Season 8: Speculation and Spoilers Discussion

[MarySNJ]

On 8/2/2017 at 6:51 AM, Eyes High said:

Fake. Theon doesn't go north at the end of S7. He decides to rescue Yara. As @anamika said, the Jonsa "hints" are also a good tell that the spoilers are fake.

More importantly, all the leaked GOT documents from the hack to date have had the source images posted online (PDFs of the actual pages from which the text came). This just has text, so you can draw the appropriate conclusions.

Also fake. One of the emails used is fake (there's an online email checker which allows one to verify), not to mention that 1) GRRM has never had veto power over anything in the show and 2) the idea that HBO would swap one major character's death for another for ratings purposes in the show's final season is patently absurd.

There will be a lot of fake spoilers posted over the next little while purporting to be from the hack. Be careful.

Sure, but Lads wasn't fundamentally mistaken about something right out of the gate, as this summary is.

IIRC, Lads' spoilers were also sort of confirmed by photos taken of the location shoots. 

Oh boy. These spoilers look like fan fiction. IMO, there's too much wish fulfillment and too much focus on high school-ish romantic angst.

Plus, D&D have said they will end basically in the same place as GRRM's ending, and GRRM has said the first and last POVs in the book series will be Bran.  Unless D&D have changed their minds, Bran won't be killed in Episode 2 of next season. 

[TarotQueen]

I came here hoping to follow up on the idea that Jon will end up getting Dany pregnant in the boat (or during any off season sexing up we are led to believe ocurrrd by 8/1).

How do we see that affecting Dany's participation in the wars to come?  They may play as fast and loose as they like with other aspects of the timeline like travel by sea, but we all know a pregnancy lasts forty weeks, so theres no way to rush her through it and back into the fray unless she actually chose to fight pregnant.  But would she risk that?  With a pregnancy she believed could not ever happen?  She doesnt need Jon's permission of course but I doubt he'd be down that either so it would at least be discouraging to her ...

Anyone else have any thoughts on this ...?

Edited August 12, 2017 by TarotQueen

[SeanC]

48 minutes ago, TarotQueen said:

I came here hoping to follow up on the idea that Jon will end up getting Dany pregnant in the boat (or during any off season sexing up we are led to believe ocurrrd by 8/1).

How do we see that affecting Dany's participation in the wars to come?  They may play as fast and loose as they like with other aspects of the timeline like travel by sea, but we all know a pregnancy lasts forty weeks, so theres no way to rush her through it and back into the fray unless she actually chose to fight pregnant.  But would she risk that?  With a pregnancy she believed could not ever happen?  She doesnt need Jon's permission of course but I doubt he'd be down that either so it would at least be discouraging to her ...

Anyone else have any thoughts on this ...?

I expect it might cause some consternation when she finds out, but with the literal fate of the world on the line, she can't really afford to sit things out.

[bubble sparkly]

The timeline of season 7 seems very compressed, with Lyanna Mormont apparently indicating that the time between Jon getting crowned KITN in 6x10 and the events of 7x05 only being a month apart.  If season 8 follows suit then Dany could probably get to the end of the season and only be 2 months along (negating the need for a fake preggo belly).  That should mean she can still ride Drogon without being physically hampered by boat!baby.  Although I could definitely see a dramatic scene where Jon is all "you can't come to fight the WW now, you and the baby need to stay safe" and Dany is all "I need to help kill the WW to make the world safe for our baby".

[SeanC]

7 minutes ago, bubble sparkly said:

The timeline of season 7 seems very compressed, with Lyanna Mormont apparently indicating that the time between Jon getting crowned KITN in 6x10 and the events of 7x05 only being a month apart.  

With the younger actors in their late teens/early 20s, they're past the point where they have to pretend years are passing to account for Sophie, Maisie and Isaac's growth, etc.

[YaddaYadda]

If Dany becomes pregnant, wouldn't it be because the baby has to be part of the endgame as opposed to let's give them a baby because awww, babies?

[TarotQueen]

2 hours ago, YaddaYadda said:

If Dany becomes pregnant, wouldn't it be because the baby has to be part of the endgame as opposed to let's give them a baby because awww, babies?

I would think so yes, which is why I imagine the baby is nearly as important as the battle for dawn.  She has believed herself barren for years  ... and i'm not just thinking of like drama or angst but practical stuff too.

[SimoneS]

I have always thought that whether Dany was barren or would be the key to how her relationship with Jon unfolds since I believe that both characters survive to the end of this particular story. I think that if Daenerys becomes pregnant then that it will be discovered or dealt with after the wars against the NK and Cersei/Euron are won. Once Jon is revealed as a Targaryen, Dany will insist that he marry someone else to continue their family line and produce heirs to the Iron Throne. However, her pregnancy would mean that they could marry and rule Westeros together. This would likely be occur in the last episode of season 8 since I anticipate that Cersei will be around to nearly the very end.

Edited August 13, 2017 by SimoneS

[bubble sparkly]

So since Cercei is definitely pregnant but spoilers indicate the miscarriage scene was cut from s7, what do we think the chances are that we will get Dany finding out she's pregnant and Cercei's miscarriage in the same episode in s8? I could see them pushing the miscarriage back a season solely to bookend it with Dany's happy news. It will probably cause Cercei to go even further off the deep end if her little birds tell her about Dany's boat baby.

[I Love Me]

I have no idea how accurate the website is but over at The Dragon and the Wolf (thedradonandthewolf.com - not sure why there is a misspelling in the name but I double checked) there are lots of Season 8 spoilers posted.  Allegedly, Dany dies before the end of Season 8 due to getting stabbed by the NK in front of Jon and Jorah.  After she dies the dragons immediately take up with Jon.  "Jamie" (Arya wearing his face - yep, she kills him after hearing him confess to pushing Bran out of that window) cuts the dragonglass out of the NK, turning him back into a man.  An easy to kill man.  Euron hires the Golden Company and takes over KL, holding Cersei prisoner.  Jon takes his army and 2 dragons and attacks.  Arya (still wearing Jamie's face) kills Cersei and Jon kills Arya.  Theon and Jon work together to kill Euron - throwing him to Drogon for roasting.  According to this site it will be Jon that sits on the Iron Throne and takes Alys Karstark as wife.  He rules as Aegon The VI of Houses Stark and Targaryen a/k/a Aegon the Savior.  Winterfell becomes the new capital.  Crazy shit so no idea if it's true.  I'll be very sad if Dany doesn't make it to the end.    

[YaddaYadda]

Someone's wild imagination has gone off the deep end. 

Edited August 14, 2017 by YaddaYadda

[MarySNJ]

44 minutes ago, I Love Me said:

I have no idea how accurate the website is but over at The Dragon and the Wolf (thedradonandthewolf.com - not sure why there is a misspelling in the name but I double checked) there are lots of Season 8 spoilers posted.  Allegedly, Dany dies before the end of Season 8 due to getting stabbed by the NK in front of Jon and Jorah.  After she dies the dragons immediately take up with Jon.  "Jamie" (Arya wearing his face - yep, she kills him after hearing him confess to pushing Bran out of that window) cuts the dragonglass out of the NK, turning him back into a man.  An easy to kill man.  Euron hires the Golden Company and takes over KL, holding Cersei prisoner.  Jon takes his army and 2 dragons and attacks.  Arya (still wearing Jamie's face) kills Cersei and Jon kills Arya.  Theon and Jon work together to kill Euron - throwing him to Drogon for roasting.  According to this site it will be Jon that sits on the Iron Throne and takes Alys Karstark as wife.  He rules as Aegon The VI of Houses Stark and Targaryen a/k/a Aegon the Savior.  Winterfell becomes the new capital.  Crazy shit so no idea if it's true.  I'll be very sad if Dany doesn't make it to the end.    

I´m calling bogus. And wow, I hope so because most of these would suck.

[Eyes High]

2 hours ago, I Love Me said:

I have no idea how accurate the website is but over at The Dragon and the Wolf (thedradonandthewolf.com - not sure why there is a misspelling in the name but I double checked) there are lots of Season 8 spoilers posted.  Allegedly, Dany dies before the end of Season 8 due to getting stabbed by the NK in front of Jon and Jorah.  After she dies the dragons immediately take up with Jon.  "Jamie" (Arya wearing his face - yep, she kills him after hearing him confess to pushing Bran out of that window) cuts the dragonglass out of the NK, turning him back into a man.  An easy to kill man.  Euron hires the Golden Company and takes over KL, holding Cersei prisoner.  Jon takes his army and 2 dragons and attacks.  Arya (still wearing Jamie's face) kills Cersei and Jon kills Arya.  Theon and Jon work together to kill Euron - throwing him to Drogon for roasting.  According to this site it will be Jon that sits on the Iron Throne and takes Alys Karstark as wife.  He rules as Aegon The VI of Houses Stark and Targaryen a/k/a Aegon the Savior.  Winterfell becomes the new capital.  Crazy shit so no idea if it's true.  I'll be very sad if Dany doesn't make it to the end.    

Fake. That poster (user /Jorywea from /Freefolk) has been posting their own fanfiction and calling it "spoilers" for several months now. I wouldn't take anything there at face value, apart from the leaks from other legit sources (/Awayforthelads, e.g.) /Jorywea appropriates and embroiders on. 

There are no Season 8 spoilers out yet other than the location and casting information posted upthread, and certainly no detailed leaks like /Awayforthelads' in October 2016. The HBO hackers admitted in their own ransom note that they had nothing from Season 8. The provider of the detailed S7 spoilers (/Awayforthelads and /Awayfortheladspart2) has disappeared from /Freefolk, so whether we get an actual Season 8 detailed leak with all major plot points as we did for Season 7 is unknown. I think Season 8 might be more of a "death by a thousand cuts" situation, in between location filming leaks as there were in Season 7, the usual tidbits from WOTW, some leaks from VFX guys, etc.

To be fair, I wouldn't be surprised if Dany died, especially after watching 7x05, but these are fake, trust.

Speaking of legit Season 8 spoilers, I didn't post it upthread, but it was reported a while ago that Mark Gatiss (Tycho Nestoris, the Iron Bank representative) is coming back for two Season 8 episodes.

Edited August 14, 2017 by Eyes High

[Oscirus]

2 hours ago, I Love Me said:

I have no idea how accurate the website is but over at The Dragon and the Wolf (thedradonandthewolf.com - not sure why there is a misspelling in the name but I double checked) there are lots of Season 8 spoilers posted.  Allegedly, Dany dies before the end of Season 8 due to getting stabbed by the NK in front of Jon and Jorah.  After she dies the dragons immediately take up with Jon.  "Jamie" (Arya wearing his face - yep, she kills him after hearing him confess to pushing Bran out of that window) cuts the dragonglass out of the NK, turning him back into a man.  An easy to kill man.  Euron hires the Golden Company and takes over KL, holding Cersei prisoner.  Jon takes his army and 2 dragons and attacks.  Arya (still wearing Jamie's face) kills Cersei and Jon kills Arya.  Theon and Jon work together to kill Euron - throwing him to Drogon for roasting.  According to this site it will be Jon that sits on the Iron Throne and takes Alys Karstark as wife.  He rules as Aegon The VI of Houses Stark and Targaryen a/k/a Aegon the Savior.  Winterfell becomes the new capital.  Crazy shit so no idea if it's true.  I'll be very sad if Dany doesn't make it to the end.    

Ok this is my official ending. Arya killing the twins, Jon killing Arya ,  Jon taking over the dragons and marrying  a Karstark? I'm there for all this awesomeness.

[Miss Dee]

Why the hell would Jon kill Arya?? Unless she's wearing Jamie's face, I guess? But it seems awfully melodramatic; that alone would make me suspicious.

[Enigma X]

For me, those spoilers would make season 8 worse than the last season of Lost for me. 

[evilmindatwork]

I would definitely howl in rage if Jon killed Arya. 

[Oscirus]

I can't make the dragon riders work in my mind. Under the new theory, Tyrion was never a dragon rider and Jon and Dany are, yet for some reason Jon pets Drogon (which is currently Dany's)  while Tyrion pets Rhaegal. . Maybe that hints at an early Dany death or maybe it was just to wink at the readers. For now I'm leaning towards Jon and Dany still being the only dragon riders, but I'm no longer 100 percent sold on it.

[Conan Troutman]

On 8/13/2017 at 2:32 PM, SimoneS said:

I have always thought that whether Dany was barren or would be the key to how her relationship with Jon unfolds since I believe that both characters survive to the end of this particular story. I think that if Daenerys becomes pregnant then that it will be discovered or dealt with after the wars against the NK and Cersei/Euron are won. Once Jon is revealed as a Targaryen, Dany will insist that he marry someone else to continue their family line and produce heirs to the Iron Throne. However, her pregnancy would mean that they could marry and rule Westeros together. This would likely be occur in the last episode of season 8 since I anticipate that Cersei will be around to nearly the very end.

They can just send Sam to the Citadel to look for a treatment. Or maybe Mel knows something - your ending is possible, but I doubt that this is what GRRM has envisioned for her from the very beginning. 

Re: how long is Cersei going to stick around? They'll probably capture a wight next week and arrive in KL in the season finale. Cersei said she likes an armistice so she can plot to kill her or whatever, so she'll accept Dany's proposal. Dany, Jon et al will move up north and the continuing skirmishes against the WW and Cersei's plotting is likely how the first couple of episodes of season 8 will play out. The penultimate episode (in this case, episode 5) will likely be the big ass battle with Dragons, WW and whatever else HBO can afford, with the finale probably being the killing of the NK and resolution. Episode four should be the transition episode leading up to that final battle. Cersei's downfall is going to be a great couple of scenes and shouldn't be overshadowed by a WW battle, so I guess she'll get her big moment(s) in episode three or four.  

[LadyChaos]

Is it possible that a longer filming season for s8 could be due to a possible 2 hour episode for 801 or 806, or both?

[Eyes High]

On 8/16/2017 at 9:57 PM, LadyChaos said:

Is it possible that a longer filming season for s8 could be due to a possible 2 hour episode for 801 or 806, or both?

Quite possible. Someone who worked on the production earlier this year raised the possibility that all six episodes would be movie length in Season 8.

In other news, WOTW debunked the S8 fake spoiler episode summaries that have been circulating on /Freefolk and other places.

[ElizaD]

On 08/15/2017 at 7:01 PM, Conan Troutman said:

Re: how long is Cersei going to stick around?

I think this is another way in which the ending will resemble LOTR. GRRM has said the ending will be bittersweet, so even if the main characters all survive they will be scarred like Frodo, but I also expect the NK to be Sauron and Cersei to be Saruman/the Scouring of the Shire - the last enemy that has to be dealt with after the existential crisis has ended and the heroes return to reclaim their home.

[Eyes High]

1 hour ago, ElizaD said:

I think this is another way in which the ending will resemble LOTR. GRRM has said the ending will be bittersweet, so even if the main characters all survive they will be scarred like Frodo, but I also expect the NK to be Sauron and Cersei to be Saruman/the Scouring of the Shire - the last enemy that has to be dealt with after the existential crisis has ended and the heroes return to reclaim their home.

That's my expectation as well, although it does raise questions about who's going to deal with Cersei if/when Jon and Dany both die.

NCW told Collider that filming is set to begin in October 2017 (and confirmed that he hasn't yet received any scripts:

Quote

“I knew what was going to happen for the first three seasons. After that, it’s been a season at a time. You get the scripts a month before we start shooting, or six weeks, and then you know what’s going to happen that season. But, I don’t know what’s going to happen next season. We go back in October, so maybe in the next few weeks, we’ll get the scripts and I’ll find out. I’m very curious.”

For point of reference, Maisie Williams' tweets after having read the Season 7 scripts were posted August 22nd, 2016, and Season 7 filming started in September 2016.

Not much is known about Season 8 two months out from the start of filming compared to previous years. No casting calls have been posted at WOTW, for one, although we can reasonably anticipate that this late in the game there won't be that many minor speaking parts needed. Season 7 so far has only had a smattering of minor speaking parts (the Lannister soldiers, the Winterfell guards, etc.). Nor has there been any definitive information posted about filming locations.

Edited August 18, 2017 by Eyes High

[GreyBunny]

On 8/10/2017 at 7:32 AM, Eyes High said:

The hackers' ransom note made it clear that they didn't get anything from Season 8. Any leaks purporting to be Season 8 episode outlines from the hack are fake.

Good.  The rest of the season of the pastebin leak has been posted at Desinerd and it's an even worse shitshow:

Jaqen gives Arya a vial of poison and she imitates Qyburn and kills Cersei with the poison. Dany is weakened by childbirth and asks to be finished off. Varys kills her with Heartsbane. Dany's allies flee Dragonstone when Euron attacks, leaving Dany's body behind. Euron finds it and hangs her dead, rotting body up for display in the Red Keep. Euron is crowned king. The Others become an afterthought and the big finale battle is with Euron and the Golden Company vs everyone else. Jorah, Jaime, and Jon die in the Dragonpit when Drogon breathes fire, ignites the wildfire still stored underneath it, and blows everyone up. Missandei and Tyrion end up in bed together. Sansa ends up with Gendry, Arya goes back to Braavos. Jon and Dany's daughter is named Lyanna Targaryen, she is raised by Tyrion and Missandei. Tyrion is the king regent and Lyanna the queen. Bronn is the lord of Dorne after marrying another one of Oberyn's daughters. Bran is "resurrected" and becomes the new Night's King.

Barfnado.

Edited August 18, 2017 by GreyBunny

[YaddaYadda]

If people wanna make up spoilers, they should try and make them realistic at least. 

[RedheadZombie]

On ‎8‎/‎14‎/‎2017 at 11:06 AM, doram said:

Er... no way Dany's going to die without having Rhaego V2.0.

Please tell me she will not name her second child after her first.  Creepy. 

[Oscirus]

8 hours ago, RedheadZombie said:

Please tell me she will not name her second child after her first.  Creepy. 

Isn't that what Rhaegar just did?

So next season we're going to have alot of reunions  big ones ( Jon-Arya, Jon-Bran), small ones (Tyrion-Sansa) , dangerous ones (Jamie- Bran) and even brand new ones ( Tyrion- Arya, Arya finally finds her imp!) How much time do you guys think will be dedicated to these reunions in the first episode next year?

[bubble sparkly]

Yeah I'm really curious how next season will be structured.  Are Dany/Jon/Tyrion/Davos etc going to rock up at Winterfell early in 8x01?  Will Bran and Sam blurt out the parentage stuff to Jon in the same episode, or will they get distracted by news of the WW blasting a hole in the wall and tease us by "forcing" that revelation to wait until later in the season?

Will the characters know about the wall being breached early on or will the space time continuum reverse and a raven/Tormund won't show up with that news until late 8x01 or 8x02, thereby allowing time for reunions and character stuff before all out battle mode begins?

Are the Northern lords going to continue to be whiny babies and start banging on about Dany being an untrustworthy foreign Targ, or will they finally realise they are about to be turned into zombies and be glad for the help?

Is the cast going to split up with some people going to fight the WW while others deal with Cercei?  Or will the big WW battle happen first (while Cercei is in KL dealing with Euron or whatever), then Jon/Dany and co will regroup to deal with Cercei in the last few eps?  Alternatively, will they all evacuate South and deal with Cercei in the first half of the season, with big WW battle taking place later on?

Assuming the pregnancy anvils are followed through, when will Dany realise she's pregnant?  Will Bran use his creep-o vision to out the existence of boat!baby in 8x01 so Dany and Jon have to deal with that drama for the rest of the season?  Or will Dany not find out until right at the end until the WW are disposed of or whatever?

Edited August 19, 2017 by bubble sparkly

[WearyTraveler]

1 hour ago, bubble sparkly said:

Yeah I'm really curious how next season will be structured.  Are Dany/Jon/Tyrion/Davos etc going to rock up at Winterfell early in 8x01?  Will Bran and Sam blurt out the parentage stuff to Jon in the same episode, or will they get distracted by news of the WW blasting a hole in the wall and tease us by "forcing" that revelation to wait until later in the season?

Will the characters know about the wall being breached early on or will the space time continuum reverse and a raven/Tormund won't show up with that news until late 8x01 or 8x02, thereby allowing time for reunions and character stuff before all out battle mode begins?

Are the Northern lords going to continue to be whiny babies and start banging on about Dany being an untrustworthy foreign Targ, or will they finally realise they are about to be turned into zombies and be glad for the help?

Is the cast going to split up with some people going to fight the WW while others deal with Cercei?  Or will the big WW battle happen first (while Cercei is in KL dealing with Euron or whatever), then Jon/Dany and co will regroup to deal with Cercei in the last few eps?  Alternatively, will they all evacuate South and deal with Cercei in the first half of the season, with big WW battle taking place later on?

Assuming the pregnancy anvils are followed through, when will Dany realise she's pregnant?  Will Bran use his creep-o vision to out the existence of boat!baby in 8x01 so Dany and Jon have to deal with that drama for the rest of the season?  Or will Dany not find out until right at the end until the WW are disposed of or whatever?

"Like Sand Through The Hourglass... So Are The Days Of Our Lives"  (sorry, sorry. couldn't resist!)

[Edith]

3 hours ago, bubble sparkly said:

Yeah I'm really curious how next season will be structured.  Are Dany/Jon/Tyrion/Davos etc going to rock up at Winterfell early in 8x01?  Will Bran and Sam blurt out the parentage stuff to Jon in the same episode, or will they get distracted by news of the WW blasting a hole in the wall and tease us by "forcing" that revelation to wait until later in the season?

Will the characters know about the wall being breached early on or will the space time continuum reverse and a raven/Tormund won't show up with that news until late 8x01 or 8x02, thereby allowing time for reunions and character stuff before all out battle mode begins?

According to spoilers, Bran is going to see the WW and NK crossing the wall. Whether Jon and company arrives first at Winterfell that the WW is another thing. 

Edited August 19, 2017 by Edith

[SeanC]

14 hours ago, RedheadZombie said:

Please tell me she will not name her second child after her first.  Creepy. 

In eras of high infant mortality, that was actually far from uncommon.

For instance, Alexander and Eliza Hamilton named their eighth child Philip in memory of their first child, who had died in a duel shortly before Philip II's birth.

Edited August 19, 2017 by SeanC

[Blonde Gator]

6 hours ago, Edith said:

According to spoilers, Bran is going to see the WW and NK crossing the wall. Whether Jon and company arrives first at Winterfell that the WW is another thing. 

I suspect we won't see Jon, et. al. (including Dany) arrive in Winterfell until next season.  We'll see the big meet & greet with the wight in King's Landing at the ruins of the Dragon Pit in Episode 7 this year, and the Wall being breached by the WW's and their army of the dead.   Cersei will do her usual headfake, "oh we'll help", and then sit and do nothing, as she waits for "all of her enemies" to be thinned out to the point where she WILL turn her armies north.  But by then, Jaime will be disgusted, and choke the life out of her.  Jaime is the Valonquar.  At that point, the rest of Westeros will join the War for the Dawn.

I'm going to be furious if Tormund doesn't make it back to Winterfell, but he won't be bringing the news....Bran will have seen the live feed in the weirwood net as the WW's breach the Wall.

Once we get to next season, I think we'll see that the Northern Lords are still restless, and will be bitching like mad until Jon and Dany show up on the back of  a dragon in the opening episode.  (Still riding double at this point).  I gave up three dragon riders (three heads of the dragon) quite a while ago...I believe it was a gigantic head-fake on GRRM's part.  There will be shock and awe on the part of the Northern Lords when Dany & Drogon show up, but they still will be whiny and stupid....even after Dany's army of Dothraki and Unsullied show up.  The only thing that will impress the idiots in the north will be actually seeing the Army of the Dead, and then they'll fall all over themselves in praise of Jon and Dany.    Instant belief once they see the Army of the Dead.

I'm not sure we'll get the reveal of Jon's heritage until maybe episode 2, perhaps even later....but I suspect that it will not become widely known until the end of the series, if then.  I get the sneaking suspicion that although Jon and Danaerys will know, they'll decide to keep it to themselves, even if one or both of them dies.   I suspect we may get Tryion as regent to baby Targ, in a ruined Westeros...with not too many great houses remaining.  But Sam will be left in the ruins of the Citadel, penning his last chapter of A Song of Ice and Fire under the great astrolabe, as he closes the  book and we fade to black.

Final prediction....the space time continuum will resume it's normal shape after Littlefinger leaves this mortal coil.  I hope he'll be raised as a wight, so we could see him killed again and again.

[SimoneS]

11 hours ago, bubble sparkly said:

Yeah I'm really curious how next season will be structured.  Are Dany/Jon/Tyrion/Davos etc going to rock up at Winterfell early in 8x01?  Will Bran and Sam blurt out the parentage stuff to Jon in the same episode, or will they get distracted by news of the WW blasting a hole in the wall and tease us by "forcing" that revelation to wait until later in the season?

Will the characters know about the wall being breached early on or will the space time continuum reverse and a raven/Tormund won't show up with that news until late 8x01 or 8x02, thereby allowing time for reunions and character stuff before all out battle mode begins?

Are the Northern lords going to continue to be whiny babies and start banging on about Dany being an untrustworthy foreign Targ, or will they finally realise they are about to be turned into zombies and be glad for the help?

Is the cast going to split up with some people going to fight the WW while others deal with Cercei?  Or will the big WW battle happen first (while Cercei is in KL dealing with Euron or whatever), then Jon/Dany and co will regroup to deal with Cercei in the last few eps?  Alternatively, will they all evacuate South and deal with Cercei in the first half of the season, with big WW battle taking place later on?

Assuming the pregnancy anvils are followed through, when will Dany realise she's pregnant?  Will Bran use his creep-o vision to out the existence of boat!baby in 8x01 so Dany and Jon have to deal with that drama for the rest of the season?  Or will Dany not find out until right at the end until the WW are disposed of or whatever?

I think that they will know pretty quickly about the Wall falling because of Bran. I would think that Jon and Davos will be on their way to Winterfell. If Daenerys' armies are with her at the end of season 7, she will go with them to Winterfell since it would make no sense for her to go back to Dragonstone and then head north.

I think that Bran and Sam will figure out that Jon is in love with Dany, hesitate a bit, but will tell him about his parentage in the first couple episodes. This will throw him into turmoil causing him to pull away from a confused Dany. Of course, a couple episodes later he will eventually tell her everything and this will put their relationship in limbo.

I expect the northern lords to be antagonistic towards Dany, especially when she shows up with her dragons, the Dothraki and the Unsullied. They will explode when they find out that Jon has pledged his loyalty to her, thereby giving her their oaths. Of course, when they see the army of the undead, they will be so desperate to survive that they will be happy for her armies and dragons.

They definitely deal with the NK first instead of doing the logical thing and wipe Cersei out as they march north. D&D has done everything that they can to give Cersei wins and a fighting chance against Dany so they can keep Lena Headey to the end of season 8. Dany and Jon will lose thousands of people which will make the fight against Cersei even more difficult. 

I think Dany finds out she is pregnant in the last episode. The pregnancy will lead to her reunion with Jon. If she intends to give him up so he can continue the Targaryen line or if he intends to walk away from her and the Throne, the pregnancy will mean that they have to marry. She cannot have an illegitimate child and he will never let his child grow up illegitimate.

Edited August 19, 2017 by SimoneS

[Edith]

1 hour ago, Blonde Gator said:

I suspect we won't see Jon, et. al. (including Dany) arrive in Winterfell until next season.  We'll see the big meet & greet with the wight in King's Landing at the ruins of the Dragon Pit in Episode 7 this year, and the Wall being breached by the WW's and their army of the dead.   Cersei will do her usual headfake, "oh we'll help", and then sit and do nothing, as she waits for "all of her enemies" to be thinned out to the point where she WILL turn her armies north.  But by then, Jaime will be disgusted, and choke the life out of her.  Jaime is the Valonquar.  At that point, the rest of Westeros will join the War for the Dawn.

I'm going to be furious if Tormund doesn't make it back to Winterfell, but he won't be bringing the news....Bran will have seen the live feed in the weirwood net as the WW's breach the Wall.

Once we get to next season, I think we'll see that the Northern Lords are still restless, and will be bitching like mad until Jon and Dany show up on the back of  a dragon in the opening episode.  (Still riding double at this point).  I gave up three dragon riders (three heads of the dragon) quite a while ago...I believe it was a gigantic head-fake on GRRM's part.  There will be shock and awe on the part of the Northern Lords when Dany & Drogon show up, but they still will be whiny and stupid....even after Dany's army of Dothraki and Unsullied show up.  The only thing that will impress the idiots in the north will be actually seeing the Army of the Dead, and then they'll fall all over themselves in praise of Jon and Dany.    Instant belief once they see the Army of the Dead.

Neither of Dany's armies are with her at the end of season 7. The Unsullied are on the way to Eastwatch not Winterfell according to Lads2 and the Dothraki are going to take the KingsRoad. While Dany and company are going to White Harbor. 

I'm want to see how the characters are going to react to wight Viserion and that it was him who melt the wall.

Edited August 19, 2017 by Edith

[loki567]

Considering the show's love affair with Cersei, hard to imagine she goes down that easily. I think she's either involved in the climax with the Night King or get's moved past him as the final big bad of the series. I can't see her getting killed an episode or two into next season because why structure this season around trying to convince her to join Dany and Jon? Or have the stuff with the Iron Bank and the Golden Company, specifically to give her a new army after most of the Lannister army is destroyed in The Field of Fire? 

I wish season seven was ten episodes, used to clear the table of Cersei and Littlefinger with no wight hunt. Now we have seven episodes to get rid of Littlefinger, Cersei, and the Night King and the story is going to suffer because of that. The Winterfell material has been pretty weak this year and if Littlefinger suddenly gets knifed in the finale, it's going to be a disappointing end to one of the series' longest-running characters.

Edited August 19, 2017 by loki567

[WearyTraveler]

6 minutes ago, loki567 said:

Now we have seven episodes to get rid of Littlefinger, Cersei, and the Night King and the story is going to suffer because of that.

There have been rumors that many, if not all, the episodes of S8 will be around the two hour mark.  That would make S8 the longest season in terms of total duration.

[loki567]

As far I know the two hour episode rumor came from the HBO president saying this:

 

Quote

"I imagine they'll be longer but … I'm not sure how long".

He went on to say:

"We haven't had that discussion yet because I don't know how long the episodes are going to be. Two hours per episode seems like it would be excessive, but it's a great show, so who knows?"

That is not at all definite. And considering D&D's urgency to end the show, I doubt they want to turn six episodes into twelve. 

[YaddaYadda]

35 minutes ago, loki567 said:

Considering the show's love affair with Cersei, hard to imagine she goes down that easily. I think she's either involved in the climax with the Night King or get's moved past him as the final big bad of the series.

Cersei and the NK become allies, because reasons.

[WearyTraveler]

36 minutes ago, loki567 said:

I doubt they want to turn six episodes into twelve. 

I agree. But I do think it's likely that many episodes will run long.  I think we've a couple this season that went longer than other seasons.  I'd guess they are saving many things for the final season, and, if so, they may find that they actually need to run longer than an hour in a couple or more episodes.

[MissLucas]

3 hours ago, Blonde Gator said:

Once we get to next season, I think we'll see that the Northern Lords are still restless, and will be bitching like mad until Jon and Dany show up on the back of  a dragon in the opening episode.  (Still riding double at this point).

Isn't there some rule against a dragon rider mounting another than his (pre-)destined steed? Of course the show could drop that.

[SeanC]

33 minutes ago, MissLucas said:

Isn't there some rule against a dragon rider mounting another than his (pre-)destined steed? Of course the show could drop that.

I don't think so, as long as the dragon's actual rider is present.

[GreyBunny]

During the conquest Visenya gave the boy lord of the Vale a dragon ride so additional passengers aren't unprecedented. 

I think the idea is season 7 is finale part 1 and season 8 is finale part 2.  Instead of a 10 episode finale, we get one that's 13 episodes.

As for two Aegon sons, Rhaegar rode off to the Trident while Aegon 1.0 was still alive and he didn't expect him or Rhaenys to be killed. He died before his children did. If calling the second child Aegon was Rhaegar's idea and not Lyanna's, it's creepy, the only one who can get away with that is George Foreman and that's because he makes awesome grills and he didn't dump his first boy when the next one came along.

Edited August 20, 2017 by GreyBunny

[glowbug]

I don't think Rhaegar actually named Jon. Lyanna did after Rhaegar and his two older children were dead. So she's the creepy one. ;)

Honestly, when I first heard that Jon's name was Aegon I was upset but that was partly because I assumed Rhaegar had chosen his name and Rhaegar died before his first son had died. While I would still prefer another name, believing that Lyanna named him after Aegon's death makes it acceptable to me. Hopefully it will turn out that Rhaegar had no hand in naming him. 

[cambridgeguy]

18 hours ago, loki567 said:

Considering the show's love affair with Cersei, hard to imagine she goes down that easily. I think she's either involved in the climax with the Night King or get's moved past him as the final big bad of the series. I can't see her getting killed an episode or two into next season because why structure this season around trying to convince her to join Dany and Jon? Or have the stuff with the Iron Bank and the Golden Company, specifically to give her a new army after most of the Lannister army is destroyed in The Field of Fire? 

The way I see it there are two major pieces the show needs to wrap up - the threat of the NK and the overall political situation in Westeros afterwards.  I think they'll follow the Return of the King (book version) where first they'll knock off the NK (i.e. destroying the ring) and then have an extended denouement dealing with the politics (scouring of the Shire, etc.).  Cersei is too important to the latter to kill her early.  I suspect all of the major players will be around until the last couple of episodes no matter what.

I also see Jon not being king of anything by the time the series ends.  He's a (the?) hero, and heroes make for lousy rulers in this show. 

[YaddaYadda]

34 minutes ago, glowbug said:

I don't think Rhaegar actually named Jon. Lyanna did after Rhaegar and his two older children were dead. So she's the creepy one. ;)

Honestly, when I first heard that Jon's name was Aegon I was upset but that was partly because I assumed Rhaegar had chosen his name and Rhaegar died before his first son had died. While I would still prefer another name, believing that Lyanna named him after Aegon's death makes it acceptable to me. Hopefully it will turn out that Rhaegar had no hand in naming him. 

The show already derailed this whole Rhaegar/Lyanna thing. At this point, what's one more thing?

[stagmania]

19 hours ago, loki567 said:

Considering the show's love affair with Cersei, hard to imagine she goes down that easily. I think she's either involved in the climax with the Night King or get's moved past him as the final big bad of the series.

I agree this is how they will probably do it, and I hate it. One of the big themes of the show has been that all the political intrigue is a distraction from the real threat. So to make Cersei and the resolution of the game of thrones the big ending is kind of a betrayal of that idea. It seems very unlikely that this is the way it will go in the books, as I expect Jaime to be the one to take Cersei out before the final showdown with the white walkers. But the showrunners are obsessed with this character and actress, so they're changing it.

[screamin]

2 hours ago, doram said:

 

Lyanna is not coming out of this looking good --- or even quite sane. Now I want to read a detailed fan-fiction that explores the idea that if Rhaegar had won at the Trident, and had established his marriage to Lyanna, she'd be a Northern version of Cersei Lannister (less twin-incest, and more ruthless-ambition-for-her-child(ren)). I don't see Aegon 1.0 & Rhaenys lasting long under their stepmother's loving care. 

While I'm not a big fan of Lyanna being censorious of Robert not keeping to one bed, but then TOTALLY OKAY with Rhaegar falling in love with her and making romantic overtures in front of his wife, then presumably maintaining a secret correspondence with him while said wife goes through a difficult pregnancy and life threatening birth, then agreeing to run away with him while the wife is still recovering and the babe is a newborn, as long as he agrees to properly marry her, I really don't think naming Jon Aegon was a sign that she was ambitious for her son to have the throne meant for Elia's Aegon. By the time Jon is born, Elia and her children are dead, Robert is king, and the Targaryens have fallen, and the KG at the tower seem to know it, and so presumably Lyanna does too, and knows the name Aegon will confer no power to her baby. To me it seems more likely that she's sorry for the things that happened because of her and Rhaegar's heedless acts, and named her baby after one of the most innocent victims in penance. (If she'd thought about it, it might have occurred to her that the name would endanger the baby in Robert's kingdom, but I suppose blood loss clouded her thinking.)

[Eyes High]

38 minutes ago, stagmania said:

I agree this is how they will probably do it, and I hate it. One of the big themes of the show has been that all the political intrigue is a distraction from the real threat. So to make Cersei and the resolution of the game of thrones the big ending is kind of a betrayal of that idea. It seems very unlikely that this is the way it will go in the books, as I expect Jaime to be the one to take Cersei out before the final showdown with the white walkers. But the showrunners are obsessed with this character and actress, so they're changing it.

I dunno. GRRM's open admiration of the Scouring of the Shire from LOTR suggests that a post-WW battle denouement involving Cersei's last stand may have been his plan all along.

 

Quote

Lyanna is not coming out of this looking good --- or even quite sane. 

Eh, Lyanna was very young and likely very much in love. Is it so different from Sansa's idiocy over Joffrey in AGOT?

Edited August 20, 2017 by Eyes High

[Oscirus]

57 minutes ago, Eyes High said:

Eh, Lyanna was very young and likely very much in love. Is it so different from Sansa's idiocy over Joffrey in AGOT?

Yes very much different.  Sansa didn't nearly eradicate her family line and the North with her selfishness.

What bugs me about season 8 is that we're likely going to have two different exposition fairies in Sam and Bran to move along things instead of letting things happen organically.  

[Edith]

Pre-production for season 8 has started! 

http://watchersonthewall.com/season-8-pre-production-game-of-thrones-northern-ireland/