Welcome to Burning Questions of Game of Thrones, a weekly recap of the HBO series devoted to theories and speculation. In other words, nerdgasm central.
Theories may include plot points from both Game of Thrones show and A Song of Ice and Fire books. I use book info to give context to material in the show.
During the Long Night until season 8, I will continue to post Game of Thrones material about once per month, because the night is dark and full of terrors.
This is part 2 of the BQ for Season 7 Episode 7. Check out part 1 here.
What Happened Between Cersei & Tyrion?
How deep is Cersei’s crazy? She blames Tyrion for the Lannister’s downfall after Tywin’s death, when in fact it was her own scheming against the Tyrells that destroyed the family. It was her own murderous revenge that resulted in the death of her son; it was her murder of Oberyn Martell (via the Mountain) that resulted in the revenge killing of her daughter Myrcella. But in Cersei’s fevered brain, Tyrion is the one responsible for all of this. She accepts responsibility for nothing, and her hate knows no bounds. But she had an agenda, which was making sure that Tyrion knows she is pregnant (allegedly), and to take her offer of help to Jon and Daenerys. But did Tyrion believe what Cersei was selling? He knows her better than anyone
except for Jaime. And he’s much, much smarter. It’s possible that he knows that Cersei is lying. It’s likely that he made a deal with Cersei for expediency, but knows that she’s up to something.
Nothing that Cersei has told anyone in this episode is the truth. How much does Tyrion know?
What is Cersei’s True Objective?
Cersei has no intention of locking herself up in the Red Keep while the rest of Westeros fights the dead. She has a plan. She has no interest in making the world a better place, but she wants to rule it nonetheless. Logic.
So what’s the deal? We know that Euron Greyjoy is escorting The Golden Company from Essos to Westeros to join what’s left of the Lannister army. If they’re not going north to join the fight the dead, what are they going to do?
Cersei was very clear about her plans when she spoke to Tycho Nestoris, the representative from the Iron Bank. After she paid her debt in full, Nestoris suggested that bank could help her with another “venture.” She responded:
“My only venture at this moment is establishing control over this continent and every person on it.”
She tells him that she will need more gold to expand her armies and navies and that she will need another loan in order to hire The Golden Company, a renown army of sellswords. Nestoris says that the Iron Bank has used The Golden Company in the past to recover loans that were “in deep arrears.”
“That’s good to hear,” replies Cersei. “I too would like them to recover some things that belong to me.”
What does she mean, “recover some things?” As in Westeros? Hm.
Will the Golden Company Make or Break?
If you haven’t read the books you need to know a little bit of this army’s history, because it will definitely have an impact on what happens once they set foot on Westeros. The Golden Company is an army of sellswords founded in 212 AC by Ser Aegor Rivers, a legitimized bastard son of King Aegon IV and Lady Barbra Bracken.
Aegor was also known as Bittersteel and he is the last Targaryen seen wielding Blackfyre, House Targaryen’s missing Valyrian sword. The Golden Company has been the most respected and expensive army for good reason. Their fighting is legendary, and their word is gold. When they sign a contract, they fulfill it no matter what.
Here’s the thing: Targaryens. It’s possible that once they hear that they’re supposed to be going after not one Targaryen but two of them, that the company will do the math, smell the dragon fire and join the opposition. The walking dead (oops) may freak them out enough to make them switch sides. Ser Jorah, who fought for the Golden Company before he met Daenerys (convo in season 4), may work some diplomatic magic and have them switch sides. Either way, prepare for conflict because they’ve already been mentioned twice in the show as an army that never breaks a contract, which means that they’re going to break the contract.
Will Theon Get to Yara in Time?
It was awesome to see Theon get his soul back, but what will he find when he reaches his brother’s fleet? Will Yara be alive or dead? Or will she be as damaged as Theon was when she launched a mission to rescue Theon from Ramsay? It’s hard to believe that Yara could ever be that damaged, but Euron is a monster.
What Will Jaime Do?
The moment that Jaime realizes that Cersei doesn’t care about him at all is heart-breaking, even if you’ve been (like I have) yelling at him to get away from that crazy bitch since she blew up the Sept. This season has been increasingly disrespectful to Jaime, from her engagement to Euron Greyjoy, to her casual derision, to name-calling. It had to end in a confrontation, and it does.
After fruitlessly trying to reason with her about the threat in the north, and hearing that she has been planning strategy behind his back, Cersei, led by paranoia and egomania, falsely accused Jaime of treason for meeting with Tyrion. Jaime’s face as Cersei the love of his life, orders his death, is a portrait of pain. It’s a moment we all wish he could have avoided.
“I don’t believe you,” he says to her. But he does, because he leaves town immediately. To the North, but where? Winterfell? Dragonstone? Will he ask the Lannister Army to follow him? He is respected by the Lannister forces. It’s possible that he may send word to them that the Queen has lost her mind and that they should head North and join him in the fight against the dead. They would follow him. Imagine if Jaime takes the Lannister army and then The Golden Company deserts her for the two Dragons. Cersei winds up alone and pissed in the Red Keep, with Qyburn. I would pay money to watch her go down that rabbit hole.
What will Cersei do? Her clenched fist as she watches him leave does not bode well.
Burning Questions of Bran’s Flashback
This slow-drip of the facts surrounding Rhaegar and Lyanna’s relationship raises more questions than it answers. Is there a long flashback that will answer all these questions? Pray to the old gods and the new.
After happily witnessing the two lovers exchanging vows, it becomes clear that there is so much that we still don’t know. All we have is the little nugget of R+L=J. But so much drama surrounds this fact that it’s still as if we know nothing. Like Jon Snow. Here’s a list of all the things we don’t know about Rhaegar and Lyanna and how they wound up the married parents of Aegon Targaryen/Jon Snow
- How did they meet and where? Was it before the tourney at Harrenhal, or at the Tourney?
- How did the relationship develop? The Crown Prince of the Seven Kingdoms and the wild Princess of the North didn’t just Netflix and chill, so how did we get from her tears over his songs at Harrenhal to running off together and a baby?
- What the heck were they thinking? Why didn’t they come out of hiding after Lyanna’s father and older brother were killed by Mad King Aerys (Dany’s father)? Why didn’t they explain what happened when Robert’s Rebellion started? Why didn’t they move to stop the bloodshed?
- Why did Rhaegar (who by all accounts was a decent man) publicly shame and repudiate his wife and the mother of his children by favoring Lyanna with the crown of roses? He didn’t have to make his love for another woman so public, but he did. There has to be a reason.
- Why don’t we know Elia Martell’s reaction to any of this? Did she know about Rhaegar and Lyanna? Was she horrified and humiliated at the Tourney? Did she know about Lyanna’s pregancy? Did she know about the annulment?
- Why was the annulment kept secret? Once it was revealed, there would have been war with Dorne. Revealing it would publicly legitimize baby Aejon (ha) which was his objective in marrying Lyanna. Instead, they ran off and there was a war anyway. So…
- What Was the Plan? Rhaegar was next in line to the throne. He could do whatever he pleased, even if it caused a scandal (incest, anyone)? So what was the objective of running off in secret with his true love? Did he plan on abandoning the throne? What did they plan to do after the baby was born?
- Was Rhaegar planning to overthrow his father? Did he want to return with a new heir and an army to overthrow the Mad King? There are theories that say Rhaegar financed the Tourney at Harrenhal to get all the nobles of Westeros in one place in order to plan the removal of his increasingly insane father, King Aerys. Unfortunately, the King, who hadn’t left the Red Keep in years, surprised everyone by attending the tourney.
- Why did he give his son with Lyanna the same name as his firstborn son from his first marriage? Did he know his children with Elia would die? Did he suspect his son with Elia of not being his child? Was it for the prophecy?
- Why did Lyanna agree to name her son Aegon? If you were a second wife, would you do such a thing? Lyanna was no shrinking violet, so there had to be a good reason. What is it?
- Was Lyanna the Knight of the Laughing Tree? Is that how she and Rhaegar met?
- Did Benjen know all? Benjen was at the Tourney and as a sibling to Ned and Lyanna must have known something about Jon’s true parentage. In season 1, when Jon tells him that he will join the Night’s Watch and that he doesn’t care that he’s giving up the right to marry and have a family, Benjen says to him, “That’s because you don’t know what you’re giving up.” Was this advice from a lonely knight, or vast understatement from someone keeping a secret?
- Who told the Starks that Rhaegar had kidnapped and raped Lyanna Stark in the first place? That lie sent Rickon and Brandon Stark to the Mad King to demand her return. In response, the King killed both of them (horribly). The Stark killings sparked Robert’s Rebellion and the fall of House Targaryen. But there was no kidnapping or rape. Who sent the Stark men to their deaths and started a war?
- Can we please, please get an extended flashback (60-90 minutes) of the events at Harrenhal? It was a huge turning point for so many of the characters on the show, and so much happened there that we need to know. We need to see what happened and who knew what when, and what Rhaegar and Lyanna’s first meeting (if it was the first) was like. I want to see the Knight of the Laughing Tree kick some ass, Ned with his father and brothers and the Mad King. Details. I want DETAILS!
How will Daenerys and Aejon Handle the Truth?
The show has made it fairly obvious that J(A)+D = ice&firebaby. Will their relationship survive the news that they’re related? Will they care that they have competing claims to the throne? Will their child be the song of ice and fire? Is their (potential) child the third head of the dragon? Will they both ride dragons to fight the wight Viserion? Will either or both of them die by the end of next season? Daenerys’ death has been foreshadowed. In season 2 during Daenerys’ visions, she leaves the throne room in the red keep to go out through the snow and join Khal Drogo and her son in a tent. Ahem.
What’s Tyrion’s Problem?
Tyrion looks extremely disturbed about the Targaryen boat sex. It is possible that he’s in love with Daenerys, but I doubt it. The look on his face is more consternation than jealousy. Tyrion is concerned about complications. Conflicts of interest, conflicting advice and a potential dragon baby that would be vulnerable to Cersei’s murderous plots.
Is that Fire or Ice Viserion is Blowing?
Fire. Neil deGrasse Tyson said so. ↓
Intriguing Thermal Physics in #GameOfThrones: BlueDragon breath would be at least a factor of 3X hotter than RedDragon breath pic.twitter.com/RvpBkqJ1sw
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) September 24, 2017
Where is the Army of the Dead Headed?
The army of the dead sequence was breath-taking to watch. There was a grotesque grandeur in the whole sequence, due mostly to the cinematography, special effects, and again, Ramin Djawadi’s fantastic score. The air of inevitable doom of the marching dead gave me chills. Wight Viserion was both amazing and horrifying; that laser flame and those wings! The collapse of the wall was horrifying to watch. Winter is here. Valar Morghulis.
The dead will hit Castle Black, sweep through the Karstark and Umber strongholds and hit Winterfell, where a huge battle will take place. I think another Dance of the Dragons will happen with Drogon and Rhaegal fighting the undead Viserion. It’s possible most of the major players will be in this battle, as everyone is heading North to fight. We will see some wight characters that have died in previous episodes. Obviously Wun-Wun, probably Hodor (just stab in the chest and twist it), and maybe even Stannis Baratheon, who died in the North but wasn’t burned. Oh and it would be hilarious (not) if the dead Freys jumped into the fray.
Do You Have a Crazy Prediction?
Here’s mine: Jaime is headed North, possibly to Winterfell. The place where he pushed a young child out of a tower window so that he could fuck his sister in peace. I think that as soon as Bran and Arya get wind of him, he’ll be a dead man. They may even head him off before he gets to Winterfell. Arya will kill him, take his face and ride for King’s Landing, where she will end Cersei Lannister’s miserable existence while wearing Jaime’s face, fulfilling the prophecy from the book that tells her that she will be killed by a “little brother.”
Share your own predictions or theories (crazy or not) in the comments!
Thanks for reading! Check back soon for more GoT content.
