Warning: There are spoilers in this article. If you have not seen the finale yet, do not read on lest you will ruin it for yourself.
As the final credits played, I sat staring at the television with my mouth agape. That was a crazy episode, as typically rings true for "Game of Thrones" season finales. I was wondering where they were going to take things, as I thought the “Battle of the Bastards” episode would have originally been the finale. Boy was I wrong. So much happened in this episode, I’m going to break some of my favorites down to dissect things further.
The Trial-Explosion-Massacre-Suicide-Throne-Stealing Scene
WHAT? That was quite a start to the episode! I did not see anything like that coming at all. In fact, I was quite looking forward to seeing Cersei face her consequences. (I am not the biggest fan of hers). I couldn’t wait to see how she was going to deal with this change of power. Imagine my surprise when she’s watching from her window as the entire building is engulfed in flames that eventually spread throughout the city. Unbelievable. In that act she practically wiped out the entire Tyrell clan, which particularly upset me as I was a huge fan of Margaery, as well as the High Sparrow all in one fell swoop. It didn’t just stop there, though. As a loving mother, she protected her son, Tommen, by keeping him away from the building she was about to blow up. Upon seeing this massacre, however, HE JUMPS OUT THE WINDOW.
I held my breath for a solid minute while I processed this. After hearing of her son’s suicide, however, she simply took back the throne for herself. I then began to wonder if this was part of Cersei’s plan all along… I’m still not sure on that one. I’m honestly leaning towards the idea that she didn’t plan for that. Throughout the show we have seen her fierce love for her children, and I don’t think that stopped with Tommen. I think when she heard of his death she wasn’t surprised. I think she’s wanted Margaery dead for a while and she knew it would hurt Tommen, but not to what extent. After seeing his corpse, she saw her opportunity and seized it. It certainly didn’t come across well, but that’s Cersei for you.
Jon Snow’s Parentage
This was something I did not catch onto initially, but once I found out I was floored. Remember that random flashback to the crypt where Lyanna Stark is buried? I didn’t get the point of showing us that, but whatever, I can overlook it. That should not have been overlooked, my friends, as this was the base for quite the mind bomb. Ned Stark was not truly Jon’s father, as we had been led to believe. Instead, we learn that Lyanna Stark is Jon’s mother and his father is the MAD KING. Jon Snow is full of royal blood, contrary to popular belief. He is also related to the famous Daenerys, Mother of Dragons.
I cannot wait to see what this turns into when everyone finds out the truth. Personally, I think the show is going to end with Daenerys and Jon coming head-to-head. I think Jon is going to win because I see a hint of danger with Daenerys. I’m not sure how this is going to play out exactly, but I think the white walkers have something to do with it, and Jon certainly has the upper hand there.
“I am Arya Stark”
How’d you like that little scene? I, personally, love Arya’s storyline lately. It’s so fascinating to me and I feel like I never get enough of it. After she decided to remain Arya Stark instead of becoming no-one in an earlier episode I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen to her. I feared for her imminent death, but deep down I knew she was going to survive. After killing Walder Frey in this episode under the mask of someone else I am left with so many questions. I am not going to kill myself trying to figure this out, because I will go insane. We’ll just have to wait until next season to learn what is going on in that world, I suppose. I honestly have no theories. I just love this storyline and wanted to talk about it.
I don’t know about you, but I am already on the edge of my seat for next season, and it’s an entire year away! (10 months to be exact). This makes me sad. I guess while we wait for the next season to air we can sit around brainstorming theories with one another. So, what do you think is going to happen next?
