So, here we are again, at the end of yet another epic, mind-splattering, emotionally-charged season of Game of Thrones. We got our full seasonal dose of all the twists, turns, shocks, betrayals, revelations, triumphs, and, of course, horrific, gruesome deaths that we've come to expect from our sacred Sunday addiction.
For those of us who have been on this ride from the very beginning, we understand all too well that there's nothing more depressing than reaching the end of an action-packed season and knowing we're going to have to wait almost a FULL YEAR before we can find out what happens next. The wait can be almost unbearable, especially at this point immediately after the season ends and we haven't yet adjusted to our yearly life-without-GoT.
In light of this intolerable pain, I've concocted a list of things to look forward to for next season to steer our minds away from the anguish and onto the fun and excitement of the epic things to come in Season 7!
1. All Things Jon Snow
Not only has Jon Snow now been named the King in the North, but it has finally been revealed who his true parents are, proving the many R+L=J theorists on the internet correct once and for all. Jon himself doesn't even know the truth of this yet, but will he find out? What will the implications be when it is accepted that Jon Snow is a Targaryen, with just as valid of a claim to the Iron Throne as Daenerys? Will Jon and Daenerys rule together? The information of his true heritage, coupled with his miraculous resurrection from death, makes it obvious that Jon Snow is destined for something monumental.
2. Arya's Return Home
Not many things feel more triumphant than seeing Arya finally get revenge on the murderer of her brother and mother, the insufferable Walder Frey. In fact, she did the entire North a favor by getting rid of this nasty, obnoxious man. Where will she go next? Will she go straight to the next person on her hit list, or will she seek out the surviving members of her family? She is now in the North, after all, not too far from her siblings Jon and Sansa in Winterfell. I think all of us have been begging the Old Gods and the New for 5 seasons now to see Arya finally reunite with her family, and at this point, it really seems like it's heading that way.
3. Daenerys' Invasion of King's Landing
Season 6 ended with a grand shot of Daenerys' massive army sailing on a fleet of ships as far as the eye can see, headed straight to Westeros on her long-awaited quest to overtake the Iron Throne. Will she first lay waste to the Iron Islands on the way there with her new Greyjoy alliance, or is she gunning straight for the seat of power before anything else? To see her FINALLY set foot in King's Landing, ready for a full-scale invasion, will possibly be the most epic thing we've seen yet in Game of Thrones.
4. Bran, the Three-Eyed Raven
Bran Stark has now been thrust into the role of the Three-Eyed Raven, which just might turn out to make him the most important character in Game of Thrones when it's all said and done. He has the ability to see into the past and the future, giving him access to basically all information, all knowledge, which can potentially be more powerful and world-saving than just about anything. He was obviously always destined to inherit this all-important position, so what will his role be in the great war to come? Will he, like Arya, soon be reunited with his family? He's not that far away from Jon, Sansa and Arya, basically just on the other side of the wall from them, and he's the only one (as far as we know) who knows the truth about Jon Snow's parents. Will he tell him? What more will he learn?
5. Jaime's Reaction to Cersei and Tommen
The last images we saw at King's Landing were Cersei being named the new ruler of the Seven Kingdoms, and her brother/lover Jaime just returning home to see her be crowned. He seemingly has no idea what he just walked into, but he must know that if Cersei is being named the new Queen, then his only remaining son Tommen must be dead somehow. That's a whole lot to wrap your head around in one unfolding moment. How will he react to not only Tommen's death in itself, but learning that his death was a result of Cersei committing such a grand, unspeakable act of destruction? Will he be able to forgive her this time? Or will he be happy to revel in their newfound power?
6. Tyrion's Return to his Siblings
This one's bound to be eventful. When Tyrion, with Daenerys, makes his return to King's Landing, he will be coming back as an invader to his own homeland. How often do you hear that one? His sister Cersei, who hates his guts and still blames him for the death of her son Joffrey, is now the Queen of King's Landing (once again), and his brother Jaime, who loves him and helped his escape his own execution, is there right by her side. This will obviously put Jaime in an extremely tough position; Cersei will want to kill Tyrion on sight; and Tyrion -- what will Tyrion do? This whole inevitable encounter between the three of them is guaranteed to be drama at its highest.
7. Samwell the Maester
It seems that our dear, sweet Sam might have finally put himself in a favorable position for once, as the possible new Maester of the Citadel with access to what seems to be an absolutely endless amount of books. This is the life he was truly meant for. It seems inevitable that Sam will discover some incredibly vital bit of knowledge that will be essential to helping the living in the upcoming war against the dead, which was the original mission in becoming a Maester in the first place. However, how will his new role conflict with his inherited "family" of Gilly and baby Sam? The Citadel doesn't seem to allow women and children. Additionally, will Sam's hateful father come after him for stealing the family sword?
8. The Hound vs. The Mountain
After both The Hound, and his older brother The Mountain, overcame incredible odds and almost certain death to be here now, alive and kicking, we are left with understanding that this can only mean that their paths will cross again. I think we all know that an almighty showdown between The Hound and The Mountain is certain to go down in the near future. The two biggest, most frightening men in all of Westeros; legendary brothers who have nothing but bad blood for each other. How exactly will it go down and who will win?
9. Sansa and Petyr Baelish
The relationship between Sansa and Petyr continues to unfold into a fascinating drama. Petyr is gunning for her hard, adamantly urging her to marry him, Sansa just can't bring herself to trust him and fully accept his advances, but she also has benefited immensely from his aid on multiple occasions, most recently in the Battle of the Bastards, which saved her life, Jon's life, and the entire future of the North. Petyr spoke to Sansa about the potential of her being the Lady of Winterfell, and even the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, if she would trust him and let him make his cunning maneuvers. Now that Jon has been named the King in the North, it will be interesting to see how she assesses the situation and weighs her options. Will her newfound desires for personal power drive her to pursue increasingly bolder decisions? Will she ever come to fully trust Petyr? Will she decide to give in and marry him for at least strategic purposes?
10. And of course, the White Walkers
The ever-present, all-encompassing threat that can make all of the above seem pretty trivial in comparison. As the season finale told us, finally, "Winter is here." Some point soon, these guys are going to take down that wall and wage an apocalyptic war upon the living, and it's sincerely scary to think about what that will mean for all of our favorite characters. It's almost unfathomable to imagine just what exactly this war between the living and the dead is going to look like, but it's coming very soon whether we can imagine it or not. Let us hope that the collective power of mankind, with the help of three fully grown dragons, can be enough to weather this wintery storm of world-ending proportions.
What are you most looking forward to in the upcoming season of Game of Thrones?
