As we are all very aware, the “Game of Thrones” season finale premiered recently. While I did think that there was a bit of a lull mid-season, the last two episodes definitely picked up. A lot of plot points that we have all been waiting the entire show for are coming to fruition. Dany is finally at sea, Jon Snow is King in the North, and R+L=J is finally confirmed. Not to mention that karma finally caught up to Walder Frey in the form of Arya Stark.
While it is great to revel in all the good that is finally coming in the show, we do have a while to wait before the next season. Therefore, I just wanted to leave you all with some things to keep in mind while you impatiently wait for Season 7.
Why Arya and Sansa need to reunite.
So, as fans of the show will know, Arya Stark is on her way to Winterfell. She has just crossed paths with Walder Frey, crossing off a name on her list in the process. How she was able to reach the Riverlands so quickly is something that I will never understand and beside the point. In all likelihood, both the sisters and Jon will be reunited. From a writer’s standpoint this is why Arya and Sansa need to reunite: They are perfect parallels.
Let’s go back to the beginning. On one hand we have Sansa, the beautiful eldest daughter whose only wish is to marry a handsome prince, become a princess and live happily ever after. On the other hand we have Arya, the tomboy living in her sister’s shadow who’s only wish is to be able to fight like a man. As you can imagine, two sisters with such different interests and ultimate desires didn’t get along.
Well, each of the sisters get their heart’s wish. Sansa is sent off to marry Prince Joffrey, only to have her innocent fantasy perspective of life shattered over and over again. Arya got her wish as well, only to realize what fighting really entails: fear and death. And she hasn’t stopped fighting for a single waking moment ever since.
Both having had their childhood wishes realized, the two girls have grown to learn so much about what they had originally lacked. Sansa, who had originally been naïve with terrible judgement, has grown to become a master politician and has an expert awareness of people’s nature. Arya, who had originally lacked the strength and stomach for violence, who has become an assassin with a thirst for blood and vengeance. They have both hardened and they now each possess strengths that would complement each other well.
Therefore, as much as I share everyone’s excitement on the idea of Jon and Arya reuniting, from a literary standpoint, this is the much more interesting reunion. Either that or Arya and Sansa will have to have parallel deaths, since everyone always dies on this freaking show…
Why are we all forgetting about the White Walkers?
I mean I understand, it’s easy to forget them as they only come up every couple of episodes and sometimes in passing remarks, but COME ON PEOPLE. I have seen so many articles come out after the finale regarding the tension building up between Jon and Sansa, the possibility that tension will rise as Sansa wasn’t named Queen in the North. Although I personally can’t picture ever Sansa wanting to be Queen of the North, THAT SHOULD BE THE LEAST OF YOUR CONCERNS RIGHT NOW.
There are thousands of White Walkers on their way South right now. That’s right, White Walkers, the force of nature that the show has been alluding to since the very opening of Season 1 Episode 1. The evil beings that will continue to increase the size of their army the more people they kill- YES THEM.
Let me just say, first of all, I was very disappointed with the explanation given this season regarding their existence. We have been waiting since the beginning of the show to understand these creatures and, essentially, The Children just told Bran that they had created the white walkers to fight against man.
Care to elaborate on that? Like… was there a specific battle or something that had happened that made you think you had no other choice than to create a race of zombie ice creatures that even you can’t control? Oh, you’re already dead? Cool.
I was hoping that Uncle Benjen, who is miraculously alive, would’ve been able to provide them with an explanation as he had been saved by The Children, but, alas, that didn’t happen and I have a feeling we’re not going to get a better answer.
Ultimately, the North, and fans of the show, need to be far less concerned with who will end up being King or Queen in the North and rather about whether or not either of those characters are even going to live long enough for us to find out. Because, as of right now, a massive army is coming for Winterfell and the armies of the fellow Northerners to save them from an icy demise.
What comes next?
Now, as I am not George RR Martin or a producer on the show I have absolutely no way of answering this question. However, I do want to leave you all with some big questions for the next two seasons.
Firstly, how is Cersei going to die? Because she has to die now, there is no way she can stay on the Iron Throne. She will run Westeros into the ground…well… more than she already has.
Next, how will the North take on the White Walkers? We know that Winterfell is now backed by the rest of the North, but will that be enough? Or will they need to recruit a bigger army from elsewhere, possibly further South?
What role will The Hound play as the action unfolds? There was a fan theory circulating after his revival that he would end up playing a role in Cersei’s trail, though Tommen dashed those hopes when he banned trial by combat in the Seven Kingdoms. So, why has the Hound cheated death? What role will he come to play in the upcoming seasons?
What the heck is going to happen with Dany and Bran? Dany is on her way to Westeros to attempt to claim the Iron throne, blissfully unaware of the impending danger from the North. Bran is in the middle of that danger and unable to really help without an army to advise. Will Bran meet up with Sansa, Jon and Arya at Winterfell- all the remaining Stark children finally together again? Sounds a little too good to be true for Martin. And will Dany and Cersei just battle it out for the Throne while the North holds their own? Or will Dany and her dragons end up playing a pivotal role in that fight as well?
And, finally, who will sit on the Iron Throne? We only have two seasons and a total of sixteen episodes left for the question, for which everyone has been anticipating since season one, to be answered. Right now the debate between fans seems to most widely favor either Jon Snow or Daenerys Targaryen. Who will it be?
Well, see you guys in a year. Ugh.
