Issue X

The most anticipated season in dramatic television history debuts Sunday. For both casual and obsessed fans, this will be an emotional season simply based on the nature of the investment to this point. So far, caught-up viewers have devoted at least 67 hours to a show that’s definitive characteristic is the degradation, torment and sometimes, slaughter, of its most beloved characters.

But that’s why Game of Thrones is revolutionary and why it has viewers so conflicted as to both the anticipated and desired outcome. Sure, the idea of seven kingdoms uniting to defeat the undead is romantic, but is it appropriate in George R.R. Martin’s world of chaos, turmoil and heartbreak?

“If you think this has a happy ending, you haven’t been paying attention.”


– Ramsey Bolton

Regardless of the outcome, GOT should be celebrated for what it’s accomplished in its first six seasons. In a world in which tyranny, misogyny, and wealth are historically essential components of the formula for power, the story now hinges on underdogs and anti-heroes.

“I have a tender spot in my heart for cripples and bastards and broken things.”


– Tyrion Lannister

And it seems that George R.R. Martin and by extension, the HBO writers who have inherited the story, share Tyrion’s compassion for longshots.

Underdogs and Anti-Heroes

As S8 begins, we’ll find Jon Snow, the realm’s most famous “bastard” at the helm of a giant army with the world’s hottest (pun intended) queen in his bed. All of this, despite being neglected by his adopted mother, murdered by his Brothers, and nearly trampled/suffocated in the greatest battle scene in television history.

Bran Stark, a paraplegic since the pilot, who was left out of an entire 10-episode season, is the current the betting favorite to rule Westeros when it’s all said and done. (More on this to come)

Tyrion the diminutive, drunken, egotist who is painfully reminded by both his father and sister to have “killed [his] mother to come into this world” is the shows most beloved character and the dragon queen’s trusted advisor. Despite his small stature and semi-recent patricide (“there’s no kind of killing that doesn’t have its own word”) his aptitude for ruling and politics is most impressive considering his chronic alcoholism.

Daenerys Targaryen, a product of incest and the daughter of an insane person, leads an army of eunuchs and foreigners. If she succeeds and holds true to her promise, the wheel of power will be GOT’s ultimate “broken thing.”

Samwell Tarley, a coward disowned by his father, who fell in love with a wildling, is currently one of the realm’s most important people because only he and Bran know Jon’s true heritage. He is also the most trusted advisor and best friend to the rightful heir of the Iron Throne.

The story’s collection of cripples, bastards, and broken things represent many of most important characters and themes in Westeros. It is up to these misfits, and others (we’re looking at you Brienne), to defeat the undead army in the North AND Cersei’s sellswords, who have been purchased to defend Kings Landing and protect her unborn child.

Additional GOT S8 thoughts, predictions and ramblings:

Daenerys, Jon, and the Wheel

The same show that capitalized on viewers’ visceral disgust for incest in its first episode, actually had us cheering when an aunt and her nephew got it on aboard her ship at the end of Season 7. (Hey Tyrion, when the poop deck is rockin’ don’t come a knockin’.)


Note: It’s been suggested that Tyrion is jealous of Jon in this moment. This shot certainly isn’t accidental – nothing in this show is accidental. But jealous? I don’t buy it. Tyrion is likely more concerned than jealous. Maybe because he made a deal with Cersei in Kings Landing that a little Targaryen baby would foil? We’ll find out.

Jon will presumably learn about his true lineage early in S8 and at somepoint he’ll have to tell Daeny. Surely, the woman who has been touting herself as the true heir to the Iron Throne since S1, won’t be thrilled to learn that Jon has a stronger claim than she.

Jaime Lannister

Along the way, this rich, spoiled pretty boy became one of, if not the, most nuanced and interesting characters in Game of Thrones. We’ve seen Jaime cripple cute little Brandon Stark, brutally murder his Lannister cousin with his bare hands, rape his sister on their son’s deathbed, and promise to split fan favorite Tyrion “in two.” We’ve also seen Jaime defy his father and sister to free his innocent brother, twice save his former captor Brienne of Tarth (once by talking Locke’s men out of raping her and again by leaping into a pit with a grizzly bear). Most recently, we saw Jaime abandon the love of his life when Cersei informed him of her plans to back-stab Tyrion, Jon, and Daenerys.

“She’ll be the end of you”


– Bronn to Jaime about Cersei

Jaime has always been torn between his familial duty and his (albeit, wavering) moral compass. The witch’s prophecy delivered to pre-teen Cersei predicts that she will be killed by her brother. She’s always believed this to be Tyrion, but it’s looking more and more like Jaime’s hero’s journey ends with him killing his star-crossed lover. The final season will include both moments of redemption and heartbreak for the prettiest blonde in Westeros.


Arya & Sansa

Hey Westeros, look out for these two.

Sansa Stark: How did you get back to Winterfell?
Arya Stark: It’s a long story. I imagine yours is, too.
Sansa Stark: Yes. Not a very pleasant one.
Arya Stark: Mine neither. But our stories aren’t over yet.
Sansa Stark: No, they’re not.

– S7E4

The Stark sisters have faced worst abuse and torment than most others still alive in the story, and that’s saying something. Now, the two sisters who once hated each other are back together in Winterfell and holy shit, enemies beware.

Arya is a masterful swords-woman and has been obsessed with revenge since she first recited her list in S2. For most of her story, Arya has had to fend for herself and she’s done well, but for the first time in Season 8, Arya will have an Avengers-like group of allies on her side – consider the list of skilled fighters and power brokers who have demonstrated affection/support for Arya: Jon Snow, Sansa Stark, Brienne of Tarth, The Hound, and Gendry. And they’ll all be in Winterfell soon.

Arya’s been checking names off of her list on her own but there is still work to be done. Remember what she told Ed Sheeran:

Sansa has been less vocal about her desire for revenge but make no mistake: Sansa is as vengeful as any single person in Westeros and we’ve gotten a glimpse into what she’s cappable of. She used Littlefinger’s army of the Veil to overthrow the Boltons and eventually fed Ramsey to his dogs – a rye smile crept across her face as he was torn apart. A season later, she had Littlefinger executed in front of the lords of the North with the help of Arya and Bran.

“I learned a great deal from her.”

– Sansa on Cersei Lannister.

Together, these sisters form an immensely powerful duo hell-bent on avenging the crimes against their family. It should be interesting to see how the Stark Ladies respond to Daenerys Targaryen. Best of luck to Jon Snow at the S8 intersection of GOT’s most fierce female protagonists.

The Three-Eyed Brandon

There is a popular fan theory that suggests Bran, now the magical Three-Eyed Raven, may actually be the Night King (hence why the betting odds favor Bran above all else to take the Iron Throne.) You can read about it here.

Regardless of the validity of this theory, we do know that Bran is has been linked to the Night King since the Night King touched him on the arm in a S6 vision (that’s what allowed the army of the dead to enter the Weirwood Tree and kill the former Three-Eyed Raven). We have also seen hints that Bran can warg into the undead. At the end of the scene below, it appears Bran is occupying the mind of the wight giant:

So, this would imply that Bran could also warg into the white walker’s dragon, which would be pretttttty cool. But, can he warg into the Night King himself? Did Bran somehow get trapped in the Night King’s body during a time travel expedition? It’s tough to know because we don’t have any insight into the motivation of the Knight King, other than that he intends to advance past the wall and that he hasn’t directly attacked Jon Snow despite having multiple opportunities at Hardhome and in the episode titled “Beyond the Wall.”

Keep in mind: We have also heard the former three-eyed raven warn Bran about spending too much time on vision quests and young Hodor’s seizure is an example of the tragedies that can occur when Bran meddles too much with time and space. Also, we know the Stark’s have the blood of the First Men, one of whom became the Knight King.

“The past is already written. The pen is dried.”

“It is beautiful beneath the sea, but if you stay too long, you’ll drown.”

– The Three-Eyed Raven to Bran Stark

Note: Where are the rest of the Children of the Forrest? What is their role to play here? They created the damn Knight King!

Finally, remember that throughout the series, the writers have reminded us that more often than not, Westerosi Lords align with the side they think will win, not the side that has the most legitimate claim to rule. Don’t be surprised to see a House attempt to form an allegiance with the Night King.

Season 8 Ultimate Prediction

Jon will die and the women will rule.

Jon is the kind, empathetic King that Westeros needs, but Daeny is the ferocious, vengeful and just-but-merciless Queen that Westeros deserves. The writers have made obvious suggestions that Jon Snow is the “Prince Who Was Promised” but as Missandei points out in S7, the true translation of the prophecy is the “Prince or Princess who was promised”.

Jon is a tortured soul since he was betrayed and murdered at Castle Black, and he told Melisandre not to bring him back if he fell at the Battle of the Bastards. Despite his steamy night(s) with Daenerys, his true love was killed by that grumpy little ginger, Ollie. He might be the father to an eventual Daenerys baby but I doubt he’ll end up at her side when it’s all said an done. GOT just doesn’t tie bows that neatly.

If any of the Starks come to power, it will be Sansa. She is the oldest true born Stark (Jon’s true name is Targaryen) and c’mon, not all of the Starks can get killed off.. Right?? Arya doesn’t want to rule, she wants to fight. Sansa wants to rule and demonstrated prowess in S7.

“There must always be a Stark in Winterfell.”

– Ned Stark

Ultimately, I think Daenerys Targaryen will end up on the Iron Throne (perhaps not literally if Kings Landing is destroyed) and she will face the dilemma of if/how to break the wheel. Is the realm divided into self-governing kingdoms? Is there some type of democratic republic put into place? Or does she go back on her promise and rule with the fire and fury of past Targaryen regimes?

I don’t know but I can’t fucking wait to find out. Happy Thrones.