AnnaL

IIRC Bran can't alter the future. He was reminded of that several times by the 3ER when he was in training. He can't change the past or the future, he is a mere observer. He is like the receiver of memories. Bran probably knew as one of his visions shows Drogon flying above KL but I doubt he was allowed to intervene and change it. I thought his look at Tyrion in WF was weird, suspicious looking but he never said a word to Tyrion about it, he probably knew that Tyrion would be his Hand, but again he is not allowed to interfere or change anything.

I have thought about this for a couple of days. We know that Grey Worm and Yara pushed for a fit punishment for Jon, probably they wanted to execute him for killing Daenerys. Sansa had mentioned that there were thousand of northmen outside of the city ready to fight if they touched Jon. So there had to be a concession. I thought what about Tyrion? well, technically he didn't kill Daenerys so it was Jon who needed the harder punishment. Jon could have pushed for lenience by proclaiming his birth but I don't think he wanted that. I watched the episode twice and nobody mentioned that Jon was half Targaryen so maybe all parts involved agreed to keep it silent because Jon asked for it. I mean it would make sense. The people of Westeros probably hated Daenerys guts after she torched the city so knowing that Jon was half T would have not gone well. The question remains, what about the NW? what is there to watch? I think it was a clever decision made to appease the Unsullied, Dotrakies and Ironborn. I am also positive that Sansa and Bran will figure something out to pardon him, after all they are family. Even with a pardon I think that Jon will stay with the Free Folk but his leadership will benefit them by opening trading routes and organize themselves better. If anything relationships between the North and the FF will be more fluid under Sansa and Jon and that is a win. Yara wasn't there to fight against the NK so she probably thinks the NW still exists, Unsullied and Dotraki do not know any better and once they are back in Essos they are never coming back, it was a very expensive endeavor. Jon will mainly stay up North but IMO he will visit Winterfell quite a bit, if anything just to promote the FF best interest. I am sure if Arya ever visits WF, she would want to see Jon, same with Bran. It is not an ideal situation but it is better than having Jon executed.

Jon has such bad luck when it comes to romantic love. He fell in love with Ygritte but that was not a healthy relationship by any means. He was under the pretense of being a turn cloak and basically had to be with her to prove to the free folk that he really had deserted the NW. Ygritte was relentless on her pursuit and finally got lucky when Jon was put in a life or death situation by Mance Raider who basically put him on the spot and didn't back down until Ygritte vouched for him but the price was to lie with her. Of course he loved her, of course he did, she was his first love, the purest kind, his sexual awareness. But he was also very conflicted about it, he knew he was breaking his vows, he knew he had to return to CB and there was no way he could take her with him. He knew that his love was not meant to last. Not for one second he considered the possibility of not returning to the NW, not even for her. Her death was so painful to him because he tried so hard to convince her that attacking CB was not going to end in nothing but death, that they wouldn't succeed. Their love was an impossible one. Daenerys, well she surely was beautiful and I am sure the attraction was there (none that I could see but I trust that this is what they were trying to convey) she was powerful, she had the right intentions (at the time I guess) and once she pledge her support, maybe even before, they fell in love. I am sure that if Jon would had know he was his aunt, he would have not pursued a relationship with her, he would have been attracted/ love her but I am sure he would not have been with her. Their love was so difficult, it was plagued with very tense moments. IMO deep inside himself Jon could see or sense that Daenerys had this darkness inside her but his love overshadowed that and he wanted so hard to believe in her and for her to become the great queen he thought she could be. Her turn to her worst instincts must have been specially difficult for Jon and now he has to live with the regret of killing her. Actually his path is difficult because he probably regrets a lot of things, regret of killing her, regret of not being able to stop the massacre, regret of not noticing before and doing something about it, regret of not claiming the throne and stopping the madness before it happened, regret of even learning or saying anything about his birth. I hope Tormund can help Jon to realize that he did humanity a great service by getting rid of Daenerys, he saved thousand of lives. It won't help much with the guilt but hopefully it will give him some relief. My wish for Jon is that he finds a good woman, someone who can give him all the love he deserves, someone who can help him to get his self-confidence back, someone who can make him laugh and not take things so seriously, someone who can give him children to love and cherish. After these two past experiences it probably be hard for Jon to ever try to fall in love again but I do hope with time he will give himself another chance. Nobody deserves to be happy more than Jon does and I do hope he gets that. A simple life, but filled with love and a family is what I want for him.

This was the most scary part about Daenerys. The previous episode I had thought that she snapped due to grief, anger and resentment. I am not making excuses for what she did but I could understand a moment of madness when combined with a fiery dragon was a recipe for disaster. I imagined that when she came down from this moment she would be horrified by her actions and maybe take herself out of the game by flying out to Essos promising to never come back to Westeros as penance for this mass murdering of innocent people. This episode however, when she talked to her troops, it was chilling, no only she was not regretful, she was almost boasting, she talked about liberating them from a tyrant as thousands of burned corpses were not still piling on the streets. I was like WTF? She even went as far as promising that she will do the exact same to all kingdoms, not only in Westeros but in Essos as well. It was infuriating that Jon still keep trying to justify her but then I figured he didn't understand Valiryan so probably her discourse hadn't really set in. Her speech to Jon about how she knows how to make the world better and how "others do not get to choose" was straight up lifted from one of Hitler speeches, that moment her face, her demeanor, her tone of voice reminded me so much of her brother Vyserys, it was scary, because how can she change her behavior if she didn't see anything wrong with it? how can she change if she doesn't acknowledge that she has murdered thousands of people who didn't choose this war. If she promises more of the same in the future? It is kind of humbling to see that for years we have thought that the big threat to humanity was the NK, Jon had gone above and beyond to unite the kingdoms and fight against the common threat, in the meantime the biggest threat was not the NK, but a goddess looking petite woman with seemingly good intentions and a dragon. A woman obsessed with birthright, arrogance and with a savior complex but with the right speech, talking about liberating slaves and empowering the poor. Jon and Tyrion were most of the viewers, they wanted so badly to believe that she was different, that she was going to change everything for the better. How wrong they were. Jon might not have killed the NK, but he sure made up for it by killing the Mad Queen. "They can choose to live in my new world or they can die in their old one" - really scary when you think about the number of people who still chose to support her even in the face of her madness.

Looking back I think this is one of the things that bothers me most. Daenerys sitting pretty on the throne after mass murdering the KL's population and the other kingdoms looking at her with fear but also with contempt for what she has done. Everybody resentful of her tyranny and plotting her demise but understanding that she is too powerful with her dragon, her armies and the absolute lack of a conscience to spare any enemy. The other kingdoms are completely and utterly helpless against her. If by some miracle someone (Arya, I am looking at you) manages to kill her, there is still a dragons and armies to take care of, it will be more blood. But just like any other tyrant, she will fall sooner or later and her kingdom will be remembered as one of the most tyrannical and bloodiest of Westeros, a cautionary tale if you wish. Who will be remembered as their allies? who will the other kingdoms will remembered as the ones who fought right along her to massacre innocent victims? The North, that's right, the Northern soldiers under Jon's command fought to put Daenerys on the throne. Others might have pledge their alliance with her but it was the North who actually send soldiers to her cause. Jon could have avoided this by accepting the terms that Cersei proposed, she still wouldn't have sent soldiers but the North would not have been obligated to help this monster and go in history as their allies in this horrible episode. I can't imagine that this the legacy that Ned Stark would have wanted for his house, unfortunately it is done and nothing will reverse that fact.

I can almost picture it right now, she will give her big speech , introduce herself with all her titles , proceed to ignore the massacre or if she has to acknowledge it she will say, "Sansa Stark has blood in her hands, she made me do it, but don't worry my beloved citizens, I am your beloved Queen and I will make her pay with Fire and Blood, I will avenge you" Or some sort of delusional speech. Everyone around will be looking at the floor because what else can you do when you have a monster with no moral or values who have just killed thousands of innocent people and is talking like this was her destiny all along? You would have to be out of your mind or a wish to die to even pretend to reason with her, fear is what she wanted and fear is what she will have. She no longer has advisors, she has subjects now. I know if I was a survivor of KL I would just clap and pretend to smile. I mean at this point the few surviving people are terrified out of their minds and that is exactly what Daenerys wanted. A new kingdom where her word is the last word. A new kingdom where if you look at her sideways you become a snack for her dragon.

I think there is a lot to be said about nature vs nurture here. Daenerys was raised by her brother Viserys, she mentions several times at the beginning of the series that he was a loving brother who protected her and even sold their mother jewels so they can survive but they were nomads all their lives, it is only when Viserys gets of age that he started to change because he felt ready to retake his birthright and that is when he became terrible and awful to her and basically abused her physically and emotionally. He was also verbally abusive and will go on rampages against her telling her "Do you want to wake the dragon?" Jon was raised by Ned Stark, an honorable man who risked not only his life but his family's to protect Jon and raised him as one of his children, yes Jon was a bastard and obviously felt different to his siblings but by all accounts he was raised as a Stark, Rob was his best friend and they trained together. The whole keep of WF were like an extended family for him. The Starks had never positioned themselves as wanting the Iron Throne, matter of fact Ned didn't even want to be Robert's hand, he wanted to stay in WF and be happy with his family. He could have had a place right next to Robert after the rebellion but he refused because Robert agreed with the killing of Rhaegal children. Even though Jon is half Targaryen, IMO he was raised with Stark values, he also was raised to think he didn't have any right of inheritance, he had ambitions like anyone, having a keep, a wife and children, a family and he mentions that this will make him happy. Daenerys OTOH was raised to think of her as a princess who one day will marry her brother and will become the queen of Westeros. Once Viserys died she became convinced that it was her destiny to retake the IT and become the Queen. The fact that she got three dragons only gave her the power that she needed to take what she wanted by force. It is not lost on me the fact that during this last season Daenerys demeanor and speech resembles more and more that of Vyserys while Jon's moodiness and silence resembles more that of Ned. I have been critical of Ned but I do understand that his honor and his values have shaped the new generation of Starks while the lack of moral and values and intense desire for power have shaped Vyserys and Daenerys. Maybe that is the tale here, we just can't escape who we truly are. Daenerys has talked about destruction so many times and last episode she just proved what unleashing the dragon really meant. Her father Aerys and her brother Vyserys would be so proud of her.

I do not see it like that. Tyrion was making the point that Daenerys was a better option than Cersei (which she is) but Sansa wanted to make the point "what if there was a third option" , the fact that Jon is now the rightful heir to the IT is a game changer, specially for the North sought independence. The throne doesn't have to belong to Cersei or Daenerys as both have shown that they would do anything for the IT and then would rule as the tyrants they are. IMO Sansa thinks that it doesn't have to be Cersei or Daenerys if the option of Jon was open. IMO she was right, anybody who sees what these two queen have done and how that is indicative of the kind of rulers they would be, who would want any of the two if there was a third viable option. Jon might not be the smarter or may be too honorable but he sure is better than Cersei or Daenerys. If Daenerys wanted she could rule with Jon but she doesn't want to share so all this problem is of her own doing. People should not be bound by secrets just to please her and put her on the throne.

I love Missandei and cried upon her death. BUT Missandie has no emotional investment of the people of Westerns, she doesn't know them and for all she has experienced they are not nice people. It is not hard for her to wish them all dead. Let's see if she would be in the same situation in the island of Nath and her people were the ones who would get roasted, would she have said Dracarys then? Daenerys and her very poor planning are to blame for Missandei's death, she could have prevented this with a little bit of time and planning.

One of my favorite moments of the episode. Team Stark. The only one who can't see what Dany really is, a woman who is mad for power and whose priority is to get the IT at all costs, is Jon. Arya is very good at reading people and even though she acknowledges that Dany's help was extremely valuable she knows she can't trust her. The eye language between Sansa and Arya was great. I wonder what Arya's reaction would have been if she learn that Daenerys tried to manipulate Jon into not telling them the truth? I am glad that it was Arya the one in charge of that reunion, as you pointed out, it was great to see that Arya's heart is to the North and not some fighting mad queens who could hold the future of the North on their crazy hands. Arya is going to KL not as part of Daenerys' army, she is going solo with the Hounds because she has pending business. That also was great to see.

Agreed! Things that Dany could have done if she have waited 3-4 weeks: - Let her soldiers rest, recover and get their strength back to top shape. - Send letter or emissaries to all the rest of the kingdoms explaining what just happened and how defeating the Night King has saved their lives as well. Then ask for men willing to join your cause. Ask them to meet you in KL so they can recover the throne together. Include them and make them feel part of your journey to the throne. - Send a representative to have talks with the Golden Company in Braavos, convince them that they are betting on the wrong horse and that you have the winning hand with your recovering two dragons. Offer to pay them more money than Cersei so they can leave her and go back to Essos. - Scout your surroundings, plan for some intel on Cersei's forces. Plan accordingly. Prepare yourself. Do small counter attacks to win momentum. Try to decimate some of her forces before the big battle. -Send little birds to KL and infiltrate the city, let the small folk know what happened in WF, let them know that you helped save the realm. Let them know that someone is coming to overthrow Cersei. PR, PR, PR , PR. PR 101 _Marry Jon and declare him your co-ruler and heir. Let the North know Jon will rule them. Let everybody know about his heritage and built a memorial for Ned Stark who has saved the life of your only Targaryen relative. This would definitely win the North to your side. This war against Cersei is not a military war, it is a tactician war, one that Daenerys is ill prepared to win. As the commander of her troops she bares all responsibility for her loses. Dany doesn't get to act like this is all someone else fault. These are all executive decisions that she should have made that could have save the lives of the ones she loved: Missandei & Rhaegal. Now her own stupidity has backed her into a corner where she will go full Mad Queen and burn the city to the ground. Great way to start your reign.

Dany came to the aid of the realm, a realm she intends to rule. If she didn't come she would be the queen of zombies. Dany didn't have to take Sansa's word for it, she could have asked at that moment to bring the military commanders and ask them directly. I am sure their advise would have been the same as Sansa and with a time frame attached to it. Dany let her arrogance win and it has cost her greatly. This is her mistake and she better own it. Jon wants to appease Dany because he loves her and wants to prove his loyalty. Tyrion is afraid of Dany and Varys spoke to her directly and she still doesn't listen. Why even have advisors if you have scared them to death and they have to cuddle you like a toddler so you don't throw a tantrum. You are forgetting the most important part. Sansa is the Lady of Winterfell and she was looking out for her northern soldiers going to war right away without having time to recover but at the end the executive decisions belong to Daenerys as a queen. She can't let her like or dislike of Sansa cloud her judgment as she did. Unfortunately as an intended ruler she is subject to higher standards.

I don't think there is a mole, it was basic military 101. They need to replenish supplies, get more weapons probably, what is Dany's base operation: Dragonstone. It makes 100% sense that this is where she would go first. I am surprised at the poor logistics of team Daenerys, they should have seen this coming a mile away and be prepared to counter ambush and fly the dragons at night burning Euron's ships. Dany's arrogance is going to cost her this war. I feel so bad for poor Rhaegon and Missandei, they just paid with their lives for Dany's lack of sense. Nobody else is to blame for their death but Daenerys.

Everybody is so worried and concerned about the viability of the war strategy, whether enough characters died, if this character or that character did enough or nothing, etc. For me this episode was beautiful because it highlighted the fact that people do panic when facing death, they freeze, but hopefully they recover and try to fight back even if it cost them their lives. The most remarkable scenes for me where those were people recovered and conquered their fears. Sandor Clean PSTD and froze but then recovered, Arya was all frazzled before she received Melisandre's pep talk. Melisandre was starting to panic when she couldn't light up the trenches but then got the courage to keep on going, Jon panicked when the NK resurrected the dead but kept trying to fight, Sansa and Tyrion panicked but then got out and killed a WW, Daenerys panicked when she dracaryed the NK and he didn't burn but she got courage to fight along Jorah, Jorah panicked but that didn't prevent him from protecting Dany, Theon panicked but still charged against the NK. I could feel Jon's frustration when he was screaming at the ice dragon, I could feel Sansa and Tyrion desperation thinking they were all going to die in the crypts, I could feel Jorah's desperation thinking he wouldn't be able to protect his queen. I could feel Grey Worm frustration when they couldn't fight the WW back. If D&D wanted to make us feel like this was over, that the NK was going to win, but despite all that these characters were going to die with dignity and fighting till their last breath, then they got it. I was so panicked and frustrated, I wanted to shout and scream knowing this was probably the end. They got that. The moment that out of nowhere Arya came along and stroke and killed the NK I jumped out of my seat like something had posses me, this is the first time this has ever happened to me as far as a show is concerned so kudos to D&D for that. I could nitpick their lack of strategy and how the light was not the best, how Jon didn't get the final stroke but I won't. They all personified the basis of human behavior for me, they all in their own way portrayed basic and raw human emotions. Now I am more than ever hoping that GRRM finishes the books because I know that all those pesky details that didn't make sense will come together, I want to know what each of these character were thinking and feeling. In summary I will continue waiting for his books like a GD stalker.

Robb was known as the young wold, Jon as the white wolf, I don't think anybody has gotten offended about it.

Saving Jon's ass who was in a mission of her making. After having Jon in Dragonstone for months while he refused to bend the knee, she finally relented to try the option of convincing Cersei. She herself admitted at the dragon pit that she should have listened to Jon since the beginning. Instead they wasted very valuable time because she wanted him to bend the knee before she even considered helping him. She and Tyrion asked Jon to get a WW so they could convince Cersei to have a truce and send soldiers North. All Daenerys needed to do was ask Olenna and Ellaria (who were her allies) about Cersei and they both would have told her what Cersei is and how she wouldn't help at all. They both know Cersei. The mission was requested by Tyrion and Daenerys so if they lost a dragon it is on them first and foremost. The stupid mission cost them a dragon and it was the single act that made the NK even more powerful because it allowed the WW to cross the wall. She ordered the mission. It was her decision to send them there. The NK got an ice dragon as a result.

The most shocking deaths so far have been Ned, Robb, Cat, Tywin, Jon (before he was brought back) mainly because they were seen as major characters. They all die as a result of the books. GRRM has said many times that there are no major characters in his books, that at any moment any minor character can turn into a major character and a major character could die. GRRM is fearless and that is why his writing is so absolutely wonderful. He has no problem making his idea come to words. D&D on the other hand have play fan service since they started going off the books. I am now more curious than ever about how is GRRM going to work out this battle. I do hope he finishes writing the books. I know they are short of time so the NK had to be killed in one episode, but I am sure Martin will have this set up in a many months battles with heavy loses on both sides. I am also sure that it will be Arya who will kill the NK at the end, but I am sure it will look much more realistic than this episode.

Theon, OMG I never thought I could hate someone so much at the beginning of the series and end crying about his sacrifice so much. Alfie Allen is such an excellent actor, he has given us cocky Theon, insecure Theon, tortured Theon, redeemed Theon. Were some other actors have had to stay on the one note act, Alfie has given the performance of a life time. I wish her the best acting career and from now on I will be looking forward towards any of his performances. His face at the end, the tear in his eyes, it was just pure acting perfection.

LOL, I hope not because then Jon is screwed These dragons are almost the alter egos of their name sakes. Viseryon for her brother, the one who sold her, the one who turned mad, it is not a surprised he was turned into an ice dragon who fights against Dany. Rhaegon for her older brother and Jon's father. He was never much of a fighter, he was melancholic and also a book worm. He loved to read about prophesies and history but only learned how to swing a sword upon reading in a book that he or one of his children might be the PTWP. He was charismatic and the small folk loved that he could play the harp. He is much smaller than Dragon as well. Dragon for her husband. Drogon was a mighty warrior. He was a sight to be hold. He was brutal but he also loved Dany with passion. Drogon, ,much live Jorah, will die before letting anything happen to Dany, he will protect her with his life. He is big and strong and seem to have a very deep connection to Dany. In a battle between Rhaegon and Dragon, my money is on Drogon.

I do understand that all signs have been pointing out to Arya for a while, I just didn't see it, but more power to her. I am proud it got to be a Stark. D&D could have given this to Arya and not Jon but they could still have given Jon some meat, maybe not killing the NK but striking Viseryon and killing him. That would have given Jon something. They had him up against the wall being unable to get to Bran and then for his ending scene they had him screaming at an ice dragon. Not their best thinking, they did Jon Snow wrong and I am not surprised that Kit didn't like that part at all. I would be fuming.

I am glad you mentioned this. One of the things that made fall in love with ASOIAF was the detailed explanation of how politics work. Tywin was a bad father, he was a horrible person, an arrogant patriarch, but he was also a brilliant tactician. His ability to predict how to get or block every single player of the game was unbelievably smart and I did enjoy his war councils. He was two steps ahead of the game. If Tywin was alive I would be deadly scared for the Dany/Jon coalition. They would be in trouble then. As it stands and the fact that D&D have decided that this last season is going to be a huge fan service to please everybody, I am not that worried. I think the defeat of Cersei is a done deal and then we even get to have a happily ever after with Dany getting married to Jon. They are working on some fake friction between these two characters but in reality at the end they will be fine.

That goes back to Sansa's deepest fear, that nobody will ever love her for who she is, they only want her for her claim. She wanted to love and be loved and it doesn't seem she will get that so I am not sure about happy endings for her. IMO Sansa wants to stay in WF and be left alone. I am not sure she will ever be ready for another marriage even though she dreamt of running a house and many children, just doesn't seem in the cards for her. She is probably after Dany, who probably is taken by marrying Jon, the most sought after lady, she is the LOW, she has direct connections to the Vale and Riverun, now Storm End via Arya (if she marries Gendry) to Casterly Rock (via a good relationship with Tyrion) Highgarden will probably be ruled by Sam and Gilly as Tarlys and she is also on good terms with them. Politically Sansa is at the top of the ladder. I would love for Sansa to have a happy ending but not on the basis of having to marry someone just for the sake of it. If she can't fall in love and have someone love her back I would rather her stay alone and do what she does best, run WF.

Out of the conversation between Sansa and Danaerys, this part was the most revealing. Danaerys admitting that the welfare of Westeros and specifically the North meant nothing to her, she followed Jon out of love. Let's say that instead of Jon, the North sent only Davos or Sansa, there is not one chance that Daenerys would have help them. Not a one, and this coming out of Danaery's own mouth. I think that might be why Sansa laughed, that admission was certainly very honest but also very stupid. For as stubborn and honest as Jon seems to be, at least he hasn't flat out say it. For the dragon queen to say something like that to Sansa who basically represents the interest of the north, it is very telling of were she is at and how she will rule. She should have tried to embellish it a little bit, she should have said "I saw the AOTD and I was convinced that it was my responsibility and privilege to come and save the people of my kingdom defeat this great threat." If I was a Dotraki, unsullied or anybody who followed her from Essos, that is a slap in the face. She has put them in the direct path of death, not out of conviction, not out of duty and honor, not for a higher call as a Queen, NOPE, she has put their lives at risk because she fell in love with a guy she just met few months ago. I can't even imagine the outrage and the cries of GOT fans if Sansa would have used the phrase "Jon's war" , really? I thought this was the war from the living against the death. I guess I was wrong.

That has always been the problem with the north. As many have said before the problem with the North is not to conquer it, it is to hold it. They are not an easy bunch to govern. The North is very different from the other kingdoms and no king has ever wanted anything to do with them, they do not bother to visit or help, they want the North to be part of the seven kingdoms because it is the biggest territory wise. The issue is that whenever they want to do any deal, any exchange, anything at all, it has to be approved by the king. Aegon the Conqueror made Torrehn Stark bend the knee but then basically left everything in the hand of the northerners, even though the king/queen always has the last word. That is how monarchy works. Maybe not independence but maybe some form of self-government with an alliance to the throne, kind of the deal that Dorne managed when they wouldn't bend the knee to Aegon.

I loved that scene, I liked that they were able to smooth some hard edges but I absolutely loved the fact that Sansa, true to form, asked the hard questions and let Daenerys know that her first and foremost concern was for her people. I also liked that part and how it was enough for Sansa that Brienne vouched for him, Sansa is 100% loyal to those that are loyal to House Stark and Winterfell.