The Game of Thrones Ending the Ghosts of Ned and Robert would Cook-up

What does the future hold for Westeros? With only one episode left — just eighty minutes! — they've got a lot to wrap up. Since there is so little time left, I think we can safely say that Cersei died under that pile of rubble along with Jaime, and taking her out leaves only one megalomaniac left: Daenerys backed up by Drogon. Who are left who have a more-or-less conventional claim to the throne:

• Daenerys
• Jon Snow/Aegon Targaryen
• Gendry Baratheon

Anyone else would have to take the throne by right of conquest, but they don't seem to have anyone queued to do that. This doesn't mean there won't be a big battle, just that the squabbling will be done by those with a claim.

Something that was not entirely clear in the last episode is whether or not Varys got the word out about Jon's true identity. Obviously some people know — Jon, Samwell Tarley, Bran the Three Eyed Raven, Sansa and Arya Stark — but that group is small enough and well-aligned enough that they could keep it a secret. Why would they want to do that? Given that you can take out Daenerys and Drogon — and they are getting taken out — how would, say the ghosts of Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark set up what would in their mind be the best arrangement for Westeros?

King Gendry Baratheon, First of his Name

Do the people of King's Landing really want a Targaryen sitting on the throne after a Targaryen burnt the city to the ground, killing who knows how many defenseless men, women, and children? Or, would they like to put the handsome son of jolly old King Robert on the throne and relive some days of peace, if not prosperity. But what the hell does Gendry know about being king? Nothing, but what the hell did Tommen or Joffrey or Robert for that matter know about being king when they ascended the throne? That doesn't matter, especially if you have good advisers. By my reckoning, there is exactly one adviser still alive who was both loyal and more or less clear-eyed and right in the counsel he provided: Ser Davos Seaworth, Hand of the King to Stannis Baratheon.

Ser Davos Seaworth, Hand of the King

Ser Davos is the obvious pick here. He's already put his neck on the line for Gendry by setting him free and his loyalty to Stannis might easily translate into loyalty to House Baratheon. Ser Davos was always adamant about the legitimacy of his claim, and Gendry has been given the Baratheon name is the rightful heir as Robert's only surviving son.

Queen Sansa Baratheon

By my reckoning, there are only three candidates still alive for consideration to marry to Gendry: Arya, Sansa, and Yara Greyjoy. I don't know if all of that Arya-in-the-mayhem in episode 5 was to set up some epiphany that she needs to woman up and do her duty to family and country and marry a lord (or king), but I don't think so. Yara, while a great character on GoT would be a strategic blunder, since now that the Iron Fleet is destroyed, the Iron Islands aren't worth anything to the realm. So, that leaves Sansa, and with the story back where it started to go, joining houses Baratheon and Stark by marrying Sansa to a future Baratheon king.

Lord Jon Stark, Warden of the North

There must always be a Stark in Winterfell, and the way to do that is to have King Gendry grant Jon the Stark name and make him Warden in the North. Although there would be some bad blood with some of the Northmen about his renouncing his title of King in the North, its plausible that having Daenerys's troops and dragons was somehow decisive in the battle against the Night King and the Army of the Dead. Recall, that the only living people who actually saw what happend was Bran and Arya. It would be satisfying to see Jon rebuilding Winterfell and the North, with Ghost by his side.

Jon Snow, Freefolk

As an alternative, after killing Daenerys and possibly Drogon, I could see Jon saying "enough!" and head north to hang with Tormund and Ghost. That would be equally, or perhaps more satisfying than seeing him back at Winterfell.

Samwell Tarley, "Maester" of Winterfell

It's conceivable that they could restore House Tarley, but why? Just because he's Jon's friend? I don't think so. It's more likely that he stays on at Winterfell as its "Maester" in quotes because of the whole Gilly dynamic. I could see Jon letting Sam fill the Master role, but marry Gilly and give little same the Tarley name.

Samwell Tarley, Freefolk

Alternatively, Sam, Gilly, and little Sam could head north to live with the Freefolk, but if they were going to do that, they could have gone with Tormund and Ghost. Still, if Jon decides to go, you could see Sam deciding to go with him.

Ser Brienne of Tarth, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard (Queensguard)

If there is a Queen Sansa, then I put my money on there being a Lord Commander Brienne. How couldn't there be? The whole Jaime going back to Cersei was a storytelling disaster, IMO, but the psycho-emotional damage to Brienne's character is done, what better place for her than back in the Kingsguard where the rules are simple and she has no one to bother her?

Lord Tyrion Lannister, Warden of the West

We can only hope that Tyrion does something smart, clever, or useful in the series finale, but even if he doesn't, I think he winds up back at Casterly Rock. There is an off chance that he and Sansa are still married or will get remarried, but I think this unlikely. That doesn't mean it wouldn't make sense, because the rift between House Lannister and House Stark is much wider than anything between Stark and Baratheon. Closing that rift would go a long way in healing Westeros.

Arya Stark, Winterfell Crypt Statue

There is, of course, a chance that Arya Stark may survive the series. She may have some sort of epiphany while running around or getting trampled the mayhem of the destruction of King's Landing for a seeming third of episode 5 and will deign to have herself married off to Gendry or Tyrion, but I don't think that's likely — she's been pretty adamant about what she is or isn't. I think she's going to go out like The Hound, taking the big bad with her.

Arya Stark, Daenerys Targaryen

The dragon in the rubble is, of course, Drogon. With Daenerys taken out, they can't have a dragon flying free in Westeros. How in the Sam Hill are they going to take him out? It would be pretty lame for them to come across a Scorpion that just happened to be lying around, although I supposed they could build another one at some point, but what if it's Arya's fate to take Daenerys's face to fake out Drogon and then to fly him to exhaustion over the ocean or to Old Valyria? It would be a cool last scene to see Arya somewhere in Essos where someone recognizes her as Khaleesi and she removes the face and says, "that's not me, I'm Arya Stark!" after having deposited Drogon in Old Valyria. Maybe with Yara Greyjoy coming to pick her up in the background. That's how I'd do it!