I finally managed to sit down and watch Season Seven of Game of Thrones after having avoided social media about it for the last three weeks so there were no spoilers for me. It was, to say the least, dramatic. The writers certainly know how to keep you glued to a TV screen for an hour. And then, like no doubt everyone else, I started wondering what would happen next.
Sometimes, as an Editor, you can be a real killjoy with films. After having read so much, and worked on so many books you get used to a certain ebb and flow of story lines - the directions that some characters should take for that additional emotional punch to the reader. And, therefore, when it comes to unpredictable endings or plot twists in films - they are, more often than not, actually quite predictable. People hate going to the cinema with me because half way through a film I'll be tutting, having guessed either who the killer is, what the twist is, or how the ending is going to pan out. So I'm wondering - can I do the same with Game of Thrones which is SO unpredictable and good at throwing a curve ball?
After all, *spoilers* I never guessed about the Red Wedding, Viserion dying, or Jon Snow's birthright. But it'd certainly be fun to try...so here are my thoughts on some of the questions about what could occur in Season Eight's finale.
Who gets to sit on the Iron Throne? No one. Nope - that thing is going to be dismantled, melted down by dragon fire or upcycled into shabby chic. A) It's bloody uncomfortable to sit on - I have sat on it and it's not comfy, maybe a nice chaise lounge or lazyboy will do the job B) There's too much blood and bad memories associated with that throne. So whatever else happens that thing is toast. I'm sure the British Heart Foundation would take it...
Who will rule? Well as I can't do it being far too busy with my editing, let's go with a democracy. After all - the monarchy never pans out. One may be fine but what about the descendants? Tyranny, madness, incest - it never seems to work well. So let's ditch the monarchy (we like to have equality and justice for all in our fantasy novels) - instead how about a representative from each of the seven kingdoms and some of the major families (Houses), working together to ensure that Daenerys' vision of a better world continues. Tyrion (House Lannister), Lord Varys (the common folk), Jon Snow (House Targaryen), Sansa Stark (House Stark), Gendry (House Baratheon) and whoever else manages to survive the oncoming slaughter. Jaime and Cersei need not apply as they'll sadly no longer be with us.
What about Daenerys? I'm going all out contentious with this one. Sorry folks, but I don't think she's going to make it. Nor will her dragons. After all, you can't really have them rampaging around the countryside after the war is done. It'd put a real crimp on anyone's reign to have your kids eating the peasants. But, as a consolation - I think she'll take the Night King with her. After all they are the epitome of Fire and Ice...
And they now both have a dragon. So that encounter will, I'm guessing, literally end in a blaze of glory as she and Drogon immolate themselves to take out the Ice King.
Who else dies? Cersei I can't see surviving. She'd just be a constant thorn in everyone's side no matter what happened. Is she pregnant? Or is it something more unfortunate? After all, I'm presuming these characters can get sick as well and tumours were very often mistaken for pregnancies. In which case I can see her finding this out and being all Cleopatra about it - although poison rather than asp seems more her style.
Jaime will probably die heroically and reclaim his honour through his death. He'll save someone. And die tragically but well and get his name in The Book of Brothers. Bron on the other hand is bound to live. He's cockroach-like in his ability to adapt and survive. The Clegane brothers, I'm guessing, will finally meet in battle on the field in the midst of chaos rather than in a pitched stand-off. Wouldn't surprise me at all if the Hound survives that encounter and then goes off travelling with Arya who I can't see settling down anywhere for long. Sam and Gilly will probably live happily ever after and Jorah might take over the Night's Watch in the memory of his Father and Queen. Bran...the three-eyed raven, I'm guessing, will stay at Winterfell with all eyes peeled on past, present and future to ensure a smooth running of the new kingdom.
What else happens? The Night King will probably never get to toast his toes in the sunny south. Awwww...
And all he wanted was a condo and a couple of cocktails. Maybe someone to talk to whose jaw doesn't fall off halfway through the conversation. He and his dead legions will die...again. For good. The Night Watch will probably continue to watch the walls in conjunction with the Wildlings who now get to go home (or stay if they prefer the warmth). The Dothraki are bound to get bored and go back to their plains now they've had their big adventure.
Everyone can sigh with relief as democracy rules in Kings Landing and the world becomes a more peaceful place with free trade across the Narrow Sea. For a while at least. Sadly these things never last long and who knows what will happen 100 years down the line when all the great characters we've come to love/hate have passed into dust, and the dry scrawling of a Maesters' History book are the only remnants of the events that have kept us gripped for eight seasons and seven books.
After all we thought two World Wars would have taught us some lessons and now we have:
More terrifying than any Night King. When truth is stranger than fiction...
Anyway - that was fun. I take no responsibility if I was right about ANY of this. It's all pure guesswork and silliness. Let's see what Season Eight holds for us, no matter what, I'm sure it will be one hell of a ride!