S04.E09: The Watchers On The Wall: Speculation Thread

[Meredith Quill]

Episode 9 Synopsis:

Jon Snow and the Night's Watch face a big challenge.

Tagged for those who don't want advance information.

 

Here is a chance to speculate about what events may or may not occur in episode 9 only.

There will be weekly episode spec threads for individual episodes from now on so please either save your thoughts about ep 10 for next week or post them in another appropriate thread.

Readers are welcome to post in here also but no Book Talk please; save that for the Book Talk version of this thread.

 

Thank you.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Every season E9 tends to be a game changing episode, so I think a major death(s) will happen this Sunday.

[AimingforYoko]

No offense to Sam Tarly, but the only major death that can occur at the Wall is Jon Snow. I don't think he's going to die.

[Constantinople]

Mance Rayder's death would be pretty major.  At least it would be if the last time we'd seen him wasn't in the third episode of Season 3.  Which is to say we've seen Hot Pie more recently than the dude who's going to light the biggest fire the North has ever seen.

 

That being said, no one major died in the 9th episode of Season 2.  Only a bunch of red shirts, some barely known Kingsguard and Davos's son (I'm assuming Lancel isn't dead or Jaime wouldn't have threatened Tywin during the break in Tyrion's trial with Lancel carrying on the Lannister name if Tyrion were executed).

 

I don't know how 102 people could fight off 100,000.  Stannis can show up any time now.

[TooMuchCoffee]

No offense to Sam Tarly, but the only major death that can occur at the Wall is Jon Snow. I don't think he's going to die.

I agree that Jon makes it out alive. Sam, perhaps. Hopefully he will find Gilly and the baby but where the heck would they go? Perhaps to the house that Rickon was headed for.  

Ghost is a possible loss.  The rest of the Watch is barbque on a spit.

The burning question - will there be ravens?

[Jeebus Cripes]

It's slightly fucked up, but I think I would mourn Ghost's passing more than Jon's. Anyways, I don't see Jon dying anytime soon, but WTF do I know? I thought Oberyn would make it to season 5.

Edited June 5, 2014 by Jeebus Cripes

[Starving Writer]

The previews show ONLY the battle at the Wall.  Usually the previews show various characters and snippets of their arcs.  

 

I'm trying to remember the previews for the Red Wedding episode last year.  Did they only show the Red Wedding in that preview, or did they show the other stories from that episode?  I can't remember. 

 

I'm hoping this episode is not only about the battle at the Wall.  I understand that the Wall is a pivotal scene for the end-game, with the zombies and White Walkers and all that, but honestly that storyline just bores me.  I'd rather see the going-ons in King's Landing or the various Stark kids, and I hope we don't have to wait until Ep 10 to see that.  

 

As for the Wall itself ... unless there's a miracle, the Night Watch is truly fucked.  However, I'm reasonably certain that Jon Snow is going to be around for the end-game (The series is called "A Song of Ice and Fire" ... Snow = Ice), so he'll make it out somehow.  The rest of the Night's Watch ... I think they're pretty much goners.  

[MrsRafaelBarba]

The battle at the wall reunites Ygritte and Jon Snow, maybe she will die in battle.

 

Or

 

Trying to protect him, I'm sure she still loves the man.

[Constantinople]

The battle at the wall reunites Ygritte and Jon Snow, maybe she will die in battle.

I'm wondering if she'll take an arrow from the kid whose parents were killed, and whose village was destroyed, by the Wildlings earlier this season. When the Watch is discussing how to respond to that, he's right next to Jon and Jon either had his arm around him or his hand on his shoulder; when Jon is training some new recruits, the kid volunteers and mentions he's the best archer in his village; when Jon returns from torching Craster's Keep, Jon and the kid make eye contact. I expect there's a reason for all that, particularly when the kid says he was the best shot in his village.

Either that or Chief Thenn turns the kid into a Hot Pocket.

[justawatcher]

I'm going a bit long game with this speculation, so not sure if it will be E9 or E10 or even next season, since E9 looks like it will be focused on the Wall. I keep thinking to myself, what would truly cause major upheaval in King's Landing and to move these various storylines around and the answer I keep coming back to is that the Lannisters have to get off that throne and have chaos replace it. So-

 

I think Tyrion will make it out alive and go find his wife. I still think this very unlikely couple is a good one. They show each other kindness and respect. They watch each other's back in the smallest, most intimate ways, like her getting the cup from under the table or him not allowing her to be Joffrey's play toy. And, he is truly the smart one and represents the best of the Lannisters. He interacts well with every other family and could truly be a unifying force. Also, as long as Tyrion is still alive, LF can't close the deal with Sansa. I think he'll find out where she is because she told the Vale people.

 

I think the major death/Lannister chaos will come in some form of an attempt on Tommen. He'll die, Jamie will die trying to protect his son/king, and that will leave Cersei and Tywin will no male heirs to the throne, no money, and no power. The Iron Throne will be empty and chaos will come trying to fill it.

 

The other things I have a hard time speculating on because we have heard bits and pieces of other places but no idea who/where  they are or what they represent in the long game. Like Brienne of Tarth- we know Tarth has money, but she's the only person from Tarth, so what does Tarth mean in the big picture and in past history? Same with the places Talisa and Shae were from. We know they exist, but I feel not enough information is available to try and figure out anything past the characters we've already met. Like, who could have predicted Oberyn and Dorne before the season started? I just keep thinking there have to be a lot more people and places we haven't met yet that will prove important to the long game, which makes it hard to speculate. But the one that keeps bubbling in my mind, is this- if chaos ensues, who would get to KL first? Dany can't move fast enough, Stannis can't get there fast enough, the Dorne people can't get there fast enough. The only ones who could get there, secure the city, and put themselves in power would be the Tyrells, maybe the Greyjoys, or.... Roose Bolton, who wouldn't have a claim to it but also wouldn't give a shit and would take it anyway.

[Gudzilla]

 

I'm wondering if she'll take an arrow from the kid whose parents were killed, and whose village was destroyed, by the Wildlings earlier this season. When the Watch is discussing how to respond to that, he's right next to Jon and Jon either had his arm around him or his hand on his shoulder; when Jon is training some new recruits, the kid volunteers and mentions he's the best archer in his village; when Jon returns from torching Craster's Keep, Jon and the kid make eye contact. I expect there's a reason for all that, particularly when the kid says he was the best shot in his village.

Not to mention Ygritte is the one who shot his father.

[Constantinople]

I'm wondering if she'll take an arrow from the kid whose parents were killed, and whose village was destroyed, by the Wildlings earlier this season. When the Watch is discussing how to respond to that, he's right next to Jon and Jon either had his arm around him or his hand on his shoulder; when Jon is training some new recruits, the kid volunteers and mentions he's the best archer in his village; when Jon returns from torching Craster's Keep, Jon and the kid make eye contact. I expect there's a reason for all that, particularly when the kid says he was the best shot in his village.

 

 

Not to mention Ygritte is the one who shot his father.

That's right! Thanks for pointing that out.

Of course, since this is GoT, now I'm wondering if Ygritte will gut that kid like a fish.

[Rocket]

Until the Dragons bond with someone else than Danny she is the only character with plot armor on this show as expect the Dragons to make it to at least episode 9 of the last season. (then with everyone dead episode 10 can have the wind blow over the places everyone died at as GRRM has joked he will end the books)

So anything is fair game. That tunnel is narrow so the Wildlings will have trouble similar to Persians vs the 300 Spartans. The night watch are no Spartans but that tunnel is way smaller than the pass the Spartans held so they might just hold for a bit, at least until the zombie horde shows up maybe right as it looks like the Watch has stopped the Wildlings. Of course the Spartans lost but Greaks loved their tragedy and so does the author of Game of Thrones it seams. 

 

Oh gods are we in for a Shakespearian Tragedy ending, everyone dies,  like GRRM has already joked. 

[CletusMusashi]

I'm thinking that Bran is going to reach that tree and use its/his power to do something affects the balance of power. I mean, he's just so close to where the big climax is happening, it just seems like the best way to give his season some kind of pay-off. Otherwise, it's really a waste of a character.

I also haven't given up on Tyrion being sent to the Wall. He's shown himself to be a good military strategist, and in his trip up there with Jon Snow he showed that he knows how things work up there quite well. Plus, if they're not going to send Tyrion there then having Janos Slynt there just seems redundant. Jon snow already had Thorne on his ass, adding Slynt does nothing for the narrative... unless Tyrion has to work under Slynt. Oh, I know, the death sentence was passed last week, but Tywin can do whatever the hell he wants and he knows it. I'm expecting an appeal, probably in the form of pressure from Jaime.

[Conan Troutman]

Mance Rayder's death would be pretty major. 

 

No, it wouldn't. I wouldn't even blink. Shroug, perhaps.

 

I agree that Jon makes it out alive. Sam, perhaps.

 

They're relegated to be, ahempt, "Watchers on the Wall". So they'll make it out alive. Stand on top of the bloody thing (thank you, CEO of the Wall for that!) and watch how everyone's getting killed (and make out on top of it? Get on with it, shitty fanfiction writers!). Not that I would care, I'm hoping the Thenns or whatever they're called murder the shit out of everyone and eat them too. Including the obese and the bastard (I meant Gilly. But Jon can kick the bucket as well, as far as I'm concerned).

 

tl;dw (too long, didn't write):  Kill everyone!

 

Edit: Kill Arya last, so that she can watch the others die.

Edited June 8, 2014 by Conan Troutman