cersei to lose the last person she cares about and she did.
She may sit on the Iron Throne, for now, but she has nobody and she has nothing. It’s clear that Cersei will meet her end in Season 8, the question is just who will kill her and how.
Up in Winterfell, Sam and Gilly arrive. Considering how far Oldtown is to Winterfell I find it utterly laughable that they were able to leave Oldtown at the end of episode 5 and get all the way up to Winterfell by the end of episode 7. There is just no way but whatever.
When Sam arrives he talks to Bran. It is at this point what has been obvious to anybody who has been paying attention is spelled out as clear as day for people who haven’t been paying attention. Jon is not Ned Stark’s bastard son, instead he is the legitimate son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen and it is he (not Dany) who is the heir to Iron Throne.
I am sure that this moment rocked people’s worlds but like I said it has been obvious to anybody who has been paying attention. From the perspective of the show Jon’s parentage has been hinted at since the second episode of season two and last time Ned and Jon saw each other.
Way back then Ned promised to tell Jon about this mother the next time they saw each other. In this scene Ned also said to Jon that he wasn’t a Stark but his blood ran through his veins. We now know that Jon is not a Stark but a Targaryen and the blood than runs through is veins that is also Ned’s is from Jon’s grandparents since Ned was his uncle and not his father. The fact that Jon is Rhaegar and Lyanna’s child was basically spelled out in Season 6’s season finale not to mention that Jon’s legitimacy was confirmed two episodes. I really don’t get how people wouldn’t have been able to put that together…But then again I am married to a massive book nerd and I have been working may way through those books for years myself. So maybe I am being a bit unfair. Still in terms of the books there are tons of hints at Jon’s parentage all over the first book in Ned’s chapters. Yet, I do understand it did need to be spelled out just so there is no question. The news of Jon was intercut with Jon and Dany having sex for the first time.
I have always been Team Dany and I remain Team Dany, but I’m not going to turn on Jon either. It will be interesting to see what happens when Jon and Dany learn the truth of all of this in Season 8.
The last scene in Winterfell is of Sansa and Arya talking. These two sisters have always been as different as night and day but they seem to finally understand, love and support each other. This summed up when Sansa tells Arya she is the strongest person she knows.
Then all hell breaks loose. At Eastwatch the army of the dead arrives but the real threat isn’t them it is the Night King and the now White Walker Viserion. Viserion breathing what I have to assume is blue fire destroys the wall.
The season ends with the wall gone and the army of the dead marching south.
The wait for season 8 will be long.
A year ago I predicted the following about how the story will end:
My prediction for where we end up…Bran will not become the Lord of Winterfell. He will remain alive but at the Three Eyed Raven. He will play a vital role in defeating the Night King. Jon will be the great commander in the war against the Night King. He will also not be the Lord of Winterfell. Sansa will become the Lady of Winterfell with Arya as her most trusted advisor. Melisandre and the Brotherhood without Banners will help Jon defeat the Night King. After Dany aligns with Martells and the Tyrells she will take back the Iron Throne. Cersei will be killed by one of the dragons. Jamie will live but Tyrion will be the only Lannister left with any power. The South will be connected to the North when Dany, the great warrior of the war in the south, marries Jon, the great Warrior of the war in the North…But then again my guess is as good as anybody’s.
Some of my predictions could still prove to be true but I was obviously off on some so here are my latest predictions of how things will end at the end of Season 8. Bran will remain the Three Eyed Raven. He still has untapped powers that will be vital in defeating the Night King. Melisandre will return to help defeat the Night King but she will die. Sansa will be Lady of Winterfell but I fear that Arya could die. Jon and Dany will defeat the Night King and get married. Then Jon will die again and or good when the last battle to takes the Iron Throne takes place. Cersei will die and with Jon dead Dany will sit on the Iron Throne but since only death can pay for life Dany will find that she may have lost another husband but she has gained another son when she finds herself pregnant. Both Jamie and Tyrion will live. Euron will die but Yara may also die but Theon will live. But we won’t know for a long time so like I said in June 2016 my guess is as good as anybody’s.
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Here is a description:
Justin Gomez and his sister, Terri, have never been close. Separated by nine years and distant in adulthood, Justin and Terri have little in common, except for the love of her three children. In the days before they embark on a road trip to visit the father that once abandoned them and their now deceased mother, both Terri and Justin are dealing with unexpected changes in their lives. Justin surprisingly realizes he might want more than a series of one night stands after a first date goes unexpectedly well. After a lifetime of being a strong type A personality, Terri is forced to confront the reality of the end of her marriage. As they hit the road, with Terri’s children in tow, they find themselves forced to rely on and confide in each other following a devastating event. Confronted with memories from the past and challenges from the present, Terri and Justin must dig deep and unearth the truth about themselves and their parents in order to build a new family based on their love for each other.
