 |
| Battle of Winterfell promises mayhem galore. Does it go down in Episode 3? |
| Photo: Peter Hershey |
Let the mayhem begin! I think the prediction that the mayhem will begin this evening in Episode 3 is a pretty safe one, but I really have no idea how it's going to go down. An intriguing possibility is that the Night King has split his forces and is moving past Winterfell to march on King's Landing to expand his forces before attacking the combined armies at Winterfell in force. A sacked King's Landing would set up the realization of the vision Daenerys had in the House of the Undying where she was walking through the Red Keep with a destroyed roof with snow falling onto the floor.
Night King sacks King's Landing?
What would the sacking of King's Landing entail? I think that it would be killing off most of the residents and adding them to the Army of the Dead. However, Cersei and crew (including the Mountain) will escape with Euron Greyjoy and retreat to the Iron Islands with the Iron Fleet.
This is an interesting idea (I didn't come up with it, btw), and would make for a nice twist. But I don't see how, from a storytelling perspective, they unwind all of the preparation, the focus on the crypt, the campfire songs, etc., if there isn't some major mayhem at Winterfell this episode. Now, I have some ideas who may it this episode, and we'll get to that, but first I have a hunch that a certain something will happen.
Old Three Eyed Raven's prediction
Recall the old Three Eyed Raven's answer to Bran's question of whether he'll ever walk again. It was: "No, but you'll fly." Well, he hasn't flown. Yet. Why did Bran refuse to be taken into the crypt, preferring instead to be in the Godswood by the Weirwood tree? Is it, perhaps, that the crypts are warded and if Bran, who bearing the mark of the Night King would break that ban were he to be in there? That really would not be that much of a stretch, since we know that things can be warded against the dead and the White Walkers (the Wall and the old Weirwood tree where the old Three Eyed Raven lived before Bran broke its ward with the mark).
Does Bran take wing?
Why is it so important that the Night King take out Bran aka the Three Eyed Raven? Sure, he can see what was and what will be, but so what? How does that affect the Night King? What has Bran actually done that was of any use? So far, he's managed to get himself crippled, screw up Hodor, get the mark of the Night King on him, getting Summer, Meera and Jojen Reed, Hodor, and the old Three Eyed Raven killed, and revealed that Jon Snow is really Aegon Targaryen which will be at best good news for some and not so good for others. Bran must have some trick up his sleeve, some bigger role to play other than just being bait, whether he yet knows it or not. Maybe Sam has one more role to play in revealing what the trick is… Anyway, it's apparent that the Night King is coming for Bran. But, he can't have him just yet. Which sets up his last minute rescue by Jon on Rhaegal. I don't remember off hand who is going to the Godswood to protect Bran, but I don't think it ends well for most of them.
End of the Night King?
On the other hand, we have a lot of loose ends to tie up. Is this the end of the Night King and the Army of the Dead? That would leave 3 episodes to recover from the battle, move on Kings Landing, deal with Cersei, Euron, Cleganebowl, etc. A lot can happen in three episodes, but there seems to be a lot that still needs to happen if the story is to have a satisfying conclusion.
People who have been set up to die
One thing Episode 2 did was to set up a number of characters to make their exit. These aren't so much predictions as observation of Game of Thrones patterns. Let's take a look who they threw under the GoT bus, shall we?
Lyanna Mormont
Game of Thrones loves marrying consequences with decisions, and one of the decisions that our feisty Northern warrior woman made was to fight with her men rather than shelter in the crypts against the advice of her uncle Jorah. She's been told the dog bites, but she's going to pet it anyway.
Ser Brienne of Tarth
Jaime knighting Brienne finally knocked that chip off her shoulder that was keeping her from being fully one of the gang, as it were. Previously, she had two modes: in service or aloof. She showed signs of lightening up, working with Podrick and sparring with Arya, but the crying and smiling release of her former self sure seems like a way of arcing toward a conclusion that does not end well. Dying in Jaime's arms sure seems like where that arc is heading.
Gendry
He's forged the dragon glass weapons and he's made love to Arya, so unless they're going to try to put him on the Iron Throne, he may safely be disposed of, not that we want to see him go. Having Arya fly into beserker overdrive after watching Gendry go down would be a welcome use of a that familiar trope.
Ser Davos Seaworth, the Onion Knight
By sending the girl with scars on her face reminiscent of Shireen Baratheon's greyscale scars to the crypt and possibly saving her, he may pay for her life with his. This is a Game of Thrones theme that is repeated and made expressedly clear in the episodes with Jaqen H'ghar and Arya's time with the Faceless Men. Only death can pay for life. This is not seem absolute, but what is the point of that scene if it wasn't to set something up? In this case, it may be setting up the death of Ser Davos.
Beric Dondarrion
The fight against the Night King and the Army of the Dead is Beric Dondarrion's raison d'être. Thoros of Myr and Melisandre are not around to bring him back this time. He'll go down, but he'll take a bunch with him. I think this is a lock.
Samwell Tarley
What in Sam Hill is Sam going to do out fighting with the warriors? Unless he has some trick up his sleeve, I don't see how this ends well for him. What can he do? Sam seems to be too important of a character just to snuff out in a pointless battle scene, so I'm not predicting his demise just yet, but it will be very interesting to see how they square this circle. Maybe it's as simple as him retreating to the Maester's library to look up the hack that's needed in a book…
Tormund Giantsbane
Tormund took his best shot at trying to woo Brienne, but his overtures just made her eyes roll. However, without Tormund asking why a woman can't be a knight (oh those crazy libertarian Freefolk!), Jaime would have never thought to knight Brienne. Would that put a possible relationship in play? I doubt it. More likely, it will just provide a little more emotional energy as she says some words over his dead and perhaps burning body, should she live to see that. However, there aren't any other leaders of the Freefolk running around, and they may need to keep Tormund around to lead them to the lands just South of the wall to start a new life — if the war is won.
Arya
If the Night King goes down — perhaps by Arya's hand — who else is left that requires her special skills to take out? The big-bads that would be left on the table would be Daenerys, Cersei, and the Mountain, and maybe a dragon or two. I think Jaime has dibs on Cersei and the Hound has dibs on the Mountain, and if he's not killed first by Daenerys, Jon has dibs on her. I can't see how they would spin things to have her go after a dragon. Who else is worth using the face trick one more time? I could see using her to clear the path for Jaime and the Hound to get to Cersei and the Mountain and I could see where those three are charged with the mission to infiltrate wherever Cersei's holed up and take her out (and who wouldn't like to see the Hound and Arya back on the road?) It would be kind of an interesting twist if Daenerys charged Jorah to take out Cersei after she's fled King's Landing as a Targaryen calling for the assassination of an exiled Baratheon. Face it: there is probably nobody left in the show whose death could generate as much gut-wrenching sorrow, wailing, and gnashing of teeth than Arya's. I don't know if it's this episode, but I don't see how the writers pass on all of that emotional energy.
No comments:
Post a Comment