Viewers are still recovering from the action packed Battle of the Bastards, Game of Thrones's bloodiest and most dramatic episode yet. But as fans gather their nerves, the finale of season six fast approaches and if the trailer is anything to go by, it looks like The Winds of Winter will be a much more sombre affair.
There are a lot of loose ends to tie up before the season comes to an end and we're left hankering after more episodes for another year here is a peak at what might happen in episode 10.
The Freys and the Lannister’s friendship could be coming to an abrupt end
With a broken Edmure Tully surrendering his family seat to Jaime Lannister’s siege army and the Blackfish dead, the Freys will be making themselves at home in Riverrun. A decrepit Walder Frey can be seen toasting the alliance, pompously saying: “the Freys and the Lannisters send their regards”.
It’s a very cocky twist on Roose Bolton’s infamous line at the Red Wedding as he slaughtered Robb Stark and his supporters (“the Lannisters send their regards”). Could old Walder’s hubris be his undoing? It certainly wasn’t the Frey’s that managed to dislodge the Blackfish it was Jaime Lannister. If anything, the Freys made a mountain out of a mole hill by losing possession of Riverrun in the first place. Jaime looks unamused by Walder’s toast, and he previously stated his admiration for Catelyn Tully and her uncle the Blackfish. Could he about to have a change of heart? The curmudgeonly Walder has been a despicable source of comedy with his grumpy old man routine, but he certainly won’t be missed. Be out guest, Jaime.
Cersei’s trial
In an echo of last season’s finale, which saw Cersei (well, Lena Headey’s body double) commit the ultimate walk of shame, the dowager Queen will finally stand trial. The Lannister matriarch had always planned to have a trial by combat, with her Franken-Mountain as her champion. The High Sparrow managed to throw a spanner in the works in episode eight, though, when he managed to convince King Tommen to outlaw such a barbaric practice.
Now, Cersei will be judged by seven septas (the Westeros equivalent of nuns). It will be interesting to see how she pleads , even if the church can’t prove her twincest with brother Jaime, cousin Lancel will be more than willing to testify against Cersei. He had an incestuous extra-marital dalliance with Cersei back when she was married to Robert Baratheon in season one.
We all know she’s no innocent, but will she be able to deliver a speech that can rival that of little brother Tyrion’s emotional oration when he was put on trial for the alleged murder of Joffrey? Knowing Cersei, she won’t be prepared to go quietly and she’ll be sure to make her displeasure plain. But who knows, she could attempt to win over the sympathy of the court (we doubt that this will work).
Who are Jon and Sansa’s enemies?
Now that Ramsay Bolton has been thoroughly digested by his hounds, there’s a bit of a power vacuum in the North. Yes, Sansa and Jon are going to try to fill it but the Starks have still be attainted by the crown and are hardly best buddies with the ruling Lannisters. There are going to be plenty of people willing to kick a woman and bastard out of Winterfell in return for a little power.
And more importantly, who is Jon’s mother?
Bran’s visions have brought us tantalisingly close to finding out what really went on in the Tower of Joy in the closing days of Robert Baratheon’s rebellion. However, little has been seen of the last surviving legitimate male offspring of Ned Stark (RIP Rickon) since he was reunited with his Uncle Benjen Stark in episode six, Blood of My Blood.
In one of his previous visions, we saw Ned Stark ascending the steps of the Tower of Joy towards the sound of a screaming woman. Many fans have speculated that his sister Lyanna could be the woman in the Tower and that she is actually Jon Snow’s mother (and Rhaegar Targaryen his father : the eldest son of the mad king).
My humble opinion: The starks have always been known as red haired, while the Targaryens silver haired.... so please where did Jon Snow's shiny black hair come from?
Littlefinger could be asking a little too much of Sansa
Sansa has done a lot of growing up over the last few seasons of Game of Thrones, but it seems she hasn’t quite lost all of her naivety just yet. In the trailer, she asks Littlefinger what he wants and he replies that it is perfectly clear. Yes, it is. And it’s creepy. Stop it.
Could a marital union between Petyr Baelish (who was once in love with Sansa’s mother) and beautiful young Sansa Stark really happen? The Stark heiress owes the brothel impresario after he saved the Starks' bacon in the Battle of the Bastards. However, overtures have already been made towards an alliance between Sansa and her cousin, the creepily juvenile Robin Arryn. Let’s be honest, neither are particularly dashing prospects for teenage Sansa, but both are more appealing than the horrid Ramsay Bolton.
Davos isn’t happy with Melisandre
The avuncular relationship between Davos and Shireen Baratheon was beautiful he showed the princess a paternal warmth which her parents rarely bestowed on her, while Shireen taught the illiterate pirate to read. Melisandre convincing Stannis to burn his own sweet daughter at the stake last season was one of the most brutal departures from George RR Martin’s books and left fans utterly bereft.
While Davos knows that Shireen died while he was away from Castle Black, he is unaware that Melisandre was responsible for her death. In episode nine we saw Davos discover a singed Baratheon stag badge, suggesting that he may have worked out what happened to Shireen. A brief snippet from the episode ten trailer suggests Davos will have his worst fears confirmed and he is sure to be in a rage when he does.
Daenerys is well and truly in the great game
The final snippet of the trailer sees Tyrion counselling Daenerys. Finally, after ruling Mereen on her behalf, we will hopefully see some prolonged interaction between Game of Thrones’s most agile political mind and the dragon Queen. The two are bound to lock horns, as we saw in episode nine, but Tyrion’s subtle approach will hopefully soften Daenerys’s tendency to veer into tyranny and violence.
The season six finale will be broadcast next Sunday , at 2am UK time, and again on Monday June 27 at 9pm.
Is Howland Reed the High Sparrow?
All we know for certain about the nauseatingly moralising High Sparrow is that he was once a wealthy man who shunned material goods in favour of a life of piety. Now a series of eagle-eyed redditers have posited the theory that the High Sparrow is none other than Howland Reed (Jojen and Meera’s father, and the guy who saved Ned Stark at the Tower of Joy).
The physical description of the High Septon in the books matches that of the crannogmen (swamp dwelling folk) the race that the Reeds descend from. What’s more, the High Sparrow has a strange fondness for Ned Stark remonstrating Cersei for the Lord of Winterfell’s execution. What’s more, Howland Reed has been conspicuous in his absence both onscreen (aside from the flashback) and on the page.
Reed was an old friend of Ned, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he wanted to avenge the Starks. However, open battle is not the way of the crannogmen — they prefer covert operations. A long-term scheme to undermine the Lannisters by infiltrating the faith might be fitting of Howland’s character. It’s a little unfeasible that Howland would have committed to such a long winded operation, but still, it’s an interesting theory.
Also, because Howland was present at the Tower of Joy, he could be the only man able to confirm Jon Snow’s true parentage which would make legions of Game of Thrones fans feel very smug if their predictions turn out to be true.
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