The big battle, at least one of them, is here. Who will move on to play the game for the rest of the final season?
After two episodes of tense reunions and fireside farewells, the big war that’s been coming since the first episode of “Game of Thrones” begins this Sunday.
And though some fans have grown impatient with the season-long “sitzkreig” that’s seen more conversations in the crypt than actual action, there’s reason for viewers to dread the long-awaited arrival of the Night King’s forces at Winterfell because, as often mentioned last week, not everyone is making it out alive to fall back to the Iron Islands.
Below, based on a few storytelling hints and whatever passes for potential narrative logic (along with maybe just a little bit of wishful thinking), are rankings of the prospects of survival for characters major and minor in the upcoming battle with the Army of the Dead.
The Night King: Ending a fight that’s been promised the whole series within a span of one episode feels a bit far-fetched. Plus, given he knows whatever Bran knows, he’s a few steps ahead in terms of already knowing he’s the target. Will he even be around on Sunday?
Daenerys Targaryen: You don’t spend seven seasons building up a royal title like Breaker of Chains en route to bringing about a righteous close to a terrible run of rule by men only to get knocked off your dragon with three episodes to go. Although, given this is “Game of Thrones,” it would be a power move to kill off Dany and everyone else before revealing the whole series resides in a snow globe. Still, this seems unlikely.
Cersei Lannister: “Could you all please keep it down up there? I’m trying to finish my wine.”
Euron Grayjoy: (Preens before a mirror and cackles before wondering why all his dreams are about Danish politics.)
Jon Snow: He’s died once already, after all, but the former bastard currently known as Aegon Targaryen should survive for no other reason than to finish that conversation with his aunt/lover Dany about his claim to the throne. Oh, and he can ride a fire-breathing dragon, which certainly helps.
Brandon Stark: Sure, he’s bait for the Night King with no defensive abilities, and thus far every human plan gone poorly, but Bran seems just as valuable to any ending the series has planned as its two would-be monarchs. Besides, his becoming a time-traveling mystic has to be more useful to this story than merely serving as a human embodiment of 23 and Me for Jon, doesn’t it?
Arya Stark: Maybe the fastest fighter alive isn’t going to be at the front, which means she’s likely to be with the women and children in the crypts. As has been repeated everywhere on the internet, this is a terrible idea. (The show all but underlined this by having testaments to their safety repeated almost as often as “Winter is Coming.
